Six Sentences Sunday 4

Blah. Busy days. More explanation later.

Six Sentences Sunday from Mortality, this time.

Devin laughed weakly. “Besides the fact that I'm slowly dying, am surrounded by beings I've been trained my entire life to kill, and have just relived the murder of my entire family?” She closed her eyes and nuzzled into his hand. “Surprisingly good.”

“I am sorry,” his thumb rubbed her cheek lightly as he frowned. “I should not have pressed you to go through with that.”

Those two are adorable.

I can't help but "aww" a little inside each time.

2k to 10k Book Review

Before I get into the review, I would like to apologize for the lack of post yesterday. For the past couple days I have been nose deep in two different books on writing. This is because I'm stuck. I may go into detail tomorrow.

Now onto the review!

First, I love Rachel Aaron's voice. I haven't read any of her other books (note to self: Add Eli Monpress novels to TBR list. P.S: Make TBR list.), but when reading this book, it's as if she's sitting there talking to you. At least, I assume that's the way she meant it.

Second, this book makes me rethink everything I've ever written. But in a good way! Looking back at my process while writing Mortality, it makes me want to scrap it and start over. In all honesty, it would save me hours and hours and possibly days of editing. However, I think my mother would probably kill me.

Third, I'm so going to try what she has to say when writing the last half of my book. Considering I have very little planned, this is a good thing. Hopefully I can knock out the last half of the book in a shorter time than the first half. Bear in mind it's taken me... eight years to get the first half done?

Also, it's .99c on Amazon. You have no reason not to.

I rate it ***** stars.

Follow Rachel Aaron on Twitter @Rachel_Aaron
Or go to her website www.rachelaaron.net

Dialogue

Hey. Late post today. Apologies.

So, as writers, there's GOT to be that one thing we struggle with.

Whether it's finding time to write, actually getting words out of your head on paper, editing, character creations, world creation, not procrastinating, etc. The possibilities are endless.

What's mine?

Dialogue.

I dislike writing dialogue. But I love how my characters interact. I don't know that the two are connected, but that seems a bit of a discrepancy to me.

I found out the other day, that when I don't have anything planned next... my characters talk about what they're going to do.

That just... it ends...

Well, here. I'll give you an example.

What I was writing yesterday. (It's from Mortality, if you are not familiar with the characters)

The vampire smirked slightly, looking out the window to where the sun was sinking below the horizon. “Would you believe it if I were to tell you I am older than the Elder’s of the school you protect? I had a deal with the previous Elder’s, actually. But that did not carry over, apart from my own promise that our kind, that is, those that I speak for, would not go near the school grounds.” 

Blade’s eyes narrowed. ‘But to find Devin-.’ 

“I broke that promise. I know. It was necessary. Without the girl, we cannot regain what we have lost.” 

‘How is she supposed to help? Why must it be she?’ 

Alucard shook his head. “I do now know that. But I know it must be her.” 

Blade huffed quietly. ‘Who are the Helyn?’ 

It was Alucard’s turn to be taken aback. “The Helyn? I… do not believe I have heard that name before. But it has the sound of a word from a long dead language. It used to be spoken by a peoples in the Kwiktilk Mountains. However, I cannot tell you without more context what it means.” 

“They are a group of people,” Damon explained from the door way. “Devin’s asleep,” he said by way of answering the questioning looks. 

Also, dialogue tags. When it's two men (okay, a wolf and a vampire, but both male) speaking, I can't use just 'he' and 'she', but if I use their names too often, it reads awkwardly. To me. I may be insane. That's a distinct possibility.

I showed a bit of that to a friend of mine, she says there is too much action to detract from the dialogue. But I think the action is fine, it gives the reader a clearer view of what is happening.

I can't point to what I don't like about my dialogue, but it feels awkward and clunky to me.

What're your thoughts?

Sidenote: I'm considering moving to Wordpress. Thoughts?

If You Let Them, They Will Come

Also titled, let your ideas come from where they may.

As writers; well, for those of us who announce the fact that we are writers, we often get asked: "Where do you get your ideas?"

Often, if asked this question, many of us mutter something indistinct as the audience or individual wait expectantly for some brilliant never before heard, oh so inspirational, mind-blowing secret. But really, there isn't one. We know that. The blood, sweat and tears that have poured over the years, or even weeks, we have been writing prove that.

However, that doesn't mean that ideas just come to us out of the ether. We have to work at them. Sometimes, there is some inspiration. When that moment comes, savor it, write it down, and relive it over and over again. It may never happen again.

I have one example that I recall. I will share it here.

I hate Christmas music with a fiery, burning, passion, right? You cannot believe how much I hate Christmas music. I had to listen to it for... oh... six weeks? From the first week into November until after Christmas. Living. Hell.

However, I went with the flow. Whatever, right? If you can't change it, don't gripe. Well, I did gripe, but I learned to deal with it. What was more amusing were the people who would rave about the music day after day and never learned to deal, but I digress.

What does this have to do with inspirational ideas? Well, the song 'Do You Hear What I Hear?' got me thinking one day.

I actually stopped and typed out a note in my phone. At work. It was that... Well not necessarily big, but I didn't want to forget it.

This is what that message in my phone reads- "Xmas inspired story - 'shepard boy' dreams become real. Dreamy something about kings illegit son. Thrown out after that. King hires ppl to kill the prophet/godson the boy tells him of. Psychic"

That's it. Now. I transferred this to my Ideas Notebook and expounded upon it.

In my book, it's simply titled "Book Idea"

The entry goes as follows.

Based on Inspired by song Do you hear what I hear? 

In the song, the Shepard Boy speaks to the King about Jesus and the King takes him at his word. 

But would he (the King) really take the boy's words as truth?
The way I see it, he wouldn't. 

What would happen if Jesus, or another equivalent prophet/son of god, didn't get that help and grew up not knowing? Perhaps with people of the king after him? 

SB (here meaning Shepard Boy) psychic. "What I dream comes true."
SB starts saying something about Kings son. (illegitimate son)

Now, I really like this idea, and think I might use it at some point.

Will it have any resemblance to the song when I'm finished? No. Not at all.
Does that matter? Nope. In fact, it's better if the finish project doesn't look like what inspired it.

Let your ideas come naturally. You don't have to use them, and some will be horrible. Some, you may not realize are horrible until you begin writing/using them. Don't let this discourage you.

With an open heart and an open mind.

Take Care!

~Cheyenne

Plotting

Hey guys!

So, I know I've said I'm a pantser, and I promise, I really am.

But after reading K.M. Weiland's Outlining Your Novel that I have already reviewed on this blog, I began planning my Untitled NaNoWriMo Novel. (I really need to change that Untitled to a real title.)

Planning is not a bad thing!

This may shock some of you tried and true pantser's out their. But really, it's not.

Half the time I don't follow my plot. Some points have gone straight out the window as I wrote, but you know what? One of those points came back to be used at another time, but changed to reflect the change in my charrie.

Some things have different impact at different times and illicit different responses from characters at different times in their growth. Confused? You haven't written enough. Get back to it.

Alright, so this post is mainly to post an example of my plotting.

Mostly, it's talking to myself. Don't take any of it seriously, and if you can't understand it, don't worry. I don't half the time either.

He has a month before Ilyrana catches up (not that he knows that) and they get captured by Slavers.
He could...
      - Seek out Orsam
      - Visit more Elven cities searching for knowledge on the Old Ones
      - Visit major cities of other races for knowledge of Either Old Ones or the Ancient humans
          (What the hell did I call them?)
Or he could do all three.
Obstacles finding Orsam
      - no clue how
            ~Orsam found him last time
      - can't find place where he met the man            ~but Talliel would      Not much of an obstacle
So he they return to the burned sentinel.
      - Ent-like being with a grudge?
      - dryad? (also w/ anger)

That is a page out of my notebook copied over as closely as I can online.

It actually helps. Now I need to get writing so I can catch up to what I have planned.

Happy Writing!

Six Sentences Sunday 3

At first, I was freaking out because I didn't have a post planned for today.

Then I checked my email (procrastinating) and saw a notification from another blog with a triple S post, and I was like, OH YEAH!

So here's Six more Sentences from my (still) untitled NaNoWriMo restart.

Hrothsam looked at Aoduain closely. "There's really only one thing we can do." 

"What?" asked Ilyrana. 

Aoduain closed his eyes, as if knowing what was coming.  

"We have to amputate it." 

I am evil to my characters. Yes, they really do amputate his arm. But that's okay, he's not much of a fighter anyway.

Muahahahah!

 

Merry Everything and Happy Always

Hey guys.

I apologize for my absence and begin with saying I have no real reason - no good reason, anyway - for my being gone.

I will, however, attempt to explain.

Hate me if you will, but that's what this post is.

First- December has always bee, and always will be, a lazy busy month for me.
      1.2- My new job at Wally World.
        During the Holidays, I began working 40+ hours a week. Doing my job, this is hell. Hell on my back, hell on my wrists, and hell on my personal well being and mental state.

        This started around Thanksgiving and only recently ended.

Second - Video Games. In this case, the Mass Effect trilogy. I started playing 1 in early December.

I finished with three less than an hour ago. I cried. Again. This was my second play through.

Side Note: If you are any kind of gamer; fantasy, shooter, plot-based, etc. you should check out these games.

The backstory, characterization, and gameplay are superb. The best I've seen, easily.

Also, I may or may not write an ME fanfic or two.

Third - Life. Seriously.

With work, the holidays, family and trying to find time to sleep, I barely had time to think, let alone sit and write. (Look at all the commas!)

I understand now why my parents never had time to do what they wanted when I was growing up. (Hell, they still don'e, what with my four younger siblings and nephew.) And I don't have kids. (And I won't for awhile, stop panicking, mother. I know you read this.)


So this is me officially reentering the real world. And by real, I mean the internet world. The writing world. And... nope, that's it.

My new years resolution? Less games, more writing. Also, eating better and maybe exercising some? I have weight I'd like to lose.

Typical resolutions, I know. And my boyfriend isn't helping. He's trying to introduce me to three or four new games...

*le sigh*

As my mother's Christmas card said, Merry Everything and Happy Always!
Since I missed the holidays.

How have you guys been?