Fiction Technician

2011-12-12T12:07:00.000-06:00

This past week has been a lot of firsts for me...

First flat tire
First time eating at Five Guys restaurant (most awesome burger place ever!)
First time seeing Muppets Christmas Carol
First time editing a first draft from a printed version

I've had first drafts before. I can thank five years of doing NaNoWriMo for that. But this is the draft that has gone further than all other drafts, and so I feel it's a new level of editing for me. It's also the largest first draft I've ever written, which makes the task that much more exciting and daunting.

I outlined this novel for a long time and planned out every process of how I was going to write it. And the planning worked well. But now I'm realizing I have not planned out a single bit of how I'm going to go about making it better.

After doing some research online and listening to some friends' advice, here's my battle plan:

1. Read through casually without making any editing marks, but take notes on my most common mistakes.
2. Come up with a way to remedy those mistakes and write the second draft focusing only on those.

Do any of my readers have experience with editing first drafts? Got any advice for me?

I'll let you know how it goes. Also, even though some people might argue that editing manuscripts is the same on a computer screen as it is on the printed page, if nothing else having my entire novel printed out somehow seems empowering. The words are there, unchangeable. My story is now permanent. Looking at printed pages also enables me to make notes with fancy calligraphy pens. That's something you can't do on a computer screen.

Jo's Finished Manuscript
(This scene from Little Women is what I've always dreamed my manuscript would look like one day)

I'd like the feeling in my bum back, please...

2011-12-05T09:01:00.000-06:00

It's been five days after the end of NaNoWriMo, and I think I'm just now recovering. It sure was one exciting month.

There were really two goals I was aiming for: 80k words and finishing the actual story line. I didn't make the second one. There are still three chapters at the end of my plot line that are only outline stubs. I hope to fix that in the coming weeks.

But the first one, I definitely made that goal.

On the last day, I managed to set a new personal record for how many words I have written in a day, at 18,216. That was done at the fabulous write-in at Dunn Bros coffee house in Eden Prairie. It was a LOT of sitting still while drinking caffeine, and having word wars every half hour, and writing straight for about six hours without stopping. In the craziness of it, I didn't bother to switch scenes at all. My characters ended up in a subterranean secret labyrinth navigating their way through using an audio-guided tour that says things like "This tunnel was dug in 1872 just before the Steamclot mining company went bankrupt. Please move to the left to avoid being impaled."
I also made up a mythical creature and put it in the labyrinth, because all labyrinths should have some kind of mythical creature stalking them, right?

Though it gets wacky at times, I am so happy about my book. And proud that I pushed myself this year to go above and beyond what I thought I could do.

My final word count? 102,173!

Thank you to everyone who has cheered me on, supported me this past month while I let things like housekeeping and phone calls slip away from me. This was very important to me and you all got that. I thank you very much for the freedom to do what I love to do with complete abandon one month out of the year. It's not everyone who gets to do that, and YOU made it possible!

Congratulations to all NaNoWriMo participants and winners! Remember, if you didn't make the word count you were hoping for, at least you wrote more words because of NaNo than you otherwise would have written, and that makes you awesome. :)

2011-11-29T12:00:00.001-06:00

Battle plan for the last two days:

1. Fill in the missing parts on my outline.
2. Write like crazy and see if I can still make 100k.

Only 3 days left!!!

2011-11-28T09:23:00.000-06:00

NaNoWriMo is nearing its end. I had hoped to post more in the past week, but I decided it was much more important to focus on my writing.
As a result, I wrote 10,000 words in one day!!! That was fun. And exhausting.

Up until now, my experimental method of outlining has proved to be incredibly helpful. But I wimped out on the last part of it, and it's not as detailed as I would like it to be. As I've been used to for the entire month. I'm finding that I'm having to make new decisions after all about how certain things are going to fit into the plot, and how they're going to happen. It's really slowing me down.

I now sit at 80,000 and am hoping to reach 100,000 still before midnight on Wednesday. Meaning I will have to write 6,667 words each day. I think I can do it, but even still, wish me luck!

Thanksgiving-ed!!!!

2011-11-22T14:44:00.000-06:00

Hi all,

I got Thanksgivinged into nothing but a bump on a couch this past weekend. Part of my family had Thanksgiving early, and my writing time was taken up with preparing some food to bring, the party itself, and recovering from eating so much afterwards.

I've been sluggish and slow. But now that my cat has enjoyed all the cuddles he could get falling asleep on my lap while I sat on the couch, I'm ready to get back at writing, and posting, and hopefully there's enough left in the month to get a significant number of words written.

(He's stuffed.)

Terrible Tuesday and Word-War Wednesday

2011-11-16T12:42:00.000-06:00

Sorry for missing the post yesterday. Since I hit 50k, I was a little burnt out for writing and took a day to recover. I wrote absolutely nothing yesterday.

Time to get back at it! And what better way to do that than to have a word war?

For this week, let's see how many words we can write in ten minutes again, but with a twist.

Do five sessions of ten minute sprints, then average your word counts. This isn't just a word sprint. It's a challenge to see how well we can write over time. It seems easy enough to crank out words in ten minute intervals. But to do that consistently is another matter.

Have fun!

Method Mondays

2011-11-14T21:55:00.000-06:00

I reached 50,000 words!!!!!!!

Thanks to a write-in hosted by my friend Inspie_Girl, I was able to write 4,609 words today, bringing me just 100 words over the top of NaNoWriMo's traditional goal.

I've never hit 50k this early, and other years it's been a struggle to barely get enough words. So why is this year different?

Outlining.

As I've mentioned before, I've been using a combination of the Snowflake method and the Phase Drafting method. I was a little scared that putting so much time into an experimental outlining method without testing it first was risky. What if November came and I started writing, only to realize that my outline wasn't helping me get what I wanted?

But it has paid off. It is SO EASY to write using these methods and here's why I think it works: It separates the decision making process from the actual writing process.

I know not everyone writes using outlines and honestly, sometimes outlining is a pain. But outlining so far in advance this year has made it wonderful.

Good luck in your continued writing adventures! I'm off to write the next 50k! (But not tonight, of course.)

(To be confirmed by the NaNoWriMo word count bots on November 25)

Surplus Sunday

2011-11-13T19:57:00.000-06:00

It's quarter to 8 and I've already reached my word goal for the day, and I don't feel like writing anything more.

My husband and I put up our first ever Christmas tree together yesterday and it looks soooo joyful and Christmasy that I'm getting distracted thinking about Christmas.

My husband also bought me a chocolate orange yesterday, just because. (Awwww. :)

To keep myself motivated, I'm going to eat one slice of chocolate orange for every 1,000 words I write. (Also sharing one with the husband, of course!)

I'm going to eat a starter slice first though, just to let my taste buds know what I'm missing as I write.

Ready, set, BURST!

*kitteh is curious about chocolate orange*

Folly Friday and Something Saturday

2011-11-12T19:45:00.000-06:00

Well, yesterday I took a break from writing. I was a little burned out. Sorry about not posting.

But today I was able to recoup my word count. Now I just have to get today's 3,333 words out of the way and I'll be good to go until tomorrow.

We'll see you then once I have more time and don't forget to post! :)

Thicken Thursdays

2011-11-11T11:39:00.000-06:00

Time to thicken up those plots again!

Last week I added an ottendorf cypher to mine, and I only just got around to writing about it yesterday. I'd say it added about 800 words to my novel (not to mention all the words it will create in the future) and probably %10 intrigue to my plot. I already have a labyrinth, a headless horseman, mountain goats, a dragon, an argyria-stricken cult group, and seven mystical islands. How possibly could I cram anything more in?

This time I'm going to thicken my plot by adding something not quite so fantastical. My main character is going to become one of the villains...without even knowing it. Well, she knows it, but doesn't.
She basically dresses up and passes herself off as the secondary villain character to escape impending doom. But what she doesn't realize is that she's not just playing dress up. People actually take her seriously and carry out her orders. Without meaning to, she kind of throws her fellow servants under the bus while at the same time strengthening and saving her enemies.

I like this twist because my main character has spent her entire life opposing this villain, only to become her. Not only will this thicken the plot, but I needed a way to make my main character simmer down from her revengeful and prideful ways. Becoming the villain kind of makes her start to realize that perhaps revenge is not the best way to deal with her mother's death.

Anyways, I could continue and probably end up spilling my entire plot here if I don't stop. (Before November, my outline was 50k words already so trust me, you don't want to hear the entire plot right now.)

So I challenge you today, if you're writing, to add something in to your story that you didn't plan on having there this morning. It can be a huge plot twist, or it can be a side thing that's small and out of the story again within a few paragraphs. Throwing yourself surprises is one way to keep your story fresh and new.

Word War Wednesdays

2011-11-09T18:23:00.000-06:00

Ok, everyone. I'm at a coffee shop and ready to write!

Tonight, I'm going to see how many words I can write in ten minutes. If I feel up to it, I'll try it more than once and attempt to beat my own time.

Good luck, all! Go! Build your wordy worlds!

Trip Tuesday

2011-11-08T23:08:00.002-06:00

Sorry, guys. I wasn't able to do location writing at all today.

But I can tell you where I would like to have been writing. This place:

No idea where it is, but isn't it gorgeous?

Word count: 26,848. I'm at the 25k mark! Yay!

Method Monday - four simple words

2011-11-07T09:49:00.001-06:00

Hi all.

I'll be quick, but wanted to post about a neat little trick I discovered for boosting word count AND keeping your plot on track.

I was writing according to my outline, when suddenly things took an unplanned turn. I began writing a completely different scene that wasn't in the outline and realized if I was going to continue with it, I would end up down a large rabbit trail that would threaten the continuity of my plot.
So I added these 4 simple words and it fixed everything:
"But that's another story."

It enabled me to keep the couple paragraphs of words I had written, therefore upping my word count, and I was able to get back to my original plans for the story. Plus, it leaves that "other story" wide open for an extra short story I can write later on the side, or incorporate some other time. It adds background to the story, gives the appearance of depth, and shows the reader that there's more to the story than is being told.

Anyways, hope that helps! Got any methods about writing or reaching 50k you'd like to share?

(Edit: Word count at the end of Monday is 23,451. I'm on track for 100k!)

Surplus Sunday

2011-11-06T16:15:00.000-06:00

It's 4:07 pm. I have until 5:40 when I have to leave for a church event.
Time to write!

My goal: write a surplus of words, as many as I can. It doesn't matter if a reach a certain goal or meet a certain deadline. I'm already way ahead on my word count so anything I write today will be surplus to tide me over in case I have (will have) lean days.

Wouldn't it be nice if you could go to a surplus store and buy people's extra words? Well, maybe you can't actually buy other people's words, but perusing a surplus store of random things could help to boost your word count by giving you extra inspiration for writing.

I went to one the other day and only had 6 minutes before they closed to pick stuff out. I found a gas mask, a bunch of random electronic parts, and some plastic gears. I didn't buy any of them, but that gas mask is still stuck in my mind. I'm always a softie for biohazard stories, and while I know I'm NOT going to include a biohazard in my story (I've already got a dragon, mind-control, and a subterranean labyrinth), it has sparked my creativity. The fear that a mass break-out of a biohazard causes is similar to the effect I was looking for.

So go out and write those surplus words! Or find them in random objects at a thrift store. Either way works.

Sanctuary Saturday

2011-11-05T12:56:00.000-05:00

Ufda!

Yesterday was a long writing sprint for me. For some reason the 7,000 words I wrote on Nov. 2 didn't seem quite as long as the 5,000 words I wrote yesterday. I think that's because I'm getting into the part of the plot that I really care about. You know how writer's often give advice to other writers about taking the first 2 or 3 chapters they right and deleting them completely? I think I might have to do that when I start making my revisions after November. Because the story really starts to pick up in chapter five.

These past four days I've written in several different places. More than I ever have before. But not once have I sat down at my actual desk to write. I find that kind of odd. It's not that I don't like my desk. In fact, my husband went out and bought me the exact desk I had labeled as my dream desk without me even telling him about it. I've also spent months getting it set up just the way I want to.

So why haven't I written there? Probably because it's messy, but also because it's tucked away in a different room where no one else visits and I would feel very isolated there. Don't get me wrong, I love the isolation for writing. But I'm hesitant to go there because it takes commitment.

If I sequester myself in that room at my desk, it means there are no other distractions, no one else to talk to. It's just me and my book. I have to be pretty committed to only writing my novel while I'm there, and as much as I love writing, that doesn't seem appealing to me right now. I'd almost rather be in a place where I can get distracted because then I can take mini breaks.
But I know the time will come when I need complete isolation, and then I'll go to my desk.

What is your writing sanctuary? How does it work for you? Why did you choose that particular spot?

It could be a regular seat at a coffee shop, a closet you've turned into an office, or the living room couch or kitchen table. I know of one person who writes in the bathtub!

Whatever it is, enjoy it and plan to use it well as we head into week two of NaNoWriMo. Good luck everyone!

Word Count: 17,854

Fast Fridays

2011-11-04T13:39:00.000-05:00

I don't work on Fridays. So I was hoping that today I'd spend the entire time writing.

After waking up late, going to work for an hour for some last minute stuff, and getting sidetracked by an estate sale on the way to my writing spot, I'm finally here at Caribou ready to write.

I also have yet to go grocery shopping, which means I only have a few hours to pound out some words. I am going to have to write really fast.

So here goes! Every Friday I'm going to attempt to write double my daily word count. My goal is to reach 100,000 words by the end of November, which means my daily goal is 3,333. By the end of today, I need to have written 6,666 words to make double.

If anyone's joining me on this, good luck!

Thicken Thursdays

2011-11-03T19:55:00.000-05:00

Sometimes during NaNoWriMo, you end up with a plot that seems to go nowhere. Or you just don't know what's going to happen next.

Or sometimes your plot goes along just fine and it's not a challenge at all and you find yourself wondering what's so interesting about your story anyway.

Throwing a proverbial wrench into the mix can do a lot of things for a story.

I've been outlining my novel for eight months and have everything almost completely decided upon. But, in honor of Thicken Thursdays, I'm going to throw something completely new into my plot to thicken it up: an ottendorf cypher.

I was thinking of National Treasure today, and realized I really liked the code they used on the back of the declaration of independence.

What will you choose to thicken your plot? Or do you have ideas for other people that don't quite fit with your story, but you want to share anyways?

Happy writing!

Word Count: 9,413

Word-War Wednesdays

2011-11-02T22:53:00.000-05:00

I challenge you!

Today, let's see how many words we can each write in, say, an hour. Post your results in the comments below.

I find that word wars are great for the first couple days of NaNoWriMo. I'm usually hesitant when I first start because I haven't gotten into the flow of my novel yet. Forcing myself to pump out words and forget about worrying if they're the right ones or not helps get me in the mood to write the good ones later on.

Feel free to use Write or Die or any other method of timing your words. Good luck! (I'll post my results in the comments as well.)

It's a Word War!

Word Count: 7468

Trip Tuesday

2011-11-01T22:45:00.000-05:00

This morning, and I mean really early this morning, I did my location writing at IHOP near Mall of America.

I joined in with several other NaNoWriMo people and we counted down to midnight, then wrote madly for a twenty minute word war. It was interesting to write in a restaurant surrounded by other people, all typing as fast as possible. It was quite the motivation sound track.

Being in a place I've never been before seemed appropriate for starting a new novel, because I had to put myself inside the main character's shoes, and every scene was new to me. I think it helped me focus on developing the opening scene.

Did you attend a write-in? Where did you start writing at midnight?

I challenge you to find at least one location this week outside of your normal writing routine, just to see what it does for your writing.

Day 1 Word Count: 4,457

Writing ditty

2011-10-25T13:32:00.000-05:00

Write a book through and through
Write a proposal and query too.
Send them out in droves and hordes
To as many agents your pocket affords.

Keep on tweaking, writing, breathing,
Despite the rejection letters' seething.
Don't forget you can always be better.
Keep sending out those query letters!

If no one offers representation,
Consider other modes of publication.
But first, take a good, hard look
At the quality of your much-rejected book.

Audiobooks, Kindles, PDFs,
Do whichever you think is best.
Plan your publicity well and clear.
Work, work, work! Your book is here!

www.nanowrimo.org

NaNo Toolbox

2011-10-19T22:49:00.000-05:00

NaNoWriMo doesn't have to be planned out. You can write by the seat of your pants (called being a pantster) and sometimes, that's fun.

But I've come to the realization that NaNoWriMo can be more than just fun. It can help writers become more experienced in their craft.

The hardest part about writing a book in a month is that every single word is a decision. That's 50,000 decisions you have to make, 1,667 decisions every day. I find my mind gets tired of making decisions really quick, especially if I also have to decide which way the plot is going in the process. Deciding on a few things before you begin writing will help take away some of the burden during November.

The following tools are things I'm finding help me a lot when I start a new project. You don't have to spend hours on them, but even just thinking about it without making a firm decision will help you discover what you want to write when the time comes.

1. A genre. (Pick one or make up your own.)

2. A main character. (Even better if you know what motivates your main character.)

3. A single sentence describing the most important part of your plot.

4. A villain or antagonist.

5. A setting. (Time & place)

6. Minor characters

7. A detailed outline of your plot.

8. Any research you might need about your setting or characters.

9. What the denouement (climax) of the story will look like.

10. Passion about what you're writing. (And yes, this is a decision/choice.)

With these ten things prepared beforehand, I can almost guarantee you'll have lots of fun writing an entire book in 30 days.

This year I decide to go for the uber outline. I've been preparing this story for eight months and have gotten it to the point where I could almost hand over my notes to a seven year old and they'd be able to write it. I certainly should be able to!

Good luck in getting ready for a writing marathon! See you November 1st! I can hardly wait...

NaNoWriMo

2011-10-12T12:35:00.000-05:00

It's the time of year when the leaves fall, and when I greatly anticipate the start of November. Next month is a time of literary abandon through the program NaNoWriMo. I'm so excited. I've been outlining what I'm going to write for six months and my fingers are itching to type.

During November, I plan to have a short post for EVERY DAY of the month, mostly pertaining to writing, of course. The schedule is as follows:

Surplus Sundays: Encourage writers to write more than their daily goal to build up a surplus of words going into the week.

Method Mondays: Talk about methods we use during NaNoWriMo or anytime of the year to get the writing done.

Trip Tuesdays: All about location writing. What are some favorite places to write? The most convenient? Every Tuesday I will purpose to write somewhere I've never written before.

Word-war Wednesdays: Kind of self-explanatory, but I'll be challenging writers to see how many words they can write in an hour, then post their results in the comments.

Thick Thursdays: Challenge writers to thicken their plots. I will offer a choice of ways to do this, but it's entirely up to you! I will also post how I chose to thicken my plot.

Fast Fridays: I will attempt to write double my daily word count goal every Friday. Watch those fingers fly! If you want to join in the challenge, awesome! Post how many words you got done in the comments.

Sanctuary Saturday: We'll talk about writers and their writing spaces, how to protect your writing time and space, and what are some good ideas for setting up that perfect ambiance of inspiration.

See you on November 1st with Trip Tuesday, my first location writing exercise! I'm off to the NaNoWriMo forums!

To picture or not to picture

2011-08-16T10:13:00.001-05:00

Sometimes I read other blogs because the picture they embed at the top of their post is interesting. It draws me in.

Other times, I see the picture, but then don't read the text because the first few sentences are boring and I'm already looking for a quick and easy intake of information...the picture sets me up for that. I want the post to be just as entertaining as the picture or else I won't read it.

In short, putting pictures before every post on a blog is a great way to draw people in. But if your post doesn't live up to the expectation you create by giving your readers a picture first, then they'll likely drop you like a hot potato.

Kinda like publishing. The first chapter (or prologue if you must) is a promise to your readers of what they can expect. If your first chapter rocks, but the rest of the book is slow, they'll most likely stop reading, frustrated with a story that doesn't stay true to what that first chapter promised.

Of course there are other things that catch the readers' eyes before the first chapter that also act as promises: cover art, what section of the bookstore it's in, what they've heard about the book online, the reviews they've read, which of their friends recommended it, the blurbs and summary on the jacket cover, etc. But these things you don't necessarily have control over if you seek traditional publishing.

It's kind of sad, in a way, that the very first promise I'm going to make to my beloved future readers whom I've dreamed about writing for for years isn't even in my control. The cover art could be completely misrepresentative of the book inside. The blurbs could promise my book will make the readers' hair stand on end, when all I really wanted to do was make the reader feel warm and cozy. Sounds a little awkward, doesn't it? Having to fulfill the promises your publisher and editor have made for you by designing your publishing package?

And yet, maybe we do have control over those things as well. Our publishers and editors are people, too. In fact, they are our very first readers. If we can't communicate the vision of the book to them, the excitement and passion we poured into it, then maybe they won't know how to present it to readers in the way we envisioned.

My pastor (who's also my boss) talks a lot about vision. He says it needs to be clear, it needs to be inspiring, and it needs to be portable: you have to be able to transfer the vision to someone else. And not just to one other person through a ton of thoughtful explaining. You need to be able to port your vision to lots of people, and be able to do that with a simple summary of your book.
Can you sum up your book in an inspiring, single sentence that draws people in? Can you talk about your book with passion, excitement, and longing? Is your passion about what you're doing catchy?

To picture or not to picture...

Do we present the reader with something that draws them in all easy like and promises great content with little effort on their part? Or do we draw them in slowly, telling them upfront that this book will take a lot of clever thinking to keep up with it, that it will challenge them?

Maybe I should put a picture in at the end. Kind of like an easter egg in a DVD, or a reward for reading all the way through. I know I will never walk out of a movie theater again until the credits have completely played through. I did that once, with an X-men movie, and didn't get to see Magneeto playing chess without his powers. I now expect and even hope for that last picture at the end. Maybe building a reputation that way would draw people in, knowing your work is solid all the way through?

So....here. Have a picture. :)

Food for the Writer's Soul

2011-07-25T18:15:00.000-05:00

I was thinking about NaNoWriMo today and wondered, what goodies should I stock-pile as incentives during November?

Chocolates? Maybe.
White tea? Definitely.

But mostly, I love rewarding myself by spending money on ingredients for a fancy meal. Today, I discovered a meal that doesn't cost a lot and is easy to make. And I wish I could eat it continuously without getting full, it's that good.

Cumin-Spiced Chicken with Chunky Tomato Sauce
served with
Creamy Squash Risotto

I used Cub brand cooked squash 'cause I couldn't find frozen butternut squash and it still tasted good. I also used 5-minute pre-cooked rice so it didn't take me as long to heat things up in the microwave.

Husband, friends, and family: If you want to make my day, cook me this. :)
I'm going to use it as word-count motivator during November as a reward for reaching a certain word goal.

If you have a favorite way of rewarding yourself for making your goals during NaNoWriMo, or for writing in general, share in the comments! I'd love to hear them.

Looking forward to tomorrow's lunch of leftovers! :)

World Building - tougher than it sounds?

2011-07-18T16:06:00.000-05:00

Every time I sit down to world build, I get frustrated: All I want to do is rush off and work on the PLOT of the story. I know how things are imagined in MY head. Why not let the reader imagine things for themselves, too?

I had planned to spend all of July building up the setting of my work in progress, and suddenly found myself almost two thirds of the way through the month without having done much. I finally gave up and decided I was going to rush ahead and make up the plot.

Within the first five minutes of plotting, I wanted to write a scene where one of my characters exclaims "By Jove!"

While I never intended to leave the word Jove in my novel, it did raise a question.
Jove is a derivative form of swearing by god's name. I asked myself, "What would my characters swear by? What would they bless by? Would they do the traditional Christian thing and say 'Thank Goodness!' even though they're on an alternate version of Earth?"

Suddenly I was world building and didn't even realize it. Funny how the right question will unlock a wealth of information.

I went from making up swear words and friendly exclamations to inventing what sorts of religions these people might follow. Soon after that I was drawing a map of my world just so I could point out to myself where all the religious places were.
Then I felt compelled to name all the new countries I had just drawn (or at least name them something other than colors of the rainbow which I had temporarily bestowed upon them).
Coming up with names for countries led me to realize that country names in our world today are from ancient words meaning things like "Horse people" or "People of the white mountain" (this is my simplification of it).
So I came up with a general genetics map of who has black hair, red hair, white hair and where they live, and which areas are more mixed than others. I also named the countries after things that they're known for, like industry, desert-land, and bountiful harvests. Plugging these words into Google translator and choosing a different language until I got something I liked was tons of fun.

By the end of the first day of me "giving up" on world building, I had a map of my entire world, names for all my countries, some slang words and their etymologies, I knew where everyone lived, what they believe and how they practice it, and, of course, which gods they swear by. I knew the political tensions between the countries, what certain places war over, what the weather is like in different parts on my map, and I had even created three different mythologies which a few characters in my story will draw upon.

I don't know how I could have ever found World Building hard before. Before I started asking questions, (ok, so just the one question) I wasn't interested. I didn't think there was enough to my world to talk about. I didn't want to bore my readers. But now, because I got curious and asked a question, I have a wealth of information.
Not all of it, or even most of it, will make it into my book, but it IS useful. It helps me imagine what I need to in order to build the world around my main character.

So here's to being curious, even about imaginary places!

Vacations! And how they make you feel...

2011-07-05T13:36:00.000-05:00

Last week my husband took me to a water park on spur of the moment. It was Wednesday, and within half an hour of leaving work, I was standing at the top of a water slide, looking out over the highway at all the rush hour traffic I was missing and thinking to myself, "This doesn't feel like a Wednesday."

For Independence Day weekend, we had a blast, camped out on my in-laws' lawn, kayaked on their lake and talked with my lovely in-law uncles and grandma and grandpa. We didn't have our phones, our wallets, our computers or anything with us the entire time. Just the clothes on our backs. It was....odd. And wonderful.

I didn't do any writing. But when we got back to our normal, city apartment life, there was a difference in how I wrote. I had new visions of things to come in my book and my imagination was infused with real-life experiences that can't possibly be put into words.

It's important for writing to make life great. Even if I wasn't a writer, it'd be important, but especially because I am. A picture is worth a thousand words, but an experience is priceless and can't be bought with words on a page.

Maybe that's why being a writer is so attractive to so many people. You kind of have to have a thrilling life full of adventure, mishaps, explorations, and interesting things that happen in order to write. If you can find an author who led a boring life, tell me and I'll correct myself.

It's summer! Go out and take a walk. Discover new places. Go on a bike ride down a new trail. Go camping. Cook something you've never cooked before (I'm experimenting with something called a Poblano pepper and Butternut squash tonight). Strand yourself somewhere with nothing to do, no cell phone, or computer, and see what your mind comes up with to do. I've noticed that there are all kinds of ignored corners and fascinations we miss because we're busy with other things.

Are writer's selfish?

2011-06-15T19:43:00.000-05:00

I recently had two conversations with people I know are writers. The first one was a new acquaintance and someone mentioned to me they were a writer. So I decided to probe and find out how serious of a writer they were. I asked them what their book was about and this person gave me a single sentence, succinct summary. I was pleasantly astonished and continued to ask questions. I found out they were a serious writer, had paid to take a few writing courses online, and hoped to be published someday.

Knowing how avid writers usually are about networking, I thought for sure this person would ask me about my novel, or at least ask if I've ever been published.

But apparently not. They were quite content to go on talking about their own novel and philosophy on writing, and even acted like they were better than me for having taken an online writing course. I quickly lost interest and stopped asking questions.

I also had a phone conversation with another writer I know. This person I've known for years and we've talked about writing before. Every time we talk, they sit on the other end of the telephone waiting for me to ask questions. It's like pulling teeth to have a conversation. This person also acts as if his writing is some sacred jewel of information that should be leaked out slowly and only to those who prove they really want to know.

So what is it about writers that make us such bad conversationalists about our own craft?

Are we selfish and use awkward silences to force others into asking us about our books? Or are we just scared people will steal our ideas? Should we be?

Or perhaps so few people ask us about our work that we're just not used to coming up with words to describe it. Maybe we're just afraid the other person won't understand our writerly jargon, or will think we're nuts for trying out rubbish ideas.

Still, I don't think any of the above are good reasons to hide what you've put your heart and soul into. A writer survives by building publicity these days and mouth to mouth is the most powerful way of spreading your fame.

But not only is your one sentence book idea spread easily between mouths, your attitude is as well. Be kind. Reciprocate to us poor souls who are more interested in you as a person than in your story. We want to have a two way conversation, not just have you perform for us by talking endlessly about your novel. Don't get me wrong, I love a good story. But I'd rather have you as a friend than an entertainer.

New direction for the blog

2011-05-13T12:43:00.000-05:00

I'm tired of coming up with writerly things when I don't feel like I'm an expert. I'm not published yet. Don't come here to read about publishing. (These blogs do so much better than me!)

You can expect to find on this blog the following:

Things I find interesting.
Things that blow my mind that I want to share with you to make life more enjoyable.
The few and far between but still potent insights I have about writing. Yes, I will still talk about writing. Just not as much.

With that out of the way, here's what has fascinated me today:

I'm attempting to make this out of paper. It's proving to be a LOT of fun! :)

Enjoy life, readers.

Flushing out the Questions

2011-04-13T16:12:00.000-05:00

Bouncing like rubber balls around in the hollow spaces of any writer's brain are thoughts about their craft, doubts, and questions. And I know a lot of times we try to ignore them, afraid if we acknowledge one, the rest will pour out like a deluge and extinguish our passion for what we do.

But my thought for today is, how bad can it really be to acknowledge them? Wouldn't it feel better to get those bouncy balls out of your thoughts so you can think more clearly? Here's my go at it...

Is it worth it in the end?
Will getting published make me feel like I've finally fulfilled my writing dream?
How do I know if I have that edge to my story that makes it stand out?
Will people really like what I write?
Does anyone even read anymore?
What's the best format to pursue? Online ebooks or traditional?
Should I even bother looking for an agent or just go straight to e-pubbing?
Does my novel have enough oomph?
Are my characters flat and uninteresting?
Is my story all plot and no characterization?
Am I too much in love with what I write to see its flaws?

As writers, I think we re-evaluate our craft, our ideas, and ourselves every time we sit down to write. Perhaps that's why a blank page is so intimidating to some.

Now with all those questions out, I can focus on the reason I started writing in the first place: Because I love it passionately. With that view firmly in mind with no bouncy balls to knock it out of its place, I can write clear and focused.

I'm going to write a list of questions like this every time I sit down to write, just to flush them out of my thoughts and allow myself to get focused.

April is Poetry Month!

2011-04-07T15:35:00.000-05:00

It kind of snuck up on me.
The last two years I've been gun-ho excited to participate but for some reason this year I didn't even realize it was poetry month until a few days in!

Because my head is very much into fiction at the moment, I'm finding it hard to think about poetry as well. For sure, I will still be writing poetry. I want to at least attempt to write one poem per day. (I need to catch up!) But I won't be posting them here. I figured since my head isn't in the game, I'd spare everyone from having to read my less than stellar poetry.

But by all means, head over to Robert Brewer's Poetic Asides blog to check out his poetry prompts for each day, to read hundreds of poems his readers have posted, and to participate yourself.

Have fun!

The War Continues

2011-03-30T14:48:00.000-05:00

Every time I sit down to write now, I end up splitting my time between my two novels. It usually goes like this:

Sit down, drink tea, open project 1.

Smile at my darling novel, begin writing.

Get frustrated, close project 1, realize my dreams of being a writer are unrealistic.

Drink tea, open project 2.

Smile at the novel that's better than the other one, begin writing.

Get frustrated, drink tea, pet cat, get hugs from hubby, sit down, open project 1.

You see my dilemma? Oh, you don't see it? It's right there in between the fact that I'm managing to write something every day.

The truth is, I kind of like this. Even though I feel like I'm not getting anywhere, I am writing. And I'm writing even in the midst of getting frustrated at a project.

This is just more evidence that writer's block doesn't have to exist. All you need are several other writing projects to go to when you get stuck on one. That way, you'll always be writing no matter what.

Hang in there if you're frustrated or impatient for your novel to get done. And maybe go drink some tea.

Compulsive Beginnings

2011-03-21T17:54:00.000-05:00

It turns out Unsubscribe day is more like unsubscribe week. Some places take ten days to unsubscribe you from their system. I don't like it, but I guess that's the way it is. Hopefully by next week I will have a much slimmer Inbox.

Which is important because I just started my new job and every week I get about 40 e-mails from my fellow co-workers. :D I love it. It makes me feel like I'm needed.

With the start of my new job, I haven't done anything with my WIP for three weeks. Which felt strange because that's the longest I've ever gone without working on it since I started almost two years ago.

But for the past three weeks, I was writing. I didn't have a chunk of time I needed to devote to my WIP to get past a major barrier, so instead I started a different novel, one that I could add to in bits and pieces a few minutes at a time.

Now I have a pleasant conundrum. I'm still in love with my WIP, but am really excited about my newest novel. Which do I work on?

It reminds me of when I used to play Civilizations and Age of Empires. They fascinated me and were a ton of fun, but I found myself addicted to fresh, new beginnings. It was rare I ever finished a game because every time I'd sit down, I would want to start something new. A blank slate with no mistakes on it with all the possibilities of becoming a successful game.

My WIP is almost done (done? Is there such a thing?) so I'll probably stick with it until I reach that next satisfactory step. But I have no doubt I'll continue to grow my newest story here and there, squeezing it in around my schedule.

Have you ever had more than one significant story going at the same time? How many? Are you a compulsive starter of stories? Or does a blank page scare you?

Unsubscribe Day

2011-03-14T06:00:00.000-05:00

Today I designate as Unsubscribe day.

It may take only a few seconds to delete that annoying newsletter you signed up for because they gave you a free pizza.
You might think you'll order something from that e-zine in the future when you have more time for hobbies.

But those few seconds add up. Especially if you managed to get a free pizza, free pen, 10% off at a dozen places and a few free books for signing up, like me. This morning I had 60 e-mails in my inbox that were not personal or work related. And I just checked it yesterday. (Note that this is the e-mail address I keep for such purposes. Anything that sounds risky or spammy, I use my alternate e-mail.)

I'm of the opinion that it's ok to sign up for free e-zines and stuff, especially if there's a promotion for doing so (i.e. free stuff). But today, I'm unsubscribing from all the regular e-mails I never read. That includes things like my subscription to the Origami e-zine. Sure, I'll probably order more Origami paper from them in the future, but when I do, I won't need their e-zine to do it. And no amount of sales or special offers from them will make me place an order until I have the time to actually fold Origami.

So here's to more time for writing. More time for living. More brain space for the e-mails that actually matter.

Happy Unsubscribe Day!

Writing on hold

2011-03-10T09:53:00.001-06:00

Sorry, guys. I've been putting all my writing on hold until I finish training in at my new job. It's bee a busy couple of weeks, but I hope that once things settle down at work I'll get right back into the blogosphere/write-o-sphere.

Hope you all are having a good time!

This Week

2011-03-01T08:18:00.002-06:00

Started a new job this week, so I'll be busy as a bee learning new things. Real blog posts to resume next week. ;)

I am the Voice

2011-02-21T11:13:00.000-06:00

When I first learned about Pandora radio, I looked up a station that had one song consistently in its playlist. The song was called "The Voice" and was very repetitive musically. It also made no sense. The entirety of the lyrics can be summed up in four words "I am the voice".

There's no setting to show us where the voice is coming from, or to whom the voice is speaking. Why is the voice speaking? We don't know. Why is this voice important and how can it be the voice of everything, and does it matter?

It was a classic case of stringing together words that sound nice but don't make any sense. The writer of the song clearly thought they were saying something profound, when they were really just feeling profound.

So when I hear writers talk about voice, I can't help thinking of that song and saying to myself "The voice needs context in order to become important."

This past week I've been exploring what it means to discover and write a consistent voice in my work. I thought I'd try writing the first paragraph of my novel in four different ways to see if a different voice emerged and if I liked one of them best.

But when I clicked back to my first paragraph, I realized it already had voice without me knowing it. I thought I had left the first paragraph a flat, murky string of words with no real feeling. I was pleasantly surprised to find, though it contained flaws and clear inconsistencies in the voice and flow of the story, it had something.

I've never heard voice defined in any satisfactory manner, (which might be why I think of that song: they're both ambiguous,) but I saw it in my first paragraph. I can't explain it, but it felt right. I could see where I had written with complete authority and been in control. And now I remember how I eeked out that first paragraph. I did two things: got inside my character's head and knew before I started writing what I wanted to emphasize.

The character was my villain. I already had his character nailed down so I knew what he would do if he was reluctant. I knew how he would act and along what lines he would generally think if he was uncomfortable or undecided about something.

In the scene, I knew I wanted to show he was reluctant to go into a building. I could have shown it in many different ways. But the way I chose was consistent with his character. That in itself is not voice. That's characterization.

However, the reason I call it voice is because when I went back to read it, I was totally drawn in to what was going to happen next and I found myself feeling sorry for the villain, (the effect I intended to produce).

If I, a writer bent on red-pen-editing-destruction of a story, can go back to my first paragraph and NOT analyze it to death for narrator flaws because I was distracted by the character and setting, I have to think the voice was done correctly. I successfully removed myself from the audiences' view.

I'm quite sure I'll discover there's more to voice than that. But it was a nice surprise. Now if only I could duplicate that magical alignment of the stars that made correct voice appear (or rather disappear) in my first paragraph, I'd have a pretty good book on my hands.

For now, I'll just keep using my red-pen-of-death to ex out sentences that are just nice words strung together.

First Rejection Letter!

2011-02-15T08:20:00.002-06:00

Hi all.

I received my first rejection letter this past week. Of course, I would rather have been asked to send in my full manuscript, but a first rejection letter is what I was expecting.

Woohoo! I've taken another step in my writing career and have officially entered the query phase! :D

The rejection letter was from Dragon Moon Press. Form letter. Very polite. They even apologized in the form letter for sending a form letter. I thought that was kind of cute.

Anyways, onward and upward. I thought I would feel devastated when I got my first rejection letter, but I don't. Thank you to all you publishers and agents and writers who blog about these things, otherwise I would not have known what to expect.

Update on experiment:
I tried writing 'til it hurt my brain, pushing past my normal 'I want to stop' moment. Conclusion: I hurt my brain.
But I did get some writing done and I think there's a good focus that comes from the other side of the push. I'll continue the experiment this week.

How much is too much?

2011-02-08T13:58:00.000-06:00

When I write, I find I'm only good for about two and a half hours at a time, and it's pushing it to do more than one session of two and a half hours.
For whatever reason, I always reach a magical point at which it gets significantly harder to think of words to put down.

In the past I've always stepped away from my computer and said "That's good. I just wrote for two and a half hours and I have something to show for it. Time for mindless distraction!"
But I've recently started wondering if I should push through it and force myself to write beyond that point.

So this week I'm going to try an experiment. I will write until I come to my finishing point, and then attempt to write some more. Next week I'll examine my writing and see if writing past my finishing point makes me write better or worse.
Also, I'll see if there's a golden valley of muse-inspired words after I push myself past that point. Maybe there's a second wind that comes if I push myself.

There was one day last year when I wrote for nine hours straight. But that was for NaNoWriMo when I turned myself into a strict word machine. This experiment pertains more to the entire writing process: not only adding to my word count, but editing, contemplating, researching, and doing all the little things that go into a polished novel.

Check back next week to see what happens!

I am not a brand

2011-02-01T11:23:00.000-06:00

They say to market yourself as a writer, you need to turn yourself into a brand.
I get where they're coming from, but honestly, I'm not a brand. I'm a person.

That's all I hope my readers ever see me as, and all I ever hope to convey to them. To me, 'brand' sounds like I'm something other people mindlessly consume without paying attention or thinking for themselves about what they want.

When I reach for a more expensive brand of a product instead of the cheaper thing, it's because I've been taught brand loyalty and I expect a certain quality from the brand name. So it DOES make sense that readers should come to expect a certain quality of writing from a book with my name on it.

But I still can't stomach the fact of marketing myself as a brand. I don't want people to mindlessly consume what I write. I don't want to come off as some super famous writer who deserves their attention. I just want them to see my book, take it off the shelf, and enjoy an afternoon because they read something that made them satisfied. The attention should be on the book, not on me.

Making myself into a brand makes it seem like I'm conditioning readers to come to me and give to me, when really all I want to do is give to my readers.

I have no doubt that in the future I will end up marketing myself as a brand. It's part of the publishing game. But I hope it doesn't come off as commercialized, cheapened, or like I have some kind of angle I'm working. I just want to make people happy through what they read. I hope it comes off more as "I loved her voice in her last book so I'm going to buy her next book too."

Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award

2011-01-24T10:13:00.000-06:00

For anyone who has a completed manuscript and likes to enter contests, Amazon's Breakthrough Novel Award might be of interest to you.

The contest started last night at midnight and will run until Feb. 6th OR until they receive 5,000 entries in each of the two categories.

I have no idea if those 5,000 will fill up quick, but I wouldn't risk it if I were you and had a finished novel you thought had a decent chance. The prize is awesome. I haven't decided yet if I'm entering. I feel I need a bit more time to work on my novel but then again, don't we all?

Tunnel Vision

2011-01-17T16:08:00.001-06:00

Sometimes imaginative people display behavior similar to that of people with ADD. I know I do. I'm easily distracted by something that has 'scope for the imagination' (as Anne of Green Gables would say).

But I've realized recently writers can often get the opposite of ADD, and it's because of their creativity: tunnel vision.

Tunnel vision is like looking through a paper-towel tube: you don't see anything on the sides. You only see what's right in front of you. For focus, that's a good thing. Focus on our writing is great. It keeps us going and helps drag us through writer's block, writer's angst and those I-has-a-dumb days.

But extra super focus on writing happens often as well. As Sara King put it on her blog, the opposite of ADD: Interrupt Me And Receive A Spoon Through The Eye.

Life is what we write about. We need to live it.
Tunnel vision is great for focusing on something that needs to get done. But make sure you have someone around to snap you out of it.

Someone once asked me "So what do you like to do other than writing?" and I hadn't a clue. That's when I realized I needed to put away my writing more often and get out.
It almost seems like there should be an annual holiday when writer's abstain from writing anything, even e-mails. *shudder* That sounds ~~impossible~~ challenging.

Story Bible

2011-01-12T08:35:00.000-06:00

Some writers like to keep track of the information and ideas behind the scenes of their novel in a story bible.

A story bible can consist of anything relevant to the story. Maps drawn on napkins, outlines, chapter bullet points, character charts and art, a to-do list of everything that each chapter needs to accomplish, etc.

I've been trying for awhile now to search for ideas of how other people put their story bibles together. But due to the generic nature of the words 'story bible' it's time consuming to wade through all the entries of 'Children's Story Bible' and such.

But I was finally able to find some good posts on story bibles and what works.

Enjoy!

From the Write Thing
From Nathan Bransford
From Catherine, Caffeinated
From Storyfix.com

Have any other cool links about story bibles? Post 'em in the comments!

Different Hats

2011-01-04T08:54:00.000-06:00

I was reading a book last night. It was one of the many books I have about the craft of writing and I hadn't picked it up in awhile. When I started reading, I was surprised to find I had not even read it yet. So I hunkered down in my big bowl chair with the cat and was surprised even further: this book was about how to write non-fiction.

When did I buy a book about non-fiction? All I write is fiction. Non-fiction is my day job as a technical writer.

But for some odd reason I kept reading. I even read the introduction. It was then I realized this book was great advice for writers of all genres.
It's called "Thinking Like Your Editor". I found it useful to me in a way that other writing books about how to write fiction have not been: it focuses on the business side of writing.

Sure, I've read fiction advice books that give some aspect of the business side of writing. But none of them seem to be so applicable and have the edge that this one does. So I read on.

It seemed like every page was saying something like "When I worked as an editor for x number of years..." or "When I was an agent for x number of years..." It sounded like this person had worn every hat in the publishing business. She even talked about how she envies bookstore workers (the one thing she hasn't done) for getting to work so closely with the reading community.

I realized there are so many different ways to get involved in the publishing industry, and no one has to be limited to just one thing. Writers can become agents, agents can become writers, editors can become writers, etc.

And I finally felt like I was allowed to dare to think that perhaps someday I might be more than just a writer as well. I've always thought it would be awesome to be an agent. Or an editor. Or maybe even a bookstore owner. To me, all those jobs sound like they're the same thing: Get paid to read books. How could that not be awesome?

Just for fun, pretend you have your pick of any job in the publishing industry. What would you be? Do you ever dream of owning your own bookstore? Of being an agent? Of being an assistant to someone in the publishing business? Or is becoming a published writer enough of an ambition right now?

New Year's is coming

2010-12-28T09:00:00.001-06:00

As this year draws to a close, I'm racing to polish my query letter and manuscript for submission to Dragon Moon Press. Their open submission period ends when the new year begins.

I'm finding that even though I've dreamed of having a manuscript ready to send in to publishers for years, now that I'm getting near that point, I'm more nervous than I thought I'd be.

This is my heart and soul. My work. My way of life. And I'm putting it all in an e-mail, trusting my hard work to the world wide web?

Yup. Why do I put myself through this? Because that's the dream. I knew from the start it was going to be hard, but that's what makes it so rewarding.

Found this on Merit Badger and I think I finally understand it. It's the Query Letter Merit Badge:

Hope you all have a wonderful New Year's Eve and a great start to 2011! Wish me luck!

A metaphorical Mechanical Clock

2010-12-20T17:00:00.001-06:00

An elder in my church once gave me a book called "How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci" by Michael Gelb. He said it reminded him of me and he thought I had the potential to become a genius. I am still 'wowed' by his belief in me today.

I picked up the book again and started reading right from the beginning. It certainly gave me something to think about. The book goes a little too far, in my opinion, about the human potential. It likes to paint an optimistic picture of what a human is capable of completely on their own and it leaves God out of the picture.

But it still blew my mind. It's an amazing book and I hope whoever aspires to be a writer or artist will read it.

One thing particularly struck me in the first chapter. This is a list of the top inventions that made the difference in the Renaissance era:

Printing press
Pencil and affordable paper
Astrolab, magnetic compass, and large sailing ship
Long range cannon
Mechanical clock

All but the last two have this in common: the spread of ideas. Books people could read and ideas common people could write, ships that could transfer these ideas more readily and bring new ideas back, etc. These new ways of getting ideas out there that gave fuel to the Renaissance.

But the last two had nothing to do with spreading ideas. The cannon was a device that could finally penetrate a feudal fortress, which aided in the destruction of feudalism, paving the way for a better system.
The mechanical clock changed things: most people didn't even know what century they lived in, and were not conscious of time spent from day to day. The Mechanical Clock sort of turned time into a commodity when people realized they could spend it or waste it. (Sadly, we still haven't figured out a way to save it.)

What if there were a mechanical clock of today that would change things for us? Something that would make us aware of what we were previously oblivious to?
Perhaps it will teach us to be aware of our own attention spans and help us realize we can spend them as well as waste them.
In a sense, I believe we need to re-learn the lesson of the Mechanical Clock: Time is a commodity more than ever. If our brains can process things as fast as Gelb claims in his book, we better get processing and put that ability to use. That means purposefully choosing the correct things to process.

It's like learning Chinese. You can learn the first 1500 most used characters and gain a 92.4% understanding of the language. But if you double that by learning the next 1500 most used characters, you do not double your percentage of understanding. In fact, you only gain 5.9% more understanding. (You can find the statistical chart here.)

With everything under the sun at our fingertips, it's important that we reach first for what's most important and leave the useless drivel behind. Imagine if you weren't judicious about which 1500 Chinese characters you learned. You could end up putting in the work for 1500 characters and only gain a 5.9% understanding. But if you take the time to discern which are the right characters to learn, you could gain so much more (92.4%).

The clock made people aware of time. What can make us aware of how much attention we have to spend? Perhaps texting and driving? That, at least, has proven there is a limit to multi-tasking.

One thing I have to remember day to day is that I need time to chill. Time without the tv, computer or smart phone. If I try to focus on too many things for too long, I'm wasting my attention on all of them. I might not live up to the genius that man saw in me a long time ago, but I do know that if I overload myself by trying to do too much, no real thoughts will emerge and my creativity will be quenched.

Over the holidays, I hope you can catch a break and find some time to relax. Get away from all media for an hour or two and enjoy your family, sit and think, or journal and sketch to your heart's content.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Old Writing

2010-12-13T19:22:00.000-06:00

My cousin visited us over the weekend and we went to see Voyage of the Dawn Treader together. It was amazing.

She ended up getting stuck at our place because of the worst snow storm in 20 years that we've had. We got 20 inches of snow in one night, even the plows were called off the road, and the roof of the Metrodome collapsed.

So what did an anime artist and a writer do while trapped inside for a weekend? Sit in our pajamas and talk about stories, of course!

She drew pictures of people, anime style, of some of my stories and some of her own as we told them to each other. It was a lot of fun.
She asked me to get out some of my older work, the story ideas that I never wrote into a full piece of fiction.

So I did and I was amazed at what I found. There were ideas I don't even remember writing. Some of them were painfully corny, while others were startlingly original and creative. It changed my perspective about my own writing today. Some of it will be obviously bad, some of it will be enjoyable. And overall, it's worth it to write.

Have you ever looked back on some of your own ancient writing? What did you think? Did you find it terrible, or awesome, or a little bit of both? Did it make you smile?

I'd love to hear about it in the comments.

(PS Something else I discovered this weekend was that my cousin had all her story ideas stem from characters she'd made up while drawing, while all my stories stemmed from interesting plot twists and denouements. Someday I wonder if we'll team up to become super heros who write fabulous stories.)

World Building

2010-12-06T17:00:00.000-06:00

There are many questionnaires for world building on the web. The ones where they ask all kinds of questions about your world and as you answer the questions, it's supposed to help you discover more about your fictional world than you ever wanted to know.

I've never completed one. They're always way too exhausting, and for good reason. Describing an entire world is not a small feat. I feel like Atrus from the book Myst. He discovered that it took an entirely new language just to make up a world. The English language just didn't contain enough descriptive words to do the proper job. It seems sometimes as if I need an entirely better language just to describe every little thing that's needed in a fictional world.

To hone my world building skills, I'm going to try an experiment. There's a few questionnaires that I like, and a few I've made up of my own. I'm going to attempt to answer all of them as if I'm building my own world, Earth.
Have you ever learned about something amazing that blew your mind about our planet? Sometimes Earth seems like enough of a magical world without me going off and creating new ones. If you've never experienced this, just use your favorite search engine to search for imagines of strange plants. Some of those things are weird, and look alien.

I'm hoping this will open my eyes to aspects about world building that will help me in my noveling.

NaNoFiMo on the horizon

2010-11-29T20:34:00.000-06:00

I had high hopes for NaNoWriMo this year. And I still do.

But seeing as how I'm still at only 18k and there are only two days left (well, ok, a day and one evening) of November, I doubt I'll make it.

I am, however, going to try to write as much as I can before midnight on Tuesday.

That being said, for the first time that I've known about it, I'm looking forward to NaNoFiMo: National Novel Finishing Month. It's for those who weren't quite able to reach the 50k deadline but still want to go for it.

I'm looking at the calendar and thinking "These are the worst possible two months out of the year to have these events! Who decides these things anyway?"

So I have an idea cooking up in the back of my brain. At some point, I want to host my own month of novel writing. But not anywhere close to the holidays or the start of school. Oh, and not during April either because that's National Poetry Month.

Not that anyone will remember this post six months from now, but the thought was on my mind.

For those of you doing NaNoWriMo, and especially those who just need to push forward a little bit more to reach their goal, go for it! If you've finished already or just want to proclaim your word count, post it in the comments. Go ahead, boast. Or, if your word count is like mine and not worth boasting about, post it anyway because you know what? It is worth boasting about. We might not have reached 50k but I know that I wrote 18k words more than I would have otherwise, which is something to be proud about.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-24T08:45:00.000-06:00

Hope you all have a wonderful time and are truly thankful for everything you have.

No update for NaNoWriMo sadly. I haven't had time to write anything since last week. But with the break coming up, I'm hoping to change that.

My first Write-In

2010-11-15T17:00:00.004-06:00

Update:
Words written so far:18,633
Words left until 50k: 31,367
(i'm a little behind, but that's ok)

My adventure this week was attending a write-in for the first time ever.

For those not familiar with the term, a write-in is when a bunch of people (or even just two) get together at a coffee shop or library during NaNoWriMo and write.
They encourage each other with things like word wars, time limits, fun writing-break games, and all around writerly synergy.

For the past three years, I've wanted to attend a Write-in, but was never able to make it (or just wasn't confident enough. Especially the nanowrimo opening parties. Out at midnight on Halloween? I don't think so.)

But I had it in my mind to attend a write-in held at one of my favorite coffee shops. And last night I did.

It was a blast. Now I see why people on the nanowrimo forums are always raving about them.
I was at a point in my story when I didn't think I could possibly write another word and I was just waiting for something to happen so I could write again.
That something was the Write-in.

There were six people there including me. Three of us wrote on our MacBooks, two wrote by hand, and one wrote on her mini-laptop. Everyone was so excited to be there and it was awesome to meet other writers in my area.

One of the girls brought her Ukelele and played a little bit for us, to serenade the creativity. She also brought a cardboard stand-up robot for no apparent reason. I think it ended up in two people's stories as a character.

I was a little nervous when the group decided to do a word war. I wasn't ready. I had no clue what I was going to write. I hadn't planned it out yet. And suddenly, one person said "Go!" and we were off. We had ten minutes to write as many words as we could, and whoever wrote the most, won.
It was as if the words were being ripped out of me before I had the chance to sensor them. It was eye opening to see what I would write if my inner editor was truly turned off, gagged, and stashed in a closet.

What I wrote was haphazard. Not what I planned at all. But it was half decent and it helped me to imagine what certain scenes in the story were like. Word Wars are great practice.
As it happened, I ended up writing twice as many words in ten minutes as everyone else did, though I have to wonder how fast the Ukelele girl could have written if she wasn't writing by hand. (She's already up to 30k words and hopes to finish by this weekend. I'm pretty sure if she was on a computer, she could've beat me soundly.)

Whenever anyone would reach a significant word count, they'd give a shout out and everyone would congratulate them and give high-fives. It was such an encouraging night and everyone was friendly and helpful.
Some of the writers even brought reference books for everyone to use, such as a Writer's guide to Names. And it was great to have other people's input when I couldn't think of a certain word.

If you're doing nanowrimo and you know of a decently close write-in to you, I highly encourage you to go. Take precautions as always, since you will be meeting strangers. But it's well worth the time and the $4 spent on coffee. (Tea for me, as always.)
I look forward to my write-in next week and seeing everyone again.

Why are series so tempting to read and write? (And NaNo update)

2010-11-08T17:00:00.002-06:00

Not that statistics are glamorous or anything, but I enjoy looking at other people's progress, so here, briefly, are my own stats.

NaNoWriMo Day 8

Words: 15,358
Number of words ahead/behind: +3,689
Number of words left until 50k: 34,642
Average words per day: 2,504

This week has been both exhilarating and hard. I'm really eager to keep going though. This story is unlike any I've ever written before, and my writing partner Perrin is a genius. Being the first book either of us has written with another person, I think the process is going incredibly smooth. It helps to have similar taste and artistic vision.

This week when I wasn't writing, I distracted myself by looking at a bunch of formulas and outlines for stories online. I've heard of the 3-Act rule, the 'put your MC in a tree and throw rocks at him' rule, the three disasters plus an ending formula, and the method of grading the tension in each scene from 1-10 hoping that all your 1s will be at the beginning and all your 10s will be at the end.

One thing every single method of writing had in common was that there needs to be a climax and a denouement. (Wow, I can't believe I spelled that right on my first try!) It got me thinking.

Perhaps the reason why its so tempting to turn books into a series, and why it seems more series/trilogies are popping up in bookstores (at least to me) is because we're beginning to realize that life doesn't have a single climax. It's a continuation. The only real climax that comes to an end in our lives is death. And hardly anyone wants to kill off all their characters at the end of a book. (There are exceptions, of course.) The reader, at least, has invested a good amount of time getting to know those characters and may feel cheated at the end if they all die.

If we're trying to make our characters more real and three dimensional in our novels, then it makes sense that their lives would mirror ours in their continuation. If they were real people, of course they would die some day. But no one wants to write about the day they die.

This theory of mine sounded all nice and neat until I thought of "The House of Mirth." In it, the main character begins to rise from the beginning, but suddenly takes a dive and continues her downfall right until the end of the novel where she dies. And it's not a surprise, nor did I feel cheated out of my character.

My point(s)?

1. Perhaps it's ok to turn a book into a series if you plan on doing that from the beginning. Not in a tacked-on-just-to-make-money sort of way, but if the story genuinely takes three or more books to tell, go for it.

2. There is a way to kill off the main character in the end and not make your readers mad at you. Just do it skillfully.

3. Keep in mind it's also ok to write a stand alone book and move on to create new characters. Especially if you're sick of the ones you've been working with since the last NaNoWriMo.

Now I'm off to write more words!
If you're doing NaNoWriMo, how are you doing with your word count? Is it easier or harder than you thought it would be?

(PS I just found out about a giveaway on Through a glass, darkly. Check it out!)

Nation Novel Writing Month has begun. And Contest winner.

2010-11-01T01:03:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the month of literary abandon!

It's 1 in the morning on November 1st and I just finished writing the first 1700 words of my new novel.
(I know, I'm an over-achiever.)

There was only one person who entered the contest I posed last week, but you know what? That's totally ok because her ideas were awesome. I liked her suggestion for a title for this blog the moment I laid eyes on it.

Ralene from the Faith, Hope, and Suspense blog suggested, as you might have guessed from the new graphic up above, Fiction Technician.

Thanks Ralene for being such a good sport.
And you won your choice of a graphic created by me in Photoshop about your Work in Progress, or a full manuscript critique. E-mail me at smilerjg (at) gmail (dot) com to let me know which prize you would like.

I'm excited for this new blog. And for the next month.

Write on, writer friends. Here's to a month of writing dangerously!

(PS I'm going to be looking into changing the URL for this blog soon, but for now I'm going to keep it under the old www.emergencymetaphortechnician.blogspot.com name.)

100th Post! And contest!

2010-10-25T08:00:00.002-05:00

Thank you!!!! For!!! Reading!!!!!

I hope this blog has been enjoyable and perhaps even helpful to you. And I greatly appreciate every single comment left on this blog. You all are awesome.

In order to celebrate, I'd like to hold my first. contest. ever.

Contest!!!

The prizes: Winners choice of either a full manuscript/WIP critique or an image created by yours truly to be used on your NaNoWriMo novel info page.

The set-up: This blog is going to change. I started out enamored with Metaphors and quickly realized there's not a whole lot to post about Metaphors, so it became something else. Now it's time to change the name of the blog.

The rules: Post a comment with your idea for the new name of this blog. The contest will end Sunday, October 31st at midnight. The next day, after happily banging out 1,667 words on my NaNo novel, I will pick my favorite entry and post the winner that evening.

If you win, you get to choose which prize you want and I will attempt to deliver the prize in a timely manner (i.e. before mid-November).

Thank you everyone, again, for reading this blog. I hope the next 100 posts will be even more helpful and exciting.

Why NaNoWriMo?

2010-10-18T17:00:00.000-05:00

If you're still trying to decide if you should do NaNoWriMo, or if you're wondering what NaNoWriMo is, here are some things that might help.

The reasons I decided to do NaNoWriMo for the last two years and again for this year:

1. It's a lot more fun writing with other people. Even though they're internet friends, there's a certain inspiration that comes from knowing lots of other people out there are working towards the same goal you are.

2. It helps me enjoy writing a lot more. Writing with literary abandon helps me feel free to write in ways I wouldn't otherwise. Throughout the rest of the year I feel like I constantly have to edit what I write, keep myself from switching points of view, or even changing from past tense to present tense. But with NaNoWriMo, I don't have to pay attention to any of that. More writing, less pressure.

3. At the end of the month, if I've completed my goal, I feel great. I feel like all the cobwebs have been shook out of my head and I've been risky with my creativity. It helps fuel ideas for the rest of the year, even if I never look at a single word I wrote during November ever again.

4. Now that I've done NaNoWriMo, I feel practiced enough that this year, what I write actually has a decent chance at coming out useable.

5. It's a great excuse to tell my family and friends that I need time to write. My wonderful husband has agreed to let me write like crazy in November and not ask me to play World of Warcraft with him. Plus, it'll give me bragging rights at Thanksgiving when I can tell all my relatives that I am indeed writing a book.

6. This year, two of my friends who have never done NaNoWriMo before have joined and are excited to do it. This is sooooooo cool! There's nothing like working on a project with friends.

So, if you still don't know if NaNoWriMo is right for you or not, think about the following:

If you have other friends who you think would be willing to write with you, that's a plus.

If you think you have two hours per day to devote to this during November, that's wonderful.

If you don't think you can write 50,000 words in a month, but maybe you can write 25,000, go for it.

If you've been looking for an excuse to distract yourself from your current WIP and start a new story, this is your chance.

If you've been playing it safe and only writing things you *know* other people will like, you really need to do this and break out of your box.

And for those of you who are still confused, NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month. During the month of November, people from all around the world each attempt to write a novel in a month. For the sake of quantifying what a novel is, the website says 50,000 words. By today's standards, that's a pretty short novel, but hey, you're writing it in a month so give yourself a break.

In order to write 50,000 words in November, it breaks down to writing 1,667 words per day. That's approximately 7 pages of double-spaced type in Microsoft Word. It's not really all that bad.

The trick is to not let yourself stop writing. Even if you have no idea what comes next, just write whatever comes into your head. Yes, crazy and sometimes boring things start to happen when you do this. But it really helps exercise those writerly muscles necessary for novel-length pieces.

I will be doing NaNoWriMo this year. If you want to find me on the website, just look for the name leolewis. (Stands for Leonardo da Vinci and C.S. Lewis, two people I admire.)

If you want me to buddy you on the site, post your NaNoWriMo name in the comments.

Write on, fellow citizens! November is almost upon us!

Interactive Books

2010-10-11T17:00:00.000-05:00

Rachelle Gardner recently posted on her blog about interactive ebooks.

And it got me thinking.

With eReader technology, books can be enhanced to be interactive with hyper-links. Words in the story could be linked to advertisements or to extra story content, like maps, artwork, and timelines.

But instead of a hyper-link, I would prefer a small tab on the side of the screen that I could touch to open up to that map or family tree.

I also think it would be amazing to have interactive books totally decked out in all the links, tabs, and amazing things that we can do with such technology. Just think what the Ologies series could do with it!

But it would have to be a book specifically written with interactivity in mind. I wouldn't want a book that was made to be just a book turned into something interactive.

I've been collecting moveable books for awhile now. Pop-up books, pull-tab books, any book with something that moves or gets untied or peeks out from a pocket. I love those things. And I've often torn apart my own pop-up books to figure out how all the moving parts work and have made my own pop-ups.

So I LOOOOOOVE moveable books.

It makes me really excited to think that the magic of an Ology book could so easily be incorporated into an eReader. True, it wouldn't be the same. You wouldn't be able to untie that red ribbon in the book that's holding closed a secret letter bearing the black spot to a pirate, and you wouldn't be able to feel the texture of a well-preserved dragon scale.

But you could click or touch on things to open them. And you could hear voices actually reading the letters to you that you open. I would so like to hear Arabella Drummond's voice reading her letter out loud to Samuel Shute at the end of Pirateology.

I remember when I thought pop-up books were awesome, but didn't want to let on because they were just for kids. And then I saw Robert Sabuda's Narnia book. That wasn't a kid's book!

In the same way that interactive stories on a computer seem to be only for children, what if someone took those interactive stories to a whole other level? A level at which the clear genius and execution of such a thing would compel readers of all ages to take a peek.

Of course, it would have to be done in a way that honors the book. I wouldn't want to turn a great work into something distracting, as Rachelle pointed out. But still.

I've read the Narnia books several times and I love them. When I bought Robert Sabuda's pop-up Narnia book, I didn't buy it for the story. I bought it because of the unique way the story is presented. Perhaps, in the same way, interactively enhanced eBooks could serve the same purpose?

What do you think?

Editing...the beginning

2010-10-04T17:00:00.001-05:00

I started to edit my novel recently. Since I'm new at this, I decided to start from page 1 and see how it goes. I know other writers don't like to edit so chronologically like that, but as of now I'm finding it helpful.

And it's true what they say: printing off your novel and reading it on physical paper is entirely different than trying to read it on screen. I highly suggest giving it a try. Editing on physical paper seems so much easier, and a lot more fun.

Right now I don't have a desk, just a chair and some cubby holes. So I've taken a large piece of wood left over from an art project and I usually place that across my lap. It's big enough to hold two pieces of paper side-by-side, and the wood keeps the paper from slipping off, so it works fairly well. I also keep a notebook by me in case I need to make notes that won't fit in the margins or double spaced type of my hard copy.

It is a lot more fun to edit than I thought it would be.

Still working on an outline for my NaNoWriMo novel. Excited!

Published!

2010-09-29T08:19:00.003-05:00

I'm published!

The issue of Phati'tude Literary Magazine is now out and available on Amazon. Two of my poems are on page 58.

This small step in my writing career reminds me that every day I'm becoming more and more a writer. I don't know exactly when I'll achieve the title of "writer", and perhaps I already have. But at least now I can say I've been published somewhere.

Yay!

Finished! (For now)

2010-09-20T19:10:00.002-05:00

Hey everyone.

Sorry this post is later than usual but I held off hoping I would have this great news to deliver:

I finished writing my book!!!

For the first time in my life, I have actually finished a writing project. I'm very proud of myself.

I've started countless novels and never finished them. Some of them are little more than outlines, others are over two hundred pages long.

But now, I have a book I can call my very own. That is, I have something with a beginning, a middle and an end. An end! It has an end! :)

Even though it now officially has an end, there is no end to the writing process. Now it's on to edits!!! :D

Writer's Block?

2010-09-14T16:30:00.000-05:00

In the last two weeks I have discovered something new in my writing experience: actual writer's block.

I had previously been of the opinion that writer's block doesn't exist. Now I think it does, but not in the way most people think it does.

What happened is this:

I got tired of my story and got sad about it because if I was bored, surely my readers would be bored.

But I remembered advice I heard on a podcast once from Neil Gaiman that said if you have writer's block, put that project on the shelf and start or work on something else. So I did. And you know what?

It freed me of a lot of nervous habits in my writing. I spawned a ton of new story ideas I'm super excited about, and I had a lot of fun. I started a writing project that was for my own eyes only so I wouldn't be worried about audience, and it helped.

Then this morning I got up thinking, "I wonder if my writer's block has disappeared." So I tried to go back to writing my story, and it had! The words just flowed.

I had a revelation. Instead of making my characters go through "boring scene", I could just skip boring scene. It was one of those "Why don't we just have Gandalf fly an Eagle over Mordor and drop the ring in?" kind of plot solving moments. I realized I didn't need the journey to be as big and epic as I had originally planned. Which is good because the book is already approaching 90,000 words.

If you have writer's block, and can afford to take two weeks off from what you're blocked on, I highly suggest taking a break. Don't take a break from writing though. Just write something else. Or start something new if you've lost that zeal that comes with a new story.

Now I'm off to write again. Today so far I've added 3,500 words to the last chapter. I'm hoping loosely that the entire book will be finished by the end of this week. (But I'm also trying to not get too excited.

Write on, friends!

(P.S. To clarify about writer's block, it should not be used as an excuse to not write. Just write something else. That was the point Neil Gaiman was getting at I think. Carpenters don't get carpenter's block, and dentists don't get dentist's block. Even if you generally love your job, whatever it may be, there will be times you don't want to show up at work. But you have to anyways, and you can do it. Keep writing. Show up at the keyboard. You can do it.)

NaNoWriMo - Who's with me?

2010-09-08T17:00:00.000-05:00

I've decided that I'm going to do NaNoWriMo this year, but I don't want to do it alone.

If you are even remotely interested, click HERE to find out all about it.

National Novel Writing Month is in November, during which I shall endeavor to write an entire book. (A book being defined as at least 50,000 words.)

It sounds crazy. It sounds counterproductive. But I've done it before and not only is it fun, it's a great way to begin a new book. I was on the fence about doing NaNoWriMo this year because I'm *this close* to finishing a novel. I didn't want to start a new one. But for some reason, I'm a little stuck on that novel right now, and I think starting something fresh will give me enough of a break to get over myself and finish writing it.

I'd like to rally those around me who are participating. I've done this two years in a row now, and though it was fun, it was a lonely business. I'd like to organize my own NaNo group.

We'd encourage each other, talk about our stories, our word count goals and successes/failures, and hopefully have at least one write-in (where we get together at a coffee shop and write).

This will be fun. This will be amazing.

My NaNoWriMo name is Leolewis. If you want to connect during November about writing, post your NaNoWriMo name in the comments below.

And, if you are doing NaNoWriMo, how are you preparing for it? I've already started on my outline, and it's so exciting.

Happy Writer's Society

2010-09-03T14:38:00.003-05:00

Natalie Whipple over at Between Fact and Fiction is starting a Happy Writer's Society and officially declaring war on writer's angst!

As part of the fun, I made this in photoshop:

Characterization

2010-08-30T17:00:00.000-05:00

I was once told by a writing advice book that to make readers remember your characters well, give them some kind of odd or different aspect. For instance, give your main character a calcium deposit in an odd place. Or make them have a habit of always picking wax out of their ears and wiping it on other people.

This is one way of doing it, but since then, I've written over 250,000 words on several different stories, and I think there's a better way to make characters seem alive.

The character needs to be both the same and different on the inside, not just in their physical mannerisms or appearance.

Making a character the same as the reader in their beliefs, values, ideas, thought process, etc. will draw the attention of the reader. They will relate to the character.

But making the character different in some ways from the reader will make the reader even more interested.

Remember, these are the opinions of an unpublished writer. I hope my characters are memorable, relatable, and interesting.

On another note, I'm currently reading a book about characterization written by a psychology expert. The book suggests that the writer needs to get in touch with his/herself before they can write deep characters.

Is this true? What do you think?

Back from the Honeymoon

2010-08-23T17:00:00.000-05:00

Hey all.

Sorry there was no post last week. I was on my honeymoon.

Since I didn't have time to come up with a post, I have another question for you. But don't worry. I'm going to be putting together a post about characterization soon.

Question:

Are you planning on participating in NaNoWriMo this year? If so, what will you be working on?

Question for you

2010-08-10T08:42:00.003-05:00

Hey all.

No post this week, just a question.

What do you think about sequels? Should they be written? What about trilogies, or a series?

Do you think the general public is getting tired of multiple books of the same story, or do they love to read on and on about the same characters/setting/storyline?

Villains, anyone? (And contest alert.)

2010-08-02T10:30:00.000-05:00

As a Christian, is it ok to purposefully try to scare people by writing an evil villain?

Is it ok to use nasty things like murder and blood to make my villain more realistic?

I have a villain who starts out as an ok guy, but changes to a really bad guy. And he thinks he's justified in doing so. If he were a real character, he would be doing things far more dark and evil than I currently 'show'.

I could just tell the reader what he does instead of showing it. But then how do I make him an accurate villain without getting a slap on the wrist for "showing and not telling"? That's supposed to be a cardinal rule, right?

And also, isn't authenticity a must? Shouldn't my characters stay true to how I've written them? That's the best way to make writing good, and I'm striving to make my writing good to give glory to God.

Sometimes I wonder, when I hear other Christians talk about books and say "Oh, that was my favorite villain!" if they would feel comfortable putting their name as author on a book with such a villain. Do we all just enjoy the evil people in fiction that others create and refuse to make them ourselves because WE have morals? (If so, that's quite hypocritical.)

Hannibal, Iago, Jadis, Saruman, Cruella de Ville........

Which level of evil is appropriate to show?

(I listed Saruman and not Sauron because it feels like in the books we never actually get to interact with Sauron as much as Saruman.)

Even if it was totally ok for me to write my villain as evil as evil can be, do I want to? Even if I kept my character true to himself, would people really want to read about all that? Would I? I'm not even sure if I want to write it, let alone if I should.

And yet, am I denying my writing something that is essential to the story? At the risk of putting ammunition into the hands of everyone I once had an apologetic* argument with, every book needs a villain. It's a necessary evil.

*Apologetics: The art or act of defending what one believes, in this case, the intellectual defense of the Christian faith.

Contest Alert!!!

Roni over at Fiction Groupie and Julie at Diary of an Unpublished Wanna-Be Writer are holding a Totally Epic Summer Contest.

Possible prizes:

A copy of Hannah Moskowitz's book: Break
An ARC copy of Lisa Desrocher's book: Personal Demons
A query or first five pages critique from Fine Print Lit's intern, Gemma Cooper
A query or first five pages critique from Janet Reid's assistant, Meredith Barnes
A query or first five pages critique from agent Suzie Townsend
A query or first five pages critique from editor Brendan Deneen

First winner gets first pick. Plus they're having a new interview/awesome post every day this week. Contest closes Sunday. Go to it!

In the future, all writers will be changelings...

2010-07-26T17:00:00.000-05:00

From a writer's perspective who has yet to be published:

I'm really glad my book is no where near ready to start seeking publication. Hopefully by the time I'm done with it, all these crazy changes will have smoothed out somewhat.

To use an extended metaphor...

In World of Warcraft, there's a certain type of character you can play that's called a Druid.

There are also three different roles you can fill when playing with a group: Tank, Heal, or Damage.

A druid can change into different animals on a whim, lending itself to the best, all-around character. It can be a Cat if the group needs someone to deal Damage. It can be a Bear if the group needs a Tank. And it can be a Tree if the group needs a Healer.

It can be any one role at any time.

In writing, there are different roles needing to be filled. You are usually working with a group of people 'cause getting a book published is a huge job. The roles of the group are: Publisher, Editor, Agent, Publicist, Cover Design, Writer, Buyer, Seller, Beta Readers, Copy Editors, and Blurb Writers.

That's a lot of rolls. And eBooks are changing which roles are filled by the writer and which are filled by the publisher.

Looking forward, I'm going to try to be as Druid-like as I can. I want to be ready to change into an agent if I end up having to contact publishing houses myself. I want to be ready to be a cover designer if I end up going with an online "Upload it yourself" eBook publisher. I want to ALWAYS be ready to be my own publicist and promote my own book.

I also need to be ready to treat my writing as if I'm a business owner. If I'm the one who ends up negotiating a deal instead of an agent, or if I'm the one doing my complicated taxes, arranging a book tour, etc., I need to think like an entrepreneur.

I'm a changeling!!!

At last!

2010-07-19T17:00:00.000-05:00

Dear fellow writers,

I'm writing to tell you of something exciting I discovered about writing.

There is such a thing as the wonderful moment when you know your novel is just the way you want it to be and you can forge ahead clearly.

That day will come. It is possible.

Just wanted to let you know 'cause I didn't really believe in such a thing until this week.

Regards,

Reesha

Writing Myth #5

2010-07-12T17:00:00.000-05:00

Writing Myth #5: Once I'm published, the book will do all the work from there.

I keep saying this, but I'm not published yet. I'm not ready to be. But I've already spent years writing. If you want to be technical about it, I really started writing in novel length manuscripts at the age of 7 or 8 (can't quite remember. I keep changing the age when I tell this story).

That's just a little under two decades that I've dreamed of being a published writer. Over fifteen years of writing. Though I don't know if what I wrote when I was 8 could be called writing. (Cringe. Cringe. Why do I keep that stuff around again?)

Anyways, my point is, by the time I get to a point where I'm ready to be published, and so is my work, I'll likely have spent many, many years working on it. That's a lot of time. Wouldn't it be nice if once I finally got there, I could just hand over my book to a publisher, and then sit back and be rewarded for all of that work?

But alas! It is not to be.

Publishers these days are looking for people who are willing to self-promote their own book. A LOT of book signings, promotions, social networking, contest running, and GETTING YOUR BOOK OUT THERE is what needs to happen in order for a book to become a success. Publishers are also more likely to sign on with an author if they already have a public platform from which to launch their own fame.

Yes, you might have put years of work into your book. But when it's done, you're going to have to put in even more work before it will start paying off.

This is why the pay off for most of us needs to come from the enjoyment of the craft itself. No, we are not desperate but happy writers who will scribble anything for free. But we are hard workers.

I think I need to go back on something I said last week.

Last week I said that all of the time us writers have carved out for our writing careers, before publication, can be spent in pure writing. But that's not entirely true.

If you're thinking of being published someday, it never hurts to begin building your public platform before you start seeking publication.

A few years ago when I began to learn about what it takes to get published, I got serious about building a platform. I joined Twitter, started several blogs, became more active on facebook, and reached out to every single writing blog I could get my hands on. It was thrilling and informative.

But I quickly found myself not having any time to actually write anything.

So I haven't done a very good job recently of building up my platform, getting to know people, and reaching out to others who might enjoy what I write. But I've chosen to do that on purpose until I get to a certain part in my writing where I know publication is going to come into the picture soon.

It's a balance.

Just make sure you love what you are writing enough to spend lots and lots of time with it, 'cause you're not just going to be writing it, you're also going to be reading it aloud to others, signing hundreds of copies of books (hopefully), and maybe even toting it around the country on a book tour. You won't just be handing it over to a book publisher and watching the royalties roll in. As always, you have to work hard for your book.

Writing Myth #4

2010-07-05T17:00:00.001-05:00

For those of you who found my previous post about quality and quantity interesting, you might want to check out Nicole's post over at Pimp My Novel. Apparently at least one author decided her work was not good enough to be published AFTER IT HAD ALREADY BEEN PUBLISHED and decided to take it off the shelves. Wow.

Read the post and let me know what you think. Does this speak to quality vs. quantity at all?

http://pimpmynovel.blogspot.com/2010/06/guest-post-training-wheels-novel.html#comments

Writing Myth #4: I'll enjoy being a writer as soon as I get published.

I have not been published yet. But from what information I have gathered from other writers who have, I am very lucky to be enjoying the stage I'm at: simply writing without having to worry about publication.

It seems that once a writer is published, they receive pressure from their own brains and from their publisher/agent/fans to write another book. They feel pressured to raise up a fan base, promote their own book so that the next one is easier to get published, and to carry their own career forward. In the middle of all that, they still have to find time to write.

I'm issuing a challenge to myself and other writers who are yet unpublished to the degree they'd like to be:

Enjoy not being published.

Enjoy being able to write at your own pace, at your own leisure. Enjoy this time and consider yourself lucky. Every single bit of time that you carve out of your schedule for being a writer can be devoted entirely to actually writing. Once you're published, or even once you're ready to start seeking publication, a portion of that time will be taken away from the actual writing and put into self-promotion. You might be able to carve out even more time from your busy schedule to accommodate this, but maybe not.

So here's to enjoying not being published! :D

And let's also look forward to the day when we will be published, because then will come a different kind of enjoyment. I just don't want to throw away this precious time and wish I had enjoyed it more later.

Happy Independence Day everyone!

Writing Myth #3

2010-06-28T17:00:00.000-05:00

Hey all. I'm back!

And I'm married! I'll post some pictures up when I get the chance, but for now, back to the writing board.

Writing Myth #3: It's all about quality and not about quantity.

This is one of those twisted arguments that cannot be rebuffed head on by simply stating the opposite. Writing is not all about quality and not quantity, but nor is it about quantity and not quality.

The real equation is this: You cannot achieve quality without quantity.

You cannot achieve QUALITY without QUANTITY.

It's not one verses the other. Quantity is a stepping stone to quality. This is why writers refer to first drafts, second drafts, fifth drafts, and why they say any writer seeking publication needs to revise, revise, revise.

It is possible to have quantity without quality, which is why I think a good rail against quantity is quite justified. Go ahead. Get it out of your lungs. I'll join you.

Ok, now that that's over with, just because quantity is sometimes seen without it's better half, (quality,) doesn't mean it's a bad thing. Many writers reach the first step without going on to the second.

My idea (remember, I'm not published yet...this is pieced together from others' advice who have been published) of steps to publication:

1. Quantity: the writer must practice his or her craft regardless of how much they keep failing at it. It doesn't matter if this writing never sees the light of day again. The important part is the experience and that the writer now has knowledge of what it truly means to put 50 thousand words (or more) together.

2. Quality: Take the quantity of dross that was just written, and trim it down. Add to it, revise it, make it quality. You need enough raw material to work with before you can refine it.

3. Quorum: Take your refined manuscript to other people and get their opinion. Ask them to help revise it where needed, or simply to give you their first impression. Ask for as much as they're willing to give you. You could even hire a professional editor if you wanted to, but I hear there are problems with that sometimes.

This step is where you get a feel for just how good of quality your writing is.

Then, when you've taken other people's opinions and suggestions into account and revised it further (or kept it the same), send it off to publishers and agents! Wahoo! (I'm really excited for when I get to this point if you couldn't tell.)

Or, if you don't like the traditional publishing model, self-publish or find a subsidy publisher/POD publisher.

4. Quandary: Pace the carpet and wait for e-mails and letters to pour in. Have some chocolate handy to cheer yourself up for when you receive a rejection slip. For every rejection notice you get, send out your work to two more agents or publishers. Or, for every rejection, write another thousand words on your NEXT work. That's right. Step one, quantity, never stops. Keep writing.

5. Quit your day job: Once you sign for a huge advance and your book becomes a bestseller, quit your job and write full time.

(Totally kidding about that last one. Please don't quit your job.)

Writing is like playing basketball. I could spend three hours staring at the basket and adjusting my position just right, then spring and launch the ball towards the hoop, saying that it's the quality of the shot that counts. If I did it that way, I'd get really sore and wouldn't develop the necessary hand-eye coordination nor the muscles needed to make a basket every time.

Or, I could just aim and shoot over and over and over again. I'm going to miss a lot, but the more I shoot, the more chances I have to make it. I increase my percentage with practice, not only because of the sheer number of shots, but because with each one, my aim and technique improves.

Don't spend a ton of time trying to get your writing done perfectly on the first draft. (Unless of course that works for you. For very few people it does.) Just write. Practice makes perfect.

Remember, both quantity and quality should go together. Don't just produce a bunch of stuff and call it good. But don't produce a little AMOUNT of stuff and call it good either. If it truly is good, then you should write more of it.

Blogging Hiatus

2010-05-25T17:00:00.001-05:00

Hi everyone.

I meant to post something last Monday, really I did.

And this Monday.

It's apparent to me now I need to go on an official blogging vacation until after my wedding in June.

When I come back, I'll have a post about Quality vs. Quantity since that question was raised in the comments by our lovely Gracia. (Thanks, Gracia!)

Have a wonderful month everyone! When I post again, my name will be changed! How cool is that?! :D

Writing Myth #2

2010-05-11T17:00:00.000-05:00

The Muse

Wouldn't it be great if there was a god up in the heavens somewhere who could come down, sit on your shoulder, and whisper the perfect words for you to write that would inspire man to great and glorious expressions?

If there were such a thing, it would be called a muse.

The Muse comes from Greek Mythology. Originally there were nine (some contend for three) of them. They were goddesses. Daughters of the gods who came down to us mortals every now and then to inspire great feats of art, literature, music, etc.

Many writers throughout time have written into their literature a small paragraph or more intended to beg that a muse would come down and help inspire their writing. Today, most writers just joke about it. "If the muse descends, I will make my deadline tonight." or "The Muse is absent. I can't write."

Whether or not the muses exist is not really important. What is important, is that every person who truly wants to be a writer must train themselves to write without the muse.

This is perhaps a myth that everyone's figured out already. I debated about whether this blog post would be useful, but yesterday I met a woman who works as a nurse. She said that she's always wanted to try writing a book.

Those words "always wanted" and "try" caught my attention. I couldn't help but think "If you've always wanted to, why haven't you done it?"

I also thought it sad that she said she wanted to TRY to write a book. I thought "You mean you haven't even TRIED to write?"

I hear plenty of people say that they've always wanted to be published some day. Or that they've always wanted to complete a book they've already started. But I felt a little sad that this wonderful person had never even tried. I doubt she ever will (though I hope I'm wrong).

Myth: Waiting for the muse, or for inspiration, is how all writers do it.

Truth: Inspiration is nice, but not necessary. Waiting for it can be fatal to the imagination.

Don't wait. Write today. Even if it's drivel.

I cannot say this enough. IF YOU WANT TO BE A WRITER........THEN GO BE A WRITER. DON'T WAIT.

Neil Gaiman once said he hears a lot of people tell him they want to be writers. In reply, he answers something along the lines of "If you're going to be a writer, you know you'll actually have to write, don't you?"

He said he can always tell the ones who are going to be writers by their response. They're the ones who nod their heads slowly and take him seriously. The other ones who aren't going to be writers just think he's trying to be clever.

Being an arm chair writer is not an option for me. I can't just read blogs about writing and publishing, read books about it, and tell my friends I'm going to be a writer someday. I need to actually write something. Even if it's trash.

The Carpenter Analogy

If I really wanted to become a carpenter, (just as much, let's say, as I want to be a writer,) what would I have to do?

Would reading lots of books about carpentry help? Yes. Would that make me a carpenter? No.

Would actually creating something make me a carpenter? No. It would make me a hobbyist. Would creating more than just a few projects make me a carpenter? Well, maybe. It's getting there. At this point, it's more about how much I choose to identify with the craft of carpentry.

But one consistent contributor to becoming a carpenter, as with writing, is PRACTICE.

Carpenter's don't practice with the good stuff. They practice with scrap wood.

Writer's have it easy. We don't have to spend money on wood. Whatever we practice with can be thrown out, but if it turns out being magnificent, well then we have something wonderful. There's no risk of failing if you just start out to practice. But every chance that it could turn into a success.

So why wait for the muse? There's writing to be done!

(Did I mention it's completely free? You don't have to pay for premium words or buy the really expensive materials in order to write the best story possible. Whether you succeed or fail, you loose absolutely nothing and will always gain from the practice.)

Writing Myth #1

2010-05-03T17:00:00.000-05:00

Now that poetry month's over with, I have some thoughts that I've been gathering about the writing process for the past month I'd like to share with you.

Since Gracia brought the subject up in the comments, I've been thinking a lot about what makes us tick as writers.

I was listening to the podcast "I Should Be Writing" by Mur Lafferty awhile ago, and I heard Mur interviewing Neil Gaiman. It was enlightening, and because I listened to it, I no longer believe in writer's block.

Writing Myth #1: Writer's block doesn't exist.

If I am to be a professional writer (and I do want to be), then I have to tell myself that writer's block doesn't exist.

Dentists don't get dentist's block. Truck drivers don't get driver's block. Why should writer's get writer's block?

Most of us who write are of course writing for the fun of it. I mean, I certainly hope no one out there is saying to themselves "Gee, I want to make writing my career because I want to make a lot of money." (Because odds are you won't make a lot of money.) So we don't make it our job because we think it'd be a good paying job. We do it because we like it.

But at the same time, writing is work. It's hard, it takes time, and is an investment. So now whenever I'm tempted to say "I have writer's block," instead I think to myself "I just don't feel like going to work today." (And of course, the appropriate action is to go to work anyway, even when you don't feel like it. That's why it's a job.)

Neil Gaiman had an interesting idea to avoid feeling like you don't want to go to work (aka, to avoid writer's block....even though it doesn't exist). I'm going to try to put this into practice:

Have several projects going at once of different genres, lengths, themes, etc. because when you say you have writer's block, it usually just means that you've hit a snag on your current project. If you don't feel like writing a certain work, go work on something else. Then at least you'll always be writing and will never be blocked.

That being said, there are times when writer's need to take a break. Writing is hard work.

If I am writing a 100,000 word novel, that's 100,000 words that I need to decide which order they go in, which ones get cut, etc. That's at least 100,000 decisions. My brain can only handle making so many decisions at one time before my decision maker gets broken. Also, if there are a lot of little or big life decisions that I have to make, it's also harder to make decisions about my writing.

How to tell if you need to take a break from writing:

1. All your writing starts to talk about writing. Solution: Time to go out there and get some real life experiences to write about!

2. Your pets and/or family desperately need food. Solution: Put down the pen and bring home the bacon!

3. You can't remember when you last hung out with friends or had a good belly laugh with another human being (fictional characters, no matter how hilariously written, don't count). Solution: Host or go to a party or call up someone and ask them to hang out!

4. When people ask you how you're doing, you reply by telling them your word count. Solution: Try to familiarize yourself with normal conversation tactics again!

5. You start describing in your head (or out loud) everything you do in either story form or a soliloquy. Solution: Cut it out! *Reesha stared at her own words with a growing feeling of hypocrisy. "I think I need some tea," she thought.*

In all seriousness, only you will know when you need to take a break from writing. But that break from writing, IMHO, should never be writer's block. In fact, I've heard it's often best to take breaks right during the peak of inspiration, so that when you come back to your writing, you have something compelling to start you going again.

Tell all, wonderful readers!

What are your thoughts about writer's block? Do you believe it exists? What do you do to avoid it or get out of it? Or, what excuses do you end up making the most to avoid writing?

I usually end up playing computer or phone games and then realize I meant to spend time writing.

PAD Challenge - Days 29 & 30

2010-04-30T17:00:00.001-05:00

Today is the last day of the April 2010 Poem A Day Challenge.

Congratulations to everyone out there who wrote a poem a day, and congratulations to everyone else who wrote at least one thing this month that they wouldn't have otherwise written.

Thank you for reading everyone!

I have some exciting news I've been waiting to share with you all.

Two of my poems are going to be published in Phati'tude Literary Magazine!!!

This is the first time I've ever been published and am really excited. I'll post a link here to the online excerpts of the magazine once it's up on their site.

For payment of my poems (oh my, I'm actually receiving payment? Like a real author?!) they're sending me two copies of the magazine. :D

I think that's rather cute. I'd almost rather have those two copies than get actual money since it's my first time in print.

Help me choose!

Robert Brewer is inviting poets who participated in his challenge to submit five of their best poems from the month to be judged for Poet Laureate. I need some perspective on my own writing. Which five poems out of all that I've posted this month should I submit? Or maybe there aren't even five good ones and I shouldn't submit anything? Feel free to vote for which poems I should submit in the comments.

Award time!

Gracia is the obvious winner of this blog's PAD challenge for not only posting poems in the comments, but being brave enough to share her poetry with the world. Thanks, Gracia!

For such bravery, wit of tongue, bearing of your heart and honesty, I hereby give you the

Poetic Perseverance Award! Congratulations!

Now, onto the last poetry of the month...

Day 29 - Write a poem with the title "And Suddenly _______"

And suddenly, there were turtles

From the moment they hatch

Sand grits against their bodies erasing any chance

they have of being slimy.

Then they have to dig their way out of the sand

using only two flippers that are weak and heavy to lift.

They heave their little selves across

the beach to the ocean, hoping nothing will

catch or eat them on the way.

For every five flops of their fins, they rest,

limbs splayed out unashamedly from their bulbous shells.

Slowly and by no means surely, they leave

dimples in the sand as they move towards the ocean.

How they know which direction the ocean is, I don't know.

But they get there.

Can you imagine how good it feels, when, after what seems

like miles of scratchy sand grinding coarsely on bellies

that were made for soft water,

and hundreds of times of lifting heavy, bumbling arms

into the air and doing hundreds of push-ups just to get

to home, and feeling the strong call,

the irresistible pull of nature to get to the ocean,

can you imagine how good it feels after all that

for a little sea turtle to feel the first wave

come up to his chin and slide under his belly?

If you ever see a sea turtle during that first wave,

even though they've been pushing themselves for

hours, when they first feel water, they move faster,

like how a baby kicks when it gets excited.

I wonder, if after eighty years of swimming,

the sea turtle remembers that first experience

of swimming on sand.

Day 30 - Write a letting go poem.

I ended up writing two poems for today, partly because it's the last day, but also because I don't feel like my first poem will make any sense to anyone except for myself, and that's not fair to other people.

So I made an effort to crank out one last poem.

(Fitting that the titles of these last two poems rhyme.) :)

Tectonics of the Soul

Standing in the middle of a sphere

of several plates, with strings

attached leading back to be held

in the hands,

Each plate is a part of life, and each

string is our hold on things.

Spinning around so fast is what

keeps the plates through centrifugal force

outstretched, creating a planet around us.

And then, like the human skull,

over time the plates begin to fuse.

Fissures close around us and the strings

become useless.

Those parts of our lives that we had difficulty

in hanging onto and keeping in place,

become solid, stable and we sigh with relief.

But when we try to let go of a piece of the world

that we don't like, after holding it in place for so long,

we find that we have no control.

It's already fused, held in place.

Eventually, there's nothing more to do,

than let all the strings fall around us

and enjoy the person we have become.

It's hard to let go

The reason things are so hard to let go,

is because when it goes away,

we know there's a bit of ourselves

it's going to take with it.

It's hard parting with one's self,

but that's the whole purpose of letting go:

It's spring cleaning

for our minds.

PAD Challenge - Days 22 through 28

2010-04-28T17:00:00.000-05:00

Hi all.
Remember how I said I was getting burnt out poetry-writing wise? Well, I took a few days off from writing poems and it helped.
Now I'm back to make up for the days I missed.
Enjoy!

Day 22 - Write an Earth poem

When the Earth Drinks

The feeling in my stomach

the rain gives me when it's

been dry for so long,

puts me in a mesmerized state.

I feel like doing nothing but

curling up and watching

the rain patter on the window

with joy and coziness.

Day 23 - Write a poem about exhaustion.

Treated for exhaustion

I drag myself out of bed

every morning

Work hard, do busy things,

every day

Make plans, have fun

every weekend

Listen to the radio

every drive

Just to hear that another

spoiled princess millionaire

was rushed to the hospital

and treated for

exhaustion.

I mean, really?

Day 24 - Write an evening poem.

The sun makes me sluggish

but as soon as the setting sun zips

all responsibilities behind it

leaving the entire dark night

ahead of it free from

all work,

I feel I could stay up all night

and take over the world.

Day 25 - Write a poem inspired by a song, and name the artist and the song, if possible.

Somewhere Over the Rainbow by Isreal Kamamawiwo'ole

Wishing to be over the rainbow

is better than actually being there.

Believe me.

I've been held captive by this

stupid leprechaun for

three hundred years now.

And yes, there are blue birds here.

So I guess it's not all bad.

I just wish that all those

troubles people send over here

would stop melting like lemon drops

and falling down my chimney.

Everything smells like burnt lemons.

Day 26 - Write a poem that has something to do with "More than 5 Times" (Robert changed the prompt to this because the commenting system was broken on his blog, and people had to attempt to post their poems more than five times).

Being in Love

They say insanity is marked

by individuals who repeat

the same action over again

and expect different results.

I've forgiven you

more than five times,

expecting something different.

But I must be insane.

Every time you ask for forgiveness,

just know I wouldn't change a thing.

I happen to like being driven crazy

every now and then by who you are.

Better that you're always

saying sorry for not taking out the trash,

than me having to forgive you

for something worse.

Oh, and by the way,

I can tell by your silly smile

and star-struck eyes

that, just like me,

you're a little insane too

for putting up with me.

Day 27 - Write a hopeful poem or a hopeless poem.

"Mordor. The one place in Middle-earth we don't want to see any closer. It's the one place we are trying to get to. It's just where we can't get." - Sam from The Two Towers by Tolkien

I'm on my Hero Quest, I guess

I often feel like Samwise,

having a task at hand

that I don't want to do,

but being compelled,

and even when I try

(which I never wanted

to try in the first place)

I'm thwarted.

It's the worst of days

to have problems like that.

Do not want.

But must get.

And can't get.

No, yes, no.

Oh, cruel vice of circumstance

that seems so deliciously

created for making heros!

Day 28 - Write an end of the line poem. (A person at the end of his/her line, end of a phone line, assembly line, power line, waiting lines, lines of poetry, etc.)

People at the End of the Line

When the conductor shouts

"End of the Line!" and everyone's

supposed to get off,

that's when you'll meet

the most interesting people.

When someone went to the end of the line,

they were usually trying to get

as far away as possible from something

or someone.

Damsels in distress starting a new life,

criminals planning to hide in remote little towns.

Boys and girls of all ages

escaping adventure-less circumstances

or maybe escaping to them.

Do you think I might ever

meet you there, at the end of the line?

What would be your story?

What would be mine?

PAD Challenge - Day 21

2010-04-21T17:00:00.000-05:00

Day 21 - Write a poem with the title "According to ________ ".

According to the apple on my desk

Today is a good day.

It's been sitting there

since yesterday and it sees

that today I packed

candy bars and fruit juice

and salty snacks for lunch.

It knows I won't eat it.

According to the apple on my desk

today is a good day.

PAD Challenge - Day 20

2010-04-20T17:00:00.001-05:00

Hey all. We're two thirds of the way done with poetry month. I'm happy I've made it this far, but also sad to see that there are only ten days left.

I'm thinking of making the award for the best poem posted in the comments a picture that is poem specific. Since only one person has posted their poems so far (Thank you, Gracia! You rock!), it makes more sense to wait and see which one I pick and then tailoring the award to fit it. Stay tuned to see my awesome, photoshopping skills! (Or not.)

If you've been following this blog, and writing a poem a day, but just didn't want to post them in the comments, feel free to at least let me know you've been writing alongside us. Write on, fellow poets!

Day 20 - Write a poem that's looking back, and/or write a poem that's not looking back, like looking forward or even just simply not looking at all. Maybe the speaker is blind or something. Interpret the prompt how you wish.

Eclipse

It's rare, but happens predictably,

When the moon moves in front of the sun.

I point and look up in awe

at the sudden darkness.

'It's special', they say, 'to see it like this,

right in our own backyard.'

I think it's special too, only...

does anyone else, for a split second,

get afraid that the eclipse won't end?

That brief moment of darkness is looked

is looked forward to.

But what if eclipses were forever?

What if the coming event that

seems so huge and promising,

that everyone looks forward to,

that I am hanging my happiness on,

is so big it eclipses my past?

Looking forward to something so much,

I find myself in danger of forgetting my roots.

What if the future is so bright and promising

it eclipses my past forever?

Is there such a thing as

looking forward too much?

I wonder if the moon ever minds the eclipse,

ever minds that while he is feeling

the full heat and promise of the sun,

his back is a little cold.

PAD Challenge - Days 17, 18, & 19

2010-04-19T17:00:00.000-05:00

Welcome to week three of PAD Challenge!

I think I'm finally running out of poetic steam. My poems lately have been kind of blah, or at least they seem like it. Hopefully the following will not be. I am surprised that it took me 19 days, though, before I felt poetically tired. Last year it only took a week and a half!

Day 17 - Write a science poem.

Omniscience

Long day, achey legs,

floppy arms, too tired to move properly.

You and I

settle in to each other

for a movie with no other

interest

except

to rest.

I know this movie already.

I know that the bills

need to be paid,

clothes laundered and put away.

My room needs cleaning,

the pets need to be fed,

forms must be filled out,

and tomorrow we both have to

go back to work, which means

I know I have to make lunches

tonight before bed.

I know you'll dose off

content to have me by your side

like a sweet baby with no obligations

but to be itself.

I know the dishes need doing.

I know my bank account

is low and I need to

balance

my check book.

I know the phone bill

needs paying.

I know you need a back rub

from the day we had.

I know you are warm

and I know I'm safe

nestled in among your

arms.

I know your needs and mine,

I know we don't have much

time.

Being self-aware,

omniscient about my entire life

is annoying.

All I want to know

is that all I want to do

is stay in your arms

forever.

Day 18 - Write a poem with the title "To _____"

With apologies to Alfred Lord Tennyson and the author of that ancient poem we all know about but have probably never read. (Reading tips: "Geat" is pronounced "Yeat". Also, this reads a lot better after you've read The Charge of the Light Brigade.)

To the hall, to the hall!

Night is come, night is come

night is come early,

quick to the hall of Hroogar

all you hold dearly:

'Grendel, monstrosity!

Run for your life' they say:

Into the walls of Heorot

came the great warriors.

'Grendel, monstrosity!'

Was there a man dismay'd?

Yes, tho' the warriors knew

Some one was with them:

Theirs to support and watch,

While hardy Beowulf fought,

Theirs just to gawk in awe

In the meade hall of Hroogar

fought Grendel, outcast.

Stench in the midst of them,

Claws desp'rately clawing them,

Jaws gaping wide at them,

Inhumanly beast;

They stormed it with shout and yell,

Boldly they tried and well,

Flashing their swords and breath

Inside that great meade hall

strong Beowulf's Geats.

Without a weaponry,

carring for chivalry,

fighting him armlessly,

Charging a beasty while

All the town wonder'd:

De-armed the scaly fright

Right from its own great might;

Geatlings and Monster

Reel'd from host'le blight,

Shatter'd & sunder'd.

Beowulf, the hero with

out any blunder.

Bloody at right of them,

Bloody at left of them,

Still then behind them

Stomping and running;

Left, Grendel for the land,

Beowulf, the monster's hand

Crumbling like stoney sand

Mounted it to the wall.

Monsters forever banned,

Poor Grendel left the hall,

Left all of Heorot.

When can his folly learn?

In confidence he burned

from his great feat.

Dragon to fight at last!

Hubris he had amassed,

Died, Beowulf the Geat.

Day 19 - Write a poem with a person's name as the title.

C.S. Lewis

Pockets of imagination

Hiding in this tiny world;

You found them, and put your hand in,

Then you ripped them open.

Spilled their contents on the page,

lacing it with charm and wit

and well turned phrase.

Thanks to you my children will

never lack to know the value

of the imagination.

PAD Challenge - Days 15 & 16

2010-04-16T17:00:00.000-05:00

Day 15 - Write a poem about deadlines (because, you know, it's tax season. I obviously am not very good at deadlines as I'm posting this a day late!)

This poem requires a little insider information as to what I'm talking about, but most of the people who read this blog should know what I mean. I couldn't think of anything that had to do with an actual deadline, so this is what I came up with. (It's a line that's named death. Close enough, right?)

The Black Line of Death

My brother's team is climbing, climbing

all his quizzers jumping, jumping.

For first place are hoping, hoping,

To stay above the black line of death.

Quiz masters are asking, asking,

Team members are quoting, quoting,

Score keepers are watching, watching,

To see who falls below the black line of death.

Time out! Coaches are coaching, coaching.

Time in. Audience is waiting, waiting.

Proud parents are video taping,

Regardless of the black line of death.

Geeks, the laptops repairing, repairing,

Helpers, the quiz boxes are packing, packing.

Quizzers, the chairs are stacking, stacking.

And still is looming the black line of death.

Worship team is playing, playing,

TFC, awards are giving, giving.

All the quizzers smiling, smiling,

who stayed above the black line of death.

Day 16 - Write a poem having to do with death.

The Alien Planet

Dear friends and family,

I recently visited an alien planet.

It was the weirdest thing I've ever seen.

There were plants as tall as houses,

and aliens most strange.

I could never quite tell if

The air was toxic.

Some aliens were deathly afraid of it.

Others breathed in all they could get of it.

I, myself, chose to keep my helmet on.

The planet and the aliens were one.

They covered it almost entirely

with strips of manufactured rock.

I wonder if they were trying to bind it

and hold parts of it together.

They have a peculiar ritual

that isn't a ritual at all.

The right of passage is something

that happens to all of them

yet they are always surprised when it happens.

They are never prepared either.

They are always sad when it happens.

You'd think they would remember

Every day to prepare for such an important thing.

I know I did. I always looked forward to growing up.

But anyways, on this alien planet

I got to see this ritual.

They are very primitive, and they have

No idea what happens after someone has

gone through the right of passage.

If you ever visit there, I'd suggest

It as an educational trip only.

It's no vacation, but it has opened my eyes

To how forgetful a race could possibly be.

I hope to take my children to Earth someday.

PAD Challenge - Day 14

2010-04-14T17:00:00.000-05:00

Yesterday's poems were quite heavy handed I think. I enjoy writing lighter poetry than dealing with the big issues like love and hate.

Day 14 prompt - Write a poem with the title "_____ island"

Make me an Island

If I show up to work with a paper cup

with a white, plastic top,

don't be deceived!

I've been drinking caffeine!

In five minutes I'll tell you

all the wonderful things I know.

In ten minutes I'll be crabby.

In thirty my mood will be rainy.

If you see me chug like a CEO,

Beware!

You should quickly make me

Into an island, isolated, bare,

So I can spin and quirk on my own

without igniting anything.

PAD Challenge - Day 13

2010-04-13T17:00:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone!

The prompt for today was quite challenging for me. Hope it helps you crank out some great poems.

Two prompts for today: Write a love poem, or write an anti-love poem.

Love poem:

I'm just sayin'...

At the risk of being lumped in

with hippies, evangelists, and scammers,

scary people, bad romance novels,

emotionals, sentimentals, and broken records,

country songs, greeting card companies,

fiery preachers and little sisters everywhere,

I want to tell you,

it's okay to fall in love with

something that makes you feel

like you're crazy for believing in it.

It's okay to take a leap of faith

even when you're scared to death.

It's okay to think that maybe the whole

Jesus thing is interesting enough to check out.

I'm just sayin'

He's available anytime if you want to talk.

Anti-love poem:

I, Fear

I'll keep you busy for years
trying to find freedom.
I planted the idea in your head
years ago that your freedom was
in danger and you had to be vigilant
to protect it.

Now you're huddled in a corner
holding freedom to your breast
like a little child,
gun trained on any threat, keeping
constant watch. You are more diligent
Than I had hoped for.

You're afraid of everything now.
Afraid to get a job because
It takes away your freedom.
Afraid to join a religion,
Afraid to commit to responsibility.
Yes, you've been more vigilant than I'd hoped.

I've got you so busy shooting at
doors of opportunity
that you don't even know
love is knocking at several of them.

Raise your gun, keep it steady.
Here's some more amo.
Don't let those doors swing open.
Protect your freedom from love
at all costs.
Keep my sworn enemy at bay
and I will give you what you need
to fight forever.

You and me, we can go far with your freedom.
We'll be here in this corner for years
doing nothing but shooting
at those Wiley opportunities to love.

PAD Challenge - Days 10, 11, 12

2010-04-12T17:00:00.002-05:00

Day 10 - Write a horror poem or a poem somehow linked to scarriness.

Winter and Peanut Butter

Peanut butter crusted hands

Try to run through my hair.

I wince, squinting, trapping the hair

that's static-plastered to my eyes

inside my eye-lids.

My hair clings to the side of my face

And across my dry-cracking lips.

My lips sting as I try to lick them,

But the hair gets caught on my tongue

And drawn back in with it.

A few more tummy-curdling lurches

and it's worked its way down my throat.

My throat which itches and tickles

To cough, but to cough I suck in,

Drawing the hair longer into me.

Long, thin and dry tentacles

Scratch at me inside and I can't get them out.

Sticky hands grab the violating stalk

And pull it out, making my throat

Feel like a scab picked off.

My eyes water as I brush the hair

From my face with my parched hands.

It renews its attack and clings even more

Until I've finally had enough.

Tomorrow, the peanut butter's being thrown out.

Tomorrow, I'm getting a hair cut.

Tomorrow, I'm using conditioner.

Tomorrow, I'm wearing sunglasses because

when the sticky hands pulled the hair

out of my mouth and face,

the strands trapped under my eyelid

whipped across my cornea and gave me

a paper cut on the eyeball.

Day 11 - Make the title of the poem "The Last _____"

The Last Printing

No more wasting trees or recycling reams.

We all have electronics now.

I'm in charge of printing the last piece

of paper that will ever be printed on.

The paper will say something official about the event.

Paper is now outlawed unless you have a permit

for things like Origami and Scherenschnitte.

Cameras and Reporters are circled around

and Earth activists are cheering across the country.

Someone has started a printer-bonfire.

In the years to come, there will be gifts,

expensive gifts of paper acquired from

businesses with permits specifically designed

to produce economy-friendly mementos of the past.

The Last Printing is framed and has an image

of the American Flag. It sits in a glass cage

in between a cuneiform tablet and one of those

pesky little cell phones we used to carry.

Day 12 - Pick a city and make that the title of your poem.

Winona

Skeptical about having to spend gas to drive

all the way to Winona for a job interview.

A job that might not work out and we might not

be happy with, my fiance and I started off with headaches.

As soon as we hit the town, we knew

we wanted to live there, would take any job,

would move in an instant.

It was in a valley, with quaintness

wrapped all the way around a lake,

and a train that ran alongside us

as if we were part of someone's model train show.

So far away from everyone and everything

we had generally known. But the job

plus the beauty could make everything turn out.

But in the end we only had half of that equation.

PAD Challenge - Days 8 & 9

2010-04-09T17:00:00.001-05:00

Oops! I missed a day! Sorry 'bout that. Two for one this post!

Day 8 - Choose a tool, make it the title of your poem, and write.

Ladder

I can’t get over how endearing they are.

Sturdy, underneath me,

at the times when changes were being made.

When the walls were changing color,

when mistakes and broken boards

were being fixed,

when life was covered in dust and chaos

the ladder stood solid underneath me.

Supporting familiarity

Mixed with the odd creative feeling

Of painting, even though painting white walls

Requires no creativity at all,

Makes me regard it as a friend

Who always wants to do something together.

Even if its just being propped up against the house

And I stand on the topmost sticker that says

“Not a step”

just to feel the breeze sway me gently.

Day 9 - Artists do self-portraits all the time to gain artistic perspective about the human face. Poets are word artsits, so write a poem about yourself.

Self-portrait

The woman-girl poses like a Vermeer

Staring out the window,

Not knowing her hooked nose and

Sharp cheek bones make her look

Like the witch from Narnia.

Her regal head drops on her hand

Forgetting all proper posture

While imagining things outside.

Her other hand is paused on the keyboard

That she’s supposed to be typing on.

Blonde hair that could be full

If she brushed it flows around her shoulders

A little scraggly.

With shrewd features and a little mirth in the eyes

No one knows what to make of her

Except that she’s there.

PAD Challenge - Day 7

2010-04-07T17:00:00.001-05:00

Prompt for today: Write a poem with the title "Until ____".

Until The Guests Leave

Until the guests leave,

there's no telling

What will happen.

A goblet could chip or crack.

I might say something stupid

Or hear something stupid.

The wife could undermine our marriage,

Or the husband start an argument.

These are touchy people.

Anything might happen.

Until the guests leave,

I watch the trinkets closely.

Was that antique teacup moved?

Did someone touch the TV screen

With greasy fingers?

Until the guests leave,

I think if I uncross my legs

They won't consider me lady-like.

Until the guests leave,

I have to keep brushing that pesky strand

Of hair out of my face.

I'm sitting straight as can be,

smiling, looking directly, friendly,

at whoever is talking.

Someone made a joke.

I don't know what it was,

I was too busy counting the cookies

out the corner of my eye

Making sure we wouldn't run out

And seeing if there were enough

for me to take one more.

I laugh along with them,

certain that's what I would have done

If I had been paying attention.

But don't laugh too long.

I don't know how funny it actually was.

I reach for a cookie.

So does the husband. No problem.

There will still be enough

If my husband and the other wife want one.

But he takes two!

The cookie is already in my hand.

There's not enough for everyone.

I can't put it back. I can't eat it.

They might think I'm a greedy hostess.

I put it on a napkin

And set it on my husband's knee.

Now if he wants one, there's enough.

Until the guests leave,

I must ignore my aching back.

I can't adjust. Don't want to draw attention.

Until the guests leave,

I keep blinking as a way

To keep me occupied, counting the blinks.

No! Stop that! They'll see.

They'll think something's wrong with my eye.

Do you know how hard it is

To keep from blinking once you're aware of it?

I know, because the guests won't leave!

I think the conversation

Is getting a little too intense.

I need to cause something to happen.

I stand up, hoping it will signal to them

That one of us is tired,

And they should call it a night.

I don't even know what they're talking about.

I begin to clean up from supper.

The wife comes and gives me a hand.

At last! Things are starting to wrap up.

But it takes four hours to get them out the door.

I slump in the living room,

Legs straight out, back bent.

Hair hanging in my face,

And scratching all the little itches

That've been bugging me all night.

I couldn't scratch them and be rude

Until the guests left.

PAD challenge - Day 6

2010-04-06T17:00:00.001-05:00

Because of the unique format of the poetry prompt today, I strongly suggest you head over to Robert Brewer's blog if you're into the whole prompt thing.

Prompt for the day - Write an Ekphrastic poem (looks like an Elephant sneezed on my keyboard, doesn't it?)

An Ekphrastic poem is one that is based off of or centered around or describes, etc. a non-literary work of art. So paintings, sculptures, etc. If you choose a visual piece other than what Robert posted, please feel free to post a link to it in the comments.

I chose one of the ones that Robert posted: Flying Witches.

I was dumb enough to imagine flying.

I was mad enough to imagine weightless flight.

I was blind enough to think it was possible.

The light intruded on my imagination,

Trying to banish the witches flying above me

As I imagined them lifting me up, up into bliss.

The witches turned their back on the light

And we went right on imagining.

Now as I crawl into my space suit and prepare

To be launched towards the moon

I see the wizards and witches working last minute

Details on the spacecraft. They are scientists

Who were dumb enough to imagine flying.

Mad enough to imagine weightless flight.

Blind enough to think it was possible.

Here I go. They are lifting me up again.

(Note: No, I don't advocate witch craft. The witches in the painting represent imagination and at the time of the painting, it was thought that imagining impossible things was a sign of madness, blindness, and dumbness. So while I would rather imagination be represented by something other than witches, I'm still an advocate of people using their imaginations.)

Here's a prompt from my own mind, if it helps you think of what to write:

Write a poem about plastic. It's many uses, its annoying habit of melting when you accidentally put it on a hot stove, whatever. I'll be thinking about this one and will try to post a poem about plastic in the comments. Have fun writing!

April PAD Challenge - Day 5

2010-04-05T17:00:00.000-05:00

Happy Easter!

I didn't get a chance to post 'cause of the holiday, so now I'll play catch up. Feel free to submit your poems from previous days on any blog post in April.

The source of the daily prompts can be found here at Poetic Asides.

Day 2 - Write a 'water' poem, or poem with water in it.

(Note: This poem is meant to be read out loud. I originally had all sorts of marks indicating tone and breath but decided it was too hard to make them appear here. Maybe someday I'll get around to recording it, but for now, just realize its not your traditional poem.)

Coming Home After

Ferdinand Magellan was a maritime sailor in 1521.

He started the first successful attempt to

Circumnavigate the earth.

Circumnavigate, as you might know, means to go all the way around

And come back.

He was looking for a way to get to spices, to get ahead, find his niche in the economy.

But...

He didn't come back.

There was a battle in the Philippines and he died.

But his crew took up the slack,

took leadership and came back.

They finished the voyage and when they came home,

only 18 of the 227 men, strong good men

Met their children at the dock,

Lay with their wives that night,

Rejoiced at seeing familiar sights

After an unsure journey.

And I, a Minnesota College student in 2008,

started her first attempt to circumnavigate the drain.

I thought I knew what truth meant and was

Sure I could stand up to any professor,

Any digressor,

And shine like no one had seen before.

Like Magellan, I wanted a faster route to a happier life.

And as I sat in my lectures, feet on the floor,

edge of my seat,

mind an open door, beat-

ing as if it had its own heart...

Right from the start

Truth: became fiction.

Love: became diction and not passion.

There was no conviction.

My life began circling the drain.

Caught like a ship in a maelstrom,

Like a bug in a toilet bowl,

Like what mindlessness does

to the soul,

How the Earth soaks up rain.

And you know what I learned?

I died. In too many battles against foreign thoughts,

Even when I ought

To have given up I didn't and fell defending.

The 227 men inside me pulled on the ropes, and rigged the rigging.

I found the strongest parts of me were left behind.

Those who chose to fight and stave off the enemy

Stayed behind and --

Continue to sentry

The wary passages in my mind.

But I did come back.

The Magellan in me left and died,

But there was a remnant that carried on:

and it wasn't the parts I thought.

Only 18 came home, came back.

But I'm sure as they unloaded the ship that night,

Under a starry dome,

Safe from the deranged,

Walked around the town, met families and friends,

They didn't say they were home.

They said they were changed.

Day 3 - Write a poem with the title "Partly _______ "

I got this prompt mixed up in my head and instead wrote a poem titled "Probably ____". I suppose Partly could work just as well here.

Partly Special

I was handed an emerald box
By a talking badger in the woods.
I'm the secret heir to a throne and
I have ridiculously gorgeous hair.
I was sent on a quest to save some people
And I'm also wondering how to find my identity.

The emerald box contains the answer
To all of my problems.
But only if I know how to use it.
You might pass me by on the street,
But you should know I'm the kind of stranger
Who is partly special.

Day 4 - Write a history poem.

The Murderer's Song

A finch sings from his cage in my room.

It's a beautiful song.

And yet I feel like ignoring him.

I dress, eat breakfast, then go back upstairs

For something I forgot.

As I pass by his cage, I finally sit down and listen

And forget that he was the bully who

Killed my three other birds.

I forget to fault him for his birdie instincts

And just listen.

Is he sorry? Is his song an attempt at atonement?

Or is it just another instinct, to sing when the sun is up?

His little birdie body ruffles with the last notes

And no matter his history,

I feel an impulse to forgive him.

Day 5 - Write a TMI poem (Too Much Information)

RT@TMI Plz stop

My friend just ate a ham sandwich.

I know 'cause she posted a tweed.

Poetic perspective? Or Petty collective?

Whatever. It took seconds to read.

Poetry, sweet poetry

2010-04-01T17:00:00.001-05:00

Happy Maundy-Thursday!

And happy first day of Poetry Month!

Over on Robert Brewer's Poetic Asides blog, the prompt for the day is to write a lonely poem.

Here is what I wrote:

Loneliness

Oh to be left alone

To my own devices and strategies!

To muse all the day

On wonders far away.

But alas, this must be an elegy:

My friend calls from her phone

Talking ‘bout schedules and neighborhood crime.

Pets need to be fed,

And my e-mails read.

And I am pledged to this thing called full-time.

From this I steal away,

Hiding myself in the nearest bathroom.

I whip out my phone

And through games I postpone

The end of lovely loneliness assumed.

Feel free to post a lonely poem or a poem about loneliness in the comments below.

I would also add that if you feel like writing a poem about Maundy-Thursday, that would be great to see here as well.

Poetry Month Prep

2010-03-31T08:33:00.002-05:00

Hey everyone.

Sorry I didn't post on Monday like I usually do. Things were very busy.

For those of you who are writing along with me and those who might be posting their poems in the comments, I thought I'd go over a few things.

1. Robert Brewer at the Poetic Asides blog will have a poetry prompt for each day. I will be posting my poems over there in the comments, as well as here. If you want to read his rules about the Poem A Day challenge (PAD challenge), click here.

2. I might decide to put a prompt every day (or maybe just every week) on this blog myself. But you don't have to follow it! Feel free to post any poem in the comments that you write during April.

3. Out of all the poems posted in the comments I'll choose my favorite one. The winner will be awarded an incredibly awesome award made by me in photoshop. I haven't made it yet but it will be fabulous. I honestly don't expect a lot of people to post here, but if there are enough, I will choose my top five favorite poems.

4. About copyrights and such: I don't pretend to be able to handle all the technical and legal stuff that goes on with copyrights and posting on blogs. If you're worried that posting poems in the comments here will make your poetry not eligible for publication later, don't post. My personal philosophy is that I am a poet and that means I should always be able to produce new poetry. If a few of my poems get jaded because I put them online, I don't really care. I can always write new ones and they will be better than the last. (That's the theory anyways.)

Here's Robert Brewer's take on it, which I found very helpful.

5. The purpose of this is to motivate/encourage the writing of new poetry. Have fun with it!

Location Writing and April is Poetry Month!

2010-03-22T08:00:00.001-05:00

So I tried the whole writing in a new location thing but it only happened once. Turns out not that many places in my area are open after 10pm, which was the only time I was able to carve out to go somewhere else and write. (I was able to write plenty in places I had already made convenient for me to write at however.)

So I ended up at a coffee shop I had never written at before, a half hour before they closed. I got some tea, I sat down, and I banged out a ton of words. I feel very proud of myself for not getting distracted.

My conclusion about the location writing experiment:

Writing in a new location is great for writers. But it's something that will only happen now and then. Writers should be open to being purposeful about writing whenever they find themselves in a new place. But seeking out a new place every day is not helpful.

I will, however, always remember the scene I wrote when I visit that coffee shop. The place now has a pleasant memory for me of being swept up in writing.

Now, onto my soap box.

APRIL IS POETRY MONTH! And I'm looking forward to it. Robert Brewer at the Poetic Asides blog challenges writers to write a poem a day. I did this last year and I don't regret a single bit of it. It was fun, enriching, and very healthy for my writing.

Anyone want to join me? Post in the comments if you'd like to write a poem a day with me. I will (hopefully) post each day what my poem is and invite you to post your poems as well in the comments if you so desire.

Location Writing Series, Part 1

2010-03-15T08:26:00.002-05:00

I read this post by Robert Brewer about writing in a different location than you've ever written before.

I know that when I'm driving and listening to an audio book, if I go somewhere new, that new place gets imprinted on my mind along with the story. There are places on the highway where I remember some of my favorite characters falling in love, getting killed, or making discoveries, and every time I drive by them, I remember the stories.

When I was listening to C.S. Lewis' That Hideous Strength, I visited a Burger King I had never visited before. For me, that's where Miss Hardcastle died. I think about it every time I drive by there.

After reading Robert's post, and realizing that location does have a powerful effect on our memories, I've decided to do a project...

I'm going to write in a different location than I've ever written in before for at least half an hour every day this week. I'm not sure I'll get to post about it every day, but I'll at least do a summary next week of how it went.

Hopefully this way I can build up enough locations to trigger my memory if I ever get stuck with a piece of writing. Then perhaps going to those places will help.

I also suspect that my new iPod touch, a gift from my fiance, (thank you!), will help me write in places where a full-sized laptop might be difficult to manage.

Unplug Week

2010-03-08T15:06:00.001-06:00

This week I feel the need to concentrate on my writing and other things.

So I'm taking the week off from blogging, reading blogs, and as many online things as I can take a break from.

Have a good week and I'll see you next Monday!

Second Draft

2010-03-01T08:12:00.003-06:00

I promised a friend of mine that I would have the second draft of my WIP for her to read by the end of February.

And I let the story sit for too long until this past week, when I did a blitz of writing. This suddenly imposed deadline did wonders for my story. It made me write things I wouldn't otherwise have written, and it got words down on the page.

Why is it that writing becomes so hard after awhile? They're just words, right? But getting those words on there is more than just typing away madly. Say that an average novel will be about 70,000 words long. (Obviously the word count will change with each genre.) That's 70,000 decisions the writer has to make, and I think after awhile, my brain just decides it's done making decisions about which word to put next.

Things that go into making those decisions when there is no deadline:

1. Is this the right word?

2. Is this the direction I want my story to go in?

3. Will this phrase highlight what I want it to?

4. Does this move the plot forward?

5. Do I need to do more research before writing this section?

179. Should I stop writing and read over EVERYTHING I have so far, just to get a feel for where I'm at? (Hint: The answer to this one is usually NO!)

Things that go into making decisions when there is a deadline:

1. How fast can I type this scene?

We writers can labor over single sentences for hours trying to make sure every word is justified and correct. But at some point, I know I have to realize that my readers are going to be reading the perfect sentence I spent hours creating in about two seconds or less. Deadlines are helpful because they make me write at the speed my readers will be reading. There are other times where I want to slow down and think about the decisions I make while I write, but pressure is good now and then.

Do you write better when you have a deadline? Do you impose deadlines on yourself to get yourself writing?

I didn't reach my deadline entirely. There is still a lot more to do if I'm going to finish the second draft. But I got a good portion of it done and I feel great about that. To celebrate, here's the opening scene. Feel free to let me know what you think. Enjoy!

“Who’s this lad here?” asked a lady. A man said he didn’t know. He said he found him in the streets, arrested him for being under age out at night, and couldn’t get him to speak a single word.

“How old is he?”

“Don’t rightly know. Looks to be about 15, don’t you think?”

“And no one’s come for him?”

“No. We’ve held him for two weeks and there’s been no one. Only thing I know to do is leave him with you, here at the orphanage. Only thing he’ll tell me is his name.”

“And what’s that then?”

“Aden Hubbard.” The lady drew up some paper work. “You don’t think anyone will mind if I assign him an age, do you? It’ll make it easier for him, just being assigned one.”

“I don’t mind. I just want to see him taken care of.”

“Most likely he’ll go unclaimed until he’s 16. Those that graduate out of the system are worse off. I’ll put down 14. That’ll give him a few years to get his feet.” Before morning, Aden Hubbard became a part of the system. Though he was much older than 14, he was grateful. Being in a strange country alone was hard enough without room and board.

Writing Communities - Fowcs and Mowcs

2010-02-22T08:00:00.000-06:00

I was recently invited to join a free online writing community (fowc) by a fellow writer who I know well. And I joined. And overall the experience has been positive so far.

I've also been a part of a membership online writing community (mowc, the kind you pay for monthly) for almost a year and a half.

But I'm still skeptical. How come I don't hear about any bestselling authors who use fowcs or mowcs? Are they just a big time sink? Will they actually help improve my writing?

I don't know the answers, but I have a few thoughts.

1. Online writing communities will ALWAYS sound like a great, wonderful idea.

2. Fowcs tend to be more about the passion of writing, which I like, and less about showmanship, competitions, and elitism.

3. Mowcs are great at keeping freeloaders and inactive people from cluttering things up.

4. Whether a fowc or a mowc, I think any online writing community (owc) ought to encourage as much writing as possible, instead of begging for reviews.

5. What's with this whole "We have our own currency here" thing? It's never made sense to me why an artificial currency has to be involved. I don't want people leaving a review of my writing just because they get 30 golden review bucks to do so. I want them to read it and leave a review because they like the story, or like me as an author. Otherwise I get the one-liner review: "I thought it was good and compelling." I'm not looking for blurbs. I'm looking for perspective.

6. One thing OWCs are always good for is a self-confidence boost. As long as you can ignore any negative comments that come through, there are usually a lot of smiling ones to look at.

Does anyone have an opinion about OWCs, FOWCs, or MOWCs? Has anyone found an online community that has helped them get a book written or published?

Growing your story

2010-02-15T08:00:00.001-06:00

With all the advice out there on how to organize plot lines, structure outlines, and revise first drafts, I have found very little that talks about how to think about your story.

Every advice I've ever read or received on how to outline or organize story material assumes I already have material stored up in my mind. It assumes I already have a mess that needs to be organized. But too often I skip the step that no one has ever told me to do: think.

Someone asked me recently if I had any ideas on how to move bare conceptions and single scenes forward into something like a story. I have a lot of what I call snippets or stubs of stories. A scene, a conversation, a witty and elegant description, or an idea for a unique character. These are all little tiny seeds of a story.

I find I need to plant those seeds by writing down what I have. But I have to let them grow on their own by just walking away from the keyboard. A snippet might remain a snippet for weeks or even months before it's grown enough in my mind. But during that time, my thoughts will return to it while I'm driving or waiting in line, and while I think about it, it just grows.

Donald Miller, author of Blue Like Jazz, once described being a writer as someone who sits around in their underwear and gets paid a dollar for doing so. Well, I don't sit around in my underwear, but I do take an awful lot of time to just think about my story. Do outlines and structures and arches and character profiles help? Yes. But not so much as to carry the entire burden of story-growing on their shoulders.

To rephrase the extended metaphor:

Plant the seed of a story by putting it on paper. Your mind is the soil. Let its roots grow deep and long before it pokes out over the surface., unprotected where anything might happen to it.

When it grows, encourage it to come up out of the dirt and reach for the sunlight. Add branch by branch, leaf by leaf, letting every aspect of it grow inside your mind until its ready to be put to paper.

Of course, even before all of this you must ask yourself what kind of tree do you want to plant? Is the purpose of your story to block wind? Farmers often use trees to shelter their crops from the wind. Are you writing your story to shelter other ideas from getting blown away?

Or perhaps you want to plant a tree for shade: Simple, relaxing, easy to take care of. Something that doesn't require a lot of effort to enjoy. Something that can be read easily. (Commercial or Mainstream fiction)

You could plant a tree for its fruit. Something that will directly feed the masses, or even just your own appetite. Something that is almost literally food for thought. (Literary works, etc.)

The story might need to be planted for use later on as lumber. I mean, wouldn't you love an author who wrote a book so rich and accessible that you could just go up to it with an ax and carry away solid ideas to use in your own life? (Self-help)

Or maybe you just want something aesthetically pleasing to make that everyday landscape perfect. (Slice of Life)

Do you want a tall tree or a short tree? A wide one, or a thin one? Do you have space restrictions like power lines, word count maximums, or even minimum word counts? Do you want a tree for its flowers, something thats beautiful for the season you are in right now, or that your readers are in, or that the country is in? (Political, current issues, etc.)

Or maybe you're planting an exotic tree, and hoping your green thumb will nurture it in an environment where it's not really meant to grow. Something that's completely outside its normal sphere. (Sci-Fi and Fantasy)

Or maybe you want to plant an Evergreen, something that won't change with the seasons, will always be a predictable height and shape, and has a pleasant smell. (? Ideas for what this would be?)

I could go on and on.

And yes, sometimes our stories do contract dutch elm disease and have to be cut down and killed. Sometimes they get struck by lightning and the entire growth structure of one limb of plot gets cut off and it changes the story forever. Sometimes they catch fire. Sometimes our entire forest of stories might catch fire. (This is very sad when it happens. I think it's called writer's block.)

Or maybe you're just not sure what your tree is because it changes from day to day. Maybe it looks more like its just going to be a bush or a weed.

In any case, I think the most important step in getting a story from conception to fruition is thought. Pure, long, hard and deep thought. It's okay to sit around in your house, (in your underwear if you must,) and just think as a part of the process.

I'm tempted to go into what happens during the different seasons to our forest of novel ideas, but I'll leave that up to you.

Metaphor of the Month Assignment: (Finally!)

Describe your current WIP (work in progress) in a metaphor like it's a tree. What are its aspects? Why are you growing it? In what stage of growth is it in?

Example:

My WIP is a willow tree. I'm not exactly sure why I'm growing it. It's really big, and its plot lines hang way down low to the ground so the reader can see how beautiful and magnificent it is. It drapes everywhere, offering accessibility to the very edge of its growth, the tips of the branches, where new things are always coming out. They're not way up high and hard to reach like other trees. I want my readers to be able to duck inside its canopy of branches for a little while and just enjoy its complexity, but not be alienated by it. I guess perhaps I'm growing it for aesthetic purposes. It's a beautiful tree, and it's unusual enough to be noticed in a front yard, but not so unusual as to be called exotic. I like it that way. It will draw attention to itself without making the reader feel like they are encountering something completely foreign.

Strong Characters

2010-02-08T08:30:00.000-06:00

In the comments last week Cindy mentioned that it not only takes the correct motivation behind a character's moves to make a story work, but it just plain takes strong characters.

When you read, what makes a good character?

The other day, I found myself watching a few favorite tv shows over again simply because I love seeing the characters in action. For me, it doesn't matter if my favorite law enforcement people are in law enforcement, the medical field, or homeless shelters. I know the characters would be the same and I would still enjoy their interactions.

With my story this week, I'm going to be focusing on how to make my characters the kind of characters you would want to read in any book, regardless of which setting they're in. I think strong characterization not only comes from knowing a person's motivation, but also from how they interact with each other. Not that it needs to turn into a soap opera of any kind, but who the person is can be shown through how he/she reacts to others.

I guess what I really mean is any character I create always has more to him/her than I'm aware of. I make assumptions about them that can't be put into words. So when I put my characters in different situations, or plug in other people to their life, the things I wasn't aware of come out.

It's all there. I just need to create a way to let my characters show it.

Character Motivation

2010-02-02T09:13:00.000-06:00

(Eek! It's Tuesday! I forgot to post yesterday!)

I've been working on the outline to my story using a combination of the snowflake method and the phase drafting method and it's been a lot of fun. Even though I've already written the first draft of the story, the outline is helping me to flesh out characters and scenes that are wimpy, and is drawing my attention to plot holes I didn't see before.

What I've discovered: A character's motivation is EVERYTHING! You can't just have a character do what you want them to do without having an explanation as to why they would do such a thing. Outlining helps me to see further ahead. If there's an action that's essential to the plot, I need to make sure whatever character is going to perform that action has the kind of personality and motivation to take that action.

For instance, in my story the villain ends up becoming extremely powerful, escapes, and then purposefully performs an action that will kill him within 48 hours. I had to figure out a motivation for him to do all of these things.

Motivation for....

1. becoming extremely powerful: He's trapped on a planet and needs the power to get back home, thus he's highly motivated to gain power, even if it means becoming a murderer.

2. escaping: It's not how he wanted to leave, but he is strongly motivated by the group of law enforcement ninjas who are going to kill him if he doesn't leave his entire plan unfinished and left behind.

3. drinking poison: This is the most complex motivation of them all. There are several reasons he's motivated to do this, but the biggest is that he's a sociopath who unwaveringly has to accomplish his goal at any cost. He does this. As soon as his goal is accomplished, he doesn't care anymore. For him, the completion of the goal is what mattered more than getting home.

Now, if I were to create such a villain and have him be even keel emotionally, or unflappable, and suddenly show that he has an obsession with completing goals, it wouldn't work. But because I know what his final motivation will be, I can plant seeds early on about how the villain has a deep-seated need to complete goals regardless of any consequences or cost.

I'm hoping the reader will get to the end and be surprised, but still be able to say "I should've known that was coming."

Blog Culling

2010-01-26T13:56:00.000-06:00

I'm back in!

Into reading blogs and such that is. I stopped bothering about my RSS reader sometime mid-November because of NaNoWriMo. Then Christmas hit. And it took me this long to open that scary program and sift through the 600+ blog entries I had missed.

I also decided to allow myself 20 (only 20?!) blogs that I read regularly. This meant I had to get rid of 73 blogs. You can imagine why I had to limit my intake.

How do you balance intake of internet stuff with writing? Do you give yourself limits? Do you find that other people's blogs help you write?

Since I'm back into blog reading now, I feel a lot more connected to the interwebz and will probably be posting more regularly. I've been trying to have a loose schedule of posting every Monday.

Keep writing everyone!

Helping Haiti

2010-01-25T09:43:00.000-06:00

Linda at leftbrainwrite blog will donate $1 to Doctor's Without Borders to help the Haitian people for every comment left on her blog.

Like she said, it won't cost you a thing to stop by and say hi!

We all make mistakes...and special project

2010-01-20T20:00:00.001-06:00

So about my secret project that I've been working on...

I had an entire blog post to show you and for some reason blogger erased it when I tried to post it. :( But we all make mistakes. I know I've deleted stuff before without meaning to.

Sorry about that. I truly meant to post on Monday.

Anyways, my secret project has been making altered journals to give away to others. The idea is that the journal will either simply inspire them as they come across pages that have been altered, or the owner of the journal will write a story that has something to do with each page.

Here are some pictures of the journal I made for my younger brother for Christmas. I'm working on writing a short story to go with each special page, but that will be a long time coming.

Enjoy!

Happy New Year!

2010-01-04T15:55:00.001-06:00

And yet, all I can think about is how sad it is that the glow-in-the-dark glasses with the double 'O' in the middle of 2000-2009 will never frame my face again. I wonder what the company who made those glasses is doing now that there's a big, stinkin' one in the middle. Ones are hard to see through, you know.

2010!