Thank you kitty. Put it by the wall were the blood pools on the floor.
KTHNKS.
Yeah, writing my third book turned into a total wall banger.
It shouldn’t be that way. After all I written two complete novels so far, it should get easier with experience, right?
Yet, I had no great beginning, totally passive character,s and ludicrous scenes.
Whatever happened to the ease in which I wrote my first two WIPs? The joy of exploring the characters and situations?
Inner editor, I BLAME YOU!
And all those blog posts, articles and books on writing.
Truly ignorance is bliss. I wrote in ignorance without a hint of what lay ahead. Oh joy!
Now, not so much. I felt like I was strapped in a straight jacket while twisting in a giant spiderweb of my own words and thoughts. The sentences became quicksand, the more I struggled the faster I sunk (and the more I stunk). It reeked of trashiness and stupidity. I hated everything about it. By the time I found the MCs soul, it was hopelessly lost in a black holes of manure.
I think you can see a theme here.
So I did the unthinkable (at least for me). I ditched the whole thing, took a day of and started fresh. I had the characters, I had an inkling of what they were capable off, now I had to write something decent for them. I’m still iffy on the beginning, not the strongest I written (and I pride myself in those), but it does the trick (I hope).
Now the story feels alive.
But the third novel blues are still hanging over my head.
Well, it comes with the territory.
And now for some music from The Crystal Method, Comin’ Back!
Moments ago thunder split the sky open, and no that was no allegory. It literally did. The thunder burst sounded like somebody dropped a bomb on me (another catchy tune by the way), then all hell broke loose (or in this case, heaven). November is the rainy season here and when it rains…well you know the rest. The only difference between a rainy season and a monsoon (besides geographical location) is that a monsoon lasts longer.
At least it is not cold November rain. Bad enough to walk around with your socks soaked and with pants that make you look like you have an enlarged and uncontrollable bladder at least you won’t catch hypothermia.
I hope.
When it gets like this I prefer water resistant/proof coats to umbrellas because:
Umbrellas never really protect you from the rain. Waterlogged socks anyone?
I always leave them in the first place I sit down.
Major problem when the characters sound unauthentic. They sound bland, boring, unrealistic, or simply detached and uninterested. At least that is how the main character in my current WIP/NaNo sounded like, until today. I could not put a finger on what was bothering me about the story. I narrowed it down to two things:
2. My main character, named Edward (no, not that Edward) woke up and started speaking in his own voice. He didn’t sound very believable or as someone invested in what was going on, but once he manned up I started rooting for him and the words flowed from me to the page.
The voice represents two things: the character’s motivation or why he does what he does and his attitude toward the world around him. Without the proper voice the character feels two-dimensional, a mere description on the page and not the reflection of a living breathing creature.
Hopefully now that I (and he) found said voice things should flow smoothly.
I hope.
So, what is your definition/take on character’s voice(s)?
A bit of musical weirdness this evening, because I am in that kind of mood:
Ear Worms(from the German phrase Ohrwurm) are those songs that weasel their way into your head like uninvited guests and then proceed to stink up the inside of your cranium by playing themselves there over. And over. And over. And over. They’re those songs that just get stuck in your head, and no amount of screaming, pounding, protesting, and banging your head into your desk will get them out. Someone infected with an Ear Worm may find themselves prone to bursting out into the song in inappropriate places, tugging at their ears in fury, and can end up distracted in the middle of conversation(or other important activities) by the continuous snatches of song wavering between their ears. And it’s only a matter of time before, like Darryl Revok, they drill a hole in their forehead to let the voices out.
Thank you TV Tropes for giving a name to this phenomenon. Millions of us suffer from Ear Worm infection; in our cars, our offices, on the internet and in our iPods. Most are vapid pop songs churned out from the bowels of Hollywood & Vine (or the equivalent London address). Of course, each ear worm is distinct to each sufferer, like a virus that mutates to fit your brain chemistry. Some become classics in spite (or because) they inspire you to bob your head, raise your hand or scream (screw?) like you don’t care…or some such.
Some of my reasons bouts with ear worm include the following symptoms:
I know the world is stage, but is it a sickly sweet yet bitterly ironic show for everybody else amusement, who don’t realize that they are also part of said show?
Or course kissing a girl is a fun to do, and more so when its your girlfriend kissing another girl! Bet you like that! Then she dumps you for that special somebody that is hot, sexy and female (and not you). Bummer dude!
And the latest ear worm. It involves fireflies, that much I know. Plus a cool retro tune and toys. Maybe you can figure out the lyrics?
I have a fresh harvest of writer’s blogs for you today:
A Blog, I Has One: My inspiration for sprucing my blog post with lolcats. Yes, I blame you Sassee B for introducing me to such sad blogging behavior. Check out her amusing posting and join her as she plows through NaNo, life and with a baby on the way.
Benjamin Solah Blog: Self described Marxist Horror Writer from down under (it says so in the title). Taking on social injustice, evil capitalist and zombies, although sometimes even I can’t tell the difference. Go yonder and dive in.
Atsiko’s Chimney: Do you want to know how NOT to screw up your work of fantasy? Make it a bit more believable and less crunchy? Drop by Atsiko’s place and take a gander at his rules on how to tackle such problems as Mary Sues and Magic Systems. You won’t regret it.
Polenth Quill: An interesting place shock full of interesting thoughts. Polenth likes to write in the third person and has been known to tackle speculative fiction. If you need your elves to be color coded for your convenience (or not) this is the place to be.
And now for the resource of the week, brought to you by Beth from She Thinks Too Much.
Pandora Radio:Internet radio service where you get to create your own channels. It’s free, just enter a song or artist and the service will create a “station” for you. Also the interface is more intuitive than similar services. If you like to use music as an inspiration or simply want to take a musical break, check it out. And if you like it, don’t forget to drop by Beth’s blog and thank her.
And now for some pop music from Owl City-Fireflies.
I said this a dozen times before. I write to music. Each story has its own soundtrack which helps me get into the “zone” when I’m writing. I write scenes around particular pieces of music. You can blame it on Mtv or Star Wars, but whether is an action packed sequence or a tender personal moment, the write song makes all the difference.
So when I stumbled upon an acoustic version of a dance song I had heard before, the scene flowed into me as clear as day. Every character action, every emotion, the atmosphere, the sounds, absolutely everything surged forth from the ether of my imagination. A character, sitting with his back to a large glass window overlooking a deserted, snow covered airport, thinking about his recent loss and coming to terms with said loss. A turning point that pushes him to a new plateau of character development.
All encapsulated in a single piece of music.
So, does music evoke the same creative forces in you?
I’ll give you a chance to listen to the song in question and see if it works for you.
Dash Berlin featuring Emma Hewitt- Waiting (Acoustic Version):
I will do it, it will get done, but dammit, I’m a slow poke when it comes to writing. That’s why NaNo is so important. It is that swift kick in the butt I need to get going.
NaNo is right around the corner. So is that book of mine sitting on my desk, waiting for the final edit which I have been “working” on for the last couple of months (damn you procrastination!). So this month I will shift to a higher gear and get my stuff down before the end of the year.
Expect more grumbling,bitching and moaning than usual.
I’m alive! In slight pain and some discomfort but alive. A quick in an out, a burning sensation in my abdomen and 4 new holes I could do without, but at least the gallstone is gone. Thanks to everyone that stopped by with well wishes.
I found these questions on Clipmarks (original source here) and decided to try an answer them in the snarkiest way possible. You get to decide if I succeeded or failed:
1.What hair color do they put on the driver’s license of a bald man?
2. When dog food is new and improved tasting, who tests it?
3. Why didn’t Noah swat those two mosquitoes?
4. Why isn’t phonetic spelled the way it sounds?
5. Why are there interstate highways in Hawaii?
6. You know that indestructible black box that is used on airplanes? Why don’t they make the whole plane out of that stuff?
7. If you are driving at the speed of light and you turn your headlights on, what happens?
8. Why is that when you transport something by car it’s called shipment, but when you transport something by ship it’s called cargo?
9. If Fed Ex and UPS were to merge, would they call it Fed UP?
10. Does fuzzy logic tickle?
11. I believe five out of four people have trouble with fractions
12. I don’t have a solution, but I admire your problem.
13. If it’s zero degrees outside today and it’s supposed to be twice as cold tomorrow, how cold is it going to be?
14. Why do you press harder on a remote-control when you know the battery is dead?
15. Why do people without a watch look at their wrist when you ask them what time it is?
16. Why do banks charge you a “non-sufficient funds fee” on money they already know you don’t have?
17. Why do they call it the Department of Interior when they are in charge of everything outdoors?
18. I went to a bookstore and asked the saleswoman where the self-help section was. She said if she told me it would defeat the purpose.
19. Isn’t it scary that doctors call what they do “practice?”
20. How is it possible to have a civil war?
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And my answers…..
1. N/A
2 .Humans
3. No need, since with all the stagnant water and wings the mosquitoes were not going to get killed off by a flood, nor were sea creatures, well except those that required clean (non sea) water.
4. Blame the English
5. Federal Funding
6. Too heavy
7. Nothing, you can’t go that fast nor will you be able to perceive light anyway, except either as total darkness or a bright light that obfuscates everything
8. Damned ignorant landlubbers
9. It should be, I’m already fed up with both
10. Only if your robots has digits
11. I believe you are both right and wrong
12. That’s why people hate politicians
13. In Celsius, the End of the World as you know it. In Fahrenheit, not so much. In Kelvin, turn the light out of the Universe on your way out. Thank you!
14. Because you’re waiting for someone to invent the self-charging remote control. Hey it worked with motion sensing game controllers!
15. The police reported a collision of Force of Habit with Stupidity on the corner of Dumb & Moronic
16. Bank= Thieves running the Prison and charging you for the privilege
17. Interior-within the borders of the U.S.of A. Also the department of “Slaughtered the Natives and Took their Land” doesn’t fit atop of the brochure.
18. It already did.
19. Scarier still….they mean it!
20. Tea.
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Now for the challenge, oh gentle readers. Post 10 questions that make you scratch your head and have your readers post their answers. Bonus points for anyone that can make you laugh the hardest and the longest.
