Rebecca Roland's Blog, page 11

What I Discovered About Outlining

I've been toying around with outlining recently, trying to find what works best for me. A couple of weeks ago, I finished the rough draft of a fantasy novel, which came in woefully short in the word count department by the time I reached THE END. But if I could count all the words I tossed out while trying to find the right beginning, it would have been the perfect word count.

Know what I discovered while outlining? It just doesn't work that well for me. There, I said it. I've tried it because it's supposed to be good for you (like broccoli), but in the end, I'm just not that crazy about outlining (or broccoli, but I drown in it cheese and eat it anyway). My first draft is my outline. It's an exceptionally long and detailed outline, but still an outline nonetheless.
While writing this particular novel, I finally put aside the outlines after about three failed attempts at the beginning, jotted down the major plot points, and then simply started writing. At last I could write past 15K or 30K words and keep going, carried by the initial excitement that had me wanting to write this particular novel in the first place.
I think outlines work. I think some people thrive on them. But for me, I discovered I need to jot down a few key ideas and plot points, research, maybe do some Q & A to discover what makes the character tick (if it's somebody new), and then go for it. Then let it rest. Give myself some space so I can look at it objectively. I did that by writing a new short story and critiquing. I critiqued three pieces for World Con and two for one of my local writers' groups. It's definitely gotten me in 'editor mode' and ready to look at the rough draft with fresh eyes.
I plan to start revisions some time this week. I already have ideas for expanding a couple of the subplots. I know I'll be writing new scenes and adding huge chunks to the novel now that I know where it was all going.

Breaking Bad is Back

Ahh, Walter White is back! Just a warning, massive spoilers ahead, so if you haven't watched the show (and if you haven't, then get to it!), turn back now. I'm going to go out on a limb and make some predictions. We'll see if I'm any good at this, or if I'll end up with pie all over my face (as long as it's key lime pie, that's all right).

I loved the opening of the last eight episodes. Walter is fighting cancer again. Of course he is. What could be more appropriate than the cancer returning, worse than ever? Walter has a limited amount of time regardless of how you look at it. He's being backed into a corner, and like any wild animal, he's going to eventually lash out at somebody, and I think that first somebody is going to be Jesse.

Jesse has become a liability. He wants nothing to do with the money he earned making and selling meth. His conscience is eating away at him overtime, rather like the cancer eating away at Walt. It's in overdrive because, let's face it, Walt has no conscience left whatsoever, and Jesse is making up for it. There's the slimmest chance that Jesse can be free from Walt, and that's if he either (a) rats out himself and Walt, or (b) uses that money to buy himself a new identity on the other side of the globe. I think he's more likely to do (a), but only if he can drag himself out of the funk he's currently in. Walt has had to make some tough decisions when it comes to killing, and I think Jesse will be one of the hardest.

That car wash has been part of the show from the beginning (sorry for the glare... the photos on the wall are part of a small Breaking Bad gallery in the local car wash that served as the location). First, Walt worked there to supplement his teacher's income. Then he bought it to launder money. Now Skylar is part of it, and he's suggested she expand. I think she'll end up working with Lydia, using the car wash as a means to transport goods for cooking meth or the meth itself (in addition to laundering money). I used to think Walt Jr. might end up dead or part of the 'family business,' but I think he'll actually end up finishing college, with a major in chemistry.

At this point, I'm rooting hardest for Hank (and Jesse). I thought the first episode would be all about the set up, and Hank wouldn't confront Walt until the end, so I was surprised when they duked it out in the very first episode. Dean Norris's acting is superb. The shock, the hate, the anger, and the feeling of betrayal just oozed from every pore. And at the end, there was a little bit of fear coming through as well. Hank has narrowly avoided death several times now, and I'm hoping he avoids it again. I'm really not certain what will happen to him, other than I'm pretty sure he won't 'break bad' like Walt did.

Then there's the ricin pill that Walt removes from his boarded up house. I wondered if he'd use it on Hank, but he wouldn't. If he killed Hank, it would be quick and brutal and secluded (so he can get rid of the body). Hank might be his brother-in-law, but Hank has also always been the enemy. The ricin could be for himself, but he was growing his hair back in the opening scene. So maybe he's beaten the cancer after all. I've thought for a while that Walt will end up destitute and alone at the end, alive and suffering. I don't think Walt would kill himself, at least not with ricin. He'd do it with a huge bang. I think the ricin is for Jesse. I think he can't bear to look Jesse (his conscience) in the face as he kill him.

And there you have it. Tonight's episode already surprised me, so I'll probably end up wrong on all accounts, but it sure is fun guessing.

Setting Goals

I've been thinking about goals quite a bit lately, more specifically, writing down my goals for my writing career. At the beginning of this year I wrote down ten writing goals for myself. Some were small and seemed easily attainable. Finish that short story and submit it? Sure, no problem. Others seemed more daunting. Write that novel rough draft? Eep! But I pulled out the list recently, and you know what? I've achieved all but two. And it's only August! True, one of those goals is actually a four parter that I should break down, but still... I've gotten stuff done!

I recently read Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World by Michael Hyatt. The book is chock full of great advice for building an online presence and marketing. One of the things that stood out was something he mentioned about Lou Holtz. Now, I'm not the biggest Lou Holtz fan. In fact, every time he comes on TV during football season, I roll my eyes. I'm afraid if I ever meet the guy, I'll roll my eyes as I shake his hand because it's a habit.

Anyhow, Holtz made a list of goals for himself back in the late 60's after he was fired from his job. He wrote down 107 items, some of them as far fetched as appearing on The Tonight Show or being invited for dinner at the White House. Guess what? He did both of those things, as well as scratching off nearly a hundred of those goals.

There's something about picking up a pen and writing down one's goals that make them more real, more concrete. You've stopped dreaming and you've committed your dreams to paper. You've implanted them more firmly in your mind.

So I decided to borrow from some writing friends (and Lou Holtz) and come up with a huge master list of goals to achieve over a lifetime. I included some I'd already accomplished, like publishing my first book, and highlighted those. You know what? There are pitifully few items highlighted. But I like to look at the goals from time to time to remind myself of the direction I'd like to go, and I like to imagine that I'll start checking things off more frequently.

So if you haven't written down your writing goals, or your career goals, or your life goals, then go do it right now, and put that list some place where you'll see it often.

Special Guest Post with Michelle Lowery Combs

I am very pleased to have a guest blogger today! I'd like to welcome Michelle Lowery Combs. Michelle's novel Heir to the Lamp is available in trade paperback and ebook via Amazon.com, Barnesandnoble.com, Kobo.com, and other online retailers. You can also find Heir to the Lamp on Goodreads.

What are you working on right now?


The second installment in the Genie Chronicles is called Solomon’s Bell, and I’m working hard to finish that.  I’m getting requests daily from readers of Heir to the Lamp for more about Ginn and her adventures.
What's your pre-writing ritual?
When I’m writing at home I prefer to do so in a room that’s been tidied—clutter distracts me and before I know it I’m cleaning instead of getting words onto the page.
What is one of the most surprising/interesting things you've discovered while doing research for a story?
I was truly amazed to discover how many fantasy/folklore/fairytale creatures can trace their origins to genies, or djinnis—as they’re called in some of the oldest traditions.  Angels, demons, ghouls, sprites, faeries, and even leprechauns are thought by some to be genies under a different name.
Tell me about your favorite story that you've published. What inspired it, and what does it mean to you?
In 2012 I won first place in a national writing contest for the category of First Chapter in a Novel for a coming-of-age story set in 1960’s Alabama called Daddy’s Girl.  The story was inspired by my mother and her siblings’ real life experiences after the sudden death of their father the summer of 1968.
The loss of my grandfather was very difficult for my 28 year-old grandmother, suddenly on her own with three young children to support and all the limitations that existed for uneducated women in the South, but she would be shepherded through this most difficult time in all their lives by an African American housekeeper named Queen Esther Crump that did ever-so-much-more than keep house.
Daddy’s Girl is a fictionalized account of a pivotal time in the lives of several members of my family and revisits an interesting time in the history of Alabama: the last year of the Civil Rights Movement.  It can be found in the 2012 edition of Alalit.com.
You can have lunch with any writer, living or dead. Who would it be, and why?
My editor, Eileen Wiedbrauk. Eileen is also a writer -- I enjoyed her retelling of Rumpelstiltskin in Garbage to Gold Spindle very much. Living so far from one another, she in Michigan and I in Alabama, we've never had the opportunity to meet in person. I think it would be neat to sit across a table from her and listen to her talk about her own writing projects. I bet she's got some fantastic ideas and concepts!
What's one of the best novels and/or short stories you've read recently?
I’m currently reading Neil Gaiman’s Ocean at the End of the Lane and LOVING it!  It’s steeped in myth and old magic and I adore Gaiman’s style.  I’ve listened to so many of his audio books that I can practically hear him reading the novel in his delicious accent.
Writing is a sedentary endeavor. What do you do to stay healthy and active?
I coach little league soccer in the spring and fall. I live in a rural area with lots of winding roads I enjoy walking. Fellow WWP writer Susan Abel Sullivan happens to be local to me and a water Zumba fitness instructor. I've recently promised to join her classes.
***

Michelle Lowery Combs is an award-winning writer and book blogger living in rural Alabama with her husband, one cat, and too many children to count. She spends her spare time commanding armies of basketball and soccer munchkins for the Parks & Recreation departments of two cities. When not in the presence of throngs of toddlers, tweens and teens, Michelle can be found neglecting her roots and dreaming up the next best seller. She is a member of the Alabama Writers’ Conclave, Jacksonville State University’s Writers’ Club and her local Aspiring Authors group. You can find her online at MichelleLoweryCombs.com, , Twitter @miclowery77, Google+, and on her blog .

A Rose By Any Other Name

J.K. Rowling was recently ousted as the author behind a crime novel, The Cuckoo's Calling. According to the article I linked, the book had sold about 1,500 copies before the news broke. Now it's sold a heck of a lot more. So why would Rowling--or anybody--use a pen name?

I can't speak for Rowling, but I can guess at why she used a pen name. Maybe she thought people would say, "Oh, she's that fantasy writer, she can't write a crime novel. She writes for kids, not adults." Or maybe she wanted to see how her new novel would stand on its own. The novel received favorable reviews from critics before her identity went public. That has to feel good. Her work was judged for its own merit, without the preconceptions her name would have brought with it.

I haven't used a pen name yet. I was too excited to see my name on the cover of a novel, and associated with short stories. But, I plan on using a pen name for various reasons, depending on the books/stories I release in the future.

For one thing, I might not want people who know me to realize what I've published. I don't feel any shame about writing what I write, but some people might look upon certain genres much less favorably than others, and I'd rather avoid any potential fallout.

Then there's a matter of marketing. People might read my fantasy novel and pick up another series, expecting fantasy, only to find it's horror or science fiction or a thriller or a romance. I don't want fans to feel disappointed or duped.

There's also the matter that when readers look at certain genres, they expect certain types of names associated with them. For example, I've never seen a man's name on a romance novel, despite the fact that many romance writers are men. They either write under pen names, or they use initials. I'd love to see a man's name boldly splashed across the front cover of a bodice ripper.

On the other side of the matter, I don't see women's names on the covers of thrillers or hard science fiction as often as I'd like. Again, women write in these genres, but they choose pen names. I wonder, is it the audience that really has these preconceived ideas of who "can" or "should" write certain genres, or does the expectation lie with the marketing departments, or is it some combination of both?

The Need for Speed

I've been privy to some interesting conversations lately on writing fast versus writing slow. I don't think either way is inherently correct, but I'll share some of my experiences.

In the past year, it's gotten so that I need to write fast in order to write well. Last summer I started several short stories and finished none. I was fiddling around, taking my time, and my inner editor was sneering and laughing and pointing at the words and saying, "You call this art? What drivel!" Yeah, he's a real jerk sometimes. That's why I don't feel bad when I lock him in the dungeon for days at a time and play "It's a Small World" on endless loop.

So for NaNoWriMo last year, I ended up writing several short stories. I had a month to get fifty thousand words down, so I had no time to hem and haw over the words. Every day I just had to go, go, go. And it worked. I finished several stories and shut that inner editor up.

If I write too slow--if I think over the words and the story's direction too much--then I freeze up. The faster I go, the fewer changes I typically end up making later, and I finish what I started. This has become true for fiction and non-fiction. Even when it comes to this blog, I do better when I sit down and write something out quickly at the last minute. I never used to be a procrastinator, really....

There are as many different ways to write as there are writers. Some feel the need for speed; others linger over the words, choosing them carefully before moving on. What sort are you?

One Man's Trash...

...is another man's band.

During the summer, the Albuquerque Public Library runs a great program in which kids have the chance to watch a one-woman play, a magician, or a guy who calls himself Recycle Man, all of which is tied into their reading program.

Recycle Man is a guy who uses other people's trash to make musical instruments. I find it amazing that someone can take old pipes, empty plastic bottles and boxes, springs from a trampoline, hubcaps, and cans and create a song out of it all. I had an awesome video of Recycle Man playing "Low Rider," but Blogger is having issues. Anyhow, here's a robot he made out of cans:


I think about the level of creativity it takes to put something like that together and then use it to make music, and it boggles the mind. How many people can do something like that? This might sound cheesy, but it takes being in tune with your inner child. My kid (in the photo, by the way), might use a box or a pencil or a rubber band in totally unexpected ways. I would have never imagined using an ordinary tool for something extraordinary. It's a reminder that creativity stems from somewhere childlike, which is probably why it makes people so happy to paint or sew costumes or make music or dance or do any of a number of creative things, because it sends you right back to being a kid.

Fictional Fathers

Father's Day just passed, and so I've been contemplating some of my favorite fictional dads. As with fictional mothers, there are plenty of bad ones that come to mind. Hello, Darth. But I'd like to talk about a few of my favorite, nice fictional fathers.

1) At the top of the list is Atticus Finch from Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird. This is one of my favorite novels of all time, and I adore Atticus. He is an easy-going lawyer with a rambunctious daughter. He stands up for what's right, even in the face of adversity. He is quietly righteous, and a good man.


"You never really understand a person until you consider things form his point of view - until you climb into his skin and walk around in it." -- Atticus Finch

2) I adore Charles Ingalls of Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder. "Pa" Ingalls is a hard working man, devoted to his family, honest, and a lover of music. He faces the hardships of living in the frontier with strength and gentleness. You get the impression that his children feel safe with him around.


3) And finally, Dr. Alex Murry is a physicist as well as a father. I love the family dynamics in A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle, and Dr. Alex Murry is one of the reasons why. I can't begin to imagine his terror when he realizes his children have come to free him from IT. He's an intelligent man, and part of the glue that holds his family together.

And there you have some of my favorite fictional dads.

This -n- That

This week I find myself working steadily, nose to the grindstone, and so I haven't come up with a decent post for the week. Such is life when you have a job, a young child, writing, and super awesome stories to read so you can vote for the Hugo Awards. Instead, I'd like to share a few links with you.

I have a guest post over on The Howling Turtle in which I reveal the sources of the stories that can be found in my short story collection The King of Ash and Bones, and Other Stories.

Here's an article by Django Wexler on the history of female warriors. This is a meaty article on the reality of women in combat.

Writing a police procedural? Here are 7 things your protagonist should not do.

And finally, if you're a writer and feeling a little down in the dumps about your writing, here's an inspirational post from Jodi Meadows to help pick you up.

Fictional Couples

This week my husband and I will be celebrating our twelfth wedding anniversary, so to celebrate on the blog, I thought I'd share some of my favorite fictional couples.
Buttercup and Westley from The Princess Bride by William Goldman.


And a lovely quote from the book: “But just as he knew the sun was obliged to rise each morning in the east, no matter how much a western arisal might have pleased it, so he knew that Buttercup was obliged to spend her love on him. Gold was inviting, and so was royalty, but they could not match the fever in his heart, and sooner or later she would have to catch it. She had less choice than the sun.” 

The book has some great lines. Many made it into the movie, but not all.Fawn and Dag from The Sharing Knife series by Lois McMaster Bujold.Buffy and Angel from the TV series Buffy the Vampire SlayerWillow and Tara, also from BuffyCastle and Beckett on the TV series CastleJoan Wilder and Jack T. Colton from the movie Romancing the StoneDr. Prentice and Christina Drayton in the movie Guess Who's Coming to DinnerPrincess Leia and Han Solo in Star WarsWho are your favorite fictional couples?