Horses For Courses

The quite smoking campaign continues - slowly...very slowly...somewhat mule-like if I may say. I'm still partaking of single figures each day and seem somewhat stuck around the 8 or 9 mark. It's getting later each day before I really feel a need to light up but I tend to make up for it in the evening.

 

The best way to overcome this is to get busy. One decision I've been waiting on has now been made and a clearer path can now be determined. It wasn't the result we wanted but there's no point in stressing over that so we'll move on. Baby steps to get to where we want to where as a more positive result would have allowed us to take bigger leaps. In the end, we'll get there, rather like a stayer as opposed to a sprinter.

A new idea for a story came to me today. Well, it's a new visit from an old idea. I've outlined it but I'm still yet to nail down the central question and exactly how much, if any, paranormal I want involved. It involves a form of possession so it has a paranormal link already, but I'm not decided on how far down that path I want my main characters to go, or should they just to be affected by it. I'm not explaining this well (which doesn't bode well for a writer), but hopefully it will become clearer once I've made all the connections. As soon as I know more I'll let you know ;c) It's kind of like a colt you saw in the paddock which looked good from a distance but when it came to the buyers ring, you arrived without knowledge of bloodlines and it needs further clarification before you commit. (Are we tired of the horse analogies yet?)

Still, it's an outline, a 300 word rough idea for a novel length story. Unfortunately it has nothing to do with the Nathan Steele series, or YA, and I'm yet to pin down if it will be just a thriller or more a mystery thriller with a new investigative main character...lots still left to decide.

I'll send out a thanks to everyone's blogs I visit, and Danielle's in particular, as it has been the reading of how industrious you have all been which forced me to do this much. I will get back on this horse if it takes weeks/months or years (hopefully not years).

Time to get to the starter's gate...again.

I've Written Some Words

Proof that my brain isn't totally broken took me by surprise yesterday when an idea for the Pill Hill Press Love Kills anthology took root in the dark recesses of my mind. I took a few minutes to jot down some points and read up on a few things. This ended up providing me with a rough outline.

Today I wrote the first 1233 words. Once more I've tended too much into the realm of dialogue, but that's okay, it seems to be the way I work. Speech first, descriptive narrative second - then lots of polishing...

With a little bit of teasing, I think the first bit will play out at about 1500 words, and then the whole thing takes a big left turn into darkness and shadows - and there's nothing paranormal going on at all! And it's YA - a little on the risqué side of YA, but still YA.

I'm even considering weaving these character's into the world of Nathan Steele and Inner Voice. It has the working title of Pagan's Way.

And here's the opening scene with a group of mid-teens standing around discussing...what boys discuss:

“It’s when you first enter her.” Mark smiled as he took a deep breath, expanding his chest like a wild bird during mating season. “It’s gotta be the same for men and women.”

David shook his head slowly from side to side with his lips pressed together tightly, the smirk obvious. “Can’t be the same, Markus. A woman loses her virginity when a bloke first enters her because he breaks the hymen. A man doesn’t have a hymen so it can’t be the same.”

William licked his lips and scratched the thin film of sweat forming on his forehead. “So when does a man lose it?”

All the boys looked to David. He was the oldest at seventeen and, if they believed what he said, the most experienced when it came to women.

Yellow Mama

If you haven't read it yet - do so now.

Among all the gooey goodness, you will find stories from a few people you know:

Natalie L. Sin

Scott Wilson

Cindy Rosmus (of course)

L. R. Bonehill

& Me!

Out of 16 stories I know over 25% of the accepted submitters! Is it a small world or do writers of similar ilk, and at a similar mile-marker on that journey of discovery through the craft (how purple is that!), just seem to drift into each others company?

But apart from you knowing a quarter of the ToC, you should read this issue (and every issue) because it's just chock full of stories which will make you think. They may also make you keep the light on at night but whatever floats your boat! ;c)

In other news - I found an hour or so to myself yesterday and had an idea for a new story. The beginning is outlined and some research has already been done so that the logic works - it's a ghost story but I still like it to be as believable as possible. I'm sitting on the middle at the moment, letting some things ferment before deciding in which direction to go - and I have no ending at the moment. I need some sort of direction so I can shape the middle. Hopefully it comes but if not, the half baked idea has been entered into my ideas file along with the outline, the research and some websites of interest.

Some slush reading for Aurealis has arrived so I've got more of that to do as well.

Lastly, I'd like to write some flash fiction. Everything I think about and work on at the moment is long. I've written two pieces in the last six months or so that are 1000 words or less. I'd like to do a little more so I may just start turning my hand to the CafeDoom weekly challenge and see if I can hit on something I like. It's not like I have anything else on....

Ideas

I don't have a back-store of ideas for my writing. Rarely do I seem to be struck by an idea so powerful that it makes me stop in wonder at the power of my brain - actually I've never wondered at the power of my brain, it's always quite the opposite (maybe I'm more like Pinky than Brain...).

But I digress.

I read a lot of blogs and I've trawled around cyberspace for a couple of years now getting a feel for what it takes to be a writer, and I've come to the startling conclusion that the journey is different for each and every one of us who puts words on a page.

And that's the way it should be.

Many, indeed, most writers will advise you to keep a notebook on hand to scribble down an idea you can later turn into the next big thing, or at least the next story for you to work on - it can work. Me, I find that an idea looked at in the cold harsh light of day, without that original flame of inspiration providing a backlight, seems to wither and die before my eyes. Too many seemingly good ideas at the time have gone the way of the dodo in my experience to warrant me keeping much in the way of a notebook.

I do have an ideas file, but I don't put story ideas into it. I put in the little spark which prompted the story idea. Sometimes, often actually, I go back when looking for a new story to write, and wonder what the hell was I thinking. At these times I accept the idea mustn't have been all that good to begin with, delete it and move on. Sometimes it gives me a new idea and so I write a new story. I don't think it matters - it works for me...most of the time.

Sometimes I have a semi-formed, or on rarer occasions, a fully-formed, idea and I outline it in my ideas file. I come back later and still often think WTF, but these types of ideas are easily massaged into something I can get excited about and move forward with.

The bottom line here, and the reason for this post in the first place, is that it's okay to not have a plethora of ideas on the back burner if you're a writer - it's okay if you do, but it's not a prerequisite. Writing is supposed to be enjoyable and if you get to the point where you're worrying over not being like other writers out there, then I can't see how anyone can wring enjoyment from the process.

Be different. Be the best writer you can be and ensure you still gain maximum enjoyment from the craft we all love..

Find your own way, adapt what others have done before you and make it work for you. Write every day or once a week or only when the mood is right and the wind is blowing from the north. Outline every story or just start and see where you finish. Act out your characters, read out loud your dialogue, have critique partners read your work from the first draft or only after completion of the revised second or third instalments - whatever works for you.

And don't beat yourself up about anything. You are learning the craft and writing. You are spending some hours investing in improving yourself as a person, indulging in a need you must have fulfilled. You are not feeding the children in Africa or solving world peace. In the end, you're a story teller, which, with practise, can make a difference in a different way, and if you're commercially successful enough, may allow you to contribute funding to find the cure for AIDS, but in the end you are still just a story teller.

And that's a great thing to be.

A Little Bit More

Last night I did my slush reading which was an interesting return to normality. Again I didn't recommend anything but at least one of the offerings was close. Maybe next month.

Today I managed a couple of things. I trimmed down the number of blogs in my Google Reader to an even 50. Many of the industry blogs I only skim anyway so I figure I can live without them until I start to look at peddling my manuscript around the place. Speaking of which, I added another 1200 or so words to that tonight.

You'll be happy to know our boy has progressed and actually kissed our girl on the top of the head as they consoled each other after witnessing two murders (via a type of CCTV link my boy genius rigged up, but two teens seeing anyone shot would be traumatic I think). I just couldn't see him not doing it, but then that may be a little too much of me coming through. We'll see if it makes it past the next round of edits.

I've got a flex day off work tomorrow. The better half and I have some things to do but I might get a chance to do a little bit more before I post this weeks WIP Wednesday update. A smidgen over 4k added this week so I'm happy either way.

Lastly, I had to work back late tonight to tie up a few loose ends (which didn't happen as everything turned to Shite) and on the drive home I had a strange circular patch of fog appear on my windscreen, right in my line of sight. Driving home, after sunset, pitch black outside, a car a little way behind me shining its headlights into my interior and lighting up this tennis ball size patch of fogged up window set off the muse.

I've added a new story idea to the idea file and this one has some legs. I've jotted down the premise and must say I kind of like it. It's dark, has tension, but I'm not sure if it will be a happy ending yet. I don't even know what sort of length I'm looking at, but I know I can't work on a long piece at the same time as anything else. I've tried it in the past and it doesn't mesh well for me so into park within the ideas file it goes - for now.

I'm just happy to know the muse isn't totally stuck in one gear.

Take That

Now I think I said something about writing less and not worrying so much about things...and then my muse came back from vacation - with the full outline for a YA novel - for boys (which are apparently in demand). And it's not a horror, it's not even dark, or paranormal. There's only two dead bodies in the whole thing. There's not even any sex - only two kisses, and chaste ones at that!

God help me.

It might even be Middle Grade! I need to find out what the rules are for defining where it sits.

So tomorrow I have something to contribute to WIP Wednesday.

I've already outlined all the chapters! I themes, I have plants and payoffs, I have cute heart felt moments and lots of tension and conflict. Now if I can just find the right words.

No more talk. No more hints. Just WIP progress reports as they come to hand. May have to break out the bean counter again ;c)

Never Rains But It Pours

I should have stayed in bed catching little electric Pokemon instead of opening my email today.

Spoilt Rotten has gathered its second rejection. Need to find another target market.

AHWA competition results have been released and neither of my entries did any good. Now I need to find new targets for Digging Up The Past and God's Piscatorial Church.

I got my piece for The New Bedlam Project back from Pharo and it needs work, although The Great One does believe the story can work which is encouraging. I just need to fix a couple of things.

I need to finish revising Arcanum and send it out.

I need to send pieces off to Necrotic Tissue. Does 1 short and 1 100 worder count as multiple subs for this market? Nat? Cate? Anyone?

And lastly, I've had another story idea, but this time while I was wide awake - actually while I was out shopping with the better half. Not sure about the length of this thing yet, but the themes buzzing around my head are screaming for a proper manuscript. More thinking to be done and then some outlining, or maybe the other way round - quite excited over this one - again! What happened to concentrating on shorts for a while?

And lastly, I need to get a $@#$ load of reading done - 6 novel-length books in 5 weeks! Where the hell am I going to find the time to read my lovely copy of Necrotic Tissue which finally arrived in my letterbox. Oh, and thanks goes out to Jodi Lee. My copy of her and her daughter's chapbook arrived safe and sound. It's beautifully presented (handmade even) and full of interesting facts and fun activities. Head on over to her site and have a look. Very cool.

Being crook has placed me firmly behind the eight ball - time to get back in the saddle and get some work done.

Light At The End Of The Tunnel

As I rose from the depths of sleep late this morning, a story idea was playing out in my head, a powerful story idea.

But being ill, I wanted to stay in the warm confines of my bed and enjoy the tale rather than write it down and work on it. So I lay there, half awake, and started trying to remember bits and pieces and solidify cause and effects - and so the story slowly slipped from me.

I'm left with vague recollections, images, smells, sounds. I know the time period and the main specfic plot details behind it, but I don't have the central question. I've written down everything I can remember, but it has some pretty big holes in it.

But at least I'm thinking again which means the light at the end of the tunnel may not be a train rushing towards me.

For those of you after an excellent read, I present the second issue of Midnight Echo, the official magazine of the Australian Horror Writers Association.

Non-members can download the PDF for US$3.50 or purchase the print version for US$12.95 from this link at the AHWA Midnight Echo page.

Stealing directly from the write up on HorrorScope:

Contributors include David Conyers, Bob Franklin, Kurt Newton, Felicity Dowker, Andrew J McKiernan, and Joanne Anderton, among many more. Art Director David Schembri has assembled an array of darkly visual delights from artists such as George Cotronis, Will Jacques, Liza Phoenix, Khara Burgess, and more.

I've already downloaded my free copy (because I'm a member ;cP), and can verify that this issue continues, if not exceeds, the excellent levels of dark fiction and professionalism begun in issue one. Do yourself a favour - go buy it.

Lastly - on the agenda for today:

Reading ME2
Reading The Six
Watching Transformers 2
Watching The Second Coming
Watching the Adelaide Crows (my AFL team)

Still not writing, but I'm getting closer.

Hope things are still going well for you.

Reading and Ideas

As regular visitors know, I read a lot. Today I managed to finish reading Issue 6 of Necrotic Tissue's back catalogue (loved Ms Sin's submission in there - the description of his nuts heading for higher ground made me smile and wonder if a little bit of hermaphrodite doesn't linger within her psych - but I digress), and I also finished the April Issue of New Bedlam.

If you haven't been over to read this little gem of an online zine, I encourage you to do so immediately. Honestly, it won't take you long and it's full of creepiness. And has filled me with all sorts of story ideas.

Regulars will also know that I'm currently targeting NT and NB as my next markets of choice. Yes, I will be submitting to other markets, but I'll also be penning new stories with these markets in mind. I've written a 100 worder for NT already - actually I wrote that over two weeks ago, and I have another story currently on the go, but have a horrible suspicion it's going to go over word length - and it could turn into a serial - did I mention the other day that my timelessness bubble had burst?

But I have four ideas for stories in or around New Bedlam. We'll see how that plays out. The July issue isn't far away, and the next reading period is July 1st to August 31st, so I can play with my ideas, see what comes out in July and refine my plan of attack.

As you can also see, I've moved on to read Vacation by Jeremy C Shipp. I was going to read Sheep and Wolves but discovered Vacation was written first so I figured I'd better do this in the right order.

I also had to go into work today to finish off some geek stuff in my 'day job', but while I waited for some other stuff to happen, I managed to write a bit more of my new (possible serial) story so it now stands at 1706 words. I've got maybe three more 'scenes' left to write so I could go close to getting out of it under 3000 words, hopefully under 2500 - but we'll see. If i can't tie this down into more of a serial format, then it will definitely race past 5000 - again!

Thank you to everyone for the nice comments on my Apex news. I'm still quietly doing the Snoopy Dance inside.

Dave, I began my new story at 2 o'clock last night and I've only just realised I didn't use FLASHWriter as I promised. I'll see if i can come up with something else and start using it immediately - old habits die hard.

So that's it from me for today. It's been quite productive without having to push myself. Life is good. I hope it's been just as good for you as well.

Well And Truly Stuck

I need help.

This six page script is kicking my arse. I've converted three stories over to scripts so far. All of them are well over six pages and don't make sense if I cut them down. Unfortunately they are all well below the 15 page script I need for the final assignment so the whole lot of them have been a waste of time!

I've gone through a bunch of anthology listings looking for inspiration and nothing has lurched out at me.

What I need: a single scene so I only have to write one setting paragraph (I can work with two at most). Preferably with no more than three characters (two is preferable).

I am to make my characters believable - duh!
I need to clearly demonstrate their wants and needs - duh!
Conflict should be clearly evident - duh!
Show motivation - duh!
Natural dialogue - double duh! But not too much. Less is more.
Must be surprising and entertaining - they don't want much do they...

So this is my cry for help. Suggestions are more than welcome. I need a premise; a situation; a prompt. I'm willing to entertain anything except erotica and KBB - sorry Nat.

Go into as much or as little detail as you care to. I need to have this done by the end of next week - I didn't even know I had a deadline.

From what I've done so far, I think it needs to be a story that can be told in one or two scenes, and no more than 1200-1500 words

With the lack of sleep and pain, and all sorts of other stuff going on, I've just hit a blank wall. Scary.

Thank you in advance for any and all suggestions and comments.

BT

Not Fair

Aaron, you had a big hand in this - if it doesn't work, I'm going to come find you, but if it comes together as it seems to be in my head - I'm going to come and find you...and kiss you.

Last week I edited a YA manuscript. Only recently I also commented to friend that I couldn't write YA - it just didn't come out right. (I'm the guy who sat down to write a unicorn story for my daughter and ended up killing most of them with Chimeras', by ripping out their horns and severing their heads. I ended up writing her a little poem about unicorns in the snow instead.)

Then I wrote a flash fiction piece I intend to sub to the AHWA flash fiction contest. It is an adult thinking back over his life as a kid which leads to a big final scene. But all the things a kid experiences and has to put up with came flooding back to me. A huge majority of this flash piece could be looked at as YA - although it's not in the end. (At least I don't kill any unicorns in this one)

Last Wednesday, Aaron blogged about romance writing. I made a silly comment which I'll include here in the spirit of full disclosure:

I'm toying with the idea of writing a good dark romance. It's kind of like toying with the idea of writing a porn film with a story. A noble thought, but maybe impossible to actually achieve.

Still, good writing should always win in the end, so if I take the major plot points in all these formula romances and add a dark twist, with a real story, then shouldn't that stand out from the herd and sell?

If nothing else, it would give me something to use my erotic writing skills for...

Then this new paranormal romance anthology was opened for submissions, with initial notification coming out through the Southern Horror Writers Yahoo Group. According to JT, it was a sign.

Then last night I saw an ad for a new TV series which was so close to my original idea it was scary. Saving Grace (I've provided the link here but I'm not reading any of it. I don't want to be subconsciously influenced). I've never seen this before, but the core premise was so similar I almost went searching for a noose. Needless to say, until I've got this outline rock solid, I won't be watching the series.

But, on closer introspection, there are differences - big differences. My story is YA, Grace is most definitely not. Mine has a romance, Grace has sex (from what I've seen on the ad). My main character is male - Grace isn't, my MC is dead, but not in a zombie way, and not in a in-need-of-redemption way, but in a way I'm yet to pin down, but I'm working on that-kind-of-way. (I know, big part of the premise, but it's still coming to me, and even if I did have it, I don't want to give it away here.)

I'm also not sure if I can condense it down to 8500 words for Scary Kisses. I can see a YA series here, clear as day. I'm thinking any story for the anthology would have to be a later-down-the-track-type-of-thing, a single incident in an ongoing history of this character.

I've already outlined the first book. I'm already seeing places to add in foreshadowing, humour, romance, clues. I've already started to shape minor characters to help build the bigger picture. The story, and the characters, don't even have names yet! Honestly, I have committed a 553 word/ 3 page outline to file. :c)

The kick off for book two has already been included.

No - I'm not abandoning AKL - God no! This is my project on the side. This little YA series will be what I play around with when I hit a hurdle in the creative-juices-flowing-type circumstances. I will do backgrounds and profiles on all the characters, the world they live in, the situation, possible scenarios in the future. I will story book the whole thing. It is set in my home state, to begin with, so I'll be doing little research trips.

Cate has TPA with wonderful quirky characters she has revisited over and over again. This will be mine - I hope.

Fingers firmly crossed.

Another Quiet Day

Work is on slow down as we head toward November - anyone would think we break up for Xmas a month before anyone else (we don't, we only break up on Christmas Eve this year).

So in my quiet times, I've managed to do what I started doing nearly two years ago - I write.

In December 2006, I began to write my first manuscript, 'Tigers Eye' - a 130,000 word epic fantasy novel. I took me till May 2007 to finish it. A few months back I started to edit the original manuscript and found I really didn't know a lot about writing back then. It was pretty bad.

Since then I've had published, or have had accepted to be published, five fiction pieces. On top of that, I've had 6 articles printed, and numerous reviews (both online and in print). I've also just about completed the first year of my Advanced Diploma (three to go).

I am fast approaching having read 30 books so far this year which averages out to a little less than a book a week. If truth be told, I really started getting back into reading when I was accepted onto the HorrorScope team, so I've read 30 or so books in only 36 or so weeks - much closer to one book a week.

But this isn't supposed to be a round-up of what I've done so far this year - that'll come in December - this was supposed to be about last night.

I had trouble sleeping last night. I seem to be going through the brain equivalent of the drinkers issue of "releasing the seal" - this is where someone goes out for a night on the town and drinks plenty. To start with they don't need to go to the toilet but eventually they must. Once they go, they have to go on a regular basis whereas up to that point, they haven't had to go at all - hence why the term for the first visit to the loo is called "releasing the seal" - maybe you have a different term for it.

Anyway, back to last night. It seems my recent increase in creative thoughts has "released the seal" on my artistic side. I tossed and turned because an idea was formulating in my mind's eye. As I lay there examining this little embryo of an idea, I added and discarded additional thoughts, plots, and characters. I kept telling myself not to interrupt the flow, let the whole idea come out and then you can get up and write it down. Then other noises pressed in from the real world. I tried to stick with the coaxing of my new story but I kept getting distracted and then, like a bubble, it popped and went away, leaving only vague recollections like a visions from a dream on waking.

It was very disappointing to the point where I didn't get a lot of sleep for the remainder of the night. So I came to work today and gathered up the remnants of my idea and started trying to fit them back together like a jigsaw that was missing pieces and without the front of the box to help me.

I came up with an outline, a 1200 word outline - the bare bones if you will, with no dialogue or descriptive prowess. I saw a story unfold in my head and wrote down the dot points of the picture in my mind's eye.

Problem: I now have three new premises waiting to be worked on and Newland is still waiting patiently for me to return. It's not a bad problem to have - too many new ideas all at once, but where does one find the time?

I have reading to do, stuff I've promised others that I'd look at and comment on, so that has to be done. Maybe I need to just build up the ideas file for times when I suddenly do have time - I'm sure that time will come again (in about three more years when I've finished my diploma).

I've been sitting in one spot for too long and I'm now in desperate need to move about. Time for smoko.

Speak to you later.

BT

Long Evening

It seemed to take a long time for me to actually make it to the computer this evening. By the time I did, I didn't have a huge amount of energy or enthusiasm for the task at hand, but I did it anyway.

Module 2, assignment 7 has been done. It turned out to be a large one too. I began with a 908 word supplied piece which needed to be edited into a tighter version, improving the flow as I went. This is very much like my critiquing process where I try to tighten things but not interrupt or influence the original writers voice or meaning. I managed to get it down to 565 words and convey a stronger message, while maintaining the focus of the article.

Then I had to dig out an article I'd done earlier for the diploma or another article I'd submitted elsewhere. Well, I've only done one article in full for the diploma - everything else has been outlined. So I turned to articles I'd written for SA50s+. All but one fell below the requested 750 words - my article on the World Tennis Challenge scheduled for Memorial Drive in January.

After refreshing my memory on the contents of the 803 word article, I found some areas where the teachings of unit 7 would make the article tighter. However I went a step further and removed bits and tightened the delivery of the article, turning it from a casual sales pitch to an older demographic, into a more considered and articulate article espousing the virtues of attending the approaching spectacle. The edited article now stands at a mere 629 words - my editor would have preferred that size I think (she'll shoot me if she reads this).

Because there was so much more in this assignment submission than I realised, I'll let it sit another day and reread my prepared submission before sending - just to be sure.

That will leave me with one last assignment to do - and it's another two part assignment. I need to come up with a new idea for an article, target a publication, and write a query letter outlining my article to the editor - I need to submit the letter and an explanation as to the formulation of the idea as part one of the assessment.

Part 2 is choosing two additional publications that could be interested in my idea and outline how I would alter the article to fit into the new publications. I need to submit the names and addresses of the publications and 150 word explanations of the changes and why.

This could take a bit of thinking and I'm way too tired tonight to worry over it.

Before I go I have one last thing to share.

Two new ideas popped into my head today. A colleague was doing the rounds at work and asking people if they were interested in joining a union - bang - idea number one came into existence and I rattled off the first three pages and an outline right then and there while the guy was outlining the benefits of joining. He left looking at me rather strangely. I was pretty pleased with myself. So I was a happy chappy when I got in the car to go home. Turning the ignition, the radio came on and the DJ was talking about a new competition based on a popular theme from a movie first shown a while ago now - one I haven't seen.

Wouldn't matter even if I had seen it because I understand what it was about - bang - idea number two came into existence - this time it's just the idea, a vague outline. I fish into my bag and pull out my Dictaphone. I record my idea and transcribe it later on into the ideas file for later use. It isn't the same as the movie - it's a different take on a play on words the DJ used in his segue to introducing the competition. Complicated thought process - welcome to my world...

Both of these ideas will be turned into short stories after I've finished with the diploma this year. I also need to start thinking about pieces for next years contests. They're not that far away when you need to include initial writing, rewrites, edits, beta readers, polishing and then submission.

I was saying I couldn't have drawn out the writing of Wamphyri for 5 months back in July (I think). It didn't quite take me that long to get it to a stage I really like, but it was only about six weeks off. On a good night I can rattle off 3-4000 words. The original version of Wamphyri was 4300 words which I wrote in a night. It is now 3999 (I think) and much of the original work is still there, but the quality is in the details. One beta reader has commented that it could be the best thing I've written so far. We'll see what the market thinks once it's been graded.

Okay - that's more than enough for this post. Time for bed.

Best of luck with all your writing endeavours.

BT