Vanessa Jaye's Blog, page 5
August 7, 2012
Learning to ride the bike…. again
If you’ve
passed by here semi-regularly, you’ve seen me post many times about trying to
achieve balance in my life. There were a lot of stressful markers I was
continually dealing with, including deaths, relationship meltdowns, financial and health
concerns, and a couple of really toxic situations with some really poisonous
people. You know, the usual.
Then things
really went off track in the last year. lol.
Big changes
at work, not the least of which was the very real concern that I’d stay
employed. I did, but others didn’t. There
were others who, for all intents and purposes, got demoted. I made a lateral move/transfer.
The good news
is, I like my new department. A lot of
the negativity I’d been dealing with is gone because of the change and there
are new opportunities here that I believe I’ll get great satisfaction in. BUT…
there’s been a HUGE learning curve, so steep at times it feels virtually perpendicular.
And of course the shit in real life
never stops happening, like in the space of a couple of days the basement started
leaking during a particular heavy rainfall then the A/C died. lol.
But I
handled it and kept my sanity, something I doubt would have happened even 6
months ago with copings skills that had been severely compromised. Extreme
and continued stress, anxiety, insomnia, depression tends to do that.
Anywho, the
last 2 things that I’m still working on is regular exercise and writing. The exercise I’ve had better luck with if
only because I walk part of the way home every day after work (30mins). The writing has been sporadic. I’m beginning to think Mitch’s story isn’t
really Mitch’s story. This hero may be
some other character and the connection between this story and Hunter of the
Heart, is Alejandro. We’ll see.
In the
meantime, I’m going to put it aside for a bit. I’ve been spinning my wheels on
this story for too long. I’ll come back to it fresh. There’s another sci-fi/romance
novella I want to write, and I just joined a yahoo writers group, where we post
our daily word count. Also, after
exchanging several emails with my writing bud Samantha Storm, we’re going to do
a fast draft (based on Candace Haven’s method) for two weeks. She can’t start
until the 13th but I’m going to get going today.
In fact, since
I have today off, I’ll write on the train while I head down to the gym.
Oh yeah,
considering I’ve finally done up a proper blog post, albeit a navel
gazing one, I’ll be scratching 3 things off today’s To-Do list. J
passed by here semi-regularly, you’ve seen me post many times about trying to
achieve balance in my life. There were a lot of stressful markers I was
continually dealing with, including deaths, relationship meltdowns, financial and health
concerns, and a couple of really toxic situations with some really poisonous
people. You know, the usual.
Then things
really went off track in the last year. lol.
Big changes
at work, not the least of which was the very real concern that I’d stay
employed. I did, but others didn’t. There
were others who, for all intents and purposes, got demoted. I made a lateral move/transfer.
The good news
is, I like my new department. A lot of
the negativity I’d been dealing with is gone because of the change and there
are new opportunities here that I believe I’ll get great satisfaction in. BUT…
there’s been a HUGE learning curve, so steep at times it feels virtually perpendicular.
And of course the shit in real life
never stops happening, like in the space of a couple of days the basement started
leaking during a particular heavy rainfall then the A/C died. lol.
But I
handled it and kept my sanity, something I doubt would have happened even 6
months ago with copings skills that had been severely compromised. Extreme
and continued stress, anxiety, insomnia, depression tends to do that.
Anywho, the
last 2 things that I’m still working on is regular exercise and writing. The exercise I’ve had better luck with if
only because I walk part of the way home every day after work (30mins). The writing has been sporadic. I’m beginning to think Mitch’s story isn’t
really Mitch’s story. This hero may be
some other character and the connection between this story and Hunter of the
Heart, is Alejandro. We’ll see.
In the
meantime, I’m going to put it aside for a bit. I’ve been spinning my wheels on
this story for too long. I’ll come back to it fresh. There’s another sci-fi/romance
novella I want to write, and I just joined a yahoo writers group, where we post
our daily word count. Also, after
exchanging several emails with my writing bud Samantha Storm, we’re going to do
a fast draft (based on Candace Haven’s method) for two weeks. She can’t start
until the 13th but I’m going to get going today.
In fact, since
I have today off, I’ll write on the train while I head down to the gym.
Oh yeah,
considering I’ve finally done up a proper blog post, albeit a navel
gazing one, I’ll be scratching 3 things off today’s To-Do list. J
July 1, 2012
Happy Birthday Canada!
I've been spending most of the day gardening, so far. Hope everyone is having a fun, relaxing time of it!
June 10, 2012
Playing Around
I was in NY a couple of weeks ago. I went with my best friend and we had a blast, not the least of which was just taking pictures. Neither one of us brought cameras, we just used our iphones but the results we pretty darn good. Today I was exchanging emails with Sasha and I sent her one of my favourite pictures, (that I’m currently using as my screen saver).
It was sunny and hot for all 5 days we were in NY, except of the last day (which coincidently, was the day we’d booked a walking tour. Btw, I highly recommend this tour, it was fab and the guides Lance (and Frankie) were your quintessential Brooklynese, broad accent, dry humor and all. They made the experience that much more fun.
I LOVE this picture. It’s at the top of my list for pics to print and frame. My only quibble is, it could be anywhere. There’s a certain anonymity (and mystery) to it. In terms of picture taking for the trip, I was trying to do a bit more than ‘smile for the camera! Snap!snap!snap!’. I aimed for composition, mood, balance, etc. I think I achieve some of that here, but at the same time it feels a little like photo101. Just your basic exercise in straight line diminishing pov.
This one I was playing with angles, just making the lines of the building match up with the edges of the photo. Not sure how interesting it is. Lol.
Another fav. Love the way the tree branches frame that glimpse of the sky scrapers. This was a see little surprise. We were just walking and gawking… er… looking around, and there was the picture. If I hadn’t been looking up in that direction at that specific time, I would have missed the shot.
This pic is the one I shared with Sasha. What I like about it is how the lamp post falls in line with the step down of the buildings from left to right. Further, the decrease in the buildings work naturally with the diminishing prospective. I don’t think the pic would have been as interesting without the lamppost.
Authors do the same things with their stories that I’ve tried to do with these pictures: Take the familiar but show it from an unfamiliar prospective, give a surprise or unveil a mystery. Give context, that pulls you into the whole and the detail. And like authors and stories, the same picture can always have a different spin in different hands.
Sasha decided to play with the image and here are the results.
Cool huh?
It was sunny and hot for all 5 days we were in NY, except of the last day (which coincidently, was the day we’d booked a walking tour. Btw, I highly recommend this tour, it was fab and the guides Lance (and Frankie) were your quintessential Brooklynese, broad accent, dry humor and all. They made the experience that much more fun.
I LOVE this picture. It’s at the top of my list for pics to print and frame. My only quibble is, it could be anywhere. There’s a certain anonymity (and mystery) to it. In terms of picture taking for the trip, I was trying to do a bit more than ‘smile for the camera! Snap!snap!snap!’. I aimed for composition, mood, balance, etc. I think I achieve some of that here, but at the same time it feels a little like photo101. Just your basic exercise in straight line diminishing pov.
This one I was playing with angles, just making the lines of the building match up with the edges of the photo. Not sure how interesting it is. Lol.
Another fav. Love the way the tree branches frame that glimpse of the sky scrapers. This was a see little surprise. We were just walking and gawking… er… looking around, and there was the picture. If I hadn’t been looking up in that direction at that specific time, I would have missed the shot.
This pic is the one I shared with Sasha. What I like about it is how the lamp post falls in line with the step down of the buildings from left to right. Further, the decrease in the buildings work naturally with the diminishing prospective. I don’t think the pic would have been as interesting without the lamppost.
Authors do the same things with their stories that I’ve tried to do with these pictures: Take the familiar but show it from an unfamiliar prospective, give a surprise or unveil a mystery. Give context, that pulls you into the whole and the detail. And like authors and stories, the same picture can always have a different spin in different hands.
Sasha decided to play with the image and here are the results.
Cool huh?
June 5, 2012
Worth Waiting for
Tension: mental or emotional strain; intense, suppressed suspense, anxiety, or excitement.
dictionary.reference.com
I’ve a run into a couple of books lately that started out great; I was all excited to immerse myself in story after reading the synopsis, only to find myself putting the book(s) down for long periods at a time, vaguely bored. The problem was lack of tension. Either the delicious conflict I was expecting to build throughout the story, becoming more and more excruciating with the passing of each chapter -- essentially the very premise I was sold on in the synopsis/blurb--was resolved fairly simply within a few chapters. Or perhaps it was either that the direness of the situation it was exaggerated in the blurb or the author didn’t wade in neck deep into the conflict, but gloss over it.
*sigh*
The other disappointment was the lack of sexual tension, or sexual attraction/tension that was acted on too soon. Sure I enjoy a (very) hot/kinky book but I’d like my hero/heroine to be writhing with longing for a good period of time before they’re writhing against each other as their lusty appetites are satisfied.
Have you ever anticipated a really great meal? Your mouth is watering and you’ve practically loosened your belt before you’re seated. Your mood is lifted thinking about the companionship, the laughter and stimulating conversation, the linen, the lighting, the favoured music, the sparkle of glasses and weight of cutlery… see what I’m getting at? It’s not just Homer Simpsonnom-nom-nom hunkered down over a turkey leg and ripping into the meat, barely chewing before he swallows (although, there’s definitely a time for that type of animalistic consumption). But the meal is more than just the eating. Many times the story is more than just the telling. It should be just as much about the build-up as the delivery of the promise implied in the synopsis.
It’s about the wait.
* * *
I'm over at Generalities today, come over a get some tips on staying stress free. :)
*
*
dictionary.reference.com
I’ve a run into a couple of books lately that started out great; I was all excited to immerse myself in story after reading the synopsis, only to find myself putting the book(s) down for long periods at a time, vaguely bored. The problem was lack of tension. Either the delicious conflict I was expecting to build throughout the story, becoming more and more excruciating with the passing of each chapter -- essentially the very premise I was sold on in the synopsis/blurb--was resolved fairly simply within a few chapters. Or perhaps it was either that the direness of the situation it was exaggerated in the blurb or the author didn’t wade in neck deep into the conflict, but gloss over it.
*sigh*
The other disappointment was the lack of sexual tension, or sexual attraction/tension that was acted on too soon. Sure I enjoy a (very) hot/kinky book but I’d like my hero/heroine to be writhing with longing for a good period of time before they’re writhing against each other as their lusty appetites are satisfied.Have you ever anticipated a really great meal? Your mouth is watering and you’ve practically loosened your belt before you’re seated. Your mood is lifted thinking about the companionship, the laughter and stimulating conversation, the linen, the lighting, the favoured music, the sparkle of glasses and weight of cutlery… see what I’m getting at? It’s not just Homer Simpsonnom-nom-nom hunkered down over a turkey leg and ripping into the meat, barely chewing before he swallows (although, there’s definitely a time for that type of animalistic consumption). But the meal is more than just the eating. Many times the story is more than just the telling. It should be just as much about the build-up as the delivery of the promise implied in the synopsis.
It’s about the wait.
* * *
I'm over at Generalities today, come over a get some tips on staying stress free. :)
*
*
May 24, 2012
How Gorgeous is this cover?
My crit partner, Raine Weaver, has a new book out: Lucidity.Isn't the cover scrumptious?
Trust me, I had serious cover envy when she first showed it to me. And I think it perfectly fits a story that the Library Journal Reviews describes as: "Good pacing, fun characters, and “steam up your glasses” sex will keep readers intrigued". I'll co-sign to that! This is a fun, original story with two great characters who share some very witty dialogue and steaming sexual tension.
Story Blurb:
He’s found the woman of his dreams—in the midst of his worst nightmare.
Carlotta Phelps never considered herself special, except for a peculiar ability to control the course of her dreams. Other than being a handy cure for nightmares, it’s a pretty worthless talent. Until she’s recruited for the One Hundred, a team of lucid dreamers whose combined visualizations have been proven to affect reality.
With a giant asteroid hurtling straight toward Earth and the scientific technology to avert it uncertain, the dreamers are the fallback—the last line of defense. And the man who’s been assigned as her bodyguard is messing with her focus, big time.
Ex-Special Ops soldier Parker Munroe has no idea why he’s been assigned to protect the luscious, gentle-eyed Carly. She’s a frustrating temptation, but he’s a hard-core realist. The only power he believes in is brute force.
Then he learns that his charge, who practically lives in lacy negligees, wields an awesome power—and an even bigger responsibility. She and her kind are being hunted by an enemy he can’t even identify, against which all his skill with weaponry is useless. If he can’t find a way to protect her, the world is as doomed as the heart he’s already lost.
Warning: This title contains a hero who packs a really big gun, government conspiracies, hot-buttered murder, witch hunting, and drop-your-drawers-there’s-a-new-sheriff-in-town-and-she’s-carryin’-cuffs kinda sex.
Available at: Amazon and Samhain
March 17, 2012
Torturing the Hero(ine)
(As an aside, can I say how torturous it was to spell 'torture'? I always want to throw in a 'ch' an/or an extra 'u' in there somewhere. Lol)What is it with we authors that we must heap misfortune after misfortune upon our main protagonists? We make them orphans, or have unloving/alcoholic/drug-addict step/parents, or bounced from one foster home to another, or grow up on the mean streets of____. They're abducted and sold to a brothels or conscripted and made to work on pirate ships. They're blind, lamed or social outcasts. More recently we give them some extreme/non-pc/borderline legal sexual kink.
All the while having perfectly straight white teeth, blemish free skin, great hygiene and thick luxurious hair. ::wink::.
Reading about a perfect Marcia Brady like heroine hooking up with a perfect Tebow-ish hero is well… ::yawn::. Pathos + romance = engaging story. Conflict + growth arc overcoming adversities = interesting characters.
But sometimes we authors delve a little too far into the eye-rolling 'oh fer gawds sake give the kid a break' territory. I almost found myself there with a story idea that hit me squarely between the eyes. I can't work on it now because Mitch's story (follow up to Hunter of the Heart) is my priority, but I knew I had to write down the bones of this story while it was hot, or else most of it would be forgotten. So there I am doing the character outlines. It's a sci-fi romance. The hero backstory wasn't too exaggerated. Let's just say that his government wouldn't let the poor man die in battle, and now he's as much man as he is machine.
The heroine on the other hand…. well, I must have had a REALLY big cup o WTF while I wrote her backstory. She's part alien, part human. Her mother is killed (along with 95% of alien their race), then her human father is killed in battle, her father parents reluctantly take her in, but they don't want her/dislike and blame her for their son's death. When the grandparents are forced to evacuate their outpost, they manage to leave her behind and she ends up as slave labor. Oh, and at some point she's supposed to lose a leg (before the story begins) and also commit a criminal act that lands her at some penal colony/planet where she meets the hero and our story begins.
0_0
Yeah, so, I took another stab at that backstory and took it down a notch or three or ten. lol. And, as usual, the revised/simplified version is stronger/better. **thank god for 1st drafts & revisions**
March 11, 2012
Healthy Writer
If you've dropped by this blog with any type of regularity, you probably have come across a post alluding to me striving for balance in my life. (usually that post came after a long out of date post).Case in point. ahem
The detrimental effects of long-term stress have been well document, and let me tell you I'm a walking text-book case of it. Name a stress related malady and I can put a checkmark beside it. It got to the point where I realized that if I didn't take active measures, I could very well find myself in the hands of medical professionals, both mental and physical, at some point in the near future. 'Just trying to chill' just wasn't cutting it.
I started hitting the gym on a consistent basis, expanded the vitamins & supplements I take, changed my eating to be more healthier/organic, drink more water, juices, herbal/green teas, etc. It's really starting to pay off after only a short space of time.
One area I'm still struggling with though, is the writing. I can't totally claim the lack thereof is all due to stress (though dealing with stress & it's accompanying health concerns will always trump dealing with the writing). It's partly a discipline, also. Need to find the right block of time to write and make it a habit. One other factor comes into play, too. Mindset. I need to be immersed in the book, constantly thinking about the characters, plot streams, goal, motivation, conflicts. Scenes need to play out in my head on a regular loop. The whole stress thing interferes with this process. But this morning I was reminded of one way to overcome this. Reading. But reading good shit.
Not mediocre/okay/pretty-good/not bad stuff. I've been reading a lot of mediocre/okay/pretty-good/not bad stuff. Short-stories/novellas, mostly erotica. (most of which has not been listed on my Goodreads shelf, btw). The equivalent of fast-food—tasty, goes down fast, but no nutritional value. I was reading mostly for sheer entertainment/content and as a quick/easy distraction. And there's nothing wrong with that, but it can't be all there is.
Almost none of what I've been reading has nourished or inspired me. I wasn't getting carried away by the storytelling or the emotions, or the basic writing-craft to the point that I wanted to rise to that bar myself. This morning I read a chapter of something by a skilled author that reminded me, this is what I want to do. I want to write seamless, realistic dialogue like this. I want to flesh out my story world with these types of details and my pacing to flow so easily. I want my characters to live and breathe like this.
So, I'm going to have to cut down on my literary equivalent of 'just chilling' reading choices, and start a diet of more fulfilling stories, that should in turn bring some vigor/health to my own writing output (and that includes blogging ::fingers crossed::).
January 29, 2012
Galleys & and excerpt
Still plugging away at my galleys (that are due tomorrow!!) Anywho, it hasn't been quite as painful as I'd thought. So far it hasn't been a matter of typos as much as snipping/smoothing out phrasing/word choices.
Anywho, I'm really enjoying this revisit to the story and thought I'd share one scene that always makes me chuckle. This isn't an exchange between the hero/heroine, Tessa and Nate, (he is in the back of the taxi with her in this scene though) but it's one of my favourites bits from Hunter:
Farther out, turquoise waters deepened to a rich sapphire
and above that the cloudless azure sky stretched as far as the
eye could see. Tessa would have lost herself in the view, if it
weren't for the fact that she was about to meet her maker any
second now in a fiery skidding plunge off the cliff-side road.
With a sharp gasp, she grabbed the headrest of the seat in
front of her as Silas took another hairpin turn without slowing
down. Mitch looked over his shoulder at her and winked, his
straight white teeth on prominent display.
Alarmingly, in what had to be a misguided attempt at
reassurance, Silas turned to her also. Thereby… Taking. His. Eyes.
Off. The. Road.
"Not to fret, pretty lady. I travel dis road many, many
times."
Tessa stared straight ahead—after all, someone had to watch
where the car was hurtling towards—and dug her fingernails
into the battered upholstery. Only when he turned back to the
steering wheel did her pulse slow a smidgen.
"Silas won't let anything happen to you," Mitch offered.
With Silas beaming at her through the rearview mirror,
Tessa allowed a small smile to stretch her lips. Mitch was right.
Silas wouldn't be careless enough to let anything happen.
His driving was much more deliberate than that.
Anywho, I'm really enjoying this revisit to the story and thought I'd share one scene that always makes me chuckle. This isn't an exchange between the hero/heroine, Tessa and Nate, (he is in the back of the taxi with her in this scene though) but it's one of my favourites bits from Hunter:
Farther out, turquoise waters deepened to a rich sapphire
and above that the cloudless azure sky stretched as far as the
eye could see. Tessa would have lost herself in the view, if it
weren't for the fact that she was about to meet her maker any
second now in a fiery skidding plunge off the cliff-side road.
With a sharp gasp, she grabbed the headrest of the seat in
front of her as Silas took another hairpin turn without slowing
down. Mitch looked over his shoulder at her and winked, his
straight white teeth on prominent display.
Alarmingly, in what had to be a misguided attempt at
reassurance, Silas turned to her also. Thereby… Taking. His. Eyes.
Off. The. Road.
"Not to fret, pretty lady. I travel dis road many, many
times."
Tessa stared straight ahead—after all, someone had to watch
where the car was hurtling towards—and dug her fingernails
into the battered upholstery. Only when he turned back to the
steering wheel did her pulse slow a smidgen.
"Silas won't let anything happen to you," Mitch offered.
With Silas beaming at her through the rearview mirror,
Tessa allowed a small smile to stretch her lips. Mitch was right.
Silas wouldn't be careless enough to let anything happen.
His driving was much more deliberate than that.
January 27, 2012
Now This Is A Story All About How...
My son sent me this Fresh Prince Remix/Jam. The dance moves are too funny (love 'the Carlton'). Enjoy!
January 22, 2012
What's doing...
Nuttin' much.
heh.
Still trying to get the life balance thing on track.
Can you believe January is almost done? Made me realize it was time to take down the Xmas tree. :D (Don't shake you're head at me, the neighbors across the street still have their outside Xmas decorations up.)
On the writing front:
I got the galley for Hunter of the Heart earlier this month (deadline to finish the 30st!) The print version is scheduled for release Sept 4 2012. Honestly can't remember the process I went through for Felicity Stripped Bare galley, but this process seems more stream-lined.
Mitch's story is making me crazy. Cah-rah-zeee. I seem to be deleting more than I keep, but making so progress. And all the deleted stuff still gets saved in separate file, most of it won't make it back into the story, but fills in stuff in my head re the interactions/backgrounds of various characters including the H/h.
Also, for the readers who asked for Rob's story (the hero's bestfriend in Felicity Stripped Bare), I finally came up with something for him. Interestingly it wasn't his story, to start, I just knew I needed to write another straight contemporary and came up with a fun premise after reading a magazine feature article. A few months later, after having said idea stewing on the back-burners in my brain, I realized with a little tweaking the hero could be Rob. (after he has an accident on site and takes up yoga. lol. Yeah, if you read FSB, you know this is soooooo not Rob. lol) (I'm going to have so much fun with poor Rob with this story. mwahahaa) So after I finish Mitch's story, I'll start Rob's. (even came up with a cool title, but love it so much I won't post it).
But before I even start his story, I'll have to refresh my memory by re-reading Felicity Stripped Bare. *gulp* With the exception of edits, I never re-read my stories because ALL I see are the bad things: missed typos, ackward phrasing, things that could have been cut or fleshed out, etc. I cringe or teeter of the verge of cringing all the way through. Not a pleasant experience. :-P
That's pretty much all the news that's fit to print.
Later gators.
heh.
Still trying to get the life balance thing on track.
Can you believe January is almost done? Made me realize it was time to take down the Xmas tree. :D (Don't shake you're head at me, the neighbors across the street still have their outside Xmas decorations up.)
On the writing front:
I got the galley for Hunter of the Heart earlier this month (deadline to finish the 30st!) The print version is scheduled for release Sept 4 2012. Honestly can't remember the process I went through for Felicity Stripped Bare galley, but this process seems more stream-lined.
Mitch's story is making me crazy. Cah-rah-zeee. I seem to be deleting more than I keep, but making so progress. And all the deleted stuff still gets saved in separate file, most of it won't make it back into the story, but fills in stuff in my head re the interactions/backgrounds of various characters including the H/h.
Also, for the readers who asked for Rob's story (the hero's bestfriend in Felicity Stripped Bare), I finally came up with something for him. Interestingly it wasn't his story, to start, I just knew I needed to write another straight contemporary and came up with a fun premise after reading a magazine feature article. A few months later, after having said idea stewing on the back-burners in my brain, I realized with a little tweaking the hero could be Rob. (after he has an accident on site and takes up yoga. lol. Yeah, if you read FSB, you know this is soooooo not Rob. lol) (I'm going to have so much fun with poor Rob with this story. mwahahaa) So after I finish Mitch's story, I'll start Rob's. (even came up with a cool title, but love it so much I won't post it).
But before I even start his story, I'll have to refresh my memory by re-reading Felicity Stripped Bare. *gulp* With the exception of edits, I never re-read my stories because ALL I see are the bad things: missed typos, ackward phrasing, things that could have been cut or fleshed out, etc. I cringe or teeter of the verge of cringing all the way through. Not a pleasant experience. :-P
That's pretty much all the news that's fit to print.
Later gators.
