Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Blog Love

I just wanted to say Thank You for all the blog love yesterday on my post. Those of you who are my core, "get me" as Christi says. You understand. And for those of you who are new here, you will "get it" as the weeks go on and you get more followers.

Speaking of which, I'd like to give a big fat Piedmont Writer Welcome to Roland, Sweetsue, Terry, Gina, Samuel, EP and Ggray. The pool is open, breakfast/coffee is in the dining room. Feel free to browse around, comment, discuss. We're all friends. (And you know, I've been doing this welcome thing for so long now you might think I would link to these new writers so you guys could meet them too. Argh!)

Anyhoo -- I added another grand to REMEMBERING YOUyesterday. I think I'm ready to close the first act. Genna's having an attitude problem though so I don't know what she's going to do. I thought she was going to fall right into Tony's arms after the big reveal last week but...well, I won't spoil it for you. You can read it right here tomorrow. Don't forget, it'll only be up for 2 days.

Speaking of which, for those of you who read last week's installment, I thought I was going to end the act right there and then. (If I put chapters in, I will definately end the chapter there.) But now with Genna on her little tantrum, I'm not sure where this is going. I picked up my outline (haha) and read it again, and I'm still on track but I need a hook. The whole pregnancy bomb came from out of nowhere and made a fantastic hook but now that I've got more to write, I'm not sure what the hook will be now. I think I've got a clue, but that isn't supposed to happen until Act 2. Hmmmm....

I'm still thinking in the "romance formula" whereas this is supposed to be more "women's fiction" so I'm just writing, hoping it will turn itself into what I want it to be. Do you ever do that? Think it one way, but write it another? I know there are "rules" for certain genre's, mystery, romance, sci-fi/fantasy... certain elements need to be set forth right from the get-go. And as I started writing this in "romance" mode, it's sort of hard for me to get out of it. Sort of.
I know I know, just shut up and write. Okay, I will.

Have a lovely day. Stay tuned tomorrow for more of Genna & Tony.

30 comments:

Crystal Cook said...

Can't wait for that tomorrow!

And I do that all the time! Think it one way, write it another!

And, I get you :) :) :)

Matthew MacNish said...

The writing never comes out quite exactly as I had imagined it, but if I edit and revise enough I can get it pretty close ... I hope.

Unknown said...

One thing I've learned on this crazy creative writing journey is the story has a life of its own, and it will go where it must go. I'm realizing my WiP isn't literary fiction at all. Not matter what I write! Looking forward to tomorrow!!

Roland D. Yeomans said...

Anne, if you create in-depth characters, their personalities will assume a presence in your novel. They will be your rudders in the flow of the story. "No, I wouldn't say that." "I would do this,and you know that." That's what makes writing so exciting. It can be surprising even to the author telling the story.

Thank you for the "coffee table" friendly comments on my latest post in my blog. Each of us who are Native American {even me whose blood is mingled} are of a tribe, the same tribe : the tribe of those whose GrandMother is the Earth, whose brothers are the wolves, whose cousins are the eagles overhead, and whose breath is the flow of the seasons, the turning of the Great Wheel.

Thanks to your comments, I feel less alone in the cyberverse. And thanks for the welcome in your blog to the great cyber-coffee table.

Have a healing, productive week, Roland

Roland D. Yeomans said...

Well, Anne, I seem to have fired a cyber-blank with my last attempt at a comment. I wrote that if we do a credible job at creating characters, their voice will direct us at certain points, saying,"No, I wouldn't say or do that, and you know that." In essence, they become rudders of a sort for our tale. That's why writing can be a surprising experience : the author sometimes is caught flat-footed by certain turn of events.

Thank you for the warm "coffee-table" comments on my last post on my blog. All of us who have Native American blood {even me whose veins have the blood of Irish wanderers and British poets as well} are of the same tribe : the tribe whose GrandMother is the Earth herself, whose brothers are the wolves who sing in the night to her, whose cousins are the eagles who fly in her skies, and whose breath is the flow of her seasons, the turning of the Great Wheel.

Thanks also for welcoming me in your blog to your large cyber-coffee table. I now feel not quite so alone in the cyberverse. Have a healing, productive week, Roland {Now, let's see if I can cast this cyber-message in a bottle off to the right seas.}

Unknown said...

Haha yes I totally do that!! Wishing really hard to make it something it isn't!! I finished my novel last week and in my head my MC was 16 but when my hubby read it he said she was older like 24... I'm like Nah it can't be however after a few days of moving on and letting it rest I picked it up to read it and my hubby was being nice she was more like 30 which is quite a jump for 16 so I have a ton of revising... in this case my MC must be 16 but I wasn't channeling her properly I was thinking about the words I use and they tend to be bigger than even I am at times, lol!

Great post!

I love the blog welcoming that's such a sweet touch!

Lola Sharp said...

I want her to fall into Tony's arms!! Please!

Michelle D. Argyle said...

Do you ever do that? Think it one way, but write it another?

ALL the time! I did that with Monarch and then ended up rewriting it because it didn't come out the way I imagined. Go figure... :)

Sarah Ahiers said...

i think around 60% of my current novel comes out different than what i intended. But that's the fun part! All the surprise!

lotusgirl said...

So much of everything comes out differently than I intend.

sarahjayne smythe said...

Hee! I'm glad you're feelint better and I'll just be sitting here waiting for tomorrow. :)

Christine Danek said...

Can't wait to read it. Till tomorrow. :)

Portia said...

I know what you mean. So often what I think I'm going to write and what ends up on the page are different. Pretty amazing, isn't it?

Terry Towery said...

My book changed genres more than my 19-year-old son changes girlfriends! It finally ended up as, well, sort of a theological/horror story that is mainly character driven.

Or something like that! :)

And thanks for the welcome. I believe I'll stick around for a while.

Cynthia Reese said...

You deserve all that blog love! And it's okay to let your story be what it's going to be, at least for the first draft. Who says you can't have a little romance in your women's fiction? Think Patricia Gaffney!

Summer Frey said...

The book I just finished changed genres and directions about 5 times. Crazy book shenanigans!

Can't wait for tomorrow!

Anne Gallagher said...

Crystal -- Thanks for "getting" me.

Matthew -- Edit and Revise, it's what I live for.

Roland -- You're very welcome, and now I'm not so alone either.

Jen -- 16 to 30 is a big jump but understandable. I don't even remember what it was like to be 16 so that's why I don't write YA.

Lola -- You're gonna HATE me!

Michelle -- I suppose I have to write it first and then play with it later. It'll all work out. It always does.

Sarah A -- Unfortunately that's what I hate, surprise.

Lois -- And that's why it's called revisions.

Sarah Jayne -- I love the way you say that... I'll just be sitting here waiting... Like a little kid waiting for an ice cream cone.

Christine -- Bright and early.

Portia -- amazingly frustrating sometimes.

Terry -- I remember the query up on TPQSP. I thought it was a great concept. Can't wait to read it.

Cynthia -- Anita Shreve as well but that was more literary than women's. But the romance was there.

Summer -- I don't think I could handle 5. I can't even handle 2.

Unknown said...

My genres are well behaved and stick at their appointed tasks. My characters are quite different they think they own their lives sometimes and have the right to make their own decisions. ;)

Talli Roland said...

What comes out comes out! Don't try to force it in one direction or the other... go with the flow and enjoy! Can't wait to read more about Genna and Tony!

B. Miller said...

Nice post! Welcome to the newbies... :D And I would love to see her go for Tony. Good luck with the writing!

Anonymous said...

Absolutely. I never wanted to write a romance. What was my first novel? Romance. *Smacks forehead*

It'll all come together. Promise!

Tara said...

I've said it before and I'll keep saying it till everyone hears me, dammit - RULES SCHMULES! Bwahahahahaaaa!

Now shut up and go write.

Can't wait for tomorrow.

(Oh, if it's not obvious, blogger has put me in a mood - this better go through.)

Anne Gallagher said...

Elaine -- That's what it's all about isn't it, listening to the characters and what they want.

Talli -- going with the flow no matter where it takes me right now.

B. -- I think you and Lola are going to gang up on me tomorrow.

E. Elle -- I always wanted to write romance, until I did. Now I want to write something else. Romance is too hard.

Tara -- Rules Schmules! You go girl!

DL Hammons said...

Truthfully, when I wrote my first book I didn't even know what a genre was! LOL Now I'm more focused and know exactly what I'm after. It may change in the future, but for now I'm pretty set.

Anne Gallagher said...

DL -- That's pretty funny. When I wrote my first book, I knew what a genre was, I just didn't know how to write in mine. Or write a novel for that matter. Learn as you go I guess.

Christi Goddard said...

I would have posted this morning, but blogger was seriously hating on me. It'd eat about half my attempts.

As usual, you're way more of an organized writer than I am. I write with a general idea of what I'd like to see, but always change my mind as I go. :-)

Anne Gallagher said...

Christi -- Blogger has been a bitch of late.
I'm not at all organized, I have an outline but have only looked at it once, and laughed. Like tomorrow, you'll see, I had nothing to do with Genna's reaction.

Shelley Sly said...

Oh yes. As much as I'm a total planner, sometimes I sit at my computer and type and type... and then I look it over and go, "When, and WHY, did I write that?"

Looking forward to seeing more of Genna, no matter what her attitude is.

Unspoken said...

YES! I do think one way, write another and end up somewhere else. Fairly sure I shouldn't but nearly always do.

Tried to write a violent/sexual scene and ended up with a single hypochondriac. Couldn't put her in the situation I intended and liked her too much to bury her story. Typical!

Anne Gallagher said...

Shelley -- I hear you! Genna has her own mind lately and she's driving me crazy!

Amy -- The one with the cat lady. I read that. That was GREAT! I so loved the fact she didn't get raped.