They're Making Me Blog

Vertigo

2011-04-28T19:09:00.000-06:00

At the end of most books I read, I smile. Sometimes the book stays with me, sometimes not. A few tick me off, others barely register.
Yesterday I finished reading Water for Elephants. As I closed the book and looked around, I felt a sense of vertigo. It was as if I were being pulled from one world into another, duller place. While not a perfect book--what is?--it drew me in to a Depression-era circus and kept me there. That's a very rare thing.

It was a more common experience for me when I was a kid. Each book was a new experience, something I'd never read or thought of before. I was also more willing to let myself be drawn in.

There have been several times in my adult reading that I remember the feeling. Both The World According to Garp by John Irving and The Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy had such strong pulls that I turned around and reread each one immediately after "The End." The Harry Potter books give that sense of vertigo, too.

So what is it about certain books that make the reader feel as if she has been transported somewhere else? I could answer with the usual: three-dimensional characters, great settings, a strong plot, excellent craftsmanship. But there are books with those things that don't have that same effect. I don't think you can quantify it or point to one thing that creates it.

But wouldn't it be nice if we could?

Any books that caused vertigo for you? Can you figure out what it was that affected you?

And Another Thing

2011-04-25T07:29:00.001-06:00

I learned about writing from NaNoWriMo is

5) November is a lousy month to tackle this challenge.

The beginning of the holiday season is not a good time to try to produce 50,000 words in 30 days. Families tend to balk at the idea of you taking your turkey dinner into the writing room so you can get 500 more words. When your company has driven across two states in a snowstorm, they kinda want to see your face.

My suggestion is to move it to April, June or September. Whichever works best for you.

A Different Kind of Media Bias?

2011-04-21T13:45:00.000-06:00

I am a television junkie. It started at a young age, with my mother fueling my habit. We'd roll the television table around the corner and watch while we ate. When she bought a new set, the old one went in my bedroom. I fell asleep most night with it on.

No surprise that I grew up still loving television. And while I'll watch a not-so-great show if it's fun, my tastes have become a bit more discerning. There is a lot of good storytelling on TV these days. Sometimes what I see on the tube is better than what I see at the movies. There's more originality and risk-taking, especially on networks like BBC, HBO and Showtime. AMC and USA also produce a fair share of good programming.

Which leads me to The Killing on AMC. The review I heard on NPR described it as Twin Peaks meets 24 meets Murder One meets The X-Files. Okay, they had my attention. Here is the blurb from AMC's website:

The Killing ties together three distinct stories around a single murder including the detectives assigned to the case, the victim's grieving family, and the suspects. Set in Seattle, the story also explores local politics as it follows politicians connected to the case. As the series unfolds, it becomes clear that there are no accidents; everyone has a secret, and while the characters think they've moved on, their past isn't done with them.

Cool, right?

Well, no.

I've watched four episodes now, and I don't see where all the love is coming from. Entertainment Weekly, TV Guide, NPR, etc. all gave glowing reviews of this show. I will admit that the story line with the victim's grieving family is something I haven't seen handled in depth on television before. It's realistic and well-acted.

However, the rest of the show is one big cliche'. Let me list just a few:

-Cop gets handed a big case on her "last day" at work
-Cop also gets saddled with a new partner
-Said partner has just moved to homicide from vice, with all the twitchy suspect behaviors that an undercover vice cop can be expected to display
-Single mother (Cop) is resisting making commitment to "nice guy"
-Politician can't trust people in his own camp
-Politician is sleeping with an aide

-It is hinted that politician's dead wife was a victim of violent crime
-Politician's campaign is linked to murder victim
-Victim was a good kid from wrong side of tracks
-Victim's ex-boyfriend is a bad kid with lots of money
-Victim's best friend didn't know what she was up to

And so on.

I've heard the lead, Mireille Enos, praised for her acting. Again, sorry, but all she does is chew gum and stare--at people, at evidence, at walls. It would fine if you could see any kind of emotion or even evidence of thinking going on behind those stares, but there isn't.

Why the big disconnect then between what the critics are all saying and what I think?

I could be totally off base. But there have been enough comments from others that I don't think I'm waaaay out there. I think that critics get in ruts just like the rest of us. They love a book from Author Q or a movie from Director J or Actor V. And maybe they like the next effort. And the next. And soon, anything that Author, Director, Actor or TV Network does is A-Okay by them.

The opposite happens, too. Author P, Director I and Actor U can do nothing right. Maybe some of their efforts haven't produced the best results. But soon it doesn't matter. The best book ever written or the best movie ever made will be roundly trounced by these critics simply because it comes from these people.

Does this just mean that critics are human? Perhaps. But I find it disappointing when those critiques I've trusted steer me in the wrong direction. Does this mean that now I have to distrust everything they say?

What I Learned About Writing From

2011-04-18T19:28:00.000-06:00

National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo)

For those of you who may not have heard of NaNoWriMo, it is a writing event that takes place during the month of November. Participants sign up to write a "novel" in one month. The goal is complete 50,000 words in 30 days. Don't worry about doing the math--it comes out 1,666.6666 words a day. Now 50,000 words isn't quite a novel, but it's a great start.

The writer should be starting a new manuscript. Some preliminary work, such as character sketches and plot outlines are allowed. Then on November 1st, the writing begins.

I've participated three times, and learned some great lessons.

1) If at first you don't succeed . . .

My first time attempting NaNoWriMo, I failed. Epic fail. Life reared its head, and I didn't start until 5 days in. Then I froze. My total word count for the month was about 1,500 words.

The following year, I made it to 25,000 words. Better, but not the goal. Still, it was 25,000 more words than I had at the beginning of the month.

On my third try, I made my 50,000 words and a bit more. So satisfying.

Sticking with it paid off.

2) Writing every day is a great habit to have.

Once I got in the groove and writing every day became the norm, it was much easier to maintain. I got to a point of missing it if I skipped a day.

3) It doesn't have to be great writing.

Putting out a predetermined number of words a day means only that you write that number of words, it doesn't mean that the result is brilliant. And that's okay. Especially in a first draft.

Occasionally, though, there are flashes. Because when you're writing every day, in the groove, your brain works on the story even when you're not writing. So you don't have that boot up time. You sit down and start. And sometimes you surprise yourself.

4) They're more like guidelines really.

The rules say that you will start a brand spanking new project. But what if you have a work in progress? Will the NaNo Police come and wipe out your manuscript?

They didn't take mine away.

See, I had a WIP that was halfway there. I didn't want to abandon it to start the next manuscript. So I finished the WIP during the second week then started the next one. The world didn't end. I finished my first manuscript, and got a great start on the second.

It's your project. Make it work for you.

I highly recommend trying NaNoWriMo. If you've tried before, and didn't make it to 50,000, try again. Maybe make your personal goal to get 1,000 more words than you did the first time. I think you'll be glad you did.

What Are You Building?

2011-04-14T11:03:00.000-06:00

Former agent, Nathan Bransford, asked the question on his blog yesterday.

I have to admit to hearing crickets chirp for a while. What am I building? There are the stories and the worlds--real and imagined--that I am building. There are quilts and gloves and afghans. But what is there of any real importance that I am building.

Well, I'm building a life. With friendships, ideas, work and fun. I'm building what everybody builds (or, at least, I hope everyone is building a life). I'm probably not going to change the word in any significant way, but I hope I can make at least one person each day smile.

How about you? What are you building?

And Another Thing

2011-04-11T16:23:00.000-06:00

I learned about writing from Top Chef is:

5) Use just the right amount of seasoning.

A lot of times the deciding factor in who has to "pack your knives and go" comes down to seasoning. Too much salt? You're out of there unless someone cooked something that was inedible. Produce a dish that's too bland? Another good way to get yourself a ticket home.

How many times have you read a story that has a good plot but leaves you flat? Chances are that the author under-seasoned. He didn't give enough description. Maybe the word choices could have been better. An adjective or two might have given it just a touch more flavor.

I've heard some authors say they want the reader to be able to supply the details so they are more involved. Sorry, I think that's lazy. It's our world and our people, we need to make them real for the reader. Not the other way around.

Then there is the opposite extreme. Purple prose. The overly flowery, adjective-laden, adverb choked prose of an author who is just trying too hard.

I have a feeling I like description a bit more than most people do. I want to be able to picture where a story is taking place, what the characters look and act like, feel the sun on my face or the wind in my hair. So I have to make sure some of my first readers are those who like spare prose. I need to see if I've overwhelmed them or if they don't notice what I've done. Then my readers who are more like me have to weigh in on whether they felt the story was too bland.

How do you strike a balance when seasoning your writing? Do you prefer blander stories or ones with a little more flavor?

Maybe Not Just Flaws

2011-04-04T16:53:00.001-06:00

Over on her blog, Jenny writes today about how character flaws create complications in P.G. Wodehouse's books. And that made me want to stop work and start in on letting my characters' flaws complicate things.

Since I couldn't really stop working, I let the idea percolate. I tried to think of other stories where character flaws complicated the story. I came up with quite a few. But something else dawned on me. All character traits can create complications, not just the flaws.

Spoiler warning if you watch Being Human and haven't seen Saturday night's episode.

Sometimes the positive traits cause just as much havoc. Being Human (the BBC version) is gearing up for the season finale. The penultimate episode this season piled one complication on another. A lot of this stems from Annie deciding to help a police woman figure out who massacred a train car full of people. She likes the woman and wants her to succeed. She wants the families to have what little comfort they can get from knowing the murderer is behind bars. She wants to feel useful. The problem is that the murderer is someone close to her. His flaws created the initial problem. But it's Annie's good side that really complicates things for everyone in their group.

End of Spoiler Warning

Either way, it's a wonderful insight into how complications happen. And just another reason why Jenny's blog rocks. And Jenny, for that matter.

**Stay tuned for another thing I learned about writing from Top Chef.

It's The Story

2011-04-01T14:50:00.000-06:00

A few weeks ago, I visited Disneyland in California with my nephew, his wife and their six-year-old daughter. Everywhere there are stories. Each ride is a mini-story. The performances are stories. Even the fireworks tell a story.

This is very different from the last time I was at Walt Disney World in Orlando. The fireworks existed as something to distract people standing in line. Now there is music and narration. The theme of the year--another recent addition--is "Let the Memories Begin." The fireworks story is about that theme. About the first time you came to a Disney theme park, the first Disney movie you saw, the first Disney television show you watched.

Okay, you could say it's a fifteen minute advertisement for their movies, etc., but it was so much fun to watch. As was the photo show on the side of "It's A Small World." Still photos and home movies from family visits to the park, interspersed with images from television and movies. We just happened upon it the first night and stood, transfixed as it played out.

In California Adventure they have "The World of Color" show. Dancing waters with images projected on them. Again, very much like the fireworks story and the photo show at "It's A Small World." Just done differently, and with breath-taking results.

Why were they so much fun? The story of Walt Disney and all he created is inspiring--whatever you, personally, think of the result. The story of the families who have made a visit to one of the parks their vacation of a lifetime is moving. The story of the memories we all Disney movies--our first, our favorite, or the one we watched and realized we'd grown up too much to enjoy it (I haven't reached this stage yet, thank goodness) are something we all share.

I think we writers tend to get too caught up in all the rules and advice. We must have a knock-out opening so the agent/editor/reader doesn't put the book down halfway through the first page. Every word has to count. Each scene has at least six purposes for being included. Dialogue must sparkle like we Turtle Waxed it.

But what we often lose in all of that is the story. What we're really doing is telling a story. And if the story is good enough, the readers really won't notice the other stuff. Because they'll be entertained.

In one of my previous critique groups, I'd often find myself saying to a talented but sometimes too clever for his own good writer," Just tell the damn story."

I think I'll apply that advice to my own writing. How about you? How important it story to you? Can a good story overcome otherwise flawed writing?

What I Learned About Writing From

2011-03-28T11:26:00.000-06:00

Top Chef

In the original version of this television series, a group of working chefs compete for $100,000 to start a restaurant. The challenges vary, sometimes making them team up. Other times they compete individually. There have also been a few season of Top Chef Masters, involving celebrity chefs. This week is the finale of the first Top Chef All-Stars. These chefs are those who made it to the final rounds of their season, but didn’t win.

1) Do your research ahead of time

As with all of these skill-based reality shows, the contestants are not allowed to use the equivalent of notes—no recipes on Top Chef, no patterns on Project Runway, etc. So the chefs have to know their stuff ahead of time.

It’s been surprising that so many don’t bother to learn what others consider “the basics.” Pastry seems to trip them up time and again. If you’re going to the final and it’s held in Singapore, perhaps you might want to familiarize yourself with some local cooking methods.

I love doing research. Time slips away as I look up locations on the Internet. I have wasted a lot of time mid-project trying to find the perfect Italian surname for a character or a particular detail about how a locksmith might try to pick a lock.

While I can’t foresee every thing I might need to know to write a particular book, I’ve learned to anticipate as much as possible, and do the work ahead of time. Time slips away as I look up locations on the Internet, as does money when I order several books on the same general topic. But it’s better to use that time before I sit down to right.

How much research do you like to do for a project? When do you research?

2. Don’t make gnocchi unless you’ve done it—successfully—a million times before

For whatever reason, the chefs love to make gnocchi to try to impress the judges. [Gnocchi is a kind of potato dumpling, but can be made with other starchy items, like pumpkin.] So many have gone home because of over- or under-cooked gnocchi that I’ve lost count. You can see the doubt on the judges faces when a plate of the stuff is set in front of them.

The ones who do pull it off, however, will win whatever challenge they are in. Because it is so hard to make a good gnocchi, the judges reward those who actually can do it.

Take whatever unusual writing style or format or voice or point of view you can think of and substitute it for “gnocchi.” If you want to write in multiple points of view or use first person past perfect or write the story backwards, please make sure you can and have done it successfully before you send it off. And don’t just take the word of your best friend or mother.

Doing something different and difficult can be a way to make your story stand out. But, please, make sure it’s in a good way. Are your critique group members taking big steaming forkfuls or are they pushing it around on the plate?

3. Keep it fresh

“Oh look, Jaime’s making scallops. Again.”

In order to avoid potential gnocchi-style disaster, many of the chefs keep returning to a go-to ingredient or style. The judges notice this. Even if they’re the best damned scallops ever, the question becomes, “Can she cook anything else?”

If you write romance, that doesn’t mean you have to switch to horror. But if your heroine is always a raven-haired peasant girl and your hero is always a tawny-maned noble, perhaps it’s time to shake things up. Can you change the settings? The status of the characters? Maybe the time-frame.

A friend of mine writes mysteries, and she realized she was relying on strangling as the means of murder in both of her series. So now she’s shaking it up.

One of my critique group mentioned that all of my heroines have dark-blonde hair. Oops.

How could you freshen up your stories without having to resort to trying gnocchi?

4. The better the chef, the less back-stabbing takes place

Many of the chefs are known for trying to trip up other contestants. If allowed to pick a protein first, they’ll pick a favorite of someone else so that chef can’t use it. They’ll taste another’s dish and not say that it’s under-seasoned. Or they’ll try to get into someone else’s head and make her doubt what she’s cooking.

Top Chef Masters, however, was a revelation. They shared ingredients and tools, gave real feedback on dishes and rooted for each other. The final four drew names and had to shop for that other chef. Whatever ingredients were purchased had to be used in a dish that would get one of them eliminated. What did they do? Every one of the four bought items they knew the other chef liked to use. “It’s not a real win if I’m not competing against his best,” one of the chefs said.

This is one of the reasons I enjoy hanging out with other writers. For the most part, we encourage and support each other. That doesn’t happen very often elsewhere.

But I have seen those few writers who relish tearing down others. The critiques that, at first glance, seem to be trying to be helpful, but that simply undermine the writer’s confidence. The offhand remark about a character trait or plotline that cuts to the heart of someone who has put their work out there for the first time.

What’s your experience with other writers been? Are Masters or line cooks? How about you? Do your do your best to encourage while critiquing?

I don’t know that I always succeed, but I do try to emulate the Masters.

In Defense of "Was"

2011-03-24T12:57:00.001-06:00

We've all heard it, right? Avoid all "to be" verbs. They weaken your writing. Find a stronger verb.

I've used Dickens as a defense. "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity . . ." I've also heard that countered with, "But he wrote like 500 years ago." The person I was talking with wasn't all that bright, I admit.

Okay, here's one that's a little more current. From the best-seller "The Girl Who Played with Fire." We have learned that Lisbeth Salander has a twin sister. A twin sister quite different from Lisbeth, if only twenty minutes younger. Here is what Larsson writes:

"Lisbeth was first. Camilla was beautiful."

Six words, two of them "was," that made me stop and say, "Wow." Didn't need much more than that to tell me volumes about these two.

And another thing about this, Larsson is not only using the dreaded to-be verb, but he's telling not showing. And it's better. He could have gone on for pages, and would have had to, to show us the same thing he tells us in six words.

I read a lot of criticisms about The Millenium Trilogy" that centered on Steig Larsson's story-telling style. That he tells too much, and this keeps the reader at arm's length. I must have short arms, because I've been right there with Blomqvist and Salander through two books, and I made sure I had the third on hand before I finished the second.

Your mileage may vary when it comes to the trilogy. However, the next time you're struggling to get through a passage in a book (whether reading or writing), check to see if maybe that act of showing is what's slowing it down. Perhaps a line or two of telling could get the point across better and let you get on with the rest of the story.

Just saying.

And Another Thing

2011-03-21T08:00:00.001-06:00

I learned about writing from Joss Whedon.

5) People may assume things about you, based on your writing

If you didn’t get it from the previous points, I will say flat out, “I love Joss Whedon.” His shows are fun and exciting to watch.

However . . .

He seems to repeat a certain pattern. Namely, the teenage girl/young woman with superhuman strength. Buffy as in The Vampire Slayer and River in Firefly can both take out a room full of men three times their size. Echo in Dollhouse can be programmed to do just about anything.

Also, the vampire, Angel, has been cursed with a soul by a group of gypsies. He will become evil again if he experiences a moment of true happiness. Does he revert to evil when he saves the love of his life? Nope. When his son—a miracle he never thought possible—is born? Nope. He becomes evil after having sex with the girl he loves.

Hmmm.

In any case, Joss Whedon has given us a lot of wonderful characters and amazing stories. If he never wrote another thing, he’d be well ahead of most of us. And it would be a shame.

I’d love to write one character who is as fully realized as most of Joss’. Something to aspire to.

What I Learned About Writing From

2011-03-14T08:00:00.001-06:00

Joss Whedon

If you don’t recognize the name, you will probably recognize his work. Joss is the creative force behind Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Doll House, Dr. Horrible’s Singalong Blog and Firefly. After that list, I may not have to say anything else.

But I will.

1) Write strong characters

And I don’t just mean physically strong, although Joss does tend to like his characters to have some sort of physical strength. Even the characters who don’t have a particular physical prowess have other strengths—intelligence, humor, tenacity, sympathy, healing, teaching.

Every protagonist in the Whedonverse is surrounded by a group of friends, or colleagues, or crew. Each one of these supporting characters serves a solid purpose within the group. Take any one away, and the group suffers.

I’m not there yet with my cast of characters. But I’m trying. Reruns of his shows help.

2) Be original

Yes, there was a Buffy the Vampire Slayer movie before the series. Joss Whedon was the writer, but not the director or producer. The movie didn’t quite live up to what he had in mind, so he penned the series.

Let’s look at a few of Joss’ creations:

--A teenage girl with superhuman strength, born to kill vampires and demons.

--A vampire who was cursed with a soul by gypsies.

--A girl whose mind is wiped clean and replaced with memories and personalities of another person

--A spaceship captain with criminal tendencies who ends up saving people

--A wannabe mad scientist who really just wants to get the girl (set to music)

One of these creations would be a coup for me, but Joss just keeps churning them out. One great character after another.

3) Well-placed humor can both relieve and heighten tension

Joss Whedon’s shows are full of action and suspense. And humor. Quirky, often unexpected humor. Smart humor. Things like "If every vampire who said he was at the crucifixion was actually there, it would have been like Woodstock"

Then there are the quips mid-action. After watching a few of the shows, the viewer realizes that a character who cracks a joke during a fight may just be the next victim.

Do you use humor in your writing? Is it used to relieve tension? Build it?

4) Sometimes it’s okay if your protagonist isn’t very likeable

Buffy is a teenager. A teenager with a huge responsibility. Occasionally she gets a bit cranky. Especially when her vampire boyfriend gets all evil and stuff. Or if she’s trying to protect someone who won’t listen to her.

Angel can switch to the evil Angelus at time. Even with friends all around him, he keeps secrets. Secrets that can be dangerous to those friends.

Captain Mal is often sharp-tongued, saying mean hurtful things to his crew.

Yet, we love these characters, because they are flawed. They work all the time to be better, do better. But they aren’t perfect, and never will be. Just like us.

Are your characters too perfect? What unexpected flaw could you give them?

More Ch-ch-ch-changes

2011-03-10T08:56:00.000-07:00

Saturday we held what I thought would be my last (and possibly THE last) CWC meeting. I had announced a few weeks earlier that I'm still struggling with my writing and need to step away from even listening to critiques. I've also cut back on reading agent blogs and those that dispense writing advice. I haven't canceled my subscription to Writer's Digest, but I have dropped Poets & Writers for now, and WD is going on the shelf until I feel like it won't negatively influence me.

Since Mary and I carpool down to Pueblo, she wasn't sure she wanted to keep making the drive each month alone, especially since she's been struggling with her own writing and might not have anything to submit for a while. Shane, too, hasn't been able to write, not so much out of writer's block, but because it's his first year as an English teacher and that pretty much eats up all his time.

That would leave just Ali and Jenny. And Jenny has another critique group (she's fickle that way). So, death to CWC, right?

Wrong.

I returned to the table after a bathroom break. Conversation ceased, heads turned. Oh-oh. "What?"

They decided, in the five minutes tops that I was gone, to change the format once again. We'll still get together once a month for dinner--on Saturday, which works better for everyone--to talk. About writing, other kinds of storytelling, what we're having trouble with, what's working, our lives in general. Basically, whatever. Sorta like the old Pirate days. If someone wants to submit something, they can, of course. And, if I still need to avoid all critiques, I can read it and mark it up (for some reason that doesn't bother me), drop Mary off with my feedback so they can discuss, and go somewhere for an hour to hang out or write. Then I'll join the rest of the group for dinner.

Cool, huh?

Second transformation of the group in almost two and half years. Most writing groups don't make it a year. And big changes will kill even the strongest group. But we seem to be the little Timex group. We just keep ticking.

And Another Thing

2011-03-07T08:00:00.003-07:00

I learned about writing from the Sookie Stackhouse Mysteries by Charlaine Harris/True Blood, based on the books.

6) Keep telling your story

As I said in item 5, the makers of the True Blood, the television show, are not really following the books anymore. There’s a vague resemblance in some places, but the shows are different. So much so that a character who dies in the first book is still alive—and a fan favorite—in the Season Three finale.

Even with the changes, Charlaine Harris has continued to tell the stories her way. The television show introduced Vampire Eric’s maker in Season One. He is not the maker Harris gives the reader in Book Eight. That takes dedication to your storytelling.

Would you be able to continue writing a series the way you originally planned if a hugely popular television show based on your characters had already given a different version of a situation? Character?

Brought to you by the letter "F"

2011-03-03T08:51:00.001-07:00

for Fleur.

Because Fleur just earned a book deal with Harper Children's. She is the perfect example of how talent, hard work and perseverance can pay off. And the ability to say, "This one's not working" and move on to the next project.

Read all about it at her blog.

Maybe there's a little lesson here.

PS - I wanted to put an exclamation point after the tag, but Blogger wouldn't let me. So here it is now, with friends!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What I Learned About Writing From

2011-02-28T15:59:00.000-07:00

The Sookie Stackhouse Mysteries by Charlaine Harris and True Blood, based on the books

1) Give your protagonist a problem

Sookie is telepathic. She hears everyone’s thoughts. Almost all the time. Which makes dating difficult since she knows exactly what her date is thinking about her, as well as all of his expectations. Her gift has caused her to be labeled a freak in her small home town of Bon Temps, Louisiana.

Groovy problem, right? And it’s not her only one. She needs her waitress job at the bar in order to help make ends meet at home, where she lives with her grandmother. Her parents died in a car accident when she was little. And her older brother’s a bit of a screw-up.

I’ve said it before, but my critique group always tells me that I’m too nice to my characters. Well, Charlaine Harris has no problem beating up—sometimes quite literally—on her characters. Especially Sookie.

2) The bad guys should be dangerous

In the world of this series, vampires have recently come “out of the coffin.” The reason? A synthetic blood substitute, Tru Blood, developed by the Japanese means they no longer need to feed on humans.

The problem is that Tru Blood isn’t exactly like human blood, so a lot of vampires aren’t about to make the switch. And even if they are off the real thing, they are still incredibly strong and fast. Some can fly.

Even when the bad guy isn’t a vampire, he (or she) is still a huge threatening presence. Bon Temps has any number of really bad characters just waiting to do harm to our protagonist. In addition to the vamps, there are werewolves, weretigers, werepanthers (you get the idea), evil fairies, ancient goddesses, religious fanatics, witches and just plain nasty human beings.

Wimpy bad guys don’t cut it, but I don’t want to make my antagonists look cartoonishly bad. I don’t want a mustache-twirling Snidely Whiplash. So how to find that happy medium between not-bad-at-all and over-the-top-evil?

I once read that the perfect antagonist is the mirror opposite of your protagonist. Think Harry Potter and Voldemort, Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker, Krystle and Alexis Carrington.

3) Too many characters CAN be a problem.

I tend to like a fairly large cast of characters. Maybe it’s because I’m from a large family. Or it could be from reading a lot of Dickens as a kid. Whatever the reason, I don’t get confused by a lot of characters in a book.

However…along about book six or seven in the series, Harris had populated Bon Temps and the surrounding area with more than a dozen named vampires, half a dozen or more important werewolves, at least three fairies, a handful of witches, a shapeshifter, a few weretigers, a whole town full of werepanthers, and about twenty humans.

Even that wouldn’t have been too bad, except that she tried to fit everyone in for at least a mention. The main storyline became diluted because of this.

Early in the next book, Harris started eliminating some of the characters, not all of them violently. It made for a tighter story.

I’m still working on making sure that all the characters in my books have good reasons for being there.

4) First person narrative has pros and cons

By sticking with Sookie, we get to know her. She’s our window into Bon Temps. We tend to feel about the other characters as she does. She becomes us, or we become her.

The flip side is that we can’t experience anything without Sookie. The latest book, Dead in the Family, suffers because of this. Vampire Eric is visited by his maker and a new “brother.” A lot of really interesting stuff happens between the trio—off stage. We learn about it just as Sookie does, while the story it told to her. It loses a lot of the impact that actually being there would have given us.

I’ve used both first and third person narrative. I’m not always clear why I’ve picked one over the other. But I think it’s time to take a really good look at the story I want to tell before I make that decision.

5) You need to let go when you sell the movie/television rights

About midway through each season of True Blood, the television series based on the Sookie Stackhouse books, my friend Jenny asks me what’s going to happen. Even though I’ve read all the books, I have no idea at this point. The first season stayed somewhat true to the main plot of Dead Until Dark, but there were lots of people and situations in the television version that weren’t in the book. And the last episode veered in a very surprising way from the book.

Charlaine Harris is always positive about the series in the interviews I’ve read. She acknowledges that television is a different medium from books and, therefore, requires a different take on storytelling. Good for her.

I’ve also read interviews with authors who blast any adaptation of their work. It tends to leave a bad taste in the mouth of this reader. Yes, the story is your baby. Yes, you came up with the idea in the first place. Yes, the studio/director/producer/network must have liked what you wrote if they wanted to adapt it. However, you sold the rights. Period.

The lesson here? Should I be lucky enough to pen something that someone wants to adapt, I had better consider how much it would bother me to have my baby undergo extensive cosmetic surgery. Would the money being offered be enough for me to keep my mouth shut about any changes? Could I smile and nod about the movie/television show/play while thinking about my bank account?

Could you?

Reading Cozies

2011-02-17T19:24:00.000-07:00

DB handed out cozies at the CWC meeting on Saturday. I've read them all my life for a light change of pace. Jenny did her own study of them a few months ago. Mary seemed excited about reading one, or two even. But I don't think Ali or Shane have ever read one.

Ali's already posted about her first impressions of the beginning of the book DB gave her. It's not looking too promising.

It'll be interesting to see what everyone has to say next month.

Have you ever read a cozy mystery? Did/do you like them? What about reading other genres that aren't your normal go-to picks? Were there any that pleasantly surprised you? Or annoyed you?

And Another Thing I Learned About Writing

2011-02-14T14:50:00.000-07:00

from The Da Vinci Code.

6) People love conspiracy theories

From the assassination of a JFK to Roswell to 9/11 to Free Mason’s to whatever, there are always those who will question the “official version” of major events. Sometimes these people are right and they expose a lie—think Watergate. Sometimes they’re just crackpots. Sometimes we’ll never know one way or the other.

Dan Brown uses questions that were already being asked by others—which led to a copyright lawsuit or two. He uses them, though, in a novel. This gives him the ability to say, “It’s just fiction.”

Is the Catholic Church covering up the truth about Jesus Christ? And what is that truth? Was he simply a profit who caught the imagination of the masses? Was he married and a father? Is there an unbroken line of descendants who are aware of their heritage, but who keep it secret to keep from bringing down Christianity as we know it? Is there a Priory of Sion, dedicated to protecting the secret of Christ’s bloodline?

None of those things need to be true. Just posing the questions raises controversy. And controversy begets debate, or the modern day equivalent of debate—shouting at the top of one’s lungs. Once that starts, interest is piqued and an increase in sales can follow.

I’m not proposing that everyone should make use of conspiracy theories in their books. Nor that all books need to spark controversy. But there should be something about them of interest to readers—even a niche market. There should be something about the book that people love.

When I start writing, I don’t worry about who my market is. That would paralyze me. But as it’s nearing the final edits (maybe Draft 4 or 5), I will begin to think about who might want to read this particular book.

What about your book will people love? Is it funny? Heart-warming? Scary? Romantic? Thrilling? Some combination?

When The Universe Conspires Against You

2011-02-10T14:19:00.000-07:00

As you may know, CWC has not been able to meet since the beginning of December. An unexpected death and various snow storms have caused delays that turned into outright cancellations. We finally agreed on this Saturday, with a forecast for highs in the mid-50s and sunny skies. And then one of our group got news of another friend's death. It just seems like the Universe is trying to tell us something.

Ali received a much more positive message the other day. I've been getting some mixed signals myself.

This time we're sending a message back to the Universe: We're meeting. One of our number will be attending a funeral, and we'll have to figure out times to exchange submissions, critiques, etc. with her. And while our thoughts with be with Mary, her family and their friends, we're going to go ahead and do this thing.

Maybe the Universe is just nudging us (and with something that big, a nudge can feel like an earthquake) to see if we're really serious about this CWC thing. Because maybe if we're not, then we might not be serious about the writer thing. What the Universe needs to know, however, is just how bloody serious we are. So we're going to prove it.

Ever get the feeling that the Universe/events/gods/life was trying to tell you something? What did you do with the message?

What I Learned About Writing From

2011-02-07T10:52:00.000-07:00

The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown

I know that it’s almost required for writers to disparage Dan Brown. Just some of the complaints about his writing are awkward sentence structure, telling instead of showing, playing fast and loose with history, physics, etc. Yeah, maybe. But we all know that many well-respected authors break the rules. So what is it that bugs so many of us so much about Dan Brown?

Could it be his overwhelming success? Probably not for everyone but, if we’re honest, for a lot of us. Here we are slogging along, playing by all the rules and this guy sells a gazillion flawed books.

But a wise former agent, Nathan Bransford, said it best in one of his blog posts. Writers who don’t take the opportunity to learn from financially successful books—even those they dislike—are doing themselves a disservice. What follows is what I’ve learned about writing from The Da Vinci Code.

1) Find a cool occupation for your protagonist

Robert Landon is a symbologist. That was a new one on me. But intriguing. And an occupation I wish I’d known about before I registered for college. To make a living out of studying and interpreting symbols? How cool would that be?

Sometimes it seems that writers only find a handful of occupations worth writing about. Medical and legal professionals are everywhere (try watching television for one evening without running into one, the other or both). Teachers show up a lot, as do cops and private investigators (who could fall into the Legal category). Then there are the stories about people in the entertainment industry—agents, artists, actors, writers etc. Lots of stories about writers.

While Langdon turns out to be employed as a college professor (teacher) and acts as a hyper-educated detective, it is the way he interprets symbols, both common and arcane, that propels the story forward.

I will be more likely to think twice before going with one of the overused professions for my protagonists in the future. Does she have to be a medical doctor or could she be sociologist or a telemarketer?

2) Make the protagonist’s goal interesting

What could be more interesting than a search for the Holy Grail? Langdon has to figure out not only where the Grail is hidden, but what exactly it is. Is it a cup? Was it used by Christ at the last supper or did it collect his blood at the crucifixion, or both? Is it a person? Could it be a descendant of Christ? If it is, what would that mean for Christianity?

One of my issues with my writing has been creating a well-defined tangible goal for my protagonist. I won’t have anyone searching for the Holy Grail, but she needs to be after something that is every bit as important, if only to her.

3) Keep the action moving forward

One of the reasons this book was on the best seller lists for so long is that it’s a page turner. The reader wants to know what happens next. Even when Landon and Sophie stop to analyze the clues or get information from another character, there is action in the background. We know that Bezu Fache and Silas are hot on their heels. Will our heroes figure it out in time? Or will the bad guys catch up? And when they do catch up, how will Langdon get away?

Brown makes the figuring out interesting too. This is where a lot of the “telling” comes in as Langdon explains what the symbols mean and why he’s interpreting them in the way he is. But it’s interesting telling. Do we really need a flashback to the 13^th Century so he can show us? Nah.

Isn’t this what every writer aspires to? We all want readers to be unable to put our books down, to have to read “just one more chapter” to find out what happens next.

Even though I don’t write thrillers, I am trying to find ways to keep the reader wanting to see what’s next. How do I up the stakes, heighten the tension, increase the conflict?

4) Use interesting settings

The action starts in Paris. Not just Paris, but the Louvre. Langdon travels through France, London and Scotland. We see the Louvre, Westminster Abbey and Roslyn Chapel in detail through Langdon’s eyes—a symbologist’s eyes.

Would moving my characters around heighten the tension? Would adding a famous landmark bring something different to the story? I’m sure this idea wouldn’t work for every story, but it’s worth considering. Remember, a rainy little town named Forks caught a lot of readers’ attentions without any landmarks at all.

5) Make the antagonist a worthy opponent to the protagonist

“The Teacher” is every bit as smart as Langdon. He’s devious, and he’s willing to kill to get what he wants. That final trait is one that Langdon doesn’t appear to share. It may make him a more likable good guy, but it puts him at a decided disadvantage.

The henchmen working for/with The Teacher are well drawn, too. Especially Silas. He’s an albino monk, strong physically. He has absolute faith in God and The Teacher. He also practices corporeal mortification or self-inflicted punishment. So many things going on with Silas that he almost takes over the story.

I tend to be too nice to my protagonists. And part of that is not making the antagonist enough of a threat. By keeping antagonists like The Teacher in mind, I should be able to come up a worthy bad guy.

Whatever your opinion of The Da Vinci Code or Dan Brown, you can’t deny that a lot of people loved the book—and the movie that followed. It’s hard to argue that all of the 80 million buyers are just stupid. I know plenty of intelligent folks who enjoyed the book—heck, I couldn’t put the thing down even with the flaws I saw in it.

The next time you encounter a best-seller that you feel “sucks,” keep reading. And try to identify what made so many people enjoy it. You just might be doing yourself a favor.

And Another Thing I Learned About Writing From

2011-02-06T14:09:00.000-07:00

The Pikes Peak Writers Conference

6) Celebrate Any Request for "Pages"

But don't hang all your hopes on an offer from them.

So you get your manuscript ready, really ready. It’s revised and polished to a high gloss. You get a pitch session with Dream Agent. You practice your pitch for weeks. You sit down with said agent and pitch your little heart out. Then you sit back and wait.

And she says it sounds interesting. Asks a few questions. Then she hands you her card and asks you to send the first three chapters.

You float out of the pitch room, skip down the hall, rush to the bar to tell all your friends the good news. They help you celebrate and plan how you’ll spend your six-figure advance.

When you get home, you give your chapters another going over—or three. And you send them off to Dream Agent. You polish the rest of the manuscript again in anticipation of a request for a full and eventual offer of representation.

The email—or letter—arrives. Heart racing, you open it and read “Thank you for letting us read your work. However, Book Title isn’t a fit for us at this time.” Despair. What did you do wrong?

Probably nothing. Some agents have a hard time saying "no" to a writer who--all eager-like--is sitting across a small table from them. The pitch may have been good but, possibly, not completely representative of the actual manuscript. Or the agent got back to the office and realized she had offered representation to another author with a similar story.

So follow the steps above. Polish the chapters to a gleam and send them off. Then polish the rest of the manuscript to the same high gloss. Then query other agents who represent what you write. And start on that next book. It'll keep you occupied while you wait for Dream Agent's reply, and you won't be hanging all your hopes on one response.

Registration is open for this year's conference. We all know the state of the economy. But if you can possibly afford it, go. Attend the workshops, talk to other writers. Try to sit at a table hosted by an agent, editor or author you admire. And if your manuscript is ready, sign up for a pitch session. Oh, and take the pitch practice workshop so you're ready.

Most important of all--have fun.

What I Learned About Writing From

2011-01-31T20:04:00.000-07:00

Pikes Peak Writers Conference

If you’re not familiar with the Pikes Peak Writers Conference (PPWC), let me give you the broad strokes. Pikes Peak Writers Conference has been held at the end of April in Colorado Springs, Colorado, since 1993. It was named one of the top ten writers conferences in the United States by Writers Digest Magazine. The conference is run by Pikes Peak Writers, a group of dedicated volunteers.

When I first attend, at the tenth anniversary conference, it consisted of two days of workshops and pitch appointments with either an agent or an editor. Friday afternoon, one could walk into a “read and critique” session and listen to a writer read a few pages and receive immediate feedback from an agent, editor or published author.

The conference has expanded to include workshops on Friday as well. And attendees may sign up for Thursday intensive workshops.

Following is a list of things I learned by attending several PPWCs over the years.

1) There are lots of other people out there like you.

I wrote a lot when I was in junior high and high school. Then “real life” interrupted that. I had gotten back into writing a couple years before my first PPWC. I joined a local writing group just a few months before the conference. So, I knew there were at least a dozen people in Colorado Springs who wrote.

Then I walked into the Marriott Hotel on the April Friday afternoon. There were writers everywhere—checking in, wandering the halls (some looking as dazed as I felt), sitting at the bar, and bravely reading their writing in front of an agent and a room full of people. Suddenly I became part of a much larger subculture. If I was crazy to be doing this, at least there were others as crazy as, if not more so, than I.

2) Writers can be incredibly generous with each other

Many of the faculty are authors—well-known and not so much—who shared their experiences and insights. They took the time to put together hour-long presentations and handouts to help other writers avoid some of the pitfalls the presenter had encountered.

The faculty were not the only generous authors. There were the strangers who invited me to sit with them at meals. The people who let me join in their conversations in the lobby between sessions and after the days events ended.

I left each night—I didn’t stay at the hotel that first year—feeling energized and knowing that I just might be able to do this thing.

3) No matter how much you know, there’s more to learn.

I love doing research. When I decided it was time to start writing again—seriously, I subscribed to Writers Digest and invested in a bunch of writing books. I read about plot, characterization, conflict, motivation, themes, dialogue. You name it, I had a book about it.

Even then, I felt there was probably a lot to learn from the workshops at my first PPWC. Sure enough, I absorbed a lot that weekend. There was a workshop on writing good query letters. Another on writing screenplays based on a two-hour movie broken into ten minute blocks.

By my third and fourth conferences, I was feeling pretty dang knowledgeable about the writing life. After all, I had a couple different first drafts under my belt. Even more books and magazines read. What else could there be to learn?

Well, how about developing a “bible” to manage a series. This is a notebook that contains information the author needs to keep track of. A map of the location, descriptions of characters, major events. Or how about the way real S.W.A.T. teams or canine units operate?

Every PPWC has taught me something new. They’ve also reminded me of things I might have once known, but forgot.

4) Be prepared.

I first learned that when I joined the Brownies in first grade. Who knew that it would help me at a writers conference mumble, mumble years later?

It took a year or two before I signed up for a Read and Critique session. A room full of strangers would be listening. A room full of strangers plus an agent. A big name agent. A big name agent from a prestigious agency.

Started a month or so before the conference, I polished and re-polished what I would be reading. I read aloud and timed myself. Then friends from my critique group helped by listening and offering advice. I was told accentuate certain phrases. Raise my voice here, lower it there. And remember to breathe.

When I started to read at PPWC, my hands shook the pages and my face went hot. But I was ready. My copy of the pages were in large print and marked up. “Hit this.” “Softer here.”

At the end of the reading I braced for the horrible feedback. But it didn’t come. She liked me. She really, really like me. I mean, she liked my writing. And that felt great. Even though she did not ask me to send her pages. I wouldn't have been ready for that anyway.

5) When they say finished work, listen.

Agent/Editor pitch sessions are limited. Writers are cautioned to only sign up for a pitch session when they have a finished work. “Finished” does not mean a first draft. It certainly doesn’t mean a kinda cool idea for a book. It doesn’t even mean a good second draft.

A finished work is a manuscript that has been written and rewritten, probably several times. Eyes other than the writer’s have read it and offered feedback. Eyes that belong to people who are writers themselves. Or at least people who truly know about writing.

I decided that I’d pitch a book that was still mostly in the idea stage at my second PPWC. I figured it would be good practice for when it was finished because, of course, I didn’t think anyone would say they wanted to see it.

But he did ask for the first 100 pages. I didn’t have 30 pages. Did I rush home and knock out the rest of the book, polish it up and send the requested pages? No. Instead I froze up. I didn’t write much of anything for months.

Not everyone will have that reaction. But even if you run home and finish the manuscript, it will not be your best work. And if you don’t submit your best work, you won’t get very far. That means you’ll have wasted the agent’s time and, possibly, prevented a writer who was ready from getting one of the precious time slots.

Take a look at the PPWC brochure for 2011. You can find it here at http://www.pikespeakwriters.com/html/brochure.html It could just be the boost your writing needs.

More of the Car Saga

2011-01-25T08:55:00.000-07:00

Just a quick note to let you all know where we stand, car-wise:

--Test drove a Ford Fiesta, Ford Focus, 2 Toyota Corollas and 2 Hyundai Elantras on Saturday
--Made the mistake of falling in love with Elantra GLS
--Stormed out of dealership after being browbeaten by the manager
--Had to go back to dealership because they had my driver's license (still don't know why they needed or why I actually gave it to them in the first place)
--Spent 1/2 of Sunday with heating pad on neck and back, taking Ibuprofen. Second 1/2 spent at brunch and Theatreworks laughing hysterically at Boeing Boeing. I highly recommend it
--Finally found out what Farmers Insurance is giving me for my car--not as little as I feared, but not as much as I hoped
--Will be FedExed paperwork to sign today
--Check promised by "next week"
--Not 20 minutes later, the tow company called to arrange pickup for today (amazing how quickly they move when they're getting something)
--Participated in lively email exchange with a different Hyundai dealership in town. They wanted to prove that "we're not all the same". Unfortunately, I gave a firm dollar amount and have heard nothing from them since.
--Not really unhappy to have decided to go with the Focus. It was my favorite until the Elantra. Jenny took notes on my reaction to the cars and there were many many positives about the Focus. Plus it's red.

I am still getting the financing in order, but will most likely go back to Ford tonight or tomorrow. I think once it's settled, my neck and back should improve along with my mood. And blood pressure should go back to normal range. Or at least normal range for me.

Update

2011-01-20T16:12:00.000-07:00

Things on the car front are moving right along. Here's where we are so far:

--Got rental car yesterday
--Looked at a few used cars at Carmax yesterday
--Got pre-approval for car loan from my bank
--Getting lots of suggestions from family, friends and coworkers
--Looked for title, couldn't find it
--Picked up replacement title today
--Scheduled car shopping outing for Saturday

The forward momentum is certainly helping my mood. I still don't like the idea of having car payments again. Car shopping, while I like looking at and test-driving cars, is not on my top ten list of fun things to do. Especially when it's "under the gun" so to speak. Only once in my life have I been able to look for a new car at my own pace. It was such a luxury.

But there's no getting around it. I need a car. An inexpensive car--both to buy and to own. But I will get by, always with a little help from my friends--and a knowledgeable nephew.

Watch This Space

2011-01-17T10:34:00.000-07:00

I was in a car accident on the way home last Monday night. Since then, I've been concentrating on feeling better and dealing with the insurance companies--with the latter definitely hampering the former. I have some pain and stiffness in my neck and upper back and my blood pressure is up. Go figure.

Anyway, I'm a bit preoccupied right now. As soon as I know what's going to happen with the insurance companies, I'll be back to my regular blogging schedule. For now, I recommend you check out the fabulous bloggers listed on the right hand side of the page.

And Another Thing

2011-01-10T14:35:00.000-07:00

I learned about writing from Project Runway is

5) Listen to your Tim Gunns.

People who regularly read my blog have heard this before from me, but it bears repeating.

Tim Gunn is the Chief Creative Officer for Liz Claiborne. He also acts as a mentor for the designers on Project Runway. He hands explains the challenges, accompanies the group to Mood Fabrics to buy supplies and advises them during the creative process.

Anyone who watches the show is familiar with Gunn's trademark stance of arms crossed, hand next to mouth followed by "I'm concerned." Smart designers know to take a good look at what they are doing. Especially if he is more specific. "Do you think that's a little matronly?" was a frequent question last year. The contestants asked that the most went home fairly early.

Sometimes it's a minor adjustment. Others it takes starting over. Not everyone listens to Mr. Gunn's suggestions. The last strategy has worked on rare occasions. Usually, the critiques of the judges echo what the mentor already said.

Do you listen to the Tim Gunn's in your life? When your critique group makes suggestions, do you really listen? Are you lucky enough to have a mentor who has "made it" in some capacity in the business? A friend who is a published author? An agent? An editor?

I'm slowly learning how to take the advice my Tim Gunns give and "make it work"* for me.

*The parting advice Tim Gunn usually gives as he leaves the workroom.

What I Learned About Writing From

2011-01-04T15:20:00.000-07:00

Project Runway

I know. I know. It's not even about writing. It's a reality show about fashion design. I warned you in the first post that I'd be taking inspiration from lots of different places.

The big thing is that it's about creating something. Creating something that will help you achieve your dream. I think that fits.

1) Work to your strengths

Every week the contestants are given different challenges--make a prom dress to a sixteen-year-old's specifications, design an outfit using only items you can find at a hardware store, dress a drag queen or design the best resort outfit you can. No matter how far out the challenge, the outcome is supposed to be a garment that could be sent down a fashion runway.

The designers who do well are those who know their strengths and weaknesses, and work to their strengths. Especially on the wackier challenges.

We all want to do it all well. But let's face it, we all have something that stands out about our writing. Why not play that up? Yes, I work on strengthening my plotting, but I don't forget about character building and dialogue.

2) But that doesn't mean you can't stretch

"I don't do menswear." Or gowns, or resort wear, or whatever. That doesn't cut it on the runway. When you're given a challenge, you either perform or go home.

As writers, we're lucky. We can write whatever we want. No one is standing over us demanding, "Write a steampunk romance set in the old West." At least, not once we get out of school. But it certainly doesn't hurt to stretch ourselves a bit.

Can I add a little more humor to your stories? More romance, mystery? I've tried using a setting that I have to research, that I'm not familiar with. I've found that I enjoy it.

3) Don't repeat yourself

Too often, good designers get stuck. The judges all loved the dress with the intricately folded fabric detail. Then the next week the designer sends out a jacket with folded fabric, then slacks, etc. It gets old fast.

We've all seen it happen with books. Series can be especially susceptible. I know I revisit certain themes, but I really try to beware of characters and situations becoming cookie cutter.

4) You are responsible for your own work

As with most reality shows, there is a confessional type camera that films each individual talking behind the scenes. Gloating, backstabbing or whining.

Last season, one of the contestants complained to the camera. "How do I get the judges to appreciate my brilliant designs?"

Can you find the problem in that question? She put all the responsibility on the judges. What she should have asked was, "How can I improve my designs so I can impress the judges?".

It's hard to accept criticism. To hear that maybe we're lacking. Much easier to blame the critic. They just don't get it. I'm trying very hard to listen to critics, really listen and determine how I can take that criticism and improve.

Looking Back

2010-12-30T15:22:00.000-07:00

Yes, I'm blatantly copying Jenny. But it's that time of year.

How did 2010 measure up?

All in all, pretty well. Not if I look at total words written. That number is way down for the year. I did get MMG one revision closer to being ready to submit, though.

I think I accomplished something better than a lot of words. Or at least as good as. I finally realized what works and what doesn't for me when it comes to feedback on my writing. And I managed to articulate that to my critique group. The thing that still makes me smile is that they immediately got it. A couple other members also spoke up at that point to say what is and isn't working for them.

I read a lot of books this year. Just look at the list on the right. And I learned so much from having read them. As I do with just about every book I read. Not just about writing either, but that sure helps.

PPW asked me to do a regular blog post for them. It's my What I Learned About Writing series. I publish here first, then PPW picks it up. Pretty shiny.

My first blog post on Red Room was picked up as a featured blog. I supposed to get a bunch of books, but haven't seen any yet. Not like I don't have enough to read.

I took a banjo class and am still practicing regularly. Performed three dance numbers and a couple "specialties" with my dance class as the Pikes Peak Center--and loved it. Took an additional tap class over the summer that really helped with technique.

A pretty dang good year.

6 Favorite Books of 2010

2010-12-27T15:16:00.000-07:00

Disclaimer: I realize that not all of these books debuted in 2010. However, I read them all this year, so that is why they are my favorites of the year. And there are 6 instead of 10, not because I didn't read 10 books I liked, but because I'm busy and don't have time to write about why I like 10 books.

In no particular order:

Room by Emma Donoghue

I used this book for What I Learned about Writing From this month. But there is more that I like about it than what I learned from it as a writer. The premise sounds depressing: a five-year-old boy has spent his entire life in an 11'x11' room; the same room his mother's been imprisoned in for seven years. Yet, it's not depressing. Jack has fun in Room. He adores Ma and thinks life is pretty great. I know that life in Room must be harder on Ma--how could it not be--but she makes it home for Jack, and I adored her for that.

They both have to face a lot in the second two thirds of the book, each in different ways. Viewing everything through Jack's eyes makes it at once easier to read and more difficult. Donoghue has a way of letting us see Ma's struggles filtered through her son's innocence without dampening what she's going through.

I've recommended this book to more than a few people, but always add that it might be a more difficult book to experience if you have children of your own.

Postcards From a Dead Girl by Kirk Farber

I knew about this book long before it was published. Kirk is a member of Pikes Peak Writers, and I'd heard about his reading at one of their American Icon Contests. The title already had be interested, then Jenny told me how much she liked his reading--even if they were in competition with each other. So I knew I'd have to buy it as soon as it came out.

The book does not disappoint. Sid Higgins is the ultimate unreliable narrator, because Sid just may be losing his mind. He's getting postcards from his ex-girlfriend Zoe, who disappeared on trip to Europe she started about a year before. All of the postcards are dated from not long after she left, and Sid is trying to find out why they were delayed. In addition to Sid's weird postcard dilemma, he's being haunted by his mother, whose ghost is stuck in a wine bottle in the cellar, he thinks he has a brain tumor, and his sister is pretty fed up with him.

At first I was nervous about the fact that the book has very short chapters, but it works. A lot about this book works. And while I sometimes found myself being frustrated with Sid, I believe it was the author's intent. I'll ask him the next time I run into him.

Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett.

I have to admit I was a bit apprehensive about finally reading this one. So many people have raved about it for so long that I just knew it couldn't live up to expectations. Boy howdy, was I wrong.

From the description of the cast of characters, I was hooked. How can you resist an angel who "didn't so much fall as saunter vaguely downwards?"

Aziraphale and Crowley have been the earthly reps for Good and Evil for a very, very long time. And they like it here. There's one little problem: the Apocalypse is going to happen, on Saturday. Which means they'll have to go back to their respective homes. Can they stop it?

There's an Anti-Christ, witch hunters, a witch, various demons, a handful of "horsemen," a bunch of kids and Dog.

Gaiman and Pratchett each have strong, funny voices. The combination of the two could have been overwhelming. But styles blended seamlessly. They claim that they can't tell who wrote what. I tend to believe them.

It kept me laughing--sometimes until I had to set the book down and wipe my eyes--and turning pages right up to the end.

Hurricane Punch by Tim Dorsey

I received this book from a friend. "It's about a serial killer in Florida." Ah, a Dexter knock off, I thought. Wrong again.

Serge Storms and his buddy Coleman are traveling around the state, just ahead or just behind the hurricanes that are pounding it, wreaking almost as much havoc as the storms. Especially once a rival killer starts taunting Serge.

There are some pretty graphic descriptions of what happens to the victims, which I probably could have done without. But these are tempered by some of the funniest writing I've seen.

After finishing Hurricane Punch, I went out and bought the first two books in the series. I'm looking forward to spending some more time with Serge--just on paper of course.

The Spellman's Strike Back by Lisa Lutz

The Spellmans are back in all their wacky glory. Izzy is prepping to take over the family's detective agency, still going to therapy and dating the hunky Irish owner of her favorite bar. Mom's none too happy and finds a way to bribe Izzy to date other men. David's still unemployed and dating Maggie, Henry's ex. Rae's acting weird.

All in all, life as usual for the family.

This fourth installment is the best of the bunch, and that's saying a lot. All the family intrigue, actual cases, romance and laughter are here. Izzy may be evolving, slowly, but she's every bit as much fun as ever.

The Passage by Justin Cronen

A Government experiment goes wrong. Not only that, it is set loose on the population. The world as we know it ends and another one begins.

Sounds like King's The Stand. And the set up to The Passage definitely reminded me of it. But the disaster is different. It may still be a kind of virus, but one that turns people into vampires. With all the vampire hype recently, I was skeptical. But Jenny recommended it, so I gave it a try.

Many reviewers have talked about the first third of the book being brilliant and the rest bogging down. I didn't feel that. The second second slowed it's pace, but it's the aftermath. I thought there was plenty of excitement, and also how things can become mundane after ninety years--even fighting vampires.

My main disappointment was the abrupt end. At least I had been warned that the book is the first in a trilogy. While he did wrap up one part of the story line, Cronen left the reader hanging over a big old cliff. I'll pick up the second one, for sure.

Juliet by Anne Fortier

This doesn't count in the 6, because I haven't finished it yet. But it could be another one that I finish before the end of the year that would make the list--Juliet by Anne Fortier. I'm about 3/4 of the way through, and I'm still loving it.

Favorite Christmas Books

2010-12-23T09:31:00.001-07:00

It's the time of year when everyone puts together lists. Best TV Shows, Worst Movies, Top-Selling Books, etc.

While I might still do that, I wanted to put together a list of my favorite Christmas books. Then I tried to think of books with memorable Christmases. None of the usual books came to mind. I didn't read How The Grinch Stole Christmas, I only remember the television show. A Visit From Saint Nicholas aka The Night Before Christmas was always recited in my home, not read--so much so that at 5 I was the one who recited it in front of the fireplace.

There are two scenes from books that I always think of this time of year. They seemed to define for me what Christmas is all about.

-Little House on the Prairie. I remember being amazed and humbled when Mr. Cameron, my third grade teacher, read to us about the little girls who were thrilled to get one penny, warm gloves and a piece of candy each for Christmas. Our Christmases growing up weren't extravagant by any means, but there always seemed to be lots of gifts for everyone. I wondered if I could ever be that thankful for so little.

-Little Women. I read this for the first time in fifth grade. I had seen the movie with June Allison and Peter Lawford several times by then, but the book is what stuck. Their father is away serving in the Union Army during the Civil War. Money is tight. Marmee and the older girls work to keep food on the table. Christmas morning, they awake to a feast for breakfast, but Marmee isn't there. She's gone to help the Hummel family, a family in even more desperate circumstances than the Marshes. So the girls pack up their breakfast and take it to share with the Hummels. I could understand the resistance of Jo and Amy-I wouldn't want to give up my special breakfast either-but loved that they finally agreed.

I like to remember at this time of year that Christmas isn't about how much you get or how much you spend--regardless of what all the adds say--but how grateful, kind and generous of spirit you are.

Merry Christmas.

And Another Thing

2010-12-20T16:58:00.000-07:00

I learned about writing from Room.

4. Inspiration only gets you so far.

Emma Donoghue has said that Josef Fritzl case was the original inspiration for the book. He is the man who imprisoned his own daughter in the basement as a sex slave.

Now I would understand how a crime writer would use a case like that for inspiration, as a psychological thriller, a case study of the man.

But Donoghue turned this inspiration on it's head and, of course, changed it. It is not the woman's father who abducts her. It's not a crime story. It is a psychological study, but of the boy and his mother.

Her website explains the extensive research it took to get everything right. Some of that research was, as you can imagine, harrowing. Then there was the mundane, like looking at decorating sites to get the room just right.

I'm going to look at headlines a bit differently from now on. Instead of dismissing certain stories with "that wouldn't fit my genre," I'll look at how it could if I took it from a new angle. This could open up a whole new world for my writing.

How about you? Where do you find inspiration? How much research do you do for each book?

I Got Nothing--Except A Little Christmas Glee

2010-12-16T13:48:00.000-07:00

What I Learned About Writing From

2010-12-13T16:50:00.000-07:00

Room by Emma Donoghue.

Since the book is showing up on so many Best of 2010 lists, including my own, it seems like a good time to talk about what I learned from it.

First, the blurb: Jack has lived his entire five years in an eleven foot by eleven foot room with Ma. Ma has been there for seven years, ever since she was abducted and imprisoned there. On his fifth birthday, Jack starts asking questions, and learns about "Outside."

The book is told in first person from Jack's point of view.

1. Kids can be resilient, which some writers forget.

Yes, Jack has been a prisoner his whole life. BUT it's the only life he's known. And Ma makes that life as pleasant as she can. They exercise, read, play games, watch TV--but no too much, dance and laugh. Jack loves Room and his life there. The only exception is Old Nick, who sometimes visits at night, while Jack is supposed to be asleep in Closet.

I think, too often, when we write about people in dire situations, the tendency is to write them as always down and depressed. People often rise above their situations. Most of us have experienced a time when everything has gone wrong, and everyone involved ends up laughing. Not after the fact, but during it. Adding a scene like that can make the story seem more true to life.

2. Anticipate the readers' questions/realizations

It seemed that every time I had a question about why Ma was doing what she was or wondered what would happen if . . . , Donoghue let me wonder just long enough and then answered the question or set that event I wondered about in motion. That makes for a satisfying read.

I've been in group critique situations where people wrote things like "Where is this? When is it happening? Who is Jack? What does he want?" on the very first paragraph of the story. Maybe I needed to attach what I thought the back of book copy would say. But critiques like that lead the writer to want to dump all the back story in the first chapter.

Resist this. If I know everything I need to know on the first page, why should I read the next 250?

3. Staying in character is key.

Donoghue does slip a few times--at least I thought so--especially toward the end of the book. Jack's narration seemed too emotionally and relationally savvy for a character with his history. Jack can do math and read better than most third graders. So there are times he sounds older than five, but that is with good reason.

I'm working on a novel with an eleven-year-old boy as the narrator. Not an easy task. Donoghue has set the bar pretty high for writing a realistic child of the opposite sex. I will do my best to write up to her level.

I highly recommend Room to all writers. It's not always an easy read emotionally, but it is a quick one. The pages just kept turning, because I wanted to know what would happen to Jack and Ma next. I think you'll want to know, too.

And Another Thing. . .

2010-12-06T10:39:00.000-07:00

I learned about writing from my critique group.

5. Listen to all the feedback.

Even if you disagree. Violently.

This can be a hard one--it is for me. But even if you don't agree with the feedback, you should listen. Because something didn't work for that person. It may be a style thing, which you don't want to change. But the thing is, what they may have given as the reason in the critique may not be the real cause of their discontent with your story.

I'm not saying that anyone is lying to you or purposely obfuscating. But sometimes a piece of a story doesn't gel for us, and we can't quite say why. So we might look at the things we can identify: sentence structure, pronouns, adverbs--anything to try and help the author.

So do yourself a favor and try to figure out what really went wrong. Remember that one reader in your group represents a lot more potential readers for your finished work. Do you really want to lose that many people for something that you could have fixed, without giving up your personal style?

December Goals

2010-12-02T11:52:00.000-07:00

I've been pretty wishy-washy about my goals lately. But it's felt like I needed that in order to figure out my next steps. Which story to work on. That sort of thing. I've definitely decided to work on MMG, since it's the one that's been in the queue the longest (it hates being called "the oldest").

So, without further ado:

--Finish CWC critique(s) (1/1)
--1,250 words a day on MMG

Okay, maybe a little more ado. Since critiques are now due the 1st Sunday instead of the last Monday, I'm counting the December critique. Which is Jenny's for this month.

Where did 1,250 come from? That's about 5 pages. When things are percolating, I can get 5 pages in about an hour. Doable. AND that should get me to Done about the end of January, which is what I was shooting for. All good.

Easy peasy.

What I Learned About Writing From

2010-11-30T16:48:00.000-07:00

Critique Groups

I have been a member of two different critique groups over the past 10 years. Which, I hear, makes me pretty lucky. Some writers bounce around a lot more than that. I met all the members of my current group, Creek Writers Council, at the first one, Colorado Springs Fiction Writers Group. Many lessons were picked up along the way. Here are some of them.

1. If you have to explain it . . .

I've been on both sides of this one. A reader will say, "I don't understand how George went from standing on a hill in Italy to hanging from a flagpole in Quebec." Once the writer starts explaining that, "Well, you see, he boarded a blimp in Tuscany, then he flew to Madrid where he hopped a train for Calais . . ." Yeah. But if it's not on the page, the reader doesn't know this. And you, as the writer, don't get to sit down with every reader to explain that. At least you hope not.

My friend, Jenny, calls it "getting it on the page." What I see left off the page most often is setting. Where am I? What's it like there? How's the weather? All things that the writer has in his head when he's writing, but that he needs to show me as the reader.

I'm trying my best right now to overwrite my submissions. Most of my critique group find it easier to show where to cut than trying to figure out what was left out.

2. Don't assume everyone knows what you do.

I stand by my previous lesson of "Don't underestimate the intelligence of your readers." However, not everyone has the same specialized knowledge. And the terms from that specialized area may not be easy to decode for someone not in the club.

Dancers, musicians, computer programmers, accountants, teachers, doctors, etc. all use terms that people outside of those realms may or may not know. Or it may mean something different to other specialties. A paradiddle in dance sounds like a paradiddle in drumming, but one is executed with the feet and the other with the hands.

This is a hard one, because once you learn something, it can be hard to remember that you didn't always know it. This is where critique groups from diverse backgrounds are essential.

3. No two people read exactly alike.

Everyone approaches submissions in his own way. Some read straight through the first time, then go back and dissect. Some mark as they go and only read once. And each person has his own focus for critiques.

I've seen puns be a pet peeve for one reader and a delight for another. Some will add a comma to your sentence and others are just as likely to mark one out. I once had a woman tell me that I had a male character describe a room as only a woman would. The scene didn't bother the man in our group at all.

All of this can be really frustrating. But it is good practice for when your work goes out into the wider world. Get used to people misreading your work, your intention.

I'm learning to weed through the feedback so I can determine what to act on and what to leave as is. Notice I didn't say "ignore." I do listen to and read all feedback. I just don't always agree with all of it.

4. It's your work.

That's the biggest lesson from working with critique groups. Your work has to reflect you. Your voice. Your story. Your style.

We recently shook up how we run our critique group, because the original format was no longer worker for some of us. It's not that it was wrong, just that we are at a different place in our writing. The strength of the group was tested and held. We discussed the issues and made a change that everyone could work with.

I've learned that I need to speak up when something isn't working. Because of Lesson #3. It's my work, and I'm the one who needs to take responsibility for making the best it can be. With the help of my friends.

And Another Thing

2010-11-22T14:07:00.000-07:00

I learned about writing from Sandman:

4. Break Those Stereotypes

Death is one of Dream's siblings. What is the picture that just popped into your head? A hooded figure? Perhaps skeletal? Definitely male though. Not in Sandman. Death, in Neil Gaiman's universe, is a cute Goth teen. And it works.

Gaiman shakes things up in other ways as well, taking what we think of as fact and flipping it upside down and backwards. In The Sound of Her Wings, my favorite story from Preludes and Nocturnes, Dream is in our world. He is sitting on a park bench, feeding the pigeons, and he sees Death. They discuss humans. Death says, "Mostly they aren't too keen to see me. They fear the sunless lands but they enter your realm each night without fear." Dream replies, "And I am far more terrible than you, my sister."

I've been called out by my critique group on stereotypes and cliches in my work. Never intentional, but that doesn't really matter. one of the things I'm working on is really shaking up expectations with my characters.

What do you think? Can dreams be more terrible than death? Are there ways you can surprise your readers by not living up to their expectations?

Who Am I?

2010-11-18T11:34:00.000-07:00

Last night in dance class, the teacher referred to us as dancers. And that immediately set off the little voice in my head. "I'm taking dance classes, but I'm not a dancer," it said.

This is my second year of classes. We are not limited to beginner moves at all. I have performed on stage at the Pike's Peak Center. The same stage that "real" dancers grace all the time. So why don't I think of myself as a dancer?

Most of the writers I know have gone through a similar experience. "I'm working on a book, but I wouldn't exactly call myself a writer." It's a big deal the first time one of says, aloud to another person, "I'm a writer."

Why is it so hard? Where is the line that makes us self-identify as something--writer, dancer, artist, musician, athlete?

Time? Do we feel we have to practice for years before we magically become that which we so obviously already are? I can say I'm a writer without flinching. Not so with dancer or musician. But I've played music most of my life. So it's not just time.

Payment? I've received a sum total of $55.00 for my writing over the last ten years. Not money.

Recognition? I took a couple bows, as part of a group, at the Pikes Peak Center, and a few other students have told me how fast I'm progressing. I had a couple solos on the clarinet back in school, and quite a few atta-girls in banjo class. So it's not the approval of others.

Self-perceived skill level? I think this may be the one for me. Not that I feel I'm all that as a writer, but I have built a certain confidence in my writing. Although I've played music a long time, I'm relatively new to my current instrument, the banjo. I struggle with a couple chords and still do not play fast. I seem to be a pretty quick study in dance, but I'm not confident as a dancer. Again, I struggle with some of the moves, especially the faster ones.

What is the trigger for you? When is it okay for you to identify yourself as [fill in your own blank]? Is it one of these things or something else?

What I Learned About Writing From

2010-11-15T15:21:00.000-07:00

The Sandman Comics

I know. I know. There are those of you who are screaming, “Graphic Novels!” If the author of “The Sandman” series, Neil Gaiman, refers to them as comic books, who am I to quibble?

Neil Gaiman has been one of my favorite authors for a while now. I’ve read his novels, children’s books, YA books and short story collections. But I avoided the comic book collections. My experience with comics was limited to “Archie and Jughead,” “Little Lulu” and “Casper.” And those when my age was still in single digits.

Curiosity got the better of me, especially after reading reviews and hearing interviews with Mr. Gaiman about “The Sandman.” I tried to hide the first collection “Preludes and Nocturnes" under a stack of magazines and other books when I bought it at a local bookstore. After all, I was a woman of a certain age buying a comic book. I didn’t want anyone to see. The clerk, however, picked it up and announced, “This is a great series. You’re going to love it.” Red-faced, I snatched the bag from him and left in a hurry.

He was right. The next time I picked up a Sandman book, I didn’t hide it. Not only did I enjoy the series, but I learned a few things about story-telling.

1. How you draw things changes the tone of the story.

Mr. Gaiman collaborated with many different artists over the course of the series. Depending on the style of the drawing, the feel of the story changed. Some were very stylized and the story seemed more sophisticated. In the few that were more whimsically drawn, the stories were lighter in feel even with the same dark subject matter. Although the characters retained the same basic size, shape and coloring, the artistic style of the drawings gave the characters’ personalities a slightly different twist.

The settings changed as well. Again, Dream (our Sandman), lives in The Dreaming. But what we see of his land or other magical realms, or our own world for that matter, effects the story being told. Is the setting dark and shadowy? Or is bright and sunny?

I love a well-defined setting in fiction. I may or may not be successful at drawing my own worlds with words. But I’m working on playing with setting more. What does it do when a happy occasion takes place during a thunderstorm? Can a change in background give a scene more kick?

2. Your protagonist doesn’t have to be a nice guy.

Dream isn’t even technically a guy. He’s one of seven siblings, known collectively as The Endless. At the beginning of the series, Dream has been imprisoned by a wizard. After his escape, he sets about atoning for some of the wrongs he’s committed. However, he’s still often thoughtless, stubborn and cruel. When you’ve existed for billions of years, you get used to doing things a certain way.
It’s in the contrasts between Dream and the other characters—some human, many not—that brings out the brilliance of Gaiman’s universe. Dream is often kinder than those around him, even if it’s by accident. Sometimes helping out can be the worst thing you could do for another person.

Could exploring my characters’ dark sides, especially my “good guys”, make them more well-rounded? How could a well-intentioned action create havoc for another character?

3. Mythology is your friend.

Gaiman uses myth a lot in all of his writing but particularly in “The Sandman.” The Greco-Roman pantheon is present, but so are Egyptian, Norse and Asian gods. I suspect that he also makes up myths—or I’m just not as well-versed, which is a distinct possibility. He uses them head on in the comics. Sometimes with a lesser known name applied to a god and always with his own twist, but still addressing the actual myth as it’s come down the ages.

Writers are often told to go to myths for ideas for their stories. Too often, I think, we just take a myth and set it in the here and now with very little change. And we have a lot of books on the shelves, including “American Gods” by Neil Gaiman, that take the gods and plunk them down in modern times.

Can I come up with a new way to use mythology in my writing? I don’t know. But I’m sure going to try.

I'm sure I'll come back to Neil Gaiman in the future. He's an amazing writer, who I've learned many lessons from.

Happy Veterans Day

2010-11-11T15:23:00.001-07:00

Thank you to all those who have served, are serving, or who have waited at home for someone serving in the armed forces.

And Another Thing

2010-11-08T14:45:00.003-07:00

that "Lost" did so well.

10. Make every character vulnerable, and not just the Nikkis and Paolos.

Nothing kills suspense in a scene like knowing that a character is bullet-proof. If a series is built around a few core characters, we're pretty sure that those characters are going to survive. Back when the Cartwrights road the range, we weren't all that concerned when Little Joe was shot.

"Lost" shook up that sense of security. Near the end of Season One, a major character is injured and dies. This adds fuel to the rivalry between Jack, the leader who is a man of science, and John, the leader who is a man of faith. It also means that everyone is in jeopardy. Now when one of the group is in harm's way, we get nervous for them.

Throughout the series, other major characters died. Each was wrenching and, I think, each was necessary to move the story forward. A few times newer characters that weren't working out were also killed, but those didn't have the impact of the others.

I'm often told I'm too nice to my characters. Why not? I like these people. But I'm learning to beat up on them for the sake of the story. Will I kill off any of my main characters? Don't know. It would certainly shake things up.

How about you? Have you every killed off a major character? What was the reason?

What I Learned About Writing From

2010-11-01T16:14:00.004-06:00

Welcome to a new, regular blog feature. I was asked to contribute a regular blog post to the Pikes Peak Writers blog. They allow reprints so it's okay for me to post here as well. My idea for a fortnightly post is to talk about what writing lessons I take from a variety of sources. It could be a book, movie, television show or something one wouldn't immediately equate with writing. I hope it's fun and informative. We'll see.

The first entry has been percolating since last April. It's What I Learned About Writing From "Lost."

1. It’s a good thing to raise questions from the start.

The opening shot of the series is a close up of a man’s eye. He stares up through a bamboo forest. He’s flat on his back, obviously hurt, and he’s wearing a suit and tie. A yellow Labrador runs by. After the man struggles to his feet, he finds a tiny bottle of vodka in his pocket.

Okay, I’ve got a bunch of questions already. Who is this guy? Why is he in what looks like a jungle? Was that his dog? How’d he get hurt? Why does he have booze in his pocket? Is he an alcoholic? Was he on a plane? Because it looks like what you get on a plane. What’s up the suit and tie in a jungle?

Get the idea? If this had been a book, I’d be punchy from lack of sleep, because I’d be turning pages all night to find out answers to those questions.

2. BUT it’s a good thing to reward your readers with a few answers along the way.

The man hears a loud noise, people calling for help, and he runs toward the sound. When he stumbles onto an expanse of beach, he finds chaos. A crashed jetliner—that’s where the booze is from—and people in a panic, many injured. He takes charge of the situation, performs medical procedures, introduces himself as Jack to someone, and so on. We find out his last name is Shepherd.

Now I have some answers, but I have more questions. Is he a doctor? Is that last name significant? Which of these characters are going to be important? Etc.

The creative minds behind the show—J.J. Abrams, Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof—took some heat for raising more and more questions as the series went on without giving any answers—at least as far as many fans were concerned.

This can be a fine line to walk when you have a long story to tell. There should be some surprises later in the story, but it can be dangerous to keep too much too close to the vest. Let the reader in on some of the secrets along the way.

Which leads me to:

3. Know the end before you start.

Abrams and Cuse created a series ‘bible’ at the beginning which outlined the major plot points for an ideal 5-6 season run.

This is a good rule for stand-alone books, although you can always change things as you go. It’s really important for a series so that a character’s eye color doesn’t change or her house doesn’t inexplicable move from one side of town to the other between books 3 and 4. The writer may forget, but the reader won’t.

4. Knowing the end doesn’t always help the middle.

When the show became a bona fide hit, there was the possibility that it could go on for years beyond what Abrams and Darlton (the moniker fans gave Cuse and Lindelof) had dreamed. The middle got bogged down with more possibilities for what was happening on the island and a growing cast of characters.

A problem that’s easier to deal with when writing a book, because we can go back and fix the middle before anyone else gets to see it. Woo hoo! One for us.

5. It’s okay to have a large cast of characters, but you have to handle it right.

For most of it’s run, “Lost” listed around fifteen main characters with another dozen or so supporting players. Focusing on a few key people each episode helped fans keep things straight. That didn’t mean the others weren’t around, but they would fade to a supporting role. It helped the viewer get to know them all.

Introduce characters slowly—something I’m learning—and let each one have their own spotlight. It can be tricky to give each one enough time to complete the scene but not so much that the reader forgets some of the others.

Tread carefully. And—something I’m still struggling with—give each one a distinct personality. If Fred can stand in for Frank, maybe I don’t need Frank.

6. The Nikki/Paolo Rule.

Two new characters were abruptly introduced at the beginning of the third season. That wouldn’t have been unusual—new people showed up every season—except the regulars acted like these two had been around all along. And the couple seemed to add nothing to show. Darlton admitted the pair were brought in to answer the fan question of what the other survivors were up to. Since they were “universally despised” by the fans, they were killed off.

In a book, unless it’s part of a series, you can’t do that in response to reader feedback. So make sure any new additions are there for a good reason. Since I tend to overpopulate my books—one reason I love the previous rule—I am ever vigilant about this one.

7. Trust that your audience/readers are as smart as you are.

“Lost” did this beautifully. The writers never talked down to viewers. They gave characters names, often of philosophers, to help fans figure out what role that character was going to play. Aspects of different religions and mythologies were introduced without explanation. Either you got it or you didn’t. If you didn’t, you could still follow what was happening, but there was an extra layer of fun and meaning if you did.

This is another fine line I have to walk in my own writing. I’m trying to just write whatever reference feels right. If I get a lot of questions from my critique group, then I’ll go back and explain.

8. Playing with timelines can heighten suspense.

Another thing “Lost” did with great success. They used flashbacks from the first to help give background on the characters. But in Season 3 the creators introduced the flash forward. A glimpse of Jack and Kate in the future. Intriguing. What did it mean? Others followed in subsequent episodes.

Then in the final season, there were what Darlton called flash sideways. Was it a parallel timeline or universe? Could it be the future? We didn’t find out until the final episode.

Think about how altering the way you tell your story could up the tension. Does it need to be told in a chronological order, or would mixing it up be better? I have one story that it works with, but another would just be frustrating to the reader. How about multiple POV characters. Play a little with it.

9. Ultimately, you can’t please everyone.

The resolution of the flash sideways was controversial among fans. I loved it. Others? Not so much. The same with the answers to the big questions. And there were those who were disappointed that not every single little question was answered at the end.

This can happen with books as well. Do you spend time tying up every single loose end? Or do you let a few dangle so the reader can come to her own conclusion? I tend to prefer the latter, as long as there aren't too many major questions unanswered.

More Of The Same

2010-10-04T11:10:00.003-06:00

My October Goals are a rehash of my September Goals. Bad month for writing. And it sounds like it was that way all around.

DB had her first feedback from CWC last night. I'll let her tell you about it herself. But it was interesting that she said every single member of the group was blocked in one way or another. Either this one just wasn't feeling the story, or the stress of everyday stuff was taking up all that one's brain power. Weird. I wonder if all critique groups have that happen. That everyone seems to get into a mental/emotional sync.

Maybe I'm missing the group and the deadlines. Don't know. All I can do right now is get everything ready to go. And then maybe play a bit. See if there are any short stories that want to be told--although that's not very likely. Ali suggested poetry to DB. Maybe I'll give that a shot. Nobody else needs to see it, right?

Here's to everybody breaking through the wall this month!

Swirlies

2010-09-22T10:36:00.005-06:00

I have a new definition of the word. It's when all of the things you need/want to do spin around in your head so that none of the ideas in there can fully form. A few of the ones spinning in my head right now?

--Big Project at work looks huge close up
--It's progressing nicely, though
--What's going to blow up since it cant possibly be that easy?
--Need to follow up on loose ends from last project
--Dance class tonight
--Did I pack everything?
--Did I practice enough?
--No, I didn't practice enough and must practice more this week
--Banjo class may be canceled
--Am I sad or relieved about that?
--Would like to go to banjo camp in January
--How much is banjo camp?
--Do I want to waste vacation days on something called banjo camp?
--Maybe I should work on the "other" parts of MMG first
--But it would be better to start at the beginning and write all the way through for continuity's sake
--Wouldn't it?
--Maybe I should work on Vesta instead
--Or TKoS, I've got some really good ideas for that one
--I said I wanted to clean up some of my short stories and submit them-I could do that
--Speaking of cleaning, I need to clean out and organize the kitchen cabinets
--And finish clearing out stuff from the basement
--Do I have time to maybe make some Christmas gifts?
--If they cancel the banjo class, should I try to contact the woman I took lessons from before to see if she's still teaching?
--No, I definitely need to start at the very beginning of MMG. That's why there's an outline.
--I said I was going to use the whiteboard and corkboard. I need to hang those up
--Man, I'm hungry, but I told Giovanna she could go to lunch first.
--Do I have snacks here?

You get the idea. I'm going to try lists. Lists are our friends. I just happen to have a notebook here at work. On my lunch break--which is still way too far away--I'll make lists for home, work, classes, writing, etc. Then the stuff won't have to be in my head.

Will that leave enough room for the writing ideas to get out?

I'll keep you posted.

What do you do when The Swirlies attack?

The Plantser Becomes a Planner

2010-09-17T14:09:00.003-06:00

There is a belief that writers fall into one of two camps: either they plan out every detail of a story before they start writing (Planner) or they completely wing it (Pantser). The reality is there's a spectrum that we all fall on. Some plan a lot, but then let the story lead them once they start writing. Others wing it until they feel like they're getting lost, then sit down and figure out how to proceed. Jenny plots a few chapters ahead. I like to have an idea of how the main plot starts and ends with a few of the emotional beats I want to hit along the way.

That changed after our brainstorming session. I already took a lot away from the feedback I got from CWC in May. Then Jenny let me bounce ideas off her so I know where I need to be to continue. The discussion straightened out some things, curved some others. I have a better feel for exactly where I want to go with this revision.

One of the main things that came from it is that I need a detailed outline now. I have to plan out the main story arc and the secondary arcs step by bloody step. I also have to make sure the "other" methods of storytelling that I'm using support those arcs. Hence, a plan. A real plan. Not a loosey goosey plan (see previous post). Charts, graphs, maybe even the white board and cork board I bought a while back.

At first I was afraid that it would stifle any creativity. That the writing would seem--I don't know--dry. But I'm seeing now that the plan is actually liberating. I can play with it, because I'm not worrying about where to take the plot next. The plot's there. The characters are fully formed so I know how they will act.

It will probably be a while before I start something brand new. Vesta and TKoS both need rewrites. But I might have a more solid plan in place before I start whatever that new thing is. So I can play more.

September Goals

2010-09-02T12:06:00.002-06:00

Once again, a month got away from me.

However, I did set down a loosey goosey outline of what I want to do with MMG going forward. The big thing that will get me moving in the right direction is having a brainstorming session this weekend with Jenny.

Some writers can't talk out a book before they work on it--especially first drafts. They say that it feels as if the book has already been written so it's boring to work on it after that. I'm not one of those writers. I want to talk and play with the plot and characters before I get too far into a project.

I know this isn't a new project. But some of the changes I need to make will, in some respects, make it brand new. So I need to have a session with someone who knows the work. Not only the latest version, but what it was on day one. Jenny's really the only one who has seen all the iterations of MMG. Besides, she loves brainstorming as much as I do.

Other goals for the month?

Reading some books on the craft of writing. I'll revisit some old favorites and check out a few I haven't read. The nice thing about craft books--whatever the craft--is that once you are past the beginner stage, you can skim for what you need.

I'm feeling optimistic about getting some words down this month. Besides, it's cooling off. Fall is when my energy spikes. The stars may be aligning for this revision to move forward.

August Goals

2010-08-02T09:58:00.002-06:00

Well, I was a big old slacker in July. No revisions done. Nothing new started--which was on purpose, but still.

So, my goal for August? Get more done than I did in July. Now it's not that I sat around all month. I was cleaning and organizing like a mad woman. I spent a week at some friends' house taking care of their dogs. I danced. I worked--a lot. Just nothing to do with writing.

Well . . . .

That's not exactly true. I was turning things over. Looking at things from all angles. Sniffing them, tasting them. Does this ring true? Would changing that do what I want it to or will it just throw everything else? And would that necessarily be a bad thing? So working on things, just not actually writing.

In August, I hope to actually write. And if it's not on MMG, then something. Pages. Actual proof of writing. New note cards would be good. That would show I know where it's going.

So, goal for August:

--New note cards.

Cool.

I Write Like . . .

2010-07-14T08:30:00.002-06:00

Copying both Fleur and Jenny this morning. [Update: Taking a cue from both Jenny and Mary, I decided to check out multiple manuscripts] For MMG: I don't agree with it, but I'll take it.

I write like
Chuck Palahniuk

I Write Like by Mémoires, Mac journal software. Analyze your writing!

For Vesta:

I write like
Edgar Allan Poe

I Write Like by Mémoires, Mac journal software. Analyze your writing!

For TKoS:

I write like
Chuck Palahniuk

I Write Like by Mémoires, Mac journal software. Analyze your writing!

I would have thought that TKoS would be more likely to get Poe.

And would it have made a difference if I entered the whole manuscript?

Job Sharing

2010-07-05T13:10:00.003-06:00

Summer is supposed to be a leisurely time. Or so we believe. It comes from our school days. Three months off to do with as we please--at least within the parameters of what our parents will allow. But I still can't shake the feeling that I should be able to kick back, read, ride my bike and generally goof off.

But that's not really the way the adult world works. No three month break from the day job. Grass needs cutting, and houses need cleaning. Life--and the responsibility that go along with it--marches on.

Which means that I can't drop everything to work on MMG revisions. As much as I'd like to. But there is one thing I can set aside for a while. Or, rather, put in good hands until I can give it more of my attention. Creek Writers Council. As I work on the revisions, I have nothing to submit to the group. Some of them have read the book two or three times now, in different iterations. Instead of trying to put it through piecemeal, I've asked for a couple volunteers to read the whole thing when it's done. Some will be new to it, and others will have seen it before.

I'm letting D.B. deClerq, a good friend and fellow writer, take my spot for a while. She's working on a second draft of HM, her cozy mystery, and would like the opportunity to submit it to the group in chunks, while she works on another mystery series.

Once again, CWC shows what an amazing group of people they are. Within our rather strict rules, there is room to do what's best for each member's process. The rules are there to keep everyone working. But when they get in the way, they can be nudged a little to fit.

I'll still be reading the submissions--can't quite give that up--but won't have to worry about having something to put before the group myself until D.B.'s received the final feedback on HM. It should give me time to get MMG in shape and out into the world AND rework TKoS so I can submit it again. While that's going through, I can maybe get Vesta ready to submit as a full. But if I don't get it ready in time, D.B. could have her second mystery ready. I foresee us leapfrogging like that for a while.

Win/win. Gotta love that.

Where Does The Time Go?

2010-06-28T08:36:00.002-06:00

I had hoped to be at least halfway through revising one of my novels this month. I haven't started yet. Where did that month go?

Well, let's see.

Forty hours of every week go to work. Can't really do much about that right now. Must eat, pay mortgage and buy writing supplies so must work.

Some goes to housework and yard work. Although, I certainly don't spend a lot of time on either. Don't want to end up on one of those hoarder shows. Don't want to get run out of the neighborhood. So must do housework and yard work.

Some goes to dance class and working out. Dance class seems to help keep me sane (right up there with writing) and is great exercise. Working out good for mind, body and spirit. Must do these things.

Some--way too little, actually--is spent with friends. Extremely good for mind and spirit. Will not give this up.

But a disproportionate amount of time goes to--wait for it--television and Facebook. Summer used to be the wasteland time of TV. Nothing but reruns and game shows. Easily ignored. But now? I have more shows scheduled for the DVR than ever. Burn Notice, True Blood, In Plain Sight, Leverage are all great storytelling. And they're well acted. More are due to start. Facebook is a way to stay in touch with friends. But there's a lot of useless distraction as well. Games are a biggie. But the "updates" from artists and organizations that you "like" can overwhelm, too. And there are friends who seem to want me to know way more about their day than I need to. The bigger problem is that many of these superposter friends are entertaining about it.

In any case, I won't be on Facebook much this summer. If we're neighbors or friends in games, don't expect me to send you any gifts. I won't be poking you back. It's not that I don't want to be friends. Please email or call me and we can get together. But I'm not going to check in to see what anyone had for breakfast. Even if it sounds fabulous and you've included the recipe which I would love to try.

The DVR will serve its purpose and record the shows I just can't bear to miss so I can watch them at a time I wouldn't be writing anyway. Or as a treat for making a particular goal.

I'll keep you posted on how it works out. But probably not as a FB status update.

Do It Now!

2010-06-14T10:27:00.005-06:00

You've probably read elsewhere that instead of being nervous about dancing on stage, I had a blast. Loved being onstage, backstage, the whole experience of being in the theater. The thing is, I've dreamed about performing in some capacity since I was three years old and saw my first Shirley Temple movie. Subsequent movies, television variety shows and live theater only enforced those dreams. But, with the exception of my high school senior class play, I never did anything about it.

Why?

Well, there was school to finish, money to earn, weight to lose--you name it. Writing, which often took a back seat if not the trunk, also nudged any kind of performance out of the way.

Shame that. Here was something I thought I might enjoy that I didn't pursue. At all. For decades.

So what have you always wanted to try? That secret wish you never told anyone about? Maybe you never even fully admitted it to yourself.

Whatever it is, do it. Do it now. Don't wait. Why would you postpone what might be a great joy in your life?

Don't wait.

Not until the kids get older.
Not until things "settle down" in your life.
Not until you lose that 10 pounds.
Not until you have more money.
Not because you think you might embarrass yourself.
Not for anything.

Do it now.

You don't have to take a $200.00 art class if you want to paint. Pick up some supplies at Michael's or Hobby Lobby or even Walmart and get a book or a video.

You don't have to buy a $500.00 laptop if you want to write. A 10 cent notebook and a pen do just fine.

You can get used shoes if you want to learn to dance.

Same with learning an instrument. Check for used items online or at your local music shop.

There are free or cheap classes online for almost anything you want to learn. There may be a Parks & Rec program or community outreach classes from a local college.

But don't wait. Do it now.

Loving/Hating CWC

2010-06-01T08:59:00.002-06:00

The group gave me their feedback on MMG last night.

The comments were fabulous. Really good suggestions all the way around. I was told to leave several scenes as is--which is always nice to hear. Love that.

There is quite a bit that needs work. Maybe not a lot of work, but work nonetheless. One of the suggestions--that I agree with, btw--is that the main narrative needs to change from 1st to 3rd person. And other sections that are in 3rd person need to switch to 1st. Again, I agree. But hate that. Lots of work to get it right.

I don't want to wait a long time to start this next revision. And the gang agreed. "Jump in" seemed to be the consensus. Love that.

But that means I'll have to shelve what I'd planned to do next. Only mildly dislike that, truth be told.

AND they gave me a pass on having to submit anything new this month, which I was supposed to do. See item above about shelving the planned next project. Love, love, love that.

So that's 5 loves to 1.25 hates.

Guess it's still love.

Choreographer or Dancer?

2010-05-22T14:09:00.004-06:00

We are now a little less than three weeks away from my dance recital. Our group is now going to be in four different numbers: 1) Billion Dollar Baby (jazz), 2) Happy Feet (tap--not penguins), 3) Hold Your Dream (singing! as a gospel choir) and 4) Sing Sing Sing (jazz for a small part of the finale). That's a lot of time on stage.

A group of us are getting together as often as possible outside of class to go over the routines. "How many times do we do the Suzy Qs?" "Should the arms be up or down on that move?" OF course, the more times we do it, the better. As Reggie says, "Repetition is my friend." I'm feeling pretty good about understanding the routines. I know what step follows what and how they fit in with the music. Once we get started, I'm pretty okay at getting through to the end. So far so good.

However, I'm not happy with my execution of the individual steps. My feet feel sloppy. Part of that is being on heels, especially with the tap numbers. Most of the dancing should be on the balls of the feet, but my heels are dragging. It muffles the sounds so that you don't have that nice crisp tap sound.

On my own, I'm getting back to basics. Flaps, shuffles, time steps, paradiddles. That's what I really need to work on.

It's funny, because I feel that it's just the opposite with writing. I feel okay about the basics. It's how it all fits together. What follows what and how does that build on what comes before? Part of the issue is that the writer is both the dancer and the choreographer. I don't just have to learn the routine, I have create it.

So, where do you feel most confident? Choreography (plotting, putting it all together) or Dancing (characterization, dialog, action, grammar)? Or are you Bob Fosse, Merce Cunningham, or Suzanne--our teacher? Are you confident with all of it?

Good Enough?

2010-05-17T14:36:00.003-06:00

Saturday I spent a good part of the day organizing the basement. I found a lot of old writing. Some were from critique groups past that somehow never found their way back home. Some were submissions to Apollo's Lyre or the PPW NewsMag. Those hit the new, heavy-duty shredder. Many were short stories or early versions of MMG.

It was amazing how many different iterations it's been through. There's the yellow one, the blue one, the pink one, the gray one and now the green one. That's a lot of writing and rewriting. And a lot of trees sacrificed.

My protagonist is nineteen-year-old Kitty Stuart. She wants her mother to haunt her, but in Kitty's attempt to piss her mother off enough to do it, Kitty falls in love with a twice-divorced, alcoholic twelve years her senior. That's what will end up haunting her, or worse.

In the earliest version, I started the book when Kitty's mother was ten years old. Okay a bit of a running start. Second version was going to be alternating chapters of Kitty and her mother as a girl to compare/contrast their lives. Again, way too early. The third one starts with Kitty as a senior in high school to show her life before and then after her mother's death.

The fourth one starts at the mother's funeral, and while it can be argued that that is where the story starts, it was confusing to throw the reader into a huge extended family scene. They don't know this girl yet so there's no connection to what she's feeling. This one was read by a few people and I consistently got that comment.

So, now we're on number five. We start with Kitty "running away" with her beau. I'll find out in two weeks if it's the right place.

It was good to note that each version improved on the one before it. There are a lot of years of writing represented there. One would hope that reading and attending workshops and conferences and getting feedback would help. And I do believe it has.

Now I'm trying to not anticipate what the CWC+ will say about this latest incarnation. But of course I am. Throw it under the bed? Major changes or just minor ones? How many more times through? And the biggest one of all, which they can't answer: Do I have it in me to do another major rewrite of this one?

And the big existential writing question: When is it good enough?

I don't expect anyone to answer those here. That's what the group is for. Except maybe that very last one. When do you know it's good enough?

Feminine Ink Revisited, This Time With A Guy

2010-05-10T15:52:00.003-06:00

It's been years since I was involved with Feminine Ink. I don't even know if they're still going. I started the group so I like to think that somewhere in a coffee shop in Colorado Springs, Mickey and company are going strong.

The Fem Ink (as it became known) rules were as follows:
1) I did all the prompts. Yes, I can be a control freak, but with good reason in the case of a couple regulars.
2) We wrote for about 7 minutes without stopping. If you didn't know what to write next, you wrote "I don't know what to write," or "la la la," or "Deb's a big old jerk for picking this stupid prompt." It helped thicken my skin.
3) Then everyone read what they'd written.
4) No critiquing or really commenting on the writing was allowed. This was to protect feelings and to avoid discouraging those who were just starting their writer's journey.
5) And the last rule of Fem Ink Club was no talking about Fem Ink Club. That way no one would feel they couldn't write what they wanted.

At our CWC meeting on April 26, we did something similar. I had submitted the first 300 pages of MMG at the end of March and the rest of it at the April meeting. This meant we had nothing to critique since I didn't want a partial critique--I know, picky picky picky. This experiment differed from Fem Ink in that:

1) Everyone brought in 2 prompts (although we only used 1 each)
2) Feedback on the writing was encouraged

It was fabulous. The write-by-the-seat-of-my-pants muscles were stiff. It felt good to exercise them a bit. With 4 of the 5 prompts being complete surprises, I didn't have to worry about subconsciously pre-writing anything. The feedback we got, although all positive, was very helpful. We know each other so well that what was left unsaid was just as useful as what was voiced.

Jenny threw in a twist, as she is wont to do, and said we should all expand on one of our responses and submit it this month. Which to do? Should I use one of the ones with a strong restriction? One allowed no visual descriptions and another was written without adjectives or adverbs. Or take one that will allow me to go off in any direction?

I'll read through them later and decide. Whatever I pick, I know I'm going to learn something and have fun doing it. What more can you ask for?

Blind Rewrites

2010-05-07T15:29:00.005-06:00

Jenny and Ali talk about a method of rewriting short stories called "The Blind Rewrite." I don't know that it warrants capitalization and quotation marks, but that's the way they always say it. What you do, as I understand it, is rewrite without looking at the first draft. Hence, blind. The theory behind that is that you will remember what it important and forget what isn't. Not sure that I completely agree, but it's a method.

However, how does one manage that with a novel? Yeah, I didn't even want to think about going there. But I came up with something that worked.

Step 1) Print out a clean copy of manuscript.
Step 2) Read and mark up.
Step 3) Add in any pertinent comments from critique group.
Step 4) Using the now not-so-clean copy, retype the whole thing.

Oooh, you say, no wonder it took you so frikkin' long to get that rewrite done. Well, yeah. But I think it was worth it. We'll find out at the end of the month if the CWC agrees.

There were areas in the original where I'd started telling instead of showing. There were missing scenes needed for tying others together, for clarifying certain things, for heightening tension. I had dreaded having to write those new scenes, but by retyping the whole thing, those scenes just kind of organically appeared.

Another benefit was noticing a lot of continuity issues and many other missing scenes. I was also more aware of repetitions--words, phrases, ideas, actions. I know I didn't catch or fix all of them--that's what critique groups are for--but I caught a lot more than I did in the read-through.

One of my fears going into the rewrite was that I wouldn't have enough when I finished. I started with just shy of 200 pages, maybe 50,000 words. Way too short for a mainstream novel. What if there wasn't enough 'there' there for a full novel? Well, not to worry. The finished product was 603 pages and a little over 104,000 words. Which gives me a nice buffer for the things CWC will cut.

Cutting and pasting would not have solved nearly so many of the problems. Especially not the problems I didn't realize I had. This may be a time-consuming method, but it's one I'm going to keep using. At least for the 1st rewrite after receiving feedback from the gang.

There will be other things to fix, but I hope that this version is in good enough shape that those won't be major.

Fingers crossed.

May Goals

2010-05-03T09:02:00.003-06:00

Not many blog posts last month. It may have had something to do with working on those April goals. I felt that if I had time to write anything, I should be working on MMG. So I did. Although I missed the deadline for getting everything to CWC, I did finish the rewrites at 9:45 p.m. on 4/30/10. So I did complete them in April. The final pages went to Ali, Jenny & Shane on Saturday (after I took the full manuscript to Carrie so she could be first). I will deliver Mary's to her today on my lunch break. Phew!

I hope to blog more this month on the experience of revising something so big. It came in at a little over 104,000 words. I'm sure I'll be told to cut many of them, but it definitely needed more than the first drafts had.

So, May goals. I'm taking it easy this month, gang.

--Expand on one of the prompt responses for CWC.
--Work on short stories.
--Work on poetry.

Just playing with words for a while. Soon enough I'll have to get serious with either Vesta or TKoS.

April Goals

2010-04-02T09:35:00.002-06:00

I didn't make it all the way through the revisions of MMG last month, but I'm pretty happy with the way it's going. I gave 300 pages to CWC on Monday night. They'll get the rest at the end of the month. Feedback is set for the May meeting. Can't wait to find out if it's worth saving or not.

April goals are easy. No critiques to do. Just one thing to finish. So here we go:

--Retype marked up pages. (300/? pages)
--Read through.
--Make any quick fixes found in read-through.
--Print out for CWC and Carrie. And any other takers. (300/?)

Surfacing

2010-03-22T09:01:00.004-06:00

I realized early last week that I would not have a full, revised manuscript to give to CWC on the 28th if I didn't do something drastic. Even with working on it during lunch hours, stealing time at work and using every unbooked evening wasn't going to get me there. So I took Friday off and left it open to take this Friday off if I need to.

At first, I had a little trouble settling down. But it was nice to have a table to spread out my marked up pages, notebook, index cards, coffee, etc. Soon I was typing away, not only fixing old stuff but adding new stuff. There were interruptions, though. I was doing laundry at the same time--that old multi-tasking gene just wouldn't shut up. But I had 30 new pages at the end of the day.

Saturday I settled in much more easily. No laundry. No housework (which I'll pay for later). Just me and my story. I was so into it, there didn't seem to be anything else. I've never experienced that with revisions. First drafts, yes, but not rewrites. Before I knew it, I had 50 more pages knocked out. Pages that I was happy with.

Yesterday, I had to deal with some other obligations. And, man, was that tough. I felt like I had to fight my way up from the bottom of the ocean. The real world looked odd, off, foreign. I just wanted to go back into MY world, the one I had created. I was a bit snappish early on. Spent some time in the writing room, reading some of my friends' stuff. Not exactly my world, but not this one either. By the time I met a friend for a play at Theatreworks, I was back here.

It's probably a good thing I did that yesterday. I'm not sure my boss or coworkers would be very understanding about it. Snapping at the boss or customers is not a good idea. Especially if you need the job.

I'll still need to take this Friday off. Possibly Thursday, depending on how much I can get done during lunch breaks and after work. But now, instead of feeling like I'm wasting vacation time, I'm looking forward to getting back to that world.

Two Unexpected Hours

2010-03-10T13:39:00.003-07:00

Monday night was our regularly scheduled Pirates' Night. We gather, eat pizza, drink whatever and talk. About books read and movies watched and life lived, but mostly about writing. It's informal. No critiques, although pages are swapped once in a while. A night I look forward to all month.

I arrived at 5:30, ordered my slice of pizza, found a seat and pulled out my manuscript to mark up. I ate the slice while I continued to mark up pages. I wrote missing scenes. Every so often I glanced at the door. Ali had said she'd be + 1, but late. Fleur couldn't make it. But no one else showed up either.

About 7:10, I texted Ali. She was about 15 minutes away. Then I ordered a decaf latte. And I marked up more.

At 7:30 Ali + 1 arrived. I put my marked up pages away, and the usual talking commenced. No one else made it. Life managed to interfere with more than one Pirate this month. Emails had been sent after I'd left work for the day. But the talk was interesting, and the next two hours flew by.

It wasn't until the next morning that I pulled out those marked up pages to see how many there were. Surely I'd made my 30 page goal for the day. Goal + 67! 97 pages in two hours. Two hours I didn't expect to have. Two hours that prove how much can be accomplished if the butt is planted in a chair and a pen is kept in the hand.

And I'd managed to get past the worm hole without being sucked in. You know the point. The place where I'd decide I needed to go back to the beginning and start over. But I just scribbled right past it. I'm now in "new" territory.

This means I'll have revisions done well before the CWC meeting this month. I may even get a second pass (quick though it will have to be) to do more clean up. All because of two hours.

I'm keeping a look out for two more.

What A Rush

2010-03-03T08:52:00.002-07:00

And that's actually a double rush. One from being on a new blood pressure medication. The second from getting so much accomplished last month. I definitely like the latter one better.

Just look at all I did (and it doesn't even cover the non-writing related stuff):

--Finish reading MMG with plot questions in mind (300/300 pages)
--Look at all characters and determine if they stay or go (Done)
--Fill out character surveys on remaining characters (Done)
--Review each scene for what it adds (or doesn't) to the story (Done)
--Plot map entire manuscript (Done)
--Revise 1st third of manuscript (Done)
--Complete CWC critiques (2/2)

Yay, me! Everything with a check mark. I like this breaking things down, um, thing. Let's do it again for March, shall we?

--Mark up all of the printout of previous version.
--Write missing scenes.
--Retype marked up pages.
--Read through.
--Make any quick fixes found in read-through.
--Print out for CWC and Carrie. And any other takers.
--Do CWC critiques. (0/2)

I'm really glad there are five Mondays this month.

Eating The Elephant

2010-02-17T16:05:00.004-07:00

Revising almost 400 pages feels impossible. Never mind that I'm the one who wrote them in the first place, pulling each word out of thin air. That part seems so easy compared with making those words better. To deleting some of those hard fought for words and adding (praise the goddess, is it possible?) more words. How does anyone ever get through all this?

One word at a time, of course. One page. One scene. One chapter. One book. Easy peasy.

Of course, it's not quite that linear. What in writing really is? But it is still possible to break it down into steps. [See goals at left.] As I read through the manuscript, I realized that not only are there things that need to go or be expanded or contracted, but that I have a few missing scenes as well. One small bite of the elephant is going to be roughing those out and setting them in place so they can be polished with their respective chapters.

Then put the extras (journal entries, etc) where they belong throughout the main narrative.

I plan to use the hard copy to mark up. After about 100 pages, I'll transcribe into the computer. Then the next 100 and so on. This will actually give me 2 revisions for the price of 1. Once on the hard copy and then again when I type it in. Because I always find something when I'm transcribing.

When I lay it out like that, it doesn't seem like such a big deal. And I need it to not feel like a big deal.

Any other tricks you've discovered to help tackle "impossible" jobs?

Unexpected Reactions

2010-02-08T09:23:00.003-07:00

I had an early, early appointment with the fabulous Carrie Saturday morning. Afterward, I went across the street to Montague's coffee shop. They weren't officially open yet, but said I was welcome to sit until they were.

Montague's is the coffee shop I'd open if I opened a coffee shop. Almost all the chairs are big comfy wing backs. Or overstuffed couches. I picked out a nice table by the front window and set about writing my morning pages.

After they opened, I got a cup of coffee and a pastry and returned to my table. I started in on character sketches using the list of questions compiled from several different online sources. About halfway through the first one, emotions threatened to overwhelm me. The deep motivations of my protagonist hit pretty close to home. Okay, I thought. Understandable.

But what knocked me sideways was my reaction to the antagonist's character sketch. My "bad guy" was suddenly a vulnerable, damaged man instead of a purely evil cad. He still does bad things. I wouldn't want to be married to him. But his motivations and past do make a difference.

These reactions are going to significantly change the tone of the book. And it will be closer to what I wanted when I first started writing MMG all those years ago. Weird. I thought I really knew these characters before. I needed to ask myself the right questions to finally get to their true selves.

Have you ever had a reaction to your own writing (or planning for writing) that surprised you?

February Goals

2010-02-01T10:25:00.004-07:00

This is a scarily short month. More so than usual since CWC meeting is on the22nd. Must get critiques done this week because I'm out of town one of the three weekends before the meeting.

What else can I get done this month?

--Finish reading MMG with plot questions in mind (98/300 pages)
--Look at all characters and determine if they stay or go (started)
--Fill out character surveys on remaining characters (started)
--Review each scene for what it adds (or doesn't) to the story
--Plot map entire manuscript
--Revise 1st third of manuscript
--Complete CWC critiques (0/2)

Hmmm, busy month, but doable. Will have to be since I only have 55 days to get MMG in shape to print out and give to CWC. You're not going to mention how many days it would have been had I really started back in October are you? Didn't think so.

You've Got To Be Carefully Taught

2010-01-31T12:41:00.003-07:00

My sister is watching South Pacific in the other room as I work, can you tell?

Sometimes one does have to be carefully taught. Other times it's the casual lesson that works best.

As you all know, I've attended conferences and workshops on craft. I have dozens of writing books on my shelves. An embarrassing amount, really. And they've all helped shape my writing to a greater or lesser degree.

Then last Monday night, we critiqued Ali's full manuscript that had gone through a first revision. What a lesson there was in that. So many of the questions and comments struck home for me.

"What does this scene accomplish?"
"You need more tension here."
"Why is she doing this?"
and a biggie for me "Where is the emotion?"

Ali has done an amazing job with her story. The amount of improvement from first draft to this version is truly impressive, especially given that she accomplished it in less than two weeks. There is more for her to do (isn't there always?), but it's really really good.

I'm using what I've learned--both the more formal lessons and those important ones I've picked up giving and listening to critiques--as I read through MMG. I'm 98 pages into a 300 page manuscript. I should be done reading by mid-week. Then the dissecting begins.

Is it salvageable? Only a lot of work and a bit of time will tell.

Baby Steps

2010-01-15T16:15:00.003-07:00

Using Ali's methodology, I've broken up my monthly goals into smaller, bite-size chunks. So instead of just a blanket "Work on revisions," I've got small, concrete steps. Each one looks a lot easier to tackle than just "Revise." And I'll get more tick marks.

Thanks, Ali.

And So It Begins - Again

2010-01-11T14:11:00.002-07:00

Just got back from a lunch break at B&N. Instead of just browsing the racks (which I did, too), I wrote Morning Pages. It was the first time since November 24th. Pretty bad, huh? What's even worse is that the notebook was started June 16th. It is your basic spiral bound, single subject, generic notebook with 70 sheets of paper in it. And I'm only about halfway through it.

There isn't always a one-t0-one correlation between doing Morning Pages and being productive in my other "real" writing. But it's kinda close. I'm amazed I banged out anything in the last half of the year.

I took a bit of time off from any kind of writing, revision, or what have you from October through the end of the year. Since the New Year I've been playing. Watching DVDs (my favorite was Season One of Robin Hood), reading, going to the movies, working out, doing some organizing. Sort of a little bit of everything and not much of anything. It may have worked. I woke up this morning feeling renewed. Ready to tackle whatever I need to.

Hence, Morning Pages today. The netbook is charged up and ready to go. I have a new list of questions to keep in mind as I revise, revise, revise. And the thought of revising makes me smile. That hasn't happened since . . . maybe ever.

I think I'm gonna like this year.

Jenny Wins!

2010-01-08T11:15:00.002-07:00

Nathan Bransford, super rock star agent, just announced the winner in his Secret Year journal contest. And it's Jenny! Nathan picked the top 5 finalists from over 650 entries. Huge accomplishment to be part of that select group. But then the blog readers voted, and they picked our Jenny.

How freakin' cool is that? I mean, we all knew she was good. Now it's been verified by a huge number of people.

Check out the rules, the winning entry and the also-rans at http://blog.nathanbransford.com/

Yay, Jenny! Update your bio, hon.

That Old End of Year Feeling - Looking Forward

2009-12-31T10:21:00.003-07:00

The end of year reflections we indulge in tend to lead to some kind of plan for the future. What do I want to accomplish? How do I want to live my life differently? Better?

After a lot of thought, here are my writing goals for 2010:

--Revise MMG by end of March to submit to group. (Or Jenny may hurt me)
--Rewrite part of TNN not yet submitted by May CWC meeting to reflect changes that will be made to beginning .
--Query MMG (after any changes based on critiques from CWC) by end of July.
--Revise Vesta by end of September.
--Decide on next novel to start.
--Start it.

Looks like "revision" will be the word of the year. Whatever the new novel turns out to be should be a nice break.

That Old End of Year Feeling - Looking back

2009-12-31T10:07:00.003-07:00

It's weird. This time of year always seems to make people reflect on their lives. Not just the past year, but the whole thing. Maybe that's why the older one gets, the more melancholy the season. More time to think about. More regrets to ponder. And more sweet memories to recall.

My writing goals for last year were ambitious. And I don't think I actually got all the way through any of them. But--and here's the thing that seems to happen every year--I did quite a few things I never imagined at the beginning of the year. Does it even out? No idea. But there it is.

So, what were my goals for last year?

--Finish revision of MMG in January (or be prepared to throw it in a drawer). Wow, was I harsh or what? It has changed, but needs more.
--Revise Vesta by end of April. She's still waiting until I get MMG done.
--Finish draft of TNN by end of February. I do have a draft done, but didn't make it by February.
--Revise TNN by end of summer. Still working its way through CWC.
--Write rough draft of some other novel that I haven't thought up yet by end of year. Yeah huh.
--Query Dan and other agents in March (only if MMG is submittable, otherwise wait for Vesta). See above.
--Write flash fiction piece for anthology by mid-January. DONE!! Although I ended up not submitting it to the anthology.

What did I do that I hadn't planned?

--Wrote a second flash fiction piece that I like better than the first one.
--Started a dance class that I love.
--Read a lot. A whole lot. See list at left. And that doesn't include the full manuscripts from CWC throughout the year.
--Took on new duties at work that left little time to write there.
--Visited my aunt in Florida for the first time in too many years.
--Several dog-sitting sessions.
--Learned much more about the craft of writing from all the reading I did and from the wonderful people in CWC. That would be (in alphabetical order) Ali, Fleur, Jenny, Mary and Shane.
--Finally redecorated the Writing Room. Yes, I've been planning to do that for a long time, but it happened this year.

Relax, Make Your Steps Smaller & Keep Your Feet

2009-12-08T13:59:00.005-07:00

Suzanne, my dance instructor, will lead us through a routine several times at a nice, manageable tempo. Just as I'm feeling pretty good about it, she says, "Let's speed it up," and the whole thing just falls to pieces. The secret, she says, is to relax, make your movements smaller and keep your feet directly underneath yourself. And if I can remember to do all that, it works.

When writing a first draft of a story, I don't have much trouble with working in smaller bits. It's seems perfectly reasonable to grab fifteen minutes here and there to dash off a few paragraphs. While it's preferable to have a block of time, I can manage writing in a catch as catch can manner. Maybe because I can smooth things out a bit when I go through for a quick clean-up before I submit to the group. After all, it's just a first draft.

Revisions have been another issue. For some reason, I have convinced myself that I need substantial blocks of time to work on rewrites. I'm not sure why. Probably more as an excuse to not work on them, truth be told. But that excuse goes away today. It's time to take Suzanne's advice and apply it to this part of my life.

What excuses do you make for yourself?

December Goals

2009-12-01T13:00:00.002-07:00

Obviously didn't get much done on the writing front last month. Didn't even manage to keep up with blogging. I did, however, think a lot about revisions. Not just for MMG, but for Vesta and TNN as well. Neil Gaiman has said, "Thinking about writing is not writing." While I hate to disagree with the great and powerful Mr. Gaiman, thinking about writing is definitely an important part of writing. Especially in the revision process. What's working, what isn't? Which characters are three-dimensional and which are only two (sorry, guys, but one-dimensional isn't possible)? Do I have a well-defined goal for my protagonist? Am I beating him/her up enough? Is the setting visible for the reader? Etc, etc, etc.

I did get my one critique done. This month, I also have only one critique to do. Next month will be the same. So no excuses there.

But it's December, with all that entails. Even with all the days that have things planned, there are more than enough that do not. So, can't really use that as much of an excuse. Dammit.

Three writing goals this month:

--Finish all Christmas shopping/decorating and card sending by 7th and mail packages by the 10th
--Work on MMG revisions
--Complete CWC critique (0/1)

Why is Christmas stuff a writing goal? Because something that like can become a major distraction when I do sit down to write. The old "I should be . . ." [fill in the blank] instead of sitting here.

So, that's it. Ali's is "get stuff done." I like it. What about you?

What Does This Say About Us?

2009-11-13T13:58:00.004-07:00

Words. Big part of a writer's toolkit, of a writer's life. And one word in particular got me to thinking the other day. It's not a big word or a complicated word or a deep word. But those aren't always the ones that get you going.

I was thinking about how creative people get that first gig. What do they have to do to get the job? They all audition somehow, but what are the specific synonyms for each?

Singers sing.

Dancers dance.

Actors read.

Artists show.

Musicians play.

And what do writers do? We submit.

WPW: Scratching

2009-11-04T14:11:00.005-07:00

See Ali's blog for the guidelines for Writing Prompt Wednesday.

The scratching started up again. Under the sink. Where the huge bag of dog kibble was stored. I told him to buy one of those big Rubbermaid tubs to put it in. But no.

I reached back and smoothed the hairs on the back of my neck, the ones that stood up whenever I was scared. I knew what made the noise. Recognized it from childhood. Mice. Back then it was field mice that came in the house to get warm. "They're more scared of you than you are of them," my mother said. Impossible. And now it was late October and the weather had turned cold.

We'd tried traps, all kinds. But the scratching continued. Always when he was at work. Night shift, of course. That's when bartenders get the good tips. He said he believed me. But there was that look.

So I bought a book. Then I collected the supplies: a small cauldron, charcoal, sage for cleansing, a tiger's eye to protect and draw down spiritual energy, black salt to keep away evil (and mice are evil), and a mixture of herbs for banishing.

Early evening on the 31st, I started by lighting the sage and smudging the whole house, all four rooms of it. Then I lit the charcoal and threw the herbs and salt on it. As the smoke rose toward the ceiling (making my eyes water so I opened the window a crack), I clutched the stone in my hand and pictured the mice rising up and away on the smoke. I threw a few more herbs on the fire for good measure.

I awoke to him standing over me. My teeth chattered in the coldness of the room. All the windows were wide open and the ceiling fan spun above me. "The neighbors thought the house was on fire."

The scratching didn't return.

Missed Hallowe’en, though. Rats.

November Goals

2009-10-31T12:51:00.003-06:00

I pretty much rocked October, especially given that it was chock full of extra-curricular activites. I finished everything. Well, everything but getting all the way through TNN. That was due in no small part to doing exactly what I'd said I wouldn't do after it happened with Vesta. After the first feedback session at CWC, I decided to rip everything apart and put it back together --better! faster! stronger!--before the next submission. In a month--right. Please remind me of this when I submit the first part of my next manuscript, whatever that may be.

Time to set goals for November. No NaNoWriMo for me this month. I have tons to revise since Jenny challenged me to put a revised full of MMG through the group soon. And then there's Vesta waiting to be revised as well.

I want to finish the first draft of TNN before I start the MMG revisions. I have maybe 100 pages to go, and there will be a submission due in January. I doubt it will be the rest of the story, but should get everyone close to the end. Of course, the critique for this month. It'll be great to revisit Mary's TF. And then revisions, revisions, revisions. I don't know that I'll finish this month, but I have until the end of March. I, foolishly perhaps, raised my hand on Monday night and claimed March to submit the full.

Should be a busy, but fun month.

Forced Focus

2009-10-14T08:57:00.003-06:00

Regular readers of this blog know that I sometimes--okay, often--have trouble focusing my attention on one project. That other one over there in the corner always seems to be more interesting than the one right here in front of me.

Tomorrow I leave for almost a week in Florida. I'll be visiting family and friends, attending a Chris Botti concert and generally relaxing and having a good time. But there will be lots of time on planes and in airports. And I tend to wake up much earlier than anyone else in the family so there will be some time to fill there as well. Which works out, because I have to submit at least 50 pages of TNN on the 26th of this month. I have about that amount already. However, they follow my original train of thought on the project and things have changed since my last submission. Not many days to complete a lot of work. See sidebar for complete list.

While gathering and packing things to take, I found myself wanting to grab the MMG notebook to throw in. And maybe a couple more research books for Vesta. I could take those books I ordered on Prohibition for a future project I have in mind. Then reality hit. All that paper is damn heavy. I'm not going lug all of that through the COS, DFW and Orlando airports. Twice. So, only TNN and only what I need at this moment in time. That, the netbook and my journal? Easy peasy to carry around.

And I will have to focus on the one project, because that's all I'll have with me. Maybe I should go away to write all the time.

Wouldn't that be loverly?

WPW: Fuchsia Feather

2009-10-07T11:08:00.003-06:00

See Ali's blog for rules.

I have no idea, but there has to be a good story to go with this....

The woman with the teal blue hat tottered into the cafe on bright red stilettos. The black band around the wide brim held a fuchsia feather that bobbed in time to her unsteady steps. The air around her thick with the smell of espresso and tapas, now blending with Chanel No. 22.

All eyes watched as she made her way to the counter. Eyes in young faces. Young faces with single chins and slender, healthy bodies. Most wearing jeans and t-shirts. A few with funky tie-dye skirts and gauzy blouses.

She reached into the banana yellow handbag and pulled out a ten. "A glass of chardonnay, please."

The counter man's sleek muscles rippled under the tight black shirt as he poured the wine. He glanced at the woman and poured a little more into the glass. "Six dollars, ma'am."

The ten slid across the counter, and the woman picked up the glass by the stem. "Keep the change." Another, shorter, expedition--seemingly in time with the jazz standard playing in the background--across the slick tile floor brought her to the table for two in the very back, very dark corner. The chartreuse dress strained as she sat, but she sighed with satisfaction to be off her feet for a time.

Anyone still watching saw her lift the glass in salute to the empty chair across from her before she took the first sip.

It's October As Far As I'm Concerned

2009-09-29T08:38:00.002-06:00

I usually hold out until the last gasp of a month before I decide on my goals for the next one. But after getting my feedback on TNN from CWC last night, I know I'll need the extra day or two to get where I need to be by the next meeting.

The group did it again. I don't think there was a single suggestion that I didn't think was valid. Even if a couple might have been contradictory, I knew where each person was coming from. And either way would work. It's just down to me on how I want to go.

My goals are listed on the left. As you can see, there is a lot of prep work to do before I actually get back to work on what's next. The time line is going to be tightened, which means deciding where to start the story for the most impact. I'm adding a job for the mother and a family member. I need to draw out a floor plan for each of the 3 (possibly 4) floors in the house so that I don't gain and lose space as I'm doing now.

I would be more frustrated with myself, but I'm learning that this is all part of my process. Would it be easier if I had a clearer idea of what the whole plot was when I started? Well, of course. But I seem to need to write at least half the book before I can really decide what it's about. Maybe I'll grow out of that as a writer. I kinda hope so. But, for now at least, the gang seems to be willing to go along with me.

October is going to be crazy. I have a lot of social events to attend--I know, poor me. There's the trip to visit family and friends in the middle of the month. And we need to schedule Ali's dinner for winning the race. I'm thinking after that, NaNoWriMo is a definite pass this year. Besides, Jenny pointed out that I really need to submit a complete and revised version of MMG to the group so they can evaluate what I've done with the feedback on that. And there are two other novels waiting for revision as well. It doesn't make sense to start something new until I'm really truly done with those.

So, no pressure.

So What Have We Learned?

2009-09-28T10:40:00.004-06:00

What did I learn from the recent contest?

--That 3,000 words a day is a lot until someone you're competing with writes 10,000.
--That you don't necessarily have to be "in the mood" or "inspired" to write.
--However, certain scenes are easier (or at least less difficult) if you are "in the mood."
--I'm competitive, but also know my limits.
--That Murphy will rear his ugly head at inopportune times.
--That eliminating contractions bumps word count without a lot of pain. Kidding! A little bit.
--That it can be very satisfying to watch a friend whup ass.
--That writing very quickly helps quiet the Inner Heckler (which I already knew).
--That writing very quickly also may mean losing track of secondary characters, subplots and (more concerning) the protagonist's voice.
--That even with some of the things I dropped along the way, I'm still liking this story and my protagonist very much.
--That when you get in the habit of writing every day, it feels weird when you don't write for a day (which I also already knew, but needed to be reminded of).
--That it's good to have a prize that everyone gets to enjoy.

I'm sure I'll discover more as I continue working on TNN and other projects. It was hard and frustrating at times, but definitely worthwhile.

So, what can you push yourself to do over the next 2 weeks?

What A Weekend/Everyone Should Have Friends Like Mine

2009-09-21T09:37:00.004-06:00

And I don't mean "What a weekend" in a good way.

I dog and house sat for two very dear friends. One of the dogs has developed some special needs over the past year. She is blind, but gets around okay except right after she wakes up. She also has IBS. I won't go into details here. Suffice it to say that she often needs to get outside RIGHT NOW and doesn't always wake up in time to do so. Even when she does wake up, she might start in the wrong direction and not want to believe me that I know where it is and it's this way and please, please, please hurry.

Friday night's multi-interrupted sleep was nothing compared to Saturday night's getting maybe three hours total and not more than an hour at a time. Each time she moved, I had to be ready to help her get outside. Even when she was asleep, I had to be aware of whining and tummy rumblings so I could wake her up in time. As I said in an email to Jenny, not conducive to sleeping or writing.

I would finally feel like I might maybe be starting to get a flow or words going and have to stop, deal with things and then try to figure out where I was and where I thought I was going. It only takes a few of these to just kill any desire to even try to put one word after the other. After about ten o'clock Sunday morning, I just quit trying.

There was a point late yesterday that I decided that not only was I going to throw in the towel on the contest, but on the whole writing thing. Why was I bothering? Most people seem to be quite content, happy even, going to work and coming home day after day. They might work out and/or go to movies or plays or concerts. But mostly they work and take care of their homes and families, and watch television. Basically what I do already except that I give short shrift to everything except the television watching, because I write or try to write or think I should be writing.

And then it happened.

I heard everyone's voice in my head. I heard Jenny, Ali, Fleur, Mary, Shane, Nicole and all the rest of the Pirates saying, "What the hell are you talking about? You're making excuses. Get over yourself and get back to work." I heard Carrie saying, "If you don't finish something for me to read, I'll shave your head. You won't even see it coming."

How great is that? They don't even have to be around to give me a verbal--mental?--bitch slap.

It's going to be like starting a marathon, getting out front in the first mile, stopping to have a big lunch--maybe a nap--and then deciding that you are going to try to win it after all. But I'm not throwing in the towel. I may finish dead last, but I'll finish. And I'll have more words of TNN than I had when I started. And that was sort of the point all along.

My Own Prep For Word Race 2009

2009-09-13T17:10:00.003-06:00

It looks like everyone is getting some of their more mundane tasks out of the way so they don't have to deal with things like laundry and shopping during the big writing race. I should have enough clean clothes to get me through. I'll have to pick up some perishable food items next week, but that won't take very long. I won't be home next weekend (dog and house sitting), so I won't have that weird pull to have everything spotless that I always get when there's something else that really needs to get done. I will be watching a "special needs" dog which could be distracting, but we'll see.

I am going to try to keep some semblance of balance during this. I've been eating a more healthy diet the last few weeks, and I want to keep that going. I will continue my workouts. The Pirates are meeting tomorrow night, and we've all agreed to take a break for that. But I know how to keep the words flowing. I've done it before. There's a kind of muscle memory there.

So, watch the word count over on the left side of the screen, but don't expect much in the way of updates here. I may feel the need to vent or gloat, but if words are being typed, I'd rather they go toward my count.

Game almost on.

Stoopid Stoopid Stoopid

2009-09-08T13:12:00.004-06:00

That's me.

Just accepted a challenge with Jenny and Ali. Whoever produces the highest wordcount in two weeks, starting next Monday, wins. The one who comes in last has to buy dinner.

**CORRECTION** The losers go in together to buy the winner dinner. Which makes more sense since the winner is the only one getting something and the losers share the pain of losing.

I still say, "Ack!"

2009-09-08T08:47:00.003-06:00

Courtney brought up a good point in her response to my Project Runway post. [And, no, Jenny, I wasn't talking about you.] She talked about how some of the contestants freak out when asked to step out of their comfort zone. Same thing happens on Top Chef. Courtney's argument was that chefs, designers and writers need to be able to step outside their boxes once in a while.

Folks, that's why you see prompts and challenges on this and other blogs from the Pirates. That's why UGWP does round stories. That's why we have played a card game where you pick the cards that you will build the story on. Not because we think that one day Jenny will figure out how to market a Top Chef kind of show involving wrters (although that would be groovy), but because we all get those stray ideas that don't fit into our usual genres. Or maybe we realize that one of our story ideas would work better as a screen or stage play than a novel. Or we really, really want to enter that short story contest with the big prize payout. If those muscles are already warmed up, it's easier to engage them when the time comes.

There's another aspect to what Courtney said. That the contestants are freaked out by the twists the shows throw at them. On more than one occasion, I've said, "Don't they watch this show?" Because they always have twists, often the same ones from season to season.

Which comes back to research. I know I've talked about it before, but it bears repeating. DO the research. Want to submit to the Super Groovy Magazine Contest? First, read the guidelines. Second, look at a recent issue. If they only publish hyper-literary stories between 3,000-5,000 words, don't submit a 7,000 word fantasy piece. Same goes with agents.

Two reality shows about seemingly unrelated jobs that are both, apparently, unrelated to writing. But I've been able to adapt lessons from both into my writing. Are there other shows that have given you insight into your craft? Movies? Music? Something else?

September What?

2009-09-06T08:52:00.004-06:00

Wow! Six days into the new month. Guess I should post my goals, huh?

Getting my submission ready for CWC cut into my roll on MMG, but it needed to be done. I'm pretty happy with the result as I submitted 98 pages--the longest submission so far. I also finished the critique for Mary.

My goals for September are going to sound familiar, but with a twist.

--Flesh out the rest of TNN and get it ready for submission. [I want this done before I get feedback on the first part. Otherwise, I have a tendency to want to change direction based on comments rather than letting the story unfold the way I first envisioned it. I've learned that people can change their opinion of the first bit after they read the rest. And it lessens future pressure when it comes time to submit.]
--Get revised bio to Ali by 9/7/09. Yeah, not much wiggle room on this one.
--Critique Shane's submission.

And that's it for this month. Didn't expect that, did you? Where's MMG? I figure I've got about 150 pages of TNN to knock out. Using Jenny's writing math, that comes to almost 7 pages a day in order to be done by the CWC meeting on the 28th. That's NaNo level page count. I think that's plenty to shoot for in one month. Especially one month that's already seen a week go by. And one in which I'm taking on a new tap and jazz class.

With that amount of new writing and trying to get my body to move in new and unusual ways, I think I'm pretty much taking on Ali's challenge as well.

How 'bout you?

The Same Amount Of Time

2009-08-28T14:04:00.003-06:00

Project Runway is back. As is a new season of Top Chef. And watching them, I realized something. It takes just as long to make an ugly dress or an awful meal as it does a winner.

I think we, as writers, tend to dismiss bad writing as something that was just "dashed off." No real effort went into it. But that's not the case. Not always. Think about workshops or critique groups you've been in. There seems to be that one person. You know the one. Intense. Focused on their story, or character. They've been working on this manuscript for years. Honing. Reworking. And it's bad. It's really bad. Oh, there may be some redeeming value. He writes good dialogue. Or she can give you a wonderful love scene. But the characters are flat and the situations are trite. There's no music in the writing. You'd rather stick hot pokers in your eyes than read another submission from these people.

But they work at it. They spend a lot of time on their stories. So it's not laziness. I don't think it's lack of talent, whatever that is. So what is it?

Attitude. That "I know better than everyone else" attitude. The unwillingness to even listen to a different opinion. When you've got a Tim Gunn in the room, people, listen up. Because if you listen, he's not telling you to sell out or be just like everyone else. He's saying to step back and really look at what you're doing.

There have been so many people on these shows who are eliminated in early rounds, because they refuse to listen. Their attitude is that everyone else is stupid. If everyone else was just smarter or cooler or more refined, then this person would win the whole shebang. And when they leave, the parting words are usually along the lines of, "At least I didn't compromise my vision." Okay. If that's what is important to you, than go for it. But realize that people wear clothes that make them look good. We eat food that tastes good. And we read books about complex characters in interesting situations.

Now, I'm not saying that a writer should take every suggestion that comes his or her way. No more than a chef or a designer should. That would be crazy. But have a good reason for why you're doing something in a particular way. Be able to defend it with something more than, "because I want to do it that way."

So, if you're going to spend the time anyway, why not write a good book? And listen to your Tim Gunns.

WPW: Grilling

2009-08-20T08:25:00.003-06:00

This is my entry in Ali's Writing Prompt Wednesday challenge. See the rules here.

The pile grows. Mostly magazines. Men's Health. GQ. Runner's World. Field and Stream. Seriously, Field and Stream. The man's never been out of Manhattan.

I find a couple Playboys and a Penthouse tucked in the back of his nightstand, and turn to the most rumpled pages. No big surprises. Silicon and airbrushing. These are tossed on top.

And then there's the cookbook. I take my time with the cookbook. Each page is torn from the binding and crumpled, dropped around the perimeter. Certain pages receive special treatment. I tear these into shreds and then shred the shreds.

"Well, it's close, but still not like Mom's. Did you call her for advice? Maybe you should try this one next time. She says even a child could make it."

I click the lighter and hold the flame next to the recipe kindling I've made. The edges catch, quiver and hold the fire. It spreads to the rest. Pages fan, an image becomes clearer, prettier then it blackens and curls in on itself.

That damn paprikash. I'll never have to cook it, or eat it, again.

The Masters

2009-08-09T07:36:00.003-06:00

Yesterday morning, I watched a couple episodes of Top Chef Masters that I'd missed. There's a big difference between the behavior of the "masters" and the chefs from the regular version of Top Chef.

There have been several challenges on Top Chef where some contestants have stabbed each others backs, sabotaged them during the challenge or thrown them under the bus in front of the judges. Even the ones who haven't openly worked against the others bad-mouthed them in the individual "confessional" segments.

Well, they are competing with each other, right? That's the nature of competition.

Not with the masters. One of the challenges yesterday involved each chef filling a mystery box for another chef. They had to use the ingredients in the boxes to make the meal they would be judged on. Every single chef filled the box they gave away with great ingredients that they knew the receiving chef would love to use. They all said marvelous things about each other during confessionals.

On another episode--during the finals, no less--one chef who finished early helped another by chopping tomatoes for him.

I've seen the same behavior with writers. Those who are unsure of themselves and their talent can be brutal to other writers. They take every opportunity to sabotage and shoot down someone they think of as competitors.

Then there are those who encourage and help each other. Who aren't intimidated by another person with talent. Are they more likely to become the "masters"? We'll see.

August Goals

2009-08-03T15:44:00.002-06:00

I feel like I accomplished a lot in July. Although when I look at the writing goals and how I did on them, not so much. Still, in a more esoteric sense, I accomplished loads. Because I know exactly what the final (and it will be my final, if not an agent's or editor's) version of MMG needs. It's right there. And this isn't like the other "I kinda sorta think this is what it needs" moments. I know. It feels great. And I've made great strides in that direction. It may take a little longer than I hoped. But I'll know when I'm done.

Anyway, here are the writing goals for August:

--Rewrite of MMG
--Prepare TNN/KoS for submission to CWC
--Do critique (0/1)
--Rework MMG query template with awesome input from Jenny & Mary
--Finish MMG short synopsis

Easy peasy, right?

Serial Killers: Part II

2009-07-30T11:57:00.002-06:00

I tried another cozy mystery series. It had a few problems in Book1, but I could chalk that up to freshman jitters. 2nd book, about the same. By Books 3-4, it only got worse. So, I won't be seeing how she does on Book 8 or 9 like I will with Sookie.

What were the problems?

-Two characters in particular almost always use each other's names in dialogue. "Hi, John, won't you sit down?" "Thanks, Jill. That's nice of you." "Don't mention it, John. Did you find out anything about that clue we found yesterday?" "Why yes I did, Jill. Let me tell you about it." And so on. Annoying.

-She likes her protag too much. I can relate to this. My critique group is always telling me I don't beat up my protagonist enough. But I have someone who tells me this, and I fix it. This girl gets everything she wants. I can't relate to that. She even has a "mean breed" dog that no one ever acts nervous around.

-By Book 2, she established that any new characters coming into the circle of friends would be the victim. If 2 new people arrive, one is the victim and the other is the killer. And it's obvious which is which. So why read past the first chapter?

-Doesn't even come close to real police procedure. The protagonist (not in law enforcement) has nabbed a couple murderers by secretly taping them confessing. And apparently this has held up in court. In the most recent one, a key piece of evidence was buried under debri at the crime scene. The police neglected to search thoroughly so it was found during the owner of the property's clean-up. The item so upset the owner that the protag took it back to her house. Then she called a retired detective, after major handling of the thing, who carried it back to his place before taking it in. Can you say "chain of evidence"? Yeah, thought so.

What could save this series for me? Well, start adhering at least a little bit to the realities of what would and wouldn't be admitted into evidence for starters. Then kill off one of the inner circle. There are now about 6 couples (everyone eventually pairs off in this series) and a few incidental characters (who are married, but the spouse hasn't been seen yet). It's getting crowded. It would shake things up nicely, and make any threat more, well, threatening.

But I won't be around to see it. It's too bad. There was potential there. For a while I'm switching back to other genres. Right now I'm reading The Time Traveler's Wife. Present tense bugged me for about two paragraphs, and then I realized it has to be that way. Pulled in hook, line and sinker. Hope it pays off.

How To A Story Russell T. Davies Style

2009-07-27T10:17:00.004-06:00

BBC America showed the 5-part miniseries, Torchwood: Children of Earth, last week. I'm a big Torchwood fan so I was pretty sure I'd enjoy it no matter what. My sister, however, tends be quite indifferent about the shows I choose so I didn't expect much reaction out of her. There's a long story behind it, but she prefers things she's familiar with.

It opens with a mother having trouble getting her child to move. They're on the way to school and the kid has just stopped. Not moving, speaking, nothing. One of the Torchwood agents notices this, smiles at the naughty child and goes about getting to work. The shot changes to two girls sitting at the breakfast table, not moving or speaking. Their father bids them a good day and, without noticing their state, leaves. Then a line of children stopped in the process of crossing the street. As the adults reach the peak of frustration, all the children from all the scenes resume moving and talking as if nothing has happened.

My interest is definitely piqued. We have an opening hook. Why are the children doing this?

As the story goes on, it happens again at recess time. This starts to bring more attention from more quarters. And some of those people seem to know why it's happening. Of course, Torchwood gets involved, and we're off. Interest not just piqued, they've got me.

The suspense builds throughout the first episode. The second episode builds on that with a lovely personal reveal near the end followed by gut-wrenching devastation. Oh my god, how are they going to come back from this? Episode three brings us a little hope, but then dashes it to bits. At this point, my sister says, "How the hell are they going to wrap this up in just two more nights?" Seems as if they hooked her, too. Fourth episode our heroes leap into action, we're feeling pretty good, then they're left in an even worse position than they were the night before. Ye gods and small fishes, they aren't going to fail, are they? Then a satisfying conclusion. I won't say whether they succeed or fail. Just that the ending was right.

There is much more going on than what I've summarized here, of course, but it gives a good indication of how the action and suspense build to the climax. It just keeps ratcheting up with only slight breathers here and there. There's a lot of humor in the series, and it's used to good effect. Russell T. Davies, the screenwriter and man behind the new Dr. Who and the whole Torchwood series, also gives enough backstory through character interaction that those who haven't seen the first two seasons will understand a bit why they all relate to each other the way they do. But much more is revealed about two of the characters than we've known. And it's integral to the story, moves it forward and adds another layer of tension to the whole thing.

Brilliant. Just bloody brilliant. Another fine template for how to tell a story. Even if the story isn't a SF/F action thriller. It still works. And it has me pumped to get back to it myself.

If Not Now, When?

2009-07-24T11:29:00.004-06:00

As I've stated previously, I've been reading a lot of cozy mysteries lately. The problem I encountered is not exclusive to cozies specifically or to mysteries in general, but it has happened in every one. I think it's something that spans genres. And it drives me buggy.

What is this nefarious writing issue?

The use of present tense words in a past tense narrative.

You might be saying, "Huh?" An example: Betty pondered her relationship with Bill as she stared out the window. She wondered how things had gotten so far out of hand. Bill's phone call this morning upset her so badly, she didn't think she'd ever get over it. But today's blue sky helped cheer her up some. Maybe now she could think things through.

Past tense, right? Pondered, stared and wondered all indicate that we're reading about something that happened in the past. Then "this morning" crops up. Okay, if I'm reading this in the afternoon or evening, I guess "this morning" would be past tense. But it still jars, because I might be reading about that evening and the next day and even a month later within a few pages. The "this morning" I just read about will have happened quite a while ago in the context of the story. Same thing with "today's blue sky" and "now."

Most of the time, leaving out the time stamps can fix it. "Bill's phone call upset her . . ." If it's that important a phone call, you've shown it already, right? So we know where she is time-wise in relation to it. "But the blue sky . . ." "Maybe with a new attitude she could think things through." A little bigger change, but it conveys why she can think better.

It's perfectly fine in dialogue. For the character, it is today. Just not for the reader.

In the big scheme of writing, this probably isn't a huge faux pas. But it bugs me, and I can't be the only one. Do you want to take a chance that the agent or editor you submit to has the same pet peeve?

WPW: Plaid Skirts

2009-07-22T13:46:00.004-06:00

Writing Prompt Wednesday entry:

"Does a plaid skirt make you dumber?"

"What do you mean?"

"Just what I said. Do you lose intelligence points whenever you see a girl in a plaid skirt?"

"Oh. Well. Yeah, kinda."

"And why is that?"

"Don't know. Must be something from my teens. Catholic school girls and all that."

"I guess I understand it when you're sixteen, but now . . .I don't know. Seems weird."

"Don't you still get kinda dumb around a guy in jeans and a white t-shirt?"

"Not dumb, exactly. Silly, maybe."

"Well, there you go. Hey, I have an idea."

"I don't own a plaid skirt."

Redemption

2009-07-17T09:10:00.002-06:00

So last night I finished reading From Dead to Worse by Charlaine Harris. The one that set off my Serial Killer post. Dang it if she didn't pull it off.

After a start that had me worried, she threw a lot of new problems, twists, relatives and other people at Sookie. I won't post any spoilers, but our heroine seems to have made up her mind about all but one of the love interests in her life. I won't say which one, don't worry. She still hasn't addressed why there isn't any heightened senses, etc. after the last infusion of vamp blood, which is (IMHO) problematical. But the new situations have the potential to refresh the series and take it in whole new, and potentially exciting, direction.

Looks like she answered many of the questions she had me asking. Brava, Ms. Harris.

WPW: Enough Like Midnight

2009-07-15T16:18:00.003-06:00

Writing Prompt Wednesday

Even now, nearly midnight, the ground is still very warm as I sink my fingers into the earth. The moon is out, just a sliver of it. My favorite to look at, but little help to work by. At least the dirt is soft and easy to grasp. Dark, loamy. Good for growing things. Rich enough.

A strand of hair slides in front of my left eye, and I swipe it back behind my ear, most likely smudging my cheek in the process. It'll wash off easily enough.

Sitting back on my heels, I survey my work. The hole is almost perfectly round; I'm tempted to go back in and find an old compass to check, but resist. The bottom is rounded like a bowl. Three inches should be deep enough.

I set the reason for the hole in it and look at it for a minute--two--three. Long enough.

The dirt sifts through my fingers back into the hole, exactly as it was before. Not exactly, I guess. But close enough.

The ring is out of sight. I couldn't sell it, but I don't want it either. This is a compromise. Unlike him, will it be good enough?

Serial Killers

2009-07-12T14:14:00.003-06:00

Nope, not a post about Ted Bundy or John Wayne Gacy or the Zodiac Killer. Not even a post about my favorite fictional serial killer, Dexter Morgan. It's about a couple things I've run into recently that can kill a book series.

1) Too much success. This can happen with any author. Once they reach a certain level of success, it seems that editors hesitate to edit any longer. Suddenly, the characters act, well, out of character. Interesting secondary story arcs just disappear. Not to mention the typos and grammar errors that go unchallenged. In Book 7, Sookie gains a very handy new ability which is not mentioned at all in Book 8. She also does a lot of thinking that something someone says or does is significant but "can't think about that now, because I'm so busy/tired/angry/sad/you name it," which just feels like a cop out.

2) Overlapping two of the author's series. The appeal for the author, of course, is that it introduces the readers of one series to another series and, she hopes, causes the reader to buy the second one. But doing it wrong can backfire. In book 5 or 6 of the Sookie Stackhouse books, Lily Bard from one of Harris' other series shows up. Crossovers aren't new. They happen on television and in books all the time. However, Lily has undergone some major life changes since the first book in the four-book series. I've only read the first book of the Shakespeare series so it came as a big surprise. And has potentially spoiled my enjoyment of the other three books, because I know how she ends up.

3) The neverending story. Agatha Christie had Miss Marple, Hercule Poirot and the Tommy & Tuppence books. But they are each standalone books. It really doesn't impact the reader much if they start with the first book or the fifth. You might be slightly rewarded for knowing a little of the history of Miss Marple and her nephew or how often Poirot teases Captain Hastings for having a preference for redheads, but it doesn't take away from the story if you don't know that.

Enter the method of having a major arc that follows the character through all the books. In the Stackhouse books, the main one is "Who will Sookie end up with?" We have at least 5 possibilities as I'm well into Book 8, From Dead to Worse, which will be my last for a while until Dead and Gone (#9) comes out in paperback next April (or I grab a copy from the library). While it's kept me turning pages until this point, I'm starting to feel it's enough already. With each book, there's the potential for another love interest to show up and further cloud the issue. She needs to make up her mind. I don't buy the airhead who can't decide anymore. She's been through too much--usually because of those men--to not have made up her mind about them.

Television series offer some good examples of the problem. The X-Files should have ended in the fourth or fifth season. Instead, it limped on flipping the roles of believer and non-believer from one character to another and back again, contradicting past "truths" and generally mucking up the works. Lost got a bit lost during the second and third seasons, but has come back nicely now that there is an end in sight. Whereas a series like the various and sundry Law and Order franchises don't have that problem because they are fairly self-contained episodes each week with only minor bleedover from show to show. The CSIs are starting to suffer, because they let in the personal lives of their characters and introduced overarching arcs that are now getting old.

How does a writer deal with this? I asked DB if she had plans for overarching arcs in her series. She does. And she says she's a bit worried about that. She also thinks she might spin off her second and third series from HM when the time comes. Or possibly have crossover books. DB has planned a point for ending the HM series, but doesn't know about D&D or Benny.

I know a couple of you have a series planned. Are you planning an overaching arc? Have you thought about how you'll know when to end it? What will be the signal?

I'm just happy that I don't have to deal with that.

The Big Picture

2009-07-06T13:58:00.003-06:00

If you're keeping track of my reading this year, you've noticed a lot of books by Charlaine Harris. I used to read a lot of mysteries. A lot of mysteries. Then I took a couple college English classes and fell in love with more literary style fiction. I enjoy the character development and the "pretty" language. Plot isn't as important in lit-fic, and I'm okay with that.

I'd love to say I'm a lit-fic writer. But, realistically, I know I fit more toward mainstream than literary. And that requires a stronger plot. D.B. loaned me a stack of the mysteries she's reading for research purposes. Mysteries are all about the plot. If the plot doesn't work, the big reveal doesn't make sense and the mystery fails. One could argue that the Sookie Stackhouse books are fantasy and not mystery. One could, but one would be wrong. I don't care that they're in the fantasy section at B&N. I don't care that they're full of vampires, witches, were-folk and faires. There is always a mystery to solve. Her other series are more definitely mysteries.

Between reading more plot-heavy books and using some of the planning/plotting tools I've found over the years (including the ones on edittorent and red pencil), I'm getting a better handle on the big picture of my stories. That overall story arc. That can get lost when you write the way I do by coming up with an interesting character, having just a vague idea of what happens and then winging it. I've been trying to do more pre-plotting. Using index cards and such to keep a map of where I want it to go.

My hope is that for future projects, I won't have such a huge rewrite job after the first run through CWC. We'll see. It does seem to be helping with the rewrites I'm working on.

July Goals

2009-07-01T11:21:00.004-06:00

Get me--updating so much lately. Feels pretty good really.

In June I didn't meet most of my goals, although I was close on a couple and did get all my critiques done. This month we don't have any submissions to critique for CWC. I'm going to take it a bit easier on myself, calling it summer break.

So for July I have:

--Rewrite of MMG with new-old structure
--Finish writing room makeover
--Do bio for CWC website
--Look up agents
--Write query letter

Critique Group (And Critique) Love

2009-06-30T08:52:00.006-06:00

Last night was another example of why I love my critique group. And it wasn't just that we all were a little slap-happy, running off on tangents and giggling about Vampire Eric.

We critiqued two great submissions last night. The submissions are always great, which is another reason I love this group. I always look forward to doing the critiques, because I know I'm going to enjoy what I'm reading. Ali gave us another installment of her (literally) kick-ass book with the smart-ass voice. Way too much fun, and having to wait until September for the next installment is heartbreaking. Jenny's first installment of the novel she thought would be her under-the-bed book sets up what promises to be a creepily fun ride through a fictional Colorado county.

And as great as the submissions were, we all had a few problems with each of them. No surprise. Even in published works by my favorite authors I can find things that I think would work better a different way. Or I find typos that weren't caught by any of the edits. Something.

Here's the difference between this group and others I've been part of: these two excellent writers accepted the feedback and asked for more. There may have been explanations of "This is what I trying to say," but those were quickly followed by "Obviously, I need to clarify." At one point, Jenny pleaded, "Just tell me what to do!" This doesn't mean that they'll be writing something different from what they set out to write. It means that the changes will help them tell the story they wanted to in a way that readers will get it.

One of my earliest critiques of a short story went fairly well. But the climactic scene was of a man with terminal cancer being told by his family that it was okay for him to let go and die. Just about everyone in the room commented on whether they agreed with euthanasia or not. One person even called it the euthanasia story (I had submitted two that night). When it came around to a friend of mine, he defended it, saying that HE understood what was going on and that I shouldn't change a thing. Of course, I left that night secure in the fact that if this person got it and if I respected this person's opinion (which I do) and thought he was a good writer and editor (which I do) then I didn't need to change anything in my story. But by the time I got home, I realized that I wasn't writing the story for just him or people like him. That if only one person in twenty understood what I was going for, then I failed and failed miserably. I needed to rewrite the story so that it was clearer.

You may not agree with all of the critiques you get. You may get contradictory feedback--even in CWC we don't always agree and that's a good thing. You may think the negative feedback is dead wrong. But don't discount it completely. Think about WHY you are getting the feedback you are. "He just didn't get it." Okay. So why didn't he? Were you unclear? Were your facts wrong? Have you set up a character in such a way that she would never ever do what you've just had her do? That can work, but you have to show the reader a really great reason for her to act against her character. Have you not done enough world building? Sci-fi and Fantasy are not the only genres that require you build the set for your characters to act on. Are those characters realistic whether they are aliens or zombies or lawyers?

None of us write perfect first drafts. Well, some of my colleagues come close and I hate them a little for that. Shhh. Don't tell them. Even they have to revise, though. Everyone revises. At least, the really good ones do. Edittorrent addresses this on her blog as well. [Hyperlink supplied to further impress Oliver]

Embrace the critique! Embrace the revision! I'm learning to. It's not always easy. But you'll be glad you did.

The Room

2009-06-26T10:57:00.003-06:00

As promised, a picture of the Writing Room before the end of the week. Actually, it's just a picture of the daybed. But you'll get an idea of the wall color. The colors on the bed are reminiscent of my bedroom when I was in high school. The lavendar is not, but what the hell. Bright colors to keep me awake while creating.

I have a few more, but I have to smaller them so they'll fit. And I want to get some after the rest of the shelves are installed and the pictures are hung, etc. Plus the poppets need to take up residence.

That's Spooky on the daybed, and she will tell you that it is her room. The dark blue pillow next to her has a picture of birds at a feeder with a cat looking out the window at them. Her Uncle Ron sent it for Christmas a few years back.

Wednesday Writing Prompt

2009-06-25T08:34:00.003-06:00

Yeah, I know. It's Thursday. Whatever.

This is my take on Ali's weekly challenge. Here are the rules. The prompt, from Juanita's blog, is highlighted and links to said blog.

“I’m STILL waiting for my doll class.”

“Sorry?”

“My doll class. I’ve been waiting for it for ever so long.” The ragamuffin slumped between the craft store and tiny toyshop, her clothing reminiscent of a Dickens orphan.

The strip mall would close in just a few minutes. Certainly no doll class would be starting now. I scanned the window of the craft store for a class schedule, but found none. “Did your mother go into that store?” I pointed.

She shook her head. “My mother left me here ages ago, but she didn’t go into that store.”

“The toy store then?” I opened the door of the toyshop and strained to see. The lights were dim and no one was in sight. “Hello. Does anyone know this little girl?” I stepped back outside. “What’s your name, sweetie?”

Her head tilted down as if to hide her face. “It used to be Rebecca Louise. But then my mother started calling me Doody Head and Puke Face.”

Disgust for the woman who would do something like that to her own child filled me and almost choked off my next words. “I’m going to call someone to help you.” My cell phone blinked “no service” at me, and there was no sign of a security guard anywhere. “Stay right here, I’m going into the store to make a call.”

I dashed into the craft store. Maybe the horrible mother was inside it after all. At least that was the justification I gave for not just stepping back into the toyshop. The toyshop that felt off somehow.

There were no customers inside, and the woman behind the counter knew nothing about a doll-making class. After reporting the lost girl, I went back outside to wait with her for the police and, I suspected, social services. She wasn’t there. I tried the door of the toyshop, but it was locked. Panicked, I ran the length of the mall, stopping at each of the six other stores. Most were already closed, but the few people remaining had not seen the little girl.

An hour later, the police officer finally seemed satisfied with my statement. “Maybe her mother picked her up while you were calling,” he offered for the fifth or sixth time.

“Maybe.” It was as much as I could manage. I had been watching out the window the whole time I made the phone call. No one had passed the store. And I hadn’t seen the little girl, Rebecca Louise, walk away. But I had my own children to get home to.

“Thank you for your concern,” the office said. “Not everyone would take the time.” He closed his notepad and walked back to his squad car.

I leaned against the window of the toyshop, going over the event, trying to figure out when the girl’s mother could have retrieved her without my seeing it. The interior of the shop was brighter than it had been when I’d been inside. It looked more cheerful as well.

As I gathered my bags, a display near the back of the shop caught my attention. One doll pointed at a blackboard. Three other dolls sat at desks facing her. One had short marcelled hair and was dressed like a flapper. One looked like she’d just come from settling the old west. And the one closest to the door looked like, she looked like, well like Rebecca Louise.

I shifted to see what was written on the blackboard. The teacher pointed at, “How To Find A New Mommy.”