Comments are better than lithium for lifting a mood. (Not that I've ever taken lithium to lift my mood, but that's what it does, right?)
I watched Julie and Julia, and one scene in particular struck me. It's her first entry on the "Julie and Julia Project" where she acknowledges that she's pretty much talking to herself, for herself. Then the next day she gets a comment... from her mother, telling her she's wasting her time and to stop blogging.
(Okay, that's two scenes, but they're about the same thing.)
I just have to say, it's a great feeling to have people comment on posts here. When anyone starts one of these blogs, they're talking to dead air and have no reason to expect that to ever change. Unless the person in question is a celebrity of some kind there's really no expectation that anyone would ever take interest in the ramblings of some random person on a free site. Seeing any number other than (0) beside the comment count is a surprise to me - a HAPPY one - and I'm grateful to those of you who have taken time to comment here. My highest count so far is (5), but every one of them is like an individual shot of adrenaline.
Will I ever get to the point that I'm getting 50+ per entry? Who knows? If I do, then that'll be a day I'm very hyper and my family will wonder what's gotten into me, I'm sure. And if my post the next day is slightly incoherent, then you'll all know you helped contribute to my lunacy. :-P
Thank you.
Voice
Monday, January 11, 2010
AKA - the bane of an author's existence.
You can plot a storyline. You can research location and vocation. You can come up with a great name for you main character and you can have a solid concept, but without "voice" the book falls flat. Most people mentally "hear" the words of a book as they read it. If you don't believe that, read a best seller then watch the movie made out of it and see if something feels "off" with the casting because it doesn't match what's in your head. Better yet, go to the library and check out an audio book version of something you've already read and see how long it takes you to cringe because the reader's voice sounds "wrong".
Voice is key, but no one really knows how to explain what it is or how to achieve the effect if it doesn't come naturally.
People who read my writing in progress tell me the voice is great, then follow that with an immediate "How do you do that?" I could very easily give them a toss-away (and egotistical) response about how it just "happens", but that's not entirely true.
The truth is, I borrow my voice from others.
People tend to think of writing as a visual medium, and to a certain extent it is, but it's also the current incarnation of the traditional storyteller -- a very audible medium. The bonfires and flash powder may not be part of the average reader's experience when he/she curls up with a novel to step out of life for a few hours, but the foundation is still there. If you're going to be a good storyteller (and you most definitely can be one without being a good writer), you have to be a good listener.
Cadence and rhythm are vital to good writing - this is why one of the most common pieces of advice for writers is to read their work out loud to see if it sounds like real speech. Readers will stumble over "do not" if they know it should be "don't"; it's a visual stutter of sorts.
What I do, and I swear it's as easy as it sounds, is pick a character from a movie or a TV-show and "cast" them as the narrator of a given passage. After it's written, then I read it back in the imagined speaking voice of that character and alter it to fit their speech pattern. For example, the short story a couple of posts down about the life of a wish. In my mind, that's written to sound like the voice over from The Lord of the Rings film (Galadriel's voice). Read it with that in mind and you can make up your own mind whether or not I succeeded.
Hopefully this makes some kind of sense, and hopefully it's of some use to someone out there.
:-P
You can plot a storyline. You can research location and vocation. You can come up with a great name for you main character and you can have a solid concept, but without "voice" the book falls flat. Most people mentally "hear" the words of a book as they read it. If you don't believe that, read a best seller then watch the movie made out of it and see if something feels "off" with the casting because it doesn't match what's in your head. Better yet, go to the library and check out an audio book version of something you've already read and see how long it takes you to cringe because the reader's voice sounds "wrong".
Voice is key, but no one really knows how to explain what it is or how to achieve the effect if it doesn't come naturally.
People who read my writing in progress tell me the voice is great, then follow that with an immediate "How do you do that?" I could very easily give them a toss-away (and egotistical) response about how it just "happens", but that's not entirely true.
The truth is, I borrow my voice from others.
People tend to think of writing as a visual medium, and to a certain extent it is, but it's also the current incarnation of the traditional storyteller -- a very audible medium. The bonfires and flash powder may not be part of the average reader's experience when he/she curls up with a novel to step out of life for a few hours, but the foundation is still there. If you're going to be a good storyteller (and you most definitely can be one without being a good writer), you have to be a good listener.
Cadence and rhythm are vital to good writing - this is why one of the most common pieces of advice for writers is to read their work out loud to see if it sounds like real speech. Readers will stumble over "do not" if they know it should be "don't"; it's a visual stutter of sorts.
What I do, and I swear it's as easy as it sounds, is pick a character from a movie or a TV-show and "cast" them as the narrator of a given passage. After it's written, then I read it back in the imagined speaking voice of that character and alter it to fit their speech pattern. For example, the short story a couple of posts down about the life of a wish. In my mind, that's written to sound like the voice over from The Lord of the Rings film (Galadriel's voice). Read it with that in mind and you can make up your own mind whether or not I succeeded.
Hopefully this makes some kind of sense, and hopefully it's of some use to someone out there.
:-P
Sketching Ideas
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Labels:
sketches
Sometimes an idea takes the form of words - description or dialogue. Sometimes it's a little more abstract. This is an example of the latter. It's the beginnings of an idea for something that started with an image instead of character or plot.
Sure it's not quite perfect, and it's sort of lopsided here and there, but ideas are like that. They come out in various stages of completion and inspire further development of things that never would have been considered without them as a jumping of point.
In this case, it was part of the creation of a genie story. I had the idea for this pretty purple bottle, sketched it out and painted it in Photo Impact. (For full illustrations, I usually use Prisma Colors). Of course, words are necessary to make the story, but they're not always necessary to start it.
Outlining, or the Lack Thereof
Friday, January 8, 2010
After spending time on Absolute Write*, I've discovered that writers fall into 2 categories: Those who outline and those who don't. And the 2 don't always get along when the subject of outlining comes up. Tempers flare, middle ground disappears, accusations of little intelligence fly, mod-sticks come out... no one's happy.
For myself, I've always been in the "no outline" category. I like an organic approach to writing that lets the story happen as it happens. I might sketch out a summary/synopsis in advance, but beyond that, I don't like outlines. (I tend to think of them more rigid than they actually are.) However, yesterday, I located a Post-It pad that was apparently made for The Jolly Green Giant. (Technically it's made for those presentation easels, but come on... it's a sticky note pad. They should not be that big.)
I tacked the thing to my wall and started writing out notes on it about the scenes I'd already figured out. Suddenly, other things started filling in the gaps. The plot laid itself out in a somewhat structured path from beginning to end.
Gah... I was outlining!!!
About a month ago, I downloaded a trial of a program called Liquid Story Binder which lets you save each part of a book as a separate document. One of the functions is an outline builder. I plugged in the parts I'd put down on the Post-It and more plot points popped up. Not sure if I'll become a regular outliner, but for at least yesterday it worked pretty well.
* Absolute Write is an awesome resource for writers. One I'll promptly link to once (and if) I ever figure out how to make a link thingy in my side bar. If you have writing questions or need help hashing out a plot, that's the place to go. It's also got great information about specific agents and publishers to help you figure out which ones are good fits and which ones aren't quite so legit.
For myself, I've always been in the "no outline" category. I like an organic approach to writing that lets the story happen as it happens. I might sketch out a summary/synopsis in advance, but beyond that, I don't like outlines. (I tend to think of them more rigid than they actually are.) However, yesterday, I located a Post-It pad that was apparently made for The Jolly Green Giant. (Technically it's made for those presentation easels, but come on... it's a sticky note pad. They should not be that big.)
I tacked the thing to my wall and started writing out notes on it about the scenes I'd already figured out. Suddenly, other things started filling in the gaps. The plot laid itself out in a somewhat structured path from beginning to end.
Gah... I was outlining!!!
About a month ago, I downloaded a trial of a program called Liquid Story Binder which lets you save each part of a book as a separate document. One of the functions is an outline builder. I plugged in the parts I'd put down on the Post-It and more plot points popped up. Not sure if I'll become a regular outliner, but for at least yesterday it worked pretty well.
* Absolute Write is an awesome resource for writers. One I'll promptly link to once (and if) I ever figure out how to make a link thingy in my side bar. If you have writing questions or need help hashing out a plot, that's the place to go. It's also got great information about specific agents and publishers to help you figure out which ones are good fits and which ones aren't quite so legit.
The Question of When
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Part of craft of writing comes when determining the best time to reveal information.
I say the "craft" of writing because it's inherently different than the "act" of writing. The act of writing, at least for me, is more like a system purge. You get all of the information out in whatever form it comes. The end of this process will probably resemble a narrative, but it's also most likely not complete.
Infodumps and darling passages overpopulate most 1st drafts because they're necessary components of creating the world and characters. When I type out hundreds of words full of backstory in the middle of a passage, it's usually because that's the first time I've thought of that particular aspect of the character's life. I realized this today as I was reading over 3 chapters of one of my WIP. There's a piece of very pertinent information in there that has absolutely NO business being there.
Not only does it slap the reader upside the head and shout "Look! You need to know this for later!", it interupts the flow of the narrative. So, it's being surgically removed for use elsewhere. The information is still required, but there has to be a better way to reveal it.
Drat those stories that know they can be better than they are. Once they figure it out, they won't settle for good enough, and they won't let me do it, either. Sometimes it seems like I read through something I wrote and passages almost highlight themselves, pointing out that they don't belong. No, I'm not hallucinating :-P, it's just a matter of them "sounding" off when I read them back. The only thing to do is tinker around until they sound right.
Obviously, I'm still a rambling blogger, so I'll stop as not to make anyone's eyeballs bleed from reading.
I say the "craft" of writing because it's inherently different than the "act" of writing. The act of writing, at least for me, is more like a system purge. You get all of the information out in whatever form it comes. The end of this process will probably resemble a narrative, but it's also most likely not complete.
Infodumps and darling passages overpopulate most 1st drafts because they're necessary components of creating the world and characters. When I type out hundreds of words full of backstory in the middle of a passage, it's usually because that's the first time I've thought of that particular aspect of the character's life. I realized this today as I was reading over 3 chapters of one of my WIP. There's a piece of very pertinent information in there that has absolutely NO business being there.
Not only does it slap the reader upside the head and shout "Look! You need to know this for later!", it interupts the flow of the narrative. So, it's being surgically removed for use elsewhere. The information is still required, but there has to be a better way to reveal it.
Drat those stories that know they can be better than they are. Once they figure it out, they won't settle for good enough, and they won't let me do it, either. Sometimes it seems like I read through something I wrote and passages almost highlight themselves, pointing out that they don't belong. No, I'm not hallucinating :-P, it's just a matter of them "sounding" off when I read them back. The only thing to do is tinker around until they sound right.
Obviously, I'm still a rambling blogger, so I'll stop as not to make anyone's eyeballs bleed from reading.
GRRRRR.....
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Growl.
Snarl.
Hiss.
Spit.
Dear Migraine,
Please take this as formal notification that you should vacate my cranium without further delay. You are no longer welcome on the premises. Your things will be left on the curb for you or the garbage man to pick up. Don't forget to take your stupid slobbering pet "Writer's Block" with you or I'll have it neutered and/or put to sleep.
Sincerely,
Josie
Snarl.
Hiss.
Spit.
Dear Migraine,
Please take this as formal notification that you should vacate my cranium without further delay. You are no longer welcome on the premises. Your things will be left on the curb for you or the garbage man to pick up. Don't forget to take your stupid slobbering pet "Writer's Block" with you or I'll have it neutered and/or put to sleep.
Sincerely,
Josie
Blogger the Terrible
Sunday, January 3, 2010
If I were a viking this would be my name. (If I were a Viking, I'd also be a foot taller and most likely blonde, but that's a different rant that I would be unable to make as a Viking because most Vikings are off having dinner at Valhalla and didn't speak English, so back to the blog...)
I've earned the name Blogger the Terrible because it's been almost two months since I posted a new entry. I even missed the perfect opportunity to turn myself around by making it a new year's resolution (unless I wait for Chinese new year and try and make this the year of the blog as well as the year of the ox, which could work I guess).
Once November hit, a few things aligned to keep me from blogging to mostly empty space. 1st, NaNo - I'm pretty sure I have a total of 50K, but not all on one book, so I disqualified myself. I can't turn off my internal editor and let myself write garbage no matter how hard I try. It's like trying not to sort my crayons by color as soon as I open the box - it's not gonna happen. Once I settled on NaNo - NoMo, the family tidal wave known as "the holdiays" hit. Vacation meant that I was suddenly not the only one who wanted my computer. Apparently writing is "playing" and someone else thought they could do just as much while busting brightly colored bricks on screen, so I was outsed. Once the TV found itself locked in the "on" position for weeks on end, it was time to give up on trying to think of anything other than the questionable dialogue on screen.
Yes, those are excuses. Deal with it. :-P
So, now that it's the end of Christmas break, I have the opportunity to reclaim my computer chair and try to hammer out those last 30K or so to finish my current favorite WIP. YAY *tosses confetti*
Hopefully, I won't be Blogger the Terrible for very long (it was horrible to come over here and discover I'd missed a comment from my favorite shark.)
/ramble.
I've earned the name Blogger the Terrible because it's been almost two months since I posted a new entry. I even missed the perfect opportunity to turn myself around by making it a new year's resolution (unless I wait for Chinese new year and try and make this the year of the blog as well as the year of the ox, which could work I guess).
Once November hit, a few things aligned to keep me from blogging to mostly empty space. 1st, NaNo - I'm pretty sure I have a total of 50K, but not all on one book, so I disqualified myself. I can't turn off my internal editor and let myself write garbage no matter how hard I try. It's like trying not to sort my crayons by color as soon as I open the box - it's not gonna happen. Once I settled on NaNo - NoMo, the family tidal wave known as "the holdiays" hit. Vacation meant that I was suddenly not the only one who wanted my computer. Apparently writing is "playing" and someone else thought they could do just as much while busting brightly colored bricks on screen, so I was outsed. Once the TV found itself locked in the "on" position for weeks on end, it was time to give up on trying to think of anything other than the questionable dialogue on screen.
Yes, those are excuses. Deal with it. :-P
So, now that it's the end of Christmas break, I have the opportunity to reclaim my computer chair and try to hammer out those last 30K or so to finish my current favorite WIP. YAY *tosses confetti*
Hopefully, I won't be Blogger the Terrible for very long (it was horrible to come over here and discover I'd missed a comment from my favorite shark.)
/ramble.
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