Total non-sequitur pic.

Now onto tonight’s post.

Finding your characters voice.

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:

1. The stakes were not high enough. I took care of that.

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:

Questioning whether I am human or am a dancer? I don’t know, I really, really don’t know….

Miss the time when I ruled the world, although I can’t remember when that was. A past life perhaps?

Wonder why the lovers are losing or why my love is spiraling down and out of control. Seems a tad unfair to me.

Or why am I waiting here? Or for.  I hate waiting.

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?

So are you suffering from ear worm?

I have a fresh harvest of writer’s blogs for you today:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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):

Or not…

I started NaNo yesterday and I’m already behind schedule.

You can see the horrible results here.

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.

Will I make it to 50K?

Just you wait!

Good luck to all of us insane enough to try this.

And now for some music:

NaNo,

Editing,

Writing,

Healing,

Holidays,

Oh boy!

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.

Frayed nerves included.

All for the love of the art…

And a publishing deal!

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.

Rafa

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?

——–

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.

———

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.

And now for some music-Elvis Style!

Tomorrow,

Monday,

October

26,

9:00 a.m.

Familiar feeling in the pit of my stomach. Trapped in the airport terminal Waiting for the flight to arrive. Waiting for the time that I abandon the illusion of control.

Fears are one part survival, three parts irrationality.

One part running for your life, three parts knowing that that what you fear lies within you and you can not run away from yourself.

I could say, “fuck it, I ain’t doing this!” Throw a tantrum worthy of a 3 year-old.

And face the specter of many more painful weekends in the emergency room.

Fix it now or pay later.

Tomorrow,/October 26, 2009,/9:00 a.m.

I flown before, I will fly again.

Well I’m up, #10 on this month AW Blogchain. The theme is Fall, the challenge write anything related to the season. Freshhell wrote about the transition from Summer to Fall. I decided to write a short story set in the Fall. I hope that you like it and after you’re done please cruise by aimelane’s place for more Autumn goodies.

——-

He sat by the window watching the last of the leaves fall to the ground. A smile came to his lips as Millie’s growls reached his ears.

“Give that silly cow a good thrashing Millie!”

The dog looked up at him with large dark eyes that peaked from a face full of golden fur. She barked once, which startled Milo, his tux tom, from the top perch of the scratching post. Lilly, the second cat of the house and its undisputed master, gave Milo a contemptuous glance and curled back to sleep.

Happiness for a dog means nothing to a cat, except annoyance.

He went back to the sight beyond the window pane. He was not a fan of Fall, because it meant Winter was soon to follow. At least it was Fall in the Midlands and not in London. The last series was over which meant he had time to escape the City. As luck would have it he found the perfect place. A modest, two floor home isolated from any neighbors. His only company were his pets, his music and the occasional deer that wondered over from the National Forest.

However, the isolation reinforced the sense of…deadness. For someone like him, who grew up surrounded by tropical evergreen and the sound of tree frogs at night the silence, while welcomed, could at times be maddening.

Well, at least I bought those plane tickets early. I would hate to get stranded in Heathrow at the last moment.

“MEOOOWWW!”

Lilly and Milo started at each other and then back at him. Millie spat out her toy and ran for the kitchen.

“MEOOOWWW!”

A pair of bright blue eyes greeted him when he opened the door. The cat skewed its head to one side and walked in. He grabbed Millie by the collar just in, but the spaniel showed more curiosity than excitement. The other cats hanged back peeking from the kitchen door. The newcomer walked to the middle of the kitchen floor and laid down. Cautiously he approached the cat, but it responded with soft mewing and purring to his touch. Then he ran his hand across the extended belly.

Well, what do you know, it is a she!  And she is pregnant.

He looked at the clock on the stove. Too late to take her to the local vet or the shelter.

“You came in looking for someplace to give birth?”

“Meow!”

He knew cats were smart but never heard about a case like this. Despite the thick coat of fur she felt lean underneath.

“No collar or tags either.”

She didn’t budge from her resting place while he got some old blankets and food. Millie stayed close to him while the others kept their distance. Instinct told them not to mess with a mama cat. She hardly ate. An hour later the contractions began. After many hours five kittens shared the pile of rags that made up their makeshift bed. She clean them with her tongue as they nurse. Then she looked at him with those piercing pale blue eyes.

“Meeeooow!”

The kittens finally went to sleep. He stroked her head. Her breathing slowed down until it stopped. He checked for signs of life in her eyes, but she had given her last breath. Salty tears ran down his cheeks.

“You came here to die.”

At that moment Lily and Millie came over and started licking the kittens. Milo sat on his lap.  The next morning he called the vet and got the supplies he needed to take care of the newborns. His final act of the day after feeding them was to bury their mother. He stood over the mound.

You knew your time was near. You came to me so I could take care of them.

Tiny cries drifted in the wind. They were his responsibility now. The holidays would have to wait.

——

Well there you have it. Kind of sad, like Fall, but with a hint of hope.

Check out the rest of the October Blogchain below:

PARTICIPANTS
1. Lost Wanderer – http://www.lostwanderer5.blogspot.com
2. Claire Crossdale – http://theromanticqueryletter.blogspot.com/
3. Angela 785 – http://thebookshelfmuse.blogspot.com/
4. Ravencorinncarluk – http://ravencorinncarluk.blogspot.com
5. Angyl78 – http://jelyzabeth.wordpress.com/
6. shethinkstoomuch - http://shethinkstoomuch.wordpress.com
7. trulyana – http://expressiveworld.com
8. Bsolah – http://benjaminsolah.com/blog
9. freshhell – http://freshhell.wordpress.com
10. Ralph Pines – http://ralfast.wordpress.com/
11. aimeelaine – http://www.aimeelaine.com/
12. HigherEdUnderground – http://higheredunderground.com/
13. Cath – http://blog.cathsmith.net
14. DavidZahir - http://zahirblue.blogspot.com/