Mystery of Writing

Helloooo world!

It’s been a couple month since I blogged. Inexcusable. No excuses, but my reason will be the subject of another post! Side effects of carbon monoxide poisoning include slowed mental processes, which, for me, means I get tunnel vision. Trying to work on too many things at once is like trying to plug too many appliances into one outlet. **FZZZZT.** At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I want to make sure I describe the truth–so it doesn’t happen to anyone else. Have you had your house checked for CO safety yet? It’s free. Call your gas company or fire department today. Go ahead. I’ll wait.

Done? Good.

Where was I?

Oh yes. So with what mental processes I have, I’ve been spending all my focus on completing the novel.

IT’S EXCITING RIGHT NOW. A blog post on that is forthcoming, too.

But for today, I just wanna jot down a part of the coolness. I’m writing the final version of the blurb for the back of the book. I’ve been working on it on and off for months–but today I finally decided to just write it in my own voice, and not try to blurble. So here ’tis:

“This house has a dark secret. I hope, for your sake, it stays buried in the past.”

Cousins Jeff and Cassie Barrister expect to have fun at the Barrister Family Reunion. It’s the Fourth of July holiday, California’s Heritage Valley is hot and peaceful, and the historic Rosewood Inn is a vacation hideaway beyond compare.

It’s what they don’t expect that causes problems.

Unexplained accidents threaten to spoil the family party. Rosewood’s owner, Trace Morton, faces the loss of his business…and worse. As the week wears on, mischief gives way to mayhem as the “accidents” turn deadly. The charming Rosewood House shows a hidden side of its face, one draped in dark secrets.

Jeff’s company designed the security system that protects the Inn. His reputation, and the safety of his family, are at stake. To complicate matters, he finds himself distracted by a beautiful fellow guest, who stirs his memories and suspicion.

Meanwhile, Cassie befriends a mysterious young man who gives no indication that he is what he seems to be. Present-day terrors awaken the ghosts of her past, forcing her to question her life, face her fears…and realize the fact that the man she has feelings for just might be dangerous.

Friends are not what they seem, strangers are not to be trusted; and to top it off, the voice of the Rosewood House itself soon leads Jeff and Cassie to discover a century-old murder…which may come back to haunt them.

Any thoughts?

~~~

Read more about the journey to publishing The Rosewood House, and subscribe to this blog to receive the latest updates and fiction!

Well, this will be the last post tagged “NaBloPoMo” for a while—seeing as how I can haz fail at National Blog Posting Month. “Missed it by that much,” in the words of Agent 86. I set an alarm and everything—but at seven minutes past midnight the other night, I looked at the clock and went ungh.

Well, “dat smells stinkowiff” as Jar-Jar Binks would say. After my initial galling distaste for failure, I told myself, “I have a good excuse—I was so intent on working on the novel that I lost track of the time.” That’s a good-looking excuse. But the truth is, I heard the alarm. I could have just come and posted anything…even, “Can’t post now, too busy writing.” But I didn’t want to at the moment. My excuse for that? I want to post quality content to my blog every time, not filler. That’s a pretty excuse, too.

But I’ve been thinking about it.

What’s at the heart of the matter?

The real truth is, if I’d wanted it badly enough, I would have succeeded. I would have fit it in, and created a brief, quality post. But I didn’t; because posting every day for a month was never my intention.

I went into NaBloPoMo with one goal in mind: “I want to use this as a way to get back in the habit of blogging regularly.”

Wow. I made my goal.

The subconscious is spookier than any ghost story. I’ve read that it’s “power without direction.” It carries out what we ask of it—whether we want it to or not. My inner drive heard, “Blog regularly,” and that’s what I got.

That makes me take a look at what else is important to me. Do I have a definite goal written out, so that my powerful subconscious knows what to do? Do I have a definite completion date written so my inner drive knows when it needs to wrap things up?

If I don’t, you had better believe I’m going to do that now.

Because VICTORY tastes a heck of a lot better than FAIL.

~~~

Read more about the journey to publishing The Rosewood House, and subscribe to this blog to receive the latest updates and fiction!

Writing can be a blast. Usually, I write in bursts, as the ideas come to me; so I skip among chapters, riding a wave of enthusiasm, risking a wipeout when the inspiration curls and crashes. It’s a thrilling ride.

It makes for rough, but emotionally engaged, text. Because of the “rough” part, it needs editing. Yet every time I sit down to the task, I’m nervous—taking such a cerebral approach to an artistic endeavor is bound to cut away some of the initial excitement, right? Those spur-of-the-moment passages lose their potency as they’re filtered again and again through my left brain.

That’s how I feel. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Sometimes, editing can be cool.

That is so awesome I can’t even tell you. And before someone worked their editing magic, it did not exist.

I am…so inspired.

And I’m off to make some waves.

~~~

Read more about the journey to publishing The Rosewood House, and subscribe to this blog to receive the latest updates and fiction!

A Twitter friend sent me a message out of the blue this evening:

I thought that was such a thoughtful thing to do. I’m notorious for forgetting to blog before midnight—and if I forget, I fail at National Blog Posting Month. But thanks to @hotdogg, that day will not be today.

His tweet gave me an idea to write about, as well—all the encouraging messages I’ve received from others during this novel journey. When this book hits the shelves, Stacy and I will not have accomplished the feat alone.

No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent.
~John Donne

The encouragement of others keeps us going. At three AM, when I’m frustrated over a plot hole, it keeps me going. This collection of encouraging messages from my Twitter stream only covers tweets back a couple weeks, since Twitter doesn’t let me go back farther. And it’s not all the messages—I just posted one per person, but my friends encourage me every day. This doesn’t count tweets from Twitterers with private profiles; or direct messages. It doesn’t cover emails, instant message chats, text messages, phone calls, in-person conversations, or prayers from many others.

But it’s still an amazing sight to see.

Whenever I’m writing and rambling about my challenges of the day, Twitter is always there to help. For example, a scene filled with glances drove me crazy. I considered not letting anyone look at anyone else in the novel. Twitter to the rescue!

Then there was the incident when I lost a scene…then found it again:

Then the reminders that I need:

(Nope…it wasn’t. Changed! )

Even Max Lucado—one of my writing heroes—has encouraged me:

When I read these, and think of how many people are cheering for me…it blows my mind.

I am humbled. And grateful.

Thank you.

~~~

Read more about the journey to publishing The Rosewood House, and subscribe to this blog to receive the latest updates and fiction!

I rewrote the home page of this blog today. Does that count for National Blog Posting Month? No? drat.

~~~

Okay, interesting blog post. I’m going to tell you something about today’s editing experience, but you must forget it once you reach the bottom of the page. Like, wipe it from your brain. ‘K? Here we go:

This evening I’m writing a tender love scene—but I can’t do it from third person limited. That’s like…oxymoronic.

Third person limited gives me the phenomenal cosmic power of being inside a person’s head, thinking their thoughts, feeling their feelings. And, through my experience, the reader feels emotional closeness to the character. TPL is like pulling the camera in for an extreme close-up.

However. I made the decision to only use TPL on a select few characters, specifically to create just enough emotional distance from the rest that the reader never quite knows who they can trust. They may like a character, but don’t really know them. I know, that sounds counterproductive, right?

“I want to push my reader away so they feel emotionally distant from my characters! Woohoo!”

(I also wrote the early chapters with the intent of lulling the reader into a soporific state, but that’s a tale for another day.)

But emotional distance in a love scene?

Yet, when you think about it, movies do that all the time. With the exception of Lady In the Lake, I know of absolutely no movie that takes a third person limited perspective. It’s us, watching them, in every movie. Yet movie love scenes carry emotional impact.

True, movies have a soundtrack. But for me, my pacing is my soundtrack. Movies have visuals (hubba hubba). Well, I have adjectives. And verbs. (Hubba hubba, indeed.) I can do this.

It’s just harder.

But, y’know. Nobody told me that.

So, back I go to the chapter. And now you can forget everything I just told you about writing style and chapter goals, so that you’re able to read the story from a completely unfettered perspective. Right? Done? Good.

~~~

…as I was saying, I think I’ll take the rewritten home page for my NaBLoPoMo post of the day. Close enough.

Bye.

~~~

Read more about the journey to publishing The Rosewood House, and subscribe to this blog to receive the latest updates and fiction!

You know, I have a lot of things keeping me busy these days. It’s easy to get overwhelmed a bit. Plus I have my damaged memory, which is always good for a moment of blissful ignorance (or three). So, usually, I use whatever I can to remind me of things that I need to do. I write tasks down; I have Google Calendar email me notifications; and then—my favorite—I set an alarm on my cell phone.

I’ve had one set for 10:30 pm lately, to make sure I don’t forget to post a blog every day. It’s National Blog Posting Month, after all–post one blog a day. I’ve made it halfway—I’d really hate to fail now.

But my memory is not to be trusted.

It’s been a full day, wrapped up by delving into the edits for Rosewood. I was off in another world. If a friend hadn’t called me and mentioned the word “blog,” I would have blown right past midnight without realizing it—I reset my phone alarm last night, so it wouldn’t go off during a movie. So instead of an alarm, I got a ring. Saved by the bell.

~~~

So. What’s new?

* I’m editing the final chapters of The Rosewood House, in which there is a way cool climax. I just summed up 4,000 words of backstory in four sentences. Ugh. But, on the plus side, this particular character is finally coming into his own. He’s had quite a tumultuous journey, which touched on both sides of the law. Which side did he finally wind up staying with? You’ll have to read it to see.

Someone suggested I release the backstory as a prequel. Hmm…maybe….

* My NaNoWriMo story, Aftermath, is on hold till later this month, since Rosewood gets precedence now. I’m not so sure I’ll still have 50,000 words as my goal for November—possibly 25,000. But, we will see.

And even though there’s more news, I will save it for another day. 11:49pm…time to post.

See you tomorrow.

~~~

Read more about the journey to publishing The Rosewood House, and subscribe to this blog to receive the latest updates and fiction!

Last night, for the first time, I understood why writers often work with editors. Merriam-Webster defines “edit” as:

1 a: to prepare (as literary material) for publication or public presentation b: to assemble (as a moving picture or tape recording) by cutting and rearranging c: to alter, adapt, or refine especially to bring about conformity to a standard or to suit a particular purpose.

Cutting.

Rearranging.

Alter, adapt, refine…to bring about conformity.

Them’s fightin’ words.

I’ve always been particularly independent about my vision; I felt that if someone else participated in the writing process, it wouldn’t be my vision anymore. Good, bad, or indifferent, I wanted the work to be mine.

Then something unusual happened yesterday. In a fit of desperation, I made the decision to cut a complete chapter from The Rosewood House. It was an early chapter, and I felt that it didn’t have enough tension or suspense to keep the reader’s interest. I liked it a lot—I figured I’d chop it up and sprinkle the pieces elsewhere throughout the book. (Ouch.) But I didn’t have confidence in it as a chapter in its own right. So I went through the fits of renumbering all my chapters, and moved on.

I gave the news to my collaborator, Stacy. Her response? She was shocked. And a bit miffed at me.

“I thought that was one of the best chapters. I really liked it.”

“You didn’t think it was too lighthearted?”

“We were laughing through the whole thing. Besides, they’re at a family reunion in the beginning—it’s supposed to be lighthearted.”

“Uh—so—should I cut it?”

“No.”

I looked at her, and for the first time realized that I was accountable to her. She’s my kid sis. And writing is my forte. However, she is a voracious reader, a good writer (even if she would rather master a spinning heel kick than a simile), and she knows story. She suddenly stepped into the role of editor. Not to cut something out—to make me keep it in. To believe in my writing when I’m too emotionally wrapped up in the work to see it for what it is.

So I have a new viewpoint about editors. And a new respect for my sis.

(Oh yes—and the chapter’s back in the book.)

~~~

Read more about the journey to publishing The Rosewood House, and subscribe to this blog to receive the latest updates and fiction!

Thud.

That’s the sound of a chapter hitting the floor. Just cut one from The Rosewood House. It wasn’t a bad chapter, just not good for this book. It felt out of tone, and slowed the action. When I looked at it, I realized absolutely nothing in it was essential to the story.

It’s frustrating, but in a way, also freeing. There’s a “click” of a kind when the story comes together; then a thrilling rush, as if contact was made and electricity flows. My heart jumps, and I feel rejuvenated, like I could write a hundred more pages.

So, pruning is necessary. Maybe afterwards I’ll post some of the cut scenes—the good ones, at least. In the meantime, I’m turning my attention back to the tale.

Let’s see what makes the cut.

~~~

Read more about the journey to publishing The Rosewood House, and subscribe to this blog to receive the latest updates and fiction!

I’m listening to my Mom read the first five chapters of The Rosewood House aloud to our family. A lot of feelings are tossing around inside my heart.

~The tone of her voice takes me back to childhood, and being introduced to a magical world as she read a story aloud.

~I’m listening to words I wrote as they’re read by someone else; it sounds surreal and exciting.

~I’m cowering as the paragraphs go by, one by one. I wince at the ones I’m not entirely sure of, wondering if they sound awful to the listeners. I’m constantly thinking to myself, “I knew I shouldn’t have written it that way…I should have tweaked it to say something else…”

~I’m exulting in the fact that I have five chapters officially done.

~I’m lamenting that those five chapters need several more months of work.

~I’m accepting the fact that I don’t have months. At some miraculous point in the near future, I must let it go, ready or not.

~They just finished—I’m waiting to hear what they say. They’re my family, so I know they’ll tell me it’s amazing, and I won’t believe them.

I never expected the writing journey to include a cardio workout…

~~~

Read more about the journey to publishing The Rosewood House, and subscribe to this blog to receive the latest updates and fiction!

I love being able to share my thoughts on Twitter.com while writing, especially in the late hours of the night…or very early hours of the morning. It lets me chronicle my fleeting thoughts during the writing process, and gives me someone to talk to at 4am.

Here’s a selection of my writing-related tweets in the late-night hours of the last few days:

11-06-08

* Listening to Celtic music. My thoughts are being drawn toward the medieval adventure stories I have on the board…must resist….

* A fun thing is to just write nonsense, and write a lot of it. That really helps me with writers’ block

* Clarification: That’s not what’s in the novel.

* Sometimes, it’s a greater victory to mark “Final version” on a single, troublesome chapter than on an entire book. FTW.

* “Ch. 2 11-06-08 FINAL 0000″

* What day was the party again? In which revision? *flipping through notes* :-/

* I just checked my spreadsheet calender–it’s Wednesday.

* This book is (ironically) like an old house that’s been remodeled, rewired, repainted, repapered–takes forever

* …When I could have built a new one from the ground up in six months

* Not sure why my most productive hrs are between 12 & 5 am lately…

11-07-08

* Picking up where I left off, & glad to see the productivity buzz is still going

* Reworking important scene w/several glances being exchanged. At this point I have a mental picture of a dozen eyeballs racketing down stairs

* In my next novel, I swear, nobody will look at anyone else.

* Ooo–new fave soundtrack. “National Treasure.”

* …And, Lord help me, the “Predator” movies have really good soundtracks.

* Ch. 3 FINAL, v. 0000 *wipes brow, continues on*

* “Transformers” score rocks

* Will. Get. 4. Done.

* *Napping* ZZZzzzzzzzz…..

11-08-08

* Okay, need some food, then it’s focus time. Got reinspired, can’t wait to tackle the proofreads–love it when that happens!

* Inspiration is elusive, for sure. That’s when bum glue comes into play, and we sit @ the keyboard till it gives

* Deep in Chapter Four–it will be conquered. Already it’s listening to reason.

* My vocabulary is archaic. I want to use “demur” to express hesitation in conversation, but that’s *so* 14th century.

* Mustn’t…overuse…dialogue tags.

* *Sigh.* Just when I get over my acute adverbitis, another malady takes its place.

* It’s morning already??

* Yep. I’m getting better at being ruthless, and deleting on the fly

* Tentatively announcing Chapter 4, v. 0000. It seems to want to stop here. (Doubt it, though.)

…And so it continues. It’s 11:55 PM, and back to the writing table for me. See you @ dawn.

~~~

Read more about the journey to publishing The Rosewood House, and subscribe to this blog to receive the latest updates and fiction!