H.J. Stephens's Blog, page 4
June 24, 2014
Humour Writing
Humour is not something I ever thought I would enjoy writing. My natural writing genres are much more dark and serious. However, in my current university unit I’m learning about different techniques of humour writing and I’m quite enjoying it. In particular; satire, sarcasm and absurd/nonsensical humour intrigues me. I’m finding that it’s starting to bleed into my other works too, not just my non-fiction work. My fiction work is starting to take on a wry edge. I’m going to be experimenting with these styles more in my writing in the future, and I’ll post up some pieces here.
As for now, I know I said I’ve post more regularly and I’m sincerely sorry I haven’t. I mean to rectify that from this coming month. I have a posting schedule, and I mean to keep it. I’m still not happy with the way this blog looks yet, so be prepared for a massive rework. Also upcoming in the next few weeks: the next issue of The Desert’s Hand is almost ready – I just need to sand off the unfinished edges, and there will be a 1 year anniversary event for When There’s No Tomorrow, including a giveaway!
May 1, 2014
New Beginnings
“One day I will find the right words, and they will be simple.”
I’ve always loved this quote by Jack Kerouac. It’s given me the inspiration for projects on multiple occasions. And these past few days, it has inspired me to make a huge change.
For nearly 5 years, I’ve blogged from the same little old blog. It’s had the same name, same audience and same general topics discussed throughout. Of course I refined it as the years gone by, switching from younger butterflies and flower designs to more mature, professional looking themes. But now, I’ve decided to change. I’m switching my blogging over to this site. I think, sad as it is to say, that I need a fresh start in my blogging. Having two websites is chaotic, one is always neglected. So, I’m moving everything here. I’ve set up a new design, and my blogging will be much more frequent.
I feel like I am at a time in my life where I need to get organized. I want to start moving forward in my writing. This move, is hopefully the first of many to come. As I start to walk down the long road of life, I can only hope that you will follow my journey, and are perhaps inspired by my footsteps in the sand.
From Blogger to Wordpress - and beyond.
I've been thinking about it for a while now, and I've finally decided to do it. Over the next few days, I'll be cleaning up and transferring the pages and general content from this blog over to my official author website at www.hjstephens.com. I'll leave my past posts here as a look into the past, but I won't be posting here anymore.
This will allow me to keep that website more current, and keep all my blogging and writing at one site. I know that I haven't been posting here much as of late, but I intend to rectify that with this new move. I'll be setting up a special posting calender, with a new post at least once a fortnight, hopefully once a week. I'll also be extending into my craft hobbies, with tutorials and looks into my projects.
I hope that you can join me over there. Knowing that there are people in the world that appreciate
my work gives my writing a special purpose. Every comment, no matter how little, brings joy to my heart. As an independent writer, I know that it is very unlikely that I'll ever make it big in such a saturated market.
But that's not why I write. I write for you, for my audience and I am highly privileged to have you all
as an audience. This blog began as a very small thing, a place to simply post my poems I wrote in school. Now, it is a big part of my life. I have met many great people here, and have been extended many opportunities.
I can only hope that the future is as blessed.
I hope to see you on the other side. Until then,
This will allow me to keep that website more current, and keep all my blogging and writing at one site. I know that I haven't been posting here much as of late, but I intend to rectify that with this new move. I'll be setting up a special posting calender, with a new post at least once a fortnight, hopefully once a week. I'll also be extending into my craft hobbies, with tutorials and looks into my projects.
I hope that you can join me over there. Knowing that there are people in the world that appreciate
my work gives my writing a special purpose. Every comment, no matter how little, brings joy to my heart. As an independent writer, I know that it is very unlikely that I'll ever make it big in such a saturated market.
But that's not why I write. I write for you, for my audience and I am highly privileged to have you all
as an audience. This blog began as a very small thing, a place to simply post my poems I wrote in school. Now, it is a big part of my life. I have met many great people here, and have been extended many opportunities.
I can only hope that the future is as blessed.
I hope to see you on the other side. Until then,
February 25, 2014
Liebster Blog Award x2
Thanks very much to Ginger, the much loved and respected blogger of Quirks-and-Irks for the second-time-round nomination for the Liebster Blog Award. :)
The rules of this award are: state 11 facts about yourself, answer 11 questions (asked by the nominator), ask 11 questions and tag 11 other bloggers for the award.
11 random facts about myself:
1). I get ridiculously ecstatic when I manage to talk to a checkout assistant, or a random person I walk by when I'm out... even if it's just a hello, how are you? Being afraid of social situations makes me oddly accomplished when I actually gather the courage to actually put myself in those ordinary situations.
2). I can solve the 3x3 Rubik's cube in under a minute but I really, really want to learn how to solve this:
3). I love green apples, but hate red.
4). I've decided in the last few years that the most important trait a person can have in this world is patience. Whatever it is that's going to happen, will happen. Nothing you do will change that. Ignoring it's happening, or trying to go against it just makes your life more difficult. You just have to keep going, and let things happen as they do.
5). I have to literally scrub my face and feet before I go to sleep, even if I have just had a shower half and hour before. If I don't, I won't be able to sleep properly. It drives me insane sometimes when I just want to curl up in bed and go to sleep. That said, I could have a really bad habit that was detrimental to my health. At least my habit keeps me clean.
6). I keep a stack of notebooks by my bed because I usually get great ideas just as I'm dozing off to sleep. I often annoy my sister with which I share a room with my scribbling in the dark at one in the morning.
7). I can't swim.... let's hope it doesn't flood here anytime soon.
8). Locking myself in a house and just spending the rest of my life improving my knowledge is sounding more and more appealing as the years go by. And with the internet and the modern delivery systems... I probably could get away with it.
9). To this day I can not understand Fractions, but I love Trigonometry... even though Fractions would be slightly useful in day-to-day life and Trig is utterly useless unless I'm going to some day go into engineering.
10). I stress out far too much and think about things far more than I probably should.
11). I have the mental profile of a super-villain. An INTJ personality type, and apparently 48% a psychopath. You have been warned...
The 11 questions to answer:
1). What song is stuck in your head at the moment?
At this precise moment, The New Periodic Table Song. Really educational, but it just has a way of sticking itself to the weird gooey thing that is my memory.
2). How many languages can you speak?
Just English, unfortunately. I do know some German and Arabic but not enough to hold a coherent conversation. It's one of my many goals of the future to become multilingual.
3). Do you believe in any conspiracy theories or other debatable phenomena?
To some degree... I believe that life exists on other planets, but I don't believe that they are controlling our planet through mind-control or shape-shifting. The universe is too big, and us so insignificant in regards to all the other wonders of the world/s around us for there not to be other life out there. Whether we'll one day meet these other lifeforms is another situation entirely.
4). What would you study/train to become if college was free and you could be guaranteed an ideal job afterwards?
Oh... everything. But I suppose I better narrow it down to a few examples (don't make me choose one, I beg of you; it's impossible.). I'd really like to study anthropology, archaeology or psychology, maybe expand more on my current humanities degree by going into sociology or human rights. I'm also really interested in gaming/website design and coding. I think game design would be an amazing job.
5). Which job would you be least suited to?
Something to do with heavy manual labour. I'm not very strong, and my strength is definitely with my mind over my body. So... mining or something.
6). Which places in your own country would you love to go, but just haven't gotten around to?
The Blue Mountains in New South Wales and the island of Tasmania. They just have this raw beauty that I can't get over. And of course there's the snow... I want to see snow at least once in my life.
7). If you had to move to a different time period permanently, which one would you choose?
This is actually a pretty hard question as I can't really think of any time in history where I wouldn't be in danger of being maimed, or infected with a dreadful disease, or killed... or something equally as awful. Probably somewhere in the south-east Mediterranean/West Middle East in the 8th/9th century. This golden age was the start of a lot of modern technologies and cultures and I think it would be pretty amazing to live in those times.
8). What if you only had to go there for one week?
I've always had a love for Japanese culture and history so I suppose I would like to visit Japan during the Tokugawa period, somewhere between the 17th and 18th century.
9). A surprisingly topical debate: do you pour the milk or the cereal first?
Cereal, every time. Pouring the milk first is just wrong.
10). If you had to participate in a gameshow, which one would you pick?
Mmm.... the only gameshow I really watch and enjoy is QI so I suppose that one.
11). What are the worst first names a person could possibly be given?
Probably something like Calamity, Mediocre or Failure. And yes... these have all been names given to children at some point or other. Makes me wonder what the parents were thinking.
The 11 question my nominees have to answer:
1). In a chess game, do you prefer to play as white or black?
2). What is a habit you have that annoys the daylights out of you, but you wouldn't want to give up?
3). What's something you would never, ever do?
4). What's your favourite computer/board game and why?
5). When eating a jelly-baby or chocolate figure... do you eat the head or the legs first, and why?
6). If you had to transport yourself into any book/movie which you would live in indefinitely, which book/movie would it be?
7). What if it was just for a day?
8). If the average human life span was 40 years, how would you live your life differently?
9). Would you rather be a worried genius or a joyful simpleton?
10). Have you ever cried at a movie or because of a book? If so, what was it?
11). Batman or Superman?
My nominees:
BohoBookLover
Calisha
Fatima Hayat
Ghazala
Hannah
Izdiher
Muzlimah09
Nabilah
Shahidah
The Lone Dudette
Youngjoo
Wow... I actually had 11 people to nominate this time...
The rules of this award are: state 11 facts about yourself, answer 11 questions (asked by the nominator), ask 11 questions and tag 11 other bloggers for the award.
11 random facts about myself:
1). I get ridiculously ecstatic when I manage to talk to a checkout assistant, or a random person I walk by when I'm out... even if it's just a hello, how are you? Being afraid of social situations makes me oddly accomplished when I actually gather the courage to actually put myself in those ordinary situations.
2). I can solve the 3x3 Rubik's cube in under a minute but I really, really want to learn how to solve this:
3). I love green apples, but hate red.
4). I've decided in the last few years that the most important trait a person can have in this world is patience. Whatever it is that's going to happen, will happen. Nothing you do will change that. Ignoring it's happening, or trying to go against it just makes your life more difficult. You just have to keep going, and let things happen as they do.
5). I have to literally scrub my face and feet before I go to sleep, even if I have just had a shower half and hour before. If I don't, I won't be able to sleep properly. It drives me insane sometimes when I just want to curl up in bed and go to sleep. That said, I could have a really bad habit that was detrimental to my health. At least my habit keeps me clean.
6). I keep a stack of notebooks by my bed because I usually get great ideas just as I'm dozing off to sleep. I often annoy my sister with which I share a room with my scribbling in the dark at one in the morning.
7). I can't swim.... let's hope it doesn't flood here anytime soon.
8). Locking myself in a house and just spending the rest of my life improving my knowledge is sounding more and more appealing as the years go by. And with the internet and the modern delivery systems... I probably could get away with it.
9). To this day I can not understand Fractions, but I love Trigonometry... even though Fractions would be slightly useful in day-to-day life and Trig is utterly useless unless I'm going to some day go into engineering.
10). I stress out far too much and think about things far more than I probably should.
11). I have the mental profile of a super-villain. An INTJ personality type, and apparently 48% a psychopath. You have been warned...
The 11 questions to answer:
1). What song is stuck in your head at the moment?
At this precise moment, The New Periodic Table Song. Really educational, but it just has a way of sticking itself to the weird gooey thing that is my memory.
2). How many languages can you speak?
Just English, unfortunately. I do know some German and Arabic but not enough to hold a coherent conversation. It's one of my many goals of the future to become multilingual.
3). Do you believe in any conspiracy theories or other debatable phenomena?
To some degree... I believe that life exists on other planets, but I don't believe that they are controlling our planet through mind-control or shape-shifting. The universe is too big, and us so insignificant in regards to all the other wonders of the world/s around us for there not to be other life out there. Whether we'll one day meet these other lifeforms is another situation entirely.
4). What would you study/train to become if college was free and you could be guaranteed an ideal job afterwards?
Oh... everything. But I suppose I better narrow it down to a few examples (don't make me choose one, I beg of you; it's impossible.). I'd really like to study anthropology, archaeology or psychology, maybe expand more on my current humanities degree by going into sociology or human rights. I'm also really interested in gaming/website design and coding. I think game design would be an amazing job.
5). Which job would you be least suited to?
Something to do with heavy manual labour. I'm not very strong, and my strength is definitely with my mind over my body. So... mining or something.
6). Which places in your own country would you love to go, but just haven't gotten around to?
The Blue Mountains in New South Wales and the island of Tasmania. They just have this raw beauty that I can't get over. And of course there's the snow... I want to see snow at least once in my life.
7). If you had to move to a different time period permanently, which one would you choose?
This is actually a pretty hard question as I can't really think of any time in history where I wouldn't be in danger of being maimed, or infected with a dreadful disease, or killed... or something equally as awful. Probably somewhere in the south-east Mediterranean/West Middle East in the 8th/9th century. This golden age was the start of a lot of modern technologies and cultures and I think it would be pretty amazing to live in those times.
8). What if you only had to go there for one week?
I've always had a love for Japanese culture and history so I suppose I would like to visit Japan during the Tokugawa period, somewhere between the 17th and 18th century.
9). A surprisingly topical debate: do you pour the milk or the cereal first?
Cereal, every time. Pouring the milk first is just wrong.
10). If you had to participate in a gameshow, which one would you pick?
Mmm.... the only gameshow I really watch and enjoy is QI so I suppose that one.
11). What are the worst first names a person could possibly be given?
Probably something like Calamity, Mediocre or Failure. And yes... these have all been names given to children at some point or other. Makes me wonder what the parents were thinking.
The 11 question my nominees have to answer:
1). In a chess game, do you prefer to play as white or black?
2). What is a habit you have that annoys the daylights out of you, but you wouldn't want to give up?
3). What's something you would never, ever do?
4). What's your favourite computer/board game and why?
5). When eating a jelly-baby or chocolate figure... do you eat the head or the legs first, and why?
6). If you had to transport yourself into any book/movie which you would live in indefinitely, which book/movie would it be?
7). What if it was just for a day?
8). If the average human life span was 40 years, how would you live your life differently?
9). Would you rather be a worried genius or a joyful simpleton?
10). Have you ever cried at a movie or because of a book? If so, what was it?
11). Batman or Superman?
My nominees:
BohoBookLover
Calisha
Fatima Hayat
Ghazala
Hannah
Izdiher
Muzlimah09
Nabilah
Shahidah
The Lone Dudette
Youngjoo
Wow... I actually had 11 people to nominate this time...
December 1, 2013
Red-Shirt Rememberance Day
It's the 1st of December. The National Novel Writing Month of 2013 has finished. It also means that it is Red-shirt Remembrance Day.
As I've stated before; those of you don't recognise that 'red-shirt' reference, it is
a Star Trek one. If you see a random, nameless red shirt in Star
Trek... he will die. It's inevitable, it nearly always happens. So in
dedication of all the red-shirts in our stories,
We miss you, but you die for the better good of our word counts and stories.
Now, on to this years tribute. WARNING: For those of you who are yet to read my novel When There's No Tomorrow and do not want a major character death ruined for you, SPOILER ALERT FOR THE REST OF THE POST!!
*******
This 'Redshirt' has a name, but she doesn't get a single line in the story, or at least no verbal lines. Her name is Gul, and she's a child whose life has been destroyed by war, her voice stolen from her by injury.
I didn't want to kill this character, though from the very beginning of the story I knew I would. Her death gave my main character the reason to act, the push to change the way things were. Every book needs these moments, and unfortunately Gul's death had to be that ugly act of war to get the story rolling.
EXCERPT: (this happens just after Gul takes a bullet meant for my main character)
My legs finally working, I
stumble over to Gul’s side and collapse. My arms feel like lead, and I sit
there just looking down at her limp body for what seems to be hours before I
finally convince myself to turn her over.
Her usually rich
caramel-coloured skin is now a whitish-grey brown. Her lips are pale and
slightly drawn apart. I touch them briefly with my fingertips before scooping
her up into my lap.
‘Gul?’ I whisper, hoping
against everything for a response and hating the silence that follows. ‘Gul?’
I choke out as I hold her close, caressing her blank face. I hold her to my
chest and cry, my tears softly falling onto her face, trickling down her skin.
I don’t know if she’s still
alive, but I know she’s gone. There is no chance that she could survive this; I
had seen enough war-victims to know this. Holding her slightly away from me, as
far as I can bear, I look at her face, at her eyes and nose and mouth. My gaze
is drawn to the damp cloth around her lower chest. The part of her shirt that
is redder than the rest. I hate red. Red is the colour of suffering and pain.
Red is the colour of death.
Her fingers flutter, and my
heart jumps. ‘Gul?’
Her eyes open, and she looks
at me, eyes dark with pain. I stroke back a lock of hair, the pesky fringe that
won’t stay put. Her lips tremble as they move in silent words. I place a finger
over her chalky lips. ‘Shh,’ I whisper, lowering my forehead to hers. ‘It’s all
right.’ It isn’t. It isn’t all right. It isn’t anywhere near all right. It is
so . . . wrong. So, so . . . wrong.
‘I’m sorry,’ I whisper. ‘It’s
my fault you’re here. I shouldn’t have come with you. You shouldn’t be here.’
She shakes her head before grimacing in pain. A single tear trickles down her
left cheek, and I brush it away, catching the sparkling drop on the end of my
finger. I stare at it, imagining a world trapped away underneath the glinting
surface. Did they have war? How could they when their home was so calm. Yet
taking away of its beautiful demeanour, a tear was produced from pain and suffering.
So why was it so peaceful?
Skin brushes against cheek
and I look back to Gul, the teardrop falling from my finger and onto the floor
where it explodes into hundreds of individual drops, into a hundred more
worlds. Her hand is floating in front of my face, aimlessly reaching towards
the ceiling. I grasp hold of it and bring it to my lips, using it as a muffler
for my sobs. Her eyes are dim, empty.
To the beautiful little spark of light in a world cast in shadow: Gul, forever, you shall be remembered.
As I've stated before; those of you don't recognise that 'red-shirt' reference, it is
a Star Trek one. If you see a random, nameless red shirt in Star
Trek... he will die. It's inevitable, it nearly always happens. So in
dedication of all the red-shirts in our stories,
We miss you, but you die for the better good of our word counts and stories.
Now, on to this years tribute. WARNING: For those of you who are yet to read my novel When There's No Tomorrow and do not want a major character death ruined for you, SPOILER ALERT FOR THE REST OF THE POST!!
*******
This 'Redshirt' has a name, but she doesn't get a single line in the story, or at least no verbal lines. Her name is Gul, and she's a child whose life has been destroyed by war, her voice stolen from her by injury.
I didn't want to kill this character, though from the very beginning of the story I knew I would. Her death gave my main character the reason to act, the push to change the way things were. Every book needs these moments, and unfortunately Gul's death had to be that ugly act of war to get the story rolling.
EXCERPT: (this happens just after Gul takes a bullet meant for my main character)
My legs finally working, I
stumble over to Gul’s side and collapse. My arms feel like lead, and I sit
there just looking down at her limp body for what seems to be hours before I
finally convince myself to turn her over.
Her usually rich
caramel-coloured skin is now a whitish-grey brown. Her lips are pale and
slightly drawn apart. I touch them briefly with my fingertips before scooping
her up into my lap.
‘Gul?’ I whisper, hoping
against everything for a response and hating the silence that follows. ‘Gul?’
I choke out as I hold her close, caressing her blank face. I hold her to my
chest and cry, my tears softly falling onto her face, trickling down her skin.
I don’t know if she’s still
alive, but I know she’s gone. There is no chance that she could survive this; I
had seen enough war-victims to know this. Holding her slightly away from me, as
far as I can bear, I look at her face, at her eyes and nose and mouth. My gaze
is drawn to the damp cloth around her lower chest. The part of her shirt that
is redder than the rest. I hate red. Red is the colour of suffering and pain.
Red is the colour of death.
Her fingers flutter, and my
heart jumps. ‘Gul?’
Her eyes open, and she looks
at me, eyes dark with pain. I stroke back a lock of hair, the pesky fringe that
won’t stay put. Her lips tremble as they move in silent words. I place a finger
over her chalky lips. ‘Shh,’ I whisper, lowering my forehead to hers. ‘It’s all
right.’ It isn’t. It isn’t all right. It isn’t anywhere near all right. It is
so . . . wrong. So, so . . . wrong.
‘I’m sorry,’ I whisper. ‘It’s
my fault you’re here. I shouldn’t have come with you. You shouldn’t be here.’
She shakes her head before grimacing in pain. A single tear trickles down her
left cheek, and I brush it away, catching the sparkling drop on the end of my
finger. I stare at it, imagining a world trapped away underneath the glinting
surface. Did they have war? How could they when their home was so calm. Yet
taking away of its beautiful demeanour, a tear was produced from pain and suffering.
So why was it so peaceful?
Skin brushes against cheek
and I look back to Gul, the teardrop falling from my finger and onto the floor
where it explodes into hundreds of individual drops, into a hundred more
worlds. Her hand is floating in front of my face, aimlessly reaching towards
the ceiling. I grasp hold of it and bring it to my lips, using it as a muffler
for my sobs. Her eyes are dim, empty.
To the beautiful little spark of light in a world cast in shadow: Gul, forever, you shall be remembered.
November 30, 2013
Nano Update - Week 4
As of midnight tonight, Nanowrimo will be over for another year. And that is unbearably sad news. I love Nano, and count down the weeks until it every year. 50,000 words in one hectic month... it sounds crazy, but it really is an amazing experience.
So, I mournfully present the final Nano update for this year:
WORDS: 50,632... I won!!
CHAPTERS: 20
PLOT: Slowly leaving the train tracks... but that's what December editing is for.
CHARACTERS: I.... I just don't know anymore. Half of them are in the slow process of dying, the other half have committed mutiny and disappeared from the story. And yet more and more villains are flooding in wanting a part of the plot.
Here are the top 3 of my favourite sentences from this months writing:
1. We sit in quiet once again and I listen to the wind as it howls around us, mourning the loss of the world.
2. Some of them recognise my body, I can see it in their eyes; but they don't recognise my mind, the being that sits and controls this flesh and blood.
3. I want to be able to one day look my grand-children in the
eyes, and say, I’m proud of the world I helped create for you to live
in.
So, I mournfully present the final Nano update for this year:
WORDS: 50,632... I won!!
CHAPTERS: 20
PLOT: Slowly leaving the train tracks... but that's what December editing is for.
CHARACTERS: I.... I just don't know anymore. Half of them are in the slow process of dying, the other half have committed mutiny and disappeared from the story. And yet more and more villains are flooding in wanting a part of the plot.
Here are the top 3 of my favourite sentences from this months writing:
1. We sit in quiet once again and I listen to the wind as it howls around us, mourning the loss of the world.
2. Some of them recognise my body, I can see it in their eyes; but they don't recognise my mind, the being that sits and controls this flesh and blood.
3. I want to be able to one day look my grand-children in the
eyes, and say, I’m proud of the world I helped create for you to live
in.
November 22, 2013
Nano Update - Week 3
Week three:
WORDS: 32822
CHAPTERS: 10
PLOT: Took a few twists I didn't plan for. I'm not sure about them either, but there is plenty of time for revisions in December.
CHARACTERS: Still hanging around, despite my best attempts to kill them off. Which is really starting to be frustrating. We need to get the novel moving again characters, so please...
Until next time,
WORDS: 32822
CHAPTERS: 10
PLOT: Took a few twists I didn't plan for. I'm not sure about them either, but there is plenty of time for revisions in December.
CHARACTERS: Still hanging around, despite my best attempts to kill them off. Which is really starting to be frustrating. We need to get the novel moving again characters, so please...
Until next time,
November 15, 2013
Nano Update - Week 2
So, I'm two days into the third week on Nanowrimo. We past the mid-way point yesterday. So, how did I go for week 2?
WORDS: 21063
CHAPTERS: I was halfway through Chapter 7 as of the end of week 2.
PLOT: Though at the end of last week I wasn't sure how my plot was progressing, and about halfway through week 2 I was frustrated with my story, I'm really happy with how is has developed from that point. Now, I love my novel. Although... more than a few plot-bunnies died to get to this point. I just didn't want the story to go down that way!
CHARACTERS: I love my characters, more than I should. I'll be sad to see them go. Unfortunately, I have a death scheduled soon and I don't want it to happen! But it needs to, so with regret, I will have to succumb to the power of the writing sword sooner rather than later. I'm already drawing it out as it is. So, I'm so sorry beloved character that I shall not name for fear of spoilers!! Your sacrifice will be remembered.
On that point, I have an idea to make a 'Red-shirt Remembrance Day' annual post here. Each year I will dedicate a post to a character that had to die for the story. I'm thinking the 30th of November, or on the 1st of December as a tribute to all of the writing that happens in November.
For those of you don't recognise that reference, it's a Star Trek one.
If you see a random, nameless red shirt in Star Trek... he will die.
It's inevitable, it nearly always happens. So in dedication of all the red-shirts in our stories,
Keep writing.
WORDS: 21063
CHAPTERS: I was halfway through Chapter 7 as of the end of week 2.
PLOT: Though at the end of last week I wasn't sure how my plot was progressing, and about halfway through week 2 I was frustrated with my story, I'm really happy with how is has developed from that point. Now, I love my novel. Although... more than a few plot-bunnies died to get to this point. I just didn't want the story to go down that way!
CHARACTERS: I love my characters, more than I should. I'll be sad to see them go. Unfortunately, I have a death scheduled soon and I don't want it to happen! But it needs to, so with regret, I will have to succumb to the power of the writing sword sooner rather than later. I'm already drawing it out as it is. So, I'm so sorry beloved character that I shall not name for fear of spoilers!! Your sacrifice will be remembered.
On that point, I have an idea to make a 'Red-shirt Remembrance Day' annual post here. Each year I will dedicate a post to a character that had to die for the story. I'm thinking the 30th of November, or on the 1st of December as a tribute to all of the writing that happens in November.
For those of you don't recognise that reference, it's a Star Trek one.
If you see a random, nameless red shirt in Star Trek... he will die.
It's inevitable, it nearly always happens. So in dedication of all the red-shirts in our stories,
Keep writing.
November 7, 2013
Nano Update - Week 1.
So, today is Day 7 of the National Novel Writing Month. A week has already passed me by, I can't believe it. So, how am I going?
WORDS: 11008.
CHAPTER: 3 and a half.
PLOT: I threw the outline I drafted up in October out of the window somewhere in Day 4. Since then, I've just been letting the story go where it wants to go. So far this has worked quite well, though there have been times where I have had to backtrack and start a new direction due to writing myself into a corner. Unfortunately, that means that I have to delete the words I had written in the process.
CHARACTERS: I really don't know anymore. They are doing there own thing, living their own lives. Minor characters from WTNT are popping back up in this sequel, even though I had no prior plans for them doing so.
So, my novel is kinda writing itself at the moment. I don't know what's going to happen the next time I sit down. But this is Nano, and not knowing what happens next is half of the fun.
Until next time.
October 31, 2013
50,000 words. One Month. It's NaNoWriMo!
It's close to midnight, and NaNoWriMo's lurking in the dark
Under the moonlight, your lack of outline almost stops your heart
You will not scream, your inspiration comes because you'll make it
You cannot freeze, your novel looks you right between the eyes
You're energized
'Cause this is NaNo-oooo! NaNo night!
And no one's gonna save you from the plot about to strike
You know it's NaNo! NaNo night!
You're writing for your life to share a marvel, novel tonight!
~
As of midnight last night, Nanowrimo2013 has officially begun. If you are participating in Nanowrimo this year, I wish you an abundance of words. If you're not, SIGN UP NOW!
I guess I better explain for those that don't know about it. Nanowrimo stands for National Novel Writing Month. The whole principle behind it to write 50,000 words in the month of November. That's the goal. You can write poems, a novel, a collection of short stories. You could write 50,000 words of advertisements if you wanted to. All that matters is that you write 50,000 words.
I wrote When There's No Tomorrow for Nanowrimo2011. I finalised it and redrafted it in Nanowrimo2012. If I hadn't participated in Nanowrimo, I probably wouldn't have published a book by now. I wouldn't have even finished one. This year I'm working on the sequel to When There's No Tomorrow. And, at 12:15 this morning I wrote my opening paragraph:
In the stories, you wake up slowly. Eyelids flutter, or
a finger twitches. Someone close by bends over you, stroking back your hair and
whispering comforts in your ear. You don’t wake up screaming.
Chills down the spine! Needless to say, I love this challenge. Nanowrimo is a highlight of my year. I've got myself booked to go to an author talk tomorrow so I'm hoping to pick up some tips for adventure writing. I'm also planning on going to the write-in (nano writing groups) every Saturday at the local library. I get more social interaction in the month of November than I do the rest of the year.
So, considering I just wrote 274 words in this blog post when I could have put them towards my novel, I better go start working on that. I'll keep you updated as to my progress.
Keep writing!
