The novel of the month is Vampirism and You! A beginners guide to the change.
Starting word count is 14,095.
The last couple of days have been a good break. I'll have to try finishing early every month.
So, I'm about 36,000 words shy of the 50K, and I'm really hoping to make that goal.
Now, to outline.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Friday, August 27, 2010
Day Twenty Eight
Blood Lines has at last come to a close at 52000 words. Whew. Surprising for me as I thought it would go longer. Of course, there's still the sequel to rework but that's another month all together.
After much thought, I've decided that trying to write 50K words each month in addition to the goal of finishing the pre-existing novel at over 50K total word count is stressing me out past expectations.
Thus, I've decided to cut the goal to simply finishing one novel per month at a word count over 50K. NaNoWriMo is coming up soon and that one will be a brand new novel and 50K in a month. Keep in mind, the novels get shorter and less finished as I go on, so my word count goes up each month.
Part of this is that I noticed I was concentrating more on the side projects meant to bump word count than I was on the project I intended on finishing, and that ruins the point of the challenge completely.
This writing year is about focus.
After much thought, I've decided that trying to write 50K words each month in addition to the goal of finishing the pre-existing novel at over 50K total word count is stressing me out past expectations.
Thus, I've decided to cut the goal to simply finishing one novel per month at a word count over 50K. NaNoWriMo is coming up soon and that one will be a brand new novel and 50K in a month. Keep in mind, the novels get shorter and less finished as I go on, so my word count goes up each month.
Part of this is that I noticed I was concentrating more on the side projects meant to bump word count than I was on the project I intended on finishing, and that ruins the point of the challenge completely.
This writing year is about focus.
Monday, August 23, 2010
The CFM
So, over a year ago Sine' and I were poised to present the world with Issue 1 of the CFM (Contemporary Fantasy Magazine). This...did not happen. It was a little bit of moving, a little bit of school, frustration, poor planning, lack of proper programs and a lot of exhaustion that led to the dissolution (it seemed) of the CFM.
It was filed away as a lost cause.
And then, the other day, my dad said, "Whatever happened to that magazine you were working on?"
I ran through the reasons I've given you (in more detail description and pointed finger) and brushed the whole thing off.
But then I started thinking about it. What if? What if? No. Maybe...and then, yes. Yes. Yes I will do this again. So I started a Devart group.
I revamped the old blog.
I emailed my co-editor.
I texted my contributor.
Messaged some people.
Created a Facebook group.
And I started it up again.
By mid-September we will be releasing the first issue of the CFM. This issue will be a free PDF we will email (and set up for download) to anyone who wants it. We'll see what happens after that. But every great journey (even the ones you shove in the drawer and forget about for a year) start with a single step.
And in other news, it's day 23 and I'm only 3500 words shy of 50,000 for Bloodlines and a total count of 28,000(ish) for the month of August. Yeah, I'm a touch behind.
This one started with two.
It was filed away as a lost cause.
And then, the other day, my dad said, "Whatever happened to that magazine you were working on?"
I ran through the reasons I've given you (in more detail description and pointed finger) and brushed the whole thing off.
But then I started thinking about it. What if? What if? No. Maybe...and then, yes. Yes. Yes I will do this again. So I started a Devart group.
I revamped the old blog.
I emailed my co-editor.
I texted my contributor.
Messaged some people.
Created a Facebook group.
And I started it up again.
By mid-September we will be releasing the first issue of the CFM. This issue will be a free PDF we will email (and set up for download) to anyone who wants it. We'll see what happens after that. But every great journey (even the ones you shove in the drawer and forget about for a year) start with a single step.
And in other news, it's day 23 and I'm only 3500 words shy of 50,000 for Bloodlines and a total count of 28,000(ish) for the month of August. Yeah, I'm a touch behind.
This one started with two.
Friday, August 20, 2010
The Dream as a Starting Point
I like many people have started stories from a dream, daydream, nightmare, hallucination, delusion, etc... These stories generally speaking have a feeling to them that is different from other work. I find (personally) there is more whimsy, more horror and more freedom when writing from a dream start.
I think part of this comes from already having the framework of the story, or at least a good foundation. Generally speaking when I wake up from a dream I find inspiring, I got straight for pen/paper/computer/I-pod/sketchbook and jot down everything I can remember about it in an outline of plot/characters/setting/overall feeling.
I find that remembering how I felt during the dream, helps me when I start writing the story. It's like sinking back into the dream. That said, that sort of technique can also work well on other stories.
I tend to associate feelings, moods, music and sometimes specific food and/or TV/Movies with a specific story. Thus, when I find I'm having to struggle to continue working on it, I hit up the DVR, the DVD's, my Ipod, and the fridge.
For example, Bloodlines (Which is a dream started story), has specific triggers for me when I'm trying to work on it.
TV
Wolf Lake
Tarzan
Being Human
True Blood
Funny how two of those shows are cancelled...
Movies
Harry Potter (Don't know why)
Underworld
The Covenant
Books
Harry Potter
The Blue Sword
The music generally falls into Alt Rock/Rock/Classic Rock for everything I write, but I do have a few favorite songs for Bloodlines. When it comes to mood, I need to be fairly calm to start with. There's a dark feeling, sort of hazy, that I reach for when I'm writing it. I know how I want the story to feel, and writing from that place really helps with keeping it that way.
Sometimes writing from dreams can be therapeutic. You can think about what you experienced and consider if/what your subconscious is trying to tell you (if you believe in that sort of thing). It can also be fun. You could take any aspects of you dream and add it into a pre-existing piece.
I've been working on something specific in the past and then had a series of dreams about it that actually did help me get past plot blocks.
Sometimes, the best thing you can do for a story, is to sleep on it.
I think part of this comes from already having the framework of the story, or at least a good foundation. Generally speaking when I wake up from a dream I find inspiring, I got straight for pen/paper/computer/I-pod/sketchbook and jot down everything I can remember about it in an outline of plot/characters/setting/overall feeling.
I find that remembering how I felt during the dream, helps me when I start writing the story. It's like sinking back into the dream. That said, that sort of technique can also work well on other stories.
I tend to associate feelings, moods, music and sometimes specific food and/or TV/Movies with a specific story. Thus, when I find I'm having to struggle to continue working on it, I hit up the DVR, the DVD's, my Ipod, and the fridge.
For example, Bloodlines (Which is a dream started story), has specific triggers for me when I'm trying to work on it.
TV
Wolf Lake
Tarzan
Being Human
True Blood
Funny how two of those shows are cancelled...
Movies
Harry Potter (Don't know why)
Underworld
The Covenant
Books
Harry Potter
The Blue Sword
The music generally falls into Alt Rock/Rock/Classic Rock for everything I write, but I do have a few favorite songs for Bloodlines. When it comes to mood, I need to be fairly calm to start with. There's a dark feeling, sort of hazy, that I reach for when I'm writing it. I know how I want the story to feel, and writing from that place really helps with keeping it that way.
Sometimes writing from dreams can be therapeutic. You can think about what you experienced and consider if/what your subconscious is trying to tell you (if you believe in that sort of thing). It can also be fun. You could take any aspects of you dream and add it into a pre-existing piece.
I've been working on something specific in the past and then had a series of dreams about it that actually did help me get past plot blocks.
Sometimes, the best thing you can do for a story, is to sleep on it.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Sex Vs. Porn Vs. Erotica Vs.What the hell was that?
So, I was thinking about this last night. Sex scenes. They come in all flavors. It generally breaks down to:
* Painful to read
* Obtuse to the extreme
* Detailed and clinical
* Pornographic
* Tastefully erotic
* What the hell was that?
* YAOI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
* Medieval
The PR is a scene written with obvious distaste, poor descriptions and language bordering on the 18th century.
O to the E - So vaguely written you aren't even sure they had sex until thirty pages later a side character makes a joke about it.
DC - Reads like a medical journal/textbook.
Porn...duh.
Tasteful - difficult to achieve, using appropriate language and detailed descriptions.
WTHWT? - When after you read it you exclaim, What the hell was that? Different from O to the E because you knew sex occurred but cannot imagine why anyone would do/say any of that. Ever. For any reason
YAOI!!! - Well, if you've been on the internet the past few years you'll probably not need any explanation, however, I suggest you head to your search engine if you must look it up.
Medieval - "Please, sheath your sword." I think that says it all really.
To avoid the cliche's, one must practice, let other people read the scenes and you need to read some good scenes to get your start. This means you have to know what good sex, realistic sex and tasteful sex are.
This can boil down to the old adage "Write what you know." Well, I've seen a whole lot of young fanfiction writers out there writing sex scenes. They base these scenes on A) Porn. B) Other fanfiction and C) Erotic novels from their mom's bookshelf.
Generally speaking these youngster have a skewed idea about sex that involves lots of hot dudes having sex with one another and use of the words "member", "shaft", "sword", "spear", "staff", "stave", etc. Innuendo is king amongst our virginal writers.
That's not to say a person who has no personal experience can't write a sex scene, they can. They just need to get a better idea about the difference between Porn, Erotica, and Tasteful Sex.
Each of these things has their place. Porn has no place in Literature. What defines porn precisely? Well, porn is when the goal, focal point, of the story is sex. The End Game, as it were. Erotica is a story based around sexual encounters and steamy romance. Tasteful sex is found all across the genres.
If you want to write porn, that's fine, erotica, fine. You should know, both of those things can be just as difficult to write as tasteful sex. Just because it's porn doesn't mean you can have a typo. It makes you look sloppy. Though I do doubt the teenage boy reading it will pause because you put their instead of they're.
Erotica is a high-volume industry. Dozens of titles are published every year in that genre in various flavors. Most of those titles are...trash. They're monikered dime store novels for a reason.
I suppose my point here is that you don't need to be a sex-fiend to write good sex scenes. You just need to be well - informed, well read and you could always go talk to your doctor if you have any questions.
We will always write based upon our personal experiences, and when it comes to writing sex it needs to a bit more personal and a lot less popular. Popular perception will nearly always steer you the wrong way when it comes to this subject. And as always, get a good reader and practice, practice, practice.
* Painful to read
* Obtuse to the extreme
* Detailed and clinical
* Pornographic
* Tastefully erotic
* What the hell was that?
* YAOI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
* Medieval
The PR is a scene written with obvious distaste, poor descriptions and language bordering on the 18th century.
O to the E - So vaguely written you aren't even sure they had sex until thirty pages later a side character makes a joke about it.
DC - Reads like a medical journal/textbook.
Porn...duh.
Tasteful - difficult to achieve, using appropriate language and detailed descriptions.
WTHWT? - When after you read it you exclaim, What the hell was that? Different from O to the E because you knew sex occurred but cannot imagine why anyone would do/say any of that. Ever. For any reason
YAOI!!! - Well, if you've been on the internet the past few years you'll probably not need any explanation, however, I suggest you head to your search engine if you must look it up.
Medieval - "Please, sheath your sword." I think that says it all really.
To avoid the cliche's, one must practice, let other people read the scenes and you need to read some good scenes to get your start. This means you have to know what good sex, realistic sex and tasteful sex are.
This can boil down to the old adage "Write what you know." Well, I've seen a whole lot of young fanfiction writers out there writing sex scenes. They base these scenes on A) Porn. B) Other fanfiction and C) Erotic novels from their mom's bookshelf.
Generally speaking these youngster have a skewed idea about sex that involves lots of hot dudes having sex with one another and use of the words "member", "shaft", "sword", "spear", "staff", "stave", etc. Innuendo is king amongst our virginal writers.
That's not to say a person who has no personal experience can't write a sex scene, they can. They just need to get a better idea about the difference between Porn, Erotica, and Tasteful Sex.
Each of these things has their place. Porn has no place in Literature. What defines porn precisely? Well, porn is when the goal, focal point, of the story is sex. The End Game, as it were. Erotica is a story based around sexual encounters and steamy romance. Tasteful sex is found all across the genres.
If you want to write porn, that's fine, erotica, fine. You should know, both of those things can be just as difficult to write as tasteful sex. Just because it's porn doesn't mean you can have a typo. It makes you look sloppy. Though I do doubt the teenage boy reading it will pause because you put their instead of they're.
Erotica is a high-volume industry. Dozens of titles are published every year in that genre in various flavors. Most of those titles are...trash. They're monikered dime store novels for a reason.
I suppose my point here is that you don't need to be a sex-fiend to write good sex scenes. You just need to be well - informed, well read and you could always go talk to your doctor if you have any questions.
We will always write based upon our personal experiences, and when it comes to writing sex it needs to a bit more personal and a lot less popular. Popular perception will nearly always steer you the wrong way when it comes to this subject. And as always, get a good reader and practice, practice, practice.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Personal Politics and Writing
So I was watching that TV show about the missing persons unit of the FBI today and it was about a girl that went to jail for her sister after a car crash which killed a friend of theirs.
It made me think about Bloodlines and how my characters would respond if put in prison. This led me to thinking about the 1950's and how mental health care has changed over the past fifty years which had me recalling an episode of Cold Case about a girl that dresses as a boy, falls for a boy and whose father has her committed after which she ends up brain dead and her boyfriend kills her out of mercy.
Yeah, that's how my thought trains work. Basically, I left out a few stations.
In any case, this led me to thinking about how I insert my personal prejudices and beliefs into what I write. We all do it, it's nearly impossible not to. But I've also found myself writing a scene, character or incident that I find distasteful, immoral or just plain wrong. This was a particular issue some time ago while writing a very bigoted side character who used words I would never use, ever, ever, ever, ever.
I suppose the central issue was that I didn't want other to think that I thought that what he said was all right. Because I didn't. But in the end, that's why I was writing him in. I wanted to show how wrong it was to behave and say the things he did.
A huge theme in everything I write is about lifestyles, cultures and occasionally racial, differences. I don't think anyone should be discriminated against just because they are gay/straight/bi/transgender, culturally bizarre or a different color, religion, creed or species.
(See that, I included aliens.)
While I'll admit there are aspects of certain cultures I find repugnant, I can say the same about my own cultural heritage. There are things about the past within my own culture that I would never condone. It can be difficult to balance those feelings with the position of a character. They say that you should always write what you know, but as a person who writes mostly fantasy, well, I've never actually seen or been bitten by a werewolf so...I have to go with what I read, watch and learn about through alternative sources.
A writer should be capable of writing anything. Any character, any scene. In theory. We all struggle with different things that are outside our comfort zone. The only way to push past that is by doing just that, pushing. Freaked out by swearing? Write the most profane dialogue you can think of.
Can't write an action scene? (I recommend acting it out with furniture, alone) Write the most brutal action sequence ever!
Blood and guts? Bloodbath time. Murderer? Do it. Dialogue? Talk it out and then, write pages and pages of dialogue until your fingers bleed and you get it right.
A writer should push the envelope of their comfort zone. You never know what amazing thing you'll discover when you do. The things you could write. The people you could meet. The characters you could kill off in a brutal sequence of murder by toaster....
We can't entirely erase our personal politics and beliefs from our writing, but we have to try and be objective. Show both sides. Sure, you might make that murdering psycho toaster bastard kill himself with a toaster in a bathtub on page 246, but you did show everyone that despite his murderous ways he's also an accomplished chef and animal lover.
There are two sides to every coin.
Cheers.
It made me think about Bloodlines and how my characters would respond if put in prison. This led me to thinking about the 1950's and how mental health care has changed over the past fifty years which had me recalling an episode of Cold Case about a girl that dresses as a boy, falls for a boy and whose father has her committed after which she ends up brain dead and her boyfriend kills her out of mercy.
Yeah, that's how my thought trains work. Basically, I left out a few stations.
In any case, this led me to thinking about how I insert my personal prejudices and beliefs into what I write. We all do it, it's nearly impossible not to. But I've also found myself writing a scene, character or incident that I find distasteful, immoral or just plain wrong. This was a particular issue some time ago while writing a very bigoted side character who used words I would never use, ever, ever, ever, ever.
I suppose the central issue was that I didn't want other to think that I thought that what he said was all right. Because I didn't. But in the end, that's why I was writing him in. I wanted to show how wrong it was to behave and say the things he did.
A huge theme in everything I write is about lifestyles, cultures and occasionally racial, differences. I don't think anyone should be discriminated against just because they are gay/straight/bi/transgender, culturally bizarre or a different color, religion, creed or species.
(See that, I included aliens.)
While I'll admit there are aspects of certain cultures I find repugnant, I can say the same about my own cultural heritage. There are things about the past within my own culture that I would never condone. It can be difficult to balance those feelings with the position of a character. They say that you should always write what you know, but as a person who writes mostly fantasy, well, I've never actually seen or been bitten by a werewolf so...I have to go with what I read, watch and learn about through alternative sources.
A writer should be capable of writing anything. Any character, any scene. In theory. We all struggle with different things that are outside our comfort zone. The only way to push past that is by doing just that, pushing. Freaked out by swearing? Write the most profane dialogue you can think of.
Can't write an action scene? (I recommend acting it out with furniture, alone) Write the most brutal action sequence ever!
Blood and guts? Bloodbath time. Murderer? Do it. Dialogue? Talk it out and then, write pages and pages of dialogue until your fingers bleed and you get it right.
A writer should push the envelope of their comfort zone. You never know what amazing thing you'll discover when you do. The things you could write. The people you could meet. The characters you could kill off in a brutal sequence of murder by toaster....
We can't entirely erase our personal politics and beliefs from our writing, but we have to try and be objective. Show both sides. Sure, you might make that murdering psycho toaster bastard kill himself with a toaster in a bathtub on page 246, but you did show everyone that despite his murderous ways he's also an accomplished chef and animal lover.
There are two sides to every coin.
Cheers.
Monday, August 9, 2010
New shirt design!
Just a touch t-shirt design now for sale!
This little witch just might be playing with fire...
Anywho, still plodding away on Blood Lines, only a few days from the big family trip.
I've got cakes to bake, icing to make and of course, still job hunting.
If you're looking for an able printmaker (silk screen and relief), illustrator, graphic artist, painter or editor just let me know.
Friday, August 6, 2010
Day Six - August
Well, I've managed to write 5,000 words on Blood Lines and finish a short story with another 2,000 words (Beauty is the Beast - which is on FictionPress) so I am fairly on track for the month. A smidge behind but I'm certain that I can catch up now that I've hit my stride.
And here' s a quote I found very inspiring whilst writing Daphne.
“If you bring out the devil within me, the consequences are on your own head.”
- Charles Dickens, Nicholas Nickleby
And a quick excerpt from Blood Lines.
A deer watched me some hundred feet away. It seemed to know, shying away. I shifted my legs, it ran.
I smiled. My heart beat faster in my chest. I stood and ran after it. My shoes crushed the leaves and underbrush. Could I keep up? I could smell it, wet, young. The scent stuck in my nostrils. Something inside me sang.
I took a deep breath, leaping forward, over a log in my path. My stomach cramped, I winced. The pain did not last. I brushed it aside, trying to keep pace with the deer. I felt a smile tug its way across my face. A grin. I laughed. The deer flinched in it’s run.
“Come on!” I shouted. “Run faster!”
I wanted the chase. Not for the deer, for the thrill.
It came again, the pain in my stomach. And then my arms started to tingle, my legs. As though all the hair stood on end. My scalp itched. The world seemed to shrink, it was just me, and the deer. I tore at my clothes, shedding them as I ran.
I jumped again, over the stream that led to the lake. I twisted. My shoulders pushed forward, I fell onto my hands, and then I started to scream. My muscles were rolling under my skin. My teeth broke into my lip and I tasted blood. Something was wrong.
Claws tipped my hands, I dug into the dirt and clenched myself together. It hurt. It all hurt. The sounds and smells were stronger now. Everything alive, moving. I howled. Another joined me, in the distance. I raised my head, scenting the air with a misshapen face.
Erik.
He came out of the trees, gracefully avoiding the obstacles in his way. Even as a man he moved like a wolf. He ran to me, “Daphne, I need you to keep breathing.”
I screamed. “It hurts.”
“I know. You need to push past that.”
“Something is wrong.”
I knew it in my bones as they cracked. Something was so very wrong. I whimpered.
Erik stared for a moment, and then I closed my eyes. I couldn’t watch myself break, it was bad enough having to feel it. I felt him pick me up. I dug my hands into the fabric of his shirt.
“Hold on, Daphne. I’m going to fix this. I’m going to fix this.”
That wasn’t quite as reassuring as he thought it was, but I couldn’t get my vocal chords working around the words. I choked, and then I stopped breathing.
And here' s a quote I found very inspiring whilst writing Daphne.
“If you bring out the devil within me, the consequences are on your own head.”
- Charles Dickens, Nicholas Nickleby
And a quick excerpt from Blood Lines.
A deer watched me some hundred feet away. It seemed to know, shying away. I shifted my legs, it ran.
I smiled. My heart beat faster in my chest. I stood and ran after it. My shoes crushed the leaves and underbrush. Could I keep up? I could smell it, wet, young. The scent stuck in my nostrils. Something inside me sang.
I took a deep breath, leaping forward, over a log in my path. My stomach cramped, I winced. The pain did not last. I brushed it aside, trying to keep pace with the deer. I felt a smile tug its way across my face. A grin. I laughed. The deer flinched in it’s run.
“Come on!” I shouted. “Run faster!”
I wanted the chase. Not for the deer, for the thrill.
It came again, the pain in my stomach. And then my arms started to tingle, my legs. As though all the hair stood on end. My scalp itched. The world seemed to shrink, it was just me, and the deer. I tore at my clothes, shedding them as I ran.
I jumped again, over the stream that led to the lake. I twisted. My shoulders pushed forward, I fell onto my hands, and then I started to scream. My muscles were rolling under my skin. My teeth broke into my lip and I tasted blood. Something was wrong.
Claws tipped my hands, I dug into the dirt and clenched myself together. It hurt. It all hurt. The sounds and smells were stronger now. Everything alive, moving. I howled. Another joined me, in the distance. I raised my head, scenting the air with a misshapen face.
Erik.
He came out of the trees, gracefully avoiding the obstacles in his way. Even as a man he moved like a wolf. He ran to me, “Daphne, I need you to keep breathing.”
I screamed. “It hurts.”
“I know. You need to push past that.”
“Something is wrong.”
I knew it in my bones as they cracked. Something was so very wrong. I whimpered.
Erik stared for a moment, and then I closed my eyes. I couldn’t watch myself break, it was bad enough having to feel it. I felt him pick me up. I dug my hands into the fabric of his shirt.
“Hold on, Daphne. I’m going to fix this. I’m going to fix this.”
That wasn’t quite as reassuring as he thought it was, but I couldn’t get my vocal chords working around the words. I choked, and then I stopped breathing.
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Day One - August
All right, a strong start to the month of July, I have outlined the rest of the novel!
Starting word count for Bloodlines is 25, 152 words. That means another 25K to meet Goal 1 of completing the novel at over 50,000 words and an additional 25K to meet the monthly goal of 50,000 words.
I'm feeling pretty good this time around. Things have calmed down a little now and prospects look good.
Anywho . . . Just a few short weeks till the big family get together. First time we'll all be together like this. . .ever. There've always been a couple missing here and there until this time. Should be interesting.
Happy writing.
Starting word count for Bloodlines is 25, 152 words. That means another 25K to meet Goal 1 of completing the novel at over 50,000 words and an additional 25K to meet the monthly goal of 50,000 words.
I'm feeling pretty good this time around. Things have calmed down a little now and prospects look good.
Anywho . . . Just a few short weeks till the big family get together. First time we'll all be together like this. . .ever. There've always been a couple missing here and there until this time. Should be interesting.
Happy writing.
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