Perseverance & Revisions

By Cam

Remember me? No? Yeah, I don’t blame you. I’ve been incognito for the past few weeks. Secret secret stuff, I tell ya.

Okay, not really.

Truth? My mom suffered three strokes at the end of April. THREE! That’s crazy. She’s doing better now, at the rehab center going on day number 19. She’s a strong, strong woman. Works hard in every therapy session. Even in her off time, she’s practicing her exercises so she can get better. There’s been lots of sweat, lots of laughs (mainly at the expense of her oh-so stylish hospital gowns), and lots of tears. LOTS of tears.

I asked Mom the other day, “Why don’t you rest for a little bit? Give yourself a break?”

Mom promptly replied with, “Because you don’t give up. Ever. And practice makes perfect.  Always.”

Cliche? Yes.

True? Absofreakinglutely.

If there’s a lesson I’ve learned from my mother’s recent ordeal, it’s that you grind your teeth through the pain and Just. Do. It. (Sorry, Nike.) Why? Because the payoff will be worth it.

I’m taking this advice to heart right now as I embark on my WWIII battle with my enemy: REVISIONS. To put it more specifically: THE RED PEN. THE RED PEN hates me. Really.

Want to see what I mean? Take a look.

My worry is that I might be a little too thorough with my red pen. Am I stripping my voice out? Am I really making it better? What if it’s crappier now than it was to begin with?

Don’t get me wrong. I understand and believe in the importance of revising your work to make it as perfect as you can. But how do you know when you’re done? There are a whole slew of articles on the interwebs about revising. Here are a few that I’ve looked at:

Nathan Bransford – Revision Checklist

Holly Lisle – How to Revise a Novel

Darcy Pattison – Novel Diagnosis series

I also have Elizabeth Lyon’s book, Manuscript Makeover, which has been helpful so far. It’s not one of those books where you have to read all the way through from cover to cover. She actually gives you permission to skip around and read the chapters that apply to the kind of revisions you’re doing. Pretty cool.

Seeing as how I’ve never really revised a novel before (I know, right?), I’m not going to give out tips since I have no tips yet. No, wait! I do have a tip. Oreos. And wine. I’ve found that eating Oreos and drinking wine (no dunking involved because eww!) have helped me keep my sanity. What’s left of it, that is.

What about you? Do you have any tips to add to the links I have above? I’m all ears.

Friday’s Focus: What the…?

By Cam

It’s a week before Christmas and I must say that although I LOVE this holiday, it’s also screwing with my personal timeline for my current WIP. Here’s where I am–I’ve finished Chapter One of my spanking new YA. The same one that interrupted my NaNo and has left my sleep schedule all out of whack. I still find myself dreaming snippets of this story, waking up to write it all down lest I forget, and embracing new research methods (which have been so insightful and irreplaceable in helping me understand my protagonist).

But there’ s something I’ve recently encountered that caught me completely off-guard. Yes, this is a YA and that alone was enough to make my head spin. I love reading YA, but I had been writing paranormal romances. ROMANCES. As in, against-the-wall steam, lusty heroines, and naughty heroes with a penchant for stalking the halls of my mind with their beefed up chests and brooding eyes. Well, it just so happens that YA’s don’t really have a whole lot of, ahem, s-e-x. And what little nookie there is, is usually behind the scenes.

So imagine my second surprise when I actually start writing this thing and notice that I’m using a whole lot of I, my, and me, me, me. WHAT?! I’m writing first person? But, but…I’ve only really written in third person before because sex scenes are always more fun to write and read when you can get in the heads of both characters (in separate scenes of course). What the heck do I know about writing in first person? I don’t even like to read in first person all that much. At least not in romance novels.

I got over my initial visceral response and started doing more research. Reading research. Reading as many first-person books as I could in a two-week time period. I noticed a trend that I guess I never paid much attention to before. It seems that romances are the overwhelming leader of books written in third-person. Because most other books I picked up — literary women’s fiction, legal thrillers, cozies, commercial fiction, YA, MG — are written in first-person. I’ve read a lot outside the romance genre before so why didn’t I pick up on this tidbit before? I can only assume it’s because my goal of writing toward publication is still new (April 2009 is when I started seriously writing…although like every other writer out there, I’ve been writing since I was a kid). During that time I started pursuing this goal, I was fully engrossed in romance. I had just given birth to my daughter in September ’08 and who knows, maybe I wanted to spice up my new lifestyle change a little. (But I can positively say I’m not a newbie to romance novels since I picked up my first romance book — a Jude Deveraux sheet-wrinkler — when I was twelve.)

So here I am writing in a new genre, writing in a new POV…what more could be thrown at me? Heh, heh, heh. My muse is wicked. That little tramp. Because a third revelation comes to me after I re-read my first chapter. I had to read it again because I felt like a deer caught in headlights, like eighteen-wheeler headlights with a neon row of fog-lights thrown in for good measure.

Here’s my first sentence (DISCLAIMER: This is rough. Very, very rough. So don’t get mad if your eyes start to bleed.):

I feel the fingers of dread massage my stomach as I walk across the pebbled pavement.

Huh? Then I read further thinking this must surely be a fluke…

A piece of gravel finds its way inside my flip-flop. But before I can stoop down to wheedle it out from between my toes, it’s already gone. I cough. Noxious exhaust pollutes the air around me, thick and suffocating like icing on the cake of my impending sentence. A warning that today is really going to suck.

Like I don’t already know.

Huh? I read it again. And again. I envision plantlife shriveling, puppies dying, books burning…did I write that in present tense? Warning bells go off in my head. Danger! Danger! I read it for the hundredth time. No way. This can’t be present tense. I’ve never written in present tense before. It’s like a foreign language to me. I start to think that maybe I’m one of those religious fanatics that can all of a sudden speak Latin even though I’ve never spoken Latin before. Yes, that must be it.

But after splashing a little water on my face, I settle into my seat with a fresh cup of hot tea. I start out slow, only punching a few sentences into my laptop. Then I start pounding away, typing until my eyes are dry and my tea’s too cold to drink. And I think maybe…just maybe, I kind of like this new writing style.  I like the freedom it gives me. I like feeling more connected to my character, more invested in my story. Maybe this won’t be so bad after all.

The next day I ventured into the cyber world just to make sure I wasn’t turning to the dark side or anything. And I stumbled upon a wonderful post by Timothy Hallinan, an author of thrillers, about the advantages to writing in present tense. You can read his full post here.

There’s one passage that really struck a chord with me.

“It had an immediacy I enjoyed. It was less like writing and more (do I dare to say this?) like a movie or a play. Plays and movies exist in a permanent present tense, a period of time that begins the moment the curtain lifts or the image hits the screen. The viewers enter this period of time with the characters, and live through it right beside them. (This is an interesting illusion because it holds even when we see a film for the third or fourth time.)”

I highlighted the point that made me sit up and think, Holy cow, that is sooo right on. I was a Thespian in high school (I denounce the term “theatre geek”). I once majored in Theatre in college (before I realized I didn’t want to eat tuna fish and Ramen noodles my whole life). So I know what it’s like to have that curtain part and there’ s  no turning back, no assurances that this performance will go smoothly. It’s the excitement and thrill of investing yourself completely in your character, playing off the audience’s emotions, and letting it all unfold naturally.

Hallinan is right on with his assessment. Why didn’t I think of that before? Major lightbulbs went off in my head when I made this connection because in my story, I want the reader to know everything as it happens. I want the reader to sit on the edge of his or her seat and wonder if my protagonist will be okay in the end. I want the reader to feel like they’re the character, the one experiencing this story first-hand.

I want that experience for them.

And for me.

So tell me…am I alone on this vessel of first-person present tense? If you write it, what do you see are the advantages? If you don’t, have you tried it? If not, what do you see as the major disadvantages? I’d love to hear from you!

Writerly Wednesday

By Cam

NANO IS DONE. NANO IS DONE. NANO IS DONE. Woo-hoo!!!

And guess what? I’m a WINNER. A big fat winner, winner, chicken dinner.

My ending word count was 50,322. And only a third of them are probably really bad. The other two-thirds are quasi-bad but salvageable. And I have two beginnings in this draft because I couldn’t make up my mind on where I wanted to start the story. Plus, I have about 30K more to add before reaching a conclusion.

Another small hang-up? I had to change my original title, Fortune’s Folly, to Silverslip Society because Fortune’s Folly already exists out there in the romance world. Who would’ve thought that was such a popular title? But no hard feelings because Silverslip Society is waaaaay better. *Insert eye roll here*

Now that NaNo is over, I’m going to get started on an idea that literally woke me up from a dead sleep. I can’t say it was a dream because I really don’t remember dreaming about anything that had to do with my new idea, but all I know is I woke up at 6 a.m. and wrote the first scene on my iPhone–squinting, mind you, since it was pitch black in my room–while Hubs groaned and pulled the covers over his head. I bought new pens, new journals, and I’m ready to flesh out some of this idea. And get this–It’s a YA. I know. I was shocked, too. I guess my Muse channeled some teen angst while standing in line to see New Moon (which I did manage to see a week after its release and have to admit it was a lot better than the first).

As of today, I’ve only written a couple of scenes just to get a sense of my characters. But I already know it’s going to be told First Person POV which is a new thing for me. To say I’m nervous about it would be a major understatement.

I’ll keep you updated on how this story goes. But I’m really excited about it. Like really excited. I told my BFF about it and even pitched the whole story to my Hubs and let him read the scene I wrote that morning. I usually don’t involve Hubs in my writing because to put it simply–he just doesn’t get it. He’s a reader of all things manly, autobiographical, or manual-like. The only fiction he reads are thrillers. Romance is not his cup of tea. YA is definitely not his cup of tea. But I told him about my idea because I love what’s in my head already. Hubs surprised me and got excited about it, too.

Okay…putting on my plotter hat for now. Wish me luck on this new road!

Thursday Thirteen

By Cam

I’m leaving for Vegas today. Sigh. And wanted to depart with a few (13 to be exact) writerly quotes that are inspirational to me, especially since NaNoWriMo starts in a few days! I hope you find inspiration from these, too!

1. “The role of a writer is not to say what we all can say, but what we are unable to say.” ~Anaïs Nin
2. “Writing is a socially acceptable form of schizophrenia.” ~E.L. Doctorow
3. “Don’t tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass.” ~Anton Chekhov
4. “Write your first draft with your heart. Re-write with your head.” ~From the movie Finding Forrester
5. “Those who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those doing it.” ~ Chinese proverb
6. “You can’t wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club.” ~ Jack London
7. “Words – so innocent and powerless as they are, as standing in a dictionary, how potent for good and evil they become in the hands of one who knows how to combine them.” ~Nathaniel Hawthorne
8. “The only cure for writer’s block is insomnia.” ~ Merit Antares
9. “Don’t get it right, just get it written” ~ J. Thurber
10. “I’m not a very good writer, but I’m an excellent rewriter.” ~ James Michener
11. “You get ideas from daydreaming. You get ideas from being bored. You get ideas all the time. The only difference between writers and other people is we notice when we’re doing it.” ~ Neil Gaiman
12. “In writing, you can get by with almost anything as long as you motivate it properly.” ~ Catherine Spangler
13. “If I chance to talk a little wild, forgive me.” ~ William Shakespeare

Now, tell me…what are some of your favorite quotes (or advice) that have helped you through your more hazy days of writing?

Thursday Thirteen

By Cam

So my goals through the end of the year are all tied to this one WIP. A WIP that just. Won’t. Die. I’m not really a formal goals-making person (see post here), but I decided to play along anyway. Well, I think this is why my muse ran out to get some sugar and still hasn’t come back. Yet.

That’s okay. I’m not bitter. Why, you ask? Because I have a brand new shiny muse! In fact, multiple muses with a whole lot of hopping and shagging going on. I find that I’m getting hit with inspiration almost every day. And sometimes in the strangest places.

Here is a list of the thirteen things that have randomly inspired me over the past week…

1. Craigslist ad – if you follow me on Twitter, then you know I got a brilliant light bulb moment from spying an ad for a drag queen singing telegram. You’ll have to stay tuned to find out what the plot bunnies do with this one.
2. Fairy tales – more specifically, Beauty and the Beast meets Ugly Duckling. And yes, there’s a bunny furiously thinking up a storm in response to Samhain’s Red Hot Fairy Tales call.
3. Fever Blister/Cold Sore/Lip Funk/Fill-in-the-blank – Eww. Gross. I know. With my daughter’s first birthday party last Saturday, I had a lot of stressful things to think about (30 adults + 12 kids under the age of 10 = Carmex overdose). So yeah, one of those nasty little suckers popped up on my lip and got me thinking…
4. This image – Pictures say a thousand words, eh? How about 350, give or take?
5. Spiderman kazoo– After loading up with various useless—but surprisingly expensive—crap for party goody bags, I was hit with yet another story tickle. Spidey meets Barbarella???
6. Ballet flats – Mine stink. Like odor-eaters-stink. After dusting off a pair from last Fall season, it made me wonder…surely there’s a villain out there whose supernatural powers are based off a serious case of odorous feet. Death by feet funk has a nice ring to it, donchathink?
7. Water goal – In my effort to try and drink more water, another bunny hopped by as I sat and stared at my half-empty Nalgene bottle.
8. Halloween candy – Really Halloween-anything. All those ghosts, goblins, witches, vamps…what’s not to love?
9. Kanye West – Yes, even Kanye “Douchebag of the Year” West can inspire those little plot bunnies who think it would be hilarious if an equally-embarrassing interruption were to happen to the protagonist during an oh-so-important life-changing event.
10. Candy Apples – That bright, glossy, candy-coated apple I saw at the grocery store is the perfect signature shade for a heroine who’s as flirty as she is feisty.
11. Purell – Hand sanitizer inspired one of the quirky characteristics of my heroine in my current plot-storm.
12. Alec Mazo – Dancing With The Stars resident hottie. Just take away all that sequins, glitter, and that leggy wife of his.
13. Gena Showalter – That lady writes faster than anyone I know (not that I actually really know her, unless you count that time or two when I stalked her throughout RWA DC). She inspires me to no end. And her books kick ass.

So there you have it. What inspired you this week?

Freaky Friday – Swima bombiviridis (Aka – Green Bomber Worms)

By Cam

Ah, Friday. The light at the end of the tunnel. The work week is almost over and the weekend is about to begin. Friday is also when people start letting their hair down, or in the case of the Swima bombiviridis, their appendages.

I didn’t really have a topic in mind for today’s blog, I was actually planning on just highlighting my weekend goals – which I still haven’t figured out. But then I saw this article, and I’ve got to admit…it gave me the heebeejeebees. Once I really started thinking about it though, I realized how cool it would be to be a Swima bombiviridis.

The article highlights a new species of underwater worms that, when attacked, shoot off their appendages. When they release a limb, the limb glows green and they’re called “Green Bombs”—which lets face it, would scare the s**t out of me. The worms range in size from three quarters of an inch to up to four inches and live up to 12,000 feet under the ocean. So, no worries about running into these things if creepy crawlies aren’t high on your list.

But seriously. How cool is that? Say a mugger tries to steal your purse—Wham! Take that appendage you crook! What if you get into a catfight and that other bimbo tries to scratch her claws all over you? Here—have an arm biatch! Not to mention the incredibly uber-cool factor that it glows once you shoot it off. Right now you can only attain that feature if you’re radioactive or took a quick dip in the Chesapeake Bay.

Hmm…me thinks that maybe another story idea will surface from this discovery.

This begs the question — what would you do with glowing green arms?