Tuesday, November 22, 2005

Sights and Sounds

As writers, we are to pay very close attention to our world. Thanksgiving, and the other holidays, are prime for us. These are the days full of sights, sounds and emotions. The Holidays give us material for all our emotions. So, this Thanksgiving, I challenge all you writers to record the day on paper. Write down how you felt, what everyone looked like, what the food tasted like, smelled like...felt like. Go ahead. I dare you!

Thursday, November 17, 2005

Better Now

Okay. I'm better today. Almost finished another chapter and it wasn't quite as difficult as the last one. Guess I answered my own question. Persistance does pay off. I'm sure there will be quite a bit of revising when I'm finished, but to me revising is the easy part! And now, back to the old keyboard.

Wednesday, November 16, 2005

Feeling Stale

I'm 33,000+ words into my novel...and it's feeling stale. I love the characters! Just having trouble getting them to speak to me. Each chapter is a chore to get out. Hopefully, by persistance, the words will come and, once finished, I can go back through and liven the story! Does it work that way? Does persistance in writing pay off?

Wednesday, November 09, 2005

I Want to Take it All Back

I have two, soon to be three, Print-on-Demand novels out. I was so excited about them and, amazingly enough, there are readers who wait for my next novel. Here's my dilemma...Ugh! They were written before I even knew what pov was. Can I take them back? Please? Although I now read them, and have received the final proofs on the third one, I want to change so much of them. Rewrite them. My readers (amazing there are any!) say no. It shows how much I've grown in my craft. It does give one hope, though. If these three books sell, which they are, although they aren't flying off any shelves, once a "traditional" publisher picks me up, my readers may even, if possible, be more thrilled than I!

Tuesday, November 08, 2005

Drawing the Reader in

Can you see this? Feel this?

The walk was made in companionable silence, each of them lost in their own thoughts. A slight breeze blew over them, carrying with it an autumn nip. Brightly colored leaves in ranges of orange and yellow, rained down around them, carpeting the sidewalk. Jo sniffed. A fireplace burned, bringing to mind childhood memories of popcorn and marshmallows at her grandmother's house. Somewhere, a lawnmower roared, its sound muffled by distance.

Monday, November 07, 2005

TOO MANY

Every where I turn someone is recommending a book that will take my novel "to the next level". How many books can I read? How many levels can I take my novel to? Getting stressed here. Silly, I know, but I feel I must read them all! Help!

Friday, November 04, 2005

The Five Senses

Well, I'm knee deep into a chapter on putting the five senses into your writing. I can see my scene, I can visualize how my character feels and I know what things smell like. Putting it into mere words is, well, very difficult.

I'm sitting here at my desk, looking out at a sea of detention kids. Papers are rustling, whispered giggles from students who think I can't hear, drift over to me. The maintenance man is working on the lights so they flicker and the kids go yes when the lights go off, and no when they go on. The hum of the air conditioner sounds in the background, and over it all is the clicking of my keyboard.

Okay. This was a practice for me. How did I do?

Wednesday, November 02, 2005

Description

A friend recommended, Description & Setting, by Ron Rozelle. I think this may be one of (if not the) best writing tool I will have ever read. Thank you, Robin! Rozelle gives you simple, effective ways to pay attention to the world around you and then goes on to show you how to implement these things in your writing. I can't wait to read his other book, Characters, Emotion & Viewpoint. Talk about a light bulb going on above my head.