Blog Chain: Gender Bender!

Sandra starts our blog chain off this round. She asked:

Have you ever created a character different from yourself in some significant way, such as (but not limited to) different gender, race, ethnic group, religion, or sexual orientation? If so, what, if any, research did you do to portray these differences?

Was this character a main character, secondary character, or walk-on? Did these differences have an impact on the story?

Gotta love these questions!

In my first novel, LEGACY OF THE EMPRESS, one of my two main characters is a dude--Torin. Writing his dialogue and character was very natural about 90% of the time. HOWEVER, there were definitely moments where I'd stare at what I'd just written and think "Something's.... off." These were usually the moments where, unbeknownst to me, I'd made Torin react to a situation like a lady. Poor Torin..

In these scenerios, I turned to my Resident Man Expert, or RME for short (my husband.) I'd force him to read a scene, or even just shout "What would a dude do in 'blank' situation??" Once I found out that instead of crying, a dude would actually punch the ground. Hence the scene feeling .. awkward. Once I had Torin punching stuff dry-eyed everything made a lot more sense, and the other character's reactions felt much more natural. Thank you, RME!

In HOLLOW LAND (the novel I'm currently working on), I have a few east asian characters as well as a Jewish female lead. This is definiely going to require not only a trip or two to the library but also for me to consult with some non-whitey whites. The good thing is, not only am I friendly with several nice Indian folks at work whose brains I can pick, but there is something wonderful we have now, called The Internet. I've started following a few blogs from the countries my characters originate from to get a feel for the culture. I'm hoping I can eventually get some beta readers of the same religion/culture to help me out and make sure I'm not being a dork about some detail or another.

If I had any advice for you guys, it's to be brave :). Don't be afraid to write a certain character just because they are outside your immediate frame of reference. Learning new things is what makes this fun! Go for it, and get excited to learn about other cultures, sexual orientations, and even how the other sexes think.

What do you guys think? Have you ever written outside your comfort zone? How did it turn out?

Don't miss Shannon's answer coming up tomorrow!

Chasing the Market: Who Do You Write For?

It's time for another Blog Chain, and this time we have some new members! Make sure to follow all the links in the chain to read everyone's responses ;).

This time around, Michelle asked:

Do you write for the market or for yourself? Why? Are there times you do both? Or times when you've written something specifically because it was "hot" at the moment? If so, how did it turn out?

This is a question I think every writer should ask themselves at least once. Do you want to try to chase a trend? Why or why not?

When I thought about this, I came to a two conclusions:

1) Publishing is SLOW. Mud pit, prehistoric, glacial kind of slow. Slow like a sleep deprived snail covered in molasses. This means that by the time you spot a trend, write a book about said trend, and send it to agents... that trend will have been over for two years. Everyone will be saying "ugh, that is SO 2010!" when they read your manuscript.

2) If I try to write something I don't LOVE, it's going to suck. Could I really spend six months to a year writing about something I'm not fully, passionately, head-over-heels about? No. Could I face rejection on a manuscript I'm not in love with? No. Is it worth my time? Yeah... not so much.

I think the most important thing in this business is to enjoy the journey while keeping your hopes practical. Don't waste your own time. If you're not loving what you're doing, then what's the point? It's not about the destination, as corny as that sounds, because let's face it. We might not get where we want to. Will it still be worth it to us? Only if we're doing it out of love, and not chasing after trends ;).

What do you guys think? How would you answer this question?

Stay tuned for Shannen's answer next! (Link coming soon..)

Blog Chain: Dialogue Rules!

It's blog chain day!

This time around, we're going to do some talking about... well... talking :).

The chatty Kate asked:

Do you enjoy writing dialogue? Do you use a lot of dialogue in your writing (for our purposes "a lot" will be defined as more than a smidge and yet not so much that the quotes key on your computer is completely worn out.)? Do you have example(s) of dialogue you especially enjoyed from something you've read? Do you have example(s) of dialogue from your own writing? What about these examples makes them special?

Great questions!

I'm going to follow the thought train of the kick-ass Cole and talk about my undying and passionate love for Joss Whedon. Have any of you guys seen the show Firefly? If you haven't, seriously, go get it! It's one of the best shows I've ever put into my eye holes. Two words: Space cowboys.

However, it's not just the space cowboy goodness that makes this show one of my favorites. What is it, you ask? The dialogue! Joss is the king of witty repartee.

Here are some of my favorite exchanges from the show:

Kaylee: "Well, we're headed for help... right?"

Zoe: "Captain will come up with a plan."

Kaylee: "That's good. Right?"

Zoe: "Possibly you're not recalling some of his previous plans."

Mal: "Well, look at this! Appears we got here just in the nick of time. Whaddya suppose that makes us?"

Zoe: "Big damn heroes, sir."

Mal: "Ain't we just!"

Mal: "I would appreciate it if one person on this boat would not assume I'm an evil, lecherous hump."

Zoe: "No one's saying that, sir."

Wash: "Yeah, we're pretty much just giving each other significant glances and laughing incessantly."

What I love about this dialogue is that it is jam-packed with voice, and each little scenario gives us not only something to snicker at, but lets us get a glimpse at the character.

Great dialogue is the epitome of showing instead of telling.

Instead of describing someone as "sassy," you can have him/her sassing someone before our very eyes. Much more effective, don't you think?

I personally love dialogue, but I also don't overuse it. There is a place for everything. As a wise man once said, in all things moderation is key.

So, what do you guys think? Do you love dialogue? Why or why not?

Blog Chain: Kicking Ass By Choice!

It's that time again: Blog Chain time!

This round, Eric started us off by asking the question

Do you create characters that are larger-than-life or are your characters more like the average Joe?

Hmmm. Good question!

I'm sick of what I like to call, The Superman Problem.

Superman is as awesome as it gets--he doesn't even break a sweat fighting supervillains. Nothing can stop him except for a tiny green rock, and let's face it, kryptonite has been less than successful at taking him down. He can fly, has super speed, is impervious to bullets, can hurl a planet at you if you piss him off, and has even turned back time to save Lois Lane.

What's the problem then, you ask? Well, as I see it, why do I care if Superman's in trouble? He's just going to kick some ass and save the day. Like always. Because he's Superman. He's almost perfect.

He's not flawed enough to be interesting!

Spiderman on the other hand, is behind on the rent, flunking History class, and his girlfriend thinks he stood her up, all because of that damn Doc Oc! Now, this is a superhero I can care about! :)

When I'm creating my characters, I don't want them to be Superman, so I try to make them as real as possible... even if they have super human abilities. I want my characters to be flawed and relatable.

However, there is one more problem to avoid in the other direction. I call this, the Twilight Problem.

Here is an example:

Girl: "Oh, I am just a normal, average, run-of-the-mill boring, not very attractive person just bumbling through high school. OMG!!!! Who is that tall, dark, AMAZING stranger who has come into my life?!"

Stranger: "I am special, and for some reason am paying attention to you, normal person."

Girl: "SQUEE!! Now my normal, average, boring life has become interesting due to someone cool talking to me!"

Stranger: "Um... yeah. I guess. I'm now going to sparkle and brood. Also, have adventures that maybe you can be a part of. Maybe."

Girl: "I can't wait!!!!"

In this scenario, the main character is normal... but also doesn't choose to do anything special or have any cool adventures on her own. She waits for someone awesome to come and make choices for her. Hooray. Oh, wait. THAT SUCKS.

I want my chracters to be realistic, relatable, but also to CHOOSE awesomeness and adventure :). I want my heroines and heroes to say to themselves, "Self, let's take our talents and our courage to go save the world!"

I guess my answer is, I want normal characters to choose to become larger than life.

I want to be larger than life in real life. Doesn't everyone? We can choose to make the most of what we're given, or we can wait for some sparkly person to come along and do it for us. I, personally, chose action.

What do you guys think? Superman, Twilight, or a Happy Ass-Kicking Medium?

Please check out the Courageous Cole's answer before me, and the Karate-kicking Kate's answer tomorrow!

Blog Chain: Meeting Your Characters!

It's blog chain time again!

This round's topic is brought to you by the character-driven Cole who asked:

How do you get inside your character's world?

Apparently, Cole actually stalks her characters, google maps their haunts, etc, to get to know them. This got me thinking about my own process.

How the hell did I first meet my characters?
How did I know what they looked like? How they thought? What their strengths and weaknesses are?

To tell you the truth, I'm not really sure. They just sort of showed up in my brain like strangers knocking on my door. For example, in my head I have a picture of Astrid and a picture of Torin from LEGACY OF THE EMPRESS in mind from the start. I don't know where they came from, but I knew that Astrid was an 18 year old girl with long dark hair and deep blue eyes, and Torin was a 19 year old boy with dark hair that stuck up in weird angles.

This is seriously the first I knew about them, and I had to figure it out from there. It really was like I saw strangers in a cafe, thought they were interesting, and then tried to get to know them from afar. The first thing I do is try to google for images that are close to what I have in my brain. I feel like if I can give my characters a physical form (at least in my own head), I'll be able to hold onto them long enough to figure out what makes them tick.

So, I googled.

For Astrid, I came up with this picture of Kate Beckinsale, only in my head she's younger, and has longer hair. For Torin, a picture of Jake Gyllenhaal was the closest I could find. From there, I spent time with them in my head and felt out how they talked, if they were quiet or loud or shy or obnoxious, and then checked in with them at random intervals throughout the story to see how they would react to different situations. For each scene I thought "what is driving them?" and then basic questions like "what would Torin do? How would he feel here?"

Being a woman writing a male character, I also had times where I checked in with my Resident Man Expert: AKA, my husband. For example, I had Torin crying over something and it didn't feel right. I asked my Resident Man Expert what a guy would do in that situation. His answer? Punch something! That explains why crying doesn't seem like a good choice here :)! Torin wouldn't cry, dangit, he'd punch the rock until his knuckles bled! (needless to say, my R.M.E. was extremely helpful. I highly recommend getting one if you don't have one already, or a Resident Lady Expert if you are a dude.)

I admit it's kind of weird that my characters show up in my head before I get to know them. I'm not sure how this works. For my new WIP, HOLLOW LAND, I knew that the main character had short, dyed fire engine red hair... but when I tried to name her she basically told me her name was Davida, and the name I'd chosen for her was nickname. Then she told me she's Jewish. Jewish? Great! Now, I'm going to have to research!

Sometimes these characters turn out to be more high maintenance than I bargained for, but who am I to complain? They are who they are.

Okay, now I'm worried that this post makes me sound insane.

How the heck do YOU come up with your characters? How do you get into their heads? Do you meet them first like I do and then let them unfold, or do you have a system I need to know about?

Don't miss the fabulous Kate tomorrow!

Blog Chain: The Best Mistake!

It's my turn to start off the Blog Chain this round! :)

I've been thinking about mistakes I've made so while persuing a writing career, and I realized something.

Our mistakes can be more useful to us than our successes--they not only teach us how to think critically and ask the right questions, they teach us how to grow.

My question for this chain is:

What is the best mistake you've made so far in your journey as a writer? How has that mistake helped you grow :)?

This past year, I've made some royal mistakes, which I'd like to share for the edification of all ;):

1) Write down names, things, and places! When writing a fantasy novel, you're bound for forget all of the crazy stuff you named as you went. Was it Sepharith or Sephorath? Castill or Cavills? Oh, geez, I have no idea, and the search function can't help if I don't know what I'm looking for!

What I learned: Create a glossary as you go! It will help immensely down the road.

2) Don't go it alone! Find some people whose writing you know is as good or better than your own (this part is important), and then ask them to please read your book and give you feedback.

What I learned: There are some things we are blind to, because we are just too close. Always ask for feedback, from several places if possible!

3) Take your time! Don't query too soon, and don't assume your book is finished before it is.

What I learned: If you're not completely sick of your own writing, you obviously haven't revised enough! ;) It's worth it in the long run.

What have you learned this year or decade from your Best Mistakes?

Don't miss Kate's answer, coming up next!

Blog Chain: Writer's Voice!

Oh, hey, guys, I didn't see you there!


I was just staring off into the distance thinking about how awesome it was when I saved all of Earthlandia from the evil, dragon flying wizards, all with one sweep of my Fell Blade of Agmarr.


That was pretty schweet.


I do stuff like that all the time.


Oh, this?


This is my War Bikini.


The chainmail keeps the goods protected, but leaves me the agility I need on the battlefield.


The boots are there because it's a wee bit cold out today.


Don't want to catch my death, after all...



***


This round of the Blog Chain, the sorcerous Sarah posed the question:


How did you discover your particular voice as a writer?

I don't think it's much of a secret to anyone who knows me that I'm a huge geek. I've always loved dressing up and having make-believe adventures, reading Tolkien, day-dreaming about the day the robots take over civilization and enslave us, and playing games involving more dice than a back alley in Vegas.

Because of my Incredible Geekdom, I've always loved science fiction and fantasy, but have had very particular tastes. I think I found my "voice" in my writing by thinking about what I liked about the genres and what made me put books down.

Likes:

Awesome adventures!

Maps in the front of the book!

The apocalypse!

Mythical beasties!

Super cool magic!

Pet Peeves:

Weak, whiny bitches!

Chain mail bikinis! (Cause, seriously... who is trying to stab you in the crotch? Why not just wear armor or go naked? MAKE A CHOICE!)

Magic systems that are explained in so much detail they cease to be magical! (See: Midichlorians)

Trying too to speaketh liketh it's Ye Olden Timez!

Not trying hard enough to speak like it's the old times, dawg!

Mystical nomadic races that are actually just black people with arm bands.

Basically, while writing Legacy of the Empress, I was thinking that I wanted it to be the kind of awesome old school fantasy I loved, but without the things that made my brain itch. I wanted to be magical but realistic; medieval but accessible; action-packed but with girls having some cool roles, etc.

Luckily for me as a reader, a lot of contemporary is like this, whether it's urban or classic :). I guess I could say, I write the kind of book I'd want to read, pure and simple!

How did you find your voice as a writer?

As a reader, what kind of things make you love a book, or put it down for good?

Please check out the chainmail-clad Cole before me, and the karkadaan-slaying Kate posting tomorrow!

Blog Chain: Oh, the Humanity

Or "In-Jokes with Myself: Crappy Writing from the Yesteryear!"

Shaun picked the topic for this round of the Blog Chain, and yes, decided it would be fun to torture us (as well as our blog readers) with this question:

What is the silliest thing from a book or short story you've written, and why? It can be a line or a paragraph or a whole page. Anything that you look back at and go, "Say what?"

Really, Shaun? Are you sure you want to know?

Some things YOU CAN'T UNSEE, if you know what I mean. You go there at your own peril!

Don't say you weren't warned!!!!!

As soon as I discovered the topic, I went digging around in my old "writing" folders and dug out this steaming... uh... gem to share with you guys ;).

I wrote this poem when my husband was playing video games one Saturday, sheerly to amuse myself because I was crazy bored. I was an only child, so I'm really good at entertaining myself when the need arises. I was thinking about that video on http://www.homestarrunner.com/ where Strongbad is trying to teach everyone how to draw a dragon, and his brother Strongmad (who is not the sharpest tool in the shed) is just carving DAGRON into a table instead of drawing :D. If you don't know about Trogdor, Strongbad, or Homestar Runner, you should totally go procrastinate and head over to that website :D. It's hours of fun!

Okay, enough backstory! Enjoy:

POEM TO A DAGRON:

Oh, Dagron Great, what shall thy namesake be?
A crusty serpent that caused the Welsh to flee
their homes and burnt them to the ground?
Or hydra fierce with heads horn-crowned?

Oh, Dagron, should I name thee after great angelic hosts?
Name thee cherubim, give thee wings to fly among the ghosts?
Dagron Great, none do your countenance match:
Your noble reek, your scales' sheen, your claws that snatch.

What shall I name thee, then, Dagron Great--
Oh, wise creature, christened late?
If I cannot do this task, I will take my leave.
So to save disgrace, I shall call you "Steve."


Yeah.

I can't say I didn't warn you!

Any gems from the past you'd like to share? :D

Don't forget to check out the hilarious Cole who posted ahead of me, and the fabulous Amanda, posting tomorrow!

Blog Chain: Balancing Your Life

Benjamin Franklin once said, "Either write something worth reading, or do something worth writing."

We all strive to do something meaninful with our lives--to live to the fullest--but how do we live our dreams and still find time to do the dishes?

Amanda picked the topic for this round of the Blog Chain:

How do you prioritize? How do you balance paying attention to your writing, critiquing for friends, spending time with your family and earning a living?

This is a topic that I've been struggling with over the past couple of months, so this seems like perfect timing :). Maintaining balance is such a problem sometimes, and figuring out where writing lies on our priorities can be nothing short of frustrating.

First, I found I had to lay out what my priorities are. After all, how can I decide what's most important if I'm not even sure what all my priorities are?

My priorities include (in no particular order):

* Spending time with my husband
* Writing
* Cleaning up the house once in a while
* Spending time w/ my family
* Spending time w/ my friends
* Critiquing/beta reading for writer pals
* Working a full time job
* Exercising
* Watching TV (hehe. Well, it's true)

I was finding myself getting more and more stressed out as I tried to juggle all of these things, and finally realized I'd left something important off my priority list. Taking care of myself!

As a Christian, I know I struggle with feeling selfish if I'm thinking of myself or doing something "only for me." However, the truth is, we can't give to others all the time if we're burnt out. It just doesn't work that way! In order to do our best work and give joyfully to our friends, families, and spouses, we have to take care of ourselves first. Once we're recharged, we'll have more to give, and we'll be happier while we do it.

I'm still trying to work out how to fit everything into a day, but I've started doing things like meditating, taking bubble baths, and exercising more often to make sure I relieve stress and stay healthy. It's definitely made a difference, and I feel like I have more to give to my writing, as well as to those I love.

We also have to realize that it's okay if we're not superheroes. If the carpet doesn't get vacuumed for a couple of weeks, no one will call the police. It's gonna be alright! We can't do everything.

Everyone has different priorities, and that is both normal and healthy. If you can't see family one weekend because you need to take care of yourself, go for it. If you need to take a weekend off from writing to spend time with your friends, go for it! Do what's best for you to keep yourself in balance.

I'm still getting there day by day :).

What do you guys do to achieve balance in your own lives? Is it difficult for you? Easy?

Please check out Michelle's answer before me, too! I'm the last link in the chain, so please go to Amanda's post (linked above) to read everyone's contribution :).

I hope everyone had a great holiday!!

Blog Chain: Dramarama!

Okay, so this blog chain is actually a wee bit FUBAR because of me this time around. Heh. Oops! I apologize that this chain is a little loopified.

This time around, Christine chose the topic:

How do you create a wonderfully dramatic story? Are there any questions you ask yourself, or specific things you keep in mind to ensure that you have the level of tension necessary to propell the story forward?

Fantastic topic!

One question that never fails me is "What is the worst thing that could possibly happen?" Usually we ask this to reassure ourselves that we're okay, but when I ask it, my characters cringe inside my head. They know I'm gunning for them.

The question is really "What's the worst thing that could possibly happen to my characters right now?" followed by "and will it work?"

Sometimes you can't do the worst thing. You can't kill everyone off in the first chapter, for example, because then your story would be very short. And boring. And sort of pointless. However, you can put the characters into an impossible situation where they might be killed at any moment! The conflict in your story rises automatically.

Show no mercy. Life isn't merciful after all. But I also can't forget that I'm trying to tell a good story which means it has to be satisfying. "Satisfying" can mean different things to different people, but nothing can be senseless or without purpose in your story. Every bad or crazy thing must happen for a reason. Even unpleasant or cliffhanger endings were purposefully crafted.

So, in summary I suppose I ask myself three things while writing:

1) What's the worst thing that could happen?
2) Does it work?
3) Is it satisfying or purposeful?

Also, if you're in a jam, I've heard people swear that all you need to do when you're stuck is shoot a character. It doesn't work for me, but it might for you! :) Let the bodies hit the floor, and have fun.

So, what say you? How do you create drama in your stories?

Please check out Amanda before me, and Sandra tomorrow!

Blog Chain: Facing Your Fears!

It's blog chain time again!

The devious Kat started us off this round with the following topic:

What are the primary fears that drive your characters? Do they battle aliens of gangsters or monsters? Or do they battle unreconciled issues in their lives? Which do you prefer writing about? What do you fear?

Wow! Love the topic, and not just because it's almost Halloween... Mwahahaha!

In my book, Legacy of the Empress, my characters have issues. Astrid, my heroine, spent the last ten years of her childhood locked away in a tower room. Her mother imprisoned her when she was eight after murdering her courtiers and usurping the throne using dark magic (what a bitch, right?). When Astrid escapes and finds the magic consuming the land and its people, she fears two things:

1) Being locked up again
2) Her mother killing more innocents before she can stop her.

Torin, the boy who joins her quest to find an ancient Empress and defeat the dark magic, has his own set of fears:

1) Living an unremarkable life
2) Letting Astrid down.

He longs to be something more, a hero, and sees himself as Astrid's protector on her journey. When he is weakened (no spoilers!), he struggles with feeling useless--a burden instead of a warrior.

I prefer writing about internal fears because those are the ones that haunt us the longest. We all have them: those tapes in our heads that tell us things we wish we didn't believe, but struggle with on a daily basis. We long to realize these fears and rise above them, to change the tapes to say what we want them to say. Instead of hearing "I'm not good enough," we want to hear "I'm good enough the way that I am!" It takes a journey to get there, though, and we're afraid of failing ourselves the most of all.

I read this quote the other day, and it really spoke to me:

"Death is not the biggest fear we have; our biggest fear is taking the risk to be alive — the risk to be alive and express what we really are."– Don Miguel Ruiz

We want to change, to better ourselves, but that requires a journey, and sometimes, a painful sacrifice. That conflict makes for some great storytelling, don't you think? :)

As for myself, some of my greatest fears include:

1) Losing loved ones before I'm ready to
2) Sliding down mountains (a weird phobia)
3) Living a fearful life and dying with regrets

The first one I can't control, the second is odd and means I don't like skiing, and the third is up to me. Regrets are for pussies! I can choose to follow my dreams, even if it means risking failure, and dammit all, I'm going to!

What about you? What fears do you characters face? What fears do you face in your everyday life?

Please check out the remarkable Cole answered before me, and the fearless Kate answers tomorrow! Don't miss it!

Blog Chain Time: Character Journeys

It's that time again! BLOG CHAIN TIME! :)

Sandra starts us off this round by asking this question:

What kind of journeys do your characters make? What effects do they have on the characters and the plot? Also, if you wish, please tell us about one of your personal journeys and how it changed you.

Please check out the awesome Cole who answered before me, and make sure to stop by and read Kate's answer tomorrow!

This is a really interesting set of questions, and some that would definitely take more than one post to go in depth on. The journey of a novel's characters is one of the most important things to me both as a reader and a writer. Everyone is shaped by profound events in their lives, and watching those changes occur is what makes a story interesting. How will the characters react to different situations? Will they make good choices? Will they stay true to their values? Will they crack under the strain? These questions create delicious tension!

I like to torture my characters :).

Like Kat said in the comments on Cole's post, the more shizna that people go through, the greater their triumph when they come out the other side. My family (like many others) has gone through some serious poo during my lifetime. I've learned that there are certain ways that people react to horrible circumstances: they can choose to thrive or choose to give up. I've felt the victory of going through the darkness, coming out the other side and thriving my ass off.

The thing is, no matter how well people triumph over evil or adversity, there are always scars. I want my characters to suffer and see what choices they make, but I also don't want it to be 100% happily ever after. Everyone has to make sacrifices, and everyone has memories that change them and linger throughout their lives. It's what makes us human, and I think, what makes a character's redemption beautiful.

The ways people deal with the pain of living just makes the joys that much sweeter, and the characters' lives that much richer.

How do you think about your character's journeys, as either a reader or a writer?

I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Blog Chain: Writer by Fate or Choice?

It's Blog Chain time again!

This round, the topic was chosen by the ever-thoughtful Michelle:


Do you choose WHAT you do because of WHO you are? Or is who you are determined by what you do?

Before me, the ever-charming Cole gave her answer. Go check it out! :)


This was an interesting question, and I had to sit and stew on it awhile before coming up with my answer. I very much believe that while God has a plan for us and gives us certain talents to work with, we make our own choices and are the ones who determine our own success. You can give a kid all the advantages in the world, but ultimately, it's up to them to use them.

However, I know for a fact that I've always been a writer.

When I was four or five before I could write properly, I'd lie on the living room floor drawing stories with my crayons. I'd make little books with dozens of pages, illustrating a story even though I couldn't write it out. There was a very exciting rip off of Peter Pan, a story with parachuting tarantulas, several where I was a mermaid and had mer-adventures... you get the picture ;).



The fact that I was determined to make books and tell stories at such a young age convinces me that I've always been this way. Weird, right?

I wrote short stories in elementary school and won some awards. I wrote through high school (and dabbled in horrible, whiny poetry.) I wrote throughout college. And here I am.

I am not myself because I randomly chose at some point to start writing. Writing chose me before I could even put words to paper.



So, what the heck does that mean?

Are we pre-determined to do certain things and can never re-define who or what we are?



I don't really think so.

I think we each are given talents and personality traits, and then are left to do with them what we may. Writing turned out to be my passion, but it's possible that it was because the two parts of me, personality and talent, mixed to create a life long pursuit. I chose it as much as it chose me.

I'm gifted in other areas, but I haven't chosen to pursue them like writing. They didn't feel like they were my destiny--what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. What I was meant to do.


Do you have a desiny? :)

I believe that we all do, but we have to choose it.



We have to decide whether or not we take the opportunities and gifts given us and do something with them.



Am I a born writer, or did writing change me?

I suppose my answer is BOTH :).





Now, next up is the ever-fabulous Kate! Don't miss her answer, coming up tomorrow!





What do you guys think about this question? Did the writing come first, or the writer?

Blog Chain: Breaking the Rules

It's Blog Chain time again!


This round, the lovely Kate started us off by asking the following question:

"What writing rules/advice - whether it was a matter of cannot or will not - have you broken?"

The awesome Cole answered this question before me, so please go check her response out as well :).

Well, well, well.

Rule breaking. How to begin?

I've always been a Follower of Rules mostly because I want to make sure I do things right the first time. I'm impatient and something of a perfectionist, so I'm eager to be the best right out of the gate. What better way to do this than to learn and follow the rules, right?

However, there is a second part of me that is also a little weird. I'm a creative person, so I have that streak in me that reads a rule and says "Ooh, but wouldn't this other thing work much better here? Aren 't these more like 'guidelines' anyway?" Sometimes I itch to break the mold and stand out by doing so.

So how do we walk the line between being Rule Followers and Rule Breakers? What path is the right path? IS there a right path?

I think there is.

I'm a big believer in one big guideline: You Have to Know the Rules to Break Them.

There is nothing worse than a sloppy rule-breaker. You know the kind I'm talking about. The folks who think they're rebellious when they're really just making up their own words and writing novels from the POV of a ball of earwax.

Let's take a little quiz!

You know you're a sloppy rule-breaker if you break writing rules for the following reasons:

1) Spelling is hard. Who needz it? Wat do all dese red lines in Wurd mean anywayz??

2) Grammar are hard. Grammer is reaaaal hard, right guys? Why do need I it?

3) Sentence construction. And, punctuation are: hard. It totally doesn't have any--impact on the "sentence" anyway. Whatever

4) Any other writing rule is too hard to learn and therefore dumb.

You have to know what you're doing before you can be unique!

After all, you're not unique if you don't know what the status quo looks like.

A good example of this would be Pablo Picasso. The dude started a whole new movement and rocked the world with his experimentations in cubism. Go, Picasso!

However, he didn't just randomly draw squares on the paper because he couldn't do it the "right way." Pablo knew how to follow the rules and paint like the pros of the day--but he chose to rebel!

For example, look at this painting from his Blue Period on the left.

This woman is very realistically painted--Picasso has obviously mastered his craft. You're a stud, Picasso!


Oh, wait! What's this??

In one of his later, more experimental works to the right he's definitely breaking some rules.

Isn't it crazy that this is the same guy?

Picasso's proficiency and creativity combined are what made him the genius that he was.




Sometimes I think people use "rule-breaking" as an excuse to stop learning or trying to improve.
However, those who've taken the time to learn the norm and excel at it, can do whatever the heck they want, and sometimes change the world :).

Rule-breaking must be purposeful.

Going back over my manuscript in my revising/editing stages I knew the rules. Show don't tell. No adverbs ending in -ly. Fragment sentences are naughty. However, I left a few of these things in. Heck, I even have a prologue.

The thing is, I double and triple checked each one of these "rule-breaking" instances to make sure I was doing it for the right reasons. It had to add to the tension, enhance character development, or create something beautiful that moved the story forward. Sometimes breaking the rules enhances what you already have and makes you stand out. In my book, I hope I've accomplished this.

However, my point is that I did it carefully. I made sure each instance counted or it was cut.

Rule breaking must be purposeful. It must never call to question whether or not you're professional or that you're working to master your craft.

So, break away, guys! Go nuts! Break a few rules well, and stand apart from the crowd.

Just remember that there has to be a combination of proficiency AND rebellion to make your work truly shine.

How do you all break rules in your work? Do you agree with me? Disagree?

I'd love to hear from you!

(Photos courtest of www.Artchive.com)

Blog Chain: Words of Wisdom for Writers

Blog Chain time again! :D

This time, the lovely Cole Gibson started by posing this challenge:

This blog chain is a game!

Your subject is writerly advice. (I just made that word up. Hee) Pretend you are addressing a crowd of aspiring authors eager to soak in your words of knowledge. The problem is, you've only been given a time slot of five seconds. In one sentence (no more than 20 words), please summarize the most important words of wisdom you can impart.

Check out her pearl o' wisdom here, and please leave one of your own: (http://colegibsen.blogspot.com/2009/08/blog-chain-post-only-one.html) The best part about this topic, is that EVERYONE can play! Leave a pearl of wisdom on her comments, or here, and I'll pass them along.

Hooray for group knowledge! :)

But, no pressure, this means I have to contribute my own tidbit of advice, the most important thing I've learned so far in 20 words or less.

Ready?

Okay, no more stalling. Here goes!

Take it slow--make sure your writing is the best it can be, then research all you can before querying!

BOOYAH! 20 words exactly.

Now it's your turn! What is the one Wisdom Nugget you'd like to bestow upon newbie writers, or wish someone had bestowed upon you?

I'd love to hear! :)

Next up, answering this question is Kate Karyus Quinn on her blog tomorrow: http://katekaryusquinn.blogspot.com/. Don't miss it!

Blog Chain: Does Multitasking Make Your Head Explode?

Today is the first installment of something a little different on this blog: A Blog Chain entry! Some fabulous writers do this on a monthly basis, answering a single question and then creating a chain of awesomeness for their readers to follow. I've been reading The Chain for a while, and have always enjoyed hearing the different writer's perspectives.

The question for this chain was posed by the fabulous Terri Rainer (http://terrirainer.blogspot.com/2009/08/blog-chain-blatherskite.html) is:

Do you focus on one project at a time, or do you have many irons in the fire at any given moment?

Before me, answering this question was Cole Gibson (http://colegibsen.blogspot.com/2009/08/blog-chain-post-multitasking.html), and after me will be Kate Quinn (http://katekaryusquinn.blogspot.com/).

I thought about this topic over the past week, and realized a few key things about myself.

1) I have the potential to be the biggest procrastinator on the planet, and
2) I have to keep myself on a short leash to get anything done. Ever.

I've always like to think of myself as an awesome multi-tasker, and I do a great job of juggling tasks at work or menial tasks at home. I can juggle chores in a way where I become a one-woman assembly line--the height of efficiency.

However, when it comes to my writing, if I try to focus on more than one big project, I fall apart.

What the heck??

When I'm working on editing LEGACY OF THE EMPRESS, it's all I can focus on. It was only when I thought I was finished with it, that I began my next novel, HOLLOW LAND. Now that I'm back tweaking LoTE, the second novel is sitting in the corner patiently awaiting its turn.

Why is this? Why can't I be like other writers who have 3 or 4 manuscripts going at once, or are pumping out short stories while working on their novels?

I think I've finally figured it out, and there are a few reasons (man, today I am loving the lists!):

1) If I have too many projects, I will do them all poorly, instead of one thing well
2) If I have too many projects, all of them will take forever to complete, and I won't get anything accomplished
3) If I have too many projects, if I make a mistake in one, chances are I'll make it in all of them.

One of the biggest things I've discovered from writing and rewriting my first novel is that I am able to grow as a writer. I've made a lot of mistakes throughout this process, but instead of jumping into other projects and making the same mistakes in four novels, I chose to stick with this one, and rewrite until I learned the lessons I needed to become better. I would deeeeply regret it if I'd been writing the sequel and working on other stories when I discovered the issues with my first novel. I'd rather take it slow with one project, learn what I need to learn, and then save myself from making those mistakes on my next novel.

Then I get to make all new mistakes and learn some more. YAY!

I also know that if I have too many things going on, I won't have the focus and drive I need to complete them. I'm not a fast writer, I'm a thorough writer, so writing one thing at a time helps me get the job done.

It's funny to me that even though I'm a "typical artistic type" in many ways (I'm messy at home), I'm actually very mythodical when it comes to my art. This just works for me, even though others go at it completely differently and achieve great success.

How do you guys work?

Are you able to multitask projects and complete them?

If so, tell me how ;)! I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Also, don't forget to tune into Kate tomorrow for her answer!