the writing bug

Inspiration. Perspiration. Writing. Hmmmmm.  My creative writing bug has been absent from my life for a few years now. That itch to put words onto 'paper' has been soothed by the amount of writing I do for the Friends. It seems I am in a constant state of sending emails regarding our mission to fellow members or to the local newspapers or to the other nonprofit groups in our area. When I'm not working on those projects, I read and I read a lot. 

This is not to say that my writing muse has flown away for more fertile grounds. No, she is still alive and kicking. Story ideas, characters and plots are always rattling around in my head. I just haven't had the drive to jot those ideas down.

But, someone else in my family has been bitten by the bug and has the drive to do something with what her muse is giving her.  The oldest showed me the beginning of a story she is working with, a YA fiction piece. She had written the first few pages longhand at school during a study hall and over the weekend, typed those words into her computer. She did some editing, some tweaking and then asked me to read it.

What a voice that kid has! I was impressed.  She has a concept for a nice story. As we discussed what she had written, she realized she had a lot of plotting yet to do, but she had some general ideas on how to flesh out the larger story arc. Yesterday she came home and discussed back story with me and how best to incorporate those bits of information without just dumping them.

Does she have a natural flair for storytelling? It is too soon to tell, and having natural ability does not mean work isn't required. She has listened to me talk about writing and about books for years. She has floated in and out of rooms where my writing friends and I discuss plots, characters and stories.  She has learned at school how to analyze a novel, how rhetorical devices work and why the ebb and flow of action can make or break a plot. We've talked about why we love certain books and loathe others. We've talked about using concrete words and creating hard hitting, real images.

I'm interested to watch as she wrestles with this story concept and begins to work at putting those thoughts down.  

the not quite a year in review

My buddy Kim asked the question and here is the answer. So far I've read 62 books this year. Yep, more than one a week. I try to read a variety of books, but as my love lies in the fantasy/paranormal genre, the list is tilted in that direction.

The thing I haven't done this past year is work on my Maddy Blue WIP. This past year the intent was to finish tinkering with that story and move on to the next. It didn't happen. I realized I needed to junk the entire last quarter of the book and I stopped working. I couldn't come up with an alternative ending. I've resolved the issue in my head, but I haven't stirred up the energy to tackle the rewrite, or in this case the new write.

Two weeks from today I will be setting foot in Europe! I can hardly believe it. I rec'd a delightful email from a friends' granddaughter with a list of recommendations for us regarding Parisian things to do and see for a family of five. It was perfect. I'm relying on my brother to be the tour guide for our time in Germany/Bavaria.

The bookstore is closed for the next three days as the library is closed while new shelving is installed. It will drive me nuts to see those brand new half full shelves over the next several months. I hope they ramp up their ordering!

It will be nice to be at home for a few days without feeling the need to head to the bookstore. Maybe I will read a book....or maybe, I will open a long neglected Word file and actually create something.

new stuff

I'm in for a new experience today. The hubby and I are supporting one of the three mayoral candidates in our fair town and I've been asked to 'work' the polls for him. From 10-1 I will be stationed the legally required number of feet from the early polling place so I can offer my personal endorsement and hand out stuff all while sporting a very stylish campaign tee shirt.

My buddy Kim just rec'd some fabu news from her publisher, Red Rose Publishing. Not only did they scoop up Shannon and Dwayne's first adventure, "Avenging Angel," they are also going to include her in an anthology about love the second time around. How cool is that?? I'm so proud of you, girl!

I've taken the same lady's advice and started to use the ten minute writing prompt exercise to prime the old creative well. It is helping. I've allowed myself to get into a bad spot with my writing and I needed a way out.

Judson Robert's second Strongbow book is just as good as the first in this series. I'm also finished with it, a very quick read, and am glad I checked out the third book while I was at the library.

when the words won't come

I opened the YA wip I started last year and began to edit. I hoped that through a few tweaks, nips and tucks I could get the words flowing. Good plan, but it didn't work. I didn't come up with much new stuff to write and in fact, I got so stuck I sat and stared at the blinking cursor for more than a few minutes.

I've hit a wall with the Lani story in only 40 short pages. Last night I decided the story is starting in the wrong place. When I return to work on this piece, I will write a new beginning and see if that doesn't jump start my efforts.

I didn't anticipate this. Ick.

how bad is that

I opened up the Maddy wip yesterday and the file marker noting the last time it was 'touched' said April. APRIL!!

Good grief. I couldn't believe it. How bad is that?

Needless to say, I got down to work and edited, tweaked and wrote my way through the first four chapters. Today I'm opening up the Lani wip and am prepared to wince yet again at the date listed after the file name.

I can't do anything about what I haven't done except to start doing something. Which I am.

hot six

I can be pretty single minded at times. Since Monday I've read numbers 3,4 and 5 in the Stephanie Plum series. Yep, I'm going through these books like they are a package of Oreos and I've got a bad case of PMS.

Needless to say, not a whole heck of a lot else is getting done. I'm just reading. And laughing. And reading some more.

I love to read series. Give me a character with enough quirks and I will faithfully read about him/her until the author stops writing his/her stories. Of course, sometimes you have to wait years in between and that can really suck. But, when you discover a series like the Plum one late in the game, you have a treasure trove to enjoy for at least a couple weeks.

And the best thing is that I'm getting the itch to tackle, yet again, Maddy Blue's WIP. I'm learning things from Evanovich and that is always a great thing.

it's not you it's me

So, I've started to read Joe Konrath's book "Whiskey Sour." This is a good book with solid writing, characters, plot, dialogue. I'm going to finish it, but I doubt I will read another. It just isn't my cup of tea. I like mysteries, but not this brand. I don't mind books having sadistic killers, hey I read Lee Child and love those. For some reason, Konrath's story is just too darn real for me. The boogey man is just too vivid. This sort of stuff happens in the real world and I read to escape from reality not have it haunt my thoughts as I'm folding clothes or looking in the closet.

My hubby has tried to get me to watch horror movies over the years. If it doesn't have some supernatural creature in it, forget me copping a squat on the sofa next to him with the bowl of popcorn in my lap. I don't like slasher movies, never have and never will.

I guess I have found a book that also hits that note with me and my psyche.

On another front, I had another flash of scenery today as I was driving along to the oldest's French Horn lesson. Okay, Kim, what do you do when these moments of inspiration come and you are minutes away from being able to stop and jot them down? Do I need to carry a flippin tape recorder now??

the table analogy and Anne Rice

I finished reading the latest Anne Rice book last week. "The Road to Cana" is the second in her Christ the Lord series. I don't want to spend a lot of time recapping the story, most people know it, but the book begins just prior to Jesus' public ministry and ends with the wedding at Cana.

What is so striking about this novel and its predecessor is the voice Rice uses. I'm a big Anne Rice fan and have read almost all of her novels. She writes with intricate detail, the imagery is lush and opulent. If we are talking tables, think of the most ornate, carved glossy wood piece you have ever seen. In these last two books, her voice draws to mind a Shaker style. Spare, concise and beautiful in its simplicity.

Some of the passages in "The Road to Cana" are breathtaking in their insight, not because she tries to 'wow' the reader with incredible theological truths, but because she employs such simple and common words to create profound beauty.

After I read the first book, I fired off an email to Anne Rice and she was kind enough to respond in short order. I explained how I felt everything she had written before enabled her to write this story simply and clearly. We exchanged thoughts on our shared Catholic faith. Her writing journey and indeed her faith journey are interesting to study. She will leave a unique legacy for writers and Christians.

My blogging may be a bit sparse this week. The offspring are on spring break and the middle one is having her tonsils out today.

thursday's tidbit

This tidbit has nothing at all to do with the craft of writing, but has everything to do with inspiration.

I've always had a fertile imagination and can daydream and imagine with the best of them. As I've gotten older, the time to sit and let my brain wander has dwindled. The vacation we just took afforded me the opportunity for some 'down' time as well as some great opportunities to people watch.

Life is so hectic and busy and for me so filled with the seemingly same sort of cookie cutter suburban people that I tend to forget how varied folks can be. Traipsing through Arkansas was a great reminder of the amazing quirks, stories and personalities out there to mine for my own fictional fun.

Not sure where I'm going with this, but I guess my point is, take a minute to step outside your 'zone' and look at what is around you with new eyes. You might find inspiration in an unexpected place or person. I did.

thursday's tidbit

Ah crap, how did it get to be Thursday already? Guess I'll put down a thought or two on POV as I've noodled over voice, POV and word choice this week.

Whichever POV you choose, stay consistent. Unless you're Nora R. don't head hop, she's a master at it, few others come close to how she can juggle multiple POVs. Make sure your characters 'think' in an authentic way. Have them use the right words. Don't stick SAT words in a character's mouth who has never cracked open a dictionary.

That's it for today.

update

I haven't blogged about it, but I'm still working on revisions for Maddy. Up to chapter nine as of today. I also wrote a prologue for Lani. Plus, I've been reading quite a bit. Today I finished "Tantalize" by Cynthia Leitich Smith. Good read that rolls vampires, shifters and Italian food into one gooey action packed story. I enjoyed the Texas setting as well as a heroine plucky enough to kick butt in red boots.

lingo

Way back when, years ago, I attended a seminar on customer service. One of the key points the instructor made was that industry professionals have their own language. It doesn't matter what the industry is, certain terms are used in house that the average Joe won't understand.

I was a banker back then and to demonstrate the point the instructor rattled off a few sentences liberally sprinkled with abbreviations, industry buzz words and financial terms. She sounded very polished and knowledgeable. Then she did the same thing, but used terms common to the medical industry. You could see eyes glaze over. What did a bunch of bankers know about medicine? Not a hell of a lot.

My point is that writers have industry language. We use it to communicate with other writers and to share tips on craft. Novice writers need to learn this language. It adds a huge degree of professionalism to your interactions with people in the industry.

A corollary to this point is to watch that your creative writing sounds authentic. Make sure your characters talk the way they should and sound real. A banker should sound like a banker and a doctor like a doctor.

Keep it real.

voice

Over and over writers hear agents and editors encouraging a strong voice or unique voice. My writing buddy K. just posted on one of her blogs how she wishes she had a more lyrical voice. She doesn't feel her writing has the right stuff when it comes to description.

After I read certain authors, I too wish my writing soared. I want my prose to be almost poem like in how it evokes emotion. This goes beyond vocabulary and diction. For me, this is how the words are strung together and it deals with timing.

It just isn't me. I'm as earthbound as they come. I think we all get the 'grass is greener' attitude at times. Part of being human I guess.

Speaking of voice, I read another YA book yesterday. Check out Martine Leavitt's "Keturah and Lord Death." Awesome book for readers of all ages. This is a classic fairytale told in a lyrical voice, but the author moves between the real and the supernatural with such ease. When I finished I knew why the piece was nominated for a national book award. Excellent writing and a captivating story.

crafty thursday

In an effort to remind myself of certain writing tools, I'm going to try and post a 'lesson' every Thursday.

Check action clauses for 'ing' and 'as.' Both indicate parallel action. Make sure the two actions connected by these words can be done at the same time. In example:

Walking under the bridge, I put on my shoes.

Okay, now that is pretty obvious...but you get the point.

really?

I'm still in the throes of editing Maddy. I've done the first run by searching out all of my 'ly' words and discovered I overuse the word "really." Guess we all have our crutches.

I have a few more search/find/replace things to work out and then I'm going to start at the beginning and read my way through. I've jotted down a few plot threads I know need fixing. I also think I'm going to do a chapter by chapter outline. I wrote this one without any outline, quite a new experience for me. I feel the urge to do one now though to help in this editing process.

I have two weeks before month end. I'd targeted June as the month of editing...can I get it done? I don't know at this point, but I'm going to try.

conflict

Avoiding conflict may be a good thing in the real world, but in writing it makes for boring prose indeed. Just read Lili Saintcrow's post about conflict. She's a big believer in the 'send in the man with the gun' writing philosophy.

For me, increasing the conflict in my stories isn't easy. It goes against what I am. I wouldn't say I'm a pleaser, but I am always looking for ways to mediate and negotiate. It takes monumental effort to not write that way.

I need to send in more men with guns. Or in the case of my Lani story, I need to let those arrows fly. Writers need to inflict all sorts of mayhem and mischief upon their characters. Life isn't smooth. It is bumpy, rutted, dirty and nasty. Keeping that in mind when we write will make for a more action packed and conflict filled story.

Although our characters do have internal conflicts, the external ones are the engines that move our plot along. So, invite those gun toting men into your character's lives. They will be better for it, really.

perspective

Okay, so after I finished my motherly duties yesterday I high tailed it to B&N to get the latest Charlaine Harris book. I came home, finished the latest Adriana Trigiani book I was reading and dove into Sookie's world.

I spent the rest of the day reading and finished the book around 9:30 last night. I did have to stop for a few things, like feeding the kids and going to a band concert.

I really enjoyed the book, but I also realized that I read it with a much more critical eye than I usually do. I guess with the edits on my WIP looming on the horizon, I'm paying close attention to continuity, pacing and conflict. I love the Sookie books, but this was not my favorite. I felt the ending was rushed and the 'mysteries' or conflicts were tied up in a big hurry in the last 40 pages.

I have a new perspective on what I need to do with MB. I'm not sure if I like all the conflicts tied up in one fell swoop. I think I'd rather dole out the resolutions a bit slower. Savor them, give them attention, make the solutions last a bit.

It may just be a matter of taste when it comes to endings. The rest of the book rocked. I loved the change of setting and I'm still torn as Sookie is over Eric and Bill and Quinn.

stops and starts

I'm about 1700 words away from finishing the current WIP's first draft. I wrote for over two hours yesterday and ended up with over 2,000 new words. I'm very excited to be near the end of this first phase. Starting a new story is exciting, but I think that finishing that same story is just as thrilling.

After I wrap it up, I hope today, I will set the piece aside for a few weeks and begin work on a YA story. I have twenty or so pages written in that one and hope to really make headway over the next few weeks. I need to because school is out soon. Not sure how my writing will go once the kids are all underfoot.

butt in chair

Managed to pour out 1,100 new words yesterday. It was less than I'd hoped for, but I was so exhausted by the time I reached that number I quit. Today won't be a writing day. I have meetings at the library from 11:30 until 2:00. Plus, I have errands to run before that. Tomorrow, I'm back at it, butt in chair.

still learning

I entered the hook for my WIP into the fangs, fur, fey contest. This was a huge step for me and I'm happy to report a very positive one. While I didn't move to the next round, I received very positive feedback. I also was reminded not to miss the forest for the trees. I was so concerned about what the hook said, I forgot to focus on how it was said. In other words, I made some stupid grammar and punctuation mistakes. Things that shouldn't happen at this stage of the game. While those types of errors are easy to correct, the judge's comments were a swift reminder about the necessity of proofreading. Lesson learned.

This week will be devoted to preparing for our guests to arrive. I won't be writing. I'm okay with that. My crit buddy reminded me that I want to finish this WIP on a strong note. Don't rush through, savor and focus. Thanks for the advice, K.

Have a good Monday.