by Sarah | May 30, 2012 | Books, General, Masked Hearts, Writing, writing tips
[flickr id=”6065425471″ thumbnail=”small” overlay=”true” size=”small” group=”” align=”left”]Real Life has has been insane lately. So many things popping up, so many events and activities to keep me and mine busy. It seems impossible that I have all of these stories just waiting for me to write.
Out of all of them, one has stood out. Masked Hearts, even though it is a brand new idea, forced its way to the top. I started writing it just over a week ago. At first the going was incredibly slow. Unlike most of my stories this one had not sat on the ‘drawing board’ as it were. In fact I started writing within a week of getting the idea.
This never happens.
The reason why is because I’m a free-writer. 95% of the time I just sit down and write. I worry about fine tuning and editing later. In order to sit down and write I have to know where the story is going.
For Masked Hearts I only had the most vague of ideas. I didn’t know the characters beyond their initial descriptions. I had an idea of a conflict, but it was far from clear.
The day I started writing I had my first “Aha!” The MMC’s backstory came into clear view as I finished reading the history of an event during the many years of Indian Wars in the US.
Yesterday, six chapters into the story came the biggest ‘Aha!’. The entire story’s plot line became clear. I knew all the moments of conflict, all the climactic moments, and the way the ending would come about.
So I dug in deep and wrote my ass off…
Only to learn in the middle of writing a chapter that two of my characters were gay.
Wait, what? When did that happen? What the hell? Not that I mind, but a heads up a little earlier would have nice.
Oh, and by the way, those three side characters you thought were footnotes? Totally instrumental in the ending of your novel.
Ah, crap.
Now I have all these extra characters with personalities. No, they aren’t becoming MC’s – but they have a bigger part than I ever expected in this thing.
Now to keep it within my word count goal of 50k.
I’m not good with the low word counts. Think I can make this one stick?
by Sarah | Apr 28, 2012 | Changing Tracks, General, Writing
[flickr id=”6367108607″ thumbnail=”small” overlay=”true” size=”small” group=”” align=”left”]I’m not schizophrenic, I’m a writer. ~Me.
A handful of years ago, before I started writing toward the goal of publication I took part in another form of creative endeavor. That’s how I met Jess, and how I got introduced (properly) to my muse. A group of us would sit around brainstorming, and one night one of us took it upon themselves to name all of our muses. I had to laugh at the muse she assigned me, Terpsichore. The muse of music and dance. Considering my previous life as a dancer/singer/theater person and the fact that I’d been in love with the musical Cats (where they mention Terpsichorian powers) – I thought it was perfect.
Since then Terps has been my (relatively) constant companion. When she’s not off getting drunk or high in Mexico, she’s presented me with some insane stories, and some awesome ones.
Along the way, a couple others have joined. The two ‘others’ are sort of shared between Jess and myself. As we often write together, they alternate who they wreak the most havoc with.
The older of the two is one we affectionately named Canada. Why? Because whenever the craziest crap went down in our stories we’d start singing “Blame Canada.”
The other is newer. Even more chaotic than Canada. And far more moody than every other muse. This one? This one appears to be a male and his name is simply “NoName.” Yes, you read that right. Never thought I’d see the day a man was moodier than a woman, but NoName pulls it off rather well.
In turns these creatures have inspired and terrorized me. Left me in tears and filled with joy. They are a part of me and speak to me as much as (if not more) than the characters they help me bring to life.
What about you? Have you named your muse? Do you have more than one?
by Sarah | Apr 18, 2012 | Changing Tracks, General, Writing
[flickr id=”6367108607″ thumbnail=”small” overlay=”true” size=”small” group=”” align=”left”]Side Note: I am featured on Band Back Together this week. Post went live today. Please click on over to read “Broken Trust“.
A month ago I had that ‘lightbulb’ moment when you face the great errors of a manuscript you’ve set aside for its ‘resting’ period. My Historical Western Romance had made a round on the agent circuit last year, and I have plans to go through the epub submission rounds very soon.
The Muse (the crazy, demanding bitch) giggled, “Just two minor character changes. We’re going to shove a backbone into that one, and turn this guy into a slimeball bastard that makes you gag just with his presence. Simple. A few minor changes.”
Simple.
Three weeks later I’m half done with a partial rewrite (we have added 5 chapters at this point) and editing overhaul.
Now the crazy bitch…~ahem~ Sorry, that’s “The Muse” is impatient. She wants to start submitting the beast all over town when we aren’t even done.
Oh, and did I mention we have another novel that hovers in mid-draft as well? The Paranormal Romance blasted through my free-write of 4 books and now sits half done with the second draft of book 1.
We have reached the “head spinning” realm of too much to do.
So this week writing sits on the sidelines. The Muse is heading off to Mexico to drink tequila and get high on whatever recreational drugs she so chooses. She needs the breather (and to chill the f*ck out) – and so do I.
Fortunately her vacation falls in the most timely way. I am heading to St. Louis w/ the husband for a combo business trip/romantic weekend. On Saturday I’ll have my ‘business’ portion of the trip (Bloggy Boot Camp – which includes a writer’s workshop Woohoo!), but the rest of the time it’s me & the hubs. No kids. We might be just a little excited.
Once I return, the blog will face its overhaul & redesign. Even if The Muse returns refreshed and decides to get down to business so we can start submitting again – the blog will be cleaned up. She needs work – but i’m already working behind the scenes to prepare for it.
Maybe the conference will beat me over the head and get me to manage my time better so that I can do it all?
I know…I need a damn [amazon_link id=”B004A7XQNM” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]egg-timer[/amazon_link].
by Sarah | Mar 12, 2012 | Changing Tracks, General, Writing
Two years ago I wrote my first draft of Jane Doe’s story. It was a rush job, the story just wanted to come out too fast for me to be delicate and careful. Plot holes, bad grammar, really random head-hopping littered the project everywhere. It didn’t matter. When I write, that’s how I roll.
I wrote something like 225 chapters (approximately 500k words) in a five month period. I wrote the original 3 book series, and a lengthy 4th book in my ‘first draft’ sloppy format.
In the midst of that writing a character appeared in the third book. He started with just one line – and was never meant for more.
That one line gave me this picture in my head of this man. This man that would go by the nickname ‘Hammy’. The kind of man that would all but live on a bar stool (a la Norm), yet call a woman “Lady Jane”. That would mix it up with these rough & tumble men of the frontier, yet blush when my main character kissed him on the cheek.
This character wouldn’t let me go. He wound into my heart and now in my final drafts appears as early as the fourth chapter. His role isn’t major and it isn’t linear – his appearances are random, but always filled with heart.
This character went from being a one-note-wonder – a one-liner without anything further to add – to being a special part of the story.
I do love when that happens.
It’s not the first time it’s happened, and I’m sure it won’t be the last.
It’s part of what excites me about writing.
What about you? What are your favorite characters that crawled their way out of nothingness?
by Sarah | Mar 8, 2012 | Changing Tracks, General, writing tips
Putting down a manuscript and stepping away is one of the hardest things I ever have to do. I’m so excited by the story, so in love with the characters, so driven to get it out there that I never just leave it alone. At least not long enough to make a difference.
I did this with my first novel. I couldn’t understand why agents didn’t love it as much as I did. What the editor that gave me comments was talking about. It was too close, too soon, too real. Such a part of my heart I could not attain that distance.
Just recently I looked back at that first manuscript, let myself have a little chuckle and put it back in it’s safe place. I still love the story, but now I see all the error. The glaring, horrific errors. In truth, my muse (overbearing bitch that she is) – well she’s already planning alterations to the story. A way to bring it new life in the future. To gut out the heart of the story and rework into something actually usable. That is a long way off. The story needs major overhaul and I may never touch it again – or it may be another few years if I do. Distance gave me one hell of a perspective.
I did that with Changing Tracks too. While the structure is infinitely better, it still needed work. I thought that baby was shimmering when I sent it out into the world. In my eyes, it totally was. Until two months later when I got notes from an editor on the partial. That was when the nagging voice of the muse started to creep up with thoughts on how to change it.
I ignored the voice. Told the muse to shove it. I had partials and fulls out and I was not touching it. Period.
I moved on. Wrote another book or two. The full manuscript was out in the WWW. I was not going to touch it.
Well, as I said before the muse can be a demanding bitch. After a year of hearing me say “no touchy” I got screamed at in a variety of languages to shut up and listen. The notes we’d received, and our own personal reflection showed us not only weak chapters, but weak characters and plot holes.
A major character without a spine was not going to get me anywhere. A scene with the main character weak and out of it when she’s supposed to be a strong, smart and capable woman would never fly. One minor character was in the entire wrong profession and personality.
Minor changes turned into overhauls. Great lines remain, great scenes are untouched. New chapters have appeared, and characters have evolved.
Unlike my first novel, this ms has hope. It’s strong, and getting stronger every day.
Now if I can just leave it alone (again) once I’m done with these edits (or find the cash to obtain an editor’s eye) to make sure I don’t jump the gun again.
by Sarah | Oct 3, 2011 | General
In the depths of my files I have a list of blog topic ideas. In an attempt to get both of my blogs moving again, I’ll be using some of those prompts in between regular posts and writing challenges.
Can you remember what the first book read to you was?
I’ve told this story a lot. I do remember my first book read to me, it was also my first book love – and the source of my first ever (remembered) nightmare (and true first clear memory, period).
I was two, maybe two and a half. I know this because I still slept in a crib. I remember where it sat in the room, (directly opposite the dormer window, next to the dresser).
The dream I had involved the book “Bongo“. I remember that I loved this book. It was my absolute favorite book in the world. I wanted to hear it again and again. I loved the pictures in it. To this day I can still picture my favorite pages of the book, even though I haven’t seen it in years.
In my dream I, for whatever reason things happen in dreams, tore that book to shreds. Ripped it into pieces that were scattered all over my crib.
I woke screaming and crying so loud I think I scared the heck out of my parents.
After my Bongo nightmare I know that my book obsession only grew. I was reading at the tender age of three (my Dad swears to this day that I would read the Readers Digest cover to cover at that age). At the age of four I stole the Little House series out of my brothers room. In my defense my brother didn’t read…and really, who gave a boy the Little House Series anyway? (Sorry, Nana…I think it was you…) After I stole those books from him a new reading obsession was born. I read them through at age 4, and at least 18 more times before I graduated high school.
I still have the original Little House books, and have bought new versions to save my old ones from completely disintegrating – and in the hopes that at least one of my girls loves them as much as I have.
