Behind, I know

I can't believe how far behind I am in my blogging. November pretty much came and went, with the prep for Thanksgiving and the actual holiday setting me back a bit. Then throw in the fact my poor laptop died (which has my novel on it), so it's been a while since I've really written anything new. Instead of dwelling on the set backs, I've spent much time reflecting on my novel and what I can do to move the writing and editing of it along. I wonder if part of the starting and stopping and reworking could be that I'm approaching the story from the wrong perspective.

With that, I'm off to write in my notebook. Old school. Love it.

National Novel Writing Month

National Novel Writing Month begins tomorrow, November 1, and what better month to crank out some much needed writing. I've been away from my blog for some time as I've been busy with family obligations and working part-time, but I plan to be updating more often this month and of course writing.

Not that I haven't been writing. I've been tweaking as I write, which takes up much time. I have also been keeping up-to-date with local and out-of-state stories on bear sightings. As I've blogged before bears figure prominently in my story, so I've been keeping track of the bear related stories.

Sadly, in late September there was a news story about a shot bear being dumped in front of a supermarket in San Leandro. As far as I know they haven't located the men who dumped the bear. In other bear-related news I read an article about a country singer who staged a hunting trip to shot a tame bear back in 2004. I'd heard of bear baiting, but never canned hunting, where animals appear to be raised as pets only to be shot later for profit.

Then on the other spectrum are the bear enthusiasts who feed bears and allow the animals to coexist with them. Think cat lovers who feed twenty strays in a neighborhood, but with bears. While I love animals as much as the next, this sounds like cases of animal hoarding. And to hoard animals can be dangerous and unhealthy for both humans and animals alike. Take for instance the tragic death of a Colorado woman who built a fence around her property to feed the bears. Now, there's another woman in Mendocino who has been living with bears in a similar way. You have to wonder what triggers this need to collect animals. I'll be researching this topic too, if you haven't already guessed it.

Many bear topics in the news, and whether or not I'll allude to all or any of them in my novel, we'll see. One thing is certain, bears fascinate me. I respect and fear them, which could be why I have never gone camping.

Have a happy and safe Halloween.

Why we don't give a bunny scissors

In honor of all this cutting I've spoken of in my previous post I thought this picture was appropriate.

Enjoy.

Outlining, cutting, researching, and a dash of actual writing

Thought I forgot about my blog, didn't ya? No, I've been busy working and editing my novel's outline. To be honest, I didn't think it would be too exciting talking about cutting (or deleting which I've done a lot of) chunks of writing. The outlining process has been very helpful, and I'd like to recommend it to any writer starting out who wouldn't normally try it. For as long as I can remember I've been the type of writer who just writes if an idea interests me or I've read an article in the newspaper that I think, hey what if... The problem with this lack of focus is I start these ideas in hopes a beginning, middle, and end will appear and the "story" turns into one long beginning. Or in some cases the ending seems too forced. It's seems elementary to suggest outlining, or too much like preparing for an in-class essay, but sometimes the obvious approach just works.

With that said, as I write my outline I've been reviewing chapters I've already written to see if they do or don't fit with the direction I'm taking my story. Some parts work (yeah!) others, meh. The best part, I review a scene I completely forgot I'd written and I think, not bad. Not perfect, but not bad. Can I use this? Maybe, yes. It's time consuming, fun, a little cathartic, and humbling when what I've written just sounds terrible.

I'd like to think the writing of my novel is progressing and I'd also like to think that my reading about two dozen mysteries from when I first started my novel has improved my writing. I just finished Judi McCoy's Hounding the Pavement this week and am finishing up Dick Francis' Proof. Both very different mystery novels, but each has their amateur sleuth, which is just what my heroine is.

As I've mentioned before it's a supernatural, cozy mystery, and no I'm not writing about vampires. I have nothing against vampires. I grew up on Buffy and happen to enjoy Vampire Diaries though many see it as a teen show, but for now I'm staying far away from vamps. Since my novel has supernatural leanings, it is set in the real world so the research part has taken up another chunk of my time. Don't get me wrong, I actually enjoy researching, but it does cut into the writing part of it. I'll be honest, I don't regret one moment of researching a topic because that too has enriched my setting and characters.

The majority of my research has focused on California Fish and Game, bears, inn keeping/inn keepers, and detective/forensic mumbo jumbo. Since I'm not in forestry, never worked at an inn, and am not a cop, this research takes a while. I've spoken with friends who might have a friend with knowledge in these areas. I hope to interview experts in different fields and of course acknowledge them.

Until next time, happy writing.

Character Development

I remember once reading that every novel you write is a learning process, and am I learning. The other day I finally broke down and wrote character bios. I normally don't do this when writing short stories, and I have been tracking facts, setting, etc. as I write, but not writing a whole biography. For some reason I resisted it, but now that I've started it's been very helpful in structuring my novel.

The novel has gone through so many changes that I'm glad I actually did struggle in the beginning. My writing meandered and characters and events were fuzzy. Here's hoping for more clarity.

I also must credit all the mysteries and supernatural thrillers I've been reading these past few months. From the Heather Wells series to Psychic Eye, the chic lit has been entertaining and fun. Coming from a BA/MA background, all I read was the Great Works. I'm not knocking the greats. I love them (and my Nortons), but I'd forgotten about the popular genres and quite frankly the living and breathing authors out there.

In my first drafts I had obsessed so much over the 'literary' that I'd forgotten the entertaining and fun part. And forgotten my characters should have a personality. Very few have read my first drafts (thank goodness), but I'm glad they did. Nothing like some brutal honesty and time away to reflect and ask, what the hell do I want to write about?

It never fails. I have an idea. Love the idea. I start on it, work and rework the first five chapters until the beginning seems perfect but then I'm stumped. Where do I go with my protagonist? What happens now? What sadly happens is my characters live in limbo and my chapters end up saved on my laptop, a folder of unusable material. I was afraid this novel was heading in the same direction, so I'm glad to see it moving forward even if it means I'm going to have to scrap those first few chapters and write new ones. Such is life.

Happy writing, creating, and living!

Time to be Bold

A professor once advised the class to be bold. I'm not big on bold. So in my attempts to go bold, or to mingle better, I'd like to invite you all to stop by and say 'hi.' And since this is a writing blog, if you feel the need to vent your frustrations or share in the happier moments of writing, you'll find a friendly ear.

On my writing front I've been reading through my novel and trying to make sense of my monster. I've also been killing the darlings and dragging documents into the trash. That was difficult at first, but somehow liberating.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend and happy writing to all.

Why did I keep this?

I decided to go through the boxes at the top of my closet which went well for two reasons: I actually threw away assignments from high school and didn't fall off the latter. I fell off the latter the summer before my freshman year of college cleaning out the top of my closet. Knocked the wind right out of me and to this day I don't remember hitting the floor. Needless to say, my mom was mortified when she heard the crash and couldn't get in the room since I was blocking the door.

So, no falling. Always a good thing.

Now, as I sifted through my old essays, tests and worksheets, I kept asking myself why the hell I kept anything related to math or science. Chemistry. Algebra. Geometry. Gone. Except for this little flip-book I made for Professor Sales' class where a right angle triangle flipped into a rectangle. And in fairness to science, I did keep my marine biology report since the project holds terrifying memories for me. I'd had a stack of about thirty note cards detailing the lives of sea otters and whatnot when I like a nervous high school senior started bending my note cards. About five minutes into my speech the cards flew out of my hands, fanning up into the air before splattering onto the floor in front of me. And since I had this avoidance to anything relating to math and numbers, I'd forgotten to number my cards.

After about an excruciating minute of shuffling through my notes in front of about fifteen students and my teacher, I ditched the cards and kept going. It was jumbled in parts and I know I left out about half of the facts and trivia I'd wanted to present, but I learned two important lessons. Number your cards and never be a slave to your notes. Or in my present case where I'm re-reading the scenes from my novel, I shouldn't be afraid to cut or as Mr. Faulkner once said, kill your darlings.

And with that I will go and scratch out those filler sentences, paragraphs, and pages that clutter my writing.

Happy writing and weekend to all.

SOS

I'm still in the process of sorting through my documents and weeding out the good scenes and meh parts. I've been keeping notes and marking sections with *** in areas that are in need of research. And while I have read articles and books, there's nothing like interviewing an expert for feedback. So, if anyone knows of someone who works in the Department of Fish and Game and wouldn't mind my interviewing them I'd greatly appreciate it. Please know that if I do ever get my story published, I'd definitely acknowledge them and their assistance.

For those not in the know of what I'm writing about it's a supernatural thriller/mystery set at a California inn. The inn and tourist town are fictional, but it deals with the growing human-bear conflict that often leads to the DFG's destruction of nuisance bears and/or the illegal taking (killing) of bears by homeowners. My goal for the novel is to not only write an entertaining story, but to inform readers of this problem and to help prevent further injuries to humans and the death of these beautiful creatures.

Must Remain Focused

This will be my new mantra. Wrote this morning and must write again before the sun sets. I've been distracted lately with family obligations, but need focus. I'm considering printing out all the pages I've written for my novel and wading through it. I hesitate because I think of all the beautiful trees I'm killing yet I think holding the pages in my hands will help in organizing my novel. I have not written it chronologically and have changed characters, suspects, and clues. Part of me dreads printing it out while the other welcomes it and hopes for clarity.

Happy living!

Back to the Blog

For personal reasons, I've been neglecting my blog and writing. My dad recently had a kidney transplant and his surgery/recovery has been my main focus. Now that he's home we're more comfortable managing his blood pressure, temp, diet, blood glucose levels, his 20+ pills and the twice-a-week doctor visits to Stanford. Believe it or not, it's become easier and life can start getting back to normal. Thank goodness!

I'd also like to thank those selfless enough to become organ donors. It's the greatest gift anyone can give and I'm proud to say I'm an organ donor. And while we don't know the identity of my dad's donor, I could never begin to thank the donor and his/her family for this gift. And of course, thank the surgeons and nurses who cared for my dad.

While I haven't been able to tap away on my novel (I just couldn't nor did I want to bring a laptop to G2S during visiting hours), it doesn't mean I haven't been thinking and reworking the novel. During my hours not spent at the hospital I forced myself to wield a good old fashion pen and legal notepad. Mapping out the novel by hand reminds me of those flow charts teachers assigned us in high school. You remember the days when we had to turn in the notes plus the completed essay. While I love my laptop I'd forgotten how comforting a pen and notepad can be.

Happy writing and living.

Where did February go?

I've fallen behind in my blogging but not my writing or researching. The library's become my second home and I've lost count of how many times I've requested a novel/resource book. I knew there'd be some research involved but I didn't expect this much, and I must be careful and not lose myself in the research.

With that said, I recently checked out Tales from the Fjeld. The tales are pretty brutal, which I like since there's this tendency to sweeten fairy tales/folklore. Not the case here. Take "The Sweetheart in the Wood." Our heroine's set to marry this dashing suitor and heads out into the woods to his home/castle for her wedding. She arrives a day early and finds the castle empty except for a room of gowns, a room of jewels, and lastly a room of rotting, bloody corpses. Yep, he's a serial killer. She ducks under the bed in time to witness the suitor return home with another potential bride...

I know, it's a cautionary tale, but it rocks some vengeance and who doesn't enjoy a little revenge in a story. Happy reading and writing.

Theodor Kittelsen

Bears. Bears will be playing a critical role in my novel. For the past year I've been googling bear-sightings in California and well bears in general. During my search I found this drawing by Theodor Kittelsen, "En Uheldig Bjornejakt" or Bearhunt Gone Wrong. In my research of Kittelsen it appears he's more known for his fairy tale drawings and trolls, so I haven't had much luck in finding out what inspired this drawing. I find it both comical and somewhat disturbing as Mama Bear looks to be having way too much fun. For now I'm posting the link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Theodor_Kittelsen-En_uheldig_bjørnejakt.jpg.

Enjoy.

Short Stories

I decided to take a short break from my novel to write a short story. It's a mystery and has the potential of being a stand alone story or a tie in to my novel.

To be honest, I've missed the short story genre and that was part of the reason I decided to write something new. Another reason, I'm currently reading Murder Most Crafty, a collection of mystery short stories on you guessed it, crafts. It's a fun departure from reading werewolf and vampire novels (which I've done a lot of lately).

Don't worry, I'm not abandoning my novel. I have too much research and time invested not to finish it. Here's hoping this will rejuvenate my writing.

Photo Update

I love flipping through old photo albums. Yesterday, I found this photo from my day trip to Santa Cruz's Roaring Camp Railroads. California's coastal redwoods are beautiful and you don't realize how small you are until you stand beside one of these babies. I think it's a nice addition to the layout. Plus, each time I post the photo will inspire me to write my novel. The coastal redwoods factor into my setting of a fictional California town.

On a side note, anyone interested in trains or California's history should check out Roaring Camp. They're having their Rain Forest Weekend from Jan. 2 to March 28. I've never been to this event, but it sounds fun. I'll try and post the link. Be patient, I'm new to this.

The Famed 1,000 Words

A thousand words a day is a fantastic goal. I read Carolyn See's Making a Literary Life about three years ago for a writing workshop. When I need a little push, it's always nice to turn to her book. One of her chapters deals with keeing writing to yourself, to write and write until you become comfortable writing and don't feel the need to share until your comfortable with it.

I don't know if anyone else experiences this, but when I write I do tend to hide my work. It's maternal to protect your young and since I don't have children or even a pet, I'm guarded of my story. I'm also a little superstitious that if I talk too much about my plot and characters I'll talk myself out of writing them. Sounds strange? I think it happens more times than not.

Since I'm fearful I'll talk myself out of writing, please understand if I don't talk about my plot and story. Maybe as things progress I'll feel more adventurous about sharing.

Thinking about See's novel has made me nostalgic for the writing groups of college. There are all kinds of writing prompts I've tried over the years. Here's one I'm making up now from my computer as I watch Twitchy, our resident acrobat squirrel from my window. He's a feisty thing, twitching his tail (hence his name) and flipping all Matrix style across the back fence.

The prompt: Your standing in your backyard, the back fence leans ever-so-slightly onto your property. The oak tree your neighbor planted too close, the one your neighbor promises to cut but never does weighs on your mutual fence, warping the wood. The tooth-like leaves fall onto your geraniums, and the leaves smoother their roots. You look up at your neighbor's back window, the two-story that looks down and into your yard. The curtains open. A first. What do you see?

Happy writing!

My First Blog

My first blog. My first post. Ever. I have a fear of technology, and for the longest time computers. When email addresses were the new, in-thing in high school (a little over a decade ago) I resisted.

As my brother would say, resistance is futile. Now, I've boarded the blog express.

I've started my blog to keep myself honest. Since grade school I've written stories. All kinds. I've never been published and I've never written a novel. Started some, but never finished one. My New Year's resolution is to finish my novel. Whether it'll ever make it to print, I don't know. I'd just like the satisfaction of completing it.

May the blog keep me honest. And write. And to others wanting to write, draw, sing, complete a deadline, or finish whatever seems impossible, my best wishes of luck and good fortune to you.