I'm a Panster. And since I don't like outlining--to do so just wastes my time--the posibility that I will have to discard what I've written happens more than not on any WIP. You get so far and see where it's going and think Nah!
I was doing that in the 6th book WIP where I followed a scene till I realized I really didn't like it, or where it would wind up going. I could see I'd be following this secondary character way too much, and all I really wanted to do was to show his character since his "change".
As with any characters who have become part of Sabrina's story, I'm always trying to find some way of keeping it all fresh. Some characters who change either change for the good, or they've become evil/bad/dead. You need to kill a few of the evil ones off, but do so in a way that someone comes out the hero of the story, and the good ones, well, I need to bring them back because I think they could fulfil something in the plot that I need in a certain moment of drama--usually at the end.
So, when I got so far with this scene--which I thought was going well--I saw that it was going to involve that secondary character way too much, plus a tertiary character who was just introduced and I was beginning to not really like her, her life, and surroundings and knew I was never going to make her believable anyway...
So... delete,delete,delete.
But it's all good. If you get frustrated by the work you need to do, you need to ask yourself if you are up to the challenges of what it takes to actually make your WIP better. You may have to rip out whole chapters, and even characters from a WIP. You have to ask yourself the tough questions. I think I've been writing for so long, I know when that moment is, and without much thinking over it, I just get rid of it and start all over. They say you have to kill your darlings, and it's true. Sometimes they look somewhat like Frankenstein's monster when you're working on it. But when you get into the last drafts it should all come together as a whole and work--and no one sees the stitches!
So, I was wondering about this secondary character and how I wanted to make him different--not just another vampire--and where I wanted to go with him. It hit me this morning when I woke up. I knew what I had to do and got working on the concept. I had to do some research on Greek Mythology, and believe it or not found something that seemed as though it were made for what I needed. Since I'm so far ahead of my published work, I'm not going to say which character. I might start making people worry needlessly.
Until next time... keep on writing!
Friday, January 11, 2013
Sunday, December 30, 2012
The Writing Goes on, and on, and on...
Last night, after--or maybe it was during--my little quiet time of just reading someone else's book, my writing mind went into over drive.
Okay, see, the voices never stop. Once I create the characters, they're always there. I live with them 24/7. It's like having annoying invisible friends. And since I use my house as a sort of model for where my MC lives, its also like having ghosts in my house, too. Vampires, werewolves, one leprechaun, and Sabrina who discovers she's a sibyl, and has to fight the nasty vampires, and has married one... oh, it's a big old mess. But I love the mess she's in.
So, a line--it was just one line--"I'm going to take an ear off if you don't stop moving." I wrote it out and then another line came and more and more. My characters were all here doing their thing.
It was an OMG moment. I had the first line to the sixth novel "Vampire Requiem". I'd been making notes, writing out some scenes. Thinking about it for the past month. Yep. On December 1st I had begun writing out notes on a document and have been adding to them as I had them.
This past week or so, I've gotten through both books #4 and #5. I believe #5 was done some time this month as my WIP, and finally I've gone through it once again. This one took me a number of months. I remember getting the same sort of lines and dialogue last year and had to write them down saying "No. I'm busy and can't write this right now." But the lines kept on coming. Just like they are here. The plot is evasive, but it will come. It's almost like I have to follow Sabrina around and see what's going on, moment by moment, before I see where this is going.
I'm currently awaiting a third book to be released. Actually I'm waiting for the edits to reach me. My frustration over this has gotten to me. Fans are awaiting this next book. If I don't get it out soon, eventually people won't care. Or will they?
Anyway, the next ones will not take quite this long, I'll make sure of it.
Okay, see, the voices never stop. Once I create the characters, they're always there. I live with them 24/7. It's like having annoying invisible friends. And since I use my house as a sort of model for where my MC lives, its also like having ghosts in my house, too. Vampires, werewolves, one leprechaun, and Sabrina who discovers she's a sibyl, and has to fight the nasty vampires, and has married one... oh, it's a big old mess. But I love the mess she's in.
So, a line--it was just one line--"I'm going to take an ear off if you don't stop moving." I wrote it out and then another line came and more and more. My characters were all here doing their thing.
It was an OMG moment. I had the first line to the sixth novel "Vampire Requiem". I'd been making notes, writing out some scenes. Thinking about it for the past month. Yep. On December 1st I had begun writing out notes on a document and have been adding to them as I had them.
This past week or so, I've gotten through both books #4 and #5. I believe #5 was done some time this month as my WIP, and finally I've gone through it once again. This one took me a number of months. I remember getting the same sort of lines and dialogue last year and had to write them down saying "No. I'm busy and can't write this right now." But the lines kept on coming. Just like they are here. The plot is evasive, but it will come. It's almost like I have to follow Sabrina around and see what's going on, moment by moment, before I see where this is going.
I'm currently awaiting a third book to be released. Actually I'm waiting for the edits to reach me. My frustration over this has gotten to me. Fans are awaiting this next book. If I don't get it out soon, eventually people won't care. Or will they?
Anyway, the next ones will not take quite this long, I'll make sure of it.
Sunday, December 16, 2012
Working It
Last year I wrote my fourth novel in about 3 months time. It was relatively the easiest book to write, start to finish, that I've done in a while. But just because I got it down doesn't mean it's all good. I would say that I went through it possibly 4 times now. And now am working on the last few chapters doing some major tweaking, and trying to fill out some glossed over sections that need scene and dialogue and whatnot.
I'm in favor of the layered approach in my writing. Adding depth to the scenes is one of my favorite things to do. I add details that I didn't have time to work in at the time of writing it. So, when I'm faced with a scene that needs this sort of attention, I let it brew inside my head, asking how can I really pull this from a basic scene to something that holds more emotion, more details, and hopefully correct areas that aren't cohesive.
I woke up with one scene in my head and knew what was missing from it, and began working it in. I have a few of these, especially in the end.
My fourth book is called Vampire Caprice, and it will be slightly different from the previous in that I'm going to be going into other character's heads, like Tremayne, Vasyl, and Bill Gannon. Reason being is that I felt we needed to get to know these guys a little better. Plus, I hope that it helps the story line in that it will have more depth, and emotion.
Creating my characters, like any writer knows, is a work of love. You have to know them like you know yourself, inside and out, know what makes them tick, even if you never put it down, or if you do, you'd better have a good understanding of it all.
I'm also placing sub-headings on each chapter, this way it will give the reader a little heads up as to what's going on, as they'll be reading along in Sabrina's head (and first person), and suddenly we get to a different character and now in 3rd person. It's different for me, and was a challenge to write, but I loved the challenge it presented for me.
In the weeks ahead I'll have to stop my work on the fourth book and work on edits for the third book (yay), which I'm expecting soon from my publisher. That book is on track for publication in January 2013.
So excited about my thrid book, and all the ones after. I've just finished the first draft of the 5th book, and have been making notes for the 6th. These characters simply live inside my head, and I follow them with a pen (or computer), and write it all down.
I'm in favor of the layered approach in my writing. Adding depth to the scenes is one of my favorite things to do. I add details that I didn't have time to work in at the time of writing it. So, when I'm faced with a scene that needs this sort of attention, I let it brew inside my head, asking how can I really pull this from a basic scene to something that holds more emotion, more details, and hopefully correct areas that aren't cohesive.
I woke up with one scene in my head and knew what was missing from it, and began working it in. I have a few of these, especially in the end.
My fourth book is called Vampire Caprice, and it will be slightly different from the previous in that I'm going to be going into other character's heads, like Tremayne, Vasyl, and Bill Gannon. Reason being is that I felt we needed to get to know these guys a little better. Plus, I hope that it helps the story line in that it will have more depth, and emotion.
Creating my characters, like any writer knows, is a work of love. You have to know them like you know yourself, inside and out, know what makes them tick, even if you never put it down, or if you do, you'd better have a good understanding of it all.
I'm also placing sub-headings on each chapter, this way it will give the reader a little heads up as to what's going on, as they'll be reading along in Sabrina's head (and first person), and suddenly we get to a different character and now in 3rd person. It's different for me, and was a challenge to write, but I loved the challenge it presented for me.
In the weeks ahead I'll have to stop my work on the fourth book and work on edits for the third book (yay), which I'm expecting soon from my publisher. That book is on track for publication in January 2013.
So excited about my thrid book, and all the ones after. I've just finished the first draft of the 5th book, and have been making notes for the 6th. These characters simply live inside my head, and I follow them with a pen (or computer), and write it all down.
Friday, December 7, 2012
Announcement: 3rd Book~January Release
Funny how just posting that I know when my release for next book on facebook got gobs of people coming out of the woodwork to either LIKE, or make a comment, like "can't wait", that sort of thing happens. There's people there that I didn't know even stopped in to see what I'm doing. People I have not even gone to visit in ages! But I guess it's probably on Page Feed, which is a great way to see what everyone's up to, so maybe that's how everyone knows about it. I think.
So, yep. My publisher told me the first edits are finished (thank goddess!), and second edits will take much less time (yes, because the first ones took MONTHS), and my book is first in line in the queue for publication. (YAY!!!!)
I'm relieved to know this because I sort of feel like they forgot about me or something. But also, I know that these things take time, and sometimes other things get in the way, or make things difficult, like--oh, I don't know--a storm that puts everyone under the ocean. Well, not really effecting my publisher so much, since they're in Mass., but I figure other stuff can happen to hold things up. Plus I'm not their only author.
And I do have a lot of respect for getting a book out there, ready to be printed as well as placed into places for ebook sales, because I see what the Indies have to do in order to get it done themselves. But the editing has got to be tedious and time consuming. God knows I've got grammar issues and other stuff that makes my writing in need of editing.
But tonight I'm happy to know that my book is actually going to have a launch. Now, if only my publisher will find the ellusive wonderful cover. He told me that he's found some but weren't quite good enough.
So, that's the news. I hope next time I post it will be with a cover photo and closer to when it will be out.
So, yep. My publisher told me the first edits are finished (thank goddess!), and second edits will take much less time (yes, because the first ones took MONTHS), and my book is first in line in the queue for publication. (YAY!!!!)
I'm relieved to know this because I sort of feel like they forgot about me or something. But also, I know that these things take time, and sometimes other things get in the way, or make things difficult, like--oh, I don't know--a storm that puts everyone under the ocean. Well, not really effecting my publisher so much, since they're in Mass., but I figure other stuff can happen to hold things up. Plus I'm not their only author.
And I do have a lot of respect for getting a book out there, ready to be printed as well as placed into places for ebook sales, because I see what the Indies have to do in order to get it done themselves. But the editing has got to be tedious and time consuming. God knows I've got grammar issues and other stuff that makes my writing in need of editing.
But tonight I'm happy to know that my book is actually going to have a launch. Now, if only my publisher will find the ellusive wonderful cover. He told me that he's found some but weren't quite good enough.
So, that's the news. I hope next time I post it will be with a cover photo and closer to when it will be out.
Sunday, November 25, 2012
THE END
Whew! I guess I wrote a book, my dears!
The first draft of my 5th novel, Vampire Crescendo, is completed. I'll probably tweak the ending a little bit. put it away and go back to my fourth one Vampire Caprice to tidy up.
This thing got to 92,636 words, and 246 pages at last count. Not my longest work, but darn close. This one has a lot going on and many villains who need to have a butt-kicking! Lots of stuff happening for Sabrina in this one. She sort of has to come to terms with the fact she's now married (If you are reading the series, you'll know who to). And her emotions are up and down in this, especially where her heart is concerned, because Dante is still very much in her life, and Tremayne is too, and once again depends upon her more than ever.
There's a reason I don't do NaNoWrMo. I really do not need to. I began the fledgling scenes of this fifth book back last year when I was still writing the fourth one. That's just how I am. My creative juices flow continuously. At the moment, I'm happy with not starting the sixth one. I'm currently on course to have 5 books in a series out by 2014/2015. I'd like to work on getting the ebook version of Spell of the Black Unicorn out. I've had Shelly Arkon be my beta reader, and she had to go through some junk on the original that I should have cleaned up first, but didn't have time. But I thank her for reading and critiquing it for me. So, that's high on my list in 2013, so we'd better not have an end to the world because I am not finished.
As a treat, having finished within the time I gave myself (over the Thanksgiving weekend), I watched The Deathly Hallows Part 1, last night. Tonight I'll watch part 2. I realized since I had not seen this movie since I saw it in the theater, it was almost like watching it for the first time, except for the ending where Doby was killed. That was sad, but it was triumphant for the way he came and helped his "friends" out and announced to his former owners "Doby is a free elf!" Loved that!
So, I leave this post with a sense of accomplishment and a niggle of hope that my third book, Vampire Nocturne will be out in time for Christmas.
The first draft of my 5th novel, Vampire Crescendo, is completed. I'll probably tweak the ending a little bit. put it away and go back to my fourth one Vampire Caprice to tidy up.
This thing got to 92,636 words, and 246 pages at last count. Not my longest work, but darn close. This one has a lot going on and many villains who need to have a butt-kicking! Lots of stuff happening for Sabrina in this one. She sort of has to come to terms with the fact she's now married (If you are reading the series, you'll know who to). And her emotions are up and down in this, especially where her heart is concerned, because Dante is still very much in her life, and Tremayne is too, and once again depends upon her more than ever.
There's a reason I don't do NaNoWrMo. I really do not need to. I began the fledgling scenes of this fifth book back last year when I was still writing the fourth one. That's just how I am. My creative juices flow continuously. At the moment, I'm happy with not starting the sixth one. I'm currently on course to have 5 books in a series out by 2014/2015. I'd like to work on getting the ebook version of Spell of the Black Unicorn out. I've had Shelly Arkon be my beta reader, and she had to go through some junk on the original that I should have cleaned up first, but didn't have time. But I thank her for reading and critiquing it for me. So, that's high on my list in 2013, so we'd better not have an end to the world because I am not finished.
As a treat, having finished within the time I gave myself (over the Thanksgiving weekend), I watched The Deathly Hallows Part 1, last night. Tonight I'll watch part 2. I realized since I had not seen this movie since I saw it in the theater, it was almost like watching it for the first time, except for the ending where Doby was killed. That was sad, but it was triumphant for the way he came and helped his "friends" out and announced to his former owners "Doby is a free elf!" Loved that!
So, I leave this post with a sense of accomplishment and a niggle of hope that my third book, Vampire Nocturne will be out in time for Christmas.
Sunday, November 4, 2012
November Up-Dates
I know I've not been here in the past months, but I see that a number of you have been--yes I have spies that tell me when you've been here and when you haven't. But I'm very greatful for your stopping in and checking things out. I owe you at least a post or two. I hope to have more news for you in the next few weeks. Meanwhile, this is what I've been up to.
I've been busy working on Sabrina Strong novel #5, awaiting my edits for #3--my hope is that it will get to me this month and you'll have a new book to read by December.
I've also been busy working on edits to my Spell of the Black Unicorn, (a paranormal mystery), to turn it into an eBook, eventually. My beta reader has been working on it for several months, and I'm now just about done working through the edits. Then I'll let it set for the rest of the year, I think. I'll then go back to my other WIP.
I'm not a believer in writing like a mad woman for the NaNo. That just isn't something I want to do. I really don't need the motivation. I'm already motivated to work.
Here is what other things I've been working on over the summer. Two titles are now at Amazon and one is now on Smashwords.
Vampire, My Own is my only YA short story. You can see a description and buy it HERE: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009FAXUP8.
Murder Mansion is a short horror piece. You can see the description and buy it HERE:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009UDZHDI
I've also been busy taking care of some feral cats/kittens. They've added delight to my life. My husband also takes care of them, and will report their antics to me when I'm busy in here. He's the one who feeds them and sets out water for all the critters that come to our yard. The other night he thought he saw one of the cats taking a drink. Nope. It was a 'possum.
Hard to believe we'll be carving up a turkey, when we've just finished carving a pumpkin. But I look forward to the meal. Who doesn't? I'm planning on making my own cranberries so as to avoid the high fructose in the canned versions. We'll see how that goes.
Hope you can stop by and say "hi", and let me know whether or not you're into the NaNo this month, and if not why. I love hearing from you, no matter.
I've been busy working on Sabrina Strong novel #5, awaiting my edits for #3--my hope is that it will get to me this month and you'll have a new book to read by December.
I've also been busy working on edits to my Spell of the Black Unicorn, (a paranormal mystery), to turn it into an eBook, eventually. My beta reader has been working on it for several months, and I'm now just about done working through the edits. Then I'll let it set for the rest of the year, I think. I'll then go back to my other WIP.
I'm not a believer in writing like a mad woman for the NaNo. That just isn't something I want to do. I really don't need the motivation. I'm already motivated to work.
Here is what other things I've been working on over the summer. Two titles are now at Amazon and one is now on Smashwords.
Vampire, My Own is my only YA short story. You can see a description and buy it HERE: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009FAXUP8.
Murder Mansion is a short horror piece. You can see the description and buy it HERE:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009UDZHDI
I've also been busy taking care of some feral cats/kittens. They've added delight to my life. My husband also takes care of them, and will report their antics to me when I'm busy in here. He's the one who feeds them and sets out water for all the critters that come to our yard. The other night he thought he saw one of the cats taking a drink. Nope. It was a 'possum.
Hard to believe we'll be carving up a turkey, when we've just finished carving a pumpkin. But I look forward to the meal. Who doesn't? I'm planning on making my own cranberries so as to avoid the high fructose in the canned versions. We'll see how that goes.
Hope you can stop by and say "hi", and let me know whether or not you're into the NaNo this month, and if not why. I love hearing from you, no matter.
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