Sloppy Writer

Moving to Live Journal

2007-07-05T09:37:00.001-07:00

I've been on Blogger for years now but I think I'm going to make the hop to Live Journal for a while.

Go to http://l-nunnink.livejournal.com/ to keep reading.

2007-07-04T21:07:00.000-07:00

So they found the gun stash. Suddenly my book has tuned into a corny action movie.

Happy 4th Everyone!

On weaponry

2007-07-03T17:13:00.001-07:00

So far I've been avoiding the use of modern weaponry in my story. I don't have any good reason except I just can't picture my characters lugging around machine guns like Rambo. But the setting is Post-Apocalyptic so semi-automatics, grenades, and whatnot could feasibly be in the picture.

I'm thinking that my characters might discover a weapon stash, something like the scene in Terminator 2.

*Gag* I'm such a geek.

Obligatory personality survey

2007-07-03T10:13:00.000-07:00

I don't know why these are so interesting. But they are.

Your Score: Jimmy Stewart

You scored 7% Tough, 9% Roguish, 80% Friendly, and 4% Charming!

You are the fun and friendly boy next door, the classic nice guy who still manages to get the girl most of the time. You're every nice girl's dreamboat, open and kind, nutty and charming, even a little mischievous at times, but always a real stand up guy. You're dependable and forthright, and women are drawn to your reliability, even as they're dazzled by your sense of adventure and fun. You try to be tough when you need to be, and will gladly stand up for any damsel in distress, but you'd rather catch a girl with a little bit of flair. Your leading ladies include Jean Arthur and Donna Reed, those sweet girl-next-door types.

Find out what kind of classic dame you'd make by taking the
Classic Dames Test.

Link: The Classic Leading Man Test written by gidgetgoes on OkCupid Free Online Dating, home of the The Dating Persona Test

Jean Arthur? Donna Reed? OK by me.

Gut checks

2007-07-02T22:10:00.000-07:00

After my forced hiatus I thought it was a good time to evaluate what was working with my current draft and what wasn't. Over the course of writing any story it's easy to loose focus and get bogged down in the mire of churning out paragraphs. Yeah, the paragraphs need to get out there but there's also got to be a destination. Here's where my draft stands in my latest estimation:

The Good

1. Plot

I've got this plot laid out very neatly in my head. A first for me. I've got the arc, the backstory, the destination, the conflict. It's all there. I know where my characters are going and how they get there.

2. Setting

Another first for me. My stories have always had vague setting at best. I think I always wrote this off as being "Postmodern". Yeah, right. But this time around I'm loving my setting. Working on it is a blast.

3. Prose

I think my prose is improving the more I write. I still don't have a very strong voice but I think this is just going to take time. Honestly I think "voice" can be overrated too. I'll settle for telling a story, not a Levi Nunnink Story.

The Somewhere-in-Between

1. Specific setting

I mentioned that I love my setting but I think my next draft is going to need to give the reader more clues as to the specifics. I can't just say "house". What kind of house? A hut, a farmhouse, a cottage? The good news for me is that I know the answer.

2. Dialogue

I feel like my dialogue is OK. But it's not exactly great ether. Could use some improvement but I'm not making it top priority.

Needs work

1. Characters

For me my characters are usually my strong point but this time around they aren't. I blame it all on trying to write two of my main character as angsty. Just for the record, I'm not an angsty person. Apparently that means I don't write angsty people well. I've had to go back and change a lot of my character development. Penelope used to be full of anger and bitterness; now she's in denial and emotionally distant. That's something I can relate to. The only exception to this is Lilith. She's a really strong character for me. Nothing about her is going to change.

So there we are. I need to work on my characters.

Climbing back into the saddle...

2007-06-27T23:37:00.000-07:00

The above photo (minus the wry smile) pretty much describes my current state of existence over the past three weeks. In short: I'm exhausted, unkempt, and I have a big honkin' zit on my forehead. These three weeks have been some of the craziest of my life and (if anyone has been checking) my blog, not to mention my writing, has suffered.

I wish I could say that I've been curing cancer, hiking in Europe, or finally pursuing a career in the NBA -- but nope. The truth is much more boring. I took on too much work, my business parter took a vacation, we hired a new employee -- and I've been working 15 hour days just to keep up. I zombie home each night around midnight, only to begin again at the crack of dawn. This is the bad part of being a business owner. Over the past few weeks, I've harbored fantasies of quitting and going back to work for The Man. No one told me that the worst part of business would be when it was "good".

In other news, I love to write. Absence truly makes the heart grow fonder. Trust me, business is one thing but art, writing is another. I've lost all my love for 'business', the methods of making money. I could walk away from it and never look back if I didn't need to feed my family. But writing always is itching at the back of my mind. And never more than when I can't.

I finally have a free weekend coming up and my wife suggested that I take a day for just myself (either she's being really sweet or I've been really annoying lately) and after reviewing my options (skydiving, mountain climbing, running with bulls) it occurred to me that I just wanted to write. I enjoy telling this story. I need to finish it and I've been away too long.

So where was I...?

Currently Reading

2007-05-29T13:40:00.000-07:00

So I've stopped with my Girly Book and for the past week I was looking for a new book. Saturday I took a trip to the bookstore and ended up purchasing The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald. I'd read this book once when I was about ten years old and I remembered enjoying it.

George MacDonald

I'm something of a bibliophile. The smell of yellow pulp pages is better than a perfume to me. My favorite sorts of books are those with illustrations. (I'm going to do a post on that someday.) This edition of The Princess and the Goblin had very lovely illustrations.

I fished it the same day I bought it. It is truly a beautiful piece of fiction. Here's just a sampling of his lovely prose:

The princess was a sweet little creature, and at the time my story begins was about eight years old, I think, but she got older very fast. Her face was fair and pretty, with eyes like two bits of night sky, each with a star dissolved in the blue. Those eyes you would have thought must have known they came from there, so often were they turned up in that direction.

After finishing The Princess and the Goblin I remembered that I owned another book by George MacDonald, At the Back of the North Wind.

In the first chapter, I found this gem of a description:

What was the most strange was that away from her head streamed out her black hair in every direction, so that the darkness in the hay-loft looked as if it were made of her, hair but as Diamond gazed at her in speechless amazement, mingled with confidence -- for the boy was entranced with her mighty beauty -- her hair began to gather itself out of the darkness, and fell down all about her again, till her face looked out of the midst of it like a moon out of a cloud.

George MacDonald himself, is a very interesting figure. He was a pastor for many years and many of his stories were written to instruct children in the scriptures and teach them Christian truths. However his stories never read as contrived moral parables and are always true to themseleves.

He was a great influence on C.S. Lewis, and in The Great Divorce Lewis went so far as to include him as a main character. Lewis wrote the following about MacDonald:

I know hardly any other writer who seems to be closer, or more continually close, to the Spirit of Christ Himself. Hence his Christ-like union of tenderness and severity. Nowhere else outside the New Testament have I found terror and comfort so intertwined. . . . In making this collection I was discharging a debt of justice. I have never concealed the fact that I regarded him as my master; indeed I fancy I have never written a book in which I did not quote from him.

One notable theme in MacDonald's stories is powerful, wise women. In The Princess and the Goblin the princess Irene is guided and delivered from danger by her Great-Great Grandmother, who, though very old, is also vividly described as possessing agless beauty and seems to possess great supernatural powers. In At the Back of the North Wind the North Wind (described in the quote above) is female and also powerful and beautiful. At the very least, MacDonald seemed to have a very high opinion of women.

As for me, I'm extremely excited to have discovered such a wonderful author and brother in Christ to inspire me. It's one thing to purchase a pretty book, it's another to find a true author. It's like making a friend.

As the thoughts move in the mind of a man, so move the worlds of men and women in the mind of God...the offspring of his imagination. Man is but a thought of God.

~ George MacDonald

Weekend update

2007-05-27T23:10:00.000-07:00

Me and the fam' went to the zoo this weekend. It was a lot of fun.

Jack is a huge Steve Irwin fan (we haven't broke the sad news to him) and he really wanted to see the crocodiles. So after him asking for almost an hour, I finally checked the map. I was hoping to see something like "Crocodile Pit" but no luck. I had break it to Jack that all the crocodiles went home. The last thing we visited was the reptile house, which is always like walking into a guided tour of my phobias. But towards the end I heard Jack's excited voice (if you know him, you know what I'm talking about) proclaiming that they did have crocodiles! Sure enough, he was right. There, behind a glass case, sat the creature, pit and all. Jack happily reminded me many times afterwards that all the crocodiles did not go home. I'm going to remember that for a long time.

Being a parent is a lot like having Stockholm Syndrome. Today was hot and I had to leg it around a park, chasing after tiny individuals who have the same outlook on life as Marie Antoinette. These people continue to devour my time and money and mostly treat me like I'm their butler. And yet, I've never loved anything like I love those wicked little kids.

I look at Jack and somewhere along the line he stopped being a toddler and now he's a boy. And before that he stopped being a baby. I want him to always go to the zoo with me and look for crocodiles no matter how hot it is, or how tired I am, or how much I actually hate reptiles. I love my captors. Stockholm Syndrome.

More zoo photos

Something I wrote:

When she woke, Lilith’s skull felt like it had been cracked with a hammer. She attempted to rise than fell back to the grass with a groan. She could banish the pain with a spell and she searched her rusty memory for the one that would do the job. Finally she muttered a string of words and, after a moment, rose to her feet. But everything was still wrong. The spell would not change that.

Critique musings

2007-05-23T22:39:00.000-07:00

I submitted my first chapter to the OWW recently. It's gotten three reviews so far. They're in the moderate to lukewarm range. I've got some good pointers though. Most of the weak areas I'm already aware of but I still need the reminders.

The latest review kind of threw me for a curve. It pegged me as writing a High Fantasy, which I've never wanted to write. My book is set in the future after a nuclear war. But I guess it gives the impression that it's a high fantasy. This doesn't bode well.

It used to really crush me when people picked apart my writing. Honestly, I still don't like it but it doesn't bring me down. The problem with critique groups is that the quality of the advice is decidedly mixed. Most everyone is relating second-hand advice that they've read from actual authors who may or may not be good authors themselves. I remember that I used to always point out point-of-view inconsistencies when critiquing, just because I'd read on some internet article that they were bad. I still think they're bad but good authors are always shifting point-of-views. Just an example.

There's also some great writers lurking around the boards too who have helped me immensely with their advice. Like I said, it's a mixed bag.

Anyway...

I liked this from tonight's writing:

Penelope suddenly felt tired and dull. She hadn’t understood much of what the pale man had said - or had she? Was the mass grave in New Camelot nothing more than the result of a whimsical decision by some unknown personality in the wastes? On the road to Silverwater she had assumed that if she ever met the pale man he would give her reasons that satisfied as much as they hurt. But now she suspected that the reason would never satisfy. She wanted to lay down in the grass and never move again.

It's monday and how do you like your humble pie?

2007-05-21T23:28:00.000-07:00

I play in a softball league every Monday. Tonight I struck out. It's a sickening feeling, swinging that bat and hitting nothing but air. Yeach.

Speaking of humble pie, I've noticed that one thing common to my characters is that they're all flawed. Lilith is an out-of-practice witch, grumpy, and bad with directions. Penelope is self-centered and not quite a knockout in the looks department.

They've all got good qualities too but I like that they're flawed. I've been reading a book where there's one character that is just perfect. She's clearly the author's ideal person in every respect. And you know what? I really don't like her. For me to love a character I need to be with them when they blow it, when they're tired and grumpy. Then I'll be excited when they finally get things right. I understand that some characters must be more noble than others but at least make them dress funky or have an ugly mole, or something. Throw me a frickin' bone here!

Something that I wrote, that I liked:

“Magic’s nice, you know,” he said, his voice soft. “I could’ve brought an army to New Camelot. I could’ve made the streets run with the blood of every man, woman and child - all that gory stuff. But magic-” He snapped his fingers and suddenly a red rose appeared in his palm. Penelope had never seen a color so exquisite, every velvety petal seemed to be a jewel; but it was already fading; indeed now it was quite wilted. She watched as the rose crumbled to fine dust in seconds. With a puff he blew the dust from his palm into the wind. “Magic is so elegant. So clean. I spoke and everyone in New Camelot slept. No blood, no screaming, no pain. You should thank me for that!”

One reason I'm smiling

2007-05-18T10:19:00.000-07:00

Only kids raised in the 90s will get this. I'm grinning ear-to-ear right now, listening to the first new Smashing Pumpkins song in over seven years. It seriously rocks.

It's interesting to think back to where I was when I bought my last Pumpkins album. I remember the exact place and time. I was sixteen years old, driving down to San Francisco for the first time ever with my own driver's license. (If anyone has ever driven in San Francisco, you'll know why I was nervous.) My dad was riding with me. On the way down we stopped in Sacramento at Dimple Records and I bought Machina/The Machines of God by The Smashing Pumpkins. I listened to it the rest of the way down to the bay, but not too loud, cause I didn't want to bug my Dad. I've lightened up a little since then.

I was driving down to San Franscisco to check out a multimedia trade school that I wanted to attend. (Back in the day, you didn't say "Web Design", you said "Multimedia".) The reason I had to attend this school was because I was planning to marry my girlfriend and I knew that a wife would lead to kids, kids would lead to bills, and bills would lead to more bills - therefore I needed a hot job. One that didn't require a four-year degree (did I mention that I really wanted to get married?). With The Smashing Pumpkins on the stero, driving over the bay bridge, a man in control of my own destinty, a bro going places, I felt pretty cool.

Two months before I was going to move down to SF and officially enroll, the school closed down. The move to SF never happened. I know more about myself know and I'm very glad that it all fell apart. I think it would've really freaked me out living in a big city. I have an extremely low tolerence for city noise and concrete.

Seven years later.

Me and the love of my life.

My boy. The oldest of the litter.

My little girl, AKA: hot competition for the love my life.

The newest and best-behaved Nunnink.

So I did marry my girlfriend. And marriage has led to kids. I can't claim wild success. As a matter of fact, I've learned how unimpressive I am as a person. But I've also learned quite a bit about life, love, Jesus, and all that important stuff. And now the Smashing Pumpkins just put out another song. A lot has happened in these seven years.

Back in the saddle

2007-05-16T16:25:00.000-07:00

Last week was amazingly unproductive writing-wise. Just yesterday I fired up the ol' laptop and started writing for the first time in over seven days. The worst part is that I have no good excuse except that I was tired and distracted.

But I'm back now. I can only leave these characters for so long.

Prayer for today

Here's a puritan prayer that I found. It's quite beautiful to a person with myriad heart corruptions like me.

Heart Corruptions
O God, may Thy Spirit speak in me that I may speak to thee. I have no merit, let the merit of Jesus stand for me. I am undeserving, but I look to Thy tender mercy. I am full of infirmities, wants, sin; Thou art full of grace.

I confess my sin, my frequent sin, my wilful sin; all my powers of body and soul are defiled: a fountain of pollution is deep within my nature. There are chambers of foul images within my being; I have gone from one odious room to another, walked in a no-man's-land of dangerous imaginations, pried into the secrets of my fallen nature.

I am utterly ashamed that I am what I am in myself; I have no green shoot in me nor fruit, but thorns and thistles; I am a fading leaf that the wind drives away; I live bare and barren as a winter tree, unprofitable, fit to be hewn down and burnt. Lord, dost Thou have mercy on me?

Thou hast struck a heavy blow at my pride, at the false god of self, and I lie in pieces before Thee. But Thou hast given me another master and lord, Thy Son, Jesus, and now my heart is turned towards holiness, my life speeds as an arrow from a bow towards complete obedience to Thee. Help me in all my doings to put down sin and to humble pride. Save me from the love of the world and the pride of life, from everything that is natural to fallen man, and let Christ's nature be seen in me day by day. Grant me grace to bear Thy will without repining, and delight to be not only chiselled, squared, or fashioned, but separated from the old rock where I have been embedded so long, and lifted from the quarry to the upper air, where I may be built in Christ for ever.

Encouraging story...

2007-05-07T10:56:00.000-07:00

About three or four years ago I swapped OWW crits with a very nice writer named Sandra McDonald. I don't even remember what work I'd submitted to be critted but I do remember that she had some very insightful criticism. I also remember that her work had a great feel to it and that her dialogue was extremely witty. I still remember a few lines from the peice I read.

Flash forward to this week, I was browsing the OWW Hall of Fame and I noticed a line annoucing that Sandra McDonald's first novel, The Outback Stars was being released by Tor this week. Wow!

Sure enough:

It's a great cover too.

To see a person who's persisted for many years finally break the publishing barrier - well... I find that extremely encouraging.

Congratulations, Sandra! I'll be looking for The Outback Stars the next time I'm in Borders.

I'm reading a girly book

2007-05-04T17:19:00.000-07:00

Want to see the cover of the book I'm reading right now? You sure?

Okay...

Just leave me in my shame...

Oh, and have a great weekend!

Write what you know - it's a good idea

2007-05-01T09:10:00.000-07:00

I recently cracked open my first attempts at writing a book. Of course, they were horrible - but one thing stands out above the poor writing: they were wrong. Specifically about being a parent.

My first story focused on a father-daughter relationship. Ohhh boy! What a romanticised view I used to have. Flash forward five years: I recently observed to my wife, "Our house has been captured by insane, violent midgets. How did we let this happen?" And somehow it's mysteriously wonderful. Emphasis on mysteriously. But it's very different than my writing anticipated. Any real parent who read my book would've had to visit the opthamologist from all the eye rolling.

Now my story is again drifting towards parent-child relationships. This time, I know a little bit more about the subject. The romance is gone, my friend but I think this story is much truer than my first.

Bottom line, write what you know.

Another example: I recently wrote a scene where the character freaked out! Yeah! Everyone loves a freak out! One problem... I've never freaked out! Yeah! *Ahem*

It's true. A couple of years ago I was crumbling under the stress of my job, I'd lay awake late into the night, fearing death, disease, aging, etc. I was in the midst of a spiritual crisis. I thought I was having a nervous breakdown. I was one burned-out cookie. Worst year of my life. And you know what? No one knew. Not even my wife. How could I hide something like this over the period of almost a year? I never freaked out. There's always been something in my mind that prevents me from running around, shouting and tearing things apart like Jimmy Stewart in It's a Wonderful Life. ("You keep playing that song, over and over - now STOP IT!")

So my freakout scene was wrong. Just wrong. I was guessing at how someone gets to that point but I really don't know. I don't know the mental steps from calm to screaming. (And for one, I hope I don't find out.) I know how to be grumpy, snippy, annoyed, annoying, tootie-fruity but not screamy.

So I rewrote the scene. It's emotional but - you know - people don't loose it.

Bottom line, write what you know.

Being self-employed is great...

2007-04-30T09:07:00.000-07:00

...except some days are a little crazy. For example, on Saturday I started working on a job that I only had budgeted one day to complete. I started work at 6:00 AM. I finished at 1:00 AM Sunday morning. And people wonder why I'm such a coffee addict.

I'm not complaining. I'm just offering an excuse why I haven't updated my blog much this week.

Despite the wacky working hours, I'm on page 60 of my rewrite of Part One. It's going faster than anything I've ever written before.

Reason to write # 1: It's worth doing

2007-04-24T15:27:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking lately, why do I write? In reply, there's really no single reason. But here's one:

It's worth doing

I run my own web programming business full-time. I haven't gone bankrupt yet so I guess I'm moderately successful. I've been blessed to do work that I actually enjoy. Believe it or not, writing computer programs is actually a very enjoyable, creative process at times. But no matter how cool the program, no matter how successful - it will never make a person cry (unless it's out of frustration. See Microsoft Windows.), it won't make them brave when they're scared, it won't make them feel romantic, it won't lead them to praise God. Programs themselves are all about dollars and cents, nothing more. Anyone who tells you otherwise is lying or trying to market a product of their own.

Writing on the other hand - although the publishing business is all about money - is something entirely different. When I was in the midst of a spiritual crisis, Puddleglum from The Silver Chair gave me reason to believe. I'm continually warned by Iago from Othello about the dangers of jealousy. G.K. Chesterton makes me want to jump around with joy whenever I read his books whereas Stephen King left me depressed for quite some time. Even though my world-traveling has been extremely limited, I've seen England and Wales through Susan Cooper's eyes. Closer to home, I've spent years laughing at the quirks of midwesterners with Garrison Kellior. I'm vitally connected to Jews, Romans and God through The Bible.

I think writing is something worth mastering because it effects people. Personally, I'd like to help kids be brave. If I ever do that with one of my stories, I'll consider myself a successful writer.

Worst writing night ever

2007-04-18T23:47:00.000-07:00

Last night I had what may have been my worst writing night ever. I stared at one paragraph for almost an hour, trying to figure out how to say what I wanted to say. It was like digging through dry sand. I ended up going to bed without success.

I attacked the paragraph again tonight with better results. It still feels awkward to me. But at least I got through it.

I present it now, not because I'm particularly proud of it (I suspect that it fairly stinks). But the following few paragraphs did have me licked last night. I'm glad to have them behind me. Sometimes writing is like hacking through a jungle with a machete.

***

Penelope listened to their conversation. There was a familiarity between those two. She guessed that they had known each other for many years. Watching them, she felt very alone, like peering through a window from the outside.

“She’s crying,” Fin said abruptly under his breath and nodded towards Penelope. Indeed she was.

Lilith quickly moved to her and placed one firm hand on her shoulder. “All will be well, Penelope,” she whispered. “You must believe me. All will be well in the end.”

“I’m fine,” Penelope sniffed, wiping her cheeks. “I just thought of a joke.”

In fact she had thought of a joke. But it was a joke that only a few of her friends in Luna Castle had known, and it was the sort that could not be retold without losing its humor. That was what had started her crying. All the jokes, secrets, wordless knowledge shared between long friends and family had been taken from her. Everyone who needed just to glance at her face to understand that she was happy or sad was dead. She was among strangers – kind strangers, but strangers nonetheless. Now she wanted to go home. Oh how she wanted to go home.

Novel Progress

2007-04-16T23:21:00.000-07:00

Pages re-written: 5 today 42 total

Inspirations: C.S. Lewis, Emily Bronte, T.S. Elliot, Stephen King.

Penelope swallowed and grimaced. “The problem is your meatsoak. You should dice some rawherb, with a bit of honey, and – if they’re ripe on the trees – squeeze some lemons, and use half the salt. That’s a savory venison meatsoak.”

For a moment Lilith’s face lost all its grandness and stark beauty and she looked like a shy young girl. Penelope realized that she’d somehow hurt her feelings.

Last week, I mysteriously burst a blood vessel in my left eye. It doesn't hurt but the blood has slowly spread until now one half of my eye is completely red. I'm kind of enjoying this looking-like-a-freak. I gives me a sense of menace that I've been lacking. I'll be sad when it clears up.

To all fantasy-buffs (and if you're reading this blog, you probably are) I order you to watch MirrorMask. It is one of the best movies I've watched in a long time. Squeaky-clean and written by the amazing Neil Gaimen.

I have been writing lately...

2007-04-11T10:08:00.000-07:00

...just not keeping track of my progress. *Hangs head in shame* I've just been so busy. Today's update has more general notes:

1) In this rewrite Penelope suddenly became spoiled. Not to a Veruca Salt level but she's wallowing in self-pity and thinks Fin smells bad. I'm glad this trait developed. It'll be a nice character arc for her.

2) After killing off the entire population of one city, I decided to do serious harm to another. My poor characters.

3) It's strange reading how I originally intended my characters to interact. They've all done a complete about face.

I went on a book shopping-spree yesterday. I got some pretty slick books that I can't wait to read. I got:

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
I think I'll finish this in about twenty years. This book is thicker than my waist.

Under the Greenwood Tree by Thomas Hardy
Looked fun.

The Waste Land and other poems by T.S. Elliot
T.S. Elliot is amazing. The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock is one of my favorite poems ever. I think I've shared it here. Choruses from The Rock is also remarkably insightful into modern society.

Krazy & Ignatz by George Herriman
Comics can't get any more whimsical than Krazy Kat. The art is beautiful too.

Novel Stats

2007-04-06T11:58:00.000-07:00

Pages re-written: 3 today 31 total

Inspirations: C.S. Lewis Emily Bronte, Kate Rusby, Stephen King.

New lines I like:
Lilith was old. It was never more apparent then now, holding this shuddering child, so alive and confused with heartbeats, tears, remorse and anger. It occurred to her that she had once wept like this, how many centuries ago? But that was before her soul died, leaving a body behind that would not. In the midst of her reflection, she began to feel silly for having put on lipstick.

Still holding Penelope, she reached for a cloth next to the bed and wiped the makeup from her lips. Then she cleared some of the tears and mucus from the girl’s face. When she’d done so she wished she hadn’t. At least one person could mourn for the fallen in New Camelot. Penelope’s face, so dirty with emotion, was quite lovely in a way.

***********************************************

It's interesting how wordy my first draft is. Editing it is like hacking through a jungle of paragraphs; get these weeds out of the way, I'm trying to get somewhere.

It's incredibly beautiful in Grass Valley these days. Everything is green and fresh. I love my town.

Novel Stats

2007-04-03T23:01:00.000-07:00

Pages re-written: 3 today 31 total

Inspirations: C.S. Lewis Emily Bronte, Kate Rusby, Stephen King.

New lines I like:
Lilith watched Fin through the window as he trudged away. His movements were so methodical and determined, so manlike – even in his walk. The foolishness that usually came with his age had passed him by without lingering and it was a pity, she thought. The years to come would be hard for Fin.
***********************************************

So tired... It's been a long day. I'm just managing to finish this blog post before seriously crashing. Good night.

i carry your heart

2007-04-03T10:34:00.000-07:00

Recently I saw an okay movie that featured this very cool poem, unfortunately read by Cameron Diaz. Nonetheless, it's quite beautiful.

i carry your heart with me
(i carry it in my heart)
I am never without it
(anywhere i go you go, my dear;
and whatever is done
by only me is your doing, my darling)
i fear no fate
(for you are my fate, my sweet)
i want no world
(for beautiful you are my world, my true)
and it's you are
whatever a moon has always meant and
whatever a sun will always sing is you
here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root
and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life;
which grows higher than
soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder
that's keeping the stars apart
i carry your heart
(i carry it in my heart)

~ e.e. cummings

Novel Stats

2007-04-02T23:21:00.000-07:00

Pages re-written: 4 today 28 total

Inspirations: C.S. Lewis Emily Bronte, Kate Rusby, Stephen King.

New lines I like:
Sharp, clear air stung in Fin’s nose and chest as he made his way home. Birds gossiped in the trees and the sun felt warm on his neck. And yet, just ten miles away, thousands of corpses were already beginning to decay. The world disagreed with itself, Fin thought: It wanted to be ugly and lovely at the same time.
***********************************************

Some nights writing is very fun; each paragraph comes out better than you anticipated. Tonight was like that. Props to the muse for showing up.

My Softball team played its first game tonight. We lost 12-17 but I had a good time. Simon, you were sorely missed. Especially since you looked like Barry Bonds the last time I saw you at batting practice.

I watched Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon last night and I honestly think it's one of the best movies ever made. It's in my top five, for sure. Romance-wise, it's one of those rare movies that - with one scene as an exception - is quite steamy without being titillating. I think Ziyi Zhang may be the most beautiful actress. Ever.

Novel Stats

2007-03-29T22:11:00.000-07:00

Pages re-written: 4 today 28 total

Inspirations: C.S. Lewis Emily Bronte, Kate Rusby, Stephen King.

New lines I like:
Fin didn’t understand but he said nothing. He could see that the lady was troubled and he would let her speak when the words came.
***********************************************

I'd be much more productive this week if I wasn't so sick. I swear, this cold has a life of its own. It seems like it moving through my body just seeing how many places it can tweak until I kick it out. Pass the kleenex.

I don't know if anyone reading this blog watches Lost on ABC but man! what a great show. This season is really kicking into high gear.

My drawing...

2007-03-28T13:03:00.000-07:00

Good news of the day: I just found out that I owe $4,000.00 less to the IRS than I thought I did. I'm taking Suzanne out for dinner! (At least once a year it pays to be poor and have a lot of kids.)

So I took a *sigh* Drawing Personality Test. These online personality tests have to be the ultimate waste of time but for some reason I enjoy them. Even though they're pretty much the equivalent of fortune cookies, saying things about you that are impossible to disagree with.

For example, my test told me:

You are driven and ambitious and tend to make radical moves to reach your goals.

You are a thoughtful and cautious person. You like to think about your method, seeking to pursue your goal in the most effective way.

You like following the rules and being objective. You are precise and meticulous, and like to evaluate decisions before making them.

You feel morose and are prone to lethargy.

Which, I guess, sort of right. Maybe. Pretty lame, if you ask me. Word to all the personality tests: if you ever give me these results, I'm taking off my hat to you:

You're a guy who writes YA fantasy in your spare time.

You're attracted to girls with gaps in their teeth.

You can play the guitar and the piano but failed at playing drums and the violin.

You snack on plain popcorn almost every day.

Now that's a personality test!

Here's the picture that I drew for my test.

What does your drawing say about YOU?

Novel Stats

2007-03-26T20:54:00.000-07:00

Pages re-written: 5 today 22 total

Inspirations: C.S. Lewis Emily Bronte, Kate Rusby, Stephen King.

New lines I like:
Keeping his eyes averted, he climbed back into his chair. He would stay up all night, he decided; he would be ready at a moment’s notice with a helping hand. Then he fell asleep.
***********************************************

Sick today. I've been sick since Friday. Not fun. :-(

Going back over the first draft, I discovered that I used way too many words and took way too long to move the story along. Part of the reason was because I didn't know where the story was going. I was like that amazingly slow driver that you get stuck behind; the one who's trying to find that elusive address and has to go laboriously slooooow so he can check each house and street sign. That was me. I thought each driveway and side street might be my destination so I moved like a snail, checking each address digit and reading the street signs twice.

But now that I know where I'm going, I'm cruising right along.

Good movies that I've seen lately:

1. Flushed Away. Really, really, really funny. One of the funniest movies I've seen in a long time. I was cracking up, at least. And clean as the top of a baby's head after bathtime.

2. Stranger Than Fiction. A nice movie. Sidenote: Have you notices how strangely movies portray writer-types?

3. Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow. Bloody amazing. I saw it a long time ago and thought I wouldn't like it as much on the second viewing. I liked it more. Simon, I'm talking to you, baby - you've got to watch this movie.

I had to drive to Sacramento today for a meeting. On the way home I got caught in a ferocious deluge of rain on I-80 and Hwy-49. I was praying that God would get me home safe and he did. Thanks, Lord.

Novel Stats (back again)

2007-03-20T12:27:00.000-07:00

Daily Word Count: 450 today 28k total (out of a likely 60-80k)

Inspirations: Emily Bronte, Kate Rusby, Stephen King.

The good:
It was fully dark outside. The forest was dripping, tapping, alive with the rain. Lilith walked past him while he fumbled to light his lantern and stared in the dark. Fin couldn’t help but take her in; she looked big and wild as an oak to him – especially in the rain with her hair all wet.
***********************************************

Back to writing again. Work has been crazy. I remember when I started my own business I thought that I'd have more time to spend writing - Ha! At least I value my writing time more these days.

Belated update

2007-03-14T23:16:00.000-07:00

Sorry about my recent negligence in posting. I've actually been quite productive writing-wise. Here's where I'm at:

Last week I reached the end of part one of my book. During that time I'd managed to accomplish some things:

1) I got to know my characters
2) I came up with my plot
3) I got familiar with my setting
4) I wrote my backstory

Not bad, even if the writing was more than a little sketchy in spots. Actually Part 1, in its current state, was unreadable. I'd been doing the "throw it against the wall and see what sticks" method of writing and a lot of things didn't stick. Subtle things like personality traits and motivations have changed quite a bit since Chapter 1. Big things have changed like, "hey they have guns" to "no, this culture hasn't invented modern weaponry". So when I finished Part 1 last week, I decided to rewrite the thing before continuing; just to clear up stuff in my head and have a good foundation to go forward.

It's been a lot of fun so far and I've managed almost 4,000 words since Saturday. Just as an excerpt I thought I'd share the opening paragraphs as they currently stand. I expect to resume normal posting soon.

3 paragraphs for ya:

The girl was following the pale man and a monster was following her. The trio made a daisy-chain stretching across Postworld. The girl had only seen the pale man once but the image was fingerprinted on her mind: that night in Luna Castle, he standing nonchalantly, covered in her father’s blood. Then that little nod he gave (very gentleman-like) when she stumbled through the door.

She would see him again. Would she kill him? No, probably not. The thought of killing a human being – and the pale man was human – felt more awful now than ever. The pale man had introduced her to blood and death and it seemed that killing him in return would be like agreeing with him. No, she would simply ask him, “Paleface, why did you kill my father? Why’d you kill my mother? Why did you kill my sisters? Why did you kill everyone in New Camelot? And why, did you let me live?”

The Monster that crept at her heels she had not seen. She simply knew it was there, and stalking closer. Paleface had plucked it out of the dark and sic’ed it after her like a dog. But if she could make it to Silverwater she would be safe – unless Paleface had attacked Silverwater too. The dark smudge across the sky at her back reminded her (as if she needed it) that New Camelot, city of warriors was still burning. If she found Silverwater leveled to the ground it would hardly surprise her now.

WIP meme

2007-03-11T13:03:00.000-07:00

From JMeadows.

Turn to page 123 in your work-in-progress. (If you haven't gotten to page 123 yet, then turn to page 23. If you haven't gotten there yet, then get busy and write page 23.) Count down four sentences and then instead of just the fifth sentence, give us the whole paragraph.

--

“The girl on my bed – the girl you saved from a Warg is Penelope Everling! The only member of the the royal family who survived!”

--

I'm passing this on to Simon and anyone else who happens to read this.

Novel Stats

2007-03-06T23:21:00.000-08:00

Daily Word Count: 650 today 27.1k total (out of a likely 60-80k)

Inspirations: Emily Bronte, Kate Rusby, Stephen King.

The good:
“What really happened last night? – actually I don’t care. Just as long as we don’t have to do it again. It really hurt...”

“The cuts will heal quickly,” she said.

“Not the cuts; the light. It burned.” I looked over my shoulder, to make sure Fin and Penelope were still asleep, then continued in a low voice, “I thought I was going to wet my pants.”

“Really? Did you? I can wash them before they wake - ”

“No, I didn’t! I’m just saying – the dream hurt!”
***********************************************

Trying to wrap up part 1 of this book. I'm really enjoying it now that all my characters are together and I understand them. Writing is a lot of fun right now.

2007-03-04T15:40:00.000-08:00

Metrics for HAPPY, THE END

Daily Word Count: 1,250 today (I'm on a roll) 26.5k total (out of a likely 60-80k)

Inspirations: Emily Bronte, Kate Rusby, Stephen King.

The good:

Then a voice roars out of the earth (what a voice!), “LET THERE BE LIGHT!” And there is light. But it is not good.

In milliseconds the light mushrooms out from the tower, then expands in a disk. It tears though Penelope and she sees her father sprawled still and pale on the floor, his throat a mess of red flesh. It reaches Fin and he is back in Nome Mine, shrieking while dead voices whisper horror into his ears. It consumes Jack and he sees Amy vanish in a puff of ash and hears his father gasping for breath. It finds Lilith last and she is once again a girl named Katie Smith, bending over a dead boy, sobbing, planning to kill herself.

***********************************************

I'm writing a vision right now. It's a bit esoteric and I'm not very confident about it. This may be a victim of a future re-write. It's one of the weirder thing that I've written. Sorry for the heavy excerpt too.

Novel Stats

2007-03-04T13:54:00.000-08:00

Metrics for HAPPY, THE END

Daily Word Count: 950 today (not bad, eh?) 25.5k total (out of a likely 60-80k)

Inspirations: Emily Bronte, Kate Rusby, Stephen King.

The good:
She summoned us to move away from the fire to a place where the a tangled umbrella of young oak branches formed a sort of canopy. Overhead a full moon looked down on us. When we had assembled, Lilith drew a knife out from beneath her cloak, the blade glinting dully in the moonlight. I gasped (but didn't squeal or anything too embarrassing, thank gods) as she swiftly cut down first her left palm, then her right, leaving two lacerations. Involuntarily I grabbed onto Penelope’s sleeve for support. I felt a little dizzy.

“Are we going to have to cut our hands too?” Fin asked.

Lilith nodded.

“Excellent...” He muttered and took the knife from her.

***********************************************

So, just in case you were wondering, I didn't die from my acid reflux episode. But I did make the midnight run to the drug store for Tums.

The plotlines in my story are coming together right now. All the main characters have met and now they're going to get their marching orders for the rest of the book. I hope I'm taking this in the right direction.

Novel Stats

2007-02-28T23:24:00.000-08:00

Metrics for HAPPY, THE END

Daily Word Count: 450 today 24.5k total (out of a likely 60-80k)

Inspirations: Emily Bronte, Kate Rusby, Stephen King.

The good:
We had eaten and now sat around the fire, watching the flames; sparks floated skyward, like fallen stars trying to go home.

***********************************************

This has nothing to do with writing but I'm having horrible Acid Reflux and I'm all out of Tums. It's almost midnight and I'm considering running to the store to get some. I feel like I'm dying. Ugh...

2007-02-24T23:23:00.000-08:00

Metrics for HAPPY, THE END

Daily Word Count: 630 today 24k total (out of a likely 60-80k)

Inspirations: Emily Bronte, Kate Rusby, Stephen King.

The good:
I was at a loss. I clung to the tree trunk, feeling the bark bite into my cheek. In my dream they all had been waiting for me. Should I introduce myself? I fought the urge sneak off in the opposite direction. A dull nausea began to squeeze my stomach. It suddenly seemed to me that dreams coming true were not as wonderful as the songs suggested. Dreams should be content to stay as dreams.
***********************************************

My second attempt at writing an attraction between two characters. The first failed miserably. Let's hope the second goes better.

Snow, snow, snow

2007-02-22T09:41:00.000-08:00

Everyone, now! I want to wash my hands, my hair, my face in snoooowwwww.

In cause you haven't guessed, it's snowing at my house. First snow of the year and it's very pretty.

Novel Stats

2007-02-20T13:52:00.000-08:00

Metrics for HAPPY, THE END

Daily Word Count: 600 today 23.4k total (out of a likely 60-80k)

Inspirations: Emily Bronte, Kate Rusby, Stephen King.

The good:
My stomach fell three stories and I almost had to sit down. I think that up until that moment a large part of me had assumed that my dreams were entirely my own fabrications. Despite all my tears when I said goodbye to Amy, part of me actually thought that I would be home by dinner and we'd have a good luagh together. But there was the very grove from my dreams - I recognized the almost perfect arrangement of the trees - and it was inhabited.
***********************************************

Down from yesterdays highs. Still really enjoying writing this part though. I managed to squeeze out a nice word count too.

Novel Stats

2007-02-19T14:27:00.000-08:00

Metrics for HAPPY, THE END

Daily Word Count: 630 today 22.8k total (out of a likely 60-80k)

Inspirations: Emily Bronte, Kate Rusby, Stephen King.

The good:
It interested me that hundreds of years ago Arthur and Katie had sat on this very rock and etched their names in the stone and moss. I ran my hand over the letters, imagining that Arthur had once done the same thing. Had he looked anything like me? Then I thought that one day, when I was dead, another boy and girl would sit on this rock and never guess that Amy and Jack had been here too. Suddenly I wanted hold Amy’s hand.
***********************************************

Today I was on. I had to write a sad farewell scene and I was hoping that I could pull it off. I did. Some days writing is painful, other days it's like connecting with a pitch in the bat's sweet spot and watching the baseball soar away. Today I hit a home run.

Tomorrow I'll be back to grounding out. :-)

Writing a book is a lot like writing a song...

2007-02-19T09:33:00.000-08:00

Anyone who knows me well knows that my favorite band is The Smashing Pumpkins. I remember the first time I heard Bullets with Butterfly Wings, it was like a switch flicked in my head and wires ignited. Billy Corgan, I'm still convinced, is one of the best pop composers of the last century. The scope of the music he's written and produced is staggering.

My first band, The Smoothies. That's me, 3rd from the left.

I was a band for the majority of my teenagehood. I wrote songs, sang, and played guitar. I was hugely influenced by The Smashing Pumpkins. You might think that my songs weren't half-bad, being influenced by such a greatness. Actually they mostly stank. Now I that I'm writing a book I think I know why I never wrote great songs.

Let me back-track and play a track by The Smashing Pumpkins. Of all their excellent songs, I think that Tonight, Tonight may be their best. That orchestra, the pounding drums, the guitars; it's a grand song. I dreamed of writing a song so able to sweap the listener away.

Listen to it here and you'll see what I'm talking about:

Tonight Tonight. Final Version

powered by ODEO

But the song didn't start that way. One of the b-sides that the Smashing Pumpkins released was the original demo of the song. The one that Billy Corgan recorded on a tape deck right after he wrote the song. Listen to it here:

Tonight Tonight. Original Demo.

powered by ODEO

If I heard that song I probably wouldn't ever need to hear it again. His voice is off-key in a few parts. The production sounds like he recorded it on a tape deck. His guitar is out of tune.

But it's all there! The structure, the chords, the melody. The song was completely written except Billy Corgan was the only one who knew what it was going to be. Listen to it, it's just missing the pounding drums, the violins and the intesnity.

That was my problem. I thought that great songs were made up of violins and dynamics so I tried to write songs that had those things. But I really just needed to sit down with a guitar, forget about all those sweeping grand sounds, and write a good melody, with a good stucture, and a good chord progression. I was trying to build castles without laying a foundation.

After Billy Corgan wrote Tonight Tonight, he went into a studio and perfected it. He rehersed it with the rest of the band until they found a drum beat that worked and guitar lines that meshed; and then, at some point, they decided to bring an orchestra in. Then they finally spent weeks in the soundroom, mixing it to perfection. But the core of the song never changed.

This all really reminds me of writing a book. When I think about my story, my head is full of grand moments! climaxes! dispair! romance! music! But I can't write a book about that stuff. I need to sit down and, line-by-line, write a first draft that's good enough. I need to lay the foundation of my story. I don't need to focus on the minuta of sentance structures or finding the perfect metaphor. In other words, I need to stop dreaming of orchestras and just put together a good song.

Billy Corgan sat down and recorded a song that only he understood. One year later, after a lot of hard work, the rest of America understood it.

Right now I'm focusing on writing a story that I understand. In later drafts I'll (hopefully) make it into a story that other people can understand. If you read it right now, you'd think it's a mess: Plot threads are completely dropped, dialects change, motivations reverse. But I'm clearer on it than ever.

Hopefully I'll be able to see it through.

Novel Stats

2007-02-17T15:13:00.000-08:00

Metrics for HAPPY, THE END

Daily Word Count: 450 today 22.1k total (out of a likely 60-80k)

Inspirations: Emily Bronte, Kate Rusby, Stephen King.

The good:
We didn’t associate with other kids much. They had different sorts of games then we did. I only had look at Amy and know that she was about to run and I was supposed to race her and she always knew when to stop before I got too tired. Besides the other kids were usually crude – always joking about their parts - and I’d end up warning them to keep a wholesome tongue, which led to them asking me what I was going to do if they didn’t, which then led to Amy bloodying their noses and making them cry. So it was best that we kept to ourselves.
***********************************************

Still doing character development. This is a character that I'm having a great time exploring. He's about 11 years old. That's an important age, when a guy is just getting wise to all the stuff that will occupy his thoughts for the next sixty years. I hope I can pull this character off. I'm more confident about him than anyone else though.

Novel Stats

2007-02-14T13:20:00.000-08:00

Metrics for HAPPY, THE END

Daily Word Count: 300 (bah!) today 21.6k total (out of a likely 60-80k)

Inspirations: Emily Bronte, Kate Rusby, Stephen King.

The good:
The weeks passed and the late summer turned to a warm autumn where the leaves persisted to cling to the trees, reluctant to fall. I rarely kept indoors. It seemed entirely wasteful to refuse the sweet air and the warm touch of sun that the season continued to offer just before school started.
***********************************************

I need to get this plot moving! The problem is that I'm introducing a new character and also filling out backstory events. Not very exciting. I need to blow something up. :-)

Now THAT'S a cover

2007-02-14T08:02:00.000-08:00

I've been reading Jeffery Overstreet's blog for years. He's a film critic for Christianity Today and always has interesting posts.

Anyway, he reveled about (two?) years ago that he had landed a deal to publish his fantasy novel, Auralia's Colors. Just last week he proudly revealed the cover. I'd say he has full rights to beam over this gem.

I hope that if I'm ever blessed enough to have one of my stories published it looks as good as this. I will be very happy. Congratulations, Jeffery.

Can you imagine the opposite? What if you slaved for years, pouring your heart into a story. You finally manage to get it published and the publisher decideds to go with a cover like:

or *hold back bile*

I shudder to think...

Novel Stats

2007-02-13T14:25:00.000-08:00

Metrics for HAPPY, THE END

Daily Word Count: 450 today 21.3k total (out of a likely 60-80k)

Inspirations: Emily Bronte, Kate Rusby, Stephen King.

The good:
We focused mainly on playing. Each day whittled away the amount of time that we still had together; but instead of this making us gloomy and sullen it inspired us to a frenzy of play. The stairs became hills of battle that witnessed fierce charges and desperate last stands; the beds transformed into pirate ships and the carpet a raging sea. She was an immortal Elf, a warrior queen, a nurse on the field of battle. I became Aragorn the Dúnadan finding the paths of the dead, Sir Galahad seeking The Grail, Kay Everling dueling with Maleficus on the Jericho plains.
***********************************************

Moving right along. I decided to change my writing time from late at night to my lunch break. I'm hoping that I'll be more productive at midday than midnight.

We'll see how it goes.

Novel Stats

2007-02-11T14:37:00.000-08:00

Metrics for HAPPY, THE END

Daily Word Count: 500 today 20.9k total (out of a likely 60-80k)

Inspirations: Emily Bronte, Kate Rusby, Stephen King.

The good:

Let us then go silently:
To bear him forth to the cool night-air
The summer night drinks from the sea.

The song had more verses that I can’t remember but the last line made me cry. I stood, holding hands with Amy and let the tears steam down my cheeks unashamed. I wasn’t crying because I was sad. (I don’t cry over sad things.) I cried because it was all so completely beautiful: The handsome men and lovely women - even more beautiful in their solemnity – marching through the gates on a mission of mercy; the stark brass music, mourning the fallen; even the pale autumn light, it all gripped me deep in my bosom.

***********************************************

I'm doing some plot-exposition right now and it's tough to keep it interesting. I just gotta get through it and I'll fix it in the rewrite. That's becoming my mantra for this book.

I've discovered a fun technique for inspiration: Just before I start writing I read a few pages from a book that I like. It really helps to get those writing-juices flowing. If your struggling for inspiration I'd highly recommend it.

Novel Statss

2007-02-10T18:55:00.000-08:00

Metrics for HAPPY, THE END

Daily Word Count: 400 today 20.4k total (out of a likely 60-80k)

Inspirations: Emily Bronte, Kate Rusby, Stephen King.

The good:

“Come back!” she hissed and her hand squeezed mine so tight that it hurt. “You promise not to die! I know your head, Jack. It’s different from mine. You’re always dreaming; even when you’re awake. Just say that you’ll come back when your story is over. Tell me how that one you used to tell – with the princess - how did it end? I liked that one.”

“They lived happily ever after,” I said.

“’Happily ever after...’” she breathed. “Promise, that’s how this – your story is going to end. Okay?”

***********************************************

*Sigh* what a week. It's my first tax time as a self-employed person, so I've been working some late hours to pay The Man. Because of this, my word count for this week is atrocious. Hopefully I'll be able to make up some this weekend but my eyes are getting heavy and it's only 7:00 PM.

We'll see...

Novel Stats

2007-02-08T00:00:00.000-08:00

Metrics for HAPPY, THE END

Daily Word Count: 450 today 20k total (out of a likely 60-80k)

Inspirations: Kate Rusby, Stephen King.

The good:

“Why are you crying?” I asked.
“Because you’re going to leave,” she said, sniffing. “I just thought of it.”
“I know... But I’ll come back.”
“It is very important? What does the lady needs you to do?” she asked.
“It’s because of the books I read,” I said.
But what’s in the books? I wondered. A path, came her answer, the books are a map. You are a guide.

***********************************************

Not much to say tonight. One character is getting news about a catastrophe in my story. I'm trying to remember how everyone acted on 9/11.

This is why I stayed up til 12:30 last night

2007-02-05T09:19:00.000-08:00

Wuthering Heights is hands-down one of the best books I've read in a long time. Emily Bronte is an amazing writer... I absolutely loved this book.

Everyone should read it but don't be fooled by the dust jackets advertising a romance. This is a dark story about obessesion. The main character (Heathcliff) is about as wicked as Englishmen come. The only bit of Romance comes at the very end.

Highly reccomended.

Novel Stats

2007-02-04T12:38:00.000-08:00

Metrics for HAPPY, THE END

Daily Word Count: 250 today 19.4k total (out of a likely 60-80k)

Inspirations: Kate Rusby, Stephen King.

The good:
Kay Everling cut off the head of Maleficus with Acheron. He stood victories in final battle at Devils Water with Acheron raised high. But the thing about Acheron that intrigued me the most was that it was missing. After Kay entered New Camelot no one ever saw it again and he wouldn’t speak of it. My sister, Amy says that he probably just lost it and was too embarrassed to tell anybody. Amy’s always saying dumb stuff just to set me off. But even she knows, deep down, that the sword was special. Just like everything else in those days, it was magic. Kay didn’t loose the sword. He hid it away for another battle.
***********************************************

I'm liking the new POV. Hopefully it won't take me so long to figure out this character.

As evidenced by the excerpt above, I'm filling out the backstory. It's a stretch for me. World-building has never been my cup of tea. I don't like making up funky names or creating elvish races or figuring out magical systems. My worlds always tend to be distorted versions of Earth. I'm okay with that.

I'm working on it...

2007-02-02T09:09:00.000-08:00

Yes, I have big plans on sitting down and starting the next chapter tonight. I swear. :-)

************

This morning, on a whim I cracked open some of my first attempts at writing a book. Ack! Gag!

I was nineteen years old when I dicided that I wanted to write a book. That was five years ago. Let me tell you about that book.

It was funny. It was romantic. It was sad. It was much better than everything else on the bookshelves. It was allegorical of humanity's relationship with Christ, I.E. Deep.It was a heartbreaking-work-of-staggering-genius.

It was terrible.

I can't believe how transparent all my failings are. It's so painfully obvious when I'm trying to be funny. My grammer is atrocious. I address the reader in almost every paragraph like I'm Santa Claus ("And remember, dear children, love is the highest virtue... Ho! Ho! Ho! Merry Christmas!"). And - because I was trying to be allegorical - the plot makes little sense.

I think I've learned a few lessons since then. Here's some that jump out at me:

No allegories! Best lesson of all. It's paralysing to be allegorical. Say I'm writing a character that represents God: God can't, you know, do anything wrong or make any mistakes, right? So I guess this character can't ethier... Oh and I guess he should be omniscient too. What about omnipresent? No allegories! If my story happens to have deeper meaning great! If not, great!

The correct way to use commas, semi-colons, colons, and dashes. I'm no grammar expert now, but I'm better. Thank you, Elements of Style!

Show, don't tell. Instead of waxing on about how wonderful my characters are, maybe I should just let the reader decide that for themselves.

Don't write about things you don't know anything about. The center of my first story is a father, daughter relationship. Reading it now, my story is pretty much how a nineteen-year-old with a pregnant wife would envision parenthood. Everything is sweet enough to make you gag. Lots of "daughter running to greet her father after work, father scooping daughter up in his arms, they frolic through meadows" stuff. Now that I've actually had three kids I have a better idea of how the whole thing works. It's embarrassing how off I was.

Everyone doesn't have to be good-looking. I described all my characters like movie stars. The guys were ruggedly handsome. The little girls were cute. The ladies were hot. When I was nineteen I was shallow concerning physical appearance. I'm still shallow but I think I'm more balanced with the whole outward-beauty thing. (Penelope has a slight issue with her weight, btw.)

Those are just a few lessons but it's nice to sit back and reflect on the ground I've covered in five years. I'm sure in another five years, I'll read the stuff I'm writing now and cringe but at least it won't be as bad as when I started.

Novel Stats

2007-01-30T23:19:00.001-08:00

Metrics for HAPPY, THE END

Daily Word Count: 400 today 19.4k total (out of a likely 60-80k)

Inspirations: Kate Rusby, Stephen King.

The good:
A strange feeling came over me. I realized that I would probably be following Lilith much longer than the length of this tunnel. I didn’t know what would happen when we reached Whitecloud but it was certain that my journey would not end there; and wherever the path led I was equally certain that Lilith would be with me. That was a happy thought. I could walk into a lion's den if I had someone like her at my side.

***********************************************

We made it to the end of the tunnel. I think it turned out to be a good idea to send them in. I also think it's time that my characters got to Whitecloud.

Whitecloud means switching gears. I've been planning to write this portion from a different POV. The setting also is going to change from forest to city. I imagine things are going to be rough at first.

I can't think about it tonight though. I've made it through a significant part of my plot. That's accomplishment enough for right now.

Novel Stats

2007-01-29T23:20:00.000-08:00

Metrics for HAPPY, THE END

Daily Word Count: 530 today 18.664k total (out of a likely 60-80k)

Inspirations: Kate Rusby, Stephen King.

The good:
Lilith took a seat next to me. I leaned against her shoulder. My eyes closed but still I listened to Fin’s songs. He knew so many and he never faltered in his singing. It annoyed me that he hadn’t sung for us before. Then I fell asleep.

***********************************************

I had intended to make this tunnel full of ghosts and zombies but so far nothing supernatural has arisen. Instead a character got claustrophobic and had a panic attack. It's weird how you can intend to take a plot in one direction and it just goes another.

If there's one thing that I've learned in my short writing ventures it's to not force things. If something isn't fitting don't squeeze and force it until it fits. Instead go where the story's leading itself. It always seems to work better.

Novel Stats

2007-01-28T23:22:00.000-08:00

Metrics for HAPPY, THE END

Daily Word Count: 500 today 18.1k total (out of a likely 60-80k)

Inspirations: Kate Rusby, Stephen King.

The good:
I examined the ceiling and considered how many tons of earth sat over our heads. What was holding it up? Just a few feet of concrete? I shuddered and attempted to direct my thoughts to a different subject but they remained stubbornly fixed. I envisioned with horrible clarity a sudden cracking noise, a futile shout of warning from Lilith, then acres of earth pouring down on my head and pinning my body still. How long could someone live buried alive? Hours? Days? After more thoughts like this every noise became a terror; the harbinger of a suffocating death. The air already seemed to be too scarce. It felt as if someone was holding a cloth across my face.

***********************************************

Finally back in the swing of things. Tonight I told my wife, "I've got to write. It's a must." And like the wonderful person that she is, she totally understood.

Speaking of my wife, I often forget that she once had a panic attack. It was only a few weeks after I met her for the first time. We were hanging out in a crowded house on a rainy day. She started to feel like she couldn't breathe and pretty soon she was hyperventilating. It went on for hours and her parents had to come and pick her up. "Really embarrassing," is how she sums it up. Seven years later, it hasn't happened again. (This event actually was instrumental in us getting together but that's another story.)

The reason I bring this up is because I just made one of my characters have a panic attack. We'll see how it goes.

Argument (or the story so far)

2007-01-24T22:24:00.000-08:00

My story has been drastically evolving as I write. Certain characters have done one-eighties with their personalities and motivations. Backstory has been hinted at but never spelled out. Destinations have changed. I keep forgetting plot threads and details. Before I wrote another chapter I had to write this.

This is my story so far (including backstory that won't actually be in the book). I'm going to be referencing this as I go forward to make sure that things line up. I don't mind that I don't have any plot outlined beyond what I've already written. I just need to keep track of what I have.

I present it now for your inspection. Make of it what you will.

Argument:

When the Two Empires fall the earth goes bad. Bombs and wars wipe out millions of people in moments. Whole countries turn to waste. Warlords rise up to dominate the land. A second dark age covers humanity and many believe that the end of all things is near. Then, two hundred years after the fall, Kay Everling casts down the warlords and establishes a new kingdom called Postworld that covers a thousand square miles. He founds two cities: One on the sea called New Camelot; there he sets his throne in Luna Castle, a structure so beautiful that it rivals the works of the Two Empires. On the other end of Postworld he builds Whitecloud on the very edge of The Waste to stand guard against the evil that still lingers beyond the borders.

The Everling line rules Postworld for two hundred years and there is peace. Nothing comes in from the outside world (called The Wastes) and no one goes out. But eventually the evil that destroyed the Two Empires returns. In a single night, a force known only as Nightmare Lucy kills ten thousand people in New Camelot, including every member of the royal family save Penelope, the youngest daughter. She escapes and flees into the forest. Her plan is to seek refuge in Whitecloud but she must cross many miles of forest to reach her destination.

Fin lives in the small farming community of Silverwater. One night - ninety days after Nightmare Lucy - his Grandmother sends him to Lilith the witch’s cottage in the forest to buy the Bitterstalk vegetable. When Fin reaches Lilith’s cottage the conversation between them reveals that their relationship may have some unknown history that Lilith is aware of but Fin only suspects.

As Fin returns home through the forest he encounters a wolf-like creature (called a Warg) chasing a girl. Almost without thinking he peruses them. After a struggle he kills the Warg with his rifle but not before it injures the girl badly. He returns the girl to Lilith’s cottage for medical treatment. Exhausted, he falls asleep in the cottage but not before Lilith tells him that the girl is Penelope Everling, the last surviving member of the royal family.

In the morning Lilith tells him that the same dark force which killed the royal family is also that which destroyed the Two Empires. This force is mustering power to bring about the final destruction of humanity. The final confrontation between good and evil is brewing. The last story has started. Lilith believes that, by saving The Princess, Fin is a key figure in this story; she claims that he is the hero. Fin has hitherto been disenchanted with the simple country life and longs for adventure and glory. He gladly accepts this news.

After conferring with Penelope, Lilith decides that they should take her the rest of the way to Whitecloud. Lilith mentions that she’s had visions of a boy named Jack Christian who lives in Whitecloud. Her visions tell her that Jack is a key in defeating the gathering evil.

They begin their journey through the forest to Whitecloud. Penelope is still somewhat injured from her encounter with the Warg and must ride in a cart that Lilith pulls. (Fin is impressed by the witch’s strength.) That night they hear strange music in the forest and flee their campfire. Looking back they see a tall faun in their camp. Penelope sees this faun again the following night but thinks that she’s dreaming.

On the journey, Lilith and Penelope quickly begin enjoy each other’s company but Fin is a somewhat awkward addition to their party. Lilith especially has a tendency to be short with him.

On the morning of the third day they come to a railroad track that Lilith calls the Diakost. She says that it is a relic from the Two Empires but that trains used to run on it nearly one hundred years past. She says that it will take them to Whitecloud.

They follow this track for one day until they reach an abandoned railway station with a road leading away from the track. Lilith has been here before. The road leads to the long-forsaken Nome Mine and Lilith recommends that they fill their canteens in the manor well. They desert the railroad track and, after passing through the gloomy mining fields, they come to the beautiful manor gardens. Oddly enough the gardens appear maintained. After an argument with Penelope, Lilith leaves Fin and Penelope in the garden to find the well. A strange magic almost immediately enchants Fin and Penelope and they fall asleep.

It is night when Penelope awakens. She is lying near the entrance to the mine. She hears knocking noises and sees strange lights in the abandoned shaft. Something draws her towards the mine mouth. She wants to stop but she can’t. She realizes that the mine wants to eat her. Lilith saves her at the last minute and commands the spirits that haunt the mine to retreat.

Lilith brings Penelope back to the railroad track where Fin is waiting for them. Penelope soon realizes that Fin also had an experience in the mine that has terrified him but he won’t speak of it; though it appears that Lilith knows what happened to him. The following morning Penelope overhears a conversation between Lilith and Fin where Lilith consoles him and apologizes for being so harsh towards him in the past. Even after the conversation, Fin is still harrowed by his experience in the mine.

By now Penelope’s leg has healed and she can walk fine.

As they draw nearer to Whitecloud they find that the railroad track enters a dark tunnel. No one, especially Fin and Hattie, wish to enter the tunnel and Lilith suggests that they try and find an alternate route and meet up with the track on the other end. This sounds agreeable to everyone but a forest fire suddenly appears and blocks their path. While running from the fire Fin discovers that Penelope is a faster runner than he is. To escape the fire they seek refuge in the tunnel and decide that they must go through it after all. Before they start, Penelope thanks Fin for saving her from the Warg.

***

That's it for now. I haven't written any more. I'll update this again sometime.

Novel Stats (or the night of no inspiration)

2007-01-23T23:26:00.000-08:00

Metrics for HAPPY, THE END

Daily Word Count: 200 today (Aiee!) 17.8k total (out of a likely 60-80k)

Inspirations: Kate Rusby but not much else.

The good:
“We’re ready,” I said and took Fin’s hand in mine and reached for Lilith’s. “Lead on, Ms. Lilith.” Hand and hand like children, we ventured forward.

***********************************************

Bad night. I think my muse took the night off to play internet poker. Here's hoping that tomorrow is better.

Novel Stats

2007-01-21T14:01:00.000-08:00

Metrics for HAPPY, THE END

Daily Word Count: 420 today 17.8k total (out of a likely 60-80k)

Inspirations: Steven King, Rosie Thomas, Anberlin, Sufjan Stevens

The good:
It seemed odd to sit down and eat just after such a harrowing ordeal but I found myself rather hungry. We sat in a small circle on the tracks, breaking our bread. My eyes continued to stray down the track to where everything vanished in a fist of darkness. It would be better to face that on a full stomach.

***********************************************

Today is definitely an in-between scene. I'm trying to make the most of it by focusing on developing Penelope. I'm really enjoying writing her. She's blossomed in my mind over the past few days. It's taken me a while to figure her out though. I originally wrote her as flirty and prissy. Wrong!

I don't know why I tried to write a character like that. I don't like those sort of girls. Why did I think it would be good to write a book about one? Things are much better now.

BTW, I just sent my characters into a tunnel full of (Zombies? Vampires?) that looks like this:

********

Here's a nice lyric:

And he has tried to swim the stream,
Oh woe betide the willow wand,
And woe betide the bush and briar,
For you broke beneath my true love's hand
When strength did fail and limbs did tire

And woe betide you Annan Waters
By night you are a gloomy river,
And over you I'll build a bridge
That never more true love can sever.

Novel Stats

2007-01-20T16:55:00.000-08:00

Metrics for HAPPY, THE END

Daily Word Count: 500 today 17.8k total (out of a likely 60-80k)

Inspirations: Steven King, Rosie Thomas, Anberlin, Sufjan Stevens

The good:
We began our final sprint down the ravine. The sky was dark as a thunderstorm. Blistering wind screamed over our heads. The air all around us rippled. Every inch of my body was drenched in sweat: it slicked my thighs and streamed down my face into my eyes and mouth. But the air was clear. I could breathe. My ankle was better. I ran as hard as I could. And I liked it.

I’d never been built like the other willowy girls who populated Luna Castle. My legs were thick and my waist, no matter how I tried to smooth it, always bore a soft ripple of fat. “You’ve got a runner’s body,” my mother once told me, after catching me reproachfully examining my figure in a mirror. “Postland has too many swans, for my tastes. Penelope, you’re a deer.” So I ran. The other girls might look gorgeous in a bathing suit but I could lick them in any race. The courtly life didn’t allow for many such opportunities but it didn’t matter. I was a runner. And I could even beat a fire if it came to a race.

***********************************************

I feel like I'm finally getting a bead on Penelope's character. She's starting to turn into real person for me instead of a caricature.

Poetry anyone?

2007-01-16T13:09:00.000-08:00

This is a poem I wrote almost two years ago. I'd been reading Robert Browning and was inspired to write an epic poem. It was supposed to tell a story but I quickly burned out never finished it. I still sort-of like it though.

Chimera

1.
See now the scar in rock
The ragged tear in cliff, my path
Fingers fumble, they clutch, they grasp
Arm’s sinews tick like the work of a clock
Air sucked like a child and breast so locked
And watch the inches drag away and pass

2.
Stubbled clouds stack the sky in slate
Throwing snow petals to pattern the soil
Now caught by wind and turned in a cauldron boil
And there the mountain spear and sky mate
“Come and see the cold light generates.”
Says your voice or only the distant thunder roll

3.
Chimera, did your hand?
Your forge form the precipice?
Or knife cut the crevice?
Or mill grind the rocks to sand?
Did the fingers that drew mountain from land
pull tight the wires of my wrist?

4.
Soul, no longer muse, for I have sworn
To cast him from the cliffs and see his fire fade
He who dug the pit will also low be laid
Hero, the earth has made me so and I will not scorn
the path that paws of beasts have yet only worn
“Come and see the life death made.”

5.
Guinevere, her kisses calmed, feet no longer tread
Her voice, a bell of mercy, in these silent hills
Her fingers smoothing frost from a pane so chilled
Dashing like a deer on our path, she led
Sudden as a laugh, sharing in my bed
With her waters and whispers, dry riverbeds filled

6.
Remembering the day we wed in the storm
Her hands, sharp as knives on my breast
In silk, thin and pale as frost, she dressed
In one kiss, destinies tangled like thorns
With words of ragged fire to her I swore
And as one we cleaved to the quest

7.
A lady, fair as a child
A girl, dark as doom
Her words choice as silk on the loom
Could one so tender be so wild?
Could one so hard be so mild?
Yet she that burned life was quenched by tomb.

8.
Guinevere, your crown once fine gold
now a band of stones, a dress of clotted earth
Princess, royal maid, now dust is your worth
Her face, her skin too pale to line old
Her fire blazed fast and at a spear bled quick and cold
She, once so blessed, in the end Chimera cursed.

9.
Chimera, did your sword paralyze?
That day of sudden battles and attacks
When strength waned and death waxed
Did you turn deaf at her cries?
At your command did she die?
Did your hand plunge the axe?

10.
Here now, I reach a place flat as the cliff sheer
This new land pulls me from dreams of her
In my path, a stream moves with waters clear and pure
The drops and slosh tap like soft chimes on my ear
When last did I see a drink so sweet and clear?
This is surely a trap, my thirst to lure

--------

Aaaand... I got bored. Sort of a cliffhanger poetry wise though.

Novel Stats

2007-01-16T00:02:00.000-08:00

Metrics for HAPPY, THE END

Daily Word Count: 500 today 17.8k total (out of a likely 60-80k)

Inspirations: Steven King, Rosie Thomas, Anberlin, Sufjan Stevens

The good:
“Fin, when I was young... I had visions... of dark things. I couldn’t help it, they just came. But when I told my mother and the elders, they had only useless grownup things to say; it was just my imagination; I was just a child; there was nothing to be afraid of. That was even worse then the visions themselves. I knew I was alone with these scary pictures pouring into my head until it felt like my skull was going to crack. Fin, I will never say grownup things. You can tell me that you’ve seen scary monsters and I’ll stop and listen, ‘cause I’ve seen them too.”
***********************************************

I got the music bug and I wasted this weekend recording a song instead of writing. I was happy with how it turned out but my wife didn't like it and someone else commented that it sounded like The Phantom of the Opera or Gollum singing. Not sure how to take that. I had fun though.

By the way, how do you get your characters to go back underground right after they had a nasty time in a haunted mine? Start a fire, of course!

quick update...

2007-01-15T08:39:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the lack of posts lately. My writing computer has been on the fritz and won't let me get into Blogger. I'm writing this from my non-writing computer.

Expect regular programming to commmence soon.

Novel Stats

2007-01-09T22:10:00.000-08:00

Metrics for HAPPY, THE END

Daily Word Count: 700 today 15.6k total (out of a likely 60-80k)

Inspirations: Steven King, Rosie Thomas, Anberlin, Sufjan Stevens

The good:
The mine wanted to swallow me. It would to lick me into its gullet and pull me down the rusting tracks to be crushed and digested by stones and dirt. And it reeled me forward as if it had a hook in my neck.

Bad writing skill that needs to go away: Nothing new to report here.
***********************************************

The haunted mine continues to bear fruit. A lot of character focusing happened in there for me. Suddenly I understand the witch and Fin a lot better. I still need to focus a tighter bead on Penelope (I changed her name from Hattie) but I'm feeling much better about everything.

Next up: Tunnel Zombies! (I'm serious.)

Just FYI

2007-01-09T14:15:00.000-08:00

After few complaints, I did some digging and discovered that only Blogger-registered users can comment on my blog. Whoops.

Commenting is now open to everyone except spammers, racists and the Irish.

Visual Inspiration

2007-01-09T12:27:00.000-08:00

Sometimes pictures make me want to get on the keyboard and start writing.Certain artists are especially good at this. I thought I'd share a few.

Maxfield Parrish
Sort-of a 'duh' here but his older, lesser-know work is a well of inspiration.

Above are a few images from the book "Dream Days". I remember finding this book in the library and pouring over the illustrations. Parrish went on to paint lavish, colorful landscapes later in his career that were hugely successful but I prefer his early illustrations.

Arthur Rackham

Creepy, old-school, pretty illustrations.

P.J. Lynch

The first modern illustrator here. Lynch's illustrations are like pearls. You can see how that he loves his characters in the way he paints them.

Michael Whelan

I'm really only aquinted with his work from The Dark Tower series but it's enough to sell me. His images are just grounded enough in reality to make me look twice.

So those are some for me. Anyone care to share what inspires them visually?

Novel Stats

2007-01-08T22:04:00.000-08:00

Metrics for HAPPY, THE END

Daily Word Count: 830 today (much better!), 14.9k total (out of a likely 60-80k)

Inspirations: Rosie Thomas, Anberlin, Sufjan Stevens

The good:
I thought that I could hear voices speaking but then I realized that I was chanting:

Slide down the earth’s spine
Here to cut, heave and slice
Come drain the earth’s veins
Where light smothers and wings flutter
And thoughts creep, and dreams sleep
Come drain the earth’s veins

Bad writing skill that needs to go away: I've recently realized that whatever attraction was supposed to be happening between two characters is about as dry and fake as a sloppy writer could write it. Much fixing is needed.
***********************************************

I finished the "haunted mine" sequence. I was dubious about it because it seemed to come out of nowhere and I wasn't sure why it deserved to exist in the plot; but now that it's done I'm really glad I wrote it. I think it turned out nice. *Does a happy dance*

I drew a picture

2007-01-06T14:06:00.000-08:00

I've never drawn pictures of my characters before. But today I did. This is my princess. I'm currently writing from her point-of-view.

I just realized that she looks exactly like my little sister. Weird...

Novel Stats

2007-01-04T23:32:00.000-08:00

Metrics for HAPPY, THE END

Daily Word Count: 360 today (still, ugh), 12.3k total (out of a likely 60-80k)

Inspirations: Rosie Thomas, Anberlin, Sufjan Stevens

The good:
"I won’t retreat until I see something more threatening than a short lawn."

Bad writing skill that needs to go away: I spent 20 minutes trying to figure out the name of a tree. If that isn't a waste of time I don't know what is. I should've just called it a pine tree and got the name later.
***********************************************

Not much to report except that it's raining today and I love the rain. I could've had a much better wordcount tonight if I hadn't been fixated on the right name for that tree. Oh, Bugger!

Speaking of mines...

2007-01-03T22:53:00.000-08:00

Anyone who lives in Grass Valley will know why but I thought I'd explain it to those who don't.

Twenty three years ago I was born in the little California town of Grass Valley and I haven't wanted to leave since. Grass Valley is a town founded during the California Gold Rush around The Empire Mine. The Mine isn't running anymore. Now it's a park.

When I was a kid I lived with that mine almost literally in my back yard. In the summer evenings me and my family would all go for walks down the trails and play. The huge hills and valleys always reminded me of castles.

Some of the trails

There's something very mysterious about a beautiful place that has been abandoned.

I remember the first time my Mom shelled out the money to get into the gardens. It was like a little glimpse of heaven for me. I've always loved pretty things and I remember feeling almost overwhelmed walking across the green, shady lawn; through the rose arbors; and past the fountains.

It's quiet inside the gardens and there's a lot of hidden lawns and walkways. I love that place.

Some shots of the gardens

It's a great place to go for inspiration or just to relax. I'm very grateful that I grew up with such a beautiful place so close.

If you're ever in Grass Valley and want a tour - let me know. I'm always up for it.

Novel Stats

2007-01-03T22:49:00.000-08:00

Metrics for HAPPY, THE END

Daily Word Count: 250 today (ugh), 12.950k total (out of a likely 60-80k)

Inspirations: Rosie Thomas, Anberlin, Sufjan Stevens

The good:
On the side of one hill perched the black timber-skeleton of a strange old structure, looking so frail and precarious that a breath of wind might blow it to the ground.

Bad writing skill that needs to go away: I'm not sure how relevant this sequence is to the plot. Am I sending The Hobbits to Tom Bombadil when they should be going to Rivendell? I guess I'll find out.
***********************************************

My characters are just walking into the haunted mine. Yay!

Novel Stats

2007-01-02T23:45:00.000-08:00

Metrics for HAPPY, THE END

Daily Word Count: 400 today, 12.692k total (out of a likely 60-80k)

Inspirations: Rosie Thomas, Anberlin, Sufjan Stevens

The good:
“It’s a Train Station,” Lilith said.

As we came closer we saw that she was right: Just of the tracks stood a concrete platform, strewn with rotten leaves and pine needles. Four rusty benches sat towards the back; one had been wrenched from its footings and lay twisted in a heap. At one end there were the remains of a ticket booth.

Bad writing skill that needs to go away: I've been lazy this past week writing-wise. I need to get back in a groove.

***********************************************

Whew! The holidays are over and work has calmed down enough for me to return to my book. I've missed writing it. I've decided to let my characters get lost in the woods and stumble upon a haunted mine.

For some reason I love corny haunted stuff. Haunted houses, haunted hotels, and now haunted mines. There's something cool and oddly likable about it.

Happy New Year, you lovely, awful world

2006-12-30T10:20:00.000-08:00

I woke up this morning and checked my news site. I'd entirely forgotten that Saddam Hussein was going to be executed, but there they were: pictures of the man having a noose looped around his neck, then lying dead and bloody.

I remember when I was a teenager that this man scared me. There were always rumblings coming out of Bhagdad that Saddam had a Nuke or a Bio-weapon that could wipe a lot of us out. I remember the photos of the UN inspectors dressed in apocalyptic bio-hazard suits on the covers of Time and Newsweek.

Then, years later, came the invasion of Iraq. Like most Americans I was thrilled by how quickly victory seemed to be ours. I remember listening to radio broadcasts of Iraqis celebrating in the street. I stopped by a Starbucks on my way to work and ran into friend; we were both grinning ear-to-ear, drinking our lattes. Finally I remeber the gung-ho capture of Saddam himself. What did the soldier say? "George Bush sends his regards." How cool!

But seeing those pictures made me sad. Is this how it ends? A fat old man getting his neck broken and going to hell? Revenge is not as sweet as I expected.

Now I have new things fear: North Korea is the new Iraq. Did you hear that they're testing Nukes? One of those things could take out the west coast. Or what about Iran? They've gone Nuclear too and they hate us. We've got to do something!

The story continues to put out the same plot. I've lost the desire to see Kim Jong or Ahmadinejad meet Saddam's fate. I wish this whole thing would end like a Disney movie. But it won't end; it'll just start new loathesome chapters.

This isn't an anti-war rant. That's possibily the worst part of this whole thing. The peace crowd is hiding it's head in the sand. All the stuff that the hawks say is true. The world is honestly a bad place. No amount of protests are going to change that. Nice idea but it's time to come back to reality. (Oh and by the way, science and "progress" are largely to blame for most of our problems today. Yes, thanks for antibiotics but I'm fairly ticked that you gave us massive pollution and the ability to wipe out whole contenients in seconds. I eagerly await what you'll bring us next.)

Ah, but it's just as bad over here on the conservative end. We had six years of government control and not much has changed for the better. People are still killing babies. War has increased. Again, this is not a put-down to President Bush. But I've lost the neive belief that polictical leaders can change the world. They might be able to change situations but changing men's hearts is another thing.

In short here's a prediction for 07: Continued degredation of society, news headlines that keep us up at night, war, rumors of wars, disease, death, chaos.

Last night I was putting my two kids to bed. Jack is four and Lily is two. We have a new tradition of singing a song together to help Jack not be afraid of the dark. "Sing the shield song," he says. We turn out the lights and huddle close together in the dark, Lily under one arm and Jack under the other. We sing:

Thou, O Lord, are a shield about me;
you're my glory;
you're the lifter of my head;

Hallelujah, you're the lifter of my head;
Lord, I love you, you're the lifter of my head;

Jack likes the part about the shield. So do I. Their little off-key voices join with mine and we soulfully sway back and forth together, singing.

All my life, from my earliest memories, I've been singing that song when I'm afraid. I remember lying on my bed singing it in the dark when I was no more than three. I sang it when I was a teenager and I was scared stiff of UFOs (don't ask). My list of fears grows with each year so I find myself singing that song often as an adult.

I feel optimistic about this year. The world is going downhill fast if it ever was uphill to begin with, but all will be well in the end. I've lost faith in many things. I no longer believe that war brings the victory we desire. I don't think politicians make the kinds of changes we want them to. I find little satisfaction in the American dream. I never really had much trust in science in the first place but I think it will only usher new horrors upon us. But Jesus has not failed me. The older I get, the more my idol collection shrinks; more and more I have to cling to the living God.

I don't know what my children will face when they're grown but I don't think it will be any better. It will probably be worse. I hope they remember the song when they're afraid.

Amazing, isn't it? I still find great hope in things I understood before I knew how to use the toilet. The Lord is a shield about me. World, bring what you will. Hallelujah, he's the lifter of our head. Come quickly, Jesus. Only you can end this wonderful, awful story.

This year I'm going to pursue him more than I ever have. What else is there to do? This will be a good year.

Happy New Year, everyone.

2006-12-24T23:29:00.001-08:00

Merry Christmas, Everyone! God Bless.

2006-12-20T23:36:00.000-08:00

I'd like to do novel stats. I really would. Tonight I sat down at the computer and wrote:

“If we make good time we might reach Whitecloud by tomorrow,”

Then my 3-month-old boy started crying and the evening went downhill from there. So now it's midnight and there's nothing to report.

Goodnight. :-)

Novel Stats

2006-12-18T23:36:00.000-08:00

Metrics for HAPPY, THE END

Daily Word Count: 480 today, 11.9k total (out of a likely 40-50k)

Inspirations: Rosie Thomas, The Last of the Mohicans Soundtrack

The good:
Lilith sang softly:

And Jesus looked down in the pen
Where the sheep played poker and drank gin
So he broke the gate and let wolves in
The day the music died
And noise played on the radio
And dirges sounded deep and low
While we all danced close and slow
The day the music died

Bad writing skill that needs to go away: I'm haunted by all the usual specters. Nothing new to report.

***********************************************

I've been filling out the backstory of the first few chapters. Post-apocalyptic is a really fun setting to write in. Nothing is off-limits. I can have a knight program a computer while singing "Hard rain's gonna fall", if I want. Not that I would. But I could...

Novel Stats

2006-12-17T15:51:00.000-08:00

Metrics for HAPPY, THE END

Daily Word Count: 400 today, 11.6k total (out of a likely 40-50k)

Inspirations: Rosie Thomas, The Last of the Mohicans Soundtrack

The good:
At this Lilith opened her eyes and blinked at us across the fire. “Enough about Dark Friday; such things should not be spoken of in the night,” she said ominously and then closed her eyes again.

Bad writing skill that needs to go away: All the usual problems. Nothing new seems to have cropped up in the past few days.

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Work is still insane. It's taken away from my writing time. I'm making it a priority that this next week, I'll make decent time for writing.

I saw Lady in the Water last night. I loved it. It almost made me cry. If you like fairy tales, you should see it.

Novel Stats

2006-12-12T22:50:00.000-08:00

Metrics for HAPPY, THE END

Daily Word Count: 630 today, 11.3k total (out of a likely 40-50k)

Inspirations: Jeremy Enigk, Copeland, Tolkien, The Last of the Mohicans Soundtrack

The good:
“The Diekost once crossed the length of Postworld. The Imperial Express ran this length of track, but its whistle has not sounded for more than a hundred years. Still, the tracks of the Diekost have not curved with time and they will lead us to Whitecloud – and who knows? Maybe even to the end of the quest... But Jack will tell us such things.”

Bad writing skill that needs to go away: Same as before. Where's the urgency? I'm worried that this section is lacking in some basic logic. Don't the questers worry that they don't know much about their quest? Stuff to fix in a rewrite.

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Moving forward. Thank the Lord for Tolkien. The man is amazingly inspirational.

JMeadows posted three chapters of Toil for the Wind to the OWW. Looking forward to reading those.

Work is insane!

Novel Stats

2006-12-10T15:38:00.000-08:00

Metrics for HAPPY, THE END

Daily Word Count: 500 today, 10.7k total (out of a likely 40-50k)

Inspirations: Jeremy Enigk, Copeland, Tolkien

The good:
As we spoke I felt a mysterious sense of relief and soon Lilith didn’t have to prod me for details and memories spilled out of me. Things I hadn’t thought of since Dark Friday found their way to my tongue. She laughed with me when I told of the how one winter I had carefully laid a snow trap to catch my brothers only to fall in it myself. I recalled how disastrous my first riding lesson had been and my father swearing that I added a gray hair to his beard each time I mounted a horse.

Bad writing skill that needs to go away: This chapter is lacking any sense of urgency so far. I've got to get people running instead of sitting around talking. I need some Black Riders to chase my Hobbits.

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Looking for some good writing music? Try Copeland.

Otherwise, it's been a slow weekend. The kids have decided to not take their naps and inspiration is hard to come by. Here's hoping for a better next-week.

Novel Stats

2006-12-08T13:46:00.000-08:00

Metrics for HAPPY, THE END

Daily Word Count: 570 today, 10.2k total (out of a likely 40-50k)

Inspirations: Jeremy Enigk, The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, Tolkien

The good:
“If only...” Lilith said softly then shook her head. "The woods are not safe anymore. We must travel with more care." In the moonlight I could see her eying me and Fin. "This quest is already waking things that have slept for many years..."

Bad writing skill that needs to go away: I need to keep the plot focused, which is hard to do if you don't do any significant plotting beforehand. I don't want to bring in too many elements that I'll have to ditch later.

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Still loving The Fellowship of the Ring. Still loving writing.

Dialogue as narration - a few examples

2006-12-07T13:34:00.000-08:00

I was talking about this with Simon the other day and was saying how I'm trying to use the dialogue to convey action more often. I don't think I communicated the concept clearly enough so here's a few examples. Hopefully they might serve as inspiration.

First from That Hideous Strength by C.S. Lewis. The setting is a rainy night. A group of people are searching for a man.

"If once we start changing course," said Dimble, "we shall go round and round in circles all night. Let's keep straight on. We're bound to come to the road in the end."

"Hullo!" said Jane Sharply. "What's this?"

All listened Because of the wind, the unidentified rhythmic noise which they were straining to hear seemed quite distant at one the moment, and then, next moment, with shouts of "Look out!"--"Go away, you great brute!"--"Get back!"--and the like, all were shrinking back into the hedge as the plosh-plosh of a horse cantering on soft ground passed close beside them. A cold gobbet of mud flung up from its hoofs struck Denniston in the face.

"Oh look! Look!" cried Jane. "Stop him. Quick!"

"Stop him?" said Denniston who was trying to clean his face. "What on earth for? The less I see of that great clod-hopping quadruped the better--"

"Oh, shout to him, Dr. Dimble," said Jane in an agony of impatience. "Come on. Run! Didn't you see?"

"See what?" panted Dimple as the whole party, under the influence of Jane's urgency, began running in the direction of the retreating horse.

"There's a man on his back," gasped Jane. She was tired and out of breath and had lost a shoe.

"A man?" said Denniston; and then: "by God, Sir, Jane's right. Look, over there! Against the sky... to your left."

"We can't overtake him," said Dimble.

"Hi! Stop! Come back! Friends--amis--amici," bawled Denniston.

That section is a very action filled scene and most of it is conveyed through the dialogue. It works so much better than paragraphs describing how the party was confused by the darkness, how Jane saw the person on the horse, how they realized that Jane was right. These details are all communicated through a few lines of dialogue and the result is a fast-moving scene that reads great.

Another example from another master: The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame. The setting is The Rat and The Mole rowing along the river when The Rat hears something.

It's gone!" sighed the Rat, sinking back in his seat again. "So beautiful and strange and new! Since it was to end so soon, I almost wish I had never heard it. For it has roused a longing in me that is a pain, and nothing seems worth while but just to hear that sound once more and go on listening to it for ever. No! There it is again!" he cried, alert once more. Entranced, he was silent for a long space, spellbound.

"No it passes on and I begin to lose it," he said presently. "O, Mole! the beauty of it! The merry bubble and joy, the thin, clear, happy call of the distant piping! Such music I never dreamed of, and the call in it is stronger even than the music is sweet! Row on, Mole, row! For the music and the call must be for us."

The Mole, greatly wondering, obeyed. "I hear nothing myself," he said, "but the wind playing in the reeds and rushed and osiers."

***

"Clearer and nearer still," cried the Rat joyously. "Now you must surely hear it! Ah--at last--I see you do!"

Again, do you see how the dialogue not only conveys the action but what the characters are hearing. You could re-write the last few paragraphs to be entirely inside the characters heads but when he uses dialogue it's much more natural and interesting to read. Obviously you could go way overboard with this but it's one area that I can stand to improve in.

Can anyone think of some other examples of this?

Novel Stats

2006-12-05T13:32:00.000-08:00

Metrics for HAPPY, THE END

Daily Word Count: 700 today, 9.6k total (out of a likely 40-50k)

Inspirations: Jeremy Enigk, The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, Tolkien

The good:
Forgive me if I said, “I’d like to sit closer to the fire – no, don’t carry me – I can make it fine just leaning on you. But put your arm around my waist... There. Thank you.”

These were grim tactics. I’m not a flirt. But the situation seemed to be calling for it.

Bad writing skill that needs to go away: I'm having a hard time striking the right note between Fin and Hattie. How do you start a relationship that you know is going to fail? They need to have some sort of connection but it can't be too good otherwise there's no reason for them to fall apart.

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I'm reading The Fellowship of the Ring for the first time in nearly six years. I'd forgotten how good it is. It's odd how different the movie feels from the book. I like it that way though.

Tolkien is such an excellent writer too. Great inspiration material.

I'm heavily barrowing from Kenneth Grahame for this chapter. The characters in his Wind in the Willows encounter a creature in the chapter called "Piper at the Gates of Dawn" quite similar to the one my characters also run into. Except they have very different reactions. BTW if you haven't read Wind in the Willows you are seriously missing out on one of the best books ever.

Novel Stats

2006-12-04T15:01:00.000-08:00

Metrics for HAPPY, THE END

Daily Word Count: 300 today, 8.5k total (out of a likely 40-50k)

Inspirations: Jeremy Enigk, Anberlin

The good:
Ms. Lilith continued, “I don’t even remember my family name – but I think it was plain, like ‘Smith’ or ‘Jones’.”

“At least it isn’t Sourburger!” Fin said and snorted a laugh.

There was a silence.

“Was that a joke?” Lilith asked presently.

“Well...”

She sighed. “...at least Heroes aren’t supposed to be funny. If that was the case I would pack up this quest right now.”

Bad writing skill that needs to go away: Same concerns apply as before: I need to give my characters unique voices.

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Back in the saddle. I'm having lots o' fun exploring these characters. My book is a happy book so far. Horay!

Sunday links and excuses...

2006-12-03T21:57:00.000-08:00

It's been an interesting and non-productive-writing-wise week. I haven't wrote a line since Wednesday. Speaking of Wednesday, it was an interesting day. I woke up feeling feverish and sick but the thermomator kept lying and saying I was fine. Nonetheless I decided to "work from bed" for the day, which consists of 20 percent actual work, 20 percent YouTube MS3TK videos and 60 percent sleep. In the middle of this, I got a call from my work partner who informed me that we had lost "the big contract" and just like that 80 percent of my income went "poof!". Interesting...

I'm not freaked out by this development. The same thing happened to me about three months ago (then I freaked out) but everything worked out fine. This smells suspiciously like one of those trust in The Lord moments. I spent the rest of the week scrambling to get some new contracts and writing got pushed to the side. Tomorrow I'll pick things back up.

So for some muching, here's a few links:

Ever struggled for that perfect metaphor and things just didn't come out right? You're not alone. This is a must-read BTW.

I just got the new Anberlin for my wife and she loves it. Yes, she's that cool.

Looking for visual inspiration for your Fantasy story? Google Maxfield Parrish, Arthur Rackham and Michael Whelan.

Looking for visual inspiration for your Fantasy story? Google Maxfield Parrish, Arthur Rackham and Michael Whelan.

If you haven't watched The BBC version of The Office, you're missing out.

Uncanny blog

2006-11-29T11:13:00.000-08:00

Exciting news! My pal Simon has started a writing blog of his own. Simon is a creative writing major who never enjoyed writing creatively... until now! He's off and running on a book about Superheros... I think? He's posted some excerpts and *sheesh*, Simon, did you have start off so good? You better finish this book.

Godspeed, Simon.

P.S. Don't judge him by that picture. He doesn't usually look so loco-eyed...

Novel Stats

2006-11-28T11:17:00.000-08:00

Metrics for HAPPY, THE END

Daily Word Count: 400 today, 8.1k total (out of a likely 40-50k)

Inspirations: Jeremy Enigk, Anberlin

The good:
The blankets the witch had wrapped around me were warm and soft. The cart rocked me like a cradle. The old temptation to suck my finger arose long enough to scare me. What would Fin think if he saw me doing that?

Bad writing skill that needs to go away: I've switched first-person POVs to a different character for this chapter. I need to make sure that I give her a different voice than the other POV. Easier said than done.

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The before-mentioned POV switch is interesting. I think it'll help me flesh out the other characters. If it works I might keep doing it through the rest of the novel.

Novel Stats

2006-11-24T23:39:00.000-08:00

Metrics for HAPPY, THE END

Daily Word Count: 900 today, 8.1k total (out of a likely 40-50k)

Inspirations: Jeremy Enigk, Anberlin

The good:
So as I left Postland – my home, the land I had grown up in – my mind was not concerned with things like growing up or the dangers that might lie ahead; I was wondering if the witch was strong enough hold a two-foot-thick log above her head like I had once seen a farmer do.

Bad writing skill that needs to go away: I'm pretty sure I rushed the last chapter. I need to give it a major once-over before moving on.

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Done with chapter 4 already? This thing is moving fast. I need to read a good quest book for inspiration. I think I might pick of The Fellowship of the Ring...

Novel Stats

2006-11-22T23:57:00.000-08:00

Metrics for HAPPY, THE END

Daily Word Count: 650 today, 7.2k total (out of a likely 40-50k

Inspirations: Jeremy Enigk, Anberlin

The good:
“H-Hi...” I finally managed, finishing with a nervous laugh that made me sound eight years old. Gods, what a jest I was.

Then – worse and worse – she took my hand. Her skin was amazingly soft. If I had been much younger I would've taken her fingers and rubbed them along my cheek. Then I realized with a start that she had been talking. How much had I missed?

Bad writing skill that needs to go away: Things feel like they're moving too fast right now. Developments are popping out left and right. Also I don't have a clear enough idea in my head of what the princess looks like.

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Into chapter 4 here. Fin really meets The Princess in this one. It has to work. Their relationship is the driving force of the plot.

Non-writing post...

2006-11-22T13:24:00.000-08:00

Just in case you're wondering what that little "Radio Unknown" widget is in the sidebar - just click it and (if you're on a slow connection) wait for it to load.

For more info visit radiounknown.blogspot.com

Levi reccomends...

2006-11-21T10:30:00.000-08:00

I'll admit that I'm a huge sucker for Tintin comics. I think they're masterpieces of the form. They appeal to me on just about every level. They're funny, touching, wholesome and exciting. Not to mention beautiful. Linge claire is, bar-none, my favorite style of comic art. And apparently I'm not the only one who thinks so because they've sold over 200 million copies world-wide.

So why isn't anyone else carrying the torch? Why is it that every comic that appears these days seems to be written by bitter nihlists, who seem more preoccupied with death and violence then fun and adventure? If not for Mike Allred and Jeff Smith I might have despaired.

Then I stumbled across Johnny Crossbones. I can't say how much I love this strip. Tintin fans, don't ask - just read it. Word is that it's going to be published by Dark Horse. I'll be shelling out the cash the second it hits the shelves. The world needs hundreds more comics like this but I'm glad that Les McClaine is finally giving it a start.

Novel Stats

2006-11-20T22:17:00.000-08:00

Metrics for HAPPY, THE END

Daily Word Count: 400 today, 6.6k total (out of a likely 40-50k

Inspirations: Jeremy Enigk, Anberlin

The good:
“I always knew that you were wicked inside but I just didn't know how wicked,” I said, sipping my coffee. “Maybe we've never loved each other like kin should – but I cut the wood and weeded the garden so your old hands wouldn't have to. And I always kissed your cheek even when I really wanted punch your nose. Because - no matter how much you look like a toad - you're my Gram.”

She took a drink from her mug made a bitter face.

“Eck - too strong... And you're wrong there; I ain't your Gram. Lilith dumped you on my door ten years ago. I just took you in 'cause I needed the help – Gad, Fin! did you take all the sugar?”

Bad writing skill that needs to go away: I think that he maybe accepts the revelation of his hero-dom too easily. This chapter was fun to write but it feels a little flat to me. There's a lot of exposition and I need to make sure that it feels natural and flows logically.

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Revised Chapter 3 a bit. Fin's Grandma doesn't die anymore and I like it that way. I'm 3 paragraphs chapter 4 now. Tomorrow should really start fleshing it out.

Inspiration for Monday

2006-11-20T14:04:00.000-08:00

He fumbles at your Soul
As Players at the Keys
Before they drop full Music on--
He stuns you by degrees-
Prepares your brittle Nature
For the Ethereal Blow
By fainter Hammers- further heard--
Then nearer--Then so slow
Your Breath has time to straighten-
Your Brain to bubble Cool--
Deals--One--imperial--Thunderbolt--
That scalps your naked Soul--

When Winds take Forests in their Paws-
The Universe--is still--

~~~~

My life closed twice before its close--
It yet remains to see
If Immortality unveil
A third event to me

So huge, so hopeless to conceive
As these that twice befell.
Parting is all we know of heaven,
And all we need of hell.

Novel Stats

2006-11-18T15:11:00.000-08:00

Metrics for HAPPY, THE END

Daily Word Count: 1,000 today (woo-hoo!), 6.2k total (out of a likely 40-50k

Inspirations: Jeremy Enigk

The good:
My thoughts turned to The Princess: What would I say to her? “Hello, m'lady, I'm Fin.” No. “Good morning, Hattie. How's your arm?” It seemed that The Hero should sound more... Heroic. I wondered if I should kneel when I met her. Then a terrifying thought came – would I have to kiss her hand? Gods!

Bad writing skill that needs to go away: This chapter came out super fast. I have the sneaking feeling that it's going to suck after multiple readings. But right now I can't see anything glaring.

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I'm already at Chapter 4! Wow. Chapter 3 was like the easiest thousand-plus words that I've ever written. Fun stuff.

Chapter 1 is online

2006-11-17T16:07:00.000-08:00

If anyone's interested, I've posted Chapter 1 on my LiveJournal account. Check it out

And yes, it does have the word "breasts" in it. And yes, it does embarrass me! I'm open to alternate phrasings if anyone feels like speaking up.

Novel Stats

2006-11-17T15:44:00.000-08:00

Metrics for HAPPY, THE END

Daily Word Count: 430 today, 8k total (out of a likely 40-50k

Inspirations: Jeremy Enigk

The good:
When I woke the cottage was dark and quiet; a pale light shone in the windows. The fire had dwindled to a few glowing embers. Morning was near. Had I slept in the chair all night? I wiped a line of drool from my cheek. How long had that been there? Hopefully not all night.

Bad writing skill that needs to go away: I'm becoming paranoid that I'm being repetitive with my sentence structure. I tend to get into ruts, I think...

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I'm on Chapter 3 now. So far it's going better than my other Chapter 3s.

Interesting links

2006-11-15T13:57:00.000-08:00

It's been a lot of fun following the happenings on Maprilynne's blog. It's exciting to see a very good writer getting deserved recognition. If you've read the first chapter of her book you'll know that the success is warranted. I know that it inspired me...
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Just in case you're wondering, I'm writing Happy, The End with an Unreliable narrator.
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Ever had an Ah-ha moment??
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It's on my sidebar but it deserves a call-out because The Evil Overlord Manual will make you crack up.
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I think The Second Coming may be one of the best poems that I've ever read. That and The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock. I read these poems and I feel humbled and inspired. 1) Because I'll never write anything so beautiful. 2) Because who can't read:

The yellow fog that rubs its back upon the window-panes,
The yellow smoke that rubs its muzzle on the window-panes
Licked its tongue into the corners of the evening,
Lingered upon the pools that stand in drains,
Let fall upon its back the soot that falls from chimneys,
Slipped by the terrace, made a sudden leap,
And seeing that it was a soft October night,
Curled once about the house, and fell asleep.

and not be inspired? Everyone except C.S. Lewis. :-)

Novel Stats

2006-11-15T11:59:00.000-08:00

Metrics for HAPPY, THE END

Daily Word Count: 650 today, 8k total (out of a likely 40-50k

Inspirations: Jeremy Enigk

The good:
She might have looked like some fairy sleeping – one pale arm drawn gracefully across her forehead; one eye gently shut; her long silver hair fanned around her. But the other eye was purple and swollen. Two spidery lines of blood came from her nose and rested on her lips.

Bad writing skill that needs to go away: I'm having trouble getting my characters from point A to point B. They just need to take a walk through the woods but I'm not sure how much writing to devote to it. Should it be a sentence? A paragraph? Two paragraphs?

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Almost done with chapter 2! I'm loving this.

Novel Stats

2006-11-13T23:44:00.000-08:00

Metrics for HAPPY, THE END

Daily Word Count: 800 today, 8k total (out of a likely 40-50k)

Inspirations: Jeremy Enigk, the rain

The good:
I felt around me and my fingers came in contact with warm flesh – an arm. I examined more then quickly drew back – it was certainly a girl.

Bad writing skill that needs to go away: Too wordy again. All my first drafts are too wordy. Forgive me E.B. White... Simple is better.

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This chapter is just pouring out. This is the best take on this book yet. I can feel it. Things are finally clicking!

Good writing book: The Elements of Style

2006-11-13T13:39:00.000-08:00

The Elements of Style
by William Strunk Jr. and E. B. White

If you read one book about writing it should be this. It's skinny, to-the-point and full of priceless writing instruction. It really helped to de-mystify certain aspects of the writing process for me. Oh - and Stephen King recommends it too.

Novel Stats

2006-11-11T15:27:00.000-08:00

Metrics for HAPPY, THE END

Daily Word Count: 1,000 today, 8k total (out of a likely 40-50k)

Inspirations: Jeremy Enigk, The rain we had today

The good:
The rain had slowed but the wind was picking up. I began to shiver. I breathed on my fingers to warm them. Branches and brush rustled loudly in the wind. If anyone had an ounce of imagination it might sound like something running through the trees. I immediately straighted up. Something was running through the trees; just in front of me and to my left. At least two separate creatures. I could hear them splashing through the rainwater.

Bad writing skill that needs to go away: I've been in maybe three fist fights in my life and they were all before I was a teenager. This scene has a lot of hand-to-hand combat. I hope it doesn't come off as fake.

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I'm loving the setting change I made. Things are so much clearer in my mind now. I'm liberated from a vagueness. These two chapters had a slow start but now they're flowing great. Fun stuff!

Bad writing descision #1: Needless characters

2006-11-10T11:24:00.000-08:00

I covered one incident of this in My Troll evolved into a flying monkey but this tenancy keeps popping up: I write needless characters into my plot.

I just did this the other day. In my first chapter I had my protag. hook up with a character who had the following attributes:

Was annoying to my protag.

Did nothing but babble and quickly is ignored by my protag.

Runs home after six or so paragraphs.

After I wrote him I had to ask why? I totally understand the need for expendable characters such as:

A redshirt that a monster can much on (just to show the danger).

A street beggar that our hero can 1) Spit on or 2) Buy a hot meal. The beggar just revealed a lot of character in our hero.

A cog of some sort that moves the story forward. (A Horatio to our Hamlet, maybe.)

But I keep on coming up with characters that don't do anything... I've got to stop wasting time on this.

Novel Stats

2006-11-10T10:52:00.000-08:00

Metrics for HAPPY, THE END

Daily Word Count: 700 today, 8k total (out of a likely 40-50k)

Inspirations: Jeremy Enigk, Charlotte Martin

The good: N/A

Bad writing skill that needs to go away: I'm scared that this scene could fall flat. It should be tense. As always with my first draft, I'm using too many words.

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Finished my re-write of the first chapter. All-in-all I'm pleased. I may post it sometime soon.

Novel Stats

2006-11-09T17:09:00.000-08:00

Metrics for HAPPY, THE END

Daily Word Count: 600 today, 8k total (out of a likely 40-50k)

Inspirations: Jeremy Enigk

The good:
Seized by an inspiration, I took a quick look around, unzipped my jeans, and peed on the writing. I'd hoped that maybe it would run the paint but it actually made the writing darker. Now I was going to have to walk by my own pee-stain every day. Gross.

Bad writing skill that needs to go away: I feel like Fin is now a more interesting character but I need to make the witch have a good entrance. Right now she's doing nothing. I'm not exactly throwing my reader into the action with this chapter ether...

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Productive day today (by my standards). I get to write the new witch encounter next! I'm looking forward to that one.

Novel Stats

2006-11-08T23:03:00.000-08:00

Metrics for HAPPY, THE END

Daily Word Count: 400 today, 8k total (out of a likely 40-50k)

Inspirations: Jeremy Enigk

The good:
"I first saw it through the tangle of creepers and brush. The house wasn't like those in town; it was made out of dark stones and mortar, with a straw roof. The two windows were foggy red glass instead of clear. In the dim light it looked unsettlingly like some craggy face with huge red eyes and wild hair, glaring through the trees."

Bad writing skill that needs to go away: I still feel like my protag. is boring. I'm trying to give him a better entrance. Do I want to have an adventure through this guy's eyes?

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Plowing ahead. Logically I feel better about where this is headed but I'm a bit concerned that I might change this story so much that I'll loose what first inspired me. I've got to be careful.