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 |  Adventures of writing when I don't have a clue, which seems to be most of the time... |
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My writing journey's journal I have been an avid MMO game player for many years and a pen and paper gamer for years before that. And I've never been able to write more than a page or so at a time, and that would take me hours to do. Creatively, I have had stories and even novels in my head that I could explain to someone, or even tell them the story audibly, but could never put down on paper. And I never found out why. Until my wife introduced me to Stephanie Meyer late this spring. I read Twilight, and the rest of the books in rapid sequence... I think I spent less than two weeks on all of them, and then I watched the movies. My wife mentioned that she had never written before, even a short story, and that she completed the entire first novel in three months or so. I read an interview she gave with another author (for the life of me I cannot remember who it was), where she explained her entire writing process. I said to myself, Self, you can do that. If a housewife, with three kids running around, can do it, then I can too. Except that I had tried, and couldn't write worth a darn. So I tried something new and radical. I ignored everything else, and by everything, I meant everything. And I sat down to write. I cut out everything, except caffeine... No more TV, no movies, no games -- really, I quit playing all of them. I found that now, devoid of all the other distractions, I could write. One of my sons helped me find some background noise (shameless plug incoming: http://rain.simplynoise.com/), and I found I could write even better. What did I write? I just took a word and turned it into a sentence. And then the sentence into a paragraph. I added a tragedy, and turned it into a murder. And then added a love story. And then a thriller, because the love story caused problems for the murderer. And from there, I had a theme. From the theme came a focus. I just made it up as I went along, telling stories that actually ended up on paper, not just as whimsical thoughts that I would lose by the next day. I wrote over 100k words in July, and another 75k in August. We're barely into September, and I've already written 46k words (not counting this blog), and I have no plans to stop writing. The sky is the limit... well, actually, I've gone past that in a few places -- to the stars and beyond. There is no limit to what you can do if you just put your mind to it and start, one word at a time. ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** |
This morning, I received a review from ~ C. Spies  that I responded to at length. I wanted to share my response with you, to answer similar questions that others have asked and I have been less than clear in my answers. I liked her review. I hope you like my response.
First off, thank you for the kind compliments; and more thanks for the criticisms. Too many people have told me, "Oh, it's so much better than Twilight," or "Your depth of plot reminds me of Robert Jordan," or "This is as good as Anne McCaffrey!" but when I press them to give me constructive criticisms, they point out on obvious missed word or typo, if even that. I appreciate the enthusiasm people have, but it does not help me write a better book. On 4/2/14 at 6:00am, in a review for "Invalid Item"  , ~ C. Spies wrote:> This is an interesting concept you have here, and I love the way you have breathed new life into the age-old and slightly cliche vampire creature. The element of the multiple eye colours is also a nice touch that could be easily expanded upon. (Rare purple eyes make for good hunters, etc.) The eyes are the visible indicator of infestation by the symbiotic parasite Vamparisi, so I need to milk it for all it is worth. I'm not going to give them fangs or wings or whatever. The other aspects of strength and whatnot have to be witnessed or experienced, not just seen at a distance, or in a photograph. Vanity contacts and sunglasses can help them almost disappear into the crowd... I may have to give examples of the past, where that was not always so easy to do. I haven't used 'purple', and in recent revisions I have removed 'yellow' and 'gold' because I might want to introduce other species... which, as of the present time, I have no need for, but I do not know where the future will lead. I'd like to leave at least a few doors open. > The structure is good and the story is there, however, I do have a few minor issues... > 1.) I would watch out for the odd typo here and there, as they can be slightly distracting when reading the story. Now I don't want to get into too much of the nitty gritty, so just try to keep an eye out. There are several errors of various sorts, and I watch out for them... but do not get overly excited about finding/fixing them because I rewrite and revise just about everything, and have not yet reached the point where I want to involve a line editor. Perhaps soon, but not yet. I have bigger issues with the writing... such as overuse of passive voice and an unclear distinction of tense. The entire thing is written in the 'third-person/limited point of view', which is new for me. Heck, everything is new for me. I just started writing in July, and have not yet found my 'voice', so to speak. I am writing in the following manner: First, write the story. Second, figure out what needs to be added or removed in order to make it flow properly. Third, go back an properly describe events with dynamic emotions, feelings, observations -- show rather than tell. Forth, go back and individualize each character's thoughts and dialogue, as well as make them consistent. Fifth, ask for help when I have reached the point where I think I have done all I can. Right now, I'm still in First and Second stages. > 2.) Another minor issue (okay, more of an opinion) is that I would have loved to see a bit more restraint between the Alexei/ Zoelle relationship. The chemistry is definitely there, but I would have preferred to have seen it forming gradually, as opposed to this instant explosion of passion that is displayed. The explosion will probably still occur (because the blooding is a dramatic experience on several levels, not the least of which is emotional), but I realize the need for restraint. If there is no tension, nothing to build toward, it does not hold the reader's interest. Also, I need to make a bigger deal out of Alexei's age and inexperience. I know what I might like to do, but I am not at all certain how to make it happen. In my recent writing -- for the period of time where they should have run, but waited too long -- there are a few twists and turns that throw some darker shadows into the mix, and things are not as 'peachy' as they might have appeared to be. You have expressed a unique sentiment (most people have not commented on the relationship), but it is one that I have considered, in part. I am torn between the classic love story where they meet, then fight, then drift apart, then fight some more and then finally get thrown together -- and the 'love at first sight' trope followed by tragedy, followed by the realization that they cannot live without each other. Both are valid, but this case I also wanted to throw in the 'forbidden love' aspect of him being a minor, and how exactly they work through it without disgusting/alienating my readers. > 3.) I realise that there should be some sort of reason for both Alexei and Zoelle to stay in town, but I feel that the incident with Anastasia and the snow plough should be a good enough reason without having to rely on changing the vehicle into Zoelle's name. Personally, I don't have very much experience with preparing to flee at a moments notice, but I think it's safe to say that I wouldn't be too concerned with changing a vehicle into my name. Ten to one it will end up being dumped somewhere along their travels because it can be traced back to them. Why then spend all that time at risk for something that could in time prove to be a liability? You're probably right. Originally, I was going to have the Suburban catch fire as they race out of town, forcing them to flee the rest of the way without their possessions or with anything they had prepared -- but then I took the story in a different direction, and their preparations make very little difference. Events very quickly move beyond their control, and certainly beyond their ability to plan. Once they are away and 'safe'... I can use that registration to tip off someone unrelated to the search for a silly/obscure reason, and have that come back to bite them in some way. I have not decided. I might trash everything related to the vehicle and their preparations. Just because you or I might think one way does not mean my characters will have that same thought. Maybe they should, or because they are inexperienced with running from the dangerous mob... they make mistakes that someone more seasoned would not. However, you bring up a good point, and one that I should explore a bit further. Beside the desire to 'go back to normal', what else can I do to keep them in town a little longer? I need to think about that a bit. The sister's recovery works well, but is it enough? I'm not certain. > 4.) You have such an amazing concept with Morgan in the mix, and I would like to see more of him. Not just to tease Alexei or help him when he is in danger, but to start out quite distant and superior, and then to become more and more of an equal - a friend even. Alexei could in turn help him to get in touch with a more human side to his psyche. That is part of the point and one of the major themes, and I realize my writing has not yet done justice to the concept. I do hope to show that he is a bit of an 'ivory tower' intellectual, a piece of nobility, an ego the size of Texas... and that over time, he learns to both respect and admire Alexei -- all at the same time that Alexei is growing and learning to be more than just a boy. By the end of the book, Morgan (who I have renamed in my current writing to obfuscate the relationship between he and the cult) makes the following observation. He is in control of the boy's body and talking to Zoelle: “You won’t let him have it back? His own body? How cruel are you? I thought you promised, you swore to him that you would at least share.” “I did so swear, my Lady…" (He goes on to explain that Alexei is unable to control his own body at the moment -- he is very nearly dead, his consciousness barely a spark in the back of his brain.) “I’m sorry,” she said. “I didn’t know. I thought, for a moment, that you had gone back on your word, like every Elder… every ancient before you.” “I would not do that. Alexei is… beginning to feel like a brother to me. He is not just another consciousness, not just another Vamparisi. He is becoming worthy of being called ‘ancient’ in his own right.” > These are my own opinions, and are really just something to think about, but - to be honest - you have already set the stage for a stunning book. It is a promising storyline and I could easily imagine this becoming part of a future Vamparisi series. Thank you. I realize that it has a long way to go before it is good enough to be published, not to mention broadly acclaimed. I have a long way to go as a writer. I do think, somehow, that I have stumbled onto something that could be promising. I just have to fill in the details, smooth out the edges, and play the publishing game. Dumping it into an e-book, just to get it out there, seems... short sighted. > I enjoyed reading it, so keep up the good work! Kind Regards, ~ C. Spies That's all I want -- for people to read and enjoy it. All the rest is semantics. >jace neophyte novelist ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** |
| Thank you, everyone! I don't know how I could improve upon this day. This has been my best day ever on WDC. My two commissioned Merit Badges were delivered in their crisp, new wrapping. Thank you (for the fourth or fifth time), The StoryMistress  . Here they are again. I cannot be more proud of how they turned out:![Merit Badge in Perspectives
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Congratulations on your new "Perspectives" merit badge for your group, [Link To Item #1979094] ! Thank you for supporting the Writing.Com community with your inspirations, participation and activities. We appreciate it! -SMs](https://images.Writing.Com/imgs/writing.com/writers/badges/group-Perspectives-1979094_8.gif) ![Merit Badge in Point of View
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Congratulations on your new merit badge: "Point of View"! This was a great badge to commission! Thank you for doing this for the community and supporting us with your inspirations, participation and activities for our members. We appreciate it! -SMs](https://images.Writing.Com/imgs/writing.com/writers/badges/general-Point_of_View.gif) Perspectives (and) Point of View In addition to that, I have had written interest from people about helping me setup and operate my new group, including a positive review of the group and its core concepts.
And if that wasn't enough, I received 16 (yes, SIXTEEN) reviews and follow up reviews (once I responded to the originals) plus a merit badge ( ![Merit Badge in Writing
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I feel this is an exceptionally well written story and deserves more recognition than I can possibly give it. Please accept this merit badge from me for VAMPARISI.
Lyn](https://images.Writing.Com/imgs/writing.com/writers/badges/genre-Writing-2180.gif) ), for my latest novel.
I cannot imagine another day beating this one for quite a while. I am so impressed with WDC right now, I could burst! Thank you all so much! >JaceCar |
| Thank you, The StoryMistress for coming through with a beautiful set of Merit Badges for me. You've heard my explanation, but I wanted to share a little bit of it with everyone else. Here are the new Merit Badges that I had commissioned: The first one, the "Perspectives" Merit Badge, I commissioned for the group I recently created, because I wanted something that I could award to those I felt deserved special recognition from me. As I got into it and defined exactly what my purpose was, I realized that the group actually held some merit and could offer something to the WDC community -- something larger than just my own contributions. Perspectives Perspective (in writing) is a part of every piece, whether we realize it or not. I wanted to show/teach how perspective can become a powerful tool that a writer can use to his advantage in order to show the reader exactly what he wants them to see. If he wants the reader to see everything, he can. If he wants the reader to see only a small piece or a piece that is biased, he can use perspective in order to do that.
I outlined three goals (defined in greater detail in the group and in the group's forum):  First, to show how point of view influences the reader's understanding of an event. Second, to show how a person's physical perspective influences how they interpret the event. Third, to show how time (or perception of time) affects one's understanding of an event.At some point in the near future, I will start inviting people to join me in the discussion and analysis of perspective in writing, using the above goals to keep us focused. The "Perspectives" Merit Badge will only be available to Perspectives members to give, though one does not have to be a member to receive the award. Initially, the MB will be awarded to those who do something unique or unusual with perspective in their writing that shows attention to at least one of the above. Just because you write from a different point of view doesn't necessarily mean you qualify. You need to demonstrate that the perspective adds something significant to the telling of your story/novel -- something that makes people sit back and take notice.  ---------------------------------------- The second one, the "Point of View" Merit Badge, is a general MB that anyone can award for writing that shows a unique or unusual point of view, or use of point of view in order to reveal a deeper meaning. Because it is general, I cannot force it to be limited to my definition. However, I feel it still has a valuable role to play for WDC, not just myself. Point of View Originally, I wanted to create three badges, for Point of View, Perspective, and Time (the three goals I listed as part of the Perspectives group) but realized that the Perspectives badge itself could cover those three, and because it was restricted to the group, I could easily define how it was awarded and explain the exact reasons for its award. The StoryMistress was instrumental in helping me make that determination.She was also enthusiastic when I described my vision for the "Point of View" Merit Badge, because she saw how it could easily fit the general category and fill a niche for those who wish to honor pieces that provide a unique POV. They turned out great! Thank you again, SMs. >JaceCar ![Merit Badge in New Horizons Academy
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We're thrilled to share our new merit badge with you!
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Happy Writing
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| My wife and I celebrated our twenty-second anniversary on 21 March. I cannot tell you that every year was perfect, but we have survived some devastating events that I have seen break up other marriages. We were going to see "Divergent" but after several long days in a row of extremely frustrating circumstances at her job, Cassie was exhausted, so we stayed in. I cooked her one of her favorite meals and then we watched the "Kickstarter" funded "Veronica Mars" movie. It was fun to see, and added a twist to the way the series ended several years previously. Almost all the original cast was there, and from what we've read (during the fundraising and then the filming process) they all had a blast with it. We'll go see "Divergent" tomorrow (later today... I'm a night owl). I'll let you know what we think. The book was good, so we hope the movie will do it justice. >JaceCar |
| Please take the following with a grain of salt. I've had a few too many "adult beverages" and I am starting to wax poetic... which has gotten me in trouble on numerous occasions, and I'm sure it's about to get me in trouble again. I originally wrote this in response to a review, and then I realized that it could be offensive to the reviewer and so I yanked it out and put it here, where I am SURE that someone will take offense and call me all kinds of names. So be it. Yell all you want. Just remember that I am not a hateful person. But there are a few things that irritate me, and the abuse of our beautiful English language just to satisfy the demands of Political Correctness... is one of the worst. ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** ---------- ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** I hope it does not offend you, but I do not partake in the current frame/practice of using "sexless" pronouns and labels. English has worked just fine for centuries, in my opinion, when the male pronoun can and does refer to either sex. It is not sexist by definition; it is not male-centric. It is just the way the language works. You want a new language? Great, go create one. I'll even help you. I am pretty good with linguistics. But don't screw up my beloved English because your 20th/21st century sensibilities are offended. The structure of the language far predated your feelings, and it will outlast all of us, regardless. Saying "he/she" or "he or she" all the time is awkward. Saying "s/he" is even more so. But the recent convention of saying "he" in one paragraph and "she" in another... to refer to sexless individuals, for some reason really jars me. I read the normal "he" and assume nothing, but when I read "she" it makes me look for the name and description of the female in question because, by definition, it just referred to one, and when it doesn't appear, it leaves me wondering if the author understands the purpose of pronouns... I can only read so much of it before I get frazzled and throw the article/piece down in disgust. I am just fine with "waiter" and "waitress" to refer specifically to sex as opposed to "server", which is sexless and makes me think of a piece of computer hardware; or "fireman/firemen" to refer to "one/those who put out fires" with no sex implied or assumed. "Fireperson" is ludicrous and frankly, insulting. But of course, I am not allowed to be insulted. I am not a bigot, but redefining how a language works and has worked for centuries just because you don't want to offend someone (oooh, we should never do that) is shortsighted and arrogant to me. I realize that this is not a common view, a popular view, or whatever. It is, however, true to the language, which -- with all of its flaws -- is still a beautiful language to speak and write in. I will go to my grave speaking and writing as I was taught; Political Correctness be damned. ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** ---------- ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** >jace neophyte novelist ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** |
| Someone asked me what my review and editing process was like. Here is a 10,000 foot view. If you want/need more detail, I would be happy to provide it. I compose as I write, and then again when I revise... so the process takes a lot more energy than just putting words on a page. I'm constantly looking things up in various online reference sources, dictionary, thesaurus, etc. I don't like to state a fact and have it end up being wrong. It bothers me until I fix it. However, when it comes to editing, I use a variety of tools. I know, some of you will disparage my methods... but I'm a newborn (less than a years since I started writing), so I do what I can. First, I spell check. Then, I export/compile out of Scrivener and import into Word. I spell and grammar check again, which catches some things and lets me know when I am too wordy, use too much passive voice, or if I duplicate words. Then, I use Grammarly. There are a lot of good reasons NOT to listen to its advice, but I find it is particularly useful for a couple of things. First, its advice on punctuation makes me think about each sentence that might or might not be correct as I wrote it. Second, it does a good job of identifying object/subject discrepancies -- won't tell me how to fix them, but pointing them out is good enough. Third, it finds commonly overused or generic words and offers suggestions. Usually, I pull out the thesaurus again at that point rather than use one of its three options. Fourth, (and Word does some of this), it identifies Jargon and cliches that, depending upon the situation, I might wish to clarify in a more descriptive way. After that, I read through again, revise again, look at my overall plan for the piece and make sure I'm heading in the right direction. I repeat this half a dozen times, at least, before I show it to someone to have them proofread or review the content. Once I get reviews or proofreading/editing commentary, I go back through and make more changes, more revisions, and repeat my process once again. Writing is not as simple as picking up a pen and paper and scribbling down words on a page. Sometimes, I wish it were... |
| My elder son is going to celebrate his 21st birthday on March 5th. Of all the things he could have requested or done on that day, he wanted his mother to join him at school (and stay in his room as his roommate is away) for a few days before coming home for Spring Break. I know the last person I wanted to spend my 21st birthday with would have been my mother. The honesty and open communication with which we raised our kids is starting to show in their adult decisions. It is awesome and amazing to see. Now, if we could only get the other one to call us more than once every few months... The boys are as different as night and day, but we love them the same. It makes no logical sense, but parent-child love doesn't have to. It just is. >jace ![Merit Badge in Autism Awareness
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NOTE: This started as a comment to "Invalid Entry" in Angel_Eyes  blog, but I wanted to share pieces of it here, as well.My wife and I fought over homeschooling, as she had had poor experiences with public schools (her sister made it through the 4th grade before learning how to read -- the teachers just did not care). Her parents pulled them both out of school and homeschooled them. In a year, her sister was up to the 76th percentile for reading in her age group, and went on to be highschool valedictorian and the first in their family to get a college degree. I had two professional parents who pushed me hard without ever explaining why. I got horrible grades because I was lazy... and partly because my highschool was rated very highly (it still is over 25 years later) so the caliber of student was higher than average. Grade intelligent kids on a bell curve and someone still gets the poor grade even if they beat the national percentages. Even so, I had good experiences with public schools. I loved my time there, even though there were many things that did suck about it. Once I got into the gifted program, the teachers treated me differently, and all kinds of doors opened up for me. Unfortunately, my GPA sucked, and I swore I would not push my kids as hard as my parents pushed me without giving concrete reasons why GRADES MATTER. I was a senior in highschool before I started paying attention to my grades, and by that point, it was too late, even with a full load of AP and accelerated/gifted courses. I didn't get into a good school (to me at least) and ended up flunking out. It hurt my career in many ways, and left me as a bitter person who hated my parents. When we started teaching out kids the basics of phonics and math at age three, people thought we were crazy. From there, my wife homeschooled the kids. The elder got near perfect scores on every test... so we pushed and taught him more in-depth stuff -- as much as he could handle; as much as he asked for. The list of "crazy" goes on right up until I was disabled and my wife had to work outside the home to provide for us. I couldn't teach the kids... I tried, but failed. I don't have the temperament for it, and so the younger one pushed my buttons and ended up accomplishing nothing that year. The elder still aced everything, and we reached the limit of what we could teach at home. A new charter school for gifted and talented (which currently has a student population that is much more average -- once government get their hands on something, they can't stop messing with it until it breaks) opened up in our area, and we helped them get petitions signed and all the rest of the junk they had to do to get it off the ground. It was fun. For the first few years, the school was top in the state for charter schools, until the government decided that "gifted and talented" should also include kids with behavioral issues, and then more recently, just about anyone who applied. Just lower the definition of gifted until it makes everyone feel good -- yeah, that'll work. The parents had a lot of involvement in the school -- part of the requirement for joining was parental volunteering for 40+ hours through the school year. Most gave more than that in one way or the other. It was amazing, and felt like some private schools do. My kids thrived. The "crazies" continued. My elder son graduated second in his class only because the valedictorian made it her life's work to "destroy" my son. At one point a few years prior, she came up to my wife and said, "What can I do to destroy your son?"... We did not fear she would hurt him physically, but she did everything possible to tear him down emotionally. He learned to ignore her after a while, but the first few months were hell, because he was a good kid and wondered why anyone would hate him so much. He was the type (still is) that walks in the room and everyone gravitates to him, everyone knows him or wants to get to know him. Gifted, good looking, and great with people -- a winning combination. I don't remember how old my elder son -- the one we pushed -- reached the limit of what even this gifted school could teach him. I think he was 12 or 13. They allowed him to enroll in classes at one of the local universities, paid for by the state, so the only thing we had to do was provide transportation. The program was designed for high school seniors to supplement their learning and give them a taste of college. But there was no minimum age or grade level... or any maximum number of courses a student could take. So, my son had three senior years -- technically, they just labeled him back in 10th so it did not look like he flunked twice. His last four years in highschool were spent at an accredited university. He literally did not take a single highschool class while enrolled in highschool. His Phys Ed requirement was met by martial arts that the charter school started and then he went on to continue on his own, achieving a black belt right about a month before graduation. Other requirements were met by his work to become an Eagle Scout before he graduated. Now, he is a junior at Wake Forest with a double major in Mathematics and Physics and straight A's. One of the projects he worked on in his Freshman summer will probably be published before he graduates, and because of a quirk in the mathematics world, his name will appear first when it does. He will go on into post graduate work immediately after graduation, as he is already on several top grad school radars. We could not be prouder. My younger son, though not gifted with an academic spirit, is currently in college studying Natural Resources Law Enforcement -- he wants to go beyond his Eagle Scout to become a Forest Ranger or something in that general area. I was pushed hard without ever understanding why. Nobody ever sat me down and said, "Push yourself to get good grades, because it will mean getting into a better college, a better job, and potentially a better life." They just pushed, and not only did I get poor grades, I rebelled and pushed back with loads of behavioral issues. It was all completely needless. If only they had explained why they were pushing me so hard... >jace neophyte novelist ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** |
Writing.Com Support  posted a question: "If you could cancel all of your appointments for one month and have absolutely no obligations, what would you do with your time?" I answered it in comment, but felt it deserved a blog post as well, so I could explain myself. My answer: I would keep doing what I normally do, which is write about 12-18 hours a day. 10,000 word days are not uncommon. I chastise myself if I write fewer than 5,000. I know this is a dream for some of you to have that much time, but I live it every day, and it is sometimes overwhelming. The corollary to this would be: "If you fill up your calendar for one month with work, school, family, and other obligations, leaving you barely enough time to sleep, let alone write -- what would you do with your time?" In this alternate case -- which fits many of you, I am sure -- I do not know if I would be able to function, not to mention write creatively. But somehow, you folks who have no time still manage to come up with great treasures of poetry and prose. My hat comes off for you. I do honestly have that much time most days, if I can crawl out of bed. Some days, I cannot. The pain is too great. I normally sleep 12 to 14 hours once I do fall asleep, and sometimes I sleep for 24 hours or even longer. That doesn't mean I'm unconscious for that entire time. Rather, I wake up, look around, move a bit to test my pain level, and then decide if I want to get up or fall back to sleep. Sometimes I actually get up out of bed, walk around, eat something, take meds... and then an hour later go back to bed and sleep another 12 or whatever. When I am awake and in writing mode, it is an awesome feeling. I ignore the pain as much as possible and my muse just sings as I type 100 words a minute or more, flying through description and dialogue, background and foreshadowing, now or in the past. I just write, and write, and write more. I'm usually awake and productive for at least 18 hours, but sometimes that stretches to 24 or even 36 hours. If I kept a log of my sleep hours and my waking hours, you'd think I was completely nuts. Sometimes I think I am. Other times, I am in so much pain I cannot even sit down long enough to fire off a quick e-mail. I must keep moving to kill the pain, as standing makes me go numb, sitting hurts my low back, and lying down hurts everything else. Times like that, I walk... and pace, and shuffle, and whatever it is until something breaks and I can sit for a while, or else I get so exhausted that I fall asleep at my keyboard. For the past 7 months, I have been writing almost non-stop. Prior to that, I played games (online and offline) with the same energy. Writing is so much more healthy for me, at least emotionally. My depression is almost gone, and sometimes I wake my wife in the middle of the night -- not because I'm in pain, or angry with something -- but because I sing to myself, I sing aloud, I sing too loud. But the point is, I'm happy, joyful, and singing just because I can. My life is awesome, and getting better every day. Please do not tell me how sorry you are for me. I don't need pity. Charity, maybe... but not pity. I get enough of that from people who hear me moan and groan, usually when I don't even realize I'm doing it. The "If you could cancel all of your appointments for one month and have absolutely no obligations, what would you do with your time?" question struck me, and while I answered it, it wasn't enough of an answer. I hope this little diatribe is enough, because I'm done feeling sorry for myself. It gets in the way of my muse, and she slaps me upside the head with something hard and... sticky. It's not a good feeling, so I tend to avoid it. Life goes on. I guess that's all I have to say. >jace neophyte novelist ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** |
| ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** I write using the language I was taught, and for the most part, I was taught well. I did, however, have numerous bad habits -- and still do, if you are picking nits out of my prose. In the process of writing, rewriting, and revising (and to some degree reviewing), I have learned to unlearn some of those habits. The one habit that comes to me most is my general use of contractions. I use them all the time in speech, and I still use them in dialogue, but beyond that they are generally considered less elegant than spelling out the words that I have learned to shorten by use of contractions. I would take a chapter of my prose and feed it into Microsoft Word to use its spelling and grammar checker. No, it is not perfect, but it does help me catch some errors that mere proofreading did not catch. I found that it pointed out two major bad habits: First, I have a tendency to use passive voice far too often. I am still struggling with that. Any, even casual, perusal of my prose will show you exactly what I mean... and I am not at all certain how to get away from it. Second, I used contractions everywhere, all the time, not pausing to think how it looks to a reader, much less a line editor. In prose, we are not supposed to use contractions -- at least not all the time and everywhere. As I stated, I still use them in my dialogue, as it appears stilted for a teenager to use perfect grammar even when talking with adults, not to mention his friends. As a result, I find it a challenge to write in such a way that the spell checker and grammar checker will not flag an error or a potential error. It is most noticeable now with contractions. I am consciously writing without them, and the only time I use them now, outside of dialogue, is where using them will save me from having to reconstruct a long sentence. It is much like avoiding split infinitives. Ideally, we should not use them, however, there are times in which splitting an infinitive makes for much more readable prose. I just thought I would throw this out there, as it is one obvious thing I have changed, for the better, since coming here to WDC. Thank you. >jace neophyte novelist ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** |
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You guys are rubbing off on me.
. I have two books from WdC members that I'm reading now and when I finish with them I'll get on it and do product review here and on amazon of course. I'm glad to hear you decided to work on yours and can't wait to see what you're up to. I just have some strong feeling that it's going to be best seller because Vamparisi is just awesome 
