WIP

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.

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.

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.

No. Not a post on magic powers or special skills which I'm debating about giving one of my characters in Herbarian.

Do I make her a chosen one type character? Or just an person who really is destined to be a normal person, if she wasn't best friends with two people who are (doomed) with the two other possibilities. Readers want the MAIN CHARACTER to be the special person who gets all the attention for their magic powers - at least that was my feeling when reading a book recently where the main character had no skills whatsoever, but was friends with somebody who was a magician.

This post is really just a thank you to the inventors of the internet, and most particular Google. As a writer, it means that resources are right there at my fingertips at all times. All I need is a proper computer and internet connection. We are living in the time that scifi writers of the past dreamed of.

In real life too, the internet is exceptionally helpful in correcting people. Not that I'm a witchy person who must correct people and does so with glee in her witchy little heart. Honestly, I only do that when people incorrectly correct ME. Only seems fair to correct them back in that case. Right? :P

Back to the power of the internet + writing - something that occurred to me is that a lot of people don't realize how much power they have to use the internet to good use. For example, we don't need to call agents and publishers up to see if they are accepting subs. Furthermore, we don't need to send them a puzzled email to find out if (a) they are taking queries or (b) if they would consider your work. My goodness! Everyone has a website or some kind of listing online which offer that exact information. You would get it instantly instead of waiting for a e-response that might never come because the agent is piffed at you.

The danger of the internet is recklessly slaughtering your good name on it. I regret stuff I posted on websites when I was a silly teenager. If people search my name, they immediately find those posts. Plus websites often refuse to take things down, even if you repeatedly request that they do.

I assume it's the same with websites - part of the reason why I've ducked and hidden this blog and others from public viewing so much. I like the practice of working on a blog, but sometimes I'm afraid I'll have a brainless moment and post something religious/political/stupid that somebody most important would see.

I'm going to stop that now and try to step into the sunlight (cringes and winces away like a vampire afraid of melting*, but summons spirit and tries again).

*Just think about the one Dark Shadows episode when Dr. Julia (was that her name?) cured Barnabas of his vampirism and he was allowed to step out into the light for a little while. Until he turned into crypt keeper and bit the good doctor.

And that reminds me of two things: As an impressionable preteen, I loved the name Barnabas because of Dark Shadows. It never once occurred to me that it really was one of those horrible names. Barnabas=Barney=Big Purple Dinosaur

The other thing - it really is too bad that somebody doesn't write a vamp romance which has all vampires turning into cryptkeepers when they are hungry. It would do away with the "He's biting me, I'm (bloodwhore) so in lust!" junk.

I think they did that on Buffy - not with vampires, but with mummies. Should definitely write a short story like that just for fun.

Found this rule while browsing:

ABDCE—Action, Background, Development, Climax, Ending.

This rule is supposed to apply to the Short Story, if you are into writing them, but they also apply to any story - even novels.

If I posted a comment on your blog and came across as arrogant or all 'braggedy'.... sorry. This is the reason why I revise and edit my own work so much. I write things down, and then ten minutes later I realize that it could be taken totally weird and wrong.

Speaking of rewrites - I just deleted 30,000 words (I have them backed up, but I don't want to use them in this story which changed completely after I looked over my story notes and drafted a revised synopsis.

Personal News: Doglet ran away from home. Got 3 miles away even and I haven't the faintest idea what he'd been doing that entire time. He's been sleeping all evening. Didn't even miss his walk. Good neighbors snagged him and bringing him back home to me when I frantically drove past. Did quick reverse and thanked them profusely.

I thought this might be a fun thing to do - and partly, because of a problem I have with one of my WIPs.

A first sentence - generally the first thing a reader sees. Doesn't exactly have to be the 'hook' sentence, but you want it to be snappy. As a writer, the first sentence generally is that first step before you take off running.

Last sentence - not last of the book, but the one you've left off and have currently stranded the WIP First Draft or WIP Revision. My theory is when you close the Word document for the day, you want to leave off on a hook. Or something that makes you want to return to the WIP the next day to continue. The last sentence of a novel is completely different. You want it to satisfy your reader, tie everything up in a nice bow, slap a period on without stabbing anyone with it.

So - let's just take one of my First Draft pets, "Herbarian" for example:

First sentence:

Ages ago, things were a bit tidier in world affairs, but people started down the messy road when they began keeping gardens.

Hah. So not hooky, but it worked for me in first (rough) draft, because it gave me a focus point. It won't work on readers, probably, but I will work on that in following drafts.

Last Sentence:

If you went there, you might have very bad company, whatever was left of them.

This sentence in itself works for me. Because the paragraph basically expresses the main character's concern over her new friend, who has shown some rather vivid signs of being a greenwitch (forbidden).

My real problem from a writing standpoint is I ended with a complete scene or at the end of a complete loop (introduce character, set the place and problem). I haven't figured out yet what my next loop is - whether I need more time before I get to the (revelations, BIGGER problem) loop, or if I should just jump into it. I feel like I need a scene before then, but am having a problem getting started. I've lost the momentum.

This has led me to sort of agree with somebody (who I used to COMPLETELY disagree with) that you do not want to end a 'writing session' at the end of a complete loop. This person said you want to stop with the beginning of the next action or scene, so you have everything set up and ready for you to jump back in.

It will be miserable going, but I'm going to just sit down and write an in-between scene, promising myself if the scene comes out too dithery, I can always edit it out of existence when I edit.

The other option, of course, is not writing a possibly dithery scene period, but just jump to the next important scene that is important to the story (revelations, BIGGER problem).

Clichetic Brainstorm

I'm throwing this one in, because I can't make up my mind about something from Herbarian. Thanks to various kiddyfic, it probably is a BAD thing to create that one evil teacher who scares all of the students into behaving.

I was listening (well, technically reading, but it works out to be the same thing) to somebody talk about a teacher who would break children's hands if they wrote with their left hands. Or break their fingers or tear their nails off if they were caught using that same hand.

I somewhat suspect that some of this could be urban legend (kids do make up junk about their teachers, embellish details, etc), but I sat there thinking that creating somebody like that would be just what I need for that in-between scene. I could tie this teacher in to my one character too. She is usually somebody who is very good at what she does (fancy handwriting or art), but she is rightfully in a bad mood because she missed something and now is punished by being put in a position between her work and family. And a member of that family is taking advantage of her loyalty and it drives her insane - which is why she does stuff that appears overly rough and terrifying to the other students.

Ok. I think I'm going to do this!

Just an FYI: If I zonk out on my work desk, amidst the paperwork I ought to be filing/scanning/whatevers, it is all Richelle Mead's fault. I started reading her fourth book yesterday. I was up until 4AM simply because I wanted to find out how Rose gets away from ooked-out Dmitri. Seriously, I couldn't sleep a wink until I found out.

This reminded me a little bit of Buffy who had to kill Angel when he was bad. Only she was having doubts about whether there was anything of him left. Buffy never let herself sink into a smooch and nude cuddle fest (no sex, I have strange theories about that) with a guy with dead body skin and fiery red eyes. Oh, and she let him bite/drink from her, because of her addiction.

Ending part to read today and then I might sneak a review (read: blatherfest) in later this week.

Now - back to zonking/ I mean working.

*uses paperclips to keep eyes open*