Found: one main character. . .

I'm so relieved, because how are you supposed to write a book when your character has repelled out of your head in the middle of the night.
My friend at 700blankpages sent me a cool video:



And as I was watching it my missing Lyris appeared in my head and informed me that she knows how to do this. It was then I had an epithany. I have assumed that although my male MC changed and has a different past my female didn't. Boy was I wrong. Not only is Lyris an agent. She is a sword master and is teaching at the school that my never been officially trained as an agent Noble comes to teach at. Of course with years of training and agent work she is going to be better than he is at alot of things. I was assuming she was still the shy demure Lyris in the old book. She isnt; she is a kick butt woman who is sure of herself and packs a powerful round-house kick.

Welcome back Lyris I am glad you're so patient with your author.

Working the ab's in writing

Working your abdominal muscles is an important part of most exercise programs. Especially when you delve into the types of exercise that deal with your whole body and mind such as Yoga Tai chi and Karate. A lot of focus is placed on the warming up and stretching out/strengthening of those abdominal muscles which these exercise regimens call “THE CORE”. Every kick or hand movement in Tang Soo Do uses those core muscles. Every pose or asana in Yoga uses them too. The same with Tai Chi. The Core is something essential and I know it, often times when I laugh after Karate class I feel the work I have been doing on my core.

Using your core in writing is important too. I know exercise and writing they have so much in common. What I mean is another word for Core or abdominals is your gut. And when writing you must use your gut. It is an essential writing tool.

You know I revised my first book, and the rough draft was finished. Well I exaggerated a little; even finished it still sat under 70,000 words. I fretted and worried about it until I had two clear scenes come into my head and a way to fix one chapter that was missing ”something” so I fixed the chapter and added another scene involving my assassin in a long distance hit which I hadn’t done before. (another post: how to write an assassin when you aren’t one.)

Adding that scene pushed my MS over the 70,000 goal by a hundred or two and I stopped-- staring at the number feeling pretty darn good. Then as I began to ponder the next chapter I had a feeling that the MS was good enough without it. I filed the idea away and worked on dinner. The more I thought about the more my GUT told me that the MS was really finished. I don’t need the extra chapter and it would just drag my MS down in excess.

Like typing the end of a sentence and knowing that it is the end of a chapter; or knowing the perfect words to open the next chapter. Trusting you gut is as essential in writing, as working your abdominals is to Karate.

If found, please return.

Name: Lyris Trinity Jaimes
Hair Color: dark auburn
Eyes: Blue
Height: 5' 5"
Occupation: Agent

I have lost my second main character. She went missing about three months ago and was last seen in her living room in her house in book three.

You see I have an eight book series in the works. A story about a guy who was bad and turns good. He meets Lyris and falls in love and the books are a record of their exciting adventerous life together.

I went to revamp the plot of the first one AGAIN and decided to take the story back a few years to answer some questions that my readers kept asking. And in this revamping I gave "Noble" a first wife. For me this was totally unexpected. And for my gentle Lyris I guess it was too because that is about when she went missing. In creating this quirky exciting female my sturdy, constant, dedicated Lyris disappeared.

I feel awful, Lyris is opne of my favorite characters and the series is moot without her. I know I will find her eventually but I have a feeling that I must edit and let my "Elite" go before I find Lyris again. AAAHHHH the pains of writing.

McKensie Rae Gwilliam 6/2007-10/2008

My niece passed away this morning. She was suffering from chemotherapy resistant lukemia. (AML) She had many tumors in her brain area and suffered in constant pain. Today a beautiful angel rests at our Heavenly Fathers feet. Pain free. May God bless those of us that are mourning her loss today.

By George, I think I got it!

K if anyone ever tells you that writing a book is easy and they could do it in a small amount of time, DON’T BELIEVE THEM!

Writing is the hardest thing I have ever done and when it hits you like an obsession like it does me, the pain in inevitable.

I feel I am a good writer, I create believable characters, I am good at writing dialogue even if I struggle to punctuate it. But plot? Forget it. Half the time I can’t figure it out. I understand the basics of plot. I know I have to have a beginning middle and end I know that I need not just one story but a few to weave and twist through the book. But to sit and create a plot? The thing evades me.

Take my last book, I had good scenes, good characterization and a whole bunch of CRAP that wasn’t needed for the sake of a good scene. When I was rejected a few months ago I asked my friend to look over the rejection and synopsis to help me out.

My very bestest friend Paulette has studied plot for over a year as she had worked on her own awesome book. She took my idea and we created a completely new plot taking my MC back a few years.

Now I am working on the book that gave me the trouble to begin with and I have struggled again. Over the weekend I stared at my few line idea of where the book was going and pulled my hair out in clumps. Late Saturday night I went down in my basement and found a small article called “A Hero’s Journey” that I liked and printed off a while ago. ( See link in the side bar) I sat and answered the prompts and Eureka! I had a basic but flawed plot.

So I worked on it and then sent it to Paulette and she called me and suggested one thing that made the plot perfect. (funny Wendy suggested the same thing. Boy when I am wrong I am wrong aren’t I?) Now the plot is looking good and I am ready to resume writing.

I am thankful for my Crit group, They rock!

But most of all I am THANKFUL to Paulette, who I now have dubbed “THE PLOT QUEEN” who without her, my books wouldn’t, exist.

some inspiration. . .

EVERYTIME I start a new writing project the adversary hits me with a whammy. Whether it is family, personal confidence, illness or whatever. It is so obvious that this series is not what he wants me to do. There is a message in it and I am sure that he doesn't want me to tell it.

Again just three days into the challenge I have been hit hard with family issues. I am trying to remember that this is par for the course in my writing career. (and some people only struggle with writers block)

I was searching for some song lyrics,(What I've done by Linkin Park). My friend Nichole pointed out they told an eleoquent story with well written lyrics. I wanted to have them as a theme for my second book. After I printed them and they were safely in my plotting papers; I looked up the lyrics to my favorite song at the moment and surprise I have recieved inspiration again.

The song is called Falling On by Finger Eleven here is the video:




And the Lyrics:

When you feel so close to some resolve
And you write the words you were writing for
But your courage gets dissolved
Into what, I don't know...

When you feel that way again
You have to stop your thinking
And think of what you're here for
And let the rest of your feelings go

You've got to find your balance
You've got to realize
You've got to try to find what's right before your eyes
And if you find you've fallen
And all your grace is gone
Just scream for me and I'll be what you're falling on

When you feel so close to some resolve
And you say the things that you're standing for
Don't let your courage get dissolved
Cause it's then that the fear grows

Just give me the word and I'll be there for you