Linda Maye Adams's Blog, page 21

Finally the end of Chapter 8

The light from the moon is noticeably different this morning, much darker out.  The moon’s not quite at half, but it’ll be there in a few days.  Most writers describe the moon as full, a crescent, or “just a sliver” (an episode of Criminal Minds).  Or no moon at all. 

A hop on Twitter.  Not much going on.  So I go to the newsletter.  Post the one I wrote yesterday to the sequence and write a second that I’m surprised I didn’t do.  Get that one up.

And time for work, so I shut everything down and slide on over to the work computer in the other room.

Lunch I drop in for a few minutes and finally Chapter 8 is done.

Cut off work at the end of the day.  Dinner, and then I cycle through the last two chapters.  They don’t take as much time.  I use Word’s Read Aloud feature starting at the beginning to check for missing articles.  It mispronounces pontificating (which, it turns out, was spelled wrong).  I wonder how it would do with a word I routinely misspell, tentacles. 

Got enough cleaned up, so I’m good to go for the evening.

Sometimes the muse needs to think

This morning I wake up to the thought that I need to take one of the minions out of Chapter 8.  I think that’s really what’s been nagging at me.

Out for a walk while it’s still before sunrise.  It’s amazing to look at the moon at how it changes.  It went to full earlier in the week (probably on the overcast day).  Every day, a bit more fades off the right side of it.

I look at all this because setting is so difficult for me to wrap my brain around.  If I’m more aware of what I see, then I can better translate it into the story. 

I work on Chapter 8—think I’m almost done finally—this morning.  But I’m having trouble getting my brain engaged.  I don’t like having to do the bulk of my writing activities on the weekend.  So I work the edits on and off all day, almost all additions or changes to accommodate the character removal.

Reading mostly in the afternoon.  It’s such a gorgeous, comfortable day that I walk down to a nearby park to sit at bench to read (and finish the book).

On the marketing side, I do two newsletter emails for my sequence and add my tweets for promotions for the next two weeks.

Setting is not an evil thing

Errands of the day first: Farmer’s market for fresh veggies, and then the grocery store to pick up the rest.  Dump my green beans in water, then leave them to dry while I’m off to take care of my first writing task.

Hit the Writers of the Future story for a review first.  This is a quick editing round and a sanity check. I add a little more description to accompany the dialogue because I’ve learned more since I wrote the story (Story #47 from the challenge).  Ending looks okay and I expected to have to fix that.

Then I run a search and replace for the word “was.”  I’m impressed that there are only five in the entire story.  After that, a search and replace for two spaces.  I run the search twice to catch all of them.  Some final cleanup for manuscript format, though I’ll review the guidelines before I submit.

Work on chapter 8, then a break to trim my green beans.  Videos show how “easy” it is to do them all at once.  That’s for the grocery store version, all perfectly straight.  The farmer’s market ones are curly, so it’s a lot of one at a time.  I think of a few things to add for my setting, scurry back and type in all caps what I need to add.

Lunch, and then I cut my hair, since it’s the fall equinox.  Put nut and fruit porridge into the slow cooker, set a timer for 30, and off to finish Chapter 8 (which I’m thinking is cursed). 

I feel sometimes like I have to rewire my brain to think about the setting.  It’s not as bad as when I first discovered I wasn’t putting nearly enough in (read: I wasn’t putting any in at the time), but still a struggle. This was one of the things that I got angry about with the writing community. It’s “common wisdom” that description is boring, that you should add description only in drips and drabs. Even the writing books being published today feel like they gloss over this. There’s one I ran into that actively says not to do it all.

Admittedly, it’s probably because this is a hard skill to learn, and none of the books are teaching writers how to get published. Only how to write a book.

I think on the next project, I might have to do an opening volley of creating maps for the setting, rather than creating one after I realize there’s a problem. Meanwhile, the map for the scenes I’m working on. This was done in PowerPoint.

Characters Being Aware of Their Environment

I wake up with the thought I need to get a story out to the Writers of the Future Contest.  So I pop in and add it as a task so I won’t have to remember to do it (and probably forget).

The moon’s gorgeous, glowing bright white against the dark blue sky.  It’ll be at full tomorrow with the equinox.  One of the reasons I look at all this when I walk is that if I’m doing a fantasy story, the characters would be very aware of their environment.  You can’t go on a quest without noticing the weather.  Too many books don’t even mention how the characters navigate from point A to point B, other than getting on a road (it doesn’t help that what’s commonly taught about writing fiction tends to treat this as unimportant).

Short pass at Twitter.  Meh.  Onto Chapter 8 to grab what I can before work.  It’s turning into more work than I expected.  I left out a lot of the setting, so now I’m working through that.  Setting is still challenging for me to add.  I do better if I look at what I’m describing so I have a picture in my head.  If I don’t have the picture, it’s easy for me to not do enough.

Sign off and head over to the work computer. 

At the end of the day, I shut down the computer, clean up the desk, and head out to eat at a restaurant.  It’s how I close the door on work entirely so I can do writing.  I haven’t always done this well…terrible thing when you bring home the stress from work.  So I sit out in the nice day and eat dinner on the outdoor patio.  Won’t have too many more days of that.  Already sliding into chilly days.

Then I come back and knock out 90 minutes on Chapter 6.  I keep adding more stuff to it, but it’s good character stuff. 

Tomorrow, I dive in the map for the next part of the story.

Thursday’s Writing

Today, the rain is coming down so hard that I can see it bouncing off the glow of the walkway lamps.  I don’t go very far before I turn back.  I’m going to get soaked if I try the walk.  But I’ll try later once the sun’s out. 

Since COVID-19, I’ve made more effort to go outside regularly.  Sunshine is a prime source of vitamin D and deficiencies can contribute to getting sick.  Plus, walking is fun and can be inspirational.  I got some of my Great Challenge story ideas from walking the neighborhood.  Favor for an Alien, a Dice Ford story, came from seeing lawn ornaments.  Another I haven’t released yet was garden gnomes.  I’ve seen squirrels, does, chipmunks, rabbits, raccoons, cats, and lots of dogs.  Got to pet the dogs, too.

This morning, I grab my writing time on Chapter 8.  I won’t have time tonight. 

Write for a bit, break for breakfast, write again.  I’m putting food into the scene.  That’s been a challenge for me, but doing a short story a week really helped with being able to work that skill. 

Then time to shut down and migrate to the work computer.  It’s still raining.

The weather clears out in the early afternoon and it turns into a relatively nice day.  I grab a walk at 6:00. 

Then off to Discord for a writing meeting with a friend (also on the Great Challenge.  Six stories left this week).

Wednesday Wandering

This morning, the sky is overcast, smothering the sunrise for a little while longer.  Rain I think, though I still can’t explain how I know this, or if my guess is right.

The crickets seem louder, more urgent in their chirps today.  We’re getting near the end of their season.

As I come back around on my walk, the sky in the east lightens, and on the right, the light is faint orange rising from the horizon.  The first tiny drop hits my chin, and then another on my cheek.  By the time I return, round splotches appear on the concrete sidewalk.

Breakfast, and then to Twitter.

Off that, still have time, so I dive back into Chapter 8.  Thinking time has helped—I’m adding food to the scene.  This was one of the hardest senses for me to do at first, but really, it’s about putting your character in a position where they are able to eat.  That means not thinking “Plot, plot, plot” all the time.  One of the best stories to teach me that was Malice in Morro Bay because it was a cozy mystery.  Lot of characterization, light plot.  My inner critic was beside himself!

But alas, time to shut down and migrate to the work computer.

Lunch – back on briefly to read through Blink of a Moment.  Then back to JAG. It started raining late afternoon, the wind hurling the rain furiously.

Signed off of work at the end of the day, dinner, chill for a bit, and to the writing computer.  I’m pretty tired.  I try to write, but it’s not in the cards tonight.

Tuesday’s Child Is Zombie Brain

My writing day:

Sinus zombie this morning.  Takes me a few minutes for my blood to start flowing into my arms and legs as I start my morning walk.

It’s still dark out, clouds pressing against the horizon.  I pass a man in a ball cap being walked by a golden labrador.  The dog’s steps are quick and urgent, like he wants to get every bit of distance he can on the walk before they have to go back.

I’m a little early today so I wonder if I’ll catch the sunrise.  But as I round the corner, I spot pale orange streaks in the sky.  As I reached the end of my walk, the sky blushes a delicate pink into the orange.

Breakfast again, then Twitter.  Meh. Mostly political this morning.

My zombie brain is not ready for any writing with the time now freed up, so a cover.  I could do those in my sleep.

This one is for Blink of a Moment, a refresh that needs to be done.  Already have the image.  Play with the colors of the font, seven minutes, and it’s done. 

Cover on zombie brain:

This is a time travel story.

Since I’m in the folder, I added the new subfolders (1 Manuscript Masters, 2 Publishing Masters, 3 Archived Files), rearrange files, delete the old folders.  Update the task to add the next step: a fast review of the story and the blurb (need the first to do the second and before I do the interior).

Shut down and switch to the work computer.

Lunch I’m lazy and watch JAG.  I’m tired pretty much all day from the change in weather.  Have trouble remembering that it’s only Tuesday.

Shut down work, then dinner.  Chill for a bit and to the writing computer.  I’m tired enough that I don’t want to do it, but I’ll do what I can.

I do better once I start cycling through Chapter 7, called As Long As No Cheetah Guys Are Involved (the titles are commentary from the main character).  This is the chapter where we meet the future sidekick. 

Then off to Chapter 8 and I realize I need a lot more setting in the opening.  The convention center is based on the one I visited in New Orleans.  It was such a huge building that one of the panelists said he just walked up to the room and got 10,000 steps. I believed him!

But my brain is zombifying now, so I’ll call it on Chapter 8.  Give me a chance to ponder the setting, maybe add a minion into the setting. 

Monday’s Excuse: Aliens Made Me Do It

My day mingling writing around the day job. Before work:

I’m out the door for a circuit that takes me through a local park.  It’s still dark out when I leave, the lightening sky showing mottled clouds.  The sunrise is a weak tea glow in the east.  Late summer crickets greet me with a rolling wave of friendly chirping.  By the time I circle back toward home, the sunrise turns sherbert.

Breakfast next.

I grab 15 minutes on Twitter to do replies, add a few more to my scheduled tweets, which I didn’t finish yesterday.  If a writer is on all the platforms actively every day, they either aren’t writing or they have help.  People like James Patterson have other people doing social media for them (James Patterson has 42!).

Time to telework.  I close down all my programs on the writing computer (something I’m trying to do more of, since my habit is to leave files open) and migrate to the work computer for the day.

Lunch …. Grab food.  I usually veg out and watch JAG (Season 9), but it’s not engaging me today.  So off to a quick round of cycling for Chapter 6.  The chapter is called “Trust an alien to screw up your life.”  I find myself adding more characterization to the scene, and also that I’ll have to think about it a bit more.

After work:

Dinner, and then onto writing at 6:00.  I set the dishwasher to run while I head on over to the computer.  I’m already tired after work.

Tackling the additions to Chapter 6 from earlier today.  Includes a bit of on-the-spot research: Perfumes.  These Are the 7 Types of Perfumes You Need to Know (byrdie.com).  Chapter 6 is a wrap.

Get a good start on 7, filling in more details, building on something I added in Chapter 2 (anyone on the mailing list will get to see that).  I also catch a continuity error…an object moved from where I put it in Chapter 6 to a different location in Chapter 7.  My brain is shutting down, so I add a note for myself for tomorrow, reminding me to add more setting description, then shut down.

A reminder also here that one of the promotions is closing down at the end of the month.  If you want to grab free fiction from the Kindle Unlimited sale, drop in on the link and see if there’s anything you’d like.

Story Housekeeping for Sunday

A lot of my weekend ends up being writing activities. This is often the biggest block of my time.

I fell and whacked my knee on asphalt Friday morning. Very painful, especially on Friday. It is getting better, but sitting with my knees in the normal position means not as much time today. So I was kind of in and out.

But this was what my day looked like:

Planning: I spent time adding tasks to my task list, mostly for images for the covers for the Great Challenge stories. I just plopped them in December. I’ll decide later what to tackle first.

Promotion: I scheduled tweets for the next week for the two promotions I’m part of for September. Never again will I do two at one time. I also worked on setting up a list of tweets I could use over my next promotion, an online book fair in October (over 50 books). I spent a lot of September coming up with the tweets on the fly and it’s just unnecessary extra work each time. With a day job taking up most of my time, I can’t waste time like that. I’m looking at setting up the entire month of October next week sometime.

Superhero Portal: Cycling pass on Chapters 6-10. I ran a search and replace for crutch words, to highlight them in yellow. Then I figure out if I need to replace them. It’s an eye-opening experience to see some paragraphs with groupings of the words. I’m also surprised I’m not as bad with these as I thought.

This cycling pass is also the one I typically do right before I slid into the climax of the story. I plow through the entire story, cleaning up any problems, filling any new information in, tying things together. Sort of story housekeeping. Still it’s a bit boring, so I’m looking forward to returning to the climax soon!

What I Learned Writing a Short Story a Week for A Year

Labor Day Weekend I wrapped up The Great Challenge, a project where I wrote a short story (minimum 2K) a week for an entire year. That’s 52 stories. For doing it, I received a lifetime subscription to writing workshops.

It was a huge learning experience. Among other things:

No Slacking

It’s easy to procrastinate finishing a story if you have lots of time. The week deadline forced me to complete stories, some of which I did in one day. My longest was 6K.

Someone asked me, “But you’ll go back and revise them, right?”

Nope. They’re done. I’ll have to do a pass through to clean up typos and things that made sense to me when I wrote them, but now I’m going “Huh? What was I trying to say?” And I’ll probably have to fix the validation at the end, which is a common pantser problem. I didn’t always have time to circle back and make sure it got a little extra attention. When in doubt, I don’t change something.

First Scene

The first scene is the foundation for the rest of the story. If it doesn’t work right, the rest of the story won’t. I spent more time on that scene in every story than the remaining ones.

Time Management

This was a huge challenge for me. I ended up putting my novel, Superhero Portal (which was nearly done) on the back burner. I just couldn’t muster energy to do the short story and then work on the novel, in combination with the day job. But now I’m back on Superhero Portal, getting that ready for a January release. If you sign up for my newsletter, you get one of the stories from the Great Challenge (Superhero Convention) and the first six chapters form the books. Plus other cool stuff.

I managed to take four classes, all of which I’m glad I did and I shouldn’t have because it made working on the stories very challenging.

Details, Details

Details have been the bane of my existence. I struggled with them, partially because I’m not detail-oriented. But also, because much of the writing community actually discourages them (while saying you need telling details. Go figure). So the habits were deeply embedded. I worked for two years learning how to get setting into the story. Now that’s second nature.

Towards the second half of the challenge, I took several science fiction workshops. Science fiction is a genre where you have to add a ton more details because the reader has no frame of reference. You can’t call an ordinary object like a chair a chair. You have to provide an additional detail for reader. The result is that I’m starting to get a lot better at seeing what I need to add (I’m studying J.D. Robb’s books). Even in a contemporary superhero fantasy, instead of “sidewalk” it becomes “cracked sidewalk.”

Forgetting Stories

Early on, I remembered the stories and how much of a challenge they were. I always remember them wrong, like how hard it was to write. Or, one of my last ones, I thought it needed a cycling pass to add more detail about the theme. Nope. That needed only a fix for the validation at the end (100 word addition). But I’m shocked to look at some of the titles and not remember the story at all. They started to blur together.

Takeaways

My writing did improve. I learned more about my process. I tried new genres like cozy mystery. Though I grew up thinking I would write mysteries like Nancy Drew, the majority of the stories were speculative fiction.

I did think about trying literary fiction, just because. But when I hit one of the big paying magazines, the stories were awful. I couldn’t see myself writing a story like this one where a character worried about her stuff for 10 pages because she asked a stranger to watch it and another stranger to watch it because she didn’t trust the first one while she went to the bathroom. Yikes.

I also found myself hitting the thesaurus and dictionary more. Sometimes I looked up a word to make sure it meant what I thought it did, and sometimes it didn’t. But I sometimes wanted a different word than what popped first into my head, something that didn’t feel like low hanging fruit.

One story won honorable mention in Writers of the Future, two won silver honorable mention. One was short listed for an anthology in the final 31, but didn’t make the cut. Now I have another one submitted to that anthology and Writers of the Future, so we shall see.