Once upon a time I used notecards for scene-plotting. One card per scene with a short description of said scene. Had a stack of cards, that I couldn't even tell you where they are right now. Anyway, tonight I was in the big store that starts with "W", and I came across a very useful item. Index cards that were perforated down the middle, attached with a ring. I'd thought about doing the same thing...which would require a hole punch, and time. But this was perfect. Index cards on a ring, already holepunched. The pack has 75 full size cards, which is really 150 punched cards. Let's just say I'm a sucker for a new gadgety type of item, and I'm a sucker for any type of office/school supply that I haven't tried before, and it was a pre-packaged version of something I'd already thought about.
Kewl.
24 April 2007
16 April 2007
Re-reading
There aren't many books that I will re-read. Stephen King--definitely. S.L. Viehl's StarDoc--of course! A certain mystery writer--nope. However I just started re-reading the Vampire Huntress series by L.A. Banks. I'm starting from the beginning.. Minion. I love the series...I've read 5 or 6 of the 8 currently available. I forgot which one I was up to, so I decided to start all over. And I am happy to say, that it is a whole new experience. I mean, I pretty much know what is going to happen, but now I can savor it. The first time I read the books I was thrown into a non-stop whirlwind of good vs. evil. I was so anxious to find out what was going to happen that I didn't slow down to savor the experience. That is the beauty of the 2nd reading. Especially if a bit of time has elapsed from the initial reading. I am also reading as research. Plotting, characterization. I've slowed down enough to take a look around this world I'm experiencing, and seeing the world as Ms. Banks wrote it.
I'm hoping this will help me to translate those movies in my mind onto paper. I often write without thinking...without drawing a complete picture. I leave things out, and I know in a first draft it shouldn't matter, but this old brain forgets....and I think I need to really watch that movie that's playing on the back of my eyelids,a nd absorbing it before i try to commit it to paper. I am working hard on my character--really just trying to get myself organized, and finding out what motivates Erika, Malcolm, Rohan, Serena and Kyle. (Five characters, two different novels, two different genres). I'm ping-ponging back and forth between the two, because they have been in my head for such a long time. I need to get them on paper and then decide what to do with them.
Eden's Promise was my Nano novel from six years ago. I never finished it, simply because I wrote myself into a corner. I've been thinking about this novel, and hope to get back to it later this year. I have some notes written down on that one as well. I don't think I am spreading myself too thin, as all three are different genres.
Ok. so I've been reading an unnamed mystery writer these past couple of weeks. The writer has a series of novels with very interesting characters. But I have noticed one disturbing thing, that probably wouldn't matter if I weren't a writer. Descriptive passages that are repeated from book to book. No, not infodumping the same backstoy....but literally word-for-word paragraphs that are repeated from book to book to book. I don't know about you, but that seems like lazy writing to me.
I'm hoping this will help me to translate those movies in my mind onto paper. I often write without thinking...without drawing a complete picture. I leave things out, and I know in a first draft it shouldn't matter, but this old brain forgets....and I think I need to really watch that movie that's playing on the back of my eyelids,a nd absorbing it before i try to commit it to paper. I am working hard on my character--really just trying to get myself organized, and finding out what motivates Erika, Malcolm, Rohan, Serena and Kyle. (Five characters, two different novels, two different genres). I'm ping-ponging back and forth between the two, because they have been in my head for such a long time. I need to get them on paper and then decide what to do with them.
Eden's Promise was my Nano novel from six years ago. I never finished it, simply because I wrote myself into a corner. I've been thinking about this novel, and hope to get back to it later this year. I have some notes written down on that one as well. I don't think I am spreading myself too thin, as all three are different genres.
Ok. so I've been reading an unnamed mystery writer these past couple of weeks. The writer has a series of novels with very interesting characters. But I have noticed one disturbing thing, that probably wouldn't matter if I weren't a writer. Descriptive passages that are repeated from book to book. No, not infodumping the same backstoy....but literally word-for-word paragraphs that are repeated from book to book to book. I don't know about you, but that seems like lazy writing to me.
04 April 2007
hump day
Tonight was Jericho. But I didn't watch it. I am 2 episodes behind, catching up on On Demand. I missed one, then babygirl was gone for a week, and I didn't want to watch it without her. We watched an episode monday night, but then between homework, and my being tired, we haven't finished the other 2 episodes. So now we're back to 3 episodes behind I guess.
I have not been writing, but I have been thinking about writing. My MC Erika, is not ready yet. I still need to work on her motivations, as well as the motivations for the other major characters. I am [finally] reading Goal, Motivation & Conflict by Debra Dixon. It is giving me a lot to think about. And I am realizing that Erika is only half-formed...she is not "real" yet. There is more I need to know before I move on to plotting.
I also have a couple of ideas (and characters) marinating. Jaylen is speaking to me again. She is the main character from my SF trilogy, that I started as a NaNoWriMo project back in 2001. I remember that I ended the month at 35K, continued writing, and petered out at around 75K. No plot in mind, but I've got an interesting story. I think it is almost time to dig for the gold, and see what I can salvage. The only thing I can be sure of is Jaylen, her two buddies, and the titles for each of the three books.
Related to that project is a short story--a sort of prequel if you will. It is not finished either (do you see a pattern here?) but it is already over 10K. This is another project that I'd like to come back to.
Aside from all this crowding my brain, I am also trying to...get organized. <--what a concept! I am the most disorganized person in the world. My attempts at becoming organized fall to the wayside when I get overwhelmed. I'm a great starter. A finisher...not so much. And that is what I want to change. Banish that procrastination demon! Well, I'm off to do some reading tonight. I have several books in my TBR pile, and they keep getting pushed back, because I can't stay out of the library. LOL My thought is..those books need to be returned, so they need to be read first. Makes sense, no?
I have not been writing, but I have been thinking about writing. My MC Erika, is not ready yet. I still need to work on her motivations, as well as the motivations for the other major characters. I am [finally] reading Goal, Motivation & Conflict by Debra Dixon. It is giving me a lot to think about. And I am realizing that Erika is only half-formed...she is not "real" yet. There is more I need to know before I move on to plotting.
I also have a couple of ideas (and characters) marinating. Jaylen is speaking to me again. She is the main character from my SF trilogy, that I started as a NaNoWriMo project back in 2001. I remember that I ended the month at 35K, continued writing, and petered out at around 75K. No plot in mind, but I've got an interesting story. I think it is almost time to dig for the gold, and see what I can salvage. The only thing I can be sure of is Jaylen, her two buddies, and the titles for each of the three books.
Related to that project is a short story--a sort of prequel if you will. It is not finished either (do you see a pattern here?) but it is already over 10K. This is another project that I'd like to come back to.
Aside from all this crowding my brain, I am also trying to...get organized. <--what a concept! I am the most disorganized person in the world. My attempts at becoming organized fall to the wayside when I get overwhelmed. I'm a great starter. A finisher...not so much. And that is what I want to change. Banish that procrastination demon! Well, I'm off to do some reading tonight. I have several books in my TBR pile, and they keep getting pushed back, because I can't stay out of the library. LOL My thought is..those books need to be returned, so they need to be read first. Makes sense, no?
03 April 2007
it's only tuesday?
01 April 2007
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