52 in 52: Week 7/8

I am still working on Graceling, which shouldn't be a surprise because it is, after all, fiction, and we all know my problems with fiction. But also this week has been insane in the realm of personal life decisions and doing the scary thing and jumping headfirst into the deep end without really remembering if I know how to swim.

Anyways, week 7's book shall be

for a bit of light humor. Also its sort, so I'll get through it asap to catch up a bit, since FAIL week 7.

Week 8, I think will be:

Cause it seems really interesting. Its not as long as "Emperor of all Maladies" either.

Plus, I'm supposed to have been working on Great Expectations... which I haven't. WOOPS. Oh well, I think this catches me up on books per week.

a calendar

52 in 52: Week 6

Finally finished with The Emperor of All Maladies, which was excellent! I fully approve of the writing and the research. It was engaging -- though it totally makes me freak out about cancer...

Anyways.

Week 6 shall be:

YES I AM DOING FICTION SHOCK AND HORROR. Let's see how this one goes though. I may have to change it up again...

52 in 52: Week 4/5

Week Four was actually done really fast. Julia Sweeney is one of my favorite monologues  She's sweet and funny and this book was totally worth it. Plus, it means I get to keep going with Emperor of All Maladies, which I'm still getting through.

Luckily, David Sedaris has a new book, which shall be week 5:

Memoirs are actually great for me to read because they blur the border between being fiction and non-fiction. MAYBE I'LL PICK FICTION AGAIN SOON. I really do want to read more fiction, but its slightly harder to motivate myself to read. Weirdly, since I love good stories.

Anyways, thus far this is going pretty well.

52 in 52: Week 3

Woops, forgot to add in my book for the week. 

Based on last weeks disaster at actually getting around to reading fiction, I'm staying non-fiction this week. The Emperor of All Maladies. Thus far its interesting, though not as well written as The Disappearing Spoon. I am finding it fascinating though. The history of science is so so so intriguing. There's so much there, and it turns to all the other disciplines in interesting and unexpected ways.

Okay, done being nerdy. I maaaay not finish this by Friday, but I didn't finish the last one on time either. I'm just going to keep plugging though. I can go through books really fast if I want, but science and history reading is slightly harder to examine like that. I'll just have to figure out a book I can devour in order to get back on track.

52 books in 52 weeks: Week 2 UPDATE

Heads up, I'm changing from Great Expectations to The Disappearing Spoon by Sam Kean.

Apparently non-fiction is king, cause I'm ripping through this book. Its HIGHLY excellent writing about the periodic table. LOVE IT.

52 Books in 52 Weeks: Week 2

I finished last week's early, and since Kat and I have been discussing reading "great classic books" lately, I'm putting up the book for next week:

Yeah, I've never read it. But I think it'll be good to have someone else reading with me. Also, gotta get back into fiction man... or I'll end up like my dad.

Anyways, with 10 days to read it, I only have to do about 40 pages a day (10% a day, since my kindle edition doesn't tell me how many pages it "is")

Onwards and upwards!

Oh and notes on Screenplay? Good, interesting. Gave me ideas on how to create and structure my novels. Kind of made me want to write a screen play, but FOCUSING on novel first.

We'll see what happens.

52 Books in 52 Weeks: Week 1

I've been thinking about reading and how I'm flaily and bad at it. Carolyn posted this link on her facebook, and there were some parts I liked. Like, how dividing a book up by how many pages you have to read a day to get through it in a week gives you a tangible goal for a day. 

So I think I'm going to do it. Decide on the book on Friday, post it here, and see if I can get through it. 

I was going to re-attempt Game of Thrones, but I picked it up this morning and... man, am I the only person who finds the dialogue in this book to be stilted and... wrong? I mean, what is with fantasy novels and their need to sound like they're Tolkien (who also had this problem). Anyways, everyone says it so great and totally the book you should read, blah blah blah. And fantasy is my genre, and how can I have not read this very important book in it? 

I just... meh. I suppose I shouldn't start out on the side of not finishing a book. 

So basically I want to read a book that I can finish in a week (the week isn't the hard part, its the focus and attention needed to read, because let's face it, I have lost the ability to drop into a book properly unless its completely engaging, and I think there's so much to learn and explore in books I don't find engaging). I think the solution is to start out non-fiction. 

Its easier to read something non-fiction that I know I'll be able to drop in and out of. Screenplay by Syd Field is going to be my first book. Mostly because I'm having problems with plot and ideas for it, and this is it -- the famous book about screenwriting, which at its heart is about story telling. 

Its 320 pages long -- and I'm doing 6 days a week, making it 54 pages a day (rounded up, cause its easier that way). 

I'll "start" tomorrow, but let's be honest, I'll sneak in a few pages tonight probably. 

Let's see how this goes. 

Things You Forget

I was always annoyed when my parents said something to me about the way I should do things. "Always make your bed in the morning" was one of them, or the shock they displayed when I could do something. And as I've gotten older, I've started to find that these things may be true -- now.

When I was thirteen, making my bed every day did very little for me. I didn't feel better having my bed made. I was trying to survive. Now, when I have time to think about it, I am a little bit thinking it might be a good thing to have my bed made every day. It will convince me to not get in it and go to sleep.

Something my parents were always amazed by was my ability to listen to too different things at once while doing something else. I used to listen to Harry Potter on my cassette player, a Britney Spears CD on the walkman, and play pac man on the computer. It was easy, effortless. I was always confused when they couldn't do such a thing.

Nowadays, I can only just manage to walk and listen to something. I wonder if its about the complexity of thought I need to go through, or if its just that as I've gotten older, it has become harder for me to stay open to the universe.

What does this have to do with writing? Well, its about writing in states you have already been in. I'm always amazed at authors who chose narrators so much younger then them. Diane Duane does Dairine, who is... well between nine and eleven, (though possibly thirteen? Its hard to tell in the books when the timeline doesn't stay the same) so very well.

I just want to remember these differences. When adults said things to me, as if it was wrote fact, which were actually more about experiences they were having at the time, I thought I was weird for not agreeing. Now, I'm not so sure. Perhaps I just wasn't at the right stage.

But its important to me to remember, so that I can a. write young characters better and b. just remember that there are different ways to see the world even if its just one person.

The Bad Girls

I started this post AGES ago, but I'm going to try and finish it. Finder has come out, and was a bust (unsurprisingly, though a little sadly).


I was thinking about House the other day because Bones did a potential pilot (more on this possibly later in a separate post) and one of the comments from Hart Hanson was they wanted to make a House like character -- someone who is in many ways unlikable. I find this idea intriguing, and I certainly find characters who are not all sunshine and roses all the time to be the ones I gravitate towards.

It occurred to me then that if I like this sort of character, I should write this sort of character. I've never gone full out and made a House, or Sheldon Cooper -- at least I don't think so -- but then again I rarely find either of these characters unlikable. But this is a product of relatively good writing, and I am nervous to go full out with what I would like to do. Anyways, the thought was then -- I write, for the most part, from the view point of women. Not that I am particularly girly, or that I don't write men, but I am a woman, so it makes sense for me to write women. With this in mind, I started thinking about women in media (TV specifically) and how they interact and if it would be possible to write a woman who was House-like.

There's a line in Studio Sixty about how the world tells women they shouldn't be funny. I can't remember exactly what it was, but Harriet's face when she says it keeps coming back to me. And it occurred to me that I couldn't think of any examples, at the time, for a woman who takes on a role that is generally unlikable because women, as a general rule, are supposed to be eternally pleasant and good.

My initial thought was of Temperance Brennan from Bones, because she is loud, and smart and not afraid to say what she thinks. She is not likable when you first meet her (indeed, she was not the main reason I continued to watch the show, it was the squints). If there was someone who was going to be House-like, it would be Temperance Brennan you would think. But when you look at her, and you watch the show, there are some things that set them apart. Temperance Brennan's story is codified into the societal norms that make it okay for her, as a woman, to be the way she is -- something that doesn't happen for House for six seasons. Example: Temperance is cold because she was abandoned as a child. Her story is one of melting the ice queen, learning to be more feminine and accepting Booth's love.

Compare this with House, who may have had some emotional damage from his family, but in truth, is more plagued by his intelligence than anything else. His story may also be about learning to accept love, but as season six has shown -- Cuddy doesn't love unconditionally, and he ends up pushing her away and being a hero for it. Temperance ends up going through psychosis before she can deal with Booth dating Hannah.

I'm not saying that Temperance Brennan is any more likable as a result of her history -- but there is a sense that her behavior has to be explained, while House just is and you accept him or you don't. And this is the crux of my problem -- Temperance Brennan has to make up for being smart.

This is seen in Kara from Legend of the Seeker as well, where her emotional stuntedness is explained by being tortured as a child. Now I know, there is a certain amount that this has to have happened for her character, but when you see her in the alternate universe where she was never a Mord Sith, she is totally feminine -- her personality is stripped to a bare minimum making the torture the only reason for her crass sensibility in-universe. Again -- its the fact that she had to be tortured to act like that bothers me, because it implies that women can't be as complex as men without having had something terrible happen to them.

Robin from How I Met Your Mother has a tendency towards this, though I wouldn't call her unlikable. Robin's personality, tendency towards guns, her ability to 'bro-out' and everything that makes her less feminine, is attributed to her distant relationship with her father (that and the fact that she is from Canada). Her lack of female like qualities is again codified in a way that males would not have to go through. Men who are distant from their fathers, may have an episode devoted to it (think Wesley from Angel), but it doesn't define their personality.

I found this to be especially annoying when it came to Starbuck, in Battlestar Galactica. She wasn't allowed to be awesome just because she was dealing with losing her entire life, and the variety of things that happened to her in the show, no she had to have a backstory of abuse to explain why she's unfeminine.

Indeed, the only character that came to mind who was unfeminine who had no abusive or terrible past that I could think of, was Faith from Buffy/Angel. But that's cause Joss Whedon is good.

More on that later.

Summer Reading List

I was thinking of doing another 9 Day Novel, to try and clear my head from the RP stuff. Don't get me wrong, I love RP, and I have a lot of stories I have yet to explore with these wonderful people I'm writing with, but I have been neglecting individual story telling events. Alane has popped up, ONCE AGAIN, in the most annoying fashion. I think I have to give tBoG a chance to actually develop.

But it occured to me that what I really should do is edit. I gave Bryan Fragmentation and it didn't turn out well. Part of it, I think, is that its Bryan, and he has problems listening to what I'm actually asking of him, and part of it is that it was a rush job and I need to worm out what I like about it first. So I'm putting it aside now and it occurs to me that what I really need to do, apart from write, is read.

I'm going to take a reading vacation at some point -- hopefully the end of August when I'll have vacation time from my job, and here is a list of books I have put on my kindle (which I plan to actually start carrying with me again) in the hopes of reading by September 1st.

01. Blood Work by Holly Tucker
02. Deja Dead by Kathy Reich
03. The Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
04. If a Pirate I must Be by Richard Sanders
05. The Psychopath Test by Jon Ronson
06. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
07. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

More will be added as this list is completed.

Role Playing Lessons

So its October now. How crazy is that?

The other night Kat was like "You haven't posted in a while" and I was like "I know". And here's the reason: I joined a role play board.

If you are unfamiliar with the concept here's the the wiki article on what we do there.

Now, the last time I was really involved in a RP was sophomore years of high school and again in college. The first one was a Harry Potter based RP, and then the second was a reoccurrence of the same characters found there with the same person (Dany). I learned a lot from these two games, and I am learning more things from joining this new board (a super powered original world called Weekend Warriors, check it out its kind of awesome) so I have decided to write about the lessons I've learned from role playing.

01. Always say 'yes'.
This is a rule from improv actually, but its very important when you're writing with someone else. You always say yes to whatever they said in the last post. You might have been expecting something completely different, you might have no idea where you're going now, but if you say yes interesting things will happen.

How to apply it to writing by yourself: You're sitting there, and you get this feeling at the back of your mind that there's something insane that you want to throw into your novel. A tuna suddenly jumping into the boat of your main character, someone asks someone else to move in with them -- say yes. Go with it. What's the worst that can happen? You can always come back to that point and change it later, but if you say yes, you might suddenly have a better novel. So say yes!

02. Develop voices early.
Writing in third person makes voices harder to deal with. In first person you can get all sorts of things out easily, but in third, its easy to become detached. My favorite use of third person is in Harry Potter. J.K.R. has Harry's voice down so well, and it comes out in tiny word choices, the way that things are described and small choices. Writing in third person on an RP board has reminded me of this intensely, in part because I have six characters, and two pairs who are somewhat similar in nature (Bex/Lucy and Deliah/Charlotte). I'm not sure when it happened, but I have a sense when I'm writing any of these characters that sometimes I'm doing it wrong. Bex doesn't ever say "gonna" nor does she generally swear (as opposed to Lucy, who always says gonna, and if she doesn't swear three times in a post, then somethings really fucking wrong). Developing their voices early differentiated them incredibly and instinct takes over when writing them now.

How to apply it to writing by yourself: If you've got a strong sense of a character, then you should have their voice. It is important to be able to differentiate your characters in the way they sound because only in that way are they separate and you can keep things consistent.

03. Description matters. 

When I go back and re-read some of my old RP, I am always amazed that anyone understood me because there is a lack of description of what things look like. There are other problems with re-reading RP (hello dialogue being weird and conversations not making sense), but one of the major things I have discovered and am working on, is an increase in description. Thoughts are all well and good, but I want people to know what I'm seeing.

How to apply it to writing by yourself: Writing for me involves seeing the scene like a movie, but not everyone will see if the same way, and sometimes, when I return, the movie has gotten really weird. There's no harm in over describing. You can always edit it out.



04. Remain as open as possible. 
Okay, so this is more a lesson about living then writing. My first experience RPing was extremely cliquey. I wrote with two people in total, and it ended terribly because I wasn't writing with the mods (still bitter that they deleted all of our threads because we started writing some stuff on LJ instead of on the board even though it wasn't related to Hogwarts -.- MOVING ON). Anyways, coming into a new board, I wanted to write with as many people as possible and its improved my writing seeing what other people do.

How to apply it to writing by yourself: Always check in with other options, always see what other people are doing, and if you like it, steal it. Well, learn how to do it yourself. I do not suggest you plagiarize.


05. Think about how other people think. 
When you're juggling between characters its always interesting to see how people think. Two people can have wildly different views on what happens in a scene, and that's okay, because that's what normal people do. Writing with other people can open your eyes up to this whole new world.

How to apply it to writing by yourself: Figure out the moment when the character becomes a separate person. This is the moment when the character does something that you would never, ever do in a million years. Remember that feeling. Its very useful.

06. Facets of yourself. 
When I started RPing, all my characters were the same. I had a tendency to Mary-Sue them, and to have all the answers and to try and make them always be right. Real people aren't like that, and RP characters aren't like that. Letting them be wrong was a huge struggle for me, now its a delightful thing that opens up plots that otherwise wouldn't happen. The problem was, the characters were all me with a different name and face. I am a method author -- when I write I take my own experiences in order to describe emotions especially -- but in the end, the reactions have to be something different. So only facets of you go into the characters, making them different.

How to apply it to writing by yourself: Write someone completely different from you in some way and see what similarities you have. Is it emotionally resonating with you, or is it some other facet of yourself in your characters? Make sure your characters are all different in some way.


07. Share. 
Novels aren't supposed to see the light of day until they are done. Short stories should be worked on. The 500 words of a post, they can be shared quickly and you get instant feedback in the form of the next post. Someone is there interacting with you and interested because they are involved. No worrying about whether they want to read or not cause they always want to read!

How to apply it to writing by yourself: Sharing is good for your writing. Not parts of your novel, but sharing samples and small bits you write, it helps you see where you stand and it helps you always strive to put out something worth reading.


08. Write. A lot. 
I have written over 200,000 words in the last two months. That is definitely a lot. I've been pushing the amount I write daily and usually I get in about ten posts a day, which is about 5000 words daily (give or take). I'm doing really well at pushing it, and I know I can, but it helps to have someone waiting eagerly on the other end. It pushes you to write more.

How to apply it to writing by yourself: Set goals, meet them, and push further. I used to think a 3000 word day was a good day, now 5000 words is a typical day. I, for one, am looking forward to NaNoWriMo.


09. Action creates reaction.
Another theater rule I stole: always move the scene forward. Threads can get buried in reaction if you're not careful. Always push the scene forward to see what happens. Writing to a thread where nothing has happened is one of the hardest things you can do. Always do action so there is something to react to, and hope your partner will add to the forward momentum.

How to apply it to writing by yourself: Always push the scene forward. It keeps people reading, it keeps you interested. Lots of thought and reaction is not interesting to read.


10. Do what's good for you.


This one's pretty much as is. Do what's good for you, do what you need to do. If RPing doesn't do it for you, then don't RP. Don't force yourself to do something you don't want to do.

*SQUEEEEEEE*

GUYS WHY DIDN'T I KNOW THIS WAS COMING OUT?!!? SO EXCITED!

Books Are Coming Out! Despite the Debt Crisis x.x

I currently have four posts I still have to finish and post. One of them is massive and about TV, so its fine that its taking me forever, but the other three are just sitting there in my cue, waiting for me to finish them. So what am I going to do?

IGNORE THEM AND WRITE A DIFFERENT POST :D

I just went on Amazon to look at my magazine subscriptions (I'm going to end TIME and The New Yorker, I just don't have time to go through them) and on the front page under my recommendations was this:

And despite the fact that I am not as big a fan of the Beka Cooper books, I got really excited. So I'm doing a post on the upcoming books that are coming out from now until the end of the year that I'm really excited for.

August 23rd:

Okay, okay, you got me. I like Kathy Reichs' books. They are cheap and full of the kind of drama worthy of the TV show -- but they are addictive. I go through them in a day. I'm pretty sure I'm not caught up (I started at the ninth book, of course I'm not), but they are easy to read and get into, and I like that she's still publishing them. :D

September 13th:

Never heard of it until I did a search for upcoming titles, but this looks really interesting. 

September 20th:

AH I AM SO EXCITED FOR THIS BOOK. This is the last book in the Leviathan trilogy -- which I read the first two books of in the spring. Its an alternate history of WWI, and has a brilliant heroine -- plus I like Alex. I'm terrible at giving reviews without giving away information, but if you haven't yet read this series, GO FOR IT! Seriously, the next book is coming out in less then two months, what's there to lose?

As a science fiction writer myself, I am often plagued with doubts because I haven't read a lot of sci-fi that really intrigued me. Neal Stephenson is a good place to start though, and while I haven't read anything by him yet -- this book actually seems like an excellent place to start. 

October 4th:

I didn't want to read Percy Jackson because the movie trailer was my introduction to the series. If there is ever a story about how you should NEVER judge a book by its movie, it would be this. The series is great -- fast paced and entertaining. Its got a lot of entertaining twists and is full of mythology and friendship and love and its just great. Unfortunately, that series ended. HOWEVER, Rick Riordan has started a new series in the universe that Percy Jackson takes place in, and -- well I haven't read it. But the second book is coming out soon and because I am a series whore, I will probably end up reading The Lost Hero, which is the first book in the series, because I love them and I will want to read this one -- probably around when it comes out. See, it works perfectly!

October 11th:

Terry Pratchett! Discworld! Need I say more?

October 25th:

The day before my birthday... hmmm :D ('cept I don't own the first two)

December 6th:

... I have to read the first book. BUT AS A REMINDER. Also -- a note on how covers do matter a lot when it comes to selling a book. I know you're not supposed to judge a book by its cover -- but there are covers that jump out at you, and Cassandra Clare has got them. 

How to Make Friends and Keep Enemies

This is how I draw*. Benny is on the left, Caroline on the right.
In case you couldn't tell.

So I mentioned liking the Golden Trio (Harry, Ron and Hermione) in my last post, but didn't really connect it to anything. The point of that was that I kind of see my three main characters -- Caroline, Zeke and Stephen -- forming this sort of bond. What intrigues me about my tio is that Caroline fulfills Hermione's role, not Harry's, but she is definitely the hero of this story (Stephen would be Harry, Zeke, Ron).

When I say Caroline is Hermione, I mean, more along the lines of their initial dynamic -- Harry and Ron are off being best friends, while Hermione is lonely because she's a know-it-all. Zeke and Stephen hit it off really well, because Zeke is very likable, and Stephen is incredibly noble (and stupid about it sometimes). Zeke and Caroline really don't like one another, but share the bond of a common home (not a Hermione/Ron thing, just mentioning it).

So now, I am trying to find a way for them to all become friends. In Harry Potter, they fight a troll and win, Hermione takes the fall for them, and they find out she's not all that bad. I don't know how to do this with Caroline, Stephen and Zeke. Stephen has seen a softer side to Caroline just now, and he was upset when she nearly died, but Zeke and Caroline are a different matter. I'm worried that their years of fighting with one another and hating one another for no real reason, can't be overcome by just Stephen letting her join in the games.

I know I was all excited last post about not knowing what's going to happen, but here I am, worried because I don't know how this will work, and I really want them to be friends. Indeed some of the plot, I sense, will need them to be friends. The real reason they aren't friends now is that Caroline is jealous of Zeke.

Anyways, so I'm writing that.

I'm also finding it amusing that Benny, a character from a seperate novel, is making fun of Caroline and Caroline back at Benny as I write. They have amusing interactions. I wish there was a way to combine their stories, but not really. AH WELL. We solider on.

*This is not how I draw. But its how I draw when I'm feeling lazy/am at work and realize I have no image to go with the post. ;)

Playing with Point of View -- CampNaNoWriMo Day 22 (ish)

I have now started three NaNo's for this month. One was about the characters I posted about below. I am still very much in love with that story, but I think it needs some work in terms of getting it to be... a story. Currently I have a beginning, a vague idea of a middle, and an end. I just need to work on it a little bit because it was reading flat to me.

The next one, was of course, The Book of Gates, my twelve part series following Alane and various other characters. It is, in a word, epic. I have been trying to write it for years. Unfortunately, I seem to be a bit daunted by the idea of twelve books to write in a series. I have decided, for my own sake, that if I were to ever try and publish tBoG (hee, t-bog), I would have to write all 12 books before sending out the first one. Mostly because they are complex in terms of their scope, and some things have not yet been planned, and there are arcs, and mini-arcs and over arching arcs, and I want to make sure they all fit together, and come to a satisfying conclusion, so as to avoid the third book slump that seems to happen with quite a few trilogies, and several series (not that it occurs in the third book, its just it happens in trilogies a lot, so I call it that). Anyways. Its a labor of love, and I think I may have to snowflake it, just to try and get a grasp on what I'm writing towards in the first book.

So then I threw my hands up and went and watched Treasure Planet, which, dudes, seriously underrated film. It came out in an over saturated market, and was marketed towards the wrong crowd, which is why people think its not as great as it is, but having watched it nine years later, I've got to say it was impressive. Anyways, so I watched it with the intent of coming up with a novel idea from it. And I did.

I'm not ripping off Treasure Planet, but the initial spark was -- treasure seekers. In the movie, the characters are motivated by the idea of gold, but this is me, so treasure automatically means knowledge to me. Anyways, I was thinking about motivations, and the need for money, and how Harry Potter works, with a trio and the power of friendship (which is to say, OT3?), and I came up with this orphan character who was left at a Space Port and is therefore always looking for money.

And when I started writing it, you know the strangest thing happened. 1. Caroline, my main character, decided to be written in present tense. 2. She decided that she was telling the story, and so it had to be first person.

Most people say first person is an easy tense to write in. I could not agree any less. I hate writing in first person. Mostly because I end up starting a lot of sentences with "I did this" and I find it incredibly difficult to vary my sentence structures in first person. Third feels more natural to me -- I have written in third person limited for most of my novels.

But I was thinking about this, and how my last novel was third-limited to one person -- another first for me, usually I jump around in about five people's heads (oh yes, I am terribly good at finding four people I want to write with, and then discovering I need a fifth voice) -- and it was incredibly interesting to see what it forced the characters to do. So with this in mind, I decided to let Caroline have her way. Who knew, maybe first person, present tense would work for me.

The beginning is rough. I always try and start with some sort of action -- whether it be speech, or something important about to happen -- because it means I have to keep going. If I start with description, I'm bogging myself down in unnecessary backstory. Action requires my pen (fingers, I usually type) to move. In this novel what ended up happening was a lot of "I ran. I looked around. I slid on my knees towards. ect." I hated it. I wanted to get out of it so badly. Often I would find myself trying things like "She did this," before realizing I was referring to Caroline, and having to delete it. I also have many, many problems with the tense. I have written "said" instead of "says" so many times, I am shocked when I manage to type "says" first.

But something funny happened around 7,000 words. I stopped noticing. I got into the story. I found Caroline's voice, while slightly annoying, and things began to happen.

I've got to say, there are some brilliant bits to writing in first person, present tense. For example -- I know as much as Caroline about what's going to happen and I DON'T NEED TO KNOW! I usually write towards something, it helps, and with third person, past, you have to know where you are going so you can have the write thoughts cross character's minds. With first person, present, you can guess where you're going, but the story can accommodate all sorts of things, and you feel much more connected to the character.

No, I am not in love with first person present, I don't think I'll stick with it forever. But for this story, which is teetering between sci-fi and fantasy, where I don't know what the end is going to be, its perfect.

Anyways, I'm 11,000 words in, and I have 9 days to finish this novel. Oh, would you look at that? Another 9 day novel?

Except it won't be. I don't have the pressure to finish the novel like I did with 9 day, just to get to 50,000 words. :D

OH AND CHECK OUT FIREBIRD ON BLOGGER. We're mirroring it on blogger and on LiveJournal because Josh doesn't have the same experience on LJ as me. I prefer LJ, to be honest. BUT IT WILL BE UP ON BOTH SO CHECK IT OUT.

In Defense of Passion (Harry Potter 7.2 Midnight Showing)

We are told as children to sit still, hold our tongues, listen to our elders. And we do. By the time we've entered school, the rule of 'behave yourself' has gotten written into our social dialogues. If you're loud, if you say things in a different way, if you are different you get called out on it -- an ostracized if you push it too far, or become popular if you fall within a strict concept of "cool".

Oh, am I revealing I was a nerd in middle school/high school -- totally. I was a COMPLETE NERD (what do you mean was? I am still a nerd, I get excited over having scientists contact information at my command, not that I would use it, but do you see?). Let me be honest, though, my school was not the typical high school you see in Hollywood, it was too big. I was not downtrodden and reviled, I do not have high school flashbacks of awful times. Indeed my time in middle and high school was remarkably smooth, for all you hear about how terrible it is from other nerds.

Anyways, the point is, the rules tells us to stay cool, calm and collected -- homogenous with the rest of your peers lest you break away and become that ostracized person who eats dirt with worms down the bottom of the garden.

This makes having a passion about something hard. Passion is loud, noisy and it makes you give away so much of yourself you're afraid you're never going to give it back (this does not always happen). Passion is squashed down in us as children -- for a reason -- and from then on, you can be labeled as 'weird' for liking something passionately. That's why Trekkies are labeled as weird -- they are willing to break the bounds of propriety that are imposed by society to dress up in costumes and deeply care about something (and my impulse to say 'sometimes a little too much' is a symptom of this point).

I was thinking about this the other day because I had this exchange with my brother:

Me: So you'll be home Wednesday?

Jasper: Yeah.

Me: Just in time for Harry Potter!

Jasper: Uh sure.

Me: So you're not planning on going to a midnight showing?

Jasper: What's the point, you already know what's going to happen.

Why would you want to go to something you already know the end of? Why wouldn't you? I grew up with Harry (as in, I was about his age when it started and was around his age each time the next book came out. He was my peer). I was Harry crazy -- I reread the books, have a compendium of random trivia around Harry. I am a loud fan, a crazy fan, someone who went to midnight book releases and was SO EXCITED about being in London for the seventh book. I have forced people to come with me to see movies, and book releases but I would have happily gone by myself.

The point is, I am passionate about Harry Potter -- and that's why I want to go to a movie I know the end of (though, ugh, there were moments of annoyance). Its about expressing that passion -- and having other people with you who do the same!

Harry Potter is the reason I am still friends with Sammie (I went to middle school with Sammie, we bonded over it. She is my Harry Potter Best Friend). Harry Potter has brought me closer to Matt and as a result, Maddie (friends from school). We share this connection because of a deep love for these books, these characters -- this story.

And that's something worth being passionate about.

I own all the paper backs, all but 1 of the British versions 

(I have two of some of them) and all but 7 of the 

American hardbacks (7 went missing after I 

bought it -- UPSET). 

Anyways, I'm not as upset about the end of the Harry Potter movies as I thought I would be. I think its mostly because, in re-reading I've found I love them just as much as I did when I started them. There is so much in them that you can learn from. True, re-reading creates a different feeling, and there are parts that didn't bother me as a child, but are annoying now, but there is also so much good in them. 

As Dumbledore says: "Of course it is happening in your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?" Harry will always be real to me. 

Thank you J. K. Rowling. Just... thank you. 

Writing Fail

I have Harry Potter thoughts, but I'm keeping them to myself for the moment because I'm running on three hours of sleep and it doesn't should like anything at the moment.

Instead, I'm staring at my NaNo and BEING UPSET WITH IT. Apparently, Neil, Leta, Erik and Jane aren't entertaining enough for me. I have to write OTHER people. Its because Alane has popped up again -- actually Alane hasn't, Mattie has, and she is loud, annoying and well... I like her.

Don't be annoyed with me for the fantasy cliche, but Mattie is a nickname for Mataline. I usually hate this, but my reasons for doing it in the Book of Gates is that there are some made up names and some names that are commonplace here (Elaine, Harvey and Madeline) but some that are clearly not (Navari and Koil). Rather then have an Aerith and Bob situation, I decided to change everyone's names up. Some names do have spellings that are normal, but that's because you can't really spell Anna differently. Mya is a way of spelling the name, but it works cause its got a y. ANYWAYS. Not a discussion of names. (Though, if you're curious, I changed Harvey into Harvi).

Anyways, so Mattie showed up and was all angry and so full of anger because I've had in the back of my mind the idea of a character who Alane has hurt badly stalking her for revenge, and Mattie is so interesting in that respect because -- well she's Adair's daughter, the one who takes after her mother, and I think it would be fascinating for me to see what she does. Adair is so pissed with me. Originally Anna was going to die, but now I've just disfigured her, and Mattie has run away from home to get revenge on Alane.

Mattie and Anna are the polar opposite type twins -- Anna is sporty, full of energy, and takes definitely after her father. Mattie was planning on becoming a doctor like her mother, loves to read, and doesn't go outside if she can help it. So you would think Mattie wouldn't go out seeking revenge -- but she does. And its this twist in her character that I find to be so interesting.

The fun part was that within moments of me finding Mattie, a new character showed up and he told me about himself -- a charming trickster. I was trying to puzzle out some more about it when it hit me -- he's a shifter -- THIS IS EXCELLENT. In the world I've built here, shifters are so rare they are thought to have been killed off and are no longer considered to be magical. :D I LOVE WHEN CHARACTERS ARE BRILLIANT.

Now, if only I could name the scamp, we'd be in the money. Thoughts anyone?

PROOF

LIFE, its so difficult

I was gonna take a picture of my phone or my desk in some way to prove I actually have a job, but then I couldn't because my phone died. In the most annoying way possible. I have to bike home and I was listening to Bossypants by Tina Fey and really enjoying it and now I shall have to bike home with nothing in my ears!!! #firstworldproblems (other first world problems: I have started to add hashtags to normal posts other places then twitter).Well anyways, I will post a picture eventually.

I think I've kind of found a groove with this blog and know how I want to use it. So now, instead of articulating it, as good practice, I'm going to pretend I didn't know and just keep doing whatever the hell I want. In my own life: I've got a job as a receptionist at NOVA, which has brought out the super nerd in me. I was putting in information off of business cards on Tuesday and I typed "Elizabeth Lo" and Elizabeth freaking Loftus showed up. SERIOUSLY. Then I went around looking for other people I knew, and DUDE THEY WERE ALL IN THE DATABASE. Yes, I am a nerd for being excited about this. Its not like I'm about to call one of them and be like "Give me a job." but I might fangirl at some of these scientists... I'm such a bio nerd.

Anyways, so life has been going on. I've been working for three whole days. I have been struggling with Neil, Leta, Erik and Jane (Oh, Madeline still exists, but in a future book, maybe it will be book 2 for August's Camp).

This is the point where I pull out my strategies for fleshing out characters. The first one is to go to TVtropes and click on random and find something I know, before going and looking for a trope that I love and want to incorporate. The second is to take the Mary Sue Litmus Test.

I have decided to share with you, the tropes that are associated with my four main characters, as well as their Mary Sue Scores (and why the got them).

Neil:

Was your character's name... Taken from a character from another fandom that you like? Yes, Neil is taken from Humon's webcomic Neils, which is hard to link because its on her deviantart page.

Do authority figures not punish your character when they probably would have punished his or her peers under the same circumstances? Neil and Jane get away with a lot, at first because they're rising stars, and then because they've got a dead end case that have made them less then noticeable by higher ups.

Is your character unusually accomplished for his/her age, time period, place, occupation, and/or social status? In something that is extremely desirable and/or useful in the story's universe? Neil and Jane are both in their early 20s, and have both received awards for their service... not lately though. They both work as Agents, which is a desirable position to be in.

Not counting his or her first language, how many languages does your character fluently speak? Click one box for every language. Neil can speak Spanish fluently as well as English.

Total: 10

Neil is The Hero of the story, main protagonist Charmer, with a smile that gets him through most doors (especially to women's doors). He has a cheery, almost Determinator quality about him when it comes to the case file. He is the Cowboy Cop to Jane's By the Book Cop, but they work well together, and are basically, Heterosexual Life Partners.

Leta:

Is your character the best or among the best at anything he/she does? Leta is a skilled hacker. Neil and Jane have a few conversations about how brilliant she is.

Are other characters extremely impressed or astonished at your character's skills and/or virtues? When Neil and Jane meet Leta for the first time, Jane and Neil have a similar reaction of 'But you're in a wheelchair'.

On the subject of your character and his/her family... Was your character orphaned, abandoned, kicked out, or at least raised by a family/person that was not his/her own family? Yes, yes, yes, Leta's mother was awful and her father wants nothing to do with her, because he has a new family. Doesn't mean Leta's upset by it. Indeed, she seems not to care much. Probably a reaction to Erik's epic over response to it.

Is your character physically disabled, and has nothing to make up for it? She used to have mechanized legs, but getting kicked out of the game meant that they came for the legs, and she was left with... nothing at first, but then Eric went a bit mad and insisted on getting her a wheelchair.

Total: 5

Leta is a Genius Cripple, being unable to move her legs, but being The Smart Guy. She tends to be Erik's Morality Chain, though to a less extreme extent -- certainly Erik would not work with Neil without Leta around. Nor would he be above killing people in the Agency without Leta. Despite her Missing Mom, Leta has never had major issues with her parents. Her father knows about her, but has asked to not be contacted as his life has changed since Leta was born. Her mother left when she was 14. Neither seemed to have had a major imprint on her Manic Pixie Dream Girl personality towards Erik.

Erik:

Any ordinary name spelled or changed so that it's more unusual? Erik is an actual spelling of the name Eric, but I would normally have spelled it Eric. His mother was feeling poetical, as she was with Leta's name.

Is your character described, illustrated, and/or shown as exceptionally beautiful, cute, or handsome? Do you find your character attractive enough to date him/her? Mmmmm, Erik is half Native American, half white. He's very, very, pretty. (he also doesn't share a father with Leta, thought I should point that out).

Is your character the best or among the best at anything he/she does? Along with Leta, its admitted they are the best hackers.

On the subject of your character and his/her family... Was your character orphaned, abandoned, kicked out, or at least raised by a family/person that was not his/her own family? His father never knew he existed, and when Erik showed up to introduce himself, he found his father refused to believe it. Then his mother left him, basically to look after Leta, when he was 18. He never quite recovered.

Has your character ever been honestly selfish, petty, lazy, shallow, or pointlessly cruel? He made an Agent that was after him and Leta go into the office and almost shoot his partner because it was "More fun" that way.

Total: 9

Erik has strong Big Brother Instincts towards Leta, but despite this he is a little bit of a Jerk With A Heart Of Jerk. He is The Lancer to Neil's Hero, and the two have a Ryu And Ken relationship. He's something of a Well Intentioned Extremist when it comes to the Agency and those who work for it (part of why he and Neil don't get along). Leta is his Moe. He has severe Parental Abandonment issues due to never knowing his father (his father doesn't know he even exists) and his mother's struggle with drug addiction which took her in and out of his life often.

Jane:

Not counting his or her first language, how many languages does your character fluently speak? In order to become an Agent, you need to be fluent in two languages. Jane can speak Japanese perfectly, having been a nerd as a child and watched a ton of anime.

Is your character the best or among the best at anything he/she does? Is he/she famous/reknowned for it? She's known as the best shot in Boston. She's a remarkable sharpshooter, and its why Neil trusts her to have his back.

Does your character ever single-handedly take out more armed forces (EG, security guards, soldiers) than you can count on one hand using his/her kick-butt skills? The reason Neil trusts Jane is because of this. Also, she scared him a little by doing it.

Total: 5

Jane is a Kindhearted Cat Lover. She has a serious, long term relationship with her boyfriend Kevin. She is a Girl With Guns and knows how to use them (everyone in the Agency agrees she is the best shot in Boston). She's an Action Girl with a sense of the Lady Of War variety. She has a bit of Jeanne D'Archetype about her, due to her perseverance and desire to do what is right.


Good way to waste time!

Anyways, going to read some now. HARRY POTTER RE-READ. I'm live tweeting it. :)

Camp NaNoWriMo Session 1 Day 3

As the titles of these posts get longer and longer, the days of July creep away. I only have one more day before I start my job and my time becomes... different? I'm not sure, but I'll be working a 9-5 job and that will be something to get used to.

Anyways, so today I sat down to do a minor amount of planning for Camp NaNoWriMo. You may recall that the outline method I attempted for the 9 Day Novel failed, so I am not going to attempt it again. I do, however, think that having wrestled with characters for a bit, I accomplished a lot in terms of knowing where things were going to go. The other thing I found out was that I tend to find characters after the end of their novel. In my 9 day novel, Penny and Tia were found way, way, way after their novel, and recently I realized that Neil, Leta and Erik have a lot of background that has to get covered before I can really dive into the present I was working with. So I will probably be going even further back and trying to plot from there. 

I'm using James Scott Bell's method as described in his book on writing Plot and Structure: A disturbance and two doorways. The basic premise of this idea works with the three act structure -- the beginning is a disturbance, the doorways lead from one act to another, and are 'doorways of no return' so there is no way to go but forward for the characters.

So, this is what I'm doing for an outline -- the disturbance and two doorways and then I'll hit the road running, because I now know I've lost all the words I could have written due to the shift in timeframe.

At least I have tomorrow off, right?

Anyone else doing Camp NaNoWriMo? How's it going?