When The Well Runs Dry

I haven't posted for quite some time due in part to my need to over-achieve with my bill-paying work and in part because my creative well ran a little dry.  Notice that in the previous sentence I didn't use the phrase "day job."

While many people use that term to describe the work they perform to pay rent and buy groceries, I don't care for it.  Firstly, while I do work during the day, I also tend to work that job in the evenings and sometimes in the night, making mine an 24 hour a day job.  Secondly, how many people have a "day job" that is actually performed in the evening or even a night shift while they attempt their creative endeavors in whatever hours they have free?  I have no idea why I feel like nit-picking those details but I do, at least I do at this moment... so there it is.  I won't use "day job" to refer to work that pays the bills but doesn't completely fill up my soul or any other work that is part of the journey toward something that does complete me.

All right, now that I've said my piece on that topic, I'll turn my attention to the remainder of the first sentence... my creative well.

I'm sad to say that after NaNoWriMo and then the hustle and bustle of the December holiday season, I found myself very worn and not feeling particularly inspired.  It isn't surprising, pushing so hard for such a long period of time (a whole month!) is exhausting.  So I've given myself a small gift, I set aside a little time to read.

As a writer, I feel guilty when I read and when I don't.  Next to writing, I believe the best way to improve as a writer is to read other work.  Even without in-depth analysis, I can learn some techniques just by reading the text and absorbing the style.  But when I read, I'm also not writing, hence the guilt.

Due to the exhaustion, I spent most of December and some of January in a television coma when it came to my spare time.  But, a few weeks back, I picked up Foundation by Isaac Asimov (kudos to my dear husband for wanting to read the series... he's why it's in the house).  As a science fiction lover, it's hard to believe that I've never read the series.  It's a staple of the science fiction universe and something that non-fiction science authors refer to also.

I gobbled up the first book in a weekend, my usual pace for something I enjoy.  A week ago I picked up the second, Foundation and Empire.  I'm going a little slower with this one, not because I'm not enjoying it, but just because I haven't been able to give it the time it deserves.

So what does this have to do with my writing journey?  I am absolutely intrigued by the writing style of this series.  Not just the diction and sentence structure, but the story structure as well.  The story is told mostly through conversation while the action of the story takes place off-page, or off-screen if you like.

Not seeing the action doesn't detract from the story-line, at all.  To be honest, I wonder if some of the more current novels I've read wouldn't have benefited from taking some of the violence off-page too.  It makes sense that stories written at a time when both movies and television steered away from portraying violence (and sex) and merely alluding to it, that literature would do the same.  And it follows that now that we show much more violence in the movies and on television, we'd see it in literature (or should I say the other way around, with movies and television following the literature).

This train of thought brought me to consider my favorite classics in both literature and movies and I've realized that I do tend to prefer older movies (from the 30s, 40s, 50s) - but again, not ones that show violence.  In books, I like both classics and more recent fiction, but I do shy away from the on-page violence.

I wonder now if I could actually allow a little violence in my own work, if I just kept it off-page.  Our current reality, unfortunately, embraces violence.  Any books that place themselves in our current world may need to do the same.  I'll be pondering this for some time to come.

50K in 30 Days (actually 29)

I won!  I'm going to bed.

And So It Begins...

I'm off and running with NaNoWriMo. On this blog, I added a widget to display my progress, if you're interested. The first day, Tuesday, I was particularly lucky to have a little extra time and to be very inspired. I was able to write ahead of the minimum to be on track (basically, I wrote two days worth of words). Very helpful the last two days when I couldn't make the 1,667 minimum.  I'm still on track!!!

The story is shaping up nicely. I haven't decided if I started in the right place yet, but the stasis is coming out well. I've just about established my main character and the two side characters that get to join her early on. (Still a little nervous to be holding off introducing the two other major players much later... it seems like I'm withholding or something. Probably because I've never written that way before. I usually introduce all the characters in the first few scenes, major or minor.)

Favorite sentence written tonight: The bindings were as barren as a salted field, but undoubtedly still yielded fruit below the protective sheath.  Refers to old books that don't have text on the binding or the front cover.

Sharing the Joy

Since I published my first book, I've had many ups and downs. Sales are slow which is not unexpected. It's difficult to get the word out about the book. But slow or even nonexistent sales will never sour me about writing (publishing, maybe...).

I had the opportunity to speak  about NaNoWriMo at my daughter's school on Friday, specifically the Young Writers Program. Sharing about writing and the 30 day NaNo challenge with the 4th and 5th grades was definitely one highlight of my year. Not only was it fun for me in the sense that I do love to share in general, but the kids really moved me.

They had amazing questions, thoughts, and ideas. They are originals and ready to write about anything from sports, to video games, to nature, to space, to history. This generation certainly has the potential to outshine the rest of us. Some of them are already writing collaboratively!

I'm going to keep that day locked in memory forever.  :)

Pay and Panic and Positivity

To begin... I've been paid! It's not much, but it's actual money. I made $11.24. This means that I'm officially a paid author.  My hope is that I'll be able to make more off of my second book, but that's in the future.

So, about the panic... I've twisted myself all up in knots. My calendar keeps taking on more and more for November, which is supposed to be the time I'll crank out the first draft of The Compendium of Curiosities and Impractical Magic, or at least 50,000 words of it. I don't know how I'm going to squeeze in enough hours to write. I'm trying not to get it in my head that I'm going to fail this year, because I do tend to fulfill negative thoughts. Instead, I'm looking for positive thoughts.

My short list of positive thoughts: I love the idea for my new book. I love the characters I'm creating for my new book. I will enjoy writing the new book.

If any of you out there are positive thinkers and have words of inspiration for me, please leave a comment. I can use all the positivity I can get!

What's in a Name?

Many of my characters for The Compendium of Curiosities and Impractical Magic now have names! I try not to let myself struggle with character names because I've always figured that I can change them as I go, or even in an edit. But, I don't change character names. At least not so far. Especially not in an edit... I grow attached to the characters as they are.

So, without further ado, please meet the starring cast of CCIM:

Haley Peters - Owner of "Re-Views on Main: Used and Collectible Books"
Penn Smith - Cryptanalyst at the University and Haley's best friend
Megan Douglas - Owner of “Mystic Moon” Spiritual Books and Supplies
Dorothy "Hypatia" Meadows - Employee of "Mystic Moon"
Deputy Alejandro "Alex" Rossi - Deputy with the County Sheriff

Trouble is coming to South Fork...

Just One More Revision to My Logline

Revision is the butter to the writer's bread. Everything, yes, sadly everything, can probably be improved. I'm a very lucky person to have a good friend who will beta read pretty much anything and everything I give her. She's provided some valuable feedback which helped improve my logline. (Thank you, Richa!) In addition, last night I spotted a flaw in my thinking...

Although my main character's best friend will provide initial antagonism... he will not be the primary antagonist. Instead... this is so much better... he'll be the one arrested for her magical mistake!

I know it's not attractive to toot your own horn, but boy am I pleased with this idea change. While it's extremely threatening to have a Federal criminal case hanging over your own head, how much worse when it's someone you care about and it's your fault! Do you walk, or perhaps crawl, away? Do you "save" him? Ah, so much potential for drama!

The revised logline is below. Again, I am soliciting thoughts and opinions. If you have a suggestion, please comment.

On the verge of a another slow small-town Summer, a shy used book store owner receives an old and incomprehensible tome which she finally interprets as a book of wholly useless magic with the help of her cryptanalyst/hacker best and only friend; but when she uses the text and causes her friend’s arrest for a felony theft he didn’t commit, she must learn to make real-world friends and request their help to undo her mistakes, before the mysterious group attempting to purchase the text decides instead to take it from her or her best friend is convicted. – The Compendium of Curiosities and Impractical Magic