Writing Update for December

One of the tools I like to use is a chronological chart of happenings, paralleling each character's thread. I'm looking at the chart for Trefury: The Secrets of Callorin and I'm near the end. It's a good feeling. Five months ago I felt I'd never get to this point. I've faithfully kept a writing journal as I've plodded through my current rewrite and the dismay of an empty 3-ring binder and a brand new notebook has given way to a sense of satisfaction as they both have filled up. In fact, I may need a second notebook before I'm through. My scene profile files on my computer are grouped based on plot threads and it's handy to be able to read through them and make sure that information and action are where they need to be.

Basically, a daunting, humongous task has become less Herculean due to persistence and hard work. I don't have the luxury of having several hours a day to devote to writing. I snatch an hour or two where I can, sometimes only half an hour. The little bits add up and I'm glad that I documented them as they compiled.

Writing is so solitary an endeavor and I often find myself tucked away from the rest of the writing world as I'm in the middle of creation or revision. I poke my head out once in awhile and make sure I keep active on my writing forum because writing contacts and friends are important too. What I think I enjoy most is the self-discovery part of writing, the omniscient feeling. And the realization that how I picture my worlds and characters will never translate perfectly through words doesn't disturb me as much any more. As writers, we create alone, then give away what we write to the imaginations of those who read. Wouldn't it be scary and cool if there was a way to perfectly translate the story we see in our heads? Kind of like plugging up everyone else to the movie in our heads, including the strength of our emotions and how we feel about what is going on. I'm sure someone will create a movie about that concept someday.

It's interesting to reflect and chart your own growth as a writer, too. The absorption of technique, critiques, brainstorming, and improved skills is exciting to see. I don't think that makes each story we write any easier, unless we are following a set formula, but we're not the clumsy beginning artists we once were. There's a little more confidence, fewer paths down tangent roads that eat up time and make us feel like novice idiots. We've learned rules and when to break them. We've learned that there are very few hard rules in fact and that we can move creatively forward without incurring the wrath of people we once thought of as experts on pedestals. We've learned the difference between indulgent writing for ourselves and the slavery of writing to everyone else's expectations, and hopefully chosen a place in between.

We present our work to the world, have our PR time, then go back into the cave of solitude to create another story. And that's where I am. I've had my break from writing, gagged the internal editor, and am blissfully reworking a story I feel passionate about.

I'm having surgery today and I'm excited about it. I look forward to finishing this year and starting the next spending my recuperation time finishing up this draft before doing my final rewrite (the one before I solicit beta readers to help me iron out the bugs). I hope those of you who write or work in other creative endeavors have a great New Year and if you take anything from this obscure blogpost from this obscure writer, I want it to be hope that even if your circumstances are not ideal as to time and means to pursue your creativity, that you know even the small moments add up. Don't give up or give in to frustration because it isn't happening the way you want or in the time you want it to. Do give your best and work hard. Push yourself; it's so worth it.

Writing Update for November

Did any of you try out scene profiles after reading my last post? I'd love to hear about it.

I'm pleased to say that I've completed a lot on Trefury: The Secrets of Callorin in the past couple of months. There has been chopping out, and adding in, exploration into side stories in order to make scenes richer, and character twists and quirks which have surprised me as they've come to light. Writing a sequel is challenging at the best of times, only in this case, I'm writing a continuation of Trefury: Mendi's Curse. The original book was cut in two. So this half will be high-powered and darker than the first, in preparation for the big revelations that come with book three.

There are moments when I'd love to put this story aside and work on something else entirely. For a long time I was blocked, not for lack of plot or character development, but in trying to figure out what should be shown and how to show it. I broke that block last week thanks to scene profiles. You can imagine my happy dance when that happened. That block had prevented me from being on deadline by several months. Now I'm bursting ahead to catch up.

Have you ever had a bad block before? How did you get past it? How did you feel afterwards?

I'm grateful I got past mine. I'm grateful for the support of family and friends with my writing endeavors. I'm grateful to be able to develop my writing skills further. And I'm grateful for those who have read Trefury: Mendi's Curse and have shared their reactions with me.

Cut-to's and Scene Profiles: A Second Draft Life Saver

You've written your novel. The creative juices were flowing, you hit a few blocks and snags, but you got past them, and it feels so great to have reached the end.

And now you have the second draft to deal with.

The drafts that follow that magical first one can be magical too, except this kind of magic comes with a price, that of lots of toil, pressure, overcoming self-doubt or self-delusion, sweat, and more dark valleys than bright mountain peaks. It's worth it; trust me; you don't want to put that first draft in a safe and leave it as is. Your baby has to grow up.

There are lots of ways to tackle subsequent drafts. I've tried many of them. I still use many of them. My favorite is quickly becoming the art of the scene profile and cut-to. Screenwriters use this technique and so can you. It's like rewriting your novel before you actually rewrite it and it'll save you having to do lots of other rewrites.

For example, have you ever started a rewrite - even with an outline - and at a certain point you realize that the whole things isn't going to work? Or maybe the story's been derailed or sidelined. Outlines are great to help prevent this, but outlines aren't written in stone and can easily be overturned or go astray. Outlines are pretty distant too, even the in-depth ones, giving you a panoramic big picture view of your story and where you expect it to go. The problem is when you settle in to write and all the little things start accumulating, you find that that big picture wasn't so accurate or that you're in a tussle to try to make the little things tow the line and keep to the outline.

By all means, use outlines as tools. I do. But after you've had your panoramic glimpse of the big picture, may I suggest using scene profiles and cut-to's before you start rewriting in order to keep the big and little things from creating an epic battle that will threaten your sanity and eat up extra time as you try over and over again to make them agree with each other.

What are scene profiles and cut-to's? How do you use them?

A cut-to is an overview of a scene, like a close-up glance, or play by play of the action.

A scene profile is where you've gathered your pertinent information on the scene and the characters in it.

Together the scene profile and the cut-to list makes rewriting your scenes easy and efficient. They'll help you spot inconsistencies, plot-holes, will help you decide if you need minor tweaks or an overhaul, or let you know if a scene needs to be dropped because it has no purpose. While these sound like extra effort and work, they actually save you a lot of time and effort in the long run.

Here's an example of what I do:

1. Create a list of scenes that are in the novel or that I know need to be in the novel.

2. Working one scene at a time, plug in the information about the scene (whether directly from my first draft or the outline or both) into the scene profile.

3. Create the cut-to list for each scene.

I have a template I build off of for each scene:

Scene name or number: I'm a big proponent of naming scenes because it encapsulates the purpose of the scene and makes it easier to keep them straight rather than using numbers.

1. Date: This refers to the date in your story. Is this scene during Day 45 or on the 27th of March. It seems like a little, unimportant thing, but it's not. Knowing the date helps set your chronology and makes you step back and think about how realistic your time frames are in the narrative.

2. Time of Day: This affects your characters and your setting. What if your main character is a morning person and this scene takes place in the evening? They are more apt to be tired and cranky. Didn't think of that the first time you wrote this scene did you? Or what if it's night time and your characters are at a university? What are they doing there at night? Little details like this enhance your narrative and pique reader curiosity.

3. Weather: Yes, what is the weather like during this scene? Did your first draft read like a perpetual summer's day? How might knowing the weather affect your characters, the setting, or the plot?

4. Setting: This is where you plug in the details of your setting. And I do stress details. You should write it all down in a separate file, envision it. And then be prepared to pull what you need from it and let the rest go, or bring out some details in this scene and other details later on when revisiting this same place. Make a note here of the details you've chosen to reveal.

5. Objects: Good novels have objects. Memorable characters are associated with objects, like Snow White and the apple or the Beast and his enchanted castle. Objects are symbolic of what is happening in the plot or to the characters. What objects are noticed, sought after, obtained, or lost in this scene?
6. Characters: Write down which characters are actively in this scene. This is also the place to mention if there is something new, off, or otherwise different about any of the characters. If you're introducing or exiting a character, you can make a note of that as well.

7. Scene cut-to's: A list of play-by-play action that goes on in the scene. This is where you very briefly and succinctly write the scene before actually writing it with fleshed out details. For example: 
     i. Main character walks into the room with a book.
     ii. Side characters B & C stop talking about Main character and look guilty.
     iii. Main character asks them what is going on.
     iv. Character C pulls out a letter from their coat pocket and hands it to MC
     v. MC opens the letter and starts to read.
     vi. Character B makes an excuse to leave the room.
     vii. Character C tells B they can't go yet.
     viii. MC reads that their teenage child has run away from boarding school.
     ix. Character C tells MC that they aren't surprised, launches into a tirade about MC neglecting their child.
     x. MC slams the book down on a table.
     xi. Character B makes a hasty exit through an outside door.
     xii. MC laughs and Character C is shocked.
     xiii. MC tells C that they helped their teenager escape.
     xiv. Character C reaches for their phone.
     xv. MC twists C's arm behind their back.
     xvi. Character C drops the phone in the pool.
    xvii. MC whispers in C's ear that they know C was the reason the teen was sent to the boarding school to begin with.
    xviii. Character C asks what the MC intends to do.
    xix. MC lets C go and walks toward the door.
    xx. C repeats the question with greater agitation.
    xxi. MC tells C that they won't hear from MC or their teen again.

8. Flashbacks or backstory reveals: Here's where you plug in your backstory material that has any relevancy to what is happening in this scene. It can be pages long or a quick sentence. Not all scenes should have flashbacks or backstory reveals, but you as a writer need to know where these things are simmering in the subtext.

9. Foreshadowing: This is the place where you have your big picture outlook come down to manageable size. Not all scenes have foreshadowing, but good ones do. It may be a simple remark a character makes, an event, an object, or a decision that will have big consequences later. Stop and think about this scene and your book at large and make this scene stronger by adding an element of foreshadowing.

10. Notes: Here is where you jot down any additional notes you have, like psychological development of the characters, things to watch out for, research data that you've collected that will have a bearing on this particular scene, etc.

See what I mean about writing the rewrite before actually writing it? By putting together this information you get to know your scene, its purpose and place in the novel without expending the time and sweat writing it. And it's much easier to tweak, change, or discard as you build your other scene profiles than going back and rewriting pages of prose.

Once you've made up all of your scene profiles and cut-to's and everything is fitting into place and all your insights, twists, and details match up as they should, then comes the fun part - rewriting your novel. And the best part is that it will be quick because you have everything thought out and jotted down, everything.

Give it a try and tell me what you think. I know I've avoided repeating details too much, found plot-holes, and developed stronger subtext by employing this method. I've also been able to chuck scenes that don't really do anything for the story. Sentimentality is avoided when working in a scene profile and with cut-to's. And usually, a writer's sentimentality is the biggest stumbling block of all to overcome.

Yesternight's Voyage: Changes

The blog will be undergoing some background maintenance as well as a few outward changes. More good content to come. Thank you for your patience.

Writing Update for April

April's been a pretty good month. I devoted two weeks to writing and made significant progress on Trefury: The Secrets of Callorin. But even the best made plans don't always pan out as you hope they will. I had hoped to have the book done by mid-April. Life has a way of intervening, as usual.

I have learned that even if you have a story written, and even if it's technically good, you can usually make it better. And sometimes making things better derails what you've already written. That bothered me a lot when I wrote the first Trefury book, but this time around I'm ripping out original or recently revised material without a second thought. I suppose that's a sign of writer's maturity? While the essence of the original story remains, it doesn't control the wonderful new directions the story has taken. If you don't let go and try, you'll never know how good it might have been. Just make sure you keep a copy of the old stuff in case the new bright idea doesn't pan out after all.

The last week and a half I set aside my novel to read someone else's. I'm always so grateful for these opportunities, especially if I enjoy the writing style of the person I'm critiquing for. While evaluating and trying to help them make their story stronger, I'm always taking notes in the back of my mind. Things like, "Oh yeah, I make that same mistake too!" or "Look how well this person handles (fill in the blank); I need to work on that." And I'll admit, because I try to be honest in my critiques, I go through several days, after turning it back in, of inner anxiety and misery. I'm always scared to death that the other person's going to hate me or think I'm crazy. The overall goal is to help them out and I always try to find good things to note as well as voicing my concerns. No one has sent me hate-mail yet. And I have to admit, I get a thrill out of seeing books I got to read before they were published, in published form. If only Goodreads would let me count them for my yearly books-read count.

Now I've got to swing back into writing mode for a couple of weeks before I get to beta read again for someone else. And I found out a couple of days ago that I get to do some copy editing and formatting for my mom as she gets ready to submit/publish her first books. I'll admit, it's awesome to look at my bookshelves and see novels written by family members. You see a different side of a relative when you get into their creative mind. At any rate, collectively, we're amassing an impressive family history collection of novels. I should mention all the artwork done by relatives too. To top that, my daughters have begged me to teach them more about creative writing and we've done some serious workshopping together this week. It's a growing legacy, and something I'm so happy to be in the middle of.

So that's it for now. Thanks for reading. I'd be delighted if you wanted to post your own writing update in the comments section. And as always, happy writing to all of you.

Writing Update for March

There comes a time, I think in every manuscript, where the writing grows sluggish. It's not that I've grown less enthusiastic about the story or have hit a block, the ability to write just isn't there. I hate those moments. The mental torture is excruciating as one part of my brain is still churning out ideas and tweaks, and the other side is stubbornly resisting all attempts to write even a sentence. Burn out phase? Maybe. It's always good to take a break. I had gotten a lot of writing done in December and January and a fair bit in February before this not-so-pleasant writing phenomenon took place.

That's not to say there hasn't been progress. There are days when I make myself sit down and work. The going is slow and laborious, but internally I'm happy because I'm doing something.

I finished up Part 1 and went to start on Part 2 and realized I needed to trim and streamline events to keep from getting redundant in sections. Whenever you can combine events, characters, story revelations, etc. it's always best to do so. Drawing things out to highlight each neat idea also draws out the pacing and often gets repetitive, much to the story's detriment. I blew apart Part 2, did a lot of combining, threw out some material and added in new material ideas. I love where it's going now. I know if I'm not bored with the story lines there's a good chance readers won't be either.

My time has become much more constrictive than it was two months ago, but at least when I sit down to write I'm no longer struggling to write a paragraph. It's become easier to let go of my surroundings and get into the zone of the story. The funny thing is I'm always positive that I'm writing a lot of drivel that will need massive edits once I come out of the zone. Yet when I go back and read what I put down I find the writing is better than when I'm not in the zone. That's kind of cool when you think about it.

So things are taking a darker turn in Trefury #2. I thought I'd get bogged down in large-scale, outside events rather than things closest to the characters, but so far I haven't. I suppose I could go back and write a ton of short stories or off-shoot novels dealing with those other things. Maybe I will sometime. The neat thing about detailed world-building is there is no limit to the stories you can tell, the scenarios you can explore, and the characters you can develop.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Ah, Valentine's Day. Cue the cuddling, frustration, or depression depending on what camp you're in, "The Mad Scientist Ruins Valentine's Day":

I'm a day early, but I don't blog on Sundays. To celebrate this weekend, here's some more insider tidbits about me. Let me know in the comments if you like what I like, or just what you like in the same categories.

My favorite love stories:
(Okay, I don't really read romance and if I do I prefer sweet romance to anything hot and heavy.)

The Blue Castle by L.M. Montomery
At twenty-nine Valancy had never been in love, and it seemed romance had passed her by. Living with her overbearing mother and meddlesome aunt, she found her only consolations in the " forbidden" books of John Foster and her daydreams of the Blue Castle. Then a letter arrived from Dr. Trent, and Valancy decided to throw caution to the winds. For the first time in her life Valancy did and said exactly what she wanted. Soon she discovered a surprising new world, full of love and adventures far beyond her most secret dreams.

Daddy Long Legs by Jean Webster
When Jerusha Abbott, an eighteen-year-old girl living in an orphan asylum, was told that a mysterious millionaire had agreed to pay for her education, it was like a dream come true. For the first time in her life, she had someone she could pretend was "family."
But everything was not perfect, for he chose to remain anonymous and asked that she only write him concerning her progress in school.
Who was this mysterious gentleman and would Jerusha ever meet him?

Emma by Jane Austen
Beautiful, clever, rich - and single - Emma Woodhouse is perfectly content with her life and sees no need for either love or marriage. Nothing, however, delights her more than interfering in the romantic lives of others. But when she ignores the warnings of her good friend Mr. Knightley and attempts to arrange a suitable match for her protegee Harriet Smith, her carefully laid plans soon unravel and have consequences that she never expected.


My favorite love songs:
"Truly, Madly, Deeply" by Savage Garden

 "If Your Not the One" by Daniel Bedingfield

"Stars Dance" by Selena Gomez

"Whenever You Call" by Mariah Carey

My favorite romantic movies:

 Daddy Long Legs (based off the book but different)
In this musical, American millionaire Jervis Pendleton (Fred Astaire) becomes taken with an orphan named Julie (Leslie Caron) while vacationing in France. Determined to improve the quality of Julie's life, he secretly sends money so she can receive a good education. After receiving a flurry of letters thanking her mysterious caretaker, Jervis decides to visit his pet project. When he arrives and sees that Julie has grown up into a beautiful young woman, he quickly falls for her.

I Love Melvin
Insignificant assistant photographer Melvin Hoover (Donald O'Connor) is instantly love-struck after meeting struggling actress and chorus line dancer Judy LeRoy (Debbie Reynolds). To win her over, Melvin greatly embellishes the importance of his position at a trendy magazine, claiming that with his help Judy could appear on the magazine's cover. Their budding romance is threatened, however, when Melvin's ploy is exposed to Judy and her entire family during a staged photo shoot.

Sabrina
Sabrina Fairchild (Julia Ormond) is a chauffeur's daughter who grew up with the wealthy Larrabee family. She always had unreciprocated feelings for David (Greg Kinnear), the family's younger son and playboy. But after returning from Paris, Sabrina has become a glamorous woman who gets David's attention. His older, work-minded brother Linus (Harrison Ford) thinks their courtship is bad for the family business and tries to break them up -- but then he starts to fall for her too.

Ever After: A Cinderella Story
This updated adaptation of the classic fairytale tells the story of Danielle (Drew Barrymore), a vibrant young woman who is forced into servitude after the death of her father. Danielle's stepmother Rodmilla (Anjelica Huston) is a heartless woman who forces Danielle to do the cooking and cleaning, while she tries to marry off her own two daughters. But Danielle's life takes a wonderful turn when she meets the charming Prince Henry (Dougray Scott).

Beauty and the Beast 
An arrogant young prince (Robby Benson) and his castle's servants fall under the spell of a wicked enchantress, who turns him into the hideous Beast until he learns to love and be loved in return. The spirited, headstrong village girl Belle (Paige O'Hara) enters the Beast's castle after he imprisons her father Maurice (Rex Everhart). With the help of his enchanted servants, including the matronly Mrs. Potts (Angela Lansbury), Belle begins to draw the cold-hearted Beast out of his isolation.

And just for fun, here's a couple more Valentine's Day clips from Studio C, "Changing Your Relationship Status":

... and "Aww Yeah":

Writing Update for January

I'm up to my head in intricate astralgic negotiations, summer rain forest season versus a volcanic winter, constant peril, and changing relationship dynamics. It's been a busy writing month. Sometimes I have to sit back and be still for a long time in order to digest the mad whirl going on in my imagination. It's heady. (lol) And while I'm trying to take it slow and in careful stages, I catch myself tripping ahead sometimes.

January has been a month of hard decision making. What to write, what to cut, what to change, what to insert, and what to rewrite. Oh, the rewrites! I groan as I realize I need to do it, I fight it, but I know that I'll always like the end result better than the original.

Save for a couple of these rewrites and one insertion, I've finished the first third of the book. The first third can be so exciting to set up the world for the reader, but also the most trying. It's all that introduction, first attempts and failures to be reckoned with. In a publishing time of slim mini-skirts, I'm attending the party in full 1700's ballroom regalia and I'll tell you what, it can be tricky navigating those narrow doorways in a crinoline. I trimmed back quite a bit this month and now find myself wondering if I've left too many holes and gaps. Parts of the story seemed skimmed over rather than fleshed out and it leaves me feeling wanting.

I'm writing an epic, I'm writing an epic ... (I have to constantly remind myself.) When I visit the library each week and glance through books I smile at the other epics on the shelves. They're my friends. They say it's possible and everything doesn't have to be in mini-skirt fashion. It's all about recognizing your genre and sticking to it.

I never used to suffer from so much hesitation and self-doubt until I became serious about publishing. Granted, I'm grateful for the research and feedback I gained, but I also gained a fear that never leaves my shoulder. It's easy enough to say, "Chuck it," to that fear, but once it's taken root you can't kill it. Fear that every choice I make is wrong. That despite how much I may like something I've written it will never be accepted by anyone else. I'm sure you know what I mean. If your reading this post, you're probably deep in the publishing waters and going through the same thing.

So I've labored with the fear on my shoulder, the ideas bursting in my head, and my emotions see-sawing between elation and dejection as I write and rewrite. Topping it off is a growing sense of isolation. To dive deeply into writing is to set yourself apart from others, and in my case, with the writing community. I pop up to the surface once in awhile to say hello or answer an email, but the overall sensation is that of sitting on a rock in the middle of the ocean while the party boats go by with their fanfare and camaraderie.

I have enjoyed my time writing and tend to lose track of the time and place when I'm in the zone. The great struggle to get the words down as they tumble out, to express emotions and places and events as they are in my head, I've loved it. Even as it has stretched me and caused me to lament at times.

I'm about a third of the way through the second book I'm simultaneously working on. That one has taken a back seat the last week since Trefury 2 needed more rewrites. When I get too bogged down or stuck in one world I have the other to jump into. Developments there give me a constant thrill as I work on it. The two main characters are very real and dynamic to me. Their worlds are so abstract and shifting I never get tired of settings. I know I'll feel a deep sense of loss when I reach the point of saying, "This one's done."

Do you ever feel the pull of several stories clamoring from their rough draft files towards you? I do. The more I work on one, the more I understand how they all connect and enhance each other. I thought writing on two books at once would calm the commotion. It did for a little bit, but the other stories are there, jostling for priority and position in the back of my mind, staring out at me from their 3-ring binder covers on my office shelves or their icons on my desktop. It's too much, yet I love it. How I ache to have the time, ability, and energy to write and write and write.

Common sense comes into play: "If you write all the time, Joyce, you will have no life to draw from. You love your life. You love the people in your life. Keep the balance."

So in the end, here I am, another tortured, artistic person striving to feed the creative beast, striving to be better as a writer, yet also trying to be the best and most well-rounded wife, mother, friend, daughter, neighbor that I can be. I wish I didn't tire out. I wish I didn't have to sleep or eat. There's too much I want to do and not enough life-time to do them in. At least the road is never boring or without drive and purpose.