Kate Lowell's Blog, page 16

No Dirty Birds this week either :(

Between trips away and teenager birthday parties, the Birds have been too busy for our usual weekly chat. But next week we’ll be back. In the meantime, expect random posts and excited squees about wordcounts. (over 3K today! That’s huge for me at any time.) I think all the outline work has kicked something loose in my head. Two complete chapters to write, then I can say that the first draft is done and it’s time for going through, patching holes and smoothing rough patches.

Oh, I’m looking forward to this!

Filed under: Random Weirdness Tagged: breaking writer's block

Friday Hot Flash: Midsummer Madness Flash Fiction Blog Hop

Kate Lowell:

I should write something for this…

Originally posted on velvetpanic Heloise West:

Is it Summer yet?

Join us for the Midsummer Madness Flash Fiction Blog Hop!

July 4th, 2015

��We���re looking for MM Romance flash fiction of 1200 words or less for our blog hop.

Original fiction, no sketches or excerpts, and can be from previously published stories and universes.

photo credit: N05/7423442168���>Strawberries via photopin(license)

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Filed under: Uncategorized

Still Working on the Outline

Yeah, we’re not Birding this week. Scheduling conflicts. Not next week, either. darn that real life stuff. :)

And yes, I’m still working on the outline. Not steadily, or even as a first thing, but the fireman story (which doesn’t have an outline–at least on paper) is moving along swimmingly. :) Right now, I’m trying to imagine an incredible annoying reporter who doesn’t come off as incredibly annoying until you really think about what he’s saying. I did it with crazy Michael in Knight, I can do it here.

It’s fascinating how much I’m learning about how my stories come into being as I poke away at this outline thing. I’m enjoying the chance to explore this, though the niggling fear that I’ll blow a story because I over-outline it is always there. I can’t say for sure yet, but I think I need to outline and write at the same time.

See, I carry my outline–or what I know if it–in my head all the time, but I can’t always see all of it. When a story shoves its way to the front of my brain–like the firefighter story just did–the outline seems to be there. Not all of it, or maybe not all at once, but a good part of the framework hangs behind my eyes at all times–at least for the active stories. I know one scene only showed up today because I realized I needed something to ease the transition from , “Ewww, get away!” to “Hmmmm.” (Okay, and it’s a fun little trip down memory lane. OMG, this story makes me miss my days riding in the ambulance.)(I’m trying to remember the dumbest call I was ever on, or maybe I should have a dramatic one? Or, honestly, maybe just a run of the mill one. Yeah, that might be a good way to shove MC2’s good qualities into MC1’s face.)

So, it’s fun adventure. I’m wondering what kind of Frankenstein’s monster I’m going to end up with at the end. And ongoing outline? A whiteboard that I’m constantly adding to and subtracting from? A Set of Scrivener folders with notes?

It’s like discovering a new world. And you know what’s really great about it all? It’s that I can feel the same rush, the same sense of unstoppable inertia that I used to feel before my husband passed away and I fell down that dark hole. At the pace that words are coming now, I think I’m fine. (Not that I don’t want to get faster, so you know I’m going to keep exploring this outlining thing. :) ) But I can hardly wait to get home, to watch the words appear on the screen each night. And I think this exploration of outlining has been a catalyst in my recovery from that dark period. I’m not ready yet to tackle (and fix) things I wrote during that time, but I think I can see the time coming when I can go back to those stories and fix the things that came out of that bad time.

So even if all I get out of this is a return to what I had before, I’m okay with that.

Still going to work on the outlining, though. :P

Filed under: Random Weirdness Tagged: comeback, outlining

Tuesday Tickle: Five Alarm Blaze

I’m late again! I don’t know if my internal clock is off, or what’s going on. Today feels like Friday. Actually, every day last week felt like Friday. (Imagine my disappointment when I woke up and realized I still had to go to work. :) )

So, my fireman. Unlike a lot of the ones I’ve read, my fireman is inexperienced, shy, and completely socially awkward–at least where his love interest is.

You know those sexy calendars that different service groups do sometimes? *snickers*

���You need to get your shirt off.��� The young woman with the make-up said when he walked up. ���We���re going for the natural look, but that doesn���t mean we can���t do a little subtle enhancement.��� She grinned and flapped a hand at his white t-shirt. ���After all, there���s going to be all sorts of ladies, and a few men, daydreaming over these pictures���we want to be impressive. Not that you look like you���d be anything but.��� At Cody���s grimace, she laughed. ���Ah, I love the shy ones. Doesn���t matter. Get the shirt off.��� She tugged at the hem expectantly.

Cody put the axe down and pulled his shirt off before he could chicken out. If the rest of them could do this, he could too.

The photographer called Seth outside while the young woman whisked a light layer of powder over Cody’s face and torso. Cody couldn���t help himself���his head turned to follow the paramedic as he walked out into the sunshine. Seth moved with a calm assurance, almost a strut, but not so arrogant. Like he was good at what he did and knew it, but didn���t care if anyone else did.

You could kind of admire a guy like that. Except Cody didn���t want any more reasons to be obsessed with the man than his own stupid body was giving him.

The way they���d set up the rigs, he could see where they���d set the stretcher out in the sunshine. Seth sat on the mattress and swung his legs up. The photographer handed him a pair of black Blues Brothers sunglasses and a tropical looking drink in a martini glass, an umbrella hanging drunkenly off one side. Seth laughed, put on the sunglasses and leaned back on the stretcher with one hand behind his head. It made the muscles in his arm stand out and, when the photographer had arranged his other arm the way he wanted it, fruity-looking drink held casually between Seth���s fingers, the paramedic looked like sex on a stretcher.

And Cody���s fingers itched to touch.

Of course, as soon as I put it up, I see things I want to change. Le sigh. On the bright side, everyone’s got names now. Well, most of them. Some of the are still ‘axe dude’ or ^^^^^^. :)

Filed under: Tuesday Tickle Tagged: contemporary, firefighter, mm romance, paramedic, sexy men

Adventures in Outlining

Well, I’m not sure how much of an adventure it is. I wrote the outline, put in all the bits and pieces, and I’m still stuck trying to write it.

Maybe I need a more detailed outline? But, if that’s the case, why not just write the darn thing? Is there any way to feel your way into the character’s thoughts and emotions without losing your interest in the story?

I’m having more luck with my firefighter story right now, because the character is speaking to me. Maybe that’s the problem. Did I jump the gun on the Christmas story, outline it too soon? I hope not–I like Carter. But maybe part of the problem is that I don’t know Thilo as well and I should have waited.

Can you tell I’m flailing a bit here? I’d really like to learn to outline. I’d like to get the stories out on the page faster. And it’s a rare thing that I can’t turn my hand to, so this is doubly frustrating, because I have to wonder if I’m doing it wrong. Or not trying hard enough.

Maybe I should get some second opinions? Those of you who plot, does this look like enough to be going forward with?

Opening Scene: Thilo is at the grocery store, debating over whole turkeys and checking his list. His friends call him from their Christmas party, drunk and silly, to see how he���s getting along in his new city. After the call, they decide to play a prank on him and send him a stripogram.

Inciting Event: Christmas Day, massive storm, Thilo is cooking the turkey and wondering why the hell he bought a whole turkey. The buzzer rings���telegram���and he lets Carter up. Lapdance in Santa outfit (Thilo is embarassed). When it���s over, they realize the storm is much worse and Thilo invites Carter to stay for Christmas Dinner.

It’s–of course–already changed somewhat. And now that I’ve put that up there, I’m realizing that I need to change the outline. Because the inciting incident and the opening scene are actually neither of these scenes, and they both take place in the first chapter, with Carter, not Thilo.

Bugger.

See, I’m verbal. I know this isn’t really talking, but it kind of is to my brain. Thanks for letting me bounce ideas off you. Don’t be surprised if I’m back again to pick your brains. :)

Phew. I was worried I was going to have to confess my failings to The Editor in Question. I have survived to write another day!

Filed under: Random Weirdness Tagged: #ohgodwhydidIdecidetodothis, outlining, The Editor in Question will punish me if I don't, writer's anxiety

Three Dirty Birds Talk Theme

Or at least I think it’s theme. Still waiting for my new laptop fan, then I get to play computer tech! But until then, it’s all the poor computer can do to keep Scrivener open. Internet is on-again, off-again–I’m assuming from the heat. I have a backup plan, though. I have an old desktop I can put the hard drive in, if I have to, but I’m really not looking forward to it.

Check out our thoughts on Libbie Hawker’s Take Off Your Pants! over at Zoe’s blog. :D

My usual method of writing is reasserting itself. I got 2K on my firefighter and paramedic story, which does not have an outline. And 500 on my outlined story. There’s something off about those numbers, I think. :P

Filed under: Three Dirty Birds Talk Tagged: Libbie Hawker, outlining, Take Off Your Pants!, writing advice

The Three Dirty Birds and the Ally

Over at Ana’s blog.

No picture today–my computer fan is dying and stuff just isn’t working like it usually does.

Filed under: Three Dirty Birds Talk Tagged: Libbie Hawker, outlining, Take Off Your Pants!, writing advice

Tuesday Tickle: The Outline Project

I’m going to try to keep a running commentary on how well this works over the next couple of weeks. We’ll see how that goes, too, lol. This story arose from Christmas Goes Analog’s joke name in the critique group–we used to call it Sexmas. I mentioned the joke to The Editor in Question, who immediately demanded a Christmas story called Sexmas. (You’d think I’d learn…)

So, here is a line that will eventually be put into Have Yourself a Merry Little Sexmas. It’s straight out of the outline. :)

���You���re cute and you���re funny and when you���re not all hung up on what I do for a living, I get to thinking I���d like to know you better. But if you don���t fuck off with this ���must save the poor sex worker���, I���m going to punch you in the mouth.���

So, yeah. It’s all my editor’s fault. :D

Filed under: Tuesday Tickle Tagged: Christmas romance, contemporary, mm romance

Three Dirty Birds and the Antagonist

The Three Dirty Birds are back and plotting! (Not that we ever aren���t plotting but this time, even Kitty is plotting. As in, has an outline. Prepare for Armageddon.)

Zoe: I���ll be right back, guys. I���ve never seen pigs fly before, and I don���t want to miss the view out the window.

Ana: Flying bacon!

Kate: I have a flying toy pig at work. We call him Kevin.

Zoe: Breakfast is on Kate! (But we won���t eat Kevin.)

Ana: Did you name your MC in your story after a flying toy pig?

Kate: No, his name is Thilo. Random name generator, clicked through until I found something that I liked. (I never thought about that with respect to Kev, though. Hmmmm)

Zoe: I love the random name generators. My favorite gives me a first and last name, saving me so much headache.

Kate: They are such a great jumping off point. I used to use a baby name book, but I found myself in the same letter all the time.

Zoe: Yes! I go to the same ones all the time. The generators save me from myself, and keep my world from being populated with D- and R-names.)

Ana: And here I thought I was the only one with favorite letters. There���s something about Ds, though��� isn���t there?

Kate: I have an ANT problem. A, N, and T. Oh, and I. (Why I?)

Zoe: Speaking of ANT…we���re up to the Antagonist section in Take Off Your Pants now, aren���t we?

Ana: Right, I���ve always had trouble identifying clear antagonists in some of my books. When I try the ���what your character wants most��� angle (meaning, the antagonist is the one who���s after the same thing), I almost can���t help but make my Love Interest the antagonist.

Zoe: And I can see that working in a lot of cases. They both do want the same thing, and what gets in their way is the other person.

Ana: Maybe this is why so many romances build on miscommunication. When the protagonist and the antagonist realize their goals aren���t in opposition, it���s all over.

Kate: That���s how this story that I have most of an outline for is working–not the miscommunication, but one MC wants to change the part of the other MC that he���s embarrassed about, without seeing all the good things about it. I think miscommunication is often cheaply handled. There���s so many stories out there where if one of the MC���s didn���t just have a childish tantrum and actually spoke to the other person like the adult they���re supposed to be, the story wouldn���t exist. And then, there���s the misunderstanding after misunderstanding type of plot. I���m not saying it shouldn���t be done, but it needs a lot more thought put into it than seems to happen, and it���s a lot harder story to write well.

Zoe: I think it winds up being the crux of the conflict because the author didn���t give the characters arc-relevant flaws. They���re bratty or have abuse in their past or whatever, but it���s not really tied to the character growth (or character destruction, though you wouldn���t have that arc in a romance), so they wind up falling back on miscommunication and misunderstandings for lack of anything else, rather than through intention.

Kate: Drama for the sake of having an exciting emotional moment, rather than something that actually contributes to plot or character development.

Zoe: Yeah or, there���s nothing really to keep these two apart, so something has to be manufactured.

Kate: I really want to read that Truby book she mentions.

Zoe: SUCH TINY TYPE!

Kate: Epub? I like being able to blow up my text on my Kobo (which seems to be on the point of breaking again. Next time, I���m getting an H2O so I can read in the bath).

Zoe: Ebook is probably the way to go.

Ana: Yeah, I just found it on kindle for about ���10. But I think my next read will be Super Structure by James Scott Bell.

Kate: And, to Google I go���

Zoe: What do you think of Libbie���s assertion that the antagonist is a mirror of the hero, that he���s a ���there but for the grace of God��� version?

Ana: That���s the part I really can���t work into my story.

Kate: I think for most stories that works. I���m trying to figure out how that can work in a romance, especially my little ���trapped together during a storm��� story, where there���s only two characters. Maybe it doesn���t work for romance? (although it does kind of work for Knight, if I change some of my emphasis. But that���s because I have crazy Michael in it.)

Ana: The problem with using this for a romance novel where you cast the LI as the antagonist is that this take on the antagonist paints him as a bad person, not necessarily someone you should strive to have a relationship with? Although of course you do have the MC1 saves broken MC2 romances.

Kate: I���m not sure even that fits into it. I really feel that her antagonist, if you always define him or her as being the photonegative version, doesn���t work for Romance. The definitions of ���someone who wants the same goal as the MC, but not in the same way��� works very well for romance where the characters themselves are a big part of the problem.

Zoe: This is a good example of how the spirit of Libbie���s book is valuable, and she���s got a great way of explaining things…but when you get to the nuts and bolts of your own story, you may not actually use everything in Pants. Even taking Charlotte���s Web as an example: we can agree that Wilbur and the farmer want the same thing���Wilbur���s life. But the farmer���s not a photo negative of Wilbur; he doesn���t really represent what Wilbur will become if Wilbur fails. Unless the farmer is made of bacon.

Ana: Good point.

Kate: Now I want bacon.

Zoe: It is the case in other stories, of course. I can think of a number of action thrillers where the hero and the antagonist are very much alike; they���ve just chosen different sides.

Ana: Those are usually the characters I slash in my head.

Zoe: [Yes. Those guys are so doing it.]

Kate: Yes, that���s pretty common, and it adds a nice tension to the story. (Not the slashing, but the mirror image stuff.) (Although, slashing adds a nice bit of tension too, just not the same kind. :) )

Zoe: Where I run into problems is with the Ally (because I keep going, ���Wait…wasn���t he the antagonist?���), which we���ll be discussing shortly….

Kate: I found the Ally tough, until I made myself sit down and really think about it. Maybe we should talk about that…

Filed under: Three Dirty Birds Talk Tagged: antagonist, Libbie Hawker, outlining, Take Off Your Pants!, writing advice

Three Dirty Birds and the Story Core

Ana-bird had some website trouble, but now it’s working. Here’s our Wednesday post on Libbie Hawker’s Take Off Your Pants outlining book. (I’m going to try to put aside some time on Saturday to work a story up from scratch using her method. Wish me luck!)

Filed under: Three Dirty Birds Talk Tagged: outlining, wriging advice