Friday, 9 April 2010
I know this is a day late and Friday's post will be late too, but anyway here's the Thursday poem/lyric.
Funeral Blues by W H Auden
Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone,
Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone,
Silence the pianos and with muffled drum
Bring out the coffin, let the mourners come.
Let aeroplanes circle moaning overhead
Scribbling on the sky the message He is Dead.
Put crepe bows round the white necks of the public doves,
Let the traffic policemen wear black cotton gloves.
He was my North, my South, my East and West,
My working week and my Sunday rest,
My noon, my midnight, my talk, my song;
I thought that love would last forever: I was wrong.
The stars are not wanted now; put out every one,
Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun,
Pour away the ocean and sweep up the woods;
For nothing now can ever come to any good.
Funeral Blues by W H Auden
Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone,
Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone,
Silence the pianos and with muffled drum
Bring out the coffin, let the mourners come.
Let aeroplanes circle moaning overhead
Scribbling on the sky the message He is Dead.
Put crepe bows round the white necks of the public doves,
Let the traffic policemen wear black cotton gloves.
He was my North, my South, my East and West,
My working week and my Sunday rest,
My noon, my midnight, my talk, my song;
I thought that love would last forever: I was wrong.
The stars are not wanted now; put out every one,
Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun,
Pour away the ocean and sweep up the woods;
For nothing now can ever come to any good.
Wednesday, 7 April 2010
I forgot to post yesterday so before we start here's the Tuesday Prompt - Leafiness.
And now for the exercise.
I got this idea from im_writing on LiveJournal and you can see her original post here
So post this on your website, in your journals, on your mailing lists and see what happens.
And now for the exercise.
I got this idea from im_writing on LiveJournal and you can see her original post here
So post this on your website, in your journals, on your mailing lists and see what happens.
- Pick a fandom (or, at least one I'm familiar with. If you don't know, then pick one you like and ask me if I know it. But this won't work that well with a fandom I'm unfamiliar with.)
- Give me ten songs (whether you choose them or just stick your iTunes on shuffle, I don't care.)
- Leave both in a comment to this post
- I will provide 10 drabbles to go along with your songs/fandom.
Thursday, 1 April 2010
I would like to apologise for the long hiatus. Real life happened. I was actually ready to be back a couple of days ago but I figured I might as well make a fresh start with the new month. Hopefully I shan't vanish again this year.
And now for today's prompt -
Boys in Bars (Bacon Brothers)
Now you could hear that jukebox pound
But you could barely see inside
Now rumor had it years ago
Is where that girl had died
Now why they caled it a cafe
Well I never understood
Cause there aint no tables on the street
The coffee tastes like mud
But every night at five o'clock
They'd start to come around
We'd begin to set em up
And they would knock em down
Sometime after midnight
With a pocket full of green
We'd lock the doors and step outside
And our days would begin
Cause we were boys in bars
Runnin over the shootin stars
Cruisin Broadway without cars
We were gonna take that town
Nothin there would knock us down
That old apple would be ours
George was a lawyer
In an old Brooks Brothers suit
And Glen worked for homicide
He had a pistol in his boot
Franco was a sculptor
Who looked something like an eagle
Chas did a lot of things
And none of them were legal
Debbi was a waitress
And she came all the way from Queens
Sit around and wonder how
She got into those jeans
Nicky tended bar
So he always drank for free
Johnny was a lover
And he taught everything to me
And we were boys in bars
Cool as ice cubes, Sharp as darts
Runnin down all those lonely hearts
All that liquid goes
All those lives we sewed
All those medals all those scars
Last night I was thinkin back
To those sweet old Disco days
But you know the memories were cloudy
Through that thick Marlboro haze
Freezin outside 54's
Just hopin he'd pick me
Skiing down Columbus
Just like Jean Claude Killey
Back before the ticking clcok
Made all of us it's slave
And back before the search for love
Could put you in your grave
I'd never trade the days I lost
For the years that I have found
Sometimes late at night
I can hear that jukebox pound
And we were boys in bars
Runnin over the shootin stars
Cruisin Broadway without cars
We were gonna take that town
Nothin there would knock us down
That old apple would be ours
Boys in bars
We were boys in bars
Runnin over the shootin stars
Boys in bars
We were boys in bars
Cruisin Broadway without cars
Boys in bars
We were boys in bars
Cool as ice cubes sharp as darts
Boys in bars
We were boys in bars
Runnin down all those lonely hearts
And now for today's prompt -
Boys in Bars (Bacon Brothers)
Now you could hear that jukebox pound
But you could barely see inside
Now rumor had it years ago
Is where that girl had died
Now why they caled it a cafe
Well I never understood
Cause there aint no tables on the street
The coffee tastes like mud
But every night at five o'clock
They'd start to come around
We'd begin to set em up
And they would knock em down
Sometime after midnight
With a pocket full of green
We'd lock the doors and step outside
And our days would begin
Cause we were boys in bars
Runnin over the shootin stars
Cruisin Broadway without cars
We were gonna take that town
Nothin there would knock us down
That old apple would be ours
George was a lawyer
In an old Brooks Brothers suit
And Glen worked for homicide
He had a pistol in his boot
Franco was a sculptor
Who looked something like an eagle
Chas did a lot of things
And none of them were legal
Debbi was a waitress
And she came all the way from Queens
Sit around and wonder how
She got into those jeans
Nicky tended bar
So he always drank for free
Johnny was a lover
And he taught everything to me
And we were boys in bars
Cool as ice cubes, Sharp as darts
Runnin down all those lonely hearts
All that liquid goes
All those lives we sewed
All those medals all those scars
Last night I was thinkin back
To those sweet old Disco days
But you know the memories were cloudy
Through that thick Marlboro haze
Freezin outside 54's
Just hopin he'd pick me
Skiing down Columbus
Just like Jean Claude Killey
Back before the ticking clcok
Made all of us it's slave
And back before the search for love
Could put you in your grave
I'd never trade the days I lost
For the years that I have found
Sometimes late at night
I can hear that jukebox pound
And we were boys in bars
Runnin over the shootin stars
Cruisin Broadway without cars
We were gonna take that town
Nothin there would knock us down
That old apple would be ours
Boys in bars
We were boys in bars
Runnin over the shootin stars
Boys in bars
We were boys in bars
Cruisin Broadway without cars
Boys in bars
We were boys in bars
Cool as ice cubes sharp as darts
Boys in bars
We were boys in bars
Runnin down all those lonely hearts
Monday, 22 February 2010
Another book of writing exercises today.
What If? Writing exercises for Fiction Writers
This is quite an interesting little book. It's divided into sections on things like story beginnings and perspective and then each section has half a dozen chapters, of two or three pages each, explaining what it is the exercise is meant to be about, examples of the point the authors are trying to make from published works, and then a short exercise, usually followed by example 'answers' from members of the authors' writing class.
The exercise I posted here the other day about your character's habitat was from this book.
I have to admit a bias here. I don't think much of creative writing courses. Partly because many of them seem intrinsically biased against 'genre' fiction, which is of course my great love, and partly because of a nagging feeling that if these people knew so much about writing they'd be making money doing that instead of teaching classes on it. I know this is a little unfair to the really helpful creative writing classes out there, but it's how I feel. The books I have that are written as if you were on one of those courses are, therefore, not exactly my favourites. But I do like this little book.
Some of the exercises strike me as helpful when you're trying to understand a concept but something you'd never want to do again after you get it - like the first one which has you writing first sentences for stories you're never going to write. This is a useful exploration, along with the author's notes on the different ways of starting stories, of what works and what doesn't, but once you have a firm grip on that it doesn't strike me as anything I'd want to spend my time doing on a regular basis - I could be wrong as I haven't yet attempted this exercise (because starting with the first exercise in the book is just far too predictable), but that's how it strikes me.
Others though, like the second one where you deal with the past of a story (i.e. everything that happened before the first page) and analyse stories you've written or drafted seems like it could be really helpful and something I might do with the more plot-intensive stories when I read the editing stage in future. And the one I posted here is very helpful both for thinking about your story's setting and characterisation.
All in all I think I would recommend this book. Even the exercises I wouldn't repeat made me think about something to do with the craft of writing. It's not a book I'd go to for inspiration, like the Book of Matches, but it is one I think I will find myself coming back to again and again.
What If? Writing exercises for Fiction Writers
This is quite an interesting little book. It's divided into sections on things like story beginnings and perspective and then each section has half a dozen chapters, of two or three pages each, explaining what it is the exercise is meant to be about, examples of the point the authors are trying to make from published works, and then a short exercise, usually followed by example 'answers' from members of the authors' writing class.
The exercise I posted here the other day about your character's habitat was from this book.
I have to admit a bias here. I don't think much of creative writing courses. Partly because many of them seem intrinsically biased against 'genre' fiction, which is of course my great love, and partly because of a nagging feeling that if these people knew so much about writing they'd be making money doing that instead of teaching classes on it. I know this is a little unfair to the really helpful creative writing classes out there, but it's how I feel. The books I have that are written as if you were on one of those courses are, therefore, not exactly my favourites. But I do like this little book.
Some of the exercises strike me as helpful when you're trying to understand a concept but something you'd never want to do again after you get it - like the first one which has you writing first sentences for stories you're never going to write. This is a useful exploration, along with the author's notes on the different ways of starting stories, of what works and what doesn't, but once you have a firm grip on that it doesn't strike me as anything I'd want to spend my time doing on a regular basis - I could be wrong as I haven't yet attempted this exercise (because starting with the first exercise in the book is just far too predictable), but that's how it strikes me.
Others though, like the second one where you deal with the past of a story (i.e. everything that happened before the first page) and analyse stories you've written or drafted seems like it could be really helpful and something I might do with the more plot-intensive stories when I read the editing stage in future. And the one I posted here is very helpful both for thinking about your story's setting and characterisation.
All in all I think I would recommend this book. Even the exercises I wouldn't repeat made me think about something to do with the craft of writing. It's not a book I'd go to for inspiration, like the Book of Matches, but it is one I think I will find myself coming back to again and again.
Today's post is about the use of magic in your fictional world. While magic can open a whole box of delights when it comes to your fantastical setting it can also cause a whole load of problems for the unwary author. There are several things you need to think about when creating a magical world, just from the world building perspective, but there are also other questions that you need to consider from a purely authorial point of view.
I think I'm going to sub-divide this into three posts rather than try and get it all into one and possibly just end up rambling all over the place.
Today's post will be on magic and world building, then next week will be magical heroes and quests, and the week after that the problems that magic can cause you as an author. Some of this will probably be relevant to the topic of religion in fantasy which I intend to cover later, but I'll try not to repeat myself too much.
I think I'm going to sub-divide this into three posts rather than try and get it all into one and possibly just end up rambling all over the place.
Today's post will be on magic and world building, then next week will be magical heroes and quests, and the week after that the problems that magic can cause you as an author. Some of this will probably be relevant to the topic of religion in fantasy which I intend to cover later, but I'll try not to repeat myself too much.
Thursday, 18 February 2010
Patrick Swayze : She's Like The Wind Lyrics
Songwriters: Swayze, Patrick; Widelitz, Stacy;
She's like the wind through my tree
She rides the night next to me
She leads me through moonlight
Only to burn me with the sun
She's taken my heart
But she doesn't know what she's done
Feel her breath on my face
Her body close to me
Can't look in her eyes
She's out of my league
Just a fool to believe
I have anything she needs
She's like the wind
[SOLO]
I look in the mirror and all I see
Is a young old man with only a dream
Am I just fooling myself
That she'll stop the pain
Living without her
I'd go insane
Feel her breath on my face
Her body close to me
Can't look in her eyes
She's out of my league
Just a fool to believe
I have anything she needs
She's like the wind
Feel your breath on my face
Your body close to me
Can't look in your eyes
You're out of my league
Just a fool to believe
(Just a fool to believe)
She's like the wind
(Just a fool to believe)
Just a fool to believe
(She's like the wind)
Just a fool to believe
(Just a fool to believe)
She's like the wind
(Just a fool to believe)
Just a fool to believe
She's like the wind
(Just a fool...)
(She's like the wind)
(She's like the wind)
(Just a fool...)
(She's like the wind)
(Just a fool...)
Songwriters: Swayze, Patrick; Widelitz, Stacy;
She's like the wind through my tree
She rides the night next to me
She leads me through moonlight
Only to burn me with the sun
She's taken my heart
But she doesn't know what she's done
Feel her breath on my face
Her body close to me
Can't look in her eyes
She's out of my league
Just a fool to believe
I have anything she needs
She's like the wind
[SOLO]
I look in the mirror and all I see
Is a young old man with only a dream
Am I just fooling myself
That she'll stop the pain
Living without her
I'd go insane
Feel her breath on my face
Her body close to me
Can't look in her eyes
She's out of my league
Just a fool to believe
I have anything she needs
She's like the wind
Feel your breath on my face
Your body close to me
Can't look in your eyes
You're out of my league
Just a fool to believe
(Just a fool to believe)
She's like the wind
(Just a fool to believe)
Just a fool to believe
(She's like the wind)
Just a fool to believe
(Just a fool to believe)
She's like the wind
(Just a fool to believe)
Just a fool to believe
She's like the wind
(Just a fool...)
(She's like the wind)
(She's like the wind)
(Just a fool...)
(She's like the wind)
(Just a fool...)
Wednesday, 17 February 2010
Rewrite history (or someone else's story).
Take an historical event or a book or a film and explore the what ifs.
For example -
What if Obi-Wan had killed Darth Vader instead of dying?
What if Operation Valkyrie (the assassination of Hitler) had succeeded?
What if Ilsa had stayed in Casablanca?
This should give you an idea of how how actions and consequences can play out and in the case of rewriting a book or film it should show you why Casablanca would have been a much worse movie if it had a happy ending (in my opinion) or why a film you hated didn't work for you and what can be done to 'fix' it.
Take an historical event or a book or a film and explore the what ifs.
For example -
What if Obi-Wan had killed Darth Vader instead of dying?
What if Operation Valkyrie (the assassination of Hitler) had succeeded?
What if Ilsa had stayed in Casablanca?
This should give you an idea of how how actions and consequences can play out and in the case of rewriting a book or film it should show you why Casablanca would have been a much worse movie if it had a happy ending (in my opinion) or why a film you hated didn't work for you and what can be done to 'fix' it.
Monday, 15 February 2010
Another recent purchase of mine, although not as recent as last week's review, is The Element Encyclopaedia of Magical Creatures: The Ultimate A-Z of Fantastic Beings from Myth and Magic.
This is a rather thick tome, which strangely seems to be on much higher quality paper than any other paperback I've ever bought; it feels rather luxurious as you flick through it. After several skims through it, stopping at anything I thought looked interesting, and several forays into it searching for specific things, I still have no idea what criteria they've used to choose what to include. Pretty much any kind of magical animal, as well as plenty of 'normal' animals with magical connections, like the raven, is included, that's a given, but it's a little broader in scope than that. There are sentient creatures like elves and goblins. Then there's a section on the Titans from Greek Mythology, but most of the Olympians aren't in there, with, as far as I can tell, the sole exception of Pan. The Morrigan is there but most of the other Celtic Gods aren't. Anubis is there but Isis and Osiris aren't ...
As far as I can tell if you have some kind of animalistic aspect (Anubis' is the Jackal God; Morrigan can turn into an animal) you're included, but it's not a hard and fast rule. Zeus, after all, took the form of a bull to seduce one of his many lovers and he isn't there, perhaps because although he could appear as an animal it wasn't particularly associated with him. And yet, I would consider elves to be no further from human then Gods and Goddesses are, but the elves are there and most of the Gods aren't. Zombies are included, despite being simply ensorcelled humans (living or dead, depending on the exact mythology).
If you can get beyond the confusion about what is and isn't there and how they made their decisions, it is a very well researched and entirely fascinating volume that I would heartily recommend. I notice that there are several others in the series covering things like ghosts and spirits, magic, and vampires, so when I'm next feeling flush with cash I think I may invest in those as well, although oddly there doesn't seem to be one covering the Gods and Goddesses of the various pagan religions, historical and current, which seems to be a gap in their range. Hopefully a gap they'll fill in the future as it would make a good companion volume to this one.
This is a rather thick tome, which strangely seems to be on much higher quality paper than any other paperback I've ever bought; it feels rather luxurious as you flick through it. After several skims through it, stopping at anything I thought looked interesting, and several forays into it searching for specific things, I still have no idea what criteria they've used to choose what to include. Pretty much any kind of magical animal, as well as plenty of 'normal' animals with magical connections, like the raven, is included, that's a given, but it's a little broader in scope than that. There are sentient creatures like elves and goblins. Then there's a section on the Titans from Greek Mythology, but most of the Olympians aren't in there, with, as far as I can tell, the sole exception of Pan. The Morrigan is there but most of the other Celtic Gods aren't. Anubis is there but Isis and Osiris aren't ...
As far as I can tell if you have some kind of animalistic aspect (Anubis' is the Jackal God; Morrigan can turn into an animal) you're included, but it's not a hard and fast rule. Zeus, after all, took the form of a bull to seduce one of his many lovers and he isn't there, perhaps because although he could appear as an animal it wasn't particularly associated with him. And yet, I would consider elves to be no further from human then Gods and Goddesses are, but the elves are there and most of the Gods aren't. Zombies are included, despite being simply ensorcelled humans (living or dead, depending on the exact mythology).
If you can get beyond the confusion about what is and isn't there and how they made their decisions, it is a very well researched and entirely fascinating volume that I would heartily recommend. I notice that there are several others in the series covering things like ghosts and spirits, magic, and vampires, so when I'm next feeling flush with cash I think I may invest in those as well, although oddly there doesn't seem to be one covering the Gods and Goddesses of the various pagan religions, historical and current, which seems to be a gap in their range. Hopefully a gap they'll fill in the future as it would make a good companion volume to this one.
Thursday, 11 February 2010
The Widow at Windsor by Rudyard Kipling
'Ave you 'eard o' the Widow at Windsor
With a hairy gold crown on 'er 'ead?
She 'as ships on the foam -- she 'as millions at 'ome,
An' she pays us poor beggars in red.
(Ow, poor beggars in red!)
There's 'er nick on the cavalry 'orses,
There's 'er mark on the medical stores --
An' 'er troopers you'll find with a fair wind be'ind
That takes us to various wars.
(Poor beggars! -- barbarious wars!)
Then 'ere's to the Widow at Windsor,
An' 'ere's to the stores an' the guns,
The men an' the 'orses what makes up the forces
O' Missis Victorier's sons.
(Poor beggars! Victorier's sons!)
Walk wide o' the Widow at Windsor,
For 'alf o' Creation she owns:
We 'ave bought 'er the same with the sword an' the flame,
An' we've salted it down with our bones.
(Poor beggars! -- it's blue with our bones!)
Hands off o' the sons o' the Widow,
Hands off o' the goods in 'er shop,
For the Kings must come down an' the Emperors frown
When the Widow at Windsor says "Stop"!
(Poor beggars! -- we're sent to say "Stop"!)
Then 'ere's to the Lodge o' the Widow,
From the Pole to the Tropics it runs --
To the Lodge that we tile with the rank an' the file,
An' open in form with the guns.
(Poor beggars! -- it's always they guns!)
We 'ave 'eard o' the Widow at Windsor,
It's safest to let 'er alone:
For 'er sentries we stand by the sea an' the land
Wherever the bugles are blown.
(Poor beggars! -- an' don't we get blown!)
Take 'old o' the Wings o' the Mornin',
An' flop round the earth till you're dead;
But you won't get away from the tune that they play
To the bloomin' old rag over'ead.
(Poor beggars! -- it's 'ot over'ead!)
Then 'ere's to the sons o' the Widow,
Wherever, 'owever they roam.
'Ere's all they desire, an' if they require
A speedy return to their 'ome.
(Poor beggars! -- they'll never see 'ome!)
'Ave you 'eard o' the Widow at Windsor
With a hairy gold crown on 'er 'ead?
She 'as ships on the foam -- she 'as millions at 'ome,
An' she pays us poor beggars in red.
(Ow, poor beggars in red!)
There's 'er nick on the cavalry 'orses,
There's 'er mark on the medical stores --
An' 'er troopers you'll find with a fair wind be'ind
That takes us to various wars.
(Poor beggars! -- barbarious wars!)
Then 'ere's to the Widow at Windsor,
An' 'ere's to the stores an' the guns,
The men an' the 'orses what makes up the forces
O' Missis Victorier's sons.
(Poor beggars! Victorier's sons!)
Walk wide o' the Widow at Windsor,
For 'alf o' Creation she owns:
We 'ave bought 'er the same with the sword an' the flame,
An' we've salted it down with our bones.
(Poor beggars! -- it's blue with our bones!)
Hands off o' the sons o' the Widow,
Hands off o' the goods in 'er shop,
For the Kings must come down an' the Emperors frown
When the Widow at Windsor says "Stop"!
(Poor beggars! -- we're sent to say "Stop"!)
Then 'ere's to the Lodge o' the Widow,
From the Pole to the Tropics it runs --
To the Lodge that we tile with the rank an' the file,
An' open in form with the guns.
(Poor beggars! -- it's always they guns!)
We 'ave 'eard o' the Widow at Windsor,
It's safest to let 'er alone:
For 'er sentries we stand by the sea an' the land
Wherever the bugles are blown.
(Poor beggars! -- an' don't we get blown!)
Take 'old o' the Wings o' the Mornin',
An' flop round the earth till you're dead;
But you won't get away from the tune that they play
To the bloomin' old rag over'ead.
(Poor beggars! -- it's 'ot over'ead!)
Then 'ere's to the sons o' the Widow,
Wherever, 'owever they roam.
'Ere's all they desire, an' if they require
A speedy return to their 'ome.
(Poor beggars! -- they'll never see 'ome!)
This is from "The Writer's Book of Matches" -
A marine biologist discovers the washed up body of what appears to be the Loch Ness Monster. Write about hoe this discovery affects:
A marine biologist discovers the washed up body of what appears to be the Loch Ness Monster. Write about hoe this discovery affects:
- a lifelong sceptic who has written several books denying the creature's existence
- a self-proclaimed monster hunter who has spent years searching for Nessie
- the lives of people in a small town close to where the monster was found
- a young couple who happen to be holidaying near Loch Ness when the body is found
Monday, 8 February 2010
Today's book is one that I've only actually had in my possession for a few hours. It's called "The Writer's Book of Matches - 1001 Prompts to Ignite Your Fiction".
Like I say it arrived in the post a few hours ago, but already I love it. There are three kinds of prompt in the book. Situational, Dialogue, and Assignments.
Situational Prompts give you a brief description of a situation to inspire you. For example, 'A priest is attacked for being a paedophile. He is innocent of the crime, but guilty of something worse' or 'During her first trip to Las Vegas, a woman experiences the luckiest night of her life'. These all seem designed to make you think. What is the priest really guilty of? Why is he being accused of paedophilia? Will he let them find him guilty of that crime to hide the other? What does the 'luckiest night' mean? Did she win a lot of money? Did she fall in love? Did she find something to give her a new start in life - a job, an opportunity, a contact?
Dialogue prompts are exactly that, a line of dialogue, without context. For example, 'Look, somebody has got to make a decision' or 'You know, they invented a word for guys like him'. You have complete freedom to decide who is speaking, who they're talking to, what the context is.
Assignments are a bit more detailed. They describe a situation and then ask you to write about different takes on it. For example, 'You accidentally overhear a conversation between two people you have never met. The topic of the conversation shocks and dismays you. Write about these conversations and describe how you respond to the content: a conversation between two stockbrokers; a conversation between a priest and a member of his parish; a conversation between a woman and the man with whom she is cheating on her husband.' I find these much less inspiring, but they're outnumbered by the other two types so I'm not particularly worried.
The idea is to write something every day and to get into the habit of writing. As the book says, if you do one prompt a day you have over three years worth of prompts, but not content with that they give suggestions in the appendices for remixing the prompts so you can use them multiple times. There are a set of variation tables which you can choose suggestions from or roll a dice to get ideas at random, varying the gender or age of the protagonist, the setting and era and so forth.
There are also suggestions for varying individual prompts. For example, it suggests you take the prompt 'A man decides his daughter's career is getting in the way of her getting married and takes matters into her own hands' and instead of writing from the father's perspective, which is the obvious take on the prompt, write from the daughter's or from someone else's - like her mother or her boyfriend.
All in all I think this book is a great way of finding inspiration when you're lacking it and I heartily recommend it.
Links
Randomly generated writing prompts.
Writer's Digest Prompts.
Writing Prompt Generator - I love this one, it's great fun.
One Word - this one's amusing too.
Themed Writing Challenges on Livejournal
Like I say it arrived in the post a few hours ago, but already I love it. There are three kinds of prompt in the book. Situational, Dialogue, and Assignments.
Situational Prompts give you a brief description of a situation to inspire you. For example, 'A priest is attacked for being a paedophile. He is innocent of the crime, but guilty of something worse' or 'During her first trip to Las Vegas, a woman experiences the luckiest night of her life'. These all seem designed to make you think. What is the priest really guilty of? Why is he being accused of paedophilia? Will he let them find him guilty of that crime to hide the other? What does the 'luckiest night' mean? Did she win a lot of money? Did she fall in love? Did she find something to give her a new start in life - a job, an opportunity, a contact?
Dialogue prompts are exactly that, a line of dialogue, without context. For example, 'Look, somebody has got to make a decision' or 'You know, they invented a word for guys like him'. You have complete freedom to decide who is speaking, who they're talking to, what the context is.
Assignments are a bit more detailed. They describe a situation and then ask you to write about different takes on it. For example, 'You accidentally overhear a conversation between two people you have never met. The topic of the conversation shocks and dismays you. Write about these conversations and describe how you respond to the content: a conversation between two stockbrokers; a conversation between a priest and a member of his parish; a conversation between a woman and the man with whom she is cheating on her husband.' I find these much less inspiring, but they're outnumbered by the other two types so I'm not particularly worried.
The idea is to write something every day and to get into the habit of writing. As the book says, if you do one prompt a day you have over three years worth of prompts, but not content with that they give suggestions in the appendices for remixing the prompts so you can use them multiple times. There are a set of variation tables which you can choose suggestions from or roll a dice to get ideas at random, varying the gender or age of the protagonist, the setting and era and so forth.
There are also suggestions for varying individual prompts. For example, it suggests you take the prompt 'A man decides his daughter's career is getting in the way of her getting married and takes matters into her own hands' and instead of writing from the father's perspective, which is the obvious take on the prompt, write from the daughter's or from someone else's - like her mother or her boyfriend.
All in all I think this book is a great way of finding inspiration when you're lacking it and I heartily recommend it.
Links
Randomly generated writing prompts.
Writer's Digest Prompts.
Writing Prompt Generator - I love this one, it's great fun.
One Word - this one's amusing too.
Themed Writing Challenges on Livejournal
Sunday, 7 February 2010
Fiction
Word Count - 1342 words
Stories worked on - One WIP and on completed ficlet
Planning
Word Count - 3194 words
Stories worked on - general research and blog posts
Total
Word Count - 4536
Still not great but given the Internet outages and the fact we've had builders in doing the kitchen so there's a lot of noise and often no electricity, it's not so bad.
Thursday, 4 February 2010
Today's lyrics are from Some Days You Gotta Dance, sung by the Dixie Chicks.
It was about five 'til five on Friday
We were all getting ready to go
And the boss man started screaming
and his veins began to show
He said you and you come with me
'cause you're gonna have to stay
My heart was thumping I was jumping
I had to get away
Some days you gotta dance
Live it up when you get the chance
'Cause when the world doesn't make no sense
And you're feeling just a little too tense
Gotta loosen up those chains and dance
Well I was talking with my baby
over a small glass of tea
He asked the loaded question
He said now how do you feel about me
My mind was racin' I was pacin'
but the words just wouldn't come
And there was only one thing
left to do I feel it comin' on
Some days you gotta dance
Live it up when you get the chance
'Cause when the world doesn't make no sense
And you're feeling just a little too tense
Gotta loosen up those chains and dance a ha
Some days you gotta dance
Live it up when you get the chance
'Cause when the world doesn't make no sense
And you're feeling just a little too tense
Gotta loosen up those chains and dance
You gotta loosen up those chains and dance
Come on and loosen up those chains and dance
It was about five 'til five on Friday
We were all getting ready to go
And the boss man started screaming
and his veins began to show
He said you and you come with me
'cause you're gonna have to stay
My heart was thumping I was jumping
I had to get away
Some days you gotta dance
Live it up when you get the chance
'Cause when the world doesn't make no sense
And you're feeling just a little too tense
Gotta loosen up those chains and dance
Well I was talking with my baby
over a small glass of tea
He asked the loaded question
He said now how do you feel about me
My mind was racin' I was pacin'
but the words just wouldn't come
And there was only one thing
left to do I feel it comin' on
Some days you gotta dance
Live it up when you get the chance
'Cause when the world doesn't make no sense
And you're feeling just a little too tense
Gotta loosen up those chains and dance a ha
Some days you gotta dance
Live it up when you get the chance
'Cause when the world doesn't make no sense
And you're feeling just a little too tense
Gotta loosen up those chains and dance
You gotta loosen up those chains and dance
Come on and loosen up those chains and dance
Wednesday, 3 February 2010
This is the last one I will do on characterisation for a while. I promise.
I'm taking the general idea for this one from What If? Writing Exercises for Fiction Writers.
You can tell a lot from a character's habitat. Looking around your house someone could probably come up with a good idea of what you're like, so you should be able to do the same for your characters. Pick a room that they spend time in (bedroom, office, living room) and describe it. What clues are there that will tell you about the character?
I'm taking the general idea for this one from What If? Writing Exercises for Fiction Writers.
You can tell a lot from a character's habitat. Looking around your house someone could probably come up with a good idea of what you're like, so you should be able to do the same for your characters. Pick a room that they spend time in (bedroom, office, living room) and describe it. What clues are there that will tell you about the character?
I'm going to review another one of my recent Amazon purchases today. 45 Master Characters by Victoria Lynn Schmidt
The book talks about using character archetypes to create three dimensional characters. You can find a lot about archetypes on line but this uses archetypes based on the Greek Pantheon, inspired by Jungian philosophy. Have I scared you off yet? Despite the sound of it, the book is very accessible and very easy to read. The first chapter explains the concept of character archetypes as being a way to understand your character's motivations and basic nature. There is one thing the author says in the introduction that I think every writer should have indelibly etched into their monitor or type writer or the first page of their journal, wherever it is they sit to write - "A character doesn't decide to go into a burning building because that's what your plot point says he should do - he goes inside because it's his nature to do so."
The book talks about using character archetypes to create three dimensional characters. You can find a lot about archetypes on line but this uses archetypes based on the Greek Pantheon, inspired by Jungian philosophy. Have I scared you off yet? Despite the sound of it, the book is very accessible and very easy to read. The first chapter explains the concept of character archetypes as being a way to understand your character's motivations and basic nature. There is one thing the author says in the introduction that I think every writer should have indelibly etched into their monitor or type writer or the first page of their journal, wherever it is they sit to write - "A character doesn't decide to go into a burning building because that's what your plot point says he should do - he goes inside because it's his nature to do so."
My internet has been down for a while, which is why I haven't been posting. I'll skip the weekly round up post and just do the round up for two weeks this Sunday, but in the mean time here are all the daily prompts that I haven't been able to post.
Sci-Fi & Fantasy Saturday - Hidden World
First Line Sunday - Once when I was six years old I saw a magnificent picture in a book about the jungle called True Stories. - Antoine de Saint-Exupery, The Little Prince
Moods Monday - Pessimistic
Random Tuesdays - Survival
Sci-Fi & Fantasy Saturday - Hidden World
First Line Sunday - Once when I was six years old I saw a magnificent picture in a book about the jungle called True Stories. - Antoine de Saint-Exupery, The Little Prince
Moods Monday - Pessimistic
Random Tuesdays - Survival
Friday, 29 January 2010
Today's topic is going to be character tags - those turns of phrase or little quirks that make your character more than a name and a set of physical statistics acting out his predetermined role in your story. All characters have them, some of them more successful and memorable than others. They're not major parts of the character's basic personality - like Rodney McKay's crankiness or Sherlock Holmes' intellect, but rather small details that make you remember them, especially useful if they're new to your audience or they're going to be 'off-screen' for a while - like John Sheppard's wristband or Homes' violin playing or Gibbs' habit of slapping the back of Tony's head when he's annoyed at him (or the fact that he doesn't do it to Kate or Ziva).
Obviously television and film characters can show theirs visually and they can often be something just slipped in, almost unconsciously, by an actor rather than planned out. As an author you have to show yours in writing and that means you need to think what they're going to be, although if you write about the same character a lot then others will probably grow more organically as you write.
Most characters have more than one tag or quirk that identifies them, but don't go overboard or your characters will end up looking neurotic and/or annoying as hell. Let's take a few examples of famous characters, hopefully you'll know at least one of these, and see what quirks they have that let us identify them.
Sherlock Holmes - violin playing, pipe smoking, deer stalker wearing, "Elementary".
Professor Severus Snape - dramatic sweeping movements, mellifluous voice, lank hair, sneer.
Commander Spock - "Illogical", solitary raised eyebrow, "Fascinating".
Detective Columbo - battered raincoat, "Just one more thing".
Abby Sciuto - Caf-Pow, Goth clothing, Bert the Hippo.
Tags allow people to remember your characters and they also identify the characters without you having to name them every time. If Watson hears violin music floating from the window of Baker Street or smells the scent of pipe tobacco wafting down the stairs, the readers know Holmes is considering a problem in the confines of his room. If someone sneers, 'Mr Potter', from behind our hero, we know Snape has arrived. If the suspect hears 'Oh, there was just one more thing...' we don't need it to be followed by a name to know who's speaking.
You could write a genius consulting detective, but without the violin and the pipe and the turns of phrase, he wouldn't be Holmes. Equally there are hundreds of detectives on television, it's quirks like the sunglasses going back on just before the culprit is revealed or mention of 'ze little grey cells' or a knitted sweater and a mention of one of her myriad nephews that tell us who is going to solve this particular case.
The key is for the tags to be used often enough to be an identifying feature, but not so often that you're treating your readers like they have the memory of a goldfish. Caine's sunglasses are a major character tag, but they're noticeable maybe half a dozen times at most in an episode, and they're on the line between memorable and annoying. Columbo rarely says 'just one more thing' more than twice in a show, and that's a good minimum in my opinion.
If, like me, you have a bad memory for names, then tags are especially important. For the first book or so in a series, more if it's a minor character, I really do remember people as 'the one with the moustache' or 'the one with the accent' or whatever. It saves me having to flick back twenty pages to figure out who the character is and why I need to know.
I'd love to give you a links section here, but I can't think of anything relevant! So instead, how about an assignment? People watch. Strangers, friends, fictional characters. Just watch and make a list, in your head or on paper, of the various mannerisms and turns of phrase that stand out and make them individuals and maybe you'll get an idea for a character of your own.
Obviously television and film characters can show theirs visually and they can often be something just slipped in, almost unconsciously, by an actor rather than planned out. As an author you have to show yours in writing and that means you need to think what they're going to be, although if you write about the same character a lot then others will probably grow more organically as you write.
Most characters have more than one tag or quirk that identifies them, but don't go overboard or your characters will end up looking neurotic and/or annoying as hell. Let's take a few examples of famous characters, hopefully you'll know at least one of these, and see what quirks they have that let us identify them.
Sherlock Holmes - violin playing, pipe smoking, deer stalker wearing, "Elementary".
Professor Severus Snape - dramatic sweeping movements, mellifluous voice, lank hair, sneer.
Commander Spock - "Illogical", solitary raised eyebrow, "Fascinating".
Detective Columbo - battered raincoat, "Just one more thing".
Abby Sciuto - Caf-Pow, Goth clothing, Bert the Hippo.
Tags allow people to remember your characters and they also identify the characters without you having to name them every time. If Watson hears violin music floating from the window of Baker Street or smells the scent of pipe tobacco wafting down the stairs, the readers know Holmes is considering a problem in the confines of his room. If someone sneers, 'Mr Potter', from behind our hero, we know Snape has arrived. If the suspect hears 'Oh, there was just one more thing...' we don't need it to be followed by a name to know who's speaking.
You could write a genius consulting detective, but without the violin and the pipe and the turns of phrase, he wouldn't be Holmes. Equally there are hundreds of detectives on television, it's quirks like the sunglasses going back on just before the culprit is revealed or mention of 'ze little grey cells' or a knitted sweater and a mention of one of her myriad nephews that tell us who is going to solve this particular case.
The key is for the tags to be used often enough to be an identifying feature, but not so often that you're treating your readers like they have the memory of a goldfish. Caine's sunglasses are a major character tag, but they're noticeable maybe half a dozen times at most in an episode, and they're on the line between memorable and annoying. Columbo rarely says 'just one more thing' more than twice in a show, and that's a good minimum in my opinion.
If, like me, you have a bad memory for names, then tags are especially important. For the first book or so in a series, more if it's a minor character, I really do remember people as 'the one with the moustache' or 'the one with the accent' or whatever. It saves me having to flick back twenty pages to figure out who the character is and why I need to know.
I'd love to give you a links section here, but I can't think of anything relevant! So instead, how about an assignment? People watch. Strangers, friends, fictional characters. Just watch and make a list, in your head or on paper, of the various mannerisms and turns of phrase that stand out and make them individuals and maybe you'll get an idea for a character of your own.
Thursday, 28 January 2010
The Road Goes Ever On by J R R Tolkien (version from The Hobbit)
Roads go ever ever on,
Over rock and under tree,
By caves where never sun has shone,
By streams that never find the sea;
Over snow by winter sown,
And through the merry flowers of June,
Over grass and over stone,
And under mountains in the moon.
Roads go ever ever on
Under cloud and under star,
Yet feet that wandering have gone
Turn at last to home afar.
Eyes that fire and sword have seen
And horror in the halls of stone
Look at last on meadows green
And trees and hills they long have known.
Roads go ever ever on,
Over rock and under tree,
By caves where never sun has shone,
By streams that never find the sea;
Over snow by winter sown,
And through the merry flowers of June,
Over grass and over stone,
And under mountains in the moon.
Roads go ever ever on
Under cloud and under star,
Yet feet that wandering have gone
Turn at last to home afar.
Eyes that fire and sword have seen
And horror in the halls of stone
Look at last on meadows green
And trees and hills they long have known.
Monday, 25 January 2010
Today's reviews and recs are for fanfiction, so if you don't like fanfic or are of the opinion that it doesn't have the same merit as original fiction, just skip this post.
I've chosen a kind of theme for these recs. Originally I was going for long stories and/or series, but as I was choosing what to rec I discovered I actually have a different theme. All of the links today involve original characters alongside the canon characters and are great examples of both how to write someone else's characters in character and how to create your own memorable characters.
Vignettes and Thoughts upon a Life Unplanned but Well Loved by Lady Gray. (Numb3rs)
This is a series dealing with Charlie Eppes and Colby's evolving relationship, including the eventual arrival of a daughter. There are other pairings as well but it's the Colby/Charlie relationship that is at the core of the series. I love that it's not overly romantic, but rather keeps them in character as the relationship develops. And the daughter is a brilliantly created original character. She's a genius, just like her dad, although in a completely different way, but still manages to ring true and not come off as too perfect.
A new history of Captain John Sheppard, HM Aerial Corps, and M. Rodney McKay, Esq., FRS, with the Captains Emmagan and Dex, late of the West Indies, composed from a great number of actual surveys; and other materials regulated by many new scientifick observations of their Affections and Masculine Virtues. Drawn up from the Journals which were kept by the several Commanders, And from the Papers of M. Rodney McKay, Esq., FRS; In One Volume, written by A Lady of Quality and the sequel A Supplement to the Second Edition, or, A Treatise on Those Matters Left Undiscussed by Locke et al, That In a State of Better Nature We Might Own: A Further History and More Civil Contract, Drawn from the Papers of M. Rodney McKay, Esq., FRS., and written In A Fashion, By His Own Hand by sheafrotherden (Stargate:Atlantis/Temeraire)
Set in Naomi Novik's Temeraire world, the story features Captain John Sheppard and Dr McKay, along with Sheppard's dragon Tripudio. The relationship between the two main characters is very delicately developed and fits the period the story is set in very well. The original character that I love in these stories is the dragon, Tripudio. Just as with the Temeraire novels, it's the dragon who is quite possibly the star of the show.
Primeval Series by Fred Bassett (Primeval)
A deliciously plotty series which was intended to focus on Stephen and Ryan, but somehow ended up with a whole raft of original Special Forces soldiers and a wonderfully crafted relationship between Sir James Lester and one of the original characters, Lieutenant Jon Lyle. The plotty dinosaur fics are creepy and scary and the relationship stuff is all very blokey and sexy. Frankly when I watch the show now I find myself wondering where Lyle is!
Of Old Mystics by Wolfling & Magpie. (Buffy)
This is a Giles/Ethan epic set after the end of the last season of Buffy. It's a wonderful story of chaos and order, weaving past and present together into a seamless whole. Temptation, destiny, hurt, and forgiveness, all twisted together with a lot of character growth from everyone and some brilliant original characters, especially Ian. This is one of those stories where you'll glance at the clock and wonder how the heck you just lost four hours. It also needs a tissue warning, I think. It certainly made me cry, although that's rarely a difficult task.
Horses of Different Colours by Jameswalkswithwind and Wolfling (Houston Knights)
An AU with centaurs. Very long, very plotty. The centaurs are woven into the world of the show expertly and there are plenty of original characters in the centaur herd. This series really tugs at your heartstrings in a couple of places and if you don't cry at least once you must have a heart of stone. There are also spin off series in other fandoms if you dig around on the author's website a little.
So Wise We Grow by Deastar (Star Trek Reboot)
It all starts with a message from Vulcan informing Commander Spock they've located his son. Spock knows the child can't possibly be his, but he also knows the right thing to do is to claim him. it's a story of how two men, both of whom have good reason to believe they would suck as parents, raise a Vulcan boy while exploring the universe and somehow eventually fall in love. The Kirk/Spock relationship doesn't feel at all forced and fits the reboot characterisation really well and Storek is a really well-thought out original character. Very Vulcan but at the same time someone you can easily empathise with. I haven't read much reboot fic yet but this was outstanding.
I've chosen a kind of theme for these recs. Originally I was going for long stories and/or series, but as I was choosing what to rec I discovered I actually have a different theme. All of the links today involve original characters alongside the canon characters and are great examples of both how to write someone else's characters in character and how to create your own memorable characters.
Vignettes and Thoughts upon a Life Unplanned but Well Loved by Lady Gray. (Numb3rs)
This is a series dealing with Charlie Eppes and Colby's evolving relationship, including the eventual arrival of a daughter. There are other pairings as well but it's the Colby/Charlie relationship that is at the core of the series. I love that it's not overly romantic, but rather keeps them in character as the relationship develops. And the daughter is a brilliantly created original character. She's a genius, just like her dad, although in a completely different way, but still manages to ring true and not come off as too perfect.
A new history of Captain John Sheppard, HM Aerial Corps, and M. Rodney McKay, Esq., FRS, with the Captains Emmagan and Dex, late of the West Indies, composed from a great number of actual surveys; and other materials regulated by many new scientifick observations of their Affections and Masculine Virtues. Drawn up from the Journals which were kept by the several Commanders, And from the Papers of M. Rodney McKay, Esq., FRS; In One Volume, written by A Lady of Quality and the sequel A Supplement to the Second Edition, or, A Treatise on Those Matters Left Undiscussed by Locke et al, That In a State of Better Nature We Might Own: A Further History and More Civil Contract, Drawn from the Papers of M. Rodney McKay, Esq., FRS., and written In A Fashion, By His Own Hand by sheafrotherden (Stargate:Atlantis/Temeraire)
Set in Naomi Novik's Temeraire world, the story features Captain John Sheppard and Dr McKay, along with Sheppard's dragon Tripudio. The relationship between the two main characters is very delicately developed and fits the period the story is set in very well. The original character that I love in these stories is the dragon, Tripudio. Just as with the Temeraire novels, it's the dragon who is quite possibly the star of the show.
Primeval Series by Fred Bassett (Primeval)
A deliciously plotty series which was intended to focus on Stephen and Ryan, but somehow ended up with a whole raft of original Special Forces soldiers and a wonderfully crafted relationship between Sir James Lester and one of the original characters, Lieutenant Jon Lyle. The plotty dinosaur fics are creepy and scary and the relationship stuff is all very blokey and sexy. Frankly when I watch the show now I find myself wondering where Lyle is!
Of Old Mystics by Wolfling & Magpie. (Buffy)
This is a Giles/Ethan epic set after the end of the last season of Buffy. It's a wonderful story of chaos and order, weaving past and present together into a seamless whole. Temptation, destiny, hurt, and forgiveness, all twisted together with a lot of character growth from everyone and some brilliant original characters, especially Ian. This is one of those stories where you'll glance at the clock and wonder how the heck you just lost four hours. It also needs a tissue warning, I think. It certainly made me cry, although that's rarely a difficult task.
Horses of Different Colours by Jameswalkswithwind and Wolfling (Houston Knights)
An AU with centaurs. Very long, very plotty. The centaurs are woven into the world of the show expertly and there are plenty of original characters in the centaur herd. This series really tugs at your heartstrings in a couple of places and if you don't cry at least once you must have a heart of stone. There are also spin off series in other fandoms if you dig around on the author's website a little.
So Wise We Grow by Deastar (Star Trek Reboot)
It all starts with a message from Vulcan informing Commander Spock they've located his son. Spock knows the child can't possibly be his, but he also knows the right thing to do is to claim him. it's a story of how two men, both of whom have good reason to believe they would suck as parents, raise a Vulcan boy while exploring the universe and somehow eventually fall in love. The Kirk/Spock relationship doesn't feel at all forced and fits the reboot characterisation really well and Storek is a really well-thought out original character. Very Vulcan but at the same time someone you can easily empathise with. I haven't read much reboot fic yet but this was outstanding.
Sunday, 24 January 2010
Well, I've done much less writing than I intended, but I've managed to post three things, get re-interested in one of my WIPs, and discovered that the articles I write on here are eligible for my WriYe word count, so despite not having done anywhere near as much as I wanted, my word count is about to go up with a huge bump. Because I'm adding in the articles the words I report here aren't going to match up with the total in the sidebar.
Fiction
Word Count - 637 words
Stories worked on - 1 long WIP
Planning
Word Count - 250 words
Stories worked on - writing exercise for some original fiction
Total
Word Count - 887 words. (well that's kind of pathetic isn't it?)
Fiction
Word Count - 637 words
Stories worked on - 1 long WIP
Planning
Word Count - 250 words
Stories worked on - writing exercise for some original fiction
Total
Word Count - 887 words. (well that's kind of pathetic isn't it?)
Thursday, 21 January 2010
Today's prompt is the lyrics to Drive by Alan Jackson
It was painted red the stripe was white
It was 18 feet from the bow to stern light
Second-hand from a dealer in Atlanta
I rode up with daddy when he went there to get her
We put on a shine, put on a motor
Built out of love, and made for the water
Ran her for years, til' the transom got rotten
A piece of my childhood will never be forgotten
It was just an old plywood boat
With a 75 Johnson with electric choke
A young boy two hands on the wheel
I can't replace the way it made me feel
And I would turn her sharp
And I would make it whine
He'd say, "You can't beat the way a old wood boat rides"
Just a little lake cross the Alabama line
But I was king of the ocean
When Daddy let me drive
Just an old half ton short bed ford
My Uncle bought new in 64
Daddy got it right cause the engine was smoking
A couple of burnt valves and he had it going
He'd let me drive her when we haul off a load
Down a dirt strip where we'd dump trash off of Thickpen Road
I'd sit up in the seat and stretch my feet out to the pedals
Smiling like a hero who just received his medal
It was just an old hand me down ford
With 3 speed on the column and a dent in the door
A young boy two hands on the wheel
I can't replace the way it made me feel and
I would press that clutch
And I would keep it right
He would say a little slower son
Your doing just fine
Just a dirt road with trash on each side
But I was Mario Andretti
When Daddy let me drive
I'm grown up now
3 daughters of my own
I let them drive my old jeep
Across the pasture at our home
Maybe one day they'll reach back in their file
And pull out that old memory
And think of me and smile
And say
It was just an old worn out jeep
Rusty old floor boards
Hot on my feet
A young girl two hands on the wheel
I can't replace the way it made me feel
And he'd say
Turn it left, and steer it right
Straighten up girl now, you're doing just fine
Just a little valley by the river where we'd ride
But I was high on a mountain
When Daddy let me drive
Daddy let me drive
Oh he let me drive
It's just an old plywood boat
With a 75 johnson
And electric choke
It was painted red the stripe was white
It was 18 feet from the bow to stern light
Second-hand from a dealer in Atlanta
I rode up with daddy when he went there to get her
We put on a shine, put on a motor
Built out of love, and made for the water
Ran her for years, til' the transom got rotten
A piece of my childhood will never be forgotten
It was just an old plywood boat
With a 75 Johnson with electric choke
A young boy two hands on the wheel
I can't replace the way it made me feel
And I would turn her sharp
And I would make it whine
He'd say, "You can't beat the way a old wood boat rides"
Just a little lake cross the Alabama line
But I was king of the ocean
When Daddy let me drive
Just an old half ton short bed ford
My Uncle bought new in 64
Daddy got it right cause the engine was smoking
A couple of burnt valves and he had it going
He'd let me drive her when we haul off a load
Down a dirt strip where we'd dump trash off of Thickpen Road
I'd sit up in the seat and stretch my feet out to the pedals
Smiling like a hero who just received his medal
It was just an old hand me down ford
With 3 speed on the column and a dent in the door
A young boy two hands on the wheel
I can't replace the way it made me feel and
I would press that clutch
And I would keep it right
He would say a little slower son
Your doing just fine
Just a dirt road with trash on each side
But I was Mario Andretti
When Daddy let me drive
I'm grown up now
3 daughters of my own
I let them drive my old jeep
Across the pasture at our home
Maybe one day they'll reach back in their file
And pull out that old memory
And think of me and smile
And say
It was just an old worn out jeep
Rusty old floor boards
Hot on my feet
A young girl two hands on the wheel
I can't replace the way it made me feel
And he'd say
Turn it left, and steer it right
Straighten up girl now, you're doing just fine
Just a little valley by the river where we'd ride
But I was high on a mountain
When Daddy let me drive
Daddy let me drive
Oh he let me drive
It's just an old plywood boat
With a 75 johnson
And electric choke
Wednesday, 20 January 2010
This one should tell you more about your character and help you come up with some interesting secondary characters.
Tell me about -
Five people your character loves or has loved in the past or will love in the future;
Five people your character hates or has hated in the past or will hate in the future;
Five people your character trusts or has trusted in the past or will trust in the future;
Five people your character fears or has feared in the past or will fear in the future;
Five people your character admires/respects or has admired/respected in the past or will admire/respect in the future;
Five people your character dislikes or has disliked in the past or will dislike in the future.
(They don't have to be 30 different people but try to say something different about them each time if a character comes up more than once)
Tell me about -
Five people your character loves or has loved in the past or will love in the future;
Five people your character hates or has hated in the past or will hate in the future;
Five people your character trusts or has trusted in the past or will trust in the future;
Five people your character fears or has feared in the past or will fear in the future;
Five people your character admires/respects or has admired/respected in the past or will admire/respect in the future;
Five people your character dislikes or has disliked in the past or will dislike in the future.
(They don't have to be 30 different people but try to say something different about them each time if a character comes up more than once)
This week's review is another book published by writer's digest, but unlike the last review, this book actually lives up to the title. It's part of the Science Fiction Writing Series and is called World-Building by Stephen L Gillett.
Sunday, 17 January 2010
This is a round up for the last two weeks. I've been deep in research mode so there's nowhere near as much written as I'd like, but never mind. I feel the next week will be good for writing.
Fiction
Word Count - 850 words
Stories worked on - 2 completed ficlets
Planning
Word Count - 847 words
Stories worked on - writing exercise for some original fiction (which will be posted after the round up), and plenty of non written research for both that and some primeval fiction.
Total
Word Count - 1693 words.
Fiction
Word Count - 850 words
Stories worked on - 2 completed ficlets
Planning
Word Count - 847 words
Stories worked on - writing exercise for some original fiction (which will be posted after the round up), and plenty of non written research for both that and some primeval fiction.
Total
Word Count - 1693 words.
Friday, 15 January 2010
I've been reading a lot about characters recently and one thing that stuck in my memory was a comment by an author that readers may be willing to overlook a weak plot, but if your characters don't interest them, they won't keep reading. This isn't to say that plot isn't important, of course it is, but characters are perhaps the most important part of your story because they're what keep people interested. Your readers need to care about your characters - they don't necessarily have to like all of them, but they have to care. It doesn't matter whether they're reading to see if your hero can solve the mystery or your heroine can get her man (or woman) or if your villain is going to get his comeuppance, as long as they care what happens. It doesn't matter how real the peril you write in seems, if the readers don't actually care if your hero can escape it. It doesn't matter how compelling the conflict is, if the reader is indifferent to the outcome. Readers need someone to associate with, someone to feel for, someone to hate, someone to root for - or against. They need a character to keep them hooked.
No character will ever appeal to everyone so don't assume that just because one person isn't interested that your characters are bad (I walked out of a performance of Lady Windermere's Fan because I really didn't care who came out on top but I wouldn't dream of saying that that means Oscar Wilde was a bad writer, although I could be convinced to make some disparaging comments about the casting...), but if no one seems to care, then maybe you should take another look and try and find out why not.
I think I'm going to have to make this several posts rather than just one because there's a lot to cover. Just a cursory search of other people's opinions on characters and characterisation has given me half a dozen topics - names, appearances, mannerisms/quirks, goals and motivations, drawing from real life - but not too much, introducing your character etc., archetypes, credible villains etc. etc..
So in keeping with this week's writing exercise, I think I'll start with the topic of names.
No character will ever appeal to everyone so don't assume that just because one person isn't interested that your characters are bad (I walked out of a performance of Lady Windermere's Fan because I really didn't care who came out on top but I wouldn't dream of saying that that means Oscar Wilde was a bad writer, although I could be convinced to make some disparaging comments about the casting...), but if no one seems to care, then maybe you should take another look and try and find out why not.
I think I'm going to have to make this several posts rather than just one because there's a lot to cover. Just a cursory search of other people's opinions on characters and characterisation has given me half a dozen topics - names, appearances, mannerisms/quirks, goals and motivations, drawing from real life - but not too much, introducing your character etc., archetypes, credible villains etc. etc..
So in keeping with this week's writing exercise, I think I'll start with the topic of names.
Thursday, 14 January 2010
This week's prompt is a poem.
O Captain, My Captain by Walt Whitman
O Captain! my Captain! our fearful trip is done,
The ship has weathered every rack, the prize we sought is won,
The port is near, the bells I hear, the people all exulting,
While follow eyes the steady keel, the vessel grim and daring;
But O heart! heart! heart!
O the bleeding drops of red,
Where on the deck my Captain lies,
Fallen cold and dead.
O Captain! my Captain! rise up and hear the bells;
Rise up--for you the flag is flung--for you the bugle trills,
For you bouquets and ribboned wreaths--for you the shores a-crowding,
For you they call, the swaying mass, their eager faces turning;
Here Captain! dear father!
This arm beneath your head!
It is some dream that on the deck
You've fallen cold and dead.
My Captain does not answer, his lips are pale and still,
My father does not feel my arm, he has no pulse nor will.
The ship is anchored safe and sound, its voyage closed and done,
From fearful trip the victor ship comes in with object won;
Exult O shores, and ring O bells!
But I, with mournful tread,
Walk the deck my Captain lies,
Fallen cold and dead.
O Captain, My Captain by Walt Whitman
O Captain! my Captain! our fearful trip is done,
The ship has weathered every rack, the prize we sought is won,
The port is near, the bells I hear, the people all exulting,
While follow eyes the steady keel, the vessel grim and daring;
But O heart! heart! heart!
O the bleeding drops of red,
Where on the deck my Captain lies,
Fallen cold and dead.
O Captain! my Captain! rise up and hear the bells;
Rise up--for you the flag is flung--for you the bugle trills,
For you bouquets and ribboned wreaths--for you the shores a-crowding,
For you they call, the swaying mass, their eager faces turning;
Here Captain! dear father!
This arm beneath your head!
It is some dream that on the deck
You've fallen cold and dead.
My Captain does not answer, his lips are pale and still,
My father does not feel my arm, he has no pulse nor will.
The ship is anchored safe and sound, its voyage closed and done,
From fearful trip the victor ship comes in with object won;
Exult O shores, and ring O bells!
But I, with mournful tread,
Walk the deck my Captain lies,
Fallen cold and dead.
Wednesday, 13 January 2010
I probably should have done this last week, but since the original character I used in last week's exercise doesn't have a name yet, maybe it's not so bad!
Naming Exercise
The point is to see how a name affects your perception of a character and to help you pick the perfect name for your new character.
Naming Exercise
- Choose a character, it doesn't have to be the same one you used for last week's exercise.
- Write a short bio listing the basic information about the character (age, gender, species, keyword - e.g. assassin, warrior, hero, love interest etc.)
- Pick five (or more) names, either using a random name generator or by listing names you had been considering for the character if you have a short list.
- Write a paragraph describing what you think your character would be like with that name - e.g. would your male hero be more intelligent if he was called Alexander than if he was called Brad? Would Devon be more outgoing where Craig prefers to stay home with a good book? Is Jamie blond but Jack a brunet?
The point is to see how a name affects your perception of a character and to help you pick the perfect name for your new character.
Monday, 11 January 2010
No book review this week; I want to re-read the book before I review it and I never intended to do a book review every week anyway.
Today's post is going to be about useful pieces of software and websites. Everything I recommend in this post is free so all you need is the ability to download it and a computer and operating system capable of running it.
Today's post is going to be about useful pieces of software and websites. Everything I recommend in this post is free so all you need is the ability to download it and a computer and operating system capable of running it.
Friday, 8 January 2010
Inspiration is a very personal thing. I can't possibly tell you where to get ideas from or what will inspire you. All I can talk about is what inspires me and hope that something will click for you or at least give you an idea of where you can go and look to find your own inspiration.
Thursday, 7 January 2010
Each Thursday the prompt will be a song or a poem. Today it's 'Justice in the Barrel', Jon Bon Jovi
Hey mister can you help me
I'm a loner on the run
I'm just looking for tomorrow
And I ain't gonna hurt no one
I jumped headfirst into a bottle
I was looking for a friend
Came up just short of nothing
I didn't find the truth I only found an end
So tell me who's gonna save me
Or my father or my son
When the only justice a man can see
Is the barrel... of a loaded gun
I been broke and I've been hungry
I think they're both my middle name
But I don't never ever never seem to get enough
Still guess I can't complain
'Cause what you get in life you take it
You've gotta hold on and make it last
They say good things come to those who wait
But it's life that goes so fast
And when there's just one rule you live by
Each day you kiss the rising sun
When you live and die by the life we breathe
In the barrel of a loaded gun
Guns talk to me in my sleep at night
And a gun somewhere is burning
With my name
Winners are losers
And losers will have to face
All those yesterdays
And all of the dreams they blew away
So Mister can you help me
Or are you my gun
Have the ghosts of justice
Brought you here to me to taste
The barrel of a loaded gun
There's justice in the barrel
Of a loaded gun
Hey mister can you help me
I'm a loner on the run
I'm just looking for tomorrow
And I ain't gonna hurt no one
I jumped headfirst into a bottle
I was looking for a friend
Came up just short of nothing
I didn't find the truth I only found an end
So tell me who's gonna save me
Or my father or my son
When the only justice a man can see
Is the barrel... of a loaded gun
I been broke and I've been hungry
I think they're both my middle name
But I don't never ever never seem to get enough
Still guess I can't complain
'Cause what you get in life you take it
You've gotta hold on and make it last
They say good things come to those who wait
But it's life that goes so fast
And when there's just one rule you live by
Each day you kiss the rising sun
When you live and die by the life we breathe
In the barrel of a loaded gun
Guns talk to me in my sleep at night
And a gun somewhere is burning
With my name
Winners are losers
And losers will have to face
All those yesterdays
And all of the dreams they blew away
So Mister can you help me
Or are you my gun
Have the ghosts of justice
Brought you here to me to taste
The barrel of a loaded gun
There's justice in the barrel
Of a loaded gun
Wednesday, 6 January 2010
I'm going to be developing a new character and a new story over the course of these exercises but you can use them to flesh out ideas you've already been working on or whatever you want.
Write about your character at different stages of his or her life. Write at least one paragraph about what they were doing at ages five, ten, fifteen, and so on. Describe what they would have seen and heard, how they felt, what they would have been doing.
Good luck, and have fun.
Write about your character at different stages of his or her life. Write at least one paragraph about what they were doing at ages five, ten, fifteen, and so on. Describe what they would have seen and heard, how they felt, what they would have been doing.
Good luck, and have fun.
Monday, 4 January 2010
I'm going to start with a review of The Writer's Complete Fantasy Reference by Writer's Digest Books.
I bought it partly because Writer's Digest is responsible for other books I've found useful and partly because the preface was written by Terry Brooks and boy will that teach me to fall for a good name and not try to check the book out more carefully before buying it. I cannot stress enough how much I would not recommend this book. Check it out from a library by all counts, but don't waste your money on it.
I bought it partly because Writer's Digest is responsible for other books I've found useful and partly because the preface was written by Terry Brooks and boy will that teach me to fall for a good name and not try to check the book out more carefully before buying it. I cannot stress enough how much I would not recommend this book. Check it out from a library by all counts, but don't waste your money on it.
Sunday, 3 January 2010
Sundays are a time to think about what I've managed in the past week and to tot up my word count for the week. Obviously since the blog only started two days ago I don't have too much to say this week.
However, I'm not doing too badly. I'm taking part in WriYe this year, which is a writing 'challenge' somewhat similar to NaNo except it lasts a whole year. You can count words of plotting and character bios and such for the challenge so I'll be listing my word counts in two categories - plotting and actual fiction.
Fiction
Word Count - 954 words
Stories worked on - 1 completed ficlet.
Planning
Word Count - 708 words.
Stories worked on - Primeval big bang universe research.
I now know more about small pox than I wanted to! But I still need to research how dictators use the aftermaths of terrorism or other crises to seize power.
Total
Word Count - 1662 words.
However, I'm not doing too badly. I'm taking part in WriYe this year, which is a writing 'challenge' somewhat similar to NaNo except it lasts a whole year. You can count words of plotting and character bios and such for the challenge so I'll be listing my word counts in two categories - plotting and actual fiction.
Fiction
Word Count - 954 words
Stories worked on - 1 completed ficlet.
Planning
Word Count - 708 words.
Stories worked on - Primeval big bang universe research.
I now know more about small pox than I wanted to! But I still need to research how dictators use the aftermaths of terrorism or other crises to seize power.
Total
Word Count - 1662 words.
Friday, 1 January 2010
And now that you're all ready to write instead of procrastinating, it's time for the daily prompt.
I'll be posting a prompt of some kind every day. There are no rules about how you have to respond to it. If it inspires you in some way then that's great. It doesn't matter if no one but you can see the link between the prompt and what you wrote. There are no deadlines. You don't have to show me your responses (although if you write something you're proud of I'd love a link so I can read it). You don't have to work with every prompt. They're just here to see if they can spark your imagination in some way.
Picture Prompt Friday
Well it's the first day of the new year and the first proper post here in my writing journal. So before I get to the meat of the post, I'll introduce myself.
My name is Joe and I'm an aspiring writer. I write mainly for fun, but also because for me writing is something like breathing - if you stop it probably means you're dead. I've had times when I've stopped for a while, but eventually I turn blue and start grasping for words.
What else is there that you might want to know about me that I'm willing to tell you? I read and write science fiction, fantasy, historical fiction, and erotica (although my intention is not to post adult material on this blog). I'm not ashamed or embarrassed by any of those things so if you want to look down on 'genre' fiction, you're wasting your time. I love history and will happily research the hell out of anything even tangentially related to my writing, oh yes, and I am an inveterate procrastinator. If you told me I absolutely had to eat that delicious chocolate cake over there by midday, at 11:55am it would still be intact and I'd be gorging myself on spinach... For this reason what I'm writing and what I'm supposed to be writing are rarely the same thing.
And so we come onto the first 'Tips and Tricks' post.
My name is Joe and I'm an aspiring writer. I write mainly for fun, but also because for me writing is something like breathing - if you stop it probably means you're dead. I've had times when I've stopped for a while, but eventually I turn blue and start grasping for words.
What else is there that you might want to know about me that I'm willing to tell you? I read and write science fiction, fantasy, historical fiction, and erotica (although my intention is not to post adult material on this blog). I'm not ashamed or embarrassed by any of those things so if you want to look down on 'genre' fiction, you're wasting your time. I love history and will happily research the hell out of anything even tangentially related to my writing, oh yes, and I am an inveterate procrastinator. If you told me I absolutely had to eat that delicious chocolate cake over there by midday, at 11:55am it would still be intact and I'd be gorging myself on spinach... For this reason what I'm writing and what I'm supposed to be writing are rarely the same thing.
And so we come onto the first 'Tips and Tricks' post.
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