My Life, or something like it

My doggie Piffy - a feel-good video

2011-04-07T17:34:00.005-04:00

Survival of the fittest

2011-01-12T22:21:00.005-05:00

I used to think that animals deserved more respect than humans because they did everything to survive. It was all a process of evolution - survival of the fittest. They weren't capable of being mean or evil. (However, my experience with pets has taught me animals can premeditate, have a sense of humor, steal, envy, trick, and want.)

The more I think about it, humans also just do what they do to survive. In fact, I believe a lot of how we behave is sub-conscious - tactics that help us to survive. Whether a predator or victim, abuser or abused, we have learned behaviors to survive this world. No one is really bad or good.

What do you think?

As an example, here is an article on depression as an evolutionary survival mechanism: http://www.suite101.com/content/evolutionary-psychology-depression-a298146

Are you in?

2010-03-15T20:13:00.006-04:00

My user name is Nienke. Friend me.

Authors' Rules of Writing

2010-02-24T10:41:00.002-05:00

Authors share their personal rules for writing:
Part One
Part Two

Sun, grass, ice

2010-01-05T14:46:00.000-05:00

Symbolisms of place in literature

2009-09-04T15:31:00.002-04:00

Symbolism of Place:
The Hidden Context of Communication

Symbolism.Org: Symbolism of Place

Talks about the symbolism of place in literature. Very interesting - news you can use.

On avoiding writing...

2009-07-22T11:23:00.004-04:00

"Usually, writers will do anything to avoid writing. For instance, the previous sentence was written at one o'clock this afternoon. It is now a quarter to four. I have spent the past two hours and forty-five minutes sorting my neckties by width, looking up the word 'paisley' in three dictionaries, attempting to find the town of that name on 'The New York Times Atlas of the World' map of Scotland, sorting my reference books by width, trying to get the bookcase to stop wobbling by stuffing a matchbook cover under its corner, dialing the telephone number on the matchbook cover to see if I should take computer courses at night, looking at the computer ads in the newspaper and deciding to buy a computer because writing seems to be so difficult on my old Remington, reading an interesting article on sorghum farming in Uruguay that was in the newspaper next to the computer ads, cutting that and other interesting articles out of the newspaper, sorting -- by width -- all the interesting articles I've cut out of newspapers recently, fastening them neatly together with paper clips and making a very attractive paper clip necklace and bracelet set, which I will present to my girlfriend as soon as she comes home from the three-hour low-impact aerobic workout that I made her go to so I could have some time alone to write."

~P.J. O'Rourke

Good-bye Cody

2009-07-09T14:45:00.003-04:00

I'm so sad. My brother's family just lost their loving Collie, Cody (see picture).

Laurel L. Russwurm, my sister-in-law and a writer, wrote a moving memorial to him called "Ode To A Fifth-Hand Dog. You can read it here.

Write with Holly Lisle!

2009-07-06T17:17:00.005-04:00

I'm writing with Holly Lisle! Click here to find out how you can join us.

The script is coming along, albeit slowly. Last night I couldn't sleep because the movie started rolling in my head - including camera angles and shots! Why is it that these scenes start right when I need to go to sleep?

Paperback Writer said she composed in her head before she begins writing, now I know what she means!

Sandy Sullivan says, "I will play music sometimes when I'm writing, but if I start getting into an intense scene, I'll turn it off so I can just sit and picture it in my mind. It makes it much easier to write it, if I can see it." Click here to read the full interview over on Absolute XPress Blog.

Diane Peterfreund says, "When planning out series, I often find myself imagining scenes years and years in advance of the moment I actually get to write them. I wrote the ... "sandbar scene" in summer of 2007. I first imagined it in summer of 2005. I recently wrote a scene into KU2 that I'd been imagining also since 2005." Click here to read her post on 'set pieces.'

One writer fixes a scene by imagining himself in it as the main character. Click here to read the post on This Itch of Writing.

"Imagine the scene and let your imagination fly" is advice for writing action sequences. Check out About Writing – The Personal Blog of An Aspiring Writer to read the post.

Jurgen Wolff talks about imaging scenes to write vivid novels and screenplay scenes. His blog, Time to Write, is here.

So let your imagination go, writers. Just be prepared not to get any sleep.

Still working...

2009-06-26T16:37:00.001-04:00

Still working on my script. Slowly but surely.
Saddened at Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson's deaths.
More later.

Script Frenzy - I'm in!

2009-04-06T14:01:00.004-04:00

Click here to visit my Script Frenzy page.

Off to a great start

2009-03-12T11:10:00.003-04:00

Today I have a guest post by Holly McCarthy.

Tips for Getting Your Fiction Writing off to a Great Start

Writing fiction can be one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences that you do as a writer. You are able to create your own worlds, characters, settings, situations, and thematic elements. Sometimes, however, just getting started can be the hardest part. Here are a few tips for getting you fiction writing off to a great start.

Character Studies

What kind of characters do you want your story to have? Will they be funny, realistic, or fantastic? Taking some time to create character profiles is a wonderful way to ensure that your characters are fully developed. It’s good to know what your characters’ likes and dislikes are, what they look like, what kind of emotional problems they may have, and any number of other details. Getting in-depth with your characters will help to make them interact realistically with on another as well.

Goal Setting

Whether you have already started your work of fiction or are still in the planning phases, setting goals can make writing a large work of fiction less daunting. Set goals for each time you sit at your desk. Five thousand words a day may sound like a lot at first, but quickly becomes feasible if you make this part of your writing routine. If you want to become a prolific writer with lots of stories under your belt, you will need to learn how to achieve lofty goals regularly.

Shut the Door

Some of the best advice that can be given to any writer is to make sure that your time for writing isn’t interrupted by anyone or anything. You must make your writing time something that is non-negotiable and stick to it. This may mean late nights or early mornings are the best time to plug away at your story. The important thing is to communicate to those around you that you have set aside time to work and that you are not to be disturbed except in extreme cases.

Be Flexible

You may start out with a great idea for a story and you may feel like you shouldn’t waiver from that idea at all. However, remember that your story is a living document that will change based on a whole lot of variables. This means that any number of things related to the telling of your tale may change over the course of its telling. Be flexible and willing to make small and/or significant changes based on where the story takes you as a writer.

This post was contributed by Holly McCarthy, who writes on the subject of the best online colleges. She invites your feedback at hollymccarthy12 at gmail dot com.

Cold morning, windy day

2009-01-15T17:22:00.002-05:00

This picture I took on my walk this morning. The temperature is -18 C (0 F) and, although it's hard to make out, the steam rising from the water was mesmerizing. The lake is Lake Ontario.

Here's another picture I took from roughly the same location a few weeks ago during a wind storm. We seldom see whitecaps on this lake, so it's quite exciting to see waves. The storm had winds up to 129km (75mph), which is worthy of a Category One hurricane. The winds took out a 40' tree on our neighbouring property. Missed our house by 1 foot but killed the fence.

Distractions... (aka ways to enable procrastination)

2009-01-13T16:55:00.003-05:00

Create your own kaleidoscope

Pac-Xon (pacmanish game)

Hangman

Crossword and word search puzzles

Devolop an interactive story online

Now get back to writing!

Editor Kitteh has spoken...

2009-01-08T13:21:00.001-05:00

more animals

Season's Greeting!

2008-12-23T16:19:00.003-05:00

Season's Greetings to all my friends in cyberspace!
I hope your holiday is filled with love, peace and happiness.

I am so sad...

2008-12-17T19:30:00.003-05:00

150 cats, 3 dogs and many small animals perished during a fire at our local animal shelter.

It has been suggested that lack of funds may have contributed to proper upkeep of the building.

Please take a moment to make a donation to your local humane society - or if you can afford it, to the Durham Region Humane Society.

Character Evolution and Christmas Tree Program

2008-12-16T12:43:00.008-05:00

Aravis Girl has an interesting post about The Evolution of a Story.

In her post, she describes how her her characters evolve as she writes. Sometimes, it is in the interest of the story, but other times it's because she gets to know the characters better.

I've had the same thing happen--to the point where I end up changing the entire story because the character is leading me.
And, sometimes, my protag evolves into an entire new character.

Does this happen to you?

One of the things I enjoy doing before and during writing a story, is to continually develop my characters. I fill out a character questionnaire or two and watch the world for interesting quirks, hobbies, habits, obsessions, mannerisms, etc. to apply to my characters to help develop them. When I'm in the middle of writing story, even when I'm not actually writing, my mind is always acutely aware of my story and its characters. So, when I notice something in a person in real life or on television, for example, I will directly realize that the trait I see belongs to my character. Sometimes these traits seem to come out of the blue.

I believe a well-developed character (both in the story and behind the scenes) will lead herself in a story. The reader should never be surprised (I am not referring to plot surprises here) in how the protag responds to or avoids things (and, yes, I know there are many exceptions).

Here are some interesting articles on character evolution and how to make your character interesting without becoming a two-dimensional cliched stereotype:

J. J. Dare discusses how to keep character from becoming charicatures by using the Character Police.

How to Develop Interesting Characters discusses the need to show how the character grows and reacts to elements of the plot and story.

How to Develop a Character gives tips on developing characters and how or when to reveal these characteristics.

How to Develop Your Characters focuses on goals, obstacles, arcs, and traits.

How to Develop One-of-a-Kind Characters for your Fiction goes more in-depth by suggesting to create a resume, shopping list, journal, and more from the viewpoint of your character.

Holly Lisle's Create a Character Clinic. Very comprehensive. It just doesn't get any better than this.

Got any good character building links to share?

On a different note, for all of you programming geeks: here is a funny program for Putting up the Christmas Tree.

NaNoWriMo?

2008-12-08T22:21:00.007-05:00

NaNoWriMo?

FAIL!!

I must say, I enjoyed following others and I also very much enjoyed the guest star "pep talks."
Funniest thing? Now I'm itching to work on my story.
How'd you do?

Only a few hours to go!

2008-10-31T10:11:00.004-04:00

Uploaded my book cover to my NaNoWriMo page today. My story will be new age fiction with a hint of mystery. Title: Lost & Found.

I don't have a set outline or my plotting done yet, but I have many ideas floating around in my head. I met with my friend Melly last evening and we went over some ideas. We plan on getting together a few times throughout the month (both virtually and physically).

A couple of NaNo articles / posts of interest:

How do you write 50,000 words in 30 days?

Some helpful links to writing tools.

2007 NaNoWriMo Pep Talks

Routines for Writers - lots of great articles and tips for Nanoers.

The 13-Step Method to reach 50,000 words

More great Nano articles

One writer's journey through NaNoWriMo 2008

Another writer's NaNo journey

Good luck all! And don't forget to friend me!

It ain't easy to be original...

2008-10-20T17:47:00.004-04:00

I've decided I'm writing a fantasy story for my NaNo project. I haven't written fantasy before, but I enjoy reading it.

My hope is that a fantasy world will give me more room to be creative so I won't feel "stuck" as often. My goal for NaNo this year is to just get 50,000 words down in a somewhat understandable format. More specifically, learn how to apply myself to the act of writing.

I have a loose plot outline floating around in my mind but I haven't committed anything to paper (or computer) yet, other than some ideas.

I did come across this, tho. I realize I need to do a little soul searching not to be cliche. With a new genre, come new rules.

Here is The Fantasy Novelist's Exam by David J. Parker. It seems it's not easy to be original. I will take this exam tonight and see where I'm at with my floaters.

The Exam

Does nothing happen in the first fifty pages?
Is your main character a young farmhand with mysterious parentage?
Is your main character the heir to the throne but doesn't know it?
Is your story about a young character who comes of age, gains great power, and defeats the supreme badguy?
Is your story about a quest for a magical artifact that will save the world?
How about one that will destroy it?
Does your story revolve around an ancient prophecy about "The One" who will save the world and everybody and all the forces of good?
Does your novel contain a character whose sole purpose is to show up at random plot points and dispense information?
Does your novel contain a character that is really a god in disguise?
Is the evil supreme badguy secretly the father of your main character?
Is the king of your world a kindly king duped by an evil magician?
Does "a forgetful wizard" describe any of the characters in your novel?
How about "a powerful but slow and kind-hearted warrior"?
How about "a wise, mystical sage who refuses to give away plot details for his own personal, mysterious reasons"?
Do the female characters in your novel spend a lot of time worrying about how they look, especially when the male main character is around?
Do any of your female characters exist solely to be captured and rescued?
Do any of your female characters exist solely to embody feminist ideals?
Would "a clumsy cooking wench more comfortable with a frying pan than a sword" aptly describe any of your female characters?
Would "a fearless warrioress more comfortable with a sword than a frying pan" aptly describe any of your female characters?
Is any character in your novel best described as "a dour dwarf"?
How about "a half-elf torn between his human and elven heritage"?
Did you make the elves and the dwarves great friends, just to be different?
Does everybody under four feet tall exist solely for comic relief?
Do you think that the only two uses for ships are fishing and piracy?
Do you not know when the hay baler was invented?
Did you draw a map for your novel which includes places named things like "The Blasted Lands" or "The Forest of Fear" or "The Desert of Desolation" or absolutely anything "of Doom"?
Does your novel contain a prologue that is impossible to understand until you've read the entire book, if even then?
Is this the first book in a planned trilogy?
How about a quintet or a decalogue?
Is your novel thicker than a New York City phone book?
Did absolutely nothing happen in the previous book you wrote, yet you figure you're still many sequels away from finishing your "story"?
Are you writing prequels to your as-yet-unfinished series of books?
Is your name Robert Jordan and you lied like a dog to get this far?
Is your novel based on the adventures of your role-playing group?
Does your novel contain characters transported from the real world to a fantasy realm?
Do any of your main characters have apostrophes or dashes in their names?
Do any of your main characters have names longer than three syllables?
Do you see nothing wrong with having two characters from the same small isolated village being named "Tim Umber" and "Belthusalanthalus al'Grinsok"?
Does your novel contain orcs, elves, dwarves, or halflings?
How about "orken" or "dwerrows"?
Do you have a race prefixed by "half-"?
At any point in your novel, do the main characters take a shortcut through ancient dwarven mines?
Do you write your battle scenes by playing them out in your favorite RPG?
Have you done up game statistics for all of your main characters in your favorite RPG?
Are you writing a work-for-hire for Wizards of the Coast?
Do inns in your book exist solely so your main characters can have brawls?
Do you think you know how feudalism worked but really don't?
Do your characters spend an inordinate amount of time journeying from place to place?
Could one of your main characters tell the other characters something that would really help them in their quest but refuses to do so just so it won't break the plot?
Do any of the magic users in your novel cast spells easily identifiable as "fireball" or "lightning bolt"?
Do you ever use the term "mana" in your novel?
Do you ever use the term "plate mail" in your novel?
Heaven help you, do you ever use the term "hit points" in your novel?
Do you not realize how much gold actually weighs?
Do you think horses can gallop all day long without rest?
Does anybody in your novel fight for two hours straight in full plate armor, then ride a horse for four hours, then delicately make love to a willing barmaid all in the same day?
Does your main character have a magic axe, hammer, spear, or other weapon that returns to him when he throws it?
Does anybody in your novel ever stab anybody with a scimitar?
Does anybody in your novel stab anybody straight through plate armor?
Do you think swords weigh ten pounds or more? [info]
Does your hero fall in love with an unattainable woman, whom he later attains?
Does a large portion of the humor in your novel consist of puns?
Is your hero able to withstand multiple blows from the fantasy equivalent of a ten pound sledge but is still threatened by a small woman with a dagger?
Do you really think it frequently takes more than one arrow in the chest to kill a man?
Do you not realize it takes hours to make a good stew, making it a poor choice for an "on the road" meal?
Do you have nomadic barbarians living on the tundra and consuming barrels and barrels of mead?
Do you think that "mead" is just a fancy name for "beer"?
Does your story involve a number of different races, each of which has exactly one country, one ruler, and one religion?
Is the best organized and most numerous group of people in your world the thieves' guild?
Does your main villain punish insignificant mistakes with death?
Is your story about a crack team of warriors that take along a bard who is useless in a fight, though he plays a mean lute?
Is "common" the official language of your world?
Is the countryside in your novel littered with tombs and gravesites filled with ancient magical loot that nobody thought to steal centuries before?
Is your book basically a rip-off of The Lord of the Rings?
Read that question again and answer truthfully.

Writerz Blox

2008-10-10T13:59:00.002-04:00

I don't has it, but thought this was cute:

This kitty needs THIS kitty.

Literary Abandon

2008-10-08T10:38:00.005-04:00

Okay. I've decided. I'm participating in NaNoWriMo this year. And I'm gonna succeed.

Anyone else taking the plunge?

My info page is here - friend me if you're partaking!

Writing is about experimenting

2008-08-30T11:59:00.003-04:00

I enjoy experimenting with motivations, consequences, reactions and choices. It helps me to understand life, mankind's role in life and, best of all, myself.

Writing funnies...

2008-08-13T11:13:00.002-04:00

A visitor to a certain college paused to admire the new Hemingway Hall that had been built on campus.

"It's a pleasure to see a building named for Ernest Hemingway," he said.
"Actually," said his guide, "it's named for Joshua Hemingway. No relation."
The visitor was astonished. "Was Joshua Hemingway a writer, also?"
"Yes, indeed," said his guide. "He wrote a check."

________________________________________________________________

A linguistics professor was lecturing to his English class one day. "In English," he said, "a double negative forms a positive. In some languages, though, such as Russian, a double negative is still a negative. However, there is no language wherein a double positive can form a negative."

A voice from the back of the room piped up, "Yeah, right."

A writer died and was given the option of going to heaven or hell.

She decided to check out each place first. As the writer descended into the fiery pits, she saw row upon row of writers chained to their desks in a steaming sweatshop. As they worked, they were repeatedly whipped with thorny lashes.

"Oh my," said the writer. "Let me see heaven now."

A few moments later, as she ascended into heaven, she saw rows of writers, chained to their desks in a steaming sweatshop. As they worked, they, too, were whipped with thorny lashes.

"Wait a minute," said the writer. "This is just as bad as hell!"

"Oh no, it's not," replied an unseen voice. "Here, your work gets published."

There was once a young man who, in his youth, professed his desire to become a great writer.

When asked to define great, he said, "I want to write stuff that the whole world will read, stuff that people will react to on a truly emotional level, stuff that will make them scream, cry, howl in pain and anger!"

He now works for Microsoft writing error messages.

A   screenwriter comes home to a burned down house. His sobbing and   slightly-singed wife is standing outside. “What happened, honey?” the man   asks.

“Oh, John, it was terrible,” she weeps. “I was cooking, the phone rang.   It was your agent. Because I was on the phone, I didn’t notice the stove was   on fire. It went up in second. Everything is gone. I nearly didn’t make it   out of the house. Poor Fluffy is--”

“Wait, wait. Back up a minute,” The man says. “My agent called?”      

How many science fiction writers does it take to change a light bulb?

Two, but it's actually the same person doing it. He went back in time and met himself in the doorway and then the first one sat on the other one's shoulder so that they were able to reach it. Then a major time paradox occurred and the entire room, light bulb, changer and all was blown out of existence. They co-existed in a parallel universe, though.

How many publishers does it take to screw in a light bulb?

Three. One to screw it in. Two to hold down the author.

How many mystery writers does it take to screw in a light bulb?

Two. One to screw it almost all the way in, and the other to give it a surprising twist at the end.

How many screenwriters does it take to screw in a light bulb?

Why does it *have* to be changed?

How many cover blurb writers does it take to screw in a light bulb?

A VAST   AND TEEMING HORDE STRETCHING FROM SEA TO SHINING SEA!!!!      

How many screenwriters does it take to change a light bulb?
Answer: Ten.
1st draft. Hero changes light bulb.
2nd draft. Villain changes light bulb.
3rd draft. Hero stops villain from changing light bulb. Villain falls to death.
4th draft. Lose the light bulb.
5th draft. Light bulb back in. Fluorescent instead of tungsten.
6th draft. Villain breaks bulb, uses it to kill hero's mentor.
7th draft. Fluorescent not working. Back to tungsten.
8th draft. Hero forces villain to eat light bulb.
9th draft. Hero laments loss of light bulb. Doesn't change it.
10th draft. Hero changes light bulb.
_________________
Scooped from here.

Funniest Analogies...

2008-08-05T11:56:00.002-04:00

This is from an email I received. I thought it was too cute not to share. The e-mail says they are taken from actual high school essays and collected by English teachers across the country for their own amusement. Some of these kids may have bright futures as humor writers. What do you

think?

1. Her face was a perfect oval, like a circle that had its two sides gently compressed by a ThighMaster.

2. His thoughts tumbled in his head, making and breaking alliances like underpants in a dryer without Cling Free.

3. He spoke with the wisdom that can only come from experience, like a guy who went blind because he looked at a solar eclipse without one of those boxes with a pinhole in it and now goes around the country speaking at high schools about the dangers of looking at a solar eclipse without one of those boxes with a pinhole in it.

4. She grew on him like she was a colony of E. Coli, and he was room-temperature Canadian beef.

5. She had a deep, throaty, genuine laugh, like that sound a dog makes just before it throws up.

6. Her vocabulary was as bad as, like, whatever.

7. He was as tall as a six-foot, three-inch tree.

8. The revelation that his marriage of 30 years had disintegrated because of his wife’s infidelity came as a rude shock, like a surcharge at a formerly surcharge-free ATM machine.

9. The little boat gently drifted across the pond exactly the way a bowling ball wouldn’t.

10. McBride fell 12 stories, hitting the pavement like a Hefty bag filled with vegetable soup.

11. From the attic came an unearthly howl. The whole scene had an eerie, surreal quality, like when you’re on vacation in another city and Jeopardy comes on at 7:00 p.m. instead of 7:30.

12. Her hair glistened in the rain like a nose hair after a sneeze.

13. The hailstones leaped from the pavement, just like maggots when you fry them in hot grease.

14. Long separated by cruel fate, the star-crossed lovers raced across the grassy field toward each other like two freight trains, one having left Cleveland at 6:36 p.m. traveling at 55 mph, the other from Topeka at 4:19 p.m. at a speed of 35 mph.

15. They lived in a typical suburban neighborhood with picket fences that resembled Nancy Kerrigan’s teeth.

16. John and Mary had never met. They were like two hummingbirds who had also never met.

17. He fell for her like his heart was a mob informant, and she was the East River.

18. Even in his last years, Granddad had a mind like a steel trap, only one that had been left out so long it had rusted shut.

19. Shots rang out, as shots are wont to do.

20. The plan was simple, like my brother-in-law Phil. But unlike Phil, this plan just might work.

21. The young fighter had a hungry look, the kind you get from not eating for a while.

22. He was as lame as a duck. Not the metaphorical lame duck, either, but a real duck that was actually lame, maybe from stepping on a land mine or something.

23. The ballerina rose gracefully en Pointe and extended one slender leg behind her, like a dog at a fire hydrant.

24. It was an American tradition, like fathers chasing kids around with power tools.

25. He was deeply in love. When she spoke, he thought he heard bells, as if she were a garbage truck backing up.

The Only General Writing Advice You Will Ever Need

2008-07-28T19:33:00.002-04:00

* Writing and Editing are two separate, and different processes.

* Writing and Editing are two separate, and different processes. It is that important.

* Write first. Edit later.

* Write first. Edit later. It is that important.

* Outline only if it works for you.

* Write every day.

* Write what you want to read, not what you think someone else will.

* Keep a ritual.

* Stick to it.

* When you are not writing, read.

* Read a lot.

* Read everything: comics, newspapers, novels, magazines, screenplays, poetry, billboards, tattoos, mustard wrappers, everything.

* Read your own writing. Out loud.

* Read other people’s writing. Out loud.

* Don’t read to comprehend. This is about writing.

* Read to write. Notice the context, flow, and tone.

* Listen to people speak.

* Don’t listen to comprehend. This is about writing.

* Notice the context, flow, and tone.

* Write with different tools: keyboard, pencil, ink pen, crayon, dirt, whatever.

* Write on different mediums: grid paper, lined paper, blank paper, cardboard, LCD, canvas, dirt, whatever.

* Write in different places, but keep and maintain a Writing Home.

* Tell everyone you write: your family, your friends, the postman, the prostitutes, everyone.

* But don’t tell anyone exactly what you are writing: not even the prostitutes.

* Strike dead every should you have about writing.

* Put aside this list, and every other piece of advice, or book, or adage about writing ever offered.

* And write every day.

Snatched from here:

http://journal.barleyhut.com/the-only-general-writing-advice-you-will-ever-need/

Another cure for writers' block

2008-05-07T15:12:00.003-04:00

see more crazy cat pics

Happy Holidays!

2007-12-28T13:37:00.001-05:00

Just thought I'd pop in and wish everyone who still might happen by this blog a happy, healthy, and properous new year!

On haitus

2007-09-08T12:25:00.000-04:00

Changed jobs. Now I'm the office manager of my husband's heating and hydronics business. He's working me to the bone. ;) I'll still be visiting my usual haunts...

Please enjoy life, keep well, and keep writing!

Word Meanings

2007-08-21T11:09:00.000-04:00

The Washington Post published a contest in which readers are asked to supply alternate meanings for various words. Here are the winners:

1. Abdicate (v.), to give up all hope of ever having a flat stomach.

2. Balderdash (n.), a rapidly receding hairline.

3. Bustard (n.), a rude bus driver.

4. Circumvent (n.), an opening in the front of boxer shorts worn by Jewish men.

5. Coffee (n.), the person upon whom one coughs.

6. Dopeler effect (n.), The tendency of stupid ideas to seem smarter when they come at you rapidly.

7. Esplanade (v.), to attempt an explanation while drunk.

8. Flabbergasted (adj.), appalled over how much weight you have gained.

9. Flatulence (n.) emergency vehicle that picks you up after you are run

over by a steamroller.

10. Foreploy (n.), Any misrepresentation about yourself for the purpose of
obtaining sex.

11. Frisbatarianism (n.), The belief that, when you die, your soul goes up on the roof and gets stuck there.

12. Gargoyle (n.), olive-flavoured mouthwash.

13. Giraffiti: Vandalism spray-painted very, very high.

14. Glibido (n.), All talk and no action.

15. Hipatitis (n.), Terminal coolness.

16. Ignoranus (n.), A person who's both stupid and an asshole.

17. Inoculatte (n.), To take coffee intravenously.

18. Inspissator (n.), one who inspires covert micturation.

19. Intaxication (n.), Euphoria at receiving a tax refund, which lasts until you realise it was your money to start with.

20. Karmageddon (n.), It's like, when everybody is sending off all these
really bad vibes, right? And then, like, the Earth explodes and it's
like, a serious bummer.

21. Lymph (v.), to walk with a lisp.

22. Negligent (adj.), describes a condition in which you absentmindedly answer the door in your nightie.

23. Osteopornosis (n.), A degenerate disease.

24. Oyster (n.), a person who sprinkles his conversation with Yiddish expressions.

25. Pokemon (n.), a Rastafarian proctologist.

26. Rectitude (n.), the formal, dignified demeanor assumed by a proctologist immediately before he examines you.

26. Reintarnation (n.), Coming back to life as a hillbilly.

27. Sarchasm (n.), The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the reader who doesn't get it.

28. Semantics (n.), pranks conducted by young men studying for the priesthood.

29. Testicle (n.), a humorous question on an exam.

30. Willy-nilly (adj.), impotent.

Advice for writers...

2007-08-20T14:04:00.000-04:00

"Writing is like skiing - you will fall when you hesitate."

"Do not reduce your story to outlines and sketches, notes and 3x5 cards. You will make your story finite this way and it will suffer because it cannot grow beyond your outline."

"Let some stuff that you think is interesting drop away."

These quotes are from Advice for Writers by David L. Robbins.

"You Are Enough"

"Work With What You're Given"

"Writing Begets Writing"

These quotes are from The Three Cosmic Rules of Writing by Dennis Palumbo.

Free books and a contest!

2007-08-17T11:55:00.000-04:00

S. William Shaw is having a free ebook give-away of his titles: The Santa Mysteries and Sherman Oak and the Magic Potato. He’s also having a contest. Anyone linking to his give-away/contest entry can have their name thrown into a hat for a drawing to win a paperback copy of one of his books.

So what are you waiting for? FREE eBOOKs HERE.

Isolated and schizophrenic...

2007-08-16T11:22:00.000-04:00

You're The Poisonwood Bible!

by Barbara Kingsolver

Deeply rooted in a religious background, you have since become both
isolated and schizophrenic. You were naively sure that your actions would help people,
but of course they were resistant to your message and ultimately disaster ensued. Since
you can see so many sides of the same issue, you are both wise beyond your years and
tied to worthless perspectives. If you were a type of waffle, it would be
Belgian.

Take the Book Quiz
at the Blue Pyramid.

Thanks to Michelle Rowen for the link.

Cat amp offers advice

2007-08-16T08:45:00.000-04:00

Hobbled by amputation, Henry inspires others

Through his rescuer, a disabled cat dispenses advice to humans in pain.

Writing links

2007-08-13T09:37:00.000-04:00

Finishing Your Novel - by Timothy Hallinan

Excerpts from Novel Writing: 16 Steps to Success by Evan Marshall

John Baker has a great series on the phases of creating text.

You must want to fly so much...

2007-08-03T10:42:00.000-04:00

“How does one become a butterfly?
You must want to fly so much
that you are willing to give up
being a caterpillar.”
~Trina Paulus

“Happiness is a butterfly, which when pursued, is always just beyond your grasp, but which, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you.”
~Nathaniel Hawthorne

“Words – so innocent and powerless as they are, as standing in a dictionary, how potent for good and evil they become in the hands of one who knows how to combine them.”
~Nathaniel Hawthorne

“Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan, 'press on' has solved, and always will solve, the problems of the human race.”
~Calvin Coolidge

That's it, that's all. Have a great weekend and happy writing.

A few more words from Murray Suid

2007-07-27T08:51:00.000-04:00

Nienke,

I truly enjoyed guest blogging on THE WRITING LIFE the other day. Afterward, I found myself wishing that I could thank all those inventors who have given us this new medium for sharing our ideas and our lives. To my way of thinking, the net is close to a miracle.

Technology has long interested me. In fact, my current book project deals with engineering marvels. I’m having such fun learning about processes such as Backward Planning (huh?) and Failure Analysis. (I have lots of personal examples to draw upon.)

Back to the blog that I posted here: I want to thank the participants for their thought-provoking questions and comments. I came away enriched.

In the blog I explained that WORDS OF A FEATHER got published thanks to an agent who was looking for a funny word book. I should have mentioned the agent’s name—Carol Roth—and her website www.authorsbest.com. Carol specializes in nonfiction. Who knows? Perhaps she can be of use to some of the talented writers who frequent THE WRITING LIFE. That would be a nice denouement, which word—I can’t help but point out—relates etymologically to noose.

Murray

Speaking of words...

2007-07-25T10:52:00.000-04:00

What these words really mean:

1. ARBITRATOR: A cook that leaves Arby's to work at McDonalds

2. AVOIDABLE: What a bullfighter tried to do

3. BERNADETTE: The act of torching a mortgage

4. BURGLARIZE: What a crook sees with

5. CONTROL: A short, ugly inmate

6. COUNTERFEITERS: Workers who put together kitchen cabinets

7. ECLIPSE: What an English barber does for a living

8. EYEDROPPER: A clumsy ophthalmologist

9. HEROES: What a guy in a boat does

10. LEFTBANK: What the robber did when his bag was full of money

11. MISTY: How golfers create divots

12. PARADOX: Two physicians

13. PARASITES: What you see from the top of the Eiffel Tower

14. PHARMACIST: A helper on the farm

15. POLARIZE: What penguins see with

16. PRIMATE: Removing your spouse from in front of the TV

17. RELIEF: What trees do in the spring

18. RUBBERNECK: What you do to relax your wife

19. SELFISH: What the owner of a seafood store does

20. SUDAFED: Brought litigation against a government official

Guest blogger, Murray Suid on curiosity and words

2007-07-23T07:59:00.000-04:00

Thanks, Nienke, for your thoughtful announcement of my visit. You made me feel welcome at your remarkable website.

I’m the kind of writer who likes a distraction. Could be the smell of coffee in the other room, or a “dump your microwave oven” urban myth that plops onto my desktop. No surprise, therefore, that as I began typing this piece about words origins, I allowed my attention to be drawn to your Tip of the Day: “Always take the attitude of a learner in your writing and be open to new insights from any source.” I hope it won’t seem that I’m malingering if I comment on this sage advice before I get down to business.

In the 1990s, I enrolled in UCLA’s screenwriting program. At age 51 I thought I knew everything about cranking out scripts. I just wanted to meet producers so I could sell my work. But in my first class I discovered how much I had to learn about story structure. That humbling experience confirms the wisdom of your tip about being curious.

Now about words: In high school, I could take the study of etymology or leave it. Actually, I was more into leaving it. But as the years passed, I gradually became intrigued by word histories. I even began collecting doublets: word pairs that at first seem unrelated and yet are etymological kissing cousins. Examples include: anger & angina, automobile & mob, chaos & gasoline, computer & reputation, flatulence & inflation, candid & candidate. And my favorite: rectitude & rectum.

Such pairs—“words of a feather”— inspired me to write mini essays for my own amusement, especially when I had a pressing deadline. Take, for “excrement & secret”:

“Three may keep a secret, “wrote Ben Franklin, “if two of them are dead.” Ben’s witty observation points to the etymology of secret, which traces to the Latin se meaning “apart” and cretus meaning “separate.” A “secret” is knowledge kept apart from others. Hence, a secretary’s first function is to guard the boss’s private information. (Apparently, a few secretaries working for the British royal family never got the message.)

But what has this to do with excrement? Here’s the poop: The ex is Latin for “out” and the cre goes back to our old friend cretus, “separate.” Thus excrement refers to something “separated out.” Although in this case we’re not talking about information, it’s still a private matter, definitely hush hush.

If you want a loftier example, consider: “cosmos & cosmetics”:

The ancient Greeks named the universe kosmos, meaning “order.” Their belief that order is the key to beauty gave rise to the related word kosmetikos: the art of creating personal beauty.

The English version—cosmetics—developed around the time Isaac Newton published his theory about the orderly forces binding the cosmos.

Ironically, in this same period, the anti-adornment crowd made an effort to enact laws criminalizing the use of cosmetics for the purpose of seducing innocent victims into matrimony.

I had no plans for publishing these stories until an agent called saying that she knew an editor who was looking for a humorous word book. Did I have anything? Absolutely, only most of it was gathering digital dust on old computers. Six months later, Words of a Feather was published, which seems weird to me because I’ve spent years unsuccessfully peddling some of my manuscripts, and here came a contract out of the blue. The lesson? Even if you’re not an environmentalist, do not send your old computers to the landfill.

Lest I give the impression that etymology is merely an entertainment, let me end with a serious point. Sometimes when I’m writing, I’ll find myself staring at a word that, while I’ve used it my whole life, now seems unfamiliar.

If I look up the word’s etymology, I often have an epiphany. Here’s an example. Recently I was finishing a hilarious (don’t I hope) coming-of-age story. I viewed my protagonist Dan as a hero although he doesn’t see himself capable of accomplishing heroic deeds. Indeed, through most of the book, he wants to run away.

One day,—like Dan—I was avoiding my destiny and looking out the window rather than typing the story. The thought occurred to me that maybe Dan wasn’t a hero. Worse, I felt that I no longer even knew what a hero was. I could give the dictionary definition, but I had no emotional connection.

Curious, I looked up the etymology of hero at my favorite online etymology source (www.etymonline.com), and I discovered that hero traces back to an ancient Indo-European word meaning “protector.” Bingo! In a scene that I knew was coming, Dan has the chance to protect his town—spiritually speaking. (I admit, that doesn’t sound funny, but trust me: the moment in the story is both spiritual and funny. Or don’t trust me; buy the book when it comes out… if it comes out.)

What I’m suggesting is that if you find yourself in a word crisis, or if you simply wish to understand more deeply writing terms such as character, sentence, dialogue, climax or destiny, take a journey into etymologyland.

I used etymology today while writing this essay. I wasn’t sure that the piece would work out and that worried me. But then I learned that essay comes from the French word essai meaning “try” or “attempt.” This I have done.

Thanks for reading. And if wish, please ask me questions. But note: question relates etymologically to inquisition. So go easy.

LOLCat funny

2007-07-20T14:10:00.000-04:00

Courtesy of I Can Has Cheezburger?

Don't forget to drop by Monday for guest blogger Murray Suid on the connection between words!

Have a great weekend, folks!

BICFOK

2007-07-17T15:43:00.001-04:00

Guest blogger coming July 23rd!

2007-07-13T09:40:00.000-04:00

Murray Suid, author of Words of a Feather, will be guest blogging on Monday, July 23. Words of a Feather explores the connection

between words. Since writers live on words, I think it will be a lot of fun to learn more about them. The book is a zany, fact-filled collection of dual etymologies. So, if you have any questions about the root of a word or the connection of words, now’s your chance to ask an expert!

“Words of a Feather probes the shared histories of word pairs such as ‘adversary’ & ‘advertisement’ and ‘cosmos’ & ‘cosmetics.’ It transforms the science of etymology into a fun and powerful vocabulary-building game.

“It also goes beyond the peculiarities of linguistics to provide practical advice on a variety of subjects. For example, the ‘thank’ & ‘think’ entry gives a mini-lesson on how to make kids smarter while polishing their manners. The ‘anger’ & ‘angina’ mini-essay might actually save a few lives – or at least bring on a few smiles.”

Click here to check out an excerpt.

Murray Suid is the author of more than two dozen books including How to Be President of the U.S.A., Demonic Mnemonics, and The Kids’ How to Do (Almost) Everything Guide. A former writing instructor at San Jose State University, he developed content for software products including Oval Office and Launch: the New Millennium Business Game. A screenwriter, he recently started Point Reyes Pictures, an independent movie company.

Never Give Up

2007-07-12T09:12:00.000-04:00

Ballantine Pays $3.75 Million for a Literary Novelist's Vampire Trilogy

Garth Stein's novel The Art of Racing in the Rain has sold at auction for $1.2 million to HarperCollins

**UPDATE - speaking of not giving up, Alison Kent's cut-off date to join Seventy Days Of Sweat is Friday, July 13, at midnight.

RIP, Kathleen Woodiwiss

2007-07-11T10:15:00.000-04:00

Like I said yesterday, life is fragile.

Romance novelist Kathleen Woodiwiss dies of cancer
Kathleen Woodiwiss revolutionized the romance novel.

Woodiwiss, creator of the modern historical romance novel with feisty heroines, ornate period settings, and erotically charged adventures, died of cancer Friday in Princeton, Minn.

Woodiwiss, who had 36 million books in print, was 68.

News - Cairo RIP

2007-07-10T09:09:00.001-04:00

It happened a few weeks ago, but I'm only ready to talk about it now.
My sick kitty Cairo died.

The whole household was so distraught (my DH, MIL, our other cat Suki, and dog Piffy) that I decided on a distraction.

I'd like you to meet Simba. He fits in like butter on warm toast.

He's actually suckling on his tail. He's a rescue. Loves life and playing like there's no tomorrow.

Here he's fanning his feet (making bread/kneading) while suckling.

Suki loved him from the moment we brought him home. The first day Suki kept running up to Simba and licking him, then running away. In this picture they're caught in the act of playing. Potential LOLCat pics I think.

Life is so fragile. Enjoy every moment. Love yourself.

Best Writing Advice, Ever

2007-06-29T10:35:00.000-04:00

“The best advice I ever heard was to learn from everything. If a book's rejected, learn from the rejection. And, if there's no feedback...then figure out what you learned by writing that manuscript. All of it prepares you for your career as a published author.”

~Donna Alward is one of the few Canadians writing for Harlequin's Romance line. Her debut book is Hired by the Cowboy with a sequel scheduled for release in September.
You can learn more about Donna and her upcoming releases at www.donnaalward.com.

“The best advice I ever had was actually from a Drama teacher, and I apply it to my writing. Whenever I complained of a problem, she'd tell me, ‘It's not a problem, it's a challenge.’ Is it a problem that I'm three chapters from the end and don't know who the killer is? Is it a problem I'm writing a book with almost no dialogue? No...they're challenges! Conquer them, and I know my writing is stronger for it.”

~Kate Johnson, author of I, Spy?, part of the Sophie Green Mysteries
http://www.KateJohnson.co.uk, http://www.MySpace.com/SophieSuperSpy

Kate also writes erotic romance as Cat Marsters
http://www.CatMarsters.com, http://www.MySpace.com/CatMarsters
RRT Erotic's Best Fantasy Romance and Best Novella 2006

”My best piece of advice was getting and using the book The Writer's Market. I used the Writer's Market for Literary Agents.”

~ Nicole Delsesto, author of All Encompassing Trip
http://www.myspace.com/nicoledelsesto

Hi From Melly. Yes, Still Around...

2007-06-24T15:48:00.000-04:00

It's been a while, I know. I'm not even sure how long it's been since I've posted here.

Slowly, I'm starting to get the itch to blog again, or to return to an online community.
A friend suggested I'd join Facebook. In fact, he wanted me to join his fan club. I have. Yesterday.
So far I'm not really sure what this is all about -- never been one to understand social networking very well -- but for now I'm using it to play chess. So there's definitely a positive.

Another friend, this one an online one whom many of you I'm sure are familiar with, Patry Francis, suggested I'd join goodreads. Goodreads, it seems, is sort of a book review social network of sorts. It sure was fun to start the list of books I've read.
What I found funny, but not surprising was the average rating of the books I've read (the ones I've put in so far anyway) compared to Patry's. My average rating is 3.88 out of 5, while Patry's is 4.57.
The reason this doesn't surprise me is because a) Patry probably sticks to really good books, while I can occasionally -- knowingly -- read a book I don't think is that good (to put it mildly). b) Patry is a much nicer person (yes, I do mean than I).

Anyways, perhaps I'll start blogging again more often, perhaps not. Regardless, if you're ever around those other places, be sure to drop me a line, although I'm still not sure where all this leads to, if anything at all.

Blog posts to check out...

2007-06-12T10:40:00.000-04:00

Lilith Saintcrow gives The Five Rules of Plotting over at The Midnight Hour.

The Plot Monkeys have posted Part Two of their AGENT SERIES. Part One is here.

The Unknown Screenwriter posts about Exposure Therapy for your characters. Unk has a great series on The Transformational Character Arc. Go browse if you haven't already.

Jenny Crusie and Bob Mayer talk about tightening the plot over at their 2007 Writing Workshop. Another great sight to browse if you haven't already. It's a year-long workshop, updated twice weekly, on the craft of writing a novel.

Ian Hocking shares 10 Writing Beliefs.

Velcro City has more writing tips.

How To Write a Novel. Seriously? Okay, then. Hop to it.

words...

2007-06-04T23:20:00.000-04:00

Desire Innocence Illusion Diabolic Persistence chocolate cookie dough bizarre twisty art Morning food mystery enchantment Fantastic Conflict Luscious feisty dreamy delicious Accordion twilight mockingbird Cure the disease He couldn't remember rebirth agony childish Just Keep Breathing Ultrasound commute pink Fiction is Folks Goal Motivation Conflict Writing begets writing Vacation after finish Sparkle Shadows Peace Rowlingization Kinganomaly Supermegajumbosales

Click here for the word search.

Just Do It

2007-05-29T14:11:00.000-04:00

Image courtesy of Writing Time, a site for beginning writers that offers inspiration to fire up your creativity, exercises to jumpstart your writing, and guidelines to help you craft your creative writing, whether you're interested in writing an essay, a poem, a short story or a novel.

I challenge you to give me 3 words to inspire...

Best Writing Advice, Ever

2007-05-25T16:51:00.000-04:00

The best advice I was given was to write every day.
You get to be a better writer by writing.

~John Baker, novelist

http://johnbakersblog.co.uk
http://johnbakeronline.co.uk

The best writing advice I ever received came near-simultaneously from two different sources.

I was struggling through my first full-length work, finding it a very different and untameable animal from short fiction. Writing the book was like walking against a wind machine where life, other story ideas, and lack of polished expertise threw themselves against my every effort.

I bemoaned this fact to friend and colleague Susan McBride. Her answer was simple. "Just do it," she said. "Write straight through, stopping only long enough to jot notes on vital flashes of inspiration."

Sure it made sense, but it was too darn simplistic. And easy for her to say, I thought. She had a book series with Harper-Collins. But sometimes, the simplest of answers is the best.

Still feeling sorry for myself, I happened to pick up a copy of Stephen King's On Writing. His advice? "Just do it."

That's when the truth hit. For those of us who must write, the discipline to do so lies within that very drive. The manuscript that had sat in messy bits for fifteen months became a finished work within three, and the next novel was written in four.

~Lisa Logan, author of Visions, released January 30 2007 by Draumr Publishing

Lisa Logan is a Southern Californian with several short stories and articles published. Her first novel, Visions, was published in early 2007. Lisa is also the editor of MysteryAuthors.com, an author promotion site and flash fiction webzine.

Fun stuff to do

2007-05-18T13:14:00.000-04:00

Some fun stuff to do that might help your muse or craft along… or just help pass the time of day.

Play with words
http://www.golivewire.com/magnets/

Take some personality tests
http://testdex.com/personality_tests.html

One sentence stories
http://www.onesentence.org/

Very Short Stories
http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/14.11/sixwords.html

Have a read about arts and letters
http://www.aldaily.com

Create a story with Myths & Legends Story Creator
http://myths.e2bn.net/story_creator_beta/

Take some (free) courses to improve your writing
http://www.newsu.org/

8 Things Meme

2007-05-17T08:57:00.000-04:00

I've been tagged by at least 4 people for this meme, so I thought I'd better participate.
Thanks to Kalbzayn, Bonnie Staring, Becca Furrow, and Lady Tess (if I've missed you, I'm sorry).

8 Things About Me

Like Bonnie, but unlike Mike, I like salted licorice – love it actually. It may have been my first solid food. (I’m Dutch)
In fact, I’m not a sweets or chocolate person, and will go for savory every time. I also love cottage cheese with salt and pepper added. Or with fruit. Or with lettuce on a sandwich. (The Dutch also put everything on sandwiches)
Two years ago, I lost 40 pounds and it’s all back on. My doctor says I’m lucky I didn’t go over my original weight because that usually happens with fad diets. Perhaps I should give up the savories and the sandwiches. In all fairness, I should mention I didn't stick to the 'maintenance program.' If you follow a diet, take my advice, stick to the maintenance program.
I have no children, just three furry babies – 2 cats and 1 doggie.
I was obsessed with Marilyn Monroe for years and years. I have a large collection of coffee table books and a few original magazines with her on the cover. (Looking for a buyer for this collection, btw)
I have a hot tub on my rooftop deck.
I started several novels while in elementary school and managed several hundred pages (in total – I haven't finished a manuscript yet *sigh*).
I once produced a song (that I wrote and sang called ‘Inundation’) with Brent Bodrug (I paid him) – who has worked with artists such as Oscar Peterson and Alanis Morissette. But, don’t let that fool you into thinking it was any good… I wince when I hear it now (because unfortunately some family members got a hold of some cassette tapes).

I'm not going to tag anyone specifically. If you read this and want to do it, consider yourself tagged. Let us know about it in comments.

Happy Thursday all!

Best Writing Advice, Ever

2007-05-16T13:45:00.000-04:00

In honor of the release of her debut novel, today's best writing advice is from Kelly Parra, author of the young adult novel, Graffiti Girl (MTV Books, May 15, 2007). Check out her website, www.KellyParra.com.

"Some of the best writing advice I've heard, several times, is to believe in yourself and your writing. Writing is such an emotional, draining job. I believe in putting part of yourself and your emotions in your work. If you doubt yourself it can hurt your progress toward your dream. Work hard, believe, and write. :) "

Free books - but hurry! (Canadian residents only)

2007-05-14T13:29:00.000-04:00

Harper Collins Canada is giving away 50 copies of The Line Painter (to Canadian residents only) to kick start a MySpace reading group. I'm not sure how many are left, so hurry! More information here: http://www.myspace.com/harpercollinscanada.

The Line Painter
By Claire Cameron

It’s 1:08 a.m. when Carrie’s car breaks down on the highway somewhere north of Lake Superior. It’s dark, the road is quiet, her cell phone is down, and she is alone. She took off from Toronto that morning, running from grief over the death of her boyfriend, and unable to cope with the truth about the events that led to it. The relief Carrie feels as a truck pulls up soon turns to fear after its driver offers her a lift. Frank, her would-be rescuer, is a line painter, putting lines on the road “to stop people from being killed.” But after Carrie gets in the truck, she starts to realize that this will be the road trip of her life—a trip of terror, transformation and forgiveness.

Claire Cameron has created a unique portrait of Carrie, a young woman whose actions are driven by grief and shame, her personality a beguiling combination of naïveté and streetsmarts. Frank is equally sharply drawn, his flashes of humour and tenderness disguising the wreckage within. Written in spare, unvarnished prose that brims with menace against the forbidding backdrop of a northern landscape, The Line Painter takes us on a riveting trip down a twisted road of memory and redemption.

Best Writing Advice, Ever

2007-05-11T11:57:00.000-04:00

“My best piece of advice was getting and using the The Writer's Market (book) I used the Writer's Market for Literary Agents.”

~ Nicole, Del Sesto, author of All Encompassing Trip

Blog: http://blog.myspace.com/nicoledelsesto
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/nicoledelsesto

“The best advice I ever received about writing is also the simplest: just do it. Stop talking about doing it - sit down and get that story out.”

~ William Couper, author of Cutting Chills

Blog: http://blog.myspace.com/willcouper
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/willcouper

“The best thing I've ever heard is to write from the heart. Go with whatever it tells you.”

~ Jennifer Brown, author of Celebrity Secrets, Summer 2007

Blog: http://blog.myspace.com/jenniferbrownauthor
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/jenniferbrownauthor
Website: http://www.freewebs.com/jenniferbrownauthor/

Good Lord!

2007-05-09T09:34:00.000-04:00

If I were a book, I'd be:

You're Lolita!
by Vladimir Nabokov
Considered by most to be depraved and immoral, you are obsessed with sex. What really tantalizes you is that which deviates from societal standards in every way, though you admit that this probably isn't the best and you're not sure what causes this desire. Nonetheless, you've done some pretty nefarious things in your life, and probably gotten caught for them. The names have been changed, but the problems are real. Please stay away from children.
Take the Book Quiz at the Blue Pyramid.

To know me is to love me.

Still around!

2007-05-09T09:16:00.000-04:00

Hey guys -
I'm still around and lurking at my favorite blogs. I'm happy to say that I'm keeping busy writing and enjoying the sunny, hot weather we're having!

I'm also helping out a couple of writer friends by reading and opining on their work.

Keep on writing!

An author's writing process.

2007-05-03T11:26:00.000-04:00

Rachel Chase shares her secrets on how to write a page a week.
Click here to get a glimpse of her writing process.

Thinking blogger award

2007-04-30T16:23:00.000-04:00

Thanks to Rene, for awarding me the 'thinking blogger award.'

Now, I must choose 5 other sites that make me think. A tough one!
Since Rene has already received this honor, I will pick 5 others. I will also pick bloggers who I think will pass on the honor.

1. The Mimosa Effect 2
It's fun to follow along Desert Rat's journey of writing. DR is motivated and shares great insights on writing, poetry, life and kitty-cats. Definitely makes me think.

2. Quantum Storytelling
Redchurch can outthink us all. I just love reading his concepts and theories. Never a dull post (sometimes they're over my head - but never dull!).

3. Dr. Bill's Harley Wisdom
As a writer of romance, or any genre for that matter, I believe it's important to understand how humans interact in relationships. Well, Dr. Bill's site is the place to learn about that! He explores love and relationships to a deep level that can help writers understand why their heroines and heroes do what they do.

4. Writer Unboxed
This site has probably already been honored with this award, but I have to include them in my list. Aside from colloquial updates and insights from contributors, this site offers some incredible author interviews!

5. Write Now Is Good
I enjoy following kg's posts. Lot's of helpful information - especially her current weekly feature on organization for writers!

Fine Print:
For those of you I have selected, here's what to do next.
1. If you get were tagged, write a post with links to 5 blogs that make you think.
2. Link to this post so that people can easily find the exact origin of the meme.
3. Optional: Proudly display the 'Thinking Blogger Award' with a link to the post that you wrote.

It's really hard to pick just 5 blogs that make me think. I suggest you follow the links backwards (from the first link of the original awarder) to find many more wonderful and thought-provoking blogs.

What are some of your favorite blogs and why?

Best Writing Advice, Ever

2007-04-27T09:45:00.000-04:00

JA Konrath, author of the Lt. Jacqueline ‘Jack’ Daniels Series and editor of These Guns For Hire says:

The best advice I ever heard is from bestselling author David Morrell, who said: "Writing is a business. Treat it like one. As the business changes, you should too."

David Morrell, author of SCAVENGER, adds:

Writing is also an art. Rather than imitate or follow trends, we should write books that are uniquely our own. The goal is to be a first-rate version of ourselves rather than a second-rate version of another author.

Do you treat your writing as a business and/or an art?

April Fool Update

2007-04-26T15:08:00.000-04:00

kitty doing well

2007-04-23T14:01:00.001-04:00

Just wanted to let you know that Cairo, my tabby, is doing well. We have another appointment with the vet in a couple of weeks to determine if and when we will do the next surgery. Look at that face, how can I say no? (Trivia - liver shunts are rare in cats, but cats that do have them always have copper eyes, yet all cats with copper eyes don't necessarily have a liver shunt. Those interested in learning more about liver shunts in cats [c'mon, you should be writing], click here.)

He's playing with his brother Suki now too. Playing/fighing, who can tell?

Have you ever had to make big decisions regarding your pets?

Best Writing Advice, Ever

2007-04-20T09:13:00.000-04:00

Thanks to advice by Desert Rat, I've decided to cancel my Friday's Excuses Not to Write and focus instead on reasons to write. I thought I would celebrate this by posting 'best advice.' I've approached several published authors and asked them what's the best writing advice they've ever received or heard. I will post one or two on Fridays (when I'm able to post).

Here's the first:

"During my second year as a published author, I had a private discussion about the biz with author Susan Elizabeth Phillips. I'd gone through some very bad experiences by then, and I was seriously worried if I was even cut out to work in this industry. She told me, "Whatever you do, protect the work." I took that to heart, and from that point began removing everything in my professional life that interfered with my writing. My productivity skyrocketed in the years that followed, but more importantly, I was a much happier writer."
~ Lynn Viehl, aka PaperBack Writer, http://pbackwriter.blogspot.com/

What's the best writing advice you've ever heard?

Update and curiousity

2007-04-18T09:01:00.000-04:00

April Fool update:

I'm working on my Harlequin WIP, which is really shaping up. I also have an idea for a children's picture book (been brewing for a few years actually) and a YA novel.

What's everyone else working on these days?

RIP, June

2007-04-16T09:14:00.000-04:00

*sigh*

Canadian novelist, journalist and activist June Callwood dies at 82.

So sad.

RIP, Kurt

2007-04-12T09:30:00.000-04:00

Kurt Vonnegut dies at 84

Way back when, he was the first author that when I read one book, I bought his whole backlist. What authors had a huge impact on you?

Organizing the writing life

2007-04-10T14:52:00.000-04:00

Kristin over at Write Now Is Good has special guest blogger Sharon Sarmiento, an organization guru.
Sharon answered my question on how to organize a writer's desk on April 3 - click here.
Today's post is on how to maximize time and juggle multiple projects - click here.
Sharon's blog is here.

What's your biggest organizational challenge?

Oh, and my April Fool Update:

April Fool Update

2007-04-09T08:49:00.000-04:00

April Fool Update

2007-04-04T09:03:00.000-04:00

Foolin' around

2007-04-03T08:50:00.000-04:00

I'm an April Fool. April Fools is a writing challenge not unlike NaNoWriMo except that you set your own goal. Mine's 15,000 words for the month of April. 500 words a day, and I'm behind already. LOL

Just finished reading Gods In Alabama by Joshilyn Jackson. It's a gem. Joshilyn has a fresh voice and the story line is unique and engrossing. She has a way of making the reader root for a vulnerable character. I'm so glad her next book is out, Between, Georgia, because I crave to read more from her. I read an exerpt of the first chapter and it looks great too.

Desert Rat made a good point in the comments of my last post. Time to start focusing on reasons to write, not excuses not to. Thx DR.

Have you read any great books lately?

Friday's Excuse Not To Write

2007-03-30T11:35:00.000-04:00

Reprinted with permission from 101 Excuses Not to Write.

Oh, and the other excuse is spending time with my convalescing kitty (who's coming around remarkably)! Thank you for all your kind words and thoughts, my friends!

Happiest Woman Alive

2007-03-26T09:50:00.000-04:00

Those who know me know how much my pets mean to me. Well, I apologize for not being around much this past while, but my kitty, Cairo, has been very sick. In fact, I thought I was going to have to put him down this morning, but he showed signs of improvement over the weekend, so he's coming home.

Long story short, we thought his liver failed because he was unable to metabolize the drugs he had for an operation for bladder stones. He showed no sign of improvement last week so the vet and I decided to just wait out the weekend and see. One of the technicians at the clinic actually took him home to watch him (way above and beyond the call of duty, I might add). So, when the call came this morning, I said to the vet, "Please tell me you have good news."

"I do," he said.

I am so happy. Welcome home, Cairo.

Thank you to everyone at the Morningside Animal Clinic.

I, uh, write fiction

2007-03-15T14:49:00.000-04:00

Rene had an interesting post about her secret identity—being a writer—the other day. She came up with some good reasons why writers might avoid telling people about their writing. At the same time, she understands why people might not take her writing seriously, “because they have no idea how important it is to me.” She says, “I can't expect people to appreciate my being a writer until I appreciate it myself.”

I suppose I’m lucky in that I write for a living, so I have no issue with calling myself a writer. However, I do hold back about my fiction writing except to those closest to me. I remember how I hated telling people I was a waitress back in the days. I’d tell them I was in “public service.” So, when the opportunity came up to call myself anything but, I took it. Now I’m working on the novelist part.

Chrys, in her post ‘Own It,’ talks about how calling herself a writer was a freeing experience. She says, “You ARE a writer. Don't dismiss it. Don't shove it under the rug. Own it. Because it's who you are. No matter if you publish or not. No matter if no one but you ever reads your work. You. Are. A. Writer. OWN IT!” (God luv ya Chrys)

LINKS
I should add that I have no problem calling myself a linker so, true to form, I’ve come up with some links to help us declare our truth!

Mark Pettus, of The Bluff, had a good post, Strike three. Are you out?, last year.

Judy Reeves says, “Until your call yourself a writer, you will never be a writer who writes—and keeps writing!” In the article, an excerpt from her book, Writing Alone, Writing Together, she says,

How do you claim yourself as writer? First, say it. “I'm a writer.” Say it out
loud. Say it to yourself in the mirror. Say it to your friends and family. Say
it to the next person you meet at a party who asks, “What do you do?” Say it to
a stranger in line at the grocery store. Say it to your mother. Mostly, say it
to yourself: “I'm a writer.”

What Makes You Think You Can Write? by Debra Koontz Traverso discusses the top ten doubts writers have.

Becoming a Writer Is Not a Choice by Beth Mende Conny talks about why we must write. (By the way, this site has more awesome articles.)

Liz Strauss, in her blog post, Are You a Writer? 7 Traits that Writers Have in Common, has a list you can check yourself against. A couple items from the list:

Writers often start out feeling like an imposter. The message we’re told is that the writing is strong and compelling, or well on its way, but we think the messenger could be mistaken.
Every writer is in a self-actualizing process. Writing is an apprenticeship. A writer is always becoming a writer.
Nothing in life can prepare you to be a writer, except everything in your life.

What advice would you give to writers who don’t ‘own it’ yet?

Well hello Lajos

2007-03-09T13:38:00.000-05:00

Perhaps I live in a vacuum but, I, writing article addict, had not heard of Lajos Egri before yesterday. I stumbled across Notes on Lajos Egri’s Art of Creative Writing on Dark Cloud Press' website. Incredible.

Egri has some fundamental beliefs about creative writing which include:

"Every type of creative writing depends on the credibility of a character. Whatever a character does or says, he does or says for only two reasons:
1. To create sympathy for himself.
2. To show how important he is."

Every story needs a premise. "The premise is the seed from which the story grows. It is a thumbnail synopsis of the story you want to write."

"Desire is a mild word for the strongest motivation there is. Self-preservation is the second."

"Insecurity is the basic law of existence. All human emotions, good or evil, without exception, spring from this one eternal source."

"To create an original story, pick one individual with and outstanding trait. This person may embody all other virtues in existence, but they have one trait that makes them loveable or intolerable to live with. This character will totally possess one trait – one trait that is 100%. A compulsive trait. If you’re writing about a self-centered man, don’t make him just a little self-centered. Make his universe revolve around him alone."

Lots more. Go read the notes. I'm going to buy the book.

Sabotage and subterfuge

2007-03-05T13:55:00.000-05:00

I often despair about having no time to write, but I know it’s all a state of mind. I’m definitely one of those who enjoy “having written.”

One form of procrastination I partake in is taking on new projects such as freelance writing assignments and joining committees at my local United Way. I get so excited about them and they’re fun and satisfying, but they end up taking away the precious personal time I should be dedicating to my passion of writing fiction. I’m just a dichotomy of commitment and over-extension. The commitment side is the protagonist who loves writing and works hard towards hopefully being a published novelist one day. Then there’s the other side, the antagonist cajoling me, “You can do it. Take on more. Say yes.” He always makes me feel like I can do it all.

Well, I finally put my foot down. I’ve resigned from the UW and my most recent freelancing project. It was hard and I felt guilty, but it’s time for me to learn to say no and pay attention to MY list of priorities.

What subtle techniques do you use to avoid writing? What do you do to beat them?

"a masterpiece of organized chaos"

2007-02-28T08:42:00.000-05:00

You think you're a plotter?

Check out Will Self's office - click here. (Then click on photo to see next photo.)

Warning: these photos are intended for mature writers only.

Friday's Excuse Not To Write

2007-02-23T16:41:00.000-05:00

Reprinted with permission from 101 Excuses Not to Write.
What do you do to keep yourself motivated with your writing?

On using dialogue

2007-02-21T13:44:00.000-05:00

As a follow-up to my post about dialogue tags, I thought I would offer some links on how to write dialogue. What I found interesting in my research is that what characters say is important, but so is what they don't say. In addition, body language is a very important part of communication -- which lends itself well to avoiding the use of tags.

When writing dialogue, remember this:

Studies have shown that, in a face-to-face interaction, 58 percent of communication is through body language, 35 percent through how it was said, and a mere seven percent through the content of the message.

In addition, how well do your characters listen? Do they always understand the true meaning behind what's being said? Dialogue, and the interaction that surrounds it, can be a great tool to show your character's goals and characteristics as well as a tool to help you manipulate your story.

Here are some links:
Holly Lisle's Dialogue Workshop
Dialogue Tips
Special Tips On Dialogue For The Romance Writer
How To Improve Your Dialogue
Dialogue: The best action
Dazzling Dialogue Tips
Writing Dialogue - Part One
Writing Dialogue - Part Two
Writing Good Dialogue
Ten Tips for Writing Dialogue
Punctuating Dialogue
Writers' Toolkit - Dialogue
Writing Effective Dialogue
"Good Dialogue," the Editor Said.
Tension In Dialogue
12 Exercises for Improving Dialogue

Romance Novel TV

2007-02-20T09:14:00.000-05:00

Okay, this is just too much fun.

Romance Novel TV

Dialogue tags NOT to use

2007-02-16T13:39:00.000-05:00

Writing advice on dialogue often tells us to use only the word 'said' as a dialogue tag. They seldom tell us what words not to use. Here are words NOT to use as dialogue tags:

Acknowledged
Added
Admitted
Advised
Agreed
Announced
Answered
Approved
Argued

Asserted
Assumed
Assured
Asked
Babbled
Bargained
Began

Bellowed
Boasted
Bragged
Called
Claimed
Commanded
Commented
Complained
Cried
Decided

Declared
Demanded
Denied
Described
Dictated
Emphasized
Estimated
Exclaimed
Explained
Expressed
Feared
Giggled
Grinned
Grunted

Howled
Indicated
Insisted
Instructed
Laughed
Lectured
Lied
Mentioned
Moaned
Mumbled
Murmured
Nagged
Noted
Notified
Objected
Observed
Ordered
Pleaded
Pointed out
Prayed
Predicted
Questioned
Reassured
Related
Repeated
Replied
Responded
Requested
Restated
Revealed
Roared
Ruled
Scolded
Screamed
Shouted
Shrieked
Snapped
Sneered
Sobbed
Spoke
Sputtered
Stammered
Stated
Stormed
Suggested
Taunted
Thought
Told
Urged
Uttered
Vented
Vocalized
Voiced
Vowed
Wailed
Warned
Whispered

Got more?

How to Write a Book

2007-02-15T17:10:00.000-05:00

How to Write a Book in Three Easy Steps

CLICK HERE

I command thee... I mean me

2007-02-13T17:06:00.000-05:00

Gretchen Rubin over at The Happiness Project has made a list of 12 commandments for herself. I think that’s a great idea. I especially like her first one, ‘Be Gretchen.’ I think I’ll steal it for my own commandments (as well as a couple of others that are perfect for me).

Nienke's 10 Commandments

Be Nienke
Do it now
Do not let emotions rule me
Write every day (of course, what do you expect on a blog called The Writing Life?)
Stand up for myself
Believe in myself
Enjoy life – every day and every moment
Don’t take things personally
Do something nice for myself every day
Don’t betray myself

What would be on your list?
What would be on your protagonist's list?

Friday's Excuse Not To Write

2007-02-09T15:32:00.000-05:00

Reprinted with permission from 101 Excuses Not to Write.

What do you do to keep yourself motivated with your writing?

And, since you're not writing, why not check out online writing magazine, Vision?

Monday is business in your bathrobe day

2007-02-08T14:37:00.000-05:00

Meet Spice Author Jina Bacarr, author of The Blonde Geisha and Naughty Paris:

http://www.businessinyourbathrobeday.com/
http://www.webmomz.com/

Humpday Hunk

2007-02-07T16:32:00.000-05:00

Sean Patrick Flanery

Powder is one of my favorite movies. But, really folks, can this be the same guy that played Powder??? To boot, he's credited with more than 66 shows and films! No actor's block there.

Speaking of blockages, check out this post on hacks for writing.

Me

2007-02-07T09:02:00.000-05:00

Close the book

2007-02-01T10:49:00.001-05:00

When a book is not being read, it should be closed.

(That's my Cairo BTW)

Isn't it romantic?

2007-01-26T12:43:00.001-05:00

Understanding human behavior - especially how it relates to love and romance - is important for the romance novelist. Here are some links so you can avoid real writing...

"Romance novels also can provide opportunities for learning about adult loving relationships," says Dr. Bill Emener on his blog, Dr. Bill's Harley Wisdom. Emener has been a licensed psychologist for 33 years and is the author of self-help book Adult Loving Relationships, and romance novels Fear of Feeling Loved and My Sweetpea: Seven Years and Seven Days.

In his post, Emener talks about three distinct stages of adult loving relationships and how they relate to real life as well as romance novels. Check it out.

John Bowlby believed psychoanalytic view that early experiences in childhood have an important influence on development and behavior later in life. Our early attachment styles are established in childhood through the infant/caregiver relationship. In addition to this, Bowlby believed that attachment had an evolutionary component; it aids in survival. He devoted extensive research to the concept of attachment and came up with his own theory, which you can find here. Click here for more on Bowlby's Attachment Theory.

The people we're most attracted to are those who have a blueprint that complements our own. We're looking for similarities of experience but, more significantly, we're also looking for differences. Read more about the Unconscious Fit.

How to be romantic.

Romance 101 includes articles on Manhood, Murphys Laws On Sex, and Intimacy (short, but makes a good point for writers).

What about you? Got any tips on romance?

Furry Babies

2007-01-22T14:26:00.000-05:00

Thought I'd post some pictures of my furry baby collection. Just because.

This is my australian cattle dog/hound mix, Piffy (short for Epiphany). She's 7. We got her from a border collie rescue mission that saved her from euthanasia when she was 2. She had been stray before that and was very, very skinny. She's not so skinny anymore.

If you're a regular reader of my blog, you may remember we adopted an abandoned cat in July. This is Cairo. He's just over a year now.

Another picture of Cairo.

This is Suki, another abandoned kitty we took in during October. He was 10 weeks then, so he's about 5 or 6 months old now. He is so soft and cuddly. He's also gained about 10 pounds since then.

Another Suki post (this one's older from November when he was still closer to 2 pounds).

Who else has pictures posted of their furry babies? Share your link so I can check them out.

Inner Conflict

2007-01-18T13:02:00.000-05:00

So, I’ve done some research to try and understand the concept of inner conflict a little better. My main issue was whether or not you could – or should – have inner conflict independently of external conflict. It seems the two are more intertwined than I thought. Which, BTW, will make writing a little easier for me.

The Ottawa-Carlton District School Board English 4U Student Handbook says, “Inner conflict refers to emotional or analytical struggles a character has due to his values, his role in society, or the company he finds himself with. For example, Willy Loman cannot emotionally ignore his failure as a breadwinner, failure as a faithful husband, and his failure to bring up decent sons.”

Redchurch says, “The best advice I've read says that where you can, try to link the inner conflict with the external and interpersonal conflicts.” He also says, “Someone being forced to compromise their values of honesty is an inner conflict. But, it is externalized if they are forced to confront a corrupt police force, for example. Their inner conflict is smacking right up against something going on in the world. If it's just their inner conflict by itself, it's not as powerful as when some external factor or force creates conflict based around the character's inner values.”

Mary Casanova says, “We all struggle. We carry around inner conflict in the private places of our hearts where we search for our identity; we struggle with ego, pride, and jealousy; we cry out for love and yearn to be heard; and we try to listen to the small, still voice of God. The heart is a place of darkness and light, often in conflict with itself. It is from the heart that conflict originates and resolution emerges, and in the heart that change and personal growth occur.”

Caro Clarke says, “Conflict is opposing desires, mismatches, uncertainty, deadlines, pressures, incompatible goals, uneasiness, tension. We are all caught up in some of these conflicts every day. And, so should your characters. A convincing story has many conflicts built into it, layered and connected. The first layer is inside your characters. Once you know what these are, you can use them to make the conflicts between the characters more convincing and interesting.

“A character's inner conflict is not just being in two minds about something, not just being torn between obvious incompatibles (“I want to be a priest, and yet I love her”) but is about being in a new situation where old attitudes and habits war with and hinder the need for change. For instance, a man who drives himself to succeed because he doesn't want to be like his happy-go-lucky father is suddenly confronted with a situation where he isn't winning. Or an executive discovers that her ambition to be vice president of her company is being thwarted by her own self-doubt. This war inside each of your characters makes them act and react in complex ways.

“You show these internal conflicts not by means of internal dialogue (which is a cop-out and is dull), but by showing your characters responding to their own inner compulsions. She, for instance, decides to confront her own self-doubts by taking on a no-win project where the local people are opposing a development. She is determined to be hard-nosed, prove she's vice-president material. He is always confrontational, fearing that one minute of negotiation would be the first step to becoming a wimp like his father. You have a grade-A opposites-attract situation here, yet it is believable because we understand why each of them is acting the way they do, why they are foolishly stubborn, by it's important for each of them to win.

“A character's inner conflict can be between what he thinks he wants and what he really wants… Conflict must always be resolved, and every layer you create needs its closure. A satisfying and economical way of achieving this is to use one big knot to close two or more conflicts together in the same action or in a double whammy, where one leads ineluctably to the next.”

Finally, Michael Hauge says, “WHAT IS YOUR HERO'S DESIRE? What compelling goal does your hero HAVE to accomplish by the end of the movie, and why does he desperately want that? The answer to these questions will define your story concept, propel the plot forward, give the reader a specific outcome to root for and lead you deeper into the inner motivations of your character.

“WHAT TERRIFIES YOUR HERO? On the plot level, this question will force you to determine which obstacles the hero must face to achieve his objective -- what's at stake for him, what's he up against and which conflicts will give the story its necessary emotion? And on the level of character growth and theme, your hero's emotional fear will reveal his inner conflict: the wounds from his past, the identity he clings to, the risks he is desperate to avoid and the arc the story will lead him through as he finds his necessary emotional courage.”

Thanks everyone, for your comments, which basically said: “Just write already!” So, off I go.

Image courtesy of Magdalene Gluszek.

Help!

2007-01-16T14:56:00.000-05:00

I've been working on my WIP and, while I write, I'm not concentrating at all times on my characters' goals, motivations, and conflicts. Is this something for the second draft? Should I plot more extensively before I write?

Also, what is your definition of inner conflict (vs. external conflict) and can you give me an example?

Thx guys.

a lotta linky fun

2007-01-11T09:01:00.000-05:00

IMHO, these are worth checking out...

Storybase.net
The Paris Review - Interviews
Novel in 90 Days (LiveJournal group)
Whole Writing (redchurch - I think you'll like this one)
Angela Booth's Top Ten Writing Tips To Help You To Write More
POWER POPP! - dedicated to helping people realize their dreams. Success lies in wait for those who plan, organize, pursue, and persist.
Poynter Online Ten Paradoxes of the Writing Life

Okay, that's enough. Get back to work.

Friday's Excuse Not To Write

2007-01-05T08:27:00.000-05:00

Reprinted with permission from 101 Excuses Not to Write.

What do you do to keep yourself motivated with your writing?

Happy New Year!

2007-01-02T14:26:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year to all!

Every year, I make a list of all aspects of my life and how I want to improve them. I've written about this before, and every year the list includes writing more.

I've learned a lot about myself as a writer this past year, so now it's a matter of putting a plan into place. Like my most recent post addresses, right now I'm learning about structured writing processes versus organic writing. This issue is not unlike plotters versus pantsers. I thought I was a total plotter, but my recent experience with a story that had to come out has make me rethink my whole strategy. For me, what it comes down to is finding what will make me want to keep writing. I still think plotting is important, but perhaps my Virgo side took over and I need to learn to relax a little. The bottom line: GET THE FIRST DRAFT DONE ALREADY.

So, my writing goal? To get the first draft done. I'll be setting a deadline and plan of action and try to keep away from my incessant desire to research, plot, and build story lines.

On another note, I watched some of the Rocky movies yesterday. One channel had a marathon featuring Rocky I to V. Every time I watch these movies, I am so impressed with the writing (by Sylvester Stallone). True, the plot is simple, but Stallone does a great job in creating characters with desires and needs, plotting, and remembering the audience can figure things out for themselves. I find his writing almost textbook well done. And, with each movie, he develops his characters further. So now I'm dying to see the newest installment, Rocky Balboa. I've heard it's pretty good... anyone seen it yet?

So, my questions to you: Any writing resolutions? Did you like Rocky Balboa and why?

Muse - full speed ahead

2006-12-28T14:24:00.001-05:00

During a fitfull sleep the other night, I kept dreaming the story of a girl named Lacy. I kept waking up, even to the point of reading for a while, but every time I fell asleep, I returned to Lacy's story. I suppose it's a love story because she tells me about her relationship with Ned Stevens - how she met him, how she feels about him, etc.

What was interesting to me, was the story was told as a story, to the point of the actual opening sentence and so forth. Every detail was rich to the specks of dust, smells, sounds, feelings. When morning rolled around I had no choice but to get up and get the story out of my brain and on paper (virtual paper, that is). I wrote it as it came to me, with the understanding that it would need editing later to remove some of the surreal dream aspects.

I discussed it with Melly and told her how good it felt to have the need to write back. The book I've been working on was created consciously, with the goal of a certain Harlequin line in mind. Once I get going on it, it flows, but the process is just that... a process.

Writing the story that came to me unconsciously is effortless. I'm curious what experience you've had with this. Do your stories come naturally or are they forced? Do you think one method is better than another? Do we need to work with both in order to be productive?

Characters - real or fictional?

2006-12-19T10:16:00.000-05:00

Okay, so anyone who knows me a bit, knows how concerned I am about my characters being real and 3-D. I don't like one-dimensional characters, I like development, I like character driven books (although I have been know to be an Asimov fan, so go figure...).

In any event, lately, I decided my antagonist needed a little change in character to make him more interesting. You see, despite the interesting bits I tried to inject to his character, at the end of the day, I felt he was predictable.

So I made him do something out of character. Being the selfish, self-centered, control freak that he is, I made him do a selfless act.

I discussed this with a buddy who said that while in real life, this would probably never happen as we do tend to stay in character, in fiction it is necessary. Fictional characters, he said, should act totally against their nature as it adds more depth to them and it makes for great drama.

So it's a funny thing. I keep wanting to have "real characters," yet to make them real, they have to be fictional. I like this.

Fugitive found a home

2006-12-14T23:18:00.000-05:00

Hi everybody .... it's Melly

After Nienke's last post, I fear the news might disappoint...
You see, my own blog was suffering neglect of late. So following the sad state of my blog, Nienke offered me a refuge here, in her corner.

Let me tell you, this is the best solution I could come up with. I can actually stay within the community of writer-bloggers I've grown to know over the past year (or so). I can't believe how kind (and smart) Nienke is. I'm forever indebted to her.

I'm really excited about this and can't wait to "meet" all of Nienke's friends I don't know yet.

So to many more posts and collaborations.

Thanks for having me Nienke and everybody :)

Exciting news

2006-12-14T09:06:00.000-05:00

I have some exciting news about this blog... I just can't tell you yet. However, there will be some significant changes and I think many readers will be pleased.

Stay tuned folks!

My Life, or something like it

My doggie Piffy - a feel-good video

Survival of the fittest

Are you in?

Authors' Rules of Writing

Sun, grass, ice

Symbolisms of place in literature

Symbolism of Place: The Hidden Context of Communication

On avoiding writing...

Good-bye Cody

Write with Holly Lisle!

Still working...

Script Frenzy - I'm in!

Off to a great start

Cold morning, windy day

Distractions... (aka ways to enable procrastination)

Editor Kitteh has spoken...

Season's Greeting!

I am so sad...

Character Evolution and Christmas Tree Program

NaNoWriMo?

Only a few hours to go!

It ain't easy to be original...

The Exam

Writerz Blox

Literary Abandon

Writing is about experimenting

Writing funnies...

Funniest Analogies...

The Only General Writing Advice You Will Ever Need

Another cure for writers' block

Happy Holidays!

On haitus

Word Meanings

Advice for writers...

Free books and a contest!

Isolated and schizophrenic...

Cat amp offers advice

Writing links

You must want to fly so much...

A few more words from Murray Suid

Speaking of words...

Guest blogger, Murray Suid on curiosity and words

LOLCat funny

BICFOK

Guest blogger coming July 23rd!

Never Give Up

RIP, Kathleen Woodiwiss

News - Cairo RIP

Best Writing Advice, Ever

Hi From Melly. Yes, Still Around...

Blog posts to check out...

words...

Just Do It

Best Writing Advice, Ever

Fun stuff to do

8 Things Meme

Best Writing Advice, Ever

Free books - but hurry! (Canadian residents only)

Best Writing Advice, Ever

Good Lord!

Still around!

An author's writing process.

Thinking blogger award

Best Writing Advice, Ever

April Fool Update

kitty doing well

Best Writing Advice, Ever

Update and curiousity

RIP, June

RIP, Kurt

Organizing the writing life

April Fool Update

April Fool Update

Foolin' around

Friday's Excuse Not To Write

Happiest Woman Alive

I, uh, write fiction

Well hello Lajos

Sabotage and subterfuge

Symbolism of Place:
The Hidden Context of Communication