I'm attempting the impossible, the unthinkable and really, the undesirable this week...I'm going to try to go without television. I realized yesterday that I had a hugely productive day, mainly because I hadn't vegged out in front of the television. I didn't even turn it on yesterday. So, I'm going to try that for a week and see what happens. I will admit that Tivo will be recording my favorite shows so I won't miss anything, and I will likely watch Lost and The O.C. this week as they are both part of "couple-y" things that my husband and I do together -- he didn't take the television oath this week : )
Already I feel weird about it. Like I don't know what I'll do without it. Eeek. It's an addiction. Oh, boy, that's not good. Well, I'll update here and we'll see how long I can last!
Monday, February 28, 2005
Road Trip Report...
I love Madison. It's my favorite cold-weather city. By that, I mean if someone asked me where I'd like to live in the U.S., Maui would win. Hands down. Shortly followed by San Diego. But if somone asked me where I'd like to live in the snowy/cold regions of the U.S., it would be Madison, WI. The energy there on campus is so amazing. I swear, I go to these writing things sometimes feeling so beaten up and tired, but when I leave, I feel like I can actually do the things talked about in these classes.
I got to Madison on Friday night and checked in to the Lowell Center, the hotel/conference center where the class would be held on Saturday. I dropped my bags off in my room and headed to State Street to get something to eat. For anyone who hasn't been to Madison, I have to say it's extremely liberal, which can be surprising if you're not expecting it. Sometimes I wonder if I'm comfortable there because in my own youth, ah, so long ago, flannels, unwashed hair and baseball caps were in fashion. People still dress like that in Madison and I love it. There are little outdoor cafes, which no one was inhabiting this visit, unsurprisingly, and dogs everywhere! Not to mention this contagious vitality that somehow pulses beneath surface there -- I swear it feels like the fountain of youth sometimes.
After getting some food, I headed back to my room to catch Stargate Atlantis, Battlestar Galactica and Stargate SG-1 -- yea for hotels with Sci-Fi Channel! I made a conscious decision not to wrestle with my outline for book two any more that night. I wanted to be fresh for thinking about it in the morning. I crashed around 10:30--sad, I know. I laid out my clothes for the next day, showered and praised myself liberally for remembering my hairbrush this time.
I always have trouble sleeping in hotels, though I'm getting better at it. Too many random unexplained noises. And this time, some yahoo's cell phone was ringing, loudly, at 11:30 in the hallway and he felt the need to answer it and have a conversation, loudly, right then and there. It was nearly enough to pull me out of bed, but I decided to try to ignore it. All these years away from dorm living have softened me, evidently.
Next morning, I got up about two hours before class was to start. I got a couple pages of writing done on my laptop, then had to put it aside to get dressed. Got dressed and packed up, then went downstairs to the free continental breakfast. Another proud moment for me. Ninety percent of the time I miss the free breakfast because I can't talk myself into getting up that much earlier for a stale doughnut. But this time, the doughnuts were definitely not stale.
I ate upstairs while I finished packing, then I dropped most of my stuff off in the car, checked out and headed to class with my bag and my laptop. I plunked myself down in a chair right at 9:27 or so. On time. Yea, me!
Chris DeSmet was the instructor for my class. I've attended most, if not all, of her sessions at Writers' Institute during the summer. She's smart and an excellent teacher. She scares the heck out of me. Not like in a mean way, but just intimidating in that she-knows-so-much-my-stuff-is-such-crap kind of way. Which is good. I like going in feeling slightly over my head. Makes me want to work that much harder and do that much better. I don't want to think even for a flash of a second that I already knew what was being taught or could do what the teacher is doing. Don't get me wrong. I like to succeed. I'm hugely competitive -- ask my poor husband. But I want to learn, I want to walk out knowing more or knowing better than I did when I walked in. Chris is marvelous at taking complex ideas and making them make sense to even the most novice of us. And she's always willing to help and offer her thoughts on your work, which is so valuable.
For lunch, I headed to State Street again -- Einstein Bagels, yum! When I returned to the Lowell Center, the classroom wasn't open yet for the afternoon part of class, so I just chilled in the lounge. Which totally brought back memories of my own college experience. Lowell is a reconverted dorm and you can tell. The lounge is huge with sofas, a television and the requisite group of lounging college students. As I sat there, I eavesdropped on a group of three students, two girls and a boy. I had to laugh to myself, quietly of course, because it sounded so familiar.
Girl A: "Hey, I looked for you at breakfast."
Boy: "Yeah, I just grabbed something and then went back to bed for a few more hours."
Girl B: "I know. Tell me about it. I was totally up before 9:00 this morning. Went to bed at midnight last night."
(shocked murmuring)
Girl B: "It was so much easier without classes. I mean, before I was staying up until like 4:00 a.m. talking to [some indistinguishable name]. But now, it's like I can't."
If I make it to midnight these days, it's because I fell asleep at 10:30 and woke myself up to wash my face and change into my pajamas, which never fails to make me an insomniac. But, oh, that conversation could have been heard, and probably was, in a Valpo lounge some eight years ago. Ed, we all know you're the guy. : )
The rest of the class was equally enlightening. Learning about the rule of three (dialogue is usually three lines or less. People, without even realizing, like a series of three in movies, books, etc.), what not to include in a screenplay (no stage directions or camera angles --thank goodness, I'd have no clue about that) and a whole bunch more including a very interesting discussion about outlining (creating a list of 20 scenes, putting them on the continuum) vs. not outlining that I may attempt to discuss here as well at some point in the future. Very interesting and helpful ideas there.
Okay, here's the funny thing: I took this class for help with writing books. And I think it's going to be a HUGE help with that, as long as I remember and practice the techniques that I learned. But I think I may actually try my hand at a screenplay. It's sort of been on my list of things to do someday, but taking this class really bumped it up a few dozen notches. Plus, The Silver Spoon has always played in my head as a movie. Not like I imagined it in a theater (okay, maybe a few times) but that I can see the scenes playing out in my head. That's how I wrote it. It might be fun to try to translate that to a screenplay and see what happens. I still have movie rights. *grin* And Chris said she knew someone in her online class who was doing that very thing. So, something to consider, definitely.
After class, I headed out, feeling good about being in Madison, taking a dip in the (cold) fountain of youth, and leaving re-energized and ready to work. : )
I got to Madison on Friday night and checked in to the Lowell Center, the hotel/conference center where the class would be held on Saturday. I dropped my bags off in my room and headed to State Street to get something to eat. For anyone who hasn't been to Madison, I have to say it's extremely liberal, which can be surprising if you're not expecting it. Sometimes I wonder if I'm comfortable there because in my own youth, ah, so long ago, flannels, unwashed hair and baseball caps were in fashion. People still dress like that in Madison and I love it. There are little outdoor cafes, which no one was inhabiting this visit, unsurprisingly, and dogs everywhere! Not to mention this contagious vitality that somehow pulses beneath surface there -- I swear it feels like the fountain of youth sometimes.
After getting some food, I headed back to my room to catch Stargate Atlantis, Battlestar Galactica and Stargate SG-1 -- yea for hotels with Sci-Fi Channel! I made a conscious decision not to wrestle with my outline for book two any more that night. I wanted to be fresh for thinking about it in the morning. I crashed around 10:30--sad, I know. I laid out my clothes for the next day, showered and praised myself liberally for remembering my hairbrush this time.
I always have trouble sleeping in hotels, though I'm getting better at it. Too many random unexplained noises. And this time, some yahoo's cell phone was ringing, loudly, at 11:30 in the hallway and he felt the need to answer it and have a conversation, loudly, right then and there. It was nearly enough to pull me out of bed, but I decided to try to ignore it. All these years away from dorm living have softened me, evidently.
Next morning, I got up about two hours before class was to start. I got a couple pages of writing done on my laptop, then had to put it aside to get dressed. Got dressed and packed up, then went downstairs to the free continental breakfast. Another proud moment for me. Ninety percent of the time I miss the free breakfast because I can't talk myself into getting up that much earlier for a stale doughnut. But this time, the doughnuts were definitely not stale.
I ate upstairs while I finished packing, then I dropped most of my stuff off in the car, checked out and headed to class with my bag and my laptop. I plunked myself down in a chair right at 9:27 or so. On time. Yea, me!
Chris DeSmet was the instructor for my class. I've attended most, if not all, of her sessions at Writers' Institute during the summer. She's smart and an excellent teacher. She scares the heck out of me. Not like in a mean way, but just intimidating in that she-knows-so-much-my-stuff-is-such-crap kind of way. Which is good. I like going in feeling slightly over my head. Makes me want to work that much harder and do that much better. I don't want to think even for a flash of a second that I already knew what was being taught or could do what the teacher is doing. Don't get me wrong. I like to succeed. I'm hugely competitive -- ask my poor husband. But I want to learn, I want to walk out knowing more or knowing better than I did when I walked in. Chris is marvelous at taking complex ideas and making them make sense to even the most novice of us. And she's always willing to help and offer her thoughts on your work, which is so valuable.
For lunch, I headed to State Street again -- Einstein Bagels, yum! When I returned to the Lowell Center, the classroom wasn't open yet for the afternoon part of class, so I just chilled in the lounge. Which totally brought back memories of my own college experience. Lowell is a reconverted dorm and you can tell. The lounge is huge with sofas, a television and the requisite group of lounging college students. As I sat there, I eavesdropped on a group of three students, two girls and a boy. I had to laugh to myself, quietly of course, because it sounded so familiar.
Girl A: "Hey, I looked for you at breakfast."
Boy: "Yeah, I just grabbed something and then went back to bed for a few more hours."
Girl B: "I know. Tell me about it. I was totally up before 9:00 this morning. Went to bed at midnight last night."
(shocked murmuring)
Girl B: "It was so much easier without classes. I mean, before I was staying up until like 4:00 a.m. talking to [some indistinguishable name]. But now, it's like I can't."
If I make it to midnight these days, it's because I fell asleep at 10:30 and woke myself up to wash my face and change into my pajamas, which never fails to make me an insomniac. But, oh, that conversation could have been heard, and probably was, in a Valpo lounge some eight years ago. Ed, we all know you're the guy. : )
The rest of the class was equally enlightening. Learning about the rule of three (dialogue is usually three lines or less. People, without even realizing, like a series of three in movies, books, etc.), what not to include in a screenplay (no stage directions or camera angles --thank goodness, I'd have no clue about that) and a whole bunch more including a very interesting discussion about outlining (creating a list of 20 scenes, putting them on the continuum) vs. not outlining that I may attempt to discuss here as well at some point in the future. Very interesting and helpful ideas there.
Okay, here's the funny thing: I took this class for help with writing books. And I think it's going to be a HUGE help with that, as long as I remember and practice the techniques that I learned. But I think I may actually try my hand at a screenplay. It's sort of been on my list of things to do someday, but taking this class really bumped it up a few dozen notches. Plus, The Silver Spoon has always played in my head as a movie. Not like I imagined it in a theater (okay, maybe a few times) but that I can see the scenes playing out in my head. That's how I wrote it. It might be fun to try to translate that to a screenplay and see what happens. I still have movie rights. *grin* And Chris said she knew someone in her online class who was doing that very thing. So, something to consider, definitely.
After class, I headed out, feeling good about being in Madison, taking a dip in the (cold) fountain of youth, and leaving re-energized and ready to work. : )
Friday, February 25, 2005
Road Trip!
Only not the gross Tom Green kind. I'm on my way, in just a few moments, to beautiful Madison, WI for a screenwriting class. Nope, I have no designs on the film industry (though, that would be cool at some point) but one of the professors from UW-Madison that I really like is teaching a class about screenwriting that she says applies to novel writing equally as well. I hope so. I'm having some trouble with character development/internal conflict in Zara II, and I'm hoping this class will help. Of course, I was thinking just the other day, if this were a work project, I wouldn't be allowing myself to hem and haw and waver back and forth. I'd just write it, turn it in and wait for revisions. So, there is something to be said about overthinking something so much as to stall you completely. I can't do that at work or I'd never get anything done. Course, I care a great deal about the quality of my fiction writing...I'll let you follow that corollary to its natural end. : )
So, I have change for the tolls, a giant chocolate chip cookie, a bottle of water, a change of clothes and my laptop. I've also packed a little reading for tonight. I'm taking Little Earthquakes by Jennifer Weiner with me. She is, for some reason, my road trip buddy. I took Good In Bed by Jennifer Weiner with me to Hawaii. Or maybe it was In Her Shoes. I really like her stuff. It's chick lit and fun, but it always has some heartache behind it.
Anyway, I have to get out of here because I'd like to get on the road before rush hour really kicks in.
I'll update you all on Monday! Wish me luck and safe travel : )
So, I have change for the tolls, a giant chocolate chip cookie, a bottle of water, a change of clothes and my laptop. I've also packed a little reading for tonight. I'm taking Little Earthquakes by Jennifer Weiner with me. She is, for some reason, my road trip buddy. I took Good In Bed by Jennifer Weiner with me to Hawaii. Or maybe it was In Her Shoes. I really like her stuff. It's chick lit and fun, but it always has some heartache behind it.
Anyway, I have to get out of here because I'd like to get on the road before rush hour really kicks in.
I'll update you all on Monday! Wish me luck and safe travel : )
Thursday, February 24, 2005
How am I supposed to follow that?!?
Okay, so I'm going to Valpo to speak to a class of creative writing and English majors in a couple months -- yea, my kind of people! Not a one of us would probably be able to figure out a tip at a restaurant without much discussion and possibly a calculator. I'm kidding, but seriously, you should see the writers at Corporate America when we go out to lunch together. It's like brain surgery, trying to figure out how much everyone owes : ) That's half the fun of it too, laughing at ourselves! We can spell "gratuity," but figuring it out is something else!
Anyway, in the course of an email exchange with one of my professors who is setting everything up, I learn that Tim O'Brien has just visited and offered his perspective on writing. Okay, how do I follow that?!? Tim O'Brien is this huge, award-winning writer. In college, I wrote a paper on one of his books, The Things They Carried, which is an awesome, if not sad and kind of scary, book. At least if my memory serves.
So forgive me, at the moment, I'm having a major panic attack about following Tim O'Brien. Oh, not literally, of course, but as in the next visiting writer that these students will talk to about writing. EEEK.
Okay, deep breath. Yes, I probably know some things that I can share, bits of information that they will find useful in some way. Right? Right?!? I mean, I don't think Tim O'Brien has aliens in any of his stories. Or love scenes with aliens.
So, I can talk about writing sci-fi. I can talk about getting rejected and perservering. I can talk about setting up good writing habits.
Some of my anxiety, I think, goes back to what I remember of other student writers when I was in college. Most of them wrote what I would consider literary fiction. I never felt any pressure from a professor to write anything "literary," but I definitely put pressure on myself to try to match what other students were doing. Genre fiction or commercial fiction, for whatever reason, is often perceived as "lesser." But here's the thing, in the intervening years I've learned...that's just dumb. Writing is writing. You sit down to tell a good story and whether it involves ghosts or a depressed housewife in New Orleans who walks into the ocean and drowns doesn't matter. It's just about telling your story, the one that entertains you.
Huh. I think I feel better. : )
Anyway, in the course of an email exchange with one of my professors who is setting everything up, I learn that Tim O'Brien has just visited and offered his perspective on writing. Okay, how do I follow that?!? Tim O'Brien is this huge, award-winning writer. In college, I wrote a paper on one of his books, The Things They Carried, which is an awesome, if not sad and kind of scary, book. At least if my memory serves.
So forgive me, at the moment, I'm having a major panic attack about following Tim O'Brien. Oh, not literally, of course, but as in the next visiting writer that these students will talk to about writing. EEEK.
Okay, deep breath. Yes, I probably know some things that I can share, bits of information that they will find useful in some way. Right? Right?!? I mean, I don't think Tim O'Brien has aliens in any of his stories. Or love scenes with aliens.
So, I can talk about writing sci-fi. I can talk about getting rejected and perservering. I can talk about setting up good writing habits.
Some of my anxiety, I think, goes back to what I remember of other student writers when I was in college. Most of them wrote what I would consider literary fiction. I never felt any pressure from a professor to write anything "literary," but I definitely put pressure on myself to try to match what other students were doing. Genre fiction or commercial fiction, for whatever reason, is often perceived as "lesser." But here's the thing, in the intervening years I've learned...that's just dumb. Writing is writing. You sit down to tell a good story and whether it involves ghosts or a depressed housewife in New Orleans who walks into the ocean and drowns doesn't matter. It's just about telling your story, the one that entertains you.
Huh. I think I feel better. : )
The "Grunge" version of Smiley Face
I was behind a Jeep on my way into work today, and I'm pretty sure I've been behind this same Jeep before and had the same thought. It was a Wrangler, the kind with the cloth top and the spare wheel prominently displayed on the back. The spare tire, in this case, was covered with one of those plastic/vinyl covers, like those saran wrap things with the elastic around the edges? Anyway, this particular Jeep cover had a big smiley face printed on it. You know, the classic smiley. Bright yellow, eyes and a smile, no nose. Except this one, due to the dirt frequently being hurled the moving tires, seemed to have beard stubble. The specks and splashes of dirt from the Jeep traveling on mucky streets had created a beard, in effect, for the smiley face. Or, at least the start of a beard. It wasn't fully "grown" in yet. Thus...Grunge Smiley was born : )
Wednesday, February 23, 2005
A good day yesterday...
My absence yesterday wasn't exactly planned. The dogs were due for their dental procedures and my husband, who was supposed to take them, ended up with a work conflict. So, I had an unexpected day off yesterday. It was nice : )
I got up at my normal time, put some writing in and then gathered the dogs up and drove--in rush hour, no less--to the vet. Our vet office is pretty far away, but they are so kind and treat our babies so well, it's worth the trip. After dropping them off, I decided to make things right with the DMV folks and update my driver's license with my correct address. Yes, yes, I know you're supposed to do that within ten days of moving. Who has time for that in the first two weeks in a new place?!? I'm still looking for towels and clean sheets, ten days into a move.
So, I brought a book, White Bikini Panties by Kelly James-Enger, with me to the DMV, preparing to settle down and read while I waited. But I didn't even make it through a chapter before my number was called. I was in and out of the DMV in under a half an hour. Yea!
It was bright and sunshiny out, and I got a REALLY good parking place at the DMV, which is in a strip mall. In that same strip mall, there was a Subway. I started to go out to my car to leave to go home, but the Subway looked cheery and clean (the latter being an important qualification in my mind), so I decided instead to take my book in and eat there. Foraging at home for some kind of lunch probably would have resulted in me eating chips and salsa and some oreos. Subway was a lot healthier.
I'd forgotten how much fun eating lunch out by yourself with a book can be. It feels very indulgent : ) I settled into a booth with my veggie sub and book to read and eat for about a half an hour. Hee. It was great to be out and about on a work day with no particular schedule in mind. It caused me to realize something. Most of what I don't like about working has nothing to do with the actual work or the people I work with, it's the lack of choices. You don't get to decided if you'd rather run your errands during the day and work at night. You don't get to decide which projects you take on. Hmmm. A great case for being a freelancer, if I were ever brave enough.
After my delightful lunch at Subway, I headed home where I vegged on the couch for another hour or so, reading in the sunshine. Then my husband came home and made me laugh--something a lot easier to accomplish when I'm having a good day--by telling me that they'd finally put an identifying sign up by the new restaurant they're building a mile or so away from us. I've been muttering darkly under my breath for the last month or so about how it better not be an Applebee's. I hate Applebee's. So, he comes in yesterday and says, "Guess what restaurant is going in by Target?" I look at the glee on his face and know instantly. "Not Applebees!" I wail in mock despair. He laughs and tells me that yes, indeed it is. He checked it specifically for me as he drove by. That's one of the best things about marriage, and some friendships, the memorization of the little bits of information to share with someone we know will appreciate it.
Then we went to go pick up the dogs. The good news there is that Snostorm does NOT have, at this time, degenerative hip disorder, so no x-rays were needed. Yea! On the down side, they want to keep a close on eye on Joe's kidneys, as some of his bloodwork came back unusually high. However, he is very thin, still, and muscular, so the results could just be due to that. But nothing is wrong, they just want to check it again this year sometime.
We picked up Boston Market for dinner on the way home, so we had a good, satisfying meal last night with leftovers for tonight. And Veronica Mars was on last night too! All in all, a very good day : )
I got up at my normal time, put some writing in and then gathered the dogs up and drove--in rush hour, no less--to the vet. Our vet office is pretty far away, but they are so kind and treat our babies so well, it's worth the trip. After dropping them off, I decided to make things right with the DMV folks and update my driver's license with my correct address. Yes, yes, I know you're supposed to do that within ten days of moving. Who has time for that in the first two weeks in a new place?!? I'm still looking for towels and clean sheets, ten days into a move.
So, I brought a book, White Bikini Panties by Kelly James-Enger, with me to the DMV, preparing to settle down and read while I waited. But I didn't even make it through a chapter before my number was called. I was in and out of the DMV in under a half an hour. Yea!
It was bright and sunshiny out, and I got a REALLY good parking place at the DMV, which is in a strip mall. In that same strip mall, there was a Subway. I started to go out to my car to leave to go home, but the Subway looked cheery and clean (the latter being an important qualification in my mind), so I decided instead to take my book in and eat there. Foraging at home for some kind of lunch probably would have resulted in me eating chips and salsa and some oreos. Subway was a lot healthier.
I'd forgotten how much fun eating lunch out by yourself with a book can be. It feels very indulgent : ) I settled into a booth with my veggie sub and book to read and eat for about a half an hour. Hee. It was great to be out and about on a work day with no particular schedule in mind. It caused me to realize something. Most of what I don't like about working has nothing to do with the actual work or the people I work with, it's the lack of choices. You don't get to decided if you'd rather run your errands during the day and work at night. You don't get to decide which projects you take on. Hmmm. A great case for being a freelancer, if I were ever brave enough.
After my delightful lunch at Subway, I headed home where I vegged on the couch for another hour or so, reading in the sunshine. Then my husband came home and made me laugh--something a lot easier to accomplish when I'm having a good day--by telling me that they'd finally put an identifying sign up by the new restaurant they're building a mile or so away from us. I've been muttering darkly under my breath for the last month or so about how it better not be an Applebee's. I hate Applebee's. So, he comes in yesterday and says, "Guess what restaurant is going in by Target?" I look at the glee on his face and know instantly. "Not Applebees!" I wail in mock despair. He laughs and tells me that yes, indeed it is. He checked it specifically for me as he drove by. That's one of the best things about marriage, and some friendships, the memorization of the little bits of information to share with someone we know will appreciate it.
Then we went to go pick up the dogs. The good news there is that Snostorm does NOT have, at this time, degenerative hip disorder, so no x-rays were needed. Yea! On the down side, they want to keep a close on eye on Joe's kidneys, as some of his bloodwork came back unusually high. However, he is very thin, still, and muscular, so the results could just be due to that. But nothing is wrong, they just want to check it again this year sometime.
We picked up Boston Market for dinner on the way home, so we had a good, satisfying meal last night with leftovers for tonight. And Veronica Mars was on last night too! All in all, a very good day : )
Monday, February 21, 2005
Aaaack....I almost finished my synopsis.
I put a LOT of hours in this weekend on this damn synopsis. Can I tell you how much I HATE writing these things? I'm almost finished. Thirteen pages. It's way too much detail, but I'll be able to go through and cut things out later. I'm a little distressed as two of my very favorite scenes have fallen by the wayside. I don't know if they'll stay out or not. It all depends on the beginning. And, after coming up with another beginning for the story, I'm starting to think I should go back to the original beginning. *sigh* But for right now, I have to finish this stupd freaking thing and then I can make decisions about what stays and what goes.
The best experience I ever had writing a synopsis was when I had to write one for Bitter Pill (soon to be retitled). I did it in a day because an agent had agreed to take a look at it. However, Bitter Pill is a much shorter story with significantly fewer alien complications...like none.
All right, so I'm going back in to finish this thing. *Applying nose back to rough edge of grindstone* And yes, it is as painful as it sounds.
: )
The best experience I ever had writing a synopsis was when I had to write one for Bitter Pill (soon to be retitled). I did it in a day because an agent had agreed to take a look at it. However, Bitter Pill is a much shorter story with significantly fewer alien complications...like none.
All right, so I'm going back in to finish this thing. *Applying nose back to rough edge of grindstone* And yes, it is as painful as it sounds.
: )
Friday, February 18, 2005
Happy Battlestar Galactica Day!
Yes, that was one of the first things I thought about this morning -- yea! And yes, I know that's sad. But for those of you who are interested, I did find out that they've already signed BSG (Battlestar Galactica) for another season. *grin* And creator, Ron Moore (one of those beautiful people behind Roswell, another of my favorite sci-fi shows) has a blog on scifi.com. It's interesting to read it from a writing perspective. How they create characters, what went into their worldbuilding for BSG.
Worldbuilding, for those who might not be familiar, is a term used by sci-fi/fantasy writers of all varieties for the work that's done to create a fictional society. In other words, setting up the rules of the world, the society and the groups within that society. The Jedi and the Force, for example, is an example of worldbuilding from the Star Wars stories. In The Silver Spoon, it would be how Earth in the story works differently than the Earth we know (the presence of Observers) and what rules make up the Observer society and the microcosm of it that Asha, Caelan, Thane and Namere live in.
When you're creating a world that's different than what viewers or readers are used to, you have to create consistent rules and then make those rules make sense. You can't just create a planet with lighter gravity than Earth, for example, without showing how life on that planet is different than what the reader/viewer is used to. And you kind of have to explain, in a subtle way, why gravity is different there. A character who is new to the setting is useful for this kind of thing.
One of the more irritating things that's done, usually in movies and tv, is when you have characters who've lived with a particular aspect of their world or lives for years, yet they suddenly feel the need to discuss it like it's something unusual. That's the writer trying to convey information about the world to the viewer/reader. Actually, BSG just did this a couple a weeks ago in an otherwise great episode. And honestly, I can't blame them for this, as I don't know how else they would have conveyed the information to the audience and the info was necessary to understand what Starbuck was doing. Starbuck was trying to get an alien ship to fly and she felt the need to say aloud, to herself, that all ships have four major controls. And she proceeded to list the four. Um, okay. A pilot with the kind of skills Starbuck has probably doesn't need to remind herself of the basics out loud. But she was the only character in the scene and if she hadn't said it out loud, the viewers would have had no idea what she was doing. Sometimes this kind of explanatory dialogue is unavoidable.
That's one of the advantages of writing books and stories. The reader can see into the characters' minds. The information can sometimes still be clumsily handed out in big clumps. But you usually have better opportunities to build the world in a more subtle way.
Wow. I had no intention of even discussing that in this blog entry. Huh. Oh, well. Anyway, this is my one weekend in February where I don't have an event scheduled. So, I'm planning to dig in and finish this synopsis, damnit! I've been dragging it out too long. And I know from experience just getting it down on the page is the hardest part. Editing it and fixing it up afterward is a lot easier, but not possible until you get the words down.
So, I hope the next time I write a blog entry it will have the title, "Synopsis Finished!!!" : )
Worldbuilding, for those who might not be familiar, is a term used by sci-fi/fantasy writers of all varieties for the work that's done to create a fictional society. In other words, setting up the rules of the world, the society and the groups within that society. The Jedi and the Force, for example, is an example of worldbuilding from the Star Wars stories. In The Silver Spoon, it would be how Earth in the story works differently than the Earth we know (the presence of Observers) and what rules make up the Observer society and the microcosm of it that Asha, Caelan, Thane and Namere live in.
When you're creating a world that's different than what viewers or readers are used to, you have to create consistent rules and then make those rules make sense. You can't just create a planet with lighter gravity than Earth, for example, without showing how life on that planet is different than what the reader/viewer is used to. And you kind of have to explain, in a subtle way, why gravity is different there. A character who is new to the setting is useful for this kind of thing.
One of the more irritating things that's done, usually in movies and tv, is when you have characters who've lived with a particular aspect of their world or lives for years, yet they suddenly feel the need to discuss it like it's something unusual. That's the writer trying to convey information about the world to the viewer/reader. Actually, BSG just did this a couple a weeks ago in an otherwise great episode. And honestly, I can't blame them for this, as I don't know how else they would have conveyed the information to the audience and the info was necessary to understand what Starbuck was doing. Starbuck was trying to get an alien ship to fly and she felt the need to say aloud, to herself, that all ships have four major controls. And she proceeded to list the four. Um, okay. A pilot with the kind of skills Starbuck has probably doesn't need to remind herself of the basics out loud. But she was the only character in the scene and if she hadn't said it out loud, the viewers would have had no idea what she was doing. Sometimes this kind of explanatory dialogue is unavoidable.
That's one of the advantages of writing books and stories. The reader can see into the characters' minds. The information can sometimes still be clumsily handed out in big clumps. But you usually have better opportunities to build the world in a more subtle way.
Wow. I had no intention of even discussing that in this blog entry. Huh. Oh, well. Anyway, this is my one weekend in February where I don't have an event scheduled. So, I'm planning to dig in and finish this synopsis, damnit! I've been dragging it out too long. And I know from experience just getting it down on the page is the hardest part. Editing it and fixing it up afterward is a lot easier, but not possible until you get the words down.
So, I hope the next time I write a blog entry it will have the title, "Synopsis Finished!!!" : )
Thursday, February 17, 2005
More random notes of (possible) interest...
In case you haven't guessed, this random notes theme I've got going is something I pull out when I have only little tidbits of information rather than anything that could fill up an entire blog entry.
-I was really excited to see this article on MSNBC. I immediately pictured an entire underground society on Mars. Wouldn't that be cool?!? But alas, they are speaking of microbial life. Still, microbes are a start, right?
-I'm addicted to this new show on HGTV called Designer Finals. The premise is that they take a student out of design school and give them a real client, a real room and a real budget to work with. Drama ensues when the student typically does something stupid, like not allowing enough time for the work crew to finish or making big design changes without consulting with the client. But honestly, it's so much fun to see someone with such enthusiasm for their profession and so eager to try out their newly honed skills.
-Progress has been made on the synopsis for the sequel to The Silver Spoon -- yea!!!! I'm four pages in, give or take, and I'm working now to connect the new beginning with the part that already exists. It's a pain in the tush because I already know what happens so it's kind of boring to sit down and write it. But it's giving me a chance to see gaps in my subplots that need to be addressed in some way. I'm writing in first-person this time, which helps. When I wrote my first two synopsi (what is the plural of that word anyway?), I didn't know you could do that. So, I wrote the synopsis in third-person even though the book was in first. I've also found a very helpful resource in terms of plot and character development called The Writer's Journey by Christopher Vogler. It's based on some of the mythology writing by Joseph Cambell, which George Lucas used for writing/revising the original Star Wars trilogy. There are worse examples to follow. *grin* The class I'm taking in a couple weeks at UW-Madison is based upon some of these principles. I'm looking forward to learning more.
-I'm going to Valpo in April to speak to a class of creative writing students and English majors!!! Woo-hoo! I'm excited. More details to follow...
-I'm pathetic. I just spent 75 cents to buy a product that I didn't want from the vending machine here at Corporate America, so I could get access to the product behind it. : ) I love those Andy Capp Hot Fries!
-I was really excited to see this article on MSNBC. I immediately pictured an entire underground society on Mars. Wouldn't that be cool?!? But alas, they are speaking of microbial life. Still, microbes are a start, right?
-I'm addicted to this new show on HGTV called Designer Finals. The premise is that they take a student out of design school and give them a real client, a real room and a real budget to work with. Drama ensues when the student typically does something stupid, like not allowing enough time for the work crew to finish or making big design changes without consulting with the client. But honestly, it's so much fun to see someone with such enthusiasm for their profession and so eager to try out their newly honed skills.
-Progress has been made on the synopsis for the sequel to The Silver Spoon -- yea!!!! I'm four pages in, give or take, and I'm working now to connect the new beginning with the part that already exists. It's a pain in the tush because I already know what happens so it's kind of boring to sit down and write it. But it's giving me a chance to see gaps in my subplots that need to be addressed in some way. I'm writing in first-person this time, which helps. When I wrote my first two synopsi (what is the plural of that word anyway?), I didn't know you could do that. So, I wrote the synopsis in third-person even though the book was in first. I've also found a very helpful resource in terms of plot and character development called The Writer's Journey by Christopher Vogler. It's based on some of the mythology writing by Joseph Cambell, which George Lucas used for writing/revising the original Star Wars trilogy. There are worse examples to follow. *grin* The class I'm taking in a couple weeks at UW-Madison is based upon some of these principles. I'm looking forward to learning more.
-I'm going to Valpo in April to speak to a class of creative writing students and English majors!!! Woo-hoo! I'm excited. More details to follow...
-I'm pathetic. I just spent 75 cents to buy a product that I didn't want from the vending machine here at Corporate America, so I could get access to the product behind it. : ) I love those Andy Capp Hot Fries!
Wednesday, February 16, 2005
I'm always the one who gets caught...
In high school, other kids in my class would ditch cafeteria lunch in favor of some hastily gobbled fast food on a regular basis. However, we didn't have "open campus" lunch, so they were, technically, breaking the rules by doing so. I never did it, not because I was an unbearable goody two-shoes, but because I knew I'd get caught. Hundreds of other kids could do it every day of the week, but if I stepped one Keds-encased foot into that parking lot at lunch, I'd get busted. That's just the way it works for me. That, and I never win the lottery. Ever.
And yes, ladies and gentlemen, it has happened again. People drive completely crazy up here. They whip in and out of lanes of traffic without signaling and SPEEDING in a life-threatening manner. My husband drives FAR more aggressively than I do. But what happens? I get pulled over for speeding this morning. *sigh*
Yes, I'm guilty. I fully admit that. The speed limit changed from 40 to 35 and I was still going 49. Yep, I know that means I was speeding in the 40, too, but I would have probably gotten off with a warning. People who actually go the speed limit around here are often more of a safety hazard than anything else. Honestly, it wasn't even intentional. I just didn't notice the drop in speed limit.
Now, here comes the difficult part. I'm really not good with authority. At all. I have a button at home that says, "Let's just say I have a small problem with authority." I don't like being told what to do. I don't like being shamed. If I'm doing something wrong, I'll admit it and I'll do my best never to do it again. I'm harder on myself than anyone else could be.
Case in point -- five years ago, I got a ticket for doing something that everyone does up here and if you say you don't, you're lying. : ) I was preparing to turn left at a light. However, the turn lane was too short and the line of cars going straight was too long. So, I edged over the yellow line painted area--not an actual raised median, but those yellow diagonal lines--to get into the left turn lane. That's it. I got pulled over and a ticket for that. The ironic part is, as I'm sitting there, waiting for him to write me a ticket, people are still doing what I did...right behind the police officer!
Still, even though I thought getting a ticket for this was stupid, I have never done it again. Period. I learned my lesson. But I would have learned it equally well with a warning. The fine and the humiliation of sitting there while the cop is behind you with lights flashing is adding insult to injury. Which is probably the point.
The police have a difficult job, and I'm grateful to them for doing it. The police officer who wrote me the ticket today was extremely nice and patient. But it's frustrating to see this effort going into catching ME when there are people out there who do so much worse and NEVER get caught! (Yes, I know, everyone probably thinks this.)
The sad part is that just this morning, I was thinking, gee...I don't think I have anything to blog about today. Mental note: never, never think that again. : )
And yes, ladies and gentlemen, it has happened again. People drive completely crazy up here. They whip in and out of lanes of traffic without signaling and SPEEDING in a life-threatening manner. My husband drives FAR more aggressively than I do. But what happens? I get pulled over for speeding this morning. *sigh*
Yes, I'm guilty. I fully admit that. The speed limit changed from 40 to 35 and I was still going 49. Yep, I know that means I was speeding in the 40, too, but I would have probably gotten off with a warning. People who actually go the speed limit around here are often more of a safety hazard than anything else. Honestly, it wasn't even intentional. I just didn't notice the drop in speed limit.
Now, here comes the difficult part. I'm really not good with authority. At all. I have a button at home that says, "Let's just say I have a small problem with authority." I don't like being told what to do. I don't like being shamed. If I'm doing something wrong, I'll admit it and I'll do my best never to do it again. I'm harder on myself than anyone else could be.
Case in point -- five years ago, I got a ticket for doing something that everyone does up here and if you say you don't, you're lying. : ) I was preparing to turn left at a light. However, the turn lane was too short and the line of cars going straight was too long. So, I edged over the yellow line painted area--not an actual raised median, but those yellow diagonal lines--to get into the left turn lane. That's it. I got pulled over and a ticket for that. The ironic part is, as I'm sitting there, waiting for him to write me a ticket, people are still doing what I did...right behind the police officer!
Still, even though I thought getting a ticket for this was stupid, I have never done it again. Period. I learned my lesson. But I would have learned it equally well with a warning. The fine and the humiliation of sitting there while the cop is behind you with lights flashing is adding insult to injury. Which is probably the point.
The police have a difficult job, and I'm grateful to them for doing it. The police officer who wrote me the ticket today was extremely nice and patient. But it's frustrating to see this effort going into catching ME when there are people out there who do so much worse and NEVER get caught! (Yes, I know, everyone probably thinks this.)
The sad part is that just this morning, I was thinking, gee...I don't think I have anything to blog about today. Mental note: never, never think that again. : )
Monday, February 14, 2005
In the spirit of an over-commercialized holiday...
My husband and I are going to have dinner together...at the table! Instead of hunched over the kitchen counter or our individual computers. So, today will be a very short entry. : )
Is there something special you do for yourself on Valentine's Day, just to feel good? It's always about getting gifts for the someone special in your life, but I think it's important to recognize that you don't have to have someone to be happy on this particular day. How do you celebrate you on Valentine's Day? Or do you celebrate you all the time and Valentine's Day is just for the someone special in your life?
Just curious : )
Is there something special you do for yourself on Valentine's Day, just to feel good? It's always about getting gifts for the someone special in your life, but I think it's important to recognize that you don't have to have someone to be happy on this particular day. How do you celebrate you on Valentine's Day? Or do you celebrate you all the time and Valentine's Day is just for the someone special in your life?
Just curious : )
Saturday, February 12, 2005
All For Love
Normally, I don't blog on Saturdays and Sundays, but I just got back from All For Love and had to tell you what a great event this was!!! So organized, easy and fun! The library even provided us with lunch and snacks -- how cool is that?!?
I got there just a few minutes before ten, as usual, running late. But there was a spot already set up for me, next to the fabulous author, Denise Swanson, who writes the Scumble River mystery series. Denise was so nice and extremely helpful. We chatted about the upcoming Romantic Times conference, and I asked her for her thoughts on Bitter Pill, my chicklit mystery. She gave me some really helpful ideas on how to improve Bitter Pill. Starting with the title, which, while it's a good title, doesn't sound light and friendly, even though the story is. And she's absolutely right : ) We also discussed the length and she said that it sounded like I was missing another subplot was all. And we got to talking about what that subplot might be and that really, really helped me sort things out.
I just have to say that I love being able to talk about writing and get helpful hints from other authors. So often, I feel like I'm flying blind. In other careers, you sometimes get someone older or more experienced than you to help you learn the ropes (Yes, I'm mixing my metaphors, but you get the idea.) In writing, you're sort of on your own unless you happen to find someone or seek them out. And every author I've asked for advice has been so gracious and helpful. *happy sigh* So, thank you, Denise!!!
I bought tickets for the various raffle items, which were amazing. Baskets of books, chocolate, and other theme baskets, like a slumber party for one with pajamas, slippers, etc. Very cool. There was also the chocolate eating contest, which I did not participate in mainly because it was 10:30 in the morning and that seemed a little too early to consume mass amounts of chocolate...even for me.
Alas, I did not win a basket, but in holding tickets for another writer, Denise Fleischer, I did get to go up and claim a prize in her stead. They had Leland Burbank, who's a romance novel cover model running the raffle and handing out the prizes. So that was fun! *grin* Next year, I'm bringing a camera : )
In total, I sold five books (generously donated to All For Love by RuneStone). Which is excellent considering most of the people who came were there for the giant used book sale, where you got to fill a bag with paperbacks for a $1.00! All proceeds from the event will be donated to the American Heart Association.
I also came home with a bag of used books, some good advice for Bitter Pill (soon to be retitled, any suggestions are welcome!), and somewhere between leaving this morning and getting to the library, I worked out, I think, the beginning for First Light (AKA Zara II). Woohoo!!! Talk about a good day! I love this job ; )
I got there just a few minutes before ten, as usual, running late. But there was a spot already set up for me, next to the fabulous author, Denise Swanson, who writes the Scumble River mystery series. Denise was so nice and extremely helpful. We chatted about the upcoming Romantic Times conference, and I asked her for her thoughts on Bitter Pill, my chicklit mystery. She gave me some really helpful ideas on how to improve Bitter Pill. Starting with the title, which, while it's a good title, doesn't sound light and friendly, even though the story is. And she's absolutely right : ) We also discussed the length and she said that it sounded like I was missing another subplot was all. And we got to talking about what that subplot might be and that really, really helped me sort things out.
I just have to say that I love being able to talk about writing and get helpful hints from other authors. So often, I feel like I'm flying blind. In other careers, you sometimes get someone older or more experienced than you to help you learn the ropes (Yes, I'm mixing my metaphors, but you get the idea.) In writing, you're sort of on your own unless you happen to find someone or seek them out. And every author I've asked for advice has been so gracious and helpful. *happy sigh* So, thank you, Denise!!!
I bought tickets for the various raffle items, which were amazing. Baskets of books, chocolate, and other theme baskets, like a slumber party for one with pajamas, slippers, etc. Very cool. There was also the chocolate eating contest, which I did not participate in mainly because it was 10:30 in the morning and that seemed a little too early to consume mass amounts of chocolate...even for me.
Alas, I did not win a basket, but in holding tickets for another writer, Denise Fleischer, I did get to go up and claim a prize in her stead. They had Leland Burbank, who's a romance novel cover model running the raffle and handing out the prizes. So that was fun! *grin* Next year, I'm bringing a camera : )
In total, I sold five books (generously donated to All For Love by RuneStone). Which is excellent considering most of the people who came were there for the giant used book sale, where you got to fill a bag with paperbacks for a $1.00! All proceeds from the event will be donated to the American Heart Association.
I also came home with a bag of used books, some good advice for Bitter Pill (soon to be retitled, any suggestions are welcome!), and somewhere between leaving this morning and getting to the library, I worked out, I think, the beginning for First Light (AKA Zara II). Woohoo!!! Talk about a good day! I love this job ; )
Friday, February 11, 2005
Details on All For Love, and "Suck a turkey roll"...I mean, some more random thoughts.
-Tomorrow, I'll be at the All for Love charity event at the Schaumburg Library. It's a huge used book sale, and some romance authors, including yours truly, will be there to sign new books. All proceeds from the sale will be donated to the American Heart Association. The sale runs from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Saturday So, stop by...get a good book at a good price. Plus, I heard rumor of some kind of chocolate contest. As in, taste all of this chocolate and win a prize if you can pick out the most expensive one. Now that is my kind of contest!
-Yesterday, I learned the major difference, or at least one of them, between a mystery and a thriller. With a thriller, the villain is a character within the story, as in you know who did the bad stuff, probably before the hero does. The focus of the story is waiting for the hero to figure it out and catch said villain. The villain usually has chapters or scenes from his perspective. With mysteries, we work together with the hero on figuring out who the bad guy is and then catching him or her, which usually happens in relatively short order after the figuring out part. And we don't get any part of the story from the villain's point of view. Hmmm. This makes sense. But I'd never really thought about it before (internet access combined with an overwhelming desire to procrastinate is a wonderful thing, isn't?), and I've read lots of both mysteries and thrillers.
I've always liked mysteries, the whole figuring it out thing appeals to me. Especially because it seems to uphold one of the things I consider to be a universal truth. Just because someone's nice to you doesn't mean they're a good person. If they smile when they give you a piece of cake, that doesn't mean it's not poisoned. In other words, bad guys often look or act normal. Maybe even better than normal. But we, as a society, I think, are trained to believe that ugly means bad on the inside and beautiful means good on the inside. Mysteries wouldn't really exist if people weren't capable of hiding some pretty dark stuff while putting on a good face for the rest of the world to see.
-In Gwen Stefani's new song "What you waiting for?" there's a line that sounds disturbingly like "Suck a turkey roll." And of course, when the song get stuck in my head, as it often does, that's the part I keep hearing. damnit. Let me tell you, you can only sing "suck a turkey roll" under your breath a half a dozen times or so before your co-workers begin looking at you rather strangely.
On that very strange note, I'm signing off for the weekend. My goal is to work through my final plot problems for Zara II this weekend, so I can get that synopsis done! : )
-Yesterday, I learned the major difference, or at least one of them, between a mystery and a thriller. With a thriller, the villain is a character within the story, as in you know who did the bad stuff, probably before the hero does. The focus of the story is waiting for the hero to figure it out and catch said villain. The villain usually has chapters or scenes from his perspective. With mysteries, we work together with the hero on figuring out who the bad guy is and then catching him or her, which usually happens in relatively short order after the figuring out part. And we don't get any part of the story from the villain's point of view. Hmmm. This makes sense. But I'd never really thought about it before (internet access combined with an overwhelming desire to procrastinate is a wonderful thing, isn't?), and I've read lots of both mysteries and thrillers.
I've always liked mysteries, the whole figuring it out thing appeals to me. Especially because it seems to uphold one of the things I consider to be a universal truth. Just because someone's nice to you doesn't mean they're a good person. If they smile when they give you a piece of cake, that doesn't mean it's not poisoned. In other words, bad guys often look or act normal. Maybe even better than normal. But we, as a society, I think, are trained to believe that ugly means bad on the inside and beautiful means good on the inside. Mysteries wouldn't really exist if people weren't capable of hiding some pretty dark stuff while putting on a good face for the rest of the world to see.
-In Gwen Stefani's new song "What you waiting for?" there's a line that sounds disturbingly like "Suck a turkey roll." And of course, when the song get stuck in my head, as it often does, that's the part I keep hearing. damnit. Let me tell you, you can only sing "suck a turkey roll" under your breath a half a dozen times or so before your co-workers begin looking at you rather strangely.
On that very strange note, I'm signing off for the weekend. My goal is to work through my final plot problems for Zara II this weekend, so I can get that synopsis done! : )
Awwww....
I just got the nicest email...Becky sent me an e-card for the one year anniversary of The Call for The Silver Spoon. Thank you, Becky. I really appreciate it : ) I hope to, one day, have so many anniversaries of this kind that I won't be able to remember which day they are all on!
Thursday, February 10, 2005
I have no idea what to put here...
Random factoids that you might find interesting:
-Romantic suspense writer, Lisa Gardner, has a terrific section on her website about writing, particularly about writing a synopsis. If you haven't read any of her books, you definitely should. The Perfect Husband scared me to death when I read it a few years ago. I also enjoyed The Other Daughter, which is a "what would you do if you found out that you were the daughter of a serial killer?" sort of story.
-I bought more books today. White Bikini Panties by Kelly James-Enger. I've met Kelly before at a writer's conference, so her book caught my attention. Plus, the first page really hooked me. Completely and utterly a truth, not often talked about, the way women choose what underwear they're going to wear for any particular day. I also bought Mary Janice Davidson's new book. Or, it was listed in the new section, at least. I can't seem to find it on Amazon and to better avoid temptation at work, it's out in my car at the moment.
-This article was interesting -- Do we have to spell things out for E.T.? Okay, we always talk about what to put in a message to all the potential life-bearing solar systems out there. What would happen if we actually got one instead? How trippy would that be? Do you think we'd pursue it or not? Most likely, we'd have to build some kind of huge ship, bristling with weapons, first. Or, how about this...do you think we've already gotten this message, and it's now printed out somewhere and stacked in boxes in a secret government warehouse, like the Ark of the Covenant in Indiana Jones, while we work on building the big space ship with the even bigger guns? Hmmm.
That's it. I'm tapped. I've been whining about Zara II long enough. I don't even want to bore myself with it today. Just got to keep working away at it.
-Romantic suspense writer, Lisa Gardner, has a terrific section on her website about writing, particularly about writing a synopsis. If you haven't read any of her books, you definitely should. The Perfect Husband scared me to death when I read it a few years ago. I also enjoyed The Other Daughter, which is a "what would you do if you found out that you were the daughter of a serial killer?" sort of story.
-I bought more books today. White Bikini Panties by Kelly James-Enger. I've met Kelly before at a writer's conference, so her book caught my attention. Plus, the first page really hooked me. Completely and utterly a truth, not often talked about, the way women choose what underwear they're going to wear for any particular day. I also bought Mary Janice Davidson's new book. Or, it was listed in the new section, at least. I can't seem to find it on Amazon and to better avoid temptation at work, it's out in my car at the moment.
-This article was interesting -- Do we have to spell things out for E.T.? Okay, we always talk about what to put in a message to all the potential life-bearing solar systems out there. What would happen if we actually got one instead? How trippy would that be? Do you think we'd pursue it or not? Most likely, we'd have to build some kind of huge ship, bristling with weapons, first. Or, how about this...do you think we've already gotten this message, and it's now printed out somewhere and stacked in boxes in a secret government warehouse, like the Ark of the Covenant in Indiana Jones, while we work on building the big space ship with the even bigger guns? Hmmm.
That's it. I'm tapped. I've been whining about Zara II long enough. I don't even want to bore myself with it today. Just got to keep working away at it.
Wednesday, February 09, 2005
Zara II
So, I'm back to struggling with my draft. For some reason, I was avoiding rereading the thing, hoping the solution for my last few plot problems would just come to me. Oh, yeah, right. So, I read some of it again today and was slightly reassured that it didn't completely suck on the second read-through.
I'm still having some problems understanding the motivations of a fairly important character toward the end of the book (a REALLY important character in book III, which I can't even think about yet.) That's the difficult part of all of this. I know what they want to happen, but that isn't enough. They have to have a plan in mind about how it would work...even if I already know it won't.
Plus, I'm suffering from first line syndrome. I love it when the first line of a book comes to me almost without any thought. More often than not, it's not the first line I write down, but it's close. With this one, I don't have it yet. I'm not happy with the beginning, the situation that starts everything out or even the actual opening of the story. Anyone out there got any ideas how to come up with a great opening line or situation? For the story to flow, I feel like I NEED to have that. I like summary opening lines. Like the one for The Silver Spoon.
"I was at the diner when I got my first real look at an Observer." Gives you the situation, the setting, and sets up that there's something unusual or, at least, rare about an Observer, whatever that is.
Or how about the revised version of Bitter Pill:
"They say third time's a charm. But I'm guessing that doesn't apply to root canals, bad marriages, and finding dead bodies."
OR
"Is there such a thing as death karma? If so, I have it."
(In fact, now that I'm thinking about...which of those opening lines do you prefer for Bitter Pill, an amateur sleuth mystery with romance?)
I don't really have anything for Zara II. I suppose I can't really until I have the opening situation nailed down, but I feel like I can't do that until I have the opening line *sigh*
I'm also panicking because I'm worried I've gone into wimpy mode. One of the things that I like best about Zara (I'm not trying to compliment myself here, to me they are real people, and yes, I know that sounds crazy) is that she's normal. By that I mean she can't always handle everything that's thrown at her very gracefully or for that matter, at all. She, at times, suffers from a shortage of belief in herself, just like the rest of us. Book I was about her discovering her identity. Book II is supposed to be about her learning to accept what that means, beyond "neat, I have powers...sometimes." It has all these large-scale, life-changing ramifications, ones that she's not sure how to deal with. My thought was that she's trying to manage it the same way she's managed everything bad so far in her life -- keep your head down and keep working. She's not one to run away, exactly, but she's not ready to step up to the plate in the way that's needed. At least not until a situation forces her to do just that. That's the whole point of the book, to show her progressing from a limited awareness that this is a problem to finally acheiving the change need to resolve the problem. But if she's backing away...does that make her wimpy? I don't know. I'm really wrestling with this one.
Okay, I think I'm done babbling on for today. I have to get going to kickboxing...
I'm still having some problems understanding the motivations of a fairly important character toward the end of the book (a REALLY important character in book III, which I can't even think about yet.) That's the difficult part of all of this. I know what they want to happen, but that isn't enough. They have to have a plan in mind about how it would work...even if I already know it won't.
Plus, I'm suffering from first line syndrome. I love it when the first line of a book comes to me almost without any thought. More often than not, it's not the first line I write down, but it's close. With this one, I don't have it yet. I'm not happy with the beginning, the situation that starts everything out or even the actual opening of the story. Anyone out there got any ideas how to come up with a great opening line or situation? For the story to flow, I feel like I NEED to have that. I like summary opening lines. Like the one for The Silver Spoon.
"I was at the diner when I got my first real look at an Observer." Gives you the situation, the setting, and sets up that there's something unusual or, at least, rare about an Observer, whatever that is.
Or how about the revised version of Bitter Pill:
"They say third time's a charm. But I'm guessing that doesn't apply to root canals, bad marriages, and finding dead bodies."
OR
"Is there such a thing as death karma? If so, I have it."
(In fact, now that I'm thinking about...which of those opening lines do you prefer for Bitter Pill, an amateur sleuth mystery with romance?)
I don't really have anything for Zara II. I suppose I can't really until I have the opening situation nailed down, but I feel like I can't do that until I have the opening line *sigh*
I'm also panicking because I'm worried I've gone into wimpy mode. One of the things that I like best about Zara (I'm not trying to compliment myself here, to me they are real people, and yes, I know that sounds crazy) is that she's normal. By that I mean she can't always handle everything that's thrown at her very gracefully or for that matter, at all. She, at times, suffers from a shortage of belief in herself, just like the rest of us. Book I was about her discovering her identity. Book II is supposed to be about her learning to accept what that means, beyond "neat, I have powers...sometimes." It has all these large-scale, life-changing ramifications, ones that she's not sure how to deal with. My thought was that she's trying to manage it the same way she's managed everything bad so far in her life -- keep your head down and keep working. She's not one to run away, exactly, but she's not ready to step up to the plate in the way that's needed. At least not until a situation forces her to do just that. That's the whole point of the book, to show her progressing from a limited awareness that this is a problem to finally acheiving the change need to resolve the problem. But if she's backing away...does that make her wimpy? I don't know. I'm really wrestling with this one.
Okay, I think I'm done babbling on for today. I have to get going to kickboxing...
One of the funniest things I've seen in a long time...
This HP catalog was delivered to my house yesterday. Look at my title on the address label. It made me laugh out loud. Please ignore the blacking-out of everything. My husband was just being particularly careful that I don't inadvertently post something personal...like our home address. And he's right. : )
Oh, these poor misguided HP folks...It doesn't get much funnier than this.
Oh, these poor misguided HP folks...It doesn't get much funnier than this.
Tuesday, February 08, 2005
Sex on the page...
The conference I attended this weekend was meant to be for, I believe, romance and murder mystery writers. So, they had a panel about how much mystery should be in your romance and how much romance in your mystery, etc. I attended because I was curious about how to define Bitter Pill. (It's a mystery, incidentally, because the main plot revolves around solving a crime instead of Rennie's love life, which is a secondary plot thread.)
But the conversation on this panel devolved into a discussion about sex and whether or not it belongs on the printed page. Which disappointed me--I wanted more of a discussion about blending the two genres--and as a card-carrying member of the RWA (I don't actually carry it, but I do belong), I was really disheartened to hear some of the negative views on this issue.
This is not to say that sex "on-scene," as they say, is by any means required of every love story, but by the way some of the authors were speaking about it...you'd think that showing sex between two characters in a loving relationship was akin to depicting incest or some other major taboo. But they claimed to be blending the two genres.
(On-scene, by the way, means to me you get details of the act. Not every thrust, so to speak, but who kissed who and where -- and I don't mean the kitchen *wink*. Off the page, in my definition, is where you get the lead up--some kissing at the bedroom door, for example--and the morning after--snuggling in bed.)
I was so disgusted by all of this, I actually started taking notes. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Keep in mind these are authors who were on the panel because of their tendency to blend mystery and romance.
Here are a couple choice quotes:
-"Sex scenes are boring. I'd rather kill someone off."
-"I don't find sex that interesting to write about."
-"If you feel the need to write a descriptive sex scene, fine, write it. Get it out of your system. Then delete it out of the book."
-"There are groups of us who are always complaining, 'Oh God, I have to write another sex scene.'"
First, before discussing this any further, I am compelled to say that I am in no way advocating gratuitous sex scenes within a novel. That's not right either. But it seems to me that if it's natural and you as the writer/reader feel it's necessary, it shouldn't be avoided just because it's a sex scene.
All novels have a tone to them. Some are light-hearted, teasing, flirtatious. A detailed sex scene would probably stick out like a...sore thumb (ha, you don't know where I wanted to go with that!). I get that. In most of Meg Cabot's books, the sex occurs off the page, and that's fine. It's fitting with the tone and voice of her books.
But if you're writing a detailed, show-every-drop-of-blood-and-every-bit-of-brain-matter mystery and you decide to include a sex scene, but off the page, then you're cheating the reader. You've said, I'm going to be detailed about the nasty, violent nature of human beings, but not *gasp* the loving side. Why? Because some people might not like it and you're afraid of what they might think? Because writing about murder for a living is far more acceptable that writing about love or sex?!? Because you're uncomfortable with the idea of provoking that kind of reaction from readers? Because they might actually enjoy reading that kind of thing?
I also understand that sex scenes are EXTREMELY difficult to write well, which was another author's point. But I also think that if I went around telling people that fight scenes are difficult to write (which they are) and therefore, they should be left out of a story, people would look at me like I was crazy. And they'd be right. You can't avoid something just because it's a difficult bit of writing. You have to learn how to do it better. The story deserves to be told the right way -- no leaving the difficult parts out.
I wrote a detailed sex scene for The Silver Spoon. And there are a couple more in the draft of Zara II. And yeah, I blushed when I did it. Even closed my eyes while typing at one point because I felt like I was spying on the characters. Regaled my friends with the details of what it's like to actually type the word "nipple" on your screen repeatedly. Worried about what my friends and family would say when they read that scene (God willing, my father never gets that far in the book). But the story called for it, so I wrote it (I'm not, by the way, saying I wrote the best sex scene ever...far, far from it). If I was going to include the kind of sexual tension that Zara and Caelan have, I thought it was cheating not to include the moment all of that came to fruition.
I've also written books without it. In Bitter Pill, the unresolved sexual tension is extremely strong (at least, I think so) between Rennie and Sheriff Bristol, and they are fully clothed throughout the entire novel! But I expect when it happens in a future book, if it happens for them, you're going to see the moment for yourself. That's only fair. Otherwise, it's just being a tease. A writer letting his or her own fears dictate the bounds of the story. Writing, to me, should be as transparent a process as possible.
I don't think I would have reacted so strongly--I walked out, something I've never done before--if these authors weren't on this panel to discuss blending mystery AND romance. I expected some of the panelists to express this rather Victorian view of sex on the page, but not all of them. It was an extremely unbalanced panel and very frustrating for me to listen to. If Kelley Armstrong, for example, had been invited to be on this panel (perhaps she was and declined, I don't know), I have the feeling she would offered another point of view. Laurell K. Hamilton, had she been there, would have had them blushing. *grin*
Finally, to the female author who said that sex scenes are boring, so she doesn't like to write them, I have just one thing to say...you're doing it wrong. If you've got characters who feel strongly about one another and the sexual tension is really snappin', sex scenes are ANYTHING but boring and you are REALLY missing out on one of the finer experiences of being a writer. *cheeky grin*
End rant.
But the conversation on this panel devolved into a discussion about sex and whether or not it belongs on the printed page. Which disappointed me--I wanted more of a discussion about blending the two genres--and as a card-carrying member of the RWA (I don't actually carry it, but I do belong), I was really disheartened to hear some of the negative views on this issue.
This is not to say that sex "on-scene," as they say, is by any means required of every love story, but by the way some of the authors were speaking about it...you'd think that showing sex between two characters in a loving relationship was akin to depicting incest or some other major taboo. But they claimed to be blending the two genres.
(On-scene, by the way, means to me you get details of the act. Not every thrust, so to speak, but who kissed who and where -- and I don't mean the kitchen *wink*. Off the page, in my definition, is where you get the lead up--some kissing at the bedroom door, for example--and the morning after--snuggling in bed.)
I was so disgusted by all of this, I actually started taking notes. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Keep in mind these are authors who were on the panel because of their tendency to blend mystery and romance.
Here are a couple choice quotes:
-"Sex scenes are boring. I'd rather kill someone off."
-"I don't find sex that interesting to write about."
-"If you feel the need to write a descriptive sex scene, fine, write it. Get it out of your system. Then delete it out of the book."
-"There are groups of us who are always complaining, 'Oh God, I have to write another sex scene.'"
First, before discussing this any further, I am compelled to say that I am in no way advocating gratuitous sex scenes within a novel. That's not right either. But it seems to me that if it's natural and you as the writer/reader feel it's necessary, it shouldn't be avoided just because it's a sex scene.
All novels have a tone to them. Some are light-hearted, teasing, flirtatious. A detailed sex scene would probably stick out like a...sore thumb (ha, you don't know where I wanted to go with that!). I get that. In most of Meg Cabot's books, the sex occurs off the page, and that's fine. It's fitting with the tone and voice of her books.
But if you're writing a detailed, show-every-drop-of-blood-and-every-bit-of-brain-matter mystery and you decide to include a sex scene, but off the page, then you're cheating the reader. You've said, I'm going to be detailed about the nasty, violent nature of human beings, but not *gasp* the loving side. Why? Because some people might not like it and you're afraid of what they might think? Because writing about murder for a living is far more acceptable that writing about love or sex?!? Because you're uncomfortable with the idea of provoking that kind of reaction from readers? Because they might actually enjoy reading that kind of thing?
I also understand that sex scenes are EXTREMELY difficult to write well, which was another author's point. But I also think that if I went around telling people that fight scenes are difficult to write (which they are) and therefore, they should be left out of a story, people would look at me like I was crazy. And they'd be right. You can't avoid something just because it's a difficult bit of writing. You have to learn how to do it better. The story deserves to be told the right way -- no leaving the difficult parts out.
I wrote a detailed sex scene for The Silver Spoon. And there are a couple more in the draft of Zara II. And yeah, I blushed when I did it. Even closed my eyes while typing at one point because I felt like I was spying on the characters. Regaled my friends with the details of what it's like to actually type the word "nipple" on your screen repeatedly. Worried about what my friends and family would say when they read that scene (God willing, my father never gets that far in the book). But the story called for it, so I wrote it (I'm not, by the way, saying I wrote the best sex scene ever...far, far from it). If I was going to include the kind of sexual tension that Zara and Caelan have, I thought it was cheating not to include the moment all of that came to fruition.
I've also written books without it. In Bitter Pill, the unresolved sexual tension is extremely strong (at least, I think so) between Rennie and Sheriff Bristol, and they are fully clothed throughout the entire novel! But I expect when it happens in a future book, if it happens for them, you're going to see the moment for yourself. That's only fair. Otherwise, it's just being a tease. A writer letting his or her own fears dictate the bounds of the story. Writing, to me, should be as transparent a process as possible.
I don't think I would have reacted so strongly--I walked out, something I've never done before--if these authors weren't on this panel to discuss blending mystery AND romance. I expected some of the panelists to express this rather Victorian view of sex on the page, but not all of them. It was an extremely unbalanced panel and very frustrating for me to listen to. If Kelley Armstrong, for example, had been invited to be on this panel (perhaps she was and declined, I don't know), I have the feeling she would offered another point of view. Laurell K. Hamilton, had she been there, would have had them blushing. *grin*
Finally, to the female author who said that sex scenes are boring, so she doesn't like to write them, I have just one thing to say...you're doing it wrong. If you've got characters who feel strongly about one another and the sexual tension is really snappin', sex scenes are ANYTHING but boring and you are REALLY missing out on one of the finer experiences of being a writer. *cheeky grin*
End rant.
It got worse before it got better...
So, after missing the first day of the conference, I thought that things would surely improve. They didn't. Turns out that the conference organizers had moved my panel to Friday afternoon instead of Saturday morning. I didn't find out until I went to register on Saturday morning, and the woman in charge mentioned that she had expected me yesterday. I thought it was unusual that she would notice my comings and goings until I checked the schedule and realized that I had completely MISSED the panel I'd asked to be on. AAAARRRRGGHHHH!!!! Way to look professional, Stacey. I kicked myself about this all day, but then I realized that I couldn't really have done anything differently. Snostorm needed to go to the vet. I didn't feel it should wait until Monday. Course, if I'd known the panel had been moved, I might have taken her in Saturday morning instead. But it might not have been good to even wait that long. So, what's done is done. Lesson learned. Always confirm with someone the final arrangements for your panel.
So, there I was all day Saturday, trapped in an uncomfortable outfit that I'd worn mainly because I thought I'd be up in front of other people. Other bad things? I dropped my registration materials in the dirty, slushy parking lot and had to carry these filthy things around with me all weekend -- yet another example of looking professional. The hotel was extremely warm, so I felt like a big, giant sweaty mess by the time the whole thing was over with. I also learned that even if the conference is close to your home, it is far better to stay in the hotel and have ready access to a bathroom, fresh set of clothes and a private place to lie down. Not to mention the benefit of not having to get up at 6:00 a.m. to allow for traffic to make sure you make it on time for a panel that's already done and over with.
Good things (and there were some):
-Met one of my very favorite authors in the whole world, Kelley Armstrong, who was so nice and fun.
-Met another author who has a day job in the same place I do. It was so reassuring and helpful to meet a kindred spirit who is struggling to juggle the same things (and sometimes the same people) I do.
-Loved hearing the guest speakers Anne Perry (who sounds like Mary Poppins, but sexier), Stephen Booth (he sounded like one of the Beatles) and J.A. Konrath, who never fails to both shock and amuse.
I also sat in on some very interesting panels. One of which was about the paranormal and raised this fascinating question: What is it about old structures that make them haunted? Yes, they are older and therefore have had more people living, and dying, within them. But if it's about the number of people dying within their confines, how come you don't hear about hospitals being haunted? If homes are haunted because people don't expect to die there (as opposed to hospitals), then how do you explain hotels? There are a number of haunted hotels. The one that comes to my mind first is the Hotel Del Coronado on Del Coronado Island in San Diego. A former manager of mine once tried to stay in their haunted room and couldn't make it through the night. But again, if you think about it, there are probably just as many deaths, tragic ones too, at your local Motel 6. So, why don't you ever hear about those being haunted? What is it about the passage of time that makes a building eminently more haunt-able? (By the way, if you now feel inspired to write a ghost story about the Motel 6 being haunted, that's cool. Just make sure to thank me in the acknowledgements *grin*)
I also walked out on a panel. First time I've ever done that. I'll share more about that in my next entry. I'm interested to hear what you all have to say about it.
So, there I was all day Saturday, trapped in an uncomfortable outfit that I'd worn mainly because I thought I'd be up in front of other people. Other bad things? I dropped my registration materials in the dirty, slushy parking lot and had to carry these filthy things around with me all weekend -- yet another example of looking professional. The hotel was extremely warm, so I felt like a big, giant sweaty mess by the time the whole thing was over with. I also learned that even if the conference is close to your home, it is far better to stay in the hotel and have ready access to a bathroom, fresh set of clothes and a private place to lie down. Not to mention the benefit of not having to get up at 6:00 a.m. to allow for traffic to make sure you make it on time for a panel that's already done and over with.
Good things (and there were some):
-Met one of my very favorite authors in the whole world, Kelley Armstrong, who was so nice and fun.
-Met another author who has a day job in the same place I do. It was so reassuring and helpful to meet a kindred spirit who is struggling to juggle the same things (and sometimes the same people) I do.
-Loved hearing the guest speakers Anne Perry (who sounds like Mary Poppins, but sexier), Stephen Booth (he sounded like one of the Beatles) and J.A. Konrath, who never fails to both shock and amuse.
I also sat in on some very interesting panels. One of which was about the paranormal and raised this fascinating question: What is it about old structures that make them haunted? Yes, they are older and therefore have had more people living, and dying, within them. But if it's about the number of people dying within their confines, how come you don't hear about hospitals being haunted? If homes are haunted because people don't expect to die there (as opposed to hospitals), then how do you explain hotels? There are a number of haunted hotels. The one that comes to my mind first is the Hotel Del Coronado on Del Coronado Island in San Diego. A former manager of mine once tried to stay in their haunted room and couldn't make it through the night. But again, if you think about it, there are probably just as many deaths, tragic ones too, at your local Motel 6. So, why don't you ever hear about those being haunted? What is it about the passage of time that makes a building eminently more haunt-able? (By the way, if you now feel inspired to write a ghost story about the Motel 6 being haunted, that's cool. Just make sure to thank me in the acknowledgements *grin*)
I also walked out on a panel. First time I've ever done that. I'll share more about that in my next entry. I'm interested to hear what you all have to say about it.
A year ago...
This website has now been up and running for over a year -- very hard to believe. It was also at this time last year, February 11 to be exact, that I got The Call from RuneStone. Yea!!! And, at the risk of sounding cliched, can I say...what a year!
Last year, Ed, Stacy G. and I all missed Nipplegate 2004 as we were in my writing room, looking at my brand-spanking new website. We heard this huge shout of glee and disbelief from downstairs and ran to go see what had happened. This year's Superbowl was decidedly less exciting...
Last year, Ed, Stacy G. and I all missed Nipplegate 2004 as we were in my writing room, looking at my brand-spanking new website. We heard this huge shout of glee and disbelief from downstairs and ran to go see what had happened. This year's Superbowl was decidedly less exciting...
Friday, February 04, 2005
Guess where I am?
Not at the conference. *sigh* I was preparing to leave when I noticed one of my babies, Snostorm, had a large swelling inside her mouth, on one of her gums. I was a little panicked as I know that certain types of bacteria can cause an infection that affects the heart. That's why they give the dogs antibiotics before they clean their teeth.
So, I had to make an emergency trip to the vet. It is an infection, and she'll have to be on antibiotics for THREE weeks. By the time I got home, most of the sessions at the conference were done. I would have shown up in time for dinner, but since I wouldn't have been at any of the sessions to meet people, I would have been trying to worm myself into an invite to join strangers. Yes, I am an introvert at heart. It's no big deal. I'll go in the morning and get to attend a full day on Saturday and half a day on Sunday.
Also, the vet, who is NOT our regular vet and didn't seem to realize, as I did, that the swelling was an infection, also indicated that Snostorm might have some kind of degenerative hip disorder. Which is bad news. She's only eight, and greyhounds aren't usually prone to that sort of thing. But our normal vet has never said anything about it. So, I'm going to get her opinion when she returns. This guy was just the floating "sub" vet. Who openly admitted to me that he didn't know what the swelling was. He did a cytology to tell me that it wasn't cancer. Okay, I'm sorry, but DUH. It was red, poufy and tender to the touch. Plus it's a new development, within the last day or so, and it's time for her yearly teeth cleaning. It was totally an infection and I can tell you that with exactly zero hours of vet school.
Still, when he said the hip thing, which might or might not be true, I had to try really hard not to cry. Snostorm is my baby. I hate anything that indicates she's getting older and might not be around forever. I did cry when the vet told me to put her on senior food a couple of years ago. It's been a lousy day.
So, I had to make an emergency trip to the vet. It is an infection, and she'll have to be on antibiotics for THREE weeks. By the time I got home, most of the sessions at the conference were done. I would have shown up in time for dinner, but since I wouldn't have been at any of the sessions to meet people, I would have been trying to worm myself into an invite to join strangers. Yes, I am an introvert at heart. It's no big deal. I'll go in the morning and get to attend a full day on Saturday and half a day on Sunday.
Also, the vet, who is NOT our regular vet and didn't seem to realize, as I did, that the swelling was an infection, also indicated that Snostorm might have some kind of degenerative hip disorder. Which is bad news. She's only eight, and greyhounds aren't usually prone to that sort of thing. But our normal vet has never said anything about it. So, I'm going to get her opinion when she returns. This guy was just the floating "sub" vet. Who openly admitted to me that he didn't know what the swelling was. He did a cytology to tell me that it wasn't cancer. Okay, I'm sorry, but DUH. It was red, poufy and tender to the touch. Plus it's a new development, within the last day or so, and it's time for her yearly teeth cleaning. It was totally an infection and I can tell you that with exactly zero hours of vet school.
Still, when he said the hip thing, which might or might not be true, I had to try really hard not to cry. Snostorm is my baby. I hate anything that indicates she's getting older and might not be around forever. I did cry when the vet told me to put her on senior food a couple of years ago. It's been a lousy day.
Thursday, February 03, 2005
Love is Murder
Just wanted to let you guys know that I'm going to be out and about this weekend, Friday through Sunday, at the Love is Murder conference in Rosemont. I'm really nervous and excited. Probably more nervous than excited at this point, but as a friend pointed out to me, I'm like that about everything new at first. I'm looking forward to improving my mystery writing capabilities, bumping into some people that I know and meeting new people. J.A. Konrath, who provided me with excellent advice in asking authors for blurbs, will be there. His book, Whiskey Sour, was a terrific read. And, I'm so excited, one of my very favorite authors in the whole wide world, Kelley Armstrong will also be there!!!! Here's hoping I make a better first impression with her than I did with Laurell K. Hamilton (whose husband still remembers me from how nervous I was.) : )
I'm also going to be speaking, I think, on a panel with other first-time authors. So that should be fun. In the stomach-twisting, think-I'm-so-nervous-I'm-gonna-throw-up kind of way.
In any case, the point of this entry was to let you know that updates will likely be scattered, at best, or non-existent until Monday or Tuesday.
Also, while I'm thinking about it, please stop by the Schaumburg Library next weekend, February 12, to shop a HUGE used book sale and charity event. Some of your favorite Chicago romance novelists will be there signing their books. All proceeds go to the American Heart Association. The sale starts at 10:00 a.m. and goes until 2:00 p.m.
I'm also going to be speaking, I think, on a panel with other first-time authors. So that should be fun. In the stomach-twisting, think-I'm-so-nervous-I'm-gonna-throw-up kind of way.
In any case, the point of this entry was to let you know that updates will likely be scattered, at best, or non-existent until Monday or Tuesday.
Also, while I'm thinking about it, please stop by the Schaumburg Library next weekend, February 12, to shop a HUGE used book sale and charity event. Some of your favorite Chicago romance novelists will be there signing their books. All proceeds go to the American Heart Association. The sale starts at 10:00 a.m. and goes until 2:00 p.m.
This is so cool!
Mars fascinates me. Mainly, I think, because it's the one they claim is most like Earth. It likely had water at some point and temperatures conducive to life as we know it. In fact, I read somewhere that scientists (or at least one of them) believe that life on Earth may actually be Martian in origin, thanks to some bacteria or whatever that hitched a ride on metorite that crash-landed on Earth. (hey, Earth is an anagram for heart, just realized that.)
Anyway, I found this article on terraforming Mars. This is just such a cool concept. I only wish I was going to be around to see it happen *sighs wistfully*. Alas, as my husband and I were discussing last night, we won't even make it to the 2100's. That's the sucky thing about mortality, missing out on all the cool things yet to come. Or to paraphrase my favorite Television Without Pity recapper, Deborah, "Well, that's one of the sucky things about mortality."
Anyway, I found this article on terraforming Mars. This is just such a cool concept. I only wish I was going to be around to see it happen *sighs wistfully*. Alas, as my husband and I were discussing last night, we won't even make it to the 2100's. That's the sucky thing about mortality, missing out on all the cool things yet to come. Or to paraphrase my favorite Television Without Pity recapper, Deborah, "Well, that's one of the sucky things about mortality."
Wednesday, February 02, 2005
Brain dump
Last night, I was proud of myself. Only two hours of television and some writing done. Albeit the television was on in the background, muted, but I was working. Seriously, I think I must waste so much time watching tv. I don't even realize it. Last night felt like I barely watched anything but I lost two hours there. And only a half hour of it is what I would deem a "favorite" show (Veronica Mars). Fortunately, tonight there's even less television to be watched. A rerun of Lost and then no Alias because of the State of the Union.
I'm reaching the point with the revision notes to Zara II that I'm struggling. I get frustrated trying to work it out on paper ahead of time before I actually sit down to write it. I'm not an outliner. Period. Technically, I could already have an acceptance or a rejection from RuneStone on Zara II if I could just write the stupid outline first. But I have to have the book done. ARRRRGGHH! I don't know how other writers do it. I mean, I know some writers outline first and then I would imagine creating the synopsis from that is relatively easy. But what if you don't outline? Then you have to know what happens all the way through and honestly, I don't think I'd be able to write if I knew the ending. Sometimes the only way I can get myself to write is by telling myself that I need to do it if I want to find out what happens next. To me, the best part is experiencing what happens as the characters do. I know other writers say that they write the synopsis but they don't always stick to it. They let the creative process take over once they start writing.
Okay, I don't know about you, but I have little doubting voices that speak up in my head ALL the time. One of those voices is extremely paranoid and prefers to cling to the "known" instead of taking a leap of faith. If I wrote the synopsis first, in addition to the general lack of excitement about writing something I already know the ending to, I'd have trouble straying from the outline. Because the outline was ACCEPTED, which means it's right. Or, worse yet, I'd agonize over every choice I made that differed from the outline. Seriously, I cannot handle that kind of stress.
Yes, I know. Keeping up my neuroses is exhausting. *grin*
On the up side, I think I found a couple interesting approaches to add layers (and pages) to the first Rennie Harlow. One of the things that I wanted to differently with that series than all the other cozies I've read is to acknowledge the inherent flaw in the cozy mystery. Which is, how often do normal people actually stumble over dead bodies or into murder investigations? I mean, really. Most cozies sort of ignore the fact that B and B owners don't really find themselves solving crimes on a regular basis. With Rennie, I wanted to acknowledge the fact that it's a little unusual that this keeps happening to her. So, I think I've found a way to do that.
I also want to pump up the chick lit angle--you know, the "last year I had a husband, a promising career and an expensive condo in the city. Now I'm divorced and unemployed. And, oh yeah, I'm living in an apartment over my mother's garage. In loserdom, that's only one small step above living in her basement" side of things.
So wish me luck at getting just this last little tangle in Zara II figured out!
I'm reaching the point with the revision notes to Zara II that I'm struggling. I get frustrated trying to work it out on paper ahead of time before I actually sit down to write it. I'm not an outliner. Period. Technically, I could already have an acceptance or a rejection from RuneStone on Zara II if I could just write the stupid outline first. But I have to have the book done. ARRRRGGHH! I don't know how other writers do it. I mean, I know some writers outline first and then I would imagine creating the synopsis from that is relatively easy. But what if you don't outline? Then you have to know what happens all the way through and honestly, I don't think I'd be able to write if I knew the ending. Sometimes the only way I can get myself to write is by telling myself that I need to do it if I want to find out what happens next. To me, the best part is experiencing what happens as the characters do. I know other writers say that they write the synopsis but they don't always stick to it. They let the creative process take over once they start writing.
Okay, I don't know about you, but I have little doubting voices that speak up in my head ALL the time. One of those voices is extremely paranoid and prefers to cling to the "known" instead of taking a leap of faith. If I wrote the synopsis first, in addition to the general lack of excitement about writing something I already know the ending to, I'd have trouble straying from the outline. Because the outline was ACCEPTED, which means it's right. Or, worse yet, I'd agonize over every choice I made that differed from the outline. Seriously, I cannot handle that kind of stress.
Yes, I know. Keeping up my neuroses is exhausting. *grin*
On the up side, I think I found a couple interesting approaches to add layers (and pages) to the first Rennie Harlow. One of the things that I wanted to differently with that series than all the other cozies I've read is to acknowledge the inherent flaw in the cozy mystery. Which is, how often do normal people actually stumble over dead bodies or into murder investigations? I mean, really. Most cozies sort of ignore the fact that B and B owners don't really find themselves solving crimes on a regular basis. With Rennie, I wanted to acknowledge the fact that it's a little unusual that this keeps happening to her. So, I think I've found a way to do that.
I also want to pump up the chick lit angle--you know, the "last year I had a husband, a promising career and an expensive condo in the city. Now I'm divorced and unemployed. And, oh yeah, I'm living in an apartment over my mother's garage. In loserdom, that's only one small step above living in her basement" side of things.
So wish me luck at getting just this last little tangle in Zara II figured out!
Tuesday, February 01, 2005
My iPod REALLY likes Enya....Me? Not so much.
Well, that's not quite true. I like Enya. I find her music very relaxing. I put her cds on my iPod, thinking it might be a good thing to have on a long, tense plane ride (if it's a plane ride, it's automatically tense for me *grin*) or if I'm having trouble relaxing enough to sleep. But it's not the kind of thing I want to listen to on the way to work when I'm trying to stay in an up mood, at least until I walk in through the door here (there's no hope beyond that). Yet, my iPod insists on playing something from her every other other song. I put it on Shuffle, which is supposed to be random, but Enya comes up all the time. I was entertaining myself last week, imagining that iPod was some kind of high-tech, sentient mood ring device. But instead of playing music to reflect my mood, it was playing whatever music it thought I needed. The message, in this case, RELAX.
Then yesterday, I found this article about the very thing..."Does your iPod play favorites?"
Turns out I'm not the only one wondering about this phenomena.
On a related note, it's been a lot of fun playing around on iTunes, looking for all the songs that I really liked but not enough to risk money on the whole album. Especially old songs. I'm kind of discovering some things that I never quite realized before. Like...Prince is naughty. I know that sounds dumb, but Prince was always on the radio when I was growing up. I was used to hearing him, so I wasn't really listening. I had no idea what he was singing about. But now...wow. I'm surprised. Though, one of my favorite songs in high school was Darling Nikki off the Purple Rain soundtrack (with the addition of Lady Marmalade, that now makes two songs about prostitutes on my iPod...huh, not quite enough for a trend, I don't think, thank goodness...) Yeah, I had no clue what was going on there either. One of my good friends from the CHURCH youth group actually introduced me to that song : ) Ahh, memories. That's one of the best things about music...instantly transports you, for better or worse, to a particular time in your past.
Then yesterday, I found this article about the very thing..."Does your iPod play favorites?"
Turns out I'm not the only one wondering about this phenomena.
On a related note, it's been a lot of fun playing around on iTunes, looking for all the songs that I really liked but not enough to risk money on the whole album. Especially old songs. I'm kind of discovering some things that I never quite realized before. Like...Prince is naughty. I know that sounds dumb, but Prince was always on the radio when I was growing up. I was used to hearing him, so I wasn't really listening. I had no idea what he was singing about. But now...wow. I'm surprised. Though, one of my favorite songs in high school was Darling Nikki off the Purple Rain soundtrack (with the addition of Lady Marmalade, that now makes two songs about prostitutes on my iPod...huh, not quite enough for a trend, I don't think, thank goodness...) Yeah, I had no clue what was going on there either. One of my good friends from the CHURCH youth group actually introduced me to that song : ) Ahh, memories. That's one of the best things about music...instantly transports you, for better or worse, to a particular time in your past.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
