Loni Townsend's Blog, page 23

Commissioning Artwork

I’ve been known to indulge myself from time to time. One example is getting dressed up in steampunk and having a friend do a photo shoot. This time, I decided to commission artwork. (That sounds so much cooler than “paying someone to draw me a picture”)

My sketch of MaTisha

I like to peruse DeviantArt and gape at all of the amazing images. There are some fantastic artists out there. I enjoy sketching from time to time, but I don’t put enough practice in to get anywhere with it.

For a long time, I’ve wanted gorgeous pictures of my main characters, but I’ve been debating between drawing them myself (which never turn out as good as I’d like) or finding an artist to do it for me. I came across Ellrano’s page and was impressed by the glowing nature of her digital paintings. My first thought was, “Wow, that’d work well for my elementals.” I checked out her commissions page, and finally decided to take the plunge.

Many of you know of Cera, my character from This World Bites. I wondered how an artist would render her if told about her appearance. This is the result:

I am pleased. I love the glow to her eyes, the light behind her, and the utter detail clear down to her pendant. What do you think?

Have you ever commissioned artwork? Do you ever have the desire to see an artist’s rendering of your characters? Do you like to create art?

Oh, and don’t you think today’s Google Doodle is adorable? Squirrel!

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Not Quite the Multitasker I Thought

I will never be a professional juggler. I’ve dropped so many balls lately, it’s ridiculous. The sad thing is, I’m sorry about not being more sorry than I am actually sorry. People get busy, priorities shift, and the person who promises too much disappoints many.

First off, apologies to C.D. Gallant-King. I beta-read a previous draft of his story (though I’ve read he’s since changed some of the later parts), but I haven’t sent him feedback. This guy is crazy wacky and if you love over-the-top slapstick with some grit, then you might consider checking out his InkShares page for the book, Hell Comes to Hogtown.

Second apologies go to Melissa Maygrove. She recently release her latest book, Precious Atonement (a companion novel to Come Back), and I haven’t left a review yet. This book tugs the heart strings. Melissa is masterful at building emotional connections with the reader. She makes you care about Rachel and Jacob, and exult when they overcome their demons and achieve the happy ending readers hope for. She does an excellent job at drawing you into the time when life lacked the easy conveniences, and hard work was just part of life. Historical Romance — Five Stars. Definitely check it out.

Life is busy at the Town’s End. Babyzilla (aka, the Boy) turns two this Friday, and the Girl turned five a few weeks ago, just before starting kindergarten. My husband has adjusted to being a stay-at-home dad, and I’ve seen the subtle shift from the kids always going to Mama to now approaching Daddy first if they want something. I’ve taken up running, doing the Couch-to-5K with my sis-in-law. Unfortunately, the front wheel on my jogging stroller isn’t straight, so it wants to veer off to the left whenever I run. But the kids enjoy going out, and my husband appreciates the half hour he gets to himself.

Work has the Colonel’s Challenge going on, meaning I have a goal to do 3,500 pushups/situps, lift a cumulative of 140,000 lbs, and do 30hrs of aerobic/high intensity exercise within the next 60 days. That has resulted in frequent jogs to the park on non-run nights to my children’s delight, and many sore muscles to my dismay. Thankfully, my son weighs 30lbs and my daughter weighs 40lbs, so I count them towards my weight lifting.

Critique group has had low attendance lately, so we’re throwing in a dialogue workshop since we’re at the end of rotation. I have to thank my friends Jim and Dani for that, because it’s one less thing I have to worry about.

On top of that, I’m still writing (6K more from my last check in) and reading. I’ve never read the Wheel of Time series before now, even though some reviewers have compared Thanmir War to it. So I decided it’d be a good idea to find out what I’m getting compared to. I haven’t read the prequel yet, but I’m on book 12 of the 14 book series, listening to the audiobooks. I started in July. Each one of these books is over 200K, some even nearing 400K. The entire series equals 461 hours of audio. With the exception of book 10, I’ve enjoyed what I’ve heard so far. Book 10 was waaaaaaayyyyy too slow. I’ve wanted to slap some of the women throughout this series, but it gives me good insight as to what not to do. Other than that, I find the series favorable.

I suppose I’m pleased at being compared to the Wheel of Time. I can see where there are similarities. I know Thanmir War is a hefty volume, rolling in at 170K, but that’s the type of book I enjoy. *shrug*

What has kept you busy lately? Are you a good juggler? Has your writing been compared to a series you like? What do you think of exercise?

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Changing Plans #IWSG

Right now, I’m not insecure. I’ve been writing a lot lately. Well, a lot for me with my current progress. I’ve gotten down 18K in the past couple of weeks. It’s all in Isto.

I had to rework my plan toward the end of the book because I no longer liked the idea of the character leaving the palace because of a dream. But I knew I had to get him out somehow. My friend jokingly said, “And it’s not like you could have him step outside for a smoke.” I realized there was something he would leave to go see, something I had in the first chapter in a different POV. Wham-bam, problem solved.

Now, my friend is a planner, and I’ve been trying to curb my pantsing ways. I typed up my list of scenes, labeled each with which POV it was in, and then fitted them into chapters. So very proud of myself, I showed it to my friend. She’s said she doesn’t understand how my brain works, because all of my attempts at planning look like disjointed nonsense to her. I told her she would be able to understand this one, and showed it.

Her brow furrowed. Nope. Still no go. She showed me hers with her neat paragraphs and coherent thoughts. I looked at mine, which used single words and fragments at best. She pointed to a scene in chapter one and said, “Traitor isn’t a summary.” After more back and forth discussion, she found a word that described my way of thinking. Concepts. She reevaluated my outline with that in mind, and she said it made sense.

I did a little happy dance. She understood. That, right there, was an achievement in my book.

Have your friends and fellow writers said anything to help boost your confidence? If you’re a planner, do you use complete sentences? What small victories can you count today?

About Insecure Writer’s Support Group



You can find the sign up for the IWSG here. We owe Alex J Cavanaugh a huge thank you for thinking this blog hop up.

The post Changing Plans #IWSG appeared first on Squirrel Talk.

Where are the Emotions?

Fires in the Treasure Valley have dropped our air quality conditions to poor. My son’s asthma has him wheezing, I’m struggling to breath through my nose, and my husband is coughing. My daughter, thankfully, seems unaffected. But she’s got too much to think about.

She’s in Kindergarten now.

Sometimes I wonder how emotionless I really am. Both my co-workers insisted I’d cry. They both did.

Me? I saw my daughter off on the school bus, drove to the school to make sure she got to class alright, hovered at the edge of class until she was settled in her chair, and then she finally noticed I was there. She smiled and said, “Mama, what are you doing here?” which sounded an awful lot like “Silly Mama, school is for kids, not parents.”

I kissed her forehead, then hurried back to work.

No tears. No swelling realization that kids grow up so fast. Just a confirmation with my husband that he’d be able to pick her up at lunch.

Don’t get me wrong; I’m very proud of her. She’s smart, sociable, and well-behaved. But what kind of mother am I when I don’t get teary eyed over one of life’s milestones? (Then again, I didn’t cry at my wedding either.)

Sometimes I wonder if my own personality is the reason why my characters lack emotion in the earlier drafts. Sometimes, I don’t wonder, I just know.

Do you get emotional over life events? Does your personality reflect in your characters? Anybody celebrating back to school time?

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To Prologue… more than once? #IWSG

I know prologues are considered one of those deadly sins of writings, but it’s one of the “rules” I’m willing to break. But what if I have two prologues for the same story?

I’ve read books with multiple prologues. They don’t bother me. But I’ve encountered people who assume prologue == bad writing. They immediately cast judgement without sampling the writing. Thus stems my insecurity. With these people despising prologues, it makes me wonder what the reaction would be to having more than one.

I have my reasons for this. One takes place 3 centuries earlier, and the POV character isn’t used again. This seems perfect fodder for prologue material. The second one takes place 20 days before chapter 1, but it definitely takes place before the story begins. The reasons for it being a prologue and not chapter 1 isn’t apparent until around chapter 14 (if the reader is good at figuring things out, 19 if not). But there is a reason.

Too bad it doesn’t rid me of my insecurities.

So I’m looking for opinions. Should I have 2 prologues? How many people would that turn off? Should I combine the two and separate them with a scene break and 3 Centuries Later…? I’ve been calling my first prologue an Introduction, but that seems to create more confusion.

About Insecure Writer’s Support Group



You can find the sign up for the IWSG here. We owe Alex J Cavanaugh a huge thank you for thinking this blog hop up.

The post To Prologue… more than once? #IWSG appeared first on Squirrel Talk.

What’s your motivation?

I’ve been thinking a lot about character motivation lately. My turn is coming up soon for my local critique group, so I’ve been looking at the early chapters of Isto, Thanmir War‘s sequel. My buddy, Jim, pointed me to the John D. Brown archives on the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America website. Part 6 talks about Character Deservingness.

Thanks to Jim, whenever I read anything now, I think of the characters and wonder, “What’s your motivation?” Are they acting to save their own skin? Or are they doing it to protect others? Both make good stories. Maybe it’s a combination of the two.

But thinking along this line made me realize that I want to redo chapter 2 of Isto, or at least the MC’s section of it. Currently, the character is running because he doesn’t frigging want to become what this other creature tells him he must become. He has his reasons. He’s afraid he’ll hurt the woman he loves if he does. So he runs and his approach is to stay one step ahead, let others protect him, and hopefully never have to face it.

He’s acting like a spoiled brat, sticking out his tongue from behind his mother’s skirts (except in this case he’s hiding behind his daughter). Ha, you didn’t get me this time.

After analyzing what I think my character’s motivation is, and what it should be, I’ve decided he’s not behaving heroically.

Darn you, Jim. See what you did? You made me start thinking, and you know that never ends well.

The character wants to protect the woman he loves. That hasn’t changed. But is he going to flee and pretend he can win that way? Or is he going to do something about it before the inevitable hits?

The scene rewrote itself in my mind. Yes, he still runs. And yes, his daughter still saves him, this time. But now, his motivation isn’t getting away. It’s finding the woman he loves and getting her to safety, before he’s forced to step into a role he doesn’t want, and potentially harming her in the process.

That seems less selfish to me. That, to me, makes him more deserving.

What do you think about character deservingness? Do you find yourself drawn to certain traits within characters? What makes you root for a character?

And to everyone who sent well wishes about my husband losing his job, thank you. I appreciate all of you.

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Facing Changes

I mentioned my husband got bad news at work last week. Well, come next month, he’s going to be a stay-at-home dad, at least for a while. His biggest concern was the children. He doesn’t want them to face hardship.

I reminded him they don’t cost that much. They have more toys than they can play with, and when they do play, they prefer the mud out back. They have more clothes than they can wear, and when we do buy clothes, it’s at the Other Mother’s sale where we spend a whole $2 to get a garbage bag full. Their biggest expense is daycare, and that’s going to be a non-issue with daddy at home.

Still he worries.

He worries not only for us, but also for the group he’s leaving behind. We first met at work. We were in the same call-center training class 10 years ago. He became part of the IT Staff as a Systems Administrator, a position open for 24 hours with 65 applications and only one person (him) chosen for the job. That company got bought out by another, and after the merge, the new world-wide company didn’t quite know how to classify my husband’s job. It hadn’t had a revolving-door call center where employees shared computers and needed to be able to move seats on the fly. But he kept the center running smoothly, despite permission changes and corporate bureaucracy. After several reclassifications, they placed him in a group with other misfits called Mobile Services. (He’s a Sys Admin for a call-center, not really Mobile Services…)

This month, they chopped that group.

Once my husband heard the news, he did some chopping of his own. He went from this:

To this:

He pranked a few people, tucking his detached ponytail beneath a beanie, commenting about the stress, and then yanking out his hair. Many people stared at him in shock. But even to the end, he’s making sure the call-center supervisors, agents, and trainers are taken care of. They’ll probably struggle, but they’ll survive and adapt.

Change can be good. Let’s just hope it turns out that way for us.

Have you faced any life changes lately? How do you handle change?

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I am Such a Ham – Steampunk Photos

I totally forgot today was Wednesday. It’s been a blur at the Town’s End with me being sick, my son having hand-foot-and-mouth disease and screaming all night, my husband getting bad news at work, and my daughter… well, she’s fine, if not a bit whiny.

So no deep thoughts for me today. Just some more steampunk pictures taken by my buddy, Cami. I had four outfits total, and you saw the black corset with blue skirt a few weeks back.

Here’s a few more fun ones (currently my facebook pictures):

And look, she even caught a rainbow! (This one isn’t on facebook.)

How is life going for you? Everyone healthy? Which is your favorite outfit so far?

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10 Favorite Screen Characters

A few weeks back, C.D. Gallant-King tagged me in a challenge to come up with my top ten favorite screen characters. Now, if you know me in person, you know I don’t get much screen time because of work, children, and house-cleaning. But I brainstormed with my husband and managed to come up with a list.

Movies

1. Geoffrey Chaucer (Paul Bettany) in A Knight’s Tale

If I was to classify my favorite movie, this would be it, with Chaucer being my favorite character. He’s witty, he’s flawed, and he pulls through as a loyal friend despite not having the established friendship like the other three guys.

Chaucer: A wha- a what? A writer. You know, I write, with ink and parchment. For a penny I’ll scribble you anything you want.

2. Gracie Hart (Sandra Bullock) in Miss Congeniality

This is another movie I’ve watched dozens of times. Gracie is nerdy, sexy, strong, and cute. She’s dedicated, knows how to tease, and doesn’t quite fit in, but is accepted nonetheless. I might be able to relate… you know, just a little.

Gracie: You think I’m gorgeous, you want to kiss me… You want to hug me… You want to love me… You want to hug me… You want to smooch me… You want to…

3. Sherlock Holmes (Robert Downey Jr.) in Sherlock Holmes

I’ll admit there are some actors who I love regardless of role, and Robert Downey Jr. is one of them. Sorry, Benedict, but I prefer Robert when it comes to playing Sherlock. He’s scruffy, a troublemaker, and yet charm seems to ooze off of him. Not to mention he’s brilliant.

Sherlock Holmes: My mind rebels at stagnation! Give me problems! Give me work!

4. Hudson Hawk (Bruce Willis) in Hudson Hawk

Maybe I have a thing for characters who play in self-named movies? All this guy wants is a cappuccino, but he gets stuck with a lot more. What’s not to love about a thief who times his actions by song? He may have his priorities wrong, but I can’t help but smile at how thwarted he is, and yet he rolls with the punches.

Hudson Hawk: Hey, this doesn’t taste like cappuccino.

Anna: Oh. I guess I put too much ethyl chloride in it.

5. Domino Harvey (Keira Knightley) in Domino

This movie was trippy. Not to mention based on a real person (albeit loosely). Heads you live, tails you die… She intrigued me, and it was one of the few movies that held my attention despite not having much humor. Even though I haven’t seen this movie in years, I still hear her voice in my head from time to time with the following line.

Domino: My name is Domino Harvey. I am a bounty hunter.

Television

Okay, so I split my ten into 2 fives. I don’t have quotes for the second half. Truthfully, Daniel ranks up there with Chaucer as my favorite, and I didn’t want him to have a low number, so he’s #1 in television!

1. Daniel Jackson (Michael Shanks) in Stargate SG-1

There’s just something about smart guys who can handle their own in a tense situation that really makes me squeal. Honestly, I haven’t even seen every episode of Stargate SG-1 because I don’t get to sit still long enough to take it in. But I’d pop in on whatever episode my husband was watching, and Daniel has always been my favorite. When my husband and I were talking, he said Jack was his favorite. I guess this show has many good characters to offer.

2. Neal Caffery (Matt Bomer) in White Collar

He’s a not-quite reformed criminal, smooth dresser, and a softy at heart. He can con his way out of any situation, keep his friends and enemies on their toes, and has the brains and skill to pull off a heist beneath his handler’s nose. I wish I was that good.

3. Codex (Felicia Day) in The Guild

Okay, so technically this doesn’t play on television, at least not that I know of. But since I watch all of my TV online, I figure it counts. I’ve got a girl crush on Felicia Day. She owns her geekdom. And as a former WoW player, I can totally relate. Not to mention they have music videos too!

4. Shawn and Gus (James Roday and Dulé Hill) in Psych

Actually, I love the whole cast in this one. They’ve all got that silly side that’s just a little off. But Shawn and Gus go hand in hand, knowing exactly what the other means, even though it’s totally off base from what the audience expects. They’re childish but talented, and I love the many names Shawn comes up for Gus.

When it came to the last spot, I was torn. Castle? I adore Nathan Fillion. Buffy? Spike? I love the humor. Henry from Forever? There’s something about smart men… Galavant? A musical parody? I am so there. Castiel from Supernatural? I’m only in season 7 so who knows if I’ll like him later in the series. Sterling or maybe Elliot from Leverage? So many choices.

But who do I put down as my favorite?

I’ve decided that I can’t decide. Maybe you can cast your vote.

Out of my runner ups, which is your favorite?

Now I’m supposed to tag people. I feel inclined to tag Alex J. Cavanaugh, since he’s a movie buff, and I’d like to know what his favorites are. I’m also tagging M.J. Fifield, Aldrea Alien, and Sarah Foster. And if you want to participate in this challenge but haven’t been tagged, feel free to run with it!

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How do you catch up? #IWSG

Wow. It’s July already, and it’s the first Wednesday of the month too! I had told myself I’d be done with at least one of my projects by now. But I’m not. In fact, I’m not even close.

I know I’m not the only one who sets big plans and when the time rolls around, finds themselves flailing because they haven’t accomplished all they need to do. But how do you address that? Set smaller goals? Six months to write 30K isn’t that big of a goal. That’s just a little over 1K a week, maybe 300 words per weekday. And… I’m only a fifth of the way to my goal.

Yeah, I’m a bit insecure about that.

But ignoring what I haven’t done… How does one play catch up? I’m going to have to write an aggressive 1010 words a day, if I’m just writing on workdays. I won’t kid myself, my children prevent me from gaining progress when I’m at home. But how do I write faster when I only have my lunch hour to work with?

I’ve bought a few books to try to plan better. I know where I’m going with my story, I just am slow in the delivery. Some of it may have to do with time, but that doesn’t mean I can’t try to improve my pace. Emma Adams suggested 2K to 10K, and M. Pax said she liked Take Off Your Pants! Wish me luck at getting faster, and maybe I might just finish Lust this month.

Do you have any recommendations for catching up with work? What do you do when you fall behind? Do you have any other suggestions for fast drafting?

About Insecure Writer’s Support Group



You can find the sign up for the IWSG here. We owe Alex J Cavanaugh a huge thank you for thinking this blog hop up.

The post How do you catch up? #IWSG appeared first on Squirrel Talk.