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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 ** |
I just got "done" revising/rewriting portions of "Invalid Item"  based on input from reviewers. If you've read it before and want to re-read to catch the changes, please wait a bit... I haven't proofread everything yet or compiled it into the format WDC seems to like, nor have I uploaded any of the changes to my portfolio item.As a new writer, I'm amazed how much work it is to review and rewrite sections of my own creation. The first time through, everything flowed out through my fingers like water from a faucet, and now I make one change, and end up having to adjust 20 scenes across 5 chapters. Good grief. Most writers recognize that their first attempt at writing is crap, and they either put it aside permanently, or delete/shred it. I'm not at that point yet -- I think my first novel can be resuscitated. But the final creation is probably not going to look very much like what I started with. I had to scrap my first ending completely, and am up in the air about how I want to do that. I had to create almost a mirror-image personality for my narrator/protagonist, which required re-thinking his relationship with his parents, sisters, and other characters. No small task, that. Someone is going to come along and suggest I do a "Prep" outline and whatnot for my first book. I know I should, but I'm not sure how much effort that would take, and if it would divide my attention from the work I am actively pursuing in the revision process. Argh. If you followed that, I'll flip a GC your way. I will say this. I dug into my piggy bank and decided to upgrade my WDC account. Not because of the features, but because I am now hooked on this community -- I have met no end to supportive people from all aspects and genres of writing, and the SMs are awesome. I know what kind of dedication it takes to do what they're doing, and it defies logic that they could keep it up for so long without needing to be committed. So, hat's off to WDC and all those who make it a great community. Just like any relationship, it takes work to keep it running smoothly, and often we don't often realize the effort and pain that goes on behind the scenes. Keep up the good work, everyone! You deserve part of the praise, just for being here and being active. ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** >jace neophyte novelist ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** |
| I've been signed up for NaNoWriMo for a while now, but just today, I was able to create a novel for 2013. I did. I'm going to be writing Book Two of my unnamed series that started with "Invalid Item" . I will create it on WDC after I get done with this post, but the link to it on the NaNo site is here: Breanna Ascensionis . You might be interested in reading the excerpt, which is a portion of Book One that I haven't shown anyone until today. My author info can be found here , if you're interested in a bit more info on who I am.I'm enjoying the "October Novel Prep Challenge" so far. I'm even keeping up with the daily stuff and bonuses. I'm sure it will help me with making what I write during NaNo meaningful, but I'm not certain if it will help me write faster or slow me down. We shall see.'Nuff said. I've got prose to write. Take care! |
| I just heard, a couple days late, that the author, Tom Clancy , died on the 1st of October. He was 66 years old. He was best known for his military and espionage fiction storylines set in the 20th century, during and after the end of the Cold War. He also put his name to several video games. Most of his novels were best-sellers, and they had over 100 million copies in print. He was a Life Member of the National Rifle Association, as am I. And he was a lifetime supporter of conservative and Republican causes in America. I'll try not to hold that against him. I have to be honest. I haven't read all of his works, but those I did sometimes I read several times over. I can't even tell you which would be my favorite, but it might be The Hunt for Red October. His ability to paint a scene with words was amazing, and he made it seem like you were right there in the thick of the action. Several of his works were made into movies, but they were poor shades of the originals, and didn't do the books justice. They didn't even come close. To me, Tom Clancy epitomized the term 'historical fiction'. His research was so detailed, his references so accurate, that even the wild impossible storylines were made to seem real, as if they really had happened. Often, we have to turn off our logical brains and engage in 'willing suspension of disbelief' in order to enjoy some works of fiction. I never had to do that with Clancy. I wondered, at some points, whether his story was more accurate than actual history. I will miss him. >jace neophyte novelist ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** |
| Just got back from helping my wife teach a class on iPhone, iPad, and iPod basics. She sells them,1 reluctantly, as most of the other Androidy things from Samsung, etc. have more features, work better, have better support, and don't have the hassle associated with Apple products. This might not be the case everywhere, but in the country,2 some aspects of technology have a very low saturation/penetration. Apple stuff works some of the time here, and if you call their tech support, you hear the strangest advice, like "move to a bigger city" and so on. It's frustrating to people, and more frustrating for my wife, who is their first line of support. It doesn't help that most Apple users fall for the "Look at us, it's simple! Everything works together! Anyone can use it!" advertising, and even if shown a superior product for a cheaper price, they still go with it. On a whim a few years back, she offered a class through the Ohio State regional office, from a classroom in the local highschool. She had 4 students. They were thrilled, because finally someone was able to show them simple things about the device they bought online or their adult children sent them, thinking that iStuff would be easy for their parents to figure out. Simple things: how to turn their device on or off, how to charge their device, how to answer the phone, how to call someone, how to write an email, how to surf the web, etc. She teaches three classes a year, and they've been getting steadily larger and larger. This last class had 16 attendees, and I forget how many people didn't show up. My wife is precious -- she treats everyone like they're the most important person in the world, showing them everything and never talking down to anyone, and they love her for it. In a small town, where word of mouth is king, she is one of the most well known, most beloved individuals. I'm the introverted geeky husband who writes in the dark and doesn't know anyone's name, even after living here 15 years. We make a good team. Anyway, long winded windup to saying that the class went well, and a few more people in the area are thrilled to death with my wife. I am so proud of her. And so lucky she chose me, 21 years ago, to spend the rest of her life with. >jace neophyte novelist ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** Footnotes |
| Not much to say today. I just woke up and am trying to fight through the pain until I can get to my comfortable "writing place" and bang out some prose. Or at least write/rewrite some of the things on my massive list of changes for my novel "Invalid Item" . One of the people to review two or more chapters is sitting pretty today with more than 14K GP from me -- and I'm trying to put some of their constructive comments to good use. My younger son stopped by this weekend for the September Classic Car Show here in Upper Sandusky, Ohio -- an event that draws people from all over the region. We had entries this year from as far away as Florida. As I write this, my wife is driving him back to college. Nothing more to say right now. I need to grab some grub and take meds, then double check that I am free to write (no pesky housework to do). Then I can sit down, fire up yWriter5 and get to work! |
| Haven't written for a while. I've been busy. I won't bore you with the details. I've revised Chapter One of my novel, "Invalid Item" and then completely rewrote it and put it up for comparison. I'd like someone to review both, if they're up to it, and let me know what you think. The auto-reward is fairly high, but that's because the new chapter one is 22k words by itself. The old one is only 14k, but that's still too much in my book.I realize that my novel has a bunch of holes in it, but I'm trying to figure out the best way to fill them without it looking like I rented a back hoe to assist. Any advice you can provide will be graciously accepted. I have a wedding tonight (I don't even think I know them... but my wife is dragging me along), and then a car show tomorrow (my father in law has an old Mustang to show), so I don't know how much I'll be online. I'll try to take some pictures of the car show, if I remember to take my camera up there ;) AdTHANKSvance! >jace neophyte novelist ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** |
| My wife Cassie has a job interview today (almost said tomorrow, but it's after midnight here, so I guess it's today). I'll get to that in a minute... Her current job pays the bills, but it's constantly stressful. They occasionally do stupid stuff, like changing the way they pay commission, overtime, or bonuses. Someone finds a way to make money in their organization, and they will inevitably change it so it's impossible to achieve again. Employees are at the whim of the market (who comes in and buys stuff) to determine if they make commission or not. If they don't, it's barely above minimum wage. And they occasionally fire people, and then hire them back later. The mandatory conference calls during the most productive hours for sales are particularly annoying, and effectively amount to: "We know you didn't read the email we sent you three copies of, so now we're going to read it to you in a conference call while you're trying to manage a store full of customers." Brilliant company management. Just spectacular. If Cassie didn't love the job, she would have left years ago. This last week they came in and installed some sort of control software, and locked everyone out of just about everything except for Internet Explorer and the web-based applications they use for sales, inventory control, clocking in and out, and the cash drawer. They allowed each store a single email address, and locked out or disabled everything else. Cassie, being the inventive and productive person she is, has found or invented ways to use Google+ or other utilities to manage all kinds of things in the store, including her employees. Everything from spreadsheets to form letters, documents of company discounts and specific procedures for special clients? Nope, can't use those anymore. The calendar that helps determine who is going to work what hours on what day, or mark their next day off? Nope, not important. Can't use that either. Music in the background? Nope. Even Windows Media Player is blocked. That made it fun for the company, who requires online courses for each of the products they sell. They couldn't even watch or hear those until they unlocked that specific application. The general policy of telling managers and others (Cassie has been there seven years) that "We don't trust you" generates an enormous amount of ill will, and causes the best employees to find some place that does trust them and is willing to treat them fairly. I'm not suggesting that there weren't abuses that prompted the company to lock things down, but they should have addressed those as they occurred. Doing what they did just insults the people who actually want to work and make money. They locked out so many things that managers cannot even run their stores properly, or employees do the work required of them. People were so mad that some (not in Cassie's store, but in other company locations) quit on the spot. Cassie was livid, but managed to keep it together and continue working. She knows jobs are hard enough to come by in Ohio that you don't willingly walk out of one until you're assured you have another to take its place. So, that brings me back to the beginning. Cassie has an interview today with a company that does appreciate hard work, networking, and a "whatever it takes" attitude. You can tell we're in a small town, because the person leaving the job after twenty years (which creates the opening Cassie is applying to) gives her a personal recommendation. And one other person who has worked there almost as long said, "You're perfect for the job! But what are we going to do when you leave XYZ Corp?"3 But the most hilarious part is that she will spend her lunch hour with Rotary, sitting close to and talking with the man who will interview her immediately afterward. Gotta love small towns! Footnotes |
| Added this to my Portfolio header. It sounded pretty neat, so I figure I'd share it with you: "Complex problems have simple, easy to understand, wrong answers." I made my living as a consultant, and I had (still do actually) this quote in my email signature. A lot of life is more complicated than we want to admit, including our problems. If you can solve complex problems with a wave of your hand or a few short words, please let me know how. I will find a way to pay you for your miracle cure. Until then, write about the problems. The more complex, the better. They might not go away, but you might just find some relief, and some friends, in the process. >jace neophyte novelist ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** |
| I'm preparing for my first NaNoWriMo this fall, and while I'm not sure what I can offer in terms of advice to others, I can tell you what I do that helps me write successfully. First, find a place where you can write without distraction, or with as few distractions as possible. Don't let yourself get distracted with other activities. Your writing place can be as simple as a favorite chair, or a corner in your bedroom, or even your garage or basement. Sometimes, it's a 'thinking cap' that you put on, and whenever you have it on, you go into 'writing mode'. Whatever or wherever it is, claim it for writing and remember to write or think about writing whenever you are there. Second, use headphones with music or background noise that allows you to focus in on what you're doing. Don't try to write while sitting on the couch in front of the blaring TV, with kids underfoot, or whatever it is that distracts you. Privacy is nice, but not always possible, so try to create the privacy internally with music or noise. Third, set a goal and stick to it. For NaNoWriMo it's easy. 50k words divided by 30 days is 1667 words a day. If you know you're going to have days off, you might want to make it 2000 words a day instead. Try to write to that goal every day, especially if you don't feel like it. Sometimes our down and depressed days provide the best emotional fodder for writing. Note that by getting ahead of your goal actually helps you write more, because then you aren't pressured to perform. Finally, learn what works when you get stuck. For Stephen King, it's a walk. For someone else, it's a bike ride. For someone else it could be a 20 minute phone call to a brother or sister. Whatever it is, find it, and use it when you get stuck, so that you can get back into writing without sitting there for hours feeling unproductive and bored. Hope this helps at least someone! >jace neophyte novelist ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** |
| When I wrote that initial journal entry, I did so with a bit of a smirk on my face. Yes, I really have written over 200k words since the beginning of July. But I haven't done much else. At all. I suppose I do eat, now and again, or sleep some... but most of the time I'm glued to my computer, as it is the only other way I get out and see the world. I'm a disabled vet with severe chronic pain, and other health issues. If I'm not writing, I'm out walking around outside thinking of writing, or talking into my portable recorder and letting Dragon's NaturallySpeaking do it. So now you know. Posted 4 chapters of my novel to WDC. Some trial and error, but I think I have the RTF5 to WML figured out. It still takes a bit of manual intervention, but it's manageable. With an average of 12k words per chapter, I didn't want to have to type it all in again.  I have about 9 more chapters written, but I'm not convinced I like the current ending, so I will probably revisit it soon. I also have lost track of how many revisions I'm on... but for WDC's purposes, we can call it First Draft or whatever initial state is usually referred. This week is crazy. My wife's company decided to lock down all the computers so they could be centrally managed, meaning that they authorized one browser (IE), one email addy for the entire office, blocked google and other search engines, and blocked every possible productivity tool you could think of. If it was useful, that is. If it wasn't any use, they left it alone. On top of that, our County Fair is this week, which is a big deal in a town of 5k people and a county of 25k. Ohio is a great place to be... from, as I like to say, even though I've lived here for 15+ years. Oh well. At least the Fair food is reasonably edible. Wish me luck. JaceCar   |
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. 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