Sterling Thoughts

Read me here

2009-06-30T21:10:00.001-04:00

I've upgraded my website to Wordpress, so I'll be blogging here from now on.

www.cherylsterlingbooks.com

The next book

2009-03-25T20:05:00.003-04:00

When do you start thinking about the next book you'll write? Are you the type to have over a dozen active stories in your head (waving to Brynn) or, like me, have no clue? My next idea usually doesn't filter in to my brain until I'm close to the end of my current WIP. For example, I'm thinking of doing a contemporary romance with a heroine who has some magical talents. I know her name will be Bea, she has two dogs and she bakes bread. I even know the title, but I don't have the "crunch" element that makes the story so different than a hundred others out there. Where is it? I'm waiting for the Muse to send it to me.
What about you? When is the next book a reality?

Change your point of view

2009-01-19T19:25:00.002-05:00

Writer's block. Real or imagined, it can tie down the best of us. There are various techniques to break the block, but one of them is as simple as changing the point of view in your scene. The number one rule, of course, is who has the most to lose in the scene? Write it from that character's point of view. But sometimes, you're still blocked. Then what?
Try a different POV. As in 1st person if you're writing in 3rd. Or 3rd if you're writing in 1st. It could be enough to free your imagination and break through your block.

Where do you want to be?

2008-11-08T20:41:00.003-05:00

Where do you want to be five years from now? No, this isn't a job interview. It's a career question. Where do you want your writing career to be five years from now? Three years? One? Next month? On one of the big lists? Looking at your astronomically large bank statement? Or simply getting great feedback from your critique partner/group? Big or small, grand or humble, dreams can be reached by a) making a plan and b) taking incremental steps forward. Man did not step on the moon the day after President Kennedy issued the challenge to be there by the end of the decade (the 60's.) It took over eight years, and many, many small steps. The first men in space didn't even circle the globe. With each mission, more data was collected and the goals grew larger.

What was your first writing goal? To finish a book? A scene? A sentence? Mine was to write the end of the book. I woke from a dream and had a the ending scene in my head. I didn't know these people, I had no idea what their beginning was, but I vowed to get them to the climatic end. (I learned about big, black moments later.)

After awhile, I realized I needed help, so I took a gigantic, courageous step and found a writing group. Then a critique group. I finished a book. And another. A contest was entered. A query letter was written. A writing conference was put on the calendar. Individual goals, but each was a step on the path to publication.

Were they part of a plan? Nothing I'd consciously put on paper. Do you want to leave your career to chance, or do you want concrete, constructive input? Get out a piece of paper, open a new Word file, uncap that dry-erase marker. Go ahead, I'll wait. (insert Jeopardy theme song) Ready? At the top, write your goal. Make it a big goal. Now write the thing that has to happen just before the goal becomes a reality. Write the action before that. And the one before that. Keep working backward until you are at where you are now. Guess what? You wrote a plan. Add some target dates for each mini-goal and you have a workable plan.

Now go out and make it a reality. I will.

Did you vote?

2008-11-04T18:43:00.002-05:00

Did you vote today? From start to finish, including voting time, my wait was an hour. It was beautiful weather outside of the polling place, and I used the time wisely. No, not reading, but filling out character charts for my current WIP. The activity filled in a few holes in their personalities and exposed others.

It's always good to have a plan B, whether your wait is planned (voting) or not (traffic backups).

Whatever the outcome of today's election, take pride in exercising your rights. Don't take it for granted. At the risk of sounding schmalzy, God Bless America!

I gots to get me some BBC

2008-10-28T20:39:00.006-04:00

Aaargh! Unfair. There ought to be a way to get original BBC programming here in the States. Not BBC America. Plain old BBC.

I'm talking about the series "Spooks" now in its seventh season. The cast is awash in man candy:

Rupert Penry-Jones, aka Captain Wentworth in Persuasion (the kiss at the end - oh, wow)

Or - Richard Armitage, aka John Thornton in North and South ("Turn back. Turn back to me." heartwrenching scene)

Or - Matthew Macfadyen, aka Mr. Darcy in Pride & Prejudice

Did I mention the guest list?

Hugh Laurie

Ian McDiarmid

Anthony Head

To name a few

Did I mention it's a spy show?

So unfair.

And totally unavailable as a download.

Le sigh.

Who are these people?

2008-10-25T16:15:00.004-04:00

I've spent almost a hundred pages with Ian and Sophie, they're in the middle of angry sex, and I don't know who they are. To remedy that, I took out some old notes on the best story I've ever written (you will weep at the fragility of their relationship) and have applied them to the two strangers in my WIP.

* What is his/her external goal?

* What is his/her external motivation?

* What is his/her external conflict

(yep, GMC)

* What is his/her internal goal?

* What is his/her internal motivation?

* What is his/her internal conflict?

* What would he/she never do?

* What is he/she afraid of?

* What is he/she really afraid of?

* What is his/her bone deep "the world will end if anyone knows" fear?

* What is his/her strength?

* What is his/her flaw?

* What was the worse decision he/she ever made?

* How does he/she see himself/herself?

This has helped enormously. I knew Sophie was a "fixer", but her "world will end" fear? She doesn't want anyone to know she doesn't know what she's doing.

And her internal motivation? If I can fix everyone else's problems, then I don't have any.

I still have a few holes to plug, and some plotting (gasp!) to do, but now that I know how their traits affect each other - it sets up more conflict. And that's a good thing.

Writing is easy

2008-10-13T19:34:00.003-04:00

The story is already written, it's my job to find it.

With my new story (started Aug. 1, 86 pages complete) I'm uncovering it layer by layer. Like all things layered (cabbages, lettuce) not every leaf is perfect. Sometimes, there are holes. Sometimes, a nasty surprise. Sometimes, perfection.

I usually write clean first drafts. But, as they say, each story is different, and this one is messy. My heroine is reactive, my hero doesn't have enough motivation. Until this weekend, which I spent with most of my writing group at a wonderful retreat, I didn't see these flaws. Or the non-mention of eye & hair color of my two main protagonists. Or. . .well, you get the idea. So now I'm regrouping, beefing up the weak areas and thinking whole picture instead of what the next scene will be. It will be better, stronger and tighter. I even found the perfect place for the first sex scene, which has been a problem in the past.

And I was reminded of an old story, which, after a cursory read-through last night, reminded me of how good it is. It's time for it to make the rounds again. It's time for a good, old pirate/virgin mother story to be heard.

Writing is easy.

Getting out of Dodge and the Real skinny on raw diet

2008-09-16T21:20:00.003-04:00

Getting out of Dodge. City, that is. That's where we are today, my friends, in the heartland of feedlots and meat packing plants. Not a great place for two gals who just spent three days avoiding the taste of slaughtered animals.

From what I gathered, and bear in mind I attended less than 5% of the six hundred workshops given (somewhat) raw food is the tip of the iceberg. It is a portal to a healthier lifestyle. There are many thoughts on the raw diet, from supplements to dehydration to raw only to colon cleanses. The main idea is that anything cooked destroys the natural enzymes and nutrition of the food. Which makes great sense. The further from the soil the food is eaten, the more it is stripped of its nutrients.

Example stories I heard but cannot confirm:

One vegetarian meal a week saves 1160 miles of driving

Beef is considered protein, but nutritionally has only 15% protein, 85% fat

Seeds and nuts are considered fat, but have only 15% fat

Blue-green algae is one of the most nutritious foods around (I cannot tolerate it by itself by it's great in a protein bar)

Going raw is difficult for some people because of they use food as an emotional crutch. If they can't find comfort in the refrigerator, they're forced to look inward, and to many that is scary beyond belief. So going raw is not just the food choices, but coming to terms with old demons and vanquishing them.

As for curing common and uncommon ills, check out just one website for inspiration:

www.mycrazysexylife.com

Off the soapbox. I'm going to start incorporating some of this stuff when I get home, and have even now, on the road. I can't promise I'll never eat cooked again (rice! bread!) but life is a journey.

Road Trip Day ? Somewhere in the Southwest

2008-09-15T23:29:00.002-04:00

Ha, ha, kidding about that last part. We're in Santa Fe after having spent five wonderful days in Sedona. I'm moving there. For real. Just not this year. 2009? What the heck.

Raw Fest was and wasn't what I had thought. Like any sub-cultural, it has its kooks and fanatics. And serious, funny, wonderful, warm people who want to do right with their lives and bodies. I can't judge any of them. Nor should anyone else. I mean, really, the people not on this lifestyle? Sick. Overweight. Tired. Blimpy. Barely able to drag themselves out of bed and exist every day. The raw fooders? From what I've seen - thin. Healthy. Energetic. Able to cure cancer, heart disease, diabetes and asthma with nothing but what grows in the ground. Hoo-rah for them.

Road Trip Day 4

2008-09-09T23:43:00.003-04:00

We're in the Colorado Rockies, having put almost five hundred miles on today. Two touristy stops - a buffalo made of barbed wire, and the Cathedral Rocks in Kansas, which were the highlight of the day. Not very touristy, as we had to wind down a dirt road for seven miles before we found them. Nothing around for miles. No other cars, no people, just the wind and some cows.

Then across some lonely roads in dark, dreary Kansas, not meeting another car for miles and alternating between flat, flat lands and long, low hills. The minute we hit Colorado, the sun came out and we started climbing. And climbing. Fifty miles away, we saw Pike's Peak. Dinner was in Colorado Springs inside a beached fighter jet turned restaurant. Pretty cool. So that makes three touristy things, though I'm not going to count the rocks.

Tomorrow, the Grand Canyon then Sedona.

Road Trip Day 2

2008-09-07T21:36:00.004-04:00

Abilene, Kansas, the end of the Chisholm Trail and the home of our 34th president, Dwight "I Like Ike" Eisenhower.

We spent last night east of St. Louis, rose, took our walk then drove to the waterfront to ride to the top of the Gateway Arch. Picture five people knee to knee in a giant egg rocking back and forth. Four minutes up, three down. Ten at the top.

Tomorrow we explore the finer points of the sunflower state (giant ball of twine, a buffalo made of barbed wire, etc) before meeting a friend of my daughter's who now lives in Garden City in the west side of the state. Tuesday is her birthday, so she gets a birthday dinner from familiar people.

Off now to plot the big adventure.

More signs

2008-08-07T19:35:00.002-04:00

Spotted license plate: GOIN2AZ

check out this website: www.roadsideamerica.com

5 in 2, I get the picture

2008-08-03T20:50:00.004-04:00

Sedona messages keep wandering into my life. On Wednesday and Thursday, I talked to five people who have visited Sedona. One man went there for the first time in 1959. I received advice to a) ride a hot air balloon b) take a train ride c) go to the airport for a fabulous view. For a little town of 11,00, it sure has a lot of visitors, at least within my sphere.

My daughter is temporarily home, and we've touched on different aspects of the trip. St. Louis for sure, Santa Fe (which was featured on Rachel Ray less than ten minutes after she mentioned it - did I mention the psychic powers floating around here?)

On a secondary note, I am waaaay too dependent on the internet. We lost it Saturday and I was forced to call Comcast and schedule a tech visit. Fortunately, DH wiggled some cables, and we're back in business.

Writing wise, I've super-duper cleaned Tall, Dark and Slayer, and it is finished. I've started The Princess Rescuer, which has been renamed The Dark Ages Detective Agency. The rule is - there are no rules. It is a total medieval farce, and I'm enjoying the first few pages written - a talk between two minions, one of whom is pushing the other to join the henchmen's union. See? No rules.

2,400 miles down, 4,000 to go

2008-07-15T19:15:00.006-04:00

Between July 4th and 11th, DH (and various members of the Sterling family) piled 2,400 miles on to our trusty Malibu. (three adults do not fit well in the back seat.) First up-Traverse City. Best part of the weekend? A toss up between the Blue Angels airshow and the New Age bookstore we found.

Monday-all day on the road to Pennsylvania, taking Libby home as she packs

up four years of college life (most of which returned with us Tuesday and Wednesday

) The best part? Tooling around the back roads Tuesda

y morning to Ringing Rocks Park.

Thursday-Lake Michigan beach. A fabulous place that we tend to take for granted. Best part? The hot pink plastic shovel that washed up, allowing me to repair a moat left by previous visitors.

Friday-the casino. Best part? Coming home with only $5 less than I started

Saturday-our local RWA meeting, connecting with fellow writers.

What's next? What about that 4,000 miles in the title? Huh? Our graduation present to Libby was fairly open ended - a trip. Somehow, it morphed into a trip with Mom, similar to our European romp of 2003. After much debate, delay and consideration, the possibilities of Iceland, Ireland and Morocco were discarded for (drumroll, please) Sedona, AZ. At Raw Spirit Fest 2008 www.rawspiritfest.com. Go figure. I'm going to spend three days in September not eating cooked food. Do not talk to me for at least two weeks afterward, or ten Big Macs, whichever comes first.

The best part is, it's going to be a roadtrip. Why? With the price of gas climbing every week? Well, is it going to go down in price? The cost and hassle of a plane ride for the two of us will probably equal the gas we'll buy. Which leaves cheap hotels and eating out of a cooler. The cost of spending two weeks with my daughter:priceless.

Look for more blogs as we map the great American west for awesome things to see.

Look out, giant ball of twine (it's in Kansas)

Feedback

2008-06-10T19:06:00.002-04:00

Not too long ago, a member of my Toastmasters club gave a speech on evaluating speeches. At the end of the speech, he passed out handouts of what he'd covered. Handouts are cool. Remember that the next time you give a presentation. But, I digress. With a little word substitution, I've borrowed from his speech to give you the rules for effective writing critiquing. Thank you, Bruce.

1. Give positive reinforcement

2. Help the writer stay motivated

3. Evaluate the writing - not the person

4. Nourish self esteem

5. Show the writer how to improve

6. Show that you care

7. Suit your evaluation to the writer

8. Learn the writer's objectives

9. Personalize your critique

It's easy to forget we were not always experienced writers and there are tender writers just starting out who should not be treated roughly - as we might have been. On the other hand, we don't need to sugarcoat bad writing, either. Use the above guidelines to give an honest, constructive evaluation. One of the responsibilities earned by our experience is to teach. Do it in a good way.

Why writing is like remodeling

2008-05-04T22:46:00.005-04:00

It started with a gallon of paint. Luminary was the color. For various reasons, it took almost two months from purchase to application. The results - shocking! A nice, rich gold morphed into school bus yellow. In my bathroom!

A day later, my perspective has changed. Why have a safe gold color when you can have a HAPPY Bathroom? A Cinco de Mayo explosion of color? The start of a bright and expressive place to live?

With the shift of thought, we've begun a complete remodel of our condo. No more boring neutrals (maybe the carpet, which needs replacing.) No more safe choices. Today, we started with a new kitchen table. Wednesday, we pick up my new craft table, which replaces a boring desk I don't use. A large worksurface with shelves underneath equals more opportunities for creativity, which should spill into my writing. If you look closely, you'll see the top has a seam down the middle. It folds onto itself, but unfolded, the worksurface is twice as deep. Notice the shelves, perfect for baskets. I could go on and on.

But wait, you say. What does this have to do with writing? Simple, oh young one. One simple spark, an idea, a twist in the plot, can lead you and your characters on a wonderous journey. Sally isn't the girl next door that you envisioned. Instead, she's a space pirate. The hero's best friend is the real father of his daughter. The heroine's boring backstory suddenly becomes the catalyst of terrible problems. Or choices she has to make, each one suckier than the last. Your characters will go on a school bus ride of epic proportions, with ruts in the road and dead ends, mudslides and terrorist attacks. But somewhere in the adventure, they'll find a new side of themselves. Better. Colorful. And maybe, if they're lucky, they'll find what they didn't know they'd been searching for.

Home again, home again, jiggedy jig

2008-04-21T21:29:00.005-04:00

Pittsburgh was great. The Hilton was not. All my flights left and arrived on time. I'm back to the real world with three dozen new books (could have had more) most of them free. It was a feeding frenzy an hour into the Dorch party. The two book limit disintegrated when people realized they could get back in line. I saw women taking them out in boxes. I'm sorry, but let's not be piggy. I only took books that looked interesting, not as a means of financial support once I listed them on E-Bay. As it was, I had to bribe the airport guy to put a "heavy load" sticker on my suitcase instead of charging me extra for the weight.

Now I can concentrate on writing again instead of trawling Goodwill for one more accessory for my costumes. As soon as someone (hint, hint) emails the pictures they took of me, I'll post them. And send them pictures I took of them. The other shots are of the city itself. Was I the only one to venture out more than once?

The little store where I had Pelmeni (meat-filled dough) with a big scoop of sour cream. Yum. You can see one of the three tables in the store. The owner tried to get me to eat Halva, which is a nut/honey/mystery ingredient so sweet the half-teaspoon sample put me into a diabetic coma for a few minutes.

Walking downtown, looking for a place to eat (try Costanza's chicken marsala) I passed this chain link fence. Someone had cut out the pages of three very old books and wired them to the fence. This one had a map glued in it, with a star and the words "You are here." It was so cool, I had to take a picture.

RT Day 700, 982

2008-04-19T09:15:00.003-04:00

This is a typical RT conference. (RWA too) Nothing works the way you want it to. I must admit, this hotel is different in that it's under construction. We are woken by hammers, saws and lots of noise. The rooms that are finished aren't. Ceiling fixtures in the halls are missing. The elevators are busy - wait! That's normal. I can't wait until tomorrow at check out time. Imagine 1,500 women, each with four suitcases, cramming five elevators. It's like the Great American Race on estrogen. Whoo-ee!
Now the only big complaint I have is the timing. Why, oh, why does it have to be during hockey play-off season? Thank God for Versus and their coverage. Which meant I missed Heather Graham's fantastic vampire ball last night. So sad. I missed losing a decade of my life.
I'd post pictures (I did bring my USB cable) but I haven't taken pictures of anything fantastic.
Off for breakfast and to prepare for the book fair.

RT Day 4

2008-04-18T11:49:00.000-04:00

Romantic Times conference, Day 4
There are different ways to work a conference. Socially/networking; for the workshops; for the experience of being in another city. I usually opt for reason 3. Not that I don’t enjoy meeting new people and learning new things at workshop, but I love finding out new things about the city I’m visiting for several days.
Pittsburgh:Working people, a tough, gritty city with pockets of really cool places like the Strip, which is more Little Europe than any place I’ve seen outside of Europe.
The Cheesecake Factory (no lines, contrary to what I’ve heard) which is universal, but not in my part of the world. I enjoyed the architecture of my salad (really, I think there were support beams in place that dissolved as I plowed my way through it) and the wonderful cheesecake, and especially the tender care of my waiter, Paul, whom I think I have fallen in love with a tiny bit. He called me dear and wanted to take care of me. It’s probably in his waiter handbook on how to get a 25% tip from women traveling alone, but it worked, so kudos to him.
The internet connection in our room is spotty, so I’ve resorted to hanging out in the lobby to get any work done. Lots of opportunities to people-watch.
Only one workshop for me this afternoon, and maybe the opportunity to write before it starts.
Later!

There's no need to sew

2008-04-05T12:08:00.003-04:00

There's no need to sew as long as there's a Goodwill nearby.

Here is a preview (sort of) of my costume for the Under the Sea Faery Ball at RT. The easy thing to do would be to go for the mermaid look. Tsk. So predictable. Be creative, people! We are writers, after all. With that in mind, I decided to be (ta da) the Tourist With Bad Taste Who Fell Off The Tour Boat. Think clash. Loud. Tacky. Seaweed. An anchor if I can find one. That's me, or will be.

As for the Golden Age of Hollywood Ball, first thought would be to get an extravagant ball gown and a string of pearls. But Hollywood is more than glamor, there are fringe players - like the talent scout. Exaggerated. Me, again. An oversized pair of glasses, the right hat and a sleazy attitude - does that shout Hollywood, or what?

See you there. Can't wait.

I think I'll dress up as the six of pentacles

2008-04-01T19:05:00.003-04:00

I'm starting to think about RT. Yes, I know it's two weeks away. I have no costumes. Nothing I can make or buy will outshine the totally professional zealotry of some attendees. I'm thinking of going outside the box and dressing up as a fringe player to the different themes.

Who's going, and what are you doing for costumes?

In writing news, I hunkered down over the weekend and pounded out some pages. Plus, I did a tarot reading for my characters, which was dead on. Try it for yourself at http://www.osho.com/.

What is this mess?

2008-03-26T21:36:00.007-04:00

Mr. Why-aren't-you-writing sometimes accuses me of being a puppy - everywhere I go, I leave puddles. In my case, paper. Piles of it. Stacks of it. Receipts, notes, articles to be files, newspaper clippings, etc. Within reach I have a receipt to Perkins that must be entered in the checkbook, my new health card, a partly finished synopsis, a spreadsheet for the last 150 pages of my WIP, a page from my Book-of-the-day calendar (I want to read most of them) and a report from the Denver Chief of Police regarding an officer-involved shooting this past January (I was doing research on non-lethal 9mm wounds.) Some of this stuff gets filed, some tossed and some of it breeds and takes over the futon.

What system do you have (if any) of controlling your paperwork?

Okay, I lied

2008-03-19T18:57:00.003-04:00

The phrase, "the book is done" really should include the addendum "except for the synopsis." Yes, ladies and gents, I forgot one of the most important selling tools of a novel, the synopsis. Basically, boiling every fifty pages down to one. Not an easy task. And here I'm supposed to be starting on TDS again. Jeez.
While I'm at it, I'll craft one for TDS while I'm in the mood. Then, when it's done, it will be DONE.
What part of the writing process is your favorite? The thing you dread the most?

Home again

2008-03-17T19:35:00.002-04:00

Back from Pennsylvania, where I had the dual delight of seeing my daughter and attending a workshop graciously given by the Poconos Lehigh RWA. Thanks, ladies, for a warm welcome.
I have tons of notes to decipher and lots of research to do on the three vacation spots my daughter and I (kind of) agreed on for a trip later this year.
Richard and Lissa's story is done. It's time to return to my vampire story. I had the character's voice dead on (pun intended) and have reread all two hundred and forty two pages. I know where I want the characters to go, but am open to surprises. Let the games begin!

T-3

2008-03-11T20:05:00.004-04:00

T minus three days until I leave for the weekend.
Professionally, I'm attending a Bob Mayer workshop on Saturday. I hope when I
return, I'm all charged up and ready to plunge into TDS. I'm done with my edits for The Spell Breaker and have too much happening during the next three nights to tackle anything new, writing related.

Personally, I'm visiting my daughter (shown with not-Bob Mayer) in the same city as the workshop. Hey, it's a free sleep, and I haven't seen her since the holiday. Maybe not free, I tend to slip her a few dollars. And buy her meals. And somehow, a trip to Burlington Coat Factory always creeps into the itinerary. I know
she's busy with school and she's worried about entertaining me, but as long as I have a book to read or paper and pen, I'm set.

Griffin is home after a two day absence to be declawed. He's sleeping on the bed. Can cats get migraines? He closes his eyes whenever the lights go on, like he has a kitty headache. Poor baby. Missed him.

Cat on loan and IKEA

2008-03-02T19:45:00.002-05:00

Meet Griffin. He's on loan from my son and DIL. They're moving to a larger apartment and decided to give him up for adoption. Mr. Why-aren't-you-writing wasn't keen on the idea of us taking him, but I'm a cat person and insisted. As you can see, he's a very ambitious cat. Right now, he's curled up beside me. He's awfully skittish, so everytime I move or there's a noise, he's looking around. I'm hoping it's temporary and he'll start to feel more at home.

Yesterday, we went to IKEA near Detroit. It was a good day, (no snow) we all four had the day off, and we were ready to rumble. This was the third trip we've made there, so you'd think the glamor had worn off. We were in there for five hours. Unless you've been there, it's hard to imagine how one store can keep you captive for that long. The trick is a very winding pathway, with more delights just around the corner. I'm sure I walked ten miles. Son and DIL debated then bought then returned a kitchen table and chairs. My major purchase was wicker baskets and some round, stacking boxes and candles that match a poster I'm using to base my color scheme from. Good times.

In writing news, I've completed filling in all the holes in The Spell Breaker, and restructured a lot of sentences to end with a strong punch. Next? One more pass to add more non-verbal communication and the five sentences, then this puppy is done and I can move on (back?) to Tall, Dark and Slayer. It's very weird not having a word count goal every day.

Major vacation warning

2008-02-27T19:07:00.002-05:00

Mr. Why-aren't-you-writing has given his tentative approval (like I need it, but it's good to keep him happy cause he's a peach. Really. Red Haven. No, we will not discuss plums.) for me and our daughter to take a college graduation trip this summer. We have some ideas, but she's stressed with her last few months of school, so we're dipping our toes in the water about destinations. Knowing LB, it will be someplace unconventional.
If you could take the trip of your dreams, where would it be? Tell me your first and second choices and why.

Backload not backhoe (or back story)

2008-02-25T20:58:00.003-05:00

Writers know the importance of back story, the story behind the story. We try not to abuse it, like info-dumping it in the first chapter. But do you know how to backload?

Backloading a sentence, paragraph or scene puts the "punch" at its end. It gives your words power. Take, for example, this sentence from The Spell Breaker:

Immediately, she drew back, shock numbing her.

Not bad, but it could be stronger. Immediately, she drew back, numb with shock. Isn't "shock" have more punch than "her"? Or, take this example, Mahogany, (table edge) she noted as her eyesight left her. Could we empower it more? ...as her eyesight dimmed.

It's little substitutions like this that make your work stronger. Go through your work and rearrange. Substitute. Play with the sentence structure to add power. Every sentence doesn't have to end with a wow factor, but you should strive for paragraph and scene endings.

BTW, none of this is my idea. I took an online workshop three years ago from Margie Lawson www.margielawson.com She'll be offering the same course "Empowering Character's Emotions" for the Kiss of Death online chapter next month. (www.rwamysterysuspense.org) <--shameless plug. I'm doing a read-through of The Spell Breaker, backloading, and am pleasantly surprised some of it was done unconsciously. The sign of a good teacher, yes?

112 days

2008-02-21T22:32:00.002-05:00

Start to finish, 112 days. Yes, ladies and gents, I finished the Spell Breaker. At least, the first draft, which, as all who know me, is pretty clean. I still have to fix stuff. Like (insert wedding scene here) but the bones are there. Time to celebrate!
Yes, the car is running, good for another 97,000 miles. I think I'll take every other Wednesday off. Two weeks ago, it was the weather that kept me home. Next month? We'll see. Official March-is-finally-here party?
On to heavy edits.

Trapped at home or a day off?

2008-02-20T13:02:00.003-05:00

The weather killed my car. Or, it was terrorists. I blissfully opened the door this morning, threw my stuff on the passenger seat and turned the key. Nothing. Not even a whine or whimper. Dead air. My trusty little car had bit the dust. Or snowpile. As we are a one car family, and Mr. Why-Aren't-You-Writing had left in his company van for the day, I was stuck. I'm currently waiting for him to appear with a new battery, the favored CPR for D.O.A. vehicles. Do you know you can pick up the phone and order a car battery as easily as Chinese take-out? No deliveries, though.

So, a day at home with no schedule. The possibilities are endless, and the list in my mind keeps growing. Unlike other free days, I'll not squander this one (I am trapped, which takes away unnecessary diversions like shopping.)

Number one priority? Finish the first draft of The Spell Breaker. All but one of the Big, Black Moments have passed, it's on to the resolution and HEA. Gonna miss these guys. Especially Richard, because he's so damn hot.

The next step? Merging the four acts, breaking it into chapters and reading it through for logistical errors and unity. By next Friday, my self-imposed deadline to restart Tall, Dark and Slayer. Another case for CPR.

Here's Richard, in case you forgot:

Yum, yum, yum.

Geek Yoga

2008-02-18T21:01:00.004-05:00

While scouring the bookstores/craftstores/local all-in-one grocery store for a specific craft magazine I had to have, I stumbled upon the bargain book pile. On top, a collection of >50 6" x 8" cards showing different yoga poses and how to accomplish them. Hmm, I say. And look, it's on sale! I plunk down my $4.99 and trot home.

Now, I've done yoga before, but it was in a class situation, and no poses lasted longer than 30 seconds. It was a keep-'em-moving class. Actually, the attendance was so low, they threw in belly-dancing at the end.

I followed the cards for mental fatigue and exhaustion and it seemed to work. I took a nap afterward.

As for the magazine, I finally found it after looking in four places. "Cloth Paper Scissors" which has some awesome cool stuff in it, none of which I'll probably do because it looks like rocket science collaging to me. I mean, jello for rubber stamps? And what is heavy gel medium? I think it's glue, but it's hard to say. Plus, I'd have to start collecting more stuff, and I have no room for the stuff I have now and don't use. Doesn't mean I won't go to a few more garage sales come spring. . .

Happy Birthday, Mr. President

2008-02-12T20:18:00.001-05:00

Happy 199th birthday, Abe. You don't look a day over 80. Har. Because of you, my husband doesn't have to work next Monday. I do, however. Here's my beef. If you were the president of equality, how come we all don't have President's Day off? Just asking. Anyway, have a good one, and don't let Mary talk you into a movie.

Page count update -366. That's thirty-six over the weekend. Wowzers! I didn't write yesterday because my villain had a bad case of the wimps. I think she was ready to sit down and swap recipes with the heroine, so I have to go back and find out where she lost her moxie. Then there's the rest of the smack-down and loose ends. Second draft should take a couple of weeks.

Last week, I went back and re-read TDS, which is damn good and hot! I have a March 1 deadline to start in on it again. Hellllo Gabe!

A writing weekend

2008-02-10T16:36:00.000-05:00

I spent this weekend with a majority of my RWA chapter at a writing retreat. Lovely facilities, good food, a little booze, lots of laughs and much writing. Friday night was socializing, as we yabbered at each other and pretty much ignored our laptops (I did anyway.) Saturday was better. I cranked up the music, plopped on my headphones and knuckled down to write sex.
SEX, I tell you. Try to creatively put tab A in slot B while enhancing the relationship when a dozen or so fellow writers are shrieking with laughter in the next room. So unfair, she said, shaking her head. But imagine the understanding looks when I later announced, "I'm done with sex." (for this book) They've all been there. (And I know it wasn't all laughs, I saw lots of concentration. Could have been web surfing. . .nah.)
Except for a wickedly huge bag of M & M's, I pretty much stuck to the diet.
I am so close to finishing the Spell Breaker! Everyone is in tremendous trouble. I love it. I love writing short scenes, jumping from Lissa to Richard to Rue and making sure they have equal angst. They don't call it the Big Black Moment for nothing.
Now to get them all out and wrap up the loose ends.

Brrr!

2008-01-31T19:10:00.000-05:00

The winds of January are about to bow out as we slide (literally, on ice) into the balmier month of February. Yesterday, I didn't go to work because the roads were so wicked the state police warned everyone to stay home. Plus, we'd lost electricity for a couple of hours, so I didn't know what appliances were on/off and which would come on when the power returned. We are woefully unprepared for a disaster of any sort, which makes me want to join a intentional community. Think updated commune. Sustainability. (the new buzzword) At least I'd be able to throw wood on the fire and keep warm. Something to think about for my next house move which should occur mmmm, let me see, in about five years if things stay on schedule.

Next- a grammatical rant. Today, I received a note about some changes in the personnel at the area office of an international organization (not RWA.) This organization's main objective is communication. Apparently, not the written kind. In a two-page note, I counted at least seven errors. I can forgive an occasional misplaced comma, heck, I've done it myself, but a missing period? "As" instead of "has"? - The board as been working on . . .And the topper (hold onto your collective hats) the invention of the (possessive) word its'. Yes. I. T. S. apostrophe.
No excuse. They need to hire me to proof all of their correspondence.

Greyhounds in wigs

2008-01-24T21:24:00.000-05:00

I know a lot of my writer friends scrapbook or collage their stories/characters to generate inspiration. I've got a 2" binder full of pictures, notes, reference material, etc on my current WIP. I have folders of things I've ripped out of magazines. There's a folder of women, men, couples, settings, odd stuff and (more recently) sayings that might end up on a scrapbook page. ("Dark and sparkly" is the latest. It's originally from a page on metallic makeup, but it's going to fit a future character beautifully.)

Mr. Why-Aren't-You-Writing recently came home with a nine inch stack of old magazines. I've been having a field day ripping out stuff. My favorite, by far, is a two page ad from Juicy Couture (Juicy Crittoure) of two adorable greyhounds in wigs (one blonde, one pink,) pearls, ribbons and lockets. I don't know where I'll use it. I've never written a story with a dog in it, but somehow, sometime, these lovely ladies are going to make it into a contemporary with lots and lots of dog humor. It may be six books from now, but they deserve a supporting role. If I have a dog at the time, I'll buy it a cashmere hoodie with my advance. (from Juicy Couture, of course.)

What's the oddest thing that triggered a story idea for you?

Duck! Incoming! (Ideas, that is)

2008-01-18T19:38:00.000-05:00

Here's the problem. I'm 3/4 done with my WIP, which was November's NaNo (see glossary for decoding). Probably more like 13/16 done. It's hard to tell because I've skipped over chapter breaks this time around, but we're nearing the end.

I'd like to go back and finish my pseudo-vampire story, which stands at around 250 pages. I dropped it to start and finish The Apprentice Fairy Godmother (currently at an agency). Why drop a sexy, sizzling book about a vampire slayer and their purchasing agent? (artificial blood, anyone? Chocolate? Tanning lotion?) Because I was persuaded (influenced) last spring that vampire stories are (pardon the pun) dead. The market is oversaturated, etc. Ho hum.

Really? That's not what I'm seeing on the bookshelves, but maybe I'm not as smart as the people in the industry. Aren't we (writers) always told to write something different, fresh? I think a vampire story without a vampire as either the hero or heroine is pretty damned fresh. Which is why I'm going to return to it in about a month.

In the meantime, while cleaning out vast amounts of writing debris, I found a title I'd scratched down eons ago. Immediately, characters and plots started churning in my brain and a next comedy is taking shape. I'm going to write it. After I finish my dark fantasy. After the vampire story. It may be May (cute!) before I start.

What say you all? How do you keep the next WIP at bay while maintaining interest in what needs to be finished?

And forgive the parathesis, there was a buy one get one free sale at Target.

Here's a treat for you

2008-01-14T19:12:00.000-05:00

I've been remiss in updating my progress on "The Spell Breaker." I am on pg 291 (from zero on Nov. 1. No chapter breaks, so it's somewhere over 300.) As with the last two books, I have no idea what is going to happen when I start writing every night. Frustrating? Indeed. This I do know:

Character arcs are arcing

One of the villains will die and one will live

A secondary character will die

The heroine will find what she's been looking for all this time

There's a battle comin'

This picture is Rue, by the way. She's got spunk. And awesome hair. And a baby on the way, but I didn't know that when I started writing. Oh, those surprises. Don't you love 'em?

Jump, jump!

2008-01-12T22:03:00.000-05:00

The visit of an energy healer to our RWA group today, and her talk of making a leap of faith reminded me of this passage, which I read last night:
"Come to the edge."
"We can't. We are afraid."
"Come to the edge."
"We can't. We will fall."
"Come to the edge."
And they came.
And he pushed them.
And they flew.
-Guillame Apollinaire

Keep track of the coincidences in your life. If you write them down, you'll be amazed at how often they occur.
Just saying.

Okay, God, I get it.

2008-01-08T21:40:00.000-05:00

Cryptic, God, very cryptic. I ask for signs and I get 1111 and cash registers. But, Sunday, the first day without a wakeup chime, I finally got it. 1111 = One. You know the rest.

Nice job, by the way.

Hello, I'm here

2008-01-03T21:08:00.000-05:00

Cosmic forces are trying to contact me, but they punk out after one ring. For four out of the last five mornings, I've woken up to either a phantom cell phone ring or the doorbell. Not my regular cell chime, and no footprints in the snow outside the door. This morning, the image was my husband opening a cash register drawer. Now, either lots of angels are getting their wings, or something cosmic is in the works.

Come on, fate, knock harder. I'm listening.

What part of discontinue don't you understand?

2007-12-31T14:47:00.000-05:00

I know they have a script they have to follow, but how many times do I have to tell AT&T I no longer require their land line? Or any optional services (a forwarding email for $20, an alternate phone line, etc, etc.) or that the line does not connect to internet, Tivo, a respirator for my dying dog or that no one else in the household (Santa?) is going to fight my decision to disconnect from a service that only brings bill collectors for family members not living in this state or a law enforcement officer selling tickets? For this I pay a half-day's wages? It especially irked me when she asked how I was going to stay in touch with family members. I waffled between semaphore and smoke signals but went with it wasn't her business. Jeez.

In other news, I've been on a cleaning bender. The simple task of putting away the Christmas decorations morphed into cleaning out the teeny, tiny storage area. That sequed into taking care of the dozens of craft magazines, travel magazines, etc I've collected over the last decade. Why did I move them with me? I have to split them up when I toss them or risk a lawsuit from the garbage man for physical duress.
Now that I have all the important articles/patterns ripped out and filed, I feel better. Of course, there's still all the minutae I've collected for each story, none of which is collated into one binder. That's my next project. God, I love long weekends.
And yes, I am writing. I finished a hot love scene and am starting to look toward the big, black moment. My goal is to have the vomit draft down by Jan 31st and the final within a couple of weeks. My first drafts are clean, but there's always something that crops up that needs to be referenced to earlier. Like Rue's pregnancy. She wasn't pregnant at the beginining, but the Girls kept nagging me, so, about page 150, it was first mentioned. Hey, they thought it seemed important to the plot.
What has been the biggest surprise your characters have thrown at you?

Get your groove on

2007-12-18T21:17:00.000-05:00

I'm looking for ideas to get back into the writing groove. You know, when you've found the place where you are a conduit to a higher power. Words write themselves. You look up, and two hours have passed. Your fingers can't move fast enough, and you're making handwritten notes on scrap paper so you won't lose a thought.
I had this last night. After I went to bed. I was brilliant. The ideas sizzled. The phrasing was poetry. The ideas flew. I'd laugh at my own wit and remind myself not to forget a certain idea.
This morning? Butkus. Should have got up and at least found a piece of paper. All I have left is this weird dream that had less to do with my WIP and more with a displaced Mayberry.
So, how do you stir up the creative juices?

Day 16

2007-12-16T20:00:00.000-05:00

Day 16 after NaNo and my count is at 236. Which averages to two point something pages a day for December. I'd like to blame the holidays, but it's the dreaded BIC syndrome. Yes, butt in chair. Or futon, which is where I spend most of my evenings.

On the bright side, I have my tree up. And decorated. My room is clean. My nativitiy scene, personally handmade by moi several (several) years ago is on display. One tiny, tiny trip to the store will complete my shopping. Of course, I have two parties this week (gaak - three) at work which means some peanut butter fudge to be made, and the gearing up for the weekend, when my daughter returns home, but I should be able to squeeze some time out for writing, right?

Let us see what the page count is on January 1st.

Smart bras

2007-12-13T21:46:00.001-05:00

Go Aussies! Researchers at the University of Wollongong in Australia (I did not make up that name!) are working on an "intelligent bra."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7136248.stm

Sensors are built into the fabric which will move with the woman, giving more and better support than current models. That's good news to the well endowded. Of course, they still have to work out a few bugs in the world of breast biomechanics, like turning off the support so the woman can breathe, but progress is being made.
And no, I didn't make up breast biomechanics (sounds painful with a wrench involved somehow.) Check out this link from the Sun Herald and the research being made at the University of Portsmouth.
http://blogs.sunherald.com.au/danieldasey/archives/2007/09/women_could_soo.html

(The model looks like she needs to go up a cup or two)

Wouldn't it be nice to have a bra that fits?

I hope they got it wholesale

2007-12-12T23:28:00.001-05:00

The blood, that is. There's huge amounts of blood, or stage blood, or Karo syrup mixed with raspberry Kool-Aid in this movie. I hope you're not squeamish. Just do what I did - close your eyes and wait for the sound of the body hitting the floor. It's okay to watch after that.
This is probably the brightest scene in the movie (the dream sequence.) I'm surprised, as Tim Burton trades in dark, in multiple ways.

I want all of Helena Bonham Carter's costumes. I'm a sucker for a good costume. Where I'd wear it is another story, but the detail is awesome. I suppose I could sew them myself, but I've pretty much given up sewing. Maybe a hem or two on a good day, but that's pushing it.

If you like dark humor, dark stories, dark musicals and being surprised by the singing talent of people not considered singers, go see this movie.
And close your eyes when they sit in the barber chair and don't open them until you hear the sound of the body hitting the bricks. You'll thank me.

Russian Rockabilly

2007-12-09T21:33:00.000-05:00

Okay, I've abandoned YouTube in favor of MySpace. My favorite radio station www.specialradio.net/6 has a click here button for CD and recommended records (Records? I'll take a 45 with a side order of 33 1/3, please) As this is a Russian station, most of the bands have weird names like Братья по разуму and Идолы Молодежи. Damn, I wish I could read Russian. Wait, there's babel fish, er, alta vista. The first is Brothers to Reason, the second Idols of the Young People. Weird.

Of the English names, I randomly picked this one:

http://www.myspace.com/thestockmen

Which is really a Russian band that specializes in rockabilly and psychobilly music. (Do they look like Johnny Cash to you? More like the Russian Mafia Youth Group) Go to the link for samples. I especially like Ghostriders in the Sky. Or, the Lazarus Connection's version - Ghostwriters in the Sky. Anyone have the literary version lyrics?

The weirdest thing ever

2007-12-04T19:07:00.000-05:00

Because I'm not a dork, I have no idea how to embed a video here (right, YouTube, it doesn't work) so here's the link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMnk7lh9M3o
Sorry I had to make you work for it.

Squee !!

2007-12-03T22:35:00.000-05:00

Be still, my heart. Adrian Paul, THE Highlander, will be attending RT in Pittsburgh. Why didn't someone tell me? RT is celebrating 25 years of cover models, and he is one of their honored guests, available to dine with on Saturday for a mere $100.00 a plate.

Richard, my current hero, looks eerily like Adrian Paul. Not that I would confuse the two. Or anything.

Oh, and Fabio will be there, as well. Huh.

Excuse me, I have to go write a torrid love scene.

1/2 a book

2007-12-01T18:02:00.000-05:00

NaNoWriMo is over, and I did it! Granted, I never officially registered, but my opinion is more important than Chris Baty's. Two hundred pages in thirty days! I finished the last sentence of scene two on page two hundred, line twenty-four.
For December, I'm planning on NaNo light. At least one hundred but preferably one hundred and fifty pages.
The draft is a lot rougher than normal, but I have plenty of notes. The Girls keep sending up tidbits to add, the latest being a secondary character should be pregnant. I resisted for two or three weeks, but caved in last night. There must be a reason. In the meantime, I'm enjoying torturing my characters. I have much more in store for them before the happily ever after.
If you're looking for a little Christmas fun, visit this website: www.elfyourself.com Upload some photos and send them to your friends. It's a rocking good time!

I'm sick

2007-11-28T20:47:00.000-05:00

Why do I keep doing this? Buying books when I know I don't have time to read. I barely have time to pay the bills this month (the mortgage is due when?) Yet I received three in the mail today (one weighing in at almost 900 pages) and have six more I've purchased in the last month. Not to mention a stack of others in my TBR pile. Why, why, why? I can't possibly read them during my lunch hour, the only uninterrupted time I have nowadays.

My friends, I suffer from readabookamania. Or maybe it's neverhaveenoughaphobia. There is nothing as comforting as a wall of books, read or unread. Unless it's a full freezer. Or a full pantry. Or stacks of magazines. Or fat quarters of fabric. You know, I think I might have a "stuff" problem. Ya think?

What book are you dying to read?

Enchanted Beowulf

2007-11-26T18:52:00.000-05:00

Weekend movies:
Enchanted, a Cool Whip of a movie, sweet and airy with a fly speck of Susan Sarandon (wicked stepmother) crunching scenes like they were Fritos. Disney pokes fun at itself in a sweeping, let's-everybody sing in Central Park kind of way. Grade: B+

Beowulf, the digital version. It's like watching video game characters act in a movie. Sometimes, they're eerily real (Ray Winstone, normally a pudgy Englishman now enhanced

to Gerard Butler 300 buffness) Sometimes they're wooden (Robin Wright Penn, oh, Buttercup, what has thou wrought?) Crispin Glover does his wacked out character routine, John Malkovich is John Malkovich and Anjelina is pretty much naked except for some strategically placed mud. If you can get over the digital characters (300 is way better) I'd give it B-

The score is excellent. Listen here:http://www.beowulfmovie.com/

The nose hits the grindstone

2007-11-24T17:47:00.000-05:00

What is a grindstone anyway? Where can you buy one? My grandpa used to have one, about 12" across, set on its side in a wooden frame. He'd sit on one end and push a pedal, turning the grindstone faster and faster then he'd sharpen knives and axes and anything he'd need for the farm. Grandpa was a sadistic old coot (kidding.)

Week last for NaNo and I'm within site of the end. Or the middle, as this book will top out near 400 pages. I'm at 160 with seven days to go. The steam has dropped off a bit. I blame it on POV changes, it always takes me a page or two to get into a new scene.

Wednesday, I wrote awful sex. I didn't write awful, the sex was awful. It was meant to be. Who says it has to be earth-shattering the first time? For my characters, that would be all wrong. She has trust/intimacy issues and the circumstances leading up to the sex were very stressful. Here's a hint - it will get better. Here's another - the best music to play while writing sex is Andrea Bocelli.

Today's best line, used when the H/H argue about the pressure of being a leader:

“Someone has to do the dirty work, right?”

“Nay. Someone has to survive to live with the pain of deciding who dies.”

Do you know who I am?

2007-11-19T19:04:00.000-05:00

Saturday, we went to a local museum to see a National Archive exhibit on loan. It happened to be in the neighborhood/staging area of the Christmas parade. The parking lot was empty because the burly guard told us if we parked there without proof we went to the museum, we'd be given a ticket for $50.00. I would have liked to have seen the parade, but hubby was a stickler for seeing the exhibit (which has been there for six weeks and will be there another six) so we went through with our original plans.

While we waited for Sir EatsAlot to unchain the gate, a big SUV pulled in behind us. I mean BIG. Hubby said it's the biggest one Ford makes. I think it would have held a hockey team and three or four mascots. Driving the SUV was one of our local TV anchors. You know who she is if you live in the area. First initial S. Anyway, I'm sure she pulled the "Do you know who I am?" ploy because she swung in behind us in her non-TV news vehicle and parked. Funny, I don't remember seeing her in the museum. Bet she didn't get a ticket, either.

Who do you know who uses the "Do you know who I am?" line? Or, is it you?

Whew, made it!

2007-11-15T17:15:00.000-05:00

Fourteen days of NaNo, one hundred pages. Who would have thought? I slowed down for a day or two because I'd written myself into a corner and finally said "I can fix this later." Tonight is the second turning point, when Richard has to make the decision that will keep Lissa from the evil henchman. BIG, life altering decision.
This weekend, they have sex (woo-hoo) probably the earliest two of my characters have done it. (Not everyone can write it in the first chapter, er, scene, er, paragraph) I don't think it will be pretty, lyrical sex (Fwhuh?) Obligation on his part, and she'll be so twisted up inside trying not to empath his feelings that she won't allow herself to let go. All subject to change, of course. I have Andrea Bocelli to listen to, and time blocked out.
In other news, we had to put our kitty down. A really, really, really tough decision, but it was time. On the up, unfeeling owner side, know where I can get good carpet cheap?
Time to get out my agent list and submit again. Two a week. This will make it my. . .second week in a row. One thing about email queries, there's no waiting months and months for rejection.

2007-11-14T20:48:00.000-05:00

Here is another picture of Lissa. As you can see, she's a very tortured individual. She just killed some more of the bad guys with her mind, but doesn't know how. The evil henchman is about to claim "dibs" on her as she appeared in his land first when she was summoned from Earth. Richard has to find a way to keep her, but there are strict laws on the losst, those without families. There's only one solution. . .

NaNo pages:97, chugging toward 100 by midnight.

Best lame-ass writing:(insert battle scene)

It's all about the word count, people.

Writing a book is like a hockey game

2007-11-12T18:37:00.001-05:00

Let me explain why.

Both have three periods - a beginning, a middle and an end

Fights are known to break out

There are penalties for misbehavior

There are heroes and villains

It can go into overtime

In the case of the one I attended Saturday, the first few minutes (chapters) and the last few minutes (chapters) were the most exciting

You never know what will happen

There are always distractions

The only differences is - the heroes in a book generally have all their teeth and at the end, they get the girl instead of a big cup. Or a girl with big cups. Or -

Now let's hear your comparisons.

My book is like a ?

NaNo page count:82

What makes you scream like a girl?

2007-11-07T20:54:00.000-05:00

More people would rather die than speak in public. It's our greatest fear. I think of this because tomorrow is my weekly Toastmasters meeting, and I am giving two presentations. One 90 seconds long (ish) on how easy it is to speak on Table Topics (an impromptu 90 second, don't know until I'm at the podium and see the topic what I'm going to talk about). The other is a PowerPoint (don't be impressed, it's three slides) presentation on recruiting new members. It's scripted, so I have no prep work other than winging the opening and conclusion. Am I nervous about doing this? Not anymore. Practice makes perfect and all that jazz.

Interestingly, authors - who live for words - seem to be the most petrified when it comes to public speaking, pitching to agents and editors or even saying hi to a stranger at a conference.

What is your biggest fear? Irrationally (aren't they all?) mine is falling down a flight of stairs.

Today's word count: zero (so far)

NaNo pages: 51 with no chapter breaks

It's like driving with a map in the fog

2007-11-04T21:13:00.000-05:00

I'm discovering outlines are like maps. They show you where to go, but they don't tell you how to get there. I have this super-duper, four page, color coded outline with one sentence tags. Stuff like "Richard and Lissa on the road to his sister's." Uh-huh. Okay, what are they doing on the way? What do they talk about, sense, think?

That, my friends, is the challenge. Every day I sit down and think "Now what?" Every time I change a scene, it's "What do I do now?" Yesterday, my husband asked how many pages I'd written since our last conversation. When I told him, he said "Two pages in two hours?" Hey, I'd changed scenes. Two new characters stood there for awhile, like blinking cursors, until they decided what to say. After I get going, though, it's golden. Some really good stuff rolls off onto the screen.

I guess it must be working. I'm at thirty-eight pages and determined to hit forty before the night is through.

A map in the fog. Huh.

Lissa

2007-11-02T19:58:00.000-04:00

I really don't have a full facial picture of Lissa, they're all like this one. Yeah, she has red hair. Longer, I think, and without the MayDay bouquet.

Yesterday's NaNo count - 10 pages. Don't be impressed, seven of those were from conception of the idea.

I have thirty-one scenes in the first half of the book on my spreadsheet. One a day. It won't be pretty, but this is the vomit draft, right?

Tonight - Richard's first POV scene. I have no idea what he has in store for me. On the other hand, I have several ideas for him (see yesterday's post, hint, hint, wink, wink, nudge, nudge.)

Richard

2007-10-31T22:13:00.001-04:00

Meet Richard. Yeah. Mmm. I'll be spending the next couple of months with him. Very intensely during November. Three or four hours a night, longer on the weekend. It's a tough job, but someone has to do it.

Richard is King of Aribisala, one of four kingdoms on a large island of the same name. Kind of like Iceland, but further south, which is moot, as the story takes place in late fall and winter, but to give you an idea of its size and topography (flat lands, mountains, waterfalls, volcanoes, geothermal heat.) Richard has been married before, but tragically lost his wife and child in an unknown (to me) incident. His family is pushing for him to remarry because, he is, after all, king. Then he meets Lissa, who has extraordinary powers that will save his kingdom. She just doesn't know how to use them. She's a little pissed at the moment from being summoned from Earth, the only life she's ever known, to his Godforsaken, cold world. She'll get over it. He'll help her. She won't have to worry about cold when he's around. I'm sure you know what I mean. In the meantime, she has to think about harnessing these strange powers, staying away from the evil henchman and his Ice Queen boss. Plus, there's a kingdom full of people whose thoughts/emotions she can suddenly hear/feel, not to mention a dying wizard and a couple of other surprises, only one of which she'll like.

I'll leave you with that for now. I'd post a picture of Lissa, but the ones I have aren't clear - profile obscured by hair, double exposure of a hysterical laugh, sobbing on a bed, trying to drown herself in the bathtub. Lissa is a tortured individual. Richard will make it all better. But not for about three hundred and fifty pages or so.

To all my friends who will participate in NaNo - I salute you. May the words fly from your fingertips and the ideas streak through your brain like the Aurora Borealis (oops, another Icelandic reference.)

My work here is done

2007-10-29T20:07:00.000-04:00

I think I've struck the perfect balance between pantzing and plotting. I have just enough structure to point me along the way but allow detours and surprises. So says she who has a four page color-coded spreadsheet in her three-inch thick binder. I spent all weekend on that binder, it is a work of beauty. I've covered character arcs, turning points and personality profiles (lightly on the last, I know hair and eye color and vague backgrounds, but refuse to know what song they liked in second grade.)
And still I learn more about my characters. I hope the wonder continues until the last page.
Writing is such a strange business.

NaNo

2007-10-26T20:28:00.000-04:00

NaNo is next month - November 1st. Thursday. Six days away. Are you ready? I'm spending the last weekend before the big crunch getting all my research organized. Years ago, when my daughter was in school, I grumbled about the cost of the "perfect" binder. Little did I know I'd be reusing them for my writing. Recycle, reuse. A green author.
I have legal pads, I have outline sheets, I have index cards. OMG, they make them with color-coded tops. Twenty each in red, orange, yellow, green and blue. Save one color for misc. notes and use the others for the four act structure. Oh, it's easy to be geeked by the simplest things.
Are you ready?