Category: writing

Writing Inspirations – music

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NaNo project official theme song:

Maybe (Love Isn’t Funny) – Emma Bunton

Music has always played and huge, HUGE part in not only my writing process, but my story lines, scene moods and even character developments. 

Last week, as I was getting deeper into NaNo, it worried me a little that I had yet to make a soundtrack for my story–which is odd, I usually have a complete CD with 20+ songs (and usually homemade ghetto cover art) before I’ve started–even if I don’t know exactly where my story will be going. I choose songs I hope might lead me in some kind of direction. And you know what…it always works. 
Someday, when my books are turned into movies…no worries, Hollywood Executives, the soundtracks are already done! 

So anyway, I was writing last night (ha-ha, of course I was writing last night), and at a very particular scene which really could’ve used a superfabulous song to capture the moment and my main character’s emotions. One of the themes I’m exploring in this story is a kind of “Frenzy Romance:” 

Happens quickly….then it’s gone….then it happens again….oh but now where did he go?….things were just getting good…. 

You know, that kind of fun stuff. 

When last night, out of the blue (the way most things like this usually happen for me) the perfect song popped into my head…not only perfect for this scene, but for my lovely story in general.

 

Currently, Emma Bunton’s (previously known as “Baby Spice”) Maybe is running through my head on a constant loop. And now that I’ve written a little more since this musical breakthrough, I am certain it is running through my MC’s head too. She’s just cool like that.

Writing Inspirations – music

Leave a comment
NaNo project official theme song:

Maybe (Love Isn’t Funny) – Emma Bunton

Music has always played and huge, HUGE part in not only my writing process, but my story lines, scene moods and even character developments. 

Last week, as I was getting deeper into NaNo, it worried me a little that I had yet to make a soundtrack for my story–which is odd, I usually have a complete CD with 20+ songs (and usually homemade ghetto cover art) before I’ve started–even if I don’t know exactly where my story will be going. I choose songs I hope might lead me in some kind of direction. And you know what…it always works. 
Someday, when my books are turned into movies…no worries, Hollywood Executives, the soundtracks are already done! 

So anyway, I was writing last night (ha-ha, of course I was writing last night), and at a very particular scene which really could’ve used a superfabulous song to capture the moment and my main character’s emotions. One of the themes I’m exploring in this story is a kind of “Frenzy Romance:” 

Happens quickly….then it’s gone….then it happens again….oh but now where did he go?….things were just getting good…. 

You know, that kind of fun stuff. 

When last night, out of the blue (the way most things like this usually happen for me) the perfect song popped into my head…not only perfect for this scene, but for my lovely story in general.

 

Currently, Emma Bunton’s (previously known as “Baby Spice”) Maybe is running through my head on a constant loop. And now that I’ve written a little more since this musical breakthrough, I am certain it is running through my MC’s head too. She’s just cool like that.

Writing Inspirations – Seinfeld

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Why I love Seinfeld
Elaine: My roommate has Lyme disease.
Jerry: I thought she had Epstein-Barr Syndrome.
Elaine: She has this in addition to Epstein-Barr. It’s like Epstein-Barr with a twist of Lyme disease.
Jerry: How’d she get Lyme disease?
Elaine: I dunno. She was in an outside version of Hair in Danbury, Connecticut.
Jerry: They still do that play?
Elaine: It’s a classic.
Jerry: With the nudity?
Elaine: I guess. She must’ve rolled over onto a tick during the “Love In.”

Writing Inspirations – Seinfeld

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Why I love Seinfeld
Elaine: My roommate has Lyme disease.
Jerry: I thought she had Epstein-Barr Syndrome.
Elaine: She has this in addition to Epstein-Barr. It’s like Epstein-Barr with a twist of Lyme disease.
Jerry: How’d she get Lyme disease?
Elaine: I dunno. She was in an outside version of Hair in Danbury, Connecticut.
Jerry: They still do that play?
Elaine: It’s a classic.
Jerry: With the nudity?
Elaine: I guess. She must’ve rolled over onto a tick during the “Love In.”

Writing Inspirations – Marian Keyes

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With Day #1 of NaNoWriMo in the can (5263 words. Thank you, fans),  my moist, excited and spongy brain can’t help but keep recalling and drawing upon some of my favorite novel passages, moving song lyrics, and clever turns-of-phrase (or is it turn-of-phrases? I don’t know, I’m still rather brain-fried.)
Marian Keyes is a writing hero of mine. Through her books, she shows  how a story can be depressing, heartbreaking and just plain tragic, yet warm, light and hilarious at the same time. Quite a skill. Parts of her novels can sometimes be a beating, but I always laugh, usually cry, without exception discuss it in detail with other MK fans and take careful notes.

Here is a passage I’ve loved for years, and one I share with friends pretty often, because the term “Feathery Stroker” has been part of my vernacular since the first time I read Anybody Out There?

“Jacqui’s Feathery Stroker test is a horribly cruel assessment that she brings to bear on all men. It originated with some man she had slept with years ago. All night long he’d run his hands up and down her body in the lightest, feathery way, up her back, along her thighs, across her stomach….And so the phrase came about. It suggested an effeminate quality which immediately stripped a man of all sex appeal….Far better, in Jacqui’s opinion, to be a drunken wife-beater in a dirty vest than a Feathery Stroker.
            Her criteria were wide and merciless—and distressingly random. There was no definitive list but here are some examples. Men who didn’t eat red meat were Feathery Strokers. Men who used post-shave balm instead of slapping stinging aftershave onto their tender skin were Feathery Strokers. Men who noticed your shoes and handbags were Feathery Strokers. Men who said pornography was exploitation of women were Feathery Strokers. (Or liars.) Men who said pornography was exploitation of men as much as women were off the scale. All straight men from San Francisco were Feathery Strokers. All academics with beards were Feathery Strokers. Men who stayed friends with their ex-girlfriends were Feathery Strokers. Especially if they call their ex-girlfriend their “ex-partner.” Men who did Pilates were Feathery Strokers. Men who said, “I have to take care of myself right now” were screaming Feathery Strokers. (Even I’d go along with that.)
            The Feathery Strokers rules had complex variations and subsections: men who gave up their seat on the subway were Feathery Strokers—if they smile at you. But if they grunted “Seat,” in a macho, non-eye-contact way, they were in the clear.
            Meanwhile, new categories and subsection were being added all the time. She’d once decided that a man—who up until that point had been perfectly acceptable—was a Feathery Strokers for saying the word groceries. And some of her decrees seemed downright unreasonable—men who helped you look for lost things were Feathery Strokers, whereas no one but extreme Feathery Stroker purists could deny that it was a handy quality for a man to have.
            Funnily enough, even though Jacqui fancied Luke something ferocious, I suspected he was a Feathery Stroker. He didn’t look like one, he looked like a tough, hard man. But beneath his leather trousers and set jaw he was kind and thoughtful—sensitive, even. And sensitivity is the FS’s defining quality, his core characteristic.”

Writing Inspirations – Marian Keyes

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With Day #1 of NaNoWriMo in the can (5263 words. Thank you, fans),  my moist, excited and spongy brain can’t help but keep recalling and drawing upon some of my favorite novel passages, moving song lyrics, and clever turns-of-phrase (or is it turn-of-phrases? I don’t know, I’m still rather brain-fried.)
Marian Keyes is a writing hero of mine. Through her books, she shows  how a story can be depressing, heartbreaking and just plain tragic, yet warm, light and hilarious at the same time. Quite a skill. Parts of her novels can sometimes be a beating, but I always laugh, usually cry, without exception discuss it in detail with other MK fans and take careful notes.

Here is a passage I’ve loved for years, and one I share with friends pretty often, because the term “Feathery Stroker” has been part of my vernacular since the first time I read Anybody Out There?

“Jacqui’s Feathery Stroker test is a horribly cruel assessment that she brings to bear on all men. It originated with some man she had slept with years ago. All night long he’d run his hands up and down her body in the lightest, feathery way, up her back, along her thighs, across her stomach….And so the phrase came about. It suggested an effeminate quality which immediately stripped a man of all sex appeal….Far better, in Jacqui’s opinion, to be a drunken wife-beater in a dirty vest than a Feathery Stroker.
            Her criteria were wide and merciless—and distressingly random. There was no definitive list but here are some examples. Men who didn’t eat red meat were Feathery Strokers. Men who used post-shave balm instead of slapping stinging aftershave onto their tender skin were Feathery Strokers. Men who noticed your shoes and handbags were Feathery Strokers. Men who said pornography was exploitation of women were Feathery Strokers. (Or liars.) Men who said pornography was exploitation of men as much as women were off the scale. All straight men from San Francisco were Feathery Strokers. All academics with beards were Feathery Strokers. Men who stayed friends with their ex-girlfriends were Feathery Strokers. Especially if they call their ex-girlfriend their “ex-partner.” Men who did Pilates were Feathery Strokers. Men who said, “I have to take care of myself right now” were screaming Feathery Strokers. (Even I’d go along with that.)
            The Feathery Strokers rules had complex variations and subsections: men who gave up their seat on the subway were Feathery Strokers—if they smile at you. But if they grunted “Seat,” in a macho, non-eye-contact way, they were in the clear.
            Meanwhile, new categories and subsection were being added all the time. She’d once decided that a man—who up until that point had been perfectly acceptable—was a Feathery Strokers for saying the word groceries. And some of her decrees seemed downright unreasonable—men who helped you look for lost things were Feathery Strokers, whereas no one but extreme Feathery Stroker purists could deny that it was a handy quality for a man to have.
            Funnily enough, even though Jacqui fancied Luke something ferocious, I suspected he was a Feathery Stroker. He didn’t look like one, he looked like a tough, hard man. But beneath his leather trousers and set jaw he was kind and thoughtful—sensitive, even. And sensitivity is the FS’s defining quality, his core characteristic.”

Remember to Suck

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With the commencement of NaNoWriMo staring me down like a double barrel shotgun (One Day More!), I’ve tried to do everything humanly possible to prepare. This weekend, for example, I…
1) cut off my nails
2) made a gallon of taco soup
3) sent an email to my family, basically saying good-bye for a month
4) mapped out the quickest route to Sonic
5) returned 10 library books
6) caught up on my DVR (farewell, old friend!)

Here is some recent advise on how to make my goal of 50,000 words (1600+ a day):
“You can always fix a bad page, but you can’t fix a blank one.”

“Sure, your internal editor is having an aneurysm right now. That’s okay. You never liked her anyway.”

“Remember to suck.”
(No worries there, mate.)

Remember to Suck

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With the commencement of NaNoWriMo staring me down like a double barrel shotgun (One Day More!), I’ve tried to do everything humanly possible to prepare. This weekend, for example, I…
1) cut off my nails
2) made a gallon of taco soup
3) sent an email to my family, basically saying good-bye for a month
4) mapped out the quickest route to Sonic
5) returned 10 library books
6) caught up on my DVR (farewell, old friend!)

Here is some recent advise on how to make my goal of 50,000 words (1600+ a day):
“You can always fix a bad page, but you can’t fix a blank one.”

“Sure, your internal editor is having an aneurysm right now. That’s okay. You never liked her anyway.”

“Remember to suck.”
(No worries there, mate.)

seven days ’til NaNoWriMo

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“I have no experience in hiking but I’m going to climb this mountain and not die.”
(Yikes.)
 National Novel Writing Month is nearly here!!!
And here’s the gist of it: Write a brand new novel from scratch (pre-outlining and plotting is allowed) of 50,000 words (minimum) in one month. 
I know, right?
The challenge begins at midnight on November 1st and ends at midnight on November 30th.  If you make it to the 50,000 words, you’re deemed a “winner.” I haven’t been able to find what those who don’t make it are called. But one would have to assume, “loser.” Great.
As of right now, I don’t have a story in mind. I kind of have a tiny idea. But that’s it. The challenge begins in one week, and I’m already feeling stressed out. I’ve never pre-plotted a story before. I’ve always just kind of sat down and wrote when a new scene came to mind. And now….I’m totally blanking. Oh, the pressure!
After registering on the NaNoWriMo site, I went straight to the tab for “pep talks.” The first one I clicked on opened with this:
Dear Writer,
“You’re a fool. You know that, don’t you? Because only a fool would try a stunt as crazy as this. You want to write a 50,000 word novel in one month?! Do you have sawdust in your skull? When there are so many other more useful things you could be doing, like cleaning up the house and yard, taking a correspondence course in Chinese, or contributing your time and effort to a charitable cause? Whatever is possessing you?… Sigh. You’re a lost soul.” – Piers Anthony
O…k? That’s what they consider a pep talk??
So then, seriously, how do I do this? 
After more searching, however, I did finally find some helpful tips:
1)      Have an idea ready.
But like I already said…I’m not in the habit of outlining a story. Not on purpose, that is. Stories usually come to me organically. And all this pre-plotting talk is giving me hives. But hey, I’ll do it. This week, in fact! Because, well, I kind of have to. My official NaNo writing buddy and I have agreed to send each other our “outlines” on Wednesday. Gulp.
2)      Analyze your writing habits.
When do I write the best, have the most mental energy to sit in one place and be creative? Well, because I have a day job and sleep at night, I suppose that leaves the evenings. At 50,000 words in 30 days, that’s 1,600+ words a day. A DAY! My palms are sweating. I might try dragging my laptop to a bookstore or library for a change of scenery. I usually don’t write “on location,” however. I prefer sitting at my desk in full concentration mode, or slouching on my couch with my laptop, messing with a chapter during commercial breaks of “Vampire Diaries.” This, of course, will not fly with NaNo. Which brings us to…
3)      Set your DVR
I’m glad I’m not the only one out there who breaks out in a cold sweat at the thought of going TV-dark for a month. I’m hoping to be on schedule on the weekends and thus perhaps celebrate a bit by catching up on a show or two. And also, hopefully the NBA will be back in full swing by mid-November. Will the Dallas Mavericks survive without me? And what about Thanksgiving? And what about when my sister comes into town to watch the new “Twilight” movie? Breathe…just breathe…
With one week to go, I’m fully aware that it’s time to get my head in the game. Fully. I’ve been pseudo-preparing for the past three weeks, but now it’s crunch time. Time to get my house in order, do some extra grocery shopping (I’ll probably go WAY off my diet. Shucks.), have extra Diet Cokes lying around, lots of water, lots of music, lots of running, and the pulling forward of all my fail-safes for emergency creativity. (I do have a few of those, thank goodness!)
Despite feeling totally self-inflicted pressure for something that hasn’t even happened yet, something that I am volunteering for, something that isn’t costing me a red cent….honestly, I’m pretty excited about the adventure. And an adventure, it shall be! I won’t be in this alone; there are thousands of participant I can bawl to online, plus my writing buddy to keep me sane and energized. And I’m also counting on YOU. Check in with me, ask me how it’s going. Guilt me with cupcakes if you have to.
 
The tag line for NaNo is “Thirty days and nights of literary abandon!” And that sounds pretty cool to me.

seven days ’til NaNoWriMo

Leave a comment
“I have no experience in hiking but I’m going to climb this mountain and not die.”
(Yikes.)
 National Novel Writing Month is nearly here!!!
And here’s the gist of it: Write a brand new novel from scratch (pre-outlining and plotting is allowed) of 50,000 words (minimum) in one month. 
I know, right?
The challenge begins at midnight on November 1st and ends at midnight on November 30th.  If you make it to the 50,000 words, you’re deemed a “winner.” I haven’t been able to find what those who don’t make it are called. But one would have to assume, “loser.” Great.
As of right now, I don’t have a story in mind. I kind of have a tiny idea. But that’s it. The challenge begins in one week, and I’m already feeling stressed out. I’ve never pre-plotted a story before. I’ve always just kind of sat down and wrote when a new scene came to mind. And now….I’m totally blanking. Oh, the pressure!
After registering on the NaNoWriMo site, I went straight to the tab for “pep talks.” The first one I clicked on opened with this:
Dear Writer,
“You’re a fool. You know that, don’t you? Because only a fool would try a stunt as crazy as this. You want to write a 50,000 word novel in one month?! Do you have sawdust in your skull? When there are so many other more useful things you could be doing, like cleaning up the house and yard, taking a correspondence course in Chinese, or contributing your time and effort to a charitable cause? Whatever is possessing you?… Sigh. You’re a lost soul.” – Piers Anthony
O…k? That’s what they consider a pep talk??
So then, seriously, how do I do this? 
After more searching, however, I did finally find some helpful tips:
1)      Have an idea ready.
But like I already said…I’m not in the habit of outlining a story. Not on purpose, that is. Stories usually come to me organically. And all this pre-plotting talk is giving me hives. But hey, I’ll do it. This week, in fact! Because, well, I kind of have to. My official NaNo writing buddy and I have agreed to send each other our “outlines” on Wednesday. Gulp.
2)      Analyze your writing habits.
When do I write the best, have the most mental energy to sit in one place and be creative? Well, because I have a day job and sleep at night, I suppose that leaves the evenings. At 50,000 words in 30 days, that’s 1,600+ words a day. A DAY! My palms are sweating. I might try dragging my laptop to a bookstore or library for a change of scenery. I usually don’t write “on location,” however. I prefer sitting at my desk in full concentration mode, or slouching on my couch with my laptop, messing with a chapter during commercial breaks of “Vampire Diaries.” This, of course, will not fly with NaNo. Which brings us to…
3)      Set your DVR
I’m glad I’m not the only one out there who breaks out in a cold sweat at the thought of going TV-dark for a month. I’m hoping to be on schedule on the weekends and thus perhaps celebrate a bit by catching up on a show or two. And also, hopefully the NBA will be back in full swing by mid-November. Will the Dallas Mavericks survive without me? And what about Thanksgiving? And what about when my sister comes into town to watch the new “Twilight” movie? Breathe…just breathe…
With one week to go, I’m fully aware that it’s time to get my head in the game. Fully. I’ve been pseudo-preparing for the past three weeks, but now it’s crunch time. Time to get my house in order, do some extra grocery shopping (I’ll probably go WAY off my diet. Shucks.), have extra Diet Cokes lying around, lots of water, lots of music, lots of running, and the pulling forward of all my fail-safes for emergency creativity. (I do have a few of those, thank goodness!)
Despite feeling totally self-inflicted pressure for something that hasn’t even happened yet, something that I am volunteering for, something that isn’t costing me a red cent….honestly, I’m pretty excited about the adventure. And an adventure, it shall be! I won’t be in this alone; there are thousands of participant I can bawl to online, plus my writing buddy to keep me sane and energized. And I’m also counting on YOU. Check in with me, ask me how it’s going. Guilt me with cupcakes if you have to.
 
The tag line for NaNo is “Thirty days and nights of literary abandon!” And that sounds pretty cool to me.