A conundrum of sorts.

What does it say about a person, a writer, that they get more mileage out of typing on the fly than if they plot, plan and research?  Through planning, do they become more invested in their characters and therefore, have more trouble putting them in harm's way?  Or do they become selfish and just not want to share?

I have no idea.  But all I know is that when I just start typing, with no story, no character, no plot in mind, I end up with a lot more words that make a heck of a lot more sense than when I plan a story.

Anyone else like that?  Please, let there be someone else like that.  I can't afford therapy. 

So, where have I been?

Just living life, I suppose.   Enjoying the spring weather, working, hanging out with the family.  You know, the kind of life I get caught up in and the people in my brain get left behind.  


They're kinda mad at me now.

So, I wrote a poem.  Didn't make them any happier.

 Oh, well.


Y'all have fun.

Monday again.

And it's a typical day off.  I spent half of it behind the wheel of my van, ferrying  (or should that be vanning?) people around.  Usually, it makes for a long day.



Not today, not really, anyway.  It was one of those days that makes me wish I was headed out on a cross country trip.  Sunny, clear and the only idiot on the road was me. 

On one of my trips, I got to see a pink church. When I say pink, I mean Princess Pink. It was so  pink, it should have had a tiara wrapped around its steeple.  Later, while picking my daughter up from a job interview, we drove through a neighborhood that we rarely get to see.  Mind you, this neighborhood is placed between the two main roads that define downtown where I live.  But going through it felt like we were in a much smaller town a whole lot farther away. Rather reminded me of my grandmother's neighborhood before Charlotte, NC grew into it.


It was, indeed a good day.  And so far, the evening seems to be going well, too.  


Oh, yeah, did some writing, as well.  *snort*  Yep.  Another beginning.  Right now, just working on technique, borrowing from my dreams.


Have fun, folks.

It's Friday!

And payday.  I tend to spend most of my paydays running around like a chicken with my head cut off.  But by tonight, both the money and the headless chicken will be gone.

Spent some time talking to my husband about writing last night.  I love the way he writes, but he's not so keen on it.  Has anyone out there ever written something with someone else?  I'd love to throw some of my characters into worlds he's created.  It could be fun.

I just need to find a way to convince him to do it, without it sounding like I'm patronizing him.

His worlds are amazing, btw, creepy, but amazing.

Why???

Just when I think I have an idea that would actually sell, I end up writing like a madwoman on a completely different project? It's almost as if I'm so afraid of succeeding, I just quit before I can fail.

And it's not like I'm trying to be Jane Austin or Charlotte Bronte. I just want to write mind candy. Stuff you can read when you're on a plane, or waiting for your kid at school. I don't want to make people think. I just want them to relax and have a few moments away from reality.

BTW, 300+ more words on my "exercise" from yesterday. I just love the characters.

Once upon a time.....again.

So, today, 1388 words total on an exercise. I started out with one of my favorite prompts. Young woman in the woods. So many ways to go with it. Young adult fiction, literary fiction, horror, sci-fi, and what turned out to be today's choice, fantasy. Heck, it'd even work for pr0n.

Have I mentioned I'm pretty good at beginnings?

Anyway, it got me writing today. And that's my goal, to write everyday. I may never get published, traditionally or the self route, but I will write. It's better to have the stories written down, than whirling around in my head. I used to be able to tell my kids the stories, but they've all gotten too old for that now.

Although, the grandbabies.....one's five, one's due to be born in June....my poor family. *G*

Y'all have a good one. See ya in the Rift.

Today's work

Just under six hundred words in story form. It's like I have bones to the story, but the muscles and blood and guts just aren't here for the party yet. I do have notes on points I wan the story to hit. It's liking knowing the destination, but someone changed all the roads. I'll get there, it just may take some creative driving.

It's okay, it's only day two, kiddo. REMEMBER THAT! Yeah, I have trouble thinking that it should all come out perfect and pretty first time out. Silly me. This is probably another reason why I have all those great beginnings and no actual endings.

LeOhWell At least Joanna's finally been able to say something. She's a bit angry right now, so I think I'll leave her be for a moment. *G*

April 13, 2011

Yesterday, I saw a woman who walked like she owned the world, her smile said she was willing to share with those around her. I'd love to have that sort of confidence, generosity and grace. Maybe one day.

Today? Today is the 11th anniversary of my freedom from a relationship that kept me in the dungeons of my mind for a very long time. Yes, my first marriage. We were legally married for eighteen years, but only were a couple for six of those. For reasons that sounded really soap-opera-ish when I typed them out, I didn't file for divorce out of a fear that, looking back, was probably only half true, the other half being in my mind alone.

Why do I need to remember this date? Because it's the day I felt truly grown up. No parents, no husband. Just me and the kids.

Then, in July of the same year, I got remarried. Different guy, different life. I'd dated this particular gentleman on and off for ten years. It took us both that long to fix ourselves, I believe. Anyway he doesn't mind that I'm a grown up with my own mind and ideas. So, I'm all for keeping him around a bit longer.

Why am I sticking personal stuff up here today? Because, heck, I don't know. Just wanted to put it somewhere.

Plus, he's in the next novel. *EvilGrin*

Oh, wait! It's NOT November

I can actually do some planning. So, I did. I think I've refined some of the motivations for most of my characters. I really want Ruth to be a true villain, someone who thinks their actions, whether good are bad, are for the Greater Good in the long run, even if she never sees it. But I also want her to be a stuck up pissant. Because, why not? Nathaniel's not as much of a naive wuss as he started out as, and I think I finally have a way to get Joanna in on the fun.

Well, that's all for now. Between work, errands and making dinner, I'm rather wiped at the moment.

See ya in the Rift Scene.

Monday, Part Two

I'm up to 1019 for today.  I wrote the last 459 while being distracted by all three of my sons and my granddaughter.  There were ice pops and this site,  http://wins.failblog.org/.

I have a bit of a delima,  delimna, dilema, um, problem here.  Besides the lack of energy to spell check. I wanted one POV.  And it was going to be Joanna's.  Then, I figured perhaps a bit from Nathaniel's POV would be helpful.  Then, Ruth, the bad guy, got interesting, and not quite all that bad, but still really bad.  And then there are Salali and Angus.  So far, all Joanna is, at the moment, a brief mention from Salali's vantage point.  Now, I like Joanna.  A lot.  But so far, I haven' t been able to settle her into the story.  And she's rather important to it.  I know, I know, just keep writing and wait.  She'll show up when she's good and ready.  Maybe by then, I'll have the whole POV thing solved.

I wonder if she's just taking a nap. 

I love me some MONDAY!!

No, I really do.  I have two days off a week.  Fridays and Mondays.  So, yeah, it's muh day off!  Just finished 560 words this past hour.  I've got some errands to run today, but I've actually made the time to sit down and write on the story today.

After I wrote to a couple of friends.  And checked Facebook.  And Twitter. And Daily Booth, and got my son to school, and cleaned part of the stairwell wall.  Do you see the problem here?  Yeah.  And last night, when my husband had already gone to bed, I stayed up to watch Upstairs Downstairs.  Then, check a few more sites and write my husband a love message on Facebook.  You'd think I'd just go upstairs and tell him, but am I the only one that freezes up when you try to tell someone how much you love them and why?  Of course, when he checked this morning,Facebook was being wonky, so it wasn't there.  Love notes don't seem to hold the same appeal when you have to go into your sent box and show the man of your affection the note.  "See, I did write it!  It's right there.  Read it, now."  Oh, myohmyohmy.

Hey, can I count love notes and blog entries in my word count?

The second half of the day

I got off work late.  I had one legitimate reason, it was busy as all get out today.  I also had one less than worthy reason.  I kept having to stop to write down conversations these new characters kept wanting to have with me.  Or with the other characters.  I get so giddy at the beginning of a new story, like a new love affair.  But I while I can be completely faithful to my husband of eleven years, I seem to have a bit of trouble being faithful to my characters, my stories.  You know, that might be my problem, thinking of them as my stories, when they're not.  They are the stories of the characters. 

Great.  I've just discovered I'm doing injustices to the voices in my head.

I may need some help here.  *grin*

You know that old stand by rule to keep paper and pen nearby?

Well, it's an old rule because it works.  Today, at work, while contemplating the oddness that is my life as of late, an idea struck.  Rather quickly, it hit me like an unseen boulder that had just careened down Haleakala.

Annnnnyway, I wrote it down, just the basics.  Later, a bit of a conversation that one of my new characters decided to impart to it's lowly author.  I had to stop when the conversation didn't jive with the earlier outline.  Later, the connection between the outline and the conversation just showed up in my brain.

I love it when things work that way.  I seem to have another great beginning.  Here's to hoping I can see it through. 

Oh, and I think this year's NaNo will be dedicated to multiple works.  Yes, I'm going for the middles and ends of several years of stories.

Woot?

I have way too many stories in my head.  I try to write them down.  While I can manage some great beginnings and a few decent middles, I've had the hardest time finishing anything other than my haikus.

So, here goes.  A blog about working, about writing.  LeSigh.