Orphans and Siblings

Hi hotshots!


When I was slightly smaller and shorter and clumsier, there were a lot of books available to me featuring orphans as their protagonist. The orphans were always the ones who had daring adventures, often accompanied by a smaller, irritating sibling. Orphans were it. I sometimes wonder if there was a craze when I was little concerning orphans the way there was a craze for vampires quite recently. Maybe my age group just liked the idea of being unattached and free to wander. No ties. I went through a brief phase where I fantasised about being an orphan. Just for the adventures I would most certainly have. It's strange, how books can influence us like that.

Then now it's all only-children without siblings who rule the board of main character. What is that about? I rarely read a book where there is a brother, a sister mentioned. The most famous exception to this that I can think of is The Hunger Games, but- no spoilers.

At any rate I kind of understand it. When you're smaller you want the feeling that you have this family, you're part of them, and you are free without restrictions. Love and no having to go to bed early. When you're a teenager, you want to be the special one.

Or maybe I'm drawing random conclusions.

"Just have fun" versus reality

Hey, hotshots.

A dictum I hear said a lot when it comes to writing is "just have fun". Of course I can only talk from my perspective. But isn't this the weakest advice?

Writing can be amazing fun. You can go into the high of being in a character's mind, or feel the thrill of a hunt as your protagonist finally accomplishes their goal, or the crushing sadness of a sidekick's despair which is somehow still sweet because it feels so real as you scribble down their words, or, or, or.

Writing is fun in those times because it's as easy as shutting your eyes and letting someone else write the words for you. There is no effort. It's basically pure inspiration.

Writing gets harder when you have to pin down all the ideas you've just chundered everywhere, and make them into a cohesive text with plot and structure. When you must grow up and make a story from your words.

And this can be very, very hard. (I work inspiration first. When I plot, I tend to lose interest in the story itself because once I have everything planned, what's the point of writing it? I know what will happen. Done. But this defeats the purpose of what a plot should do. And so making a decent story becomes difficult.)

You will have to do work, whatever your writing method. You will have to work hard. You will hit roadblocks and stop signs and painful accidents where you have to go back later to rewrite, and you will have to learn that it's okay to screw up in the first draft, and find the courage to create from it a beautiful finished tale.

We all know there are so many times when writing isn't fun! When staring at a blank page, for instance. This awful draining gaze at a white monitor screen. The difficult plot twists. The strange discombobulated mess of a character when you forget their purpose. All those sentences that form words and pages that are worth less than crap when you read them over. That's not fun!

"Grab all the fun you can", I say. There's a lot of it to gather. But don't get discouraged as soon as you stop having 'fun' for a little bit. We all know you'll wake up one day at 4am, swearing as you search the room for something to write your new novel idea down with.

The frustration is worth it. If you love writing. You somehow get the dogged determination to continue on. Writers can be some of the most stubborn people, because this steel grin is exactly right for writing. When it's not fun.

As some of you may have noticed...

...I deleted two whole pages. They just weren't working out- if I'm going to post something here, I want it to be in a post.
Posting a post.
Simples.
*meerkat noise*

;D

Hot potato plot syndrome

Hi hotshot,

Characters are really stubborn. Which can be very good, I think, because I'm the sort of person who has no idea what to do when it comes to plot.
The idea of a plot freaks me out a little.
I have hot potato plot syndrome. The faster I can get a planned, structured idea away from myself, the better. Because let us be perfectly frank: I downright suck at 'em. I can make up a plot (ish) and have it look vaguely interesting, but...
There's no fun in it.
Bam. Plot. There, no mystery left. My potential novel has been given an enema.
I like to weasel my way through stories, discover things along the way with my character being the force driving the story onwards.
It keeps things interesting! So. Am determined not to plot. Because I want to- so many ideas! I must write all of them out and detail them! But I know as soon as I do, I'll be bored with them and move on.
No one ever wrote a book by doing that, trust me.
Ever.

Let's continue.

Hey hotshot,

I'm in the process of writing!
Getting a story idea wasn't so easy (I have to be fascinated by the subject I write), but I am now on.....

page 2. Right. Ahem. Still! By next week, it'll be 22. And the week after, 42...you get the idea, dear?

Awesome.

;D

PS: Sorry for not updating for about ten years. Posts shall be more frequent from now.

Undead Setback

Hi hotshot,

My resolution to "just write the book" is going, but has taken a random detour to irritate me and waste time. I can't seem to stop writing about zombies. This would be fine if I actually had any interest in writing about zombies, but I don't. No idea about them has made me feel the urge to write, and it seems my brain just goes to them if there's nothing else I can think of.
Why, oh why, do zombies have to be my fallback?
I don't even watch that show...about zombies...the Living Dead? Walking Dead? Though Zombieland and Shaun of the Dead were rather good. Speaking of which, Hot Fuzz also had the main actor-duo of Shaun of the Dead, and they were rather-

Agh!

I need to read a Jane Austen or somethi-
Hey, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies is a recent retelling of a Jane Austen book!

Brains. I need to have more brains than this.

Fff...

The Day Before The Day

Hi hotshot,

I've made my resolution. Because without it, I know I'll never get anywhere. Do you know how many people stand around saying: "Yeah, I'll totally write a book or something..." and then never do? I don't want to be one of those people. I refuse. The thought terrifies me more than apathy can smother.
What if this is all for nothing? If I just wander around forever saying "ahuh, total writer here. Yup, you wouldn't believe the crazy stuff in this here skull" then I've failed.
Writing is serious. You have to brave the avalanches of white nothingness, for Pete's sake. You stare into your brain for HOURS. Do you know what that DOES to your soul? A lot of the time it makes you giggle with glee while you write about some mischievous character or another. Sometimes you get all upset over John or Sally or Djarkspar having to get a lobotomy at the post office because it seemed like a great burst of inspir-

Whoa, hold on.

Like a post office where people send..their brains..? No, no! They can switch who they are. Instead of sending jumpers and pants they send..themselves? Over wires... People can send themselves over an internet connection-
The next big human trafficking plot, or a group of die-hard insidious hackers, where if you interrupt an update you could be killing the person who's loading... And then theres a blackout in the city.

Huh.

That's mine, don't take it. Unless someone's said it first. Which, let's be honest, is likely, considering I am one of 7 billion (ish) people oh let's get on with it already.

So my resolution:
Start writing the Book on Friday, tomorrow, because Fridays are good days.

Sounds simple, eh? If its so simple, try it yourself. I will. We can compare notes at the end.

I'll keep updating. Put your hands together and hope I don't fail.

I feel like having a nap.

Siberian pages

Hi hotshot,

I hate feeling like everything I write is rubbish. It happens more and more recently. Everything is there- computer, pens, paper, pencils, I have chalk* available. But it seems like all the writing instruments in the world will never make the scary blank spaces on the screen any less intimidating. It's like my mind is just as blank- I'm a silly dreamer, so all that empty white feels like a landscape of snow. And you can make as many snow angels and snow men and women and children as you like, but then- but then what? How do you make a snow village without a shovel? Or even just a house? How do I finish one petty snow house without some inspiration?

Is this the part where all the hard work kicks in? Where you persevear through the bleakness until the sun rises again, mets the white, reveals the colours underneath. But that's no fun. It's like the ice is eternal. It feels that way, anyhow.

But I hate unresolved problems so I'll try to fix it. Write at a more regular time, for one. Maybe then my brain will learn when to get funky. And while it learns, I'll have to continue on with what I've got until the avalanche clears and I reach some good solid ground again.

*It just occurred to me that chalk is in fact white. Rats.

music, music, music

Hi hotshot,

Music is one very important factor to writing, for me. If I read a book and am listening to a song at the same time, that song will forever effect how I see that book. Like Fireflies by Owl City now is attached to Witch and Wizard by Robert Patterson, and Shot Heard Around the World by Boys Like Girls is firmly soldered to Skulduggery Pleasant: Danger Days by Derek Landy.

Other inspirations include this piece of lovely, lovely music for the Hunger Games series.

 

And of course, songs can almost define characters and stories I work on. I find my writing to be very...script-like a lot of the time. I write scenes well, that's my strength. Plot is my Achilles heel, though, so I like letting characters run my story for me. So finding a song for a scene, to make it more...dense? Perfect moment.

I think, when I publish my first book, I'll have an index at the front for the song that goes with each scene, if I can. That would be nice. :)

Disclaimer: The music isn't mine.

fav books Aug '12

Hi hotshot,

I was thinking, earlier (as dangerous as that sounds). What author has ever gotten anywhere without reading? Save for the first person to ever invent a code of gibberish and write, very few. Reading good books made me want to be able to write good books. Simple.

So here's a list of some of my FAVORITE books!


In no particular order, here's Blood Red Road, by Moira Young.

This book is a shock- it's well written, while having the worst consistent spelling ever. The bad spelling, however, is on purpose, because it's written from the heroine's heavily accented point of view.  The story follows Saba, a girl living in the Dust Lands, and her quest to find her twin brother Lugh. A thoroughly enjoyable dystopian, and I can't wait for it's sequel to come out. Let's hope it doesn't suck, because that would be a real let-down. Moira Young has a winner on her hands here, people.

And, always,

Divergent by Veronica Roth. Another dystopia. Another genuinely kick-ass heroine. Must read. Its sequel, Insurgent, was good, but the heroine (Tris) is not quite as awesome as before. I'm curious to see what the final book in the trilogy will be called. Convergent, anyone? 

And what's a favorite book list without a talking skeleton detective? That's right, ladies and gentlemen. Skulduggery Pleasant at your service.

This book is sarcastic. And funny. So, so funny in all the right ways. The main character (apart from Skul) is the indescribable Stephanie Edgley. The series starts to get full of inself as Derek Landy writes more of them, but this is a perfect read for a rainy or sunny or weathersome day.

And vampires. I have to include vampires somewhere. How about suburban vampires?

A totally messed up family. The plot moves along at a nice pace, and there is a noticeable lack of sparkling. I really like Matt Haig's style of writing- blunt and sweet and to the point. I have made a note here to read more of his books.

NB: Read more of this guy's stuff.

Legit.

For those who have not met Terry Pratchett yet, I suggest either

The Last Continent

or

Hogfather

They are both gems that show how good he is at poking fun out of almost literally everything in his own book.

There is also the hilarious Beauty Queens, which is one of the nicest surprises I've had all year. I don't know why it's so surprising when I find a good book, but it is.

semi-dystopia. Strange, to say the least, and is now firmly imprinted on my mind as a very, very good piece of literature.

I think I'll leave it at seven books, for now, because seven is a good ol' number. 

The flash of grave robbers

Hi, hotshot

I had an idea for a story today. That's really, really good. There's nothing that makes a day good quite as fast as getting an idea. They don't have a particular source. It's like reaching your hands out blindly. Often you just catch trash and nothings, but sometimes-

The title would be "The Teenage Grave Robber".

I wrote it on the envelope that held my passport photos. I had to renew my US passport, and that was the only paper I had available. Thank goodness I had paper. Usually I have to write on my hand.

Moving swiftly on, this is what flashed through my head:

First off, let's get something straight.

I am not a thief.

Dead people don't care if they're not wearing a watch anymore, missing limbs- because they're dead.

I've never stolen a damn thing in my life.

Did you expect something longer? Don't. Four sentences is more than enough. It's a flash, after all.

NB ASAP

Hi, hotshot

I am very, very silly. Because I have forgotten one very important factor to my status as writer- I AM YOUNG. And there are numerous competitions, especially and conveniently in London, to enter stories and poems into. So I'd better start searching, right? I'm so SILLY.

I should have thought of this before, considering I've entered one such competition before. Only once, but still. The Cecil Day-Lewis competition for young people. I won a certificate for the story I entered there, which I was very pleased about. Let's see if I can win something again- and maybe come a step closer to a published tome. Alright, not a tome, but something...tangible.

Something real, instead of so many half-twiddled with ideas saved into countless Word documents. This is a short post, and I'm sorry, but that's because this isn't a rant or preach-thing. This is a goal-setter. I will find a competition...

:D

"Where do you get your inspiration from?" and ensuing sarcasm.

Hi hotshot,

Disclaimer: I have nothing against Americans, being one myself, and I'm sorry I don't know the anthem of Zimbabwe or even if it has one.

Someone, someday, will ask me this.

Fact is, no one knows except "my brain and the world around me."

THERE IS NO POINT IN THAT QUESTION. Yet people ask it to authors so often. And I will hopefully become a published one, so...

So, my answer will be the following:

"In the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, under the waves, there is a secret castle only Authors can find. In the heart of it, you must sing the macarena backwards and yodel the national anthem of Zimbabwe, after which a secret portal in the floor opens. In this portal there is a floating goblet filled with neon green gloop. You drink from this magic goblet, and when you come back home, you vomit out your book. Now guess where major motion pictures come from. I'll give you a clue; it's not the vomit."

If I'm feeling really, really sarcastic I'll add:

"When Authors get sick, they don't throw up normal vomit. They throw up sonnets and poems and descriptions. Remember that the next time you're admiring Poe's work. He had to get 'flu for that. Appreciate it."

I'm just so worried Americans would take me seriously.

Punch and virtue.

Hi, hotshots

Something I have to remind myself-

writing is not about punch, punch, punch. That leaves the reader dazed and confused (just like a real set of punches would do). It's not pleasant to read.
Writing is where you show what leads to the punch, and what the punch causes.
Anticipation seems to play a big part in it. Make the reader a masochist, in a sense. Make them want a punch, crave it, but don't let them get bored.
Get the reader on your side!

What's the fun of a book where all that happens is big crashing scenes where noting is explained and its all action and no reflection? The reader needs to care. Give the person being punched an identity.

Like...Lolly Andersen, for example, could be a name you use. Give her a personality, faults galore, and give her one virtue that means your reader will always side with her.

I wrote a short story which was never finished about a character called Cal. He was angry all the time, violent, blunt and extremely temperamental. I made him the epitome of teenage rage, sarcasm and all. But that means he was never basically never sorry for himself. He didn't whinge. I gave him a solid backbone and for that I love him.

Your character can be as flawed as you wish. He can be like Cal. A total, utter screw-up. It doesn't matter so long as s/he is interesting to read about.

That's my theory, anyway.

So:

1) No punching the reader without an explanation or context. Give them time to breath in between the blows.
2) Your characters are not there to be perfect. Perfect characters will never win your reader's heart simply because your reader is not perfect.

The writer rambling.

Hi, hotshots

I try to find INSPIRATION by reading. Not to philander, but because the funny thing is, whenever I go into a bookstore I feel like I can write. Because all these other authors have done it, why can't I? Likewise, reading has a more diluted effect of that. I feel like I can make something just as good, all of my own. Maybe that's silly or naïve, but it helps on days when inspiration and lady muse are off having a tea party without me. New experiences trigger my inspiration, as do reading newspaper articles, sketching, listening to music and riding my bicycle around. Never from movies, though. I guess because it's a different medium..? Eh. I like to write about people with flaws, or with terrible pasts that almost literally cripple them. I don't like writing Mary-Sues (I find it boring and emotionless), nor do I like people who are perfectly okay and get tossed into a world they don't know. I wan m main character suffering. But never self-pitying or self-loathing- that removes the rawness of it. Does it make me a sadist? I don't think so. I just love the rush of writing emotions into things. Pure and primal, emotions. They're all I love books for, the way you can translate human states of being into ink on paper. Miraculous, no? I write in both firs and third person. Firs person is useful because the reader is plunged into the Character's skin with no effort; they're in the scene immidiatley. But third person has its perks, too. It has more detail, and can have multiple points of view easily to round off a story. My worst habit is not finishing stories. My best is conveying emotion. I want to be a writer. And there, that's one point- I. Want. to be a writer. Not "would like". "Would like" never got a story written. You have to want it, have it in your head, do at least one thing a day to bring you closer to that goal. Determination, goddamn it.

failPod

Hi, hotshots

Reasons why I want a new iPod to replace my current one:

(in nice clear format, in order of irritation levels caused with 1 being quite mild, and 5... well.)



1. The new iPod looks cooler. Except for the iPod Touch, I don;'t know why but it irritates me. It's trying to be an iPhone, it's not quite as good as an iPhone. It's an iPhone that doesn't make calls. What? What's the point?

2. I called it 'Titanic', 'Matchbox Mansion', and 'Spindler', just to watch them sync (sink, get it? Yeah...). The first is a clear reference, the other two were boats I made out of conker shells, leaves and twigs when I was living by a canal. This isn't really a reason, but I think syncing it as the Titanic might have been a bad omen from the start.
It is now called failPod.

3. It's stuck in a language I don't understand or recognize. With words like ""hubda"". This is slightly embarrassing. And I need to keep explaining that I am not bilingual. I'm just good at ruining technology. It refuses to revert to English, no matter how much I beg, and is probably sulking at me for reason 4.

4. I try putting new songs onto it and it panics, the bastard totally loses it. This is because my iPod is old hipster generation, and it has the same memory capacity as a squirrel trying to remember where it left last season's nuts.

4 1/2. It genuinely does forgets songs. What kind of iPod is this?! 

4 1/4. Seriously. It holds maybe half a song at a time. Slight exaggeration. 

5. My iPod randomly switches itself off, and refuses to come back to life without overnight charging. My laziness is now proved to be contagious. 

Good riddance.

van Gogh's ear sorted out.

Hi, hotshots

A recent conversation with a friend went like this:

"Hey, what artists do you like?" (friend)

"Ah... Van Gogh." (me)

"Isn't that the guy who chopped off his own ear?"

"I... Not...why does everyone ask that?"

Look, people. The guy was a great painter. Can we get over his ear? 

Or lack of it?

I thought I may as well impart what really happened so that his art will be remembered more than his body parts. That sounded better in my head.

WHAT REALLY HAPPENED:

(dramatic space)

It wasn't his whole ear, for starters. It was the lobe of his left ear. Not all of it. Okay? Okay. His family had a history of mental illness, and he suffered from acute mania and epilepsy. After an argument with his artist-friend Paul Gauguin, he was in a fit of rage and cute off part of his ear to symbolize the end of their friendship. The reasoning behind that was something like Gauguin being "deaf" to his needs.

Get it? Ear, deaf...

And then just to really make a point, van Gogh put his ear-bit in an envelope and handed it over to some chick called Rachel, a brothel wench.

Okay?

Okay.

Glad we sorted that out.

The whirlpool

Hi, hothots

Don't you just hate when this happens?:

All the images of what the story could be like flash over your head, all the possible characters and scenes, the possibilities, the potentia-
And then you get a pen and paper, and everything comes out in a muddled mess that looks like a dictionary just had a seizure on an A4 notepad.
This is the point when I usually try to discern what on earth I've just written down. Of course it makes sense in separate components, but together? What? Just..no.
It makes no sense, and the whirlpool has left me with a string of mismatched concepts, taking away the thread that held it all together. A load of ink and paper with so many half-ideas and no actual solid material to work with.
I think my muse has diarrhea.

Introduction and Hello

My name is Jeanne, and welcome to this is no doubt someday extraordinary blog!
I'm a student, and I love to write. My first story was a bit of a fail, I'll admit; the world was enveloped in giant bubbles and a fairytale castle called Bubble Castle (imaginatively enough) made me its ruler. But hey, live and age and learn and improve, no?