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 22, 2012 | Critters, Writing, writing tips
“The best writing is rewriting.” ~ E. B. White
That is so absolutely true. The first draft of a literary project is rarely presentable, whether it’s fiction, non-fiction, or somewhere in between. My writing tends to be a “stream of consciousness” sort of event, words jotted down as the imaginings unfold.
While I’m writing, I taste, hear, smell, see, and feel the same things that my characters are feeling. I interpret it from their unique and distinctive perspectives. I tell their story as I see it flowing through their eyes. My characters and I are experiencing the story, together. I am their emissary. I am their ambassador to the reader.
I can’t just hook my readers into my brain so they can watch it like a movie, however. I need to make the life of my story real for my readers, too.
That, my friends, is where a good critique writer (“critter”) comes in to play.
It’s the critter who tells you to change your verbiage (“was” and I are still locked in an on-going death match). It’s a critter who detects that storyline or timeline flaw. “How did that character leave when he never showed up?” They’re the ones who listen to your sentences and taste the flavor of your imagery.
The best critter is someone who is your paramount cheerleader. They want you to write, to succeed, and to accomplish your goal. They motivate you. They yell at you to write when you really just want to cruise Facebook. They call for the “PowerHour” of writing that gets you one chapter closer. A good critter helps you write YOUR story. Not his or her story. The good critter offers positive and negative feedback.
A critter is your battle buddy, your writing partner, and your shoulder. They’re with you from the start, and they’ll be with you until well past the end.
Sometimes they’ll make you cry. Sometimes they’ll make you laugh.
The best writing is the writing done when you’ve truly found what it is you want to say and paired it with what it is you need to say.
Writing is the tangle of your mind and imagination, let out for the world to see. Successful critiquing is the untangling of that knot, so the world can truly see each beautiful strand.
*~*~*~*~*
Fiona is a Work-At-Home-Mom with two lovely daughters and a hyperactive dog. She is currently writing a romantic fiction novel and fending off The Muse at every other opportunity, while staring at the growing pile of “Good Ideas” that are beginning to litter her home office. Fiona has worked as an Analyst in the Army, a computer systems engineer, and is currently working as a “jack of all trades” in marketing and business operations. Fiona’s blog, The Writer’s Block (http://fionadruce.blogspot.com), archives her on-going struggle with writing, her thoughts on writing, and the very important random topic that comes to mind at 3 am in the morning and must be published.
I am very happy to welcome today’s Guest Post Author, Fiona. She’s a new friend, and a new crit partner I have found in this vast world of the WWW. We appear to be kindred spirits and I’m very glad she came by to visit today!!
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 | Apr 16, 2012 | Challenge, I Am Polish, Trifecta, Writing
[flickr id=”7084174865″ thumbnail=”small” overlay=”true” size=”small” group=”” align=”left”] We bring out the pussy willows.
They don’t understand.
An ancient tradition to be sure, but it always brings a second glance. Begs explanation.
We bring forth the water (and water guns). We drink, we splash, we laugh.
They still don’t understand.
We drink Bloody Mary’s and eat Platzek for breakfast. Kielbasa for lunch. Galumpki’s for dinner (with copious amounts of beer, of course).
They still don’t understand – but they sure don’t care anymore.
We dance the polka from morning til night.
We observe the grandest Dyngus Day in years. Without the bitter temps to try to douse our fun – the city is more alive than ever.
The Buffalo Polish – we know how to party.
*~*~*~*
I’m back in the Trifecta Writing Challenge . Where we are supposed to submit a piece of writing between 33 and 333 words using the third definition of the chosen word. The word this week was “observe”. Considering Dyngus Day just happened last week (and I had to miss it) I thought I would celebrate by-proxy.
ob·serve verb \əb-ˈzərv\
1: to conform one’s action or practice to (as a law, rite, or condition) : comply with
2: to inspect or take note of as an augury, omen, or presage
3: to celebrate or solemnize (as a ceremony or festival) in a customary or accepted way
by Sarah | Apr 9, 2012 | Writing, writing tips
[flickr id=”6818404384″ thumbnail=”small” overlay=”true” size=”small” group=”” align=”left”]I first started my serious attempt at writing about 5 years ago. I always enjoyed writing, I loved the challenge of it, the escape of it – but never had I thought to try for the harsh, cruel world of publishing.
Five years ago I dove in blind. No one told me how harsh & cruel it was. Nope. I learned that shiznit all on my own.
Today I like to call myself older and wiser. At least I like to pretend I’m wiser. All it ever takes is one conversation with another writer to realize I’m blind to yet another error in my writing.
I look back at my first attempts (or even first drafts) and I cringe. So many times in writing I’m a whore.
An Adverb Whore (oh, that was my longest stint into writer whoring – I had a deep, sick love for the -ly’s). Then I became a Head-Hopping Whore. I tried to fit as many of those POV’s into one chapter as I could. For a brief stint I dabbled in Purply Prose Whoring (so this still slips in once in a while – I write romance a little purple makes it in).
The other day thanks to some DFL (Another post on that soon) I found a new friend, a fellow writer. In general conversation about editing she mentioned having to take out all of the “was” in her novel.
I heard alarm bells. Screeching alarm bells.
Turns out I’m a Whore for a good (or is it bad?) “Was”. In my 90k novel, I started with 1400+ before I began weeding them out. I don’t have a target to drop them to, but I’m reviewing and removing what I can as I go. I’d like to get that number way down.
So what are you a Whore for? What slips its way into your writing without you noticing because you enjoy the company of a familiar error?
I can’t wait to get a clue-in to my next flagrant whore-out. </end sarcasm>
**********
*IGEH = Insert Grammatical Error Here
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?
