Death of a blog

Hello all my faithful readers!

I’ve had a recent life changing event occur in my life – I got a job.  (gasps of horror!)  Yes, indeed, I have a job.  A real, bona fide job.  In Santa Rosa, California to be exact.  I’m still making maps and doing some groundbreaking spatial analysis, but now in the world of geothermal energy rather than in wildland fire management.  It’s actually pretty exciting.  But, it has rocked my world.

Not only has it thrown me for a loop, it requires a huge move for my entire family.  Of course, my family only consists of myself, my husband and our dog, but still.  In the past 16 years, we’ve built a huge life for ourselves in the Sierra Nevada mountains – and that’s all changing.

Is this a good thing?  I’m not sure yet, but what I do know is that it means if I really want to stick with this writing thing, I need to focus.  I’ve created two other blogs that I will be managing that deal exclusively with my writing and a writing project I hold very close to my heart.  The first is Nila E. White and the second is Lorena Libre Mystery Tales.

This all means that I will abandon this blog that has served as my public sounding board for the past year or so.  I’ve spouted on a lot of things, enabling me to grow as a writer and test the blog-o-waters.  My conclusion: focus.  I need to focus.

So, my atheist and religious friends, this blog will dye a slow death.  I’ll remove it from the Atheist Blogroll (great blogroll for those of you interested) and hope that those of you who may be interested in my writing will follow me to my new blogs.  Here are the links again:

Nila E. White

Lorena Libre Mystery Tales

By all means, bookmark them!

Yours truly,

Nila E White

The basics

Though you have probably been writing for years, it’s always good to review the basics.  We get so caught up with all the big ideas, that it is very easy to forget the little things.  The things that separate the amateurs (yikes, like me!) and the professionals.

If you are like me, in a rush to put out that next masterpiece, you fail to do a simple editorial pass on your work, embarrassing yourself with silly mistakes and sentences with unintended meanings.  I do that a lot.  As a matter of fact, all the time.  So, I decided to go back to the basics.

No matter what level of writer you are, we can all benefit from editing our own work.  Keeping in mind the basic tools to do so, will save you (and me) from embarrassment.  In Chapter 11-Basic Tools in Edit Your Self, Bruce Ross-Larson lists three simple tools that every writer should have on hand:

1. A Dictionary – This seems so trivial, doesn’t it?  Of course you have a dictionary on hand when you write! And you use it every time to check the meanings and spelling of words you are unsure of, right?  You can also use a dictionary to find synonyms and improve your vocabulary!
2. Style Sheet – For large documents, style sheets are forms that editors (and writers) use to keep track of spelling, punctuation, hyphenation, capitalization, and how you go about writing numbers (i.e., one or 1, one hundred or 100).  For fiction, especially fantasy and/or science fiction, these style sheets are imperative.  If you decide to use made-up words and odd names, you better start a style sheet to ensure that you spell ‘Hj’erule’ the same every time (example below).
3. A Checklist – It is hard to keep track of everything when you write – that’s what editors are for.  But not all of us have an editor with years of experience on hand to check our work.  If you are writing a novel and want to submit that novel to an agent or publisher, you had better either pony up the cash for a professional editor, or edit yourself.  A simple checklist can help polish your writing.  I don’t use a checklist, and it shows.  My writing is littered with mistakes that I know are wrong, but I just don’t see them until someone points them out.  A personalized checklist pointing out your problem areas will help you review your work methodically, and, hopefully, help you catch all those mistakes.  Your checklist might include any of the following:
   1. Passive verbs
   2. Constructions that should be parallel but are not
   3. Subjects and verbs agree in number
   4. Awkward sentences
   5. Tense changes
   6. POV (point of view) shifts
   7. etc.

Style Sheet Sample

Hope that helps!

They always want something

One key to writing fiction: the ultimate struggle.  No matter what the story, whether it be a love story, a mystery, an epic fantasy, the characters in your story gotta want something – something very hard to get.  You, as an author, have to make it near impossible for your characters to get what they want.  Readers want to see your characters struggle with their everyday and ultimate desires.

Here’s a passage on this subject from How to Write Killer Fiction by Carolyn Wheat.

A Scene Driver Named Desire

Our protagonist wants something.  If he’s a detective, he wants to know whodunit.  If she’s a suspense heroine, she wants to go back to the peaceful life she had before some wacko started sending her dead flowers.  If he’s a spy, he wants to save the free world; if she’s in a legal thriller she wants to get the Pelican Brief to the right people before the wrong people whack her.

Well, they can’t get those things, can they?  Not in Arc One, that’s for sure.

So for scene purposes, they need to want something else, something lesser but still connected to the big goal, something that, ideally, pushes them harder into the plot point that climaxes whichever arc they’re in.

This is vital.  Every single scene in the book must start from a position of wanting.

“I want to have a good time at this party” – but it’s going to be hard now that the host is dead on the floor…

“I want to get the people who killed by girlfriend” – and in order to do that, I’ll volunteer as a spy so I can go after Mr. Big Bad Guy, but right this minute my want is to pass all the tests so the spies will take me on as a recruit.

The small scene-level wants are like acorns from which spring giant oaks.  They are the tiny pieces of colored glass that will, when put together, shine forth from the stained glass window of your plot.

I hope you found that useful.

Scheduled blogging

Dear, dear me.  Just look at this place.  I’ve had this blog for almost a year now and it is a bit messy around here, isn’t it?  Disorganized posts, unrelated topics, and I’m not sure where I put my socks.

I started this blog, for better or worse, to improve my writing.  I figured, if I knew some anonymous person was out there reading my crap, then maybe I would be motivated to improve my crap.  You know, polish that turd till it shines, baby!

Looking back, I see that I have improved.  Not necessarily because of this blog, but maintaining this online journal has definitely helped.  So, I’d like to go further by introducing some Scheduled Features.

“Oooooooh, Scheduled Features,” the audience coos.

Yes, oh sacred reader, Scheduled Features.  I have already started one: the Random Word Flash.  Once a week, I will pick a random word and write a 1,000 word (or less) story based on that random word.  The story will go up on Sundays.   I appreciate any feedback you can offer.  I have added a star rating system so you can give feedback without actually having to write anything.

Check out last week’s post: Discombobulate – a love story for my first try.

I will also give regular updates on my current WIP – a historical fantasy fiction novel set in Spain.  Let’s call this feature White’s Update.  I’m already doing this, more or less, but not as regularly as I had hoped.  From now on, every Tuesday, I will post how many words or scenes I’ve managed to write.  I’ll also indicate just how things are going with the WIP in general.

In addition, I may give tidbits away on some of the things I’m reading.  I’m reviewing two WIPs at the moment.  My writing buddy’s, Dan Bieger‘s, WIP; a fantasy set in a world much as our own, but filled with Newborns, Elphs, and Duorphs.  The story follows a prince and a clerk, their tales interweaving as the Newborns prepare for an epic battle.  Cool stuff.

I’m also reviewing a draft WIP by Todd Newton.  This is an epic fantasy involving a disgraced general and a determined terrorist in an occupied country.  Check him out.  If his published book, The Ninth Avatar, is anything like the unpublished WIP I’m reading, you don’t want to miss out.  I plan on reading The Ninth Avatar soon.

The last Scheduled Feature will be a Writer’s Tips and Tricks post.  No, this won’t be advice from me.  Heck, no.  I would just lead you all astray.  I plan to pass on any advice that I find particularly helpful.  I’ve taken several writing classes, participated on several writing forums, and have bought and read several books on writing.  Most of the information I’ve gathered in the past year has not settled into appropriate compartments in my head, but they are in there.  One of these days, maybe it will all coalesce into something meaningful.  Maybe.  In the meantime, I’ll bombard you with excerpts from the sages every Thursday.

And that’s it.  No more rambling about religious nuts (oh!  but they are so much fun to rambling about!), no more video posts, no more maps (for shame!), and no more random posts.  I’m gonna be organized.  You’ll see.

Of course, that doesn’t mean I can’t post interesting things in the sidebar…

A writer…writes.

So…I have this idea…it’s probably not a good one, but what the heck.

I’ve noticed that some writers use their blogs to practice their writing skills.  And you say: duh, of course.

Yeah, but I’m talking about using a blog for a specific exercise.

They take a word, any word, a random word, and use that as a prompt to write a story.  There is usually some sort of word limit on the writing exercise.

I just read about another person doing that, and I thought maybe I’ll give it a go.  Why not?  What could possibly go wrong?

So, once a week, maybe more if I have time, I’ll pick a random word (or might you suggest one?).  I’ll write a flash fiction length (100 to 1,000 word) story based on that random word.

Now, I’m not making any promises.  I don’t think I’ll get to it every week, and the ‘stories’ might not be stories at all, rather just random words strung together.  But, I’ll try.

The goal is to improve my writing (of course), get some practice writing in, and, hopefully, learn to tell a story in less than 1,001 words.

Cheers!

tmso

Writing Update (10)

I’ve been remiss with this blog for some time now.  One reason is that I have been working out of town (and may be doing so again very soon), and the other is that I’ve been writing!

I entered both the flash fiction and short fiction contests over on SFFWorld.com last month.  Two horrible stories but my flash fiction story garnered a few votes, and one lonely soul felt sorry enough for me to vote for my short story.  Guess that means at least some folks think I am improving.

I’ve also been writing on my novel, my work in progress (WIP – I never knew what that meant either ).  The writing is slow but it is progressing.  I recently reviewed all the crap I’d written on it up till now, and there are so many inconsistencies that I will have a tough time getting all my facts straight later on.  Oh well, guess that’s what the editing phase is all about.

I’m trying to write for this month’s contests as well, simply because they are fun and I produce lots of crap, er, I mean, material.

Wish me luck!

My writing sucks and that’s okay

Last night, I just started reading A Darkness Forged in Fire (Book One of the Iron Elves series) by Chris Evans.  I’ve had it on my book shelf for a long time now and have been ignoring it for no particular reason.  The other day, on this review site, I read someone poo-poo the book.  That totally made me want to read it.  I bought the book (admittedly second hand) so something about either the cover or back page blurb made me thought it was good.  Why is that person saying it’s not so good?  I’ll have to read.

So I started reading it.  Yeah, the beginning is a little disjointed and funny.  The author’s writing style is a little over the top, and he sentence structure is a little odd.  And his characters act a little on the dramatic side.  But I think it’s good, and intentionally funny.  It’s a rambling yarn that I anticipate I will enjoy immensely.  Heck, I laughed out loud while reading it.  Anytime a book makes me laugh (on purpose), it is well worth reading.  Based on the events in the first part of his book, it is evident that Chris Evans has a deep knowledge of military history.  I suspect that he poured that passion into this series.  I can’t wait to read the rest.

And what, pray tell, does this have to do with my own writing?

When I put the book down after a couple of chapters, I realized that I don’t have to be perfect in my own writing efforts.  I realized that, yes, I should strive to be the best I can be.  And, like Mr. Evans, should pour my passions into my work, but ultimately, I have to write a story that will simply entertain.

I guess as long as I entertain myself, then it’s all good.

What a relief.  I don’t have to be perfect!

tmso

Non-specific Pronouns

Hello all,

I don’t have much time to write these days, but I’d like to keep this blog active.  I saw this in the Writer’s Digest newsletter and thought I’d pass it along.

Pronoun Problems: “He/She,” “He or She,” or Just Plain “He”?

I like their solution – alternating back and forth between the two – kind of like real life.  I don’t often write with the non-specific gender reference, but in the future I’ll have to remember to alternate.  Check out the other articles while you are there.  The Writer’s Digest staff know what they are talking about.

Cheers,

tmso

Writing Update (9)

I’ve been away, and unable to write on all my writing projects.  Though I have been blogging over on my travel blog…that’s sort of like writing.

Anyway, I need to re-focus my efforts.

Which means I will be abandoning this blog.

Stop crying already!

Okay, okay.  I won’t abandon this blog entirely.  Happy now?

Expect updates once a week or so.

Cheers,

tmso

Surprise Crit

Holy crap.  I completely forgot I had another Critters submission coming up.  It’s a flash fiction piece I submitted a while back and I just completely forgot about it.

Oh…I’m not ready for the crits.  I usually have to mentally prepare myself for days before I can stomach the reviews.  Maybe I’ll just ignore the crits until I’m in a better frame of mind.  Maybe I won’t get very many like the last time (if I’m so lucky, not).  Maybe I can run and hide before reality smacks me in the face.

Or maybe I can grow up, and take it like an adult?

Wish me luck.

tmso