Tomorrow I'm heading out on a road trip with Isabo Kelly. We're heading down to St. Louis to meet Linnea for Archon 31. This is my first sci-fi con as a published author! I'm excited and nervous. But I'm looking forward to the trip tomorrow and to seeing my friends. : )
I'm on a bunch of panels, including some about BSG--on which I will be only a fan because my sci-fi stuff is NOTHING like BSG. But that's okay. It'll be fun. : ) I'm also on several writing panels. Should be interesting!
Will try to post from the con, but we'll see what internet access and time allows.
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Writing by the seat of your pants sometimes leaves you naked! : )
I've been working on my handout for the plot workshop Linnea and I are giving together next week at Archon, and it's fascinating to me how differently we approach writing. Of course, in writing up how I usually work, I can see why I routinely get stuck at various points in a book.
I rely on intuition to write. I don't plot or plan anything out ahead of time...well, not much, anyway. I just listen and watch, much the way Stephen King describes in On Writing. I don't do it that way because that's how he does it but because that's the way it works for me. It's like catching only bits and pieces of a movie and trying to puzzle out what must have happened in between this part and the last little portion you saw.
It works for me because I enjoy finding out what's going on just like a reader. However, I frequently find myself in situations where I don't know what happens to make that next leap. Over the years, I've learned it's usually because I'm missing something. Some major fact I didn't know, some tension-elevating feature that I bypassed accidentally. For example, in The Silver Spoon, it was that if you challenge the leader of this particular group of aliens and you win...you're the new leader. Boom. When that clicked into place, it was HUGE. Changed everything and pulled the story tight again.
And for whatever reason, I find this stumbling block always occurs right near a threshold, or change in the character/situation. I follow Christopher Vogler's idea of the Writer's Journey when I need help and I always find myself referring to that book at the exact same places in every single book--as I'm transitioning into Act II and then again into Act III.
With my current WIP, that's exactly where I'm floundering again. I know some things, but just not the full picture. And it's very frustrating when I want to move forward. I know the hero in my story has some big dangerous mission in the offing or he has some special destiny or both, but I have no idea what it is. Not yet. And though technically I don't need to know at this exact moment--nobody's talking about it or anything--his role/mission is significant in how it causes at least one major character (and possibly more) behaves toward my heroine. Arrgh.
It will work out--I have faith and it always does. But whew, talk about grumpiness and frustration until we get there.
Anyone else out there write this way? If so, what do you do to get past it? I know L would tell me that I've fallen off the conflict line and she's absolutely right. But how to get back on and get us on the right track again...that's the tricky part.
I rely on intuition to write. I don't plot or plan anything out ahead of time...well, not much, anyway. I just listen and watch, much the way Stephen King describes in On Writing. I don't do it that way because that's how he does it but because that's the way it works for me. It's like catching only bits and pieces of a movie and trying to puzzle out what must have happened in between this part and the last little portion you saw.
It works for me because I enjoy finding out what's going on just like a reader. However, I frequently find myself in situations where I don't know what happens to make that next leap. Over the years, I've learned it's usually because I'm missing something. Some major fact I didn't know, some tension-elevating feature that I bypassed accidentally. For example, in The Silver Spoon, it was that if you challenge the leader of this particular group of aliens and you win...you're the new leader. Boom. When that clicked into place, it was HUGE. Changed everything and pulled the story tight again.
And for whatever reason, I find this stumbling block always occurs right near a threshold, or change in the character/situation. I follow Christopher Vogler's idea of the Writer's Journey when I need help and I always find myself referring to that book at the exact same places in every single book--as I'm transitioning into Act II and then again into Act III.
With my current WIP, that's exactly where I'm floundering again. I know some things, but just not the full picture. And it's very frustrating when I want to move forward. I know the hero in my story has some big dangerous mission in the offing or he has some special destiny or both, but I have no idea what it is. Not yet. And though technically I don't need to know at this exact moment--nobody's talking about it or anything--his role/mission is significant in how it causes at least one major character (and possibly more) behaves toward my heroine. Arrgh.
It will work out--I have faith and it always does. But whew, talk about grumpiness and frustration until we get there.
Anyone else out there write this way? If so, what do you do to get past it? I know L would tell me that I've fallen off the conflict line and she's absolutely right. But how to get back on and get us on the right track again...that's the tricky part.
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Yea! Thursday Night!
My new favorite show, Burn Notice, is on tonight. First, can I say how much I love cable's recent trend of creating new shows for the summer? A couple of summers ago, I got hooked on The Closer and Psych. Last year, it was Saved, which hasn't returned and I don't know if it will, actually. Which is too bad because...hello, deeply flawed characters everywhere. Loved it. I've kind of fallen off of The Closer--it was more interesting when Brenda's love life was all messed up, in my opinion--and Psych is not as good as it was last season (though still better than the first season, I think). Burn Notice, though, sets my little television-watching heart all apitter-patter.
First, the premise, a spy, though more of a freelance spy than one associated with the CIA or other organization, gets cut loose from his job. No one will take his calls, no one will acknowledge his existence. He has been disavowed, to use M:I language. They, whoever they are, have also frozen his assets, destroyed his credit history and put him on every watch list known to man. But they don't want him dead, at least not yet. He doesn't know why any of this is happening, and, of course, he can't get anyone to tell him. And he finds out at the worst time possible--when he's trying to convince some major bad guy to take an official payout to leave some oil rigs alone. The guy finally gives up his account numbers for the payout and when Michael, the main character, goes to call it in, they tell him he's been burned. No other information available, no help to get him out of a very sticky situation. He has to rely on his own cleverness, which is part of my attraction to the show. He can't really trust or rely on anyone else--even those people who are helping him (his mother, ex-girlfriend and an ex-associate with the FBI who is obligated to inform on Michael's every move) have their own agendas that may or may not work against him.
In writing, it's always best if a character finds him or herself a corner with no way out. That's when things start to get interesting. I love it. Also, Michael's mother, a role played magnificentlyby Sharon Gless (Was she Cagney or Lacey? I can't remember), is amazing. Equal parts manipulative and caring--and impossible to tell which is which until it's too late. Bruce Campell (of Evil Dead fame) plays the ex-associate and does so with great relish. He's fantastic.
The individual episodes focus on odd, private investigator-type jobs he's taking in order to make ends meet while he's searching for who put the burn notice out on him and why. He's so clearly reluctant to get involved onthese cases because they are, in a way, child's play to someone who does the kind of work he does, or did. And yet, he's obligated by the need for money and his sense of morality, oddly enough. In reference to the skills need to catch a particular criminal, I think there's a quote from the show that goes something like this, "Spies are just criminals with a government paycheck."
The writing is pretty snappy. And I'm a sucker for a good voiceover. Can't help it. It's the closest thing in television to first person (which is what I almost always write). Some of his opening lines are good, too, in my opinion. This is a paraphrase, but close to the opening lines of the pilot:
"Covert operations involve a lot of waiting around. You want to know what it's like being a spy? It's like sitting around in your doctor's reception area, 24/7. You sip some coffee, flip through a magazine...and occasionally someone tries to kill you."
Awesome. Follows the writing rule of three, catching you off-guard with the third item in a list.
Or, how about this one, (Thanks to The Watcher Column in the Trib for catching and transcribing this--read her whole article here.):
"Spend a few years as a covert operative, and a sunny beach just looks like a vulnerable tactical position with no decent cover.....I've never found a good way to hide a gun in a bathing suit."
Of course, you're not getting the perfect, dry tone of Jeffrey Donovan by reading it here, so check it out tonight. USA, 9:00, central time. : )
First, the premise, a spy, though more of a freelance spy than one associated with the CIA or other organization, gets cut loose from his job. No one will take his calls, no one will acknowledge his existence. He has been disavowed, to use M:I language. They, whoever they are, have also frozen his assets, destroyed his credit history and put him on every watch list known to man. But they don't want him dead, at least not yet. He doesn't know why any of this is happening, and, of course, he can't get anyone to tell him. And he finds out at the worst time possible--when he's trying to convince some major bad guy to take an official payout to leave some oil rigs alone. The guy finally gives up his account numbers for the payout and when Michael, the main character, goes to call it in, they tell him he's been burned. No other information available, no help to get him out of a very sticky situation. He has to rely on his own cleverness, which is part of my attraction to the show. He can't really trust or rely on anyone else--even those people who are helping him (his mother, ex-girlfriend and an ex-associate with the FBI who is obligated to inform on Michael's every move) have their own agendas that may or may not work against him.
In writing, it's always best if a character finds him or herself a corner with no way out. That's when things start to get interesting. I love it. Also, Michael's mother, a role played magnificentlyby Sharon Gless (Was she Cagney or Lacey? I can't remember), is amazing. Equal parts manipulative and caring--and impossible to tell which is which until it's too late. Bruce Campell (of Evil Dead fame) plays the ex-associate and does so with great relish. He's fantastic.
The individual episodes focus on odd, private investigator-type jobs he's taking in order to make ends meet while he's searching for who put the burn notice out on him and why. He's so clearly reluctant to get involved onthese cases because they are, in a way, child's play to someone who does the kind of work he does, or did. And yet, he's obligated by the need for money and his sense of morality, oddly enough. In reference to the skills need to catch a particular criminal, I think there's a quote from the show that goes something like this, "Spies are just criminals with a government paycheck."
The writing is pretty snappy. And I'm a sucker for a good voiceover. Can't help it. It's the closest thing in television to first person (which is what I almost always write). Some of his opening lines are good, too, in my opinion. This is a paraphrase, but close to the opening lines of the pilot:
"Covert operations involve a lot of waiting around. You want to know what it's like being a spy? It's like sitting around in your doctor's reception area, 24/7. You sip some coffee, flip through a magazine...and occasionally someone tries to kill you."
Awesome. Follows the writing rule of three, catching you off-guard with the third item in a list.
Or, how about this one, (Thanks to The Watcher Column in the Trib for catching and transcribing this--read her whole article here.):
"Spend a few years as a covert operative, and a sunny beach just looks like a vulnerable tactical position with no decent cover.....I've never found a good way to hide a gun in a bathing suit."
Of course, you're not getting the perfect, dry tone of Jeffrey Donovan by reading it here, so check it out tonight. USA, 9:00, central time. : )
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Meez for Zara?
Was having a little fun with Meez. Check this out--does this look like Zara at the diner?
http://images.meez.com/user16/08/06/0806_10019112123.gif
http://images.meez.com/user16/08/06/0806_10019112123.gif
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Tempt me...
So, as you've probably guessed, I spend a lot of time in bookstores. It occurred to me recently that there several kinds of books that seem vaguely tempting but I can't get over one obstacle about them that turns me off from buying them. But these books seem to be popular, or else I just notice them more because of my issue with them, so I'm wondering if I'm missing something.
This has nothing to do with the quality of the books--I've never read one, so the writing could be fantastic for all I know. It's just my own personal hang up. So, here's my challenge, if you've read one or more of the books in these categories and highly recommend said books, please let me know which ones to try. I'm up for the experiment!
Here are the "forbidden" categories:
-Books that use Jane Austen's characters (or children of her characters) in adventures taking place before or after the novels she created them for. I'm sorry but I just don't believe that anyone can write like Jane Austen, except for, you know, her. But I'd LOVE to read a book that proves me wrong as I love almost all of J.A.'s novels.
-Books that use Jane Austen as a fictional character--typically, but not always, as a sleuth. Eesh, this one bothers me just because it makes the assumption that you can know someone well enough to write a book with that person as the main character and have it be believable. Not that there's anyone alive who could contradict it, of course. I just don't understand this, though.
-Books, usually mysteries, that revolve around some so-called feminine art. You know which ones I'm talking about, right? They have punny titles that involve cross-stitching or baking or knitting or whatever. I'm always eager to find a new amateur sleuth series, and most of them seem to have this angle built into them. It makes sense. Knitters want to read about knitting or will find it interesting to learn how someone was killed with a particular kind of knitting implement. But is there one out there that doesn't require special knowledge of said hobby to enjoy the book?
-Inspirational romance novels. These, especially with the new covers, catch me by surprise. I'll pick it up based on the cover and start reading the blurb. It'll catch my attention--main character is forced to see her old boyfriend at the high school reunion, now an FBI agent in pursuit of a serial killer, and will things be the same, and will she survive a confrontation with the killer himself?--and then the line about "her faith in God will be tested" is always thrown in there. Here's the thing, I think just about everything bad or scary that happens tests your faith, including being confronted by an ex-boyfriend you still have feelings for and a serial killer. In different ways, of course. But I don't necessarily need it to be shouted at me in this way. But, then again, I've never read the book, so I don't know. Maybe it would seem more organic, more natural, when reading the book instead of reading the back cover blurb.
So, please send me recommendations, suggestions, tell me I'm full of it for not reading these sooner. I'm curious to know what I'm missing, if anything.
Also, feel free to share books in categories you won't read. Maybe someone will make a suggestion that will open up a whole new "okay" category for you.
: )
This has nothing to do with the quality of the books--I've never read one, so the writing could be fantastic for all I know. It's just my own personal hang up. So, here's my challenge, if you've read one or more of the books in these categories and highly recommend said books, please let me know which ones to try. I'm up for the experiment!
Here are the "forbidden" categories:
-Books that use Jane Austen's characters (or children of her characters) in adventures taking place before or after the novels she created them for. I'm sorry but I just don't believe that anyone can write like Jane Austen, except for, you know, her. But I'd LOVE to read a book that proves me wrong as I love almost all of J.A.'s novels.
-Books that use Jane Austen as a fictional character--typically, but not always, as a sleuth. Eesh, this one bothers me just because it makes the assumption that you can know someone well enough to write a book with that person as the main character and have it be believable. Not that there's anyone alive who could contradict it, of course. I just don't understand this, though.
-Books, usually mysteries, that revolve around some so-called feminine art. You know which ones I'm talking about, right? They have punny titles that involve cross-stitching or baking or knitting or whatever. I'm always eager to find a new amateur sleuth series, and most of them seem to have this angle built into them. It makes sense. Knitters want to read about knitting or will find it interesting to learn how someone was killed with a particular kind of knitting implement. But is there one out there that doesn't require special knowledge of said hobby to enjoy the book?
-Inspirational romance novels. These, especially with the new covers, catch me by surprise. I'll pick it up based on the cover and start reading the blurb. It'll catch my attention--main character is forced to see her old boyfriend at the high school reunion, now an FBI agent in pursuit of a serial killer, and will things be the same, and will she survive a confrontation with the killer himself?--and then the line about "her faith in God will be tested" is always thrown in there. Here's the thing, I think just about everything bad or scary that happens tests your faith, including being confronted by an ex-boyfriend you still have feelings for and a serial killer. In different ways, of course. But I don't necessarily need it to be shouted at me in this way. But, then again, I've never read the book, so I don't know. Maybe it would seem more organic, more natural, when reading the book instead of reading the back cover blurb.
So, please send me recommendations, suggestions, tell me I'm full of it for not reading these sooner. I'm curious to know what I'm missing, if anything.
Also, feel free to share books in categories you won't read. Maybe someone will make a suggestion that will open up a whole new "okay" category for you.
: )
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Living Dangerously
I think I'm the only person in the whole country who has NOT pre-ordered a copy of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Don't get me wrong--I'm buying a copy...somewhere. Wherever I can find one, if I can find one, on Saturday. But I held off on ordering one, even when BN.com sent me a warning on my last day to pre-buy, because I just feel like I'm rushing for it to be over with. And it's the last book. I've enjoyed this series since my little sister, who is not so little anymore, introduced me to it. I think she was ten, possibly younger. (Sus, do you remember?) It may have been the first time she made a book recommendation to me instead of the other way around, given the difference in our ages.
By the time I caught on to the magic that is Harry Potter, books 1-3 were already out. I promptly bought 2 and 3. And when Goblet of Fire came out, I pre-ordered two copies and took Susan to the midnight bookstore opening--the first time they ever did that--as she happened to be visiting us at the time. The guy at the store gave Susan free Hogwarts stickers with the house banners on them and included a set for "Mom and Dad," meaning Greg and me as we were the adults present at the time. I don't think we corrected him, but we laughed later. It's not the first time that has happened to me and Susan, being mistaken as mother and daughter, but it was the first time Greg got dragged into the mix. For the record, at the time, I was twenty three, maybe twenty four, and she was ten or eleven. But then again we both look young for our age and Greg looks older, so hey, it wasn't that far off base for the guy to assume what he did. I mean, who else would have a kid out at midnight?
It's a fun memory.
For book five, my brother and I stayed up until 2:00 am to get our pre-ordered copies at the bookstore because of rumors of a shortage. Greg goodnaturedly teased us the next day when we saw piles of the book everywhere. Oh, well. It was an event, and Michael and I had fun hanging out, waiting. But because of that, I didn't pre-order book 6 and still managed to get it the next day.
For this, the last Harry Potter book, I hope I get it on Saturday, somewhere, but I know if I do, I'll be done with the book and the series by Sunday afternoon...at the latest. And that's just sad. No more anticipation, no more wondering what happens. So, maybe it's okay not to get caught up in the rush, to have those couple extra days of anticipation and eagerness to find out, to contemplate all the possibilities and things that I want to have happen. (Harry, Hermione, Ron, Ginny, the twins, and their parents must survive or I'm not a happy camper. Also, Ginny and Harry must end up together. If you know anything on either of these fronts--DON'T TELL ME). The end is there waiting, but I want to make sure I enjoy the last leg of the journey too, you know?
P.S. I say all of this now, but watch for the crazied entry on Saturday when I can't find a copy anywhere and every television station and internet site is blasting spoilers...then we'll see how philosophical I am! "Who cares about the stupid journey, just get me a copy of that book!" : )
By the time I caught on to the magic that is Harry Potter, books 1-3 were already out. I promptly bought 2 and 3. And when Goblet of Fire came out, I pre-ordered two copies and took Susan to the midnight bookstore opening--the first time they ever did that--as she happened to be visiting us at the time. The guy at the store gave Susan free Hogwarts stickers with the house banners on them and included a set for "Mom and Dad," meaning Greg and me as we were the adults present at the time. I don't think we corrected him, but we laughed later. It's not the first time that has happened to me and Susan, being mistaken as mother and daughter, but it was the first time Greg got dragged into the mix. For the record, at the time, I was twenty three, maybe twenty four, and she was ten or eleven. But then again we both look young for our age and Greg looks older, so hey, it wasn't that far off base for the guy to assume what he did. I mean, who else would have a kid out at midnight?
It's a fun memory.
For book five, my brother and I stayed up until 2:00 am to get our pre-ordered copies at the bookstore because of rumors of a shortage. Greg goodnaturedly teased us the next day when we saw piles of the book everywhere. Oh, well. It was an event, and Michael and I had fun hanging out, waiting. But because of that, I didn't pre-order book 6 and still managed to get it the next day.
For this, the last Harry Potter book, I hope I get it on Saturday, somewhere, but I know if I do, I'll be done with the book and the series by Sunday afternoon...at the latest. And that's just sad. No more anticipation, no more wondering what happens. So, maybe it's okay not to get caught up in the rush, to have those couple extra days of anticipation and eagerness to find out, to contemplate all the possibilities and things that I want to have happen. (Harry, Hermione, Ron, Ginny, the twins, and their parents must survive or I'm not a happy camper. Also, Ginny and Harry must end up together. If you know anything on either of these fronts--DON'T TELL ME). The end is there waiting, but I want to make sure I enjoy the last leg of the journey too, you know?
P.S. I say all of this now, but watch for the crazied entry on Saturday when I can't find a copy anywhere and every television station and internet site is blasting spoilers...then we'll see how philosophical I am! "Who cares about the stupid journey, just get me a copy of that book!" : )
Sunday, July 08, 2007
Finished 30 pages!
Last weekend, things came together on the proposal I've been working on. Once I got out of my own way (worrying about whether it was any good and if it would work), I finished three chapters. Then I finished the fourth one this weekend, which gives me about thirty pages, enough to be considered a proposal. Of course, I still have to write the synopsis, which for me is the hardest part.
The thing I'm struggling with the most on this one is that I'm really enjoying myself, letting my hair done and writing a shitty first draft (as Anne Lamott suggests). But I'm scared to pull everything together and send it in for official consideration because if it doesn't work for this particular opportunity (the reason I pushed this idea to the front of the development line, so to speak), I'm afraid I'll lose my passion and interest in it. I'll be too down on myself and the particular idea to keep going. I don't know...does that make sense?
That's why I prefer to finish the whole thing--or at least more than the first few chapters--before letting it go. When I've got the full book, I know that it's come together and I feel good about it, confident. If it doesn't meet specific needs, that's okay, but I've learned that doesn't necessarily speak to the quality of the story or writing.
But this...only a few chapters to stand for the whole thing. Eeeek. It just makes me a nervous wreck. Mainly because I'm acting on faith that it will all come together, just as it has in the past for other books. And yet, most books (other than the first few by an author) are sold on proposal versus the whole book being written (that's called writing on spec). So it's something I probably need to get used to.
Writing is, more than anything, an act of faith for me. And every time I think I've got it mastered--faith to write the next scene even if I don't know exactly what happens, faith to know that there's an ending for it even if I don't know it yet, faith to send it out, faith that I'm doing what I'm meant to do--there's another leap waiting for me. : )
So, okay, this is just the next leap. Time to close my eyes, take a deep breath and make the jump.
The thing I'm struggling with the most on this one is that I'm really enjoying myself, letting my hair done and writing a shitty first draft (as Anne Lamott suggests). But I'm scared to pull everything together and send it in for official consideration because if it doesn't work for this particular opportunity (the reason I pushed this idea to the front of the development line, so to speak), I'm afraid I'll lose my passion and interest in it. I'll be too down on myself and the particular idea to keep going. I don't know...does that make sense?
That's why I prefer to finish the whole thing--or at least more than the first few chapters--before letting it go. When I've got the full book, I know that it's come together and I feel good about it, confident. If it doesn't meet specific needs, that's okay, but I've learned that doesn't necessarily speak to the quality of the story or writing.
But this...only a few chapters to stand for the whole thing. Eeeek. It just makes me a nervous wreck. Mainly because I'm acting on faith that it will all come together, just as it has in the past for other books. And yet, most books (other than the first few by an author) are sold on proposal versus the whole book being written (that's called writing on spec). So it's something I probably need to get used to.
Writing is, more than anything, an act of faith for me. And every time I think I've got it mastered--faith to write the next scene even if I don't know exactly what happens, faith to know that there's an ending for it even if I don't know it yet, faith to send it out, faith that I'm doing what I'm meant to do--there's another leap waiting for me. : )
So, okay, this is just the next leap. Time to close my eyes, take a deep breath and make the jump.
Here are things that you should not do when in a coffeeshop or the cafe section of a bookstore:
Talk loudly on your cell phone in an extended conversation about how you're not qualified for a job because managers need to know how to re-key locks.
Tap your empty cup on the table in a rhythm matching a song only you can hear...in your own head.
Flip through magazines with your best friend and complain loudly how everything in there "sucks" "is so stupid" and "completely ugly."
Let your cell phone ring multiple times on different calls at the highest volume possible even though it's sitting right there next to you on the table.
Stand there, debating your coffee selection endlessly, while the line piles up behind you.
Sit next to me and do any of the above things when there are any number of empty tables near far less irritable people. : )
***
As you can probably tell, I spend a decent amount of time in the Barnes and Noble cafe. Even with the minor irritations, it does afford some awesome people-watching. Once I sat there and listened to a teenage boy on cell call swear up and down to his mother that he was filling out a job application at said Barnes and Noble for summer work, while he was actually thumbing through FHM and Maxim and the like. Too funny.
Talk loudly on your cell phone in an extended conversation about how you're not qualified for a job because managers need to know how to re-key locks.
Tap your empty cup on the table in a rhythm matching a song only you can hear...in your own head.
Flip through magazines with your best friend and complain loudly how everything in there "sucks" "is so stupid" and "completely ugly."
Let your cell phone ring multiple times on different calls at the highest volume possible even though it's sitting right there next to you on the table.
Stand there, debating your coffee selection endlessly, while the line piles up behind you.
Sit next to me and do any of the above things when there are any number of empty tables near far less irritable people. : )
***
As you can probably tell, I spend a decent amount of time in the Barnes and Noble cafe. Even with the minor irritations, it does afford some awesome people-watching. Once I sat there and listened to a teenage boy on cell call swear up and down to his mother that he was filling out a job application at said Barnes and Noble for summer work, while he was actually thumbing through FHM and Maxim and the like. Too funny.
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