Tune (#atozchallenge)

Welcome to today's post on the A-to-Z Blogging Challenge. My challenge, as I have chosen to accept it, is thus: I have asked on my Facebook and Twitter accounts for people to contribute random words beginning with today's letter. From Random.org, I have selected one of these words, and will below challenge myself to connect said word to writing.

For the letter T, I received 58 suggestions. Random.org selected number 30: tune.


Tune

Music helps me write. I have an ever-evolving playlist that I consider the soundtrack to my novel(s). Here are a couple of the highlights, in no particular order (links go to YouTube):

Muse

Muse, "Starlight"

The Spice Girls, "Wannabe" (don't ask how that happened)

Paramore, "Conspiracy"

Heartless Bastards

Heartless Bastards, "Had to Go"

Brazilian Girls, "Jique"

Juanes, "A Dios le Pido"


Do you have a soundtrack for your fiction? What songs/artists are on your lists?


I'm taking suggestions today for the letter Z. Have any? Leave them below. Thanks!

Happiness is a Warm Draft

For some reason the original Beatles song is running through my head. I felt compelled.

This will be short for many reasons, the biggest of which is I'm running late and don't have much time, but I wanted to be sure to post today.

First, Nathan Bransford will be posting the finalists for his Stupendously Ultimate First Paragraph Challenge sometime today. Hop over to his blog to read and vote for the finalists.

[poor segue]

So I mentioned last week that I have gone back to revising my first WIP. I realized I had to completely change the backstory to make the present story more believable. Well, in the process, my brain has been ON FIRE, creating this trajectory for my MCs. So much fun!

This morning, in my half-awake-half-asleep, please-don't-bother-me-because-the-sun's-not-up-yet state, I was plotting out a scene in a park with my four main characters. Now bear in mind that, in my original draft, the story is told in 1st person. Well, my imagination took me to a place where my supporting male character separated from the rest of the group—or security reasons, of course—and my mind followed him. The scene evolved, and not only did I like it, but I realized it might be rather crucial.

Thus, a new draft was born (I believe this one is marked number 592, give or take a few hundred). I started working on it yesterday morning, and wrote over 1000 words yesterday in time that I didn't have to be working on it. But when the fire is lit, it's hard to contain, no?

So, in the spirit of Nathan Bransford's Stupendously Ultimate First Paragraph Challenge, I give to you my new and latest first paragraph.

Title: The Monarchy's Lies #592 (title subject to change, since I don't like it anymore)

Genre: YA Romance/Urban Fantasy

Anabelle Lindsky tugged at the collar of her shirt. She’d never felt comfortable with things around her neck—turtleneck sweaters, tight necklaces, even her fingers to check her pulse—but today was different. Today she would endure anything to get to the Mansion.

And, folks, I promise I'll get off my editing/revising kick soon. I'm just so excited about how this is going for me that I need to share. Thanks for reading. :)

What person do you normally use to narrate? 1st/2nd/3rd? Do you jump back and forth? Do you just know which will work best? How do you decide? Have you ever written something completely, and then started over in another POV?

The Pantser Depantsed

So I think of myself as a pantser, but the idea of pantsing for NaNo makes my knees shake in my fashionable knee-high boots.  I like to discover the journey as the characters move along, but as far as I can tell, there are two problems with this for me:

1. Keeping up with the 2000 word/day target average.
2. Making sure I maintain the increase in tension from scene to scene.

Well, yesterday I downloaded Scrivener.  It inspired me to spend quite a bit of time last night outlining chapter ideas, writing character sketches, and generally trying to organize myself.  It all equals work I wouldn't have done otherwise (most likely) before Monday.  I've got names for characters that I hadn't considered before, notes for the first 7 chapters, and backstory that I hadn't worked out earlier.

I'm so excited about NaNo.  Can you tell?


How do you do your writing prep?  How do you keep track of all of your notes and ideas?

NaNo - Down and Dirty

I've signed up for email notifications from my local forums on NaNo's website.  In addition to the usual write-in organizing messages and tips on how to get your word count completed while drunk college students yell outside your humble abode (*cough* my humble abode), there has also been a discussion as to what writing programs/software people intend to use to reach their 50K.

So, I thought, what the hell?  Word only gets you so far, right?  Maybe I'll try something different.

First, I downloaded yWriter5.  Of course, I'm a dedicated Mac user, and this software is specifically designed for Windows.  BUT there's a work-around.  So I gave it a shot, downloaded the intermediary program to make it work, and tried it.  I imported a couple hundred words from something else and then tried to edit it.  DENIED!  Apparently there will be no editing to imported text.  Why? Don't know, but someone else on the forums had a similar issue.  So, I thought, back to Word.

Then another message came through.  The woman said she had tried Schrivener, but was going to stick to yWriter5.  I thought, hmm, what is this Schrivener you speak of, and decided to check it out.  Bonus one: there's a Mac-friendly program already--meaning, no work-around programs. *happy dance*  Bonus two: it's a lot less DOS-like and a lot more user-friendly interface-y.  Bonus three: even though the software isn't free, it has a trial period that goes through Dec 7 so NaNo users can try it out.  Bonus four: if you don't win NaNo, you get a 20% discount at the end just for trying.  If you DO win NaNo, you get a 50% discount.  Bonus five:  How many bonuses do y'all need!?!

So, I've set up my NaNo template and I'm going to start cork-boarding this weekend (I'm a little late in the game, I know, but I've always been more of a pantser).  I'm also going to import the novel I've been working on (and just finished rewrites for last week *happy dance*), and get all of my info in one location, including my links and JPGs of characters, etc.  I think this program seems entirely awesome, and I can't wait to really give it a spin.

Thus endeth the advertisement.

How are you writing your NaNo novel?

Writing Prompts Gone Bad

What do you do when your writing prompt goes wrong? I mean, rebels, takes a gun, and robs a bank, bad.  Or Charles Manson bad.  Or passive-aggressive, why didn't my mother ever love me bad.

(Warning: Info Dump!)

As you know, I'm taking a writing class right now.  We have two pretty nice books: The Making of a Story by Alice LaPlante and Making Shapely Fiction by Jerome Stern.  They each have many good qualities, though I've read fewer than 100 pages total.

Okay, back to the point.

In Stern's book, there's an interlude entitled "Don't Do This: A Short Guide to What Not to Do" (65-76).  They're all obvious things (e.g., don't end you story with "And then the alarm woke me up."), but some of them stuck with me, and I want to force fun stories from them.  I have no intention of writing the typical story that the author is warning against, but twist it into something entertaining.

For example:

Hobos in Space.  This prompt has a lot of potential for a bad MST2K kind of story.  Stern wasn't literally suggesting take a hobo and put him/her in space, but instead discussed the abhorrent mimicking of Samuel Beckett.  That's not my plan.  (And I can't stop hearing the muppets yelling "Pigs In Spaaaaaaace" in my head.)

Bachelor party takes groom-to-be to brothel to find bride hard at work.  Yes, I intentionally used the word "hard".  The point Stern was making here was that many times this is the end of a story.  I really want to write this one from first-discovery on.  Do they still get married?  Does she get mad at him for invading her "office space"?

The Zero-to-Zero story. The MC who never learns anything. Yes, this is horrible and cliché and a disservice to the reader.  But what about the Zero-to-Two story, where the MC kind of gets it, but not really, and inevitably gets it wrong but sort of tried?



Try any good writing prompts lately?  Or any ideas on how to expand upon the prompts above?

Character Rap Sheet Redux

So many of you gave awesome suggestions on how I could improve my character interview process on Monday's post.  Thank you!  If I haven't mentioned it recently, you guys ROCK!

I decided that, since I don't want to be selfish and keep this to myself, that I would report this, updated with everyone's suggestions.  Feel free to use this any time, share with your friends, etc.  Also, if you have more suggestions, please leave a note in the comments, and I will continuously update the post at large.

Note A: Before conducting this interview, one suggestion was to push the character's buttons to the point of no return.  Piss them off and then push for information, and they'll be more likely to be bluntly honest.

Note B: If you're finding it difficult to discover this information, another suggestion was to take an idea and write (perhaps a blog post) about it in your character's own words.  For an example, click here.

Everything You Ever Wanted (and Didn't Want) to Know About Your Characters

Physical Appearance (eye color, hair color, other defining facial information, height, weight, scars, piercings, tattoos, is their second toe longer or shorter than their big toe? clothing style, hair style, makeup...)

General Historical Information (DoB, DoD (if applicable), education, extra-curricular activities, suspensions, broken bones, hospitalizations, first kiss, first extensive sexual experiences, mother's maiden name, heritage, children, parents...)

Personal Information (left/right handed, allergies, contacts/glasses/20-20, exercise routine or not, favorite color, food preferences, handwriting style, artistic tendencies or none? zodiac sign...)

Personal Quirks (nervous gestures/ticks, sweaty hands, what do they do when they lie? phobias?  pet peeves?  addictive behaviors...)

Turn Ons/Turn Offs (favorite smells, repulsive smells,

Other Randomness:

• What did s/he want to be after growing up?
• Did s/he have any pets as a child?  Names?
• Hobbies?  How serious are they?  Past hobbies since abandoned?
• Favorite iconic figures? (actors, writers, musicians, artists, world politicians, historical figures...)
• Video game obsessions?
• City or country or suburbia?
• Boxers or briefs?
• Favorite type of music?  Favorite type of fiction or non-fiction? Drama, sitcom, or documentary?
• Do they drink?  What do they drink?
• If s/he had a million dollars (or applicable currency)...?
• Left brained or right brained?
• Favorite/Worst childhood vacation?
• Favorite/Worst childhood memory?
• If s/he could visit anywhere, where would s/he go first?
• Stance on social issues (whales/environment/water/polar bears/etc.)?
• Introvert or extrovert?
• How does s/he react around children?
• Act or React?
• Fight or flight?
• Do they hold grudges or let them go?
• What songs are important to them and why?
• How do they see the future?
• What inspired him/her?
• How do other people perceive him/her?
• Cats or dogs?
• Who do they look up to and why?