Normally, I'm as stubborn as a box of rocks. Advice? Not generally. And not only am I as stubborn as a box of rocks, I think my head's made of up rock, too. After all, I can pound it against a problem for it feels like forever, and not see any progress. Yet, I'll keep going at it.
Isn't the definition of stupid the act of doing the same thing, but expecting different results?
So...I decided to do something different. I listened to all the great advice that came to me after my Sunday Lament.
You know what? It worked. I walked away from my problem child WIP until yesterday afternoon. All of a sudden, while I was doing something else entirely, the problems were fixed in a cascade of information that just tumbled into my brain. It was amazing.
For anyone out there that's had a spinal adjustment, it felt just like all the vertebrae in my spine rippling into place. (That makes me giggle uncontrollably, but my osteopath says that's a normal reaction. Not crazy. Whew!)
So, I want to shout out a big "THANK YOU!" to everyone that helped me, especially Bear, because, like any good bear, he's always got warm and fuzzy hugs when you need them most and he gave good meditation advice. Irene and Elizabeth, I would have thought I was crazy, walking away from a problem until you two urged me to do it.
I feel like this was a real group effort.
We Did It!!!
Showing posts with label scene. Show all posts
Showing posts with label scene. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Sunday, May 05, 2013
Cinco de Mayo
Yup, here it is the 5th of May, so I'm kicking it in with mariachi music in the background. It's also my very sweet ex-sister-in-law's birthday. Happy birthday, Tracey!
My computer's been redlining for the past couple of weeks, so I've been doing some backups and deletions over the past couple of days. I'm down to 41 gigs free, but that's still not enough room. In the process, though, I've found some book notes that I thought I'd lost, so I've spent the past few days incorporating them into Immortal Blood. It's been fun. The dialogue still strikes me as good after getting some distance. I also found a scene were a shapeshifting wolf tries to convince a mundane that she's real while explaining about "real" furry conventions.
It made me chuckle, and gave me some impetus for the next few days. I love having a direction.
Right now, though, my direction's heading out to the kitchen to make some pico de gallo for tonight.
Hasta Miercoles (I think that means Wednesday...) Regardless, everyone have a great time with the parties tonight!
My computer's been redlining for the past couple of weeks, so I've been doing some backups and deletions over the past couple of days. I'm down to 41 gigs free, but that's still not enough room. In the process, though, I've found some book notes that I thought I'd lost, so I've spent the past few days incorporating them into Immortal Blood. It's been fun. The dialogue still strikes me as good after getting some distance. I also found a scene were a shapeshifting wolf tries to convince a mundane that she's real while explaining about "real" furry conventions.
It made me chuckle, and gave me some impetus for the next few days. I love having a direction.
Right now, though, my direction's heading out to the kitchen to make some pico de gallo for tonight.
Hasta Miercoles (I think that means Wednesday...) Regardless, everyone have a great time with the parties tonight!
Saturday, April 20, 2013
"R" - Raptor
Raptor. Even the word is cool. Just the sound of it sends shivers down the spine, even if the meaning is unclear.
Debates about evolution v. creation aside, these are creatures that HUNT. Owls are raptors. Hawks, ospreys, eagles - they're all raptors. Those beaks and claws can rip into things like nothing else. But the most dramatic representation of raptors came in the film "Jurassic Park."
Remember the velociraptor in the beginning, when Sam Neill described to the obnoxious child exactly how the velociraptors behaved? It sounded creepy even then.
But later in the film, when they got loose and started hunting the people, the creep factor escalated exponentially.
I have a theory about why so many people were fascinated by them - and to some extent, still are. I think it's because mammals were prey animals. Maybe it's still coded somewhere in our DNA to be fearful of things that can rip us to bits and start eating us while we're still alive.
Either way, it works well for authors and filmmakers. It'll be interesting to see how well Jurassic Park does now that it's come out again on the big screen in 3-D.
See you tomorrow!
Debates about evolution v. creation aside, these are creatures that HUNT. Owls are raptors. Hawks, ospreys, eagles - they're all raptors. Those beaks and claws can rip into things like nothing else. But the most dramatic representation of raptors came in the film "Jurassic Park."
Remember the velociraptor in the beginning, when Sam Neill described to the obnoxious child exactly how the velociraptors behaved? It sounded creepy even then.
But later in the film, when they got loose and started hunting the people, the creep factor escalated exponentially.
I have a theory about why so many people were fascinated by them - and to some extent, still are. I think it's because mammals were prey animals. Maybe it's still coded somewhere in our DNA to be fearful of things that can rip us to bits and start eating us while we're still alive.
Either way, it works well for authors and filmmakers. It'll be interesting to see how well Jurassic Park does now that it's come out again on the big screen in 3-D.
See you tomorrow!
Sunday, February 10, 2013
I've Got the Blahs...
Everything has fallen off-track for me. I've given in on pizza and chicken. My only triumph on the chicken was that it happened to be rotisserie, not fried. A small gain, but a good one.
Writing? Hah! I think I've managed about 250 words since last Sunday, and plotted about three scenes. And I've only figured out where to put one of them. Then again, maybe not. Hmm. Have to take a look at that again. Thank God you can reorder things easily in Scrivener. I keep one scene per chapter while I'm working and planning, to make everything easier to shift if I need to.
The only upside to this week is that I gained another private student. That's a great thing, and very much appreciated at my bank.
Well, since my creativity button doesn't seem to want to work this morning, I think I'll put on my exercise clothes (t-shirt and sweats) and go to the gym. Something good has to come out of today, right?
See you Wednesday! (If I have anything to report...)
Writing? Hah! I think I've managed about 250 words since last Sunday, and plotted about three scenes. And I've only figured out where to put one of them. Then again, maybe not. Hmm. Have to take a look at that again. Thank God you can reorder things easily in Scrivener. I keep one scene per chapter while I'm working and planning, to make everything easier to shift if I need to.
The only upside to this week is that I gained another private student. That's a great thing, and very much appreciated at my bank.
Well, since my creativity button doesn't seem to want to work this morning, I think I'll put on my exercise clothes (t-shirt and sweats) and go to the gym. Something good has to come out of today, right?
See you Wednesday! (If I have anything to report...)
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Wow, What a Week!!
Happy pre-Thanksgiving, everyone! I've been running around like a crazy person buying things for Thanksgiving, and writing like a crazier one. I cracked the Nano 50,000 word goal the day before yesterday, reaching 50,088. Not that I'm quitting for the month - oh, no! In fact, I've got a meeting with writing friends tonight. But I've got to get my Thanksgiving prep done first.
Goals:
I've made my 80 pages for this round, having done over 200 just for Nano.
Planning has suffered somewhat this month, as I've been focused on output alone. I've had a weird few scenes centered around a therapist office. My heroine had a breakthrough - and a meltdown. It made me tear up and leak a bit while I was writing it. (Since I was at work at the time, that might have been not so great. Luckily, my students know what I'm like and it doesn't faze them.) I got a couple of interesting motivations, from the werewolf guardian/secret assassin, so that's going to be fun to play with. Especially since one of her phone calls is overheard by the heroine's lover. Talk about it hitting the fan!
Exercise and junk food aversion fell by the wayside for the past week or so. My words were more important than anything, and my lack of kitchen participation showed it. Oh, well.
I've got to put a plug in here. Now, before I do, I have to say I'm in no way involved in this company and have not financial or personal interest in it whatsoever. My Nano output has been phenomenal this year. I've never done anything close to this in only 19 days. And I have to say that I don't think I could have done it without using Scrivener. I downloaded their Nano trial version, and it blew me away. It's now my go-to piece of writing software. I can't say enough about it. (Getting down from soapbox now.)
Off to go make some applesauce and some cranberry/orange compote.
Have a wonderful, safe Thanksgiving. (Isn't it wonderful - the leftovers mean we won't have to cook, and we will have time to write more! One more thing to put on the list of things to be thankful for.)
Goals:
I've made my 80 pages for this round, having done over 200 just for Nano.
Planning has suffered somewhat this month, as I've been focused on output alone. I've had a weird few scenes centered around a therapist office. My heroine had a breakthrough - and a meltdown. It made me tear up and leak a bit while I was writing it. (Since I was at work at the time, that might have been not so great. Luckily, my students know what I'm like and it doesn't faze them.) I got a couple of interesting motivations, from the werewolf guardian/secret assassin, so that's going to be fun to play with. Especially since one of her phone calls is overheard by the heroine's lover. Talk about it hitting the fan!
Exercise and junk food aversion fell by the wayside for the past week or so. My words were more important than anything, and my lack of kitchen participation showed it. Oh, well.
I've got to put a plug in here. Now, before I do, I have to say I'm in no way involved in this company and have not financial or personal interest in it whatsoever. My Nano output has been phenomenal this year. I've never done anything close to this in only 19 days. And I have to say that I don't think I could have done it without using Scrivener. I downloaded their Nano trial version, and it blew me away. It's now my go-to piece of writing software. I can't say enough about it. (Getting down from soapbox now.)
Off to go make some applesauce and some cranberry/orange compote.
Have a wonderful, safe Thanksgiving. (Isn't it wonderful - the leftovers mean we won't have to cook, and we will have time to write more! One more thing to put on the list of things to be thankful for.)
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Potatoes??? And Death
I'm sitting here at work, on my lunch break, and I asked my associate what I should write about today. She looked at me, smiled, and said "potatoes". Okay...I can do that.
Potatoes. I love them. I could even be considered addicted to them. They are the bane of my existence, especially since I'm trying to lose weight. And they're really convenient for breakfast, baked in the microwave with a couple eggs, over easy, on top. Ah, well, I must find other things for breakfast...
But Death - I had a wonderful/terrible breakthrough for the climax of Immortal Blood. In order for the heroine/love interest to fulfull the heroic destiny of such characters, she's got to die. It's the only way she can get to the Hall of Two Truths to speak to the gods. Bummer, that. But, as the hero, she's got to step up to the plate.
Doing a lot of prep work still, and it's coming along well. I got the final scene of "Broken" the other day. It came out excellent, with room for a sequel if the possibility is acted upon.
This will be a short post, as I've got to get back to my students. Lunch is over, so I'll see everyone later!
Potatoes. I love them. I could even be considered addicted to them. They are the bane of my existence, especially since I'm trying to lose weight. And they're really convenient for breakfast, baked in the microwave with a couple eggs, over easy, on top. Ah, well, I must find other things for breakfast...
But Death - I had a wonderful/terrible breakthrough for the climax of Immortal Blood. In order for the heroine/love interest to fulfull the heroic destiny of such characters, she's got to die. It's the only way she can get to the Hall of Two Truths to speak to the gods. Bummer, that. But, as the hero, she's got to step up to the plate.
Doing a lot of prep work still, and it's coming along well. I got the final scene of "Broken" the other day. It came out excellent, with room for a sequel if the possibility is acted upon.
This will be a short post, as I've got to get back to my students. Lunch is over, so I'll see everyone later!
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Goals and Scrivener
Morning, everyone! Here's the midweek rundown:
1. Exercise - I discovered that I procrastinate more than I should. (Actually, should anyone ever really procrastinate? I'm going to answer yes, because if I'd made it to work on time today, I might have been caught in the elevator fire we had in my building. Whew!) Ok, back to exercise. I'm finding that only walking during the commercials doesn't work for me. There's always something "more important" to do, like unload the dishwasher or throw another load of laundry in. So, it looks like it's going to have to be done all at once.
I also discovered that vanity was a better motivator for me than health. Huh. Who woulda thunk it?
2. I haven't done any "writing" yet - still doing a lot of planning. But I had this outrageous nightmare last night, which I'll probably try to get on the page today between rounds with students.
3. No fried chicken or pizza. Go me! And the fried chicken is on sale this week, too. I came home from work late on Monday, so we had Chinese instead. Veggies were better for me, and I had leftovers for lunch. I worked out great.
4. I'm doing well on the no processed food goal. It seems that less processed equals better flavor. Things are really looking up.
Could I get some feedback on something? I'm currently using WriteWay as my writing software, but I'm considering switching to Scrivener because it also does screenplays. How do all you Scrivener users like it? Why do you like it? Have you had any experience with WriteWay?
Thanks for all your feedback - I really appreciate it!
1. Exercise - I discovered that I procrastinate more than I should. (Actually, should anyone ever really procrastinate? I'm going to answer yes, because if I'd made it to work on time today, I might have been caught in the elevator fire we had in my building. Whew!) Ok, back to exercise. I'm finding that only walking during the commercials doesn't work for me. There's always something "more important" to do, like unload the dishwasher or throw another load of laundry in. So, it looks like it's going to have to be done all at once.
I also discovered that vanity was a better motivator for me than health. Huh. Who woulda thunk it?
2. I haven't done any "writing" yet - still doing a lot of planning. But I had this outrageous nightmare last night, which I'll probably try to get on the page today between rounds with students.
3. No fried chicken or pizza. Go me! And the fried chicken is on sale this week, too. I came home from work late on Monday, so we had Chinese instead. Veggies were better for me, and I had leftovers for lunch. I worked out great.
4. I'm doing well on the no processed food goal. It seems that less processed equals better flavor. Things are really looking up.
Could I get some feedback on something? I'm currently using WriteWay as my writing software, but I'm considering switching to Scrivener because it also does screenplays. How do all you Scrivener users like it? Why do you like it? Have you had any experience with WriteWay?
Thanks for all your feedback - I really appreciate it!
Wednesday, October 03, 2012
Pressing On...
It's only the third day, so I don't have a lot going on.
My exercising isn't turning out so good. I hurt my back so I'm on hiatus with only gentle walking. Time isn't an issue right now, just being functional is okay for me.
My pages are going, but I'm not satisfied with the material. So dissatisfied that I can't even complete it. That means I'm walking away from that scene for a while. I'm working on a new one this morning as soon as I complete my check-in. I do have a question for all of you out there, though - I know you can have co-protagonists, but can you introduce both of them in the beginning of your story? For those who are familiar with the Story Engineering paradigm, before the First Plot Point? For the Hero's Journey, it would be before Crossing the Threshold. Thanks for all the input on that.
Woo hoo! I haven't had any fried chicken. Or pizza. According to my stomach, life is good so far. I did make some Capellini Alfredo with chicken breasts though. It was probably as bad as the fried chicken. My taste buds loved it, and I don't do it very often.
I'm sure I forgot something, but since I'm at work and my students are looking at me, I've got to run.
See you Sunday!
My exercising isn't turning out so good. I hurt my back so I'm on hiatus with only gentle walking. Time isn't an issue right now, just being functional is okay for me.
My pages are going, but I'm not satisfied with the material. So dissatisfied that I can't even complete it. That means I'm walking away from that scene for a while. I'm working on a new one this morning as soon as I complete my check-in. I do have a question for all of you out there, though - I know you can have co-protagonists, but can you introduce both of them in the beginning of your story? For those who are familiar with the Story Engineering paradigm, before the First Plot Point? For the Hero's Journey, it would be before Crossing the Threshold. Thanks for all the input on that.
Woo hoo! I haven't had any fried chicken. Or pizza. According to my stomach, life is good so far. I did make some Capellini Alfredo with chicken breasts though. It was probably as bad as the fried chicken. My taste buds loved it, and I don't do it very often.
I'm sure I forgot something, but since I'm at work and my students are looking at me, I've got to run.
See you Sunday!
Monday, September 10, 2012
It's Late and I've Got the Blahs
Let me clarify the heading: It's late for posting, but it's morning. Monday morning. I'm about 24 hours behind where I should be. It's my own fault - I took a day yesterday to mentally drift. Sort of like a jellyfish.
But I don't have much to report, unfortunately. Not much writing's been done.
Our new semester started, and I've got 8 classes - more than I've ever had, and I'm still settling into my rhythm. Hopefully, I'll make it up this week.
My plans are to really get into some in-depth characterization using Story Engineering as my guide still. I also have a plan for a specific scene that I might actually have a chance to write this afternoon. I'm going to give it a shot. I'll have the opportunity, because I don't have to actually teach today; I'm watching over a lab of students who are independent learners.
I've got the opportunity for fingers on the keyboard practically all day! Go me!
See everyone Wednesday, when I'll try to be on time with some good news for progress.
But I don't have much to report, unfortunately. Not much writing's been done.
Our new semester started, and I've got 8 classes - more than I've ever had, and I'm still settling into my rhythm. Hopefully, I'll make it up this week.
My plans are to really get into some in-depth characterization using Story Engineering as my guide still. I also have a plan for a specific scene that I might actually have a chance to write this afternoon. I'm going to give it a shot. I'll have the opportunity, because I don't have to actually teach today; I'm watching over a lab of students who are independent learners.
I've got the opportunity for fingers on the keyboard practically all day! Go me!
See everyone Wednesday, when I'll try to be on time with some good news for progress.
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Conundrum
I've been working on building my story skeleton a la Story Engineering. Anyone who read my previous post knows I've been having a great deal of fun with the "what if" questions.
That led me to something of an epiphany today. The more I think about my story, and the more intricate it needs to get to reach the end, the more storylines I actually have.
How do I fix that? Things look all muddled, like a plate of spaghetti, when I reach the middle. For instance, I realized yesterday that a scene I liked, which I included because it illustrated the burgeoning relationship between protagonist and lover, may or may not be necessary. How can you tell? Or...how can you tell if it has enough "oomph"?
Now, I could be asking these questions because I only managed to get a couple of hours of sleep last night. My roommate (who goes out gaming on Saturday afternoons) and I decided to go to Walmart in the middle of the night to get hurricane stuff. (Thanks, Isaac!) Then I had to get up because a friend needed to see me.
Or it could just be that I'm tired enough to let the questions loose.
I go back to work tomorrow. I've been assigned 8 classes this semester, but I won't have any students until Tuesday. So maybe I'll get some more work done then.
See you all on Wednesday! (Yawning and waving goodnight)
That led me to something of an epiphany today. The more I think about my story, and the more intricate it needs to get to reach the end, the more storylines I actually have.
How do I fix that? Things look all muddled, like a plate of spaghetti, when I reach the middle. For instance, I realized yesterday that a scene I liked, which I included because it illustrated the burgeoning relationship between protagonist and lover, may or may not be necessary. How can you tell? Or...how can you tell if it has enough "oomph"?
Now, I could be asking these questions because I only managed to get a couple of hours of sleep last night. My roommate (who goes out gaming on Saturday afternoons) and I decided to go to Walmart in the middle of the night to get hurricane stuff. (Thanks, Isaac!) Then I had to get up because a friend needed to see me.
Or it could just be that I'm tired enough to let the questions loose.
I go back to work tomorrow. I've been assigned 8 classes this semester, but I won't have any students until Tuesday. So maybe I'll get some more work done then.
See you all on Wednesday! (Yawning and waving goodnight)
Sunday, August 12, 2012
Productive - Finally!
Morning, all. It's been a rather productive week - I've plotted all the way through Act I and begun Act II. My word count is abysmal - it's only around 2,000, but I hope to crank out some more today.
I laid some background down in the first act, showing how much my heroine enjoyed her job. (She's an Egyptologist on a dig, living in self-imposed exile.) She and her team make a profound, but intriguing, discovery. It's scientific importance could rival that of King Tut's tomb. Hayleigh's trying to keep her glee in check and approach things in a logical, professional manner.
Then she gets "the call." She refuses. The next scene is being written this morning, right after breakfast. (I'm writing this in a restaurant while waiting for my cohort, Susan. We always have breakfast together on Sundays.)
I did have some writer's block issues this week. Coincidentally, I also tried to quit drinking coffee. Again. Apparently that's not a good idea. Once I sat down with hot coffee (yes, it has to be hot), played one game of Free Cell to let my brain detach from the "real" world, the words started flowing again.
Who says coffee isn't a miracle drug? Woo hoo!!
On a more serious note:
I also started a new blog. It's called "Eating My Nightmare." It's about fighting my way through emotional eating in order to drop some weight and find a healthier place to live my life.
I've discovered that lots of people have food relationships that include an emotional component. Most of them, in one way or another, seem detrimental.
Throwing all of this out into the faceless void of the internet may help me, and maybe some other people, too. Feel free to come over, if you'd like.
See you on Wednesday!
I laid some background down in the first act, showing how much my heroine enjoyed her job. (She's an Egyptologist on a dig, living in self-imposed exile.) She and her team make a profound, but intriguing, discovery. It's scientific importance could rival that of King Tut's tomb. Hayleigh's trying to keep her glee in check and approach things in a logical, professional manner.
Then she gets "the call." She refuses. The next scene is being written this morning, right after breakfast. (I'm writing this in a restaurant while waiting for my cohort, Susan. We always have breakfast together on Sundays.)
I did have some writer's block issues this week. Coincidentally, I also tried to quit drinking coffee. Again. Apparently that's not a good idea. Once I sat down with hot coffee (yes, it has to be hot), played one game of Free Cell to let my brain detach from the "real" world, the words started flowing again.
Who says coffee isn't a miracle drug? Woo hoo!!
On a more serious note:
I also started a new blog. It's called "Eating My Nightmare." It's about fighting my way through emotional eating in order to drop some weight and find a healthier place to live my life.
I've discovered that lots of people have food relationships that include an emotional component. Most of them, in one way or another, seem detrimental.
Throwing all of this out into the faceless void of the internet may help me, and maybe some other people, too. Feel free to come over, if you'd like.
See you on Wednesday!
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Shaking Off the Heat Wave
Wow, it's been a small slice of hell for a good part of the country! Down here in Florida it's not been quite so bad - except for when the air conditioning starts to leak through the ceiling.
Houston...we have a problem...
This is why apartment living is so great. All you have to do is call the nice men in the maintenance uniforms and things are fixed. Wicked cool. And now it is.
Started my rewrites yesterday. My prologue has changed quite a bit since some accidental research showed up some major mythological errors. Things are going a bit slower than I'd like because of my Calculus class - the whole class failed a major test yesterday. My professor's NOT happy. Oops...!
But as soon as I finish this, I'm back off to Egypt to play with dead people, werejackals, and a lovesick but possibly psychopathic immortal.
Who said work wasn't fun?
Happy writing!
Lara
Houston...we have a problem...
This is why apartment living is so great. All you have to do is call the nice men in the maintenance uniforms and things are fixed. Wicked cool. And now it is.
Started my rewrites yesterday. My prologue has changed quite a bit since some accidental research showed up some major mythological errors. Things are going a bit slower than I'd like because of my Calculus class - the whole class failed a major test yesterday. My professor's NOT happy. Oops...!
But as soon as I finish this, I'm back off to Egypt to play with dead people, werejackals, and a lovesick but possibly psychopathic immortal.
Who said work wasn't fun?
Happy writing!
Lara
Tuesday, July 03, 2012
Productive? I'm Not Sure...
It's been an interesting couple of days. Yesterday I did some tightening up and plotting, but I didn't produce any actual pages.
Today, though...it's been glorious. In Calculus, for example, I got 5 new scenes. That's a direct result of realizing (before class) that I need to change the motivation and personality of the female lead somewhat to make her more sympathetic and less selfish - even if her selfishness and slight martyrdom complex stem from good motives but inaccurate information.
She'll start off with more of a spine, which will solve something that's been niggling at me for a good long while. Woo hoo!
I'll let my fingers skitter across the keyboard once I get off work. I've got a lot of rewriting to do. Hopefully, it will get me out of the problems in the middle, and it won't seem out of character for her to kill her abductor with the Traveling Shovel of Death!
Everyone familiar with NanoWriMo knows that particular implement...(insert evil laugh here...)
Have fun, and a lovely, safe 4th of July!
Lara
Today, though...it's been glorious. In Calculus, for example, I got 5 new scenes. That's a direct result of realizing (before class) that I need to change the motivation and personality of the female lead somewhat to make her more sympathetic and less selfish - even if her selfishness and slight martyrdom complex stem from good motives but inaccurate information.
She'll start off with more of a spine, which will solve something that's been niggling at me for a good long while. Woo hoo!
I'll let my fingers skitter across the keyboard once I get off work. I've got a lot of rewriting to do. Hopefully, it will get me out of the problems in the middle, and it won't seem out of character for her to kill her abductor with the Traveling Shovel of Death!
Everyone familiar with NanoWriMo knows that particular implement...(insert evil laugh here...)
Have fun, and a lovely, safe 4th of July!
Lara
Sunday, April 29, 2012
I'm Baaaaaaccccckkkk.......
Hi everyone!
Final exams are over, and just about all of my students made it through - at least, the ones who put forth the actual effort. So, barring one staff meeting on Wednesday, I'm free for fiction! Woo hoo!!
So, in the midst of finals madness, a weak spot in my WIP struck me. I really didn't have a good reason for Hayleigh's research assistant, Nasir, to travel with her back to the US. Then I realized that her countdown for success (or failure and death) wouldn't begin until AFTER the artifact was translated. And, since Nasir is also part of the Bani Anubis werejackal clan, he MIGHT have knowledge she would need at a critical juncture. So...now he has a reason for being in Rhode Island.
I'm off to my on-campus office in about half an hour to get some work done. It's so much easier to write away from home - that way, other tasks don't take my attention from the page. Yay!
See you all on Wednesday!
Lara
Final exams are over, and just about all of my students made it through - at least, the ones who put forth the actual effort. So, barring one staff meeting on Wednesday, I'm free for fiction! Woo hoo!!
So, in the midst of finals madness, a weak spot in my WIP struck me. I really didn't have a good reason for Hayleigh's research assistant, Nasir, to travel with her back to the US. Then I realized that her countdown for success (or failure and death) wouldn't begin until AFTER the artifact was translated. And, since Nasir is also part of the Bani Anubis werejackal clan, he MIGHT have knowledge she would need at a critical juncture. So...now he has a reason for being in Rhode Island.
I'm off to my on-campus office in about half an hour to get some work done. It's so much easier to write away from home - that way, other tasks don't take my attention from the page. Yay!
See you all on Wednesday!
Lara
Wednesday, April 04, 2012
Goal Revision Already!
As it stands, I have a middle that's as confused as a huge bowlful of pasta. I can't begin to write scenes until I see even a somewhat clear direction in which to go.
So...
This is going to be a planning period for me for the next little while. I'll still be using Story Engineering and The Writer's Journey to find my way. I'll do my reporting on what I've been able to figure out and where I am in the process. When (or if) I can start writing scenes during Round 2, I'll revise my goals again to add it.
I'm adding a health goal too. Everyone feel free to nag me about them - I need it! Here it is:
In deference to Johnny Depp's new role as the wonderfully gothic Barnabas Collins in "Dark Shadows," I've decided to stay on the dreadmill (yes, you read that right) for the length of two episodes of the original series per day. Netflix has four seasons on their live streaming section.
And now, I'm off to teach math. Have a wonderful, productive day everyone!
So...
This is going to be a planning period for me for the next little while. I'll still be using Story Engineering and The Writer's Journey to find my way. I'll do my reporting on what I've been able to figure out and where I am in the process. When (or if) I can start writing scenes during Round 2, I'll revise my goals again to add it.
I'm adding a health goal too. Everyone feel free to nag me about them - I need it! Here it is:
In deference to Johnny Depp's new role as the wonderfully gothic Barnabas Collins in "Dark Shadows," I've decided to stay on the dreadmill (yes, you read that right) for the length of two episodes of the original series per day. Netflix has four seasons on their live streaming section.
And now, I'm off to teach math. Have a wonderful, productive day everyone!
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Death, Again
It's been a terrible week. I've only done a couple of pages - not even one scene.
I've been taking care of my dog, Jordan, who finally had to be put to sleep yesterday. He was in third stage kidney failure, and the vet only gave him a couple of months at best. And that didn't include the other things that had begun to happen to him.
I had to give him mercy.
It's done a lot to me, though. Maybe by tomorrow I'll feel like writing. Today and yesterday, I just feel blah.
Here's hoping.
I've been taking care of my dog, Jordan, who finally had to be put to sleep yesterday. He was in third stage kidney failure, and the vet only gave him a couple of months at best. And that didn't include the other things that had begun to happen to him.
I had to give him mercy.
It's done a lot to me, though. Maybe by tomorrow I'll feel like writing. Today and yesterday, I just feel blah.
Here's hoping.
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
New Scenes
I had a really good day today at work. The moments between students (and there weren't many) I came up with a couple of new scenes that take place right before the climax.
In the first one, the heroine sits down and makes out her will - letting everyone know the legacies she wants to leave them. She has no hope left; she expects to die that evening. She knows there is no way to go up against an immortal who possesses the protection of a god and still survive.
In the next scene, she shakes everyone off and prepares herself before the ritual. It's only then that she actually faces her inner self and sees herself clearly for the first time. She's not happy with the revelations, but she does recognize the good things about herself as well.
Now, what can I do with THAT??
See you Sunday!
(P.S.) I'm still not caught up, but I'm still trying!
In the first one, the heroine sits down and makes out her will - letting everyone know the legacies she wants to leave them. She has no hope left; she expects to die that evening. She knows there is no way to go up against an immortal who possesses the protection of a god and still survive.
In the next scene, she shakes everyone off and prepares herself before the ritual. It's only then that she actually faces her inner self and sees herself clearly for the first time. She's not happy with the revelations, but she does recognize the good things about herself as well.
Now, what can I do with THAT??
See you Sunday!
(P.S.) I'm still not caught up, but I'm still trying!
Sunday, January 01, 2012
ROW80 Goals
Let's face it. I'm torn. And I can't even blame my dithering on being hung over (last night being New Year's Eve and my birthday). I'm talking about my writing goals.
Do I go for word count? Pages? If I go with two pages per day, I should have well over 600 pages by this time next year, assuming everything stays on schedule. If I go for word count, it seems a little less concrete to me. After all, you can always make up word count tomorrow, right?
Then, there's the option of scenes. Do I go with two scenes per week? That would give me a bit over 100 scenes by this time next year. I have a confession here - I developed a habit that I picked up from Mary Janice Davidson. I tend to do one scene per chapter. Will that make my weekly job easier or harder? Will it have any effect at all? At the end, though, I think it will make it easier to shift things around when I need to finalize my story progression.
Okay. Decision time...(insert drum roll here)...I'm choosing to do two pages per day for the duration of the challenge. If I can squeeze more out of my rather twisted brain, that'll be all to the good.
Get ready, get set...
Lara
Do I go for word count? Pages? If I go with two pages per day, I should have well over 600 pages by this time next year, assuming everything stays on schedule. If I go for word count, it seems a little less concrete to me. After all, you can always make up word count tomorrow, right?
Then, there's the option of scenes. Do I go with two scenes per week? That would give me a bit over 100 scenes by this time next year. I have a confession here - I developed a habit that I picked up from Mary Janice Davidson. I tend to do one scene per chapter. Will that make my weekly job easier or harder? Will it have any effect at all? At the end, though, I think it will make it easier to shift things around when I need to finalize my story progression.
Okay. Decision time...(insert drum roll here)...I'm choosing to do two pages per day for the duration of the challenge. If I can squeeze more out of my rather twisted brain, that'll be all to the good.
Get ready, get set...
Lara
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