Twisting fantasy expectations?

If you were to meet a unicorn, you would have a layer of expectations: looks like a white horse, pure and wise. What would you say if it turned out to be green and stupid?
If you were to meet a mermaid, you would expect her to be young, enchanting, beautiful. What if were an old hag?
If you were to meet a chimera, you would expect an ugly, savage beast. What if it turned out to be a sweet, lonely, misunderstood creature?

I’m not saying that’s what you will find in my manuscript, but I am making a conscious effort to climb out of a traditional box. What can I say, good luck to me!

If I could pick a cover for my novel…

I know that a writer has little to no control over the cover art for their work, but if I did have a say, the cover for my novel would be drawn or painted, no photos.

Ideas for the cover art:

* An open pouch laying on its side, and three scarlet runes with gold symbols spilled on a grey rock. Grey backdrop.

* Hind legs and a tail of a sleeping chimera, and a shadow of a little boy in a distance. Dark backdrop.

* A branch of a gem tree covered in crystals with a heavy ruby hanging off of it. Either white or black backdrop.

* Ruins. Mosaic walls with chipped images of birds and flowers, and a “shaolin” monk crouching with a staff in his hands.

There you have it!

I’m not bad at painting and drawing, but all my energy is diverted to writing at the moment. I would love for someone to take this on as a little project, just because.

On Writing Dialogue…

I am struggling with dialogue. I am always on the look out for great tips on writing dialogue, and I am starting to organize my thoughts on this subject. I try to keep myself in check, and I strive to have one of the following three reason for the dialogue to occure:

#1. To advance the plot

#2. To advance the relationship between characters

#3. To advance the relationship between the reader and the character

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Once I establish the purpose, I have to deliver, right? Right. It’s harder than it sounds. Once I’m done with a scene, I reread it and edit it for these three points:

#1. The context: if my characters are talking, it doesn’t mean that they are sitting still in their chairs. They might be walking, picking up dropped pine-cones, flipping through a book of spells, scratching their elbow, etc. This means I always keep in mind the backdrop for the dialogue that you are going to read. If I don’t feel like working on the backdrop – I just make quick notes to myself *add holding hands and cooking dinner*.

#2. The realism: the truth is, if you listen to the conversations that people are having on the streets, in the parks, and at the stores – you will notice that they are not at all smooth-flowing. Some conversations are choppy, and others are too boring. People don’t always answer each other’s questions, they don’t speak in complete sentences, they jump from one subject to another, and some of it simply makes you yawn. Finding the balance between realism and entertainment is not easy, but rereading out loud sure helps.

#3. Voice and word choice: I aim to maintain a pattern of speech consistent with each character without overdoing it. This is probably the hardest one for me.

It all comes down to my ultimate goal – creating a dialogue that the reader will believe and enjoy. How does one achieve such perfection? I would assume through a little bit of talent and a lot of practice. I’m not so sure I possess the first one, so I’m off to do the latter.

For the neurotic aspiring writers: Do you ever?…

As a new writer, I often feel alone and conflicted: “Am I doing it right? Does anyone else ever do this? Am I delusional to think this will work?” Yet, the more I pay attention, the more I realize others are asking themselves the very same questions I do!  Wouldn’t it be nice to know you are in good company? The point I’m trying to make here – if you find yourself questioning your process – that makes two of us!

* Do you ever work on multiple manuscripts at a time?

Sure do. In fact, I think most writers do. I have two projects going at the moment (hint, they are listed in the GOALS section on the left). New ideas still intrude on my time, once in a while, but I simply create a folder for them, and set them aside . It is my understanding that as long as you can discipline yourself to make progress, it doesn’t matter how many manuscripts you are running.

* Do you ever skip around?

That’s the only way I know how to work. Apparently, I can’t follow intended sequence of events. If I’m working on the chapter that needs a dialogue, but I feel compelled to work on the description, I just make notes *insert a dialogue about…*, and move on. Sometimes I skip whole chapters, again, leaving myself notes *Chapter 11 – meeting with Dodo birds*.

* Do you ever write while doing something else?

80% of the time. I’ve stopped thinking of it as a bad thing. As long as I’m making progress, it’s all good. There are days I need a quiet room to get anything done, and then there are days when I have my TV running, and browsing Facebook while typing only once sentence at a time.

* Do you ever work on a story without knowing the ending?

Yup. I have an idea for the Dragonfly Island, but it is not set in stone. I just know that my conflicts needs resolution, and there aren’t that many choices: “He either does, or he doesn’t”, and “they either do, or they don’t”.

* Do you ever go for a long time without touching your manuscript and then pick it up months later?

Well, if you were following this blog, you know that I just came out of 6 months break. It just took me a couple of days to pick it up where I left off.

* Do you ever feel shy about sharing your writing with others?

Hillarious, I know: I want to be a published writer, yet I feel mortified having to share my writing. I did promise my significant other the first read, but that’s it. At the same time, I don’t mind posting short excerpts on the blog, or getting advice on AW Forum. The feedback I get is extremely helpful.

* Do you ever doubt your skill?

All. The. Time.

* Do you ever think your plot is no good? cheesy? boring?

I do. I simply try not to dwell on it, or I’ll never finish.

* Do you ever dream about being published?

I’m not without an ambition. I very much hope to find an agent, get a deal, and have a faithful following of readers.

* Do you ever set writing goals that you don’t meet?

According to my first schedule, I should have been done writing, rewriting AND editing, both manuscripts I started last year. I’ve learned to let go, and the only thing that matters is the answer to the following question: Am I making progress? I still set goals, make deadlines, and strive to stick to the intended word count, but I have learned to be more reasonable with my demands of myself.

* Do you work on your query and research agents even though your manuscript is far from finished?

Ok, I confess, I do that. But I do try to keep myself in check – how much time do I spend on writing vs. looking for ant agent? I am very aware of the fact that unless I finish my project(s), I will never have a need to send out that polished query to my perfect agent.

* Do you ever feel alone?

Sometimes. No one else, I know in real life, writes. However, I feel lucky to have access to the on-line community of writers. You know, the kind that reads this blog.

One chapter at a time: the process.

Today, I’m reflecting on the process of unwrapping a chapter.

About 2/3 into my manuscript, and I realized that my characters came upon a lonely tower in the middle of a meadow. At that point, I did not know who or what lived in the tower, or even if it was abandoned. I did not know if it was there to keep a secret or simply to provide shelter.

I did have a calm feeling about it, and did not expect anything too scary or dramatic to show up. When one of the characters opened the old door, I walked in right behind him, and took notice of what I saw: shelves with jars and bottles all around the walls, a stove, wooden trunks, a spiral staircase, light coming from a room all the way upstairs.

Who would live in such a place? Well, it must have been an odd character, a hermit. And a hermit it was! What did he do with the jars? He said he stored potions, and foods, and spells inside them. The travelers spend a night there, and the hermit cooked for them a marvelous dinner (I enjoy writing about food, especially when I am hungry myself). The hearty stew came out mouthwatering! Although, if you think about the long day that my travelers had, it is no surprise that little Danko fell asleep before he took a bite.

Did I mention that my hermit had two pet foxes? I knew something was missing, a detail was escaping me. And then I realized it: my hermit seemed too lonely in that lonely tower of his. While doing some reading on Japanese folklore, I came upon a deity that had two foxes. Sweet and powerful image stuck in my mind, and just the right kind of companions for my hermit revealed themselves!

Writing Fantasy: hairless vampire monkeys love cucumbers.

          I have a new favorite creature in my book – it’s called Kappa. After doing some research on Japanese mythology, I came across these hairless monkey-like “somethings” that love human blood and cucumbers. They live in the water (which is perfect for one of the chapters I got stuck on), and to top it all off, apparently, they are very polite and speak fluent Japanese. Talk about inspirations! I’m in love…

Author’s Message, or Teaching without Preaching 101

I don’t know about your story, but mine has a message. Wouldn’t you know it, I really don’t like reading a book that has “the message” plastered all over every page. I don’t like stories that “preach”. So, how do I get my message across without sounding patronizing?

What I’m trying to avoid:

• Clichés: all those sayings that belong on the inspirational posters with a picture of a mountain in the background
• Too good to be true characters (I’m really struggling with this one)
• Having the lessons come out straight from the mouth of the main characters.

What I am striving for:

• Making the right choices for the characters just as difficult as the wrong choices.
• Demonstrating the lesson through the consequences that befalls on those that make the wrong choice.
• Teach through the plot, not through the dialogue

 I’m being quite generous with cheesy lines in my first draft, which means there is a lot of rewriting coming my way, once the story is complete. I’m okay with that. I shall rise to the challenge!

One hobbit, one unicorn, and Mr. Darcy

What influences my work on the Dragonfly Island? The following beloved classics:

The Hobbit (Tolkien): I enjoy its simple structure (each chapter is an adventure that advences the main story line). I love how everything fits together, and I appreciate the genius of the world created by the author.

The Last Unicorn (Beagle): I love the language of this story. It is so beautiful – it gives me goosebumps! I don’t know if I have the skill to get there, but I will die trying. In fact, a big part of the editing stage will be spent on elevating the language.

Pride and Prejudice (Austen): it might be a bit of a cliche relationship, but hey! romance is in the air. You are rooting for Miss Bennet and Mr. Darcy to end up together. I really enjoy these love-hate relationships that are built on misunderstandings. So, I’m cooking one of my own.

Little Prince (Saint-Exupéry): Child is wise. Child is virtuous. Child has many lessons to teach an adult. That’s all I’m going to say on the subject.

I wonder what other people are thinking about when they are working on their writing projects?..

Would you still write, if you knew it won’t be published?..

I remember seeing the question before, and to be honest, I probably would have answered “no” a year ago.

I started writing because I wanted to see my name on a cover of a book one day.

Today, something changed. I’m okay with Dragonfly Island never seeing the publisher’s desk. After rereading my draft, I can’t hide away from certainrealities – it might never be good enough! Maybe I’m just not a very good writer? But, I AM a writer, and I want to finish this story, even if it takes years.

Don’t misunderstand, once it’s done and polished, I will research agents, write (and likely rewrite) query letters, and send out at least 100 of them, hoping for a reply. What I am trying to say, is that I know how difficult it is to break into print, and Dragonfly Island might be dull and simplistic compared to others out there.

What I do know, is that I am determined to my best and to finish this project for myself, if no one else. And I’m okay with that.

Organizing your drafts.

Some people work better with paper, others work better with technology. Some people make index cards with character traits,  keep notebooks, and rely on hand-written drafts. Others  keep everything on their computer. I make it work with a combination of things (although, I do have mild technological leanings).

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Up until yesterday, I had:

• a hand-drawn map
• a few notes on paper (when I get ideas related to the story, and I have to write them down – I use anything and everything I can find at the moment)
• a file on my Mac with chapter outlines
• a main file with the full draft of the novel
• a folder with pictures I find on-line that help inspire the details (the tower, the mermaid, the chimera, etc.)

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Due to the fact that I abandoned (what an awful word!) my novel for six months, I decided to reorganize my work, so that I can submerge myself in this world again.

Last night, I pulled every chapter from the main draft, and made them into separate files. I am hoping that now it will be easier to focus my work, and I won’t have to scroll down for who knows how long just to find the spot that I need. I kept the main draft. By he end of my little organizational project, I started to realize several things: separating every chapter from the big file presented not only the benefits, but also some challenges I didn’t think about!

My three biggest concerns:

#1. If I make changes in the chapter file, I HAVE TO update the main bulky draft, or I will end up with too many variations, and it will be tough to keep track of the changes that matter.

#2. Sometimes, I am unsure about a perfect spot for ending or starting a chapter. When I had one big file, it was easy to make little notes, and put stars between  the lines, and write down my thoughts on moving the ending from here to there. Now that there are multiple files, and I am still occasionally unsure which misfortune might befall on my travelers in what order, multiple files make it a bit harder to see the bigger picture of events.

#3. I have several notes  on scenes that are too small for a whole chapter file. They are just that – notes! I don’t even know if they will belong in a chapter! What am I to do with those? For example, I have a dialogue between Renoi and Lily, but I have no idea which chapter to put it in yet. There is also a section where he is teaching her how to wield a staff. Where does that scene go? I’m not sure yet.

Despite all the challenges, there is one point I am extremely happy about: after 6 months of “nothingness”, I made 700 word progress on my draft. I am back in business!

P.S. If anyone has any other cool systems that work for organizing their work – don’t be shy to share. I’m open to suggestions.