A Friend Indeed

I talk a lot about my friends in blog posts, I know this and you all will just have to bear with me on it because I have no intentions of stopping now. When EBC came to me I was trying to come up with a few distinct characters that could be members of the main character’s coven. I wanted each of to have their own vernacular, phrasing, and quirks all the while having an extremely close, unflagging friendship. Basically I didn’t want cookie cutter side characters. So I looked at my own friends and three real life muses were born.

I went all out with it. Taking real inside jokes, actual things they have said during some of many random conversations, and our incredible foundation of friendship over these many, many years that is indeed magical. Because several of my characters are heavily based on real life people the dialogue came easier, the emotional responses were automatic, and the attachment was immediate. I was all in all very pleased with this experiment… because despite what some of them (you know who you are) may believe this is the first time they have shown up in any of my work. :-)

Now for the down side. It brings me back to yesterday’s post. When you use real life muses how do you hurt them or even worse kill one of them? Eeek!

On a different note–thank you all for the wonderful, kind, and supportive comments yesterday I love them. I managed to finish EBC which is a major relief for my poor brain to finally be able to think about something else. I was beginning to become an obsessed hermit these past few weeks. I am currently considering since I have droned on and on about EBC editing part of the first chapter and posting it on my blog to give everyone a taste of what it will be like.

*the pictures in this blog post were provided by my very favorite friend and photographer Kim. Check out some of her work here

Hurting The Ones I Love

As I draw near to the end of my current first draft (wip) Easy Bake Coven my stomach is beginning to clench in fear. This time it is not the idea of others seeing it, while that has and still does haunt me it is different this time. Today will mark the beginning of the last chapter of the story two things are on my mind.

First, I am going to miss these characters terribly. Without a doubt this is the fastest I have ever written a novel. It looks like it will clock in at around 90k in 4ish weeks. That’s nutty. What started as just sitting down to get this idea that had been poking around in my mind for a day or two on paper (because I should be in the middle of editing book two of the Guardian Trilogy: Choices) took a life of its own and told me a story about characters I rather love. So to step away from them while they are still so alive in my head is like moving away from my friends, or at least going on a long vacation.

Second, this is going to be part of a trilogy. I have a vague idea what is going to happen to some of the characters and the closer I get to the ending the closer I get to causing them a new round of pain. Part of me doesn’t want to hurt them, I want them to be happy and have lives filled with love, rainbows, sunshine, fields for frolicking, ice cream, puppies, and Starbucks. Yet, I know what the writer part of my brain will do. It will spend the next two books tearing things apart and putting them back together, however the cracks will still show. My lovely characters will change, innocence will be lost and faith shattered. Nothing will be as it is right now. I cannot protect my characters from their story the best I can do is hope they make it through scarred… not broken.

Goals

I didn't make my goal of finishing Easy Bake Coven last week. I just became too busy and writing had to take the back seat to life stuff. I managed to add on 7,000 more words putting me up to 79,000 words in three weeks. Totally respectable. I have had the least amount of doubts about its quality of this story than any of its predecessors. EBC will be my fouth completed novel rough draft so I am hoping it is experience that is easing my nerves and not denial. haha

I know how it will end and how the next will start it is just a matter of getting it out on paper. I imagine the story will wrap itself up in the next 10,000 words or so. I will miss these characters when it is over. Oh well I have all day to hammer out this ending and start editing Secrets.

Coterie of Scribes

I have always thought of writing as a solitary sport. Taking my pen and paper, laptop, napkin and eyeliner, whatever I had on hand and jotting something down. Creating a story of nothing with hopefully a bit of magic behind it. Recently, I have gotten serious about doing something with my stock pile of stories besides for just letting a select few friends read them or half-heartedly entering into the occasional contest hoping for validation.

I have decided to pursue publication. I started researching how was I supposed to go about it. Should I look for an agent, a publisher, or strike out on my own and hope for the best? I sent about five query letters to agents and received a form letter back that they aren't taking on any new writers at the moment. That was ok, I certainly was not heartbroken over it. I had read somewhere that many popular writers now have to send in the neighborhood of 50 to 100 queries to only get a couple bites. However, that wasn't really the direction I wanted to head. It wasn't until right after Christmas I started taking the self-publishing option as a valid one. So begins my trip into the terrifying world of self-publication.

Yes, I said terrifying because it is to me. I am still wrapping my mind around the idea of strangers reading my stories or even worse the people I know reading it without being preselected and chosen by me. However, I currently have two complete novels, one complete first draft, one nearly complete first draft, and several other outlines and good starts. So it is time I man up a bit and just do it. In this frame of mind I have very recently discovered that the writing world doesn't have to gone at alone. I have found the greatest community of writers who are supportive, answer the weird polling questions your friends and family are sick of, and who are all going through the same thing as I am. It is a wonderful feeling of community. One that makes me want to branch out in real life and try the workshops, conferences, and groups that I wasn't as keen on before.

So far my experience with other writers are that we are like a family. We stick together, tell each other the God's honest truth, and hope for the other's success. I am sure there will be many disappointments, heart breaking reviews, successes, and elation in my future, but now it is no longer a roller coaster I feel like I am riding alone.

I Need a Heroine

As a member of the female race and an avid reader and writer there are certain qualities I connect with in characters. Obviously like many others I love the strong male leads of questionable morality, the ever faithful and loyal best friend, but the most important character in the story for me is the heroine. (Unless of course the story centers around then guy then just reverse all of that, the idea still holds for me)


I have had this discussion often with my friends about what draws us into a story and keeps us going. Through these discussions I have learned that I am a character based reader. If I do not love or at least like the characters I do not care about the story. For me, it doesn’t matter how good the story is, if there is no one in it that I feel a connection with I probably won’t finish the book.

A prime example is Twilight. I know everyone and their sister loved it, but I never made it on the bandwagon. The issue I had was Bella. I never had a clear picture of who she was or what she really wanted. There was no emotional connection with her so the story fizzled and was out like a glittery vampire at a drag show.

So on that note here is my top five qualities I look for in the female lead in a book.

1. Personality- The lead character needs to have some substance for me. Something I can connect back to her, something that will give me and idea of what is in character for her or what is not. Anything really so long as it is uniquely hers.

2. Flaws- I love flaws. We are all flawed, and let’s face it perfection is boring. Let the character make mistakes, let her overreact, let her not communicate, let her misjudge people because that is human. We all do these things everyday so it makes the character more real when they do them too. But not too much…

3. Insecurities- I have never met a woman who wasn’t insecure about something. It may not be obvious and it doesn’t have to be flashy or in your face, but everyone is insecure about something.

4. Sense of humor- I just really like to laugh, so characters that are snarky, witty, or wise cracking always appeal to me most. Again this can be over done, but the perfectly timed joke to break up the tension is always appreciated by me.

5. Strength- I am not too into reading about damsel’s in distress. I like my female characters to be able to stand up for themselves when they have to maybe even occasionally do the rescuing. Now I am not talking Wonder Woman strong, but also not someone who is being captured and rescued around every corner (though occasionally is perfectly acceptable).

What qualities do your favorite lead characters possess?

Love and Insatiable Appetites

Love and Insatiable Appetites.

Starring Zombie Matt Nathanson and Jane Austen.

This is a true and faithful retelling of the tragic –as most love stories are– tale of Jane Austen and Zombie Matt Nathanson and their affection for one another which transcended all.

Zombie Matt Nathanson was a fun sort of zombie. He, like any other zombie, liked to drink with his fellow undead pals,

eat at the Cheesecake factory,

toss out the occasional “Your mom” joke,

and travel the world. Zombie Matt Nathanson always said “Uhhhh ugh uggggggggghhhhhhh,” by which most experts probably would agree he meant death was no reason not to see the world.

It was during one of these zombie-cations that he met the girl who would prove to be the love of his death. He watched her from afar, hoping one day to make her acquaintance.

Their first meeting did not go as planned; she stabbed him with her writing quill which she was never without. When she realized her blunder that he wanted to meet her not eat her brains she introduced herself as Jane Austen. Their conversation went something like this.

ZMN: Uhhhhhh mmmm ugghhh

Jane Austen: Back off you vile, flea infested, mouth breather.

ZMN: uuuhhhhsgggjhka

Jane Austen: Oh dear. *stab, stab*

ZMN: Ugh Ugh Uhhhh

Jane Austen: Hmm, perhaps I judged you too soon. You seem to be rather a genteel sort of undead creature. My name is Jane.

ZMN: Uuuhhhhhh gahhhh

The connection was immediate. Their mutual like turned into affection, and they attended a country dance with one another.

Before too long they became more than just friends. They were suspected by all of those of their mutual acquaintance as having an understanding for they were seen holding hands. Oh the scandal!

Zombie Matt Nathanson told Jane they could never marry for he was undead and she was living. Jane was heartbroken and tried to run away with little Stewie, but ZMN stopped her.

Jane thought he stopped her for love… but she was wrong, dead wrong. He was hungry.

Which leads to the moral of this tale always eat three proper meals a day for you may end up cannibalizing the one you love.

The end… in more way than one.

Not Even the Illusion of Control

Easy Bake Coven (my work in progress) crossed the 70k word mark last night (yay!). But once again the story demonstrated the complete and utter lack of control I have over it as the writer.

I went for a run when I got home from work to clear my mind and refocus on the story. During the run I mapped out in my head what needs to happen to start wrapping this book up. I came back into the house with a clear vision of what I was going to do, even a little dialogue swimming around in there. 3000 words later not one of those things had taken place or even started to take place. Instead the story took its own unexpected turn completely surprising me. This is not the first time this has happened nor will it be the last (hopefully). I don’t mind just being along for the ride, a conduit for the story that wants to be told. I like to let my characters have their own voice, it is when I start to guide them heavy handedly that they stop speaking to me and no writer wants to get the silent treatment from their characters.


So what about my fellow writers, do you plan your stories or do your stories reveal themselves as you write?