Another Writer’s Meme

I got tagged by Amy to join another writer’s meme:

What was the last thing you wrote?

A couple of shorts for my Flash Fiction Friday posts. On the novel front I finished the first draft of my second novel, titled Sturm und Drang. Come August I go back to edit that monster.

Was it any good?

I like to think so. Started as a NaNo entry and grew from that. Hopefully it will be ready for the query stage come December.

Write poetry?

No.

Angsty poetry?

Again, no. Not my thing.

Favorite genre of writing?

I would say science fiction, although each project falls into its own category. I don’t worry about genre so much anymore, not after my first novel. I write what the story demands, no more, no less.

Most fun character you ever wrote?

A few. I liked Antony from Neither Here nor There… He is a bit of a Mary Stu, but I like to think of him as my exaggerated fictional self, in all things, good and bad.

Julian from SuD is also a favorite. Magnificent manipulative murdering bastard that he is.  Good thing about writing is that their will be others, many others, to come.

Most annoying character you ever wrote?

The Lady Exeter, she is a  self-serving manipulating bitch, straight out of a soap opera. Loved it when she got her comeuppance.

Best plot you ever wrote?

SuD is the one (so far). I liked how characters on both sides of the conflict acted and reacted to each others moves. The plot had an organic feel from beginning to end. I hope that future readers will see it that way.

Coolest plot twist you ever wrote?

Well I don’t want to spoil it but it involves betrayal, siblings and a couple of worldwide conspiracies.  Twisted enough, eh?

How often do you get writer’s block?

Anytime I do one of two things: a) try to force a character to do something outside of their nature, b) start down a illogical plot path just for the cool factor. Thou shall not violate either the characters essence or internal consistency.

How do you fix it?

Step back, relax and do lists. Lists of known character characteristics, list about location, plot points, etc, anything that will illuminate the path ahead.

Write fan fiction?

Once, maybe twice. Robotech related (obscure mid 80’s adaptation of Japanese Anime for the American market). Gave it up as soon as I started. Although I did write a TV show Bible for a Harry Potter based series, I think that might count as fan fiction, of a sort.

Do you type or write by hand?

Write by hand, at least in the beginning. I have stacks of legal notepads (white) full of chapters, notes and lists. Typing is transcribing, which is a pain, but a necessary one.

Do you save everything you write?

I try to. I worked with computers all my life and know what happens when things fail. Mr. Murphy and I are long time…acquaintances.

Do you ever go back to an idea long after you abandoned it?

I never really abandon my ideas, there are always in the back of my mind somewhere. But I look forward to the day I can give them the proper treatment.

What’s your favorite thing you have ever written?

Ever? I like everything I written so far (in the last 3 years or so). I have yet to written something that overrides everything else. Like I said, each story carries its own weight.

What’s everyone else’s favorite thing you’ve written?

The day will come when hundreds of adoring fans will duel in social networking sites over what is or is not cannon or what is the right or wrong shipping arrangement for my characters and massive flamewars will erupt and devastated the internet landscape over every minute detail of my work. Until the sales figures come in, I can’t really say.

Do you show people your work?

I do. Me of thin skin. But so far the reviews have been….cordial. So far.

Did you ever write a novel?

Two so far and counting.

Have you ever written fantasy, sci-fi, or horror?

Sci-fi and fantasy. Horror, not so much. I am not a fan of horror and I don’t know ho to pull off the suspense and scary bits. At least not yet.

Ever written romance or teen angsty drama?

Not big on romance, but it’s in there, somewhere. Teen angst? Not yet. Overdone in my book (as in I don’t have what it takes to pull it off).

How many writing projects are working on right now?

The answer is three, but really concentrating on one.

Do you want to write for a living?

Yes.

Have you ever won an award for writing?

Only entered one competition in college. No dice.

Ever written something in script or play format?

Not yet but geering up to write a movie script as soon as I finish with the research.

What character that you’ve written most resembles yourself?

Antony, for sure, although all my characters have a bit of me in them. I’m close to my characters that way. Antony’s life is peppered with a lot of auto-biographical stuff and I can’t imagine anyone playing him but me.

Where do you get the ideas for your characters?

Archetypes.  I seize on an archetype and go from there.

Do you ever write based on dreams?

By enlarge, no. But my dreams do influence what I write.

Do you favor happy endings, sad endings or cliff hangers?

So far happy endings, although they could be classified as bitter sweet endings. Cliff hangers are great for chapter endings but I like to end my novels on a clear point.

Have you ever written based on an artwork you’ve seen?

Not exactly, but I love using artwork as a narrative reference. It certainly gets my imagination going. I’m a big fan of deviantArt for that reason.

Are you concerned with spelling and grammar as you write?

No. If I did I could no write a word. My inner editor would take over and obliterate everything under a massive sandstorm of doubt. I leave that for the editing process. The oh so painful editing process. One day I will hire a editor and let them do it for me. One of these days….

Ever written anything entirely in chatspeak (How r u)?

No, but I used in in my work to represent texting and email.

Entirely in L337?

Say what now?

Was that a question completely appalling an un-writer like?

No, just confusing. I think….

Are people surprised and confused when they find out you write well?

I write well? Really? Thank you for saying that!

Quote something you’ve written. The first thing to pop in your mind.

From SuD:

What we must do to protect the flesh tends to scar the soul.

Well that is it for the meme. No tags this time, but will tag the next time around.

See ya!

A Hook to Hang My Query On (Or Hang Myself With)

Like Ahab searching for the White Whale, my obsessive quest for the perfect hook has turned my mind into mush.

I think that explains the picture above.

I really don’t know.

I spent the last couple of days writing possible hooks.  I have a few that are respectable (I think) but no way of knowing which one works. Maybe I’m trying to hard, after all Voltaire said that “Perfect is the Enemy of Good Enough”, or some such thing.

So I’ll throw a few in here and see what you all think.

In no particular order:

His father’s death sets Antony down the path of redemption where he learns that life belongs to the living and not the dead.

Antony is not like his father, he does not run away from his problems. But when the problem is his own maimed soul, one that threatens to destroy everything he worked hard to build, Antony learns that you can not run away from yourself.

A father’s last act sets his son on path of confrontation, love, and ultimately, redemption

No one needed redemption more or sought it less than Antony Mendoza. It is hard to fix what you don’t believe it’s broken, specially if that which needs fixing lies deep within yourself.

Antony’s life was not perfect but good enough until a single letter propels him across the Atlantic and into an unexpected path of redemption.

Antony Mendoza is an excellent problem solver excepts when it comes to matters of his own heart.

You can see one word throughout the different hooks, redemption, which is the central theme of the book. But did any of the entries above do enough to hook a reader into asking to see more?

Any suggestions, critiques or help will be most welcomed oh gentle readers. With my thanks, of course!

And I really need the help. I feel just like this poor pup:

Redemption

Main Entry:

re·deem

Pronunciation:

\ri-ˈdēm\

Function:

transitive verb

Etymology:

Middle English redemen, from Anglo-French redemer, modification of Latin redimere, from re-, red- re- + emere to take, buy; akin to Lithuanian imti to take

Date:

15th century

1 a: to buy back : repurchase b: to get or win back2: to free from what distresses or harms: as a: to free from captivity by payment of ransom b: to extricate from or help to overcome something detrimental c: to release from blame or debt : clear d: to free from the consequences of sin 3: to change for the better : reform4: repair, restore5 a: to free from a lien by payment of an amount secured thereby b (1): to remove the obligation of by payment <the United States Treasury redeems savings bonds on demand> (2): to exchange for something of value <redeem trading stamps> c: to make good : fulfill6 a: to atone for : expiate <redeem an error> b (1): to offset the bad effect of (2): to make worthwhile : retrieve

Redemption, a powerful concept that lies at the heart of Neither Here nor There. It is not just forgiveness, but the idea that to overcome wrong, any wrong, you must do right. That’s what Antony does as he struggles with his inner demons and the outer hurdles of his new life in Woodstock. And that is the hook of the story.

As you might have guessed by my last post, this week has been a nightmare. I tried my hand writing a query and failed miserably (and felt even worse). I just could not find a way to write it. Each sentence was worse than the last.

Then it hit me.

Redemption.

If I were to sum up the entire thing, that would be it. And you know what, I felt…redeemed!

Now to turn that one word into a hook and from there into a award winning, bestselling novel.

Oh and one more thing.

SCREW THE WORD COUNT!

That is all.

I SUCK!

Did I mention I suck? Because I do according to these choice words:

If you are a English Literature graduate I’d expect fewer grammatical errors in your query.

and,

You are still not in command of the English language

No wonder my Betas passed on my book!

Damn!

Aaaargh!

On the Edge of the Abyss

Fear is a powerful motivator for some.

A crippling psychological condition for others.

Guess in which category I fall into?

Right….

So what triggered this latest panic attack?

Querying.

The idea that I can’t a) sell nothing coupled with the thought that b) nobody is going to like this piece of trash has dropped my ego down the abyss of fear and self-loathing that I find myself right now.

Ennui.

And like the Dad in the pic above, I’m pretty annoyed about it too. And no frozen lakes either, not where I live. Not now, not ever. Hell will freeze over. Actually they will freeze simultaneously (useless -ly word! useless -ly word! must-not-panic!) because if the island freezes it will be Hell frozen over and then some.

I wish I had my fictional alter ego guts. Antony would know what to do and by God (and all the angels and some saints and a few nuns thrown in for good measure) he would do it too!

Well, I made him, so I can be like him.

Off to query this beotch for all it’s worth!

Oh and before I forget, here is a music video that says life sucks, so what, get over it emo boy!

The Heat is On

It’s hot!

No really, it is. That’s the thing about living in a tropical island. Mornings are not that bad. Afternoons, with high humidity and temperatures averaging in the high 90s (F) it can be downright stifling.

How I used to laugh at people complaining about 8o(F) degree weather in Michigan!

Fans help. So does cold water and at least two showers a day. Well unless it gets so hot you sweat in the shower. Yes it happens. Since we don’t get frost in the winter the pipes are not buried deep enough so that after a day of baking in the hot earth the water comes out a bit tepid. Just a bit.

Air condition helps. But the bills….

Fans help, but they only push hot humid air faster.

And hurricane season is around corner plus sand from the Sahara blows across the Atlantic to choke the already heavy air.

Can’t wait for Xmas to roll around!

Another Round of Writer’s Blogs

It’s Friday, which means more Writer’s blog. Let’s get started, shall we?

• A Writer’s Journey: A writer’s blog that doubles as a writer’s resources page/site as well.
• Lefty In My Write Mind: Emily Murdoch’s blog. Interesting tone and subject matter.
• Mind Over Mullis:  She put the hilarity in the phrase “and hilarity ensues” .
• The Park Bench: According to the author “A gathering place for nerdy women and nerdy men of discerning taste”. So what are you waiting for and get your nerd on! Discovered via Nancy’s blog.

And talking about all thing nerd/geek, I have a new blog covering the worlds of science fiction, gaming and the like: Ruins of Empire!

And of course a vid for your enjoyment. An AMV with cool tunes and killer Ghost in the Shell graphics.

Flash Fiction Friday: Yank at a London Coffee Shop

Shifted Flash Fiction Friday to this blog due to the theme. Feel free to comment below.

—-

He looked over the sea of tables at the edge of the River Thames, coffee in hand, guitar strapped to his back.  The open air cafe  was perfect this fine Saturday afternoon. The sun graced the fine August day. Thin strips of white flirted with the master of the sky. Millie scratched behind her ear with one paw. She hated her new haircut. But he had enough of brushing for the summer. Besides, the spaniel’s hair would grow back so fast that in a month nobody would know the difference.

I think that possibly
Maybe I’ve fallen for you
Yes there’s a chance
That I’ve fallen quite hard over you

A sappy love song played in his ear. He drank deeply from the Styrofoam cup.  Guitar in hand he played practiced the tune in his ear. His mind wondered over the events of the last year.

I’ve seen the paths that your eyes wander down
I wanna come too-

From unpublished writer to a celebrity in a foreign land. His show was a hit even if is producer pronounced the idea “daft”on his first phone call.  Sight unseen he crossed the Atlantic and set up shop in London.  Success followed. Money, fame, and a three pets, two cats and Millie the cocker spaniel at his side.  She was the only blond, or brunette or redhead that stuck around.

I think that possibly
Maybe I’ve fallen for you

No one understands me
Quite like you do
Through all of the shadowy corners of me

One thing was missing, someone to share it with.

Pathetic, he thought.

Now if the raven hair barrista behind the counter would notice him. She was friendly enough and he had thing about not messing with people while their work.

I never knew just what it was
About the same coffee shop I love so much
All of the while I never knew-

I never knew just what it was
About this old coffee shop I love so much
All of the while I never knew-

Someone not pining for is approval. Someone who could see through about his television persona on screen or didn’t mind the tabloid cyclopean eyes. Not a actress or model who’s job was to fake it twenty-four-seven.

I’ve seen the waters that make your eyes shine
Now I’m shining too-

Because, oh because
I’ve fallen quite hard over you

Of course he tried a bit of friendly banter, to leverage enough of his celebrity status to compensate for his lack of good looks. He even took to playing the guitar again, by ear, of course. No singing. No need to drive the people around him mad with his keening.

Then the boyfriend showed up. He leaned over the counter to kiss her, she smiled back.  So much for that dream.

If I didn’t know you, I’d rather not know
If I couldn’t have you, I’d rather be alone

I never knew just what it was
About the same coffee shop I love so much
All of the while I never knew-

Millie bark pierce through the song in his head.  Her eyes chased the mallards drifting downstream.

“Down girl!”

“Is she your dog?” asked someone from the corner of his eye. He pulled the earbuds off. The newcomer vermilion hair fell around her shoulders in long tresses. Her piercing green eyes fixed on Millie.

“Is she bothering you?”

“Oh no. She is beautiful. Wait aren’t you?”

For a split second he thought about saying no, pretend he was somebody else. Her emerald eyes dissuaded him from that plan of action. “Yes, yes I am. Please take a seat.”

Millie welcomed the newcomer with much tail waging and wet kisses.

Fame has its privileges after all.

However fleeting they may be.

I never knew just what it was
About this old coffee shop I love so much
All of the while I never knew-

All of the while
All of the while, it was you
You-
You-
You-

—-

Got Muse? A Few Questions for Writers

A quick survey type meme from leftywritey via Tasha blog.

1) Where do you write?

Coffee shop.

2) When do you write?

In the afternoon.

3) Planner or Pantser?

Panster with a bit of mapping along the way.

4) Coffee or tea?

Coffee shop equals coffee, ’nuff said.

5) Pen and paper, or computer?

Pen and legal paper pad. Computer later.

6) What gets you in the writing mood?

Music, pictures, dreams. Whatever works.

7) What pulls you out of the writing mood?

Anger, distractions, sleep.

What’s the best writing advice you’ve ever read/heard/received?

From On Writing by Stephen King: to paraphrase-Just Write!

9) Got muse?

Got caffeine?

10) Who is the biggest supporter of your writing?

My fellow writers and friends.

11) Sound or Silence?

Sound. That is why God invented the iPod!

Those are my answers and I am sticking to them.

And now for a one of those sounds that inspire me:

Monday Filler: More Harry Potter

Nothing much to say except that I found a few more Harry related trailers. Must watch movie when it comes out on July 15.

The International Trailer:

Ron in Love (or so he thinks):

But who is really going out with whom, I wonder?

End of line….