A Series is Born

After writing my previous blog entry "Prequels and Sequels: Are Series More Successful?" I took a great deal of time (about 5 months hehe) to think through and weigh out my options for creating a series out of my novel "The Mechanical Room."  I wanted to see if it were even possible to string together the ideas, plots, and stories from the other novels I had formulated, and it turned out to be very possible.

Having painstakingly gone over the story line of the potential series, I found myself writing the second book (sequel to "The Mechanical Room") in my head already.  My sister once asked me about my writing methods and I told her... "When I feel compelled to write, when it's not an option, but a need... when I HAVE to get whatever is in my head out... that's when I know I've got something," and such is the case with this new novel.  I am currently in the pre-writing stages, but I am excited to add to my world and give my character John Noah a bigger role to play, though he will not be the main character in the sequels.  That is my writing style... I tend to have more than one main character because I believe, in life, we all have a part to play and everyone has a story to tell... no one person can do anything alone, though the stubborn may try.

And so the Side Effects series by Nevada Wolf is born (No relation to the 1994-1996 Canadian hospital themed dramatic television series, which I've never seen or heard of before... thank goodness for Google). The first book is "The Mechanical Room," which will be followed by "Dis-Ease" (working title).

Tiiiiiiiiiiiiiiired!

Never try to write, or do anything for that matter, when you are on the verge of collapsing into your keyboard.  I have been working too much lately at my job and haven't had a chance to take a break.  I took some time off a while ago and I think I felt a bit guilty about that because I had just started (within my first 3 months) and already I was taking 5 days off.  So now I've been trying to go as long and as hard as I can ("that's what she said").  The problem is of course sleep deprivation.  I know some writers can function, but really how much quality can you possibly produce?  Doesn't the average human being need at least five hours of sleep?

We had an event Saturday and then another event yesterday (Tuesday) and I didn't get very much sleep either nights.  I come home, check some emails, get on the phone, read up on some articles (not in that order) and try to figure out what to wear for these events.  I never realized how important it was to own a suit until now.  I have been giving my co-workers fair warning that I may collapse at any time so keep an ear out for a thud of some kind.  Seriously, it's that bad... the kind of tired where you are nodding off every 5-10 seconds and when you turn corners you feel your body going a liiiitle too far in that direction.  When I get like this, my fingers don't move across the keyboard as fast or as smoothly, my words end up backwards and jumbled.  I am struggling to write this post.  I need to just sleep!  However, there's no rest to be had, at least not yet.  I still need to sit down and read my novel!!!

Prequels and Sequels: Are Series More Successful?

The thought came to me the other day, as I was watching something... I can't remember exactly what I was watching, but I remember something that stood out to me.  I remember considering taking part of my novel and turning it into a prequel, and then followed by a series that I came up with a while ago.  The series was going to be a stand alone series based on a totally different storyline and in a different setting and everything.  However, one moment it hit me... BAM!  Why not tie all three together?  It seems to me that the most successful stories tend to be those told in a series of some kind.  I'm not saying that single, one-off, one-shot novels aren't successful, but I do see a trend and in the publishing business trends are important to take note of.

As a creative writer, we have to go with the flow of things and pump out those creative juices in large quantities and wrap it all in a nice little package for the masses to consume.  I'm not sure if mine will be too much of a mind trip for people to handle... it's a pretty trippy rabbit hole I'd be taking my readers down, but guaranteed to entertain I think.  Originally, I had a flashback sequence at the end of my story that took the reader back to relive the story but from another perspective in quick sequences.  I think this might be confusing however, and I've been thinking of ways to clean it up.

Well, I'm considering it and I love the idea especially since it gives me an opportunity to cut down that 100,000+ word count that I have now!  Yikes!  I know, I know, I get it from my mother... bless her heart!  Sometimes we can be a bit long winded.

It also gets me excited an enthusiastic about sitting down and writing again which is very important if you read any of my previous posts on motivation and inspiration.  I love the novel as it is, don't get me wrong, but I think it might work better if I take out some of the confusing bits and pieces that could stand alone as a prequel and help set up the story arch.  What I plan to do is to read the novel through once and then determine if it flows or not.

REJECTION!!!!

Every true writer experiences rejection of some kind or another.  I don't think the reality of writing would be as conscious for me if it were not for this part of the process, and we all go through it and you know I think if you take it in strides it can really make you a stronger writer.

So far I have received two rejection letters from two separate agencies.  Neither one of them provided any tips, pointers, advice, or anything really.  Just the generic, "thank you for submitting... we will not be accepting your work at this time... the decision making process it a difficult one... we thank you for submitting... etc. etc."

I would honestly prefer to have some constructive criticism and that way I walk away with something for my time.  Both agencies took longer than advertised to reply and longer than Writer's Market indicated in their books.  Patience, however, is a writer's greatest virtue I believe, and so I continued to wait.

Now, with rejection comes hope.  I am strangely excited that my work is being considered at all and has human eyeballs scanning the pages reading MY WORDS!!  Words by Nevada Wolf!  The other part is that I am aware of the luck factor involved in the submission process and perhaps I wasn't lucky this time around, but who knows.  I will submit to other agencies and one of them might happen to be going through something at the moment and my story may reach out to them and beckon them to invest in me as a new author.

The main thing I want you all to walk away with is never give up.  Keep writing.  Keep submitting.  Every writer that has a book on the shelf isn't necessarily the most "talented" and certainly not "perfect."  They just happen to give people what they want and need in that moment and in that time.  Some stories are timeless and touch every generation.  So let it come from your heart and no matter what... don't quit! I guarantee you your story will touch an audience and that audience will forever be YOUR audience.

Never Change YOUR Style

This came to me the other day as I was thinking about how competitive the writing market is.  When I thought about how competitive things are and how much agents and publishers would like for you to change some things to be more marketable, it occurred to me how easy it is to interpret that as changing your style.  Style is very important.  There really is no right or wrong; there are styles, preferences, and tastes.  Every book will have an audience.  There are some books out there on the shelves that I wonder how did they ever get published that other people absolutely LOVE and adore.  There are other books that are widely acclaimed and received that I just can't get into. 

My sister is an excellent storyteller.  She starts out with a hook to grab your interest so that whatever comes next, you are willing to sit through just to get to that end.  She throws in enough humor and drama to keep you entertained to the end.  My mother tends to be more long-winded in her stories and explanations and will exaggerate the truth of the actual occurrences to create drama to keep you interested, and most importantly she enjoys her own stories.  I tend to rush through things.  I am so excited about revealing the big twist and surprise at the end of my story that I rush through the details to get to the end.  My stories tend to be vivid and complex and provoke thought, and a lot of times I can easily lose my audience if I get too technical without the detailed explanations.

Now, if you gave my mother, sister, and I the same story to tell... we would each tell it in a different way.  We all share the memory of how our mother scared the crap out of us one Halloween when we were younger.  My mother's version involves us breaking rules and deserving a good scare.  My sister's version involves a note giving us permission to trick-or-treat, and our cunning mother switching off the electricity so that we'd be in complete darkness when we returned home.  My version involves me being the foolish hero and volunteering to inspect the thumping and bumping in the darkness and jumping ten feet back, knocking everyone over, when our mother finally revealed herself, face painted white, shouting "It's Halloween!"  The other details I would probably rush through to get to that point as I did in the previous sentence (a long one, I know).

I like to foreshadow, switch perspectives, and focus on relationships between characters.  I particularly don't believe in there being one "hero" because that, to me, is not realistic or as thrilling as the combining of forces and strengths to overcome obstacles and challenges... that's just my style.  Is it as marketable as the hero on a journey who comes into power?  Probably not, but the market is ever changing, and not to mention there's always the possibility that someone can come along and set a new standard in the market.

So here's the bottom line... stick to your style!  Write for your self!  If you love what you write then chances are others will too.  Will you have as many in your audience as J.K. Rowling or Stephen King?  Who knows.  Such thoughts can stop productivity and creativity.  If you immerse yourself in your world, then you will never be lost because you know your world like no other.  If they suggest changes... make the changes, but don't change your style.  Style separates you from everyone else.  How many times did Rowling get rejected?  How many times did Tolkien think people wouldn't read what he wrote?  But that never stopped them and they put a bit of themselves, as storytellers and as human beings, in every word... let us all do the same.

Now They Tell Me!

Okay, so back in December is when I submitted my various materials to these agencies for review.  I am almost 1,000% positive that at the time they preferred, no... required, SNAIL MAIL only.  Now, I go to their websites to check for any updating news and here's what a lot of them say now:

I hesitated about publishing this post, as agency secrets are best when kept, you know, secrets. Nonetheless, I decided that there was enough personal interest here to warrant filling in y'all weary (and wary) authors to a few suggestions. You may be asking yourself, "Should I email my query, or should I snail mail it?" Well, the answer is a resounding Email.  
(http://linnprentisliterary.blogspot.com/)

Now they tell me!  I worked really hard to print out all of those materials... chapters, query letters, synopsis, etc.  Revising them over and over and over and over again driving everyone insane who I had critique them (thanks Mom, Raqui, and Kia).  Now, it turns out I could've just emailed them... great!  No wonder they have not responded.  But still, if I sent a SASE with my submission then they should reply... or at least that would be the idea.

Sigh... oh well, I will have to call them and find out what is the fate of my materials... if they have been reviewed and replied to or if they're lying somewhere at the bottom of a waste basket.  Meanwhile the new job is going well except I'm not allowed to do what I specialize in.

But hey, I still have my buddy (my cat) Sam, my health, my Xbox 360, and Domino's Philly Cheese Steak Pizza... ah, ain't life grand?

Back In The Saddle

Whew... I don't know what has been going around lately but it sure got to me.  I caught a cold at the beginning of last week that totally knocked me out of commission for a few days.  I hadn't been sick in a long time (I even "knocked on wood" whenever I said that statement), but I figured I was about due for a cold.  Luckily for me it was just a cold and not the flu or anything.  I stayed in bed as much as possible watching episodes of Keeping Up With The Kardashians and as many movies as I could get my hands on.

Still no word yet from any of the agencies I submitted my query letter and materials to, but it is to be expected.  I will continue to be patient and hopeful.  I'm still waiting for the revision juice to flow back through me... I feel a bit burned out still especially now after having this cold. 

I still have a few agencies that I want to submit to, but first I wanted to see what the feedback might be from this first group.  I want to see if they all have the same feedback and maybe I just have some general changes to make or if the feedback will vary.

Does anyone know if agencies have more or less of a tendency to lose your materials if you submit them via email versus snail mail?  My concern about email submissions is of course junk mail filters.  I submitted via snail mail to three agencies but I did an email submission to one back in November and haven't heard anything since then.

Welcome To The New Year

Back to work, for those of us fortunate enough to have a job, and for those of us who are less fortunate it is back to job hunting.  Either way, we welcome a new year with new goals to accomplish.

At the beginning of every year I start a new journal.  I look back on my journals of 2009 and I see all of the things I'd set out to accomplish... the trials and tribulations.

One of my main goals was to finish my novel.  Now, in the past I'd said that every year... "This year I want to finish my novel by June... July... November," and so on and so forth.  I think I had that goal for at least two years.  However, 2009 was the year I would finally see it through and I honestly attribute part of the accomplishment to the support I received from my friends (Thanks Rachel!  You're the best!).

My goal for this year is to get my novel published (this is me shooting for the moon), or at least make significant progress in that direction (and here are my stars in case I miss hehe).

I have a printed version of my manuscript finally (thanks mother!), which is a good solid 375 pages.  I will begin reading it through soon once the January rush settles down for me a bit.

I hope to hear something from the agencies I submitted to.  I mailed my materials to them December 9, 2009.  January 9, 2010 will mark the fourth week they've had them.  I'm supposed to give it up to six weeks for a few of the agencies, and I know some of them take longer.  In the meantime I have lots of work to do and I have to not be so lazy about doing them... I have a mission to accomplish!  Let nothing and no one stop you from achieving your goals!

The Human Body

The human body is amazing to put it simply.  I like to compare the human form to a machine, and thus in a great deal of my writings I tend to have cyborgs, androids, robots, and synthetic humans.

When I started writing The Mechanical Room, I was having some health problems and struggling to find the right amounts of fiber to help with my digestion process.  I'm trying not to be too graphic and gross here, but I think you get the picture.  Let's just say having a colonoscopy... no fun.

When you're sick and your condition is "pre-existing" then you are pretty much screwed in this country (currently).  You have to be a miniature doctor yourself and research your symptoms and try to find some common things that may help you.  During the research process, I found myself dipping back into my old college textbooks on Human Anatomy.

I remember reading that there are cells in the human body that doctors and scientists are still baffled by their exact function and purpose.  This notion is like someone igniting a fuse of creativity for a science fiction and fantasy writer.  Once I formulated the basic concept of my novel, I began perusing through one of my textbooks looking at each system in the human body.

To me, the idea of exploring certain systems (i.e. the nervous system, respiratory system, digestive system, urinary system, cardiovascular system, and lymphatic system) from the perspective of someone in a fantastical world and setting was exhilarating.

I designated a system of the human anatomy as a home for each race in my book.  The dwarves lives in the nervous system along with the cat people.  The dryads make their home in the respiratory system.  The gnomes live in the cardiovascular system.  The gremlins dwell in the digestive system with their cousins, the imps, living in the urinary system separated by a shadow veil.  The Alliance of Defenders rightfully reign over the lymphatic system.  The next challenge was to map out this world, which was definitely challenging but fun at the same time.

When I read stories and articles about how someone miraculously beat cancer, survived a car crash with no injuries, was shot in the head but recovered without any complications, or is able to remember every moment of their life... to me that is amazing. 

In many ways my book, The Mechanical Room, pays tribute to the miracles of the human body.  For those of you out there who have New Year's resolutions to take better care of yours... I salute you and wish you luck on YOUR journey.

Merry Christmas 2009

Here in southern California, the sun is shining and the skies are blue.  I try to think of all the good things and how much was accomplished this year.  Many lives around the world that experienced tragedy and loss and many lives that experienced triumph and victory.

Thanksgiving and Christmas are traditionally known for being times where one is most thankful for things in life (here in the United States).  However, I tend to try to be thankful for something everyday.  Today I am thankful for family and the support that I receive from them and also my friends around the world.  Thank you all.

As we come about the close of the year, we set our sites upon the horizon as the new year rises over the old.  Hope shines through and though we see ourselves as separate... we all approach this coming year together with hope for a better tomorrow.  A new chapter in my story, the story of Nevada Wolf, will begin and others around me will embark on their own adventures.  That is for tomorrow.

Today, I am thankful.  We all have something to be thankful for.  So even if you are alone during this time of year you can at least find yourself counting the things in your life that you are most thankful for and remembering that life is a challenge... these days are what brings out the best in us all.  I welcome the new year and the new challenges that will accompany it.

I wish you all a merry Christmas and a happy New Year!

Magic In The Mechanical Room

"I use magic, in some ways, as a metaphor for technology.  For example, I have these sisters who have books called Journey Books, and they can communicate using these Journey Books.  When they write something in one, it appears magically in its twin, and the person who's carrying the twin can return messages in the same manner.  It's email!  Big deal... I use magic as a metaphor for freedom.  The use of magic is the exertion of freedom to be one's best..."

-Terry Goodkind (author of the Sword of Truth series / aka Legend of the Seeker)

I love magic.  To me, science has always been a form of magic.  I remember playing a PC game called Arcanum and in this game you were a wandering traveler set in the Industrial Revolution era.  From the start, you chose if you would be someone that used magic heavily or someone that relied heavily on technology.  If you chose magic you would have to learn schools of spells and pick a specific school to specialize in.  If you chose technology then you would have to study a specific field such as Explosives, Gun Smithy, Smithy, etc.  The way the developers did it, however, was done in such a way that even the technological schools and disciplines seemed magical, and this is how I like magic to be.

I believe there is magic in everything.  The Mechanical Room has several magical races in it:

Dwarves
Gnomes
Pixies
Fairies
Sprites
Dryads
Imps
Gremlins
Shadow Stalkers
Cat People

I tend to think very practical like Terry Goodkind.  For instance, one chapter I write in first person because the character is addressing his journal (think Captain Kirk from Star Trek- "Captain's Log. Star Date....").  A few of his officers rush into his study chambers and begin arguing over who should speak first.  To settle matters, he creates a Turn Sphere.  In order to use a Turn Sphere you must place a personal possession inside of the glowing magical sphere.  Then, it will rotate at rapid speeds and whichever object shoots out first determines the order of turns.  It's dice!  Big deal!  I'm dealing with magically endowed beings who live and breath this stuff everyday and so they must come up with practical uses for their gifts, and it has to be something we can relate to. 

Often times in mythological stories the average person would behold something that they could not understand fully and so they tried to explain it as best they could.  Their explanations tended to be very fantastical.  Some people saw tall men and women and so they called them giants, or shorter individuals and they called them dwarfs, etc.

There is magic everywhere and in everything.  When creating The Cat People in my book, I simply referenced my cat Sam.  If I looked at him through the programmed eyes I would have a label for every thing he did and every part of him.  If I looked at him through eyes that had never seen such a creature before, then suddenly he is magical and has special powers like incredible agility, night vision, and super reflexes.

I try to make my magic believable by basing it on what already is.  The magic, or science, is not the center focus of the story.  The magic simply helps move the story along just as the characters do.  My focus tends to be on emotion... touching the human emotion through these characters I create.  There is magic everywhere and in everything.

Writing is my Therapy

I'd found an old typewriter a long time ago... it looked like a bulky briefcase, but you flip the top up and inside was a typewriter.  I think that might have been the little thing in my life that sparked a passion within me.  I was ten years old and just returned from my first Taekwondo tournament.  I wrote as best a ten year old could... all lowercase letters in a single centered column down the middle of the page.  I talked about the experience and how my heart raced and how good it felt to win even if it was only a bronze medal.

To this day, writing has served a major purpose in my life and has helped to keep me sane in this world.  From then on I kept journals throughout my life.  The journals helped me through high school, college, the military, and life in general.

As a writer it is important to never stop writing.  Writing can be no different, in terms of art form and craft, as painting or playing a musical instrument in that if you don't use it, you lose it.  This is one of the reasons why I keep this blog, and the same goes for many other published and unpublished authors.  I find journal writing particularly helpful because I am unrestricted in every sense.  I don't have to focus on capitalization, punctuation, style, selling anything, or marketing anything... I just write.

So in a lot of ways writing has been a form of therapy for me.  Writing helps me to release a lot of tension and stress.  People may ask, "Really?  You write 300+ pages of a novel and then you write some more?"  Well, yeah, but like I said it is a different form of writing.  It has helped me a great deal in life and never gets old and boring because my life never gets old and boring... and I write about my life and those around me.  It helps me to keep my mind sharp and active in writing.  Some people even recommend just going outside and writing what you see, which I know is something that helps a lot also.

Aside from journal writing I also write poetry, essays, and long emails to that special someone.  I think they all serve a purpose, but again my favorite is journal writing.  Here in Los Angeles there are some really nice shops for writers that sell these beautiful leather bound journals.  When I was in the Navy I snuck one into basic training that had (in Kanji / Japanese) the word "Peace" on the outside... HA!  I wrote in the dark at night, when I was on bed rest from having my wisdom teeth pulled, and throughout the rest of my training.  There were a few times during the writing of The Mechanical Room that I referred to my journal because the Alliance of Defenders in the Starlight Queendom are a naval force and I had to reference some naval terms.  And though there are things I will never forget about the military... a lot of it is better preserved in my journals than in my memory.

(Recommended reading: A Handbook To Literature by William Harmon and C. Hugh Holman)

Ladies and Gentlemen... John Noah

Character Profile: John Noah

Age: 30

Height: 5’7”

Weight: 140 lbs

Eye color: Brown

Hair color: Black / Dark Brown

Birth Date: September 17, 2079

Birth Place: Los Angeles, California

Scars/handicaps: Inflicted with Miller’s disease – a terminal illness with a 100% fatality rate. Has a birth mark on the lower back of his neck.

Education: Barely graduated from high school and eventually received his degree from a two year before getting his Bachelors degree.

Work: Works for a large non profit organization that strives to relieve suffering from natural disasters, sickness, and diseases around the world

Best friend(s): His niece Rain, his cat Jack. In “The Mechanical Room” world- Penn Wolfgang

Marital status: Widowed

Enemies: His boss Monica. In the other world- the dwarves, cat people, imps, gremlins, and shadow stalkers.

Parents: His mother Alana and his father Walter

Present problem: John is suffering from a terminal autoimmune illness known as Miller’s Disease. He has lost most of his family to this illness except his niece. He is forced to endure the agony of life without his loved ones until the illness finally claims his life, which is a day that John looks forward to.

Character traits: John is a man of his word. He means what he says and he says what he means. He can be very direct, which often puts a lot of people off. He used to try and be tactful before his affliction, but after losing the love of his life John no longer saw the point. He has a soft spot in his heart for women and children and animals. John tries to respect nature but often he finds himself unable to sit still long enough to absorb it fully. He can be impatient at times and often tries to find the best solution to a problem though it might not necessarily be the easiest solution. He can also be very stubborn at times.

Humor: He has a sarcastic and dry sense of humor and is not afraid to make a joke at his own expense.

Ambitions: John looks forward to dying so that he can reunite with Jannike (his wife that passed away), and at the same time he wishes to live so that he can see his niece grow older and wiser in the world and have a family of her own some day.

Philosophy: John doesn’t care what others think of him. He lives for himself and no one else. He doesn’t believe in wasting time worrying about what other people think when the only thoughts and opinions that matter are your own.

Favorite colors: Red and Black

Pastimes: John is a fan of chess. He also enjoys people watching and often just staring out into the world. He loves rainy days and playing with his cat Jack.

Dress: John is usually business casual. He doesn’t wear a tie. His sleeves are often rolled up. His shoes are a bit scuffed, but he somehow ties it all together and looks presentable. People often mistake his slouched/hunched posture for laziness or that he doesn’t care when, to him, he’s trying to conserve energy from having to sit up or stand up straight.

Hobbies: Chess, reading, sitting in silence, and watching old Hayao Miyazaki animated films.

Wonderful Prose

"It was early spring, and the night was cool but not chilly.  There was a fragrance in the air, washing down over the city from the high meadows in the mountain behind Riva and mingling with peat smoke and the salty tangy sea."
- David Eddings' Castle of Wizardy: Book Four of The Belgariad

Wonderful prose!  One of my favorite descriptive passages from Eddings' series and this book.  I know it is not unusual for a writer to be his or her own worst critic.  I happen to like a lot of what I write or otherwise I wouldn't write it... right?  Right, well of course there are times when I get frustrated and seem unable to find the right words to describe the scene I have in my mind and in my imagination.  Usually I will then take a short break, take some conscious breaths, and sit in my setting without the stress of trying to describe it to someone.

If you really think about it we do this as human beings everyday practically.  Take a look around your current setting/environment and what do you see?  An office?  An apartment?  A bedroom?  A park?  A cave?  Whatever it may be, we see it and sit in it but hardly take the time to appreciate it.  Can you describe your setting?  Can you describe your setting with your eyes closed?

I know a few friends and family members who are writing but find trouble with this.  For me it is particularly challenging because my worlds and settings are not real and in fact stretch the limits of ones imagination.  Making it real and believable is as simple to me as touching back on some of those memories of places I'd visited as a small child, when everything was new and mysterious, and conjuring up that feeling:

John and the others awakened to the callings of the forest creatures along with the rising of the sun.  The morning dew did not penetrate the home of Waya but instead gave a hint of moisture in the air.  Within the towering sequoia tree was a sweet smell of wood and sap that provided a feeling of peace and protection.  Gawonisgi advised them to set out early so that they made it to the Starlight Queendom in time to catch the officials.  He said that they were diurnal in nature like most magically endowed beings.
 -The Mechanical Room by Nevada Wolf 

This is one of my favorite pieces of prose from my book The Mechanical Room.  I conjured up old memories of waking up in my great grandmother's home (may she rest in peace) on the weekend with daylight breaking through.  When I combined this memory with the memories of being in what seemed like a forest in her backyard (when it was actually just a backyard) and sprinkled it with a bit of magic... that was how I got my scene, and to me it was perfect.

I may not know what peat smoke is, but I know what smoke is and I can use my imagination for the rest.  Many might not know what a sequoia tree is (especially those outside of California), but I bet they know what a tree is and the imagination does the rest.  I try not to get caught up too much on writing for others and instead I write for myself, and what sparks warmth in my heart may touch the hearts of others around the world if I am lucky.

Happy Holidays to everyone!

My first guitar!

Christmas came a little early this year for me.  It is my first guitar and so I am learning how to play it.  My fingers hurt!  Damn it!  No one mentions this when they talk about learning to play the guitar.  Does it skip their minds?  As I sit and type, I can't feel my index finger strike the plastic surface of these keys!  But it's okay... it's all part of the process right?

I believe that creativity truly comes from a place of awareness, and sometimes different creative arts can inspire others.

There are times when the mundane typical challenges of life can threaten your creative flow... arguing with your girlfriend/boyfriend or husband/wife (trust me, I know about this one all too well), your kids stress you out, family drama, work has you feeling more like a slave than an appreciated and valued team member, etc.  In these times I believe it helps to use a creative outlet to get you back into the mood to write, or in other words use one art to create a space for awareness, and in that space your creativity can blossom and grow.

I guess I better get back to practicing... I hope my fingers can hold out!

Chapter by Chapter Synopses

Some authors do them and some do not. In the 2010 Novel & Short Story Writer's Market Gregory Frost says the following in regards to outlining (making fantasy real):

"There are writers who stick to a form--who outline everything in detail and then stick to the outline right to the end.  There are writers who, like Raymond Carver, follow a sentence down a rabbit hole and don't know where it's taking them.  I fall somewhere in between.  I outline to ensure that I have a story, a structure, as a point of reference, and once I'm satisfied that's the case I abandon the outline and let the story run." 

I share a similar method.  I usually write a story synopsis and a chapter by chapter synopsis.  My story synopsis is usually just a brief, one page, summary of the book.  The chapter by chapter synopsis is sort of like my blueprint except I don't always follow it.  Like Gregory Frost, I create the outline of the chapters just as a guide to make sure I'm keeping on track, but then I generally just kind of let the story take me where it may along that path.

So this is a method I would recommend especially if there are a number of characters and perspectives or twists in the plot of the story.  Sometimes it just helps to have something to keep you on track, otherwise your story could end up heading in a direction that you definitely did not want it to go. 

Before writing The Mechanical Room I was working on a trilogy that was very complex and had many characters and twists in the plot of the story... I didn't outline for that one, and I got lost.  Now, I have to go back and map out things correctly before I can revisit it.  And that's okay... it's all a part of learning and growing as a writer right?  We each have particular things that we do that work for us, but may not work for others.  I share my experiences for that aspiring writer who is looking to know what may have helped others who have experienced something similar in their journey.

I hope this helps someone out there!

Dwarves

The Germanic / Norse mythical creatures have enticed and tickled my curiosity for a long time now.  When I decided to write my book, The Mechanical Room, I didn't want to focus on creatures that I felt were typically explored in fantasy and science fiction.  Instead, I wanted to focus on the little creatures that tend to be supporting characters to the taller races.  I also created a few creatures of my own based on the cells and tissues of the human body. 

Growing up, I was a big, huge, fan of the animated Nick Jr. series David The Gnome, in fact I purchased the entire series on VCD not too long ago.  It was only natural that I also included gnomes in my book.  The dwarves and gnomes are very similar to me.  In mythology the dwarves are known for their skills in metallurgy and the gnomes are often said to be tinkerers and adept with technology.

Dwarves typically live in mountains or underground and are separated into various clans.  My dwarves also live in mountains and are derived of two clans in particular.  The first clan being more akin to the physical features of the Germanic / Scandinavian people--pale skin, blond (or black) hair, etc (i.e. the above artwork by Ilia Ellion).  The second clan having features similar to Peter Jackson's depiction of Tolkien's Gimli--red hair, slightly tanned skin, etc.

My antagonist, Kade Strongarm, leader of the dwarves, wields an axe-hammer weapon named Blixt Mördare, which is Swedish for "Lightning Killer."  The weapon emits a surge of electricity along with a sonic pulse upon impact, which is where it derived its name.  Kade was an interesting character for me to explore.  He is the son of a tyrannical ruler, his father Berg Strongarm.  He despised the way his father ruled over their people, cold and callous, and decided to be a much more sympathetic ruler during his reign.  It is his undying compassion for his people that leads him to drastic measures to solve their problems including turning to the half dwarf / half spider demon Anakra'Qel.  She takes advantage of his compassion and manipulates him to do her bidding. 

I hope to be able to explore the dwarves again.  Kade Strongarm was easily one of my favorite characters to write, and bring to life.  

(SPECIAL THANKS to Ilia Ellion for allowing me to use your artwork of "The Dwarf" in this blog.  Thanks!  Love your work!)   

A pain in the arse!

Editing, revising, revisions... revising revisions... my least favorite part of writing a novel.  Writing the novel was not so bad.  I cranked out an average of five pages an hour, completing a chapter of 20 pages in a span of four hours.  I wrote maybe eight or sometimes twelve hours a day.  No big deal right?  Now that the manuscript is complete, I've come to find that the work has barely begun!

I don't have a decent workspace.  I write on my futon with a meal tray and the keyboard hanging off of the edge, which contorts my hands and causes me a great deal of discomfort.  I frequently have to take breaks because of this.

My cat, Sam, is spoiled rotten!  He's always trying to curl in my lap.  He will just stare at me with big green eyes until I give in to his demands.

Then, to top it all off, a writer can probably literally rewrite the same sentence over and over again and so it's difficult to not nitpick over the same things.

So, what I like to try and do is do a "once over," or a "quick and dirty" if you will.  I revise the entire novel first looking for grammar and punctuation mistakes.  Then, I go through a second round for style and content.  I have a hard time with this because I have a tendency to want to add MORE and my novel is already a little over 100,000 words, which may seem scary to an agent or publisher (yes I am aware of this).

I'm currently on the fourth chapter and things are going smoothly so far.  One thing I do that helps me a lot is that I keep a notepad open on my computer of all the changes that I plan to make.  I don't implement the changes right away because I want to get a broad scope of things before, just in case some of the changes cancel out others.

Well, back to work!

(Recommended reading: The Elements of Style by William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White)

Inspiration

Writer's block = Kryptonite to a writer.

Writer's red sun = Inspiration

How does one find inspiration when attempting to tangle the daunting task of writing a novel, short story, etc.?  There were many times during my writing process that I hit a wall and it caused all creativity within me to cease flowing.  Usually my own thoughts caused me stress which blocked my creative flow.

Some things that I typically would stress over were:

1. Names - when I can't think of a name for a character or place it causes me a great deal of stress because I believe that the name is crucial and significant to the character or setting.  In Terry Goodkind's Sword of Truth series, he named his villain "Darken Rahl."  The name "Darken" has the word "dark" in it which we tend to associate with negative things or bad feelings.  Would you get the same imagery of his antagonist if the character were named "Mary Poppins"?

2. Backstory - deciding how much or how little of a character's backstory to put into the story usually causes me a bit of stress.  Whenever I read, I tend to cringe during flashbacks or parts in the book that take the reader away from the contemporary action (unless it is done extremely well).  Needless to say, when it comes to my own writing, I try to find interesting ways and places in the story to give more history of a character or a setting.

3. The middle - you know that part of your story other than the beginning, climax, and denouement.  I typically know how the story will start, peak, and resolve before I begin writing.  However, the middle can sometimes serve as a speed bump, which is why I love chapter by chapter synopses, but I'll save that for another blog.

4. Premature criticism - occasionally some people have a tendency to want to critique your work when you've barely started.  I consider the creation process to be very delicate, like a newborn baby.  If it were up to me I'd lock myself in a room and not come out until I was done!

So, I'm sure different people have different things that tend to cause stress and block their creativity.  I named just a few things that definitely hit the mark for me.  Here are some things that help to inspire me:

1. Watching The Lord of the Rings - YES!  And no, not just the first movie, but the ENTIRE TRILOGY.  I even watch the special features... EXTENDED EDITION!  My favorite is The Fellowship of the Rings.  I also love watching the special features that talk about Tolkien and how he wasn't so confident in his writing sometimes, and that he even threw away the first draft of his manuscript!  Can you believe it!?

2. Light exercise - about 30 minutes or so usually helps to get my blood pumping or sometimes just a walk around the block.

3. List of names - a friend of mine once suggested a solution to my problem with coming up with names.  She suggested creating a list of names that I keep.  I often hear interesting names, or someone's name makes me think of an alternate funny or strange version, but I never used to write them down.  Now, whenever I come up with a name I just add it to the list.  So when I'm working on a story I simply refer to my list when I need names.  Thanks Viva!

4. Chocolates - self explanatory

5. Substitute this last one for whatever it is that brings you happiness (within reason of course)... for me it would be playing a video game, listening to relaxation music, or even joking around with family and friends.  I think the idea is to basically get up and not sulk or dwell on whatever it is that's causing you stressful thoughts.

Inspiration can often be found in the simplest places that sometimes we forget to look there because of the barriers we set up in our minds.  So I say tear down those walls and let the creativity flow!  Bust out your Rock Band, favorite book, box of chocolates, or whatever your muse may be and let it energize you.

(Recommended reading: Robert's Rules of Writing: 101 unconventional lessons)

What's the Difference Between a Query Letter and a Cover Letter?

Sheesh!  Trying to find this information proved to be challenging even for the almighty GOOGLE.  However, with our powers combined we formed, no, not Captain Planet, but a powerful team with the answer to this ever puzzling question.

Here's some information from a website that I think said it best:

What's the difference between a query letter and a cover letter? Author and instructor Alexis O'Neill uses an overhead projector to aptly demonstrate the difference. She pretends to shake her own hand casting a silhouette of a handshake. That's a cover letter. Meaning, "Hi, here's my manuscript." Then she traces a question mark. Meaning, "Hi, would you be interested...?" That's a query letter.

(http://www.scbwisocal.org/kitetales/query.htm)

So to put it simply, a cover letter is very short and concise and literally something you put over the rest of your submitted materials (e.g. query letter, synopsis, sample pages/chapter, etc.).  The cover letter should be in the format of a standard business letter.  This website has a few decent samples:

http://www.fictionforum.net/writers/articles/cover-letter-format-124.html

A query letter is a single page letter, single spaced, with spaces between the three main paragraphs.  The first paragraph should be your hook and generally contains a bit of narrative about your story to entice the reader.  The second paragraph usually runs a bit longer than the first and provides the main plot points of your work.  Some agencies want to know how the plot is resolved by the end of this paragraph so be sure to read each agency's specific guidelines and requirements.  The third paragraph can be a short blurb about yourself or your writing career/credentials, but whatever you write make sure that it ties in with what you're submitting.  For instance, don't talk about being a 40-year-old mother of two unless the book has something to do with that.

There's a lot of information out there.  Some people are confused about the difference and so the information might seem confusing.  One website described a cover letter with the exact specifics of a query letter, which prompted me to investigate further.  My advice is to research research research and then research some more until you feel confident enough with the information you've gathered.


Note:  There's also a difference between submitting materials to an agent versus submitting materials to a publisher so be sure to look for those specifics also.  Again, read the submission guidelines and criteria of the agency you are submitting to carefully and thoroughly.

 Best of luck to you all!

(Recommended reading:  Writer's Market 2010: Novel and Short Story Writers)