tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73952605734474575282024-02-07T21:19:59.834-08:00The Troubled WriterAnother tool that I hope will help me and others who read it finish what they start and see their projects through all the way to the bookstore shelves and people's homes. Bear with me, it's going to get rough.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger32125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7395260573447457528.post-58400354765558842602017-04-11T09:13:00.001-07:002017-04-11T09:13:40.413-07:00Writing That Fantasy Novel, Part 3<div>A lot went on since last week. Well, writing-wise, not much happened, unfortunately. Life will do that, won't it? Between being sick and my mother in the hospital again, all I felt like doing was to read. It gave me a chance to cast a more critical eye on what I already had written and I had to be honest, I did not like where it was going. Also, I think my readership would have been very narrow as far as who would enjoy reading about the main character as he was.</div><div><br></div><div>So, yes, I changed it all around. Hey, like my blog says, I'm the Troubled Writer.</div><div><br></div><div>I like my new line of thinking for the story and a lot of the basic plot is the same. The main character, Marek, is still part of a team to escort a mage to a dangerous location. He falls for the mage, thinking she is someone else, they reach the destination and sort of succeed.</div><div><br></div><div>There have been a few very significant changes, however. I had touched on the Mastery system of the society before, where everyone's goal in life is to choose a profession and become considered a Master at it. This becomes more important now. Families almost always followed in the same jobs and when they did not it often resulted in a scandal and relocation. But what to do with orphans who have no family at all? That is where Marek fell into. I dealt with that by turning his best friend into his mentor. I was finding his friend character did not play much of a part in the story except as a sounding board and it was getting old. This way works much better and I can still have Marek develop a friendship with another character as they travel.</div><div><br></div><div>I also feel like I have a better reason for why all of this is going on and I was able to raise the stakes without making it cliché. A lot of the epic fantasies I've read have one thing in common: an invading force is on the way. I'm trying to avoid that and I think I've done it by making the crisis involve more of an impending doom that involves everyone and everything. Basically, if the main character and his party fail, every living thing in the realm will be affected. Kind of like a man-made disaster that can be stopped by repairing something natural, if that makes sense.</div><div><br></div><div>So, my goal this week is to plot out my scene cards and start writing all over again. At least I can take comfort in how I was only a few scenes into the story before I realized it's flaws. Thanks for reading, and keep on writing.</div><div><br></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7395260573447457528.post-18703578497427296152017-04-03T07:26:00.001-07:002017-04-04T09:06:45.187-07:00Writing That Fantasy Novel, part 2Well, week one did not go off very well. It started perfect with three days and over three thousand words, just like planned. But then two straight days of headaches stopped me cold and I spent the sixth day reviewing what I had written. I ended up adding a few hundred more words on Sunday and then played catch-up on Monday to get as close to seven thousand words as I could manage. I'm still way off but not so far that it is unmanagable.<div><br></div><div>As usual, my carefully laid out plot was trampled on by my characters as I wrote. That may sound like a bad thing but I believe it is the best thing that could happen. It means your characters are realized enough to dictate what they need to say to move the story along and how they want to say it. I've had to make some adjustments to accommodate this. I took out two scenes that became either unecessary or bloat that I was able to condense into a previous scene. </div><div><br></div><div>The first scene I had trouble with was my first scene featuring the antagonist. Everything he does is based on magic, even just walking around since he has to keep up a glamour to hide his appearance. Until this scene, which is the fourth in the story, I did not touch on magic at all except to allude to the fact that my protagonist was opposed to it in every way. The eternal struggle for every writer of show versus tell had reared its ugly head. I had to alter my original idea for the scene to work in a way to describe how magic works and in particular how he used magic which differs from how it is normally used. I decided to have him too weak to continue what he was doing and need to restore his magic's potency. It made sense since he had drained himself the day before. I'll still leave how he became different for another chapter but this will give a decent introduction to my magic system which will become essential in the next chapter.</div><div><br></div><div>This past week has reinforced my opinion that plotting is much more useful than pantsing, or in other words, creating as you go. If I did not have my story already mapped out I probably would have abandoned what I had already done and wasted time starting all over. But because I already know where I'm going, I can easily pick up where I left off. All of this brings up a point I don't think I've seen touched upon before. Although I consider myself a plotter, I am still at the mercy of my characters, all of whom have distinctly pantsy personalities. They never want to do what I have laid out for them, like petulant children who refuse to wear what you picked for them. Because of this, I get the same experience of discovery that a pantser gets, but I still know where I'm going and how to get there due to my outline. So don't be afraid of killing your ideas with an outline. With the right characters, you'll never be bored and like frisky puppies, they'll always find something of yours to tear up. But you can never stay mad at them. You just shake your finger at them, give them a hug, and move on.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7395260573447457528.post-2609283358131856882017-03-26T04:50:00.001-07:002017-03-28T03:59:54.513-07:00Starting That Novel... Again<div> So here I stand at the threshold of another attempt at a fantasy novel. I've lost track of how many iterations of this idea I've gone through. I will admit it has been in flux for years now. I always think I've got the characters and story figured out but then something happens along the way to sabotage my house of plot and theme, like a literary sinkhole waiting for me to get just so far before caving in.</div><div><br></div><div> If this sounds familiar then I think you'll have a good time following my blog for a while. I expect to post something every Tuesday from now until I finish writing my story. My intention is to help those attempting to do the same as well as commiserate with my fellow writers. My posts will consist of not only progress reports (because I need to keep myself in check and thinking that others are actually watching what I'm doing helps), but also tips and ideas I use along the way. I'll talk up my story but I'll try to avoid revealing too much in case it sounds like something you may want to read for yourself. If not, that's fine, too. If what you read here helps you with your writing, I'm happy with that, too. Just let me know in the comments so at least I know I'm not just talking to my Ipad and any constructive feedback is good as gold.</div><div><br></div><div> As I said I'm working on a fantasy novel. It is set in a medieval era world where magic is limited by the pain it induces. My main character not only does not use magic, but has a strong aversion and even a hatred towards it and its users. He believes himself a man destined for greatness and seeks it out wherever he goes. What exactly this greatness is he's not sure but he believes it has something to do with eliminating magic and ruling the entire realm. He ends up finding it where he least expects to and that's where the story begins. </div><div><br></div><div> The story will be told in third person limited and most scenes will be from the main character's point of view. I try to keep the scenes as brief as possible, though I haven't mastered the art of cutting things down to just a page or two. I would like to, but there always seems to be one more one-liner to deliver and I can't pass up a good joke here and there.</div><div><br></div><div> I began writing the first draft yesterday. My goal is at least 1000 words a day. I won't stop myself from writing more but I definitely want to make sure I reach at least that each day. This way I should have a first draft done in about 4 months. The total from my first day was over 1100 words. It went smoothly but I don't want to try to increase the daily word count yet. I know my track record and keeping the expectations realistic is going to be the key to keeping positive about following through with the project this time.</div><div><br></div><div> My next post will reflect my first week of writing so I should have a more in depth analysis of how my idea is going. Hope to see you then.</div><div><br></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7395260573447457528.post-18054960404993005732016-11-15T07:08:00.002-08:002016-11-15T07:08:57.691-08:00Will I catch NaNoWriFever?This year's NaNoWriMo is looking less and less likely to turn out well for me. While I'm discouraged I can at least take solace in the fact that I'm keeping pace with my usual daily output of words. It won't get me to 50k by the end of November, but it lead still lead me to a finished novel and that is after all the real goal. At this rate I should at least finish by my birthday in January. I'll keep trying, hoping for that fever to come over me where I just can't stop writing, the pages pile up like the yellow leaves on my lawn, and I submit my final count with a triumphant, "Take that!" We'll see. I'll need to do 2600 words a day. That just makes me miss my Atari 2600.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7395260573447457528.post-1427312593130598592016-11-08T07:12:00.001-08:002016-11-08T07:12:16.359-08:00NaNoUhOhSo here we are a week gone in NaNoWriMo and I know what you're saying. So, Writingbull, how are things... And that's where I cut you off. I turn and walk off yelling, "I don't want to talk about it!" But, I guess since I'm the one writing this I don't really have a choice.<div><br></div><div>Terrible. All right? That's how it's going. I'm not even close to the target count. At this rate I may finish by my birthday which is at the end of January. JANUARY, people! And the worst part is I can't figure out exactly why this is going so slow.</div><div><br></div><div>Now, granted I've had some unavoidable delays and the usual lost day to a migraine, but with everything already charted and the characters having lived in my head now for months, I should be able to move this along faster. I mean, I even avoided buying or even renting the updated version of Skyrim! How's that for dedication! Oh, in case you haven't checked it out, here's a link to my fanfiction for Skyrim. If you've played through the main quest you'll love this. <a href="http://www.fanfiction.net/s/9514861/1/" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">http://www.fanfiction.net/s/9514861/1/</a>. </div><div><br></div><div>Anyway, this is going to be a tough slog now that I'm in a hole. Right now I have to do over 1900 words a day to finish before Dec.1. It's still doable and my wife is all in so I don't REALLY have an excuse except I just worked too damn slow. Since I don't want that to happen, I'll be using all my spare time at home and at work.</div><div><br></div><div>Hope your efforts are going along smoother than mine and if you're already done, I secretly hate you. No, I don't mean that. I openly hate you! No, I don't mean that, either. Just chalk up my eye-rolling to jealousy and I'll see you at the finish line on Nov. 30. </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7395260573447457528.post-999191841014088382016-10-22T08:19:00.002-07:002016-10-22T08:19:24.868-07:00Shoulder Eyes and Curious AliensNine days left until NaNoWriMo 2016 and I'm feeling confident about my story this year. If you don't know about NaNoWriMo, check out their site at nanowrimo.org. It is a great boost for your writing, especially if you need some sort of eye over your shoulder to make sure you are getting your work done.<br />
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So far I've been fine tuning my plot for the past two weeks. If you prefer not to plot and just wing it with a few stray scenes and a theme in mind, go for it. I think you're nuts and doomed to take much longer than necessary, but to each his own. I need to plot. I see it as a map, showing me where to go. But not just any map. My plot sceme is like a UFO arriving at Earth. From the furthest distance, you great the grand scheme of things. An ocean there, an ocean on the other side, mountains and rivers and lakes in between. Looks great so far. Any alien race would want to move in for a closer look to see if this planet has what it wants and needs.<br />
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Closer in, my plot scheme turns into scene cards, breaking up the plot into logical steps. For the UFO, the view turns into cities and towns filled with buildings, farms, and cellular phone stores. Now this is getting really interesting.<br />
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The last step is to turn those scene cards into actual scenes, complete with paragraphs, sentences, and outlandishly big capitol letters denoting the beginnings of chapters. For the aliens in the UFO, the cities turn into individuals filled with dreams, regrets, and schemes of robbing cellular phones stores. If they see what they like, they'll land and mingle, maybe buy a cronut or two for the trip home. They'll go home and tell others, who in turn will visit on their own. Or in the book equivalent, they will like the story and tell others who will also purchase it, option the movie rights, and allow me to retire to play video games where I kill aliens who try to take over the world. Such is life.<br />
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Now go write. You don't know how much time is left until the aliens arrive. Or should I say, return?<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7395260573447457528.post-34715316087854092822016-10-15T06:33:00.001-07:002016-10-15T06:33:12.569-07:00Return of the MuseI write a lot about the Muse. I never really put much thought into whether it was a real thing or not but apparently there is more to this ethereal minx than I had considered. I may need to set another chair at the writing desk so it won't feel so unwanted. Here's what happened...<div><br></div><div>For the past two days I've been at an impasse with my plot. There was one very important scene that I had not entirely fleshed out while doing my outline. I did not want to rush it, so I left it blank except for the title, '*character* dies'. I knew who was dying, I just left it out here so as not to spoil my bestseller for people when it comes out. I know, right? Anyway, now that I needed to fill in the specifics, I was drawing a blank. Every idea seemed too cliche or similar to previous scenes. If you are a plotter like me, you know I could not go any further. Leaving it blank would just haunt me if I started writing expecting the idea to appear once I got to it. So there I sat. Until today.</div><div><br></div><div>The idea came out of nowhere. Well, maybe not from nowhere. I had a setting but for some reason I kept leaving it to go somewhere else. I think because I had a split second vision of the scene already composed in my mind's eye and I was forcing my ideas to run through it. Then along came my Muse, finally. Where the Hell have you been? Wait, never mind. I don't want to know. You're back and that's all that matters. My Muse stopped me before I left my setting and told me to just wait. So I waited. After a few minutes, along came the two adversaries that I had imagined elsewhere. They could do their job here as well as there. With that impasse gone, the ideas came like a torrent of water from a burst dam. Now I may proceed and with new ideas brought to life from this other one. It was a gift within a gift.</div><div><br></div><div>To sum this up, if you find yourself struggling with a scene, I suggest you give it time instead of giving up. I kept coming back to this scene instead of skipping it. If I had skipped it, I might have forced it to conform to the upcoming scenes which would have squashed what I really needed: true inspiration. Now because of deadlines, that is not always an option, but deadlines also have a way of creating a different kind of inspiration, mostly weaved from the lining of empty pockets. </div><div><br></div><div>Don't forget NaNoWriMo is fast approaching. Declare your novel and keep writing!</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7395260573447457528.post-72671730844329605872016-10-08T08:23:00.000-07:002016-10-08T08:23:20.379-07:00Sense of SceneWhy did she do that? What was the point of that? Who was that supposed to hurt?<br />
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These are the types of questions I've got going through my head today and for the next few days. I don't know what sort of writer you tend to be (because no one is so one dimensional), but I tend to be a plotter. Big time. I want to know that I've got a handle on the story before I spend months working on it. For my newest war of wordage I have all the scenes laid out and divided into chapters. Each scene is described very briefly so I get the gist of it. But that is only the start.<br />
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My next task is to delve into each of those scenes and flesh them out. Give all the minor characters names and that sort of jazz that would normally stop me in my creative tracks. More importantly, I make sure I know what the POV character's conflict and motivation is. This story is easy in that I only have one POV character. The conflict is important so I know what is at stake in each scene. If nothing is at stake, I either need to ditch it or make it short and to the point. Side-tracks should be no more than a quick peek through the door then moving on. The motivation is important so I know how and why the character is going to approach the problem.<br />
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This may seem excessive to all you pantsers out there but it has proven to be extremely helpful to me when writing the scene. Sure, I sometimes have to make changes as I go as my characters often have a way of saying things I did not intend them to say, but that's where the fun is. I may have everything plotted, scripted, and charted, but I know the story is going right when I have to stop now and then to pull a monkey wrench out of the well-oiled gears I built. No one ever admits to throwing it, but I have a good idea... I'm looking at you, Muse.<br />
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So get back to writing. Hopefully you've got your own monkey wrench wielding Muse waiting for you.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7395260573447457528.post-3643493003896233992016-10-04T09:13:00.002-07:002016-10-04T09:13:52.145-07:00Back From the DepthsIt seems my last post was in May. Wow, where has the time gone? Well, at least I can say I've been working on my novel so there's that. The other news is I'm putting the second draft through the transmographying wringer so it will be nearly an entirely new thing when it comes back out. With NaNoWriMo starting in a few weeks, I thought now would be a good time to get my poor blog out of the cobwebs and breathe some life back into it.<br />
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From here on I'll be detailing what I'm doing and hopefully what I'm learning about my writing. Sounds like fun to me. Unfortunately, that's all this blog will be about. My focus is completely on my story and I do not have the time, patience, or I'll admit it, interest in making this anything more than that. If I find a link to something or someone great I'll try to add it in future posts, but there will be no giveaways or anything like that. My goal here is to appeal to fellow struggling writers looking for help or commiseration or maybe just a few laughs. Trust me, there will be plenty to laugh at.<br />
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In the coming days I'll be detailing what further preparations I'm making with my novel to make sure I start NaNoWriMo on fire and not have to stop my creativity with repeated note searching. Today for instance I finished coming up with all the names for my characters, their pets, schools, hang-outs, and whatever else I thought would need a name. If I find time later, I'm going to make a final list of crystals and their reputed paranormal properties. Well, that is what my story hinges on after all. I've got several sources to go through so I'm going to narrow them down to the most common and/or obvious.<br />
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Back to work for me (at my real job, gah!), I hope you will keep following and keep writing.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7395260573447457528.post-18533251222789212642016-05-28T07:56:00.001-07:002016-05-28T07:58:05.414-07:00Getting Nowhere FastWow, I haven't posted anything here since January. I can't be surprised that no one is following this blog. What's to follow? I guess I picked the right title for my page, huh? Anyway, I'll get this thing going again and do my damnedest to keep it in mind.<div><br></div><div>I'm still toiling away on my YA fantasy novel. But the light at the end of the tunnel is there. I have about five more scenes to do to finish the first draft. Seems like I should be done in no time, right? We'll see. I want to get this done so I can go back and see just how much I screwed up my original idea. But at least it will be done and I guess I'm in the minority with this but I love re-writing. I like going along and finding parts of a story that don't work or sound like I stopped in mid-sentence and then picked it up again a whole week later (Seriously, I've done that and it always sounds like shit. Finish your thoughts, always, then move on).</div><div><br></div><div>I'm also doing a fanfiction for the upcoming game, No Man's Sky at fanfiction.net. This particular piece is only for fun and do to on my down time. It sucks that not many people have been reading it. I know one reason is it's hard to find. I did a Google search and couldn't get it to come up unless I typed in the whole freakin' title, A Burden of Stars. Whatever. I'm not going to go all SEO commando just for a few clicks more (wow, I just mixed a Schwarzenneger movie with an Eastwood movie, like The Good, The Bad, and The Kindergarten Cop).</div><div><br></div><div>That's where I'm at. I refuse to start another project until I get this YA novel done. And believe me, I've got a ton of ideas pounding on my muse's door, a screenplay in particular that I'm sure will rocket me to stardom, or at least to the top of the slushpile since I don't have an agent and live in upstate NY. OK, back to writing. You, too.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7395260573447457528.post-91759366889962291632016-01-04T13:36:00.001-08:002016-01-04T13:36:50.892-08:00Blogging for the New YearI'll say this up front to get it out of the way: I'm sorry. For what? For being a shitty blogger. I guess it's working out the same as my attempts at keeping a journal, since journalling and blogging seem to be about the same thing. I guess I'm just not much of a sharing type of person, especially when it comes to my thoughts and opinions. I like to keep them to myself, much in the way I wish others would do the same. Unless it's part of a stand-up routine, one of the most annoying sentences for me to hear is, "You know what I think?". It just grinds on my nerves.<div><br></div><div>That's why I try to keep this blog focused on writing. Unfortunately, I feel uneasy about giving advice since I have only had a book self-published so far. I've put out a lot of short stories on here and other sites as part of challenges so I don't mind saying something about writing to anyone who needs help or motivation. If you're following, I'll do my best to keep up on this blog. It should get easier to have things to add since I'm nearly finished with the first draft of my YA novel, Facets, and I will have thoughts and revelations on the self-editing process. So, please, bear with me. Thank you.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7395260573447457528.post-71380620343677540612015-12-01T09:14:00.001-08:002015-12-01T09:16:16.553-08:00Winning at NaNoWriMo<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFEYyM4acIa5kAsgw8wO77uG8qbYC3HGjHPcISut8Saq0YHF69_Eu2OIOL-whxxCfb6epvCohHcwIolIPUevAroNqyeXCJbA86PXF4RDALgdWznMh_W3Oi2RIn9dvdTtb8EMW2Rj8eRHt_/s640/blogger-image--103332576.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFEYyM4acIa5kAsgw8wO77uG8qbYC3HGjHPcISut8Saq0YHF69_Eu2OIOL-whxxCfb6epvCohHcwIolIPUevAroNqyeXCJbA86PXF4RDALgdWznMh_W3Oi2RIn9dvdTtb8EMW2Rj8eRHt_/s640/blogger-image--103332576.jpg"></a></div><br></div>November 2015 has been torn off and tossed into recycling, leaving behind the rushed pages of a new novel, a yearning for even more coffee, and the satisfaction of having conquered my second NaNoWriMo challenge. It was a smooth ride up until the very last day. I think I lulled myself into a false sense of complacency, leaving the final 3000 words for my last day. "I'll take the day off, finish up the challenge, and still have time for laundry and video games." Then I stood there with my hands on my hips and faced into the gusty wind like a triumphant hero should.<div><br></div><div>Then the migraine hit. I wasn't worried at first. I often wake up fuzzy-headed but like Quinn said of the sharks in Jaws, "Sometimes they go away, sometimes they don't go away." Well, this one turned out to be a predator and it was bent on biting the legs off my novel just before the finish line. I scraped together a few hundred words during the day, took groggy, lurching breaks to throw in the damn laundry and let the roofers in the finish insulating a skylight they removed...a month ago. No video games. Couldn't keep my head up for that. But by evening the Migraine Shark got bored with my antics and I was able to finish and send it in for validation. Only afterwards did I realize I had moved around two scenes twice meaning I had double scenes. Got rid of those then banged out another 1000 words in an hour to FINALLY validate a correct chunk of novel. Don't know if it mattered to anyone else, but getting it right mattered to me, even if I screwed something up.</div><div><br></div><div>My novel, however, is not finished. I've got about10-15 more scenes, maybe another 100 pages to go before I rip into it with my editorial weed whacker. I actually enjoy rewriting though. I'm setting my next goal at finishing the first draft by Christmas then the re-write by my birthday on Jan 27. The 28th will see me sending it out. Here's hoping. Write on.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7395260573447457528.post-70704796615849119252015-11-23T14:33:00.001-08:002015-11-23T14:33:08.745-08:00NaNoWriMo WIP 1000 word snippetHere goes the first scene from my work in progress over at NaNoWriMo tentatively called Facets. It's just about 1000 words so I thought I would use this for Chuck Wendig's latest sort of challenge.<div><br><div><br></div><div><div>"Well, Talia, let me start with what you've been worrying about the most. You're not insane."</div><div><br></div><div>Talia Wiley released the breath she had been holding. She smiled for the first time in days and tears fell down her cheeks as her mother put her arm around her from the chair beside her. Her father, Jarrett, squeezed her arm on the other side. The three of them sat in identical padded chairs in front of the doctor's oak desk. Talia's little sister, Sara, was being watched by a neighbor. They had decided to leave her at home in case the news was bad. The office was warm with wood trim and stacked bookcases. It was a far cry from the labs Talia had been in for the past two days.</div><div><br></div><div>"That's great news, Dr. Van Hoag," Jarrett said, still looking concerned, "It only confirms what we've been saying. I mean if something was wrong with Talia, then there was something wrong with everyone that was with her that day, including me. But it doesn't tell us what happened. Hallucinations don't cause that kind of damage."</div><div><br></div><div>Talia left her mother's embrace and rubbed the wetness from her dark brown eyes. Her mother, Aniya did the same. People always remarked how much they looked alike, same dark eyes, same smooth skin and high cheekbones. The only difference was their hair. Talia's was straight and black like her father's while her mother's was brown. Sometimes Talia wished her hair was brown just so she would not have such a Goth look in the morning. It did not help that her mood tended towards dark and sarcastic. No one considered her behavior abnormal, however, just the usual teenage angst. That was until two days ago at the jewelry store. Talia still had dreams of the chaos she had created. Objects flying around the store, pockets of darkness, visions of ghosts and demons. She jumped at the sound of the doctor's voice.</div><div><br></div><div>"I can shed some light on Talia's incident but to be honest, she's given us more questions than answers. You were referred to me because I am a neurologist who specializes in Talia's suspected condition."</div><div><br></div><div>"Condition?" Talia said. "It's a tumor, isn't it?"</div><div><br></div><div>"No, dear, it's not a tumor."</div><div><br></div><div>Talia continued, "So some hormonal or electro-chemical imbalance affecting my perception of reality?"</div><div><br></div><div>Devlin VanHoag sighed from behind his desk, "Let me guess. WebMD?"</div><div><br></div><div>"Wikipedia."</div><div><br></div><div>"Ah, the Borg brain of the twenty-first century. Did it happen to say how your hormones knocked over display cases from across the showroom or allowed you to hear the other customers' thoughts as they ran out? No? I'm actually surprised but at least we can rule that out, right?"</div><div><br></div><div>Aniya leaned forward, "So then what caused those things to happen, doctor? The security cameras prove she didn't make it up."</div><div><br></div><div>Jarrett scoffed, "Security cameras? Hell, I was there, remember?"</div><div><br></div><div>Talia remembered hearing the voices. The few other customers ran out thinking it was an earthquake. But she had heard other voices, too, not from the room. She clenched her fists tight until those chilling memories went away.</div><div><br></div><div>Devlin left his leather chair and came around to sit on the front of his desk, legs stretched to the floor. He was mature with thinning grey hair, hazel eyes surrounded by lines, and a slight stoop to his walk. He was thin and his pristine lab coat draped on him like a robe.</div><div><br></div><div>"Talia definitely does not have a tumor," he said, "and she does not have any problem with her brain at all. In fact, her brain works better than yours or mine at a certain level that we are only now beginning to understand."</div><div><br></div><div>"This isn't going to get too technical, is it doctor?" Jarrett asked. "I mean I'm no slouch but my knowledge is in business and running a restaurant. I'm going to need layman terms to understand this."</div><div><br></div><div>"Speak for yourself, Dad," Talia said, "I want to know everything."</div><div><br></div><div>Devlin chuckled, "Trust me, I prefer simple. Life's complicated enough without pointless jargon. Now, a lot of people don't know that the brain gives off different electrical waves from its own activity. There are several different ranges of these waves from Alpha to Gamma. Normally these waves are so weak they have no affect on their surroundings. Talia is part of a new emerging group of people who can produce a brainwave known as Gamma-3."</div><div><br></div><div>"So my brain's radioactive?" Talia said.</div><div><br></div><div>"No, there's no radioactivity. The name is based on the length of the wave."</div><div><br></div><div>"And these Gamma-3 waves can affect things like in the store?"</div><div><br></div><div>"Not things in general. In fact, the only things they interact with are microscopic crystals in the brain. When they are then in the presence of similar crystals outside of the body, such as in a ring, depending on the crystal, different things will happen."</div><div><br></div><div>"That's why so many things happened at once," Jarrett said, nodding. "We were in a jewelry store. We were surrounded by crystals."</div><div><br></div><div>"But why then?" Aniya asked. "Talia's been around crystals before. I know for a fact she has a few necklaces that I bought her that have crystals. Oh, my. Could that have done it?"</div><div><br></div><div>"No, no," Devlin said, "The brain is always developing and growing. Different chemical changes are also going on in teen brains such as Talia. It probably started producing the correct waves that day and she just happened to go into the store. A perfect storm, if you will."</div><div><br></div><div>"Wait," Talia said, "You said I'm part of an emerging group. So there are others like me?"</div><div><br></div><div>Devlin Van Hoag leaned forward so his hands were above his kneess and looked Talia in the eyes. He smiled. "Oh, no, dear. There are no others like you."</div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7395260573447457528.post-49937862941644324142015-11-10T09:01:00.001-08:002015-11-10T09:01:14.801-08:00NaNoWriMo funHere we are in the second week of NaNoWriMo and hopefully everyone is still on pace or ahead of schedule. For once I've managed to stay on point and I'm passed the 16000 word mark. Here's a quick excerpt from my WIP, "Facets":<div><br></div><div><div>"You don't belong here, freak," Sam said in a hushed tone. "I'm going to get you kicked out of here. Bet on it. I don't care what you can do."</div><div><br></div><div>"Too bad it's not up to you, is it, Sammy?" Talia said.</div><div><br></div><div>"Don't call me Sammy, freak. Your days here are numbered."</div><div><br></div><div>"Well, let me get you started," Talia held up her middle finger, "One."</div><div><br></div><div>"Talia."</div><div><br></div><div>Talia spun around at the voice, snapping her hand out of sight, too late. Dr. VanHoag stood at his door.</div><div><br></div><div>"If you're through, come into my office."</div><div><br></div><div>Sam walked away laughing more than necessary. Talia stifled a curse and went into the director's office, closing the door behind her.</div></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>As you can see, I'm having loads of fun with this character. Keep it up, NaNoers!</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7395260573447457528.post-49537979291953269742015-11-09T07:22:00.001-08:002015-11-09T07:22:38.394-08:00Write, Blog, WriteI know I really should be doing more with my blog, but it is still something I have to force myself to do. On the one hand, I would rather be working on my fiction writing instead of relating what's going on in my head. Honestly, it's not that interesting, even to me. On the other hand, keeping up on a blog about writing will help me do two things: keep track of my successes and failures while writing and help reach out to fellow writers for comments, commiseration, and contacts. Every whisper into an ear helps, right? So here I am with more news about my work in progress.<div><br></div><div>So far I'm keeping up with my NaNoWriMo goals and it is helping me to push through this latest draft of my YA novel. I still love this idea. My problem is getting to the exciting parts without leaving out vital information that would keep the reader up to pace with what is going on both in my character's life and in her head. My first attempt at this I don't think I did a good job of explaining how the different crystals worked and what it felt like for the characters to use them. In this story I have people who derive psychic-like powers from tapping into crystals. Different crystals bring out different abilities but what people can do depends on how their brains send out certain gamma rays. Some can do telekinesis, some can do clairvoyance. I'm fixing that this time. Also, in my previous draft I severly limited what everyone was allowed to do with their powers. I think that made it too boring. Who would want to live in that world? So this time I'm letting them be free to use their power, but they know they are all being monitored and their actions will have consequences even as far as prison. I also had the main character going to a school with a mix of normal kids and Crystallers. I got rid of that, too much extra trouble for nothing. If I want to have her have a normal friend, I think I'll bring in one of her friends from before she was forced to move.</div><div><br></div><div>So, this is where I'm at. If you're having similar issues with your story, let me know. Communities can often help with problems that individuals can not deal with. If you're doing NaNoWriMo I hope you're well on your way and good luck. Write on!</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7395260573447457528.post-48515977751921362682015-11-03T11:12:00.001-08:002015-11-03T11:12:25.898-08:00NaNoWriMo Powers - Activate!Day three of NaNoWriMo and I'm a giddy 6100 words into it. I say giddy because I know the feeling will not last. This is the beginning of my book and I'm familiar with these scenes already. Now comes the hard part where I implement the new ideas and plotlines for this 2.0 version of my story. Gone are the chasms of of inactivity. They have been replaced with a fearless mix of mentoring and personal challenges. The main bad guy is now up front and personal instead of mysterious. Now it's up to me to keep up the energy, avoid the migraines, and not be distracted by to sweet siren call of my PS4. Aww, look at it over there all calm and peaceful just waiting to play... No! No! Bad writer. I had to catch myself there. No playing until those scenes are mapped out or so help me...<div><br></div><div>You see what I'm dealing with. The kid in me says there's always time to write, while the adult in me wants to just shake some sense into that damn kid. Write now, you freakin' kid! Twenty years goes by like a damn McDonalds shamrock shake. You say just one more day and then, "What?! Gone!? It can't be!" But it is and you're left crushing peppermint patties into a vanilla milkshake but it's not the same. It just isn't.</div><div><br></div><div>Anyway. Oh yeah, NaNoWriMo! Go, writers!</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7395260573447457528.post-71594989475038790092015-10-24T16:19:00.001-07:002015-10-26T06:54:21.491-07:00NaNoWriMo is callingThe latest National Novel Writing Month is upon us in less than a week. Are you ready? If you're a pantser (Def: one who perfers to just whip out their imagination at the last moment and let it spew as it will on the pages. Gross), then you have not even begun to worry. If, however, you are a planner like me, then there is never enough time.<div><br></div><div>Don't get me wrong. I've got a lot of prep work already done; a year's worth, in fact. I started my project a year ago but did not finish it during last year's NaNoWriMo. Now before the angry mob reaches for their pitchforks and torches to chase down the cheater let me say this: Ayieeeee! Actually I've had to re-imagine my idea and most of it has changed or been forced to change due to other changes. Make sense? Yeah, I'm hoping it'll be clearer for me too by then.</div><div><br></div><div>I'll try to use this blog to keep track of my progress as well as my failings, namely headaches, the bane of my writing right now. With some determination, I should have most of a novel done and ready to edit by December.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7395260573447457528.post-18466214075764990552015-09-07T15:29:00.001-07:002015-09-07T15:29:24.353-07:00Raccoonville, Monster USA<div>(My response to Glipho Ex-pats latest writing challenge on Facebook)</div><div><br></div><div>I found a typewriter in the fourth room I came to. I dragged myself inside then checked the hallway behind me. No blood on the floor. Good. My leg had stopped bleeding, mostly, but some blood may have gotten through the shirt I had used for a bandage. I closed the door and locked it.</div><div><br></div><div>The police station was silent now so my labored breathing and boots scraping on the floor sounded louder than it should. I won't complain. At least the screaming had stopped. The monsters had run out of food, live food anyway. Except me. And I know they were still looking. I had to do this quick. Only I knew how to stop them but there was no way I was getting out alive. Mankind's only hope was for me to leave a message.</div><div><br></div><div>I reached up and tapped a key. The ink was red. Blood red.</div><div><br></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7395260573447457528.post-86630044525893328772015-08-24T09:03:00.001-07:002015-08-24T09:03:17.349-07:00Parental Guidance Suggested(My latest response to the Glipho Ex-pats writing challenge on Facebook. 150 words starting with "What just blew up?")<br />
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"What just blew up?" Denny asked, pausing the video game.<br />
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"Probably your blow-up doll," his friend, Kurt suggested, "Now put the game back on."<br />
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"Ha, that's hilarious. At least mine's a woman. You got yours from that guy with the leather chaps who's always sitting in his van with the curtains drawn."<br />
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"It's all right, you can call him daddy. All the other guys do."<br />
<br />
"I'm serious, I heard something explode. At first I thought maybe someone let out a righteously wicked fart but I remembered your mom's not home."<br />
<br />
"Shut up, ass-wipe. My mom said she was going out to look for your mom. I told her try the corners by the bar district. The guys there aren't too choosy."<br />
<br />
"Apparently not. Didn't your mom live there when you were born, on Skank Street? I gotta see what that noise was."<br />
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"What? You're just leaving? How rude."<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7395260573447457528.post-4286917735890351522015-08-17T07:13:00.001-07:002015-08-17T07:13:43.779-07:00Spider Fighter<div>(My response to the latest writing challenge at the Glipho Ex-pats group on Facebook)</div><div><br></div><div>"Big spiders down here," Macabwah said.</div><div><br></div><div>Percy dropped his pack at the cave entrance. "That's what you said last time. All I got for my trouble was a cold and my back covered in bat shit."</div><div><br></div><div>"No doubt this time. Many villagers see them. You see, Mr. Percy." </div><div> </div><div>Percy could not help but grin. The african guide's english was improving but he apparently could not get past using only his first name. </div><div> </div><div>He could hear the spiders moving around. This is my final test, he thought. My work will be acknowledged and my family's sacrifice rewarded. Flashes of his wife and daughter dying caught him off guard. He shook the images off. Now was not the time.</div><div><br></div><div>Percy saw the head of an enormous spider emerge from the shadows. He unstoppered a vial of green liquid and swallowed it. He felt his body changing instantly.</div><div><br></div><div>"All right, spider. Bring it on!" </div><div><br></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7395260573447457528.post-60759978786238795782015-07-26T07:12:00.001-07:002015-07-26T07:12:51.714-07:00Writing, Laughing, and Paying the Bills<div>My first attempt at this essay somehow turned into a short piece of fiction which I had to promptly delete and apologize for not following the rules. I'm not exactly sure how it happened but that is one of the great mysteries of writing. Sometimes the work takes control and you get so lost in it that by the time you're done you back away from it like Victor Frankenstein, part fascinated, part horrified. "What have I done?" you ask yourself, your hand covering your mouth. Then it's up to you whether to unleash it upon the world or highlight all then delete. Now that I've vanquished my demon, it's time to make amends.</div><div><br></div><div>This mistake, however, spotlights one of the main reasons I write. You can lose yourself for hours at a time in a whole new world. And not just any world but one that you created. Whether it is modern day on Earth or Xorbutt Day on Gemini K26, it is your world. You decide what happens, what is said, who wins, who loses. At least, you think you do. Then again like Frankenstein's monster, your creation comes to life and runs amok, saying things they weren't meant to say and completely throwing your carefully crafted plot into a spiraling cone of fire stoked by the endless reams of carefully researched notes. How freaking awesome is that? I continue to write because I'm never certain what I will find once I'm at the mercy of characters.</div><div><br></div><div>My next reason for why I write I'm sure will ruffle feathers and cause a great deal of backlash but I'm here to be honest. As Joker said in The Dark Knight, "When you're good at something, never do it for free.". I've tried many things in my life to discover what talents I may have. I can't sing, can't paint, can't build (aside from my super Lego collection, building things has been an art of frustration). But writing? Now that I can do. So far I have not been paid much for my efforts, but considering my efforts have been subpar, I'd say it's about right. Now don't get me wrong. I've written a lot. My issue is with finishing things, novels, mainly. I've done many short stories and a few screenplays but my hopes lie with writing novels. It's what I feel I was meant to do. And when I do start finishing them on a regular basis, I hope to be paid for them. There has always been a sort of recoil for writers when the talk of money comes around but I don't see why. I write for money. I love writing and will always do it, but I also have plans of making a living at it. I don't see how creativity and cash can't go together.</div><div><br></div><div>I've tried writing for free. I've filled journals but they've never really drawn me in. I'm not a very introspective guy and it shows in my writing which leads me to my next reason for why I write. I began writing just for myself. My first story was an episode of Battlestar Galactica, the original one, thank you. Yes, I'm that old. Back in the days before the internet and satellite TV, everyone had to wait a week for the next episode of their favorite show to come on. For a kid, a week was the same as 'FOREVER!'. So while I waited, I wrote my own episode complete with sound effects and plenty of Starbuck yelling, "Yee-haw!". I remember liking it. But more importantly I remember the other kids liking it, too. I discovered I got more joy out of others reading the story than I did. After that, anything I wrote I did with an audience in mind. My goal was clear: to entertain. I still hold that to be my number one goal in writing. I write to make people laugh, or cringe, lose themselves in another world. I want them to read so they pee their pants, or turn the lights on for safety, or look at the clock and shout, "Oh, shit! I'm going to be late!" I've tried coming up with tales rife with moral fiber and life lessons. They always fall flat and I know the reason. They are not something I would choose to read, so why would I try to write them? I read for entertainment. I prefer genre novels such as fantasy, dystopian, horror, to anything mainstream. It is just how I am wired so that when I write, I'm hoping to light that spark in someone else.</div><div><br></div><div>I write because I can. Too many people ignore their talents and it is a shame. I've talked with many people who are retired or about to retire and most of them talk about work like a fond memory and even think about just getting a part-time job for something to do. It boggles my mind. I just don't get it. This is why I write. I want writing to be my ONLY job. Sure insurance will be tough going, as usual, but there is no other way I can think of that I would want to make a living. As with these retirees, they have nothing but time now. They should be using their talents and pursuing dreams that they've delayed or put on hold. Write that book, paint that mural, sing, damn it, sing!</div><div><br></div><div>Why do I write? Not because I have to. I think I would survive if I was forced to stop. But what kind of life would that be? I don't write to teach. My wisdom runs about as deep as a puddle in a parking lot. I write because I want to entertain. I want to take people from this world and put them in mine and nudge at them saying, "Hey, hey, watch this. You're gonna love it."</div><div><br></div><div>And hopefully they will. If you laughed at all reading this, then my job is done. </div><div><br></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7395260573447457528.post-46246368497788640802015-07-13T07:13:00.001-07:002015-07-13T07:13:47.348-07:00Perserverence Beats Up NewbieI couldn't do it. I refused to let my story go after putting in so much work. I'm still not quite halfway finished but I can see the sky beginning to lighten in my writing world. The dawn of completion is coming, I just know it.<div><br></div><div>The desire to quit this version will not be wasted, however. After some consideration, I found how I could use the new ideas for a better book 2 of this trilogy. So in a way this was all pretty helpful.</div><div><br></div><div>Now the only thing I have to contend with is a YA market that appears to be in flux as far as the poopularity of genres. I've read several articles saying how reality is making a comeback in teen fiction and fantasy, especially dystopian and zombie, are on the decline. It doesn't make me too worried, however. I wouldn't consider this story to be either of those (though zombie may be thrown in the way of the writer). Mine is more of an urban sci-fi story. It is based in the modern day but with a slight, secretive twist, kind of like the movie, Jumper. But even if this genre is declining, I believe that as long as it is an intriguing story, it will do well.</div><div><br></div><div>OK, enough ruminating. Back to work.</div><div><br></div><div><br></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7395260573447457528.post-17484673503944931732015-07-06T07:15:00.001-07:002015-07-06T07:15:09.158-07:00Running Naked Off The CliffI hate to say to myself, 'I told you so', but here I go again. I stopped working on my latest novel for a week and now I can't get my mind to recognize it anymore. I've re-read the first 150 pages and there's a lot I like, but it doesn't inspire further ideas or excitement about the scenes I already have planned out. I have to keep referencing back to my character sheets because I don't recall certain details of them anymore. The worst part? I just don't care.<br />
<br />
I know the apathy towards my story happens every time I take too long a break. I've heard many writers say the same thing, that once they stop tending that fire it peters out and no amount of coaxing will bring it back. Some breaks are unavoidable, most are unintentional. I kept writing during this last one, just not about my novel. I wrote a short story and a few flash writing challenges. But then when I returned to my novel I found it pale and listless.<br />
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But all is not lost. I still like the core premise of the story, a teen derives psychic like abilities from an unexpected source, but I want to handle it differently. I want less school involved and more action. I'll work that out this week after giving the main character another thorough once over. The main character's ability hinges on helping or magnifying others' abilities so I want to focus on who this leads to her assuming a leadership role even though it is the last thing she wants. She doesn't want to be responsible for others. She has to learn that most people just need a little help to achieve greatness and if she can, she should be there for them.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7395260573447457528.post-32023997096091129682015-04-12T14:17:00.001-07:002015-04-12T14:17:33.244-07:00The Evils of the QuestioningLast year I had used NaNoWriMo to begin my latest attempt at a novel. I got off to a rocky start and unfortunately never recovered to reach the 50000 word goal. That's life, I suppose. I did it last year, not this year. Oh well. I really did not feel defeated until December came and went and I was barely any further along. Then came the Questioning.<div><br></div><div>What is the Questioning? I think most writers know what it is. It's that point in your writing endeavor when you hit a wall and while you stagger and try to get going again you begin to wonder if what you're doing is correct. You question whether you've done enough research and maybe that's why you're stalled. You question if this is the right story for you. You don't want to get cornered into a genre or age bracket that may only be temporary. Basically, you question everything. One question leads to another and before you know it you've stopped writing the novel.</div><div><br></div><div>This is the crucial point at which a writer decides to either quit and maybe move on to something else or to plod on and finish what has already been started. I can't help but think those that choose the latter are the ones we call authors. They discovered what it takes. I have found this out the hard way. I finished one novel many years ago (thanks mainly to my wife) and have self published it on Amazon. Since then, I've started many versions of a fantasy novel but I've never finished another book. I've always let the Questioning scare me into stopping so I could rework the plot, change the characters, create a different magic system. But then I'm back to page one.</div><div><br></div><div>But not this time. I almost fell into that trap once again but I realized I did not want to abandon the 127 pages I already had and after reading it, I'm sure the questions I had about it can easily be fixed as I continue and then in the second draft. I refuse to give up on this idea just to jump into another. It's all just another trick of the Questioning. I'd much rather focus on the Writing and then the Publishing.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7395260573447457528.post-50999780251649915842014-11-29T06:35:00.002-08:002014-11-29T06:35:36.370-08:00NaNoWriMo 2014Tomorrow is the last day for NaNoWriMo this month and unfortunately I'm not going to finish. In fact, I'm not even close. While I had high hopes for this year, it just never came together fast enough. Too many distractions and not enough self-motivation to play catch up. <br />
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This book is my first attempt at a YA novel but I don't think that had anything to do with the slow start. A more realistic reason could be that this is also my first novel with a main character who is female. It may sound sexist, but being a man and writing a story that follows a young woman takes a bit of a mental shift and then some effort to make sure I'm staying in character. Probably by the second book, I'll be able to stay in rhythm easier, but at the start, it is slow going. As with any story I'm learning more about the characters and their ways of thinking as the story unfolds. I've already repurposed one character and added another from my original cast but that's the great thing about writing. I don't have to anticipate things going wrong because they usually work themselves out in the writing.<br />
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Anyway, I have the first ninety-plus pages done andI'm about to start chapter six. The main character, Talia, has uncovered powers that no one has seen before and now the process of discovering what she can do with them and how others want to use and/or exploit them has begun. This will fill out most of the middle of the book along with her budding romance and helping her new friends with their own dangerous pursuits. I'm still hoping to get this all done by Jan. 27th (especially since a PS4 may be on the way for my birthday).Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0