Showing posts with label writing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label writing. Show all posts
Monday, March 22, 2010
Story Idea
I was thinking about lucky colors today (inspired by Julie over at juleswrites.blogspot.com and a post she did on superstitions), while I tried to remember whether my great-grandparents tied yellow ribbons to their pets and children or if it was red ribbons. I'm leaning towards yellow ribbons, but red ribbons make more sense after I googled and saw that eastern europe and asia saw red as a color that frightens evil away. And indeed, I know that my family has always seen red as a lucky color.
As I sought an answer that did not include lyrics to the song (which furthermore causes the song to repeat over and over in my head while I work), I came across the following link: factmonster.com
Quotes and information are either taken or derived from that above link.
What am I thinking?
Mainly about how when people pick up a book to read, they want to see something new... but there is always that small psychological part of them that wants something familiar or relatable. Or something they can look up and read and understand more about.
That was something I appreciated when I picked up the first Vampire Academy book. When the protagonist's mother gave her a eyeball bead as a present, I PERKED UP, because I'm familiar with the use of an eyeball or gaze thereof in paintings or ancient art. It wards off evil. <- Not that I believe in that, but it is something I'm culturally aware of.
Uhm. Keep in mind I was also also PEEVED when I saw the evil eye bead appear in the VA books and become somewhat popular as a result. <- That's because in my one book, "Marbles", I also made full use of the evil eye bead. Though probably not the same way Richelle Mead intends to do so in her books.
Regarding the colors, I was sitting back and thinking about possible character traits for different characters in a future novel sometime. Yes, it would be somewhat cheezy to put X character in a red dress all the time or Y into a yellow suit to infinity. I'm not talking about writing Clue (even though I absolutely loved those books when I was a kidlet). I'm mainly thinking about little clues, similar to what Steven Spielberg did for Schindler's List, or M Night Shalaman (sp) does in his movies. If you ever watched the special for Sixth Sense, he described the importance of red and white, which he emphasized throughout the movie.
I want to be the type of author who slips little easter eggs and such into my books which MAKE SENSE if the reader spots them. But I don't want to hit them on the head with it, or go over the top with colors.
On the other note... I really DO want to write a new version or fan fiction of Clue.... who doesn't?
Read more >>
As I sought an answer that did not include lyrics to the song (which furthermore causes the song to repeat over and over in my head while I work), I came across the following link: factmonster.com
Quotes and information are either taken or derived from that above link.
Red
*Signal for battle, color of a soldier.
*Royalty
*Color means beautiful, but also is lucky and wards off evil.
*Red herring is a distraction, something that takes attention away from the real issue.
Green
*Symbolizes victory
*Symbolizes youth and energy
*Symbolizes envy
*Somebody one with nature
*A healer
Blue
*Color of a public servant
*Protection against witches and evil <- Say what?
*Loyalty
*Love
*The unknown
"A blue blood is a person of noble descent. This is probably from the blue veins of the fair-complexioned aristocrats who first used this term." - Fascinating.
Purple, Violet
"The Egyptian queen Cleopatra loved purple. To obtain one ounce of Tyrian purple dye, she had her servants soak 20,000 Purpura snails for 10 days." <- EW!
*Color of mourning
*Regal or authoritative color
"Purple prose” is writing that is full of exaggerated literary effects and ornamentation." <- I knew that
Yellow
*Mourning
*Regeneration or rebirth
*Courage
*Deceit
*Warning
"In tenth-century France, the doors of traitors and criminals were painted yellow." <- I wonder if that is why we call cowards 'yellow'.
"In the Middle Ages, actors portraying the dead in a play wore yellow." <- Hmm....
White
*Peace, or truce
*Spiritual, or of spirit world...
*Good luck, especially if you wed in it.
*White is a pacific color, however "white heat" can be intense passion.
*Savior, or rescuer
*Clean
"The ancient Greeks wore white to bed to ensure pleasant dreams." <- Ha! Now you know.
Black
*Secrecy
*Morbid
*Evil
*Elegance
*Expert
*Occult
*Outcast
"The ancient Egyptians and Romans used black for mourning, as do most Europeans and Americans today."
"The ancient Egyptians believed that black cats had divine powers."
What am I thinking?
Mainly about how when people pick up a book to read, they want to see something new... but there is always that small psychological part of them that wants something familiar or relatable. Or something they can look up and read and understand more about.
That was something I appreciated when I picked up the first Vampire Academy book. When the protagonist's mother gave her a eyeball bead as a present, I PERKED UP, because I'm familiar with the use of an eyeball or gaze thereof in paintings or ancient art. It wards off evil. <- Not that I believe in that, but it is something I'm culturally aware of.
Uhm. Keep in mind I was also also PEEVED when I saw the evil eye bead appear in the VA books and become somewhat popular as a result. <- That's because in my one book, "Marbles", I also made full use of the evil eye bead. Though probably not the same way Richelle Mead intends to do so in her books.
Regarding the colors, I was sitting back and thinking about possible character traits for different characters in a future novel sometime. Yes, it would be somewhat cheezy to put X character in a red dress all the time or Y into a yellow suit to infinity. I'm not talking about writing Clue (even though I absolutely loved those books when I was a kidlet). I'm mainly thinking about little clues, similar to what Steven Spielberg did for Schindler's List, or M Night Shalaman (sp) does in his movies. If you ever watched the special for Sixth Sense, he described the importance of red and white, which he emphasized throughout the movie.
I want to be the type of author who slips little easter eggs and such into my books which MAKE SENSE if the reader spots them. But I don't want to hit them on the head with it, or go over the top with colors.
On the other note... I really DO want to write a new version or fan fiction of Clue.... who doesn't?
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Morning Update
I'm still alive (hurray!).
Don't you just hate it when a blog you are following suddenly starts randomly posting brief updates which all say the same thing?
As in, "We is writing. We is happy. Novel is growing like weed. That is bad thing, because is already too long, but we is going to deal with that later."
'Is' is a much better word than 'Was'.
In all seriousness - the novel I've been working on has morphed into something I did not anticipate - but it feels real. Real, as in I might have something publishable if I finish the novel. (._.)
Chapter 1 thru 3 are cleaned up and fully edited. They contain the character intro, plotting hints, and hook.
Chapter 4 thru 6 (what I'm finishing up right now) are semi-clean drafts. I've been writing a chapter at a time and editing it before writing the next one. <- I've been doing this to keep the transitions and pacing smooth. When you keep writing new chapters every night without checking the previous chapters, there is a chance that some choppiness will develop and characters will morph several times (depending on your mood) before you finish the book. By reading over and editing the previous chapter before writing the next, I'm getting a feel for the characters and mood, so I can keep it consistent when I actually start the new writing.
Oh, Chapter 4 thru 6 contain the side character development and plotting development. I'm starting to show all my cards.
My plan for Chapter 7 thru 10 is reaching the climax or farthest point and beginning to resolve the plot and tie loose ends.
Chapter 11 thru 15 will be the completion of the novel. \(^.^)/
Yes - that sounds VERY SHORT for a YA Urb-Fant, but remember that those are very long chapters. I have five completed chapters and the novel is already 26,000 words. <- And yes, I know that is VERY, VERY bad. But that is what final edits are for. Weeding.
The novel is character driven (like everything I write), but there is a strong(ish) plot unveiling itself too - something that really makes me happy. It keeps me interested in writing the novel, and I think that will show in the finished product.
More posts to come later this week. <- And not all of them ENTHUSING about my own writing.
12:30 PM Update
Summons inner Urkel...
"Did I do thaaaat?"
During lunch, I sat in my car to enjoy the fresh early afternoon sunshine and practically balmy (when you have been through a frigid winter, 50 degrees feels like global warming, but in a good way). I had my mini laptop with me and pulled it out to do a little work or light reading.
Rather than look at an outdated version of the current WIP, I opened Gladiitor and I read through the first eight chapters. There are 40 (I think?) chapters in the novel (short ones, so don't freak out).
I did notice my weak spots, or areas where I could have tightened up the text or fixed things, but uh...
It is a GOOD thing when you open an old WIP and realize that there is something good about it, right? I was actually thinking that even though Gladiitor is a sequel, it stands the chance of going out on it's own without the support of the first book.
The first novel is essentially first love angst and figure skating in space. *puts on geek hat* The book ended with the protagonist giving the guy up in favor of pursuing her dream to be a Warrior.
Gladiitor was the dream cracked... um, the Warrior's League falls to shambles and the Warriors are all disbanded. The guy comes back with a renewed offer of partnership on the ice, though he's no longer interested in a real life partnership. He is engaged to somebody else who is wildly planning the marriage while the universe goes nuts around them. Oh and there was a love triangle in Gladiitor.
Heh. It was kind of a soap opera <- Which means it was fun to write and even more fun to read two years later. I forgot a lot of stuff and almost was my own beta reader. (._.)
On that note -
I was doing a little spring cleaning in my closet over the weekend. I'm old-fashioned (or just old) enough to have a huge stack of cd's in my closet. Cleaning means going through and switching cds over to their proper jewel cases.
Mixed in with all my cds was a floppy disk over which I wrote in a thick black sharpie marker - "Russian Skating 2".
I have no idea what that novel is... and I no longer have a computer that reads floppy disks. And even if I did, it is a sure bet that the floppy has demagnetized over the years. Ugh. So, unless I get up the courage to take the disk over to a computer place that specializes in demagnetizing floppy disks or whatever, I'll never know. "Russian Skating 2" will be one of those fragments from my teen years, a novel never completed.
Read more >>
Don't you just hate it when a blog you are following suddenly starts randomly posting brief updates which all say the same thing?
As in, "We is writing. We is happy. Novel is growing like weed. That is bad thing, because is already too long, but we is going to deal with that later."
'Is' is a much better word than 'Was'.
In all seriousness - the novel I've been working on has morphed into something I did not anticipate - but it feels real. Real, as in I might have something publishable if I finish the novel. (._.)
Chapter 1 thru 3 are cleaned up and fully edited. They contain the character intro, plotting hints, and hook.
Chapter 4 thru 6 (what I'm finishing up right now) are semi-clean drafts. I've been writing a chapter at a time and editing it before writing the next one. <- I've been doing this to keep the transitions and pacing smooth. When you keep writing new chapters every night without checking the previous chapters, there is a chance that some choppiness will develop and characters will morph several times (depending on your mood) before you finish the book. By reading over and editing the previous chapter before writing the next, I'm getting a feel for the characters and mood, so I can keep it consistent when I actually start the new writing.
Oh, Chapter 4 thru 6 contain the side character development and plotting development. I'm starting to show all my cards.
My plan for Chapter 7 thru 10 is reaching the climax or farthest point and beginning to resolve the plot and tie loose ends.
Chapter 11 thru 15 will be the completion of the novel. \(^.^)/
Yes - that sounds VERY SHORT for a YA Urb-Fant, but remember that those are very long chapters. I have five completed chapters and the novel is already 26,000 words. <- And yes, I know that is VERY, VERY bad. But that is what final edits are for. Weeding.
The novel is character driven (like everything I write), but there is a strong(ish) plot unveiling itself too - something that really makes me happy. It keeps me interested in writing the novel, and I think that will show in the finished product.
More posts to come later this week. <- And not all of them ENTHUSING about my own writing.
12:30 PM Update
Summons inner Urkel...
"Did I do thaaaat?"
During lunch, I sat in my car to enjoy the fresh early afternoon sunshine and practically balmy (when you have been through a frigid winter, 50 degrees feels like global warming, but in a good way). I had my mini laptop with me and pulled it out to do a little work or light reading.
Rather than look at an outdated version of the current WIP, I opened Gladiitor and I read through the first eight chapters. There are 40 (I think?) chapters in the novel (short ones, so don't freak out).
I did notice my weak spots, or areas where I could have tightened up the text or fixed things, but uh...
It is a GOOD thing when you open an old WIP and realize that there is something good about it, right? I was actually thinking that even though Gladiitor is a sequel, it stands the chance of going out on it's own without the support of the first book.
The first novel is essentially first love angst and figure skating in space. *puts on geek hat* The book ended with the protagonist giving the guy up in favor of pursuing her dream to be a Warrior.
Gladiitor was the dream cracked... um, the Warrior's League falls to shambles and the Warriors are all disbanded. The guy comes back with a renewed offer of partnership on the ice, though he's no longer interested in a real life partnership. He is engaged to somebody else who is wildly planning the marriage while the universe goes nuts around them. Oh and there was a love triangle in Gladiitor.
Heh. It was kind of a soap opera <- Which means it was fun to write and even more fun to read two years later. I forgot a lot of stuff and almost was my own beta reader. (._.)
On that note -
I was doing a little spring cleaning in my closet over the weekend. I'm old-fashioned (or just old) enough to have a huge stack of cd's in my closet. Cleaning means going through and switching cds over to their proper jewel cases.
Mixed in with all my cds was a floppy disk over which I wrote in a thick black sharpie marker - "Russian Skating 2".
I have no idea what that novel is... and I no longer have a computer that reads floppy disks. And even if I did, it is a sure bet that the floppy has demagnetized over the years. Ugh. So, unless I get up the courage to take the disk over to a computer place that specializes in demagnetizing floppy disks or whatever, I'll never know. "Russian Skating 2" will be one of those fragments from my teen years, a novel never completed.
Friday, February 19, 2010
Friday Meme
Thought I'd shake things up today with a meme just for fun. :)
I found a quicky one that works for me right here.
1) My favourite quotation about writing is ... Don't tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass. ~Anton Chekhov
2) The first thing I had published was ... "The Mudling King" - a short story about the fall of the angels. At least I know it was accepted and I got a token payment. I don't know if it was used in the magazine though. o_O
3) I can only write ... Stories with female protagonists. Last time I had a guy protagonist, an editor turned down the story and very kindly pointed out that my mc sounded like a girl. #blushes
4) I write best at this time of day ... Night time - providing I can keep my eyes open. The sad truth is the writing/imaginative side of my brain is only wide awake and perky when my body isn't. It's so unfair.
5) I've tried several times to write ... historical fiction. And one day I'm going to succeed and have something I can show other people without shrinking into a tiny ball of embarrassment. My biggest problem is the realistic aspect and finding a way to support my plot schemes without turning off history buffs.
6) I'm in the middle of writing ... a paranormal fantasy novel that DOES NOT have vampires in it. Admittedly it is a struggle to keep my horrible guy characters from sprouting fangs and skulking around at night. They do skulk around at night, however I absolutely will allow them to flash inordinately long canines.
7) I write blogs because ... I like expressing myself and giving online friends and other people a glimpse of me, my life, my writing struggles, and just... I like to show people that I'm nice and easy to work with.
8) My lowest moments when writing come when ... I want to write but I'm too tired to think. Those are the times when I think about everything I have to write or fix and feel like a shallow writer who just isn't going to make it.
9) My best moments when writing come when ... Duh. When I'm writing. When the words are just pouring out of me and I know they are heartfelt and have that smooth liquid feel when I read over them again. When I write something that sounds right.
10) The one thing that's most helped my writing has been ... Acknowledging where my weaknesses are. I heard something in the Olympics yesterday from one of the announcers. It was something like 'You have to acknowledge your weaknesses in order to improve and succeed'.
Random Thoughts...
Do you ever pick up a book to read and feel DIVIDED about whether you like it or not? I'm feeling that way with a book I picked up to read again - oh my goth by Gena Showalter.
So I read the first chapter where the main character, Jade, is having a bad day. It starts off with the trig teacher singling her out and making abusive comments about her in front of the class. He kicks her out of class with a note begging the principal to expell her. Meanwhile she is totally goth in school, which invariably reminded me of the my immortal fanfiction project (the one based on Harry Potter/Hogwarts + Vampires), particularly the videos. <- And yes, that is a bad thing. :O
Yet, there I am reaching for the book and prepared to head off to a comfy couch somewhere to finish reading. As much as I have a tiny 'hmmph' voice going on in my head, it isn't enough to make me throw the book at walls. And I vaguely think I like Jade's character in a way. *is confused and wanders off to read*
Read more >>
I found a quicky one that works for me right here.
1) My favourite quotation about writing is ... Don't tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass. ~Anton Chekhov
2) The first thing I had published was ... "The Mudling King" - a short story about the fall of the angels. At least I know it was accepted and I got a token payment. I don't know if it was used in the magazine though. o_O
3) I can only write ... Stories with female protagonists. Last time I had a guy protagonist, an editor turned down the story and very kindly pointed out that my mc sounded like a girl. #blushes
4) I write best at this time of day ... Night time - providing I can keep my eyes open. The sad truth is the writing/imaginative side of my brain is only wide awake and perky when my body isn't. It's so unfair.
5) I've tried several times to write ... historical fiction. And one day I'm going to succeed and have something I can show other people without shrinking into a tiny ball of embarrassment. My biggest problem is the realistic aspect and finding a way to support my plot schemes without turning off history buffs.
6) I'm in the middle of writing ... a paranormal fantasy novel that DOES NOT have vampires in it. Admittedly it is a struggle to keep my horrible guy characters from sprouting fangs and skulking around at night. They do skulk around at night, however I absolutely will allow them to flash inordinately long canines.
7) I write blogs because ... I like expressing myself and giving online friends and other people a glimpse of me, my life, my writing struggles, and just... I like to show people that I'm nice and easy to work with.
8) My lowest moments when writing come when ... I want to write but I'm too tired to think. Those are the times when I think about everything I have to write or fix and feel like a shallow writer who just isn't going to make it.
9) My best moments when writing come when ... Duh. When I'm writing. When the words are just pouring out of me and I know they are heartfelt and have that smooth liquid feel when I read over them again. When I write something that sounds right.
10) The one thing that's most helped my writing has been ... Acknowledging where my weaknesses are. I heard something in the Olympics yesterday from one of the announcers. It was something like 'You have to acknowledge your weaknesses in order to improve and succeed'.
Random Thoughts...
Do you ever pick up a book to read and feel DIVIDED about whether you like it or not? I'm feeling that way with a book I picked up to read again - oh my goth by Gena Showalter.
So I read the first chapter where the main character, Jade, is having a bad day. It starts off with the trig teacher singling her out and making abusive comments about her in front of the class. He kicks her out of class with a note begging the principal to expell her. Meanwhile she is totally goth in school, which invariably reminded me of the my immortal fanfiction project (the one based on Harry Potter/Hogwarts + Vampires), particularly the videos. <- And yes, that is a bad thing. :O
Yet, there I am reaching for the book and prepared to head off to a comfy couch somewhere to finish reading. As much as I have a tiny 'hmmph' voice going on in my head, it isn't enough to make me throw the book at walls. And I vaguely think I like Jade's character in a way. *is confused and wanders off to read*
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Sunday - EARLY
So I don't forget in the busy restfulness that is tomorrow...
Writing - hurrah and huzzah! <- I've moved my numbers up to 35,000 words typed. This means I'm officially 1/4 of the way through my plot and almost halfway through the novel. I have all of my characters introduced, detailed the backworld information, established my main character quite firmly, and suddenly brought a character (whom the reader is led to believe dead and rotting) back to life. Or at least, her texts. As in, she's suddenly texting her sister after being mia for two years. Where is she? Is it really her texting my main character? Oh my goodness! And that is where I stopped off tonight, because my fingers hurt. And my eyes are going crossed and blurry. Tomorrow is another day though, and there is always tomorrow for dreams to come true... *hums madly* Or, I'm hoping to hit 40,000 tomorrow. It can be done.
Writers Tooling Friend That would be "Write or Die", or This place. I used it all day today, and it got me 7000 (or so) words. What I usually do is set the word count to a manageable rate and speed (1000 words per half hour) and I get to work. I generally come away with 2000 words per 35 minutes, which I will definitely take. If you stop writing and get to daydreaming, the screen goes red and rather alarming looking. Supposedly it makes sounds as well... only I've never dared let it get to that point.
Round of Published Author Websites that I admire and browse frequently:
Maria Snyder - or she who wrote the Study books. I like how understated, noncluttered, but full and useful her website is.
Sherwood Smith - who is the reason I grew to love fantasy. It had ABSOLUTELY nothing to do with that dull boy Tolkien. She has made herself very accessible to her readers and her readers who are writers, which I think is lovely of her.
Maureen Johnson - I'm sure I mentioned her website already, but meh. I loves it. And not just because waving my mouse over the buildings on the front page makes that ringing sound and I like little gadgets like that. Check her blog. So much fun.
Meg Cabot - who is the diva of authors, and probably the one who got me hooked on reading and writing books in the 'first person'. Nobody else does it half so well. Her diary is hilarious, but she also has an extremely helpful forum for writers. Check for necessary info.
I know I browse plenty of other author websites at random or as I have bookmarked around my computers... but these are the main ones that come to mind. Just lovingly sharing.
Books to read: I'm reading one book at this moment, and trying to make up my mind whether or not I like it. Invisible Touch by Kelly Parra. The writing is good (expected, as I like Kelly), but at different points the plot reminds me of something else I've read or seen. Hmm. I'm looking forward to hitting 40K on my WIP tomorrow, so I can relax the rest of the day, curled up in bed reading the rest of the book.
That is all off the top of my head.
Happy new upcoming week to everyone.
Hopefully it goes very fast and brings us closer to the Thanksgiving holiday.
Read more >>
Writing - hurrah and huzzah! <- I've moved my numbers up to 35,000 words typed. This means I'm officially 1/4 of the way through my plot and almost halfway through the novel. I have all of my characters introduced, detailed the backworld information, established my main character quite firmly, and suddenly brought a character (whom the reader is led to believe dead and rotting) back to life. Or at least, her texts. As in, she's suddenly texting her sister after being mia for two years. Where is she? Is it really her texting my main character? Oh my goodness! And that is where I stopped off tonight, because my fingers hurt. And my eyes are going crossed and blurry. Tomorrow is another day though, and there is always tomorrow for dreams to come true... *hums madly* Or, I'm hoping to hit 40,000 tomorrow. It can be done.
Writers Tooling Friend That would be "Write or Die", or This place. I used it all day today, and it got me 7000 (or so) words. What I usually do is set the word count to a manageable rate and speed (1000 words per half hour) and I get to work. I generally come away with 2000 words per 35 minutes, which I will definitely take. If you stop writing and get to daydreaming, the screen goes red and rather alarming looking. Supposedly it makes sounds as well... only I've never dared let it get to that point.
Round of Published Author Websites that I admire and browse frequently:
Maria Snyder - or she who wrote the Study books. I like how understated, noncluttered, but full and useful her website is.
Sherwood Smith - who is the reason I grew to love fantasy. It had ABSOLUTELY nothing to do with that dull boy Tolkien. She has made herself very accessible to her readers and her readers who are writers, which I think is lovely of her.
Maureen Johnson - I'm sure I mentioned her website already, but meh. I loves it. And not just because waving my mouse over the buildings on the front page makes that ringing sound and I like little gadgets like that. Check her blog. So much fun.
Meg Cabot - who is the diva of authors, and probably the one who got me hooked on reading and writing books in the 'first person'. Nobody else does it half so well. Her diary is hilarious, but she also has an extremely helpful forum for writers. Check for necessary info.
I know I browse plenty of other author websites at random or as I have bookmarked around my computers... but these are the main ones that come to mind. Just lovingly sharing.
Books to read: I'm reading one book at this moment, and trying to make up my mind whether or not I like it. Invisible Touch by Kelly Parra. The writing is good (expected, as I like Kelly), but at different points the plot reminds me of something else I've read or seen. Hmm. I'm looking forward to hitting 40K on my WIP tomorrow, so I can relax the rest of the day, curled up in bed reading the rest of the book.
That is all off the top of my head.
Happy new upcoming week to everyone.
Hopefully it goes very fast and brings us closer to the Thanksgiving holiday.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Monday Chatter
Preliminary Weekend Summing
Writing - Some
Editing - Some
Some = I opened the document, stared, changed a word here or there, added a word here or there, deleted unfavored lines, saved, closed the document and called it a day.
My favorite excuse is I'm saving up all my energy for doing NANO, but in reality - I'm just really tired by mid-day and can't keep my eyes open. I'd like to be dramatic and claim sleeping sickness, but meh. Just change of the weather affecting me. It should settle down as my body gets used to the cold and early darkness.
Winter is officially here...
I bought a new horse blanket for my horse and put it on him. He looks adorable. Dark blue is his color (he's an old chestnut). He is also lame, possibly from the ground hardening up and the cold bothering his old joints. If my energy levels aren't too plummeted by end of working day, I plan to head out there with apples (because he's adorable) and a fresh pound of mineral ice (for joints).
We're lucky it's just joints bothering him. His older brother doesn't tolerate his shots the way he used to. He's sick bad.
Random Cheer
Not even the end of the month, and I have the company newsletter (my portion anyway) typed up. For fun, I plopped in something on Massasoit and how he and his tribe helped the pilgrims survive the first couple years of their existence. Fascinating guy, and I wish that somebody would do a Thanksgiving play on his side of the story. Or from a member of his tribe's perspective. Or maybe it would be better as a written story. Massasoit and his tribesmen went around completely naked, except for decorative furs thrown over their shoulders and beads strung around their waist.
This reminds me of a reenactment I attended this past year, where the clothing details were as true to facts as possible. This meant painted and naked 'indians' walking around in the woods by the lake. I couldn't believe they did that... er, with kids attending the event. Indecent exposure anywhere else, right?
The odd thing is the bio I read had a critical view of Squanto (does anyone else remember Squanto from their 5-8th grade history books?) and a positive view of Massasoit and the other 'indians'. What I can remember is how sorry I felt for Squanto becuase of how he was used and betrayed by everyone. Massasoit was downplayed compared to Squanto. In school, EVERYONE wanted to be Squanto. Poor guy.
Personal Good Advice for the Day:
I debated about adding this, because it does delve into personal life stuff, which = boring to most other people.
But I thought it was important, just in case anyone is going through the same thing.
I live in Michigan, which has been going through a major league recession. I thank-the-bosses still have a great job. Unfortunately, my wages have not gone up to balance out the rising costs of everything, so that means that most times I'm pinching pennies and stressing out about paying off credit cards so I can buy a car if and whenever I need to buy a new car (current car is 9 years old and starting to burn oil faster). Argh! Stress.
I realized I was making myself sick worrying about things, and that led me to opening up to my parents. Not asking them to pay my board bills, give me money, or whatever - I just wanted somebody to talk to, and somebody to tell me that everything was going to be all right. My parents are made of awesome and didn't mind me talking their ears off about everything. I'm still dealing with weather-change-sags, but at least the heartburn and migraines are less frequent.
I guess what I'm saying is that if you find yourself in my position. Don't do what I did for the past five months and hold it inside and let it eat you up. Find somebody in real life to talk to and ask advice from - preferably people who won't fly off the handle and slam you for not doing enough. It makes for a healthier mind. And of course, a healthier mind is more imaginative and inventive.
Read more >>
Writing - Some
Editing - Some
Some = I opened the document, stared, changed a word here or there, added a word here or there, deleted unfavored lines, saved, closed the document and called it a day.
My favorite excuse is I'm saving up all my energy for doing NANO, but in reality - I'm just really tired by mid-day and can't keep my eyes open. I'd like to be dramatic and claim sleeping sickness, but meh. Just change of the weather affecting me. It should settle down as my body gets used to the cold and early darkness.
Winter is officially here...
I bought a new horse blanket for my horse and put it on him. He looks adorable. Dark blue is his color (he's an old chestnut). He is also lame, possibly from the ground hardening up and the cold bothering his old joints. If my energy levels aren't too plummeted by end of working day, I plan to head out there with apples (because he's adorable) and a fresh pound of mineral ice (for joints).
We're lucky it's just joints bothering him. His older brother doesn't tolerate his shots the way he used to. He's sick bad.
Random Cheer
Not even the end of the month, and I have the company newsletter (my portion anyway) typed up. For fun, I plopped in something on Massasoit and how he and his tribe helped the pilgrims survive the first couple years of their existence. Fascinating guy, and I wish that somebody would do a Thanksgiving play on his side of the story. Or from a member of his tribe's perspective. Or maybe it would be better as a written story. Massasoit and his tribesmen went around completely naked, except for decorative furs thrown over their shoulders and beads strung around their waist.
This reminds me of a reenactment I attended this past year, where the clothing details were as true to facts as possible. This meant painted and naked 'indians' walking around in the woods by the lake. I couldn't believe they did that... er, with kids attending the event. Indecent exposure anywhere else, right?
The odd thing is the bio I read had a critical view of Squanto (does anyone else remember Squanto from their 5-8th grade history books?) and a positive view of Massasoit and the other 'indians'. What I can remember is how sorry I felt for Squanto becuase of how he was used and betrayed by everyone. Massasoit was downplayed compared to Squanto. In school, EVERYONE wanted to be Squanto. Poor guy.
Personal Good Advice for the Day:
I debated about adding this, because it does delve into personal life stuff, which = boring to most other people.
But I thought it was important, just in case anyone is going through the same thing.
I live in Michigan, which has been going through a major league recession. I thank-the-bosses still have a great job. Unfortunately, my wages have not gone up to balance out the rising costs of everything, so that means that most times I'm pinching pennies and stressing out about paying off credit cards so I can buy a car if and whenever I need to buy a new car (current car is 9 years old and starting to burn oil faster). Argh! Stress.
I realized I was making myself sick worrying about things, and that led me to opening up to my parents. Not asking them to pay my board bills, give me money, or whatever - I just wanted somebody to talk to, and somebody to tell me that everything was going to be all right. My parents are made of awesome and didn't mind me talking their ears off about everything. I'm still dealing with weather-change-sags, but at least the heartburn and migraines are less frequent.
I guess what I'm saying is that if you find yourself in my position. Don't do what I did for the past five months and hold it inside and let it eat you up. Find somebody in real life to talk to and ask advice from - preferably people who won't fly off the handle and slam you for not doing enough. It makes for a healthier mind. And of course, a healthier mind is more imaginative and inventive.
Friday, October 16, 2009
A Few Notes While I Edit
*Excedrin is a miracle worker. The overal fug(1) that had wrapped around my head and suffocated off all of my energy and left me feeling like I'd been rolled over by a steamroller - GONE. Just two little white pills.
(1) Fug is a stuffy atmosphere: a stale or airless atmosphere.
*I have a very bad habit of using dashes, emdashes, and hyphens with reckless abandon. Must stop. Now. Without abusing periods, commas, and ellipses.
*Since I'm all perky (thanks to that lovely Excedrin boost), I'm going to see how far I can get in UF. 1000 new words tonight would be splendid. Am working in the adult first person pov version right now.
Read more >>
(1) Fug is a stuffy atmosphere: a stale or airless atmosphere.
*I have a very bad habit of using dashes, emdashes, and hyphens with reckless abandon. Must stop. Now. Without abusing periods, commas, and ellipses.
*Since I'm all perky (thanks to that lovely Excedrin boost), I'm going to see how far I can get in UF. 1000 new words tonight would be splendid. Am working in the adult first person pov version right now.
Monday, September 28, 2009
The difference between YA and MG
Please trot over to MiG Writers, mg-vs-ya fiction to read an awesome defining post that should settle out some of the confusion that a lot of writers (even experienced/published ones have about where the genre lines are drawn).
First of all - I didn't realize that MG can be as little as 20,000 words. Then again, the genre includes stuff for kids between ages 8-12. Some of those books that I was thinking about would be for upper MG (11-14) and those would likely be the longer word counts. Whereas, I know I've seen a lot of MG books that average 20,000-40,000. I know the reason why too (duh) - when I was younger, I'd judge books by their cover and their size. If the books were too thin, I didn't bother with them, because I was limited as to how many books I could take out of the library on one visit and I didn't want to waste 'a book' on something I could read in one half-hour sitting.
When I was much younger (8-9), I had the same basic idea - except I didn't like books that were too thick or the print was too small. A happy size would have been the Goosebumps books. Thick enough and big print.
My younger brother was a little different because he had some kind of reading disability. Basically, he had to read the print aloud in order to comprehend. Or his comprehension was tied in to hearing the words. If something was too thick or the print was too small - then the book was a pass for him.
But I digress!
Back to that blog post - I think it's something that a lot of writers get really confused and frustrated about. Let's say, you want to write a YA novel, and you get people (crit partners, not the agents yet) complaining about the total word count or the age of the characters, or the content.
I know, speaking for myself, I've done the opposite! When reading something labeled as MG, I kinda get twitchy when I see the protagonist is 8 yrs old and the novel is the standard 40,000 words. To me, that isn't going to work. Maybe I'm still right. *is conflicted*
Two things from the blog post that stood out to me as important to remember - w/regards to the themes in your novel:
Then YA -
Then I thought that this was pretty cool:
There is more to the blog than quoted here. Definitely worth checking out (if you haven't already on your own).
Personally speaking -
The difference comes down to:
1. Age of the protagonist
2. Themes
3. Word Count
SO -
1. I've always been told that the protagonists in MG are generally in the 9-14 range. You don't want to go older or younger.
2. As quoted above, themes for a MG novel are slightly different than YA. It is more discovery of self worth and connection to family and friends, and whatever goal that the kid has at the time. This could be my favorite - winning the gold at the Olympics (I hearted the Silver Blades skating books). MG CAN DEFINITELY have boyfriends or girlfriends (as Silver Blades did), but it should be 'sweet romance'.
3. No more than 50,000 - even though it obviously depends on the project. HP started out as a MG novel.
Writing update from weekend = NONE!
I feel better today than I did on Friday when sister went MIA (ran away with boyfriend who then proceeded to write illiterate epistles to my parents admonishing them for worrying about their daughter and ripping into her siblings, because sister apparently had slandered us to boyfriend. Well either that or his little feelings were hurt because I point blank told sister that I didn't like him) and I started feeling these mystery flu symptoms. Considering I'm my dad's daughter - by mid-Saturday, I had a thermometer close at hand and was routinely checking my temperature for fever spikes. I was seriously convinced I had the Swine Flu!
Problem with detecting a fever - I have no idea what a fever is for me. My normal temperature is generally low as in 96.0F. So if I have a 98.0 temperature, it could feel like a fever. But technically not alarming for parents and doctors. And I wanted them to feel alarmed, dang it! *hypochondriac rage* :P
Should get writing done this week - I expect.
Read more >>
First of all - I didn't realize that MG can be as little as 20,000 words. Then again, the genre includes stuff for kids between ages 8-12. Some of those books that I was thinking about would be for upper MG (11-14) and those would likely be the longer word counts. Whereas, I know I've seen a lot of MG books that average 20,000-40,000. I know the reason why too (duh) - when I was younger, I'd judge books by their cover and their size. If the books were too thin, I didn't bother with them, because I was limited as to how many books I could take out of the library on one visit and I didn't want to waste 'a book' on something I could read in one half-hour sitting.
When I was much younger (8-9), I had the same basic idea - except I didn't like books that were too thick or the print was too small. A happy size would have been the Goosebumps books. Thick enough and big print.
My younger brother was a little different because he had some kind of reading disability. Basically, he had to read the print aloud in order to comprehend. Or his comprehension was tied in to hearing the words. If something was too thick or the print was too small - then the book was a pass for him.
But I digress!
Back to that blog post - I think it's something that a lot of writers get really confused and frustrated about. Let's say, you want to write a YA novel, and you get people (crit partners, not the agents yet) complaining about the total word count or the age of the characters, or the content.
I know, speaking for myself, I've done the opposite! When reading something labeled as MG, I kinda get twitchy when I see the protagonist is 8 yrs old and the novel is the standard 40,000 words. To me, that isn't going to work. Maybe I'm still right. *is conflicted*
Two things from the blog post that stood out to me as important to remember - w/regards to the themes in your novel:
Children in the primary grades are still focused inward, and the conflicts in their books reflect that. While themes range from friendship to school situations to relationships with siblings and peers, characters are learning how they operate within their own world.
Then YA -
They begin to step outside themselves and see how they influence, and are influenced by, the larger world. They go beyond their backyard and encounter adult problems for the first time.
Then I thought that this was pretty cool:
Adrienne Kress says that pretty much anything is allowed in YA as long as the book adheres to the following rules:
1. The main character has to be a teenager.
2. The plot must have something to do with coming of age.
Her theory is that YA is actually a new genre, and that YA years ago was actually MG.
There is more to the blog than quoted here. Definitely worth checking out (if you haven't already on your own).
Personally speaking -
The difference comes down to:
1. Age of the protagonist
2. Themes
3. Word Count
SO -
1. I've always been told that the protagonists in MG are generally in the 9-14 range. You don't want to go older or younger.
2. As quoted above, themes for a MG novel are slightly different than YA. It is more discovery of self worth and connection to family and friends, and whatever goal that the kid has at the time. This could be my favorite - winning the gold at the Olympics (I hearted the Silver Blades skating books). MG CAN DEFINITELY have boyfriends or girlfriends (as Silver Blades did), but it should be 'sweet romance'.
3. No more than 50,000 - even though it obviously depends on the project. HP started out as a MG novel.
Writing update from weekend = NONE!
I feel better today than I did on Friday when sister went MIA (ran away with boyfriend who then proceeded to write illiterate epistles to my parents admonishing them for worrying about their daughter and ripping into her siblings, because sister apparently had slandered us to boyfriend. Well either that or his little feelings were hurt because I point blank told sister that I didn't like him) and I started feeling these mystery flu symptoms. Considering I'm my dad's daughter - by mid-Saturday, I had a thermometer close at hand and was routinely checking my temperature for fever spikes. I was seriously convinced I had the Swine Flu!
Problem with detecting a fever - I have no idea what a fever is for me. My normal temperature is generally low as in 96.0F. So if I have a 98.0 temperature, it could feel like a fever. But technically not alarming for parents and doctors. And I wanted them to feel alarmed, dang it! *hypochondriac rage* :P
Should get writing done this week - I expect.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Figures in my Writing
It occurred to me that I have one bad habit (technically have more than one bad habit, but let's focus on one thing at a time, okaibai) when I'm writing a new story - as is the case with the new version of UF.
Super intelligent and weirdly advanced children
I'm not kidding.
Every single new book I'm writing of late, even the short stories, have children who aren't just the "Mommy, I wanna toy" types. My little munchkins generally know long before the adults in the same novel when something bad is going to happen. Or they know exactly what is going on while the adults are distracted by other worldly things.
The children generally serve as the first guideposts to the main characters. They are the ones who point the main characters in the right direction, or warn them that they need to be careful and watch out for ogres under the bridge.
These children generally are solemn and sad little things, who are colored with a tinge of weary fear. Their powers of prophetic vision and premonition only shows them so much, or they can only comprehend enough to recognize the figures and circumstances, but not the exacts. <- I'm tired after a long day, so sorry if that last line or two doesn't make any sense.
I think the reason why I do this is because I remember vividly what it was like to be a child. Not saying I'm THAT close to my childhood. I'm just saying that as a child things are that more frightening and serious. You see things very different from adults, and even the slightest omens are quickly picked up on, and because you can only understand SO MUCH, it generally gets blown way out of context.
One thing I remember as a child was the guy next door and the way he turned into a monster after my parents sat down and gave me 'the talk' about bad guys out there who would kidnap pretty little girls like me. This was because I wanted to go biking and couldn't find anyone to go with me. I didn't let that stop me from having my own way, and I took off. I had a great ride and enjoyed myself muchly, until I got home and saw my entire family out there freaking out. I was in huge trouble, because six year olds were not supposed to go on bike rides alone, even in the subburbs. Well especially in our area - the teenage boys in the neighborhood were troublemakers who already harassed my oldest sister whenever she went outside alone (she was 12 at the time). The result of the talk had me being convinced they were really talking about the guy next door. This meant I kept having nightmares about him hiding behind trees and bushes and waiting to jump out and grab me. That guy had nigh superhuman abilities in my dreams. It was awful.
Sidetracked - sorry.
My point is that kids do have their own concerns that get blown out of proportion. They dwell about BAD THINGS and will have nightmares about them. Those nightmares are much worse than any nightmares that adults might have, because children have the idea ingrained in them that they are helpless little things who can't defend themselves from the bogeyman.
Add to that the fact that traditionally, people believe that the eyes of a child's soul are wide open until they reach a certain age. This is why they are said to be more likely to see ghosts and angels than adults would.
Add to that the fact that adults (the more perceptive and superstious kinds, anyway)are more likely to believe a child's words - if they say something absolutely outlandish. They assume a child, in all innocence, isn't likely to cook up a complete lie just for fun.
That's pretty much my reasoning.
In the novel I'm working on right now, Tamara is the youngest sister. She says she took after the unknown maternal grandmother instead of her mother. This means nothing to the main character, because that maternal grandma died long before any of the girls were born. But what it does mean is Tamara is perceptive and sensitive. She can see things and knows things. Could be part of the reason why is because the dead grandmother is looking after her (I haven't thought that out completely). She is unchildlike, not just because of this sensitivity, but because she's also seen things that no child should see. Her mother was a shaman, and did perform her job (healing and seeking) on occasion, with Tamara watching. Tamara also saw both parents killed in the crash. Everything her mother told and shown her has stuck and caused her to seem older and more mature. This is because she senses that the things she sees and feels are MORE than just her imagination. They are real.
There is also an element of a child who basically is protecting herself after having her whole world (parents) stripped away. She lacks the trust and reliance on adults that make children seem normal.
So anyway - I'm not (always) pandering to the usual "evil child" movement because the children in my novels are the dark and tragic figures they are.
Read more >>
Super intelligent and weirdly advanced children
I'm not kidding.
Every single new book I'm writing of late, even the short stories, have children who aren't just the "Mommy, I wanna toy" types. My little munchkins generally know long before the adults in the same novel when something bad is going to happen. Or they know exactly what is going on while the adults are distracted by other worldly things.
The children generally serve as the first guideposts to the main characters. They are the ones who point the main characters in the right direction, or warn them that they need to be careful and watch out for ogres under the bridge.
These children generally are solemn and sad little things, who are colored with a tinge of weary fear. Their powers of prophetic vision and premonition only shows them so much, or they can only comprehend enough to recognize the figures and circumstances, but not the exacts. <- I'm tired after a long day, so sorry if that last line or two doesn't make any sense.
I think the reason why I do this is because I remember vividly what it was like to be a child. Not saying I'm THAT close to my childhood. I'm just saying that as a child things are that more frightening and serious. You see things very different from adults, and even the slightest omens are quickly picked up on, and because you can only understand SO MUCH, it generally gets blown way out of context.
One thing I remember as a child was the guy next door and the way he turned into a monster after my parents sat down and gave me 'the talk' about bad guys out there who would kidnap pretty little girls like me. This was because I wanted to go biking and couldn't find anyone to go with me. I didn't let that stop me from having my own way, and I took off. I had a great ride and enjoyed myself muchly, until I got home and saw my entire family out there freaking out. I was in huge trouble, because six year olds were not supposed to go on bike rides alone, even in the subburbs. Well especially in our area - the teenage boys in the neighborhood were troublemakers who already harassed my oldest sister whenever she went outside alone (she was 12 at the time). The result of the talk had me being convinced they were really talking about the guy next door. This meant I kept having nightmares about him hiding behind trees and bushes and waiting to jump out and grab me. That guy had nigh superhuman abilities in my dreams. It was awful.
Sidetracked - sorry.
My point is that kids do have their own concerns that get blown out of proportion. They dwell about BAD THINGS and will have nightmares about them. Those nightmares are much worse than any nightmares that adults might have, because children have the idea ingrained in them that they are helpless little things who can't defend themselves from the bogeyman.
Add to that the fact that traditionally, people believe that the eyes of a child's soul are wide open until they reach a certain age. This is why they are said to be more likely to see ghosts and angels than adults would.
Add to that the fact that adults (the more perceptive and superstious kinds, anyway)are more likely to believe a child's words - if they say something absolutely outlandish. They assume a child, in all innocence, isn't likely to cook up a complete lie just for fun.
That's pretty much my reasoning.
In the novel I'm working on right now, Tamara is the youngest sister. She says she took after the unknown maternal grandmother instead of her mother. This means nothing to the main character, because that maternal grandma died long before any of the girls were born. But what it does mean is Tamara is perceptive and sensitive. She can see things and knows things. Could be part of the reason why is because the dead grandmother is looking after her (I haven't thought that out completely). She is unchildlike, not just because of this sensitivity, but because she's also seen things that no child should see. Her mother was a shaman, and did perform her job (healing and seeking) on occasion, with Tamara watching. Tamara also saw both parents killed in the crash. Everything her mother told and shown her has stuck and caused her to seem older and more mature. This is because she senses that the things she sees and feels are MORE than just her imagination. They are real.
There is also an element of a child who basically is protecting herself after having her whole world (parents) stripped away. She lacks the trust and reliance on adults that make children seem normal.
So anyway - I'm not (always) pandering to the usual "evil child" movement because the children in my novels are the dark and tragic figures they are.
Friday, September 11, 2009
Friday Freezer
Editing: Nil. Technically I am 'editing' if you think about complete revisions/rewrites in that fashion.
Writing: Yes. Managed about 3,000 in the past two days. This would be on the UF revision. I'm up to 10,000 and continuing my relentless march to my usual 90,000 (I'm hoping for 65,000 words total, but that usually is the 5 chapter mark for me).
Research: Discovered that my idea of school is purely based on my own experience. I looked up other Catholic schools and realized that they are run a bit different with different schedules and vastly different curriculum than I had. Probably the only class that I totally recognized (in content focus) was the theology class. I spent a couple hours last night going over all of the details and writing up the setting - including class content. I won't be using much of it, but I need to be confident as I put my characters in the setting and use it as a backdrop. If I'm second guessing myself, it will show.
MSFV Contest: Is still going on. I really enjoyed commenting on everything as always, and I noticed a few subs this time that I'd really like to see more of.
I did cringe a bit over some of the comments that popped up now and then. A few people losing their cool. There also seemed to be two schools of thought going on - people who thought the idea was to fully critique and offer detailed feedback to the subbers and people who thought that they were just doing the thumbs up or down, offering polite/gently worded reasons why or why not.
I sided with the people who wanted to keep things simple - hooked or not. If somebody wanted a critique, they should really join up with a critting group (like Critique Circle) and get that feedback there. If they are submitting to a contest, they shouldn't expect detailed critiques on their writing. Least that is my way of thinking.
There also seemed to be people who were trying to use their comments to sway public (as well as the SA) opinion in favor of themselves (the authors posting as themselves or anonymously) or for their friends/critting buddies. I enjoyed the contest - learning experience, etc - but my goodness. Some people get my goat.
*Wonders what that saying - get my goat - means or how it originated*
Book Recommendation: Nothing as of yet. I should know tonight, because I'm stopping at the bookshop for a b-day present for one of my sisters. Of course I'll pick up something for myself too. My b-day is next week, after all.
In honor of the day:
May they who lost their lives on this day rest in peace, and may the living never forget or take things for granted. The life we live is unexpected and the future is uncertain. All we have is the path we have followed and experiences along the way to indicate what might happen if we let up on our guard. If you forget and flunk history, be prepared to repeat. May God bless us. May our children remember that we have a right to exist and live our lives as we wish. Those who came before us fought for every freedom we enjoy, and we should not be ashamed of those freedoms or squander them. Rather, we should cling to them and keep our heads high. Those people who have their heads up and ears and eyes open won't fall away.
Plan for the weekend: Ambitious. Planning on 10,000 words, though I'd be content with 5,000. :P
Read more >>
Writing: Yes. Managed about 3,000 in the past two days. This would be on the UF revision. I'm up to 10,000 and continuing my relentless march to my usual 90,000 (I'm hoping for 65,000 words total, but that usually is the 5 chapter mark for me).
Research: Discovered that my idea of school is purely based on my own experience. I looked up other Catholic schools and realized that they are run a bit different with different schedules and vastly different curriculum than I had. Probably the only class that I totally recognized (in content focus) was the theology class. I spent a couple hours last night going over all of the details and writing up the setting - including class content. I won't be using much of it, but I need to be confident as I put my characters in the setting and use it as a backdrop. If I'm second guessing myself, it will show.
MSFV Contest: Is still going on. I really enjoyed commenting on everything as always, and I noticed a few subs this time that I'd really like to see more of.
I did cringe a bit over some of the comments that popped up now and then. A few people losing their cool. There also seemed to be two schools of thought going on - people who thought the idea was to fully critique and offer detailed feedback to the subbers and people who thought that they were just doing the thumbs up or down, offering polite/gently worded reasons why or why not.
I sided with the people who wanted to keep things simple - hooked or not. If somebody wanted a critique, they should really join up with a critting group (like Critique Circle) and get that feedback there. If they are submitting to a contest, they shouldn't expect detailed critiques on their writing. Least that is my way of thinking.
There also seemed to be people who were trying to use their comments to sway public (as well as the SA) opinion in favor of themselves (the authors posting as themselves or anonymously) or for their friends/critting buddies. I enjoyed the contest - learning experience, etc - but my goodness. Some people get my goat.
*Wonders what that saying - get my goat - means or how it originated*
Book Recommendation: Nothing as of yet. I should know tonight, because I'm stopping at the bookshop for a b-day present for one of my sisters. Of course I'll pick up something for myself too. My b-day is next week, after all.
In honor of the day:
May they who lost their lives on this day rest in peace, and may the living never forget or take things for granted. The life we live is unexpected and the future is uncertain. All we have is the path we have followed and experiences along the way to indicate what might happen if we let up on our guard. If you forget and flunk history, be prepared to repeat. May God bless us. May our children remember that we have a right to exist and live our lives as we wish. Those who came before us fought for every freedom we enjoy, and we should not be ashamed of those freedoms or squander them. Rather, we should cling to them and keep our heads high. Those people who have their heads up and ears and eyes open won't fall away.
Plan for the weekend: Ambitious. Planning on 10,000 words, though I'd be content with 5,000. :P
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Writing, MSFV-ing, and so forth
Writing - still working on UF for right now. I got halfway though the book before deciding I wasn't entirely satisfied with it. Decided to go back and try out a different (new) version of the story. I changed the main character's name, setting, and age - she's now in high school and just moving in with her sisters. Her name is Wesley instead of Geisha - because I have a feeling people will have a tough time getting past the name 'Geisha'. Readers, unfortunately, can be very literal sometimes. Wesley is still a weird name for a girl (which is what I wanted) and it suits the character. I'm also adding another dimension to the story - that would be the wild older sister who'd straightened out her life suddenly. Then I'm going to show the sisters growing closer, maybe finding things in common. One thing I'm thinking about is me and my oldest sister. We have six years difference between us, and she and I don't always 'mesh'. There are times though when she does something that I absolutely respect, and/or I have to let myself rely on her for guidance.
The novel itself is basically the same, but I'm planning to do a little more research on Wiki* to dig up new angles I can try out to distance my novel from the cazillion other novels which have ghosts and shamans (shamen?)
@Wiki - I know, not a good or reliable search site. But it is useful for finding ideas and different things that you will be fictionalizing anyway.
And just for fun since this is Wednesday, and we get to do a Wednesday WIP Corner. The following would be the first 3 paragraphs words of the 'new version' of UF.
Very rough stuff!
Read more >>
The novel itself is basically the same, but I'm planning to do a little more research on Wiki* to dig up new angles I can try out to distance my novel from the cazillion other novels which have ghosts and shamans (shamen?)
@Wiki - I know, not a good or reliable search site. But it is useful for finding ideas and different things that you will be fictionalizing anyway.
And just for fun since this is Wednesday, and we get to do a Wednesday WIP Corner. The following would be the first 3 paragraphs words of the 'new version' of UF.
Very rough stuff!
9th grade at the St. Agnes boarding school sucked, and Wesley thought 10th grade would as well, only her parents died. Then Tasha, her older sister, did the unthinkable and announced that Wesley would not attend BS any longer.
In her private letter to Wesley, the one that the Mrs. Eckerd didn’t get to see, she said she wanted Wesley to have the normal life she herself never got to experience. Tasha emphasized that a normal life for an American teen depended on attending a coed school with hot boys to fight with the cheerleaders over, if Wesley didn’t in fact do the unthinkable and become a cheerleader.
Laugh of the century!
Monday, September 7, 2009
Labor Day Lackness
Personal TMI: Technically have just awakened from a deep sleep and am trying to figure out what to do with the face which broke out a little bit (changes pillowcases FRANTICALLY). This happens after a long weekend. I do not look in the mirror or fuss over much with the hair or face, and things HAPPEN. *weeps*
Writing: I played around with a chapter last night. Am in a state of confusion over which POV I want to use for UF. I'm more fluid and comfortable in first person, but third person looks better and allows me to hop POV when needed.
Saturday night, I stayed up until 4AM working out a full outline and plan of attack. I need to work out bugs in the plot.
I'm planning to do another intensive round of edits later today - first on agenda is gym and shower and face cream.
Reading: Still struggling with Blue Moon. I'm on my way over to the gym now, so I'll see if I can become a tiny bit more interested. Temptation is to put the book aside and read something else.
Blog Hops: Check out Miss Snark's First Victim (see link on right side of blog). On Wednesday, she's having another Secret Agent contest. I'll try to comment on everything as always. This is a great learning experience, especially after the SA logs on and works through the entries.
Random: Reading Rainbow died on Friday? Or will die this Friday? - I'm not sure which. Um. Dude. I know this is irreverent and against the whole stream of popular thought, but I didn't realize that thing was still on!!!
The sibs and I were more interested in Wishbone. Because, Wishbone = Adorably cunning dog in costumes playing the main characters in a lot of books which I read when I was a kid. It was also a TV series with kids, always a winner.
Blogger's Note: Yes, I admit to going crazy with the tags. I didn't really use them at all the last two months, and now I'm trying to overcompensate. It will even out at some point. :P
Read more >>
Writing: I played around with a chapter last night. Am in a state of confusion over which POV I want to use for UF. I'm more fluid and comfortable in first person, but third person looks better and allows me to hop POV when needed.
Saturday night, I stayed up until 4AM working out a full outline and plan of attack. I need to work out bugs in the plot.
I'm planning to do another intensive round of edits later today - first on agenda is gym and shower and face cream.
Reading: Still struggling with Blue Moon. I'm on my way over to the gym now, so I'll see if I can become a tiny bit more interested. Temptation is to put the book aside and read something else.
Blog Hops: Check out Miss Snark's First Victim (see link on right side of blog). On Wednesday, she's having another Secret Agent contest. I'll try to comment on everything as always. This is a great learning experience, especially after the SA logs on and works through the entries.
Random: Reading Rainbow died on Friday? Or will die this Friday? - I'm not sure which. Um. Dude. I know this is irreverent and against the whole stream of popular thought, but I didn't realize that thing was still on!!!
The sibs and I were more interested in Wishbone. Because, Wishbone = Adorably cunning dog in costumes playing the main characters in a lot of books which I read when I was a kid. It was also a TV series with kids, always a winner.
Blogger's Note: Yes, I admit to going crazy with the tags. I didn't really use them at all the last two months, and now I'm trying to overcompensate. It will even out at some point. :P
Friday, September 4, 2009
When you ask for advice....
This came up while meandering through some online group stuff. Sometimes there are people out there, especially young or new writers, who want advice and frequently ask for it, but never take it!
I don't mean to rant here, but nobody wants to be mean or abusive. They aren't going to come out and tell you what you should already know. Sometimes they hint around the corner, or suggest you start following the publishing sector (for example, add agent blogsites to your daily reading list).
They aren't just talking to hear themselves speak (well, some writers do like hearing their 'voices' or they enjoy the excuse to stave off their own edits and writing). the bulk of writers who hang out at writing workshops and offer advice to newbies do mean well and they are trying to help somebody find out what they themselves learned the hard way.
There is one example that I know of and I'm going to speak carefully, because I don't want to out this writer.
This person wrote a book that probably isn't going to fit into the current market. This person is young and has been trying to publish this book, but is frustrated at lack of success. This person asked for advice, and a lot of people promptly told the person that there were various problems with the length of the book and the content of the book not fitting with the genre.
The person waited a week and then asked for advice again. Same question. Like the other question and subsequent advice/answers did not exist.
This probably fits in with all of the other people out there who are trying to publish 180,000 word middle grade novels and getting frustrated at all of the form rejections.
Dear writers, kindred spirits of mine, fellow trudgerers through the slush and daily writing grind... the answer is in the pudding.
Pudding = internet.
We live in a golden age of information at our fingertips.
And even when you ask questions of fellow writers instead of doing the market research yourself, you are still offered friendly advice from people who did have time to do the research (and moaned and suffered agonies over the unfairness of boundaries and limits too).
Please listen.
Read more >>
I don't mean to rant here, but nobody wants to be mean or abusive. They aren't going to come out and tell you what you should already know. Sometimes they hint around the corner, or suggest you start following the publishing sector (for example, add agent blogsites to your daily reading list).
They aren't just talking to hear themselves speak (well, some writers do like hearing their 'voices' or they enjoy the excuse to stave off their own edits and writing). the bulk of writers who hang out at writing workshops and offer advice to newbies do mean well and they are trying to help somebody find out what they themselves learned the hard way.
There is one example that I know of and I'm going to speak carefully, because I don't want to out this writer.
This person wrote a book that probably isn't going to fit into the current market. This person is young and has been trying to publish this book, but is frustrated at lack of success. This person asked for advice, and a lot of people promptly told the person that there were various problems with the length of the book and the content of the book not fitting with the genre.
The person waited a week and then asked for advice again. Same question. Like the other question and subsequent advice/answers did not exist.
This probably fits in with all of the other people out there who are trying to publish 180,000 word middle grade novels and getting frustrated at all of the form rejections.
Dear writers, kindred spirits of mine, fellow trudgerers through the slush and daily writing grind... the answer is in the pudding.
Pudding = internet.
We live in a golden age of information at our fingertips.
And even when you ask questions of fellow writers instead of doing the market research yourself, you are still offered friendly advice from people who did have time to do the research (and moaned and suffered agonies over the unfairness of boundaries and limits too).
Please listen.
Friday Freezer
TGIF before the holiday! May it be long, warm, dry, and did I mention long?
Editing
Edited 5 chapter of Unwilling Fringe since last weekend. Also cut 30,000 words and added 2,000 after that. My best hopes for today is to add another 2,000 words and/or finish the chapter.
Part of the problem I'm coming up against is this feeling that to stay close to the YA genre, I need to tighten up the plot considerably. I have too many lapses where I'm doing too much character building and not enough action. That must change when I get to the next draft.
Book Recommendation
Nothing as of yet. I'm reading Blue Moon and am quite a bit dissatisfied with it, and conflicted. It starts off with Ever and the guy (I'm drawing a blank, because it's early and my memory switch hasn't clicked on yet) are practicing in her bedroom. This leads to serious making out which Ever aborts, because she's feeling weird about his vast experience. That isn't the part that bothers me, exactly. What kinda made me wrinkle my nose right off was the description of the beyoooootiful guy.
Two things -
1.) Guys aren't beautiful at least not after they transition from crawling to walking. It's too feminine a word for most guys - even the good looking ones. When a male character is described as beautiful, it instantly gets my nose wrinkling and has me edging back in distaste. Reminds me of those animes with the bishies (think, anime guys who look like women).
2.) This goes back to my other problem with romances like Twilight. If the girl gets the guy too easily, and there is no conflict or uncertainty in the relationship, then it gets a little blah and page-flippy for me. Now, I've only read the first few pages of Blue Moon, so it could be I'm speaking too soon. I think the conflict in Blue Moon is the fact that Ever has a problem being all lovey-dovey with an old guy who's been around - much. Not a conflict I'm very interested in as a reader, but it might get better. I shall find out on lunch break. Well. Maybe.
Blood Promise Recap and Obsessing
I'm still thinking about this book, 2 days after reading. Just a couple things sticking to my mind.
There had been a emphasis on Rose and Dimitri not 'getting together' while he held her prisoner. They did everything else but. Rose assumed it was Dimitri holding it out like a carrot, sort of like, "Let me turn you, and then we will [bleep]."
What I'm wondering though is if there is more to it. Like maybe becoming Stringoi rendered him impotent. Could be. :]
Other thing that I wanted to look up when I had a chance. What exactly is the difference between a Stringoi and a Morai? Are Stringois zombies to evil? Or what?
I anticipate in the next two books - even though I'm totally Team Adrian: Dimitri is going to be cured. That may or may not happen in the next book - personally speaking, I think Mr. Creepfest makes an excellent villain, especially since Rose handily got rid of his competition and he now runs the Stringoi Party.
You'd think the easiest way to cure him is to kill him and then bring him back from the dead ala Lissa. The problem with that is he would probably be brought back as he was - a dhampir. That would not work out in the long run, because he and Rose wouldn't be capable of having kidlets.
If he is cured though, he might remain a vampire. But minus the evil-obsessed weirdness.
I'm just thinking aloud though - it could be cure or kill/revive would have the same result: Dimitri turned back into what he had been, a dhampir.
Personal Note of the Day
I'm peeved. Instead of visiting the gym, I need to go somewhere in search of new shoes. Just discovered that the sandals I'm wearing - my favorite pair - are torn. Torn. Noticeably. And I just noticed - three hours after putting them on.
I apparently just woke up.
PS. Why does Stringoi always make me think about food (and possibly Pinocchio), as in 'stromboli' ?
PS2. I really hope I spelled Stringoi and Morai right. I'm having doubts.
Read more >>
Editing
Edited 5 chapter of Unwilling Fringe since last weekend. Also cut 30,000 words and added 2,000 after that. My best hopes for today is to add another 2,000 words and/or finish the chapter.
Part of the problem I'm coming up against is this feeling that to stay close to the YA genre, I need to tighten up the plot considerably. I have too many lapses where I'm doing too much character building and not enough action. That must change when I get to the next draft.
Book Recommendation
Nothing as of yet. I'm reading Blue Moon and am quite a bit dissatisfied with it, and conflicted. It starts off with Ever and the guy (I'm drawing a blank, because it's early and my memory switch hasn't clicked on yet) are practicing in her bedroom. This leads to serious making out which Ever aborts, because she's feeling weird about his vast experience. That isn't the part that bothers me, exactly. What kinda made me wrinkle my nose right off was the description of the beyoooootiful guy.
Two things -
1.) Guys aren't beautiful at least not after they transition from crawling to walking. It's too feminine a word for most guys - even the good looking ones. When a male character is described as beautiful, it instantly gets my nose wrinkling and has me edging back in distaste. Reminds me of those animes with the bishies (think, anime guys who look like women).
2.) This goes back to my other problem with romances like Twilight. If the girl gets the guy too easily, and there is no conflict or uncertainty in the relationship, then it gets a little blah and page-flippy for me. Now, I've only read the first few pages of Blue Moon, so it could be I'm speaking too soon. I think the conflict in Blue Moon is the fact that Ever has a problem being all lovey-dovey with an old guy who's been around - much. Not a conflict I'm very interested in as a reader, but it might get better. I shall find out on lunch break. Well. Maybe.
Blood Promise Recap and Obsessing
I'm still thinking about this book, 2 days after reading. Just a couple things sticking to my mind.
There had been a emphasis on Rose and Dimitri not 'getting together' while he held her prisoner. They did everything else but. Rose assumed it was Dimitri holding it out like a carrot, sort of like, "Let me turn you, and then we will [bleep]."
What I'm wondering though is if there is more to it. Like maybe becoming Stringoi rendered him impotent. Could be. :]
Other thing that I wanted to look up when I had a chance. What exactly is the difference between a Stringoi and a Morai? Are Stringois zombies to evil? Or what?
I anticipate in the next two books - even though I'm totally Team Adrian: Dimitri is going to be cured. That may or may not happen in the next book - personally speaking, I think Mr. Creepfest makes an excellent villain, especially since Rose handily got rid of his competition and he now runs the Stringoi Party.
You'd think the easiest way to cure him is to kill him and then bring him back from the dead ala Lissa. The problem with that is he would probably be brought back as he was - a dhampir. That would not work out in the long run, because he and Rose wouldn't be capable of having kidlets.
If he is cured though, he might remain a vampire. But minus the evil-obsessed weirdness.
I'm just thinking aloud though - it could be cure or kill/revive would have the same result: Dimitri turned back into what he had been, a dhampir.
Personal Note of the Day
I'm peeved. Instead of visiting the gym, I need to go somewhere in search of new shoes. Just discovered that the sandals I'm wearing - my favorite pair - are torn. Torn. Noticeably. And I just noticed - three hours after putting them on.
I apparently just woke up.
PS. Why does Stringoi always make me think about food (and possibly Pinocchio), as in 'stromboli' ?
PS2. I really hope I spelled Stringoi and Morai right. I'm having doubts.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Quick Question and Obvious Answer
Q. Dear World, what on earth do I do if I suddenly had a revelation that my X story is too similar to the X story which I critted for a friend?
A. Be respectful of your friend and/or follow the 'do unto others and you would have done unto you' rule, and gut the plagiarized content.
Furthermore: Sometimes this happens by accident, and it isn't always an unpublished buddy (who, if you publish first, will make like the Twilight-avenger and sue you for ripping off his/her idea). Generally it happens after you finished reading a book which you worshipped to death and kingdom come. Just keep on your toes and be aware that cheaters never prosper and look like a schmuck afterwards.
The reason for this post? Mainly picking on myself. I set up a novel and was gaining excitement and interest as I wrote, until I started telling a friend about it. Then it struck me that my story sounded a lot like her story. It was so almost-embarrassing. Fortunately I shut up before I got too far and that friend will never know how close she came to being unconsciously plagiarized.
What will I do? I'll worry about what I've already written in the next draft. My objective right now is to plow a road that bears absolutely no resemblance to my friend's mss. Even if I have to add man-eating clowns riding on black clouds at night as minions of the king. Darnit. I like that idea.
SIDE NOTE TO SELF: When you get a chance, do fix all the tags. You forgot them, goofy.
Read more >>
A. Be respectful of your friend and/or follow the 'do unto others and you would have done unto you' rule, and gut the plagiarized content.
Furthermore: Sometimes this happens by accident, and it isn't always an unpublished buddy (who, if you publish first, will make like the Twilight-avenger and sue you for ripping off his/her idea). Generally it happens after you finished reading a book which you worshipped to death and kingdom come. Just keep on your toes and be aware that cheaters never prosper and look like a schmuck afterwards.
The reason for this post? Mainly picking on myself. I set up a novel and was gaining excitement and interest as I wrote, until I started telling a friend about it. Then it struck me that my story sounded a lot like her story. It was so almost-embarrassing. Fortunately I shut up before I got too far and that friend will never know how close she came to being unconsciously plagiarized.
What will I do? I'll worry about what I've already written in the next draft. My objective right now is to plow a road that bears absolutely no resemblance to my friend's mss. Even if I have to add man-eating clowns riding on black clouds at night as minions of the king. Darnit. I like that idea.
SIDE NOTE TO SELF: When you get a chance, do fix all the tags. You forgot them, goofy.
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