Playing Catch Up

I've been swamped lately, but that does not mean I have been slacking!!!

First the linkage:

http://www.culturefeast.com/how-to-avoid-becoming-an-irresponsible-pet-owner/

http://www.redgage.com/blogs/Jennlee/a-teaching-philosophy.html

http://www.redgage.com/blogs/Jennlee/focusing-on-the-positive.html

http://www.redgage.com/blogs/Jennlee/unsupervised-trip-to-borders.html

http://www.redgage.com/blogs/Jennlee/having-a-foster-fid.html

http://www.raintiger.com/storyhall/features/movingon/?ID=000028

http://www.redgage.com/blogs/Jennlee/nightmares,-life-and-reality.html


 


 


 


 


 

I received some kudos:

http://www.blogher.com/what-there-say-about-single-women-and-valentines-day


 


 

And finally a fiction update:

Have you ever had one of those really creative nights of writing, only to look back on it  the next day and wonder where on earth it  came from? I had one of those recently. I had all these weird ideas and emotionally charged story ideas. As I read them over, I began to realize that these notes would never fly in mainstream writing. Even if I cleaned them up, filled in some gaps and gave them structure, the story would be one twisted hot mess. There was way too much drama, totally unbelievable and beyond suspension of belief moments. It was simply just too much for one story line. Yes you want your story to be compelling, to have some drama and have more conflict that the average person's day to day life. I mean why would anyone want to read about an actual average person. However, you have to find a balance. If a piece jumps from one highly improbable instance to another, it is hard to keep your reader from just giving up.   Still after reading my notes one thing was clear: with a little work, the true base of this story might just work. Yes it will still be a little twisted, but lets face it: I'm a little twisted.

That is what I'm doing now. I'm taking all the ideas, dialing down the crazy, putting things into some kind of a timeline and taking it from there.

It all started with two characters. I like these two characters, but the first thing I tried to put them in just didn't work. I just didn't know enough about the setting I was trying to put them in. It just seemed like I wasn't creating anything that hadn't been done to death. Then I tried plugging them in to a story line I have had for years, but it just never works out. My last attempt just left me hating my female lead, so I thought maybe if I tried it with characters I liked it would work. At first things looked good, but after a few chapters it just wasn't working. Some elements worked really well, but others just didn't flesh out well.

That brings us to the present. I took some of the elements that really worked well from the last try and in a insomnia induced frenzy, all these out there ideas came to the surface. Like I said, some of it was just a hot mess. I could still see promise in parts of it.

Now it is time to take a look at the basics, take out the trash and make changes as needed. Of course I've changed things and it has made more issues. Initially I had the female lead gets her graduate degree before the storyline shifts. Instead I have her just getting her bachelors, getting into the grad program, but not getting the grad assistant spot. That has created some timeline issues. It makes her younger than I wanted her to be (grad school gave me at least two years to work with). If I keep the age timeline, it leaves the male lead being engaged for seven years. I also have to find gainful employment for her after she graduates. I had a job for her when she had her masters degree, but now it complicates things. It sucks because story wise it is better to only have her there through undergrad. Otherwise she was just becoming martyr like. She was almost like a consummate victim. Yeah life sucks sometimes. Some people are more prone to being kicked while they are down…it happens. Of course in fiction piece it is going to happen more frequently. Still, there is a point where it just gets ridiculous. If the story is simply this girl getting overlooked and under appreciated, it is going to get old fast. I want her to be happy and strong and somewhat normal. I feel it is better to make the point and move forward with the story. Dwelling on it for too long just makes the story stall and makes the character into something I do not want.

 
 

Now it is back to brainstorming and reworking. Maybe I'll have a draft soon? I'm not going to rush it though. I would rather have a good story than one that just happens to make my own timeline.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Bottom Line

Image
Writing Prompts: 1.)  Six Word Memoir : Write about a significant time in your life in just six words. 2.) “One need not be a chamber to be haunted, One need not be a house. The brain has corridors surpassing material place”. -Emily Dickinson What haunts you? 3.) Describe a talent or flaw that seems to be in your genes. 4.) What are you passionate about? 5.) Comfort food at its finest. Share a family favorite recipe you loved as a child. Lets go with #4  Shall We? It has been an interesting ride over the past almost 32 years: I was a cute baby: I was an adorable toddler: I was a child with a bad perm: Police Radios were just a part of Christmas morning and family dinners : I had the "coolest car" I may have vandalized a friend's car with evidence tags and rubber gloves found in aforementioned cool car: I went to college: Moved Away and Made New Friends: I traveled: I even toured with a band: Bottom Line: No matter where I have gone, what...
Read more

Challenging Your Writing

Blogging is easy for me. In an attempt to start shaking up my writing, I decided to start doing a writing workshop and trying some new writing prompts. Trying to get my blog back up in shape has been harder than I thought it would be. I am feeling like writing again, but I need variety. It has been fun trying new topics. Still, I was always picking the safe ones. This week, the list came to my inbox and the one I was instantly drawn to was of course the easy one. However, there was another prompt that was nagging at me. "What I lack" Here is the deal: I don't want to always write about negative stuff. This would be a negative blog. That wasn't the worst of it. I knew it was a topic I would have a hard time putting into words. I don't want to be misunderstood, but I am just  not sure how to put some of these feelings in words I kept trying to convince myself it wasn't a good idea. I just couldn't shake it. I wrote the blog. It is far from the best thi...
Read more

What Does One Wear??

Image
On May 21, I am attending Methodist Theological Seminary of Ohio's Commencement. My mother was a student there, and she would have graduated this May. The college has decided to award her a posthumous degree. This is very kind, and we are honored they have decided to do this. Today I was trying to  figure out my plan for that day, when it occurred to me: What does one wear to accept a degree for their mother (who died nearly a year ago)? Well black doesn't seem fitting (and there goes half my wardrobe) It cannot be too short It cannot be to low cut (there goes most of the rest of my wardrobe). So what are my options? Very obviously this is not going to work: Maybe something like this, but not in Black? This had potential...until I noticed those were skulls not polka dots This has potential Then I was distracted by this (but....it is on sale!!) Okay...more like this? I just don't know...any suggestions?
Read more