Pretty much everyone has heard the story of Stephenie Meyer having a very vivid dream that sparked the idea for TWILIGHT. I have very vivid dreams, too, so surely there's a good idea for a best-selling novel in them. Right?
Over the last week, here are some of the options I've gathered:
1. I get attacked by a bear and then wake up.
2. I get attacked by a cougar and then wake up.
(I decided to go jogging one morning and set my alarm. Dreams #1 and #2 were the result. Over and over. Perhaps I should explain that we live in a somewhat rural neighborhood with no streetlights and bears and cougars occasionally show up. I still went jogging. And no, I didn't scream when the deer jumped out of the bush at me. And, yes, it was very hard to pace myself after since my brain wouldn't stop screaming, "I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die.")
3. I go to see a play with my extended family. A family member sits next to my daughter and won't move. So I slap them and gather up the kids and leave.
(No, I don't have anger issues. WHY DO YOU THINK I HAVE ANGER ISSUES???)
4. I go to visit someone. They keep hangers in their dishwasher. The end.
Personally, I think #4 has best selling novel written all over it. Or perhaps I should just keep dreaming.
What about you? Have you ever gotten a story idea from a dream before? Does anyone else wonder where their subconscious is coming up with these things?
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Versatility
Gaylene at {unwritten} recently gave me this lovely award:
Thanks, Gaylene!
For the award, I'm supposed to tell you 7 Things About Me. Obviously, these are probably not the 7 most important things about me. I hope!
1. I'm out of practice, but I used to be pretty good at belly dancing.
2. I get terrible Charley horses in my feet unless I drink Gatorade at least every other day.
3. I've since lost it, but my original accent was a strong Southern accent.
4. I am related (both by blood and marriage) to more statisticians than you want to know about.
5. I like to bake and with the severe food allergies in our family, I've gotten really good at modifying recipes.
6. My first job was as a florist, but my favorite job title (although not necessarily my favorite job) was "tracker." I won't tell you what I did, because that would remove all the mystery and glamour from the job.
7. I'm really good with spacial things like packing. I once packed so much stuff into my suitcase that it weighed 48 kilograms (that's about 105 lbs--obviously this was before the weight restrictions). And, no, there were no weights or rocks or anything like that packed inside. I carried it through the London underground and several nice chaps offered to help. I warned them all it was was very heavy. They didn't believe me. And then as soon as they reached a landing, they dropped it and practically ran away. I tried hard not to laugh.
I would like to pass this award along to Emily at The Yellow Wallpaper. She hasn't been blogging long, but she's kept me very entertained. So go stop by and say hi.
Have a fantastic day!
Thanks, Gaylene!
For the award, I'm supposed to tell you 7 Things About Me. Obviously, these are probably not the 7 most important things about me. I hope!
1. I'm out of practice, but I used to be pretty good at belly dancing.
2. I get terrible Charley horses in my feet unless I drink Gatorade at least every other day.
3. I've since lost it, but my original accent was a strong Southern accent.
4. I am related (both by blood and marriage) to more statisticians than you want to know about.
5. I like to bake and with the severe food allergies in our family, I've gotten really good at modifying recipes.
6. My first job was as a florist, but my favorite job title (although not necessarily my favorite job) was "tracker." I won't tell you what I did, because that would remove all the mystery and glamour from the job.
7. I'm really good with spacial things like packing. I once packed so much stuff into my suitcase that it weighed 48 kilograms (that's about 105 lbs--obviously this was before the weight restrictions). And, no, there were no weights or rocks or anything like that packed inside. I carried it through the London underground and several nice chaps offered to help. I warned them all it was was very heavy. They didn't believe me. And then as soon as they reached a landing, they dropped it and practically ran away. I tried hard not to laugh.
I would like to pass this award along to Emily at The Yellow Wallpaper. She hasn't been blogging long, but she's kept me very entertained. So go stop by and say hi.
Have a fantastic day!
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Cinda Williams Chima signing
A few years ago, some friends and I planned to go to a book signing with Cinda Williams Chima shortly after the release of The Dragon Heir.
Unfortunately, the plans fell through at the last minute and I didn't get to go. It was very disappointing. So I was delighted to hear that she was coming again to the area after the release of Book #3 in her Seven Realms series.
I love hearing other authors speak and getting a feel for them in real life. She'd a delightful person and I'm so glad I had the chance to meet her. As she was speaking, she gave some fantastic advice. My personal favorites were:
-As a fantasy author, you have to believe in your own world.
-Don't believe you have to do everything that people tell you to. Set limits for yourself and your time.
-After reading a book, ask yourself what the author did to make you care about the characters.
-All her books are about transformations, which is what being a teen is all about.
She also announced that, not only is there a 4th book in her Seven Realms series, but there will be two more books in her Heir Chronicles. I enjoyed the Seven Realms books, but the Heir Chronicles were my favorite and I'm so excited that there will be more of them!
What about you? What's some of the best writing advice you've come across recently? Are there any books coming out that you're particularly excited about?
Unfortunately, the plans fell through at the last minute and I didn't get to go. It was very disappointing. So I was delighted to hear that she was coming again to the area after the release of Book #3 in her Seven Realms series.
I love hearing other authors speak and getting a feel for them in real life. She'd a delightful person and I'm so glad I had the chance to meet her. As she was speaking, she gave some fantastic advice. My personal favorites were:
-As a fantasy author, you have to believe in your own world.
-Don't believe you have to do everything that people tell you to. Set limits for yourself and your time.
-After reading a book, ask yourself what the author did to make you care about the characters.
-All her books are about transformations, which is what being a teen is all about.
She also announced that, not only is there a 4th book in her Seven Realms series, but there will be two more books in her Heir Chronicles. I enjoyed the Seven Realms books, but the Heir Chronicles were my favorite and I'm so excited that there will be more of them!
What about you? What's some of the best writing advice you've come across recently? Are there any books coming out that you're particularly excited about?
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Boys and Girls
My 6 year old daughter climbed into the car after school the other day and announced with a sigh, "Another boy fell in love with me today." (It's so wearisome to have so many guys in love with her, apparently.)
Me: "How do you know that?"
LittleGiggles: "He told me. I think I'm going to tell G that another boy is in love with me." (G is her kindergarten crush.)
Me: "Um, you know, most boys don't like being told that another guy is in love with you. Besides, how do you know that G still likes you."
LG: "He told J (one of her girl friends) and J told me."
Me (thinking this sounds way too much like Jr. High for my tastes): "..."
Her 8 year old brother: "No one ever falls in love with me at recess."
Me (thinking it's probably because he spends recess pretending to shoot things): "..."
I took several human development classes in college and I was fascinated with the studies about very young children and gender differences. I remember being assigned to a group of three for a presentation: me, another girl, and a guy. We decided we were going to do a demonstration of the types of play discussed in the article and, so we would have equal groups, convinced our professor to be the other boy.
The other girl and I tried to build a house out of Legos (the toddler girls in the study tended to build structures that were enclosing and would bring things together). It was difficult to build the house because the "boys" kept stealing our Legos for their battle. When our professor started throwing the Legos at us, we were both laughing to hard to keep explaining things.
I don't know how many of you had professors throwing Legos at you, but it's an experience, let me tell you.
Even after these classes, I was still surprised to see the differences between my sons and my daughter from a very young age. Yes, there is a lot of variation within genders and a lot of cross over, but there are still some differences. And those differences should be evident in your characters.
For example, a girl would never say to her friend, "I think I might like this guy," and have her friend respond by saying, "Okay," before the conversation went on to a different topic (unless they were 6 years old). Most girls like to talk--a lot (rather like I'm doing here)--and would have quite a bit to say to their friends on this topic. I remember as a teenager talking the topic of boys we liked to death. Seriously. Analyzing it from every possible angle and then doing it again. Of course, in writing you wouldn't want to have a three hour conversation bogging down the story, but they would definitely have to talk about it.
So go look around you,see what you notice, and then try to reflect that in your writing.
Me: "How do you know that?"
LittleGiggles: "He told me. I think I'm going to tell G that another boy is in love with me." (G is her kindergarten crush.)
Me: "Um, you know, most boys don't like being told that another guy is in love with you. Besides, how do you know that G still likes you."
LG: "He told J (one of her girl friends) and J told me."
Me (thinking this sounds way too much like Jr. High for my tastes): "..."
Her 8 year old brother: "No one ever falls in love with me at recess."
Me (thinking it's probably because he spends recess pretending to shoot things): "..."
I took several human development classes in college and I was fascinated with the studies about very young children and gender differences. I remember being assigned to a group of three for a presentation: me, another girl, and a guy. We decided we were going to do a demonstration of the types of play discussed in the article and, so we would have equal groups, convinced our professor to be the other boy.
The other girl and I tried to build a house out of Legos (the toddler girls in the study tended to build structures that were enclosing and would bring things together). It was difficult to build the house because the "boys" kept stealing our Legos for their battle. When our professor started throwing the Legos at us, we were both laughing to hard to keep explaining things.
I don't know how many of you had professors throwing Legos at you, but it's an experience, let me tell you.
Even after these classes, I was still surprised to see the differences between my sons and my daughter from a very young age. Yes, there is a lot of variation within genders and a lot of cross over, but there are still some differences. And those differences should be evident in your characters.
For example, a girl would never say to her friend, "I think I might like this guy," and have her friend respond by saying, "Okay," before the conversation went on to a different topic (unless they were 6 years old). Most girls like to talk--a lot (rather like I'm doing here)--and would have quite a bit to say to their friends on this topic. I remember as a teenager talking the topic of boys we liked to death. Seriously. Analyzing it from every possible angle and then doing it again. Of course, in writing you wouldn't want to have a three hour conversation bogging down the story, but they would definitely have to talk about it.
So go look around you,see what you notice, and then try to reflect that in your writing.
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Finding the Real Problem
I recently sang a solo. In public. I should probably get to my point before my hands start shaking again. Let's just say that I don't enjoy being in front of audiences.
As I practiced, I noticed that there was one line that I was always off on. I'd practice the line alone and it would be fine, but as soon as I tried to sing the entire piece, I was off. I couldn't figure out why. Finally I looked at the line before and realized that, sure enough, I was sharp on the high note (which really wasn't high, it was just the highest note in the line) and threw the rest of the notes off.
I tried to write a story once. (I've written several, but this is the only one I've made significant progress in and never finished.) I reached page 150 and realized I'd written myself into a corner. The characters were basically arguing out the dialog in my head about why every single solution I had wouldn't work. I deleted most of it and tried again. Somewhere after page 100, I gave up. The characters were arguing again about there being no solution to the problem.
I started a new story.
The problem wasn't where I noticed everything falling apart, though. The problem came earlier, in the scenes setting up the world and the conflict. I still have the same problem now sometimes. I've noticed that when I'm stuck on a story and can't figure out what to do, it's usually because something is wrong earlier in the story.
I'm getting ready to jump back into a story where I made a similar mistake. I was nearly halfway through writing the first draft and, although I made good time getting the draft out, it felt very bland to me. I finally figured out that my problem was in the set-up and in the choice that my MC had to face. I only wish it hadn't taken me 30,000 words to figure out the real issue.
In any case, I've learned that when I get stuck or have "writer's block," to go back and look at what I've already written. Usually I can find the problem somewhere in there.
As I practiced, I noticed that there was one line that I was always off on. I'd practice the line alone and it would be fine, but as soon as I tried to sing the entire piece, I was off. I couldn't figure out why. Finally I looked at the line before and realized that, sure enough, I was sharp on the high note (which really wasn't high, it was just the highest note in the line) and threw the rest of the notes off.
I tried to write a story once. (I've written several, but this is the only one I've made significant progress in and never finished.) I reached page 150 and realized I'd written myself into a corner. The characters were basically arguing out the dialog in my head about why every single solution I had wouldn't work. I deleted most of it and tried again. Somewhere after page 100, I gave up. The characters were arguing again about there being no solution to the problem.
I started a new story.
The problem wasn't where I noticed everything falling apart, though. The problem came earlier, in the scenes setting up the world and the conflict. I still have the same problem now sometimes. I've noticed that when I'm stuck on a story and can't figure out what to do, it's usually because something is wrong earlier in the story.
I'm getting ready to jump back into a story where I made a similar mistake. I was nearly halfway through writing the first draft and, although I made good time getting the draft out, it felt very bland to me. I finally figured out that my problem was in the set-up and in the choice that my MC had to face. I only wish it hadn't taken me 30,000 words to figure out the real issue.
In any case, I've learned that when I get stuck or have "writer's block," to go back and look at what I've already written. Usually I can find the problem somewhere in there.
Friday, September 9, 2011
Madness and Insanity
We finally went to see X-Men: First Class. Okay, I finally saw it. My husband went to the midnight showing with his brother and I didn't want to get in the way of their brother-bonding time.
Overall, I really enjoyed it. It was fun, lots of excitement and cool fight scenes. But, being in revision mode, I found myself wanting to edit. More of this, less of this, etc. I miss the days when I didn't analyze every book or movie, but it does make the ones that I love all that much better when I don't want to change them.
I did enjoy X-Men and I thought the acting was great. It took me a while to remember where I'd seen James McAvoy before. He wasn't dressed like a faun in this movie, nor was he completely insane. In case you're wondering what I'm talking about, he was in a ShakespeaRe-Told version of Macbeth several years ago and he was incredible! One of the best performances I've seen. Admittedly, I don't like thrillers or horror movies, but I thought this was brilliant. It's a modern day retelling of the play and it was so well done. Plus, it had Richard Armitage in it and, yes, part of the reason I wanted to see Captain America so much was because he was in it. (Although they gave him an American accent which is Just Not Right, in my opinion.)
I'm distracting myself.
Anyway, if you want to see an amazing descent into madness and insanity, do check out the movie. (The other ShakespeaRe-Tolds were fun too.)
Overall, I really enjoyed it. It was fun, lots of excitement and cool fight scenes. But, being in revision mode, I found myself wanting to edit. More of this, less of this, etc. I miss the days when I didn't analyze every book or movie, but it does make the ones that I love all that much better when I don't want to change them.
I did enjoy X-Men and I thought the acting was great. It took me a while to remember where I'd seen James McAvoy before. He wasn't dressed like a faun in this movie, nor was he completely insane. In case you're wondering what I'm talking about, he was in a ShakespeaRe-Told version of Macbeth several years ago and he was incredible! One of the best performances I've seen. Admittedly, I don't like thrillers or horror movies, but I thought this was brilliant. It's a modern day retelling of the play and it was so well done. Plus, it had Richard Armitage in it and, yes, part of the reason I wanted to see Captain America so much was because he was in it. (Although they gave him an American accent which is Just Not Right, in my opinion.)
I'm distracting myself.
Anyway, if you want to see an amazing descent into madness and insanity, do check out the movie. (The other ShakespeaRe-Tolds were fun too.)
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Mysteriously Moving Rock
First of all, I am in need of an explanation. There is a large boulder in the backyard, part of the landscaping. It has moved.
How does a boulder this size move? (I should have someone else in the picture for comparison, but this thing is higher than my waist.)
Obviously an earthquake could move it, but none of the other rocks have shifted at all. So why did this boulder, after being in place for over two years, suddenly move?
Even more strange, there are animal droppings beside where the boulder used to be. (I could show that picture, but really, who wants to see that?) What kind of animal is big enough to move this size of a rock? More to the point: WHY? Why would an animal want to move the rock? Any ideas?
In other news, I finally finished my revision! Wahoo! I'd hoped to have it done a week ago, but with the start of school, birthdays, and anniversaries, I'm a bit behind where I wanted to be. I'm sending it out to a couple beta readers and then printing off a copy to read out loud to myself.
How about you? Where are you at in your writing? Anything exciting going on for you? Like mysteriously moving rocks?
How does a boulder this size move? (I should have someone else in the picture for comparison, but this thing is higher than my waist.)
Obviously an earthquake could move it, but none of the other rocks have shifted at all. So why did this boulder, after being in place for over two years, suddenly move?
Even more strange, there are animal droppings beside where the boulder used to be. (I could show that picture, but really, who wants to see that?) What kind of animal is big enough to move this size of a rock? More to the point: WHY? Why would an animal want to move the rock? Any ideas?
In other news, I finally finished my revision! Wahoo! I'd hoped to have it done a week ago, but with the start of school, birthdays, and anniversaries, I'm a bit behind where I wanted to be. I'm sending it out to a couple beta readers and then printing off a copy to read out loud to myself.
How about you? Where are you at in your writing? Anything exciting going on for you? Like mysteriously moving rocks?
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