This morning I finished reading 'Lord Vishnu's Love Handles: A Spy Novel (Sort Of)' by Will Clarke. I gotta say, I'm gonna miss it.
This book had it all: an alcoholic, hypochondriac protagonist who is either going crazy or becoming a psychic. When he starts seeing a blue man in an orange sheet, the shit really hits the fan. A secret government project inducts him into their services, where he learns that his 'abilities' are indeed real, and worth money. An insane cast of characters drives this book, including vampire-wannabees and goth-twins Sage and Rat, who have the ability to become one person. But the reason I bought this book was for the back flap, where Will's picture is displayed above the blurb: 'Will Clarke doesn't want you to know where he lives or what he's doing next.' I knew immediately that I would love the story.
And I did. The sheer absurdity of it gripped me and allowed me to lose myself. I laughed out loud every day. The first person POV sucked me in. Travis is 200% masculine and even admits that his motives are usually one of three things: sex, alcohol, or golf. The imagery was strangely clear despite the craziness and I don't think I'll ever forget this book.
And according to Maya Reynolds I wont have to. Seems that 'Vishnu' has been picked up by a production company and movie plans are in the works.
I can't wait. *grin*
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Starting Over and my first Meetup
First, I would like to stress that Cornith, Kansas is a black hole. A huge, sucking black hole that will eat you alive no matter how many times you think you're on the right road. Today I came the closest I've ever been to actually being lost, and that's saying something.
But the reason for my journey was worth the headache and blistering sun. I attended my first Writer's Meetup, a gathering of area writers in various stages of their own projects, who gather every other week to read and critique. This particular meeting featured guest speaker Tasha Haas, a creative writing instructor at the Lawrence Art Center. She spoke for nearly 4 hours on how to start writing your novel. I really didn't expect to learn much new information, since I'm already well into my own novel, but I couldn't let the opportunity slip by. So I surrendered my day to it.
I'm glad I went. I was the only new person in the group of 15, but everyone was extremely kind and open. We arranged the desks in a circle so that we could all see each other and just as I feared, we made a round of introductions. Each person stated their name, a bit about their project(s) and what their 'problems' were with the story. Most of the other novels-in-progress were sci-fi, fantasy, or future fics and most everyone had a good head start into the story. My mind raced with how best to describe my story, but alas, as soon as I opened my mouth, I blurt that it is a supernatural detective story and I fumbled with the rest of it. Now, I know damn well what the story is about, but explaining it in one or two sentences?? That was something I actually learned how to do today.
Our first group exercise was to list our five favorite novels. Right off the starting line, I fumble. Troubleshooter takes the first spot, followed by an embarassingly eclectic assembly of the only books I can remember reading: The Last Unicorn, The Light Fantastic, The Husband, and Wonder Boys. Two of these titles are movies, and two I've read within the past two months. I kept my mouth shut when we shared our lists.
The second exercise was to list five ideas for novels. A half-sized piece of paper had never looked so daunting as it did right then. Five ideas?? I only have one truly original idea every six months. So, I cheated:
#1: A world wherein people can see spirits (my current project)
#2: A giant alligator that lives in the sewer (my latest piece of fanfic)
#3: A serial killer clown (the piece of fanfic before that)
#4: A group of people tries to survive an attack of rabid dogs (plot from The Breed)
and #5: A man must overcome his chilhood trauma (reduced plot from 26 Days)
I sank in my chair, covered my paper, and tried to look as uninteresting as I possibly could. So of course, I get nominated to read my ideas.
I cringed and whimpered, but stuck in the spotlight, had no choice but to plunge ahead. I read as fast as I could, feeling myself turning red, and bounced my leg as I waited for the laughter to start. But after a brief pause, the facilitator of our little group said, "I really like the first idea." The others agreed, then added, "The first idea AND the last."
Stunned, I cracked a smile but said nothing as they elaborated. Ideas 2, 3, and 4 are tired and cheap. But numbers 1 and 5 have open endings. They make people think. Had there been more time, I would have been asked to further develop those ideas in front of the group. But the clock kept ticking and we were forced to move ahead.
Tasha quoted that "We do not choose our characters, they chose us." We were asked to think about what that means and share ideas. While I kept silent, I knew the quote was accurate. Leland's character- his role- my not have been my idea, but the person he is today is something he and I have discussed at great length, over the course of many months. It feels wrong to say I 'own' him, because he often times will think for himself and do things or say things that surprise me. It's made us close, made me feel like I know him inside and out, and I think that is a mandatory relationship for any character-driven story.
We were urged to set deadlines and goals. As much as I hate to, it is a good habit to form. I honestly did get more work done when I made myself write a page a day. I'll have to revisit that.
The topic of research came up, and the issue of how much is too much and also, the dangers of not doing enough. Tasha urged us to not get caught up in research. Write from the heart, while the fire is burning inside you, and go back later. Don't use research as a distraction. Think of it as creating a movie set- you only need enough to make things look real during that point in time. Research should do a service to the story, not weigh it down with un-needed details.
Then came the topic of Structure and Focus. Another group exercise. Write your story's Topic, the 'Burning Question', and the Theme (or the potential answer to the question). For example:
Topic: War between good and evil, human potential
Question: Can good triumph over bad? Does personal interest hamper one's sense of honor and duty?
Theme: Yes/But- good does triumph, but not without a price.
The theme, obviously, is withheld until the end of the story. A good novel can be compared to a sports game: we go to watch two similarly talented teams play each other, and we want to see a struggle. We want to see the close call, the overtime, the bloodshed and heated competition. I knew that the antag should be a formidable foe, but this analogy really works for me.
The rest of the workshop was quick and to the point. During a break, I talked a little with the girl next to me who had a similar interest with the concept of a secret society in the modern day world. She said her problem is that after creating scenarios, she can't plot them out, can't create a story. I think this is where character comes in. I was lucky to have found my character first, then developed his story from his essence. They compliment each other and neither is a cardboard cut out of a hero or plot. Which, at times, is the very thing that makes me want to put a gun to my head. I have no road map.
Hence the theme of this blog- a reminder that I will, one day, look back on this and laugh.
I hope.
So the whole experience was worth it. The whole getting lost, sweat dripping down my spine as cruised the busy streets of Prairie Veiw, Kansas blaring Zepplin from my speakers. I never lost that overwhelming sense of stage fright, but I left with nearly everyone's invitations to join the group again. I don't know if I will- I don't think I could handle being critiqued by a group of strangers just yet. I'm still struggling to figure out the story myself. What if my favorite scene was read, and no one liked it? What would I do? Probably burst into tears. I'm writing this story for myself, because it's something *I* want to see. And yes, it *is* a dream of mine to be published and known. Yes, I know it won't happen if I don't ever share the story. But the space between those ledges is deep and dark and I know that hundreds of razor-sharp rocks wait at the bottom. I need someone to hold my hand.
But the thing I loved most is that one of the writers, a woman, was able to discuss her story about the cross-breeding between elves and goblins and her heroine's struggle to fit in amongst them- and not a single soul laughed at her. It takes one to know one, I guess, and there is nothing quite like a room full of writers.
All this almost makes starting my novel over a little more bearable.
I can't wait until MWW.
me
But the reason for my journey was worth the headache and blistering sun. I attended my first Writer's Meetup, a gathering of area writers in various stages of their own projects, who gather every other week to read and critique. This particular meeting featured guest speaker Tasha Haas, a creative writing instructor at the Lawrence Art Center. She spoke for nearly 4 hours on how to start writing your novel. I really didn't expect to learn much new information, since I'm already well into my own novel, but I couldn't let the opportunity slip by. So I surrendered my day to it.
I'm glad I went. I was the only new person in the group of 15, but everyone was extremely kind and open. We arranged the desks in a circle so that we could all see each other and just as I feared, we made a round of introductions. Each person stated their name, a bit about their project(s) and what their 'problems' were with the story. Most of the other novels-in-progress were sci-fi, fantasy, or future fics and most everyone had a good head start into the story. My mind raced with how best to describe my story, but alas, as soon as I opened my mouth, I blurt that it is a supernatural detective story and I fumbled with the rest of it. Now, I know damn well what the story is about, but explaining it in one or two sentences?? That was something I actually learned how to do today.
Our first group exercise was to list our five favorite novels. Right off the starting line, I fumble. Troubleshooter takes the first spot, followed by an embarassingly eclectic assembly of the only books I can remember reading: The Last Unicorn, The Light Fantastic, The Husband, and Wonder Boys. Two of these titles are movies, and two I've read within the past two months. I kept my mouth shut when we shared our lists.
The second exercise was to list five ideas for novels. A half-sized piece of paper had never looked so daunting as it did right then. Five ideas?? I only have one truly original idea every six months. So, I cheated:
#1: A world wherein people can see spirits (my current project)
#2: A giant alligator that lives in the sewer (my latest piece of fanfic)
#3: A serial killer clown (the piece of fanfic before that)
#4: A group of people tries to survive an attack of rabid dogs (plot from The Breed)
and #5: A man must overcome his chilhood trauma (reduced plot from 26 Days)
I sank in my chair, covered my paper, and tried to look as uninteresting as I possibly could. So of course, I get nominated to read my ideas.
I cringed and whimpered, but stuck in the spotlight, had no choice but to plunge ahead. I read as fast as I could, feeling myself turning red, and bounced my leg as I waited for the laughter to start. But after a brief pause, the facilitator of our little group said, "I really like the first idea." The others agreed, then added, "The first idea AND the last."
Stunned, I cracked a smile but said nothing as they elaborated. Ideas 2, 3, and 4 are tired and cheap. But numbers 1 and 5 have open endings. They make people think. Had there been more time, I would have been asked to further develop those ideas in front of the group. But the clock kept ticking and we were forced to move ahead.
Tasha quoted that "We do not choose our characters, they chose us." We were asked to think about what that means and share ideas. While I kept silent, I knew the quote was accurate. Leland's character- his role- my not have been my idea, but the person he is today is something he and I have discussed at great length, over the course of many months. It feels wrong to say I 'own' him, because he often times will think for himself and do things or say things that surprise me. It's made us close, made me feel like I know him inside and out, and I think that is a mandatory relationship for any character-driven story.
We were urged to set deadlines and goals. As much as I hate to, it is a good habit to form. I honestly did get more work done when I made myself write a page a day. I'll have to revisit that.
The topic of research came up, and the issue of how much is too much and also, the dangers of not doing enough. Tasha urged us to not get caught up in research. Write from the heart, while the fire is burning inside you, and go back later. Don't use research as a distraction. Think of it as creating a movie set- you only need enough to make things look real during that point in time. Research should do a service to the story, not weigh it down with un-needed details.
Then came the topic of Structure and Focus. Another group exercise. Write your story's Topic, the 'Burning Question', and the Theme (or the potential answer to the question). For example:
Topic: War between good and evil, human potential
Question: Can good triumph over bad? Does personal interest hamper one's sense of honor and duty?
Theme: Yes/But- good does triumph, but not without a price.
The theme, obviously, is withheld until the end of the story. A good novel can be compared to a sports game: we go to watch two similarly talented teams play each other, and we want to see a struggle. We want to see the close call, the overtime, the bloodshed and heated competition. I knew that the antag should be a formidable foe, but this analogy really works for me.
The rest of the workshop was quick and to the point. During a break, I talked a little with the girl next to me who had a similar interest with the concept of a secret society in the modern day world. She said her problem is that after creating scenarios, she can't plot them out, can't create a story. I think this is where character comes in. I was lucky to have found my character first, then developed his story from his essence. They compliment each other and neither is a cardboard cut out of a hero or plot. Which, at times, is the very thing that makes me want to put a gun to my head. I have no road map.
Hence the theme of this blog- a reminder that I will, one day, look back on this and laugh.
I hope.
So the whole experience was worth it. The whole getting lost, sweat dripping down my spine as cruised the busy streets of Prairie Veiw, Kansas blaring Zepplin from my speakers. I never lost that overwhelming sense of stage fright, but I left with nearly everyone's invitations to join the group again. I don't know if I will- I don't think I could handle being critiqued by a group of strangers just yet. I'm still struggling to figure out the story myself. What if my favorite scene was read, and no one liked it? What would I do? Probably burst into tears. I'm writing this story for myself, because it's something *I* want to see. And yes, it *is* a dream of mine to be published and known. Yes, I know it won't happen if I don't ever share the story. But the space between those ledges is deep and dark and I know that hundreds of razor-sharp rocks wait at the bottom. I need someone to hold my hand.
But the thing I loved most is that one of the writers, a woman, was able to discuss her story about the cross-breeding between elves and goblins and her heroine's struggle to fit in amongst them- and not a single soul laughed at her. It takes one to know one, I guess, and there is nothing quite like a room full of writers.
All this almost makes starting my novel over a little more bearable.
I can't wait until MWW.
me
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Manuscripts Sent
Today I mailed the synopsis and five-page summary for '26 Days' and 'Descent into Darkness'.
Caroline and I will be attending the 2007 Midwest Writer's Workshop in July, and there our manuscripts will be evaluated by Dennis Hensely. Both 'scripts are also entered in the Manny Contest. They looked so professional; clean white pages with crisp black print- both just a fraction of the product that months of heartache and struggling have produced. I'm not expecting to blow anyone away with my writing, but I do hope I don't get eaten alive. I think the 15 minutes of scrutiny will be the most nerve-racking of my entire life. At least I'll have a shoulder to cry on afterwards.
Somehow, handing the envelope to the postal worker today validated all my work. All of a sudden, I have a story- a novel (or at least part of one). I am a writer and I owe it to Leland and Auggie to keep telling their story. They're good boys, they're special, and they're mine.
Today was for all my boys, Caroline's gang included. Look out, world- they're on the way.
That is, if I can ever get past this 'jail scene'. Leland has just been arrested and dumped in a cell, where the memories of ten years past return to haunt him. What's the purpose of this scene? My original thought was to transition Leland from shock to anger/revenge. Dax becomes a serious opposition with the power to squish Leland and everything he loves. But a lovely chemistry has developed between the hero and a fellow cell mate- is this character more than a tool for introspection? Does he provide a bit of information, something that gives Leland an advantage over the Antag?
The characters are all nodding at me like I'm the clueless substitute teacher.
Also, I finished 'Troubleshooter' today and I must say, I loved it. I wasn't aware that Tim, the protag, is a reoccuring character in Mr. Hurwitz's novels, but I plan on reading more of the series. Reading this book was like watching a movie- the action was explosive, the dialogue sharp and witty, and I was always guessing what the next move would be. The attention to detail is amazing and must have taken more research than I can imagine. The minor characters were endearing in their own way, and I'd like to get to know them better. This is definately one of the best bargin-bin books I've bought and I highly recomend it to anyone.
33 days until my bestest friend arrives!
me
Sunday, June 17, 2007
First Post
Bear with my while I dig up my old html skills. It's been a while.
This blog was created after much enthusiastic prodding by a close friend. The purpose is so that we may connect with other aspiring (or published) authors while we each struggle through our own first novels. Writing is what brought us together but friendship and understanding is what's kept us close- and perhaps the creation of this blog will be the catalyst for more miracles.
I have no hopes or goals for this, other than using it as a place to ramble through sticky plot-holes or writer's cramps. If you believe in such a thing.
Writing has enriched my life in ways I'd never thought possible.
I've devoured many books on How to Write and one of the most inspiring for me is written by Anne Lamott: Bird by Bird. She writes that you must trust yourself, and your character- your story- enough to just let go and write what wants to be written. She akins it to riding in the woods and letting the horse find the way home, and I've never found a more lovely analogy. I keep it with me all the time, remembering it, using it as a touchstone when my struggles deepen. Trust your unconsciousness, your intuition, and you will never be left in the dark.
Enjoy what little words of wisdom may slip out, as this blog is not meant to be anything other than a silent confidant, a place to both rant and celebrate as I navigate the long, dark road of novel writing.
Til next time,
emily
This blog was created after much enthusiastic prodding by a close friend. The purpose is so that we may connect with other aspiring (or published) authors while we each struggle through our own first novels. Writing is what brought us together but friendship and understanding is what's kept us close- and perhaps the creation of this blog will be the catalyst for more miracles.
I have no hopes or goals for this, other than using it as a place to ramble through sticky plot-holes or writer's cramps. If you believe in such a thing.
Writing has enriched my life in ways I'd never thought possible.
I've devoured many books on How to Write and one of the most inspiring for me is written by Anne Lamott: Bird by Bird. She writes that you must trust yourself, and your character- your story- enough to just let go and write what wants to be written. She akins it to riding in the woods and letting the horse find the way home, and I've never found a more lovely analogy. I keep it with me all the time, remembering it, using it as a touchstone when my struggles deepen. Trust your unconsciousness, your intuition, and you will never be left in the dark.
Enjoy what little words of wisdom may slip out, as this blog is not meant to be anything other than a silent confidant, a place to both rant and celebrate as I navigate the long, dark road of novel writing.
Til next time,
emily
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