As I mentioned before, I'm participating in Camp NaNoWriMo this month. Not going for the ultimate prize at 50K words, just trying to replace the words I lost when I cut the last several chapters of Hidden Souls in the editing process in May. So, I have a measly goal of 15K words.
So far, I'm almost up to 4K. Keeping mostly on track, falling behind every now and then, but not too bad. Word sprints are about the only thing keeping me up with my word counts, so I guess I can thank Twitter for something :)
Anyway, since I've written some more, I figured it's only fair to give you another teaser.
~*~
Brushing off her hands and knees, she moved to the door and wiggled the handle. Unsurprisingly, it was locked. Shaking her head, she pulled the screwdriver out of her sock gingerly pressed her ear to the door, and only heard the soft breathing and grunting of the guard who had been sitting there before. Her hand shaking, she slowly worked the screwdriver into the small hole on the lever knob, pulling the knob casing off the door. Smiling, she worked the screwdriver into the gap between the door and the trim of the handle, sliding it off and revealing the screws underneath.
~*~
My, my, what is 'she' up to? I admit, Sophia surprised me with this skill. I'm gonna have to go back and investigate just how she figured out how to remove a door handle where there are no visible screws. I also might end up trashing this scene, at least in part, because I'm not sure how it would make logistical sense--if she's really locked in the room, 1) is she going to be able to remove the door handle, especially with a guard just on the other side of the door, and 2) would that really help her?
Food for thought.
Showing posts with label Author Notes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Author Notes. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 8, 2014
Monday, June 30, 2014
Pop Culture References
I was browsing the NaNo forums in preparation of starting to write tomorrow, and ran across a thread talking about which pop culture references you are and are not allowed to use in your novel (song lyrics are a no-no, just about everything else is fair game as long as you don't go into libel territory). One person commented about how (s)he does not use pop culture references in writing, because if the novel survives for 50 years, the novel might seem dated with those references.
So I thought about it. And my conclusion is that you can't avoid dating your novel. The Tomb, by F Paul Wilson, was written in 1984. It's sequel, Legacies, was published in 1998. There were so many references to technology that was commonplace in 1984 but wasn't around in 1998 (payphones, walkmans, etc), and visa versa, that Wilson opted to rerelease The Tomb after making heavy setting edits. These things weren't the focus of the book by any means--just helped get the reader into the setting, but dated the book.
Classics do it too. They are set in a specific time period, which is clear by the setting. It's part of the novel. Would Romeo and Juliet, complete with the language that they use to speak, make sense translated to modern times? Of course not. But the story remains true. Which is why it has been adapted and modernized, why West Side Story exists. Tangled tells the classic story of Rapunzel, a story that was written in the 16th century (and probably originated long before that). But it was modernized and made more acceptable for modern audiences, even if the setting (a kingdom without technology) wasn't changed much. At the time it was written down, it was something that might've actually happened down the block.
So to say that you aren't going to incorporate your culture of the time into your novel, which is set in modern day American (or wherever) is silly. The choices your characters make, the very people they are, depend on their surroundings. You cannot be a teenager or young adult in today's society and not be touched by computers, or celebrities, or what have you. You cannot ignore the tension between the religious right and the liberal left, or the constant debates over gay marriage and abortion that seem to plague the media. They don't have to be the foundation of your character's actions, but his or her upbringing will affect how they look at those of different race, gender, and sexuality. Or how he or she might react if the nation was attacked by Japan. Or how he or she talks and communicates with others (texting vs phones vs computers, etc).
If you write a good story, there's no reason not to believe that in 50 years, it still won't touch people's hearts. So avoiding references to the year that your novel is written is silly. Instead, focus on making sure that your story can touch people who may not understand the culture you describe.
So I thought about it. And my conclusion is that you can't avoid dating your novel. The Tomb, by F Paul Wilson, was written in 1984. It's sequel, Legacies, was published in 1998. There were so many references to technology that was commonplace in 1984 but wasn't around in 1998 (payphones, walkmans, etc), and visa versa, that Wilson opted to rerelease The Tomb after making heavy setting edits. These things weren't the focus of the book by any means--just helped get the reader into the setting, but dated the book.
Classics do it too. They are set in a specific time period, which is clear by the setting. It's part of the novel. Would Romeo and Juliet, complete with the language that they use to speak, make sense translated to modern times? Of course not. But the story remains true. Which is why it has been adapted and modernized, why West Side Story exists. Tangled tells the classic story of Rapunzel, a story that was written in the 16th century (and probably originated long before that). But it was modernized and made more acceptable for modern audiences, even if the setting (a kingdom without technology) wasn't changed much. At the time it was written down, it was something that might've actually happened down the block.
So to say that you aren't going to incorporate your culture of the time into your novel, which is set in modern day American (or wherever) is silly. The choices your characters make, the very people they are, depend on their surroundings. You cannot be a teenager or young adult in today's society and not be touched by computers, or celebrities, or what have you. You cannot ignore the tension between the religious right and the liberal left, or the constant debates over gay marriage and abortion that seem to plague the media. They don't have to be the foundation of your character's actions, but his or her upbringing will affect how they look at those of different race, gender, and sexuality. Or how he or she might react if the nation was attacked by Japan. Or how he or she talks and communicates with others (texting vs phones vs computers, etc).
If you write a good story, there's no reason not to believe that in 50 years, it still won't touch people's hearts. So avoiding references to the year that your novel is written is silly. Instead, focus on making sure that your story can touch people who may not understand the culture you describe.
Tuesday, May 27, 2014
Cruising Along
Well, I think I got the climax of Hidden Souls re-written. I think. This is my third or fourth time working on it, so we'll see if it stands the test of time. Now I just have to link up to where I edited the rough draft with the climax and I'll be all set. My manuscript, including the bad ending, was sitting at 52K words, which makes me think that I should probably add in a subplot or two. But we'll see how it looks when I've tidied up the ending and added in some descriptions in other places.
Still debating whether or not to pursue publication, so I guess that would make a difference one way or the other.
I also found a place for Zach. I definitely think he'll be making a reappearance in Reclaimed Souls, but I tweaked him a bit and added him back in to Hidden Souls. So I can still have fun with him!
I got my schedule for the next year (July-June), and it turns out I have an easy July, and a moderately easy August, so maybe I'll join in Camp NaNo this year. At least for the word sprints and motivation to help me get parts of this book written. Or maybe to write Reclaimed Souls (possibly from scratch. We'll see).
As a thanks for sticking with me, I give you a very short teaser from the ending to Hidden Souls.
~*~
Sophia took a few slow, deep breaths and slowly pushed herself into a seated position. The ropes no longer bound her to the ground and she shakily rose to her feet, struggling to see anything in the room around her. "Hello?" She called out, tentatively moving her foot forward.
~*~
Sadly, any more than that and I'd give away some major plot points. Maybe next week, I'll give you another outtake. Or some background. Or something. I should probably get back to writing before I promise anything else :)
Still debating whether or not to pursue publication, so I guess that would make a difference one way or the other.
I also found a place for Zach. I definitely think he'll be making a reappearance in Reclaimed Souls, but I tweaked him a bit and added him back in to Hidden Souls. So I can still have fun with him!
I got my schedule for the next year (July-June), and it turns out I have an easy July, and a moderately easy August, so maybe I'll join in Camp NaNo this year. At least for the word sprints and motivation to help me get parts of this book written. Or maybe to write Reclaimed Souls (possibly from scratch. We'll see).
As a thanks for sticking with me, I give you a very short teaser from the ending to Hidden Souls.
~*~
Sophia took a few slow, deep breaths and slowly pushed herself into a seated position. The ropes no longer bound her to the ground and she shakily rose to her feet, struggling to see anything in the room around her. "Hello?" She called out, tentatively moving her foot forward.
~*~
Sadly, any more than that and I'd give away some major plot points. Maybe next week, I'll give you another outtake. Or some background. Or something. I should probably get back to writing before I promise anything else :)
Tuesday, May 13, 2014
Rewriting + Deleted Scene!
Rewriting is really hard. After much deliberation and torture on my part, I've decided to rewrite the last 50 pages of Hidden Souls. Part of this is because I took the plot in a different direction while writing flashbacks in Reclaimed Souls last November, and part of it comes from the fact that I never really liked the ending anyway.
And with rewriting comes writer's block. So that's where I'm stuck now. I also just need to get back in the groove of writing. Unfortunately, that's a little challenging when you have 5 projects in progress. Editing is not the fun part of this process, but it is the most vital.
But, I did find very interesting scene I wrote with a character named Zach. I completely forgot about Zach until I was flipping through the last bits of the print-out, trying to figure out where I took the ending initially. Clearly, he wasn't that important of a character if I don't remember him at all. Maybe I'll recycle him in book 2. For now, though, you get a deleted scene while I continue to work out how the heck I'm going to make the leap from what I have to what I want out of the ending. Wish me luck!
~*~
“There's got to be something here...” Sophia muttered, flipping through the pages of a rather large book.
“I didn't think anyone knew how to look things up in books now.”
Sophia jumped and glanced up at the intruder. He was tall, with blonde hair and a tan giving a slight glow to his skin. He was wearing a simple t-shirt with some intricate design and a pair of dark jeans. “I've found books to be slightly more reliable than the internet,” she responded.
He slid into the chair across the table from her. “But the internet contains much more up-to-date information.”
She shook her head. “Some books may be outdated, but that doesn't mean that the vast majority of the information on the internet is current.”
He reached over and lifted her book slowly so that he could see the cover. “History of Millsville. Reading up on our fine city's history, then?”
She shrugged and ran her finger down the page again. “I saw something downtown that peaked my interest, so I thought I'd do a little extra reading.”
He laughed softly. “A girl like you really shouldn't stay cooped up in the library like this.”
Sophia raised her eyebrow and set her pen down. “And what kind of girl am I?” she asked, the corner of her mouth going upwards slightly. She saw a glimmer out of the corner of her eye and turned to see Michael walking over.
The man didn't notice and shrugged at her question, leaning back in the chair and stretching his legs out under the table. “Pretty. Witty. Spunky.”
“Real original one, he is,” Michael deadpanned, staring at the intruder.
Sophia laughed softly. “Spunky, huh? Don't think anyone's called me that in years. I'm Sophia,” she said, extending her hand.
The man grinned and leaned forward, kissing her hand gently. “Enchante, madamoiselle. I'm Zach.”
“Seriously? He's laying it on a bit thick, don't you think?” Michael said, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning against the table.
“Nice to meet you, Zach,” Sophia said, blushing slightly and pulling her hand back.
“Is there anything I can help you find?” he asked, leaning over the table.
“Actually, I'm not really sure what I'm looking for, so I don't know how you can help,” she said apologetically.
“Yeah, you heard her... back off bud.” Michael leaned forward on the table toward Zach. Sophia turned slightly and raised her eyebrow at him, causing Zach to frown and look around in confusion.
“Something wrong?” he asked.
She turned back to him and smiled. “No, no... I just thought I saw someone in the corner. Trick of the light, I suppose.”
~*~
I didn't say it was a good deleted scene, mind you. Plus, you get it in its unedited form. Those always suck more. *nods*
And with rewriting comes writer's block. So that's where I'm stuck now. I also just need to get back in the groove of writing. Unfortunately, that's a little challenging when you have 5 projects in progress. Editing is not the fun part of this process, but it is the most vital.
But, I did find very interesting scene I wrote with a character named Zach. I completely forgot about Zach until I was flipping through the last bits of the print-out, trying to figure out where I took the ending initially. Clearly, he wasn't that important of a character if I don't remember him at all. Maybe I'll recycle him in book 2. For now, though, you get a deleted scene while I continue to work out how the heck I'm going to make the leap from what I have to what I want out of the ending. Wish me luck!
~*~
“There's got to be something here...” Sophia muttered, flipping through the pages of a rather large book.
“I didn't think anyone knew how to look things up in books now.”
Sophia jumped and glanced up at the intruder. He was tall, with blonde hair and a tan giving a slight glow to his skin. He was wearing a simple t-shirt with some intricate design and a pair of dark jeans. “I've found books to be slightly more reliable than the internet,” she responded.
He slid into the chair across the table from her. “But the internet contains much more up-to-date information.”
She shook her head. “Some books may be outdated, but that doesn't mean that the vast majority of the information on the internet is current.”
He reached over and lifted her book slowly so that he could see the cover. “History of Millsville. Reading up on our fine city's history, then?”
She shrugged and ran her finger down the page again. “I saw something downtown that peaked my interest, so I thought I'd do a little extra reading.”
He laughed softly. “A girl like you really shouldn't stay cooped up in the library like this.”
Sophia raised her eyebrow and set her pen down. “And what kind of girl am I?” she asked, the corner of her mouth going upwards slightly. She saw a glimmer out of the corner of her eye and turned to see Michael walking over.
The man didn't notice and shrugged at her question, leaning back in the chair and stretching his legs out under the table. “Pretty. Witty. Spunky.”
“Real original one, he is,” Michael deadpanned, staring at the intruder.
Sophia laughed softly. “Spunky, huh? Don't think anyone's called me that in years. I'm Sophia,” she said, extending her hand.
The man grinned and leaned forward, kissing her hand gently. “Enchante, madamoiselle. I'm Zach.”
“Seriously? He's laying it on a bit thick, don't you think?” Michael said, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning against the table.
“Nice to meet you, Zach,” Sophia said, blushing slightly and pulling her hand back.
“Is there anything I can help you find?” he asked, leaning over the table.
“Actually, I'm not really sure what I'm looking for, so I don't know how you can help,” she said apologetically.
“Yeah, you heard her... back off bud.” Michael leaned forward on the table toward Zach. Sophia turned slightly and raised her eyebrow at him, causing Zach to frown and look around in confusion.
“Something wrong?” he asked.
She turned back to him and smiled. “No, no... I just thought I saw someone in the corner. Trick of the light, I suppose.”
~*~
I didn't say it was a good deleted scene, mind you. Plus, you get it in its unedited form. Those always suck more. *nods*
Sunday, March 9, 2014
I'm Alive!
So clearly, I didn't finish NaNo. Things just got absolutely crazy at the end of the month with interviews and trying to get time on an actual computer to write, and I just lost my motivation. First time I've participated and haven't won. Sadness.
And then I disappeared for like 5 months. Sorry about that. I have a couple things in the works right now (one medical narrative submitted to a student publication, one in the works for our school's literary magazine, and potentially an actually entry into On the Premises), and am determined to get Hidden Souls second draft done by graduation. Determined. I've been putting it off for like 3 years now. Seriously, I need to get it done. And then we'll see about the publication route. I haven't entirely decided what I'm going to do yet.
News, though!
Amtrack is having a writing residency program, where people basically write while taking a really long train ride. I've been encouraged to apply, and it sounds kinda cool and generally fun. But, in order to do that, I had to break down and get a Twitter account. So, you can now find me @CLFiction. Hopefully that'll be updated more frequently than this blog. I'm working on it, I swear!
And then I disappeared for like 5 months. Sorry about that. I have a couple things in the works right now (one medical narrative submitted to a student publication, one in the works for our school's literary magazine, and potentially an actually entry into On the Premises), and am determined to get Hidden Souls second draft done by graduation. Determined. I've been putting it off for like 3 years now. Seriously, I need to get it done. And then we'll see about the publication route. I haven't entirely decided what I'm going to do yet.
News, though!
Amtrack is having a writing residency program, where people basically write while taking a really long train ride. I've been encouraged to apply, and it sounds kinda cool and generally fun. But, in order to do that, I had to break down and get a Twitter account. So, you can now find me @CLFiction. Hopefully that'll be updated more frequently than this blog. I'm working on it, I swear!
Sunday, October 6, 2013
New Goals and Announcements
Have I mentioned lately that I hate editing? Cause I really do. So much so that even though I had ample time to finish editing Hidden Souls by my birthday, I barely did any more editing than when I made that promise.
But, I have a new goal. I have decided to take part in NaNo again this year. Without any inspiration for any stories lately, I've decided to write the sequel to Hidden Souls. I still don't know what the plot is, but I have lots of ideas of how I want to start it, so that's something. I just need to figure out some sort of conflict.
Since I'll be doing interviews for a good portion of November (already have 2 scheduled that month, and hope for at least three more), I'm not sure how successful I'll be at winning this year, but I'm going to try anyway. Wish me luck!
In other news, my dear friend Ayden Morgen has now published her second book!
Introducing.... Fall, Book 2 of the Ragnarok Prophesies!
Summary:
How do you save someone who doesn't want to be saved?
Those called to stand guard against the end are broken, and Sköll and Hati run free. Now Arionna Jacobs and Dace Matthews face a threat unlike any before. Ragnarök is coming and they aren't strong enough to stop it.
Arionna thought she understood sacrifice, but she never counted on her destiny tearing Dace apart. Ever since she nearly died, he has been consumed with guilt. Now it threatens to turn him into the monster he always feared.
It's up to Arionna to stop him before it's too late, but the path to hell is paved with good intentions, and Dace is hurtling toward self destruction. This time, Arionna isn't sure she can save him from himself. Can she convince him to let the past go, or is her true destiny to sacrifice her heart in exchange for the lives of the people she loves?
FALL – The Ragnarök Prophesies: Book Two is now available at Amazon and Barnes and Noble, and will be available in paperback soon!
FADE – The Ragnarök Prophesies: Book One is available now at Amazon US, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, and other major retailers.
About the Author:
A.K. Morgen lives in Little Rock, Arkansas with her husband, three dogs, and demonic cat. She has a graduate degree in Criminal Justice and Law, and plans to save the world some day. When she’s not writing, she spends her time teaching her niece and nephews how to cause mischief. You can also find her dancing in the grocery store, building a spork army, and fundraising for nonprofits close to her heart.
You can learn more about Ayden at http://akmorgen.com or by following her on Twitter, Goodreads, or Facebook.
But, I have a new goal. I have decided to take part in NaNo again this year. Without any inspiration for any stories lately, I've decided to write the sequel to Hidden Souls. I still don't know what the plot is, but I have lots of ideas of how I want to start it, so that's something. I just need to figure out some sort of conflict.
Since I'll be doing interviews for a good portion of November (already have 2 scheduled that month, and hope for at least three more), I'm not sure how successful I'll be at winning this year, but I'm going to try anyway. Wish me luck!
In other news, my dear friend Ayden Morgen has now published her second book!
Introducing.... Fall, Book 2 of the Ragnarok Prophesies!
Summary:
How do you save someone who doesn't want to be saved?
Those called to stand guard against the end are broken, and Sköll and Hati run free. Now Arionna Jacobs and Dace Matthews face a threat unlike any before. Ragnarök is coming and they aren't strong enough to stop it.
Arionna thought she understood sacrifice, but she never counted on her destiny tearing Dace apart. Ever since she nearly died, he has been consumed with guilt. Now it threatens to turn him into the monster he always feared.
It's up to Arionna to stop him before it's too late, but the path to hell is paved with good intentions, and Dace is hurtling toward self destruction. This time, Arionna isn't sure she can save him from himself. Can she convince him to let the past go, or is her true destiny to sacrifice her heart in exchange for the lives of the people she loves?
FALL – The Ragnarök Prophesies: Book Two is now available at Amazon and Barnes and Noble, and will be available in paperback soon!
FADE – The Ragnarök Prophesies: Book One is available now at Amazon US, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, and other major retailers.
About the Author:
A.K. Morgen lives in Little Rock, Arkansas with her husband, three dogs, and demonic cat. She has a graduate degree in Criminal Justice and Law, and plans to save the world some day. When she’s not writing, she spends her time teaching her niece and nephews how to cause mischief. You can also find her dancing in the grocery store, building a spork army, and fundraising for nonprofits close to her heart.
You can learn more about Ayden at http://akmorgen.com or by following her on Twitter, Goodreads, or Facebook.
Saturday, July 20, 2013
Keep on Keeping On
I have not dropped off the face of the Earth. I'm actually quite busy from a writing perspective. I'm working on editing Hidden Souls, which is proving to be even more difficult than I anticipated. But, I'm currently 80 pages into it, which I think is the furthest I've gotten really doing editing. I mean, I made it all the way through Meira's Journey, but that wasn't fixing the story, just doing writing edits.
But I've changed the direction of the story so much that the rest of the manuscript is going to be a bear to get through. I have to figure out which scenes to cut, and which to just modify. With any luck, I'll be done by the end of September. I'm currently without Internet, else I'd pose teasers, but that's a bit more difficult when my edits don't sync up to Dropbox. I should be getting it within the next couple weeks, though, so look forward to that.
Wish me luck!
But I've changed the direction of the story so much that the rest of the manuscript is going to be a bear to get through. I have to figure out which scenes to cut, and which to just modify. With any luck, I'll be done by the end of September. I'm currently without Internet, else I'd pose teasers, but that's a bit more difficult when my edits don't sync up to Dropbox. I should be getting it within the next couple weeks, though, so look forward to that.
Wish me luck!
Sunday, May 19, 2013
Personal Statement
This, I'm sorry to say, has absolutely nothing to do with fiction. I know I'm way behind on doing anything remotely related to my creative writing, but I blame school. I've had more time recently to do stuff, but I've also been trying to study for the second biggest exam of medical school. Only a couple more of these things and I'll actually be able to practice medicine.
Anyway, I'm working on my application for residency. Getting letters of recommendation, writing a personal statement...
Stop there for a moment. Personal statements. The free-flowing words that's supposed to describe absolutely everything you want to convey to an admissions committee. Or in my case, a residency director. For medical school, the whole point of the essay was to describe why I wanted to be a physician. Easy enough, once I got started. Now, I'm going to be a physician regardless. Maybe not licensed, if I can't land a residency, but a doctor none-the-less. So I have to start from scratch. And describe why I want to go into my specialty of choice.
It's hard. Because it's not good enough to say that I feel at home, or I'm just happier when I'm in my specialty of choice. No, I have to explain why. This essay has seriously taken up probably 30 hours of my life so far. I've written three drafts. Hopefully I'm close to the finished product now. I've submitted the most recent draft to my advisor for feedback. We'll see what she says.
A couple of my friends have said that since I'm a writer, this should be an easy task for me. Let me tell you... writing fiction and writing about yourself are two completely different things. I suck at writing about myself. I'm not too great at writing fiction either, because my language isn't very flowery, but I at least manage to get my thoughts down on the page and do a fairly good job at describing what I see in my mind's eye. Editing is what is used to refine something, not the initial writing. I'm awesome at writing rough drafts. I suck at editing.
In a couple weeks, I should have all the stuff I need for residency taken care of. At least for a little while. So when I have a week off and then head off to camp for a few weeks, I'm either going to write or edit. I'm determined to finish at least one book before I finish med school. Heaven knows I probably won't have time to write, let alone edit, one after med school's over.
Anyway, I'm working on my application for residency. Getting letters of recommendation, writing a personal statement...
Stop there for a moment. Personal statements. The free-flowing words that's supposed to describe absolutely everything you want to convey to an admissions committee. Or in my case, a residency director. For medical school, the whole point of the essay was to describe why I wanted to be a physician. Easy enough, once I got started. Now, I'm going to be a physician regardless. Maybe not licensed, if I can't land a residency, but a doctor none-the-less. So I have to start from scratch. And describe why I want to go into my specialty of choice.
It's hard. Because it's not good enough to say that I feel at home, or I'm just happier when I'm in my specialty of choice. No, I have to explain why. This essay has seriously taken up probably 30 hours of my life so far. I've written three drafts. Hopefully I'm close to the finished product now. I've submitted the most recent draft to my advisor for feedback. We'll see what she says.
A couple of my friends have said that since I'm a writer, this should be an easy task for me. Let me tell you... writing fiction and writing about yourself are two completely different things. I suck at writing about myself. I'm not too great at writing fiction either, because my language isn't very flowery, but I at least manage to get my thoughts down on the page and do a fairly good job at describing what I see in my mind's eye. Editing is what is used to refine something, not the initial writing. I'm awesome at writing rough drafts. I suck at editing.
In a couple weeks, I should have all the stuff I need for residency taken care of. At least for a little while. So when I have a week off and then head off to camp for a few weeks, I'm either going to write or edit. I'm determined to finish at least one book before I finish med school. Heaven knows I probably won't have time to write, let alone edit, one after med school's over.
Sunday, December 2, 2012
Fandom For Preemies Compilation
I think I mentioned a while ago that I was making a contribution to the Fandom For Preemies fundraiser. I have done this each time the group has sponsored a fundraiser, and I really do hope I make some impact by doing so.
At any rate, this time, I donated the prologue to Found, since it was easier to donate that than to try to edit one of my old stories into shape.
Unlike what I've done before, in posting the story after a month of exclusivity, I will not be posting the prologue here. You'll still get excerpts every now and then, but you will not get the prologue in its entirety, unless I publish someday.
So, I encourage you all to head over to Fandom For Preemies to find out how to donate. Basically, if you donate $5 to March of Dimes by 1/1/13 and forward your receipt to them, they will send you the compilation.
March of Dimes is a worthwhile organization that has been so effective in their crusade that they had to change their focus from eliminating Polio to reducing the incidence of birth defects and premature births. I encourage you to check them out and donate whatever you can to help their cause.
At any rate, this time, I donated the prologue to Found, since it was easier to donate that than to try to edit one of my old stories into shape.
Unlike what I've done before, in posting the story after a month of exclusivity, I will not be posting the prologue here. You'll still get excerpts every now and then, but you will not get the prologue in its entirety, unless I publish someday.
So, I encourage you all to head over to Fandom For Preemies to find out how to donate. Basically, if you donate $5 to March of Dimes by 1/1/13 and forward your receipt to them, they will send you the compilation.
March of Dimes is a worthwhile organization that has been so effective in their crusade that they had to change their focus from eliminating Polio to reducing the incidence of birth defects and premature births. I encourage you to check them out and donate whatever you can to help their cause.
Friday, November 30, 2012
Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner! (NaNo Day 30)
That's right! Despite not writing a total of 7 days this month, I managed to squeak by and get 50K words down. AND, I managed to actually finish the plot of my novel. Now, I need to go back and do a lot of character building, because I was focusing so much on the plot that I kinda made some rather large jumps in the personalities of my characters.
But that's what December is for. Or something.
Some stats:
Days: 30 (minus 7, if you want to be technical)
Words: 51358 (by my word processor; 50659 by NaNo's validator)
Pages: 164
Characters: 7 involved in the action, one more that plays a key role in the story, and four others that are named.
Happy Ever Afters: 4, I think. But the readers only explicitly know of one.
Sequels: ???
Number of headaches: 1. Right now. I'm going to lie down now.
Monday, November 26, 2012
Names (NaNo Day 26)
I'm horrible with names. I love picking first names for my characters, because I always give them a name that means something.
Blanche, for instance, is the descendant of Snow White. Blanche is french for White. Voila. Each of my main characters has a similar story behind their name.
But last names are my downfall. I picked one at random for Ms. Blanche, only to discover that the last name I picked was someone I went to high school with... who was named Blanche. Fail on my part. But rather than sit there and go through dozens of name possibilities, and making sure that the names meant something for the characters, I posted it to my friends. What should I name my characters?
So, I now introduce you to my main character cast:
Blanche Mitchell
Aileen Fisher
Jason Johnson
Rowan Maxwell
Dawn Stern
And my supplemental characters:
Madge Reynard (affectionately known as Nana)
Wilhelm Herrmann
Thomas Fisher (Aileen's brother)
Harold and Eleanor Johnson (Jason's mother and father)
Everyone else, at this time, who has a name does not have a first and last name. For instance, I have Susie, the receptionist at the office Jason works. I have David, a stablehand at the stables that Aileen frequents. They aren't important enough to the story to either get names that matter or get both first and last names. Poor things, I know. Of course, Jason's parents fall into that category, but since they're family, they get a last name too. They just got lucky that way.
In terms of the word count... I'm back to being a day behind, but I've finally gotten a rough layout of how I want the novel to finish up, so maybe I'll be able to get all caught up and finish the thing by Friday. I'm debating whether or not I want to enter the Virtuosos competition. I'd like to think that I wrote a pretty good novel, but I know it needs heavy editing, and I'm not sure I'll have the time to keep up with things come January, when I start Surgery.
Well, I suppose it's a moot point if I don't finish the novel by Friday midnight. So I guess I'll just wait until then to see where I go from there.
Blanche, for instance, is the descendant of Snow White. Blanche is french for White. Voila. Each of my main characters has a similar story behind their name.
But last names are my downfall. I picked one at random for Ms. Blanche, only to discover that the last name I picked was someone I went to high school with... who was named Blanche. Fail on my part. But rather than sit there and go through dozens of name possibilities, and making sure that the names meant something for the characters, I posted it to my friends. What should I name my characters?
So, I now introduce you to my main character cast:
Blanche Mitchell
Aileen Fisher
Jason Johnson
Rowan Maxwell
Dawn Stern
And my supplemental characters:
Madge Reynard (affectionately known as Nana)
Wilhelm Herrmann
Thomas Fisher (Aileen's brother)
Harold and Eleanor Johnson (Jason's mother and father)
Everyone else, at this time, who has a name does not have a first and last name. For instance, I have Susie, the receptionist at the office Jason works. I have David, a stablehand at the stables that Aileen frequents. They aren't important enough to the story to either get names that matter or get both first and last names. Poor things, I know. Of course, Jason's parents fall into that category, but since they're family, they get a last name too. They just got lucky that way.
In terms of the word count... I'm back to being a day behind, but I've finally gotten a rough layout of how I want the novel to finish up, so maybe I'll be able to get all caught up and finish the thing by Friday. I'm debating whether or not I want to enter the Virtuosos competition. I'd like to think that I wrote a pretty good novel, but I know it needs heavy editing, and I'm not sure I'll have the time to keep up with things come January, when I start Surgery.
Well, I suppose it's a moot point if I don't finish the novel by Friday midnight. So I guess I'll just wait until then to see where I go from there.
Saturday, September 1, 2012
Fade
I know, I know. I haven't posted in months. I'm in some of the rough rotations in school again, and I'm finding a hard time to get the motivation to write (well, edit, mostly) during the little free time I had. I'm working on it.
But I'm not here today to talk about me.
One of my best friends is getting her book published this week. I don't exactly have the readers to get her to put the time and effort into writing a blog post for me, so I'm doing it myself.
The book? Fade, Book One of the Ragnarok Prophesies, by A.K. Morgen.
Why should you buy it? Well, beside the fact that I think it's an awesome storyline, and uses Norse mythology, something you don't see too often in stories... a portion of the proceeds does go to benefit the Ronald McDonald House, one of Ayden's favorite charities.
Synopsis:
What do you do when you realize nothing in your life is what you’ve believed it to be?
When Arionna Jacobs loses her mother in a tragic accident, her world is turned upside down. She’s forced to leave her old life behind and move in with her father. Dace Matthews, a teaching assistant at her new college, is torn in two, unable to communicate with the feral wolf caged inside him.
When they meet, everything they thought they knew about life unravels. Dace has intimate access to Arionna’s mind, and something deep within her fights to rise to the surface. They don't understand what's happening to them or why, and they're running out of time to sort out the strange occurrences around them.
Their meeting sets an ancient Norse prophesy of destruction in motion, and what destiny has in store for them is bigger than either could have ever imagined. Unless they learn to trust themselves and one another, they may never resolve the mystery surrounding who they are to one another, and what that means for the world.
You can learn more about the book and check out excerpts, as well as author interviews and whatnot at Ayden's blog: www.akmorgen.com.
You can also add Fade to your bookshelf on Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15830521-fade
But I'm not here today to talk about me.
One of my best friends is getting her book published this week. I don't exactly have the readers to get her to put the time and effort into writing a blog post for me, so I'm doing it myself.
The book? Fade, Book One of the Ragnarok Prophesies, by A.K. Morgen.
Why should you buy it? Well, beside the fact that I think it's an awesome storyline, and uses Norse mythology, something you don't see too often in stories... a portion of the proceeds does go to benefit the Ronald McDonald House, one of Ayden's favorite charities.
Synopsis:
What do you do when you realize nothing in your life is what you’ve believed it to be?
When Arionna Jacobs loses her mother in a tragic accident, her world is turned upside down. She’s forced to leave her old life behind and move in with her father. Dace Matthews, a teaching assistant at her new college, is torn in two, unable to communicate with the feral wolf caged inside him.
When they meet, everything they thought they knew about life unravels. Dace has intimate access to Arionna’s mind, and something deep within her fights to rise to the surface. They don't understand what's happening to them or why, and they're running out of time to sort out the strange occurrences around them.
Their meeting sets an ancient Norse prophesy of destruction in motion, and what destiny has in store for them is bigger than either could have ever imagined. Unless they learn to trust themselves and one another, they may never resolve the mystery surrounding who they are to one another, and what that means for the world.
You can learn more about the book and check out excerpts, as well as author interviews and whatnot at Ayden's blog: www.akmorgen.com.
You can also add Fade to your bookshelf on Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15830521-fade
Sunday, June 3, 2012
Editing... For Real This Time
You may have noticed that I did not post a Six Sentence Sunday post today. The reason? For one, I didn't do any editing this week. I know, shame on me. But, I was also waiting to get a printed copy of Hidden Souls.
My rough draft (with widened margins) is 164 pages. The last 50 pages are going to need some heavy edits, I know already.
Why print my rough draft? Well, it occurred to me as I was going through the electronic copy of my first draft that I wasn't really doing any editing. Sure, I went through each page, maybe made a few minor edits, but I wasn't making those changes that would make my story stronger. I found a website that makes a lot of good suggestions about how to edit your manuscript (in ONE pass), so I decided to go that way. I got my copy this morning, and have spent about 2 hours going through the first part of the manuscript again. I'm roughly 11 pages in.
The good news? I cut my first scene. And it wasn't the scene I thought I was going to cut. It was actually a scene where Sophia is getting home from dinner. It's just a filler scene before she has her first dream. So it got cut.
The bad news? My word count before these edits is just under 50,000. My goal is to get it up to 90,000, which is the low limit of publishable for most novels. That means I have to bolster my word count quite a bit. Some of it will be with description, because quite a bit of my phrasing is really weak and my description of scenes definitely isn't what is in my head.
But I may end up adding a couple subplots as well. If you can read on the above picture, the book propped up behind my manuscript is my writing journal, where I write down all the ideas I have and flesh them out. Two of the subplots I plan on focusing on are Michael's identity (I did a little bit with last Sunday's post, and obviously the character sketch, but I really want to focus on it more), as well as Sophia's past. I haven't decided what her past is going to entail yet, but it will impact where she ends up when she projects.
Anyway, stay tuned for more excerpts! Hopefully, within the next couple weeks, I'll finish editing. Maybe then I'll consider sending out query letters.
My rough draft (with widened margins) is 164 pages. The last 50 pages are going to need some heavy edits, I know already.
Why print my rough draft? Well, it occurred to me as I was going through the electronic copy of my first draft that I wasn't really doing any editing. Sure, I went through each page, maybe made a few minor edits, but I wasn't making those changes that would make my story stronger. I found a website that makes a lot of good suggestions about how to edit your manuscript (in ONE pass), so I decided to go that way. I got my copy this morning, and have spent about 2 hours going through the first part of the manuscript again. I'm roughly 11 pages in.
The good news? I cut my first scene. And it wasn't the scene I thought I was going to cut. It was actually a scene where Sophia is getting home from dinner. It's just a filler scene before she has her first dream. So it got cut.
The bad news? My word count before these edits is just under 50,000. My goal is to get it up to 90,000, which is the low limit of publishable for most novels. That means I have to bolster my word count quite a bit. Some of it will be with description, because quite a bit of my phrasing is really weak and my description of scenes definitely isn't what is in my head.
But I may end up adding a couple subplots as well. If you can read on the above picture, the book propped up behind my manuscript is my writing journal, where I write down all the ideas I have and flesh them out. Two of the subplots I plan on focusing on are Michael's identity (I did a little bit with last Sunday's post, and obviously the character sketch, but I really want to focus on it more), as well as Sophia's past. I haven't decided what her past is going to entail yet, but it will impact where she ends up when she projects.
Anyway, stay tuned for more excerpts! Hopefully, within the next couple weeks, I'll finish editing. Maybe then I'll consider sending out query letters.
Saturday, March 24, 2012
Writing For A Cause
I have signed up to be a contributing author on the Fandom For Premies fundraiser.
For those of you who haven't heard of this fundraiser, it is put together by a friend of mine (and some other authors) in an effort to raise money for March of Dimes and other organizations to help premature infants and children.
Basically, you contribute $5 to either March of Dimes or Team Losh, forward your receipt to fandomforpremies@gmail.com, and after April 15th, you'll get a compilation of short stories from many authors. Most of the authors will be from the Twilight Fanfiction community, but others are involved as well, including myself.
I'm not entirely sure what I'm going to write yet, but it will be a piece of original fiction. I have a lot of ideas floating around in my head right now.
Of course, I will eventually post it here, but it will be available exclusively to those who donate until probably July 1st or so.
So, please, consider donating just $5 to this great cause.
For those of you who haven't heard of this fundraiser, it is put together by a friend of mine (and some other authors) in an effort to raise money for March of Dimes and other organizations to help premature infants and children.
Basically, you contribute $5 to either March of Dimes or Team Losh, forward your receipt to fandomforpremies@gmail.com, and after April 15th, you'll get a compilation of short stories from many authors. Most of the authors will be from the Twilight Fanfiction community, but others are involved as well, including myself.
I'm not entirely sure what I'm going to write yet, but it will be a piece of original fiction. I have a lot of ideas floating around in my head right now.
Of course, I will eventually post it here, but it will be available exclusively to those who donate until probably July 1st or so.
So, please, consider donating just $5 to this great cause.
Saturday, March 10, 2012
Guest Post!
Not here, obviously. Rather, I have a guest post on another blog. One of my best friends, A.K. Morgen is getting her first book, Fade, published this month. I'm super excited for her, as it's been a long and challenging journey for her (though most of the battle was getting her to send out queries in the first place).
Anyway, she's off celebrating her 8th anniversary this weekend, and asked that I, among several others, take over the blog for the weekend.
So, I wrote about the story we wrote together over two years ago, a retelling of Beauty and the Beast. We're still on our first draft, but it was definitely one of my favorite projects, and definitely one of my most coherent full stories.
Go check it out!
And to those of you who are here from Ayden's blog, thanks for visiting :)
Anyway, she's off celebrating her 8th anniversary this weekend, and asked that I, among several others, take over the blog for the weekend.
So, I wrote about the story we wrote together over two years ago, a retelling of Beauty and the Beast. We're still on our first draft, but it was definitely one of my favorite projects, and definitely one of my most coherent full stories.
Go check it out!
And to those of you who are here from Ayden's blog, thanks for visiting :)
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Why is it so hard to write?
I've been writing for years. Seriously. I wrote my first story back when I was like 8. It was a horrible story, and I can't fathom why I wrote it, but I did. I even sold a copy of it to our next door neighbor's kid.
But my first real experience with writing for myself was my entry into the world of fanfiction, shortly after Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix came out. See, I had to move that summer, so I was stuck in my mom's apartment while she was at work, with no idea whether or not anyone in the apartment complex was my age. And it was hot, so I liked to stay inside. Which meant I played on the computer. A lot.
I started reading fanfiction as a way to pass the time. And most of the stories that I read were horrible. Thrown together without a second thought, no development, nothing. So, I decided I could do better.
I ended up writing 5 full-length fics, and several one-shots over the next 4 or so years. Then, in my last year in college, my dear friends, A.K. Morgen and Naomi, introduced me to NaNoWriMo. I didn't write a novel that year, merely helped edit one. That never got done. We won't talk about that. The following spring, I had a lot of personal things go on, and the summer after I graduated from college, I ended up writing a memoir, as a therapeutic technique. I started writing short stories to challenge prompts, even submitted a few, hastily thrown together pieces.
That was 4 years ago. Now, I have a few ideas for new novels, but I can't seem to find the motivation to pen them. I have two rough drafts of novels that need to be heavily edited (because they're not consistent). And I have a folder of short stories that I started writing and never finished. I picked one up about 2 weeks ago, after I finished my exams for school. And I rewrote most of what I had down.
And then I got stuck. I realized that the draft I had written didn't have any purpose to it. It was about a girl under a curse, but I couldn't figure out why she was under the curse. I knew how to break it, but what was the motivation for the curse in the first place? How would breaking the curse affect her and those around her?
See, without knowing the reason behind the curse, I can't finish the story. And I honestly have no idea how to figure out the reason. When I got to this point in my novels, it was fairly easy to just start jotting down ideas, or writing out a character sketch of one of the characters. That allows me some insight into what my characters are trying to tell me. But this one... she's a mystery still to me. I mean, I know all about her, but why she got saddled with this curse? No idea. I know at some point, there's a boy involved, but I'm not sure how he plays a role either.
Maybe it will come to me in a dream. In the meantime, I'm stuck with writer's block. Maybe I'll start looking up prompts again. We do have a literary magazine that I'd like to submit something to this year.
But my first real experience with writing for myself was my entry into the world of fanfiction, shortly after Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix came out. See, I had to move that summer, so I was stuck in my mom's apartment while she was at work, with no idea whether or not anyone in the apartment complex was my age. And it was hot, so I liked to stay inside. Which meant I played on the computer. A lot.
I started reading fanfiction as a way to pass the time. And most of the stories that I read were horrible. Thrown together without a second thought, no development, nothing. So, I decided I could do better.
I ended up writing 5 full-length fics, and several one-shots over the next 4 or so years. Then, in my last year in college, my dear friends, A.K. Morgen and Naomi, introduced me to NaNoWriMo. I didn't write a novel that year, merely helped edit one. That never got done. We won't talk about that. The following spring, I had a lot of personal things go on, and the summer after I graduated from college, I ended up writing a memoir, as a therapeutic technique. I started writing short stories to challenge prompts, even submitted a few, hastily thrown together pieces.
That was 4 years ago. Now, I have a few ideas for new novels, but I can't seem to find the motivation to pen them. I have two rough drafts of novels that need to be heavily edited (because they're not consistent). And I have a folder of short stories that I started writing and never finished. I picked one up about 2 weeks ago, after I finished my exams for school. And I rewrote most of what I had down.
And then I got stuck. I realized that the draft I had written didn't have any purpose to it. It was about a girl under a curse, but I couldn't figure out why she was under the curse. I knew how to break it, but what was the motivation for the curse in the first place? How would breaking the curse affect her and those around her?
See, without knowing the reason behind the curse, I can't finish the story. And I honestly have no idea how to figure out the reason. When I got to this point in my novels, it was fairly easy to just start jotting down ideas, or writing out a character sketch of one of the characters. That allows me some insight into what my characters are trying to tell me. But this one... she's a mystery still to me. I mean, I know all about her, but why she got saddled with this curse? No idea. I know at some point, there's a boy involved, but I'm not sure how he plays a role either.
Maybe it will come to me in a dream. In the meantime, I'm stuck with writer's block. Maybe I'll start looking up prompts again. We do have a literary magazine that I'd like to submit something to this year.
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