R.B. Holbrook's Blog, page 24
July 29, 2012
Angel vs. Demon: Research?
Angel: “Hey RB? Demon? Where are ya’ll…playing video games?!”
Me: “Crap!”
Angel: “I thought you were supposed to be writing?”
Demon: “Oh! Good move, RB!”
Angel: “And you! I thought you were helping not hindering.”
Demon: “Oh, well… This is research?”
Me: “Yeah, research. Haha! You lose!”
Demon: “What! Nooo! See what you made me do, Angel? Now I’ll have to play again to reclaim my honor.”
Angel: “Honor? What honor, you’re a demon.”
Me: “She got you there!”
Angel: “RB, back to work!” She unplugs the television.
Demon & Me: “Hey!”
Angel: “I believe someone made a promise to have two books written this year…I wonder who.”
Me: “Ah yes, back to work.”
Demon: “Noooo! Don’t do it! Don’t give in!”
Angel: “And you!”
Demon: “I’m outta here!”
RBH
Filed under: Angel vs. Demon, Writing Tagged: Angel vs. Demon, Books, R B Holbrook, research, video games, Writing
July 27, 2012
Angel vs. Demon: Complacent
Demon: “ARGH! Why are these characters so happy? What happened to the danger? The suspense? The fear?”
Angel: “It’s all right there.”
Demon: “They go about their daily life, not a care in the world. It’s so… boooooring.”
Me: “Complacency is a tool I’m using it to build suspense. At first, it looks like nothing has changed. Nothing is going on. But sooner or later they realize life isn’t so quiet and they will be forced to either act or react.”
Angel: “See, it’s all right there.”
Demon: “Yes, I can see it ALL in the fact that the character just said hi to her neighbor before going to the supermarket to buy bread. It screams, “AHHHHH, HEELLLP! SAVE ME!”
Me: “Not yet, but it will.”
Demon: “It will?”
Me: “Oh, it will.”
Demon: “HELL YEAH!”
RBH
Filed under: Angel vs. Demon, Writing Tagged: Angel vs. Demon, building suspense, complacent, R B Holbrook, story development, thriller, Writing
July 25, 2012
Angel vs. Demon: Influence of People
Demon: “People piss me off.”
Me: “That was random. Where did this come from?”
Angel: “His black soul.”
Demon: “Stuff it goody-goody. It comes from the crap I see day to day. How can people live like this?”
Me: “Strife. Hatred. Strong kicking the weak? Greedy robbing the poor? The helpful being taken advantage of by the tricksters? It’s a harsh and cruel world, but it gives me fuel for writing. It allows me to build a foundation for my outlandish ideas.”
Angel: “Some of the bad things people do can be hard to take, but there is good in the world.”
Demon: “That’s what I’m talking about. How can people, despite all the yummy hedonism around them, still do good? What’s that about?”
Me: “……..”
Angel: “I’m so disappointed right now.”
Demon: “You, too?!”
RBH
Filed under: Angel vs. Demon, Writing Tagged: Angel vs. Demon, outside influences, plot, R B Holbrook, story ideas, Writing
July 23, 2012
Angel vs. Demon: No Tear-Jerkers
Me: “No.”
Angel: “Why not? The story would truly have depth.”
Me: “It’s not that type of story.”
Angel: “But people like tear-jerkers.”
Me: “Not everyone wants to shed tears. I’m not putting a reunion or bonding scene between these characters.”
Angel: “But why?”
Me: “It does nothing for the story. This isn’t about how he copes with his parents. It’s about how he copes with himself as he is. What his parents did to him is in the past, this story shows how he feels now. And right now, I need him to feel this way to drive him forward.”
Angel: “What about later? Later in the series?”
Me: “Maybe. If I feel it necessary.”
Demon: “Just have him kill off his parents. Problem solved.”
Angel: “And this is why we ignore you.”
RBH
Filed under: Angel vs. Demon, Writing Tagged: Angel vs. Demon, character development, parents, R B Holbrook, reunion, tear-jerker
July 21, 2012
Angel vs. Demon: Distraction
Demon: “I’m bored, RB, come play with me.”
Angel: “Shhhh, the creator is writing.”
Demon: “At least take a break”
Angel: “Don’t interrupt or you’ll regret it.”
Demon: “This part isn’t that great. No destruction or violence. Play with me!”
Me: “Silence!” *SMACK*
Demon: [Rubs the back of his head]
Angel: “Told ya.”
RBH
Filed under: Angel vs. Demon, Writing Tagged: Angel vs. Demon, Distraction, interruption, Writing
July 19, 2012
Angel vs. Demon: Another Minor Threat
Angel: “When did this minor character become major? Did you want this minor character to be major?”
Me: “As I write, I find some of my minor characters performing significant actions that directly affect the main plot and characters.”
Angel: “Yes, but you don’t want them to outshine the main character.”
Demon: “That’s why you have to keep them in their place. Put your foot on their neck. Oppress them like a good dictator should.”
Me: “Oppress?”
Angel: “What?”
Demon: “Yes, this is your world. You created them, you can tell the little minions where to go and what to do. And if they get out of line, WHACK!”
Me: “Uh…hmmm.” I turn to Angel. “Okay, so what were you saying?”
Angel: “Unless you plan to make the minor character major, keep their actions and description at a minimum.”
Me: “Keep them in moderation, got it.”
Demon: “I will not be ignored, dammit!”
RBH
Filed under: Angel vs. Demon, Writing Tagged: angel, Angel vs. Demon, character development, demon, inner conflict, major characters, minor characters, plot, Writing
July 17, 2012
Angel vs. Demon: Minor Threat
Me: “Crap! That’s a problem.”
Demon: “Self-created of course.”
Angel: [walks over to the computer screen] “What is it?”
Demon: “RB’s genius mind has become so involved with this story, it has created more minor characters with significant roles in this one area she’s writing. Genius mind? Ha! More like over active imagination.”
Angel: “I see the problem. It could confuse someone from the outside reading it. Like your readers.”
Me: “Yeah, I get too engrossed. I’ll have to get rid of some.”
Angel: “To simplify, why not move one or more of these minor characters around and save them for different parts later.”
Demon: “Or just do a hack and slash. Cut them out completely”
Angel: “Brutal!”
Me: “But effective.”
Demon: “Muwahaha!”
RBH
Filed under: Angel vs. Demon, Misadventures, Writing Tagged: Angel vs. Demon, character development, minor characters, story plot, Writing
July 15, 2012
Angel vs. Demon: Rewriting Blunder
Angel: “Ummm…”
Me: “Don’t say it.”
Angel: “Don’t worry. I’m sure it will be okay.”
Demon: “Hahahahahahahaha!“
Angel: “Cut that out you evil thing.” She swat’s the Demon, then turns to me, “I’m sure you can rewrite it.”
Me: “Yeah… I can’t believe it. I shouldn’t have written over that scene. I should have just started a new document and copied all the old into the new and kept the old document untouched.”
Angel: “I’m sure you’ll remember to do so in the future.”
Demon: “Hahahaheeheeheeheeheehee!”
Angel: “The undo command won’t work this time will it?”
Me: “Unfortunately, I saved the new changes days ago. And I’m just realizing, that scene shouldn’t have been written over.”
Demon: “Brilliant! Hahaha! So damn brilliant! You pretty much screwed yourself.”
Angel: “Next time just leave the originals alone. Save them. Set them to the side. They are your framework, your skeletal system for your rewrite. You NEVER know when you might need that draft again.
Demon: “Heeheehee! Cause after so many saves on your computer, the undo button just don’t work anymore. YEP, you learned this the hard way!”
Me & Angel: “Oh shut up!”
RBH
Filed under: Angel vs. Demon, Misadventures, Writing Tagged: Angel vs. Demon, drafts, rewrite, save documents, undo, writing advice
July 13, 2012
Angel vs Demon: Rain
Angel: “It’s raining, it’s pouring, the old man is snoring.”
Demon: “It’s also thundering and lightning.”
Angel: “Maybe we should unplug everything, you know, to be on the safe side.”
Demon: “Oops, wait… there goes the lights. I guess that’s it for writing tonight, RB.”
Me: “Not really.”
Demon: “Is… is your laptop still on?”
Me: “Battery back-up.”
Demon: “Oh.”
Angel: “The marvels of modern technology.”
RBH
Filed under: Angel vs. Demon, Writing Tagged: Angel vs. Demon, lightning, R B Holbrook, rain, technology, thunder, Writing
July 11, 2012
Angel vs. Demon: Self-Possessed
Angel: “I wonder when RB knows when to write. And what to write.”
Demon: “It’s a self-possession.”
Angel: “I beg your pardon?”
Demon: “Beg all you want, there will be no pardon. MUWAHAHA-”
Angel: “Ugh! I mean, what are you talking about, self-possession?”
Demon: “Aaaaaah. The story… it can thrum in the mind. A constant echo calling you. Chanting your name. It longs to be heard. To be told. To be read. To be written. And if you don’t see it, if you don’t recognize it… It begins to follow you. Disturbing your thoughts, invading your daydreams. Stalking your nightmares. And soon, it will break into your home, eat up your cheese puffs, and take over your remote. Then… Then it will take your friends, alienate you from your family, and bury you in the coffin of your own making while you breathe. It will pursue you until you finally, FINALLY, give up and give in. Or until you go mad.”
Angel: “So to avoid madness… RB writes every story down. But there are so many that still haven’t been written.”
Demon: “Indeed.”
Angel: “Then the author may very well go mad.”
Demon: “Indeed.”
Angel: “….. Is that…is that why you are here? To ensure madness?”
The Demon smiles.
Angel: “Then I will make sure RB writes until the end.”
RBH
Filed under: Imagination, Writing Tagged: Angel vs. Demon, mind tricks, nightmares, self-possession, Stalking, story, Writing
