And the Story Goes...

I have hundreds of books on writing, how to write, what not to write, why I should write, and everyone can write. I belong to various writing groups to learn the craft and keep up with the changes in the publishing world. I bounce ideas off of fellow writers for feedback and to keep myself engaged in the process. So for years I have been working on learning everything I can on the topic.

Something happened this weekend that changed everything. I attended a seminar given by Michael Hauge, titled "Story Mastery Seminar with Michael Hauge" I do not mean for this post to read like an infomercial, but in one 8 hour presentation, I learned more than I have in all the years I have been writing, studying, networking, etc. He deftly demystified plot, the inner and outer journey of the hero, and story concept in such a way that I could not believe it had not made sense to me sooner.

If you ever get the chance to attend his seminar, go, it is well worth the money. Sure, I have attended other lectures that covered plot, GMC, and character ARC, but never in the straight forward, streamlined, logical manner as at this particular seminar.

I had purchased Mr. Hauge's Writing Screenplays That Sell prior to the seminar and it is by far the best writing reference book ever. The principles in this book easily apply to novelists. I know I will be recapturing a lot of shelf space in my house as I toss out the many books on craft that I no longer need. Onto my WIP.

Resolutions -- Not!

Saturday brings us to New Year's Eve. This holiday excites me the most because there is no shopping for others involved, I am tired of eating and so is the rest of the family so I do not have to cook, and the tree can finally come down and stop dropping its prickly needles on my carpet.

New Year's Eve is a time of reflection while New Year's Day is a time for resolutions. I do not make resolutions because I believe it puts too much pressure on a person when they are trying to embrace change.

So take it easy. Reflect and reward yourself for what you have accomplished this past year and open your arms to welcome the winds of change. I am not a superstitious person but have always believed that the frame of mind I am in when the new year rolls in will follow me throughout the rest of the year. So here is to positive thinking and may 2012 make me smile everyday.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Winding Down

And so it begins. The shopping is finished and the gifts are wrapped. This year I did something  I never do, I shopped during Christmas week. Yes, I actually went into the malls and a few stores without so much as giving thought to what I would encounter. I was pleasantly surprised to find a convenient parking spot wherever I went and the crowds were not too bad. It felt good to get out amongst others and embrace some holiday cheer.

What I also realized is how close the end of 2011 is and how I must hunker down and bang out a manuscript worthy of submission. I know I have been slacking but it is considered research when one is not writing. Isn't it? I am not one for making resolutions...but wait a minute...I am getting ahead of myself. I am that excited to begin work on a new story, the problem is which one. I will use the remainder of 2011 to help me sort that out.

So, this week I will have cleaned the house only to mess it up again on Christmas morn as gift wrapping paper covers the carpet and cookie crumbs find their way into every nook and cranny of the living room set.

I wish you peace, love, and light as you embrace your respective holiday. And may your time be well spent with family and friends.

'Tis the Season

My family keeps asking me what I want for Christmas and my answer has been the same--nothing. Seriously, I do not need or want a thing. I have reached a point in my life were simplicity is key. My daughter is relentless and keeps bugging me for a clue. While I was in my neighborhood Barnes & Noble it suddenly came to me as I held open the door for someone who rushed through without so much as a nod.

Yes, I want someone to thank me when I do something nice as holding a door open so you can push in front of every customer in the store to be the first in line at the register. I quite think that we are all pressed for time. If you thank me, I promise to say, "Thank you" to you when you hold the door open for me. If you unable to hold a door open for me, at least do not swing it back because it no longer serves your purpose other than to smack me in the face.

Maybe it is age, or maybe the hectic stressful existence we are forced to live in. I hear many people complain how hard their lives are. Being third in line at a Starbucks does not seem to be a major life interruption to me. I guess I have low standards.

I do not like to write blog rants but the rudeness I have been encountering on my daily jaunts goes against how I was raised. It's a good thing my grandmother is not around to use the web as a sounding board.

I know that one cannot expect people to behave in the manner they want them to, but I refuse to buy into the negative lack of common courtesy. So I will continue to hold open a door and say "you're welcome" hoping you say "thank you." I will not cut in front of you on line to pay for an item, that I probably don't even need, because I do not think I am more important than you.

So what I want for Christmas is for people to be kinder, gentler, understanding, and patient. Trust me--someone has it worse off than you do. This may be a tall order but there is one thing I will accept from my family as a Christmas present; an enjoyable dinner prepared by all, lounging around the dining room table long after we have taken the last bite of food, and the dishes to be washed, dried, and put away because I am too cheap to buy a dishwasher.

Happy Holidays to all!

Day 3 and what?

So I hit the ground running with NaNo 2011. Two days proved more than the minimum words needed to finish the challenge in time. I was so ahead that according to the convenient stat counter, I would be done with my novella in time to throw the turkey in the oven on Thanksgiving day (this would be greatly appreciated by my family) if I kept producing my two day average. And then day 3 arrived but the words didn't, well that is not entirely true 272 words were added to my NaNo count. I type this as day 4 breaks and I am obsessing over that fact that my writing buddies will peek at my stats (hey I peek at theirs) and smile as their numbers surpass mine. That's fine. That's what NaNo is all about. You have an off day and your buddies send words of encouragement to keep you going. You return the favor when their word count if off.

The problem with my story is the two whiny women my characters have become. I don't like whiny so I have to make something happen to them to toughen them up.

Hmm, I think the word count of this post has surpassed my 3rd day NaNo production. Oh, well priorities.

As Time Ticks By...

For us writers, November brings us National Novel Writing Month, or as it is better known as NaNoWriMo to save a few keystrokes, or NaNo to save even more. I sit at my keyboard playing around with my blog theme, not the content theme but how unusual I can make the home page or land on a design that I like. This my friends is typical procrastination. I am beginning to believe that writer's block does not exist, an excuse I have used for years, but it is truly procrastination that keeps one from getting words on the screen. Sure I have ideas, plenty of them, maybe too many and that is the problem. So what does NaNo have to do with my blog and procrastination?

This year I am approaching NaNo in the manner it was intended for. Sit down November first and start typing away and do not stop until I have produced 50,000 words. They may not be logical or even consist of a single story but there will be words to review.

I have attempted NaNo before and never made the 50K but this year I have a master plan and that's it. I actually have a plan, a thin outline if there ever was one but one none the less. I think this is what had been lacking. Taking too long a break in between manuscripts makes it very hard to get back on track. So NaNo, I will give you the month of November to jump start this writing slump. See you at the finish line.

Is anyone else participating in Nano?

It's 3:32 a.m. - So What

Yep, it's 3:30 a.m. and by the look of my blog one could tell that this is not a good time of the day to redesign, the template, theme (not that I ever had one, though it does seem to focus on music lately), pick colors... Basically, I should have left it alone 4 hours ago when I first attempted to go the sleep for the night. The truth is I do my best writing in the wee hours of the morn. Okay, maybe NOT my best writing but I am at my most productive when all is asleep except me and--well apparently only me. Even the pugs are snoring away, which helps drown out the tapping of the keyboard so the DH does not hear me.

Insomnia can be a very useful tool if managed properly. Hmm, I'll see how that works out for me when I reread this post and revisit my revamped blog design after a few winks of sleep.

P.S. A post is not a post if it is saved as a draft. Sheessh