Ramble on....about writing that is

What I’m Reading: Great Expectations by Charles Dickens (I'm about 1/2 way) and Silent in the Grave by Deanna Raybourn (1/2 way, too).

What I’m working on: Rewriting Slayer from the beginning – it’s a whole new and better story. I'm still not to the point yet where I'll be able to use some of the old stuff I've already written, but I'm getting closer. Right now, it's all new words and ideas.

Word count today: 158

Last night, my writing group discussed our book club book via online chat. We take turns picking a book and then discuss it from a writer’s perspective. We used to nominate books and vote, but recently we switched to taking turns throwing out a title.

It was my turn for the latest. I selected a YA romance that has seen lots of hype. I didn’t like it as well as I hoped, but I learned a lot. A LOT.

After the discussion last night, I think what I write and the stories I make up in my head are coming of age stories. (Yes, I know: there are lots of kinds of coming of age stories.) I think mine are big-emotional-demarcation-line coming of age. I write about some decision or point or choice that divides the innocence of youth and the fallen-ness of adulthood. (Not that to be an adult you have to be fallen, but it's that crystal clear realization that things do go bump in the night, that sometimes happy endings are just Disney movies, that sometimes bad things happen to good people, that you can't always control everything, that decisions can haunt and almost everyone has regrets.) So, I think that’s what really draws me to books. It's what I like most about really good YA -- YA that's not just a good story, but rather that lingers with me and makes me think.

But then again, when I look at the books in both romance and YA that I really love, there is also some very well done sexual tension there. Always. Karen Marie Moning does it well. So does Brockmann and SEP and Hamilton (until Anita began to sleep with everyone). Twilight has it. Libba Bray’s books have it (and she does it so well that she makes you tingle with just a simple sentence or 2). Alice Hoffman had it in Incantation, and Meg Rosoff had it in How I Live Now.

So, despite the fact that the most recent book club read disappointed me a little, I was able to determine why and pinpoint what I love and don't and knowing that really does help as a writer.

So maybe I'm not a romance writer. But maybe I'm not YA either. I incorporate elements of both for emotionally searing, coming of age stories where the demarcation between youth and adulthood is often a chasm of jagged rock and you have no idea how you actually managed to cross it, but you also know there is no way you can go back.

Ramble, ramble. Write on.

How do you see your stories?

What I’m Reading: Great Expectations by Charles Dickens and Silent in the Grave by Deanna Raybourn (I previously started this but had to set it aside to read an ARC of Madapple, which needed comments by a certain date. I’m glad to be back to Silent in the Grave. I like it a lot.)

What I’m working on: Rewriting Slayer from the beginning – it’s a whole new and better story. I'm still not to the point yet where I'll be able to use some of the old stuff I've already written, but I'm getting closer. Right now, it's all new words and ideas.

Word count today: TBA

A while back I took a voice class. A lot of what I wrote in that class came out in first person. It wasn’t a conscious decision to write in first person. We were given a prompt and 5 or 10 minutes to write without editing – just write.

A majority of my pieces were first person which seemed weird since my stories are in third. At the end of the class, the instructor gave us a final analysis. In mine she suggested that first person might be really powerful for me and that maybe I should try it.

Of course, I blew it off.

But recently I experienced a revelation: When I make up stories in my head, I’m ALWAYS the protagonist. I always see the story through my own eyes – as if it’s happening to me. It’s not like I’m watching a movie and the characters are on screen. I AM the character. How did I not realize I’ve always made up stories where I’m the star? And why have I always converted them to third person instead of first?

This revelation inspired me to begin rewriting my current WIP (which was finished, but so NOT polished) in first person. And that changed the story – ALOT.

In the end, I think this new version will be better. However, it got me to wondering how other writers see the stories in their head.

How do your stories come to you? Do you envision them like a movie scene in your mind? Is it a role where you star? Have you really ever noticed? How does that translate into your writing?

Post your ponderings. I really want to know.

Fun stuff

What I’m Reading: Great Expectations by Charles Dickens and I’d Tell You I Love You But Then I’d Have To Kill You by Ally Carter.

What I’m working on: Rewriting Slayer from the beginning – it’s a whole new and better story.

Word count today: 446

First things first – I said I’d explain why I was rereading Great Expectations. My favorite high school is hosting summer reading book clubs. I’m leading one discussion – Mr. Pip by Lloyd Jones. Mr. Pip was shorted listed for the Man Booker Prize and won the 2008 ALEX Award.
Go here to read a brief synopsis of the book and see why I thought rereading Great Expectations might be a good idea (especially since it’s a book in the school’s freshman curriculum).

Second thing: I had a great blog topic which I’m saving for tomorrow in lieu of this:

THE TWILIGHT TRAILER!!!!! (click here!)

(Can anyone say fan geek? Seriously, though – check it out!)

Macy

My new downtown digs

What I’m Reading: Great Expectations by Charles Dickens and I’d Tell You I Love You But Then I’d Have To Kill You by Ally Carter.

What I’m working on: Rewriting Slayer from the beginning – it’s a whole new and better story.

Word count today: 538 (Woohoo! I’m back!)

I love living downtown. I live in the heart of Orlando. Seriously. I’m walking distance to city center. Not that I’d walk it…..

Technically, I live about 2 miles from the downtown library. I guess if I lived someplace like New York, I might walk. Or take a subway. But in Orlando – part of the great southern sprawl – I’ll drive.

But still – 2 miles. Very cool.

Even better – I really can walk to the big Barnes and Noble. It’s probably less than a mile. And my dry cleaner is walking distance. And work is ¾ of a mile. And we found the greatest little Italian place. And Starbucks – hehe – there are 3 (yep, 3) within a mile and a half of me.

Pause (I’m doing a happy dance.)

But the best part is that I can finally write. I have time. Not only did I have time to write two pages, but I walked my dogs – twice. And COOKED dinner. Yes, I know. It’s pretty damn amazing.

Macy

Celebrate books!

What I’m Reading: Great Expectations by Charles Dickens and I’d Tell You I Love You But Then I’d Have To Kill You by Ally Carter.

What I’m working on: Rewriting Slayer from the beginning – it’s a whole new and better story.

Word count today: I plan to get back to writing on Monday.

There are several book celebrations worthy of my noting. Maybe they don’t mean anything to you, but to me, they are significant.

Most of you probably surmise (if you regularly read my blog) that I’m closely associated with a high school. This year, I created a new summer reading initiative – choose a book you want to read. (Novel idea – no pun intended.) The teachers (49 of them) selected books anonomously. We contracted with a local independent book store and had a book fair on campus where we sold all 49 titles plus several others. The school librarian (whom I absolutely adore) sold over $7K in books. (Our school library got 20% of the sales – woohoo!) Kids and teachers organically talked books all week. It was amazing.

I bought 3 books for me, one for the DH, and DD picked out one for herself!

Now my favorite middle school is going to follow in the steps of my favorite high school and have a book fair, too. Their book fair is a week and a half from now. It was fun to help our adorable librarian find great YA and middle grades books to order for it. And I love being able to give our local independent book store more business.

The next notable thing in book land is the impending release (Tuesday) of Host, the new Stephanie Meyer novel. It’s not part of the Bella and Edward saga begun in Twilight (for that conclusion, we have to wait for August), but it’s receiving good reviews (here and here and here).

I was going to be good and wait for it from the library, but Amazon pre-orders are REALLY cheap, so I spent $14+ (because you get an extra 5% off on pre-orders) to purchase my own copy. I’m eagerly awaiting its delivery.

I’m sure it will be well worth the $$. Meyer’s is brilliant – so much so that I kind of hate her (just kidding), but seriously, I have major writer jealousy. I used to tell people that in my next life, I was going to be J.K. Rowling, but not anymore – now I’m going to be Stephanie!

That's all the book news for now. I'm off to tackle another chapter in Great Expectations and to keep sorting my books in my new office. Someday, it will be unpacked!!!

Macy

I'm back & romance writer or not -- part 2

What I’m Reading: Great Expectations by Charles Dickens (I really should explain that one, & and I will – later) and I’d Tell You I Love You But Then I’d Have To Kill You by Ally Carter.

What I’m working on: Rewriting Slayer from the beginning – it’s a whole new and better story.

Word count today: What words?

Sorry I’ve been out of commission lately. You’re probably getting tired of my “I’m so busy” excuse. Me, too.

However, this HAS been a busy week – lots of extras at work, and we moved – closer to work. Technically, once I get all set up here, I SHOULD gain an hour to write every day because I’ll lose an hour of commuting.

I’m hoping that by Monday, I’m organized enough to write. My office is a disaster right now, but the rest of the house is looking pretty good.

Regardless, I think I’m back. Finally. That means I can record the trials of writing and discovering my voice here. First up – some explanation and exploration of the romance writer or not blog I put up several days ago.

I spoke at length on the phone to a writer friend last night. We talked about what we write, what comes easy to write, what we want to write, and how it’s all changing.

My epiphany: I don’t like boxes.

Never have.

Don’t get me wrong. Rules and guidelines are great. If I have to write a research paper, I want to know how many resources I need and how long it has to be. As long as guidelines and rules suit my needs, bring ‘em on. However, writing fiction is different.

The guidelines of category romance and even single title romance feel stifling to me. I don’t want to be limited to telling a story in 55k words or 100k words. I just want to tell the story.

My new favorite book is How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff. It’s YA. ( I really hate that label.) Meg broke a ton of rules, but it really, really works. It’s short (just over 200 pages). She handled dialogue uniquely. She tackled difficult subject matter. And it works.

So, I guess the first piece of evidence that I’m leaning away from true romance writing is that the box feels too confining. I want to tear the box’s walls to shreds and just let the story lead me.
Well, I’m getting droopy eyed. I need a shower. I’ll blog again tomorrow – I think.

See ya then.

Macy

Time out for moving

We're moving downtown since our commute sucks. We've been moving slowly all week and this weekend. I'll be back to blogging by no later than Monday.

See ya then!

Macy