Writers' Conference 2011

I recently attended a conference for writers and I thought I would mark some of my thoughts from the weekend.

First, an overview. It took place over two and a half days and included keynote speakers, lectures, classes, and meetings (both formal and informal) with agents and editors.

Highlights:

Q. Lindsey Barrett -Writer

A middle-aged woman with wild red, dyed streaks in her hair, Q. Lindsey taught several writing classes over the weekend and did a fabulous job every single time. (I'll show you why I think she did a fabulous job in just a moment.)

She spoke at the rate of a hundred miles and hour and I had a devil of a time trying to keep up with all of the incredible writing tips she threw out. My hand didn't thank her but my head certainly did. Excellent!

Marc Resnick - Editor for a Publisher

He talked about the publishing process from the time a writer finds an agent to the time the book hits the shelves. It was a concise, ordered, clear explanation of the very long, sometimes tedious process.

This may not sound like it was tremendously interesting but it was and furthermore he was one of the few presenters that stuck to his topic. But we will get to more of that problem in the disappointment section.

Fun Fact from Marc (who does mostly non-fiction):

It takes about two years from the time you get the book in an agent's hands to the time it hits the shelves. That's if you ever even get your work sold.

Which brings me to the next fun fact. Agents only accept about 5% of what they are queried. And then Editors (publishing houses) only buy about 5% of projects that agents query them.

Conclusion: The odds are stacked against any writer at any given time. And yet we still end up with crap in the book marketplace. Amazing!

Disappointments:

Both Keynote Speakers were a disappointment.

However, the second one really grated on me. His name is Richard Walter and he is a screenwriter and faculty at UCLA. Why did he suck? His keynote address title was, "The Talent Myth: Why a Little Bit of Talent and a Lot of Discipline Will Take Writers Further Than the Other Way Around." Catchy right? However, he proceeded to tell a half dozen stories about how he just stumbled into opportunities at different Hollywood parties. He peppered these stories with political rhetoric that he kept apologizing for and then followed up with more political rhetoric. He didn't ever address the idea of 'a lot of discipline'. What a chump! He wasted my time. I managed to miss his lecture later that morning titled, "Training Hacks and Whores." I think I'll survive without that 'vital' information, thank you very much!

Most of the Lectures Given By Agents

They weren't 'Richard Walter bad' but they also weren't nearly as helpful as I had hoped they would be. Let me illustrate what they lacked.

Several of the agents would start out by saying, "You need a strong beginning."

Okay.

Here is why Q. Lindsey Barrett was such a superstar and maybe it is because she is a writer and not an agent. This is what Q. Linsdey said.

"Start with conflict. Here's the definition of conflict. Two dogs, one bone. Go."

Do you see the difference? The agents information was too generic to be really helpful.

Here's another example.

Agent - "Don't make your character look in the mirror and describe themselves. I see that everyday."

Okay. That's helpful.

Q. Lindsey - "To describe a character pretend that you have just moved to a new town and you have made a new best friend. This new best friend asks about your old best friend. How would you describe her?

'Tell me about your best friend' Technique

***She's a little wild and impetuous, enjoys a cluttered house, and has the sweetest soul of anyone you will meet.***

Use these details to describe your characters rather than tall, blue eyes, and brown hair.

Use the 'best friend gone wrong' details for villains."

While the agent's advice was technically helpful, it was very basic. Q. Lindsey's advice was practically helpful and had depth.

Last example:

Agent: "You have to write a page turner. Subtlety doesn't work."

Q. Lindsey Barrett: "When you are trying to figure out the details of a scene, the details that matter are the ones that show the emotion of the scene. Picture a bar, sawdust on the floor, happy honky tonk music on the jukebox. What is the emotion?

And be careful about crying. If your characters cry, your reader doesn't have to. How else can you convey that emotion?"

To top off all of this brilliant goodness, Q. Lindsey taught a class on Structured Revision. She went point for point and her advice is very helpful. She mapped out what exactly you are looking for in first revision, what you do in second revision, pulling out the highlighters and marking every different sense in the third revision etc, etc.

Feedback

Lastly, I should probably mention the appointments that I had one on one with the agents and editors. You could pitch a project, ask questions, etc. The Editor got an advanced reading of Amelia Rider. All three want to see more.

The first agent wants to see about fifty pages and a synopsis of Amelia Rider and a synopsis and a few chapters of Death and Life. I hadn't planned to pitch Death and Life because (sheepish blush) I haven't done the necessary editing work on it yet. However, she liked the pitch for Amelia Rider and she wanted to know about some of my other projects. She also said I pitched really well.

I met with the Editor next and I think I liked her the best, simply because she asked in depth questions and she had read the advanced reading and so knew what my writing style was like. This was more than a good pitch. This was, "Is it crap or not?" I was also able to ask her what she thought of my lassiez-faire style with regard to switching point of view (something that really bugged one of my readers - but the other readers that I asked said it was fun). Anyway, Ms. Editor said it didn't bother her. She thought I made it work and she wouldn't have me change it. She did want me to start the story in action, as opposed to the mourning scene with a slow beginning, and then she wanted me to flash back to the information. This has been an issue that I have struggled with. I wanted to show the protagonist in her natural setting before I obliterated it (and I do in the trip to Italy) - also for Amelia I wanted to show her mourning her mother. I start the story at a quiet, low point. However, in Death and Life, I start the first scene with my main character already dead, and she flashes back to tell us how she died so I know that value of starting a scene with a little oomph. I will address my thoughts on this conundrum further in the next post.

I met with another agent next after a long day and she also requested to see the project. She wants three chapters.

In short, I don't know if I will go to another writing conference again. But, if I ever get the chance to take another class from Q. Lindsey Barrett, you can bet I will be there.

Still Editing

I started a fresh edit today, working through the piece word by word. I have Italian in the story and at some point my grammar and spell check gave up and refused to work with the foreign phrases so I am literally having to spell check by hand, as it were.

It's not so bad, in that I am a decent speller, but by about page 80 my eyes started to cross. I'm cleaning up ellipses, dialogue tags, and adverbs, among other things. It's tedious work, but so necessary.

I'm now on page 96 and I wish I could forget the clean-up work I am doing and I could just read the story straight through. I hit the Finley passages a little while ago and I just want to move. He is such an intoxicating character - evil but incredibly addictive.

But, alas, I want a good clean copy of this story for the old bookshelf so I have to keep working through at a snail's pace.

Improvement

Every year, my goal is to read 52 books.

(not including the hundreds of children's books I read to my children every year)

Even though I didn't reach my goal, I did better than last year.

In 2009, I read 32 books.

In 2010, I read 40 books.

If I continue to increase by the same amount I will read 48 books in 2011 and 56 books in 2012. Although, if I were to go with these numbers, the growth would be exponential, meaning that in 2020, I would read 120 books.

That's insanity.

It's just not going to happen.

On the other hand, I am an amazonaholic. It's like putting a fully-stocked bar into an alcoholic's computer room. The access is easy and the draw is overwhelming. So, while it is possible that I would purchase or check out 120 books in 2020, I have no idea how I would find the time to read them all.

I think I will just stick with the 52 books goal.

Happy New Year Everyone!

I hope you all reach your goals this year, so long as it is not something crazy, like reading 120 books in a year.

I can't support that kind of insanity.

It Is Done

For the life of me, I have no idea what possessed me to sign up for the workshop part of the writing conference. I don't know what entices me to show my writing to anyone - ever. The Last Dance has never been read by anyone, but me, and there is some safety in knowing that. Of course, I should probably admit that I have never shown it to anyone because it is flawed, not greatly, just in general.

Although, I suppose, all of my other four novels are flawed as well and, yet, I have still shown those all to other people. Ugh... I should probably keep my writing to myself in the future.

Why all the angst?

Because today was the deadline to send in ten pages of my latest work. Along with ripping through my three synopses (that all serve a different purpose) yesterday, I also ripped apart those ten pages three different times in the course of the day...each time attacking the piece from a different angle. I targeted the cliches, altered the sentences where prepositions showed up at the end, reworked sections where I drop too much back story or where I detailed the everyday occurrences that ought not be detailed, etc, etc, etc.

In between editing, I purposefully did something else to stimulate my mind, to recharge it so I could tackle the work again. I watched a Finnish movie, read a chapter in an economics textbook, and listened to Duke Special on youtube.

And today, I printed copies and headed out into the rain, to go to one of my most hated places on earth - the post office. Once the postal worker received the strictly sized envelopes, I had my heart seize within me. I thought about climbing over the counter, stealing back my package, and running home to safety. But seeing as how the counter at the post office is as high as my chest and I had neglected to bring climbing ropes, I had to let it go. There is simply no going back now. It is done. What will be, will be.

The conference is in just a few weeks and I am very excited. I am going into this experience with the idea that I will be the least trained writer in the building. (Yes, I technically got my B.A. in a form of writing but broadcast writing and creative writing are completely different beasts.) I plan to go to learn and improve on the skills that I have cultivated in solitude over the last decade of practicing. And at the end of it, I might just take a long, peaceful, well-deserved nap.

My Day Today

Massaging

Editing

Ripping it to Shreds

Crying in a Dark Room

Adding a New Synopsis to the Stable of Synopses

Rewriting

Yanking Out Every Third Word

Reformatting

Polishing

Repeating the Cycle - From the Top

Synopsis Day

It was like ripping off a band-aid. I decided to just do it and get it over with so I could have something to work with. I threw some Laura Marling on youtube and pecked away at the task.

In the end it wasn't so bad. I wrote two synopsis' (or synopsi?) and a sample query. One synopsis is long (6 pages) and the other is short (1 page). Then I edited them, sent them to a reader who edited them for me again, then I went through them again and entered the changes into the computer draft.

Now, I have to sleep on it and see if the drafts look really frightening in the light of the new day tomorrow. With all of the rapid writing and editing, I've begun to lose my grasp on cliches, prepositions, and commas. Not that I had a particularly firm grasp to begin with....

By Wednesday morning, this part of the craziness will be all over. I have to submit the pages and call it good enough for now.

By Thursday, we will see if I have reverted to the fetal position or if I have gone into overdrive and finally attempted to tackle the long overdue editing for Kindley's Sorrows and Death and Life (formerly Heroine in Paradise).

I'm honestly not sure which path might show more sanity.

In a Whirl

Progress on Amelia Rider:

1. I am trying to work through my first ten pages for a workshop exercise. I've worked through a few problems and am now going on a cliche hunt. I plan to catch a few big ones.

2. Normally I would have left this manuscript alone for a while longer to let it (and me) sit. But I am trying to meet a deadline for a fast-approaching workshop and so I plunged back in a little sooner than I would have liked. It is always scary to reread something that isn't perfect (or near to it) and I am often appalled at some of my mistakes.

3. Three readers currently have some or all of my book and I always feel vulnerable when my writing is out to a reader. But feedback is really helpful for me so I have to push through the vulnerability and wade through the (often) constructive criticism.

4. I have to construct some query/synopsis sheets for my own information. I hate writing synopsis'. They are incredibly tricky. Let the record show that I would rather throw 75,000 words together in a narrative than write a single page synopsis.

5. Already putting red pen marks all over the first few paragraphs that I sent out to readers. Ugh! If I am finding this many errors and bumpy sentences then what are they finding?

Updates

First, I would like to say thank you to the people who offered to read my story for content. I really appreciate it!

Second, I spent the last week combing through the story again, ripping it to shreds. I do this every time I go through it. It has been said that a writer never really finishes a story, she just eventually abandons it. I'm obviously not ready to abandon this one, yet.

Third, I thought I would throw a little treat (in addition to the lunch I promised) to those who have read the story through for me. Below, in the post 'Amelia Rider in 23 Songs or Less', I gave a musical summary to the story.

***Note - Amelia Rider is a modern adaptation of The Mysteries of Udolpho, sans the mysteries***

I want to add another song (again this will only make sense to those who have read it) that describes Finley's thoughts from chapters 30 to 36. I simply cannot listen to the song White Blank Page by Mumford and Sons without hearing Finley's voice.

Take it away Mumford and Sons!

White Blank Page

Fourth, I signed up for my first, and perhaps only, writer's conference. I'm curious and excited.

Fifth, I am thinking about submitting a section of my story to an agent for feedback. (This is the curious side of my head speaking. The rest of me thinks this side is crazy, but I am letting the curious side have a little freedom today.)

However, I won't take that step lightly, so I wanted to ask for another favor. I need someone who can read the first ten pages and edit it for content, grammar, and punctuation. This is an elevated level of editing.

I tend to build my stories slowly so this can be a tricky section for me. I need someone who can give honest feedback. ('It's fine', especially if it isn't, isn't helpful.) And since it is just ten pages, I am open to help from someone local or someone distant. I'll just email a file. All my content readers get a free lunch for helping me and I will offer the same for this. I know I have some editor friends out there. Anyone up for the challenge?

Content Readers

Well...it has been six days since my last post and I conned...ahem...invited three content readers to read through Amelia Rider and give feedback.

All three read the same version over the last six days. As they all shared the same notebook, I've learned it is a very quick read.

Two have completely finished and the third read most of it in a day and took the last few chapters home with her. She is under strict orders to shred and burn them when she is done. (I never let copies of my babies out of my sight - except for grandparents. They are the only people that I will ever just give a flawed copy to for keeps. I know what you are thinking, some gift, right? Whatever. If they ask, I give.)

Anyway back to my content readers. They read, they gave feedback, and now I will comb through it again and will con...ahem...invite a few more readers to read through it and help me massage the story.

If you are local and interested in helping me, please let me know. I could really use more feedback. Thanks!

Mourning Period

Truthfully I had forgotten this period of the writing process that I am in right now. I am talking about the time just after I've read and edited a first draft and before I work through it again a few weeks or months later.

I spend a large section of my time working my way, word by word, to the end of my story. Once I get there I experience a short feeling a wild elation, where all my happiness bursts out and I see the beauty in the world all around me. But, after the mad rush of creativity - after the many weeks spent building a world and a variety of people to inhabit that place - there is a bit of a letdown at the end.

I am currently in mourning. It's sad to think that I won't write any more scenes for Amelia, that I won't encounter Finley and his arrogant charm again, or that I won't visit any more sites in Italy with Edward.

Don't worry I don't plan to throw on a black dress and veil but I thought I might journal this time period so that hopefully next time I finish a novel, I will remember this stage and I will be more prepared for it when I arrive at it.

Edited Draft

Over the last 8 days I have taken
Amelia Rider, the first unedited draft
to
Amelia Rider, the first edited draft.

This means that I finally got to read through my story for the first time and I edited it along the way.

My total word count now stands at 73,535 words.

I added a net total of 3,491 words and 6 extra pages.

My first take on reading through it:

Not bad, if I do say so myself.

Amelia Rider is a modern adaptation of The Mysteries of Udolpho, sans the mysteries. There are many reasons why I stripped the story of the mystery story lines but those reasons are not important here. Suffice to say that I did it and Amelia Rider took on a new life of her own, while running a parallel course to Emily St. Aubert of The Mysteries of Udolpho.

That being said, after I stripped the story of the mysteries I was left with a story that was happier and brighter than it ought to have been. The Mysteries of Udolpho (if you can get past the fainting and hysterics of the women) is inherently a dark and complicated tale and I wanted to keep that feel.

I also wanted to do right by Montoni's character, recast in my story as Victor. We are told that Montoni had always planned to keep Emily St. Aubert captive but his interaction with her was...confusing. I said before in another post that he was sort of asexual toward her and it made no sense. He had already gotten her to sign over her properties. He had already degraded her character and place in life at the castle. Why would he keep her around forever? To shine his shoes? I don't think so. If he had already broken so many boundaries of decency with her and he was planning to hold onto her forever then what was his motivation to show any further restraint? What did he get out the deal? Ann Radcliffe left this deliberately untouched...and she did write it in the late eighteenth century so I can't blame her for not spelling it out.

But, in my version, I wanted to address Montoni's desires and how he views the heroine. And because I decided to write the adaptation as more of a realistic view, showing the real dangers that the heroine is in rather than having her faint over her real and imagined fears, it allowed me to add a lot of darkness back into the story through her interaction with Victor and Finley, two deliciously evil characters that are both combinations of all the bad guys in the original story.

So the point of all this explanation is that this is a very dark story with adult topics. It has the most dark scenes by far of any story I've ever written. And even through editing I kept most of the original content, only softening a few phrases that I felt were a little too explicit for my hand to have typed. However, in short, I wouldn't let my teenage daughter read this.

So I guess it's a good thing I don't have one.

Next step is to print it out and see if anyone else can read through the story and form an opinion.

Maybe I will take a page from Victor and hold someone captive in my fortress until they have gotten through the draft and given me their opinion. What's that, you say? I'm not supposed to learn from the evil character in the story? Oh shoot. Alright, plan b. I will try to find a content reader the hard way.

First Draft - Amelia Rider

And Scene!

By my count the process so far has taken
43 days.

I wrote a total of
70, 044 words

in the space of
183 single space pages.

I just finished the first draft and will begin the editing process soon.

You may notice that I estimated the project would come in somewhere between 80,000 and 120,000 words. My 70,000 words is just shy of my lowest projection. Once I entered the third section I realized I had a Jane Eyre conundrum on my hands and I did some reordering of the outline.

Let me explain:

If you ever read Jane Eyre most likely you remember the red room, the school, and Mr. Rochester with ease. But then someone mentions St. John Rivers and most people complain and say, "I just wanted to get back to Mr. Rochester!"

Now, for my own part, I love the Rivers section of Jane Eyre. I think the whole section is necessary and pitch perfect.

I had planned the end of Amelia Rider to include a Rivers type section but once I had written it up to the start of that section I realized that I had a fine line to walk between pitch perfect and achingly dreary and so I combined several scenes together in order to not spend more time on her recovery that was required by the story. So instead of showing the whole process of her rebirth I show a few scenes and allude to others.

This change altered the number of chapters I had to write to reach my delicious conclusion so the total number of words came in less than what I had originally planned. Will it work? I have no idea. But I am anxious to read all the way through my story for the first time to see if it's any good.

I added about 15,000 words in just five days this week (two of which I did hardly any writing at all). This incredible progress would not have been possible without the unprecedented support of my husband as I went on my tremendous adventure with Amelia. He took the last two days off work to attend to our children so I could focus on my project. To top it off he brought me a bouquet of flowers tonight just because. I should add the fact that part Italians don't come off particularly well in this story (which is only partly Mrs. Radcliffe's fault) and I feel doubly blessed to be married to this part Italian man who lets me enjoy my hobby.

After all this support, I'm beginning to think he expects me to dedicate something to him.

So consider it done. When I've edited my story and am ready to put in on the shelf with the others, I will add a little dedication page to my loving and supportive husband.

It's been a great ride and I appreciate it!

Week Five Update

38 days
+ Countless Hours
+ Incredible Imagination (at least I think so)
+ A Very Understanding Husband
+ Great Source Material
+ the Brilliant Duke Special
+ The Internet =

55,665 Words
(or 144 single-space pages)

I'm roughly 2/3 of the way done and if you are looking at my musical summary on my blog I am almost to "Goodbye". I am just at the start of the twenty-ninth chapter and I am about to torture my heroine to within an inch of her life before I let her and Donovan escape.

I cannot wait.

End of Month Update

One Month: 41,541 words (107 single-space pages)

I started posting my word progress because I thought it would be interesting to keep track of how fast I wrote. This was spurred by the suggestion of Elizabeth, a fellow practicing writer, that I try nanowrimo. I scoffed at the idea of writing a whole novel in one month. I'm pretty sure I tossed out the word insane. However, nanowrimo considers 50,000 words to be an average novel length. So even though I will probably hit about 100,000 words for my adaptation, 41,000 words is not too far off of a normal project length. I may have to swallow my words on this one. Insane may equal doable. Nanowrimo is typically done in November so if anyone wants to test their own writing mettle now would be the time to start.

Today, I thought I would also talk about why I write. I never sat down and said, "I would like to be a writer." In fact, I avoided writing in general. But writing papers for school and creative writing for fun are completely different beasts. However, that lesson is not the point. Back to the point.

I write because I am compelled to write. What is the difference between desperately wanting to be a writer and being compelled to write, you ask?

Let me illustrate the point.

Imagine that you are sitting across from a small child and that small child has somehow gotten a giant ketchup blob on their nose. You could sit there all day hoping the ketchup blob will disappear on its own or take care of itself, if you will. But how often does that happen?

More often than not you would just grab a napkin and clear off the ketchup blob rather than waiting for the small child to notice, or worse, for that ketchup blob to end up somewhere other than the nose.

This errant ketchup blob describes my relationship with writing. It is far easier for me to submit to writing than to ignore the stories in my head. I don't sit around scrambling for something to write but rather I write to clear my head of all the chaos; characters running here and there, simple plot points twisting into full story lines. If I don't write then the chaos becomes too loud for me to sleep at night. And I really, really like sleep.

So, like the runner who must run or the eater who must try every goodie in sight, I write because I must. Enjoying the process is just a nice side effect.

I am compelled to write and I have very little say in the matter. I simply respond to the call by focusing the ideas and putting them down. However, don't think I am complaining. I am very grateful that I feel compelled to write for it is a wonderful way to indulge in a creative world.

Off to the next 50,000 words or so!

Weekly Update

Another week has passed since I posted my writing progress. I've added another ten thousand words this week and Amelia Rider now stands at 30, 645 words.

A few thoughts:

1) I woke up on October first and decided to write this story on a whim. I suppose I wanted to see if I could do it. And the only way to discover that would be to try. So I am attempting to write a modern adaptation of an (often) dated classic on a whim....I may die trying...

2) I have never, ever written this much story this fast. It took me about six years to complete my first novel and I learned a lot of writing rules the hard way. If I keep on pace (which I don't expect to) but if I did then the project from start to a basic first draft will take approximately 8-12 weeks.

3) Most of my stories are man v. self. This adaptation is man v. man and I am loving it! I've worked on Cristabelle and Finley this week and I love writing such selfish, vapid, twisted, confusing characters. Cristabelle is mostly one-note but Finley is nuanced and layered and simply a dream to write. Absolutely delightful.

4) Truth be told, I've only ever read the story I am adapting once and it was a while ago. So, after I write a section, I've read the original to see if I am hitting the right feel. I am happy to say that I feel like I am and there are many things to love about the original but I am really digging my adaptation as well. It is fresh enough to be a story on its own while paying homage to the twists that Ann Radcliffe originally invented. I mentioned this before but I am not attempting to recreate the story completely - I am trying to do more of a Emma to Clueless adaptation, even going so far as to name my own characters and paint them with a slightly different stroke.

5) Only time will tell I am can pull this off with something remotely readable but I am enjoying the journey of writing and I wouldn't exchange the experience for anything. Well...almost...

Amelia Rider in 23 Songs or Less

Music. It's a beautiful thing. I use it constantly when I write. I think creativity begets creativity. I often listen to certain songs when I am writing scenes that require emotion that I may not be feeling at that time. I may be deliriously happy and yet I need to write a tremendously sad scene. Or vice versa. The point is that we can create an emotional summary of a story through music.

Duke Special has been my special duke friend this time around. His songs are so beautiful and so layered that they add a lot to my writing experience. Other favorites are Chris Isaak, Kate Rusby, Travis, Johnny Boyd (Indigo Swing), Muse, and She & Him.

In the original version of this story (The Mysteries of Udolpho) the heroine, would-be hero, and the heroine's father all break out in prose, reciting poetry at every leaf, flower, and sunrise. It's...unusual. So if I were to update that theory in my adaptation, the following songs would be what the character's inner thoughts would reveal if they were just to break out into song the way Radcliffe's characters recite prose with abandon. However I don't plan to have them sing in my story so they can do it here and I won't mock them for it.

I usually do this in my head or I utilize my sidebars but I was feeling ambitious today. So here is a cliff notes version of Amelia Rider in 23 songs or less.

Edward sees Amelia sitting on the plane. They meet on the way to Italy where Amelia and her father are traveling and Edward is doing a study abroad. They make plans to meet up again but forget to exchange contact information.

Duke Special
Slip of a Girl


A short response from innocent Amelia.

Johnny Boyd
I Like the Likes of You



Edward is smitten.

Muse
Can't Take My Eyes Off You



Amelia's father, Adrian, dies while on vacation and only six months after Amelia's mother. Her grief is acute and overwhelming.

Kate Rusby
Bold Riley



Since Amelia is now parentless and still legally a minor, her Aunt Cristabelle comes to take possession of the girl. Cristabelle's adventurer friend turned husband, Victor, takes Cristabelle and Amelia to Botswana for a business opportunity. Amelia will be eighteen in two weeks and plans to return to the U.S. the first flight back after her birthday. Edward and Amelia miss each other but plan to see each other soon.

Jason Mraz and Colbie Calliat
Lucky



Edward hears nothing from Amelia but he still plans to see her just after her eighteenth birthday.

Kate Rusby
You Belong to Me



Her birthday comes and goes and there is still no word from Amelia. Edward is starting to feel the distance. Confusion from lack of communication sets in.

BJ (Your Call Cover)
Secondhand Serenade



Edward has come to the conclusion that Amelia has found new adventures in Botswana and that she has left him behind. He is mostly convinced but not entirely.

My favorite line:
To keep her caged would just delay the spring.

Travis
Cage



In truth, Amelia is no longer in Botswana. They were only there for a few days before Victor hires a guide, Donovan Grey, to take them to the lawless country of Zimbabwe. Victor confiscates Amelia's passport and cell phone and imprisons her and Cristabelle at a compound where he sets up a business plundering the natural resources of the country.

I don't have any songs to describe Victor's motivations toward Amelia. Essentially he wants Cristabelle's money. After six months she dies, never having changed her will, so Amelia is still her heiress, which makes her very desirable to Victor...in all ways.

If Amelia experienced an awakening of the world around her on her trip to Italy, she is now being clubbed over the head with it.

This next song is twisted. It almost starts out like a lullaby and then descends to such depths of depravity that it is hard to believe it is all in one song. This describes Finley's feelings toward Amelia. He is Victor's nephew and much closer in age to our heroine. However, his tastes are not what they ought to be. Unfortunately for our heroine she has a very complicated relationship with Finley as he spares her from injury almost as many times as he tries to inflict it himself.

Elvis Costello
I Want You



This is Finley's admission of who he is himself. He knows he is on a collision course but he enjoys it enough to keep going.

Duke Special
Diggin' an Early Grave



Amelia knows he is not good but she has no one else to rely on to keep Victor at bay. Thus Finley is a devil in disguise.

Chris Isaak and LeAnn Rimes
Devil in Disguise



After Amelia fends off the advances of Victor one too many times he throws in her a cell at the compound. Her neighbor is singing and she and he make a friendship. Eventually she discovers that it is Donovan Grey. He's been there for a year and half since they first came to Zimbabwe. They spend three months in confinement where Finley can no longer protect her and Victor can do what he wants with Amelia - which Donovan can hear but not stop.

The compound comes under attack again and a cell wall is blown away.

After Amelia and Donovan escape, Finely catches up to them. Hijinks ensue. Amelia attacks him, Donovan knocks him out and they escape. Goodbye is for Finley. (I guess I could have used their other song about I don't want to be your friend again but I just love goodbye.)

Goodbye
Save Ferris



Amelia and Donovan eventually cross back into Botswana and go to the consulate. It's April 1st but it's not a joke.

Donovan, who is Australian, and Amelia are sent back to their respective countries.

When Amelia returns home she hears that Edward has been around looking for her. She spent so much time over the last year and a half trying to survive the assaults of two villians that she never thought about Edward's heartbreak. She just thought about her own. This is Amelia's thoughts toward Edward. This video is a story in and of itself but I couldn't resist.

Duke Special
Portrait



Early in the original story St. Aubert (Adrian) remarks that Valancourt (Edward) is a nice young man but he has never seen Paris. It's like saying Edward has never seen the temptations of Vegas. Well, while Amelia is gone Edward takes some of her last words to care for Grace (who is like her grandmother) literally which leads him into financial straits. He falls into a gambling ring and runs up debts which cause him to quit school and get two jobs. Here is Edward's take on himself and what that choice cost him.

Sanford Clark
The Fool



Amelia is broken-hearted to hear that he has turned out so bad. Are there no good, worthy, honorable men, she wonders. This next song is a great representation of a broken heart.

She & Him
Sentimental Heart



At home, she sees things from her travels to Italy that reminds her of Edward and how innocent their first connection was. The reminders are painful. Take it away Ben!

Ben E. King
Don't Play That Song



Adrian was a botanist who had greenhouses on his property which have since fallen into a mass of weeds and dead plants. Amelia is distressed as she looks at yet another thing that was robbed from her by her imprisonment. This next song comes as Amelia takes out her anger and frustration in one of the green houses. Amidst the destruction she finds a bulb that has survived two years of neglect and nature. Amelia's hope is reflected here and she is able to turn a corner.

Travis
Safe



This is the beginning of Edward's path to repentance toward Amelia.

EdVedd (Hoobastank Cover)
The Reason



Edward leaves the issue to Amelia.

Travis
Only Molly Knows



He comes back to Caledonia (which is the town where Amelia lives and both opens and closes the book) to reassert his repentance.

Paolo Nutini
Caledonia



Amelia's response mirrors that of the woman in Duke Special's next song. "No, our love goes deeper than this."

Duke Special
Our Love Goes Deeper Than This



I love the beauty of this song and it highlights the scene where Edward and Amelia can lay it all out.

Duke Special
Love is a Series of Scars



Kate's song, Radio Sweethearts, sums the story up nicely. It takes the vantage point of several years later. (Technically in the song they are dead but...)

Kate Rusby
Radio Sweethearts



One of the main points of the original story is that Amelia's sensibility gets away from her and she envisions all kinds of crazy spectral extras. As you may have noticed from the songs, taking out all of the mysteries in my adaptation allows me to interpret the story in a more literal way. I'm off to write.

Feeling the itch? Create your own story through music and then send me the link.

Time and Writing

My mother-in-law, and fellow writer, just sent me a link to an article about writing while mothering (and "working" - but really what do you think being a stay-at-home-mother entails? I guarantee I'm not eating bonbons all day.)

Anyway, so I felt that the woman's advice applied to me, made a ton of sense, and was very familiar. So familiar, in fact, that I had been thinking about writing on this very topic myself in the near future. I suppose the future is now.

Over the past few months I have had several women say:

"Oh, I just would never be able to find the time to write."

"Oh, I am trying to enjoy my children's childhood while it is still here." (As if to inflict guilt upon me. My children are already growing up too fast but ignoring my basic need to have a hobby doesn't slow that process down.)

"I'm far too busy to do anything like that for myself." (As if having a beloved hobby is selfish.)

"What does your husband think about the time you spend writing?" (This is usually after I tell them that I write for enjoyment and not for revenue. Most people are shocked at the sheer time waste of such a hobby.)

I've made my snarky comments about the last few so I will address the first point which is the main point of the article. Time. Where do you get it? How do you use it?

First off, contrary to popular belief, time and writing are not like oil and water. They really can go together.

I can honestly say that I frequently follow the advice in the article about writing on the go. I have written paragraphs while waiting for my child after school. I have edited in the dentist's office while waiting for my Novocaine to hit. I work through character issues and plot lines in my head while I wash the dishes or make dinner.

It is very rare that I can just sit down for several hours at a time and write. Life usually needs me elsewhere and that is okay. However, I have learned to take advantage of the quiet times, or the cleaning times, or the driving times to work on my book in my head and then I can sit down and let it all gush out to the computer in about a half hour spurt.

And occasionally my spouse does surprise me with an afternoon or a night off to write (especially lately - thanks dear!). Having a supportive spouse is great. Just like I support him on his five hour bike rides - which make him a happier person.

So I do write almost everyday. And I don't feel guilty about it. I am less cranky when I get to feed the creative side of myself. I sleep better when I don't have characters running through my head shouting at me to remember to write this or that scene for them. Writing, or a personal, fulfilling hobby, can be a wonderful addition to any woman.

Ten Days

It's been about ten days since I last checked in here.

Since then I worked on another editing project for a friend. It was short and easy. Very enjoyable.

Then I worked on Amelia Rider.

In the comments, Elizabeth brought up nanowrimo, which is a writing exercise where writers attempt to write a novel in a month. I think it's insane. But, some people do it and they love it.

I neither have the time nor the inclination for that kind of dedication, however, I thought I would mark my writing progress on Amelia Rider as I go. Then I can look back and see when I was able to go full throttle and when the writing slowed a little.

I probably should explain Amelia Rider and then talk about where I've been and where I plan to go.

First, Amelia Rider is a work of fiction. It is a modern adaptation of The Mysteries of Udolpho, sans the mysteries. What's left you ask? Udolpho. Essentially, I am updating this classic as sort of Radcliffe-lite.

Why?

Well, several reasons. One is that the original has incredible twists and turns but the rampant sexism and ridiculous fainting every third page is distracting to read. I can only overlook so much craziness (and poor nutrition?). So I took about ten major plot points from the original and I am writing a new, modern story around them.

Another reason is that I simply want to do this. So there. Since I write for enjoyment I might as well immerse myself in something enjoyable.

The third reason is that Radcliffe's story is about 300,000 words long so if I don't have two months to dedicate to reading it then I can't enjoy it very often. My "lite" version will come in around 100,000 words give or take 20,000 words so it will be considerably shorter. (I know in your head it may make more sense to take two months to read the original rather than many months to write a modern adaptation but I promise you it makes sense in my mind.)

So where have I been and where am I going?

I started this project on October first on a whim and I banged out research, a summary, and 10,000 words in about a week. In the last ten days I've added another 10,000 words so right now I am at 20, 375 words. I have anywhere from 60,000 words to 100,000 words left to go so I have quite a way to travel yet. I just finished the seventh full chapter (there are a few partial chapters) and I just ended Amelia's vacation with her father. I don't think I will continue to work at this pace but marking it as I go will tell me how I progress.

What are some similarities and differences?

Similarities:

1) Well, first I am adapting the story (sans the mysteries) because I fell in love with the twists and turns that Radcliffe created. I like the original story. So I am keeping some of her creations, like her treatment of the would-be hero in the third volume. It is very unusual (almost as unusual as Charlotte Smith's treatment of her would-be hero in Emmeline - another story that is ripe for a modern adaptation).

2) I am keeping the basic path that Ann wrote. The first section is given to a father-daughter vacation, the second to the treatment of the heroine at the hands of the villain, Montoni, and the third will be a rebirth.

3) And I have managed to plot in three (only three!) plausible fainting episodes by the heroine. It is in honor to Radcliffe. However, any more than three and I might have to quit working on my own project.

Now for the differences:

1) My heroine has been recast from Emily St. Aubert, a shy, sheltered French girl to Amelia Rider, a shy, sheltered American girl.

2) Amelia and her father don't tour the countryside on their ramblings but instead I send Amelia to Italy for an awakening to the world around her that will affect how she deals with her trials in section two. (I loved writing these scenes. She sees the Rape of Proserpina, the Gardens of Ninfa, and Lake Bracciano - all of which are important to her understanding the world she is about to enter.)

3) Amelia is a little feistier than Emily. Emily just stands there and faints. I couldn't deal with that. Amelia learns to fight back.

4) When Amelia is kidnapped she is not taken to Italy and the castle of Udolpho like Emily but rather she taken to lawless Zimbabwe where her evil uncle plunders the natural resources of the nation rather than the neighboring kingdoms.

5) Speaking of her evil uncle, Montoni has been recast as Victor Lantini. In the original he is...uh...asexual in many ways toward Emily. It's strange. Especially considering the amount of time she is held captive. I change that in my story. This is the one section where my story will probably go darker than Radcliffe's. In this way, mine will be Radcliffe dark, but Montoni, and consequently Lantini, just don't make sense otherwise. They come out flat if this is not addressed.

6) A few other major recasts: Valancourt is Edward Tennelin. Amelia and her father meet him on a plane to Italy. Madame Cheron/Madame Montoni is recast as Aunt Cristabelle Montgomery/Lantini, and she is just as selfish as Radcliffe intended her to be. Monsieur Du Pont has been recast a Donovan Grey of Australia.

7) I also enhanced the role of Montoni's right hand man, Count Morano and others, in the form of Finley Abrielle, his much younger cousin on his mother's side. Finley will have a lot of contact with Amelia while she is imprisoned in Zimbabwe.

8) And, as I indicated above, I dropped all of the mysteries for various reasons, all of which, in my opinion, are very good reasons but I don't feel the need to spell them out here. Suffice it to say, my adaptation will be much shorter because of it and while a few of the mysteries will be missed they will always exist (and be unbelievable) in the original.

Other than some of the general time lines and a few major plot points that I lifted out, much of Amelia Rider is going to be invented just for her by me. So, it is an adaptation but not necessarily a dead-on faithful one. Think Clueless to Emma.

I'm off to write the next section in which Amelia returns to the United States and falls under the custody of her selfish Aunt Cristabelle.

Five Weeks

It's been five weeks since I last checked in.

I thought I would note my latest writing activities.

1) I finished the editing project I was working on for someone else.

2) Every year, my boys and I celebrate fall by writing short children's stories. This year I wrote Naughty Neville with my boys for Halloween. It is based on Jane Austen's Cassandra, a short story that Jane wrote and dedicated to her sister Cassandra about a little girl who is naughty all day long and at the end of the day she is perfectly pleased with her exploits.

3) I updated A Novel Existence as a young adult Halloweeen story about ghost love.

4) I got a first draft of Fenton and Belina written. Fenton and Belina is a short story inspired by the folk song by Kate Rusby called Radio Sweethearts. It needs work but I like where the story is right now in the first draft stage.

5) On October first I decided to write a new story. Since then I wrote an outline, made character cards, did research, planned two Italian vacations, and wrote the first 10,000 words of Amelia Rider.

I can't wait to see what I do in the next five weeks.

Oh wait...I just remembered...I have to do all the things I put off and delayed over the last five weeks while I focused on my writing projects. Dang it....

New Sidebar Feature

I finally updated some links on the sidebar. I added a ton of writer sites that I am checking out - everything from agent information to writer communities. I linked them publicly just in case any other writers out there want to check out some sites. I'll leave them at the top until I miss my music links too much - then it will move down a little on the side.

Writing: A Grand Adventure - Step Four

Step Four: Editing, Rewriting, and Massaging Your Story

A few things to think about when you are working through this step:

1) All writers need editors. Even the best writers need editors.

2) Ask others to read your work. This is what I like to call 'content editing'.

Does the story make sense?
Are there continuity issues?
Are there areas that drag and have to be read repeatedly?
Does the reader want more or less explanation or description of something?
Would the reader ever recommend this story to a friend?

If the content isn't right, there is no reason to correct the grammar. Get the content right and then focus on the technical aspects of the work.

3) Have a grammar editor. This person will help with grammar, punctuation, and spelling.

4) It is okay to pull out whole sections and start over. In fact, sometimes it is best.

I like to think of the Manuscript Chapters of Persuasion when I think of this part of writing. Jane Austen wrote Persuasion. She got all the way to the end and then decided to remove the last several chapters of the story and rewrite them. The original chapters are known as the Manuscript Chapters of Persuasion and the rewritten ending is the ending we all know and love from the published book.

The original chapters do make sense and lead the hero and heroine together. However, the way that the hero and heroine come together in the original chapters is through a lot of arranging and maneuvering by the supporting characters.

In the published version it is the incredible letter that Captain Wentworth writes to Anne (following her private conversation on love) that sets the ending in motion. The changed scenes put the choice in the hero and heroine's hands and thus makes the ending stronger. (I think.)

I actually think this is one of the few flaws of the new book Mockingjay. Suzanne should have rewritten the ending - first off to actually write the ending - not summarize it - and to put the fate of the characters in the characters hands for them to decide.

But, I have digressed again. Next point.

5) It is okay to write something that doesn't turn out right. Sometimes the best lessons are learned from practicing the writing process rather than the result.

I like to use the example of Louisa May Alcott's first story The Inheritance, which was written in 1849 but not published until 1997. I eagerly sought a copy and finally found one in a used book store. Upon reading it, I learned this valuable lesson because, well, to be frank, The Inheritance is not written very well. The characters all exist on the surface, the writing is merely readable, and the ending is predictable.

But, for the writer who would write an American classic, Little Women, writing The Inheritance was more about the practice of writing and improving rather than result. I have no idea how Miss Alcott saw it (certainly as she wrote that first story she didn't think of it as practice), but as a reader and fellow writer, I can see it no other way. If she hadn't tried and failed on her first stories she might not have learned how to improve.

Practice, practice, practice, to improve, improve, improve.

6) It is a well known edict among writers that writers never actually finish a story, they just abandon it.

Tools for Editing, Rewriting, and Massaging Your Story

1) New Perspective

2) Content Editors

3) Grammar Editor

As I mentioned in the first section, writing is like the instructions on the shampoo bottle. Lather, rinse, and repeat. So plan, write, let it sit, edit, abandon, plan, write, let it sit, edit, abandon, etc.

Happy Writing Everyone!

Writing: A Grand Adventure - Step Three

The third step in the writing process is what I like to refer to as 'letting it sit'.

Step Three - Letting it Sit

A little known, but important, step in the writing process is learning to let your writing sit for a few days, weeks, or even months. Time and distance will give you a different perspective. This is why it is imperative to start a writing assignment as soon as it is assigned. You need to let your first draft sit. (And let your second draft sit, and your third draft, etc, etc.)

Tools for Letting it Sit:

Patience

Next Step: Editing, Rewriting, and Massaging Your Story

Writing: A Grand Adventure - Step Two

Second Step: Writing

The second step in the writing process is the actual writing, where words become sentences and sentences become paragraphs which lead to chapters and eventually a story.

The following are some things to think about when you are writing:

1) When you are writing remember that we do not speak the way we ought to write and we should not write the way we speak.

English is a very messy, inconsistent language. We have exceptions to the rule in punctuation, grammar, spelling, and even movement of a story.

If you were to actually listen to a conversation and then type it in, the story would probably look like the person who had told it was incoherent, even if the story made sense when you were listening to it. We speak in incomplete sentences, we gesture to replace spoken words - in short, we do all kinds of things in spoken language that makes no sense in a written language. When you are writing the story you have to fill in the gaps that would exist if you were just telling the story verbally.

And the opposite is true for our written language. It tends to be formal and sounds strange when read aloud, if it were not written to be read aloud. I think the point that I am blathering on about is that you actually need to know two versions of the English language and you will use both of them when you are writing but you need to know when to use them.

Which leads to the next point to consider...

2) You can break almost any writing rule - if you can make it work. In creative writing two plus two does not always equal four.

One of the ways you can use the spoken version of the English language in a written story is in the dialogue. Formal writing does not fit well when the average character is speaking.

There are lots of ways to break the writing rules and in creative writing it is acceptable - but only if you, as the writer, can make it work.

3) Almost all writing is subjective because we have a vast array of word choices.
a) He robbed her. She hit him.
b) He took his stuff. She attacked him.

Pick your words carefully because the slightest variation can hint at a different outcome or understanding.

4) Writing from different perspectives requires different skills. Stretch your writing skills and try a variety.

Tools for Writing:

1) Set up a writing schedule. Try it out.

2) Setting and Scenery Books

These are especially good for the writer who struggles with visual details. I fall into this category. I frequently look at pictures of forests, houses, rooms, flowers, or animals in order to get a physical visual of something before I write it.

3) Thesaurus

If you keep using the word bold to describe a character you might lose your readers.

4) Spell Check and Grammar Check

Use these tools - but use them with caution. Dialogue is especially tricky because a writer breaks a lot of writing rules in character dialogue.

5) Music

Never underestimate the power of music to influence your writing. You may need to write a very happy scene when you are feeling normal or you may need to write a real tearjerker when you are outrageously happy. You can utilize music to dial into other emotions during the writing stage.

Next Step: Letting it Sit

Writing: A Grand Adventure

In case you haven't noticed - I love writing. I think it is fantastically fun and entertaining. I think it is one of the greatest adventures you can have...while sitting at a computer or with pen and paper in hand.

I recently did a writing workshop for a group of girls. I wasn't sure what they wanted to do or learn and I wasn't sure what their skill level was. Some of the things were way over their head. But some of the things I introduced they could have done. I think we could have storyboarded a story right then and there and it would have been awesome. The girls had great ideas and great imagination.

Anyway, I've digressed. I prepared some notes on the basic steps of the writing process for the workshop and I thought I might post it here. I've broken the process up into four general parts but it is kind of like the directions on the shampoo bottle. Lather, rinse, and repeat. So the parts are one, two, three, four, repeat, or some variation of that, until the product is where you want it.

Step One: Plotting and Preparing to Write

Things to consider when plotting and preparing to write...

1) Some people say, "Write what you know." I say, "Write what you want."

If J.K. Rowling didn't write about something that doesn't even exist we wouldn't have the wonder and adventure of the Harry Potter stories. If Stephenie Meyer didn't try to create a world in which vampires existed and could even love, we would have half the country with a hole in their hearts and not know why.

You don't have to be an expert to write creative fiction. You can be creative and create from scratch!

2) No single method of the writing process is absolutely and exclusively correct. There are lots of ways to write. There are lots of methods to plot a story. Try them all!

3) Study the different writing mediums. Study print, broadcast, blogs, journals, poetry, fiction, non-fiction, graphic novels, etc.

4) Decide on a perspective to tell the story. This will influence how you plan your writing.

You can find lots of ideas about perspectives on the web. Here are two critical limitations (using just the basic perspectives models) that will affect how you plot your scenes.

1st Person - You can only write what the one character sees or feels because you are showing the story through their eyes. This may be hard to do if you want to show a complete story with scenes that the main character may not be present for.

3rd Person - You can only write from an observer's point of view and it is harder to show internal depth of emotions and feelings because you have to show it physically or they have to say it aloud rather than just writing their thoughts. However, this is probably the easiest perspective (generally speaking) of the two to start writing in because it is easier to write a story where the main character doesn't always have to be present.

5) Reading is important when you are learning how to write. So read a variety of genres.

6) Immerse yourself in what you plan to write. If you want to write a biography, then read a lot of biographies to get a feel for what works and what doesn't.

Tools for Preparing and Plotting:

Keep a notebook of writing ideas.

Use a storyboard technique. (This is how I create the Halloween stories with my children. They'll give me about a million unconnected plot points. I write them on post-its and then we move them around and try to make a cohesive narrative. They almost killed me on The Horrible Halloween Heist but the storyboard technique saved the day!)

Research

Outline

Character Cards (These are like giant index cards that allow me to keep details of the characters straight. Anytime I write a physical or emotional quality about the character I add it to their card for continuity. I preprint the cards with the spaces for what will be most important for the story I am writing.)

Layouts of some of the locations that will be in the story. (Yes, I draw them and add color)

Mapping Thesis (This is really more suited for reports but...)



Next Section: Writing

Slogging Through and Enjoying the Old Hobby

Update:

After a few wonderful hours of immersion in my songs for the story that Sonny will narrate for me, I put him aside and took up an editing project for another writer. I've been working on it for a few weeks now and it will probably take another month or so.

I've received two of my reader's critiques back and I am waiting for the third. The first two gave great suggestions and thoughts. Thank you to those two readers! I have my work cut out for me. I won't be working on my story until the other editing project is done though.

Reflection on the Writing Process:

This week a few people asked how often I work on writing. I hesitated for a moment. Then I gave the true answer. I work on writing almost daily. The catch is that sometimes I am writing, sometimes I am outlining, sometimes I am researching, and sometimes I am editing (for myself or others). Writing is such a large and layered process that even if I am not literally creating chapters daily, I am still working on my writing.

A few years ago I sent out a few (and I mean few) queries to agents. I think it was three. I got the basic email back saying that they had received it and that was that. I have never tried since and I don't know if I will again. They say the average writer has to send out dozens, if not hundreds of queries to find the right agent...so I am not (and was not) particularly discouraged at the tepid response. I only really wanted one agent house to represent me anyway. They were one of the few that I felt matched what I wanted (and they were in L.A. not New York).

But, I truly don't know if I will seek out publishing in the future for other reasons. First, while I've been writing stories for almost ten years now, I still have much to learn. My writing may not be good enough yet.

Second, I have no idea how I would feel if more than a few close people ever read my stories. In some ways, it is akin to being naked in a crowded theater. Being a true introvert, I find the idea terrifying.

So sometimes I feel a little strange admitting that I work on my writing almost daily. It is a rather flagrant use of my precious personal time when I don't really plan to do much with it in the end. I am not sure that most people understand how a person could spend so much time on a hobby...and that is what writing is for me. But, I honestly cannot help it. I enjoy it too much to leave it alone.

Cheating

I'm not writing a story right now.

What's that? You want to know why I have post-its and a pen?

Well, if I did have said objects, it wouldn't be because of a writing project. Now leave me alone. I've got a to-do list a mile long. I'm just going to listen to some music while I work.

Okay, yes, you may have seen me write a few notes down on the post-its...but I am not writing. I am listening to music while working.

Yes, I may have stopped working every few minutes to add to the post-its. But, this isn't a writing project. I have no time for a writing project right now. Stop looking at me. I'm busy.

I'm busy doing what, you ask?

I'm busy...not writing.

Alright, I'm writing. But, just a few notes. Sonny came into my head yesterday morning and started throwing his introduction at me. I just needed to jot down his comments.

What's the music for then?

Boy, you sure are full of impertinent questions! Sheesh! Alright, I'm also going through the music for Sonny's story. I'm just organizing the songs a little. Get off my back.

You want to see my notes? What for?

Fine! Take my notes! See my secret!...............I wasn't planning to write. I have no time to write. I know that. But, I couldn't help myself. Writing is like a drug. I need it. Sonny wouldn't let me sleep without working on his musical a little. Have you ever tried to tell your characters to be quiet? It's impossible! Either they get real loud or they shut up completely and take all their ideas with them. I couldn't have that happen.

But, I really was just putting some organization into the project. I wasn't doing any actual story writing.

That file?

Uh...alright, I'm full-blown writing.

Please don't tell any of my other projects. They wouldn't understand.

In 24 Hours

In 24 hours, I wrote 4,688 words in seven teeny, tiny chapters. Today I get to go through it and see if any of the words in the chapters make any sense. I'm really hoping they do.

The bigger dilemma is the six working titles I can't seem to choose from. For pete's sake, my short story only has seven chapters. I should not have almost as many titles as I do chapters. That's just flagrant.

Maybe after I go through it this morning I can narrow the titles down a bit to say...one....

Julia, Finley, and I are going to go spend some time getting to know each other now. I sure hope I like them in the end.

Some Things Never Change...

I'm falling down the rabbit hole again.

I am supposed to be waiting for some editing projects to come back. Or, I am supposed to be working on Kindley's Sorrows.

But I am not doing either.

Instead, I am itching an itch that never seems to go away.

I am writing again. I'm writing my literal heartbreak story. I've wanted to write this for years - just a short, quick story - to see if I could make it work.

I'm jumping off the cliff and plunging headfirst into this story, not really knowing where the bottom is...and I love it.

Cue the music...prime the fingers...create and explore my new world....this is the life.

AHIP

After three long months, my beloved creation finally returned to me. AHIP had gone out to a willing reader several states away and I missed my baby extremely. Oh, what joy was in the reunion!

I am so grateful to those that are willing to sit down, read, and give meaningful feedback to a practicing writer.

For the last few weeks, I have been content to just live day by day, unencumbered by my literary indulgences. Editing work on Kindley's Sorrows had paused as I ponder how much I want to change - how deep I want to take Emmalina and crew. Sean and Susie from The Last Dance are happily sitting on the shelf and Abigail of The Uniqueness Within is fine sitting in a drawer, aware that she might never see the light of day.

But I missed AHIP. A part of my soul was gone and I did not know when or in what condition it might return. Upon arrival, it was as if my slumbering desire to create exploded, the creative juices flowing through me as I read and processed the reader's comments.

I have an insatiable craving to immerse myself in AHIP again. The changes and enhancements that I plan to make are far more than the reader suggested, but for me, it feels right. I hope I don't 'Radcliffe' my story (i.e. to include too much detail) but I have long suspected the need to add reflection and changes in some places.

I plan to embark on my journey this weekend. Yes, it may be fraught with challenges but I feel willing and anxious to shove off and begin.

In a few weeks I may need a new reader who is agreeable to help tackle my project from an editorial perspective. Said person would need to be able (to have the time and inclination) to read through the manuscript, even if it's rubbish, and offer honest reactions, even if it's hard, to help me see my baby's imperfections. I will never be able to pinpoint some of the flaws without this important step. If anyone is willing and local, please shoot me an email. It probably won't be easy but I would be very grateful.

A short synopsis to wet the appetite of any potential readers on the fence:

Emberlin Avery, bright, athletic and filled with all the potential of youth, looks upon her own empty body, a separation created by her recent, unfortunate, and untimely death and wonders, "Does anyone choose to die?" Understanding that she is dead, but not understanding what death is, Emberlin leaves her body and ascends to Paradise Holding, a place where, even in death, adventures may be had, sorrows may come, and surprises may delight. Learning to live, even if one is dead, may be the hardest thing she will have to do in her life.