Humoring my Edit-Self

Have you ever gone through your MS, editing away like we always should and then suddenly! It hits you. "THE SIDE-KICK WHO'S REALLY NOT SUPPOSED TO BE LIKABLE IS MORE LIKABLE THAN MY MC!!"?

I hope not. It's a rather upsetting thing! (Trying some humor on for size, folks.) I recently (very recently. As in today, recently.) discovered that this travesty had occurred in my NEARLY PERFECT MANUSCRIPT (according to my dog maybe? and probably not even him... ). It's a shock, it is. Like finding out that your dog actually DOES know what you're saying and pretends to be dumb to trick you or that your stuffed animals can more themselves around at night! (oh no! Censorship~)

The mind just reels! 

"How could this happen?" 

"I'm just so awesome and amazing and everyone wants to be me!"

"I got an agent just by staring at their twitter account!"

"I have a love triangle, twice! Between a brainiac werewolf who's like a genius with everything and knows a lot of fancy stuff and a goofy vampire with the most awesome, sparkly smile that you've ever had the chance of being bedazzled by!"

And so forth.

So of course, like any natural amazing person like I seriously am, I had a talk with this little inner voice that sounds an awful lot like Jessie and I came up with EVEN MORE AWESOME. Yes. It is possible, my friends. I. Have become awesomer.

Just wait until I breeze through submission in a minute and get ONE KAZILLION-BAJILLION copies printed in every language the world has EVER KNOWN.

So, how do you guys like the new layout? :D I think it's wicked. School is officially out so I am now back in business in the blogging world! I can't wait to read all of you~!

I hope you enjoyed my attempt at humor. :P

Z is for Zodiac and Zealots

I really like the letter Z. It's another letter that I like to write in cursive, haha. Is that weird? Liking a letter for its looks? I'm so vain. There are also a bunch of words I like that start with Z. In fact, I think that I try to use the words 'zealot' and 'zealous' a lot. Probably more than I should, haha. But it's just so fun!

Now, I can finally use it. I think it's one of those words that people would hate to be called no matter what--I know I would--because it paints such an image. There are few words in my mind that create such a strong picture in my head. And that's probably why people hate it so much. What are some other words that you think have the same abilities?

And finally! The thing I've been waiting for! Zodiacs. I definitely am a lover of astrology and all of its quirks. I like to believe that most of the traits that the zodiacs have are true. I've met plenty of people and seen plenty of relationships personify the traits of the zodiac and their compatibility with other signs. Some of you might just think that I'm making them be there to prove that its real or something, and that's okay! I'd like to think I'm a realist, for the most part. I definitely don't think that it's the only personality you can have or anything.

But, that's getting off topic. For the longest time, I would use  my astrology book to create a base personality for my characters. Not only did it help create their birthdays, it also helped me get into their heads. I could imagine how a Scorpio would think over a Gemini and wham! Just like magic.

This is the only story where I have yet to figure out an astrological sign--a birthday, too--for Ax and the rest of the characters. It's a bit weird, but that's okay. It's worked out just fine, so far.

Do you guys use astrology to help out your writing at all? Or am I a bit odd in this case? :P

T is for Thanks and Taciturnicity

Thank you is one of those words (technically a phrase) that everyone should know and that everyone should use as often as possible. It's one of those words that can make you look like a southern belle (or beau) or turn you into a ass-extraordinaire, too. Like most English, it's quite versatile.

You never know when saying a simple "Thanks" could just make someone's day completely. There are so many people out there who do not get thanked that I'm sure they wonder if anything they do is even getting noticed. And because we're all striving to make ourselves look as good as possible to promote ourselves, I think that us author-hopefuls should say Thank You to just about anyone and everyone.

My French Professor told me one day after class--because I was the slowest to pack up--that she loved to teach and she quite liked living in the US, but the one thing she could not get over after living here for 20 something years was the fact that students, and really a lot of other people, are so rude compared to the people she knew in France. No one said please, or thank you or anything else. Never been to France, so I really don't know if that's true, but I do know that American teens (cause that's who she deals with most) are definitely not the type to thank her for teaching.

On another note, how many of you have/have read the type of story that utilizes the Taciturn-Man? (Sometimes woman.) I used to be an avid manga reader and they use taciturn (or tsundere, as they call it) characters all the time. And most of the time they're pretty fun. I've written quite a few characters like that myself. But, are they really likable? If they're true to the meaning of the word, are they really going to be relateable, likable--or even lovable?

Thanks for reading! :P

P is for Pain and Pasts

How many times have you read something where either the protagonist or some secondary character has a really  elusive or painful past? Or where even the world has a dark tinge to its history? Often. Very often, I'm sure. It's one of those things that I don't think writers can really get away from because we have this desire to work our problems out with our characters (sometimes). Or we do it so our characters have an edge to them--something that can be brought back and haunt them for eternity. Do we need it to? Bad people don't always come from bad pasts. And good people don't always come from good.

Is it even possible to have a character without some sort of issue stemming from their past? I don't know. Nor do I think that there really can be. They've got to grow from something, right? Someone being good and getting better isn't something a reader wants. I know I wouldn't want to read that. Talk about boring.

But, do the pasts always have to be painful? I don't think so. Sometimes I think writers (not saying every writer!) make their MC come from abuse or abandonment... or anything else equally unpleasant because they think that that will create more sympathy. And I'd think it's safe to say that it does. But I don't think it's the right kind.

Do we only want our MC's to be sympathized with? Shouldn't we want to have the readers connect so they can empathize?

I also think that some more amateur writers also subject their MC's to a lot of pain during the story itself--not just the past. Sometimes it's okay and they've managed to write a horrible--but amazing--story. Other times it's just so much that I'm left wondering "why???" Firm believer of "Don't kick 'em while they're down." Exception being in the climax--that's where it's supposed to be! Even then though, there is a limit.

When's the last time you read something that was a bit over the top? Did you feel bad for the MC or did you just wonder why the writer hated their character so much?

G is for Good Ideas and GAH!

A short post today because my plot is shaping up so well that I don't want to leave it for too long! School was torture today, haha. My fingers kept itching to grab a marker and get all those words out of me. I've found that plotting in a notebook instead of on my laptop is helping me out immensely. 

It's kind of weird to think of, but I can remember doing this all through high school. Pulling out notebooks in the middle of math and plotting out the latest idea that popped in my head instead of taking notes on ...some geometry problem. (See? I can't even remember a name for one!) I did this all the time back then. It got me to wondering, when did I stop using paper and go to the keyboard?

I honestly don't know why, but I know from now on that I'll be plotting on paper instead of on screen.

As for the "GAH!" Well... let's just say that in Botany today, we were learning about the difference in soils between Western Washington and Eastern Washington. (And yes, I mean the state. :P) The reason is because of glaciers and massive floods from the ice age melting--but that's not the point. Someone in the class asked... a really ...awkward question. I was both surprised and annoyed. I kept thinking, "Who in their right mind asks that??" (Even the prof looked very awkward trying not to offend her while she answered.)

Have you guys ever had to deal with situations cause by someone? How'd you handle it?

E is for Excitement and Eccentricities!

We got snow-hail today! That's so crazy, it was 50 something yesterday. Oh Northwest weather... how crazy you are. My semi-cute outfit was not beneficial when I walked to and from my car--I think a hail stone gave me a bruise on the top of my foot... (Extremely ridiculous, I know).

Anyway! I've been plotting pretty hardcore lately. Like, I've condensed about 3 days of my more recent plotting binge into one night. But, I'm nowhere near done. Not yet. And that's really okay with me. I'm really excited for all these changes and that tells me that this is the right thing to do. How could being excited not be a good thing, right??

Heck, I even wrote a random scene last night (it certainly was weird using "A" and "B" for characters... hahaha) and I hammered out more words in one sitting than I have in like a month. It was ridiculous. 


On a different note, lately I've been noticing a lot of other people's quirks. My math professor, for instance, relates everything mathematical to birds. He also rubs off the white board (which he hates) the exact same way. A girl in French can't stand eraser shavings and another girl in French always wears a blue sweatshirt on Thursdays. It's just these little things that've got me thinking about ways I can show little eccentricities in my characters. Something being the usual lip-biters, hair-twirlers, nail-biters, and chain-smokers.

What're some quirks you've seen lately?

C is for Confidence and Change

Yup, there's that word again: Change. I am (yet again) changing things up. I can't really say I like changing things up (in my story, real life is a bit different), but it's one of those things that's necessary. I've heard so many people say that the best thing you can do is "Follow your gut" and my gut is telling me that something just isn't right with my story.

Of course, this is the who knows how many-th change I've done and I have yet to even finish my dang story. Ugh. Everyone's journey is different, but I wish mine would find a path and stick to it for a few! This is getting frustrating. I like what I have. I really do like everything that I've thought of. I keep trying to think of ways to make it different but keep the same elements (I'm hoping that will work...) All of this right after I had a breakthrough, too.

When it comes to change, I always wonder: "Do I really need this?"
"Will I know when to stop?"
"When will this finally be right?"

To me, change in my MS is both good and something I dread. It's one of those things I need to learn to learn to accept--and welcome.

I think one of the reasons why change is so hard for me is because that evil little voice that everybody (especially us writers) whispers words that no sane person would ever say to another even in the darkest mood--I hope not, at least. We truly are the hardest on ourselves.

It took Cosmetology school--where I was forced to work with the public for 10hrs each school day--to gain basic confidence in myself. To be able to tell myself, "Yeah, I'm kind of pretty today. Yeah, I can cut hair pretty good--but I can color hair even better. My classmates know a lot, but I know more. I'm actually good."

Until I decided to actually write out a story with the intent to publish, I'd never given my writing a thought. I was the only one who was going to see it (for the most part) so what did it matter? It isn't like that anymore. I've had more doubts about my writing in the past couple months than I have in my entire lifetime. I know I'll gain my confidence back--maybe when all the changes stop??--but until then, I'm just going to keep swimming through the negativity, waiting for the day when the sun'll shine in my brain and the angels come out going "HALLELUJAH"

I wouldn't mind if that happened soon... Just a heads up, brain. 

What do you guys think about change? Do you like it? Hate it? And how do you stay confident in your writing? Until tomorrow--D-day!

B is for Break Through and Bad House Guests!

Of course the day after I talk about not being able to get into Ax's head, what does he do? Infiltrate my mind better than Snape or Dumbledore with Legilimency. After ages (or what feels like ages) he has finally started talking. In fact, he hasn't even shut up.

I know it'll take me awhile before I get to know him like I did his predecessor--Axel--but I'm confident that when I do get to that point that nothing will hold me back! I even had a dream about him. And that for me, no matter how ridiculous the dream (and trust me this was ridiculous), means that I've finally gotten an in!

It's really awesome to be able to actually write instead of stare at the screen, give up for a few, go back, type a couple words then repeat the entire process. I think I've written more today than I have all week, and that feels so good!

(I think I've been writing so much that my wrist is sore. Oops?)

On a mini non-writing note, for the past week my family has been helping out a friend (term used loosely) of the family's. This was only a temporary thing to get her back on her feet, a roof over her head while she looks for a new place and yada yada yada. You get the picture, I'm sure.

The agreement for this was 1 week per house and she has to help out at the house as repayment.

What does she do?

You guessed it. Nothing. It isn't really much of a surprise, but it's still a bit aggravating. Luckily, tomorrow is her last day at my house, so things will return to normal soon!

Back to Ax, cause he's far more interesting. I'm finally getting close to the point where he'll get to meet the love interest and I'm so excited! (He is, too, though he doesn't quite know that yet.) Ah! I haven't felt excited to write in awhile. But now that it's here, nothing is going to stop me!

How are you all doing with your writing?

Falling In Love

Has it seriously been a week since I last posted? Crazy! Doesn't feel like that at all. I've got to get onto a schedule for this.

I cranked out my first scene (of the revamped story) and what did I discover? That Emelie was about as interesting as white bread and butter. Not good. I'd spent so much time getting into Axel's head that I didn't even think of getting into Emelie's--every other character besides Axel included here. Such a bad habit!

But, as with most problems, it was fixed. Phew! Out of all the years I've been writing, I don't think I've ever realized just how much of a discovery process this can be. It's amazing. I love learning, so these continual discoveries are right up my alley.

As I've continued on to my second scene--shooting Axel with as many of Cupid's arrows as I can manage before he bleeds out--I can't help but feel proud. He's falling for her, and falling hard--and I'm falling in love with the idea of them falling in love. Sounds a bit ridiculous because I know the outcome but, it's the truth!

It's amazing to feel what Axel is feeling--or at least, an extension of it. I only hope it'll convey to readers too! Back to the grindstone (if Luca doesn't preoccupy my time by eating his feet or growling at me to do who the heck knows what)!