Write Lite - A Writer's Rant

NaNoWriMo Is Fast Approaching!

2013-10-09T10:23:00.000-04:00

NaNoWriMo is coming up quickly! So is my baby's due date! With so much going on I'm trying to keep my "baby brain" from keeping me back from doing everything I need to do. I have a short to-do list but the thing that's been weighing on my mind has been what I'm going to write for the month of November.

For the past few NaNo events I've been working on trying to finish other projects. That's been fine but I've been worried that maybe I'm spending too much time with them, you know? Fortunately I've had a couple of projects that I haven't written much on beyond a synopsis and yet another idea that's been rattling around in my head but hasn't quite seemed right. The pieces for the last idea have fallen into place and, barring any weird happenings, I'm thinking that a fresh project will take me through to the finish line. Here's the little blurb and the cover I made up for the NaNo website...maybe a banner will follow...

"An Embarrassment of Magic" by C. E. Daniel

When a well dressed noble crashes into her garden Senna is annoyed. When shadow hounds try to enter as well, it's outside of enough. Saving a noble doesn't interest her and his idea of gratitude irritates her more. What can a single woman do though when she finds out that this nobleman isn't your average pompous idiot?

Cover photo: Witches Dwell by wyldraven on Deviantart.com

I'm not sure where it will go yet beyond the opening and the two main characters but I'm working on it! the next thing will be to come up with a few more characters and some "candy bar" scenes. I'm not sure what will happen. Maybe this idea will stick or not but we'll see!

Research...Too Much or Just Enough?

2013-09-29T08:30:00.000-04:00

So the theme for this month is investigation. More specifically: research. Every writer worth their salt does a lot of research. Whether we're creating worlds from scratch or trying to get the correct terms for a particular occupation to get things just right, we do a lot of research.

I once had a teacher (believe this or not) say that there was such a thing as too much research. Initially I thought, "what rubbish," but now I can honestly say that when it comes to certain things, yes, there can be too much research. Research for it's own sake is good I think. Never stop learning and expanding your knowledge base are two things that I feel are important to a writer. What makes it into your story is where your inner editor kicks in. Just because you've learned all the lingo or terms for a particular occupation of a character, it doesn't mean that they should be used exclusively or at every opportunity. I've found that I personally can fall into the trap of using a word and simply assuming that others will know what I mean though context. I find things like that when I edit. It's especially true once I've been working with a particular work for a while and intensively. I get so into it, you know?

Since my opinion of research has been somewhat concise I'm going to talk about organization. Of course as we collect our copious amounts of research we have to put it somewhere. There are lots of methods from the simple to the downright extreme. I used to print pages and assemble them into a binder or folder. I know some people that are fond of post-its and plastering a wall of their favorite writing spot at home. Then, of course, there are dozens of writing and organizational-type pieces of software that allow a writer to combine their research and their writing all in one place. Microsoft One Note and Evernote are two programs that are geared to note taking alone though many writers swear by these when they prefer simple word processor applications like Microsoft Word, Notepad, or Open Office Writer. I've heard that the One Note program is really awesome when paired with a tablet since you can write in it like a notebook. Evernote has stepped up its game and paired with Molskine (my notebook of choice for everything) to bring a notebook that can be photographed with Evernote's Page Camera and become digital information in seconds. I haven't had the opportunity to try this myself but I think that once I fill my current notebook I will definitely give a try! I would love to have digital copies of my notes if only for backup!

Then, of course, there are the many kinds of writing software. Some people still love to write by hand. Yes, I mean with a pen or pencil on paper. While that's fine I'm indefinitely faster at typing to get my thoughts out on paper. There are times that I just have to write on paper though. It's like an itch. There's something extremely gratifying about putting a pen to paper and feeling the ink glide across the paper. That being said, I'll turn back to the software issue. There are very popular applications such as Scrivner, Storyist, and yWriter that will contain pretty much any kind of research you want as well as your story-in-progress. I have fiddled with all three and I prefer yWriter. For me it's a blend of a desirable interface and the perfect price. It's free! There is no "right" or "wrong" way to organize research. It's all what works best for the individual.

I think that covers just about everything (and then some, I'm sure) of my thoughts on research. It's a rambling account so I apologize and hope that my two cents are worth something to someone out there!

Stay Calm and Be Motivated

2013-08-29T09:00:00.000-04:00

Staying motivated as a writer can be decidedly difficult. Writer's block, plot bunnies, and real life all tend to make our best laid plans go right down the tubes. With all of the natural pitfalls that come with writing it's really no wonder that it can be hard to stay calm and stay motivated.

Personally, I find that I really have to push myself on some days to write. The writing isn't always award winning (more like rubbish) but at least I am writing. I'm a little ADD when it comes to writing anyways so I try to write what I'm driven to write on a particular day. I have no less than three separate stories that I'm working on plus three blogs to maintain. They are all quite different from each other so in that way I'm providing myself with options. Options are good, at least for me, when I'm finding myself low on motivation. I find motivation can also be given. Not so much by pep talks and such but more through the interaction with other writers.

I find my most productive months to be be during NaNoWriMo and the various camp sessions. Why? Partially it's because I know that so many others are trying to accomplish the same thing. The word counters help and for me it makes it a bit of a competition. (That's not always a bad thing.) Also during those times I have been able to just shut off my inner editor. I can't always do that when I know that I don't have as strict a deadline during the other months of the year. Odd isn't it? In any case during those months not only have I been able to reach my target word count goals (usually 50K) but I also manage to keep up with my blogs and such as well. I have to admit to being rather impressed with myself. At the end of the month I look back and feel very accomplished. The problem of course is to continue that motivation throughout the year.

I have few tricks try to keep myself motivated. They don't always work but at least I have some recourse on those days when I feel like my motivation is particularly lacking. My tricks?

Make sure I'm listening to the right music. Yep, this is important. Music to slow will make me sleepy and disinterested. That's what I've found. Music that's too fast and racuous and I'll be driven to distraction. My usual listening preferences are big band swing type stuff or upbeat Celtic music. Occasionally I'll listen to my guilty pleasure - a mix of Phil Collins, Sting, David Bowie, etc.
Have a plot point or "candy bar" scene that I want to write. I have to have a goal or point to work to. I need to know where I am and where I next need to be. I'm a "pantser" (meaning I don't plan much if at all) but I do like to have a few key scenes in my head to write about. Scenes that I know need to happen in order for my story to progress. Keeping these in mind I can be quite productive, usually.
Review my character and location sketches. A lot of times just going over my character and place notes give me ideas for new scenes and interactions. New ideas are always a great source of motivation for me.
When all else fails - I watch my pets and son. Sounds crazy right? It's really not. Some of the best character traits I've developed have come from watching my family. Some of the situations that they get themselves into and some of the things that a three year old says are just so extraordinary that it sparks something in my brain and puts motivation in me like nothing else.

My tricks aren't anything special or spectacular but they are things that work well for me. I usually add a good beverage (iced chai, hot tea, hot cocoa) and a tasty treat (usually something sweet) to fuel my brain as well. Having motivation is important but being able to motivate yourself is just as important, if not more so. My advice to writers who feel particularly unmotivated is to sit and try out different tricks. Find things that motivate you and always make time to write! You never know, a bad day of no motivation may have you crank out your best scene yet!

NaNo News and General Life Update

2013-08-01T17:31:00.000-04:00

The past couple of months have been quite busy. I've been neglecting my blogs and have no real excuse for it. Real world stuff comes and my writing is what suffers...*sigh* It makes me so sad and disappointed in myself sometimes.

The month of July held some unbearable weather in our area as well as the summer stomach bug for myself and my three year old son. Awesome times to be had by all. Wee also had family vacation and a visit to my mom's. Not a very productive month at all though I did (somehow) manage to write my thirty thousand words that I set as my goal for Camp NaNoWriMo. How did I do it? I still don't know.

I am five months pregnant and that presents its own difficulties. I'm more tired than usual, overheated easily, and sitting comfortably is becoming a challenge. That being said, I am due in November, November 6th in fact and many people have been asking me if I will be doing NaNoWriMo this year. The answer is a resounding yes. I will still be an ML and there's actually training for us Saturday, the 10th of August. I'm looking forward to it and will be re-watching last year's webinars as well just to refresh my memory. All very exciting and I'm hoping to be more organized this year now that I know what I'm doing!

My goal now that July NaNo is over, is to catch up on my Merry-Go-Round blog posts as well as planning emails for the month of November.

Community

2013-07-29T10:48:00.000-04:00

Since this is about writing I'm not talking about the television show. This month's theme has been community as it applies to writers. My own "community" consists a lot of online type interactions and less people to people (unless it's November and that crazy NaNoWriMo thing) but it's a supportive community nonetheless.

These days there's a lot going on via the internet. I see it as both a blessing and a curse. The internet has given me access to a much wider community of writers and thinkers to bounce ideas off of and talk to about writing. This is a good thing. The downside to the internet forums and communities is the lack of person to person, face to face contact. When I lived closer to The Big City I had a writing group that a friend and I had started to keep meeting after NaNoWriMo ended. We had bi-weekly meetings (or write-ins) at a local coffee shop and while writing did get done there was a great deal of socializing as well. We had critiques as well and while these are all things you can get online (minus coffee and yummy pastries from good looking barristas) there's nothing that really can take place of human interaction. It's just not the same. However I think every writer needs community and people that understand the crazy things that go on in a writer's brain. (Think plot bunnies or something similar.)

As I said before, I do participate in online communities, much more so now that I live further from The Big City. There are writing groups around but they tend to cater to older (50 yrs + crowd) or younger (high school age) groups. I've found it hard to be accepted or welcomed into either so I've just let it slide for now and stick to my online presence. It's sad but at this point (expecting baby #2 in November) I'm not ready to try and set up a writing group from scratch.

Since that's my case I have to say that there are a number of supportive online communities for writers out there. The first I should mention of course is the Forward Motion for Writers community. They plan and put together topics for the monthly posts that I do. Yep, this would be one of those. It's a forum-based community that has chats and groups for just about every topic a writer can think of. If you want something more specific there's Scribophile, an online critiquing community. You can't just ask for critiques but rather have to give some in order to get some. While some people think it bothersome I think it's one of the best ways to become a better writer so it's never bothered me much. It's gathered all kinds of writers and thinkers so you really get a good variety of input. Those are my two main go to spots for writerly community type things.

Favorite Character

2013-06-29T09:00:00.000-04:00

A favorite character...hmm. Well I have to admit that this is a broad topic. A favorite character of my own or someone else's? Well in order to cover my bum I'm going to write a little about both.

Every now and again a writer will fall in love with one of their own characters. I believe that it's impossible to fall in love with every character you create. I speak from personal experience. I downright hate some of the characters I've written but hey, that's life right?

My favorite character that I've written recently is Sera, from a fantasy fiction piece that I've worked on. A strong female lead that I've developed to a point where she's a real person. I've worked on her for so long that she's a real person to me. I'm a "long term" type of writer.

I work on pieces off and on for a couple of years at the very least. Right now i have a few other characters that I've "known" for the same amount of time but I feel a real kinship with Sera. part of it may be because she is the only one that I have an image of. I'm a very visual person and it really helps me to have images of my characters. The best I can manage is a series of pictures of people (some fictional and some not) pasted together to create some semblance of who I'm thinking of. This sketch came out better than I could have hoped. The feel of the character, the overall look, the look in her eyes, it was all right on target. I wish this particular artist would do all my character sketches but unfortunately I can't afford to commission that many and that much work no one should do for free. Sadly my own artistic talent is restricted to clothing. Faces, hair, and expressions are all beyond me. So far she is my favorite character and part of that is I think because I've written her to be a facet of myself.

On that note I'll transition to my favorite character that someone else has written. I first picked up Polgara the Sorceress by David and Leigh Eddings in my teens. Since then I have read it at least a dozen times and each time the main character makes me laugh. Her sense of humor and sarcasm are in line with mine and the way she deals with situations mirrors how I would like to think that I would deal with them. Polgara is a unique character and very real to me because of the character traits and attributes that I feel we share. I have a feeling that in the years to come I will probably read that book another dozen times at least just because it's like having a conversation with an old friend.

In the end I think that an old friend is really what the best characters should feel like. Sometimes they feel that way to the author and some times they don't. What's important is that each character deserves to be written because somewhere there is a reader waiting to make that "old friend" connection and they might be waiting for your latest character. How awesome is that thought?

Taking a Breather / Balance in Writing Styles

2013-05-15T14:37:00.000-04:00

Lately I've been working hard on turning out some of my research into articles for my website and that's meant putting my creative outlets on hold. I've tried going back and forth between projects and my brain doesn't switch over that easily. Has anyone else had that problem?

For instance, I've just completed one article that's turned out to be a beast and rather long and includes a fair bit of research. I'm pleased with how it's turned out but it doesn't provide me with the usual stress relief of writing one of my fiction pieces. I know I need to turn out at least one more article in the next couple of days since I'll be busy this weekend and unable to finish it then for next week.

I've never been very good at working with deadlines, even the ones I give myself! I'm flexible with myself because that's what life requires sometimes. On the flip side I try to make those deadlines firm in my mind so that I take them as seriously as, say, a publisher's. I look forward to the time where I can better balance the workload in the two different writing styles.

I have a lot to work into my schedule I do have a seasonal daytime job besides my three blogs and family life. Why don't I drop one of my blogs? It's my way to talking to myself and keeping record so that I don't forget what I've decided or concluded. It's kind of talking out loud which may or may not sound crazy, depending on t person you are. Thankfully I have a cat to talk to that likes to keep me company. That's her in the picture to the right. Amber is my writing and computer buddy though she can be more of a nuisance than inspiration. It doesn't help that I procrastinate upon occasion...like now! Well I suppose I should be going back to the drawing board!

Location, Location, Location!

2013-05-13T16:59:00.000-04:00

In a little turn of events I've decided to talk about where my stories take place. I know a number of my writerly friends will often center their stories on locations that they know well or have lived in. I'd say about half of them do that. Then there are those that choose to set their stories in completely foreign locales. Some of them are complete fiction while others use real cities. As for myself I go back and forth between these two solutions.

To tell the truth, location for my modern day stories is one of my pitfalls. I suppose my biggest issue is that I'm never sure how specific or vague to be. I understand that it's a fine line between too little and too much information and I've improved over time, to be sure. My best solution thus far has been to mix the reality with the fiction. I'll pick a location or city that I think might work than alter it to suit my needs. The result is the flavor of a specific locale but with proper distances and place relations that my plot calls for. If you look hard enough there are usually tell tale signs of which city I've pilfered from though.

Fantasy is much easier to a certain extent and more difficult in others. When creating a fantasy world (or a map which is where I usually start) it's hard for me to leave the unknown...well unknown. I have maps for cities, buildings, villages, almost everything. At times feel more like a cartographer than an author. I'm a visual sort of person so I suppose it can't be helped! The only problem I really have is when my OCD kicks in which is almost all the time, hence the multitudes of maps. Whatever works for me right?

What are some of your location secrets?

On Wanting to Become a Writer

2013-03-06T08:00:00.000-05:00

I suppose this post is really a piggy-back type of post to this one I posted last week. I may make references to that post so if you become a bit clueless go and read that one first. It may fill in the blanks.

Receiving accolades for your writing at any age are addicting. Praise for anything is like that I think. It has nothing to do with age either. Just because it happens earlier in life it doesn't make it any less significant. I think in some cases it makes even more impact on someone's life. That's how I fell about my writing experience. While it wasn't a major award, just a classroom foil star sticker, it was the only one given out in class. It's hard not to be proud of something like that, right? Since that moment in third grade I've continued wanting to write and to become a writer. I've never stopped writing. While most of the time I write for myself, never really allowing others to read what I've written, I still write and keep my imagination working. As I've gotten older I've become a little more "open" with my writing. Only recently I've taken it a step further and posted a couple of chapters from my most recent work on Scribophile, an online critiquing community of writers. It's just another step towards eventually publishing a work.

I still want to become a writer though life has made move down my list of priorities by necessity. Having a husband, a child, a home, and work kind of does that to a person. I write because I love putting stories to paper. I'm not sure that my stories amount to much but I enjoy writing them and that's all that matters to me.

Remembering My Firsts

2013-02-28T08:30:00.000-05:00

I've been writing for I don't know how long. Short little stories that I made up in my sketchbooks on long drives really had no real plot but I loved to draw the pictures to go with it. I've never really been a fan of writing about real life in retrospect. Funny that I've come to realize that just now. It's entirely possible that my preferences were made already as early as third grade.

Third grade was awesome. Not only did I have an amazing teacher, Mrs. Lacey, but she was so creative and energetic that I loved going to school. She's also the first person that I remember that taught me the rudiments of writing a story. Really. As early as third grade. My first true story (and probably the only one I ever finished to my liking) was written for Mrs. Lacey's class. We had to write and illustrate a story of our own making. It was a whole unit. We went though the whole process: writing, editing, revising with both our story and our drawings before committing anything to the heavy fancy paper that was usually reserved for the junior high art students. I was and still am quite proud of my final product. If I can find it I'll try to scan an image and put it here eventually. My cover was laminated and my drawings done in bright Prismacolor pencils stood out on the page crisp and clear. The pages were stapled together and bound with a royal blue tape to make it look neat. I picked the color. It turns out that I had good reason to be proud of my work. Mrs. Lacey awarded the classroom equivalent of the Newbery award to my little book. That little gold foil sticker on my cover is what I credit with giving me the writing bug. I felt so accomplished and elated that my over active imagination had paid off.

Whenever I get stuck or down in the dumps with what I'm writing, I think about that little book and suddenly my determination and drive come back two-fold. It's the bounce in my writer's step. It's amazing that such a small thing can make such an impact on your life. Too cool, right?

Overcoming Writer's Block

2013-02-08T14:48:00.000-05:00

The one thing that all writers suffers from is the occasional bout of writer's block. Be they blog, novel, or script writers, we all go though the wretched curse of writer's block once and a while. No writer likes it at all. It is not a friend by any means and any devoted writer will curse it's onset.

Every writer has their own way of ridding themselves of such a nuisance. My own methods I suppose vary on the severity of the case. Sometimes, when I have been looking at a piece too long, I simply need to change my type of work for an hour or two and I'll find that it's enough to change my state of mind. Other times, when I'm truly stuck, nothing will do than to bury myself in a book or take a walk to clear my head. Oddly enough I also find a visit to a museum or coffee shop with paintings or pictures also gets my brain ticking. Though whether it's the coffee or the art in the latter case that gets me moving, I'm sure I don't know.

I have known a person or two upon occasion that swear that they can avoid the curse of writer's block. In practice I think that they are full of rubbish. I have never been able to prevent myself from getting writer's block regardless of what odd methods that have been recommended by friends. I think that if writer's block was more predictable. If it came every second Tuesday it would simply be a matter of keeping yourself busy for one day a month.

At times I do Google writer's prompts and try to do short spurts or sprints of writing. That has helped upon occasion but other times I think it only serves to divert my attention. At times the small snippets turn into some really nifty story ideas that make me want to turn them into longer pieces. In any case I tend to use either the weekly writer's prompts at Writer's Digest or the ones at the Forward Motion Idea Generator. Both are good and provide excellent situations. All of mine have been fictional prompts thus far and I can't tell you if you wish to write non-fiction if this will help you. I find them fun and they are excellent pointers but they remain just general enough that you have enough flexibility to do as you choose and make what you will of your characters. In any case I recommend them highly!

Lessons Learned

2013-02-04T08:00:00.000-05:00

My two cents for the day is basically sharing what I've learned through my short career thus far in blogging. I've gotten a few good lessons though probably not as many as a published author or professional blogger of several years.

I think the first lesson I've learned is everyone is, in fact, a critic. It might sound cliche but over my three blogs I've gotten all kinds of comments but without a doubt most of them have been criticisms of some sort. From the helpful hints and tips to the "no you're just wrong type" I've had my share of both. I prefer to receive the helpful kind but it's rather inevitable that as a blogger with any sort of opinion you receive negative comments. Sometimes it is worth trying to listen to what the writer might be trying to say but there are times when I'm just likely to ignore them, especially when they are particularly mean, crude, or nasty. Those I tend to delete and post some small note in a comment as a reply to the effect of "This comment has been removed because..." and fill in the blank. Simply put just because someone is rude to me I don't have to be rude in return.

The second thing I've learned is that readership isn't built overnight. Even with all of the advertising tools built into most of the blog publishing sites traffic to a blog can be very slow. I'm not a very patient person and I never imagined collecting a readership would be so difficult. Of course I never realized that I wanted to collect a readership until I started watching the statistics counter on my blog's homepage. To that effect I have tried to make the best use possible of the various tools to promote my blogs but alas it is more difficult than I had anticipated.

Last but not least, I have learned something about myself. When I first began writing my blogs I had only one and I was determined to publish twice weekly. I then found myself starting another and then yet another for my business. I did fairly well, up to a point, publishing two of them twice a week and the third once a week. Unfortunately I found out that keeping that pace while employed full time is nearly impossible. Slowly I began to drop a post here and one there. The inevitable happened of course, which was that all my blogs suffered a lapse of posts for a rather long while. Learning to write habitually and what to write was a great deal harder that I thought it would be. I am getting better slowly with time though I still have occasional lapses. I still need to learn when to write and how often. The biggest issue with when I write has to do with planning ahead. There are often time periods when family obligations, holidays, and other things fall in the way of my usual odd writing hours.

That's pretty much all it in a nutshell. Lessons learned and those I am still learning. I find that I've said far more on the subject than I intended to. Isn't it funny how some posts just turn out that way?

Writers My Life, My Inspiration

2013-01-31T08:00:00.000-05:00

I think almost everyone knows a writer of some kind nowadays. With blogs being so prevalent and independent writers publishing all kinds of content on their own websites and different odd ball news and info sites it's really not that surprising.

I happen to know several writers but there's one that really inspired me when I was younger and still does. My father had a rather unusual medical life and ended up documenting it in a manuscript. Sadly by the time
the manuscript was finished his medical history was getting to be rather more commonplace and the manuscript was rejected by publishers. At least that's the story my mother told me with some details added in from my dad. My father has since passed away and the manuscript was written before the computer age so there are no backups. I wish I could have found his manuscript but my father was a very practical person. He kept anything I gave him but a manuscript that was rejected was probably tossed somewhere during one of our many moves. It's unfortunate. I really wish I could have read it and seen my father's writing style. Fortunately I have many letters that my father sent to me but I know that they just aren't the same, you know?

My parents have always encouraged me in my writing and praised my early efforts. It was my father's history though and his particular encouragement I think that really gave me that "oomph" to write.

Anticipation for 2013 - Projects Ahead

2013-01-29T08:30:00.000-05:00

Every year it comes down to it...my least favorite question: "So what are your writing goals/projects for the year?" I hate that question with an undying passion. Mostly I hate it so because it reminds me that another year has gone by with what I feel is little to no progress on any of my projects.

In reality I do get quite a bit done and as my DH is so anxious to point out I do have a whole house, family and two jobs to maintain as well. I remind myself that I've done at least fifty thousand words for NaNoWriMo. I try for another 50K during one of the NaNo Camps as well. I'm not so hot at editing but I'm getting better. I've also logged on to Scribophile to get some feedback since I've moved away from my previous writing group. I miss the camaraderie of that group and it certainly helped me get my word count in once a week. Anyways...I suppose I should actually think about my goals now for the year. I'll set them below.

1. Complete Summer of the Sword.
Yes this was my NaNo project two years in a row but I'm still not content with it. Not to mention I'll lose a bunch in editing, I'm sure. I'm still not sure how it's going to end.

2. Post one chapter of above work on Scribophile for critiques per month.
The intent is that after being on for one month I'll have at least 3 good critiques and can get to editing while the next is getting looked at.

3. Rework my ideas for Nighttime Reading and make a functioning outline.
Another project that I started and still not completely satisfied with it. I'm doing a class and possibly will use that for my work there.

No, I don't have publishing in there but I'm still working at making myself a good, habitual writer and editor. Writing once a day is fine and all but that's not all there is to it. I'm hoping that this year, by throwing some editing in I'll be making myself a better over all writer and more prepared to publish, eventually.

My Dream Space

2013-01-28T08:00:00.000-05:00

Someone challenged me today to write about my dream writing space. So I'll attempt to do this without too much gushing and without too many pictures.

I suppose my ideal writing space would be a tree house with an interior decorated in a rich library-esqe feel. Rich cherry or mahogany paneling with forest green paint, filled with built in bookshelves stocked to the brim with books and nick-knacks. There would be Tiffany style lamps, a large roll top desk with room for my laptop a cork board/white board for my ideas and notes. There would have to be a small kitchenette for beverages and snacks. As well as a small turret with a futon and three hundred and sixty degree views for an alternate writing space and a place to crash in case I get carried away. The exterior would look like one of the places below. Think I've thought about this much??

Another Favorite

2013-01-25T09:51:00.000-05:00

Every good writer has a favorite book or three. I think that the favorite books of authors says a lot about them. Sometimes they are completely opposite of what they write and other times their favorites run in the same gene.

I tend to fall in the latter category. All of my favorite books and series fall in the fantasy/sci-fi genres. There's a good reason for what I write. I write what I know, it's that simple. My favorites tend to be wide ranging within the genre. My true favorites I tend to re-read at the very least once a year. These are ones that I've listed below. I don't really have an all time favorite but there would a close tie among the first three.

Polgara: The Sorceress by Daivd & Leigh Eddings

It's a book that is added in to a series but I first read it as a stand alone. It's really great and I love the strong sarcastic heroine. Well written with just enough humor and a good pace, it's one of my top three.

To Say Nothing About the Dog by Connie Willis

A great time travel read, the first I think, by Connie Willis. Dry British humor with great imagery and well researched historical details really makes this an easy read for me.

Dragon Singer Trilogy by Anne McCaffery This trilogy I could read over and over. A plucky female heroine, dragons, and music. They are short reads but I always pick up something new when reading.

Other Favorites:

Tiger and Del Series by Jennifer Roberson
I loved these books and will still read them time to time.

The Chronicles of Elantra by Michelle Sagara
A still running series with a bit of mystery, magic, and romance woven in. Super great and I watch like a hawk for the next release.

“So what? All writers are lunatics!”

2013-01-23T16:27:00.000-05:00

Every now and again I come across something that tickles my literary funny bone. Sometimes it's a simple passage in a book and upon occasion it's something that someone says that is worthy to quote. I ran across the title quote some time ago that I thought summed up my writing life rather well.It was written by Cornelia Funke in her book Inkspell. The quote is, at least for myself, rather fitting.

My writing life is rather chaotic. I try to write with some regularity but it doesn't always work out that way. Between my three blogs, several half completed writing projects, and life in general my writing does suffer some. In my opinion all writers are lunatics. The better the writer the more the lunatic. How else can you explain whole worlds, lives, and pages and pages of witty, plot driving dialogue? Writers with multiple worlds? They're the craziest of us all. Sure, all those ideas are now kept tidily in notebooks, word documents, and sometimes on the back of napkins stained with coffee rings but all of those ideas have to start somewhere. You can't be all grounded to come up with some of the more popular books on the sci-fi/fantasy bookshelf at your local book store.

I suppose that's why I like the quote so much. It gives me a bit of an excuse for the crazy bit in me!

Writing For January

2013-01-18T11:22:00.001-05:00

There's a lot going on in my household for the month of January. The basement is on it's way to being finished, they started working this past Tuesday on it. A lot of progress over the box cluttered basement. There are actual things that look like walls now! Almost more exciting is the fact that the DRIcore flooring system is going to go in today. All very exciting stuff!

Even more exciting is the amount of work I've put in on my blogs over the past week. I am more than just a little pleased with myself. I've gotten no less than two posts for this blog done to be posted in the future. I've also completed a monster post for my website with another one in the works that I hope to finish today. I'm trying to get ahead, can you tell? I've added a goal to my sheet this year and that is to post weekly on each blog at least! I have three so that's at least three articles that I should be writing a week. Or something equivalent to that. That being said I've been rather naughty and haven't been writing much in any of my novel writing projects. This isn't anything new really. After NaNoWriMo in November I tend to short out. Then you pile on Thanksgiving and Christmas and it's like running a race, finding out you have to jump hurdles at the end and once you've finished you realized that you didn't eat anything for breakfast. I guess writing my blogs uses a different part of my creative writing node in my brain. It's all good though. I usually break out of my funk sometime in February. It takes time to write blog posts and such. Especially those for my site. Those usually take a bit of research as well. During the month of November I don't think I posted anything at all, choosing instead to focus on my novel. I suppose this is payback.

It's probably just as well that both of my "regular"jobs (both of which are seasonal) have no need for me at the moment. While this does hurt my wallet it gives me time to really tackle my writing and other projects around the house. Like keeping track of the basement finishing and taking care of appointments for my son and pets.

So just a little update this time around. Look forward to some fascinating posts on this blog soon!

Favorite Books of 2012

2012-12-29T08:00:00.000-05:00

I don't tend to follow the bestseller lists and keep up with all of the new "must read" books by Oprah. I'm a mother of a two year old and wife to my Dear Husband. I read what appeals to me in the moment and if I don't get to the latest books of 2012 until 2013 well, that's just the way it goes!

I debated making a list of books I think I should have read or a list of books I actually might have liked from the past year but decided against either of those. Instead my list of books is one of books or series that I am currently reading (or rereading in some cases.)

Currently Reading:
The Chronicles of Elantra By Michelle Sagara
A great series of 8 books so far that I love. This is a re-read for me. It features a strong female main character (FMC for text speak) as well as magic, dragons and speaking lions. I highly recommend this to anyone!

Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter Series by Laurel K. Hamilton
Weres, Vampires, and Fae. Oh my! A very strong FMC and plenty of action and a quick moving plot for most books makes this series an easy and addictive read. Re-reading the whole thing because I want to read the latest three or four new ones that I've missed out on!

Newly Read in the Past Year:
Mercy Thompson Series : Silver Borne by Patricia Briggs
This is another series with a strong female lead. I guess I've been on a supernatural kick lately between this and Laurel K Hamilton. This series is far more PG than Ms. Hamilton's though. Some nudity but not nearly so much gratuitous sex. The nudity can't really be avoided I think when it comes to the shape shifters.

The Best Intentions; Mrs. Lacey's Last Fling; A Garden Folly; A Proper Companion; An Affair of Honor; A Change of Heart by Candace Hern
I am a sucker for regency romances. Quality ones, in the vein of Jane Austen, are heard to find. many of them are "bodice rippers" and while those can be a good, quick beach read they are not what I usually go for.

Post - NaNo Life

2012-12-17T11:36:00.001-05:00

The month of November saw absolutely nothing of me as far as my blogs are concerned. I'm sorry for it though I did manage to get my 50k pounded out for NaNo for which I am grateful. Nano was hectic as usual and this year a bit disappointing.

As some of you may have read in the previous posts this was my first year as a "Municipal Liasion" for NaNoWriMo. I was pumped up and ready to go! I got my stuff late though and had a hard time getting to the libraries around my region due to their limited hours. It seemed like every time I wanted to go talk to someone or put up a flyer, they were closed. I found out quickly that many of them close early around here. I planned a kick off party for Nov. 1st as well as a meet and greet before November began. I had a whopping five people including myself at the kick off party and that was the last I saw of anyone in my region. I had write in's planned once a week and an online write in for those that couldn't make it, also once a week. I became discouraged quickly. On top of all of this I had to find a winter job as my main job is only seasonal and stopped putting me on the regular schedule at the beginning of November. It's been so crazy and now it's nearly Christmas.

I'm going to be rejoining my writing group in the metrowest area. It's a ways away but I miss the camaraderie and general happiness of being in a good writer's group.

The Vampire Fad

2012-10-31T17:13:00.000-04:00

I've been re-reading the Laurel K. Hamilton series and I've also been noticing how many vampire books have come out recently. Well, at least in the last decade or so. It's not the first time I've noticed it but everyone has to admit that there has been a surge in the world's fascination with vampires. And it's not just the fanged ones either. Lycanthropes, demons, witches and warlocks are all becoming popular reading and a lot of it in romance. I've tried reasoning out our fascination with the dark and mysterious otherworldly creatures and not to sound cliché but the one thing I keep coming back to is the fact that it's taboo.

There's certain kind of danger involved with being involved with one of the otherworldly types. I think that each person likes a little danger; subconsciously at least. Romances with werewolves and demons...I suppose it's like playing with fire without ever having to strike a match. We're still human after all. If a real vampire (à la Anne Rice) were to present itself we as a population would probably piss our pants. Much less a were-anything. I'm starting to understand the attraction of vamps though. They bite and suck blood.

First of all: biting? Kids (and some adults) get hickies often, nothing too surprising there. It turns some people on. Okay. The preferred place to bite? The neck. If you were an animal offering your neck is a mark of subservience. The neck is a very vulnerable part of the body. So that takes care of that but what about blood. *EW* Right? Blood is something highly personal and only comes in limited supply...until you make more. That's the real thrill, the real danger.

Then of course there's the beauty. Almost all the vampire writings have great looking vamps or weres or whatever the flavor of the month happens to be. I haven't read about an ugly vamp. Have you?

Anyways. I'm kind of glad that I have a handle on the what and the why. In the end I think that this will help me if I ever chose to write something like that. I like having new perspective.

A Fickle Heart

2012-10-31T09:19:00.000-04:00

So after some major indecision on my part concerning my NaNo project I have actually come to a conclusion. I hate leaving things unfinished so I have decided to do a rewrite of my NaNo novel from last year since I lost a solid half of my word count during the move. Half gone and I think that I actually lost more than that since I had over 50k. So to inspire me I have created a cover and banner. I will be backing up and emailing copies to myself hourly!

I've added a new plot twist to it and so I'm hoping that I won't get bored or something during NaNo. I guess we'll just wait and see! NaNo starts tomorrow and I can't wait!

Stock Image by: MD-Arts
Cover and Banner Design by: Me!

The Consummate Professional

2012-10-29T09:00:00.000-04:00

I suppose when most people think of professional writers they think of people like Stephen King, Nora Roberts, and J.K. Rowling. Successful writers with more than one title on a bestseller list. My own idea of a professional writer is far more...elastic.

Artwork by DevianArtist rui-ricardo

A professional writer in my mind is some one who takes writing seriously. They may or may not end up getting paid for what they are writing and they may not even end up being published. I know it may sound contradictory but this is truly how I feel. A professional writer sets aside time to write and writes several times a week. They take what they are writing very seriously and even feel bad if they neglect their work for more than a few days. They are dedicated to their projects and will think about them constantly. They gather in coffee shops, book stores, libraries, and in their in-home writing nooks. Whether they are writing on notebooks, laptops, ipads or napkins makes no difference.

Maybe my definition of a professional writer is so distorted because I want to be included in my own definition.Selfish and ambitious but hey, it's my definition and my opinion after all.

Oh Fickle Heart...

2012-10-25T17:01:00.001-04:00

Remember how just yesterday I was boasting that I was all set on my story choice? I did jinx myself. No sooner than I think that I'm all set than I start having doubts and another story idea pops into my head....*sigh* What to do? I just want to kick myself in the rear. What a pain! I'm going to have to decide soon. Anyone else having second thoughts?

Covers and Banners

2012-10-24T11:15:00.003-04:00

I've fully committed myself to my NaNo project! (I've probably just jinxed myself into losing all interest and changing stories at midnight on October 31st but hey...)

There are so many talented artists on the Artisan boards on the NaNoWriMo website but I decided that I was going to make my own cover and banner this year. I've done it before but this year I definitely think that this year's is a huge improvement. You can see the change on the Past Projects page. I used some stock photos and a handy browser photo editor called PicMonkey. I'm very pleased with how they came out. What do you think?