Lily - Neon Vagabond - Fantasy and Thriller

Adverbs and Word Count

2012-01-28T12:09:00.000-06:00

For any writer, especially those who are always reading internet articles about the craft of fiction (guilty as charged), we're all familiar with the age-old banes – adverbs and word count.

First and foremost, here's the only right answer for the appropriate word count for a novel.

It depends on the story and the genre.

Sorry, no secrets, no protocols, no right one answer.

My psychological thriller is 54,000 words. That's an ideal word count for a fast-paced mystery, and appropriate as a manuscript submission.

Let's pretend the story is the romance genre. 54,000 words would define it as a novella, an automatic rejection if submitted as a novel, and the story wouldn't have a snowball chance in hell.

It just depends.

For those who are writing the kind of story that calls for a higher word count, Sci-fi is a good example as it tends to have very high word counts, the common complaint is, how do I boost my word count?

This is where the other bane comes into play – adverbs.

I've seen many times from a variety of people (writers, editors, publishers) that you should avoid adverbs. For quite some time I wondered... why? Adverbs are easy. It's grammatically correct. What's the problem?

I understood early on that from a reader's perspective, sounding out “ly” every second word in their heads gets annoying rather fast. Also, too many adverbs looks unprofessional.

So, I concentrated on avoiding that “ly” factor, but I only understood it on a superficial level. Editors and publishers frown upon an abundance of adverbs, so don't do it. Right. But it took me awhile to realize that by not using adverbs, it boosted my word count without even being aware of the word count.

Here's what I've learned. Adverbs have the potential of replacing at least one whole sentence. Rather than using adverbs, I concentrated on describing things in detail. Adverbs are greedy little bastards that with eat up word count.

Random example:

Adverbs

He plainly saw there was clearly no way across the room, obviously. (Word count = 12)

No Adverbs

He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, but his vision was still blurred. After putting one foot down on the clean floor, the left shoe slipped forward and his shoulder crashed against the wall. He decided it was a bad day, turned around, and went back to bed. (Word count = 49)

As you can see from my rough example, I replaced a sentence with a paragraph just by not using any adverbs.

Weird, isn't it? Back when I first started writing, I really thought using a lot of adverbs would boost my word count, and now I see it's the opposite.

My final word on adverbs is that there's nothing wrong with them as long as it's the right use of grammar and they're not used as a substitute for crafting fictions. So, use adverbs sparingly.

Villains and I how I learned to love them

2012-01-24T11:52:00.000-06:00

I had gotten a good grip on character development for a protagonist, hero, anti-hero, side characters, sidekicks... just about everything except villains.
My understanding of villains, I'm not proud to admit, was superficial. I had a lesson to learn and any villain I tried to create ended up coming across as yet another random bad guy. And I honestly didn't know why.

I made my villains as evil as possible, I didn't hold back with anything graphic, violent, etc, so what was the problem? I couldn't put my finger on it for the longest time until my latest book.

Every villain needs to have a flaw, which I already knew, it was my choices of flaws that was the problem.

Villain happens to be serial killer? So what? That within itself isn't a flaw, as I've learned. It's a purpose, an occupation, but not a flaw.

Then it dawned on me. Flaws and character development for antagonists are exactly the same as they are for protagonist. It's just the other side, the mirror image, if you will. Two opposite sides of the same coin.

Once I understood that, I understood the right choices for flaws.

Laziness, sloth, greed, selfishness, the list goes on. This opened up a lot for me and help make the story much more well-rounded. It can be any flaws, and there can be more than one, but it has to be a flaw that people (the readers) can relate to. If I really wanted to be creative about it, I could give a villain a flaw that would be positive under any other circumstances. Yearnings for love, fame, riches. A lot of possibilities.

I truly believed if I made a villain more human, give them a flaw, then they wouldn't be villains anymore. I was pleasantly surprised to see I was wrong. Giving the villain a flaw that's easily understood, made the character more of a villain. It twisted around my thinking. I was shocked by how well it worked.

I learned to love the villain. I could feel his pain. Sounds cheesy, I know, but it's true. I could sympathize with him.

I think this is why I held myself back with character development for a villain for so long.

I didn't want to relate to the f*ckers.

But it's too late to go back now. I'm here, I've learned, I'm moving onward and forward.

Layer Writing

2012-01-23T16:01:00.000-06:00

One thing I've never agreed with is the claim from any aspiring author, that they're a “layer writer.”
It's complete BS. No such thing, doesn't exist, buy hey, nice try.

The thing is about layer writing, and this is something I learned repeatedly with my latest book, is that it comes naturally. Fleshing out the story during and after is a natural process of crafting fiction.

It just happens.

Spending all focus on writing the skeleton of a story only and saying, “Oh, I'll add layers later,” is lazy. It's a very bad habit. And more often than not, a sole focus on layer writing will prevent an author from finishing a story. No author, aspiring or published, will enjoy being blocked. So, you know, just don't.

Also, chances are, if you wait until later, you'll lose that initial inspiration and wonder... what was I thinking again?

Crafting fiction takes a lot of brain work. It's never easy, but for me, it's worth every word and braincell.

I'm very glad I got the hang of outline writing for my latest book. If something slipped my mind, I could just read through my outlines and my brain would get restarted instantly.

There were several points in the story where I found I needed to stop, think about things a bit, apply yet another layer, then keep going with the story. I found by adding layers as I went along, when needed, the story became more real to me and made it that much easier to get to the end.

What I found to be an interesting experience for me, and a brand new one, was realizing not only did I need to add another layer to keep going, I needed more inspiration. And a funny thing about inspiration, it can come out of nowhere.

There were three moments specifically where I felt I had been stopped cold. Three separate inspirations helped me to keep going. (Bookmark this blog post. When the book is published and you reread this post, you'll find this hysterical). The first was outlaw country. The second, ghosts. The third, a dead squirrel I found on the sidewalk near my house. Yes, sometimes inspiration really does fall out of the sky. Weird but true.

These three inspirations inspired me to add layers that I wouldn't have thought of beforehand, and definitely not once I finished the story. I couldn't be more grateful I added the layers as I went along. It's definitely the way to go.

It can seem tedious to stop, go back through what's already written, just to add this other layer, but I didn't find it tedious. I found it satisfying to watch the story come alive. And I wouldn't trade that experience for anything in the world.

Using Outlines

2012-01-19T16:42:00.001-06:00

One valuable lesson I learned is how to actually use an outline. Once I moved on from writing the synopsis, I then got a grip on writing an outline. But knowing how to use it was a different matter, so I sat here, scratching my head.

It's not obvious.

Outlines are never written in stone. Things change, stories evolve, become something different, something unexpected. That's half the fun right there, the “making up fiction” part. I learned that there needs to be a balance between making it up and keeping things organized. In other words, outline and crafting fiction.

For my latest book, I wrote a total of three outlines. Why? Because I was still learning as I went along. The second is a revised version of the first, once the story began changing, so I wrote it all down, including the possible outcomes based on these new events. In retrospect, I could have given the first outline more thought and put most of this stuff in, but again, stories can change in unexpected ways. I can't predict the future, but I can make pretty good guesses about possibilities from my story idea.

The third outline was something different and just for the sake of keeping everything organized as best as I could. It's not easy juggling a mystery. I wrote the third in point form (the other two are in paragraph form), and color coded all the clues. This clue goes with that clue, etc. It was something I decided to do when I was about 10 chapters into the story. I suddenly realized there was a lot more to juggle than expected (the story had changed, again).

I have no idea if I'll do this again. Like I said, I was still learning and probably won't have to write more than one outline for the next book. At least I hope not. It was a bit anal of me...

Then I kept writing, kept checking my outlines, kept making little tweaks, and overall, went back and forth a lot between the outlines and the manuscript. It worked out well, even better than I'd hoped. Having those outlines on hand helped a great deal to drive me to finish the manuscript.

It wasn't always smooth sailing. There were moments of panic where I had to take a long break, take a step back or just go for a walk. Sometimes I needed to let certain ideas brew and simmer in my mind before I could tackle the next scene/chapter.

The outlines I wrote were my navigator, and my ability to write chose the direction. The combination of both, let me arrive at my intended destination. And what was that? My synopsis.

Synopsis and Outline: don't leave home without them.

2012-01-14T12:34:00.000-06:00

Since my personal work has slowed down quite a bit, website is redesigned, new blog layout, etc, I'd like to share a few writing lessons I learned while working on my latest book. To see current and planned projects, visit the Brain.

The first lesson, the meaning of a synopsis and an outline. Like a lot of writers, I also believed I didn't need a synopsis or an outline. I can just sit down and write a whole book, outlines are for sissies! And then I learned...

I began thinking of it this way, a synopsis and outlines are like filing cabinets. The point of both is to create tools that allow me to organize ideas and write a completed book.

The idea for a potential story comes first, then a 1 paragraph synopsis, then a 1 -2 page outline. It's more than the creative process. It's the process of making ideas into something tangible, something real, and more than just a thought jostling around in my head.

Lesson learned: Outlines are not ideas. They're just a way to organize ideas.

To be brutally honest, I know that there's no way in living hell I would have completed a whole thriller novel without writing an outline first. I strongly suspect this is where aspiring writers fail to finish their project and give the wrong impression of themselves. I know I did that, I'm writing a book! Well, no, it's not finished... I can't tell you what it's about and... um... yeah.

Seriously, write an outline. It will save you so much grief.

Here's another winning point. Having an outline first, allowed me to have much more fun writing the book. It may seem like a contradiction, but it's true. Being organized meant having more fun than just making up BS and hoping (foolishly) that it all makes sense in the end.

I'll put it another way. I've tried to write a total of 4 novels. The one that worked and completed, is the only one where I wrote a full outline first. That's proof enough for me.

Now, about the synopsis. That did take me a bit longer to learn than outline writing. A synopsis should be about 3 sentences, 5 max, and summarizes the whole story. You say, impossible! Yeah, I thought that, too. A whole book, before it's written, in 3 measly sentences?!

Here's why the synopsis should be written first. Once a manuscript is complete, even as only the first draft, it's very difficult for any author to be objective because they see all the connections and can't separate. Every author who truly cares about their work will lovingly craft every single word. And that's the part agents/publishers DON'T want to know, and frankly, neither do the readers. All anyone wants to know is, is it a good story? Does it make sense? Why should I read?

See? The answers are a total of three sentences.

I've read and studied a lot of articles about synopsis writing, and a lot of them were both useless and confusing. It's actually very simple.

Sentence 1 - Introduce main character, setting and purpose.

Sentence 2 - Present the conflict in the story. No conflict? No story.

Sentence 3 - How the conflict is resolved.

Sentence 3 took me the longest to understand. It's not the ending of a story, it's not the resolution, it's how the conflict is resolved. I didn't have to give anything away, just present a choice the character makes, if they choose one or the other, there will be resolution. That's all.

Catching up and showing progress

2012-01-13T13:26:00.002-06:00

I know my online presence has gotten a bit dusty lately, due to working on a lot things. I've often wondered how online authors find the time to juggle multiple blogs and social networking. I'm always too occupied with my various creative projects. To me, authors who are online 24/7 isn't always a sign they're an active writer. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy sharing via the blog and facebook, but I can't help to question an online author who's always blogging. Honestly, where do they find the time?! They have superpowers...

That aside, this is a big catching up post. The past year has been quite eventful for me.

First, last winter, my laptop died. It was quite sad, but all files are saved and nothing was lost. So I had to drag out the old desktop, and that's what I've been working with. But, the post-apocalypse story I was working on is now sitting on a disk, and not on a computer. I would like to get back to that one at some point before my death. Either that, or write beyond the grave. Any volunteer hosts for when I'm a ghost?

Second, another story you may recall has the working title of Strays, well, it just didn't work out. I worked on that one, on and off, for a total of two years and wrote four different versions, a good 300 pages each. Here's what happened.

The first version was written in the first person, alternating chapters between the two main characters. It didn't work, mainly because it's not a romance. And it came across as rather amateur. I honestly thought the genre is general drama and didn't think much about that.

So I wrote a second version, third person, alternating chapters. It still didn't work. I realized there's more mystery than drama, and the story didn't reflect that.

Being the stubborn person that I am, I wrote a third version, all third person. It was a lot better, and all that writing was excellent practice. My writing style and author's voice fully developed as a result. I was ecstatic at my progress, definitely getting there with my long-time goal of being a novelist. But I ran into a snag. As I was working on query letters and outlines so I can publish the damn thing, I got frustrated. Lesson learned here, write the outline and synopsis before writing the book.

In two separate conversations, I vented my frustrations to friends. What am I suppose to do? Rewrite all 300 pages as a romance just for the sake of getting published and sell my soul? It's supposed to be more mystery than drama, a little bit of a love story but that's not the main plot. Ugh!

So we talked about some of the ideas in the story, and they both said the same thing. "Huh, that sounds like Hitchcock." And I went........ oh. Oh! Psychological thriller! Of course! Lesson learned here, always choose the genre before writing the book.

I was very excited. My hard work, experimentation, and constant practice was starting to pay off. I had reached that magical point where writing is like flexing a muscle. Writing style, check. Author's voice, check. Chosen genres, Fantasy and Thriller, check. I made it, I'm here!

In my excitement, I sat down and wrote a fourth version, with the focus of psychological thriller. (Stubborn, remember?) I really believed this was it. After I finished and received some feedback from friends, I took a long objective look at the story. It still doesn't work. I got it very close, but not quite. And I could see the only way to fix this was to write a fifth version, clean slate, start over from scratch. After two years trying, I was burnt out with the story. I had to cut my losses and move on.

I don't regret any of it. Working on that story gave me the needed experience to get to where I am now. No regrets at all. But I will admit, I got way ahead of myself and took the scenic route. It's worked for me, but I wouldn't recommend doing things the hard way like I did.

I was still quite excited, wanted to keep trying the thriller genre, so I looked through my Giant Folder of Ideas (that's not what it's really called on my computer, that's just how I think of it). I came across a story idea I had back in 2003, that I didn't know what to do with, so I just wrote a rough one page and stuffed it in that folder. I took one look at it and instantly thought, this would make a fantastic psychological thriller! I was beyond excited, practically shaking with excitement.

I kept in mind my learned lessons, wrote a synopsis and two page outline, then spent five months straight writing a true psychological thriller. And I'm damn proud of the novel. If I died tomorrow, I would die very happy knowing I've accomplished what I set out to do.

Hello, I'm Lily, author of fantasy and thriller, and it's wonderful to meet you.

While I was working on the book, I noticed my website was falling apart. That's a disadvantage of independent author. Working on one thing meant something else was going to fall apart. It's not easy juggling everything by myself. So I decided once I was finished the manuscript, in order to not drive myself insane while editing, I'd do a major re-haul of my website, designed in a way that reflects where I am now as an author and an artist. And I love my new website. It's fun, interactive, and what I always wanted my website to be.

Yesterday, I submitted the first query letter for my psychological thriller. Keep your fingers crossed for me, you never know, it might be published sooner rather than later.

(And now, I'm going to do a badly needed re-haul of this blog).

Update: new blog layut and the poem, Long Term, is now in the Vault.

Website is live!

2012-01-12T13:27:00.000-06:00

The website is live. There might be some broken links and such, if so, leave a comment here. Otherwise, you should be able to view all the fun stuff!

Note: you might have to refresh to view the new pages.

Enjoy!

Excitement!

2012-01-12T11:58:00.001-06:00

I'm both excited and nervous that after a total of 3 months of hard work, the new website should go live today. There's still a few things to work on but it's mostly behind the scenes stuff.

New Features include:

Vault - A collection of all short stories and poetry.
Gallery - one that actually works with a neat hover effect.
Brain - see my brain, all various projects I work on (a lot more than just writing)
Vagabond Shop - a number of artwork as cool t-shirts for sale (might be more products, check back often)
Bootleg - Eden Fell free download.

Now, don't freak out, but I've decided to put the Newsletter and Contests on hold until the need arises. It's just me working on all of this and I've realized I've overtaxed myself. I love doing the newsletter and contests, I really do, I just can't keep up for now. Hopefully someday very soon. (I need more web demons working for me).

I'll post an annoucement here when the website is live. Exciting!

Get Everything for Free

2011-12-20T14:14:00.000-06:00

I've decided to boycott most online retailers. There's been too many problems that have been going on for too long. They have a total monopoly on ebook sales and it's only getting worse.

As soon as possible, Eden Fell will be available as a free download, all short stories and poetry will be free to read on my website.

This is Lily signing off with a big fuck you at the corporate communist retailers, and a big warm message of Don't Buy It, Get It For Free. Because that's how much I love my readers and love writing stories.

It Fits in Your Pocket! It Runs Over your Neighbor's Dog!

2011-12-02T16:35:00.000-06:00

Brand new web design coming! Here's a little preview of what's to come. New features will include audio of all writing, full short stories and not just excerpts, and interactive fun. Stay tuned!

http://lilyauthor.com/preview/web%20test.htm

None of the links are active yet. If any link works, it'll take you somewhere you probably don't want to be. At which point, look for an escape pod

Contest Genres

2011-09-06T10:51:00.000-05:00

I forgot to list the named genres for the contest. Mainly because there isn't really a 2nd or 3rd place, just first place.

Anyway, without further ado, here it is:

Melodie - Erotic Fable

That was interesting because I hadn't thought of it as a fable per se. A definite posibility.

Sandie - Paranormal Romance.

In a lot of ways, this genre would have been much easier, since it's such a well known genre and there are rules that can be followed. It was tempting.

Heidi - Erotic Psychedelic Fantasy

Heidi is the first place winner just because I'm utterly fascinated by the possibilities with psychedelic. So that's the first place winner.

'Til next time!

Winners!

2011-09-02T20:54:00.000-05:00

The winners of the Name that Genre contest are (drum roll please):

Heidi
Sandie
Melodie

*CHEERS*

The winners will be contacted soon about the details of their prize.

Next contest will take place in the autumn, so check back often!

The Countdown Begins!

2011-08-20T19:49:00.000-05:00

5 days left to enter the contest and win a prize. A new, never seen before short story, Sand Crystals, about a murderous mermaid, will be in the Ebook prize. Choose your prize and win! http://lilyauthor.com/contest.html

Ta Da! Contest!

2011-07-24T12:40:00.000-05:00

Introducing the Name that Genre Contest!

Warning: Due to violence and sex, this is not recommended for anyone under age 18. Trust me, heat rating of 1000. I'm not exaggerating. You've been warned.
Rules:

Read a small scene I wrote that doesn't have a plot or a genre. Then once you've read it, submit your genre ideas for a chance to win a prize.

Read the story HERE

Submit your genre ideas HERE

Three prizes up for grabs: Eden Fell Paperback, Ebook of Short Stories, Ebook of Poetry

Only one winner per prize. The sooner you enter, the greater chance of winning.

Deadline: August 25th, 2011

Best of luck to everyone!

It's seriously been since April??? Oh, and a contest

2011-07-02T14:45:00.001-05:00

Wow, I'm so sorry. I've been struggling, in between computers, and biding my time while I wait for a better set up. I'm slowly but surely getting things back into shape now.

So it appears during my time away, there's been a blogger update. I no longer need to use Captcha for posting comments. Yay! I really didn't like having to do that, but there wasn't any other way before. This blog is now Captcha free :)

Second most important thing, I've started a new psychological thriller with a southern gothic flair that I absolutely love. It has plot twists that will blow your mind. Sex, violence, intrigue, suspense, yum, can't get much better than this :D I just finished chapter 10, and hope to be finished the draft of a manuscript by the end of the month. I'm loving this story so much, it's straightforward, simple, and highly entertaining.

Last, but certainly not least, I will be starting a contest in the next couple of weeks. I don't have set dates yet, but as soon as I do, I'll post all information here. For the meantime, here's a little info about the contest so everyone can be prepared to get involved. You don't want to miss this one!

Name that Genre Contest!

I wrote a little drabble awhile ago that I don't know what to do with. It's a scene, nothing more. There's no plot. Why doesn't it have a plot? Because I can't seem to figure out the genre to save my life! It's too short and plotless to even be a short story. I have no idea what to do with it...

There's horror, fantasy, mythology, and, um, A LOT of erotica. Maybe some other elements, I'm not sure. Seriously, if there was a heat rating, it would be 1000.

So I'm using this drabble for a contest :D

WARNING: Due to the graphic nature of the drabble, this contest is not for the faint of heart or anyone underage. Sorry, just the way it is. For mature minded people only :)

Deadline for the contest will either be the middle of September or beginning of October (I'm hoping for the former).

Info on prizes and rules will be posted as soon as possible. The drabble will be posted on my website, link pending. In other words, as soon as I get to it ;)

George Straatman – A Quarter Century Novelist

2011-04-12T12:15:00.001-05:00

George Straatman, author of The Converging Trilogy, spent twenty-five years creating a vast world of horror and the supernatural. On a personal note, a quarter of a century boggles my mind. I bitch and moan if it takes me long than three months to finish at least a draft of a complete story. Twenty-five years, now that's dedication.

The best news is the trilogy is complete. The final novel, The Converging: Closures in Blood, is now available.

Summary:

The Converging: Closures in Blood is the concluding volume of George Straatman’s epic Converging horror trilogy. Though rooted firmly in the horror/supernatural thriller genre, Closures in Blood is a skilful weaving of intense action and compelling drama that will stand as a fitting finale to this dark and richly imagined tale.

Closures in Blood is a frenetic roller coaster ride into darkest depths of the Converging universe…a place where the vile and the righteous will find a grim measure or resolution in the explosive conclusion to this master work of dark horror.

So what are you waiting for? Go check it out!

Website: www.georgestraatman.com

Good Reads Profile: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3046802.George_Straatman

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=100000476785560

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/Geoconverge

Purchase:

Sony Ebook - http://ebookstore.sony.com/search?keyword=george+straatman

Amazon Kindle - http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=george+straatman&x=15&y=19

Kobo Books - http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/ebooks/search/?keywords=george%20straatman&pageSize=12

It can also be purchased at Barnes & Noble, Apple and Smashwords.

Q & A FOR CLOSURE IN BLOOD

1. What are the primary themes of this final segment?

As the title would imply, the novel’s plot revolves around putting a measure of closure to the story elements that have bridged the trilogy. By the conclusion of this novel, all of the primary characters who have populated the world of the Converging will have found a sense of resolution by the novel’s closing page. In addition to this, the story deals with the protagonist’s search for personal redemption and atonement for her culpability in Cynara Saravic’s twisted tapestry of evil.

2. Is there one common theme that ties the three segments of the trilogy together?

This is first and foremost, a horror trilogy and its roots are fixed deep in the dark soil of the supernatural thriller genre, but really, the story transcends the genre to become more of an intense drama about one woman’s thirty-five years search for a degree of normalcy after the foundations of her life have been eradicated by cataclysm events. Elizabeth’s painful and often tragic journey is really a metaphor for perseverance and a sustained belief in the compelling power of hope. The horror elements merely serve as a vehicle through which this story is told.

3. How long did it take to complete the full Converging cycle?

The full cycle took twenty-five years to write from the first moment I took up a pen and began the first page of the original novel until the moment I decided that I was happy with the end product of Closures in Blood. The characters of the story become constant companions of sorts…who I’ve come to care about and develop an emotional attachment to.

4. The first two novels were characterized by intense and dark horror…that could often be considered disturbing…does this atmosphere prevail in the final installment?

Most definitely…I’ve attempted to infuse the novel with a pervasive sense of desperation in which Elizabeth’s search for David Stillman is undertaken against a frenetic background of terror and incessant pursuit. The central concept of the Converging has always been about a wide array of forces coming together at one juncture in time with catastrophic results and Closures in Blood is fraught with this element. I wanted the story to unfold like an avalanche…or more correctly, a convergence of avalanches…all coming together with a brutally violent finality. Every character in this novel is much like a piece of an intricate jigsaw puzzle…the commonality of each of these pieces is Elizabeth Simpson, who serves as the lens through which they are all focused…with extremely explosive results. This novel certainly serves up the most diverse collection of characters of the series…and this diversity adds to the volatility of the plot.

5. Was there a single facet of this story that would stand out as the most difficult to write?

The segment of the story that dealt with the teenage runaway, Cassandra Jasic was perhaps one of the most difficult that I’ve ever written…the scene in which she reveals the story of the abuse she suffered as a child was difficult to write…and equally difficult to read. Ultimately, horror is an emotional response and Cassandra Jasic’s hellish ordeal goes a long way toward justifying the depth of psychosis she demonstrates in the story. The tone of segments such as this one is critical…an author has to be attuned to the need for presenting this type of material in a way that does not make it gratuitous or even worse…appears to condone the actions being depicted.

6. With the conclusion of this series, is there any one character with whom you feel most connected?

Though I’ve enjoyed all of my characters immensely and feel a strong affinity for each, I would say that Elizabeth Simpson is the individual for whom I have the most empathy…I often reflect on the things that she endured over the course of the three novels and I’m suffused by a profound sense of sadness. Cynara Saravic presented me with the most perplexing technical challenges as a character, but Elizabeth Simpson is the one who resonates emotionally through the trilogy…her closure is, for me, the most emotionally poignant.

Are the any specific moral concepts contained within this final novel?

It would be difficult to write a two thousand page story without inculcating some personal philosophy into the fabric of the story…The story is violent and bloody, but beneath this, there resonates a subtle judgment on the nature of this violence. The story also holds an implied statement on the nature of seduction and the way that an individual’s personal prejudices can ensnare them into accepting things that both dangerous and illogical. This subtext is most clearly demonstrated by the characters of Gregor Ingram and Contayza Prowzi, whose inherent prejudices allow them to be deceived into seeing Elizabeth Simpson as the ultimate manifestation of evil.

Elizabeth Simpson takes center stage in this novel and it is through her that I have implicitly conveyed my own personal view on violence and moral integrity…Through all of her travails and loss, Elizabeth retains an inviolable sense of dignity and grace and vehemently refuses to succumb to the more primal urges that drive many of the novel’s other characters…she comes closest to representing my own perspective on the treatment of violence in art.

With the conclusion of the trilogy…have we seen the last of Elizabeth and Cynara?

As mentioned earlier…this cycle had a twenty-five year creative life. In that time, I have transitioned from a horror novelist to a fantasy novelist…a genre with the broadest creative potential. Still, it would be impossible to invest so much creative and emotional energy into characters such as Cynara and Elizabeth and not have a strong bond with both. The Converging as a concept has definitely run its course, but I have tinkered with the idea of writing a novel that tells the story of the demon Cynara Saravic and her life through the years between her disappearance in 1850 to her appearance in the fictitious town where the first novel takes place in the 1970s. As for the trilogy’s primary protagonist, Elizabeth Simpson, I have developed a plot outline for a novel that would take place some years after the events chronicled in the epilogue of Closures in Blood. Both of these notions are in the formative stages and whether they will germinate into full novels, only time will tell. My primary focus over the next few years will be on development of my fantasy cycle – Journey through the Land of Shades.

Author Features

2011-04-10T09:52:00.000-05:00

I'm tempted to play on words here. Author creature feature! Heh.

I've been featured on a fellow author's blog, George Straatman, who has some lovely things to say about me and Eden Fell. Check it out: http://georgestraatman.blogspot.com/2011/04/guest-author-lily-eden-fell.html

Thanks, George!

I will also be doing a feature on George Straatman and his horror trilogy, which will be posted either later today or tomorrow at the latest. So look for an interesting post soon about this horror author!

Sum It Up

2011-03-09T10:02:00.000-06:00

A common mistake of any author, no matter what stage they're at, is not answering a simple question.

What is it about?

Oh, well, this happens, then that happens, and then! This other thing happens...

Er, yeah. That wasn't the question.

Learning to sum up a story idea in three sentences or less, or even better in one sentence only, is an invaluable skill for any author. It'll come in handy at all stages. Aspiring writer, published novelist, etc. Sure, we all have plenty of ideas, and we all want to share our ideas. But take it easy. One thing at a time.

What is it about?

It's about Vlad the Impaler and how he finds his reincarnated love.

It's a Victorian horror novel about a vampire.

It's a novel that uses the mythology of vampires as a guise for Victorian repressed sexuality.

Oh, what's the book called?

Dracula by Bram Stoker.

The sad and brutal truth is, you won't interest anyone in your story ideas, or even a finished novel, if you can't sum it up. I know it's hard. It's very hard. I spend so much time, thought and effort in crafting every single word that I just want to shout at the world, here! Here's all my ideas! But the fact remains, it doesn't matter. No one has read it yet, no one is going to care. Not unless I sum it up.

What is it about?

It's a psychological thriller exploring the difference between a criminal and a modern everyman.

What's it called?

Strays by Lily. Rewrite is more than halfway finished ;)

Defining Plausible, Possible, and BS

2011-03-05T09:37:00.000-06:00

I wrote this little article ages ago, and forgot about it. So here you go, the definitions of Possible, Plausible and complete BS in fiction.

I could argue the definitions endlessly, but it will never make a difference. The fact is, it depends on whether people understand the difference between Plausible and just making up BS. Hence, endless argument. So rather than arguing until I'm blue in the face (or until my typing fingers fall off), I'll just show the definitions.

Example:

The aliens from a distant planet had green skin with blue polka dots. They hated humans. They landed on planet Earth.

Now, is this plausible? Not by a long shot. It raises too many questions that's not even related to wanting to read a whole story. It's just annoying. Why do they hate humans? How do the aliens even exist? Why did they come to Earth? And why do they have green skin with blue polka dots? Of all things! You see? Just plain annoying and not much incentive to want to know more. If I read this as an introductory paragraph, I would have dropped the book like a hot potato.

Is it possible? Yes. Any idea is possible. There could be aliens who hate humans. But no reason is given. Readers are literate, and they're not that stupid. It's the author's responsibility to give a reason, some sort of logic. Even if it's highly fictional, it doesn't matter, as long as it makes sense in a fictional context. In the example above, I completely failed in my responsibility as an author. :(

Rewrite of example:

The aliens came from a planet so far away that it wasn't named by humans. In fact, the humans on a planet they foolishly called Earth, couldn't properly see these aliens with their flawed human eyes. They knew the grass was green and the sky was blue. So all people saw when the aliens landed, tentacles wrapped around ray guns, was green skin with blue polka dots.

Is this plausible? Absolutely. I also completely made all this up, just off the top of my head. All ideas start off as complete bullshit. It doesn't matter if people believe aliens exist or not, that's not the point. The point is for the author to give the reader a reason to believe these aliens exist. That's the only thing that matters. That's fiction.

This also raises the good kind of questions that gives people an incentive to read the story. What are the aliens doing there? Why did they arrive to planet Earth? Omg what's going to happen to the humans??? There's only one way to find out, read the story.

Exploring the plausible can be a lot of fun and seem easy. And writing fiction, making the plausible believable, is the Crafting of fiction. It's still fun, but a crapload of hard work ;)

P.S. I'm not a Sci-fi author, I really did just make that up, it's not my best work, and I have no intentions of ever turning that into a story. Just making examples :)

Showing versus Telling

2011-02-22T10:17:00.000-06:00

This article started as a series of notes I made to myself and it occurred to me to share it with others.

Showing versus Telling is tricky, something every writer struggles with. I still struggle with this one to an extent, but I have learned. I'll preface this with one fact: no matter the genre or the story, Showing is always mandatory, at least 50% of the story, minimum.

One thing I've noticed quite a bit is Telling and Showing tends to be defined differently per genre. And that can make the whole affair so, so, confusing. It can also be hard to tell the difference between Showing and Telling at times. And I'm still learning that one, as I type. No joke, it's true, still learning and the learning never ends.

On a side note, if the learning ended, I'd have nothing to do with the rest of my life! I couldn't be more grateful that it doesn't end.

Since these technical details tend to be defined differently per genre, which just adds to the confusion, this is why many authors recommend sticking with one genre only. Personally, I have the attention span of a suicidal goldfish and I'd die of boredom if I stuck with one genre only.

So, rather than giving technical definitions, which frankly doesn't really help nor make the communication clear, I'm going to give specific examples.

Telling – I have the attention span of a suicidal goldfish.

Showing – My eyes flitted rapidly over every object in the room. I blinked, then blinked again. Where was I? Oh, yes, trying to remember each object in the room. Let me start over. There's a book on the table, a coffee mug on the desk, an envelope on – wait, what was I doing? Screw it, I'd rather jump off a cliff with a bunch of lemmings.

Hehehe, that was totally random, by the way, I just made it up ;)

As you can see above, Showing results in a much higher word count and as you can also see with my totally random example, I never actually wrote I have a short attention span, poor memory, and likened it to a suicidal goldfish. Because if I did, that would be Telling, and not Showing.

I'll give another example. Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman, an Urban Fantasy novel. Richard Mayhew, the main character, is at his office, looking at everything on his desk, and thinking about everything he has to do. Keep in mind, this is also written in the Third Person. Richard thinks to himself he's noticed that events are cowards... they run in packs. That's a paraphrase, just to let you know. Richard tells the reader his own observation and conclusion, which is also the author's voice. Now, Neil Gaiman happens to be one of my favorite authors, so I'll never dismiss his writing. I'm just using examples.

With respect to Mister Gaiman, I'll rewrite a tad using Showing.

“The dates on the calendar blended together, each creating a glowing red circle around the numbers, like the eyes of vampiric wolves.”

Not the same, is it? It's definitely Showing, but there are two problems. One, it's not really inside Richard's head anymore and he's the one who tells the story. Two, Neverwhere is an Urban Fantasy, and this isn't true to the genre, nor is it true to the main character. It makes it a different story altogether.

In all fairness, Neil Gaiman does write quite a bit before Richard makes that comment, Showing how harried Richard is and how crazy his life can get. Like I said, just using random examples. Also, Neil Gaiman is very much a Storyteller. He writes his own commentaries and observations using the voices of his characters, and he's quite good at it.

Respecting the story and its genre above all else is most important. For my own rewrite of the above, that would be more true to a Horror or Thriller novel. It's just not respectful to the story or the genre.

I wish I could say, with conviction, when either Showing or Telling is appropriate. But I really feel this is a personal thing that's up to the author. Decide for yourself what you want to Show or Tell. If you want both, or only Showing. Sometimes, with more formulated genres and commercial fiction, there can be set rules dictated by publishers. Do your research, and decide for yourself what you want to write.

It's a brutally important skill to learn, and the sooner the author learns, the better.

Temporary Interruption

2011-02-21T12:42:00.001-06:00

I'm interrupting the series of posts I started about the many aspects of creative writing. Because... I really wanted to share what I'm working on.

As most of you know, I entered the first 30 pages of a manuscript into a contest, just to see. I didn't win, of course. No big deal, again, it was just to see.

I've been keeping the manuscript a big secret and I don't see the point anymore. All of you already know it's called Strays (because of what was readable of the excerpt entered into the contest) and it's a psychological thriller.

So this is me, revealing the secret manuscript. Ta-da!

Strays is a story I've been working on, on and off, since 2008. It's a big project. Not because of the size, it's a standard novel size, but because of the content. Psychological thriller barely does it justice. It's hard-hitting with a lot of controversial issues. So as a result, even though it's fiction, I've had to do A LOT of research since the story is set present day and deals with a number of current social ills.

To be honest, I don't think of it as controversial, I just know that's how it will be seen. I accepted that some time ago and committed myself to writing the novel regardless. I believe that strongly in the story. Let other people think what they want, I really don't care. I know it's a good story and deserves to be shared.

Just to clarify, it's not controversial in the sense of any content that's just plain wrong. I'm not writing it from the perspective a serial murderer and glorifying horrendous acts, or anything like that, just as an example. This is more about consequences and the lives of the main characters as they struggle with a mystery surrounding their sexual tension. So, it wouldn't be thought of controversial if everyone just left the hype at the door. But, let's be realistic here. Most people in this day and age, will carry a huge bag of hype around with them everywhere. Too bad for them. They're in for a surprise ;)

The story is rather Hitchockian, hence, psychological thriller. I'm currently working on a third rewrite. This had been a hard story for me, dealing with such tough social and emotional issues. Too many things are still too vague, leaving even me to wonder why anyone would want to read this. Here's the deal. I'm not rewriting because I think the previous versions are bad. I'm rewriting because I need to be more honest with the reader, and with myself.

I always knew, from the second the idea popped into my head back in 2008, that I would be playing with fire. Again, I've accepted this, I believe in the story, I'm moving on. But it really has taken all this time to come to terms with this story and stop pussy footing around. 3 years. It's not the easiest thing. I've done it now. I'm okay.

Wow, that was long-winded and wasn't what I wanted to share. Yeah... can you tell I'm a writer? lol

Okay, here's what I wanted to share. The third rewrite is going beautifully. I'm learning and seeing my mistakes. Don't get me wrong, spelling and grammar was already near perfect. But I've created a lot of inconsistency errors by pussy footing around the issues. It's one thing to be suggestive or vague to start, but this is downright annoying. Even I'm annoyed and I wrote! Geez.

The prologue is fine, no needed changes there. The first chapter needed a lot. At first, I was just going through the whole manuscript, making little changes. But then I realized I was just making a big mess. So I've started a new file, all clean and fresh. End result, the first chapter is MUCH better. I've reorganized and made things much clearer. Right at the start, in the first paragraph, the reader will know exactly what this introduction is about. It's half the size of the previous version, resulting in a fast paced read, which was my intention all along. I'm very happy with it.

It's hard, you see, dealing with a mystery. I can't give everything away right at the start. I need to lead the reader through this mystery until the climax of the story. I've found it much too easy to mislead the reader, when that's just wrong.

With suspense, I like to follow the Alfred Hitchcock rule. He said, if you want suspense, give people information. The more information, the more suspense. I had done that, but didn't realize all the information I gave didn't connect with each other. It was too scattered. But it's getting to be much better organized now.

So yeah, that's what I wanted to share :)

Third Person versus First Person

2011-02-20T10:13:00.000-06:00

I've seen some authors who will argue relentlessly about the pros and cons about Third Person versus First Person.

This is the simple truth. It always depends on the story, as well as genre.

But no! Some will cry. Horror novels are always written in the Third Person! You'll never publish the story otherwise. Never ever! Or, alternatively, pfft, First person is for amateurs and you'll never get anywhere with that.

*coughs* bullshit *coughs*

Dracula by Bram Stoker – first person.

Take your pick of stories, H.P. Lovecraft – first person.

Bag of Bones by Stephen King (as well as a number of books) – first person.

I could go on and on...

My point is, and I do have a point, all the authors and books mentioned above are written in the First Person because that suited the story, their own style, and the genre. Stephen King, for example, has written a number of books in the Third Person, because that suited the story.

I'll give another example from the opposite end of the spectrum: Romance.

Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers – Third Person.

The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks – First Person.

Both have done very well commercially, to the point they really can't be compared. If either of these books were written in different perspectives, I guarantee they wouldn't be considered well-written novels, because the chosen perspectives are true to the story and the genre.

Personally, I'll chose one over the other based on two things – the level of intimacy that may be needed for the story and how much of a narrator the main character is. If I'm dealing with a main character who is a good narrator, very observant, capable of seeing everything to tell the story, I'll consider First Person. If I don't have main characters who can really show everything, I'll consider Third Person. The level of intimacy I find is dependent on how much the reader needs to be put in the main character's shoes. I'll give examples.

The two short stories on my website, free to read, Never Could and I Can't Hear you, We're Breaking Up.

Never Could is written in the Third Person, but it's also told from the perspective of the main character, who isn't a very good narrator, because he doesn't see everything around him and doesn't realize everything until the end of the story. Also, there are some emotional issues involved and it's a drama. If I had written it in the First Person, the story would be too intimate and frankly, the character would have come across as whiny. Considering he's a full grown adult, that would just be wrong and an unpleasant read.

I Can't Hear You, We're Breaking Up, is written in the First Person and it's dark comedy with paranormal elements. Julia is a fantastic narrator with a strong observant voice, who has the sense of humor needed for the story. If I wrote it in the Third Person, that humor would have been completely lost. Hence, literary intimacy and more importantly, dark humor.

Understanding the elements involved with choosing a perspective, is more about getting into the character's heads and living in the story as if it's happening right this second. That takes imagination and innate talent. You can keep in mind all these technical details, but they will never replace talent. Both skill and talent go hand in hand with any fictional story. Talent is innate, skill is learned. Combine both, and you have a craft.

The fact remains, as I often say, and I'll keep repeating myself until the whole world bloody well listens to me, creative writing is a Craft. That's right, with a capital C. It's not a career choice. It's not a job. It's a CRAFT.

There's no secret formula. There really isn't one right perspective, Third, First, or even Second, all can work well for a story with respect to the genre. If the writer isn't very good or the story plain sucks, none will work. All anyone can do is keep practicing the Craft, read a lot of books, and hope to get somewhere someday.

Happy writing :)

My next post will be about Showing versus Telling.

The Many Faces of the Third Person

2011-02-19T14:04:00.000-06:00

Some people might be surprised to learn there's more than one way to write in the third person. I know I was downright shocked.

Bear in mind, this post is written from the perspective of an author, namely me. What readers will see in the final edition of a story, is something else altogether.

Here's what I've learned so far about third person, and I'm hoping this helps other people as well. I'll break it down into categories.

The Observer – The observer is the author, simply observing and writing down everything they see in the story. Some would call this dry literature, or even a boring story, and for certain stories/authors, I'd agree. But this one is most dependent on how observant the author is. The more observant, the more interesting the writing. The Observer is related to Bird's Eye View, which is also known as Second person. But this post is about Third person, so I'll stick with that.

The Storyteller – This is the author again, speaking directly to the reader with their own commentaries. Some authors have a lot more to say than mere observations and really enjoy playing narrator. This one works best for authors who are highly imaginative and able to create whole fictional worlds. It's not exclusive to the Fantasy genre, but it's more obvious with that genre than any other. With the Narrator, the reader really gets the sense they've been invited personally into this author's creative mind.

The Romantic – Commonly known as Third Person Limited. This is where the author has to be very observant. It's practically playing God with every single tiny aspect. Everything in the story is fully described in detail, from events, memory flashes, actions to character emotions and! It's always written from the perspective of one character. There's a fine line between Third Person Limited and First person. The author is almost invisible and all the reader sees is the main characters. Though not exclusive to the genre, it is commonly used in Romance. The emotions of the main characters tell the story, and the author doesn't really exist.

Now, I do feel it's entirely possible for an author to be more than one or even all of the above, in many different genres. For those who are just getting started with writing, all of this may seem daunting. If you're still at the newbie phrase or even at a more advanced stage, willing to experiment a little, try writing a bit from each. It's good practice if nothing else.

Like trying on clothes, sometimes you'll never know what fits perfectly until you try :)

I'll save my thoughts on Third Person versus First Person for another post.

Passion

2011-02-06T14:45:00.000-06:00

I've been trying to work with the paranormal romance genre for awhile. A personal project, if you will. I've chatted with a number of romance writers, some are even published and doing well in their sales. And I had never been so frustrated in my life.

Romance, even paranormal romance, is more formulated than other genres in some ways. Mainstream romance isn't as formulated, as in, must have a perfect happy ending. But a lot of sub-genres of romance do tend to be formulated. I knew that going into this and I was more than willing to learn.

There are rules, you see. Rules I never would have guessed, but I have learned. There are ways of organizing these rules and needed elements, in a very technical way.

I don't do technical. Ever.

I tried. I really did. But my frustration got to the point that I was inadvertently lashing out at others. With all these technical details, I honestly felt like a bad writer. I began questioning everything I've written and also myself. I was in a very bad place.

Then I woke up. Creative writing of any kind, is called a Craft for a very good reason. It doesn't matter if it's a formulated sub-genre, or free association horror story. With any genre, it's still a craft.

It's good to bear in mind the technical, to understand the rules that need to be followed, but only as an influence. Something to be kept in the back of my mind, while I write the story.

I'm sure you've heard authors say, in any genre, there isn't a secret. Just a lot of hard work. This stands true and always will until the end of time. The same goes for formulated romance sub-genres. It's still a craft.

There are many romance writers who argue endlessly, and insist the formula must be followed and that's the only way to start a story. I don't agree. If I spent all my time and energy following the rules in such a technical, almost obsessive way, I'd never finish a story. Ever.

I have no problems following rules, as long as they make sense. Grammar, spelling, that's all common sense stuff. But I was having the hardest time making sense of all these technical details I was bombarded with. It made me lose sight of the story, and then, I was hopelessly blocked. I gave up. I just couldn't do it anymore.

But not all is lost. Like I said, I woke up. I sat down, and started a rewrite... my way. Using my author's voice, my style. I did keep in mind certain mandatory elements, but only on a subconscious level. The rest I threw into the proverbial wastebasket.

Guess what? It works. Perfectly.

My conclusion is, with all those writers who are determined to start stories based on the technical, we'll just have to agree to disagree. It just doesn't work for me. *shrugs*

I'm creative. I'm an artist. I'm passionate. And the technical will never replace passion.

How I Write a Synopis

2011-02-02T12:20:00.000-06:00

Just to be clear, this is about how I figured out how to write a synopsis. If any of this proves to be helpful to others, that would be very nice, but I don't expect it. I'm just sharing here.

I've read many articles about how to write a synopsis of a fiction novel. Some of the articles were good, some were bad, and most were just plain useless. The fact is, it just depends on the story. I realized, after reading so many articles, that no one could tell me how to write a synopsis, because it's my story, and mine alone.

I've also seen a lot of comments from writers saying how hard writing a synopsis can be. I don't claim to know any secrets, but I will share a few tricks and lessons I've learned for myself, that allowed me to finish writing the synopsis. In terms of the difficulty, I would be lying if I said this was easy. But I didn't find the intensity of the work to be any greater than writing a full novel. I do feel that if you can write a full novel, you can write a synopsis.

First and foremost, always write it using the same style as the manuscript. I've seen that advice in numerous articles but never understood what that meant before. A synopsis is just the abridged version of the manuscript. It's not essay writing, it's not journalism, it's not anything else but a shorter version of a fiction manuscript. It's still fiction, you see, just with less writing space than a full novel, that's all. And that's writing in the same style as the manuscript.

Second, decide what is needed in the synopsis and what isn't. I'm fortunate that my writing style focuses on making a complete circle, not only for the whole story, but also for each chapter. This allowed me to take the first and last sentence, then combine it in a simple paragraph. No more than one paragraph per chapter in the synopsis, and that worked out well for me.

Third, write from memory, not from the manuscript. This is a little trick I discovered by accident. As you know, my laptop died and I'm working on a desktop. I have a lot of files to transfer to the desktop, including the manuscript. I was eager to at least start the synopsis, so I wrote a rough draft from memory. I've since transferred the manuscript and made adjustments, but I found relying on memory only helped a lot to decide what wasn't needed - it was the stuff I couldn't remember off the top of my head ;)

Fourth, go back to the original outline. And some people will say outlines are useless, ha! If it weren't for the fact I wrote an outline in paragraph format before I ever wrote a word of the manuscript, I wouldn't know how to begin the synopsis. Since I already had the experience of summing up the content in simple paragraphs, this helped me greatly to start the synopsis.

So there you have it, how I learned to write a synopsis :)

Organizing Forehead Slaps

2011-01-30T11:36:00.000-06:00

Too many people don't realize how much work happens for an author behind the scenes. This is a long overdue post, not because I haven't been doing anything, quite the opposite. I've been doing too much!

First, a brief recap of the last 2 months. The Mid-Winter Contest went well and I'm very happy that so many received their prizes. My laptop died (RIP) so I've had to go back to using an old desktop. I'm looking into getting a new notebook, or maybe a netbook, we'll see how that goes. The manuscript of my next book was entered in a contest, alas, it didn't win, though I'm not really surprised. It was a long shot as it was and focused on getting a foot in the door with traditional publishing. Eden Fell has been chosen for a group discussion on Good Reads and I'm meeting with people to sell them copies of the book. I'm looking forward to that discussion.

Now on to the new stuff...

I'm working on two major things. One, getting my next book published, which I've been working on for 9 months, and two, writing a paranormal romance under a pen name I hope to sell to a major publisher. The latter is still in the works, I'll let you know how that goes.

Getting my book published is another matter. I had long since decided to take things to the next level. I strongly feel this book deserves more than just an ebook. As viable as ebooks have become, ebook companies are still catching up and it'll be awhile before the become full publishing houses. No offense to anyone, but they're just not for the time being. I need more help than that for this book.

Silly me, I thought that going for traditional publishing and seeking agents would be the next step. I've learned a lot in the past 9 months. First and foremost, times have changed... a lot. These days, trying to get involved with traditional publishing is like beating a dead horse. It's a dying industry and it just can't provide much more than the average ebook company anymore. Traditional publishing just isn't what it used to be - a safe haven for authors with sincere intentions. Agents are now eating each other alive, scrambling to get out of a dying industry. Sad, but true.

So, I had decided that Traditional publishing, due to the sad state of the industry and my own limited resources, just isn't going to work out for me. Maybe someday, maybe things will change, but for now, it's just not a viable avenue.

Not all is lost! I commited myself to searching through various e-companies for possible publications of my book. I stumbled upon Independent Presses, and I swear I saw a major shining light. I have two massive tomes of writing market listings, highly reputable books, and I quickly looked through. Lo and behold, a huge section on Independent Presses I just didn't see before! Many of these companies have full capabilities for international distribution and more importantly, don't require authors to have agents.

I have been saved!

So, I renewed my efforts and researched Independent Presses exclusively. One thing that I found fascinating, is each press will give preference to local authors. A real community effort. It's lovely to see that. For example, a press based in Maine, will give preference to authors who reside in Maine. But wait, it gets better! Canadian Independent Presses!

I feel like I've discovered Atlantis...

I have found several companies, but the one I'm liking the most is ECW Press. They're based in Toronto (only a 2 hour plan trip away from me and I wouldn't need a freaking passport to get there if I wanted to visit). They focus especially on emerging Canadian authors who write controversial themes. That's me!!!

This is a huge relief. There are a lot of Independent Presses in Canada, so if one doesn't work out, there are plenty of others to choose from. I feel confident for the first time about publishing my book. For 9 months I dealt with so many worries that really wasn't good for my health. What if agents hate the fact I'm a little different? (Which they do, as I've learned). What if it takes years and years, to the point I'm too sick to continue pursuing traditional publishing? (Screw them all, I'm going with Independent Presses :P:P:P) What if they reject the controversial, albeit tasteful, content? (Which they have, so again, screw them all).

With an independent company like ECW press, I'm happy to say I will finally get somewhere, instead of spinning my wheels. Truth be told, I was feeling overwhelmed by everything and losing hope. I have more than my hope back, I'm downright excited! I'll keep everyone updated and refresh my online self, get back to putting out newsletters, contests, etc.

Watch out world, Lily is taking over ;)

P.S. Big, BIG, thanks to my friends for holding my hand during these past rough couple of months. Love you all!

Eden Fell Group Discussion on Good Reads

2011-01-25T11:17:00.000-06:00

Eden Fell has been chosen for a group discussion on Good Reads, by the Winnipeg Readers group. Here are the details if anyone else would like to join the discussion:

Group url - http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/37273.Winnipeg_Readers

Start Date - February 1st

Happy reading!

Announcing the Winners of the Mid-Winter Contest!

2010-12-21T09:15:00.000-06:00

Second place prizes - PDFs of Tearing the Wings and Eden Fell ARC

Tearing the Wings PDF goes to:

Ruby
Heidi
Melodie
Stacy
Pacita

Both the Eden Fell ARC and Tearing of the Wings goes to:

Rodney
John
Melanie (Marquis)
Jan
Shellie
Naomi
Sabrina

At the last minute, I decided I could be a bit more generous and award a First Place winner to two people. I assigned a number to each entrant and used an online random number picker. So this is totally and completely random.

First Place Winners, Autographed copies of Eden Fell and Ethereal Tales:

Katherine Ross and Trevor Davison.

Congratulations to all!

All winners will be contacted shortly about their prizes. Thank you everyone for participating in the Mid-Winter Contest! Check back to this blog for future contests. Have a wonderful and safe holiday!

Creatively yours,
Lily

Last day of Mid-Winter Contest!

2010-12-17T08:45:00.000-06:00

The contest officially ends at midnight central time. An email has been sent to everyone who has entered so far. If you are a recipient, please reply to that email, thanks. So... last and final chance for all the last minute people ;)

Winners will be announced on December 21st, only 6 days from now. I don't know about you, but I'm excited. :D

And now for the excellent news! I decided to take a bit of a sabattical from any online stuff (blog, Facebook, etc) so I could concentrate on my current novel. I just wrapped up chapter 17 and I'm now 2/3 finished the story. I roughly estimate about 10 more chapters until the end. It won't be long now!

Rare Opportunity - don't miss this chance!

2010-12-04T10:59:00.000-06:00

The mysterious novel that has been in the works for a year, I've decided to enter into a novel contest. The first 29 pages are on view. Sign up, rate and review! Don't miss the rare opportunity to read and excerpt of my writing BEFORE publication. You'll never get another chance like this! See the beautiful cover, read and enjoy my thrilling story!

http://www.circalit.com/lilyk/projects/strays/

I've already received two glowing reviews and the novel has been bumped up to the #6 position in the list of submissions. What are you waiting for? Go check it out!

P.S. Please rate and review :)

Giving Birth

2010-12-02T11:49:00.000-06:00

Don't worry, this post won't involve any gross descriptions. The title is figurative only.

I've finished both chapter 13 and chapter 14. I'm way past the half-way point of the story. I'd say about roughly 2/3 finished the storyline. The events of the storyline from this point until the end will be fairly fast-paced, so it wouldn't surprise me if I get caught up and write like a maniac until I have a complete manuscript. Nope, wouldn't surprise me at all.

Chapter 14 was a major turning point in the story. Finally getting to this point was like giving birth after being 10 months pregnant. A huge relief to say the least. What's also interesting to me, is I've done enough research at this point that I seriously doubt anymore research will be needed to finish writing the rest of the story. All pieces have been created, it's just a matter of putting it all together now.

Getting past the gooey, indescribable middle (10 months pregnant) part is a job within itself. I've seen numerous aspiring writers describe their woes over how to write that middle bridge to connect the rest of the story. The short, slightly patronizing answer is to just not have a middle bridge.

Easier said than done.

The slightly longer answer that involves more work is practice, practice, practice. That has been the only way to get to the point where the gooey middle part doesn't confound me anymore. With enough practice, at most that middle bridge might give me pause, but it won't stop my writing dead in it's tracks like it would have back in 2002 when I first started writing.

Outlines help, too. I've noticed when I write outlines there isn't a middle bridge because it all flows naturally. So yes, it is true the answer is to just not have a middle bridge. But the long answer is to practice enough until you get to the point that a middle bridge goes unnoticed to the author. It just happens. The story flows from beginning to end. The End.

And now, I need to write the ending, or rather, the 1/3 part of the story...

What do you think of Filler Chapters?

2010-11-30T11:17:00.001-06:00

I finished chapter 13, that went rather fast. I'm eager to start chapter 14 which will involve some major action and turn of events. I love it when the potential excitement of story makes me excited.

Chapter 13, as I predicted, is a much needed transitional chapter. I was thinking about transitional and filler chapters in novels. You know, when the author suddenly switches perspective and tells a different story, then eventually goes back to the regularly scheduled program.

It occurred to me, I don't write filler chapters. I thought I did, but just wrote meaningful filler that's there for a very good reason. But then I realized that's not a filler chapter, which are usually nothing more than a distraction, a way to mark the passage of time in order to continue with the main story, though sometimes will involve important content (like American Gods by Neil Gaiman, for example). I've seen filler chapters used shamelessly as a rather cheap trick, which is unfortunate (completely unlike American Gods).

If needed, I'll write transitional chapters, where it's just a slight pause in the main story. Let's stop and think about things for a bit while we wait for everyone to catch up with the story. I find transitional chapters are a rather nice breather and give readers ample opportunity to go as fast or as slow as they want. I personally find it aggravating when an author attempts to decided my own free will for me. Don't need that, don't want it, thank you very much.

I'm curious what others think. How do you feel about Filler Chapters?

Unraveling Mysteries

2010-11-28T14:17:00.001-06:00

Yes, I'm on a roll today. Two blog posts for the price of one.

As many of you already know, I don't write fluffy romance or Disney fairy tales. I'm not a Young Adult author either. Why? Because I'm just not any good at it, and no other reason than that.

To use the boring, mass-market term, I write Thrillers. Don't get me wrong, I'm not Tom Clancy and I'm not trying to be the next Tom Clancy. I'm just Lily. I write intricate stories for the modern reader full of intrigue, suspense and mystery. Sometimes there will be strong Horror elements, sometimes just looking at the darker side of human nature. The subject will vary. My characters could be anything from humans, ghosts, zombies, even fairies – all with a strong human element.

Up until this point, I had been focusing on not doing any Big Reveals for the mystery of a story until toward the end. However, the novel I'm working on is rather complex. There are A LOT of intertwined mysteries in a post-apocalypse fictional universe. For Chapter 12, I decided to start revealing some mysteries rather than continuing to build up mysteries. The time was right to start revealing, so I did.

I was very concerned about revealing mysteries at roughly the half-way point in a story, mainly because I had never done that before. I wrongly thought revealing a mystery long before the end would lose the suspense of the story. And I'm so glad I was wrong.

Here's what I've learned: Unraveling mysteries can be as intriguing, sometimes more so, than building up mysteries.

Seriously, no suspense was lost at all. I'm very pleased with that. And now I know. Sometimes revealing mysteries much earlier than toward the end can be a very good thing.

I can't help but wonder if this is what goes wrong with various Thriller novels that end up being a disappointment – waiting too long to reveal mysteries can render the suspense useless and make the story boring and repetitious. And we can't have that in my writing, goshdarnit. *nods*

The Unpredicatable Nature of the Craft

2010-11-28T11:11:00.002-06:00

I have good news! After being completely burned out from trying to participate in NaNo and unable to write for weeks, I've fully recovered! Chapter 12 is now finished.

I absolutely love this chapter. If I could hug and snuggle this chapter, I would. Which is kinda funny if your humor is as black as mine. It happens to be the most violent chapter I've written thus far. Funny in an ironic way, I suppose.

So here's a hypothesis. 5 day writing marathon (NaNo) results in 3 weeks of recovery time. That makes sense to me, though I didn't expect that at all and never would have predicted a 3 week recovery time. I swear, I will never do a writing marathon like that again...

Now moving on the chapter 13!

P.S. Don't forget to enter the Mid-Winter contest and tell all your friends. New sharing links on the right *points to the right under profile picture).

Explaining the Mid-Winter Contest

2010-11-26T15:47:00.000-06:00

I've been getting a few messages with similar questions, so I decided to post a Mid-Winter Contest Q&A.

Mid-Winter Contest Q&A

Question: Why call it Mid-Winter? Why not call it the Christmas Contest?

Answer: On the world wide wide, there's a variety of people from different cultures and religions. On Facebook alone, I'm connected to a variety of people from all walks of life. Out of respect toward all cultures and religions, I decided to call this the Mid-Winter Contest. While the main theme of the contest is "in the spirit of giving," it's not exclusive to Christmas alone. Hanukkah, Winter Solstice, Makar Sakranti, to name a few, are also respected.

Question: What do you mean everyone wins? There's only one first place prize!

Answer: A draw will be done with all entries for the first prize of autographed copies of Ethereal Tales zine and the Eden Fell paperback. Another draw will be done for the Eden Fell ARC (pdf) and the winning short story, Tearing the Wings (pdf). So, in conclusion, everyone wins :)

Question: Why PDF?

Answer: PDF, Portable Document Format, is a universal file format. No special software or devices (like the Kindle) is required to read a PDF.

Question: Why can't I see the entry form? Oh, wait, now I can...

Answer: I apologize for that. The code I used for the form, made it viewable in Internet Explorer only and I didn't realize that. I've since adjusted the codes and now the form is viewable to everyone, even iPhone users.

Okay, that's all the questions so far. If anyone has anymore questions, let me know!

See all the prizes for the Mid-Winter Contest!

2010-11-24T09:51:00.022-06:00

Tearing the Wings PDF

Eden Fell Paperback/ARC

Ethereal Tales, Issue 9

These lovely prizes can be yours!

Just enter the draw by filling out a simple form here:

http://www.lilyauthor.com/contest.html

The form codes have been adjusted and should be viewable in any OS, any browser. Happy Holidays!

Exclusive!

2010-11-19T09:20:00.000-06:00

Exclusive information about the Mid-Winter Contest... that I won't post here! ;)

The exclusive will be in the newsletter which will be sent out either today or tomorrow. So, if you haven't subscribed yet, you'll want to do that right away. Don't miss this exclusive!

Subscribe here: http://lilyauthor.com/mailing_list/?p=subscribe&id=4

Also be sure to subscribe to this blog for any exclusive announcements made in the future!

Contest details here: http://lilyauthor.blogspot.com/2010/11/mid-winter-contest.html

On a side note, we had a snowstorm here. There was no snow, then all of sudden it dumped about 2 feet of snow. It's like Santa Claus shit all over the city...

5 Day Writing Marathon

2010-11-18T20:44:00.000-06:00

As I said at the beginning of this month as well as in the October newsletter, I was going to post a daily word count in honor of National November Writing Month (NaNo). For those who are unaware, the goal is to write and finish a book by the end of November with a word count of at least 50, 000.
I got started. I was writing like a madwoman. Then I got on a roll and couldn't stop. I finished a book. I wrote over 65, 000 words in 5 days.

And this is why I will never, ever directly participate in NaNo. I think I lost a couple of author friends as a result of posting word counts and my 5 day writing marathon. Although, I must say, I did receive a lot of support and love once I was finished the book. And that made me feel good.

For the past week, I've been brain dead. I even had to get a friend to help me with restocking my groceries, which was a tad embarrassing. I couldn't think clearly, never mind do any creative writing. It's a good thing I planned the Mid-Winter Contest well in advance. Still, I couldn't figure out what the problem was for the life of me. And then tonight I remembered.

5 day writing marathon...

And this is suppose to inspire people to write more? How? By killing all brain cells??? Geez. NaNo should come with a Surgeon General's warning.

WARNING: Participating in NaNo, in any way, may induce zombie-like behavior, severely lowered IQ, and an unhealthy consumption of iced cappuccino. You have been warned.

I have learned some lessons from all of this.

1) NaNo has been proven to be bad for my health.
2) If I'm going to do a major writing marathon, plan it well in advance and stock up on all needed supplies beforehand.
3) I write all the time as it is, doing a writing marathon is pointless and frankly, stupid. See lesson #1.

I suppose if circumstances were different, I'd recommend participating in NaNo as long as the above lessons are kept in mind. But, for me, I can't participate in something like that. It's long since been proven I need to work at my own pace, no matter how fast or how slow that may be.

And for that, I won't apologize. But kind warm thanks to everyone who showed their support.

For everyone else still working on their NaNo projects, I wish you all the best luck!

Now.... grab your friends and enter the Mid-Winter Contest! Everyone is a winner! :D

http://www.lilyauthor.com/contest.html

Contest details: http://lilyauthor.blogspot.com/2010/11/mid-winter-contest.html

If there's any problems viewing the form, try a different browser or email: admin@lilyauthor.com.

This is Lily, author of Dark Fiction, signing out and going back to regenerating...

Mid-Winter Contest!

2010-11-13T10:12:00.000-06:00

In the spirit of giving, I've designed this contest so that everyone is a winner! Enter a draw for the chance to win many different prizes! No work required, just entre your name and email for the draw!

MID-WINTER CONTEST

RULES:

To enter just fill out the form here:

http://www.lilyauthor.com/contest.html

DEADLINE:

December 17th, 2010

PRIZES:

First prize is a big one! Autographed copies of Eden Fell and Ethereal Tales #9 which has my winning story “Tearing the Wings.” First prize winner gets BOTH mailed out them, gift wrapped and everything. (I won't put on a pink bow, don't push your luck). First prize will be mailed out by January 1st, 2011. Happy New Year's!

Second prize is either a PDF of Tearing the Wings or the Eden Fell ARC. You choose! Whatever you want!

About Tearing the Wings: This is a short story I submitted for the Ethereal Tales Christmas Competition and can be seen in Issue #9. Tearing of the Wings won first place! You can read an exerpt on the Shorty Stories page. http://www.lilyauthor.com/shortstories.html

These could be yours! Enter today!

***Winners will be chosen randomly. The sooner you enter, the greater chance of winning a prize. The first prize winner will be contacted about their mailing address, no need to submit a mailing address beforehand.

Horror vs Sci-fi - solution found!

2010-11-12T16:47:00.000-06:00

I had been struggling with this for awhile now. My current writing project is post-apocalypse, set in the near future. It's very important to respect genre above all else, which I detailed in previous posts, so you already know about that. In a blinding flash of enlightenment, I realized what was holding me back and what was confusing me on the whole debate.

This story is not sci-fi, in the sense of Star Trek. No aliens, no new species, no new languages, or anything like that. However, the story does involve a decent amount of science and medical fiction. But it's not sci-fi...?

And then I realized what I use in this story is actually nature science. Something that I personally find fascinating, especially combined with the psychology of human behaviour.

Alas, Nature Sci-fi is not a genre. Maybe it will be invented once I finish this project and publish ;) But for the meantime, that genre doesn't exist.

So! I've decided it's best to call the project Post-Apocalypse Horror, sub-genres of Nature Sci-fi and Human Psychology.

I feel so much better now :D

And no one knows what the hell I'm talking about... *twiddles thumbs*

P.S I'm working hard on revisions for my website so I can announce the next contest very soon.

Warring Neon Sky

2010-11-11T09:59:00.001-06:00

The three new poems that have been accepted for publication in Dark Eye Glances are now available to read on the poetry page.

http://www.lilyauthor.com/poetry.html

Gotta love handy dandy drop down menus :)

I decided to post one of the poems in honor of Remberance Day. This poem was inspired by an article I read about how certain bombs during a battle late at night, will light up the sky and make it look neon.

Warring Neon Sky

I can see the faces before me.
In the neon sky.
O mother please leave me be,
In the neon sky.

Captain I never asked why,
Just lay me down to die.

Don't save me just want to see,
In the neon sky,
All the beauty I should be,
In that neon sky.

Captain I never asked why,
Just lay me down to die.

Word Counts

2010-11-02T18:14:00.000-05:00

Rough estimated total: 22000 words

And on the first day Of NaNoWriMo, I learned two valuable lessons.

1 - I can't keep track of exact word counts to save my life.

2 - Obsessively checking word count every time I stop to breathe, is very, very distracting.

Believe me, I understand the whole point of NaNo is to get people writing, and yes, one way to do that is by checking word counts. However, you could also do it like a professional, and just write until the story is finished. That's what I've been doing, I've almost reached the halfway goal of 50000 words for NaNo and it's only November 2nd.

See what I'm saying?

I'm a little surprised and a tad disappointed the organizers of NaNo are effectively teaching people very bad habits. The fact is word counts really isn't a measure of anything. Someone could have a final word count of a mere 500 words and still have a completed book, if all they're writing is a children's book with illustrations. Industry standard for traditional publishing, for first time novel manuscripts, is 64000. 50000 wouldn't be enough and automatically rejected by agents.

I know, plenty of people will disagree with me, and this is my very personal and humble opinion. I just don't feel, in all honesty, that participating in NaNo and the obsessive word counts will get anyone closer to becoming a professional author. There are much better ways to stay inspired and keep writing. I'm sorry, but that's just the way I feel. We're all entitled to our opinions.

I'll keep posting what word counts I can. Hopefully I don't discourage anyone from writing, because that's the last thing I'd want.

Now, if you don't mind, I have a book to finish up...

In Honor of NaNo

2010-11-01T10:52:00.000-05:00

Word Count: 4011

Every November I always tell myself, this time I'm going to participate in National Novel Writing Month. And every November I'm always too busy writing to focus on NaNo. It's terribly ironic. So this year I've decided to post a daily word count on the top of each blog post. I challenge all of you to see if you can out-write me! I dare you! :D

The above word count started at 12:01am November first. Just for the record, I do sleep, but I write even in my sleep. For me, it's 24/7. Good luck trying to out-write me ;)

It just so happens the timing does work out for me. I fully intend to finish the first book in my current writing project by the end of November, at the latest.

I know I said yesterday I'd post the details of the next contest, but I have a lot going on, so it'll have to wait. Hopefully tomorrow I'll have some extra time.

Happy Halloween!!!

2010-10-31T11:06:00.000-05:00

And the winners are...

Wait! I need to express my undying love for my favorite day of the year. If it were up to me, Halloween would be a stat holiday and we'd all get paid double time and a half for working on Halloween. It's only fair. Running out to the party and changing into a costume takes a lot of effort. We should be compensated! Okay, rant over.

I love Halloween =)

Now announcing the winners of the Halloween Contest!

Third Prize, Eden Fell arc, goes to Britannie for her lovely poem "Abracadabra."

"Abracadabra" --by: Brittanie Haslam

Concoctions only adumbrate
The calamity you're accruing,
In that cauldron that you covet
Where the wicked started brewing.
These frail incantations
Simply will not do--
The bewitched will soon sober
To the curse bestowed by you.

Abscond from disillusion
Take flight, perfidious broom!
Flee! Make haste in your cowardice,
To escape ignominious doom.

But before you evade the mob,
Any last spells? or sorcery to cast?
A witch's greed for power
Is vital, voracious, and vast.
Keep stirring the enchantment
Within that hot, bubbling blend
'Til the excess quickly amasses
A disaster you meant to wend.

With all your chants and charms,
To hide your hexes and hoaxes,
You cannot seem to fool me in
The contrivance of your coaxes.
Without the shroud of avarice
It's wise to retire the scheme,
'Cause abracadabra is much too worn
To hide your low self-esteem.

...spoOoky... and very well written...

Second Prize, Ethereal Tale zine, goes to Heidi for her photography of skeletons!

Omg it's the remains of the Loch Ness monster. Who killed Nessie? :o

First Prize, autographed copy of Eden Fell, goes to Stacy for her fantabulous Halloween art!

The sheer detail is downright frightening...

Congratulations to all and thank you for participating in the Halloween Contest!

And now, announcing some details of the next contest.

The Mid-Winter Contest! Don't freeze your buns of this winter, get warmed by my creativity. No work required, I do all the writing. Send in your ideas for a chance to win your own Ebook. Up to five winners and everyone gets a prize! The full details will be posted tomorrow.

Happy happy Halloween! Some want more Treats than Tricks, I want more Tricks than Treats! Muahahahaha...

Happy Gate Night!

2010-10-30T17:03:00.000-05:00

The Halloween Contest officially ends at midnight tonight, central time. Good luck to everyone!

It's been quite some time since I've blogged. There's been a lot of real life crap. If it weren't for real life, I'd have ten novels written by now. Stupid real life...

So I finally finished the rewrite. Well, it turned out to be more of a complete re-haul. While rewriting in the third person, I realized a couple of chapters needed to be split into two chapters. Before, I was rewriting 9 chapters. I ended up with 11 chapters. *wipes brow*

Here are some things I've learned from all of this:

1 - Sometimes no matter which main character I choose, they just won't see everything enough in order to tell the whole story, making the story sound rather amaturish.

2 - Allowing the story to develop a personality of its own is very important. I'll do whatever the story needs, but if the story itself is horrifically underdeveloped, the story can't tell what it needs, so I won't know either.

3 - I really enjoy playing narrator, more so than allowing a character to play narrator. I guess I'm selfish that way *shrugs*

4 - Any concerns I had before about showing the perspectives from other characters, is now gone. Writing in the third person has allowed me to show so much more of the story and properly show each character in all their glory (get your mind out of the gutter, I'm not writing erotica... this time).

5 - I'm officially in love with this story.

6 - Last but not least, that plowing technique does not work for me. At all. Maybe it works well for other authors, but not me. I need to write at my own pace no matter how slow or fast that may be. As it is, I do naturally write fast, so that plowing thing really was overkill for me. It just wasn't needed. While it is important to just keep writing until the story is finished and not worry too much about tiny details, at the same time, there's a lot to be said for taking as much time as I need. Less pressure, more thought, better story.

Tomorrow, I'll announce the winners of the Halloween Contest and also announce some details about the next contest.

Enjoy Gate Night everyone!

Nirvana

2010-10-13T11:13:00.000-05:00

While reworking the first couple of chapters in the 3rd person, in a flash, I realized something very interesting and very important. I get it now!

The difference between Character Development and Story Development.

First, a little personal history. Eden Fell is the first story I wrote. I was shocked to find after only 2 months, I had a completed novella. I was lucky with Eden fell, that's one story that pretty much wrote itself. I was dealing with a very strong main character and by describing this character in the 1st person, the story just happened.

Obviously, I had been spoiled and got into bad habits.

Character development is never a problem for me. Though I wasn't aware, what I was doing with any story I wrote after Eden Fell, including the incomplete ones, was relying on the character development to tell the story. Although this can work, if you have a strong character who sees everything, like Eden, but this doesn't always work for every type of story. Because sometimes the story needs development.

It needs it's own personality, history, gender even. The story needs to be fully developed and become real as much as the characters or anything else.

Plot development isn't the same thing as Story Development. I can work on an outline, make all the tweaks I want, but it will always be nothing more than the skeleton of a story. Not fully developing the story is what's been holding me back. Eden Fell was a unique experience, but I'd never write another story like that one unless I come up with the exact same character as Eden.

Now I know why some authors end up writing the same story for the rest of their writing career. They'll have a set formula of a fully developed story, and that's it. I always thought it was just a marketing scheme, but I know better now. Never mind characters or plot, Story Development is damn hard work. Once you have it, you don't want to let it go.

For novels, I'm going to write in the 3rd person only from now on. For novellas or short stories, I'll decide as it comes. I've written short stories that works best in 1st person, others work better in 3rd person. Novel writing is a different form of expression. To express my writing fully, 3rd person brings out the Story Development.

Story Development... wow... I can't believe this didn't occur to me sooner.

I feel... enlightened.

1st person vs 3rd person

2010-10-12T09:30:00.000-05:00

After giving it a lot of thought, I've made a big decision. This wasn't the easiest decision to make, but now I'm committed. I had been thinking about this since I finished the manuscript that's still in circulation. I'm really not getting anywhere with it, in terms of finding agents. So here's what I've decided.

I'm rewriting the manuscript and the current writing project in the 3rd person. 1st person is easy, but it tends to gets confusing. The infamous chapter 10 is what led me to this decision. I don't have writer's block, yet I was blocked. I couldn't go further to save my life. It was so frustrating! As it turns out, the perspective is wrong.

The disadvantages to 1st person perspective is that person may not see everything involved with the story. For my current project, I thought I had chosen the right narrator. As it turns out, the main character doesn't see enough to complete the story. Pity.

I realize this probably makes me look flighty, and I swear I'm not. I'm just a firm believing in doing whatever is needed to make the story the best product possible. I believe in the story above all else.

So, this is what I'm doing. My estimate to send out the second round of query letters to agents is Dec. 1st. That gives me about 2 months to rework the manuscript. For me, that's a long time. If I worked on it day and night, I could probably be finished in a week. But I'm not going to rush it, I'll just make sure it's done by Dec. 1st.

Reworking my current writing project is top priority. I only have 9 chapters to rework, so that I'll work on night and day. Hopefully it doesn't take longer than a few days to get back to chapter 10 and write the rest of the story.

1st person perspective is easy. Too easy. Because I have to write so much to overcompensate the character not quite seeing everything, the story ends up being confusing and coming across as less than professional. And that's just no good.

Don't think this was a rash decision. I tested the text first, to see what works best. After rewriting the first chapter of my manuscript in the 3rd person, I immediately saw it works a hell of a lot better. I did the same for the current writing project. It makes so much more sense now.

See, I honestly don't care about 1st vs 3rd person perspective. Whatever works best. And at worse, I'll have another version of my manuscript to show, which will hopefully increase my chances of traditional publishing.

And yes, I'm a total slave to my writing...

Freaking Out

2010-10-09T09:29:00.000-05:00

For the past few days, I've been slowly but surely freaking out. This is a higher level than a mere self-doubt. A complete and full freak out.

It's about chapter 10, you see. Yet another chapter, as I was trying to work it out, seemed to be more than one chapter. I actually started thinking maybe it should be three chapters. Three!

And then I thought, if this keeps happening, maybe I should write in the third person rather than first person. Which would mean a complete rewrite. Rewriting everything!

But splitting it up into three chapters, or switching perspectives, would not only defeat the purpose of just writing until the story is finished, but also push everything ahead. If I wrote three chapters, or rewrote everything, for the purpose of finishing one chapter, I'd never finish this. At least, that's how it felt to me.

Too many ideas!

But then I realized it just wasn't needed. Sure, I could write tons more, and maybe I will, but AFTER I've at least completed the skeleton of the story. Fleshing it out can always happen later.

I'm still panicking a bit, but I'm calming down. It's only chapter 10 after all, and I've outlined roughly 25-30 chapters. In a lot of ways, I'm still at the beginning. Maybe when I'm at the halfway point, I can make decisions like splitting up chapters, though it would be best to wait until the story is complete, as in has a beginning, middle and end, before making such decisions.

One step at a time. *nods*

This is why I feel outlines are important. In essence, I do already have a finished book with a beginning, middle and end. It's just in the form of an outline. So really, no need to panic or freak out (though I do it anyway). I just have to remind myself I already have a book and it's just a matter of writing it out, putting one word after another. That's all.

No more freaking out.

Really.

I'm okay.

Decennial

2010-10-04T11:32:00.000-05:00

I freely admit the title of this post is for geeks who know a little Latin. Or, for those who do a google search ;)

I'm very happy to report I'm now working on chapter ten. Insert Kermit-style Yaaaay here. I'm quite relived to get to this point. I would say I'm past the quarter point and working toward the middle. It's a great feeling knowing I've gotten past all introductions and can let the story flow from here.

I have no idea if this is just me or not, but I can always tell where I am in the story based on what I've written so far. Granted, following a rough outline helps a lot with that. But I don't just mean the outline. I can tell based on how the story feels. Perhaps it's an intuitive thing. I've long since gotten to a point with my writing where some things I just know. Like, for example, I'm definitely past the quarter point *nods* How did I get to this point in my writing? Practice, practice, and more practice. Oh, and lots of practice.

While dedication is important, I'm also finding myself distracted. It's not easy having a vivid imagination and a background in graphic design. There's a lot to be said for having only one skill, at least your sanity is retained much better that way. My imagination is all over the place. Novel writing, screenplay, movies, graphic novel, cover design... sigh. Alas, there's only so many hats I can wear at any given time, and I can focus much better when I wear one hat only. Though truth be told, wearing a lot of hats at once can be so much fun...

Or maybe I just like play dress-up. I digress.

Even though I'm saving a lot info for the newsletter, I just wanted to post a couple of reminders.

HALLOWEEN CONTEST! DEADLINE OCT. 30TH SO GET YOUR ENTRIES IN! As I put in the last newsletter, entries started coming in at the beginning of September. So don't leave it to the last minute, the judging of entries have already started. Remind your friends and get involved!

OCTOBER NEWSLETTER! SIGN UP NOW! The design of the next newsletter is far superior to the last one. You don't want to miss this. Sign up and be the first to see this info not seen anywhere else, delivered to your inbox!

Okay, that's it. Back to chapter 10...

Suspension of Belief

2010-10-01T12:11:00.001-05:00

This topic came into my thoughts recently. Do you believe me? I'm suspending you!

I've concluded several things. One, there's such thing as the wrong use of suspension of belief. Two, there's such thing as the right way to use suspension of belief. Three, in fiction, suspension of belief is often downright necessary. And last, four, suspension of belief is a lost art form.

I blame reality TV shows for fooling today's audience into believing everything has to be 100% original and realistic, otherwise it's a bad story. This is false. If a fictional story was 100% realistic, it wouldn't be fiction anymore. Not to mention the most obvious point, TV and Literature are very different mediums. So there.

We need suspension of belief to fully craft a fictional story. It's what allows a hobbit to go there and back again. Jedi Knights possessing powers and tricks. Aliens to invade earth. Girl Gelflings to have wings. And frogs always know it's not easy being green.

Imagine a world without suspension of belief. There would be no Lord of the Rings. No Star Wars. No War of the Worlds. No Dark Crystal. And no *sobs* Muppets! *bawls*

Fantasy and Sci-fi as genres would cease to exist and it would be a very boring world. No good conversation happens without at least one Star Wars reference, for pity's sake.

Now, having said ALL of that, there's also shameless misuse of suspension of belief. I've seen novels where it was used as a manipulation tactic to fool the readers into not guessing the plot until the bitter end. Because, you know, readers aren't even supposed to know what the hell the story is about *rolls eyes* I've also seen more novels than I can count where the authors used suspension of belief as a shameless excuse to justify their ridiculous plot lines. It's rather sad.

Here's the simple truth to everything in fiction:

AUTHORS: IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE POSSIBLE, JUST PLAUSIBLE.

READERS: IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE REAL, YOU'RE JUST ALLOWED TO BELIEVE IT'S REAL.

And that, my friends, is all anyone needs to know.

P.S. I finished the next chapter ;)

Doubts

2010-09-29T12:22:00.000-05:00

I constantly have self-doubts. There are two kinds.

The first type is where I question the characters and/or the plot line. That kind of doubt will either result in making a few tweaks to the text or I'll conclude it does work, I just have to finish the story.

The second type is where I question myself as a writer. That one is dangerous and can lead to crushing despair. "I'm a woman, a Canadian, what the hell am I doing writing a post-apocalypse story that involves the American military? I'm not a guy, I can't possibly write this shit!" But then I'll re-read my outline, go over what I've written, or do some more research and get re-inspired.

This time around I've fallen in love with this:

Isn't it beautiful? :D

I've finished the next chapter, by the way, despite all my doubts ;)

Plowing Through the Fields

2010-09-25T10:43:00.000-05:00

*peeks*

Hi. Miss me? Well, if you did, I'm back! Yay!

I got stuck in design mode for awhile. I like multi-tasking, but apparently I can't multi-task in several different mediums at once. I guess I am human after all. Darn.

I fixed up the newsletter so if you haven't signed up yet, you definitely don't want to miss the October newsletter. I also designed a web page template for a friend. *waves at Stacy* Check out the new Gothic Gourds HERE.

(No one get the wrong idea. This was a special favor and for a good cause. So please don't bomb my inbox with web design requests, thank you).

Now, where did I leave off? Ah, yes, rewrites. Half of chapter 5 has been rewritten. It flows beautifully now. Chapter 6 only needed a few minor tweaks, all is good. Chapter 7 needed it a complete re-haul, but that's done now and I'm moving on to chapter 8. I'm quite happy with the story so far.

I've realized there's a disadvantage to plowing through a story I have in mind – rewrites. Now, I will freely admit I'm a bit of a perfectionist, so rewrites are normal for me. I think I mentioned this in another post, that for the manuscript I currently have in circulation, one of the chapters took 6 rewrites before it finally worked and I could move on to the next chapter. Plowing through doesn't account for rewrites.

I often change mind. The possibilities in fiction writing are endless and I could easily go in so many directions. I'm also the type of author that's fully capable of writing in different genres. My only criteria is dark fiction, that's my thing. Fluffy romance? Will never happen. In all fairness, I'm just no good at fluff. Some authors are, I'm not. We all have our thing. I feel as an author I should realize my limits in order to understand just how far I can go.

I'm a fast writer, I prefer it that way because I think fast and need to keep up with my thoughts. But as I've learned with this whole plowing technique, I can see the advantage to taking the time to craft every single sentence. If nothing else, it avoids rewrites.

Fast or slow? I've concluded like so many things when it comes to fiction, that it doesn't matter. I'll do whatever the story needs, whether it's fast, slow or needs 6 rewrites.

I'm a slave to my work... and I love it :D

The Lily Newsletter

2010-09-16T09:28:00.000-05:00

I *think* it's all ready. The newsletter is designed and ready to be sent. The subscription is all set up. It all should, in theory, work. I'll give everyone a little time to subscribe before sending out the newsletter, partly to be fair, and partly in case there are any errors that need to be fixed.

The link for the subscription is on the top of my home page. But I've also inserted a handy dandy Subscribe button to this blog on the right side. *points to big yellow button on the right side menu* You'll be sent to page with a simple, short form to sign up. Seriously, it's very simple.

So, what you waiting for? Go subscribe!

So...very...close...

2010-09-15T09:04:00.000-05:00

I'm THIS close to finishing the newsletter *motions with fingers*

I doubt I'll have it ready to be sent out today, but hopefully soon. Once I finish that, I can go back to writing.

Back to annoying coding...

P.S. Vote for the Eden Fell cover. Thanks.

START VOTING!

2010-09-14T14:37:00.003-05:00

EDIT: Sorry, posted the wrong link before. The right link is below. So start voting :P

Voting started a day early! It's open now! Get ready, grab your friends, and start voting like crazy!
http://yougottareadcovers.blogspot.com/2010/09/september-voting.html

What are you waiting for? VOTE!!!

I'm a cheater

2010-09-14T10:24:00.000-05:00

So I've been slaving away, trying to get the newsletter ready to be sent out by Sept. 15. I figured out how and where to send it. I had a spiffy design ready for some time. Content is organized and I think everyone will like it. Just one little problem. Email newsletter coding is a completely different language. It's like, written by aliens on something.

Late yesterday night, I finally came to terms with the fact that I just don't know how to do this kind of complicated coding. So, I cheated. I downloaded a free template with the coding already in place. *hangs head*

Now that I have a template to work with, the newsletter design is getting there. Too bad I couldn't use my own design, but I'm doing what I can. I have no idea if it'll be ready by the 15th, but that's my goal, so we'll see how that goes.

Plot Holes

2010-09-11T11:12:00.000-05:00

They're mean little buggers that will pop up out of nowhere. It's the only disadvantage to writing fiction versus non-fiction. Those damn plot holes are way too easy when I'm creating something out of nothing.

The plot hole this time, started in chapter 5, and grew into a monster of a beast when I tried to start chapter 8. So, this what I'll have to do. Rewrite about half of chapter 5, make it less filler and more content. Chapter 6 will only need a couple of very minor tweaks, deleting a sentence, changing some words, nothing more. Half of chapter 7 needs to be either rewritten or replaced and moved to chapter 8. This is the weaving aspect of telling a tale. It's a lot like a jigsaw puzzle where you just can't tell where the pieces will fit until you move things around.

Chapter 5 - Rewrite
Chapter 6 - Minor tweaks
Chapter 7 - Rewrite/or move half a section
Chapter 8 - Will fall into place once all of that is done

Everyone following me? No? Well, I didn't really expect you to, and that's okay.

Some authors, and yes I've seen this happen, will write too much to overcompensate a plot hole they created, rather than going back and fixing it properly. As I'm sure you can tell, I'm not one of those authors. I couldn't care less how much work it takes to make the story flow properly again. The work is worth is because once I clean this up, I can go back to plowing until the story is finished (or until I run into another plot hole).

Back to writing...

What do You Consider Seductive?

2010-09-09T10:38:00.000-05:00

I'm so close to finishing chapter 7. I should stop saying that and just finish the chapter already.

This current project is definitely written for an adult audience. Don't get me wrong, it's not pornographic, just contains some mature ideas. Get your mind out of the gutter, it's not like that! Yeesh.

So, here's my question of the day. What do you consider seductive? I have my own ideas, but I want to see yours. I don't necessarily mean sex (get your mind out of the gutter), but more on a cerebral level. That kind of seduction. Marilyn Monroe seduction, maybe, as an example. Basically seduction without the porn. (Told you to get your mind out of the gutter).

I'm curious and welcome all opinions, regardless of age, orientation or even personal preference. Share with me!

Filler Chapters

2010-09-08T10:08:00.000-05:00

My writing marathon the other day worked out well. I finished two chapters and I'm almost finished the next. After I finished chapter 5, I realized why it was a drag for me. It's a filler chapter, haha!

I normally plan filler chapters in advance, or at least know when a filler chapter is needed before it's written. But chapter 5 snuck up on me. As far as fillers go, it's the most interesting filler I've ever written. I'm seriously laughing about this. I was so eager to get to the fun stuff in chapter 6, I almost didn't write chapter 5. And I still didn't realize 5 is filler. Go figure.

Filler chapters are often a necessary evil. They can seem like a chore, but very much needed to maintain a consistent thread through the story. A brige between two points, if you will. I've read books where it seems the author couldn't tell the difference between filler and just making crap up. Unfortunate, because there's a huge difference.

Fillers still have a plot, or at least a reminder of the plot. It would be downright silly for me to write a chapter about something completely unrelated. Something like, a choreographed disco dance around a bonfire in the middle of a post-apocalypse story, where disco doesn't exist. Humorous, but silly and unnecessary. Might be appropriate if I was writing a parody, but I'm not.

So it is important to maintain related content in filler chapters for a novel. Graphic novels and comic books (though they're the same thing, really) can have cute fillers with a subplot. But they're still related! It might be easier in comics, because of the visual similarities, but the same principle applies to novel writing. The fillers should have a purpose - further the plot, introduce a new character, provide a moment of comedy relief, etc. This is all a part of the craft of creative writing. Every chapter, pargraph, every single word, should be there for a conscious reason.

In essence, filler chapters should read like they're not fillers at all. How an author organizes elements, and how the reader perceives these elements, two different things. In novel writing, filler is a term for the author, but never seen by the readers.

I'm On a Roll

2010-09-06T13:07:00.000-05:00

I finished chapter 5 yesterday.

I finished chapter 6 this morning.

I've already started chapter 7.

How many chapters can I write in a day? Who's taking bets? :D

You Gotta Read Covers: Entry 16 Eden Fell

2010-09-05T09:24:00.002-05:00

You Gotta Read Covers: Entry 16 Eden Fell: "Title: Eden Fell Author: Lily Cover Artist: Cinsearae Santiago Publisher: Damnation Books Buy Link: http://www.amazon.com/Eden-Fell-Lily/dp..."

Get ready to start voting on Sept. 15!

http://yougottareadcovers.blogspot.com/2010/09/entry-16-eden-fell.html

New! Exciting! Fits in your pocket!

2010-09-03T10:31:00.000-05:00

I'm working on a monthly newsletter. It's something I've been keeping in mind for when the need arises. The need has arisen. I love this blog, and it's so easy to use, but it's starting to get clogged up with too much info.

So. I've decided to create a newsletter which will contain info you won't see anywhere else. Contests and events will now only be in the newsletter. There will also be interactive features and a poll you can participate in. All votes will remain anonymous, and results will be in the next newsletter. Your vote counts!

I plan to send out the newsletter on the 15th of each month and plan for the first newsletter to be ready by Sept. 15th. So keep checking back to this blog or my website for the subscribe link. I'll post the link on the homepage, right on top. This will be a fun newsletter, you don't want to miss out!

I'm finally rolling again with chapter 5. My muse made a liar out of me, rather predictable. I'm about half-way done. I'm starting to parallel several sub-plots, yet trying to keep it simple. I always have too many ideas at once. Call it a tragic flaw.

And I have to say, who would have thought that I, a girl, would enjoy war games so much? Seriously, I'm having the best time with this. The story definitely keeps me interested, no doubt about that.

How do you find Inspiration?

2010-09-02T10:37:00.000-05:00

You don't. Same as trying to find enlightenment. You just don't. It's not like these things are sitting in a treasure box somewhere and you can say, "Hey everybody! I found Inspiration! And Enlightenment! They were sitting here this all time!"

Nah, doesn't work that way.

You don't find Inspiration, you achieve it. You earn it. If you've put yourself in a conductive environment, Inspiration will come to you. This is why many authors over the years consider Inspiration to be a real entity. It's also called "muse."

So, where the hell is my muse?

I'm not in the best state of mind. I need to adjust to new meds and I haven't been sleeping well. Last night was a bit better than the night before, but I'm a little out of it.

I spent most of yesterday thinking about chapter 5, plotting things and making notes. That process is usually a lot faster for me, I'm a tad slow. Which is probably an understatement.

Whenever my muse comes to me, it often makes a liar out of me. That's why I posted all of the above. Go on, Muse, make a liar out of me! I dare you!

On another note, I've been recommended Circalit to upload my screenplay. The admin just got back to me and sent a link to a document detailing the advantages to Ciralit. No copying of text, printing, etc, allowed. I can adjust who I want to view this screenplay. Lot of safety features.

So I'm feeling less paranoid about this. I'm thinking about uploading the opening scene, which isn't in the manuscript (novel) that I have in circulation. That way, the manuscript is still never seen before (a strict rule for traditional publishing) and just the opening scene doesn't give anything away for either the manuscript or the screenplay. I guess this would be a tease of sorts, but I just want to share with all of you :)

I'll keep you updated ;)

Where's YOUR entry?

2010-09-01T12:03:00.000-05:00

It's September 1st, are you getting your entries ready for the Halloween Contest? Remember, you only have until Oct. 30! Get your entries ready :D

I'm looking into possibly posting my screenplay online. The idea makes me VERY nervous, but I'm being brave and looking into it. What I'm thinking is posting an excerpt only, maybe keep the title hidden, or use a generic title. "Screenplay" by Lily. Something like that. I would really like some feedback, but the question for me is, at what cost? Feedback is wonderful, but theft sucks royally, and eliminating chances of having this script picked up sucks even more. I'm just not sure. Well, I'm looking into it.

In the meantime, I've gotten back to work on chapter 5. Can you believe it? I'm already on chapter 5! That's so cool. I love the fact I can write fast and I'm not the type to take years just to produce a single chapter. If I were that type, I would get so frustrated with myself. I love writing fast :)

Since I've gotten far enough with this one, I'm finding it's the same case as chapter 4. Too much for one chapter, move on to next chapter. More than likely, at this point, it would be best to just keep writing regardless of chapter number.

And here I go, diving back into the story...

(Don't forget to get your entries ready and submitted to the Halloween Contest by Oct 30).

Once upon a time, there was a girl named Lily...

2010-08-31T17:57:00.000-05:00

First, I apologize. I hope no one thinks I've abandoned my series. I'm sorry if anyone got that impression.

Second... I wrote my very first screenplay!!! And I love it!!!

Yes, I had to say that.

I'm creative, I always have been for as long as I can remember. I was the kid who did crazy things like make sculptures out of tissue, cutout snowflakes out of old school papers, and origami out of napkins when I was bored. I even tried writing screenplays when I was 14, but that didn't work out because I still had a lot to learn. People would tell me I'm weird, I'm lazy, I'm not focused enough, blah blah whatever.

Here's the deal. I'm just naturally creative. Honestly, I couldn't help it even if I tried. (And I don't want to try). Everyone has their thing. Some are really good at math and grow up to become bankers. Some are good at building things and become architects. Me? I'm creative. I make things up out of nothing. And no, that's not being weird. That's being creative. So I've grown up to be a writer of fiction. No surprise there.

I'm an artist. Always have been. I know, I know, the word artist has such a negative connotation. That's only because there have been many people who call themselves artists, but aren't. Thus giving the false idea that all artists must be full of shit. That guy at the cafe who is always loudly talking about creating his next masterpiece of an oil painting? Not an artist, he's s poser who just like to talk. Real artists have something to show for themselves. A book, a painting, a poem, or a screenplay. Real artists work their asses off and finish their projects no matter what. Real artists don't just talk. They DO.

On the flip side of the coin, there have been many people, authors, painters, designers, etc, who work their little buns off but never create art. Thus giving the impression those who work hard can't be real artists. Also, see above.

Contrary to popular opinion, being an artist isn't all it's cracked up to be. It's often thankless work. No one remembers your name, but at least they never forget your work for what it is - real art.

What defines an artist? How can you tell a person is a real artist? Simple. Passion and dedication.

So rest assured, even though I've been working on a screenplay, not only did I finish it, I will finish my series.

Because I'm an artist :)

I have the Attention Span of a Suicidal Goldfish

2010-08-28T16:07:00.000-05:00

What am I up to? I'm still ironing out the maps. Yes, there's more than one. The image I posted yesterday is just an artistic version, copyright me, and doesn't give anything away.

I'm also teaching myself how to write a screenplay. I've always wanted to learn, it's a long-term goal of mine. It's a lazy, rainy Saturday, so I'm writing a screenplay.

Ummm, yeah, I don't really have anything else to say.

...

...

...

As you were.

I Slaved Away All Night

2010-08-27T09:28:00.001-05:00

Introducing the official unofficial map for the official unofficial writing project.

Ready?

Wait for it...

Here it comes...

The map!

*reveals*

Ta-da!

Good Thing I have a Graphic Design Degree

2010-08-26T19:52:00.000-05:00

I ran into a snag for chapter 5. All events are planned out, no problems there. But I was confusing myself. It dawned me I needed to design a map. I mean, if even *I* don't know where everything is, the readers are going to be bloody confused.

So I'm taking a bit of time off from writing to do some graphic design work. No, this won't be a line art rendering, similar to Lord of the Rings. I'm thinking 3D. We'll see how it goes.

I'll post the map when I'm finished here. I don't see the harm, I'll just make sure there's no text (could cause a copyright problem) and make sure there's a great big watermark. Copyright me, blah blah whatever. I just want to share this with all of you.

So off I go, wearing a different hat, and design a map. I'll let you know when I'm done... to be continued.

The Cup Spills Over

2010-08-24T11:49:00.000-05:00

I've finished chapter 4. (Yay!) Apparently I had planned too much for this chapter, so it spilled over into chapter 5. Maybe someday I'll gain enough writing experience to tell in advance when I have too much for one chapter, who knows. For the meantime, I usually can't tell until I reach a naturally conclusion or end, that's the only time I'll realize, oh, that's it for this chapter, time to move on to the next.

The good news is I have a lot of material for chapter 5, so I'm hoping that means it won't take me long at all. Also, although I discovered a lot of new things while writing chapter 4, only 2 minor tweaks were needed for chapter 1 and 2. Apparently chapter 3 is fine as is. I'm definitely rolling now with this story.

When authors give the advice of 'keep writing,' what they're talking about is this creative process I've been describing since the prologue. I know a lot of aspiring authors find that statement frustrating because it's like, how do I keep writing? Where do I get started? What do I write about? What are the guidelines?

And this is why I often remind people that creative writing is not a job, it's craft. Same as taking a ball of yarn and keep knitting until you have a finished scarf. Some people like to knit while watching TV. Some like to knit in the living room during family time. Some people prefer to knit alone. It's up to the individual. And here's the best news of all. Because writing is a craft, it's up to the individual to answer all questions for themselves. You are in control. It's your writing. Do what you want.

Other than spelling and grammar, there really aren't any rules. It's creative writing. The sky's the limit. And just keep writing ;)

A Road Diverged

2010-08-22T13:02:00.000-05:00

I had to make a difficult decision before I could even start chapter 4. It's something I've confronted before in my writing. I'll get to a point in the story where the plot could easily, and plausibly, go in two very different, distinct directions.

Choosing between these directions is not easy. And frankly, though Robert Frost was a brilliant poet, taking the road less travelled isn't always the answer. I believe in the story above all else and I'll write whatever the story needs. For me, it's not about shock value or controversy. It's about crafting a well rounded story. If the story requires shocking moments, etc, I'll write whatever is needed.

So that's what I've been thinking about. Which direction would lead this story forward to make it all nicely well rounded? This is the kind of thing that can make writing seem like a lonely profession because no else can make this decision. I could talk to friends for feedback, but sometimes feedback can be distracting. It's my responsibility as an author to make this decision.

For simplicity's sake, I'll call it Direction A and Direction B. Direction A is a fascinating idea that would be a lot of fun to explore. However, Direction A was not a part of my outline, so if I explored this direction it's possible I'll end up writing a very different book than what I intended.

Direction B is closer to my outline and explores the main character more, thus giving potential readers more they can relate to. Direction B also requires more thought towards the dynamics between the major players in this story. In essence, Direction B would take more work, the kind of work that would take a lot of brain power.

Direction A would be more fun to write, which can sometimes be more fun for the readers. Direction B would be more rewarding, and follow a logical path with the main plot line. And all of this is only for chapter 4. Yeesh.

So here's what I've decided. I've made a note of Direction A and filed it away. As a subplot it could most definitely work, but I decided to place it in Book 2 rather than Book 1. Thank god I'm writing a series. Otherwise I would seriously panic at the lack of writing space. So, I've discovered a major advantage to planning 3 books ahead of time. If I like a direction, but I'm not sure it fits for the current book, I can always save it for the next book. Nothing is lost and I can keep going.

I may not have chosen a road less travelled, but I've chosen Direction B because I've decided it's what the story needs.

Eden Fell Preview - Take 2

2010-08-21T16:30:00.000-05:00

Alas, uploading the ARC didn't work. So I've provided the text of the first ten pages on the GoodReads author profile.

You can check it out here: http://www.goodreads.com/story/list/2934460-lily-fiction

(If anyone notices errors, let me know and I'll correct them immediately).

And back i go to working on chapter 4...

Eden Fell GoodReads Preview

2010-08-21T10:38:00.003-05:00

I've contacted the publisher about the lack of preview for Eden Fell on GoodReads. The ebook version is up there but still no preview. So I shared what info I had, that the preview has to be done separately.

But... I'm impatient ;)

So here's what I've decided to do. I'm going to try uploading the ARC, providing the same preview as you can find on ScribD. If that doesn't work, I'll just post the text itself as "chapters" on my profile.

So that's what I'm working on today. Wish me luck!

Mr. Google, You Make Good Maps

2010-08-20T17:19:00.000-05:00

Yeah, late post. I had a long day yesterday. An important health related meeting that went very well, needed grocery shopping and a two hour bike ride. I was exhausted.

I should have realized how big of a day it was going to be and that I wouldn't have the time nor energy to finish up chapter 3. But, wherever I was, no matter what I was doing, I continued writing the rest of the chapter in my head. I do that sometimes, and it works well for me. But the time I can sit down and write again, I never forget what I wrote in my head and write it all down.

You know what that means, right? I finished chapter 3! Yay!

Sometimes as I'm writing I'll confront something I need to look up first, such as google maps, web pages about steel corrosion, obituaries. Totally random stuff but all equally important to bring my story to life.

I'm very pleased with the end result for chapter 3. It's a longer chapter which tells me I'm getting into the meat of the story (for the strict vegans out there, let's call it heavily marinated tofu). This is the fun part, where I don't need to map things out as much, I have more than enough to work with, and I can just plow through the words. I love it when I get to this point in a story, it's the best feeling. Almost as good as when inspiration first strikes, though nothing can compare to that feeling.

I love creative writing, what can I say :)

Science Fiction or Horror?

2010-08-18T15:23:00.001-05:00

EDIT: Due to Google being a pain, I've had to change the comments setting to "anyone" and make word verification active again. Sorry, it's the only way I can allow anyone to post a comment AND avoid spammers.

I'm halfway done chapter 3, the rest should be done by the end of today. Fingers crossed, knock on wood, throw salt over left shoulder, and all of that.

I have an interesting question and I'd love to see some feedback on this. As we all know, my writing project is Post-Apocalypse, set in the future. I have noticed many times that Post-Apocalypse is not a genre within itself. The Stand by Stephen king is categorized as Horror. The Tripods by John Christopher is Science Fiction. Those two books are obvious, they're definitely placed in the right category.

But here's the question:

When dealing with a post-apocalypse story, what are the things that will define the story as Horror or Science Fiction?

Anyone?

As soon as I can, I'm hiring a personal assistant

2010-08-17T09:30:00.000-05:00

Well, I screwed up. Fortunately the mistake was easy to rectify. So again, I deeply apologize to anyone who was unable to leave a comment before.

I decided to go ahead and put in the new bio on my website. I figured while I was there, might as as well rearrange the text and make it look decent. I have a small obsession with it has to be centered. Er... yeah. All done now. Here's the improved page:

http://www.lilyauthor.com/about.htm

Chapter 3 is going well, though slower than I'd like. It's been an odd month for me. Too much real life crap, and too much on my mind. I don't have writer's block, it's just a matter of clearing my mind and regaining focus. I know how to do that, so it's only a matter of time.

Also, I realized I never really blogged about the agent search. I talked about it on Facebook, but not here. I'm fishing for agents. Casting out the net repeatedly until I get a 'yes.' A couple of rejections so far, but they were very nice about it so I don't feel bad. The rejections only inspired me to keep trying.

I recently ran across another agent listing online. I'm going to try sending her a query letter. That's right, I never give up ;)

I'm so SO Sorry

2010-08-16T15:31:00.002-05:00

I hope everyone gets this message. I selected the wrong option for Comments, thus prevented anyone from Commenting. It's been fixed now, all is good.

Sorry!

New Biography Tells All!

2010-08-16T08:44:00.000-05:00

So I decided to give my readers something interactive. I've been wanting to write a new author bio for awhile. The one I have up on my website was mostly written by a friend of mine 5 years ago, who listened to me complain, I don't know how to write a bio for myself! I think the main reason I found it too difficult is because I was still finding my author's voice. And now I have, so I'm rewriting my bio.

Here's the interactive part. I'm posting what I've written below. Give me feedback! Let me know what you think! All critiques are welcome!

About Lily:

Versatile, complex and sincere. In her former life, Lily explored the arts and a successful graphic design career. After living in four cities, she was struck by illness and returned to her birthplace of Winnipeg. A passionate fighter, she refused to give up her creative aspirations. She spent years recovering and struggled with her unused creativity.

Living a new life, Lily has redirected her energies into writing and committed herself to creating intricate stories for the modern reader. With several publications, you never know what this unique and determined Canadian will come up with next.

Web Housecleaning

2010-08-15T09:33:00.001-05:00

Nah, not spider webs, those are cool and can stay where they are ;)

I've decided to tweak a few things with this blog. It dawned on me that if I'm going to have these contests, I should make this blog more accessible.

I've added the blog feed to the author page on Good Reads. I didn't know until it was added, there's an option to click "like" for new posts and there are sharing links, so that's good. (Waves at all the Good Reads people).

The advantage to a google blog is once it's created, it's automatically listed in blog directories and web searches. So no need to add the blog there.

I've added a few more "reactions," because only 3 always seemed limiting to me. I couldn't figure out how to do so, but I've done it now. I've also added sharing links for posts. Unfortunately these changes don't show up for the posts that have been already made, but it should all show up now. This post will be a bit of a test.

The hardest decision to make, and I thought about all weekend, was to get rid of Word Verification. The only reason I selected it to begin with was to avoid any spam on this blog (or trolls, or mean spirited brownies though I wouldn't mind seeing one of those, the brownie not the troll). Personally, I hate Word Verification. I always groan when I run into it, and it sometimes it takes me 3 or 4 tries to get it right. So I'm happy to get rid of Word Verification. What I've done is made comments allowed by members only. I figure those who have been commenting are already Followers of this blog, so the only difference should be it's now easier to leave a comment.

Phew. Okay, I think I've done what I can with this blog.

Still working on chapter 3, no updates. I'll let you know :)

EDIT: Apparently I had to do some more tweaking to get the share links to show up. Still can't figure out why it's not showing more than 3 reactions. Will work on that...

Details, Details, Details

2010-08-14T10:54:00.000-05:00

Heidi on Facebook just asked me if PhotoArt is accepted for the Halloween Contest. Of course it is! The whole point of this contest is to have FUN. Whatever you can come up with, I'll accept.

But just in case, I'm providing a list of things that you could do. Keep in mind if you think of something I haven't, don't hold back, submit away!

Poetry:

Sonnet
Rhyming Poetry
Non-rhyming
Limerick
Epigram (2 line rhyming poem)

Artwork:

Photographs (digital, candid, any subject)
Drawings (using any medium, pencils, paint, crayons, etc.)
Computer generated (from Photoshop to Windows Paint, any program will do)

I don't expect anyone to be a Picasso or a Shakespeare. Judging will be based on merit and whether the rules of the contest are followed. There's only one main rule: Halloween Theme.

That's it. No pressure, anything goes. Just have fun!

Now back to my current writing project. Chapter 3 is one of those chapters where I really had to stress to myself the KISS rule. Keep it simple stupid! Because I have the whole series already in my head (made tons of notes), it's easy to get distracted and want too many ideas all in at once. But, I have plenty of space to work with here, so there's no need to cram everything into only one chapter.

It'll be a series of at least 3 books. (I have 3 outlined so far). I think of this series as a giant canvas, lots of white space, plenty of room to explore.

So after giving it a lot of thought (I think too much, hence, why there's so much text in this post that's in brackets), I've decided to explore one thing only in chapter 3. Which wasn't an easy decision when I have this many ideas to play with.

As much fun as a series is, planning 3 books in advance requires a lot of juggling of ideas. I've often thought maybe I've taken too much on myself. But then I mentally slap myself and think, remember the KISS rule...

Halloween Contest! Trick or Treat?

2010-08-13T09:48:00.000-05:00

RULES:

Submit a poem (trick) or artwork (treat). Any length, any style, anything goes! The poem can be as short as 2 lines or as long as you want it to be. The artwork can be a photograph, computer generated or even a hand drawn picture using crayons. All submissions should be original and belong to the original sender.

The only focus should be on Halloween in some way. The poem or artwork can be heavily dark, or heavily silly, poking fun at Halloween or worshiping Halloween. Do your worse!

HOW TO ENTER:

Email your poem or artwork to lily@lilyauthor.com. Put “Halloween Contest Entry” as the subject (don't want to accidentally delete an entry). Only one poem OR artwork per sender. Max file size is 20MB.

If you have any concerns about sending the file, please contact me and we'll figure out an alternative. No submission will be rejected!

JUDGING:

Judging each poem or artwork will be based on whether the above rules are followed. If I get a lot of submissions, I will be enlisting the help of two friends to help me judge.

PRIZES:

First Place – Autographed copy of Eden Fell

Second Place – Autographed copy of Ethereal Tales zine which has my short story, “Bleeding Apple”

Third Place – Copy of the Eden Fell Arc (PDF)

DEADLINE:

October 30th, 2010, Gate Night. Any submissions after that date, won't qualify.

The poems/artwork will be viewable in a special blog post on Halloween, October 31st. Get famous on my blog!

You have two and a half months. Ready... set.... go!

I can't wait to see everyone's entry. :D

Know Your Genre

2010-08-12T17:02:00.000-05:00

Phew, feeling a little better and mapping out chapter 3. I don't normally write outlines for a chapter, but I'm a little slow right now and I just want to make sure I don't forget any of the ideas I have in mind. I'm still not quite back into the swing of things, but I'm getting there.

While working on chapter 3, thoughts have occurred to me to bring in elements from different genres, but that wouldn't work. Some say, go ahead! It's only fiction. I say... no :P And here's why...

With all the confusion with cross-genres we see nowadays with books, tv and movies, I'm going to clear up a few things about multiple genres.

A cross genre author does not automatically mean an author who is able to write multiple genres within the same freaking story. Always decide well beforehand what genre the story will be. My current project is sci-fi with heavy post-apocalyptic themes. Yes, there will be drama and even horror but as added elements, not separate genres. Using influences from other genres can help flesh out a story and make it more 3 dimensional, but if these extra elements are used as actual genres, I'll only confuse the crap out of the readers.

Some authors write only romance, others write only thrillers. Cross genre authors are those who can write more than one genre per book. The first book is a romance, second is historical fiction, and so on and so forth.

The fact is, and I'm sorry if this comes off as harsh, using more than one genre in a story, is a sign of bad writing. I'm sorry, I truly am, but that's just the way it is. Writers who have a sense of professionalism understand and know only one genre is needed per story anyway. Putting in that much in one story, well, to an agent or publisher, it will just seem like the writer is trying too hard and that's an automatic rejection.

And now for the specific example in my current writing project. Though it's sci-fic, and more importantly fiction, I could use just about any type of genre to help move along the plot line. Romance, Paranormal elements, Family Drama, oye, the list goes on. But I'm not going to, because that's not the genre I'm writing. The main focus is on “post-apocalypse” and if I deviated from that, the story would fall apart. It would just come across as absurd, and I'm not writing a humor novel.

Every writer would do themselves a huge favor and know the genre they're writing. Remember, it's fiction, the sky's the limit. If you want to write another genre, just start a new and different novel. It's that simple.
NOTE: Look for a special post tomorrow announcing the next contest!

In Sickness and in Health

2010-08-11T10:06:00.000-05:00

Well, looks like I have to take a sick day. It happens. I need to take a break, relax and take care of myself for a day. So, nothing new to report about the current writing project. I'll let you know when I feel better.

But not all is lost! The timing worked out well. I've received another review for Eden Fell from The Pen and The Muse. So I'm going to add this review to my website.

It's short but sweet. Check it out!

http://www.thepenmuse.com/2010/08/review-eden-fell.html

Chapter 2

2010-08-10T10:00:00.000-05:00

I finished! The story is flowing so beautifully at this point that it didn't take long for me to finish the chapter. I'm hoping the rest the story will be like this.

I'm loving the freedom I'm allowed with this story. I don't have to follow nearly as many rules as I would when writing a story in a real world setting. Rules like, the laws of gravity, etc. Since this is essentially sci-fi, there's so many creative aspects that I can invent. And it's so much fun! I do have to be careful, though. As I said yesterday, fiction still has to be plausible. I'm making it up, but it still has to make sense.

In many ways, writing this story reminds me of writing Eden Fell, a manuscript that only took 2 months. That same fluid ease is there. And that's really nice. Eden Fell is Dark Fantasy, so again I wasn't held back by a real world setting. (Don't expect me to be finished this current project in 2 months, though).

Sometimes I enjoy the challenge of a story set in the real world, and sometimes all I want to do is be creative and make things up. The manuscript I currently have in circulation is very much set in a real world, present day, current social issues. It wasn't the easiest story to write, but I'm content with the final result. So I think I needed something completely different to get the creative juices flowing again. And it's flowing! Yay!

On to chapter 3...

As a Canadian I never thought I'd say this, but I long for winter...

2010-08-09T09:22:00.000-05:00

I realize the heatwaves are an international problem that's happening worldwide. But for pity's sake, I live in Canada, it shouldn't be this bad!

I had a bad night yesterday, too hot and I couldn't concentrate on anything. So I decided to move my laptop elsewhere and see if I could get some writing done. Results: Cooler conditions = 1000 words typed. I need to move to the arctic...

Chapter 2 is now 2/3 done at least, and I'm working on wrapping up the chapter while it's still the cooler morning weather.

I keep discovering new things as I write this story. This brings me back to an earlier post about outlines. Stories change and evolve, so outlines can't be written in stone, otherwise there would be no natural evolution of the story. It's important to me to always look at the bigger picture and always be willing to learn new things. I'm very grateful to have an open mind, I doubt I would be able to create such a highly fictional world otherwise.

There's a line I often have to draw, of course. When using my imagination, the possibilities are endless. I always allow a story to evolve, but I won't let my imagination run away with me. Well, most of the time anyway. This is the difference between possible and plausible. In fiction, it doesn't have to be possible, just plausible. It has to be sensible at least. Random example, if I killed off all the main characters in the second chapter, while death happens and it is possible, it's anything but plausible. In fact, that would be just silly. Sure, I can imagine anything, but that doesn't mean I should write everything. I have to draw that line.

Another aspect to this story that I'm finding very interesting, is making sure the metaphors or analogies are appropriate for the character within the context of this story, especially since I'm writing in the first person. Though I have found this could apply to writing in the third person. It's such a little thing most people don't notice, but I've seen improper use of metaphors that I know the characters wouldn't be able to think of. Again, not plausible. Not to mention, completely out of context.

For example, I once read in a novel, written in the first person, thought by a teenage girl, "It's like typing the words 'The End' on a manuscript." Er, she's a teenager, unless she miraculously wrote and published novels (which she didn't in this story), she wouldn't have that experience. It was the wrong comparison to make. The only way that could have worked, is if it was written in the third person.... maybe. I felt the author didn't even know their own character.

So I'm having fun trying to find the right comparisons that are within the realm of the character's experience. I'll come up with an analogy and think to myself, would the character even know what beet-red looks like in this post-apocalyptic world? Are there any beets? See, this is the biggest difference between mapping out all aspects of a story (outlines, character development, etc) and writing by the seat of my pants. Thought is needed before and during in order to truly craft a story.

Okay, a couple more hours of nice morning weather. Back to writing...

Busy, busy day

2010-08-08T13:46:00.000-05:00

When I went to make a new post, the first thing I noticed was my last post had all three reactions selected. That made me grin. See? ---> :D

I'm still working on chapter 2, between a lot of other stuff that needs to be done today. I find it interesting, while working on chapter 2, I realized there were some things that needed to be added to chapter 1. So at this point, I definitely feel I've tweaked chapter 1 enough. It feels much more rounded now, not as many gaping holes.

As a result of having such a nicely rounded first chapter, this allows for a much easier time to write the following chapters. See, it's not just about a proper introduction for the potential readers. It's about a proper introduction for the author so they can write the rest of the story.

I've introduced, I'm moving on :)

Ugh

2010-08-07T10:05:00.000-05:00

I would have finished chapter 2 yesterday but I had a medical appointment. Stupid real life always gets in the way of my fictional world...

I just wanted to mention, I have no idea who it is, but whoever selects a reaction to a post, I really enjoy seeing that. You know, the Funny, Interesting or Cool reactions. Whoever you are, thank you :)

Okay, no plans today, so I'm going to concentrate on chapter 2...

And on to chapter 2

2010-08-06T10:46:00.000-05:00

I got a little stuck for a moment, trying to figure out how to go from chapter 1 to chapter 2. The possibilities seemed endless this early on in the story. I can see the whole story in my head, even the whole series. Carrying around three whole books in my head is... intense to say the least. It requires a lot of focus. Writing a series is very new to me. Don't get me wrong, I'm really enjoying this. But these are the times I wished I had a second brain...

Regardless, the story is definitely flowing at this point. If I get stuck, it doesn't last longer than a few hours at the most. And that's a fantastic sign I've got a story that will be finished. Guaranteed. Yay :)

I've also noticed I have a (bad) habit have crushing on my own fictional characters...

A tweaking we will go

2010-08-05T12:20:00.000-05:00

So I've fleshed out chapter 1 as much as I can. I know there should probably be more, but it's hard to tell what should be put into the first chapter and what should be saved for a later chapter. Some things belong in a certain chapter and some things don't. But I'm not worried about that. The point is to just keep writing and start the next chapter after a natural end has been reached. And it has, so I'm moving on.

If I spent all my time on a single chapter, I'd never finish the whole story. I shudder at that thought.

RANDOM SIDE NOTE: This has nothing to do with the current writing project. On a message forum for poetry I was confronted by someone I've named "poetry dud." And I just wanted to say, despite this guy's ridiculous beliefs, all forms of poetry IS subjective, dammit.

Thanks for reading.

Side Characters

2010-08-04T11:42:00.000-05:00

Not that much to report today. All I'm doing is fleshing out the rough draft of chapter 1. I should be done and start chapter 2 by tomorrow. Basically, this is author editing work. Not the editing authors do for the editor at a publishing company, that will come much later. This is my own editing,what no one ever sees, something no one but me can decide on. It's my responsibility as the author. And honestly, I love this kind of work. (I'm such a geek).

I get a real kick out of side characters. They always fascinate me. Of course, it's easy to put a little too much into side characters - full names, back story, personality, etc. I often find myself having to ask, Is this relevant to the plot? Does it matter at all? If I answer 'no' then I'll slim down the character. After all, the only point of side characters is plot and main character development. In my personal opinion, putting too much info into a side character the reader would only see once, is unprofessional. Sure, I can write anything and fully develop any character, but that doesn't meant that I should.

The main story and the main character are the most important aspects.

My daily mantra is, Follow the KISS rule!

Keep It Simple Stupid....

Winners of the Birthday Contest!

2010-08-03T09:22:00.000-05:00

First, let me say that I received so many lovely birthday greetings yesterday, I sincerely, honestly, truly, appreciate each one. I was filled with such warm and fuzzy feelings, and there was a fabulous thunderstorm last night, that I was inspired to finish a draft for chapter 1. Thank you!!!

First Prize, an autographed copy of Eden Fell.

Winner - Melodie

Who posted a poem on this blog that I really enjoyed, especially the last line. "And yes, I'll cop to it: I wish for Eden Fell." *grins* Congratulations, Melodie! Please contact me with your full address so I can send the autographed book as soon as possible.

Second Prize, copy of the Eden Fell ARC, pdf.

Winner - Heidi

Who is a wonderful photographer and posted a photo for me on my Facebook profile. The photo blew me away. Congratulations, Heidi! Please contact me with your email address and I'll send the pdf right away.

I enjoyed this contest and I'm definitely going to do this again. I'm thinking Halloween or maybe sooner. Until next time!

Birthday Post and other news

2010-08-02T08:26:00.000-05:00

This is where you can post birthday greetings to enter the contest for a chance to win a free copy of Eden Fell. Post away!

So I finally got a major start on writing Chapter 1. This story is definitely coming together, it's only a matter of writing it all down. But I have say, holy hell this story is involved. With each paragraph, each line I write, I'm discovering new dimensions all the time. And I'm loving it :D

I did run into a small snag yesterday while working on Chapter 1. Names. Normally, with side characters, I'll just plug in any name. If I decide I don't like the name, I'll change it later. My trick for finding names is to look up the top 100 baby names for the year when the character would have been born. Now here's the snag. The story is set in the future. The characters haven't been born yet. Uh oh...

I spent some time looking into trends for baby names and tried to find futuristic sounding names. I don't like using names that are long-winded or hard to pronounce or just made up gibberish. When there's a whole story to be read, I don't want the reader to fumble or take too long deciphering a fictional name. That's just tedious.

But! I found a great website that has a long list of names based on the current trends, basically predicting the baby names of the future. Jackpot! And now it's easy to plug in a name as I go along.

I love it when a story just flows and everything makes sense :)

Come out, come out, wherever you are...

2010-08-01T09:39:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was blisteringly hot. I was nursing iced cappuccinos and ice cream all day. Needless to say, I got no writing done at all. Yet my mind kept going, working out little details for chapter 1.

It finally started cooling off last night around 11 pm. So I sat on the front porch, just enjoying the slight breeze. Where I live is close enough to one of the major rivers so I'll often spot some wildlife here and there. Last night, as I was sitting on the front porch, two little cottontail rabbits came out of nowhere, scampered across my yard, kept hopping across the street, into my neighbor's yard and vanished into the night.

Because chapter 1 is the only thing in my mind, and though I've seen things like this before in my area, this time it's inspiring me to come up with all kinds of ideas in relation to this story.

The creatures who are the best at survival, come out at night...

NOTE: BIRTHDAY CONTEST!

Tomorrow is the day to enter the birthday contest for a chance to win a free copy of Eden Fell, so get your birthday entries ready!

I'm entitled to a day off. I think?

2010-07-31T09:38:00.000-05:00

So yesterday, I decided, meh, it's Friday. I have other things to take care of, I'm taking the day off from writing.

And in the back of my mind I was mentally writing chapter 1.

I caught up on some emails, and mentally wrote chapter 2.

While making dinner, Chapter 3 was almost completely written in my mind.

So much for taking a day off...

As wonderful as it is to have a story come to life and it's one of the best feelings in the world, there are disadvantages as well. It just doesn't end. The story continues in my mind regardless if I'm actually writing the words. Although that's great, to help fully develop the ideas so writing it out will be easier, at the same, I'd like to have a day off, thank you very much.

So, fine then. This story has officially taken over my life. I don't even have a choice in the matter. So I will be actively finishing up chapter 1 today.

I'll get fresh air later...

I believe thanks are in order

2010-07-30T08:32:00.000-05:00

I had never blogged and shared the entire creative process with anyone while crafting a story. Although there haven't been many comments, I know you are all out there, reading and following as I go along. It means a lot to me and helps me to stay on schedule rather than slacking off. Granted, once a story is alive to me I tend to do nothing but write and the rest of the world just doesn't exist. Still, I know you all are out there, it makes a difference and helps a lot to keep me going.

So this is a great big THANK YOU!

P.S. I finished the second rewrite of the prologue and now I'm more than ready to move on :)

The Incomplete Novel From Hell

2010-07-29T15:09:00.000-05:00

About 5 years ago, give or take, I had an idea for a horror novel. The story would have been commercial horror fiction and I loved the idea of it, but it's the novel that just doesn't end. In 5 years, I have tried 6 rewrites. I get to about 50 - 60, 000 words and get completely and utterly blocked. There's just something about the story idea that refuses to finish. No way, no how, will never happen.

I never delete any of my writing, I keep it all in a great big folder on my computer and do regular backups. That horror novel is in another folder with word docs, totalling about 300 - 400 words I've written for one novel idea that I can't finish to save my life.

So then, I'd get another idea for a story and find myself using bits and pieces from the Incomplete Novel From Hell. Lo and behold! I actually finished a story. So far, with every story I've finished or published, each uses little pieces from the Incomplete Novel From Hell. A certain character, a certain scene or subplot, or sometimes just a single line that I really like. It's become my own personal blueprint for writing all other stories so I can actually finish them. But I seriously doubt I will ever finish the Incomplete Novel From Hell.

I've long since given up. Not in the sense of admitting defeat, but simply accepting that it's one of those things that seemed like a good idea at the same. I've also accepted, because I have so much already written, I'm free to use any of it in another story. After all, it's all my original fiction, I can do whatever I want with it.

I was mentally working on a rewrite of the prologue (current writing project that is), sifting through ideas and throwing them out. I just wasn't getting anywhere. Then it occurred to me in one of the rewrites of the Incomplete Novel From Hell, I wrote a version for chapter 1 which has a rather unique style I had never done before. I love it to pieces, but been unable to properly use it before. Now I can! I'm using the exact same style for the rewrite of the prologue. And it works!

I'm happy :)

I hear voices in my head and they tell me to do things...

2010-07-28T10:20:00.000-05:00

I've always found it interesting how the process of creating and building a story is similar to a mental disorder if you go by strict textbook definitions. The saying does go, "There's a fine line between genius and insanity." And you know what? It's true!

(I don't consider myself to be a genius by the way, but I'm intelligent enough and no, I'm not insane, thank you very much).

I often find I need to keep myself in check and not allow my imagination to run away with me. Just because an idea or image pops into my head, doesn't mean it should be used within the story. I'll throw out ideas, sift them and decide which would work. There's definitely a lot of self-management involved with being an author, and I can well imagine it's the same with any kind of art form. It certainly was for me when I was working as a graphic designer.

So yesterday, after spending weeks on research and character development, my main character spoke to me for the first time. I love it when that happens, it's the coolest feeling when a character comes to life and gives me the opportunity to fall in love with them. He's real now, alive and kicking in my head.

Now, I'm sorry to say this, but because he wasn't completely real to me yet, the prologue has to be rewritten. I'm fine with that, like I said in another post, I often go back and tweak things here and there as I go along. It's important to me to literally weave a story together rather than making it all up. See, that's the difference between an author and a writer. Authors understand creative writing is a craft.

Always Know Your Audience

2010-07-27T10:47:00.000-05:00

Here's a topic that tends to confuse writers. Some say you should write for yourself while others say you should write for your readers while everyone says you should write what you know. I both agree and disagree. Let me explain before I confuse you even more.

When I'm actively writing a story, I'm in the story. I'm living and breathing this story until it fully comes to life. It's not possible for me to write for anyone but myself when I'm in the story. I only have one brain after all. No can be both the writer and the audience.

But, if I don't know who I'm writing for, or at least have a general idea of the kind of people who would enjoy this story, then things could get pretty screwed up. It would be silly for me to write a futuristic post-apocalypse story in the style of an adult novel and then try to sell it as YA fantasy. Not to mention, I'd have a hell of a time trying to get it published.

See, it's not about writing for anyone specific. It's about knowing and truly understanding the genre you're writing. You should always know your audience, but you should also write for yourself.

Truth be told, knowing your audience isn't innate knowledge. It's not like knowing how to flip a burger before you get a job at McDonald's. Creative writing isn't a job, it's a craft. The scary truth is, it takes experience. I know, I know, for authors who are just starting or haven't published anything yet, that can seem like a catch 22. How are you suppose to gain experience in order to gain experience?

What I do, is just talk to people. Friends, family, people I'll meet online, readers I'll encounter. I'm constantly filing away info about likes and dislikes, and how it could relate to the subject I'm writing. I also read all kinds of material, from books, both fiction and nonfiction, to articles, scientific magazines, lots of reading. That's experience. That's writing what you know.

So, I'm getting into Chapter 1. I've found I need to create a new name for a fictional, though plausible, illness. I could make up gibberish or use pig latin, but I know that's not the kind of audience I'll have. So after some discussion and thought, I've decided to rename certain things, using words people are already familiar with, rather than creating a name no one has heard of, because I know my audience :)

Prologue!!!

2010-07-25T16:33:00.000-05:00

Wow, that took much longer than I expected. Real life got in the way, and as it turned out I still needed to do some research. But! The rough draft of the prologue is finished. Finally. Phew.

There's a lot involved with this story, and it is a series, so I think I'll be doing research until the whole series is finished. I don't mind this at all. I often stop in the middle of whatever I'm writing and quickly look things up, then go back to writing. It's all a part of the process better known as crafting a story.

For the most part, I do tend to just plow through, keep putting one word after another until it's done. But sometimes I have to stop and give something some thought before I can go on. It's so dependent on such small details, I couldn't begin to describe it all. Just, you know, trust me on this one ;)

Now for the fun stuff and the actual crafting. The first chapter...

Brr

2010-07-23T21:45:00.001-05:00

Ice has very interesting properties. Just saying.

Productivity

2010-07-22T12:45:00.000-05:00

This is going to sound terrible, despite not posting yesterday, but I swear this is more productive than it sounds.

After giving it A LOT of thought, I've crafted the introductory paragraph for the prologue. Main character, setting, place and time have all been established in one consise paragraph that I'm rather content with. I have to give myself a pat on the back for this one.

I can't really explain the feeling, I suppose you can call it inspiration, but I now feel I can keep putting one word after the other until the prologue is finished. Then the next chapter, and the next. I'm definitely charging ahead!