Well, as a true believer of signs (kismet fate karma what-have-you) it's apparent that I'm receiving quite a few from the writing gods.
You know how I said on Monday that I thought my ms. was muddied up with too much information, too many threads, too much tension? Well, it's now obvious to me that it's not. Okay, maybe not, I'll let you decide. Here are the signs.
1)Monday morning 1am - after Monster Child's stuffy nose incident, I lay awake in bed until 5:30 thinking about the story. She also did not go to school on Monday and was in my hair all day, so I only got a chance to read through up until the story started to get twisted. I made a few small changes but nothing to sink my teeth in.
2)Tuesday morning 8am - My mother called just as I had come home from dropping Monster Child off at school. I had planned to work all day on the ms. However, she was bringing the car in for service and needed my help, and while we were at it, this was the only day she could go to Kohl's as her schedule for the rest of the week was booked. She had a 30% off card and I had my $200- gift cards from Christmas that I have been meaning to spend before all the winter clearance was taken off the racks. Needless to say, it was 6:30 before I got home and didn't have a chance to work on anything.
3)Tuesday night 9pm - wrote some notes for the ms. Worked out the original storyline I had, while encompassing what I had already written. Worked out to 12,000words, not the original 20K I assumed.
3)Wednesday morning 2:30am - awakened out of sound sleep by a nightmare. Laid in bed thinking about the story again until the alarm went off.
Wednesday morning 7:20am - Monster Child accidentally spilled her juice all over my notes and because I had written them on art paper with my fancy gel pen, all the words are now garbled.
Wednesday morning - 10:30am - Must leave to go pick up said child from school as it's early dismissal today. It's also raining, so she will be inside this afternoon, watching movies, thus not allowing me to concentrate.
So what do you think? If you had all this going on right before you decided to make a semi-medium-big overhaul of your ms. would you take this as a sign NOT TO? Or do you think I'm just wacked and running on lack of sleep?
I don't know what to think. What I have so far isn't bad, actually it's pretty good, but I keep remembering what an agent said to me last year about Lady Olivia -- she's too much in the story. And that is exactly what I've done again. Stuck her nose in everybody's business. With her interference it's a will-they won't-they get together proposition. Lots of tension, lots of wondering, how will Violet end up with Haverlane?
However, I like Lady Olivia in everybody's business. She reminds me of a cozy mystery character. You never know what she'll do next. And through her I also get a little mystery, because her behind the scene's scheming does ultimately get Ellis to get off his arse and do the right thing by Violet. (She also has some of the best lines.)
In the original version, Lady Olivia is not really there until the very very very end, and has only two critical sentences to say to Ellis (and for those of you not following the story - Ellis is Haverlane). The original story is far less dramatic, still with tension, sexual and otherwise but not in your face on every page.
So what would you do? Take it as a sign to leave it alone with ALL the melodrama, or go back to the original version?
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Monday, March 14, 2011
14 Hours
I sat on the computer for 14 straight hours Saturday. Yep, you heard me, 14 freakin' hours. 7:30am - 9:30pm. I was on a roll. The word count went from 80,0823Fri. night to 85,946 Sat. night. (And yes, I did take breaks to feed and water the Monster Child. She wasn't feeling all that swell so she mostly laid around upstairs in bed.)
I was almost finished. All. Most. Finished. Probably 3000 more words. Maybe 3, possibly 4 more scenes. But, I stopped. Well, yeah, I was like wicked tired, but still wired, you know. I re-set my clock and went to bed.
I took a break on Sunday. I cleaned the house. I did some laundry. I gave away three years worth of Monster Child's clothes to a man who lost his wife and well, you know how that goes. I raked some leaves, I picked up a bunch of downed limbs. My mother came over with the dog and we dissed my sister-in-law again. Never touched the computer. Didn't even look at it.
At 1am Monday morning, Monster Child woke me up out of sound sleep crying because she couldn't breathe. (Stuffy nose. Oh yes, spring has sprung. Thanks tree pollen.)
I gave her medicine, waited until she could breathe again and lay there in the dark until 5 freaking 30, thinking about my story.
Everything that I wrote on Saturday, isn't going to work. Yeah, it's pretty good if I do say so myself, really full of tension - angst - anxiety. Poor Ellis. Poor Violet. But I have to go even further back than that. I would say the last 20,000 words aren't going to work.
I've lost the original premise of the story somewhere along the way. I mean, it's sort of there, but Lady Olivia is really playing much too much a role. It's convoluted, murky, muddied up with too much pop and wow. I was trying to make every page, every scene zing. I was listening to what I've read, you need to have tension on every page. Yeah, you know what, no, you really don't.
This story is not an action/adventure/suspense/thriller, it's a love story. A basic simple love story. Yes, there's tension, angst, and anxiety, people get hurt, lies are told, hearts are broken. If you only knew what I put poor Ellis and Violet through. Sorry, I can't tell you that.
So, I probably won't be around for the rest of the week. I really want to finish this and I was sooooo close. God, that's frustrating. I've got to go back in and find where I took that first wrong turn.
Question -- Have you ever done this? I mean, found where you went wrong right before you finished? Revisions are one thing and totally a whole beast unto themselves - but have you ever gotten almost to the end and realized you screwed up?
I was almost finished. All. Most. Finished. Probably 3000 more words. Maybe 3, possibly 4 more scenes. But, I stopped. Well, yeah, I was like wicked tired, but still wired, you know. I re-set my clock and went to bed.
I took a break on Sunday. I cleaned the house. I did some laundry. I gave away three years worth of Monster Child's clothes to a man who lost his wife and well, you know how that goes. I raked some leaves, I picked up a bunch of downed limbs. My mother came over with the dog and we dissed my sister-in-law again. Never touched the computer. Didn't even look at it.
At 1am Monday morning, Monster Child woke me up out of sound sleep crying because she couldn't breathe. (Stuffy nose. Oh yes, spring has sprung. Thanks tree pollen.)
I gave her medicine, waited until she could breathe again and lay there in the dark until 5 freaking 30, thinking about my story.
Everything that I wrote on Saturday, isn't going to work. Yeah, it's pretty good if I do say so myself, really full of tension - angst - anxiety. Poor Ellis. Poor Violet. But I have to go even further back than that. I would say the last 20,000 words aren't going to work.
I've lost the original premise of the story somewhere along the way. I mean, it's sort of there, but Lady Olivia is really playing much too much a role. It's convoluted, murky, muddied up with too much pop and wow. I was trying to make every page, every scene zing. I was listening to what I've read, you need to have tension on every page. Yeah, you know what, no, you really don't.
This story is not an action/adventure/suspense/thriller, it's a love story. A basic simple love story. Yes, there's tension, angst, and anxiety, people get hurt, lies are told, hearts are broken. If you only knew what I put poor Ellis and Violet through. Sorry, I can't tell you that.
So, I probably won't be around for the rest of the week. I really want to finish this and I was sooooo close. God, that's frustrating. I've got to go back in and find where I took that first wrong turn.
Question -- Have you ever done this? I mean, found where you went wrong right before you finished? Revisions are one thing and totally a whole beast unto themselves - but have you ever gotten almost to the end and realized you screwed up?
Friday, March 11, 2011
Friday's at the Piedmont Grille
On Today's Menu -- Quesadillas, Sudo'hone, Shrimp Lo Mein, and just for giggles, The-Two-Guys-in-Vermont-who-make-that-ice-cream Cherry Garcia.
I know, I have an eclectic sense of taste today. Goes along with the week I've had.
After the high of Monday, the rest of the week pretty much went downhill on a personal level. Okay, not all the way down, but just enough to make me grumpy. I don't honestly know how people live through a 'rainy season'.
On a writing level however, I couldn't have had a better week. I know most of you don't pay any attention to my sidebar and that's okay, but I just wanted to let you know I'm closing in on the end of Ellis and Violet's story. 77,301K as of last night at 7:45 pm.
Eight thousand more words. That's it and I'm done. I have three plot lines to tie together, a wedding to plan, and a villainess who needs to get her comeuppance. I also found a surprise surprise totally big freaking surprise NEW character who is totally freaking going to blow the doors off the end of the story. (And he will get his own book out of the deal. How cool is that? His name is Rory.)
I wrote some end notes while waiting in the pick-up line at school so I know pretty much where I'm going with the whole thing. And you know, I have to say, as much as I write in my pants, this outlining thing isn't so bad -- especially if I don't force it.
I'm sorry I don't have any links this week. I tried to get around to as many of you as I could. There's a lot of great stuff going on. Yay Roland! Yay Talli! Yay Lisa and Laura!
The writing took up a lot of time, and as you know, the writing comes first. I also got lost for two hours one day doing research, but it was important so ...
I hope you all have a great weekend. I'll be digging a trench.
**6:15 am I just heard about the massive quake and tsunami in Japan. I will be praying for those affected, and for those of you on the West Coast and Hawaii. Stay safe.
I know, I have an eclectic sense of taste today. Goes along with the week I've had.
After the high of Monday, the rest of the week pretty much went downhill on a personal level. Okay, not all the way down, but just enough to make me grumpy. I don't honestly know how people live through a 'rainy season'.
On a writing level however, I couldn't have had a better week. I know most of you don't pay any attention to my sidebar and that's okay, but I just wanted to let you know I'm closing in on the end of Ellis and Violet's story. 77,301K as of last night at 7:45 pm.
Eight thousand more words. That's it and I'm done. I have three plot lines to tie together, a wedding to plan, and a villainess who needs to get her comeuppance. I also found a surprise surprise totally big freaking surprise NEW character who is totally freaking going to blow the doors off the end of the story. (And he will get his own book out of the deal. How cool is that? His name is Rory.)
I wrote some end notes while waiting in the pick-up line at school so I know pretty much where I'm going with the whole thing. And you know, I have to say, as much as I write in my pants, this outlining thing isn't so bad -- especially if I don't force it.
I'm sorry I don't have any links this week. I tried to get around to as many of you as I could. There's a lot of great stuff going on. Yay Roland! Yay Talli! Yay Lisa and Laura!
The writing took up a lot of time, and as you know, the writing comes first. I also got lost for two hours one day doing research, but it was important so ...
I hope you all have a great weekend. I'll be digging a trench.
**6:15 am I just heard about the massive quake and tsunami in Japan. I will be praying for those affected, and for those of you on the West Coast and Hawaii. Stay safe.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
A Romance Writer's Prayer
I found this quote quite by accident last week. I thought it was fitting to use as a romance writer's prayer.
I am certain of nothing,
but the holiness
of the heart's affections
and the truth
of the imagination.
What the imagination seizes
as beauty
must be truth--
whether it existed before
or not.
John Keats 1795-1821
I am certain of nothing,
but the holiness
of the heart's affections
and the truth
of the imagination.
What the imagination seizes
as beauty
must be truth--
whether it existed before
or not.
John Keats 1795-1821
Monday, March 7, 2011
It Is Worth It -- A Public Thank You
On March 1, the Literary Lab launched its latest anthology, NOTES FROM UNDERGROUND. This is my second time being asked to contribute. (My first short story High Tide appears in the GENRE WARS ANTHOLOGY released last year.)
To say I am thrilled beyond words is an understatement. I am in the company this year, as well as last, with some of the most brilliant, innovative, and imaginative writers I have ever read.
As writers, we all stumble through rejections whether from critters, or agents, or publishers. Being chosen to participate for a second time has validated my very fragile ego and shown me, it is WORTH it. All the revising, writing, editing, late nights, early mornings, has shown me, with publication, it IS very much WORTH it.
My parents know I'm writing a book. They have never asked me about it, nor do they seem to care. Neither has ever asked -- How's it going? What are you writing? Is it finished? Neither also does not know, not only have I finished two books, I'm closing in quickly on a third. It seems we have a 'don't ask, don't tell' policy at my house. Which is fine. They do not seem to think I will succeed. (Somedays, truthfully, neither do I.) Of course, it is my deepest desire to prove them wrong.
My mother and I were having a discussion last Friday about the latest shennanigans my ugly, horrible, evil, vile sister-in-law has pulled. She hates my guts, I hate hers right back. Every so often, my mother and I give ourselves a little laugh and figure out things to make her hate me even more. So I said,
"Why don't you call Brother and tell him I published a short story for the second time in an anthology."
(You know those cliches I talked about a few weeks back, quirky eyebrows, raking hands... here's another one -- mouth agape.)
My mother's mouth hung agape, her eyes went wide, and she said after a ten second delay, "You know I don't lie."
And I said, "It's not a lie. My short story was published in the NOTES FROM UNDERGROUND anthology and it's on sale at Amazon for $10-. He can go buy it right now."
Suffice to say, everything I have ever written up to this point, including this post has been WORTH IT, just to see that look on my mother's face.
So THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART
Domey Scott Michelle
For making my literary dreams come true.
To say I am thrilled beyond words is an understatement. I am in the company this year, as well as last, with some of the most brilliant, innovative, and imaginative writers I have ever read.
As writers, we all stumble through rejections whether from critters, or agents, or publishers. Being chosen to participate for a second time has validated my very fragile ego and shown me, it is WORTH it. All the revising, writing, editing, late nights, early mornings, has shown me, with publication, it IS very much WORTH it.
My parents know I'm writing a book. They have never asked me about it, nor do they seem to care. Neither has ever asked -- How's it going? What are you writing? Is it finished? Neither also does not know, not only have I finished two books, I'm closing in quickly on a third. It seems we have a 'don't ask, don't tell' policy at my house. Which is fine. They do not seem to think I will succeed. (Somedays, truthfully, neither do I.) Of course, it is my deepest desire to prove them wrong.
My mother and I were having a discussion last Friday about the latest shennanigans my ugly, horrible, evil, vile sister-in-law has pulled. She hates my guts, I hate hers right back. Every so often, my mother and I give ourselves a little laugh and figure out things to make her hate me even more. So I said,
"Why don't you call Brother and tell him I published a short story for the second time in an anthology."
(You know those cliches I talked about a few weeks back, quirky eyebrows, raking hands... here's another one -- mouth agape.)
My mother's mouth hung agape, her eyes went wide, and she said after a ten second delay, "You know I don't lie."
And I said, "It's not a lie. My short story was published in the NOTES FROM UNDERGROUND anthology and it's on sale at Amazon for $10-. He can go buy it right now."
Suffice to say, everything I have ever written up to this point, including this post has been WORTH IT, just to see that look on my mother's face.
So THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART
Domey Scott Michelle
For making my literary dreams come true.
Friday, March 4, 2011
Friday's at the Piedmont Grille
On Today's Menu -- Turtle Soup (and make it snappy.)
I don't know why that's on the menu. It's been stuck in my head for awhile. And no, I have never eaten it.
NOTES FROM UNDERGROUND was released to the world on March 1st. I am in the company of 22 of the best and brightest writers out there. You can pick up a copy from CreateSpace, Amazon, either in real or ebook form. ( OR go to Literary Lab for the particulars.) All proceeds go to charity.
Found this article The 10 Mistakes Writers Don't See. It was pretty good and I think you should take a look at it. Some of them are so common, you don't even see them. See?
Also Gary Baker is looking for mystery/suspense/thriller short stories for an anthology. If you'd like to check it out, go here.
By an overwhelming majority -- 16 to 5 -- the choice for Who Would You Choose was A. The comfortable man. 5 of you picked D. The non affectionate man. Nobody wanted the Bad Boy or the Ugly man. And I thought for sure, passion would at least be a contender. Hmmm.... guess I better change my thought process for the next book.
And by the by, I have an addendum to add to my Regency Rank & File post. The correct way to address a Duchess is 'your ladyship' not 'your Grace'. That is only for a Duke. Thank you to the lovely Francine who knows all things aristocratic for pointing that out to me.
I'll see you all on Monday. Have a great weekend.
I don't know why that's on the menu. It's been stuck in my head for awhile. And no, I have never eaten it.
NOTES FROM UNDERGROUND was released to the world on March 1st. I am in the company of 22 of the best and brightest writers out there. You can pick up a copy from CreateSpace, Amazon, either in real or ebook form. ( OR go to Literary Lab for the particulars.) All proceeds go to charity.
Found this article The 10 Mistakes Writers Don't See. It was pretty good and I think you should take a look at it. Some of them are so common, you don't even see them. See?
Also Gary Baker is looking for mystery/suspense/thriller short stories for an anthology. If you'd like to check it out, go here.
By an overwhelming majority -- 16 to 5 -- the choice for Who Would You Choose was A. The comfortable man. 5 of you picked D. The non affectionate man. Nobody wanted the Bad Boy or the Ugly man. And I thought for sure, passion would at least be a contender. Hmmm.... guess I better change my thought process for the next book.
And by the by, I have an addendum to add to my Regency Rank & File post. The correct way to address a Duchess is 'your ladyship' not 'your Grace'. That is only for a Duke. Thank you to the lovely Francine who knows all things aristocratic for pointing that out to me.
I'll see you all on Monday. Have a great weekend.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Who Would You Choose -- An Informal Poll
As a romance writer, it constantly amazes me how people get together in real life. What is the secret of attraction? Some scientists say it's phermones. Some gurus say it's karmic law. Most people say it was a matter of being in the right place at the right time.
This is a picture of Dr. and Mrs. Alan Simpson.
I worked for them for five of the best years
of my life. They were married for 67 years.
Whenever I look at this picture I
automatically think of LOVE.
Real love. True love. The Best Love.
Tracy at Forever Endeavor does a post once a week called 'Would You Rather' and I think it's kind of wild. She gives us a choice to make between two options and boy howdy, let me tell you some of the questions are mind blowing.
So, today, I'm having an informal poll, strictly as a fun writing device for me. I want to see what real people think about love and the choices they make in it. And if you want to leave an anonymous comment you may. I don't want anyone getting upset if their spouses find out what they really think.
As I have more female friends than male, I have written the questions for the gender. But please, if you are a man, do let me know and reverse the gender accordingly.
Okay, here goes -- Who Would You Choose?
A) A moderate looking man, with moderate intelligence and is kind, sincere, and works hard. He shows you the most comfortable love.
B) A gorgeous man, with limited intelligence and is a bad boy. He shows you the most exciting love.
C) An ugly man, with exceptional intelligence and expects perfection. He shows you the most passionate love.
D) A gorgeous man, with exceptional intelligence, and is kind, sincere and works hard. Yet he never shows you love. However, it is understood he loves you.
I'm sorry we can't mix and match these up, otherwise we'd find the perfect man. And to those of you who have, good for you.
So tell me -- who would you choose?
This is a picture of Dr. and Mrs. Alan Simpson.
I worked for them for five of the best years
of my life. They were married for 67 years.
Whenever I look at this picture I
automatically think of LOVE.
Real love. True love. The Best Love.
Tracy at Forever Endeavor does a post once a week called 'Would You Rather' and I think it's kind of wild. She gives us a choice to make between two options and boy howdy, let me tell you some of the questions are mind blowing.
So, today, I'm having an informal poll, strictly as a fun writing device for me. I want to see what real people think about love and the choices they make in it. And if you want to leave an anonymous comment you may. I don't want anyone getting upset if their spouses find out what they really think.
As I have more female friends than male, I have written the questions for the gender. But please, if you are a man, do let me know and reverse the gender accordingly.
Okay, here goes -- Who Would You Choose?
A) A moderate looking man, with moderate intelligence and is kind, sincere, and works hard. He shows you the most comfortable love.
B) A gorgeous man, with limited intelligence and is a bad boy. He shows you the most exciting love.
C) An ugly man, with exceptional intelligence and expects perfection. He shows you the most passionate love.
D) A gorgeous man, with exceptional intelligence, and is kind, sincere and works hard. Yet he never shows you love. However, it is understood he loves you.
I'm sorry we can't mix and match these up, otherwise we'd find the perfect man. And to those of you who have, good for you.
So tell me -- who would you choose?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)