If you want to check out a fantastic contest, click on the link below. Literary Rambles has hit 3000 followers!!! And they are celebrating in a great way, giving back to their followers!! Seriously, click on the link, there are some amazing prizes up for grabs!
Literary Rambles: 3000 FOLLWERS MEGA, MEGA GIVEAWAY:
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Saturday, February 2, 2013
Cross Our Hearts
I don't know if I say this often enough, but my friend Jessi Webb, is a genius.
She mentioned a new story idea that she had, but it wasn't just a plot outline that she had. No, my brilliant friend also had a very cool idea for the format of the story. She explained her ideas to me and I immediately jumped on the bandwagon. At first, I was just being supportive and helping her suss out plots and character ideas and eventually, I was like... "umm, can I help?" The gracious girl accepted and suddenly our creativity exploded.
We sat on MSN for hours talking about this amazing plot idea and these fun,unique characters. And we sorted out what exactly we wanted to do.
That's when we created Cross Our Hearts. (There is a link on my side bar ----> over there) but here it is again. http://xourhearts.blogspot.ca/
Cross Our Hearts is a story about a group of seven childhood friends, who've now grown and are trying to find their way in life. Despite their differences in age and personality, they've remained close. They've had to. Five years ago, they experienced the type of loss that left their group reeling. The death of a friend. An oath was sworn and they had to deal with the guilt and consequences of that ever since.
Sound good? We hope it does!
Each blog post is a chapter and each one is written from one of the seven friend's point of view. There are tags on the left of the page with each character's posts. Eventually we hope that you can read it in several ways. You can read the traditional way - each post as we post it. Or you can choose your favourite character and read through their posts first them move onto the next.
However you decide to read it, we truly hope you enjoy it. We are having so much fun writing this story and we'd love to hear what you think. Please leave us your thoughts in the comments of each chapter or you can email Jessi or I from the contacts page linked at the top.
She mentioned a new story idea that she had, but it wasn't just a plot outline that she had. No, my brilliant friend also had a very cool idea for the format of the story. She explained her ideas to me and I immediately jumped on the bandwagon. At first, I was just being supportive and helping her suss out plots and character ideas and eventually, I was like... "umm, can I help?" The gracious girl accepted and suddenly our creativity exploded.
We sat on MSN for hours talking about this amazing plot idea and these fun,unique characters. And we sorted out what exactly we wanted to do.
That's when we created Cross Our Hearts. (There is a link on my side bar ----> over there) but here it is again. http://xourhearts.blogspot.ca/
Cross Our Hearts is a story about a group of seven childhood friends, who've now grown and are trying to find their way in life. Despite their differences in age and personality, they've remained close. They've had to. Five years ago, they experienced the type of loss that left their group reeling. The death of a friend. An oath was sworn and they had to deal with the guilt and consequences of that ever since.
Sound good? We hope it does!
Each blog post is a chapter and each one is written from one of the seven friend's point of view. There are tags on the left of the page with each character's posts. Eventually we hope that you can read it in several ways. You can read the traditional way - each post as we post it. Or you can choose your favourite character and read through their posts first them move onto the next.
However you decide to read it, we truly hope you enjoy it. We are having so much fun writing this story and we'd love to hear what you think. Please leave us your thoughts in the comments of each chapter or you can email Jessi or I from the contacts page linked at the top.
Friday, November 16, 2012
SuperZero - a tiny excerpt
Chapter 1
Her fingers
moved deftly over the small electronic device in her hands. The mustached
plumber jumped at her command and caught the green and white mushroom that fell
from the brick block above. Then running faster than his little legs should have
allowed, he jumped for the brick castle as her score tallied.
“Yes!” Ava
did a small victorious fist pump as she turned to grin cockily at her opponent.
She reached up to tuck a pink lock of hair behind her ear as the slender man
beside her grumbled.
“You’ve been
practicing.” He commented. The way his eyes crinkled slightly at the corners
was the only hint at the amusement he was feeling.
“Of course.
You thumped me in Mario last time I was here.” Ava laughed as she reached for
the can of soda off the steel table beside her.
“Can’t let that happen again.”
With a
chuckle, Miles stood up and stretched his lean frame. His vibrant yellow and
black spandex suit was just this side of indecent in the detail that it revealed.
Ava
carefully averted her eyes.
“Your
mom’ll be here soon. I should get ready. Brush up on Zelda for next time.”
Miles said as he plucked the black mask from the table and fixed it over his
dark eyes. He was The Bee - sidekick to one of the most mysterious super
villains that Acyra City had seen in the last decade. Chaos. No one was sure of
exactly what his end game was. At the
moment, his only goal seemed to be to create havoc. His only obstacle so far was The Crimson Cape.
She was the
sweetheart and savior of Acyra City. Not to mention president of the
North-Eastern US chapter of the International Coalition of Superheroes or the
ICS.
Oh, yeah…
and she was Ava’s mom.
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
When my friend and fellow writer, Jessi, suggested that we do some short stories to enter into a couple of contests, my first thought was 'Wow, she's brilliant' (it's a thought I have frequently) and the next thought to enter my mind was 'I can look through my folder of half started stories and see if anything there is usable.'
See, I have a folder. I'm sure most writers have one similar to it. It's filled with story ideas that I have started but for one reason or another, I don't finish them. Sometimes, I'm not sure of the plot. Other times it's the characters that aren't working for me. And then once in a while there is a story that just has too many possibilities and you aren't sure where to go with it. Not sure which path is the right one for that story.
And that is where I found SuperZero. Sitting patiently in that folder just waiting for me to figure out where to take it.
I had only written a thousand words of it and I truly loved it. Ava, my MC, was fun and she had a very distinctive voice. The premise of the story was solid. A fresh take on an old idea. Yet I had never done anything with it. So I pulled it out and read it over. I mulled over it for a full day and then it was like a floodgate had opened up in my mind and I could see exactly what I needed to do to make this story every thing I knew it could be.
I spent about two days writing it and it came out at about 5000 words. I loved the story. I loved how the characters interacted. I was quite happy with it. (and from a neurotic writer... that's saying something)
The problem? The contest I wanted to enter had a maximum of 4000. I had to trim a fifth of the story away. So the editing process took over a week to do and eventually came down to Jessi and I talking over the mics and pulling the story apart word by word. Finding any and all unnecessary words to cut. It took about an hour and half of intensive editing to remove the final 300 words but we did it. And it's a story that is tight, purposeful and a lot of fun. Every word works toward pushing the story forward and I am actually proud of it.
I sent it off to several friends and fellow writers to read over and have received positive feedback. In fact, I've actually developed my own cheering section for this story.
And now I have a book planned. And when I say planned, I mean I have a 2000 word synopsis of the plot written and details completely thought out. I also have a rough outline of a potential sequel (or series if it ever sold). I have to say, I am more excited about this book than I have been for anything in a very very long time. I am starting a 4 day weekend and I cannot wait to start writing it.
See, I have a folder. I'm sure most writers have one similar to it. It's filled with story ideas that I have started but for one reason or another, I don't finish them. Sometimes, I'm not sure of the plot. Other times it's the characters that aren't working for me. And then once in a while there is a story that just has too many possibilities and you aren't sure where to go with it. Not sure which path is the right one for that story.
And that is where I found SuperZero. Sitting patiently in that folder just waiting for me to figure out where to take it.
I had only written a thousand words of it and I truly loved it. Ava, my MC, was fun and she had a very distinctive voice. The premise of the story was solid. A fresh take on an old idea. Yet I had never done anything with it. So I pulled it out and read it over. I mulled over it for a full day and then it was like a floodgate had opened up in my mind and I could see exactly what I needed to do to make this story every thing I knew it could be.
I spent about two days writing it and it came out at about 5000 words. I loved the story. I loved how the characters interacted. I was quite happy with it. (and from a neurotic writer... that's saying something)
The problem? The contest I wanted to enter had a maximum of 4000. I had to trim a fifth of the story away. So the editing process took over a week to do and eventually came down to Jessi and I talking over the mics and pulling the story apart word by word. Finding any and all unnecessary words to cut. It took about an hour and half of intensive editing to remove the final 300 words but we did it. And it's a story that is tight, purposeful and a lot of fun. Every word works toward pushing the story forward and I am actually proud of it.
I sent it off to several friends and fellow writers to read over and have received positive feedback. In fact, I've actually developed my own cheering section for this story.
And now I have a book planned. And when I say planned, I mean I have a 2000 word synopsis of the plot written and details completely thought out. I also have a rough outline of a potential sequel (or series if it ever sold). I have to say, I am more excited about this book than I have been for anything in a very very long time. I am starting a 4 day weekend and I cannot wait to start writing it.
Thursday, May 17, 2012
One step forward, three steps back.
No one can ever say the life of a struggling author is boring. I suppose, to the outside observer, it might appear that way. I mean, at first glance, sitting alone in a room with a computer with nothing but the strains of Adele or Damien Rice playing in the background, may not appear to be the most exciting evening ever. Hell, written down like that, it sounds almost relaxing.
Yet as any writer will tell you, appearances can be decieving.
That scene above? That's how I spend my writing nights. Gentle sounds of music, the quiet clicking of the keyboard but I am usually wired on highly caffienated beverages, I'm possibly in the midst of a really good sugar buzz, I'm figuring out details on a rather tricky scene, and I've actually tuned out the soothing music and I'm engaging in a huge debate with several very vocal and very opinionated people at that very moment. And the best part of it all... those people are inventions of my own imagination.
Yup, I'm apparently insane.
As absurd as it sounds, I love every second of it! I may sound certifiable when I talk about the arguments with my characters but I have them all the time. They may not be verbal discussions but there are struggles. I can plot a scene and think 'This character is going to react this way and then do this' but as I write I realise that it isn't right. The character guides how it should go. It's then that I realize that I have two options - I can write the scene the way I had it plotted or I can go with this new direction. And I can guarantee you, if I write it according to plan... I will be going back to rewrite it in the new direction before the story is finished.
So no, my characters don't start yelling "Hey dummy, you are writing it wrong!" but they do guide the writing. And it's those moments that I love. Why? Because at that moment I realize that my character have become more than just the sketch of a character I thought of. They have their own way of handling things, they have their own voice and they've developed in my mind the way I'd hoped they would.
To me, characters make or break a story. I love a good plot as much as the next person, but if the characters in that story feel flat or lack a voice, I will lose interest quickly. I can read a book with a less than stellar plot, but give me boring characters that I don't care about and I'll drop the book before I get to the midway point.
Yet as any writer will tell you, appearances can be decieving.
That scene above? That's how I spend my writing nights. Gentle sounds of music, the quiet clicking of the keyboard but I am usually wired on highly caffienated beverages, I'm possibly in the midst of a really good sugar buzz, I'm figuring out details on a rather tricky scene, and I've actually tuned out the soothing music and I'm engaging in a huge debate with several very vocal and very opinionated people at that very moment. And the best part of it all... those people are inventions of my own imagination.
Yup, I'm apparently insane.
As absurd as it sounds, I love every second of it! I may sound certifiable when I talk about the arguments with my characters but I have them all the time. They may not be verbal discussions but there are struggles. I can plot a scene and think 'This character is going to react this way and then do this' but as I write I realise that it isn't right. The character guides how it should go. It's then that I realize that I have two options - I can write the scene the way I had it plotted or I can go with this new direction. And I can guarantee you, if I write it according to plan... I will be going back to rewrite it in the new direction before the story is finished.
So no, my characters don't start yelling "Hey dummy, you are writing it wrong!" but they do guide the writing. And it's those moments that I love. Why? Because at that moment I realize that my character have become more than just the sketch of a character I thought of. They have their own way of handling things, they have their own voice and they've developed in my mind the way I'd hoped they would.
To me, characters make or break a story. I love a good plot as much as the next person, but if the characters in that story feel flat or lack a voice, I will lose interest quickly. I can read a book with a less than stellar plot, but give me boring characters that I don't care about and I'll drop the book before I get to the midway point.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Amazing Contest!!
It's not often that I post about contests (actually, if you want to get technical, I've never written a post about any contest) but this one is different. I've been following Shannon's blog for ages now and she just announced recently that she has a book deal. (YAY SHANNON!) And to celebrate that fact, she has put together the contest to shame all other contests.
http://ramblingsofawannabescribe.blogspot.com/2011/10/wishes-come-true-in-biggest-blog.html
Check it out! There are some seriously kick ass prizes! Tell her Angie sent you (not that she'll have any idea who the hell that is... I just thought it sounded cool. )
http://ramblingsofawannabescribe.blogspot.com/2011/10/wishes-come-true-in-biggest-blog.html
Check it out! There are some seriously kick ass prizes! Tell her Angie sent you (not that she'll have any idea who the hell that is... I just thought it sounded cool. )
Friday, October 14, 2011
Nanowrimo Prep
Well, it's almost that time of year again. Nanowrimo. 50,000 words in 30 days. Sounds like something only a crazy person would attempt, right? Right. That's why I've begun preparation for it now.
A few months ago I posted about a new world that I was creating and how it had all been inspired by a beer commercial (of all things). That's the world I am going to work on for this year's Nano. And right now I am working on the plot for it. I already have what I refer to as the bible for Hallow City (the working title). In the bible, I have detailed, but poorly drawn maps, character sketches, creatures, notes on the different groups of people and a few vague notes about the plot.
But the plot is the part that is being most difficult for me. I can see the world, I can almost hear the characters and I can envision the creatures, but I need a plot to propel the story forward. So the last few days I worked on figuring out the details.
I grabbed my bible of Hallow City and a pen and I sat down to figure things out. I had good intentions. Yet somehow, instead of working on the plot for Sophie, Em and Bea... I wrote out a fantastic plot for Ellie (Em's grandmother). That's right. I wrote 3 pages of backstory plot but nothing for the plot of this story. I still have a lot of work to do but you know what? I kinda love it. :)
A few months ago I posted about a new world that I was creating and how it had all been inspired by a beer commercial (of all things). That's the world I am going to work on for this year's Nano. And right now I am working on the plot for it. I already have what I refer to as the bible for Hallow City (the working title). In the bible, I have detailed, but poorly drawn maps, character sketches, creatures, notes on the different groups of people and a few vague notes about the plot.
But the plot is the part that is being most difficult for me. I can see the world, I can almost hear the characters and I can envision the creatures, but I need a plot to propel the story forward. So the last few days I worked on figuring out the details.
I grabbed my bible of Hallow City and a pen and I sat down to figure things out. I had good intentions. Yet somehow, instead of working on the plot for Sophie, Em and Bea... I wrote out a fantastic plot for Ellie (Em's grandmother). That's right. I wrote 3 pages of backstory plot but nothing for the plot of this story. I still have a lot of work to do but you know what? I kinda love it. :)
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
I really have fantastic friends.
These pictures were drawn by David Webb. They are so incredibly accurate with my vision of Will and Victoria, I had to share them with you.
Thank you again to David! You are my favourite person!
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Beyond annoyed.
So as I was on Twitter earlier I found a link through Nathan Bransford. It was an article about how the Harry Potter movies were better than the books.
The-article-that-should-not-be-named.
I rarely comment on such garbage, but this article annoyed me to no end. Below is my response.
This was obviously a great attempt at trying to generate traffic by inciting Harry Potter fans only days before the final movie is released. Congratulations! You succeeded. And as much as I wanted to just ignore this article and not comment, it has annoyed me since I first read it, so I am back to add in my two cents.
I am a fan of the movies because I love the books. I overlook the giant plot holes in the movies because as a fan of the series, I know the things that are being missed. The movies are visually stunning and lots of fun to watch, but they can't even begin to compare to the heart that drives the books forward.
This comment "Harry himself remained stuck in the whiny, adolescent act two of his story, storming away from the Order of the Phoenix because he can’t come to terms with being important." made me laugh out loud. Do you remember being a teenager?
At the time of Order of the Phoenix, Harry is 15 years old and he'd just lost his godfather. The man who was best friends with his father. The man who could have helped him escape the horrors of his Aunt's house. With the loss of Sirius, Harry lost yet another connection to his parents who he never had a chance to know. And you thought a normal 15 year old grieving boy would just accept the fact that he is important? That he'd accept the fact that if Sirius weren't protecting him, he never would have been killed? Really? His reaction may not have been right but it was one of the many things that made me adore these stories. She made us feel his pain with that temper tantrum of his, she made us care that much more about him. She made him seem even more real.
And despite what you suggested, he does grow through the stories. By the end, he gives his life willingly in order to defeat Voldemort. It was a selfless and mature reaction, one that he likely wouldn't have done if he'd not gone through the loss of Sirius and the loss of Dumbledore. He gave his life in order to save so many others. Not exactly the reaction of a whiny adolescent, is it?
The movies were wonderful, but they were wonderful because they had a brilliant series as their basis. The books were the heart. They were what captured the hearts and imaginations of millions and the movies cashed in on that.
Edit: My friend, Jessi has a fantastic rebuttal to this article on her blog
The-article-that-should-not-be-named.
I rarely comment on such garbage, but this article annoyed me to no end. Below is my response.
This was obviously a great attempt at trying to generate traffic by inciting Harry Potter fans only days before the final movie is released. Congratulations! You succeeded. And as much as I wanted to just ignore this article and not comment, it has annoyed me since I first read it, so I am back to add in my two cents.
I am a fan of the movies because I love the books. I overlook the giant plot holes in the movies because as a fan of the series, I know the things that are being missed. The movies are visually stunning and lots of fun to watch, but they can't even begin to compare to the heart that drives the books forward.
This comment "Harry himself remained stuck in the whiny, adolescent act two of his story, storming away from the Order of the Phoenix because he can’t come to terms with being important." made me laugh out loud. Do you remember being a teenager?
At the time of Order of the Phoenix, Harry is 15 years old and he'd just lost his godfather. The man who was best friends with his father. The man who could have helped him escape the horrors of his Aunt's house. With the loss of Sirius, Harry lost yet another connection to his parents who he never had a chance to know. And you thought a normal 15 year old grieving boy would just accept the fact that he is important? That he'd accept the fact that if Sirius weren't protecting him, he never would have been killed? Really? His reaction may not have been right but it was one of the many things that made me adore these stories. She made us feel his pain with that temper tantrum of his, she made us care that much more about him. She made him seem even more real.
And despite what you suggested, he does grow through the stories. By the end, he gives his life willingly in order to defeat Voldemort. It was a selfless and mature reaction, one that he likely wouldn't have done if he'd not gone through the loss of Sirius and the loss of Dumbledore. He gave his life in order to save so many others. Not exactly the reaction of a whiny adolescent, is it?
The movies were wonderful, but they were wonderful because they had a brilliant series as their basis. The books were the heart. They were what captured the hearts and imaginations of millions and the movies cashed in on that.
Edit: My friend, Jessi has a fantastic rebuttal to this article on her blog
Monday, July 11, 2011
I should be sleeping.
But instead, I am busy creating my new world. I am obsessed at the moment. Maps, descriptions, rules and just general tidbits of information are flowing onto the page. My characters are beginning to take shape in my head and the plot (though still just a basic outline) is starting to take form. Right now, it's the world that I am focusing on.
Originally it was going to be Earth, a few hundred years after a nuclear war had completely decimated the planet, but the more I worked on the world, the more I realized that it had to be a new world all together. And once I made that decision, the floodgates opened and I have so many pages of information. Most I will likely never need, but I have this intense need to write it all down in case I do need it some day. I have never done anything of this scale before so I am kind of going overboard, I'm sure.
One thing that I've done that I'm actually quite proud of is that I am actually creating what I refer to as my 'bible' for this world. I have it all sectioned off into different areas - world, characters, plots, etc. And I have everything (even the post it note map I made when this all came to me) tucked in there. What I am hoping is, that as I write this story - which is tentatively being called Hallow City, I will have any info I need right at my fingertips.
Like I said, this is all new to me, so I figure it's better to be over prepared for this story. The best part of it though, is that the world is feeling more and more real to me as I work on this. I can see the cities, the forests, the creatures, everything is coming together that will, hopefully, make it easy to slip into this world once I start working.
Fingers crossed that that is true.
Originally it was going to be Earth, a few hundred years after a nuclear war had completely decimated the planet, but the more I worked on the world, the more I realized that it had to be a new world all together. And once I made that decision, the floodgates opened and I have so many pages of information. Most I will likely never need, but I have this intense need to write it all down in case I do need it some day. I have never done anything of this scale before so I am kind of going overboard, I'm sure.
One thing that I've done that I'm actually quite proud of is that I am actually creating what I refer to as my 'bible' for this world. I have it all sectioned off into different areas - world, characters, plots, etc. And I have everything (even the post it note map I made when this all came to me) tucked in there. What I am hoping is, that as I write this story - which is tentatively being called Hallow City, I will have any info I need right at my fingertips.
Like I said, this is all new to me, so I figure it's better to be over prepared for this story. The best part of it though, is that the world is feeling more and more real to me as I work on this. I can see the cities, the forests, the creatures, everything is coming together that will, hopefully, make it easy to slip into this world once I start working.
Fingers crossed that that is true.
Monday, July 4, 2011
So this is what madness feels like.
I was watching TV the other night, minding my own business, when a commercial came on and I was suddenly inspired. I suddenly had this entire new world forming in my mind. So, in the middle of the night, by the light of the TV I grabbed the closest paper and pen that I could find (a sharpie marker and post it notes) and began to jot down ideas and a very rough map of this new world.
And now I am completely focussed on this new world. I had no plot, no characters, nothing but a badly drawn map and a thousand ideas for this new civilization.
Last night I set to work redrawing the map, and as I was doing that the main character stepped up behind me and tapped me on the shoulder. She basically said here I am and here's your plot. (yes I know exactly how crazy this all sounds)
Suddenly I began to realize who my characters were and the plot began to take shape. More notes, maps and character information started filling up the notebook I was sketching in. I now have a dozen pages of information on this new world that was created because of a ridiculous TV commercial.
Though I have to say, I am ridiculously excited by this plot and these characters. I am planning on starting to write some of it today. I have a thousand other things I should be writing but this one has all of my attention at the moment. So I am going with it.
What's the weirdest place you've gotten inspiration from?
And now I am completely focussed on this new world. I had no plot, no characters, nothing but a badly drawn map and a thousand ideas for this new civilization.
Last night I set to work redrawing the map, and as I was doing that the main character stepped up behind me and tapped me on the shoulder. She basically said here I am and here's your plot. (yes I know exactly how crazy this all sounds)
Suddenly I began to realize who my characters were and the plot began to take shape. More notes, maps and character information started filling up the notebook I was sketching in. I now have a dozen pages of information on this new world that was created because of a ridiculous TV commercial.
Though I have to say, I am ridiculously excited by this plot and these characters. I am planning on starting to write some of it today. I have a thousand other things I should be writing but this one has all of my attention at the moment. So I am going with it.
What's the weirdest place you've gotten inspiration from?
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Well, I've done it. I've sent out a few query letters to my top three agent choices. I am not quite sure if I should be excited, happy, scared or completely panic stricken so to err on the side of caution, I am a delightful combination of all of the above.
How is it possible that clicking that tiny send button can cause such a rush of fear and excitement?
The three ladies that I sent my query to are brilliant and talented and if any of them chose to represent me I'd definitely consider myself lucky. (No I'm not mentioning names at this time) So maybe that's contributing to my nerves.
My mind is a mess. I know that rejection is a part of the process and I'm absolutely ready for that. In fact, I'm kind of feeling zen bout the whole rejection thing. I've realized that I will get rejected and if I couldn't handle that then this would not be an industry that I'd want to be a part of.
Each rejection is just another step closer to finding that one yes that I need to get Scarlet published. I'm paying my dues and it is an inevitable part of my path.
Yet somehow, sending these three letters off has filled me with such dread and worry. I think it's because of who it is. These are my top choices. After months of pouring everything into this story (my heart, my soul, my sanity) and then the even harder task of editing, I spent weeks searching, researching and (yes I will admit it) cyber stalking the different agents.
It was a daunting task. There were a lot of names that caught my attention - over 30 agents made my first list. Then through a series of research sessions I managed to whittle that list down to the top 8. And from them - these three seemed to feel right for Scarlet.
And the logic behind this selection process was sketchy at best. At first, it was smart decisions. Double checking the agents I'd chosen against Preditors and editors and the Absolutely Write forums. Any agent that didn't make the grade, got the boot.
Then researching the agency websites to make sure that the Agents represented the Y/A historical genre that Scarlet is. A few more agents got knocked off the list.
Then my attention was turned to the social media - Twitter, blogs and facebook. I was suddenly stalking agents anywhere online that I could find them. This is where I made my final selections. Not based on anything more than the personalities that I could see through tweets and blog posts. I could myself sitting down for a cup of coffee with these ladies. I know that tweets and blogs are not a clear indication of who a person is, but its a start. And it's all I had to go with, so I did.
And now here I am. I'm waiting impatiently, even though I've only sent the letters out 8 hours ago. Not expecting rejection, but prepared for it. Not expecting a positive answer but hoping for it.
You know, if this keeps up the next time I send out a few letters, I may need to be fitted for a lovely straight jacket before too long.
How is it possible that clicking that tiny send button can cause such a rush of fear and excitement?
The three ladies that I sent my query to are brilliant and talented and if any of them chose to represent me I'd definitely consider myself lucky. (No I'm not mentioning names at this time) So maybe that's contributing to my nerves.
My mind is a mess. I know that rejection is a part of the process and I'm absolutely ready for that. In fact, I'm kind of feeling zen bout the whole rejection thing. I've realized that I will get rejected and if I couldn't handle that then this would not be an industry that I'd want to be a part of.
Each rejection is just another step closer to finding that one yes that I need to get Scarlet published. I'm paying my dues and it is an inevitable part of my path.
Yet somehow, sending these three letters off has filled me with such dread and worry. I think it's because of who it is. These are my top choices. After months of pouring everything into this story (my heart, my soul, my sanity) and then the even harder task of editing, I spent weeks searching, researching and (yes I will admit it) cyber stalking the different agents.
It was a daunting task. There were a lot of names that caught my attention - over 30 agents made my first list. Then through a series of research sessions I managed to whittle that list down to the top 8. And from them - these three seemed to feel right for Scarlet.
And the logic behind this selection process was sketchy at best. At first, it was smart decisions. Double checking the agents I'd chosen against Preditors and editors and the Absolutely Write forums. Any agent that didn't make the grade, got the boot.
Then researching the agency websites to make sure that the Agents represented the Y/A historical genre that Scarlet is. A few more agents got knocked off the list.
Then my attention was turned to the social media - Twitter, blogs and facebook. I was suddenly stalking agents anywhere online that I could find them. This is where I made my final selections. Not based on anything more than the personalities that I could see through tweets and blog posts. I could myself sitting down for a cup of coffee with these ladies. I know that tweets and blogs are not a clear indication of who a person is, but its a start. And it's all I had to go with, so I did.
And now here I am. I'm waiting impatiently, even though I've only sent the letters out 8 hours ago. Not expecting rejection, but prepared for it. Not expecting a positive answer but hoping for it.
You know, if this keeps up the next time I send out a few letters, I may need to be fitted for a lovely straight jacket before too long.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
The Joys of Editing
I finally buckled down to begin what I hope is my final round of edits for Scarlet. (I'll likely continue to edit and tweak it until I can sell it but well, let's stay optimistic here.)
I knew that this round would be the toughest, but tonight was brutal. I sat down with the notes, comments, and corrections from my group of fabulous readers and my latest copy of Scarlet then I went nuts. I literally pulled apart the entire first chapter and put it back together. The first page has exactly four sentences that are the same before I started this process tonight. Everything else has been edited, rewritten or changed.
Not that it was bad before. It was alright. Okay. Average. I wanted better than that. I want to get Scarlet published. It's been my dream for so long to become a published author and with Scarlet, I have a tale that I think that there is a possibility. Hopefully I can make that dream a reality. If nothing else, I want to give it my best effort.
I'm not deluding myself into thinking that this will be easy. Not by a long shot. I am completely aware of how tough the competition is out there and just how difficult it will be just to get an agent to read my story. And I know that I likely have a mountain of rejection letters to wade through before I get there. Yet part of me has to remain hopeful. If I lose that spark of hope, what's the point in even trying? I might as well go back to tucking my stories onto the top shelf of my closet.
So instead, I have to push myself through this round of edits. I need to work harder on this novel than I've ever done before on a story. I am not afraid to shred my tale and piece it back together. Not if that's what it's going to take to make this story shine. Every comment I've received from my readers is being looked at carefully. And I have to say that I have some amazing girls reading for me. Their comments are tough, smart and for the most part, right. They've seemed to pick up on the little things that I had missed during my last round of edits and things that I didn't even realize needed fixing.
As I read through my edited version of Chapter 1 tonight, (outloud to my dogs - who looked at me like I was slightly mad) I was able to kick my self doubt to the curb.I'm sure it will be back with a vengence as I wait to hear from agents but for now, I am proud of what I have done with this crazy little story. Even if it never sees the light of day, I am pleased with how it has turned out.
So this turned out to be more of a pep talk to myself rather than any type of blog that makes sense, but that's okay. Sometimes a self-motivating talk is important.
Especially when I know that I have 20 more chapters to go.
I knew that this round would be the toughest, but tonight was brutal. I sat down with the notes, comments, and corrections from my group of fabulous readers and my latest copy of Scarlet then I went nuts. I literally pulled apart the entire first chapter and put it back together. The first page has exactly four sentences that are the same before I started this process tonight. Everything else has been edited, rewritten or changed.
Not that it was bad before. It was alright. Okay. Average. I wanted better than that. I want to get Scarlet published. It's been my dream for so long to become a published author and with Scarlet, I have a tale that I think that there is a possibility. Hopefully I can make that dream a reality. If nothing else, I want to give it my best effort.
I'm not deluding myself into thinking that this will be easy. Not by a long shot. I am completely aware of how tough the competition is out there and just how difficult it will be just to get an agent to read my story. And I know that I likely have a mountain of rejection letters to wade through before I get there. Yet part of me has to remain hopeful. If I lose that spark of hope, what's the point in even trying? I might as well go back to tucking my stories onto the top shelf of my closet.
So instead, I have to push myself through this round of edits. I need to work harder on this novel than I've ever done before on a story. I am not afraid to shred my tale and piece it back together. Not if that's what it's going to take to make this story shine. Every comment I've received from my readers is being looked at carefully. And I have to say that I have some amazing girls reading for me. Their comments are tough, smart and for the most part, right. They've seemed to pick up on the little things that I had missed during my last round of edits and things that I didn't even realize needed fixing.
As I read through my edited version of Chapter 1 tonight, (outloud to my dogs - who looked at me like I was slightly mad) I was able to kick my self doubt to the curb.I'm sure it will be back with a vengence as I wait to hear from agents but for now, I am proud of what I have done with this crazy little story. Even if it never sees the light of day, I am pleased with how it has turned out.
So this turned out to be more of a pep talk to myself rather than any type of blog that makes sense, but that's okay. Sometimes a self-motivating talk is important.
Especially when I know that I have 20 more chapters to go.
Friday, November 19, 2010
Common courtesy... a thing of the past?
This post really has nothing to do with writing but I'm annoyed so where better to vent than here!
When exactly did common decency and kindness to our fellow human beings become a thing of myth? It's not even December yet and the behaviour of the people in stores is horrendous.
I went to get groceries today and it started before I even entered the store. As I went to grab a cart, I paused for a minute to rummage in my pocket for a quarter and the lady behind me sighed heavily. As though my two second pause was the most inconvenient thing that she had ever encountered in her life. So, in an effort to be polite, I smiled and stepped aside to let her into the one row of carts that I'd been blocking. She walked past the other two rows of carts to get at them and actually huffed as she stormed away.
Ok, someone was having a bad day, I thought. And I went ahead got my cart and made my way to the doors. It was then that the little old lady ran across the parking lot and darted into the door ahead of me. The had the gall to scowl at me when I skidded to a stop so that I would run into her.
So, two people in a row in a bad mood.... ok, it happens. It soon became apparent that it wasn't just those two. In fact, I was quick to realize that I had obviously woken up in a parallel universe where it was the norm to be angry, impatient and rude. And I was clearly out of place. I was cut off, people left carts blocking off aisles and wander off, and people were bitching at the staff. I was shocked and appalled.
Somehow I managed to get my groceries at record speed and get the hell out of there. Then I saw it. The simple act of kindness that stood out against the rudeness of the entire hour that I was there. An older lady got her groceries loaded into the cab and when the driver went to put the cart back for her and retrieve her quarter. The lady said "No leave it for someone else."
That's it, just leaving the quarter for someone else. I find is truly sad that that was the one act of kindness in my entire afternoon, but that only lasted for about three seconds. Before the lady's cab even pulled away from the curb, another lady brought her cart back. She proceeded to take the quarter from her cart and the other one as well. I suppose she needed that quarter to put gas in her gas guzzling Caddilac Escalade.
Seriously though, I was left scratching my head. She was obviously not hurting for cash but she couldn't bear the thought of a single quarter sitting there for just anyone to use. She found it absolutely essential to piss all over someone else's good deed. Lovely.
The holidays are just over a month away. And of all the times in the year, wouldn't you think that this is the time for kindness and patience and just common courtesy for other human beings. I know it's a busy time of year, and I know that it can be expensive but no matter how stressed we are, there are people in worse situations.
I am organizing a huge food drive for the office that I work in. Our company has over 400 employees so I have devised a bit of a food drive competition that will go for an entire month. And I've gotten a few emails for fellow co-workers. Most have been things like asking for more details on what foods are most needed by the food bank or if they can include mittens and hats for kids as well.
But I've also gotten angry emails from people complaining about everything. I mean everything. People complaining that they don't have the money to donate, or they don't feel the prize is worth it. How can people be so petty and ridiculous over something like this? I mean, I'm broke too but I have a few cans in the cupboard of soups and pasta that I know can be used and that we won't miss.
Yes, we have a prize for the team who 'wins' the competition. The prize isn't much, just coffee and donuts for that team. Yet the prize isn't the main point of this, its the fact that an organization as large as ours can do a lot of good if we all pitch in just the littlest bit.
I'm just disheartened by it all today. I like to believe that people are inately good and kind but days like this, make me sincerely wonder if I am the abnormal one. Not that I am saying I'm better than anyone. I'm not by any stretch of the imagination. Maybe its just that my beliefs about my fellow humans are naive.
When exactly did common decency and kindness to our fellow human beings become a thing of myth? It's not even December yet and the behaviour of the people in stores is horrendous.
I went to get groceries today and it started before I even entered the store. As I went to grab a cart, I paused for a minute to rummage in my pocket for a quarter and the lady behind me sighed heavily. As though my two second pause was the most inconvenient thing that she had ever encountered in her life. So, in an effort to be polite, I smiled and stepped aside to let her into the one row of carts that I'd been blocking. She walked past the other two rows of carts to get at them and actually huffed as she stormed away.
Ok, someone was having a bad day, I thought. And I went ahead got my cart and made my way to the doors. It was then that the little old lady ran across the parking lot and darted into the door ahead of me. The had the gall to scowl at me when I skidded to a stop so that I would run into her.
So, two people in a row in a bad mood.... ok, it happens. It soon became apparent that it wasn't just those two. In fact, I was quick to realize that I had obviously woken up in a parallel universe where it was the norm to be angry, impatient and rude. And I was clearly out of place. I was cut off, people left carts blocking off aisles and wander off, and people were bitching at the staff. I was shocked and appalled.
Somehow I managed to get my groceries at record speed and get the hell out of there. Then I saw it. The simple act of kindness that stood out against the rudeness of the entire hour that I was there. An older lady got her groceries loaded into the cab and when the driver went to put the cart back for her and retrieve her quarter. The lady said "No leave it for someone else."
That's it, just leaving the quarter for someone else. I find is truly sad that that was the one act of kindness in my entire afternoon, but that only lasted for about three seconds. Before the lady's cab even pulled away from the curb, another lady brought her cart back. She proceeded to take the quarter from her cart and the other one as well. I suppose she needed that quarter to put gas in her gas guzzling Caddilac Escalade.
Seriously though, I was left scratching my head. She was obviously not hurting for cash but she couldn't bear the thought of a single quarter sitting there for just anyone to use. She found it absolutely essential to piss all over someone else's good deed. Lovely.
The holidays are just over a month away. And of all the times in the year, wouldn't you think that this is the time for kindness and patience and just common courtesy for other human beings. I know it's a busy time of year, and I know that it can be expensive but no matter how stressed we are, there are people in worse situations.
I am organizing a huge food drive for the office that I work in. Our company has over 400 employees so I have devised a bit of a food drive competition that will go for an entire month. And I've gotten a few emails for fellow co-workers. Most have been things like asking for more details on what foods are most needed by the food bank or if they can include mittens and hats for kids as well.
But I've also gotten angry emails from people complaining about everything. I mean everything. People complaining that they don't have the money to donate, or they don't feel the prize is worth it. How can people be so petty and ridiculous over something like this? I mean, I'm broke too but I have a few cans in the cupboard of soups and pasta that I know can be used and that we won't miss.
Yes, we have a prize for the team who 'wins' the competition. The prize isn't much, just coffee and donuts for that team. Yet the prize isn't the main point of this, its the fact that an organization as large as ours can do a lot of good if we all pitch in just the littlest bit.
I'm just disheartened by it all today. I like to believe that people are inately good and kind but days like this, make me sincerely wonder if I am the abnormal one. Not that I am saying I'm better than anyone. I'm not by any stretch of the imagination. Maybe its just that my beliefs about my fellow humans are naive.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Self doubt is a vicious bitch
I know it happens to all writers (Hell, all people) at some point. That moment where you look at the story that you've been pouring your heart and soul into for months/years and you are overcome with an almost overwhelming wave of insecurity. Nothing you've written is good enough. All those tiny little errors in your draft seem to leap off the page and taunt you. Every wording choice seem wrong and every description seems inept.
That's me tonight. I'm in the beginning stages of editing my newly finished novel. And maybe the best course of action is to sit back and put a bit of distance between us before I tackle the edits. Yet I continue to toil through and it's not going well.
I've texted a friend (my super supportive and encouraging writing budding) today with a desperate... I think I may have to trash a bunch of chapters and rewrite them. Her response was a rather subtle - DON'T DO IT OR I WILL KILL YOU. Great... but I'm still left hating this. I didn't hate it days ago and I know I won't hate in days to come but today, I'm the moron who thought she could write.
How to get through it? Everyone will have their own methods of dealing with self doubt. Mine involves finding reading through other projects to find the decent work there. The stuff that I've already polished and worked on until my fingers bled. Stuff that I am proud of. Just to prove to myself that I can get this novel to that point. And I do a lot of reassurances to myself. "It's only a first draft. It's the bare bones of the novel, now I get to make it great." And I turn to people who know my writing and shamelessly pander for a few words of encouragement. The threat of death above actually helps more than I can say. She is the only person who's read this all. So she knows its a mess, but that comment means that she can see past that to where it could go, and she believes that I can get Scarlet there.
How do you get through the nagging self doubt? Or am I really the only one that deals with it (and I gotta tell you, if thats the case, my insecurities are going to sky rocket. LOL)
That's me tonight. I'm in the beginning stages of editing my newly finished novel. And maybe the best course of action is to sit back and put a bit of distance between us before I tackle the edits. Yet I continue to toil through and it's not going well.
I've texted a friend (my super supportive and encouraging writing budding) today with a desperate... I think I may have to trash a bunch of chapters and rewrite them. Her response was a rather subtle - DON'T DO IT OR I WILL KILL YOU. Great... but I'm still left hating this. I didn't hate it days ago and I know I won't hate in days to come but today, I'm the moron who thought she could write.
How to get through it? Everyone will have their own methods of dealing with self doubt. Mine involves finding reading through other projects to find the decent work there. The stuff that I've already polished and worked on until my fingers bled. Stuff that I am proud of. Just to prove to myself that I can get this novel to that point. And I do a lot of reassurances to myself. "It's only a first draft. It's the bare bones of the novel, now I get to make it great." And I turn to people who know my writing and shamelessly pander for a few words of encouragement. The threat of death above actually helps more than I can say. She is the only person who's read this all. So she knows its a mess, but that comment means that she can see past that to where it could go, and she believes that I can get Scarlet there.
How do you get through the nagging self doubt? Or am I really the only one that deals with it (and I gotta tell you, if thats the case, my insecurities are going to sky rocket. LOL)
Friday, November 12, 2010
A writing process that seems to work for me
Almost a year ago, Jessi and I got into a long dicussion (as we usually do) about the series she had been slaving over for so long and the pesky little plot idea that wouldn't leave me alone. During the course of our very long winded and decidedly odd conversation, an idea was born. We'd form a bit of a writing team for the duration of our novels.
Now, you may be wondering, just exactly how that would work. Well, it's actually simple. We'd word war together, we'd encourage each other and we'd support each other through the many, many insecurities that we knew we'd face during this process. And I personally think it was a stroke of genius.
We each worked on our own projects but we eagerly read every word the other wrote and I think, because of it, some of our best writing was done.
As Nanowrimo rolled around, we were each nearing the halfway marks of our books and we needed a push to finish, so we created our own version of Nano. 30 days of writing insanity but not for the 50k words. No, our goal was simple - finish our first drafts of our novels. From there, naming December - Edit Month was an easy leap and it all led to our ultimate goal - send our query letters out to the first round of agents that we wanted to represent our books.
We are not even at the mid point of the month and we are both in the final stages of our books. I know without a doubt that I couldn't have done this as quickly without Jessi's support and encouragement. And damned if it wasn't a hell of a lot of fun in the process!
Oh, and if that weren't enough for my very talented friend, Jessi has just been offered position at a little site called The Best Damn Creative Writing Blog just add a bit more excitement to her life.
Now, you may be wondering, just exactly how that would work. Well, it's actually simple. We'd word war together, we'd encourage each other and we'd support each other through the many, many insecurities that we knew we'd face during this process. And I personally think it was a stroke of genius.
We each worked on our own projects but we eagerly read every word the other wrote and I think, because of it, some of our best writing was done.
As Nanowrimo rolled around, we were each nearing the halfway marks of our books and we needed a push to finish, so we created our own version of Nano. 30 days of writing insanity but not for the 50k words. No, our goal was simple - finish our first drafts of our novels. From there, naming December - Edit Month was an easy leap and it all led to our ultimate goal - send our query letters out to the first round of agents that we wanted to represent our books.
We are not even at the mid point of the month and we are both in the final stages of our books. I know without a doubt that I couldn't have done this as quickly without Jessi's support and encouragement. And damned if it wasn't a hell of a lot of fun in the process!
Oh, and if that weren't enough for my very talented friend, Jessi has just been offered position at a little site called The Best Damn Creative Writing Blog just add a bit more excitement to her life.
Final chapters and writer's block - never a good combination.
After months of struggling with difficult characters and a plot that I loved and hated all at the same time, I am nearing the end of Scarlet. You'd think I'd be writing like a maniac, trying desperately to get the words out onto the screen.
Instead, I'm stalled. I am at a really pivotal part of my novel. The part that hopefully brings many different things that I've already written into play. It's not an easy section to write even though it should be. These last few chapters were formed in my head almost before anything else. Hell, even before I really knew Will, Ellyn, Robin and the gang.
So what is causing this sudden surge of writer's block? I have a few theories. (Bear in mind, I am a neurotic writer, who is just dealing with one of those days where I am hypercritical of everything I'm writing. It'll pass and I likely shouldn't write this blog til I get past this day buuut I'm gonna keep writing. )
I've seen this part of my book in my head a thousand times. I know what is going to happen. I know how my characters will react. Hell, if I had an ounce of artistic talent, I could paint a picture of the entire scene. Yet now that I'm faced with the challenge of putting it down, I am worried that I won't be able to get the picture across as clearly as I want.
As I said before, this part of the book is key. And I can't say very much about this but my biggest fear is that I will write this and the emotional impact that I'm hoping for won't be there. If the emotion isn't right, then the rest of the book will fall flat.
And my last theory is that I have truly gotten to know my characters. I know their quirks and their strengths, but it was their weaknesses that really made them real for me. I'm sad to come to an end of this book because I do love the characters so much. They've made me laugh and cry as I write their words. (And yes, I know this makes me sound crazy, but I'm sure that I'm not the only writer that feels this way.)
They started as ideas, mere shells of the characters that they grew into and each one became so well developed in my head. There were entire sections of plot that I had to change because the more I wrote the more I realized that what I thought Will would do, or what I thought Victoria would do was absolutely wrong. And I would spend hours reworking the plot to fit the characters.
In the beginning, the plot started from point A and travelled to point B. And as I started to write things changed. Suddenly, after leaving the station at point A the plot detoured to point C, ventured out to points D and E, and there was a slight layover at point F before darting over to point X but ultimately ended right back up at point B where it needed to be.
Instead, I'm stalled. I am at a really pivotal part of my novel. The part that hopefully brings many different things that I've already written into play. It's not an easy section to write even though it should be. These last few chapters were formed in my head almost before anything else. Hell, even before I really knew Will, Ellyn, Robin and the gang.
So what is causing this sudden surge of writer's block? I have a few theories. (Bear in mind, I am a neurotic writer, who is just dealing with one of those days where I am hypercritical of everything I'm writing. It'll pass and I likely shouldn't write this blog til I get past this day buuut I'm gonna keep writing. )
I've seen this part of my book in my head a thousand times. I know what is going to happen. I know how my characters will react. Hell, if I had an ounce of artistic talent, I could paint a picture of the entire scene. Yet now that I'm faced with the challenge of putting it down, I am worried that I won't be able to get the picture across as clearly as I want.
As I said before, this part of the book is key. And I can't say very much about this but my biggest fear is that I will write this and the emotional impact that I'm hoping for won't be there. If the emotion isn't right, then the rest of the book will fall flat.
And my last theory is that I have truly gotten to know my characters. I know their quirks and their strengths, but it was their weaknesses that really made them real for me. I'm sad to come to an end of this book because I do love the characters so much. They've made me laugh and cry as I write their words. (And yes, I know this makes me sound crazy, but I'm sure that I'm not the only writer that feels this way.)
They started as ideas, mere shells of the characters that they grew into and each one became so well developed in my head. There were entire sections of plot that I had to change because the more I wrote the more I realized that what I thought Will would do, or what I thought Victoria would do was absolutely wrong. And I would spend hours reworking the plot to fit the characters.
In the beginning, the plot started from point A and travelled to point B. And as I started to write things changed. Suddenly, after leaving the station at point A the plot detoured to point C, ventured out to points D and E, and there was a slight layover at point F before darting over to point X but ultimately ended right back up at point B where it needed to be.
Monday, November 8, 2010
Time for an update
I have been really bad at updating in here but that's because I've been writing!! Scarlet is coming along really quickly this last month or so. I (along with Jessi Rose) are doing our own version of Nano this year. Our goal is not to hit 50k words. Our goal is simple. We have exactly 30 days to finish our books.
So far, Scarlet is sitting pretty comfortably at 35k and I have about 10 to 15 k left to write. I am hoping that it will be done by next weekend. And if I keep having nights like tonight, it won't be a problem. I wrote 2,500 words tonight.
Tonight I finished Chapter 16 and wrote all of Chapter 17. I have 21 chapters planned and a short epilogue so I am almost there! Then it's on to novel swap, and then edit and polishing. That is going to take a lot of work but I am still so excited about this book that I am actually looking forward to it.
And to celebrate, I figured I could post a little teaser from the opening scene to see what you think.
So far, Scarlet is sitting pretty comfortably at 35k and I have about 10 to 15 k left to write. I am hoping that it will be done by next weekend. And if I keep having nights like tonight, it won't be a problem. I wrote 2,500 words tonight.
Tonight I finished Chapter 16 and wrote all of Chapter 17. I have 21 chapters planned and a short epilogue so I am almost there! Then it's on to novel swap, and then edit and polishing. That is going to take a lot of work but I am still so excited about this book that I am actually looking forward to it.
And to celebrate, I figured I could post a little teaser from the opening scene to see what you think.
The warmth of the blood oozing over his hands stunned him. As the crimson liquid washed over the hilt of his sword and trickled down over his hands, Will forgot all about the other men who surrounded them. Two other men who, until this moment, had been just as eager to beat the somewhat gangly teenage boy as their dying cohort. All for a few moments with a young woman who was now crying silently off to the side, watching the events unfold in horror.
Lifting his gaze to stare in disbelief into the eyes of the man standing before him, Will could sense the moment the man's life ended. A small light seemed to extinguish from deep within him.
Sunday, August 22, 2010
New blog for a new novel
After seeing that a good friend of mine had created a new blog for her book (the amazing Memoires of Daniel by the insanely talented, Jessica Rose) I decided that I loved the idea enough to create one for Scarlet.
Scarlet is my version of the Robin Hood legend, told through the eyes of Will Scarlet. Robin Hood plays an important role but the tale is really Will's. It is hopefully a fresh look at a story that I've always loved. Will has always been my favourite character in those stories and movies and I love being able to get inside his head and wander around a bit.
My version of things isn't going to be like any of the other stories because of the change in perspective but the basic premise is the same. I'm only on the sixth chapter but I already have some characters that I love writing. They have really taken shape in my head and I hope I'm getting them across alright. Jessi seems to enjoy them and that is a huge relief.
Its pretty amazing to have Jessi writing her novel at the same time as I am writing mine. We have formed an awesome little writing group. We each read each other's work, we have word wars together, we discuss different aspects of the book and we offer each other critiques or just an ear to listen when one of us needs to verbally bounce something off the other. Not to mention the cheerleading and ego boosting that we do for each other. And anyone who has ever written anything will tell you, self doubt can be a creativity killer.
Anyway, I am going to go write a bit more of Scarlet and see if I can't get chapter seven started tonight.
Scarlet is my version of the Robin Hood legend, told through the eyes of Will Scarlet. Robin Hood plays an important role but the tale is really Will's. It is hopefully a fresh look at a story that I've always loved. Will has always been my favourite character in those stories and movies and I love being able to get inside his head and wander around a bit.
My version of things isn't going to be like any of the other stories because of the change in perspective but the basic premise is the same. I'm only on the sixth chapter but I already have some characters that I love writing. They have really taken shape in my head and I hope I'm getting them across alright. Jessi seems to enjoy them and that is a huge relief.
Its pretty amazing to have Jessi writing her novel at the same time as I am writing mine. We have formed an awesome little writing group. We each read each other's work, we have word wars together, we discuss different aspects of the book and we offer each other critiques or just an ear to listen when one of us needs to verbally bounce something off the other. Not to mention the cheerleading and ego boosting that we do for each other. And anyone who has ever written anything will tell you, self doubt can be a creativity killer.
Anyway, I am going to go write a bit more of Scarlet and see if I can't get chapter seven started tonight.
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