Chiaroscuro House

Update: A Move

2010-03-11T19:57:00.001-06:00

Well, this blog is going to be phased out over this month. But it isn't going away entirely. I simply feel it is too cluttered, and so I am splitting its contents up amongst other blogs. This way I can focus my fiction in one place, my writing tips and motivations in another place, and my somewhat personal writing experiments and my speech disorder blog elsewhere entirely.

This should be the last post on this blog. It was fun all, but I hope it will be even better in the near future at the following addresses:

http://ch-fic.blogspot.com/ - Fantasy Fiction Blog
http://ch-nonfic.blogspot.com/ - Nonfiction (Writing Tips/Motivationals) Blog
http://writeness-training.blogspot.com/ - Personal Writing Experiments and Exercises Blog
http://writers-persevere.blogspot.com/ - Speech Disorder (Cluttering) Blog

Thanks!

A Snow Day

2010-02-15T05:00:00.002-06:00

Sorry, this isn't a true Monday post. You can say I'm taking a snow-day :-) But I'm trying to get a handle on some changes I want for the Motivational Monday posts and other features of the blog.

You Are Never Too Old For Snow Days

2010-02-08T05:00:00.001-06:00

You Are Never Too Old For Snow Days

Do you remember how excited you got when school was cancelled due to snow? No school, no homework, plenty of fun, and snow! Well, last month I had a snow day, literally and metaphorically. You see, lately my job has required a lot of overtime. I clocked about 15 hours per week in January, and this schedule will not change much for the next few months. Overtime had become routine, until one day late in January I had a Saturday off. Not because I got snowed in, not because I got caught up on my work, but because the computer program I use was down. That really put things in perspective. When all you see is what you have left to do, you never get a chance to see what you have done. How stressful!

So what did I do? Well, that is where the coincidental snow comes in. The last time I had fun in the snow was not long before I was hired, about a year ago. On that day, my young cousin, my mother, and I all got together and built a giant "snow worm", our most creative and memorable snow-day ever. The snow wasn't deep enough this time, but you know what? We got together that weekend. We played in the snow anyway. I took pictures. I had fun. And I didn't do a lick of work, writing or otherwise, that weekend. Because I called in a snow-day.

How wasteful, right? Nothing had been done on my work or my writing, and things needed to be done. There are so many pages left to write on my Victorianesque vampire novel. There is so much paperwork left to process and sort through at my job. "So many". "So much." And all negative. My perspective was dangerously narrow and it took a day off to remove the blinders. After all, "so much" may be left to do, but "so much" had been accomplished--and I had forgotten until I had a day off. Now I remembered that while there may be so much left to write on my novel, I had developed so many exciting ideas on so many areas on that series. And while there may be so much work to do at my job, I had processed so many requirements and as a result so many parts were being made or in the process thereof. Not wasteful at all!

When we were children, the snow-day itself was the reward. But as writers we can use that day to get excited about all we have done and become motivated about our day-to-day routine again. So whether time finds you or better yet you find the time, take a long break and do something unrelated to writing that you really want to do. And do it. Watch a movie. Take a walk. Read a book. Listen to music while soaking in the tub. Just don't fill this time with chores to do or extra time at work. Rather, go play in the snow. Writers need snow-days too.

REVEILLE

The same thing that happened to me can happen in any writer's life. Are you busy writing toward a goal that you don't think you can reach? Is the only thing you can see is how much work is left to do? Well, Bonnie Goldberg, in her book Beyond the Words, has some good advice on that topic. She says, "[S]ometimes for all the good reasons there are to write daily, there as many equally good reasons not to write daily. [...] Not writing allows time for percolation to take place, gives your creativity time to replenish, and gives you the distance from your writing to gain perspective on it." The thing is, it shouldn't take circumstances beyond your control to give you the chance to do just that in your life. Don't wait for the snow to call in a snow-day.

Need some suggestions on how to do just that? Click here.

THE FUTURE IS NOT NOW

2010-02-01T05:30:00.001-06:00

THE FUTURE IS NOT NOW

Christian motivational speaker, Joel Osteen, had an interesting sermon on Jan 24. Don't name your future by the bad or unwanted circumstances of your present. In the week since that sermon, that message has really hit home. You see, I recently started a fantasy writing critique or "crit" group and posted a piece for review. And I got crits, ones that reminded me of why I have a love/hate relationship with crit groups. It never fails, where ever I go, I receive crits about a lack of clarity on basic prose. I receive crits on sentences that are weird. I receive crits on convoluted sentence structures. I receive crits that readers cannot understand what I wrote.

Before last week, I couldn't understand why my writing didn't make sense to others, when it did to me. Before last week, I thought my unusual sentences was my style. Before last week, I knew it was a problem, but not why can't ever fix it. Then, in that week that followed Joel Osteen's Sunday sermon, I listened to another podcast I had downloaded and on it a comment came up about a guest speaker, a writer, having a writing style similar to how she speaks, and something finally clicked: people often write how they speak.

You see, I have uncommon speech disorder. As a two or three year old, I was told that I "spoke too fast". The disorder was not named and it was masked by a more obvious disorder in which I could only say about 30% of my letters. Speech classes fixed that obvious speech disorder; the other went unchecked. Until now.

I discovered what I have through online research. It is called cluttering, a fluency disorder, and the best description of it comes from Wikipedia:

"It feels like 1) about twenty thoughts explode on my mind all at once, and I need to express them all, 2) that when I'm trying to make a point, that I just remembered something that I was supposed to say, so the person can understand, and I need to interrupt myself to say something that I should have said before, and 3) that I need to constantly revise the sentences that I'm working on, to get it out right."

Cluttering affects writing abilities. Cluttering affects reading abilities. Cluttering affects listening abilities. And most people don't realize they have a problem at all; others around them do.

Now, I am aware of the problem and I am aware that it affects many aspects of communication. But that is not the only thing I discovered. You see, currently my writing is defined by this disorder, but in the future, it doesn't have to be. Currently, I am defined by this disorder, but in the future, I don't have to be. My past experiences with speech disorders proves this. My ability to write nonfiction that is readable proves this. That is what I discovered through Joel Osteen's message. Don't decide what your future will be by what is happening now. I have the knowledge of what is wrong, and I have the will to find ways to fix it and change my future. Starting now. How about you?

REVEILLE

Every writer has some obstacle that is present now. Perhaps it is the economy, and no one is buying. Perhaps there is some imperfection in your writing that is holding you back. Perhaps you have the will to write, but no time. Perhaps you have the desire, but the words won't come. But that is all happening "now". What are you doing to make sure that is not your future? Need some tips? To check out the companion piece to this blog post, click here.

POST NOTE:

It is such a relief to discover what is wrong so you may begin fixing it. Since I "came out", the thing I have been most inspired to do is start a community for writers with disabilities. And I did it. Right now it is just me and a blog, just me and my journey to improve my communication abilities and stay motivated. Who knows, this community may continue to consist of just me, and that is ok. If I can help even one reader of that blog feel better about his own disability and how it affects his writing dreams, then I have reached my goal. But I invite others to join and become "authors" on that blog, and if that happens, who knows how many people we can reach. Please check it out by clicking here.

WHEN LIFE HAPPENS TO YOUR GOALS

2010-01-25T05:30:00.001-06:00

WHEN LIFE HAPPENS TO YOUR GOALS

One of the last posts before I went blog-silent was on minimizing my goals due to less free time. It was about cutting back. In these times, with this economy, who doesn't know about cutting back? You cut out splurge items. You make do with what you have; you make it last longer or you buy a cheap substitute. You save by eliminating wants and pleasure items. And you feel the loss. I felt it when I cut my writing goals, and part of me rebelled at the loss: I haven't done a thing toward my writing goals that were left.

You see, that was because I was focusing on the loss, not the gains, I was focusing on something out of my control affecting what I wanted to control. What I need is a shift in my thinking. I can't change my situation, but I can change my perspective. Instead of just cutting down on my dreams, I am going to change them.

I had wanted to write weekly articles to help my fellow writers and learn a new craft. After my work situation changed, I decided the amount of articles had to be far fewer. But with a shift in focus, instead of less, I can do more . . . of a different kind. After all, motivational podcasts are helping me get through this high stress period with a smile on my face. Why not share what I gain from them by writing my own motivations for writers?

I had wanted to fill my Thursdays and Fridays with Test Drives and Book Learning sessions. Things changed and I decided I couldn't do anything more than dissect a single novel in a six month period. And what about going through a whole reference book and creating a course of study based off it? Forget about it. But with a shift of focus, I can find things to analyze--like the TV show I hate to miss each week. I can create lessons--based off a single technique a book talks about, a book I am reading snippets from anyway.

I had wanted to finish and submit an entire novel to a literary agency; then I decided I better focus on just completing a draft. But what if I chose not to write less this year, but focus on writing more. More of what I want to write, not what I should write. Forget the trends and market, focus on fiction that satisfies my creative urges while keeping my skills sharp. The results can still be shared--as free fiction, a traditionally marketable item, or a self-published work.

Basically, instead of focusing on what to cut back, what I have to lose due to circumstances beyond my control, I am focusing on what I can change for the better. The way I see it, I'm not losing anything--I'm gaining so much more.

REVEILLE

Reveille is a wake up call. It means "to awaken, to wake up", but it ultimately derives from Latin meaning "be awake, keep watch". Let inspiration awake something inside you, and then be vigilant on what you are doing with your new awareness. In this case, we are in the month of goal setting for so many writers and so often life interferes with your best laid plans. What are you doing to keep the heart of your writing goals intact even if life changes? Need some more advice? Check out the companion piece to this very article, now posted to my webpage.

Changes, They Are Here

2010-01-24T20:32:00.001-06:00

I may be starting small, but I hope I am building up to something big. I'm starting with Mondays. Why? It harkens back to when I was little and a school-mate polled the class for an assignment. She asked, "What is your favorite day?" I, and I alone, said Wednesday. Why? Because Wednesdays mean the week is half over, and to me, the week started and still starts to this day on Monday. More so now than ever when I only have one full day off a week. So to make it through the week, Mondays need to borrow a little something from hump-day Wednesdays or gratitude-inspiring Fridays. For me, that is motivational pieces. Starting tomorrow, I will post my own inspirational pieces for writers, trying to turn the dreaded Monday into a motivated one.

Changes, They Are A' Coming

2010-01-10T13:54:00.002-06:00

For the next week or two, this blog is undergoing renovation. I've been stung by the inspiration-bug (again) and I hoping as a result of this downtime this blog and my website will come back stronger than ever.

Thank you for your patience.

Bad News, Good News

2010-01-05T18:57:00.002-06:00

The Good News, I definitely have job security for about half the year for sure. Someone went out on maternity leave about a month or two early, and so I'm going to have to do about 15 hours overtime a week until a temp comes in helps alleviate the situation a little. Which will get worse before it gets better, since we have to train the temp too.

The Bad News, that means basically my writing and blogging life is going to be cut down to the bare minimum. I thought about it, and until I get back to my normal schedule of 40 hours a week, this blog will have to be a little more sporadic. First off, Test Drives are suspended until further notice and in a way, it's a good thing. I have different ideas for Test Drives, one idea being a way to make it not so time consuming, and so when it comes back, I'm starting fresh.

Second, Monday Link posts may not be every Monday, but I am aiming for at least two Mondays a month.

Wednesdays I planned on posting snippets, progress, or exercises or explorations with my characters and novels. That will still happen, but instead of every Wednesday, it will likely be a random Wednesday, when the mood hits or I have a really cool snippet to post.

Thursdays will still be my fiction reading and deconstruction schedule, but it will be at much slower pace.

And writing? Well, I had plans on writing a lot fiction, as you can see from the New Year's post. Well, now that has changed. My main goal is to get one novel submitted and some shorter length fiction done. Articles will be also much more scarce.

But keeping my Thursday and some semblance of my writing goals is needed for my sanity.

Well, that's it so far. Wish me luck over the next few months, I'll need it.

Book Learning #1: Novel Choice

2010-01-05T18:50:00.000-06:00

Yesterday, I posted about my intention to start a fiction reading and learning program for myself. I said I'd pick a book by today. So, what is the book I picked?

Well, since I have been into writing vampire fiction of late, why not have vampires for reading as well. So, the novel up for Book Learning, Session #1, is Quenched by Mary Ann Mitchell.

I have already begun reading. Where am I currently? Well, I'm done with chapter two. I'll post about my opinions thus far on this book on Thursday, Jan 7th.

New Years Goals

2010-01-05T07:00:00.001-06:00

This year, I want to get things written. Towards that end, I joined a Rejection/Acceptance Contest.

My New Year's Goals are thus:

Submit one novel to agents.
Finish four short stories this year.
Post twelve writing articles this year to my website.
Read and deconstruct three novels this year--more about that in another post.
Complete three Test Drives--see this post.

Let's see how well that works out.

So, what are your writing goals for this year?

Book Learning

2010-01-04T10:46:00.000-06:00

I'm a firm believer in continuing education. When you can't afford writing workshops or programs, you do it yourself. Some of the best advice I heard was to read a book and learn how the author made it work. So, that is exactly what I am going to do. Not only will it get me reading fiction regularly, but I will be learning at the same time.

My plan is to read the book with minimal stopping for note taking. Then I go back, chapter by chapter and analyze the book. Discover how it works. In doing so, however, my posts will be rather spoiler-heavy, I am afraid.

These posts I plan to keep on Thursdays. Today or tomorrow, I'll post my book choice and on the 7th, I'll give an update on my progress. I welcome your responses to the book, as well.

Link-a-Week: Steampunk, Part I

2010-01-04T07:00:00.000-06:00

Link-a-Day Mondays have changed. Now there is a monthly theme. This month? Steampunk. What is steampunk? Well Wikipedia classifies it as fiction

"set in an era or world where steam power is still widely used—usually the 19th century, and often Victorian era England—but with prominent elements of either science fiction or fantasy, such as fictional technological inventions like those found in the works of H. G. Wells and Jules Verne, or real technological developments like the computer occurring at an earlier date."

Interesting, huh?

Anyway, the first steampunk links this month are are blogs:

Steampunk Links - Has some gorgeous eye-candy.
Brass Goggles - A lot of interesting posts over many topics. Don't forget to check out their forum.
The Steampunk Home - Is about items that make a home look more steampunkish.
The Heliograph - Another with a ton of information about steampunk, including events and reviews.

Enjoy!

Hiatus Continued

2010-01-01T10:56:00.000-06:00

Due to some unexpected delays, Chiaroscuro House blog will return on Monday, Jan 4 instead of today. Sorry about that.

Blog Hiatus

2009-12-23T19:45:00.000-06:00

Well, since I was late for my Wednesday post, I decided it was a sign. I'm going to take a holiday from the blog until Jan 1. And hopefully, when I came back, I'll bring in some changes as well. For one of my new year's resolution's is to get my blog (and web page) into shape.

Till then have a merry Christmas, everyone, and a happy new year!

Link-a-Day: World Generator

2009-12-21T18:15:00.000-06:00

Last week, I posted about time wasters. Well, how about something that can both fun and helpful. If you write in a speculative genre that isn't set on our world, you have to create your own world. There are tools out there to do just that. The one I like in particular is Fractal World Generator. Not only can you pick the type of map, but chose criteria that affects the world you get--like percentage of ice and water. Then you can save the map it generates. Neat-o.

Test Drive: 10 Steps: Step 1 and 2

2009-12-18T07:05:00.002-06:00

(Image from: http://www.writersstore.com/product.php?products_id=3378)

STEP ONE AND TWO: PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION AND OCCUPATION/PROFESSION.

These are listed in as the first two steps in the book, but often times you see them combined in a basic character building checklist. Since they fit well together, I'm combining them here into one lesson.

So, let's get started with . . . .

The Question.

You've seen these before, the checklist of character attributes. I've filled out these charts before, but I rarely remember the details come writing time and to tell the truth they bore the heck out of me. But the book adds a twist by asking one essential question. One I never thought of asking.

Why. Why is this important.

The answer to this question directly pertains to your story. It makes you think what effect this attribute has not only how your character acts and reacts to life, but how it affects the story. So for every bit of physical description, ask yourself that question: Why is this important. I think you'll be surprised by what changes and depth develops in your character and your story early on.

In fact, for all steps, that is going to be a question you need to ask and you'll be surprised by how much you get out of it.

Anyway, on to . . .

#1. Physical Description.

The book covers a few primary areas of physical description, which are age, physique (including height, weight, etc), face, and distinguishing characteristics. Instead of just following those listed, I suggest finding a character chart online or making your own. Charts aside, though, there are a couple attributes I want to touch on from the book, ones that shouldn't be missed.

First Impression. What is the first impression your character makes as he walks into room? What attribute is the first noticed? How does it make others feel about him or her.

Distinguishing Characteristics. This is the unique aspects to your character's appearance. Does he have scars? Does she have a tattoo? How about injuries? Where do these characteristics come from, are they genetic based, as a result of an injury or illness, or something your character has deliberately done to themselves?

No matter how entertaining or boring you find the character description charts, the point is clear. Start thinking about the story these attributes tell about your character. For example, age affects how your character reacts, what positions he might hold, or possible sources of conflict--think about a Doogie Howser type character or the reverse, a late comer dealing with a much younger generation of peers. On physique, calloused hands can show your character is used to hard labor or her weight might be a point of contention in your character's life. And so on.

However, don't go overboard on filling out these character charts. If your story shifts as you write, you may wish to change things about your character. Do yourself a favor. If you don't feel strongly about an attribute after you've done this work, don't lock yourself in.

Now that we covered what your character looks like, what about . . .

#2. Profession or Occupation

Just like real life, your character has some occupation or profession to define him. Whether it is stay-at-home parent, being independently wealthy, or a 40-hour a week job, something occupies most of his or her time. This section of the book will focus on that. Again, this is something you can probably find on a character checklist. But remember to keep in mind other aspects about the job--what does the job involve? What does it say about his personality? Are the other characters that are important in the story at his work place? How important is her occupation to the story? To your character?

Some checklists cover the next topic. The book doesn't. So, I'm going to include it here. I'm talking about the . . .

Hobby or Volunteering or Pastime. I'm not a full time writer. I also have a 40-hour week job. Perhaps your character does too--is there something he sees as his vocation? Or maybe she just has a hobby? Maybe she volunteers. Work is work, whether not you get paid for it. What your character does when not working for money can be revealing. What does your character's hobby say about her?

Beyond that, the book covered something interesting that I think is left out of most checklists. That is . . .

Work Ethic. How does he feel about his work? Does he give 100% to it? Or is it to just get by, while he focuses on something else that is true passion? Is this going to change throughout the story?

Personally, I never thought to ask about my character's work ethic. But it is different and possibly revealing, so it doesn't hurt to give a try, right?

Right.

Conclusion.

Well, that's it for the first two steps. Easy enough, so far. We are starting with basic but useful building blocks, choosing what your character looks like and what he does. More importantly, though, we learned to ask: Why--why is this important. Keeping the lesson in mind, why don't we take a look at some exercises and tricks that will keep things interesting.

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TIPS, TRICKS, AND EXERCISES:

STEP ONE AND TWO

The following is a list exercises, tips, and tricks (from the book, other resources, and myself) to get you thinking about the physical description and occupation of your character and to help you define him or her in interesting ways. You don't have to do them all, but I do suggest at minimum doing the exercises listed in the section below.

Main Exercises.

The Checklist. Your first exercise is to find or make a checklist you want to work with and fill it out. Make sure it includes at first impression and occupation. Try to keep it brief and don't be afraid to revise as you learn more about your character. And most importantly, don't forget to ask yourself "Why is this important?".

The write up. Once you got your checklist filled out, write a brief paragraph summarizing the most important bits. Include your "whys". Keep this handy, either in its own file or on a note card for easy reference.

Bonus Exercises.

These are more creative exercises to explore physical character aspects. They get you in story-mode thinking, making you see how your character's physical aspects and occupation affects his life and his choices in the story. You don't have to do all these or any of these, but they can be fun to try. Some of these come from the actual book, some from other resources, and some I just made up. Enjoy!

What's your sign? The book posed an interesting exercise related to age. What is your character's horoscope? You can add attributes to your characters personality and relationship compatibility. But what if your novel is not set in the real world--that is, it is of the speculative fiction genre? Well, it can work reverse too. Look up the descriptions of the signs, and you have the idea for personality and relationship conflicts.
Future self. Your character meets himself from the future (or the past if he is currently older in story-time). Future Time Character and Present Time Character have had different experiences. Age has had an effect. What effect? How are the two characters different from each other, physically, emotionally, mentally, etc.
Beyond the visual. Use your other senses. What is the scent associated with your character--or what is her favorite smell? Does she favor certain textures, or is his skin smooth or rough? And so on.
Love poetry. You've all read or read about poetry that glorifies aspects of a lover's body like eyes or hair. Well, here's your chance. Your character is going to write a poem or love letter, no matter how awful, about the beauty of another character.
The secret. Let's say your character has been trying to hide a scar or injury. How has he been hiding it? Now, go further on this exercise. Your character's secret characteristic has just been revealed to person he least wanted to know about it. How do both react?
Corporate headhunter. Your character has to recruit someone for a job and orientate them.
The first job. Your character never worked before, either this is their first job or they lived life in the lap of luxury. What job does he pick? Why? What is his first day like?
So what do you do for fun? Your character is bored. Give your character your hobby. Does he like it? Does he hate it? What does he do with it?

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RESOURCES

Horoscope.

Character Charts.

Test Drive: 10 Steps: Introduction Implementation

2009-12-18T07:00:00.001-06:00

INTRODUCTION:

MY IMPLEMENTATION

(Image from: http://www.writersstore.com/product.php?products_id=3378)

I mentioned in the article that you can use this on a first draft or a brand new story. Well, to make this a true test drive, I'm going to be insane and try it on both simultaneously. Here is the information on them.

WIP: Walker#1

Genre: Fantasy
Protagonist: Walker or Pheteh.

First thing to know about Walker is that he amnesiac. So, the following names are not really his, in the real sense. He named himself Walker. Someone else named him Pheteh.

Walker - The meaning behind Walker is "fuller". It was an occupation. According to Behind the Name, "Walkers would tread on wet, unprocessed wool in order to clean and thicken it." That's not the reason I picked it, though. You see, I had an idea that Walker got that name off a flyer or poster of some sort. Also, it reminds me of his occupation--he is courier. A very special kind (see the concept below).
Pheteh - This was me playing with Egyptian names/people and sounds. Pheteh came from a mangling of the god Ptah. Wikipedia shows that it can be spelled Peteh, hence my mangling. One allusion I wanted to make between Pheteh and Ptah concerned the "opening of the mouth ceremony" Ptah was said to have created. Since souls can be transferred into a courier through the mouth in my world, it fit.

POV: 1st person, single point of view.
Plot Concept: Amnesiac Walker was a courier--he used to carry memories, souls, and even objects magically miniaturized inside his body. But few people know it; and he doesn't even remember ever doing it. Now he's a mehnset, someone who makes sure what the couriers carry won't mess up the worlds any more than they already are. But as they say, once a courier, always a courier. Well, Walker's sometimes-wife says that. She is counting on him to transport an item across the schisms (loco world borders) that mehnsets would kill to destroy; as a mehnset, he is the only one who could do it. He is prepared to tell her to go drop off a schism when she reveals what it is. A key ingredient for a cure for an adaptive plague that in his world raises the dead and turns them into parasitic succubi. She carries the thaumaturge soul who brewed it up. Walker has his own personal reasons for seeing the cure come to fruitation, but few people are willing to try. After all, the last attempt at a cure pissed off the plague and turned that world a great big mausoleum. That being the world from whence the plague originated. The world he called home.

New Novel: Hunger

Genre: Kafka-esque fantasy.
Character Names:

Sorenn - Mangled. Comes from a Romanian Sorin, which means "sun". Thought it was ironic, given that he's a vampire.
Anca - Is a Romanian name (female) meaning "grace, favor". It's for a male character, though. Quite frankly, I just like the sound and look of it. He is a "food" product for Sorenn.
Mareis - Mangled. Comes from Romanian Marius, either derived from the Roman god of war, Mars, or from a Roman word mean "man". Figured, since she is the competitor of Anca, and Anca is originally a female name, it is fitting.

POV: Either first person (single pov) or close third person (multiple povs). I'll know more once I start working with the story and character voices.
Plot Idea: Influenced strongly by The Hunger Artist by Kafka, and maybe by Jackson's The Lottery. It is the vampiric act put on display for public entertainment. Sorenn is like those big cats you see in the movie Gladiator. Except, he is kept starved and is mistreated, and then he is released to hunt down and kill prey. The lucky food product survivor not only gets to live but gets a magically prolonged life.

Search for Re: Cartazonon.

2009-12-16T07:00:00.000-06:00

The Cartazonon.

Image from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Wesh_unicorn_statue.jpg

This Indian and north African equine calls deserts and wastes of mountains home. It possesses a reddish-yellow coat, long mane and tail, and a lengthy horn that is black and shiny. Although it sounds beautiful, the Cartazonon is not your typical Disneyfied unicorn: au contrare, it is very aggressive. It will attack anyone who tries to capture it--no one has managed that feat yet, so the legends go. Sometimes its agression is unprovoked, attacking people for no reason. It seems to dislike animals as much as humans, especially lions. The African native will kill whole prides of them.

What do I like about them? Come on. Killer unicorns? What is not to like?

How do they relate to my writing? Well, I did have a story idea once with evil unicorns, but besides that, folkloric horses gives me ideas on building a better mount for Walker.

Resources:

Link-a-Day: Time Wasters

2009-12-14T07:00:00.002-06:00

Last week, I posted about an online Victorian ettiquette game. That reminded me of other games I used to play online. Some have since disappeared, but there are others out their to tickle the fancy, eat up time, or provide a some fun research. I haven't tried all of them out myself, but here a few that caught my eye:

Zynga - My favorite is the Fishville, although the FarmVille is fun too (reminds me of SimFarm). The vampire game is fun too.
Neopets - Used to play this one. Addicting but very time consuming.
Arcadia Sim - Never played it, but it reminds me of a horse game I used to play.
Girls Go Games - Simulations - Played one. Neat concept.

PS--Sorry this late. For some reason it went from scheduled post to draft and never posted.

Test Drive: 10 Steps: Introduction

2009-12-11T19:45:00.004-06:00

(Image from: http://www.writersstore.com/product.php?products_id=3378)

Start-up Questions

Alright, if we are going to build memorable characters, where do we start? First with the answers to some questions you might have. Such as, to use 10 Steps, do you have to start with a character and build the plot from there? Or can you start with plot and plug in character? Can you use this one novel you already started, or does it have to be a brand new idea? I believe you can adapt this any of the above, although if you are going to use this on a novel already started, I suggest using it on one whose first draft hasn't been completed. You will benefit more that way.

Start-up Elements

The book gives us the following basics as a guideline to start developing our story and characters:

Genre
Character Name
POV Technique
Plot concept

I am assuming you are not new to writing, so you already have strong preferences on genre, pov, and plot concept generation (for those creating a new story). So, let's focus on character name instead.

Character Name

If you are starting a new story, you need to name your character. There are a lot of baby name resources out there (check out the resources listed below). They can show culture or origin behind the name, meaning, popularity, nicknames, etc. It is also worthwhile to pick up a baby name book. If you are a yardsaler, you can find these cheap. That is how I got mine, and I never had to pay more than a dollar for one.

Once you have a baby name reference, pick a name. 10 Steps points out the importance of sound in the name choice. Their example is, if the character is arrogant, use a hard sound like D or hard G, like Gaston from Disney's Beauty and the Beast. Other useful tips 10 Steps gives that you may already know, but are worth mentioning, are to vary the characters' names. Don't start them with the same letter and try to vary them in other ways, like length or sound. Also, minor characters don't really need names and may serve the story best by being described by their occupation. The reason? Because names add importance to characters and readers try to memorize names of characters. Don't add more work onto your readers.

Baby Name Online Resources:

Tips, Tricks, and Exercises:

10 Steps has a neat idea on names. Take a deeper look into the meaning of the baby names you are looking at and use the meaning of the name to spark an idea for a plot, especially if you are creating your plot from your character. For example, take the name Emily. It means rival or emulating. Emily could be the antagonist. Or perhaps she is the contender for a job.

Another trick, not found in the book, involves the question: What if you are writing something not set in our world or any of our time periods? If you are like me and don't have time to develop an entire language for your culture, tweaking "real world" names may serve you best. Decide on the real world culture type that is basis or influence behind the culture your character is from. Find a baby name to fit it and your character. Now, find other baby names from the same culture and start analyzing the endings and other patterns within the names.

For example, I am chosing Italian-based culture. There are several Italian names with the "-ia" or "-io" ending, such as Marzia or Eugenio. Maybe make this "-a" or "-iso" instead.

Once you have a list, take those patterns and change them to something you like the sound of. You'll want to do the same for place names and the like. And that's it--a simple method developing cultural names that have a cohesive, consistent sound and feel.

Test Drive: The Choice: 10 Steps

2009-12-11T19:39:00.005-06:00

Last week, I talked about test driving a writing reference. Well, I chose the reference. It is 10 Steps to Creating Memorable Characters by Sue Viders, Lucynda Storey, Cher Gorman, and Becky Martinez.

(Image from: http://www.writersstore.com/product.php?products_id=3378)

I picked this book for several reasons, the first of which was to start out with something simple. Not that building well-rounded, interesting characters is a simple project. But the book is full of exercise and steps--a simple layout for this blog series. Not to mention, there are articles and references available online to supplement the techniques covered in the book. Finally, ten steps (well, twelve with intro and conclusion) means this particular Test Drive will be relatively short in comparison to some of my other choices. Great for a maiden run.

There is another reason, a personal reason, I picked this book. I'm not big on detailed character analysis in the prewriting stage. Usually I sketch brief character history and relationships, physical traits, and goals, and then let the rest develop as I write. It is worth a shot to see if I can improve my characters before the actual writing begins. It is worth a shot, if it means one less thing to cause writer's block or necessitate extra revision at the end.

However that brings me to an important point. This is prewriting; you won't get an instant product out of this Test Drive. Even so, I will continue to update you on the progress of the story line that comes from this technique. I hope for those joining in, you'll do the same and let me know on the blog how it works out for you.

Test Drive: News

2009-12-11T05:11:00.000-06:00

I am a little behind this week, so the Test Drive post will be posted much later in the day. If you are new to the blog, what do I mean by Test Drive? See this post for details.

Search for Re: Boobrie

2009-12-09T07:00:00.002-06:00

What is the monster this week? A neat Scottish creature called a boobrie.

It is enormous and birdlike, with black wings and claws like human hands. The most interesting features about this creature are the eyes and the bill. The black eyes have a stare that can drive a man insane. Its bill is a long as a sword and just as deadly, capable of skewering large animals and flying off with them. It is also capable of emitting a terrifying roar.

The boobrie is similar to the Great Northern Diver, but it has white markings and huge webbed feet. But do not mistake it for a mere fishing or wading bird. It prefers land animals, consuming anything that goes near its loch or even shipbound lifestock. It will tear through wooden rails and nets to reach its prey aboard such vessels; sometimes it even tears through the sailor or fisherman who tries to stop its predation.

What do I find so intriguing about this creature? The stare and the bill. Walker sojourns in a world with a predatory bird. I pictured it about the size of a crow, but I never thought of making it bigger or increasing its bill length or strength. Nor did I consider making it have a hypnotic gaze. All very cool things. Though, I'm considering making it either silent or a mimic, whichever ends up scarier.

Resources:
They Bite by Maberry and Kramer
Giants, Monsters, and Dragons by Carol Rose
Image one: http://wiki.dumpshock.com/index.php/Boobrie
Image two: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Gavia_immer2_BS.jpg

Link-a-Day: History Games

2009-12-07T07:00:00.000-06:00

Last week, I posted about some science sites, good for inspiration or research. One of those links was a top 100 site, and gave more options, like museum sites. That reminded me of an old game I played online at a museum that dealt with Victorian manners.

Well, I found it again.

It's a little Monty Pythonish history lesson, where you are in the role of either a man or woman from the Victorian era. It's just as much fun to guess wrong as it is to guess right. While there, check out the other games available, such as the photography one. It's a little tougher, but still neat, especially in the role of the photographer's assistant.

The Article Channel: Outlines

2009-12-04T07:04:00.001-06:00

Hiya, I'm trying something new out on my Fridays, and so, my articles posts gained a new name to keep them separate from other materials you'll find posted on these days. So, the first program on the The Article Channel is . . .

OUTLINES.

In particular, two ways to create a novel summary.

I have written many novels throughout the years, and in nearly every case, I started with an outline or synopsis. Usually when I talk about outlines and synopses, I allow the terms to be synonymous. In this case of this article, "outline" is a summary broken down into chapters and maybe scenes. A synopsis is a summary narrative form; the only breaks you'll see here are of the paragraph kind. But once you write one type of summary, it can transform into another with a little more work. Here are a couple of techniques that worked well for me.

Method #1: The One-Liner.

This is the technique I have been using lately. I start with my own version of the Snowflake Method. That is, I start with one line that summarizes what my novel is about. This is not easy, but it helps focus my novel and it can be a useful marketing tool in a query packet.

Once I come up with my one-liner, my next step is the query letter blurb. Not only will this come in handy as I write, but it will be the first draft of my actual query letter. I revise it as I work on the actual drafts of my novel, and by the time I am done with my novel, that part of my submission packet is ready to go as well.

From the blurb, I expand the summary into something with a little more substance over all parts of the novel, beginning, middle, and end. I keep fleshing this out, making sure that my plot events flow until each other and that character motivations, goals, and thoughts are present wherever necessary to understand my character's actions and reactions.

Turning the synopsis into an outline:   I go through my synopsis, either on a new file on the computer or on a printout, and I put little marks (like [1]) indicating where a new chapter's material begins. Once I have gone through the entire novel this way, I separate my synopsis material by chapter tick marks and adjust wording as necessary to fit the level of detail I need for a chapter and scene summary.

Method #2. The High Points.

This idea is inspired by the whole Act I, II, III type plotting, but again with my own twist. I use my story concept or premise, either written down or just inside my head, and start by deciding what are the high points or major events in my novel. I start with three: the one that kicks off the story after all the set up is done, the one that is in the middle, and the climax.

Once I have these three events, I go back and fill in more events between each of the major ones until I have enough to fill a novel. With some tweaking and organizing, these become chapter or scene summaries and are grouped accordingly.

These are usually only a few sentences, more focused on plot than character motivation, unlike the synopsis. However, I find it useful to post the summary of an individual chapter in the file I write the novel in before I write the actual chapter. That way I have it handy for easy reference and focus.

Turning the outline into a synopsis:   I start my synopsis by copy-and-pasting my finished outline into another document file. Then, I take these brief sentences and I flesh them out, turning them into a narrative full of character motivation and goals as well as plot events. Then once I have those, I delete the chapter headings and make sure it flows like a story, like a synopsis should.

In the end, no matter which method I pick, I have a multi-functional tool. First of all, it will help me start writing. Second, it keeps my writing on track. And third, it provides the ground work for my novel submission packet.

Test Drive: The Start-Up

2009-12-04T07:03:00.001-06:00

On Friday, Dec. 11, I will start a new series on my blog called the Test Drive. This is where I find writing references, apply them to my works, and post about the results. I will mostly pick books that:

have built-in writing exercises or lend themselves well to the creation of exercises, and
are similar to resources available online in order to expand on the topics under discussion.

Hence, the title of this series. Off hand, I can't count how many writing books I have accumulated over the years, but I can count on one hand how many times I directly incorporated all I learned into a writing piece. Hands-on experience not only makes sure I am applying the lessons, but I will also get a potential product to market out of it. A win-win situation. Same for you, I hope. That is why, I'm trying the writing techniques out on my own fiction, and inviting you to do the same, either along with me or after you obtain the writing reference for yourself. But if NaNoWriMo has taught me anything, it is this: not only is it more fun to write as part of a community, but doing so makes you more productive. If you can, join in and let me know how it works for you, that way we can motivate each other and I can improve the series.

So what can you expect to see? Well, even though this is a test drive of my Test Drive series, the format is to consist of:

an article on a writing technique
writing exercises
progress reports and results posts
snippets
a final review of the reference at the end of the series

Oh, and if you join in and blog about it, let me know and I'll backlink to it in my posts.

Anyway, when will the above be posted? On Fridays, but beyond that, I'm afraid the timing of the posts is set by my writing pace. The series will be archived on my blog, however, so that you can pick and chose which techniques and exercises you wish to try and in what order. However, I intend to give the reference a thorough workout.

Now that you know the rundown of the Test Drive series, what's next? Well, on Dec. 11th, I will post my writing reference choice, preliminary goals, and any other preparatory information needed to get us ready for the 18th, the day of the first real exercise. Until then, I'll leave you with this article about outlines--articles, by the way, will continue to be posted on Fridays when there are no Test Drive posts.

See you all on the 11th!

Search for Re: Alps

2009-12-02T07:01:00.001-06:00

In my quest for vampire folklore, to find something that fits the vampires that are part of the Walker universe, I ran across something called the alp.

The alp is a night predator from Germanic folklore. They are more like incubi than vampires according to Wikipedia. Although from what I understand, according to the same resource, they rarely sexually attack the victim.

Perhaps the incubi connection has more to the with the Old Hag syndrome, which has to do with uncomfortable or suffocating pressure on the chest. I say that because they sneak in at night, sit on their victim's chest, and increase their weight until the victim can no longer breathe.

They feed off their victim's vitality, breath, and their terror--that is, while atop their victim, an alp changes the victim's dreams to nightmares and feed off the discharge of terror. Or according to Wikipedia, alps feed by entering through the victim's mouth or nose as a fine mist and once inside feed on dreams. Or they may use their long tongue to do the same. Gross.

Well, the more I looked into the alps, the more I realized they were like my "keshets" in the Walker universe. My keshets are like a mixture of vampires and succubi/incubi--you know all about the latter, of course. It was the tongue thing though that made me think of them. My keshets have a long tongue they stick down inside you, through any handy orifice. Walker gets an earful, for example. Anyway, this tongue has a dual purpose. First, it discharges something like a spider's venom, turning your insides into a Slurpee. Second, they use it lap or suck you dry. Yum.

But I really like the idea of the dream-changing and I see a way to tie it in my creatures. You see, the keshets are so physically enchanting, the victim is drawn helplessly to them while they work their stuff. What if, part of that "enchantment" involves some very . . . captivating dreams, so that once they get you close, they keep you close. You're insides are liquefying, but you don't feel it, because you are off somewhere in la la land doing something far more pleasant than being munched on.

Folklore is cool, huh? Where did I find my information about Alps? Well from Wikipedia and from a cool new book, They Bite by Maberry and Kramer. You'll probably be seeing more from this book during this month. After all, I still need some more vampire info. And I need some cool critters for other worlds in the Walker universe. Oh, and once my web page gets up and running, I'll see about posting more information creatures like alps, because they have some other quirks too worth noting.

Link-a-Day: Science and Fact Sites

2009-11-30T07:00:00.000-06:00

Last week, I posted about sources for weird. How about regular science and fact sites?

Coming Soon to a Blog Near You

2009-11-29T20:35:00.001-06:00

Well, now that nano craziness is over, I can get back to focusing on the blog and regular writing. So, what can you expect this week?

Monday: Link-a-day: Science and Fact Sites. Some links about . . . science and fact sites that I find interesting.
Wednesday: Search for Re: Alps. No, not the mountain range, but the breath-sucking creature from folklore.
Friday: The Write Way: dual posts. The first being an announcement about a new feature for Write Way Fridays and the second being an article on outlining techniques.

Enjoy!

Check Up

2009-11-28T19:57:00.001-06:00

Well, it's Saturday, and it's a good day to look back on progress made and to set up expectations for the week to come. And for a snippet from my nano novel, tweaked to make more sense.

Progress Made:

I finished NaNoWriMo Friday night. Walker#1 Novel is not finished, but I am pleased with my word count this month.
I've started on my website. Right now, I have my hosting site, domain name, and a very basic layout of site.

New Goals:

Take a break from the actual writing of Walker#1 Novel, and start planning out the series and world in greater depth.
Work on a page a day of my website.
Get back to my regular schedule of linkaday, research, and write way posts.

Snippet from Walker#1 Novel:

"Aren't you going to offer a lady a ride?" Mehe said.

Find me one, and I'd be happy to. But my former horse had a mind of Mehe's making, and without waiting for my response, it folded itself in place over its legs, nearly upending me in the process. She demurely settled on the now expanded back, crossing her legs over the side. By the time I found my seat, it rose up again. Nearly dislodging me in the process again, while her pose hadn't shifted a muscle.

Enough was enough.

She could keep her mech . . . beast. I'd go hide out in the House of Health until it had returned to normal and she preyed on one of her other sometimes-husbands. I lifted my right leg over the neck of the beast, intending to slide off over shoulder and wing. Instead, I found myself in a less than comfortable parody of her position. The wing had locked my leg into position. And my seat warmed, threatening sunburn in inopportune places.

Mehe draped an arm over my shoulder and toyed with the back of my neck. "A rather comfortable improvement, isn't it? And roomy. One could practically do anything atop him. One doesn't have to be so flexible anymore."

Choosing the lesser of two evils, I swung my leg back into the proper side of the trap and sighed. "You're going to sell me to the vampires again, aren't you?"

Mehe withdrew, rigid. "You should know I possess more sense than that." She plucked at my silk sleeve. "Do you have any idea how much your garments would cost to purchase? I'd never recoup their loss or my standing with the creditors if I let you go off to a harem in these."

Well, she could, if she did business with the greater harem holders, but none of them would have anything to do with her after her last deal. "So I'm safe as long as I'm dressed in your purchases?"

"Rentals, not purchases."

"What's keeping you from just stripping me down beforehand?"

She scoffed. "Men, you only have one thing on your mind. But I am flattered you miss me so, my love."

Reassuring that: in her mind, she connected my nudity only to intimate acts with her; it was also quite unreassuring for entirely the same reason. But continuing to argue down this path would only lead to more equivocations of increasingly uncomfortable nature. So there was nothing left for it but this: I turned around in my seat, stared her in the eye, and entreated her for a straight answer for once. "Mehe, what do you want?"

Link-a-Day: Weird Science

2009-11-23T16:29:00.000-06:00

Last week, I posted about Tagfoot. From that site I found Strange USA, where you can find the weird or supernatural stuff near you in America. Just click on a state and a county, and it pops up hauntings and other unusual things available to check out.

Since we are on the topic, how about some other sources for weird facts and weird science?

PS: Sorry, this was posted late. I thought I had it scheduled; turned out, I only had a draft of it on my computer.

Update

2009-11-22T07:28:00.001-06:00

Well I've been quiet because I've been working on another project, my web page. I haven't written either. So I broke my 30 days of straight writing streak. Instead, I'm going to work on nano today, and tomorrow, and whatever other days are needed to finish it for that and I'll keep up writing on it afterwards. But it was nice to have a break.

Day 19: 1,753

2009-11-20T05:15:00.000-06:00

Day 19's Word Count: 1,753
Nov's Total: 45,423

Discoveries:

I discovered that I still have a ways to go yet plot-wise in my novel, but I hit the mid-point plot event. And it turned out differently than I expected. I'll let the revision time tell me if it is better or worse than my plans.

Day 18: 2,182

2009-11-19T05:07:00.000-06:00

Day 14's Word Count: 2,182
Nov's Total: 43,670

Discoveries:

I discovered more planned chapters are merging and I'm sorta adding one. At this rate, I don't foresee this draft being much more than 60,000 words, if that. Which would be my shortest first draft of a novel, ever.

Critique Groups

2009-11-18T17:30:00.004-06:00

I ran across an interesting post on BookEnds about critique groups. Interesting, because I have been thinking about joining one again. So, I thought to post about some groups I've been in, for those also on the look out. Please note, the sites listed below, except for FMWriters, are dedicated to science fiction, fantasy, and horror genres only.

The last one I had been on was Online Writing Workshop. This one isn't free, but the fees are small. The basic setup is that you critique others, and you get points. After you get four, you get to post a piece of your own. You can have three posted pieces up at once. The neatest thing is the Editor's Choice function--basically, if you are lucky, an editor will crit your story. That chance alone is worth the value of the membership fee, in my opinion. Anyway, on average, I got the quickest critiques out of this place, due to, in part, the fact that you get more points if you are the first to crit a new piece.

Before OWW, I was member of a crit group at Forward Motion Writers's Community. I've actually been in several crit groups there, throughout the years. The great thing about that site is, you can create your own group or join a specific one that has openings. If you make your own group, you can also make up your own rules, but in general, they the groups rely on crit for crit--meaning, everyone critiques everyone in the group. This site was the best option for having people stick with you throughout your novel, instead of giving you feedback on just a chapter or two.

Before that, I started out with Critters. The way it works is somewhat like OWW. If I remember correctly, you have to keep your crit percent up--basically, one crit a week--in order to have a piece posted. However, unlike OWW, your piece enters a queue instead of being posted instantly. The best thing about Critters is the Dedicated Reader function, where you can get people willing to read your entire novel and critique it. Out of all three crit groups I mentioned, I got the most feed back out of this one place. It was also the least "cliquey".

Overall, all of them had their attractions and drawbacks, but I enjoyed my experiences with them all and learned a lot. But however, right now, I am more interested in finding a very small group (3 to 4 people) that operate more like crit buddies. That I have the least experience with.

Day 17: 1,911

2009-11-18T05:08:00.000-06:00

Day 17's Word Count: 1,911
Nov's Total: 41,488

Discoveries:

I discovered that I am under the 10k mark! Only 8,512 words left to go.
That three of my "chapters" worked better combined, as two scenes. That's a first this month.

Day 16: 1,899

2009-11-17T05:25:00.000-06:00

Day 16's Word Count: 1,899
Nov's Total: 39,577

Discoveries:

I discovered I have about 13 chapters left to write in the novel, and I have 10,423 words left to write. So, once my 10k words are done, I'd like to try my own marathon in November. No, not to write all 13 chapters. Rather to write every day of November, no matter how little it is. And a secondary goal in December to finish the draft.
That due to overtime this week at work, for the next couple days, my plans are shot all to hell, both for my word count and my blog. So I may start updating my nano-count at night instead of in the morning, so I have more time to do things in the morning.

Link-a-Day: Bookmarks

2009-11-16T07:00:00.001-06:00

Last week, while looking for more demographic generators, I ran across this site which I posted about. It was included on a list of demographics at the site called Tagfoot.

According to their help page, Tagfoot is "social bookmarking on steroids". Basically, it's one giant link page that was created not by one person, but an entire community. The site is full of interesting tools, research, and art that is bound to spark an idea or two for a writer's use.

Enjoy!

Day 15: 4,219

2009-11-16T05:18:00.000-06:00

Day 15's Word Count: 4,219
Nov's Total: 37,678

Discoveries:

I discovered that I have 12,322 words left to write. Yeah!
That despite my new technique of growing the outline into actual novel content, I still have plenty of room for surprises to occur. Such as when, my character Walker was sure danger was going to happen. He was supposed to warn the party-goers of an attack "happening right now" and then have it be too late, it was already happening. Instead, I decided, he warns the party-goers, nothing happens, they toss him out, then just when his confidence is at an all time low, the attack occurs. It was unexpected, and fun to write.

Day 14: 3,451

2009-11-15T12:51:00.002-06:00

Day 14's Word Count: 3,451
Nov's Total: 33,459

Discoveries:

I discovered that if I do 2,400 words a day on average, I can finish this in one week. That's not so bad, only mildly insane.
That I finally have my novel outlined and I like what I got. :-) :-)
That Nano is worth it.

Day 13: 2,091

2009-11-14T12:18:00.001-06:00

Day 13's Word Count: 2,091
Nov's Total: 30,008

Discoveries:

I discovered that while the getting the words have been tough, I will have something ok to work from for the next draft. That surprised me.
That my outline is going better than I thought. It will need some tweaking, but I am past the first and second high points. Just need to finish up the third.

Day 12: 1,824

2009-11-13T05:19:00.000-06:00

Day 12's Word Count: 1,824
Nov's Total: 27,917

Discoveries:

I discovered . . . er . . . uhm . . . not much? Maybe next time.

Day 11: 1,742

2009-11-12T05:20:00.000-06:00

Day 11's Word Count: 1,742
Nov's Total: 26,093

Discoveries:

I discovered that as I work on my outline, I come across things like, one of my family-business heirs has to be married by a certain date. It makes me ask why and by gum, I actually have time to figure it out and see how it affects the rest of the world; that works much better for me than plunging on full-speed ahead into uncharted waters.
That it's really hard to write with company about. So much for my 3k word goal.

Day 10: 2,293

2009-11-11T09:11:00.000-06:00

Day 10's Word Count: 2,293
Nov's Total: 24,349

Discoveries:

I discovered my weakest point is still the plotting after the high point number one.
That this novel is chock-full of revelations.

Couriers are going to be outed--well, definitely Walker will be, and the fact that couriers exist will be as well.
Someone from Walker's past is part of their own secret organization affecting society. Well, the revelation is more that they exist and are doing things, not the full extent of their powers and motives.
Walker is going to discover another person who knew him, briefly, from before his memory was wiped. Walker is not pleased with this at all :-)
Finally, I plan on Walker revealing why he was visiting in the House of Healing (to the characters in the book) and whom that person is (to the readers).

That my characters need therapy.

Day 9: 1,852

2009-11-10T05:16:00.002-06:00

Day 9's Word Count: 1,852
Nov's Total: ~22,056

Discoveries:

I discovered that this novel is trying to turn partly into a mystery on me. Not sure I wanna let it. Mysteries and I don't get along well.
That I'm going to try a new technique for getting my words. I said my chapters were resembling outlines more than real chapters or that I'd have to pretend they were, in order to edit? Well, why not see how hard it is to build a novel up from a literal outline. Summarize the rest of the novel in 2,000 words today. Next day, flesh it out with 2,000 more until I get to the point I'm focusing on individual scenes and adding dialogue, scene setting, etc. Hmm, it's worth a shot anyway. That's what nano is for: exploration.

Link-a-Day: Demographics

2009-11-09T07:00:00.003-06:00

Last week, my post was on story or idea prompts. One of the links was a story idea generator on the Seventh Sanctum site. On that site, they had a forum with a thread about a useful site and I hoped they would list one I used to love to play with.

They did.

Enter in a few criteria, and it pops out not only what medieval population is sustainable on those conditions, but what type and number of occupations your population can support. Nifty, huh?

If you like that one, you might like the Medieval Kingdom Generator too.

Day 7 & 8: 3,992

2009-11-09T05:21:00.002-06:00

Day 7's Word Count: 1,786
Day 8's Word Count: 2,206
Nov's Total: ~20,198

Discoveries:

I discovered that even with a better plan on where I'm heading, I have to go fairly slow to try to write something that makes sense. I'm going to have to find a better technique for getting 1,667 words a day and having those words be of good quality.
That I'm going to have a hell of a time with edits anyway. They are going to give me a headache unless I treat this as a really long outline.
That I still didn't get a snippet out, due to time and inability to find anything of readable quality. At times, my writing is pure dialogue with a few other lines thrown in. It takes too long to make that ship shape for posting. Hopefully this week.

Day 6: 1,697

2009-11-07T05:30:00.000-06:00

Day 6's Word Count: 1,697
Nov's Total: ~16,205

Discoveries:

I discovered my middle turning point after I did some summary writing last night. It surprised me. I mean, I knew it was going to happen, but I never planned on it being in this novel. I guess I always pictured it more as a thing that happened between novels.
That when I got to thinking about The Spirit, thanks to the last post, I realized other influences it was having on my work. I didn't originally plan on Walker having a big affect on women--just this one family. See, Walker is supposed to gain an useless ability, well, mostly useless one that can get him trouble or help him out of an odd jam in an odd fashion. Having a Don Juan effect over women around him fits the bill. Not necessarily a romantic-only effect. No, just having an unnatural halo effect on women would work. And it would fit nicely with some other dangling plot thread, too boot. Now all that is left is to see how hard or easy it is to pull off :-)
That, thanks to some company and a major sinus/allergy headache, I barely got my words and a summary written. So, oops. No snippet. I'll do my best to get it up this weekend.

Day 5: 1,860

2009-11-06T05:30:00.000-06:00

Day 5's Word Count: 1,860
Nov's Total: ~14,505

Discoveries:

I discovered another neat character, inspired by Plaster of Paris from the movie, The Spirit. You see, I get characters and things knocking around in my head without a proper home. It seems like this series is hoovering them up the way my dog hoovers up his food. So once I really got the connection, I remembered a scene I wanted this homeless character in, and now I have to leave a note to myself to revise something: the first scene where my PoP inspired guy (Grips) meets Walker.
That the original guy who was going to be the escort (not Grips mentioned above) is now going to have to wait his turn to arrive. He's related to Walker's forgotten past and is currently MIA. I'm thinking his movement from MIA to IA may be what prompts memories to come back to Walker, because these two characters are connected like none other.
That sometimes you wish you could don a pseudonym. What I'm writing in this novel and next is a little embarrassing at some instances and little taboo at others. I am pushing the envelope on my comfortable levels, and that would be fine if it were just me an anonymous audience looking on my work. If my family and friends, however, were to read it or another novel of mine . . . . I don't look forward to their reaction, no.
That once you change something about your characters, previous plotting goes out the window. Hopefully in a good way.
That I forgot to prepare for my snippet today. So it will be belated, I'm afraid, as I try to find something worthy of snipping. Like I said, my writing is not pleasing my internal editor this month.

Day 4: ~1,701

2009-11-05T05:21:00.003-06:00

Day 4's Word Count: ~ 1,701
Nov's Total: ~10,645

Discoveries:

I discovered that my original goal of 80k words this month wasn't going to work out. So I've changed it to 50k. This way, I have more time to plot and plan everyday too.
That part of my plotting and forward movement problem is Walker is a pushover in the first 10k. It's cute in a few scenes, but afterwards, he needs to get some gumption going on. Once I decided that, I decided that a key event that needed to be at the 25k mark, doesn't have to be. And out of the blue, a new idea came to me that caused me to lol, which means I am on track again.
That I want a fourth novel idea that is a marriage of the Walker universe and a completely different novel idea. You see, Walker gets a certain special horse in novel two. That horse kept ending up resembling my fae mount in another novel I was working on. So I quit fighting it, and now, not only is it the same species, it's the same horse--with the same rider/MC. And surprisingly, it works out better that way, I think.

Eh, not many discoveries, but they were good ones.

Day 3: ~2,986

2009-11-04T05:30:00.002-06:00

Day 3's Word Count: ~ 2,986
Nov's Total: ~10,947

Discoveries:

I found out that I may have a dreaded trilogy on my hands. Let's see if I can't make it a quartet instead. I like my even numbers, yes I do.
That the plotting is getting harder:

because turning point number one has to happen at 25k words into the novel to make the novel balanced in length. The problem? Since I haven't had time to do an outline, I have to try to fill out the area between only about a day before I write, and I'm not satisfied with what I'm finding coming up with so far.
because of trying to write fast-paced and unexpected, like my inspiration, the Transformers movies and Harry Dresden books. But after my first real action scene, I'm not sure if I'm cut out to write action thrillers. Not sure this novel is cut out to be one either.

That if I get 50k early, I am going to slow down and instead of focusing on writing 80k rushed words, I am going to have 50k honed words. That appeases the muse and inner editor.
Finally, that my "hungry ka" idea-based enemies (instead of zombies) need a make-over. While the twist that they are devastatingly beautiful is neat, they also need to be devastating.

Day 2: 2,838

2009-11-03T05:32:00.003-06:00

I don't think my little progress graph is working, at least not on this computer, but here it is from the nano site itself:

Day 2's Word Count: ~ 2,838
Nov's Total: ~7,966

Discoveries:

It's hard to plan just a day ahead.
That the words are coming harder, a sign that my inner editor is not as satisfied editorially with my work as we were on Saturday. But I'm going to take Edittorrent's suggestion, and trust myself to fix it later.
I must be on a self-imposed challenge to see in how many chapters I can get Walker, my MC, nude. Let's see now:

In the first scene, he's just stepping out of the purification pool when his sometimes-wife arrives to abduct him.
In a later scene, his sometimes-wife has him strip so she can make him courier something. (See my previous, linked blog post to know what "courier" means exactly.) He also wakes up naked in bed afterwards, along with her.
Later, he is told to strip and stand for investigation, at the border of his world and another, on the suspicion he's been infected by the plague.

Well, that's it. Happy writing everyone. I survived Day 2! Let's see about Day 3!

Link-a-Day: Prompts

2009-11-02T07:01:00.002-06:00

Last week, I delved into word origins for research and inspiration. How about another type of inspiration? Prompts.

These can be words, scenarios, or pictures that are meant as warm-ups, to get your creative energy flowing. But more importantly, there is no weight attached to them. Just as warm-ups for your body won't get you fit, writing exercises won't get you published, but they do get you ready for the real deal.

Here are a few more resources, from other prompt sites to places where you can find or make your own:

Enjoy!

Day 1: ~5000 wc

2009-11-02T05:26:00.003-06:00

I survived day one, even after doing research for half the morning. Egyptian research, the inspiration on which I am building my culture.

Wordcount: ~5,000 words, but that sounds a little high. But it's all on my laptop, so I can't verify.

Discoveries:

That I'm slowly getting a handle on Walker's voice (he has a sense of humor that reminds me of Six in my novel Lab).
That the research overtime was worth it. Egyptian culture works really well for this story, what with their religious beliefs on different aspects of the soul. Oh, and also that now that I started writing the novel, I don't seem to have enough reference books? Never mind I have about six or seven books that cover Egyptians exclusively or at least extensively, and Wikipedia and other sites a click away . . . .
That I can handle writing prominent females so far, as long as they aren't my view point character. Case in point, the minx that sold her "husband" Walker to a vampire harem (back in the nebulous character history). And her daughter. Heck, I better be able to handle it, seeing as how most people in this novel from the thaumaturge to the Walker's supervisor/mentor are of the female persuasion. The only other principal character that isn't, is an escort, and my intentions are to make that guy make the minx look good.
That Walker's having fun (well, more people are having fun at his expense); the novel's having fun; I'm having fun :), despite this idea being thrown together and apart, like a tossed salad, at the last moment.

Well, that's it so far. More when I get home and write.

Upcoming Posts

2009-10-31T22:52:00.002-05:00

During Nano, I can't guarantee I'll be able to keep to my previous schedule of links, research, and writing articles.

My hope is instead, to keep up the link posts on Mondays and post snippets on Fridays. I'll try my best though to add articles and research posts whenever I can this month and do frequent updates on my writing progress.

We'll see. Oh, and good luck to all doing Nano. I know for one I'm going to need it.

My Nano

2009-10-31T22:47:00.002-05:00

Well, I chose "Walking Papers", but with some essential changes.

I'm dubbing it The Sentinel for now, but that isn't a permanent title.
It's no longer a weird west setting; I'm saving that for its sequel, which cannibalizes much of the unwritten prequel.

Here's a rough summary:

Walker was a courier--he used to carry memories, souls, and even objects magically miniaturized inside his body, all in exchange for a free pass into worlds plagued by parasitic magic, a bunged up mind and body, and an all time low in life expectancy. Then he got out, turned traitor: he became a sentinel, those who make sure what the couriers carry won't mess up the worlds any more than they already are. But as they say, once a courier, always a courier. Well, Walker's sometime wife says that. She is counting on him to transport an item across the schisms (loco world borders) that sentinels would kill to destroy; as a sentinel, he is the only one who could get away with it.

He is prepared to tell her to go drop off a schism when she reveals what it is. One of the last ingredients for a cure. She carries another, the soul of the thaumaturge who concocted it. Fortunately for all involved, Walker has his own personal reasons for seeing the cure come to fruition, because few people are willing to have anything to do with one. After all, the last attempt at a cure pissed off the plague and turned that world into one giant mausoleum. That world being the original world from once the plague came. The world he called home.

This is a rough summary, and just like the title, a lot of the terms in it are place holders. But hey, that's what draft two is for.

Anyway, I also have two Excel files. Use this one if you are only going 50,000 words, aka going for the Nano win only. Use this one if you are attempting an entire novel in one month--just change the word count of your novel from 80,000 to whatever yours is. In both, if you fall under the daily goal (based on 50,000 words), the cells where your daily word count turns red. If you meet or go over the amount needed every day to reach 50,000 words, the cell turns green; blue if you chose the second Excel file and meet or exceed your daily goal for a longer novel. Right now those spreadsheet trackers are as rough as my summary, but hopefully, they will suffice or the can be altered to meet your needs.

Well, see you in a bit. I'm off to do some last minute research.

My webpage

2009-10-30T21:21:00.000-05:00

As much as I think Weebly is a cute resource for a basic web page, especially with its ability to make instant page buttons, I'm frustrated with its limitations. On my links page, for instance, I can't center the titles of my link categories without centering the whole blasted page. I can't make two words near each other each be different links. Now, it's been a while since I did make my own page, but if I had control over the basic html, I could fix that myself. The provider promises greater control is coming, but not any time soon.

Sorry Weebly, I think I'm going to have to go with some other free resource. I used to have a Geocities page, but as you can tell, they discontinued the service. So, any suggestions?

The Write Way: Final Moments

2009-10-30T07:03:00.002-05:00

Well, it's getting down to the wire. Are you ready? Due to complications, I had to choose a new nano novel, and had to research and develop my idea from scratch. Which is why prewriting is more important now than before: just because I am behind now, I don't want to be behind later.

So, I compiled a checklist of the ideal and bare minimum tools necessary to be ready come November 1st--and I will be posting examples from my own notes as I build them, any useful resources I find online to related to these tools, and a Excel spreadsheet template I will use to keep track of my words written during nano. It also doesn't hurt, if you have the time, to do these same steps for your backup novel, the novel you will use in case, after week one, your original idea isn't working out.

But first of all, let's look at the documents that will help you win nano. They are:

Premise or concept summary.
Novel synopsis or outline.
Character profiles.
World building factsheet.
Word count tracker.

Seems like a lot, huh? Well, that all depends on you. The premise merely encapsulates what your novel is about in a few paragraphs. A sentence or two version might be the ideal for those who write by the seat of their pants or for any writer wanting a tighter focus on their novel. Either way, this premise keeps you and your novel concentrated on what is important and gives you an idea if your novel is too short or too long. It will also let you know while you are writing if you are heading down a dead-end path that will eat up your time or cause writer's block.

For staying on track however, a synopsis or outline is an even better tool. It will give you an idea of where, amongst other things, your story is weak or overcrowded on plot. After both documents are written compare the two documents and ask yourself if one deviates too much from the other. If that happens, decide which, premise or outline, you want to revise to match your vision for your novel. Don't have time to write one? Then write just enough scene summaries that your first week is occupied; that coupled with your premise should keep you on track until you have time to develop one during the first weekend. If all that is still a turnoff, then try this trick: after you are done writing for the day, summarize the day's work in a brief line or two. This retroactive outline will let you know where you were and as such give you ideas on where to head in the future--and it will come in handy when you revise your entire novel in the future.

The character and worldbuilding profiles are cheat sheets and while they can be as detailed as you want. For the character profile, include your characters names, most prominent characteristics, relationships to each other, history, goals/motivation, and opposition. This sheet is especially helpful if you do not have an outline, for you can build a novel based on simply pitting characters and their goals against the people, things, and circumstances opposing them.

Just as important is your worldbuilding fact sheets, especially if you made up a world or using one you are not familiar with. This is where your research notes go; this is where your own ideas on what your world is about goes. Start out with the basics of time period and physical setting, then look back at your premise, character sheet, and outline and see what facts you will need to make sense of your characters and plot; for example, if by your outline you, your know your character is going to cast a spell, include a section on your magic system. Will he or she travel? Transporation notes. The trick is to make your notes concise and categorized, for you want to spend as little time looking up facts as possible while writing. Finally, on both of these sheets, leave copious blank spaces for notes. For as you write, you will discover more about your world and characters that you will need for later reference.

Last but not least, the word count tracker. Something that both pantsers and outliners need: something to keep track of how many words you need to write and how many you already wrote. This can be a handwritten document or, my preference, a computer program. I prefer spreadsheets. You can make this as simple or complicated as you want, but the essentials are total word count goal (whether it is 50,000 or more), a daily or weekly word count goal, how many words written, and a count down to how many words are left. Not only will seeing the words build up give you a boost of confidence and motivation, it will give you plan to win Nano or complete your draft.

So there you go, a compilation of helpful tools to keep you focused on one and only one thing during your scheduled nano time: writing.

Search for Re: Stagecoaches

2009-10-28T07:02:00.001-05:00

One of my new, potential nano ideas involves an Old West type setting, and I decided to research different modes of transportation. This time, I'm looking into the romanticized stagecoach. In particular, the model I'm most likely to visualize and emulate is the Concord, called an "imposing cradle on wheels" by Mark Twain.

The ideal for me is to have my main character, temporarily dubbed Walker, be able to ride as guard, not on the stagecoach, but on his own horse. A horse which is to say a little different than the average horse. Anyway, reading through The Expressmen, the only mention near what I wanted was this:

"To protect the stages carrying bullion from Comstock country--popular targets of robbers--Wells, Fargo put not only a shotgun guard on the box beside the driver, but another on the top of the coach and two more riding on horseback 50 yards to the rear."

Since my character is going to be under some mental duress, another tidbit from that book was interesting:

"Lacking a doctor to certify a traveler's madness, stage drivers and passengers alike kept a careful eye out for strange behavior. When incipient delirium was detected in a passenger, he was sometimes forced to stay over at a stage station and, despite his protests, take his chances on the next coach. Now and then such passengers wandered away from stations in a daze and disappeared. Journalist Richardson referred to 'stage-craziness' as a recognized malady of the West."

Of course, my character isn't likely to be riding in the coach--although that might be fun due to the instant friction of passengers sleeping on the go while cramped inside coaches. Anyway, I foresee some interaction between him and the passengers that does not go well, and it would be an interesting for Walker to be left behind at a home station. Maybe his cool horse can even be taken.

Not to mention potential for trouble on en route, that is, running into robbers or the demonic equivalent of an Indian attack. Or rather, instead of demonic, a zombie equivalent, since this is novel is set in the same world as Walker's unwritten prequel, a novel idea that was inspired by Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. After all, even though I am putting my original nano on the backburner, doesn't mean I have to put zombies (or their kin) there too.

Well that's it for today. Stay tuned for more Old West research next week.

Nano Possibilites

2009-10-26T11:32:00.001-05:00

All right, I have three Nano Possibilities:

Vampires, Naturally. Fantasy. Male graduate of natural science is sent to study the last vampires. Set in a Victorianesque culture, with a gender role twist, a dash of humor, and a sprinkling of theme. Status: Needs short summary, outline, and character profiles.
Garden of Roots and Wings. Literary Fantasy. The struggles of three men who are bound to tend an isolated garden that their civilization depends upon for magic. Status: Needs better logline, has short summary, needs need outline, needs character profiles.
Walking Papers. Fantasy. Old West like setting, with demon or zombie like creatures. Fast paced. Status: Needs logline, short summary, outline.

After a movie marathon this weekend of Transformers 1 and 2, I am leaning toward option three. Even though I don't have much done on it, it seems like the most fun. Also, I have some of the world building done on it from an unwritten prequel. If that does not pan out, my backup is one of the other two, depending on if I am in more of a fun or deep mood.

Link-a-Day: Etymology

2009-10-26T09:01:00.006-05:00

Last week, I mentioned obsolete words as a source of muse inspiration. So can word origins, or etymology. The best site? Etymonline. Another source for etymologies is M-W.com. Not only can you look up how anachronistic a word would be for your novel's setting, but you can also find a name for characters or objects that hold deeper meaning. Or it's a good way to help you see how a word changes through time, and will provide a model or inspiration for inventing your own languages.

There's so much you can do there. So, what are you waiting for?

Coming Soon to a Blog Near You

2009-10-25T21:40:00.002-05:00

This month is dedicated primarily to Preparing for Nanowrimo, which is coming up next month. Nano is National Novel Writing Month. You challenge yourself to write a minimum of 50,000 words during the month of November. Impossible? Nah. Insane, maybe. Anyway . . .

This week:

Monday: Link-a-day: Etymology. The stopping place for word origins.
Wednesday: Search for Re: Stagecoaches. All aboard the "imposing cradle on wheels" of the Old West.
Friday: The Write Way: ~~New Novel and~~ Final Moments. The last of four topics on Nanowrimo preparation. This one deals with my choosing a novel to nano and advice on last minute prewrites and organization.

Enjoy!

The Write Way: The Game and Gods, and Success or Salvage.

2009-10-23T09:03:00.002-05:00

My original plan consisted of tips, about how to succeed at nano as well as warning signs. But you know what? Sometimes it's both, not an either/or scenario.

My third year's nano was The Game. It was inspired by Stephen King's short story, The Long Walk, and in it, initiates underwent an ordeal to become full-fledged mages. An ordeal that cost most initiates their lives. An ordeal that became a spectator sport to boot. Sound concept, but I struggled to eke out the last chapter or two of the 50,000 words. To this day, this novel is still incomplete Why? Because my goals did not end with winning nano, but with a complete draft. Hard enough to do in 90 days. Even harder when you realize, subconsciously, something is wrong. You get to a point where you cannot go on.

The next year, last year, I reached that point well before the middle, much less the end, of the 50k goal came into sight. In fact, it was so tragic a failure, I no longer recall how many words I wrote, when I stopped, nor the name of the work beyond the the word "Gods" being present in it. The concept, however, involved a winged quarter-god who was trying to gain his godhood--but the only surviving member of a slave race stole his magic mojo and his ability to fly with it. They would start out as enemies, but come to together to acheive a lofty--he, he--goal. That nano I lost, because I couldn't force out the words.

That is the key word. Force. Whether or not your goal is to win nano or produce something you want to publish one day, forcing the story isn't going to cut it. But nano failure doesn't mean novel failure. I'm a firm believe in no effort is wasted. Case in point, both of these novels are salvageable in one form or another.

The Game needs rewritten, a realignment of its focus and a new opening. But goal to see it published hasn't changed. And the failed nano? I'm losing most of the original plot and grafting the basic concept of the story, world, and characters onto another novel where it fits so much better.

So, how did I manage to salvage these novels? But giving myself time. Time to think through the novels's flaws and how to fix them. Time to think through the novels's strengths and how not to lose them. Time you don't have during the rush-rush-rush of nano. Finally, time away from the month-long hyper-focus on one novel. Time fixes many things.

Before I wrap this up, I want to salvage something of my original concept for this week's topic. So, I will give you two tips.

First, how do you succeed at nano? Pick a novel that can carry you, not the other way around, through the month. You don't have time for anything else.

Second, if you are having problems, make a judgement call at the end of week one on whether or not to continue or use a backup nano idea. How? Trust your gut. If the words are coming hard, try slapping a bandage on the problem. That is, write a note to yourself about what is needed and move on. If you can't, there is no saving that patient--until after November. That's when you pull out your backup.

Finally, here's a third tip, gratis. Whatever you do, don't judge yourself. Nano is supposed to be fun--keep it that way, and you'll thank yourself when you approach both this year's product and next year's nano.

Search for Re: Jung and King

2009-10-21T09:02:00.000-05:00

As I'm not feeling well this week, let's keep this short. What are we looking at this time? Psychology.'

First up, an interesting concept called the shadow.

According to Wikipedia: "In its more destructive aspects the shadow can represent those things which people do not accept about themselves. Someone, for instance, who identifies as being kind can have a shadow that is harsh or unkind." Although, there is another side to the shadow. For "in its more constructive aspects, a person's shadow may represent hidden positive qualities. This has been referred to as the 'gold in the shadow'".

However, I prefer to focus on the darker parts. After all, I want the House to bring out the worse in my people, and if it is the part of them that they are desparately trying to deny, but actually get turned into, all the better.

Next, an equally interesting topic that both Carl Jung and Stephen King talked about. Heh, never thought those two would go in one sentence together, did ya? But in his book Danse Macabre, Stephen King sees the Werewolf concept and Stevenson's The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde as about the Apollonian and Dionysian conflict. What is this conflict? In other words, Apollo represents the moralistic, intellectual, noble side of us. Dionysius represents the wild side, the side concerned with physical gratification and impulses. Apollo is self-control. Dionysus is the unconstrained. Apollo the light, the Dionysius the dark. Order, chaos. You get it.

Anyway, in Stephen King's words, I want to show "the Dionysian psychopath locked up inside the Apollonian facade of normality . . . but slowly, dreadfully emerging." I want to strip away the control, and show the shadow and the Dionysius inside my characters, and in the end, I want to show it consume the light, the morals, the order inside of each of the men and women in my story. Well, maybe not each of them. Just enough of them to make it interesting :-)

That's it.

Blast It All To Hell . . .

2009-10-21T05:15:00.001-05:00

. . . I think I have change my nano idea. As much as a try, my The Mist meets Lost meets 1804 idea is a no-go. Mostly because I'm not in the mood to write horror and I am not in the mood to write a cast of dozens. The idea isn't going away, it just needs more time to ever get it ready to write. After all, I never really wrote dark fantasy with the intent to scare before. And I never wrote with that many povs before. That's not going to be an easy novel for me.

This is funny, what with my article on success or salvage of nanos coming up.

Anyway, so there should be frequent posts on my search for a nano idea. Starting with Possibilities List (below), that will grow until I find one that clicks and doesn't lick me:

Male graduate of natural science is sent to study the last vampires. Set in a Victorianesque culture, with a gender role twist.

Wish me luck.

Link-a-Day: The Thinking Place

2009-10-19T09:01:00.002-05:00

Last week, I posted about a neat word, or rather, a neat word play: peccavi. I said I found it the other day.

Or rather, I re-found it.

Originally, I came across it on a favorite word list at The Phonistery. Other cool words on that list? Growlery and redivivus. Other neat areas on that site include lost words and unique glossaries, such as types of government, phobias, and divination. That site is brain and muse candy.

Oh, and what is a phonistery, you might ask? That's explained there too.

Coming Soon to a Blog Near You

2009-10-18T19:41:00.002-05:00

Monday: Link-a-day: The Thinking Place. More words for thought and muse.
Wednesday: Search for Re: Jung and King. The Shadow and the Dionysian/Apollonian conflict. In other words, psychology.
Friday: The Write Way: The Game and Gods, and Success or Salvage. The third of four topics on Nanowrimo preparation. This one deals with my fourth and fifth nano novels, one a nano success and one a nano failure, and what to do when you nano novel putters to a stop.

Enjoy!

Parallel Lives and Parallel Nanos?

2009-10-16T15:01:00.000-05:00

I few years back, I saw this book at the book store and wanted it. Back then I was only poorly and part-timely employed, so I couldn't buy it. So, I forgot it. Until, browsing the history section at my semi-local used book store for books not World II to modern--how can present day be labeled as history, by the way?--I saw this book tucked away. I forewent a book on supernatural that I almost grabbed for, to get it. It is an interesting study about marriages in Victorian times, which are often portrayed, Jane Austen's literary successors aside, tinged with a mellow sense of horror on the side of the woman, forced into the role of servant instead of comrade. Or so, it is portrayed.

I have always wanted to do a reversal of gender roles, where a man is in such a "lamentable" position as marriage in those times. And dammit, I'm almost tempted to do it instead of Nano. If I can't get my creepy house story ready in time, I just might. I just might, especially since I also picked up this book. Serendipity calling? Me thinks so. Me thinks so.

Winner and Loser

2009-10-16T14:48:00.001-05:00

Nope, I didn't win Nathan's contest. But the two I voted for definitely deserve to share the title. See the comments for my choice.

But these contests, they teach you a thing or two. Such as, writing rules? Writing rules are bull pucky. I, honest to God, no offense meant, thought the last finalist was the perfect example of never-dare-ye-do purple prose and over writing. Well, maybe it is, but in the eyes of the agent, it is part of the creme de la creme. No, I don't have sour grapes--but what is up with food analogies?--but I am confused. Which leads me back to point. The rules are bull pucky, for as long as your English isn't rank, you will find someone in the publishing-related world who shares your tastes. Heck, far from sour grapes, I'm effervescent--lol, not quite, but as long as my stomach is ruling my fingers, let's go with it--because that gives even me, the odd ball, hope that I have a chance not only in Hell, but here on Earth.

Oh, and another thing to note. You can't judge an agent by his blog. Quite a few of those finalists have a "literary genre" style or tinge to them. I would not have expected that to be Mr. Bransford's cup of tea. Huh. Edited to add, I should have. Look at his profile at the agency he works at. In my defense, at the back of my mind I knew he didn't cover my genre, so I didn't care to understand what genres he did cover; I just went to his blog to read.

By the way, I'm no a hater of the literary genre. In fact, it is one of the few non-fantasy, non-classic, and non-historical fiction genres I read. I love it for the mind candy phrases as well as the strong focus on characters as plot.

Anyway, am I disappointed I lost? Nah, that would mean I did more than indulge in an a fantasy about winning--same as I indulge in a fantasy about what would happen if I won the lottery. And trust me, I have a lot more fantasies on the ol' tree to pluck yet to miss one bruised apple :-)

The Write Way: Return to Sender/Eyes of Gods and Finding Time, Victorian Style.

2009-10-16T09:03:00.000-05:00

Time is precious during nano. Heck, even before nano. But it is doable. For my second nano year, I managed to win twice. You read that right. Two wins, one month. One novel at 80,000 words and complete; its sequel at least 50,000, although incomplete. It was just a matter of allocating time.

You see, when I was researching the first novel, I ran across a Victorian reference that stuck with me. About house cleaning, of all things. You see, Victorians did not try to clean the whole house in one day. Instead, they worked on a few rooms every day, doing a quick and dirty job, but the other rooms? They turned over one type of room a day. In our busy lives, this still makes sense. In our busy writings lives the analogy is clear, too: schedule your quick and dirty work and your daily focus.

First off, decide what on what you have to tackle to be ready for nano next month. Break it down into easy categories, like:

Research
Plot outlining
Character profiles
World development
Concept development

Now break it down further. For instance, research can be divided into topics, some of which are cursory, every day type things. Other topics need in depth treatment. In fact, some of the cursory research leads to an in depth topic. So for the first week, I schedule almost as pure research time to get ideas on what kind of characters, plot, world, and concept work best together. Then for the next week, I schedule one day for each of the other categories.

That's fine and dandy for October. What about November? The advice still holds true. Set aside some time for non-writing activities. This can be for brainstorming, research, plot adjustment, etc. Also, if you are a social bug, don't forget to allow for checking in with buddies, browsing the forums, and getting and giving encouragement. In fact, making a schedule will help keep you on track so your research or socializing times aren't eating into your actual writing periods.

But what if you don't outline? What if you don't like to know too much about your characters and novel before you write? What do you do with October? Whatever best gets your muse and inspiration going. For me it was research

I had a lot of Victorian research done beforehand on Return to Sender, but I didn't have more than a core concept and a sketch of the main characters to guide me during nano. I knew I had an eighteen year old who was given a second chance at life after he died, and he used it to give the dead a chance to fix something in the lives they left behind. I knew the novel was set on the brink of a civil or revolutionary war, and Roderis, my main character, would not only be in the opposite country than his family, but he would be on the opposite political side as well. I knew one point of contention between the parties was slavery, and my Roderis inherited a very special type of slave, an inhuman magical one, who was my second major character. That was what I had going into November.

I had less than that on the sequel. I didn't even know I had a duology until I was halfway through November and had nothing left to write on novel one. In Eyes of Gods, my main characters were reincarnated. The setting took place in the aftermath of the first novel's events; it was "Elizabethan", because culture and world had regressed. There was a weird culture set inside a mountain ring. "Roderis" didn't know who he had been in his past life; his former slave did and was looking for him. "Roderis" was also a male trapped inside someone else's--some-female-else's--body. There was nary a plot in sight.

For both novels, I had no outline going in. So, how did I manage that lack during November? I allocated my time. After I wrote each day, I made sure I wrote what the next day's chapter or scene would be. What I gained in a constant flow of words, however, I lost in publishable quality of story. The novel was good enough for nano, but the story and plot followed my whims and inspirations, and it showed. The duology needs to be rewritten, but I do not regret the results.

Neither will you regret taking a page of out the Victorian housekeepers book and setting aside time for the quick and dirty everyday things and periods of focus for that which deserves it most. Good luck!

Search for Re: A Roman Spin

2009-10-14T09:02:00.002-05:00

Well, while looking up ghosts and ghoulies, I ran across lemures. Also, not long ago, it was Read a Banned Book Week, which got me to thinking about censorship. For some reason, the two things crossed in my mind. So I looked up about the term censor at wikipedia, and found this page.

That's the fun part about research. You can find one cool thing, and it leads to a fixture in the story that changes everything. Good when done early on; no so good, when done later in the writing process. But anyway, what is the fixture in my case? That the dominant culture in my nano novel is based off the ancient Roman's. Which is neat because, of a third reason. I got this book out of the bargain bin at B&N for my birthday, and been looking for an excuse to use it.

So, right now, I am focusing my Roman research on lemures, homes, and censors.

On censors. You see, I have difficulties writing about real world people with real world type jobs. Even past historical jobs, where I become over focused on getting details perfect. Which is why many of my protags in my novels have something to do with magic, because the details are my details and I can make it up. But this nano novel needs people in it as unmagical as possible. After all, it would be hard to focus on the weirdness inside them and in the mist, if they are already too weird to start with.

So, MC#1 is a censor. More of a morality police, big brother type than a census taker. Also, I want them to perform acts of censorship in the sense of the word as we know it now. Plus, they must seem to embody the morality they enforce, and the latter just opens the door wide onto a world of inner conflict, since someone close to MC#1 is corrupt and untouchable because he is also a censor. MC#1 feels the hypocrisy greatly.

Anyway, some links on censors:

Now, how about lemures? They were basically malefic ghosts and had to be exorcised during certain festivals. I am going with a form of them instead of zombies, per se. After all, I think they'd be a lot more freaky to encounter in a perpetual mist than zombies--and harder to kill, especially if the typical exorcisms no longer work. I also thought it would be neat to tie it in with the Festival of Luna (discovered in Handbook to Life in Ancient Rome). On that day, the cover of the ritual pit (mundus) was removed and ghosts were allowed to walk around--and although this festival involves the "blessed dead", that's just asking for trouble of the zombie-like sort in my world.

Some links on lemures and lemuria, the festival associated with them, and the mundus.

Finally, since I am going with a Romanesque culture, I need a Romanesque haunted house. This is my hardest research thus far, because so many things will be going on inside this place, I have to be able to see the house and rooms clearly in my head. And what I found isn't quite cutting it. So, all I can do is keep looking until something clicks.

Links:

Well, that's it so far. Enjoy!

Contest!

2009-10-12T18:43:00.003-05:00

I've entered the contest again. Last year, I think I did it on EoS. Now, it's Lab. The contest is here, at Nathan Bransford's agent blog. To see my entry, you have go this page of the comments, and it will end up being somewhere around 3/4ths of the page down. 535th entry maybe? Yup, you read that right. 535. And this is only the first day of the competition, which lasts till Thursday. So, he probably has 1,500 more to look forward to, if this keeps up.

Poor guy. But he wouldn't do it, if he weren't getting some happiness out of it. So, good for him.

Link-a-Day: Words and Play

2009-10-12T09:01:00.001-05:00

Last week, I posted about the King of Wolves's site. On that web page, there is a motto at the top: "Quid est veritas? Est vir qui adest." Out of curiosity, I Yahooed it and came up with this site.

Which reminded me of another word play, in a different form, which I came across the other day.

Interesting, huh? Well, while you are there, check out the word of the day or sign up for the newsletter. Or cross reference some English to Greek and Latin at the other site; definitely helpful as my nano novel involves an Romanesque culture, and a non-nano a Grecian inspired one.

Coming Soon to a Blog Near You

2009-10-11T14:48:00.002-05:00

Monday: Link-a-day: Word and Play. Word of the day site and word fun.
Wednesday: Search for Re: A Roman Spin. My The Mist meets Lost meets 1804 concept takes on a Roman spin.
Friday: The Write Way: Return to Sender/Eyes of Gods and Finding Time, Victorian Style. The second of four topics on Nanowrimo preparation. This one deals with my second and third nano novels, Return to Sender and Eyes of Gods, and methods of organizing your time.

Enjoy!

The Write Way: Labyrinth and Building Idea Men

2009-10-09T09:03:00.000-05:00

It's that time of the year when all insane writers come out to play. Well, almost. This will be my fifth straight year nanoing. Now, not all of my novels that came out of November Madness were successes, but out of the four years, I managed "win" nano (i.e., meet the 50,000 word count) for three times. My first success was Labyrinth. Yes, my current fantasy revision-in-progress (aka RIP, he he). I did not complete the novel at the time. That came later. So 50,000 words in a month can be done; I've proved that three times over. But how? If this is the first time you are joining the lemming herd, you might fear that jump off the cliff. Don't.

After all, even the biggest snowmen are built with handfuls of snow. So, what is the first handful you have to gather? The idea.

Let's go back to my first nano for a moment. How did I come up with Lab's core idea? From the Nano forums themselves. There are always posts--sometimes dozens of pages worth--of challenges or plot bunnies seeking a new home. Someone offered an idea about a person constantly being forgotten a few minutes after meeting people. Whammo, bango, Six was born.

But just like a single snowball does not make a snowman, more ideas are needed to build Six's tale. The Collector, his enemy, is one idea. Then there is the labyrinth. There is the two headed, one bodied Sphinx guarding the labyrinth. There are multiple worlds. There is Six's invisibility. There is the plant goddess, Six's nemesis. And there is Six, former thief with a magic-detecting needle. Where did these ideas come from? Not from thin air or cold clouds.

They came from different methods.

First of all, visit the Nanowrimo website. In particular, the sub-forum where people post prompts and challenges. Maybe you won't use them, but they may spark a new idea. Nanoers also post links to other places they found particularly inspirational. But while you are online, stay online. Look at Ralan, Duotrope, etc, and search for the contest and anthology listings. Oftentimes they want certain themes. Use them. Or, check out plot generators at places like Seventh Sanctum's, Random Plot Generator, or Plot Scenario Generator. Helpful and fun to play with. As I said above, I got the first germ of my nano idea from a challenge on the forums.

Next, try reference sources. I found my two-headed Sphinx and the Labyrinth through reading books. In fact, I collect reference books, but if you aren't careful, that is an expensive pastime. So unless I'm expanding on a topic, I go cheap. Use bargain booksellers like E.R. Hamilton and Daedalus. Look at the used book sections of Amazon and B&N. Buy from the bargain bins at your local brick-and-mortar store. Patronize used book stores. Go to yardsales. Visit your recycling center and rescue a book (they'll thank you, or rather, the book will). Last but not least, you can always borrow from libraries, download free ebooks at sites like Project Gutenberg, or Google articles. Wikipedia is great online resource, for example.

So, back to Lab. Where did I get my Sphinx idea from? A picture in a woman's dictionary of symbols of Aker, which I got from a yardsale. If you look closely at my username, you may notice something familiar ;-) And, a labyrinth? Same book, but from there, I did more research about the labyrinth's connection to transformation--a big part of what this novel is about. Besides, I just love the concept of labyrinths.

After that, look about your neighborhood. Not literally; I'm talking about your literary neighborhood. What are your favorite books? Take an idea from them and use it. This Holly Lisle article will show you how. Popular books? Invent your own twist. That's just a starting point. Go on Amazon or B&N, and search for books in your genre or outside it. Read the summaries. Look through TV guide. Look through "new releases" DVD booklets at your local movie store. Or do the same search online. Do you belong to a book club? They send fliers, they have websites, all with summaries to catch your eye. It's time to use them to get ideas from the world of words and images all around you.

In Lab, Six goes to different many different worlds in one novel. Where did that idea come from? Several sources. Stargate SG1, for one. But more so from Gulliver's Travels. And what about the Collector, cool, calm, impeccably dressed, and not to mention, an avid connoisseur of worlds? I was inspired by the Chrestomanci character from Diana Wynne Jones's Chrestomanci tales.

One last tip. Keep an idea journal. There are countless ways to get inspired, but all that inspiration is for naught if you can't remember it. So, write it down. Keep a little notebook with you constantly, so wherever you are, in bed, at work, at a grocery store, you can capture it for later use. The best thing about that is, ideas generate ideas. You won't run out. Once you start coming up with ideas, you will fill up those pages in no time. And best of all, unlike food, ideas do not go stale; unlike snow men, they are not meant for one season alone. Start small and build big.

Invisible men, for instance, came from past ideas never used; plant goddess came from a rolling ball of ideas, collecting more as it went. The concept of a "forgettable boy who had adventures in many worlds" collected the concept of invisibility, and a goddess who cursed him, and his being a thief. After all, how else will an invisible child survive in a world that has forgotten him? By stealing.

So my idea-snowballs grew in size, and from those I assembled my first novel, Labyrinth. You will too; after all, snowmen are started by rolling snowballs and collecting more snow on the way. That's how ideas build into novels.

Got your handful? Start rolling.

Search for Re: Start Researching Your Nano.

2009-10-07T09:02:00.000-05:00

Since next month is Nano Month, it's time to prepare for a brand spanking new this month. I already have my primary novel idea. I'd love to do bee-geisha, but that requires way too much research and besides, I started on the first chapter. Instead, I'm doing a novel that is best summed as The Mist meets Lost meets 1804. With zombies. Yup, when two of the influences are Stephen King works, you can guess what sort of novel this will be. Dark. Or maybe Semi-Dark. There is the Lost weirdness and psychology thrown into the mix. After all, I love how the show delves into the characters' lives, into how the characters work out personal, past, and situational problems on the Island. My novel has people thrown in a crucible, put over a fire, all to see how they react.

Anyway, I will be doing an idea post later this week, but for those who have theirs already, research is the next step. A venture that can be as daunting as coming up with a viable novel plan in a single month. So, the solution? Start simple. Ask yourself, what are the main parts of your idea?

Well, let's see. My nano concept is thusly: Several strangers seek refuge from a zombie outbreak in an abandoned mansion, and find the horrors within themselves and these walls are greater than those without. Psychological dark fantasy. Obvious research topics? Well, remember that "meets" summary? Let's use that for a start-up breakdown.

Mist: What makes mist/fog. What are its effects on sensory information. Unusual real mists/fogs. Pictures of mist/fog for visual stimulation. Other novels and movies written about mists or fog (purely for research purposes, of course ;-).
Lost: Point of view techniques (since I have a cast of a dozen and maybe a house). Effects of isolation. Psychology in general. Survival techniques. Small group behavior.
1804: Haunted houses. Bizarre and weird places and phenomena. Poltergeists/ghosts. Sacrifices (because my house is a weirdo).

And let's not forget:

Zombies: Types--voodoo or Night of the Living Dead. Related monsters, i.e., ghouls, etc. Similar novels/movies.

Every week at this month, I'll expand my beginning list, provide cool details of what I found, link to helpful research techniques and material on my subjects, and reveal how it affects the foundation of my novel.

So, what are we waiting for? Let's get busy.

Link-a-Day: Creepypasta

2009-10-05T09:05:00.000-05:00

Well, since it's the month of horror--as if one needs any excuse to dip one's senses into the dark for a while--here are some interesting, or should I say, delectable sites all revolving around one concept.

Creepypasta.

First time I heard the term. Wikipedia doesn't know about it. I remember hearing about it through the Nanowrimo forums a year or so ago, but it was never called that. Maybe it was newer back then. But anyway, before we give you a definition, how about a sampling?

Once you are done with that, you get the idea behind the term. For more, more info, more fright, head on over to Encyclopedia Dramatica, where there is a nice definition:

Creepypasta are short stories designed to unnerve, disturb, elicit a negative emotional response from, and scare the reader.

Not to mention, the pictures really add a certain flavor to the reading experience. Anyway, there all styles of these stories, from urban legends to walk-throughs. Creepy as all hell, but inspirational too--for writers. That is why the Nanoer posted the link in the first place, to the site that started it all for me and I'll use to close with you.

So have fun, get inspired, and try not to get too creeped out in the process.

Coming Soon to a Blog Near You

2009-10-04T19:26:00.002-05:00

Monday: Link-a-day: Creepypasta. This is the month of Halloween. So how about some online sources of different creepy stories?
Wednesday: Search for Re: Start Researching Your Nano. Starting research for nanowrimo novel. In my case, my The Mist meets Lost meets 1804 concept.
Friday: The Write Way: Lab and Building Idea Men. The first of four topics on Nanowrimo preparation. This one deals with my first nano novel, Labyrinth, and methods of coming up with your nano idea.

Enjoy!

Bee Geisha Research

2009-09-26T06:00:00.000-05:00

Yes, yes, I know. I can't seem to concentrate on one novel at a time. Unless I get into the "groove", the obsessive phase where I can write for hours on end and don't even get up if mildly hungry, I usually don't.

So here's a growing list of bee geisha books I'm using as research, because you see, it's damn hard to find what I want in one source. So I have to go across so many different subjects to get what I need. Other research topics are going to be makeup and dress, etiquette, tattoos, courtesans, dance, tea ceremony, and body language. That's just to start with.

I don't think I ever did this much research for a novel before--sure I've read about four or five books, plus dozens of articles, for EoS, but that's was relatively easy. Look up Aztecs, find Aztec information, there you go.

To find out what I need for bee geisha, not only am I going to have look up the two main topics, bees and geisha, but Japanese and Chinese culture and daily life, Greek culture and daily life, and any "art" that the "geisha" in my story will have to learn.

Like manners, how to dress, make up, tea ceremony, dances. They will have to read body language like a pro and be able to control any conversation with their own words--so books about speaking. Oh and feng shui is also going to have a role in this. I'm sure I'll discover tons of more stuff.

But for now, here is my starter list.

Ios's bee-geisha-research book montage

Ios's favorite books »

250 Words

2009-09-23T05:09:00.000-05:00

250 words on Lab? On anything? Nope. My laptop died. Black screen. Flashing "lightning bolt". Finally, I tried starting it up without the battery. Presto, chango. It worked. I backed up my crap. Then I put my laptop battery back in, and it works again. Stupid cheap-ass computer, there was a reason why it was put on sale, and it wasn't just because the power button fell off after a month of use either.

Gender in fiction

2009-09-22T15:33:00.000-05:00

Some interesting comments out there in the blogosphere about the genders of your fictional characters.

For instance, BookEnds on male protags. And Fangs, Fur, and Fey blog on females (which includes more links).

So it seems it is hard to write the opposite sex than you are. Really? In general, making the gender believable in fiction isn't the hardest thing; it's making the characters work, period. If the character works, then gender isn't a problem any more, is it? Because gender is just one part of the character. Because you know, if you worry too much about believableness of your character's gender, then you run the risk of writing a stereotype. Because I believe characters in fiction, just like dialogue, just like any part of fiction, is about exaggeration. It may be slight or it may be great, but fiction isn't about how people in real life act. It's about characters acting better or worse than us, different than us. That is why fictional characters can never be like real people: it'd be too boring. Fictional characters, instead, are here to entertain us, not be a mirror to our own lives. Thus, they can't be just like us.

Progress: Lab

2009-09-21T21:47:00.000-05:00

Holly Lisle has a challenge going of writing 250 words a day. Well, I tried it towards editing, and I got 359 of them. Wanna see one?

crevice

Lol. Well I did say one. Ok, a few more.

I returned to the front door and started the night's mischief with a little spell to Tamay's lock to greet his next few returns; see if that sparked up a memory or two.

Then, I continued by poking my hand up into the crevice above the door frame.

"What are you doing? Secure the kitten and depart."

"Oh, I'm sure the kitten's secure enough in her cage, for the moment, Your Lowliness. Don't worry your orange little brains about it."

How's that for context? ;-)

Coooooool

2009-09-21T19:06:00.000-05:00

Look at what I discovered:

Ios's currently-reading book montage

Ios's favorite books »

Lab update and Snippet.

2009-09-20T13:29:00.000-05:00

Update on the editing progress. Now have three chapters edited in the second draft.

To celebrate, here is a snippet from my work in progress, Labyrinth. The main thing that needs set up for this snippet to make sense is that my MC, a sixteen year old invisible male, is holding a plant goddess captive. Or rather, he is holding captive a plant goddess in seed form inside a vial inside a pocket in his shirt. He is trying to get past a sphinx (owned by a immortal man called the Collector) guarding the labyrinth.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

I stepped forward.

The Sphinx turned her head toward me, claws flexing in those platter-sized paws.

I stopped.

The Sphinx said, "I am the Soul, the Flesh, and the Guardian of the Labyrinth. None shall pass without permission."

"Funny," I said, looking her up and down. Casually. "You look like a Sphinx to me." What would she say to that? How good was her warning spell? "And I have an invitation. From one worldly friend to another." I plucked out the vial and waved it, noisily, to test the extent of her visual and aural capacities. "See? Your turn." I ignored the whisper of "filth" in my head and returned the Invective One to safety.

She did blink, nor follow my hand, suggesting low sensitivity to my presence, and what sensitivity existent quickly fading.

But she did manage to say, "I am the Labyrinth," through a still muzzle. "Those who do not heed the warning trespass. Trespassers forfeit their souls."

No movement. Anywhere. Not even a whisker flicker. The Sphinx as-is was incapable of any real conversation.

Just like a goddess I loved to torture.

I eyed the Sphinx's leg, a paw waiting with claws sheathed. Claws, however, do work well. Especially ones kin to scythes.

"Your Lowliness, you might be right for twice. She doesn't seem to be listening." Shame, since her attention span was beyond the momentary. Did you have a falling out?" I snapped my fingers. "You tried to leach onto her graven images, didn't you! You lichen fiend!"

"Fool." Two seeds beat about this time inside my belt pocket. "Coward fool. It is a trick. Circumvent her and break the spell binding her tongue."

Fine. Besides, I had a own trick of my own. A trick within a trick. I reached inside a breast pocket number six, upper row, and pulled out a heat spell hiding in a lightstick. Been holding onto that since the last time I was here. Now that I needed a diversion, I hope it hadn't forgotten to work. After all, if I were going to be foolhardy, best to be foolhardy and quick rather than just foolhardy and crushed beneath giant Sphinx. I gathered my weight, rocking on my heels. Swift. Easy. Moving in line with my goal, I broke the trick lightstick in half and tossed it near the opposite paw. For a moment, it sat there. Leaving me an idiotic litterer.

Then it flared to life with pale orange light, rotating in place like a drunken firework. Not quite the right color or speed, but . . . .

The Sphinx cocked her head at it.

Yes, swift and easy. I pushed off, leaping over the ledge of a paw, with a hand of my own to help. The paw was warm, furry, and firm with muscle.

I landed on the other side, the impact jarring. The anticipated displacement of air--from a swipe of a paw or snap of jaw--never came. I didn't perceive any movement; had no time to check. I rolled ahead, out of the squeeze of body and white wall before that turned into squish of my body between both.

When I came to my feet, I was ready judge my success and doff it to Collector's so-called enforcement spell from many yards away, before a cat and I resumed negotiations.

When I came to my feet, I was face to chest with the Sphinx, and the haze rested behind her this time. She had not moved.

But she had moved. Was facing me. Somehow.

"Impossible," I whispered.

"Finally," the goddess tinked. "Fool."

The Sphinx dipped her head and said, "So be it, trespasser."

This time, she swiped her paw.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Body Lang and Six

2009-09-11T05:23:00.000-05:00

Interesting post here. I had seen the comment's question last night and was going to comment then, but I like the blogger's take. Because Six, my main character from Lab, does this very thing. He interprets body lang and other things about a person--he takes their measure and does it quickly--and gives his opinion like a fact. He's often right, but he's also wrong, too. Why did I do this? Because originally I was softening his opinion words like "maybe", "perhaps", "I thought". Then I got disgusted with it--because it's what I do too often is use those words--and decided to be radical and make him express opinions as facts. Well, at the time I thought it was radical; in light of this post, maybe not so. But anyway, it changed how I wrote Six; it became an important part of his character,and I love it when things like that happen.

Secret Agent contest

2009-09-10T17:02:00.000-05:00

Over at Miss Snark's First Victim, there is a contest going on in which a secret literary agent will comment on a snippet. I wish I could have tried it. But nothing was ready. But my goodness, is this the trend? Is everyone writing YA? I hope not. Not that I have anything against YA, I just prefer the plain ol' fantasy genre. Anyway, I've commented on probably about 10 entries, and it is true what they say. You learn about your own writing by critiquing others. But I also think you learn a lot by your fellow critter's crits, too. Anyway, I'm all pooped out on that until the Secret Agent starts commenting.

Labyrinth

2009-09-10T05:12:00.000-05:00

In spite of laotong, yin, yang, or sense, I'm working on one of my older novels. I had been editing it in the past, but I heard so many warnings never to try to sell a book in a fantasy novel series first, that I decided to put it aside. Now it seems like that is no longer quite so true. Series will be what the publisher wants. (The guy also asked the question of stand alone vs series on an agent blog, but I can't remember which or when.)

Lol. Seems like I'm trying to follow hearsay again, but I'm not. I'm still leery about Lab, because it is somewhat comedic and I'm not a comedic fantasy writer. My character just happened to be a funny person. But that aside, it is the closest to being ready for submission, and I don't have the patience right now to finish writing, then extensively rewrite EoS. So, Lab it is. For now ;-)

Oh, and I do have some writing done on it. A new prologue. Yeah, yeah, I know. A prologue, but that is a whole other blog post, I'm afraid ;-)

Contract Signed

2009-09-05T05:22:00.001-05:00

Well, I did a little happy dance on the 3rd. After some email kerfuffles, Drollerie Press was in contact with me and sent me the contract to sign. Sent it back today. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that my email won't cause problems this time.

Blog Post: Breaking In?

2009-08-25T11:20:00.000-05:00

Interesting blog post about breaking in to publishing. Makes you think about your current projects. It may be a strong novel, craft and story wise, but is it strong novel in regards to sellability? It seems the advice is to be original, but don't rock the boat--i.e, stand out, not stand up ;-)

But seriously, what does someone who writes weird or unusual do? Look for weird or original novels to compare the novel to. Which I have been doing for the past few days, trying to find a comparison novel. Still looking . . .

Yin / Yang

2009-08-24T11:23:00.000-05:00

Maybe it's just the influence of the novel I'm reading, but I'm wondering if I am being pulled to my bee-geisha story because it is sorta yang to EoS's yin. Although, neither is "light", EoS is far more dark than bee-geisha. It may also just be me, needing something a little lighter to work on. But for some reason, they feel as if they have a connection in my mind.

In that novel I'm reading, the concept of laotong is mentioned. "Old same". A sort of kindred spirit. Is that what these novels are? Kindred spirits?

Do you ever get the feeling that some of your characters from different novels would just get along well--or never get along? Oooh, I feel a potential Character Channel session coming on, lol. Channel the both of them, EoS's Jol-Len and bee-geisha's as of yet unnamed MC, and let them sit down and talk together a bit, see what comes of it all :-)

But if I can find out a reason why I feel there is some connection between these two novels of mine, although they are not in the same world or meta-world, maybe I'll better understand why I am writing them, why I am pulled to them both.

Serendipity

2009-08-21T05:20:00.000-05:00

Don't you love serendipity? I'm one of those people that believe it is a sign, especially when it relates to writing and creativity.

My bee geisha story originally did not have bees in it, but the story idea started taking off in my imagination when I connected bees to it.

First off, the germ of this idea came from watching Memoirs of a Geisha far too many times. I wanted to write a story involving the same level of details into a cultural subset as the movie/book goes into with geishas. Anyway, that lead to me reviving an old idea about magical living tattoos. Presto, chango. I have combined the two.

The first real bit of serendipity came from an encounter with bees and some later knowledge about them. For some reason we are seeing an increase in bees where I live. In fact, they frequently land on me while I am lounging outside to the point I get fed up and go inside. Next, I read in a book on myths that bees were considered psychopomps in the Greek world--and since my book has one culture as Greek-inspired, the lightbulb went on. My psychopomps in my world for my Greek-like culture are bees. They aren't like butterflies, which are pretty. These hold a bit of apprehension instead, just what I need for my story. That is serendipity #1.

Serendipity #2 came from the fact I got in the mail a catalogue for Daedalus Books for the first time. Inside was this book, A Keeper of Bees: Notes on Hive and Home. Bees play a big role in my story since Serendipity #1 occurred. This book find was fortuitous, because I need research material on bees and I heard good reviews of this book. So, now it is on order.

Let's see how well my serendipity holds--and let's see if I can't find me a nice geisha book to go with it ;-)

Goals

2009-08-19T11:24:00.000-05:00

Goals for this week? Work on EoS, next chapter.

Not easy. You see, I need an infusion of "stories" every once in a while, or I go crazy. Stories can be tv, books, my own writing, etc. Anything that is creative and not real.

I've been filling up on "stories" by watching first Dead Zone eps, now Lost eps. Not good.

When I do write, however, I keep getting hit by an inspiration-bug, which is dragging me off to my geisha bee project.

So, I'm keeping my goal simple--and no more filling up on books or tv until something is done on EoS. Sweets after the work, until the work becomes the sweet again, as it should be. :-)

Channel Session 1: Conflict

2009-08-15T09:52:00.001-05:00

So, conflict . . . . We all know about conflict in stories, about how important it is. There are tons of articles out there, talking about it.

But you are the one writing the story. So, what do you view as conflict? What kinds do you like? What is the nature of conflict in your story? How does your character view and react to it? Well, let's see.

~*~

Osan, from my fantasy novelette, The One Who Sees, faces several conflicts during his story. But the one that he speaks of most strongly to me is not his mission to do what is right by one of the lost souls in his world, or even do what is right by his tribe who is war hungry, it is more personal than that. It goes back to family. It goes back to one thought, that beats like a heart in his head.

My family is dead . . . because of me.

This is painful for him. Although you might, by placing your head to his chest, hear his heart, you can't hear this thought inside him, but you can see it in his actions, see the pain seeping out, see how it is with him in every way. Ask him, and he would go back and change it. Ask him, and he goes back there in his mind anyway. To that day . . .

It was the Fever that came, the Fever struck them, but it was I who let death in to stay. The air blistered, as if on fire. It was everywhere. The fire, in our body, in our breath, in our heads. It made mother, full of life with the sister I am not allowed to remember, call out for Shaman. But it was the sister I am allowed to remember, Oki who lives for she is stronger than me, it was Oki whom my mother thought was coming. Oki, my twin.

And it was my brother, he who was first born and first dead before any of us, he whom I somehow remember, he whom I should not. It was my brother Olas she begged to get Shaman.

I did not get Shaman.

I cannot blame the Fever: I can only blame my fear.

My brother would have done better.

My brother would have saved them all.

It doesn't matter what he remembers, it all the same. He feared the shaman and administered aid to his family on his own.

His sister was not born. The others died. So did his mother and his uncle. This he knows. This he remembers. But most of all, he cannot forget that when he was twelve, three years from being made the man of the family with all the responsibility of taking care of his sisters that entails, he let his fear of the man with the cure defeat him.

He failed his family.

~*~

So, what is the nature of the conflict for Osan? It's with himself and the past; it is this failure that beats beneath every bit of his story.

What conflict lies at heart of your story? What conflict lies at the heart of your character?

Clean Up

2009-08-15T09:43:00.002-05:00

Been cleaning up my blog of old posts to go with a new focus. I've started another blog, called The Character Channel, where I'll have some fun with my characters and writing in general, especially when I can't actually do any real writing. The idea came from a combination of keeping a character journal and a character in one of my novels-in-progress, who is a channel.

What will be the focus of this blog? News on my writing, research of note, and articles I like. More of the business side of my blog.

That's it. Enjoy.

What Have My Characters Told Me Today

2009-08-08T07:28:00.000-05:00

Or rather, yesterday. Well, since I got one of my Aztec reference books in the mail, it made me think more of their writing. How it is more like art. Colorful. Colors will add meaning to words. Jol, my Sin Eater, who records the sins of his commune in a book is going to have to carry artistry tools and so I will have to look more into that aspect, that and the concept that every sin has a specific name.

So basically, he told me it's time to look into Aztec writing and artistry (painting, calligraphy,etc) in general.

One Who Sees

2009-08-04T20:00:00.001-05:00

Well, I got some good news, and much needed it was. It looks like I got an acceptance with Drollerie Press on "The One Who Sees", my novelette. Check them out. The concept behind the publisher is great, and I love the covers.

Good News

2009-02-09T15:33:00.001-06:00

A while back in '08, I posted I had a short story accepted at an anthology. Well, I heard an update today. The publication date the editors are shooting for is 2010, not 2009. Although it is a year later than I expected, that is still great news. So great even, that I am almost inspired to try my hand at some more short stories in the meantime :-)

Acceptance

2008-08-28T07:41:00.000-05:00

Belated news: A couple days back, I got an acceptance on the story I submitted to the Mother Goose Is Dead anthology. I'm really glad. Not only because of the content of the anthology--I enjoy fables, myths, and fairy tales--but because of who the potential publisher is slated to be: Dragon Moon Press.

My story is called Knock.