Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Characterization Lessons from Women's Fencing


I'm spending a lot of time watching the Olympics this month. Maybe some people would think it a frivolous waste of time, but I'm just fascinated by the human aspect to everything.

It really shows me a lot about characterization, motivation and subtext. About how everybody thinks they're the hero, even when they might be dead wrong.

Take the woman's eppee controversy. I really felt sorry for Shin A Lam from South Korea, but at the same time, I felt horrified.

Still do. And to be honest, the horror by far outstrips the sympathy.

Okay, since a lot of people aren't all that interested in fencing and therefore might not have heard about the controversy, I'll quickly set the scene...

We're in the semi-final. The winner goes on to compete for the gold medal. The loser for the bronze. After nine minutes of fighting (I.E. after the full allotted time), the score was 5-5 between Shin and her opponent (Britta Heidemann). Shin had priority, so if she managed to get through the one minute sudden death round evens with Heidemann, she would go through to the finals and potential glory.

59 seconds pass and Shin doesn't concede a point. And after a last second infringement by Shin, the president (fancy fencer name for ref) resets the clock at 1 second and continues the bout. Heidemann launches a lightning fast attack, but Shin hits at exactly the same time. No points. Time left: one second.

Another attack by Heidemann and another simultaneous hit. Time left: one second.

And another. Time left: one second.

Heidemann attacks yet again, but this time she scores a valid hit. The president stops the bout and the second ticks away. South Korea's coach is furious. Because how long could one second take? Shin refuses to leave the piste. The president and technical staff confer. The point holds.

More tantrums follow and another meeting happens, this time with officials from the FIE (the International Fencing Federation). After a total of 70 minutes, the president confers the win to Heidemann.

But it doesn't end there, because Shin refuses to leave the piste, staring off into the distance when FIE officials break the news. Her coach is escorted from the building. Shin gets a yellow card for unsportsmanlike conduct. She breaks down into tears as she's half  helped, half dragged from the piste.

So yes. Drama. Lots of it. And let me get this out of the way. She lost the chance at the gold medal in a total of one second. And yes, as someone who was timekeeper at fencing competitions, I can say this much. It's very feasible that the fencers could score three or four hits in the space of one second. I felt sorry for her.

But her conduct and especially that of her coach absolutely repulsed me as a fencer. From the day I started fencing, I was taught the importance of our (even if it is unwritten) code of honor. We are the descendants of duellists. Ungentlemalike conduct is not an option.

And the actions of her coach and Shin herself... well, that's probably the worst conduct I've ever seen or heard of in a fencer. And I've seen some. Heard of even worse.

So while I felt bad for her as a person, I couldn't help but think that she got off lightly. Yellow cards go to fencers who aim to bruise opponents on purpose. Or who brought malfunctioning weapons onto the piste. Disrespecting officials and other fencers get red cards. Continuing to disrespect them results in being black carded. In other words: a ban from competing.

She got a yellow card. And a loss of the gold or silver medal. As a result of all this shit happening, a lot of people are paying attention to Fencing, but not because it's a wonderful sport, but because one fencer didn't know how to behave.

Where does this come in with characterization and subtext? Well. She thought (and probably still does) she was in the rights. A lot of people who never had any exposure to fencing probably agree with her. But my background as a fencer completely colored the way I looked at the main actor in this drama (Shin).

If most other people wrote this situation in a story, Shin would probably have been a tragic but sympathetic character. If I wrote it, she wouldn't have been. Because I would have included all the cultural background involved with being a fencer. Things that non-fencers just wouldn't understand unless a fencer took the time to explain.

And that really got me thinking. Writers could make any character sympathetic or unsympathetic, depending on the subtext and background they work into the story. Look at heist movies. Thieves shouldn't be heroes, but give them a sympathetic cause and everyone roots for them. So I guess the lesson here is: write a character as bad as you want. Just make sure you have justification. The worse the bevaviour, the better the justification.

Have you ever written an unlikable character as your story's hero?

Monday, July 30, 2012

Back

I'm in the new house, which is pretty awesome. Not awesome is the fact that, two days into living here, I came down with a tummy bug.

So... we have hundreds of boxes to unpack, but I'm stuck in bed. And the worst is, I have to wait another FOUR HOURS to see the doctor.

Anyway. I guess being bed-bound has its advantages. Namely I might actually have time to write an entry for WRiTE Club.

Which is why this post will be a short one. I'm going to utilize my time to write.

Will hopefully be back tomorrow with something more substantial.

Who else signed up for WRiTE Club? Have you submitted anything yet?

Friday, July 27, 2012

Keeping yourself Inspired

Firstly, I would like to thank Misha, for inviting me to appear on her blog. It’s an honor and a pleasure to be here. Misha is one of the first few bloggers I met online.

Inspiration is one of my favourite topics, as I need to constantly inject myself with mega doses of it. We writers are susceptible to feelings of despair and insecurities, courtesy bad reviews, rejection from agents and unfavourable comments from crit partners and beta readers, in this scenario we have to constantly motivate ourselves and be our biggest supporter.

An unshakeable faith in our abilities and stories is a prerequisite. Just because a few agents passed on our projects doesn’t mean that we are bad writers. It’s just a case of different tastes.

One of my favourite saying, is the one by Ralph W. Emerson, “If I have lost the self-confidence in myself, I have the Universe against me.” This applies not just to writing, but to every creative person, be they singers, dancers or painters. It applies to us writers perfectly. When we lose confidence in ourselves, our stories and our characters, not only are we doing a grave injustice to ourselves, but we are also cheating ourselves.

We are not just writing, I feel we writers are taking dictation from God. It’s He who wants us to tell the unique stories that reside in our hearts. Rejections and criticisms should not deter us, infact, they should strengthen our resolve to tell the best story that we can. We should strive to turn our detractors into our biggest supporters.

Practically every writer I know has faced rejection and braved harsh criticism to churn out words which have enthralled readers worldwide. What kept them going was their faith in their stories and a belief that they could and would do it.

There are ways we can motivate ourselves. I am a published author, struggling to get an agent, and get my new books published. Whenever feelings of despair accost me, I open my cupboard and pick up the author copies of my first few books. I tell myself that, “if I can do it once, I can do it again.” This fills me up with renewed enthusiasm to get back on the publishing bandwagon that I had temporarily abandoned.

We should have the belief that there is someone out there, maybe in a remote corner of the world, waiting to be inspired by our words, waiting to be entertained by it, waiting to bond with the characters. Do we have a right to deprive those people of inspiration, entertainment or bonding, because of our low self-esteem?

Even if our words motivate and inspire only a handful of people, or entertain the same number, isn’t that much more than what we hoped for when we typed that first word. So, don’t let anyone stop you from writing as you never know who you will Inspire with your story.

Thank you Misha, for giving me this opportunity to talk about inspiration with your readers.

Rachna Chhabria has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology, Literature and Journalism. She is the author of The Lion Who Wanted to Sing and Bunny in Search of a Name. Several of her stories have appeared in Penguin Anthologies. She teaches Creative Writing in college. She lives in Bangalore, India.

http://rachnachhabria.blogspot.in/

Thursday, July 26, 2012

Sorry!

Hi! So sorry about disappearing again! Was busy packing up my house for our move, so will be back on Monday, if everything goes to plan.

GPF will continue as usual.

Wish me luck!

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Interview Tuesday: Sydney Aaliyah

Hi everyone! Welcome to another installment of Interview Tuesday. Basically, I spent a few hours talking to a lot of authors about all sorts of stuff, from guardian teddies to writing methods. Today's author is Sydney Aaliyah. Without further ado, here's our chat. Please note: This interview was done in May already, which explains why we're talking about JuNoWriMo.


Hey Sydney. Welcome to my blog. Please tell us all a bit about yourself?


I grew in Dallas, Texas. I have been living in Shenzhen China for the past 5 1/2 years. I helped create and manage a Golf Academy here in China. I graduated from Florida State University with a BS in Criminology and Psychology. I have a law degree from from Georgetown University Law Center as well. I practiced law for about 9 months before I discovered that it wasn't what I wanted to do. I basically sat in a room with no windows for 12 hours a day with 15 other people. Not the job for me. I really enjoy traveling and am fortunate to have had the opportunity to travel to 15 different countries. I have been journaling and writing stories every since I can remember. I am single. I have two older brother and three nephews who I love to death and miss them terrible being here in China.


So what sort of stories do you enjoy writing?


I enjoy writing chick lit. My stories are about relationships, but not really romance. I tend to write about female characters that have stronger confident outer personalities, but inside they have issues. I also enjoy writing legal thrillers as well. I think that is more so I don't feel like my law degree was a total waste.
I have a ton of short stories over the years that I have written where the female character is a singer or a entertainer of some kind. someone who is in the public eye. Those are fun because I can live vicariously through my characters because I can't sing and getting in front of a big crowd to do anything scares me to death.


So how did you get into writing after studying for such different directions?


I have always had a journal going and it is filled with different story scenes, dialogue exchanges, character sketches and plot summaries. All the things that I have recently learned that goes into plotting our outlining a novel. I have a lot of these different parts, I just have never put them all together into one story or novel. I am at this point in my life that I am tired of working for other people and spending so much time doing what I have to do out of necessity. I really want to get into doing something I love. Writing is something I love to do. I have a pretty high stressed job at the moment and often times I get pulled in a bunch of different directions. Right now, writing allows me to be still and be focused for a couple hours per day doing something I love. So, I would say it is keeping me sane right now.


Writing keeps me sane as well. Do you have a fixed writing routine or do you write when you feel like it?


I have been working on creating a schedule over the last month. I typically work 6 days a week from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm at my paying job. Sunday I work on getting organized for the week. Plan out my blog posts, find out what I have to get together for my WIP and usually spend about four hours total on that type of stuff. I am currently outlining and getting prepared for JuNoWriMo next month. I work on it from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm every night about 4 days a week. The am trying really hard, but without much success to limit my twitter time to an hour per day.
Since I spend so much time at work, I can usually carve out an hour or two while I am on the clock and gets some work done there as well. Typically that is when I will catch up on the blogs that I follow. It all just depends on what kind of day I am having at work.


With a goal of 1,667 words per day next month for JuNoWriMo, this could all go out the window. I will have to see.


I am very much a planner and a list maker. It is the only way I can function.


Is JuNoWriMo your first major attempt at finish a project?


Yes. The first novel. The goal is 50,000 words in one month. I haven't every written anything of that length before.
I competed in the A to Z blogging challenge in April which got me in the habit of writing something every day. I did pretty good and finished on time, but it really just taught me that preparation is key. So, I have been spending all of May outlining and prepping for JuNoWriMo. But, I have no idea what I am in for.


I am looking forward to it. I keep having this nightmare that I sit in front of my computer on June 1st and can't figure out the first sentence. I sit and sit and sit and can't pull the trigger. So, I come back the next day, sit in front of my computer and again, nothing. I think I am going to write that first sentence before June, so my nightmare doesn't come true. HAHA.

So what have you done to prepare for JuNoWriMo?


I have been reading Outlining Your Novel; Map Your Way to Success by K.M. Weiland. She is a real advocate for mapping out your novel before you get to the writing part. She talks a lot about finding some of the issues and problems with characters, plots and time lines in the story before you get to the actual writing part. Which I love. Saves a lot of time in that sense. It doesn't make the task of writing easier because you still have to do it, but gives you tips on how to focus your writing more.
I am also trying to get my schedule figured out right now. I have been trying to do some daily writing with the word goal in mind. Trying to determine in the perfect conditions, in the writing zone how much time do I need to write 1,667 words that actually resemble a story. I am also asking for any and all advice on how to tackle this month. Especially from others who have done it.


Hahahaha I wouldn't be able to help. I've failed at both my attempts at NaNoWriMo, so... What gave you the idea for the project you'll be writing for JuNoWriMo?


No worries. I signed up for NaNoWriMo last November and opened up a nice blank document on November 1st and that is as far as I got. HAHA.
The novel I am starting in June is about a single women from America who currently lives in China (the similarities to my life end there. I promise. haha). She goes on a business trip to America and mets a guy. It is a story about everything that she has to do to get back to the states to be with him. What I like best about the story is that the lead character has some internal issues to deal with and a female boss who puts some crazy emotional obstacles in the way of her goal. The boss character is crazy insane.
I have thought about this story for about two years now. I am excited that I finally explored the idea further and am ready to write it.


Awesome. What have you found to be the greatest challenge to writing so far?


I think the biggest challenge is just finding the time. Finding the right balance. In my perfect world, I could quite my job and write all day every day. And, those student loans just disappear. But, reality is I have to have a job.
I am actually looking forward to seeing what challenge I run into writing something of this length. Like, will I stick with the outline or go in another direction when I get into? What things will work and won't work?
And, I am sure there are a bunch of other challenges, but I just refuse to think about them at this time. haha.


So what do you enjoy most about writing?


I enjoy the processes. From idea, to research, to outlining, to writing, to editing. Actually, I am learning to loving editing.


I enjoy the idea of having a thought in my head actually turn into a story on paper. I like when the emotions I felt from that idea come across in the actual written story.


I also have really enjoyed the writing community that I have meet online. Everyone is so supportive of each other and wants to help each other succeed. That is great to be around.


So which phase is your favorite and why?


I like the first draft writing phase the best. It is the anything goes phase. I love when I get in a zone and just put it all out there. I sometimes go down a tangent that I didn't originally plan, but I am flexible enough with my outline process that if its good and it has a place in the story, I will keep it. Even if it doesn't quite make sense, I will go back and rework it to make it fit.


I am learning to appreciate the editing phase just in the sense that you actually see your story getting better. My issue with it is if I don't have deadline, I will edit and edit and edit and edit.
I participate in the Writer Wednesday Blog Hop where every Wednesday we get a photo and 5 words to use in a story with a 500 word limit. I write the story on Thursday and Friday and know that I have 4 more days to edit it. I will look at it for a short time every day, but Wednesday comes along, I just put it out there because times up.


But, with no deadline, I have three short stories right now in my edit file and I can't let them go, yet.


Finally: Where can people find you on the social networks and blogosphere?


You can find me at:
sydneyaaliyah.wordpress.com
On twitter - @sydliyah


Thank you very much for this interview, Sydney. How did JuNoWriMo go? Anyone else do JuNoWriMo? Who's doing NaNoWriMo?

Monday, July 23, 2012

I joined WRiTE club


I just decided that I needed to stretch my writing, and I stumbled onto DL Hammon's blog post announcing WRiTE club. Naturally I entered. It's a great way for my writing to gain exposure without my name necessarily being out there with it.

The best thing: the winner of WRiTE club 2012 will be picked by an excellent line-up of judges. But what are you still doing here? Go check it out!

Friday, July 20, 2012

Finding Inspiration


When Misha suggested I write a post with the theme, inspired, I knew exactly what I wanted to talk about. Finding inspiration. It’s something all of us struggle with from time to time. Inspiration is so important because it helps move us forward.

It’s something every one of us struggle with from time to time. Life’s difficult and busy and we don’t always have the time to enjoy the good things around us. Occasionally, inspiration will just hit us. But that’s not the norm. Often, it’s the product of hard work or just being in the right place at the right time.

But the truth is, it shouldn’t be that way. Every one of us is surrounded by people and things that have the potential to inspire us each and every day. The world is full of beauty and detail that should thrill and inspire us all the time. Even people in awful circumstances can find happiness and joy in the small, positive things around them. The problem is that we spend so much time stuck in the same places, we often learn to tune out what’s around us.


Sometimes the easiest way to find inspiration is to go somewhere new. Simply taking a short trip or even visiting another city for lunch can open us to all kinds of new experiences, and new inspiration. When we come back home, it’s often even easier to see the good things that were there all along. Plus traveling can open us up to new opportunities and experiences, all with the potential of adding inspiration to our lives. We can learn and grow and become better people because of it.

Even if you don’t have the opportunity to go somewhere, you can still make a conscious effort to try to see the world around you in a different light. Try looking around the room you are in right now. I bet you can find at least three beautiful or inspiring things if you try. Just make an effort to see something worth while. Inspiration is all around us. Sometimes all you have to do is open your eyes and look.

Alyson is the author of the paranormal romance, Nightfire. You can learn more about her at www.alysonburdette.blogspot.com




Thanks so much for this sweet guest post, Alyson! So, ladies and gents, where do you find your inspiration?

Also, do you want to do a GPF this year? The spaces are running out, so if you are interested, please check this out and contact me.

The following dates are still available: 17 August, 31 August, 28 September, 12 October, 19 October and all the Fridays in November.

Have a great weekend!

Thursday, July 19, 2012

Why writers should stretch


Credit

I once did a post about Stephen King's On Writing, where he said that writers should never come lightly to writing.

It's really true. When I don't realize what a pleasure it is to write, I get de-sensitized, and that just makes the whole process so much less fun to do. In a way, I write so often, that I stop caring that I write. And in doing so, I stop caring whether I write or not.

Lately, this has become a really great risk for me. It's one big reason as to why I spent weeks on end editing, but not writing a thing. I took writing too lightly. I forgot what a joy it is for me.

So what, you may ask, does it have to do with stretching?

Well.

Yesterday I read a post (sorry, forgot where it came from) about how a writer wrote a very different story from what she was used to, and got a much better response than anything she wrote before. And then (as mentioned above), I promptly forgot about it.

Except part of me kept thinking about stretching boundaries. Toeing out of our comfort zone to write something new and different.

I realized today that I don't do that any more. I've grown so comfortable with Doorways that I stopped stretching. And that's affecting how I feel about writing. Before, I used to write for the thrill of it. Now the thrill is gone and I write because of my passion for one specific story.

That's probably the number one reason why I just can't focus on anything but Doorways. No other story approximates my investment in the Beast, so nothing else is worth my time. Never mind that I was thrilled to write two completely unrelated stories.

I just don't think that getting stuck on one story at the cost of my passion for writing in general is a good thing. So. I'm going to stretch. I'm going to take an hour or so every day to work on something short, but different. A poem. A flash fiction. Even a short-story I can craft in a week or so.

Something out of my genre. Something in another style. Another tense. Another shape. Different. DIFFICULT.

Because for me, there's no fun in the routine. Yes, I'll finish the Doorways series when I stick to a routine, but would I carry on writing after that? I don't know. What I need is to explore. To continue learning. To overcome new obstacles.

And to go that, I need to stretch. And I need to stretch every day. I suspect most writers do. 

What about you? Do you make a point of stretching your writing? What do you do?

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

I'm on other blogs today!

Hi all!

You get two options for your daily Misha fix. :-P

First, you can dissect critique my first query at the QQE.

OR

You can check out what my writing workspace at Nutschell's blog.

Hope you come say hi!

X

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Why I Always Write Doorways First

As you might have picked up, I've been a little adrift writing wise. It's just that I've got this belief from studying investment management that one must NEVER put all your eggs in one basket.

So I worked on some other stories whenever I took a break from the Doorways drafts so that I could clear my mind. I've finished my third rough draft this way.

But now I'm almost done with editing Doorways, while I have time to burn while waiting for crits to come back. And you know... I'm just not feeling any of the other stories. They're great. There's one in particular that I adore. But now I could start rewriting it. And I'm... just... not.

Not because I love it less or lost my passion for it. No... It's just that my muse is singing a siren's song, trying to drag me back to the Doorways Series all the time. And it's really difficult for me to maintain an interest in any other books while this is happening and the reason is pretty simple - if somewhat girlish for a fantasy series.

There are these two guys and they both have the hots for the same girl. And they're trying to compete without competing, because they're blood brothers. So... yeah... I know that it sounds like a cliche, but things are considerably more complicated than that. I'm not going to talk that about now, since it'll take a few pages to explain.

But yeah. These guys, the girl and a few others make my head quite a mess, but every now and then, songs randomly start playing that invariably want to make me write - specifically: write the Doorways Series. Why?

Because the capture the essence of what things are like when the guys are alone with the girl. To illustrate:

First guy and girl together:



Second guy and girl together:



See? Both are INCREDIBLY sexy, but really different. And I am shipping the girl with one guy (not telling which), but the girl just has no idea of who to choose at this stage. In fact, right now, she's not even vaguely aware of the second guy's feelings. So... I'm dying to know what happens. And every time these songs, or one or two others play, I just get the urge to sit down and discover more of their story.

Do you have a story or series like this that (for whatever reason) just won't let you go?

P.S. While we're on the topic of Doorways, Matthew Rush from the QQE is going to crit my query letter tomorrow, so please go say hi if you have time. The original letter is here.

Monday, July 16, 2012

And I'm back yet again.

Hello all!


Not my feet
Credit

Glad to say that I'm finally back. Body is no longer craving refined foods, so now I'm finally feeling as if I can get more work done.

So first thing I'm picking up again is writing, and then blogging. I really feel terrible for not being around as much as I would like, but work really takes a chunk out of me sometimes.

Anyway... I'll try to hit about 40 blogs this afternoon before I go gymming. Shouldn't be impossible.

Speaking of which, have you noticed how great exercise is for creative thought? I mean, yes, it really makes me tired. But then it would, since I only started gymming again after about four months of complete inactivity.

Once I'm done exercising though, I just really feel focused. Which is somewhat frustrating when I have nothing to focus on.

Because I STILL can't decide whether I should rewrite an unrelated story or finish the Doorways series first. Maybe I should just shut up and write what attracts me when it attracts me. After all, except for Doorways, I have nothing that urgently needs to get written.

What isn't good though, is the fact that my indecision is keeping me from writing. So that has to change. And it will. As soon as I'm back from gym and on my happy hormone high.

Anyone else struggling to write because you don't know which project you should go for? Anyone else exercising or starting to exercise?

Friday, July 13, 2012

The Push-Pull of Being Inspired

Hi all! Today I'm welcoming DL Hammons to my blog. I feel so honored to have him here, since his blog has been a favorite of mine since when I started blogging. Thanks so much for your post, Don!


The Push-Pull of Being Inspired





When Misha asked me to contribute something today centered on the topic of INSPIRED, I had to really stop and think. I mean a lot! Inspiration is such a broad topic, which is a good thing in one respect because it gives me a lot of leeway, but on the other hand it’s a topic so expansive, so impactful, that it can be daunting. So what I decided to do is not discuss what it is that inspires me, at least not directly, but rather how it is I become inspired. And staying within the context we all can relate to, I’ll be concentrating on writing-related inspiration. What I discovered after careful consideration is this…for me, it generally happens from two totally different directions.

First and foremost, there’s the pull. When I become aware of a author I want to be like, or I come across a novel, short story, article, or even a well done blog post that I yearn to emulate in my own unique way, I am drawn…pulled…towards that goal. I become imbued with the spirit to do something beyond my current reach, to re-define myself in order to align with that purpose. Feeling pulled by inspiration via the accomplishments of others motivates me to expand my boundaries. I may not ever demonstrate the skill or touch I aspire to, but I will be end up in a different spot than I started. And maybe that spot will even be better than the one I originally aimed for.  


But I also respond to a different sort of inspirational influence. This is more of a push…or a better description would be a nudge. I draw inspiration from the people around me who urge me along my writing path, who’ve invested in me, who sometimes believe in me more than I believe in myself. My family, who’s unconditional support should never be taken for granted, the CP’s who can’t wait to see the next set of pages, the beta readers who don’t understand why my book isn’t published yet, this awesome community of bloggers/writers who actually care whether I succeed or fail. An example of this happened to me just a couple weeks ago. I left a comment for one of the regular bloggers I follow and she responded with a thank you and an inquiry about where I was with a new YA project I had previously mentioned. It had really piqued her interest and was looking forward to reading it. Not a day or two later my CP asked me the same question. These are both people I admire and respect, so naturally I was inspired by this. It invigorated me enough to write the first three chapters this past weekend.

For me, being inspired is all about movement and progress. If your open to it, that can come from all sorts of different directions.

I want to thank Misha for giving me a chance to talk to ya’ll today. But before I head on back to my own roost, I’m curious, how do you draw inspiration?

DL

Thursday, July 12, 2012

Sigh... I was hoping this wouldn't happen

Sorry again for not posting. Changed my diet to a more healthy one, but now the lack of refined sugars and starches are hitting me. Will be back on Monday, but there will be GPF tomorrow.

Sorry again!

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Interview Tuesday: Ciara Quinlan

Hi all! Today I welcome Ciara Quinlan to my blog for another round of Interview Tuesday. Let's just jump straight in, shall we?
 
Tell me a little about yourself?


Well, I'm 24 and have been writing since I was 4. My teddy bear turned into a giant green bear with steel teeth and fought nightmares and evil wasps to protect me. I felt his tale needed to be told.

I have two degrees, one in journalism and, more recently, a lesser degree in sales and marketing.
I'm currently interning in a company that makes websites, flyers and branded promotional products. Before that I worked in Dublin for two PR companies after interning at a tabloid newspaper and as a sub-editor for a magazine. I've published articles in a few newspapers and in the magazine I was working in. To be honest though, working with news when I spend so much time away in fantasy lands to be trusted with facts. Both of these were done with the hopes of improving my writing.

Right now, I'm writing about a girl who loses something physical (like a lung) every time she makes a wish, a demon who has been sentenced to community service as a good conscience and a more traditional fantasy that features a girl who would have been born blind had someone not decided to steal her some dragon eyes. 


Wow those are some great ideas. Where do you get them from? 

Dreams, adverts, flippant statements other people say, arguing mermaid muses who decide to not let me sleep sometime. The usual.

Do you still have the protector teddy bear? 


Yes, I do. I still can't sleep without him, which is a little pathetic. I plan to be buried with the thing, strange as that is. I heard a theory from a friend that cuddly toys age 2 years for very normal year. Like dog years. Do you have anything like that?

Yes I still have most of my toys from when I was a baby. Don't keep them in my room, though, but I can't give them away either. Do you have any writing quirks?



Writing quirks? Well, I am prone to talking to myself. Usually I have two laptops in front of me as well so I can reward myself with episode of my favourite show or read manga or blogs.
I avoid any books while actually writing. If I write and my rewards are reading, I become an awful copy cat. When I read north hanger abbey, my writing read like a script for some period BBC drama for a week! 


Hahaha I know what you mean. That's why I mostly avoid the genre that I'm writing in. What does your routine look like, if you have one?


It's way too easy to absorb another person's style, or not even notice that you have nicked a phrase.
Sunday has been my 'writing' day for awhile now. Everyone I know knows to leave me be. Otherwise I write whenever I have a spare five minutes. I try to write every day, even if it's just a line or two. I find that not writing makes me feel completely miserable and guilty while writing makes me feel more fulfilled, even if it's just a few words. 


I feel like that too. If I don't write, everything annoys me. Do you plan ahead before you write?

It depends on the story. Some I need to have every detail mapped out and trolled through baby-name websites to find theperfect names for the characters. I need blueprints from the important buildings. I need to draw out maps. I need to know the history of the world and the very personal history of the characters and sometimes even their parents. Other stories I just sit and write.

I have noticed that much of it depends on where it's set and how many characters I have. If it's a whole new world full of shiny people, it'll take awhile. However, if it has a small cast of characters and is set either in our world or somewhere similar, I'm more interested in finding out how they will react to each other in sticky situations.

 
Makes sense. I also have more complex works that took a lot more time to peg down completely. Want to tell us a bit about your favorite character?

My own favourite character. Let's see. I like my kick-ass girls and daring rouges, but I have to admit a certain soft spot for a shy little boy named Talon. He can talk to birds and dogs but has trouble talking to people. He's a complete coward and is afraid of everything but every inch of him is loyal and loving. He wouldn't hurt a fly. In fact, he would protect that fly while shaking in his boots.
Oh, why do I get a horrible sinking feeling that I will pay in writer's block for picking a favourite?

 
He sounds really sweet. Unlike my favorite, who's anything but. Speaking of writer's block. What do you do when you get it?

I have a few like that as well. They are the ones I'm worried about. When I have writer's block I will try anything. I'll make up play-lists of songs that I think fit the characters. I'll draw. I'll free-write. I'll write a letter. I'll edit. If that doesn't work I try to write the scene with just dialogue. When that fails, I sulk and pout.

If there's a persistent block then something's missing from the story or it's not paced right. Something is up.
Not too long ago I wrote something that I liked while writing it (although I did find it difficult at points) but typing it out and editing it felt like a real chore.

So I wrote out all my scenes in post-its and put them in order. I realised that in every chapter they was either someone being saved, or someone new coming into the story. The pacing was all over the place and some of the key scenes felt forced.


It has to be completely re-written, minus two characters I really, really loved. I would have been saved a lot of time and pain if I had listened to my writer's block earlier and examined the story a bit closer.

What do you do with characters and pieces of narration that you have to edit out?


I keep an excel sheet of all my characters. Hopefully they'll find their way into another story, but I don't actively try to put them into stories either. One sentence is always better than two and the same can be said of character. If their job in the story can be done by someone else, they don't belong there. No matter how wonderful they are.

As for anything else I cut, I'm brutal. It comes from working in newspapers, where word count is very strict, and editing other people's stuff. It has to fit with the other writing and it has to be as short as you can make it.
Often you'd write something, give it in and hear. "Great, just like that but in 200 words instead of 500." It's not nice but it gives you a precision to your writing nothing else can.
 

Where can people reach you on the social networks?

I'm on facebook but I don't use it all that often.

Facebook me

I don't really get twitter, to be honest.
Pinterest though, I'm addicted to
My pinboard.
I think my family may be plotting an intervention soon.


Thanks so much for this interview, Ciara! I really enjoyed it. 

Anyone else want to be interviewed? Just let me know and we can talk about it. My e-mail address is mishagericke(AT)gmail(DOT)com.


Do you keep a stuffed toy from your childhood?

Monday, July 9, 2012

Derailment

Hmmm... I realized something about my writing process today.



My muse is a rather fickle thing, so when I write, it sometimes happens that my writing just dries up.

And that generally doesn't bother me. But now, I picked up an old half-finished WiP (Don't Look Back) and finished it in less than 2000 words.

Except I'm not sure that it feels right. Well, the contents of the end feels okay. But the thing is that it feels like my flow has been interrupted.

So much time has passed (months to be exact) that even though I adore the story, it feels as if someone else wrote it. And it's an incredible pain in the ass to finish something "someone else" wrote.

That's probably why I chopped the story off at approximately 25000 words, regardless of loose ends and story issues. It's better for me to rewrite it and fix everything then than spend months trying to pick up a derailed train of thought.

Sad thing is, I never had this problem with Doorways. But I guess that has a reason too. It's on my mind all the time. It's my priority. Even when I write something else, part of me is thinking about it. When I work on Doorways, it consumes everything else in my mind.

Which has me wondering.

Isn't it better to keep pushing myself to write even when I don't want to? Or does it even matter? Because after all, I will definitely be rewriting regardless of whether the book is perfect. Should I maybe just get the whole Doorways series out of my system before I try something else?

And most of all, I wonder if I should start rewriting Don't Look Back today...

Do you have a story that consumes or threatens to consume most of your creativity? What do you do when you get another (very) good idea?

Friday, July 6, 2012

Inspiration

Hi all! Today I welcome Angela Brown to MFB. Her blog is one of my favorite stops, because her publishing journey feels so much like mine and I'm glad not to be alone. :-)

Take it away Angela!

Inspiration comes in various forms. A move can inspire a writer to embark on a word-journey to share how terribly wrong a relocation cross-country can go. A husband overcoming a depressed time in his life can inspire a wife to share her journey of support. In a split second of wild imagination, a shadow in the peripheral vision of a teen can inspire a haunting horror story.

For me, inspiration came in steps.

First, through a gifted and talented class in elementary school. We wrote tall tales, poems and called our gathering of kiddie-genius a hodge-podge. Our teacher even took our stories to a printer, had them collated (didn't really understand that word at the time), bound by black plastic rings and given a pink front and back cover. I was young and naive. Didn't realize I was actually "writing".

Reading Blume gave way to Tolkien and Lewis. They took me to foreign places I'd never heard of, places I could only go in my imagination. Reading them sort of made writing seem out of my league. Who would take a nerdy teen from the projects seriously? So I focused on getting a REAL job.

In 2004, my heart-deep inspiration to take my writing seriously weighed in a smidge over seven pounds. My Chipmunk. When I beheld her beautiful eyes and total innocence, I wanted her to know that she could become anything. That she could make her dreams come true. But I hadn't given myself a chance to make MY dream come true. What better way than to show her and not just tell her? So, to the laptop I went and penned the first manuscript I eventually disposed of. May it rest in digital peace. Then I had another idea, penned it and felt a little better about my story this go-round, even went to my first writer's conference where I met Evelyn Palfrey, an author of 'marvelously mature' romance novels. She'd self-published and eventually gotten picked up by Simon and Schuster. Her journey? Another powerful inspiration.

Armed with a success story and my very own manuscript, I embarked on a few false starts and stops, family changes, attitude changes, changes in residence and moments of giving up on this writing dream. But my Chipmunk was there, my ever-present inspiration to continue the pursuit of my dream. With her hugs and smiles, I've remained inspired to this day.

My journey is still ongoing. That manuscript I felt pretty good about got a self-published nod from me but life was - complicated - and I've since had to move on to other story ideas. I've yet to snag that NY agent or pull down that dream multi-book deal. Not sure those are going to happen (if/when they do, WOO HOO!). But unlike when I was a teen, becoming an author doesn't seem out of my league anymore. And my inspiration laughs a little louder, smiles a little brighter and keeps me enthused to show her the importance of persevering and making dreams come true.

Thanks so much Angela. I love seeing how people started writing.

What about you? What inspired you to start writing?

Thursday, July 5, 2012

About WiP2...

Yeah... So yesterday's post I wrote on Sunday already. And after I wrote it, I scheduled it and pretty much forgot it. Then on Monday I did open my old draft.

And.... worse than I hate it, I didn't feel a thing. Usually I read the story and love it again, warts and all. I know that the word choices I made could suck. Or that the characterization could be off in the beginning. But the passion, that spark of inspiration urging me to write is there.

With WiP2 it wasn't. I bought Scrivener for the purpose of rewriting it. I committed the time to it. I even wrote some of it again. And I felt nothing. Not even a whisper.

I would have kept pushing myself to work on WiP2 if I didn't happen to see Neil Gaiman's commencement speech. It reminded me of a sad fact of life: when I craft a piece of work with focus but without passion, it falls flat.

But if I have passion and just let the words flow, that's when brilliance comes out.

The moment I realized it, I decided to delete what I've rewritten and shelf the story. If I get a flash of inspiration that brings the story back to life, I'll definitely open it again.

But right now, it isn't the story for me. In a sense, I wrote it as an experiment in multiple points of view and many characters. And I learnt a lot from it, but when I looked at it again, I just realized that the story probably went as far as it was going to go.

I'm not giving up on writing while I wait to finish the Doorways edit, though. I impulsively decided to check out my other project, Don't Look Back - formerly the NaNo 2011 WiP. Immediately I felt that spark. Because yes, while WiP2 is a cliche heaped on cliche, DLB is fresh an really sexy. I love it.

So yes, I'm definitely continuing with it. In fact, I'm thinking that I'll start in on it again tomorrow morning. Hopefully I can start the rewrite before the end of the year.

I'm excited all over again just thinking about it.

Have you ever gone back to a story you used to love and took a break from, only to find you didn't love it any more?

Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Insecure Writers' Support Group: Rewrite Woes


This might be cheating, because I'm writing this IWSG post on Sunday, 1 July. But given the shear horror I'm experiencing, I'm thinking I couldn't possibly be feeling more insecure than I'm feeling right now. 

I was fine until Friday, when I checked my goals for 2012 and saw that one of them is to finish the WiP2 rewrite by 30 September. *shudder*

Usually I have nothing against rewriting. I see it as a necessary and normal part of my writing method. But this.... this is different.

Because I already started rewriting last year. Two months in, I wrote 40 thousand words and I was so excited about the story. It was awesome. And then, the day after Christmas, disaster struck.

In the most catastrophic loss I ever experienced as a writer, I lost my entire rewrite, ironically while I was in the process of backing it up. I can't describe how much that hurt. Still I loved the story and vowed that I'd finish the rewrite so that I can edit it early next year.

But now it's July and the number of times I've even looked at WiP 2: Zero. Zilch. Zip. Not even after I decided that I'd have to start.

The mere thought of looking at it gives me the heevie jeevies. I loved the new version. I guess in the past few months, the perfection and beauty of what I've lost grew in my mind until I am where I am now.

What if this rewrite isn't as good? What if I open WiP2 and find that I don't love it any more? And should I even be forcing myself to do something when everything inside me rebels at the mere thought?

All I know is, if I want to finish this rewrite by 30 September, I better get over this aversion fast, because I have 80 thousand words and three months. My time to that deadine won't increase if I keep procrastinating...

What would you do if you were in my shoes?

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

YATT: Doorways Update


Young Adult Teen Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by S.A. Larsen from The Writer's Ally.

Because I'm a bit challenged when it comes to remembering these things, I don't post every week, but now I'm planning out my posts weeks ahead, so I plan to alternate YATT with Interview Tuesdays.

Basically,  YATT celebrates all things YA, whether by writing YA books, or writing about writing YA books. Since I have a no-review policy on my blog, I stick to the latter.

This pretty much leaves me with updating you on my progress with Doorways, my YA epic fantasy. Progress is slow but steady and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I'll be able to finish edits by 31 August.

One of my CPs has finished the entire novel, and he likes it! ^_^

Sorry. I know squeeing about one CP sounds silly, but there's something really satisfying about having people you don't know read your book and they come back with prasie.

So yes... I have two more CPs to who are still going through my work with a fine toothed comb, then I need some beta readers. I currently have three, but might still need one or two more, but I'm not worrying about that too much yet.

In the mean time, I wrote the query letter for Doorways and submitted it for critique.
It's really strange though, writing a query. I didn't struggle with it or anything. But there's something... real... about it, you know? Like I took one step closer to a cliff I will jump from one day.

Still, now that it's done, I feel pretty good about it. Now I just need to start stalking my dream agent.

Are you writing a YA novel? At what stage of the process are you?  

Monday, July 2, 2012

Others Have Said: Make. Good. Art.

Today's Others Have Said post is a bit different. Because the person doing the talking will be Neil Gaiman and far be it from me to think that I can write anything better than what he said in this speech. It's a bit long, but don't miss it.


I found it incredibly inspirational, both as a writer and as a person.





What are your thoughts?