I think I've lost it. . . .

So I was in the fabric section of Wal*Mart waiting in line to have some vinyl cut for a table cloth. (expensive table + 6 kids = disaster) there were three people in line in front of me so I had alot of time to stand around and stare at bolts of fabric. (believe me, I actually love doing it, I just hate that I cant have 5 yards of every fabric that I like)

So anyway as I am looking at the fabric I think: "I should look for some fabric to make a sword case so I can take my sword places and it wont get scratched and dinged." I begin to look around, thinking that an Asian theme would be cool then I see it . . . pink fabric with pastel butterflies and sparkles. I am instantly in love!

THIS is the conversation that I and my main character Noble/Antony had.

Me: It's so pretty and it has butterflies! *swoon*
Noble: It's pink.
M: It has sparkles!
N: It's still pink.
M: What about this one? (picks up a black fabric with the same pastel butterflies)
N: It has sparkles and the butterflies are pink. What about that one? (he looks at a black fabric with golden dragons and red flames)
M: Well. . .
N: Well what?
M: It's so manly, all black and flames.
N: I like it.
M: Your a guy of course you like it. I like this one. (still fingering the pink butterfly fabric)
N: No!
M: Why?
N: Because I'm a guy. No pink!
M: You like pink.
N: Only in your imagination! What about this one? (looks at another bolt)
M: No skulls and muscle cars. I'm the one who has to cary this sword case to class.
N: Awwwww but I liked the skulls.
M: Well good for you you can have it in your book world.
N: You're so picky.
M: And your not? You don't even have to carry the bag and your having a fit.
N: I have to be in your head when you carry that pink insane thing, absolutely not.
M: What about this one? (fingrs a green flanel with butterflies on it)
N: It still has butterflies.
M: It's green you like green. And I love butterflies.
N: I do like green. Butterflies are for girls.
M: Well I am a girl. So you like it? Can I get it?
N: silence. . . . . . . . .
M: Good I think I need one and a half yards.
N: grumble

on writing . . . . . . .

Writing is not easy. It's not just picking up a pen and paper and becoming a bestseller. It's not just having a dream,writing a book and selling it on your eighth query.

Writing is having so many characters in your head you think your going to go crazy. It's having that drive to create something of worth and working your behind off to get it. It's learning the craft while trying to get blood to come out of your forehead. Its going back to school if you have the opportunity and learning the language all over again.

Writing is not like any other job in the universe. Well writing and performing music and creating art may be close. You write until your forehead bleeds taking in no sallary for your efforts and then spend your own money sending your work out only to be rejected repeatedly. It takes most writers somewhere around five years to get to the point of being accepted. FIVE YEARS! Meanwhile your family has written you of as a heritic, your spouse thinks your completely crazy and your kids have subsisted on cold cereal and sandwitches for thier daily nutrition.

While writing is a solitary activity, it is something we writers don't do alone. We crave validation, we need to have someone tell us that that last scene was really great, that our plots are awesome, that we'll get through that writers block, that we have value as a creative person. That that blood on the page, straight from our foreheads, is worth the pain.

I am a writer, I have something of value within me, I am a creator of worlds and people, I have worked hard to get where I am.

I didn't chose this as a profession the muse chose me by creating amazing stories in my head. I must bow to the creative urge or I will go insane. I must write because it is the source of creative outlet in me that keeps me sane and happy.

I am a writer.

Life . . .

At home again with a sick kid, having massive headaches from a sinus infection and a messy house because I don't feel well or have time. Sigh.

Feeling blah about alot of things. At least this week is Thanksgiving.

I have a fan?

A dear friend of mine is a beta reader for me. I've bent her ear many times and she never seems to get bored with my life as a writer. (That's amazing because I spend day after day at the computer staring at a screen or keyboard)

I gave her a copy of my WIP a few weeks ago for her to read. She takes it to work to read on the days she works late because the last hour or so is really slow. A couple of days ago she left the MS at her work and the cleaning lady came in and began to read it while cleaning. The cleaning lady admits to trying to clean and read at the same time. Well I guess I hooked her becasue she "stole" it from my friend with a promise to return it today.

I'm laughing about this, who knew? I guess my book is appealing to some people and thats a good thing right? My hook is effective, at least enough to make people commit thievery.

So what do you think? Is it theft or fandom? I don't know what to think.

One drafters VS Multi drafters

Just as there are plotters and seat of their pants (pansters) writers and levels between those two extremes. There are One drafters and Multi drafters, and all sorts of levels between these too.

Multidrafters write the rough draft and then proceed to write several other drafts before even thinking of editing it or sharing it with a group or friends. They will also think of a cool idea and rewrite the whole MS to accomodate said idea. The great thing about Multi's is that if they actually get it done, it should be awesome. The drawbacks, would be that they get so bogged down in re-writes they never finish.

One drafters on the other had write one draft and usually think it's pretty perfect. Often times they don't like to revise and instead of working to perfect a story they move on to the next idea and the story regardless of how awesome or not it is, never sees the light of day. The good thing about One's is if they actually put thier but down in a chair and suffer a little revision and editing the story should be awesome. The drawback is getting them to work on one idea long enough to prodouce a story that is ready to be seen by anyone.

I'm sure just as every writer is somewhere in between pansting and plotting they are also somewhere in between one and multi drafting.

The point of my story is this, I am a story structure panster and more of a one drafter then a multi but I know the benefit of good edits and revisions. Ask me to rewrite and my head might just roll off my shoulders and hide.

Two nights ago I had written about 900 words of some beautiful prose when my laptop freaked out and started to eat my MS letter by letter. I lost the whole 900 words and had some long moments of extreme frustration. Because I am a one drafter I was not able to reprodouce any of the origional prose and had to write something comepletely new. To be honest I am not as happy with it and I mourn the loss of those words. :(

I guess the moral of the story is, if your a one drafter and your computer has a tendency to do weird things, BACK UP your darn computer!

The beauty of mid-point

Acording to Brook's Story Structure, the Mid-point is when the MC's character arc changes from Reactive, "I can't believe that happened" to Active "over my dead body". It is also the place where the author can give the reader information that the Mc doesnt know. Often times this information changes everything or if it doesn't, it definately changes the readers sympathy for the MC or other characters.

The beauty of Mid-points is that it's the perfect place to twist the story.

I have been having the best time writing this NANO WIP. As I am writing My brain is also working chapters ahead of my fingers. THe mid point in this WIP is awesome and theres such a revelation about the MC and the female #2 MC is standing right there as the information is revealed. Not only that, the person giving the information is the one person in the book that SHOULDN'T know this information because of the potential of maximum dammage.

This story is becoming so much fun. I am itching to finish it and let my readers take a look. My brain is obsessed with the story. I dream scenes, I plot as I eat. I think I am driving my family nuts. LOL

To be honest I can't stress learning Structure enough. Having an awesome Mid-point is Such an amazing tool in the overall arc of the story, I can't imagine how boring my story would be without it.

A Little Funny. . . .

So I am writing Latent, a MS for Nanwrimo and I am still editing Emergence. My "editor" is a wonderful friend who is helping me with my MS Emergence. This person is amazing and I learn things everytime I work with them.

Well I am sitting at my computer yesterday and I was writing about a sub character ordering pizza. As the scene closed, I wrote about the character taking the pizza box from the delivery guy and placing it on the coffee table. In the back of my head I hear my "editor" ask: "did he pay for the pizza or did he steal it? Please clarify."

After I laughed for a while I went back and added that he placed it on the coffee table after he paid for it.

Now I not only have characters in my head, my editor is in there too. At least they're wonderful company.