Wishes

Wishes

November word count:

Beginning: 76 K

Ending: 92K

Though it isn’t completed, I am satisfied with the word count. I broke through several levels of angst, head banging, and general malaise to get to this point. A monumental achievement, I assure you.

First paragraph. Tell me if it is a hooker, er, um, hooks you.

His lazy strides across the mall caught my attention. Like he had time to kill and everyone else could wait at his leisure. Most galling was how people moved out of his way without disruption. No glares. No commotion.

I don’t think the word count will go to 100K but if it does, I will have enough storyline and volume to fiddle with now.

Reminder:

Untraceable is available. Visit SR Johannes and join in her book launch tour today.

 

Last thought (well, not my LAST one)

Looking for good writing-type music? Download the score to the video game, Assassin’s Creed.

HoChiMomma! Who woulda thunk it.

Excuses, excuses

I used every one of them. Excuses, that is.

Busy, tonsillitis, vacation, or the best one of all.

“Not Today. I’ll Do It Tomorrow”.

This isn’t about writing.This is about exercising on my treadmill.

My current wip suffered along with my lazy ways. For me, Butt In Chair, the necessary element to a writer, meant blogging, checking other blogs and Amazon music, and research of improbable new tools.

Then Charity started Birth of a Novel blog chain.

I signed up even though Ambition rolled its eyes. This path was very familiar.

I snarled, dug deep, and cut back on goofing off the intensive research and wrote through several sticking points in my manuscript. My intended antag slapped me upside the head and told me to look elsewhere for the mastermind of all mayhem.

*OT- Don’t you LOVE those Allstate ‘mayhem’ commercials? Especially the ‘blind spot’. LOL*

Okay, we’re back.

To make a short story long, I had to buy a ticket to ride the roller coaster. Or muscle my way in since the Muse had left me. Once again I turned to my treadmill to clear and focus my mind. See here for an earlier post regarding this phenomenon.

Since then, my Stats returned to the land of Satisfactory:

Beginning Word Count: 76,225

End of Week One: 78,393

Week Two: 82,610

Week Three: 88,100

Bonus:  two miles every day and minus ten pounds.

Birth of a Novel + Lady Gaga + Treadmill = Completion of a MS.

Twilight:Stirring the Pot

My mom said the word ‘hate’ is like a curse in the eyes of God. I rarely use the word when describing ‘things’ let alone humans.

So you could say the word bothers me.

Why do people hate Twilight?

All of us have opinions. I understand the vegetarian’s viewpoint regarding eating meat and agree with them to a point. But I am a carnivore. No need for either of us to get huffy just because we don’t agree.

With that in mind, there are books that I didn’t care for, the writing and the storyline:

• Water for Elephants
• The Notebook
• Interview with a Vampire
• The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo

There are books and authors I love:

• Lord of the Rings
• The Kingkiller Chronicles
• Mary Stewart
• Jim Butcher
• Kevin Hearne
• Patricia Briggs
• Patrick Rothfuss

And

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer.

Why the vitriol against Twilight and the author?

Reason #1: Terrible writing

Yeah, debut authors should be perfect in every way *smarmy much?*

Reason #2: Poor role model

Seriously?! Since when do writers fret over role models? Pick up any YA and show me a good role model that fits everyone's concept of the word. This premise leaves me scratching my head and makes me wonder if they are reading the same books I am.

Reason #3: The movies are stupid.

*smacks forehead* Clearly the person who said this isn’t a reader and depends on the big screen to review books. Read Gone With the Wind for perspective.

Reason #4: Bella is moody

*gasp* ReaLLY? A teen that is moody? OMGosh, how unrealistic.

I read Twilight three years ago and my world changed for the better. I quietly indulge my love for the books. Why do people loathe the books to such a degree that they froth at the mouth? Popularity might be the answer. Or the lobsters in a bucket simile. One lobster crawls to the rim and the others pull it down to their level.

At any rate, the word ‘hate’ and acidic comments thrown at the novels make no sense to me. If you don’t care for the books, great. I didn’t like A Discovery of Witches either but that doesn’t mean I don’t think ANYONE should read it or would enjoy it.

Am I being unreasonable?

(btw, I don't care for the movies either but dang, that RPatz is breathtaking)

Holy Epic Fantasy, Batman

Birth of a Novel-week 3

Wordcount

Week One:76,225

Week Two:78,393

Week Three:82, 610

When my antag looked me in the eye and told me its story, I knew things would change in my MS but didn’t know how much until this last weekend.

Where did the evil start? What was the catalyst? And why.

In writing the history, backstory turned into epic fantasy. Revelations sprang from every character, from human and non-human.

This happened in my first completed novel, Of Oak and Dragons also, backstory to explain the whys and wherefores. Someday I will return to that first manuscript.

Wishes took a distinct turn from mild YA to Contemporary Fantasy. Now the backstory has evolved into Epic. I am as involved as any first time reader, wondering how it will end.

“It’s alive. It’s alive.” – Frankenstein, 1931

Golden Blood

Golden Blood by Melissa Pearl is about a teen girl afflicted with more than the usual high school angst of friends, classes, and that cute boy in the front row. She is a time traveler. And sometimes missions get in the way.

Ms. Pearl debut novel is YA and a reading treat. She kept me guessing until the end, setting up conflicts and mysteries that bounced my emotions around. As the MC grows in character, she gets the proverbial rug pulled out from under her.  Great storyline.

I enjoyed the detailed world-building Ms. Pearl created. With layers of intrigue and what-ifs, I dropped into her alternate universe without struggling to understand.

A Great Read. Highly recommended.

Very Interesting

Unintended consequences

When the antag in my wip claimed, “I am innocent,” I had much to consider.

My new antag is less evil but this is worse for the MC because the villain’s goals are righteous. There are no gray areas; no compromise or empathy.

Composing the history behind the antag’s resolve became the untended consequence. A good thing actually since different paths opened for me to take.

A big wow, creative-wise.

Another unintended consequence was not so good.

Several weeks ago, we hired a roofer to install new shingles on our house.
Last night we had our first measurable rainfall.
This morning we woke to *major* leaks resulting in damage to sheetrock, lighting fixtures.

Before the roofing job, our roof did not leak.

The unintended consequence? The act to forestall a problem caused the event to occur.

And I am learning the art of breathing deep and talking to myself.

Charity's Birth of a Novel

Week One: 76,225
Week Two: 78,393

Progress for Wishes

At first, the totals may give a dismal picture. Two thousand words isn't fancy dancing. But I have an excuse.  My antag said he didn’t do it.

Humph. That’s what they all say.

Then the MC refused to play ball. She also said he didn’t do it and everything changed.

The path shifted.  Re-writes and much research became the norm.

The bright light hit me in the excerpt below:

“Good Lord,” I said. “What are you, a vampire wannabe?”

 I wondered how I’d noticed him at all. Dressed in black from the ground up, boots, loose slacks, and a billowy shirt. It gaped at his throat and for a moment, my imagination carved punctures on his neck.

A swift look down then back at me. Collin’s brow scrunched into a frown. “A what? Vampire? No.”

And for a moment, his startled eyes were huge, startled. The smart-ass man, furious and impatient with life dropped from his expression. “I just like black,” he said simply.

“It’s a good look,” I blurted.

His mouth dropped. We stared at each other, me confused. And him…well, I couldn’t tell what Collin was thinking. It was as if I had slapped him with a dead fish, the surprise on his face was there for me to see. The term is ‘discombobulated’, I believe.

“What are you playing at?” he said low.

I have the ending written. It is clear in my mind. That didn’t change. But now I have to join the three sections: the main MS, the ending, and now the new antag.

Don’t you just love when the voices change their mind?

Crit My Crit

I moderate a crit group, Unicorn Bell with three talented writers, Charity, Marcy, and Tara.  

Yesterday I analyzed and posted a submission.

Questions:

Did I help? Is my crittering right on or a load of used hay? Is the revision appropriate or stepping over the line?

We appreciate comments here and at Unicorn Bell.

Birth of a Novel

Title: Of Wishes Made
Genre: Contemporary Fantasy
Wordcount: 76,225

Shamira has a knack for controlling animals. For her, being a whisperer and farrier doesn’t mean only voice and body language. Her thoughts alone master vicious dogs, frantic horses. For Sham, controlling animals isn’t hard. Dominating humans even less so.

Of Wishes Made began in December 2010. A Whole Eleven Months ago. And I am 15-20 K words from the end.

Why it isn’t finished:

I was busy.

Sick.

Aliens sucked me into their mother ship and took me to a dimension without Word doc.

Although I am not participating in Nano with the blog chain’s help I hope to complete Wishes by December 1.

Or return to the other dimension where chocolate and Doritos have no calories.

Hm. I must give this more thought.

Brooke Busse 
Charity Bradford
Elizabeth Poole 
Fida Islaih
Lena Hoppe 
Mia Hayson 
Miranda Hardy  
Nyxie Moon 
Tessa C
Elizabeth Davis