I managed to finish the first draft of the book yesterday. I’m sitting at 384 pages before I begin my edits…tomorrow. I must have been relieved because after I finished and had some dinner I was EXHAUSTED. I felt like I’d been drinking. Sadly, I hadn’t. Anyway, it’s done and waiting for me to start editing.
Along the lines of editing, I’ve been reading the book, Immediate Fiction by Jerry Cleaver at night. I WISH I would’ve bought this book a long time ago. I’m only about halfway through, but he’s explained more things about story than was ever covered in any of my classes. (ie what a story is, what are its components, showing, structure, characterization, etc.) So far everything he’s covered, I’ll be able to apply to my book during edits. I’ve had several ‘Aha’ moments, during his explanations on how to fix common mistakes that writers make. I really WISH I would’ve read this book when it first came out. It would have saved me lots of time and trouble. Not to mention, it would’ve helped me fix the mistakes I repeatedly make in my work. I’m just glad that I have it now.
Now onto the cooking class. We covered Fish and Shellfish on Tuesday night. I must say that I really enjoyed this class. Yes, I like seafood, but it was more than that. We learned how to shop for seafood. Here are some of the things that you need to look for when buying fish/shellfish: Fish should have a clean odor. They should smell like the sea. Their skin should be slick/moist and their scales should be firm. (No flaking.) Fins and tails should be moist and flexible. The flesh should spring back into place if you press a finger into it. Eyes should be clear. If you’re buying live fish, there should be movement, particularly in crabs and lobsters. Clams, mussels and oysters should be closed tight. They open as they age.
If you buy shrimp with their heads on, shake them. If their heads fall off, they’re old. Always ask if shrimp has been pre-frozen if they’re placed in the store counter and made to look fresh. Big lobsters lose flavor as they age. Smaller lobsters are sweeter. The same goes for shrimp. Always buy refrigerated crab, not the stuff that’s in a bag next to the tuna-fish cans.
Now here are a few cooking and cleaning tips: Never use colored fish for stock, only use white fish or shrimp/clams/etc. Add sea salt and water to fresh shrimp and it’ll revive their texture and flavor. When you need to skin a fish, create a slit at the tail end, then hold it with a paper towel. Place your knife flat between the skin and the meat, then move the skin back and forth. DO NOT move the knife. Your fish will come out beautifully skinned. When cooking salmon, the second it ’sweats white’ it’s done. If you over cook squid, you can save it if you continuing cooking for an extra hour. It’ll make them soft again. (I do not believe that this applies to deep frying.;) And here are a couple of random tips: When you buy fruit, always see if you can smell the sweet smell by holding your nose against the skin. If you can’t, the fruit isn’t ripe. Saute fresh bread crumbs and spread them over pasta if you don’t want to use cheese. Always save some of the water from boiling noodles to add to whatever sauce you’re making. It adds a nice flavor. White fish is done when it reached 130 degrees internally. Salmon is done when it reaches 120 degrees. And tuna is done when it reaches 110 to 120 degrees. The latter depends on how rare you like your tuna. Tuna steaks are best served rare for taste. That ends our lesson for today. 
If you have any questions, fire away. Happy Valentine’s Day to those who celebrate it. Now go out and cook. 
February 14th, 2008
Congrats on finishing the book! Good luck on edits! and I think I might just pick that book up, Immediate Fiction, maybe it will help me tighten my scenes more.
by Vivi Anna February 14th, 2008 at 11:33 amThanks Vivi! I actually think the book would help you a lot. More than anything it’s his explanations that clicked with me. He really helped me understand what I was doing wrong and better yet, how to fix it.
by Jordan February 14th, 2008 at 11:36 amJordan, please correct me if I’m wrong, but you’ve published more books than Jerry Cleaver has even dreamed of. From the Google search on him, he seems to be the clich of those that can’t do, teach. Has he written any fiction novels? Good tips on the fish, thanks.
by BernardL February 14th, 2008 at 11:47 amBernard, I’ve just contracted my 20th novels and novellas, and I’m putting Immediate Fiction on my shopping list. Practical how-to is always useful. I have a very practical book called Plot by Ansen Dibell. I refer to it at least once for every project I write. Doesn’t matter how many stories you write, they all pose their own challenges!
Great cooking tips, Jordan. Especially the how to shop for seafood part.
by Charli February 14th, 2008 at 12:28 pmI dont know, Charli, common sense howls in my head, forcing me to ask this question: when you have sold 20 fiction novels and novellas, why would you seek how-to info from someone who has not sold even one fiction novel?
by BernardL February 14th, 2008 at 1:52 pmBernard, Sometimes it takes a really good teacher to explain the basics. That’s what he’s done with Immediate Fiction. You would not believe the relief I feel from reading the first half of his book. Seriously. You can write and publish all the books in the world and still be making whopper mistakes. Glad you like the fish.
by Jordan February 14th, 2008 at 3:19 pmCharli, Exactly! I have a wonderful book about setting and scene & structure that I refer back to repeatedly. This is the best book I’ve read for breaking things down into understandable bits. Thanks!
by Jordan February 14th, 2008 at 3:20 pmBernard, You don’t stop learning, even after you’ve sold and published. Honestly, I don’t care if this is the ONLY book Jerry Cleaver ever writes because it has been of THAT much help to me. Don’t let your common sense get in the way of good sense.
by Jordan February 14th, 2008 at 3:23 pmI write like I cook - more or less by instinct. I somehow picked up some basic rules, but I haven’t read any writing or cooking book, and I just throw things in the pot, stir them until it smells good, and there we go. *grin*
by Gabriele February 15th, 2008 at 3:44 pmGabriele, I wrote my first several books like that, then things changed for me. I probably couldn’t write a book like I used to ever again.
by Jordan February 15th, 2008 at 5:26 pmYou’re so mean! The last thing I need is *another* writing book to add to my stash (two full shelves), but this one looks great and so…*sigh*…I have now added it to my Amazon.com wish list. See what you’ve done?
by Caryn February 16th, 2008 at 7:51 amTo answer Bernard’s comment, you can also learn a lot about writing from reading. It’s likely that he’s addressing many of the mistakes he’s seen in books he’s read and comparing them with successful execution in other books he’s read. Some people are simply excellent at analyzing what they read. I think that we all ultimately learn more about writing from actually reading, although, of course, writing a ton is a must. Still, many of my favorite books on writing are from authors who are not necessarily famous, whereas I’ve read some books on writing by famous authors and been wholly unimpressed.
by Caryn February 16th, 2008 at 7:56 am*raises coffee mug* I hear you, Jordan. My process has changed radically from how I started out. I couldn’t go back if I wanted to.
by Charli February 16th, 2008 at 9:03 amCongratulations on finishing the book, Jordan — I can feel the heat radiating from your keyboard all the way over here.
Bernard, I’m approaching the 50 mark with published novels, and I continue to gather every bit of wisdom I can about the process from any source available (and often the advice that works best for me comes from non-writers or writers who are down in the trenches versus the big names/bestsellers.) If you never stop learning, you’ll always have the potential to grow as a writer (and not that I want you to think I’m picking on your comment; it’s just such an interesting one that I think it’s catching everyone’s eye.)
by Lynn February 16th, 2008 at 10:03 amCaryn, I agree, reading helps a lot. Not only with writing but with learing languages as well.
I also pick up the occasional idea by reading blogs and writer’s sites, but I haven’t worked my way through a How To book yet and I don’t think I will. I don’t learn languages by working my way through grammar books, either. Maybe my brain is wired funny.
by Gabriele February 16th, 2008 at 5:05 pmCaryn, Sorry, but I’m still finding it extremely helpful. :/
by Jordan February 16th, 2008 at 11:19 pmCaryn, Great point.
by Jordan February 16th, 2008 at 11:20 pmCharli, It’s sad, but I wouldn’t even know where to begin. I’ve pretty much changed the way I ‘think’ about writing.
by Jordan February 16th, 2008 at 11:21 pmThanks Lynn. It’s a good thing I had the fire extinguisher nearby.
*g*
by Jordan February 16th, 2008 at 11:22 pmGabriele, When I’m reading a ‘how to’ book, I’m always happy if I can get one item from them. If I get more than that, it’s gravy. Rarely do entire books help me. It just so happens that this particular book addressed a couple of things that I’ve been struggling with for quite some time, so it was a RELIEF to have an answer. Particularly one where an example is used. (I work much better with examples.)
by Jordan February 16th, 2008 at 11:25 pmMy problem with how-to books is that they look fantastic on the shelf or on Amazon.com, or people have recommended them so highly that I decide to buy them. But have I ever read even one of them all the way through? Never. Not one. I have two shelves of how-to books on writing. Yes, I reference them from time to time, and I *plan* to read them, but it never happens. Same with the Writers Digest a family member subscribes me to every single year. Great for browsing, sometimes good hints, but I rarely get through an entire issue, and I have a whole backlog of untouched ones. Somehow I’d rather write than read about writing, when it all comes down to it. But, darn it, it doesn’t keep books on writing from seeming way too enticing!
by Caryn February 17th, 2008 at 10:56 amCaryn, I had the same problem (still do). I’m very bad about reading all my writing books with the exception of Stephen King’s On Writing. That said, I have gotten to the point where I do look through them and decide whether they’ll be of use to me in the future. If not, then they go. I still have several on my shelves that I haven’t gotten through, but I am trying to remedy that this year.
by Jordan February 17th, 2008 at 11:08 am