Seriously. I have nothing for you today. I should be working on my JuNoWriMo word count; instead, I’m browsing WordPress themes, because “Forever” isn’t doing it for me anymore. I like it, but the header font is flimsy, and I can’t afford to customize (even though I found the perfect font… sigh). I haven’t found anything that really matches the image I want to project, so maybe I’ll just go with something fun, see how that goes.
I know, such a professional, right?
Also, I changed my gravatar image to show you what a mean Groucho Marx impression my cat Charlie and I can do when we team up. You’re welcome.
Seriously, guys. I go away for the weekend to the Land That WiFi Forgot, and I come back to an impossible number of tempting blog posts in my WordPress reader. Even being selective has left me with over a dozen open tabs waiting to be read.
WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO ME?
Knock it off with the insight and the encouragement and the sharing of links that I then have to click on and read because they are ALSO useful or delightful. Stop making me happy to see your names on those posts and your smiling faces beside your re-blogs.
Stop being such an amazing community of writers, because it’s super distracting. I don’t have time for this many superstars in my life.
*sigh*
Ugh, fine, don’t look at me like that. You just keep doing what you do, I’ll deal with it somehow. Just don’t expect big word count numbers from me until I get caught up. 🙂
(I wish I could say I used the weekend for that, but I find it hard to get writing done at the in-laws’ house. I did get more editing done on Bound, though, and I’m thinking I need a couple more beta readers for mid-to-late summer. I’ll put up a post requesting those when the time comes, but if anyone wants to volunteer to subject yourself to that, I’m just looking for people who are willing to point out story/character issues, slow spots, unanswered questions that absolutely can’t wait for the sequel, WTF moments… the big stuff, no need for nitty-gritty grammar issues just yet. Raise your hand, shoot me a message at kate.sparkes (at) live (dot) ca, send up a smoke signal somewhere visible from my house, whatever. And bring the awesome!)
“It’s a cage that tells you that if your sexuality is too big, then you’re a slut. It’s a cage that tells you that if your sexuality is too small, then you’re a prude. It’s a cage that tells you that if you step inside or outside of that box, then your value as a human being has disappeared.”
Really interesting thoughts on this topic, and a beautifully expressed argument.
Today you published an article with a deceptively casual title: “Unexcited? There May Be A Pill For That”. On its face, the article bears a simple enough premise: Studies have shown that levels of sexual arousal for women drop off after about one to four years of being in a committed relationship, whereas for men they tend to plateau but remain largely the same. This leads to all sorts of tension, anxiety, and lack of connection between partners. So a few researchers are doing clinical studies to find out whether there is a pharmaceutical compound that could boost these poor women’s libidos and make them desire their partners more, so that their marriages and relationships are happier and no longer in jeopardy.
At first, it seems innocuous enough: Women want better sex lives. What’s wrong with that? Why not, then, create…
I was nominated for this award by two fantastic bloggers: L. Marie, one of my favourite commenters around here and writer on her fantastic blog “El Space”, where she posts insightful and thought-provoking articles on writing (seriously, go check it out), and Briana Vedsted, author of YA and Westerns and one of those bloggers who’s always helping out everyone else, reblogging blogs on “When I Became an Author”, promoting promotions, interviewing authors who could use the exposure, and sharing awesome bits of herself and her writing in the process. Thank you both!
Two nominations means two sets of questions to answer, and one set for me to make up for my own nominees. Hmm…
From L. Marie:
1. What is one thing you want to do to help change the world? Jeez, start with an easy one why don’t you… I want to make the world a better place by making myself a better example for my boys to look up to, so that they can grow up to be curious, intelligent, respectful, loving, creative versions of whoever it is they want to be. The world needs more people like that. Also, I want to spread happiness and kindness where I can. 2. What is your favorite adaptation of a book to a movie? Ooh, tough one. I’m usually hard on movie adaptations. The Shipping News was really well done, and the Shawshank Redemption. 3. Why did you start your blog? I wanted a place to share all of the fun, weird stuff in my head and to talk about writing. I didn’t think anyone would actually read it… 4. When did you first discover that you wanted to write? Probably in first grade. My school “published” our books by laminating and binding them after they were written and illustrated. It was so fun! 5. Most inspiring outdoor place? Why? Too many! My grandparents’ cottage is one; it’s a peaceful spot on a wooded island in a lake in Northern Ontario, and it inspired a lot of adventures in my mind when I was younger. Cape Spear (the Easternmost point in North America) is fantastically inspiring on foggy days. You wouldn’t believe the atmosphere. 6. Do you have a life slogan? If so, what is it? I don’t. I collect quotes, but I don’t have one slogan. I should get one. 7. Name one person who has influenced the way you see life right now. Why? STOP MAKING ME THINK. OK, Tina Fey. She’s funny and entertaining, but she’s more than that. She’s very smart and says a lot of insightful things about achieving goals, being yourself, and why women today can’t think of feminism as something we don’t need anymore. 8. Who is one of your favorite authors? Why? Just one? Stephen King. A lot of people think he writes pulp for shock value, but there’s more depth to his stories (especially recent ones) than a lot of people give him credit for. He’s talented, he writes genre fiction, and he doesn’t apologize for “wasting” his talent. I don’t love all of his books, but when they hook me I can’t put them down. Also, his book “On Writing” changed my life. 9. One piece of advice you would give to a middle schooler or an older teen is . . . Take time to figure things out on your own before you jump into relationships. You feel like you’re all grown up now, but there’s time for that stuff later. “You complete me” is a terrible philosophy when it comes to love. Figure out who you are, complete yourself, then find someone who appreciates the things that make you you and who brings out the best of that. This takes time; respect yourself enough to know that, and before you make big decisions on who your friends are, boyfriends/girlfriends, sex (or jobs, religion, anything), think about whether it’s helping you move toward being the person you want to be. This is so huge that it’s easy to ignore. 10. A goal you have now is to . . . Self-publish something to see if I can do it.
11. A favorite statement a family member or friend has said to you recently about your writing is . . . From one friend/beta reader on Bound:
“I may neglect my children for a few days while I read this. Does talking to them without looking up from the page constitute neglect? “
“Decent amount of sexual tension, I must say! I’m pretty ready for her to jump Aren.”
“ok back to reading. you have me hooked. I was reading before bed last night and dreamed about magical lands all night.”
“You need to publish this. You’re a natural.”
(When I tried to talk about something else) “Shhh! Aren is flying into Rowan’s stormy mind! DON’T INTERRUPT!!!!”
“ummm… what??? Story over?? I need MORE! Come on.”
HOLY CRAP THE WARM FUZZIES.
And Briana’s questions:
What is your pet peeve? People tossing garbage out of their car windows (I have several, this is actually a minor one)
Where would you like to go on vacation? Ontario, to visit my family
Who is your favorite singer? Um… I don’t have one favourite. Let’s say Harry Chapin for now, since I’m going to do a blog post on him some day. 🙂
Do you have a nickname? My husband calls me Kitty. Kate is actually a nickname; most people call me Kathleen in real life
Is there something you collect, i.e. stamps, rocks, dried flowers? My Little Ponies, moose and chicken-related items, old magazine ads featuring mounties
If you could go back in time for a day, what year would you go to? I can’t even answer this one. Too many variables!
What is your favorite color? Green
What smell reminds you of home? the ocean
What was your first pet? A kitten named Tiffany. She got hit by a car. 😦
What is your most prized possession? Right now, my first Canadian edition copy of Animal Farm that I found in my great-grandmother’s things after she died. It changes, though.
Name your favorite book off the top of your head. East of Eden (see random facts)
OK, let’s check the rules…
Rule number 1 is to list 11 random facts about me. (see post here)
Rule number 2 is to nominate 11 other bloggers for the Liebster Award and list their blogsites. (see below)
Rule number 3 is to notify the bloggers of their award. (I’ll get to it)
Rule number 4 is to ask the award winners 11 questions to answer when they accept their Liebster Award. (below, again)
Rule number 5 is I answer the questions left for me by the blogger who gave me the award. (Done. Twice)
NOMINEES (drumroll, please):
Budget Bliss (a friend of mine blogs about planning her dream wedding on a tight time-and-money budget, and offers tips to others aiming to do the same)
Deciphering Kim (another friend’s personal blog. She’s a fantastic teacher and a beautiful person, and she posts updates on her favourite music, what she’s doing with her students, and various ponderings and pictures)
RDUS Customizers’ Paradise (Shannon sells doll hair and posts interviews with pony/doll/toy customizers to show off their amazing work)
Michelle Proulx- The Blog (Michelle wrote the first Sci-Fi book I’ve ever really loved, and her blog is both informative and ridiculously entertaining)
Lit and Scribbles (I’m sure Jae has been nominated plenty of times, but she’s one of the first WordPress bloggers I really connected with, and her blog on writing is fantastic, so get your butt on over there if you haven’t been)
Trainer Trish (a gentle and informative philosophy on training dogs, insightful posts, sweet pictures. I wish I could take Jack to her classes, they sound like so much fun!)
Tricia Drammeh (another of my new favourite writing blogs, with insights into small, independent publishing’s advantages and pitfalls)
tracycembor (great blog for writers. Her updates on publishing are my favourites)
Walk a Mile in my Shoes (amazing mom of a special needs child offers insights and hopes her story will help others in similar situations)
Opinionated, Baby (another amazing mom who writes. Her Mother’s Day post was incredible, and said things I can never manage to. Lovely person and a talented photographer, too!)
Tales From the Red House (another amazing mom and blogger who I’m proud to say is my cousin. Awesomeness runs in my family, guys.)
There are so many other blogs I love, but I thought I’d mix it up here, throw in a bunch of non-writing blogs and random new favourites. There are other awards to nominate for…
So, did I nominate you? Here are the eleven questions you need to answer in your own post (follow the rules listed above for other requirements, and don’t feel obligated to participate! I’m just trying to show your fantastic blogs some love)
If our knees bent the other way, what would a chair look like? (describe, or better yet, draw)
What is your favourite flower? Favourite tree?
What did you dream about last night (or the last one you can remember)?
What do you hope people will gain by reading your blog?
Of the books you’ve read recently (say, 6 months or a year), what was your favourite? Why?
Sweet or salty?
What is your favourite genre for reading? Movies? If they’re different, why do you think that is?
Imagine your perfect morning. What’s the best way you can think of to wake up?
Summer Olympics, or winter? Favourite sport?
What’s the nicest compliment you’ve received recently (writing-related for writers, otherwise for all others)?
Did you read through this whole post, or just skip to the nominations, rules, and these questions? Be honest, we’ve all done it…
So there we go! Here are the rules again, in case any nominees missed them:
Rule number 1 is to list 11 random facts about me. (see post here)
Rule number 2 is to nominate 11 other bloggers for the Liebster Award and list their blogsites. (see below)
Rule number 3 is to notify the bloggers of their award. (I’ll get to it)
Rule number 4 is to ask the award winners 11 questions to answer when they accept their Liebster Award. (below, again)
Rule number 5 is I answer the questions left for me by the blogger who gave me the award. (Done. Twice)
If you nominated me for this and I missed your questions, let me know! WordPress won’t let me search comments, so if you nominated me somewhere other than my “about me” page, I might have lost it. This goes for the other awards, too.
Do you ever look at your blog stats? I don’t do it very often. I love comments, I really like likes, but it doesn’t matter much to me how many other people are clicking on over here. I’m not selling anything (not yet, anyway). Sometimes it’s fun, though. I’m looking through the search terms people have entered and somehow ended up here in DtP land, and it’s interesting. Most fall into a few clusters:
“Depression Writing,” “Bad writing because of depression” (hey!), “writing to help treat depression.” Well, yes, I have written about that a few times. Hope I can help.
“Scrivener vs,” “disadvantages of scrivener,” and “yarny vs” could all have only led to one post. Again, hope I helped.
And then there are my personal favourites:
“Velveteen rabbit syndrome” (I know why it got them to me, it’s just funny)
“Happy birthday to the amazing mom” (Aww, thanks!)
“allan hawco” (yeah, baby!)
“pooka pie”
“parental guidance”
“what are floor bags in southeast asia” (This is my favourite, hands down)
One more, here. The only one for which I have no bloody clue how it brought someone to my blog:
“template for a multivolume manuscript for a family history in mac”
I… I don’t use a mac. Or talk about templates. Or family history. Or multivolume ANYTHING. I mean, thanks for stopping by, but I really doubt I helped out on that one.
And 12 unknown search terms. Hmm…
OK, so I know some of you have way more entertaining search terms that have led people to your blog’s doorstep. Spill ’em!
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PS- while we’re here, a few spam selections, just for more random fun:
“Yes! Finally someone writes about gargoyles sunglasses.”(Um… no problem, cheap Ray-Bans guy?)
“We are a group of volunteers and starting a new scheme in our community. Your web site offered us with valuable information to work on. You have done a formidable job and our entire community will be thankful to you.” (HOLY CRAP! They’re stalking me with their SCHEME!)
I wouldn’t look forward to getting mugged for that headphones immediately after I get them and i am seen sporting them.(Who would?)
Hi there, just turned into aware of your blog via Google, and found that it is really informative. I am going to be careful for brussels. (I think we all should be, really)
Thank you a lot for providing individuals with a very remarkable chance to read from this blog. It is usually very great and packed with a lot of fun for me personally and my office friends to search your blog really thrice in a week to learn the fresh secrets you will have. Not to mention, I’m just certainly astounded with your attractive information served by you. Certain 4 points on this page are basically the finest we’ve had. (Thrice in one week? Thanks!)*
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*Oh, and this reminds me: I found a sweet stash of Engrish on Saturday at a store I don’t usually go into. IT IS AMAZING.
I hope it’s been a good one for all of you. For me, it’s been about the same as it always is, which is pretty fine by me. Spring is coming, if somewhat reluctantly. I’m ripping my hair out over revisions and edits, but that’s a good thing (long-term, I mean), and things are looking good. I might have tightened things up too much… we’ll see if my CPs give me a “Whaaaa–?!” for not giving enough information. Odds are, it’ll be fine. What else… Oh, Captain America helped me do the dishes a few days ago, and now he’s playing “Garbage Dump” on the living room floor. Can’t beat that! WIPpet Wednesday left no one in the story bleeding, crying, vomiting, or trapped in a dragon cave, which is a nice change of pace.
(It’s not ALL that horrible stuff. That just makes for really fun teasers)
In other news, I’ve been nominated for a couple of blog awards, both of which require me to nominate 10 or 11 other bloggers. It sounds like fun, but I really don’t know which of you are into these things, or who’s done them already. It’s a problem. I’m honoured to be nominated (SOMEBODY LIKES ME!), but I don’t know who to share the love with. Hmm…
On to next week! Here in DtP land, I mostly have no idea. On Tuesday we’re going to have a discussion about using senses in writing to create… well, everything. Yep, I said discussion. I’m not a professional or an expert, and you guys have as much to offer as I do. So if you have a scene (or part of one) from your own work that shows off your sensory scene-building skills, polish that sucker up and bring it for show and tell! If you’re not a writer but you have an example from a book you’ve read, or would like to share your own preferences as a reader, bring those, too. Care to confess how the smell of your own feet inspires you when you’re writing the sexy stuff? Maybe just keep that to yourself. Over there, in the corner. Keep going. There you go. No, keep your shoes on.
Other than that, who knows? Maybe a book review. I was going to wait and post one when I finish The Night Circus, but that might never happen, so maybe something else I’ve read recently. Or a photographic tour of our sad little garden-to-be. Or the story of how a publisher lost a paperback sale yesterday by charging a butt-load of money for an e-book. Or chickens! Why not?
I don’t even know what’s coming for WIPpet Wednesday. That’ll be the first of the month. Awkwarrrrrrrd…
And with that, I leave you. I feel like I should leave you with something happy. How about…
A cat in a shark suit riding a roomba?
Someone posted this on my facebook wall, and I think it’s nearly perfect. First of all, it’s a cat who apparently has no problem wearing a stupid costume, and it is quite happily riding a roomba around like this is completely normal. Am I the only one who imagined a “Haters Gonna Hate” caption under him? He knows he’s a badass, and he doesn’t care what you think. And then there’s his sidekick, who happens to be a duckling, which is both absurd and wonderful. Really, I think the only flaw in the video is the dog. He looks sad and embarrassed, and the added element just takes away from the balanced surrealism of the rest. /end critique/
There’s a version that cuts it off before the dog, but I thought the original creator of the video deserved the views. I’m too nice.
In conclusion, cats are awesome. If I had another point I was trying to make today, that video just made me lose it.
I’m going to be honest: I had no idea what to post today. Much as I would have liked to post pictures of something uplifting like signs of spring, I have none to show that aren’t man-made, and how depressing is that? I thought about bumping Tuesday’s post up to today, but that just seemed like cheating. Random facts about myself? Who cares, right?
But today demanded something, if only because this blog has reached 100 followers, and we need to party.
Not a huge number by most standards, no. But I didn’t expect more than about five, so this is big. And I’m blessed with some of the best blog readers around. Really. I never expected to have people commenting on my posts the way you do, and I love it. You always have something to add, or some way to make me smile, and I appreciate that. There’s no reason you all should want to be here reading my ramblings and word-vomit on a regular basis; I’m nobody special, especially when it comes to the writing stuff. I’m an amateur, a nobody, but you folks encourage and inspire me every day, here and through your own writing.
I’m going to stop before I tear up. What I’m saying is, thank you. All of you, whether you comment or lurk. I’m glad you’re here.
*AHEM*
So, what to do today, besides get disgustingly mushy over a group of people who are mostly strangers to me?
A party needs music, right? And music is important to writing. THEME BONUS!
I know from reading your blogs that many of you have songs that in your minds represent your characters in some way. Many of you have entire play-lists devoted to each of them, a feat which requires more attention and organizational skills than I possess. There are several songs that remind me of my characters, too; I won’t go into all of that here, but I’ll share one that gave me a strange experience, and that I continue to love. It would be great if any of you wanted to share your own songs and experiences in the comments (and no judging people based on music they love, please. I hate that.)
Let’s rewind back to November. There I was, typing like mad for NaNoWriMo, trying to get a first draft of Torn out into the computer. I’d just got my iPhone back in the summer and was LOVING it. You see, I’d never had a working iPod or MP3 player, so having all of my favourite music at my fingertips was just blowing my mind. Yes, I’m easily amused. I was having fun buying songs I liked on the radio and then exploring more from those same artists.
I had a few Marianas Trench songs already, and spent some time listening to iTunes song samples for others. Hey look, there was a song called Ever After! How nice. Sample was interesting, I bought the song. Because, hello, affordable music.
I listened to it. I freaked out. Seriously. If you remember looking out your window one day late last November and seeing something weird flailing about, that was me. I was out there. Freaking.
Why? Because I could have sworn the song was about Aren. Not just about him, but about the story I’d written, the one I was working on, and (just to really melt my brain), a couple of lines that could symbolically reference something planned for book 3. The emotional tone is bang-on for the character. Not only that, but “Ever After” is one of the threads that runs through Bound and ties things together, thematically speaking.
HOLY CRAP.*
It’s kind of a weird piece in some ways. It’s one of these songs they do that takes bits and pieces of others on the album and smooshes them together to make something that works. I kind of love that idea, but that’s not the point. The lyrics probably don’t mean much to some people, and to others they’ll mean something that, oddly enough, is not related to my effing books (I know, shut up about it already, right?)
It’ll never be a single, that’s for sure. But it opens an album that’s been getting me through a lot of writing sessions. I don’t know why I find this music so relaxing when most of my real-life stress is caused my yelling and whining, but I do. 😉
Want to hear it? You don’t have to, it’s OK. But if you’re curious, here you go. Oh, and fair warning, there’s a CUSS WORD. I have a strange and disturbing kind of love for the way Josh Ramsay says f*ck, but some of you might not appreciate it so much. 😉
There you go. Probably means nothing to you, right? That’s what I thought. I love that about music, though. It’s a different experience for every listener, and meanings change based on our own experiences, mind-sets, and emotional states. A song that makes you think of a book you’ve read or a character you’ve written might make me think of something from my childhood, or someone I knew in high school. Maybe you love it, and I get nothing out of it. There’s so much room for interpretation. Also, music is kind of a mystery to me. I appreciate it, I like what I like, but as to how it’s written or why the sounds work together? You might as well ask me about astrophysics. I have no clue. But I can still appreciate it, even if my musical preferences aren’t impressively obscure.
So there you go. One song that would have caused me great embarrassment if I’d been in public when I first heard it, and that continues to give me chills.
Your turn! One song, one character, and tell us why you make that association. Also, some good party music, if you’d like to throw that in there. Bring your best party hat, fancy cupcakes, whatever your drink of choice is, and let’s celebrate you guys. Because you’re the most bestest. 🙂
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*CRAP is not the word that was in my mind, I’m just trying to keep it civil, here.
Sorry, got in summer camp mode there for a minute. Apparently a far-too-enthusiastic clown camp of some sort. Sorry about that.
Things are great here at Camp NaNo… at least, the part in my head. In there it’s all pleasantly cool breezes off the lake and clear sunsets just before campfire and s’more time, with writing and horseback riding in between activities.
Outside of my head, not so much.
Both of the kids have been sick for a week with a nasty head cold and occasional fever. We’re constantly battling over nose wipings and medicine takings, and nights have been rotten. Also, and I don’t want to perpetuate a stereotype here, but they both have what is generally known as “the man cold.” I’m needed at all times, which doesn’t leave a lot of time for writing.
I’m still hovering around 2,000 words. Not great.
But the week hasn’t been all bad, not by a long shot. I’m grateful that I’ve (thus far) escaped with only a slight stuffy nose and a few headaches. I had one day where we got out of the house and to the dollar store and Walmart, and it shall go down in history as “the day I got those super pretty notebooks.” That was the same day my paperback copy of the Deptford Trilogy came in the mail, and my sponsor goodies for camp. SWEET!
Even better, the wonderful Jae at Lit and Scribbles featured me/this blog on Wednesday. Isn’t that nice? I’m very excited to see who else she’s got lined up to talk to this month– you should go check it out, too! New friends are always fun.
I guess that’s about all I have to report for the week. Almost done “final” (oh, it is to laugh!) revisions to chapter 6 and 7 of Bound, and I may have found the perfect critique partner if she decides to stick with me. The other new project still insists on bouncing around in my head, but that’s OK- I’ve got these new notebooks handy so I can brain-vomit the ideas out fairly quickly.
So far next week’s looking pretty quiet around here, but I have a few posts scheduled (one featuring many immoral things you don’t want to hear about). Don’t go too far, though; if anything interesting happens, or if I really need to procrastinate, I’ll be around.
Have a great weekend, everyone! Anybody got big plans?
Overall, I agree: when presented as absolute truth, these things are nuts. Write what you know? How boring would my stories be?! When taken more broadly, though, I think there’s merit to some of the advice, especially if we can agree that the advice should be used by those who benefit from it, and all others should feel free to ignore it.
If you’re interested, here’s how it broke down for me (if not, see you tomorrow for WIPpet Wednesday!):
5) “Outline your stories before you write”
DEFINITELY an “if it helps you” bit of advice. I outline… a little. I know where a story is going, but if my characters are doing their jobs (ie being real people as much as they can be), they’ll throw twists and turns in there that I didn’t plan, and couldn’t have, but that make the story richer. So I say outline if it works for you, don’t if it doesn’t. Easy!
4) “Set a writing schedule and stick to it”
There’s no way I can set a schedule and stick to it, but I’m sure it works for a lot of people. I have to write when I can, which is usually after the kids are in bed and when my husband is working nights, plus whatever I can squeeze in during the day. However, I think there is something to be said for writing because it’s time to do it, and not waiting for inspiration to strike. Yes, I love when the words and images are flowing freely and easily, but I’ve done some of my best work when I felt like I had to struggle to pry every word out of my brain. So in that sense, scheduling can work for me, and I suspect for other non-scheduley types. Just showing up can be half the battle, and a schedule can help with that… or it can just be a lot of pressure. Whatever works!
3) “Show, don’t tell”
I think it’s actually good advice, but very ambiguous. Of course we’re always telling. But as a reader, I’d rather a writer show me a character frowning than tell me he was angry. As a writer I want to make you feel the panic beating in a character’s chest, I don’t want to tell you “she started to panic.” The imagery doesn’t have to be complicated, and sometimes it is OK to tell, but generally I do think showing makes things more interesting (assuming, of course, that we don’t take it too far, as noted in the original post!)
2) “If you’re not depressed, alcoholic, or somewhat clinically insane, you can’t create a good story”
I definitely think this is weird. Are you supposed to go out and try to become an alcoholic to help your craft? That said, I don’t think those things are roadblocks, either. If nothing else, my depression is great motivation to keep writing. It helps. A lot. I think it has given me a different viewpoint and voice from what I might have had otherwise, but that doesn’t mean it’s better. Just different. And depression kept me from writing for years- between that and young children, I had no energy or brain power for it. So not so good in that way.
1) “Write what you know”
I do write what I know. I know my fantasy world. I know my characters better than I know my friends, and I can tell you the history of my world. I know what my dragons eat and why they hoard treasure. I know my magic system and why things work the way they do, even when my characters don’t. Do I write what I know from experience? Sometimes. I worked headaches into my current work in a way that enhanced the story, and I know those from way too much experience. But have I experienced everything I write about? Pfft. How boring would that be?! It should never have to be “write what you’ve done” or what you’ve seen, or where you’ve been*.I think “know what you write” (even if you’re making it up as you go along and clean it up later) is a more flexible way of saying this one.
So it’s not the worst advice, as long as it’s interpreted as broadly as possible. I think my work would suffer if I didn’t know those things I mentioned; if my characters’ actions were arbitrary and magic worked because I needed it to. But yeah, writing what I know from experience would just be a lot of depression and poopy diapers. Siiiiick.
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End of my thoughts for today. Add your own, and be sure to share the love over at The Z-axis!
Some of my longer-time (is that a thing?) readers might be familiar with my NaNoWriMo love. I hardly posted here at all in November, because I was spending so much of my time banging out words on Torn. Well, the big event doesn’t roll around again until next November, but they’re running camp sessions in April and July.
Yay!
Camp’s a lot more laid-back; this year they’re letting you set your own word-count goals, and are encouraging people to write whatever they want: a book of poetry, a screenplay, a bunch of short stories, a guide to the care and feeding of cephalopods, whatever floats your canoe. Write 10,000 words or write 99,000 words, just do it and have fun.
I’ve already got my cabin assignment; I’m with a good group of people, most of them from Hamburg, Germany. I’ve packed my toothbrush and some cozy blankets for those nights when the wind blows cold off of lake NaNo, lots of tea and cookies. I’ll still have my regular responsibilities around here, still have the kids to love and squish and the husband to hang out with and the dog to walk, but other than that, I’m gonna be writing!
I’ll be here, too, just maybe not as much. It works out, though, because I’ve been posting too much lately. I’ll keep posting WIPpet Wednesday snippets when I can (in fact, I’ve already set a few up– this is me tempting fate again), and I’ll send y’all postcards via this blog.
Try not to miss me too much if I get lost in the woods, OK? 😉
Oh, and there’s still time to register (for free!) if you want to join in the fun. If you do and want to keep in touch via camper messages, my user name over there is KittySparkes.
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disregard the prologue 