I'm done with the book!
It currently weighs in at about sixty-five thousand words -- a good five thousand below my goal. It's probably publishable at 65K, but it's definitely a little light, so I'll be looking to add those extra five thousand words during editing (that's about fifteen pages to you civilians).
It's quite a good feeling to have a draft, and I think the last scenes were some of the best. There are still a lot of problems with this draft, but that's something I can work out in revision. For now, it's time to celebrate!
Just For Kelly
Ok, since Kelly asked for my strawberry salad recipe, here it is. This serves about 4.
Salad:
Salad:
- 1 (10 oz.) bag of spinach, torn
- 1 (16 oz.) container of strawberries, sliced
- Store bought raspberry vinaigrette +
- 1 spoonful raspberry jam
Crawling Toward the Finish Line
After about 13 months of work, this book is nearly, very nearly, done. I have three more scenes to write: the climax, and two codas. I think I have material for four to five thousand more words; AKA, 15-18 pages.
And those 15-18 pages are KILLING me! For some reason, I'm having the worst time trying to sit down and write them. Maybe it's that I'm afraid they won't be as awesome as I picture them in my head. Maybe I'm afraid of the revision stage that will follow as soon as I put the last word on the page. But whatever it is, I have run into some serious resistance.
So, I'm taking a day or two to reconnect with my love of writing.
The first thing I'm going to do is stop reading anything that feels like an assignment. Most of my reading material lately has been writing textbooks, period research, and successful novels in my genre. Well worth the time spent, but maybe not worth the loss of reading as a recreational activity. I'm going to make a trip to the bookstore and pick up a few books I want just for the pleasure of them.
We'll see if that makes a dent in the doldrums. If not, it should at least be fun.
And those 15-18 pages are KILLING me! For some reason, I'm having the worst time trying to sit down and write them. Maybe it's that I'm afraid they won't be as awesome as I picture them in my head. Maybe I'm afraid of the revision stage that will follow as soon as I put the last word on the page. But whatever it is, I have run into some serious resistance.
So, I'm taking a day or two to reconnect with my love of writing.
The first thing I'm going to do is stop reading anything that feels like an assignment. Most of my reading material lately has been writing textbooks, period research, and successful novels in my genre. Well worth the time spent, but maybe not worth the loss of reading as a recreational activity. I'm going to make a trip to the bookstore and pick up a few books I want just for the pleasure of them.
We'll see if that makes a dent in the doldrums. If not, it should at least be fun.
A Very Leftover Thanksgiving
So Mark and I were on our own for Thanksgiving. We had a turkey breast in the freezer that we planned to cook up for a small Thanksgiving meal, until Mark made this comment:
"Why don't we skip the meal and just go right to the leftovers?"
It was brilliant. While we both enjoy Thanksgiving dinner, in our minds it is primarily a vehicle for acquiring a large quantity of leftover turkey with which to make sandwiches over the following week. So this year we bucked tradition, and as soon as Mark had carved that breast, the pieces were immediately designated "leftovers."
My best leftover turkey sandwich tip is one I learned from Friends. Soak a piece of bread in gravy, then put that in the middle of the sandwich. This gives you a nice juicy sandwich without letting any gravy seep out of the sides or, worse, soak through the bottom. Just be sure to use a piece of bread slightly smaller that what you're using for the sandwich itself. I used a drinking glass to punch out rounds that were slightly smaller than the hamburger buns I was building sandwiches on. A perfect fit!
"Why don't we skip the meal and just go right to the leftovers?"
It was brilliant. While we both enjoy Thanksgiving dinner, in our minds it is primarily a vehicle for acquiring a large quantity of leftover turkey with which to make sandwiches over the following week. So this year we bucked tradition, and as soon as Mark had carved that breast, the pieces were immediately designated "leftovers."
My best leftover turkey sandwich tip is one I learned from Friends. Soak a piece of bread in gravy, then put that in the middle of the sandwich. This gives you a nice juicy sandwich without letting any gravy seep out of the sides or, worse, soak through the bottom. Just be sure to use a piece of bread slightly smaller that what you're using for the sandwich itself. I used a drinking glass to punch out rounds that were slightly smaller than the hamburger buns I was building sandwiches on. A perfect fit!
1920s Slang
For my book I've done research into a lot of subjects, including 1920's slang. People in the 20's, like people of every time period, had their own unique way of making themselves understood. "Horesefeathers!" they might say, or "None of your beeswax!" "That's the cat's pajamas!"
Fast forward to the 2000's. (The Aughts? The Zips? How did we let this decade slip by without giving it a decent name?) Most of this language has now been downgraded to cutesy, juvenile slang. Problem is, my characters aren't supposed to sound cutesy and juvenile when they say it. They're, like, for serious.
So: opinions? Can the 20's slang, or stick it only in the mouths of characters who can reasonably be a little bit cute? Any ideas?
Fast forward to the 2000's. (The Aughts? The Zips? How did we let this decade slip by without giving it a decent name?) Most of this language has now been downgraded to cutesy, juvenile slang. Problem is, my characters aren't supposed to sound cutesy and juvenile when they say it. They're, like, for serious.
So: opinions? Can the 20's slang, or stick it only in the mouths of characters who can reasonably be a little bit cute? Any ideas?
Bridge Building 101
You know that feeling you get when you sit down at your desk in the morning? That ugh, I don't want to be here, maybe I should get some cocoa or browse around the interwebs, blah, mornings suck kind of feeling?
If you don't, you're luckier than me. That's how I feel pretty much every day when I sit down at the computer. And yet by the end of the day, I've managed to build some momentum; words are flowing, ideas are humming, and in general, all's right with the world. Fast forward to the next morning, though, and it's back to ho hum, morning already, say this game of solitaire looks fascinating.
So when I was browsing through Twyla Tharp's The Creative Habit recently, my eye lit on one of the techniques she recommends: Building a Bridge to the Next Day. Basically, it means you develop some little trick or technique for carrying some of your creative energy from one day on into the next, thus sidestepping the morning blues.
Ernest Hemmingway famously never stopped writing until he was sure he knew exactly what was coming next. That was his way of carrying his energy forward. I'm not sure this would work for me, but I've developed a little trick of my own.
For the next two weeks, whenever I'm done for the day, I plan to write a little note to myself about what I'm looking forward to in the next day's work. Something I'm excited about, something I'm writing toward. The more specific the better: "Kitty learns she's Koko's guardian," perhaps, or "Kitty and Gallo nearly kiss."
I'll write the note on an index card. Then, for the rest of the day, I'll use that card as a bookmark. This should result in me touching it several times a day, and hopefully smiling and picturing the moment I'm writing toward. Then, if all goes according to plan, I'll sit down the next morning and all that anticipation and excitement will translate to a productive morning at the keyboard.
Maybe it'll work, or maybe it won't and I'll have to examine another method of bridge building. Either way it should be fun.
If you don't, you're luckier than me. That's how I feel pretty much every day when I sit down at the computer. And yet by the end of the day, I've managed to build some momentum; words are flowing, ideas are humming, and in general, all's right with the world. Fast forward to the next morning, though, and it's back to ho hum, morning already, say this game of solitaire looks fascinating.
So when I was browsing through Twyla Tharp's The Creative Habit recently, my eye lit on one of the techniques she recommends: Building a Bridge to the Next Day. Basically, it means you develop some little trick or technique for carrying some of your creative energy from one day on into the next, thus sidestepping the morning blues.
Ernest Hemmingway famously never stopped writing until he was sure he knew exactly what was coming next. That was his way of carrying his energy forward. I'm not sure this would work for me, but I've developed a little trick of my own.
For the next two weeks, whenever I'm done for the day, I plan to write a little note to myself about what I'm looking forward to in the next day's work. Something I'm excited about, something I'm writing toward. The more specific the better: "Kitty learns she's Koko's guardian," perhaps, or "Kitty and Gallo nearly kiss."
I'll write the note on an index card. Then, for the rest of the day, I'll use that card as a bookmark. This should result in me touching it several times a day, and hopefully smiling and picturing the moment I'm writing toward. Then, if all goes according to plan, I'll sit down the next morning and all that anticipation and excitement will translate to a productive morning at the keyboard.
Maybe it'll work, or maybe it won't and I'll have to examine another method of bridge building. Either way it should be fun.
My Character Formula
Characters are arguably the most important part of writing, especially for someone who's hoping to be a series author. So, naturally, I do a lot of thinking (and analyzing and obsessing) about them. I think I've finally arrived at my Grand Unifying Theory of Character.
Step One: Two Defining Characteristics. They don't have to go together naturally. If possible, one of them should be a flaw.
The two Defining Characteristics for Kitty, my series protagonist, are Insightful and Self-Absorbed.
For Gallo, my series love interest, they are Curious and Solitary.
And for Fiore, my series antagonist, they are Romantic and Sadistic.
Step Two: Invent a Major Mannerism. This mannerism should be the direct result of at least one, or ideally both, Defining Characteristics.
Kitty's Major Mannerism: Manipulating people.
Gallo's Major Mannerism: Reading everything he can get his hands on.
Fiore's Major Mannerism: Well, this one is a pretty major plot point. Suffice it to say that it does in fact combine Romantic and Sadistic in what I hope is an interesting way.
Step Three: Color everything with a Mood. The Mood doesn't refer to the deep characteristics of their personality, but rather to their surface persona: how someone observing them from a distance might describe them. It isn't at all necessary for the Mood to be related to the Defining Characteristics; in fact, it can be pretty interesting if it's at odds with them.
Kitty's Mood: Ingenue
Gallo's Mood: Hard-boiled
Fiore's Mood: Refined
Step Four: Give the character a Unique Perspective. This is the way the character sees the world. It should be at some way at odds with reality. Giving two characters warring perspectives really amps up the potential for interesting interactions between them.
Kitty's Unique Perspective: It's all about the glitz and the glamour.
Gallo's Unique Perspective: Life is full of pain.
Fiore's Unique Perspective: I'm a good guy.
Step Five: All the rest. On top of this skeleton you layer additional characteristics, minor mannerisms, and quirks. Some of mine are:
Kitty: Loves hats, hates her figure
Gallo: Hates alcohol, takes obsessive notes
Fiore: Loves to eat, bullies his older brother
And there you have it: my character creation method. It's not perfect, and I don't even follow it exactly with every character. But it helps.
Step One: Two Defining Characteristics. They don't have to go together naturally. If possible, one of them should be a flaw.
The two Defining Characteristics for Kitty, my series protagonist, are Insightful and Self-Absorbed.
For Gallo, my series love interest, they are Curious and Solitary.
And for Fiore, my series antagonist, they are Romantic and Sadistic.
Step Two: Invent a Major Mannerism. This mannerism should be the direct result of at least one, or ideally both, Defining Characteristics.
Kitty's Major Mannerism: Manipulating people.
Gallo's Major Mannerism: Reading everything he can get his hands on.
Fiore's Major Mannerism: Well, this one is a pretty major plot point. Suffice it to say that it does in fact combine Romantic and Sadistic in what I hope is an interesting way.
Step Three: Color everything with a Mood. The Mood doesn't refer to the deep characteristics of their personality, but rather to their surface persona: how someone observing them from a distance might describe them. It isn't at all necessary for the Mood to be related to the Defining Characteristics; in fact, it can be pretty interesting if it's at odds with them.
Kitty's Mood: Ingenue
Gallo's Mood: Hard-boiled
Fiore's Mood: Refined
Step Four: Give the character a Unique Perspective. This is the way the character sees the world. It should be at some way at odds with reality. Giving two characters warring perspectives really amps up the potential for interesting interactions between them.
Kitty's Unique Perspective: It's all about the glitz and the glamour.
Gallo's Unique Perspective: Life is full of pain.
Fiore's Unique Perspective: I'm a good guy.
Step Five: All the rest. On top of this skeleton you layer additional characteristics, minor mannerisms, and quirks. Some of mine are:
Kitty: Loves hats, hates her figure
Gallo: Hates alcohol, takes obsessive notes
Fiore: Loves to eat, bullies his older brother
And there you have it: my character creation method. It's not perfect, and I don't even follow it exactly with every character. But it helps.
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