Writing with Zette

Those wonderful writing moments

zette@longlines.com — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 00:26:19 GMT

I love those moments when the little things you planted earlier in a book suddenly fall into place and give you the answer you need to finish out a story. That happened today with Draw the Line, which is up to 90k and I had started to think it would wander for another 90k before I found the path to the end. Today I wrote part of my 500 words in notes so I could plot out the last few steps -- and there it was, the answer I needed to draw several things together and create both more trouble and a way out of it. I'm going to write more notes tomorrow and finish out the plot to The End -- I already know the ending scene -- and then once I get those notes done, I'll start replacing them with real words.

I'm very happy. I see maybe another 5 to 10k for the book, which is a good size for a first draft.

I am also very nearly done with this issue of Vision: A Resource for Writers. (http://lazette.net/vision) This is the 52nd issue. That's eight years worth of great articles and advice by authors. I am also coming up on the sixth year I will have been in charge of Forward Motion (www.fmwriters.com) -- and eleven years of working with the site.

There have been a lot of changes in the world of publishing during those years -- though, if your dream is to see a book on a shelf in a store, it's really very much the same in some ways. And the work, despite what some seem think, is still very much the same. Writing well is the bottom line for all of it.

And one other point -- don't give up your dream for something else just because it's easier. Easier is rarely the best answer. If you have a publishing dream, don't let anyone else tell you that it's stupid and useless and not worth the effort. It's your dream. That could be traditional publishing or being the top Internet author. It doesn't matter. Just go into it all wisely.

Also remember that it doesn't have to be one or the other. Many authors pursue a traditional career but also work through Internet publishing. If you do it wisely, there are some fun opportunities out there. Remember, though, that everything you put up is going to draw -- or repel -- readers. If you want to build a good fan base on the Internet, make certain that the material is very good. And make certain that it is showcased in a way that will draw good attention. Joining a larger group only works if everyone is as serious about the work as you are. Bad material can drive readers away before they ever see your story, and may even label you as 'one of that group' with readers. So be very careful.

Funny -- I am working on an Editor's note for Vision that is about the same thing. I think I'll just adapt some of this over to it, too! Obviously my brain is kind of on one track today.

I have done some experimentation with publication and I will likely do more. It's fun. But I also hope to see some work on the shelves in stores. I might not make it -- but that doesn't mean that I -- or others with the dream -- should give it up because it is harder to achieve.

So get out there and have fun and follow the paths that you want. Sometimes the harder journeys have the best rewards, especially when it comes to personal achievements.

Much like working hard at a novel -- and finally seeing that golden, wonderful moment where it all starts falling together and everything works.

I'm off to do more writing!

Hello

zette@longlines.com — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 22:04:24 GMT

It's Monday. I'm actually not working very much today. I have most of my writing done already, and I think I'll just play around with some fun stuff for the rest of the day. I am almost done with both Badlands and Draw the Line -- yay! Badlands is much better for the rewrite. It needs some depth in a couple places still, though. I'll take a look at the overall story when I'm finished.

Draw the Line is a good, basic story (most of the first drafts are like this), but I want to expand the material on the aliens and draw some of the more important aspects out more often. It has a good base to work with, though, so I'm happy. Good characters, though one of my MCs needs to be more assertive. That will be easy to fix.

We finally have heat here and it is supposed to be worse tomorrow. I'll just hide out in the house for a while.

It's also our wedding anniversary. Russ is in Maine, but we plan to both order Pizza Hut and have dinner together via Skype. We're nothing if not inventive!

Improvement

zette@longlines.com — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 02:27:29 GMT

I almost let Monday get past me. I've been very busy -- and some of it has even been fun. I spent part of the day working with a new graphic program, and I have to say it is much faster than the older version which is always nice! (DAZ Studio 3 versus DAZ Studio 2)

I had an amusing time this weekend from an unexpected source. The people across the street were having a very loud party, so I decided I needed some noise of my own. I started with music, but it just wasn't working for me. I pulled out a nice little nature sounds CD instead, and that went really well -- right until the howler monkeys kicked in and unsettled the cats. I probably shouldn't have laughed... but it was funny!

I don't think the cats trust the computer quite so much now, though!

The work on Badlands is going very well. The changes I've made make the story considerably stronger and the prose much better. I can't believe I was ever satisfied with the way it was before -- please don't let me ever be that immature again! LOL. Okay, the novel is several years old, but I think I should have known better than some of the stilly stuff I wrote at a the time! I'm just grateful that not very many people have seen that earlier version!

I'm willing to mature as a writer. I know a lot of people who won't -- not that they can't, but that they aren't willing to take the time or they think they're as good as they're going to get. Why would anyone convince themselves they're never going to be any better than they are now? Why wouldn't you try to work harder and improve your writing?

Well, sure -- if you are doing stuff just for fun sometimes you might not care. And if you don't want to ever change what you're doing... but doesn't that get boring?

So, I guess there's a good reason why I stick around Forward Motion. There are people at the site who are always asking why, how, what can I do to improve. It's amazing what you can learn if you are willing!

And now back to Badlands!

Novel Work

zette@longlines.com — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 23:39:28 GMT

The novels are all moving along very well right now. Draw the Line is now up to nearly 80k and a major 'toward the end of the novel' problem has reared its head for the characters. I'm pretty happy with the movement for the last couple weeks. I think this came from finally facing and addressing the problems I was having with the 500 words a day. I'm still writing at that rate, but having realized that I wasn't really focused before has helped. It's going a bit better now.

Badlands is up to almost 63k which puts it past the halfway mark. I am still considering a major cultural change for the novel. Once I get all the way done with this version, I'm going to sit down, outline and world build for it and see what I can come up with. I think it can be a far stronger novel. Why not do it now? Because right now I'm working out plot problems, and I would rather have them settled before I work on redoing the culture. That will affect some of the plot, so I don't want to have to sort out if this is old plot, new plot, reworked plot or whatever.

I am in no hurry. I can take my time and get it right.

I have just begun research on a book I hope to write for NaNo this year -- In the Shadow of Giants. Some 2YN people may recognize that title from the class. It's the book I worked a few notes up on but never went any farther -- always too much else to do. The research so far has been wonderful. I'm using SuperNotecard, which I adore, and getting some of the basics for the background done. The plot is at the mere basics at the moment, but I am getting some wonderful ideas.

This is going to be an extensive amount of work -- far more than throwing a few names together and pretending that's world building enough. It's going to be wonderful working this up -- and I am beginning to wonder if I even have enough time before NaNo. We'll see.

There are some stories you can leap into without much thought and work up along the way. But if you want something with depth and coherence -- and not a lot of rework to make things fit once you are done -- then you need to take the time to really look at your story world and explore it -- and all the time asking 'why' things are as they are. Most things will have simple answers and the fun is making certain everything remains consistent. If you have 'this' what else does it affect?

You can get all caught up in that kind of stuff and never get to the story, of course. Even I have to make myself remember that there is a story at the end of all the work. I just want to make certain it is the best story I can create.

So, back to work on more research. Right now, my desk is piled with mythology books. Always good to brush up on what you know -- and to explore pantheons that you don't know much about at all.

Fun stuff. It's calling to me. Back to work!

Hello!

zette@longlines.com — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 04:05:52 GMT

And it is Monday again!

Amazing how that works, it being Monday so often.

I'm in a good mood today, and I can't even really pinpoint why. Maybe it's that it hasn't dropped below freezing for a week or so. I'll go with that answer for a while.

My writing went very well today, too. The two novels moved along wonderfully, with surprises on both sides. People are starting to see that the one character is far more trouble than they first imagined. It's also made me realize that I need to do some drastic changes and more descriptive work off the start of Draw the Line -- but that's not a real surprise. I often find a lot of things I want to change, expand, etc., was I work my way through the first draft. It's an exploration of the story -- it has a long ways to go before it will be in final form.

It is fun getting there, too.

I am still considering a major change to Badlands. As I work on this rewrite -- which is clearing up some major plot problems I hadn't seen before -- I am looking at how this change would impact the story. I would have to create something to take the place of a major part of the culture -- and doing so might actually give me a wider range to play in than what I have now. So there is a real draw to working out that kind of change. Most of the plot would remain much the same, but the nuances, and some of the incidents, would work differently.

I think this is beginning to appeal to me. I'll have to think about it still, and it won't happen until after I clean up the plot in this rewrite anyway. Once I have that all down, I'll see if the changes I'm considering would work within the frame I have now, or if it would mean some major plot changes, and either way, if it would improve the book.

Fun stuff.

No, really, fun stuff.

Russ is home

zette@longlines.com — Tue, 26 May 2009 01:02:44 GMT

We've been to two wildlife refuges, two out-0f-town bookstores, and I went to the zoo while he visited with his nepthew and family.

So, really, not much to say here today. Lots going on, but since he's leaving tomorrow morning, I'm not spending much time on the internet.

Everyone have fun!

Experimental writing

zette@longlines.com — Mon, 18 May 2009 20:42:46 GMT

And another query letter has gone out today. Good. You never know when one of them might just do the trick. Or not. But it's kind of fun game to give it a try.

Russ is going to be home this next weekend. This is unexpected -- first, that he would be home again so soon, and second that he's daring to try to make it on a holiday. Holidays have not been our friends for the last year and a half. If all goes well, we'll have three full days together. Yay! Funds are tight, but we should be able to have some fun!

Draw the Line is still moving along at its little 500 words a day pace. Odd way to write. I don't think I'll be doing it again, though it was a good experiment to try once. The problem is that the story meanders too much. It never really gets to the point -- any point, really -- and this is because of a two-fold problem. The first is that I'm not allowing myself to run with the story as I normally would, so I just get moving on something and then leave it for about 24 hours and by the time I come back, I'm not always able to pick up the real feel for what I was doing. The second is that, though I have pages and pages of notes, I did not do more than a few lines of outline.

This was all a purposeful experiment to see if changing the way I worked changed what I wrote. It has, and not for the better.

I am going to stick with it for a while longer, though. It is possible that part of the problem is attitude. I also plan to write out a little bit more outline and see if I can get some real direction in the story. I'm not interested in writing -- or reading -- that never really gets anywhere.

I will have to do some extensive work with the story if I ever really do reach an ending. (grin) I think I'm going to end up outlining from the original, saving all the good spots -- there are some really nice bits -- and then see if I can rework it into something a bit more complex and coherent.

But that's later work. I may find, when I get it done, that it has a lot more going for it than I think. That's happened before.

Experimentation in writing is good. Otherwise, al you are ever going to do is tell the same story and never grow. Even when it doesn't work as well as you thought it might, it can teach you something about how your work and what to avoid in the future.

The other work is going fine, by the way. I'm about to finish a short story today, I think. So, off I go to get it done!

It Lives!

zette@longlines.com — Mon, 11 May 2009 22:25:35 GMT

I have finally, after far too long, updated my Henry Doorly Zoo website again (http://zettezoo.blogspot.com/ ). The pictures I'm putting up now are from back in 2006! I have sets from each month all the way through October of 2007, but I haven't been back since then. I hope to get a chance to go again soon, though. I need to get back in touch with some of the people there who were interested in some of the photos, too. And I've already gotten a few letters and some comments on pictures. I'm surprised that people found it so quickly, since I haven't updated in so long!

I have several thousand pictures to go through for the zoo site yet. It's really been fun to look them over again and sort out the good ones. Also to see how many of them I still can name without having to look anything up. So far, I've done pretty well. Good to know the brain is able to retain anything at all these days.

I need to update the picture index, though. (Puts that on the Never-Ending-List from Hell.)

Today, however, I am working on a new short story. I hope that it will stay relatively short since it's basically a single scene story -- though the characters already intrigue me enough that I might consider writing more about them, especially the first person POV character.

I am rewriting Badlands, too. It's going slower than I expected. I don't like the opening. Don't like it much at all, and I've been trying several different scenarios to get it up and moving faster off the start. It's difficult with such an older book, but only because the story is so firmly set in my brain that I'm having trouble moving it to something else.

I am also renaming one of the main characters, though I haven't quite chosen the name yet. Something more Latino this time, to fit with the theme of the story.

I've also decided to start working up outlines for NaNo. Yes, this early. I haven't really had good outlines the last couple years, and I didn't enjoy the writing as much for that reason. I want to outline one story that has been stuck in my head for a couple years, and I think starting early will help. Yes, that's a good plan. (Jots it down ... yes on that damned list.)

Weather is somewhat better here, which has been nice. I let the guys out on the front porch during the day, and they're in kitty heaven, watching the birds and such. It's nice to air the house out, too. Looks like we're due for storms in a couple days again, though. It is really clouding over today and I get the feeling we might have some rain, even though we're not slated for any.

The yard is looking a bit scruffy. They'll be by to mow this week, they said.

And that's it. Cats are still cats and I'm ready to get back to my short story!

Monday!

zette@longlines.com — Tue, 05 May 2009 04:19:33 GMT

Hello. Almost forgot it was Monday.

I really don't have much to say. I've begun the rewrite of Badlands and I've done considerable work on the first chapter. I like the changes and I think it filled in the world far better, but I think it might still be a bit dry. I'll let it sit for now and look again when I get the rewrite done.

I'm also working on a short story for the May Challenge at FM. I had hoped to get a few short stories into my files this month, but things are conspiring against me again. Part of it was being very ill for the last few days. I don't think my brain has completely come back yet. Maybe it's on the vacation that I need. Though I wish it would come back and help me finish up a short story or two.

I have notes all over my desk again. I need to get them sorted out and see what I still need to get done. I'd like to feel as though I'm getting caught up on something.

And that's it. Really. Quite obviously, there is nothing going on here!

Back to work

zette@longlines.com — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 22:08:09 GMT

Russ left at about 3:30 am this morning and he's now somewhere south of Boston, I believe. We had a great nine days together, though -- as always -- it was not enough to really get everything done. Still -- got out for a couple great photo opportunities, despite the weather turning cold again. Spring? What spring? It's supposed to be down to about two degrees above freezing tonight.

Russ hopes to make it back home in about a month. And he's applying for local jobs, too, which might actually come through. We'll have to see if they want him and if they can afford to hire him. It sure would be nice!

One of the nice parts of the week was the Friends of the Library book sale where we picked up more of those things most people wouldn't think we need -- books. Lovely books. Fun books. And I have already gotten ideas from just glancing through two of them.

I did get quite a bit of writing done in bits and pieces over the week, mostly while Russ was off teaching and lecturing. I also got some notes written for various things, and I think Draw the Line is going to move far better for it. It was good to step back and take a look at where the story is going. I don't intend of it to go on forever in a circle of actions that don't quite find any conclusion.

But, as you can guess ... I am way behind on things that need to get done! So off I go ...

Oh. Note on the High Dynamic Range stuff for Greenknight:

The book is Complete Guide to High Dynamic Range Digital Photography by Ferrell McCollough. And yes, sometimes the HDR pictures do look artificial -- but sometimes that is the intention. And yes, RAW files can work, though I think they need a bit of conversion. I don't have that high end of a camera, but for what I'm doing, JPG will be fine.

So far, I'm getting okay results, but I haven't really had a chance to go out and do any serious testing with high contrast scenes. It's been gray and dull here for days!

Quick hello

zette@longlines.com — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 00:15:04 GMT

Russ is home. We're having a great time. I am not getting nearly enough done around here, though -- but that’s okay. I'll get caught up eventually.

Russ is at a meeting right now, but he'll be home soon. I'm getting a few things done around here, and then I'll see what we are going to do later.

Oh, and there is Russ again! Yay!

Really, had a nice day. Drove around and took pictures of lots of things. I bought a neat new photo book yesterday on High Dynamic Range pictures, so I'm taking multiple shots of things and figuring out how to do this with Paint Shop Pro (which has an HDR melding tool), and I've started to get the hang of it. It's also made me find a couple different controls on the camera and on the program which is good all the way around.

But now... back to work, actually. I do have things that have to be done and Russ is doing a bit of work too, so we're both just typing away.

Monday again!

zette@longlines.com — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 03:53:53 GMT

Russ will be home in another four days. I've been making lists. That's the extent of preparation this time. Both of want some calm for a few days, and I'm thinking that means not moving to the other house. That's okay. I'm not all that ambitious.

I have been doing pretty well on the stories. Vita's Vengeance is going along wonderfully. My main character just found out he's fallen in with an unusual group of people. The real problem is that he fits in far too well. It's going to start worrying all of them before too long.

It's fun to have a story like this to work on right now. Interesting, complex (several POV characters), lots of things going on. Fun to write and rewrite, and really, that's what I'm going back to right now.

Sometimes it's good just to go have fun with the writing.

Monday

zette@longlines.com — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 23:32:25 GMT

I just posted the last of the short story classes. Last week, I linked to a previous class I taught years ago as well, since it covered things a bit differently. It really was an interesting series to write, and it has gotten me back on track for short stories as well.

But that is the best that can be said for the last few days. I'm waiting for word on Lady Jane Pudge'ums, my 17 year old cat. It will not be good word -- I already know that much. She did better for one day, and then worse again, and the vet doesn't give any real hope now. She had a good, long life, though, and never had a bad day. That counts for something.

I am working on a rewrite of a science fiction novel and that's going pretty well, all things considered. Draw the Line is going well, too. I'm at the half way point on the novel, I think, and things are starting to move at a faster pace again.

And there, finally, is the news I've dreaded. We have lost our beloved Lady Jane.

Almost done with Kat!

zette@longlines.com — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 01:48:01 GMT

And we survive to another Monday!

I didn't forget to post this... I have just been trying to come up with something interesting to write about! It's difficult to think about anything else when I'm having so much fun with the current book. I am nearly done with Kat Among the Pigeons. This was such a fun book to work with again! I am going to go straight into a final edit with it, too. This book will be done by the end of April -- actually, far before the end of April, if all goes well.

I love the feel of diving into a story and examining all the pieces, pulling them apart and seeing what you can do to make them better. If I am going to present the story to anyone to read, I want it to be as good as I can make it, not just something I dashed off and move on -- never mind if it's good or bad, as long as it's done. I've seen far too many writers of that type. And while I have a great deal of fun writing the first drafts, and I'm always happy to leap up and down when I get done with one, I know that the work is not finished.

This has been a good month for art work, too. Not so good on photography because the weather just isn't going to cooperate yet. It was warm enough today, but it looked like it would pour at any moment, so I wasn't going to take the camera out. It didn't rain, of course, but it looks like it will now.

I think spring is helping. This winter was very long and brutal for me, but I've survived it -- and though it's supposed to snow tomorrow, I still know it's really past. Now I just have to dread the really hot weather of summer. And the bad storms. And maybe floods.

I know, there's just no pleasing some people.

Riding out the storm

zette@longlines.com — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 01:13:41 GMT

We just had a lovely little spring storm; a bit of wind, thunder, rain. Nothing serious, and it was nice to see it arrive, even though I watched the temperature drop ten degrees in ten minutes -- never a good thing.

It has mostly passed. We might get a bit more tonight, but I think the Tornado Watch is a bit excessive. Probably just trying to get us trained for a busy season. It has that feel. But the rain is already turning things nice and green, so I think we'll have a lovely spring.

A shame about that snow we're supposed to have on Wednesday.

I had just posted the Week 4 set of short story class material before the storm hit, so I was feeling pretty good about that part. I wanted to post it about midnight last night, but I decided to hold off and rethink how I wanted to approach this week's writing exercise. I am glad to have it done. Only two more weeks of the class, and the last one is going to be on specialized stories, so that should be fun.

My own writing is going very well. I'm quite pleased with the work on Kat Among the Pigeons, even though it gave me fits over the weekend. Ask the people in chat (grin). I got past that part, though, and it's moving along much better again. I get annoyed when a story gives me problems like that, but it feels great once they're worked out.

I am still not certain what I am going to do for the March Madness challenge at FM. That's coming up pretty fast, too. It start's on Wednesday. I better get a clue soon!

Trying a little harder

zette@longlines.com — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 22:37:26 GMT

I went out for my first walk of the spring. Gah. Need to do that more often now that the white stuff is gone. I was waiting for the 60's, because cold and I do not get along. It's actually up to 70 today -- just leapt up there. Nice for the walk, too. And I took the camera, of course, even though all I got pictures of were a few robins and some dead, brown plants.

Soon it will be green again. That will be nice.

I already have the short story class posted and the DAZ work done. I've done the write ups for the new pages, and my 500 words on Draw the Line. Interesting weave of problems there. And about 40k already. I'm happy.

Kat Among the Pigeons is giving me grief here and there. I can feel where the connections between the written word and what I want it to do are not being fully realized. I've been reworking two scenes several times now... to the point where I start wondering if I couldn't just cut them instead and save myself a lot of grief. (grin)

But... I learn something when I have to work with a scene like this. I could, instead, write something easy and go on, and forget it. I want it as close to write as I can get it, though. When I can see problems, I'm going to keep at them, and I'm not letting this go until I think it's ready.

There will always be occasional scenes that are going to be a problem -- at least there are if you are pushing yourself as a writer. If the story is too easy to write, it probably means you are taking the easy way, and eventually that means boring. Boring for you as the writer and boring for any potential reader, too. Not every scene or story has to be a problem, though. Some stories don't require more and they are perfectly fine. Don't create problems just to show how hard you are working. Occasionally, though, you should push harder.

It's easy for me to write 3k words a day. I do it all the time, in fact. Writing words is the easy part for me. Finding stories to tell is not difficult, either. I have to stop thinking up ideas, in fact. I don't have time to write everything I want to.

But telling those stories well is more than just writing the words. It's more than sitting at a computer for X number of hours and typing X number of words, strung together to make something coherent, and calling it good enough.

Writing is easier for some than it is for others, but every author has some spot where they have trouble. If they don't... well, they're not trying very hard, and after awhile it shows. Eventually, it shows.

On time!

zette@longlines.com — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 03:33:47 GMT

And here we are back to Monday. I hope I can get this to post again! Yes, it's let me in!

I survived another birthday, which, as Russ points out, is better than not doing so. I started a new short story, and it's going well. Normally I start a novel on my birthday, but I just don't want to get into another one right now. The short story is going well. Just a cute little thing and it should be really short. I've been trying to write one short story a month, so if I can get this one I'll be doing fine still.

The rewrite of Kat Among the Pigeons is going quite nicely. I didn't realize the book needed so much work. It's good to let it sit for a while like that and then look again. Things I thought I had explained obviously stayed in my brain rather than translating to words in the story. That happens sometimes, at least with me.

The story is fun, though. Really great lines by the cat.

I am, unfortunately, suffering from a weather-related headache tonight. The weather is turning back to winter mode again. I keep thinking there is going to be spring... but then I see that the high for Wednesday is only 19f, and I guess I still have a ways to go.

I want spring! Unfortunately, nature isn't listening to me!

Anyway, I'm about a third of the way through the book, so it's going well enough. Draw the Line is moving along fine as well, at its little 500 words a day. And the new short story shouldn't take long to write if I can sit down and concentrate on it.

I posted the new short story class today, too. So I've gotten quite a bit done despite the headache. It's amazing how having a headache can make you feel as though you aren't making headway when you really are.

And that's it. Time to go get other things done. I'm sure they're important things. Really. I just have to figure out what they are.

I got it! I got it!

zette@longlines.com — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 01:25:23 GMT

Lost passwords and old email addresses are hell. Right along with nearly dead computers that refuse to give you the old email files, even though you oh-so-carefully copied them off.

Yes, I missed Monday. I had something written to post, too. I think I can still find it...

Yes, here it is!

Russ is on his way back to Long Island now. We had a wonderful weekend in which virtually nothing went wrong. Compared to the last time he was home, four months ago, this was very nearly perfect. The worst problem we had was that we took Edmond and Zaphod to get their shots, and Edmond had a reaction and had to go back this morning to get another shot. He's pretty much snapped out of it now.

The weather could have been a bit warmer, but we managed anyway.

We went to the De Soto Wildlife Refuge on Saturday. It was lovely in snow. (See picture below)

We got very nearly everything done that we needed to do, which after four months was quite a bit. Now Russ is sitting in Chicago with a delayed and possibly canceled flight, but he has a friend there (who is visiting from somewhere else as well!) and they'll get together if it goes that way. (Just got a call... they're boarding and, one hopes, on their way!)

And I am back to normal. I've gotten most of my writing done. I postponed the posting of Vision until Wednesday because I just ran out of time before Russ showed up and I knew it was going to take me a day or two to get back into the swing of things after he left. I didn't want to feel rushed.

I am teaching a class on short story writing over at Forward Motion for the next six weeks. It's interesting to try and break down the process into six individual steps. For me, writing a short story is almost always a single, flowing event. There is never any truly easy well to divide it all up, so you have to paint with a broad brush and cover as much as you can think to cover.

Writers being individuals with their own story ideas and needs means that no class is going to be able to hit all the levels that each person taking it needs or wants. Still, It's nice to try and help others now and then. You never know when something you offer is just the right thing to help someone else.

And now I'm going to post this beast, then go in and fix the email address and the password...

Getting things done!

zette@longlines.com — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 03:15:17 GMT

I have a new computer. My, this is much faster and easier to work with! I'm just in heaven right now, though there is always that problem of getting things set up. And I have a ton of work to do before the end of the month. Short month, and Russ is supposed to come home on Friday as well... I do not want to be working on odd things when he's here!

So, it's busy, busy, busy.

The query I sent to an agent last Monday went very well. I already had a request for a partial on Wednesday. Because of a slight problem with changing computers and their website, it finally got to them last night. Now is the long wait, of course. But that's all right. I have a lot to do! It's been odd to have two computer set up here, but I need a few things off the old one, so I'm dragging them off to an external hard drive. So far, the only thing I really had any trouble with was the email, but then that always is a problem.

I finished the rewrite of Glory. Now it sits for a bit and then gets a final edit. It shouldn't be much work at all! I also finished a rewrite of Joey Mousekin's Tale, a children's story. I think I finally got it where I want. It's amazing how much a person can learn about writing by picking up an older story and reworking it. I can see all the things I was trying to do when I first wrote it, and how much better it is this time. I don't often write children's stories, so I'm not even certain what to do with it now. We'll just have to wait and see.

I feel badly for the writers who have been taught that editing is difficult and has to be painful and annoying. And for those who make writing the first draft difficult because they hate the idea of editing. It's such a waste of a wonderful gift -- to know you do not have to have it perfect the first time the word goes into the line. You can experiment, you can play with the story -- and you can fix it all later. If you don't experiment with a story, how are you ever going to learn to write something new and different?

Anyway... I have work to do. (grin) And I have a lovely new fast computer to do it on, so things look good!

The Monday News!

zette@longlines.com — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 01:31:17 GMT

I have a new computer on the way. Or at least it will be after they actually build it for me. This was a big decision since there are other things we could have spent the money on... but my computer has been giving me more and more problems, and I just can't be without one. HP had a sale. Russ and I sat on Skype together (though just the text chatting part) and went through what I needed.

And, with any luck, it will get here right before Russ comes home for a few days -- which is the last weekend of the month. It looks like it's really locked in this time, so I'm hoping he'll be able to make it. We've had to cancel several times now since the first week of November, which was the last time he was home.

Right now he's on the road to Rhode Island and the next classes he's teaching.

I am putting together a query letter to an agent. I don't expect the first one to go, but you have to start somewhere. I've had a good friend go over it for me and point out a couple spots where I could jack up the action a bit. Those one page query letters are rough to write when you're used to novel-length writing. (grin)

There. The query letter is now out. Yay! I haven't done an agent query later in a long time. They're good practice, even if you don't get the first one. Once you get the query letter done, it works for other agents and even for publishers, if you decide to go that way.

So, that work is done for the day. It's exciting to send things off to publishers (and agents). I've never been one of those people who gets all worried and upset over rejections, so that helps.

In the actual world of writing, I'm nearly done with the rewrite of Glory. I have a great new ending for it, and I'm really looking forward to writing that part. Almost there. This will be the third or fourth ending I've put on this book. I don't often have that sort of problem, but I think I have it focused where I want it this time.

And I have a fun little story up at Darwin's Evolutions. One of those that was just fun to write:

http://darwinsevolutions.com/

That's it. I'm off to do more damage on something!

Glory is nearly done!

zette@longlines.com — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 04:02:16 GMT

And here we are on an odd Monday. We had a major warming trend here in the icy midlands. Almost all the snow is gone from the backyard. I wish I could say the same for the front, but there seems to be a patch of 'forever winter' out there right outside my door. Complete with ice. Lots of ice.

I'm in the midst of rewriting Glory. I love this book. It's exciting, fun, and the background work and worldbuilding was great fun. I can see where I rushed some parts in the original write, and I'm trying to untangle those now. Timelines are sometimes tough to get worked out. I've just hit 99k on it, though, and I think the last part is going to go pretty well.

Except the ending. I think I need to change the ending because originally this was going to be a trilogy, but now I think I'd rather do a series of stand alones. I can see an easy 'fix' for the ending, so I'm not too worried. I think it might be fun.

Oh, and I just realized another minor tweak I need earlier in the book. Yes!

I had a wonderful email from my favorite author yesterday and another today. I've known C.J. Cherryh for a long time, actually. But when she and Jane Fancher moved to Washington state, I stopped seeing them. I did pick up several of their bookcases when they moved, though. You can never have too many bookcases.

Anyway, I hadn't talked to either of them in a while, and I asked for a couple lines for the 50^th issues of Vision. I love the ones C.J. sent. And then she told me all about their new house, which sounds wonderful.

So, that's my news for the week. Obviously, not much going on in the real world. All of my attention is focused on writing stuff right now, and especially on Glory as I get closer to the end of the rewrite. It's important to tie things up properly, and to find those little things like I just did that need to be tweaked. Having a chance to make this right is a gift I'm not going to waste.

The world of books

zette@longlines.com — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 01:37:19 GMT

Russ was going to come home this last weekend, but nothing worked quite right again. That happens, especially during the winter when storms can get all the plane schedules screwed up -- and we all know there were some nasty storms out there over the weekend. Hope everyone gets their power back soon!

We're hoping he'll make it home for President's Day Weekend instead. If the weather is good, of course!

The writing is going so well that I'm able to take time to do all kinds of things. Play with DAZ stuff, and -- wow -- read!

I finished reading C. J. Cherry's Cyteen on Saturday and started Regenesis (which is about the same length) on Sunday. The second book takes up right where the last one left off, and they were written about twenty years apart. I'm fascinated not only by the story itself, but by the change in writing style that came with twenty years more experience. In some ways, the changes are subtle. It's not a jarring difference when you go from one book to the next. But there are differences, as you would expect. In some ways, it's like looking at the difference between Ari 1 and Ari 2 (which you will understand if you have read either book). They are people from two different ages.

It's hard for me not to sit down and just read, but I do have other things to get done. I suspect it won't take me too long to get through it, though.

And the next Foreigner book will be out in a couple months. I am really looking forward to that one since the Foreigner series is my favorite. This will make number ten. Wonderful books.

I have a house full of wonderful books. Actually, two houses full -- and looking at the ones here in my office makes me again appreciate the world of publication. As an individual trying to break into the market, it can be a frustrating, annoying business -- but as a reader, I have to say that I love the wonderful books.

And maybe it's important to remember that twenty years ago, the Internet was still just barely getting off its feet, and self-publishing still meant vanity press, and books in stores were the only option for professional publication. Both sides have expanded since then. It's an interesting world, really. And like with any other change, there will be a lot of 'get rich quick' schemes, poorly executed ideas, and shoddy workmanship... but the people who treat the new challenges with the same professionalism as those in the traditional paper world of publishing are going to have a much better chance of being the names people remember twenty years from now.

We don't remember most of the books put out twenty years ago. We were never meant to. They're entertainment and it's important to remember that aspect of publishing. I doubt most people remember most of the shows that were on twenty years ago, and there were far fewer of those than there were of books published.

Entertainment. Unless you are writing nonfiction, that's what you're trying to do if you are publishing your work in any way at all. If you can draw readers at all, the next step is to make certain that they enjoy what they read enough to come back. That's no easy task. You're obviously never going to please everyone. You won't even please everyone you think should enjoy your work. Don't be shoddy with the work, and you're likely to attract and keep more readers. They're pretty forgiving, as long as they think you're not being lazy.

It's going to be interesting to see who is still publishing twenty years from now. And how they are publishing, of course. The Internet has diffused the readership to some degree, just as cable has diffused viewing. It's become a niche market, just as I've said about the Internet publishers -- and because they are so diffuse, it's far harder today to find out what is on television then it was twenty years ago.

The same is true of books on the Internet. What you want, more than anything, is to be entertaining enough that every reader who likes your material at all is impressed enough to remember the 'channel' he or she found it on.

It's not an easy task. Some people are better at it than others, and some people luck into the right things (and they'll usually admit it was luck, too).

I guess you just have to decide two things -- what you want, and how hard you are willing to work to get it.

The writing is the easy part. Making it work... that's a lot harder.

Different writers and the ability to learn

zette@longlines.com — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 03:50:05 GMT

Actually, this should be more about the willingness to learn, rather than the ability. There are some people who do not have the ability to learn, but those are few. You cannot learn imagination, but you can learn how to best create material from your imagination. You just have to be willing to do so.

This is also about the people who take advantage of those who could learn, but are turning them away from the possibility of doing better. Anyone who has spent time on the Internet looking for writing-related material knows what I mean. There are a lot of sites out there where people are more than willing to tell you how to do things -- the one true way, as if there is such a thing. And the people there will do their best, it seems, to make certain new writers know they're not as good as them, and never will be. Of course not if they're doing their best to make certain those people don't learn what might help them. Many of these sites are those of a single person taking their stand and shouting about the evils of everything that isn't working the way they want things to work -- the way that things work specifically for them, and never mind if that isn't what others want to do. Everyone involved in anything that is not like what they are doing are obviously wrong -- that means writing what they don't like to read, publishing in ways they don't care about for themselves, etc. When you come across such a site, don't mistake it for someone trying to be helpful. This isn't about you -- it's about them.

Creative writing is not taught in school -- not in any real sense -- and that means a lot of new writers are looking for help they can get nowhere else. No one is a born writer, and while some find the answers they need easily, others have to work harder. That does not make them worse writers -- only people who haven't found the answers yet. It seems as though some 'known' writers are purposely trying to ruin new writers by giving them bad advice or being cruel about a new writer's ability. Maybe they're trying to thin out the ranks or something. There are times when I swear they are doing some of this on purpose.

Sometimes the Internet is dangerous for those who have a real longing to write better and who are looking for answers that will help them. Writing better has nothing to do with publication: it is about writing well for its own sake. I look everywhere -- new books and sites -- because I learned (and because I am willing to learn) that you can find odd little answers that 'click' in just about any place. If I am going to put something out for people to read, I want it to be the best that I can make it. That doesn't, obviously, mean perfection -- but I'm willing to still learn ways to make things better and hope that later material will benefit from it.

The only people who can't improve their writing are the ones who stop trying to.

I had an interesting conversation with some people in the FM chat last night, and it started me thinking about all the different writing sites and the 'rules' about writing some put out. There are no rules. We all know that's true. There may be things that work for a majority of people, but there will also be those scant few who manage to do just the opposite and still make it work. The trick is to make certain what you do works for you.

One person told me she had read that if you can't summarize your story in a couple concise paragraphs, than there is something wrong with the story. (At least this is the idea, if not the exact wording she used.)

That's bullshit. Being able to summarize your story is an art form, and just like writing well, it's something that takes practice. If you can't do it, it likely has nothing at all to do with the story itself, but rather with the lack of experience in trying this little exercise. And that's all it is -- an exercise. Your inability to do this does not reflect on the quality of the book's premise. The book may be flawed, but you can't tell if you are trying this and can't make it work. If you have never made it work, then the problem is more likely in the inability to write the concise description rather than with the book.

If this is something you think is important, but you haven't been able to do it yet, try this: Go find the favorite books you've read and practice with them, rather than your own work. Do it with several books. You know there is nothing wrong with those stories, so eventually you should be able to create this kind of concise synopsis for them. After you get the knack of doing them, then go and try with your own work. Don't expect it to be easy.

But I still have to tell you, it has nothing at all to do with whether or not your book is good.

There is another kind of problem site for writers -- the write and post NOW! sites. They're fine for people who just want to have fun, and who don't want to push a little harder to write better. There is nothing wrong with it, as long as the author understands that the mere act of writing isn't always going to make a good story.

I sometimes think these sites are run by people who want to bring others down to their level of writing because then they don't have to try harder, either. Or, worse, the site might be run by someone who does have ability, and it's the best way to make certain everyone sees what a better writer that person is, compared to the poorly written posts of others. (Come on, join in, it's fun -- but you aren't going to do as well as I do, of course.)

There is no doubt that such sites can still be a lot of fun, especially if the author doesn't have high expectations of what will happen once the material is posted there. Publishers and agents don't hunt the internet for gems -- they have far more than enough material sent to them. This isn't a step to higher publication; you'll have to take that step yourself, not expect someone else to come for you. Yes, there are a couple people who have made it this way. They are so few, compared to the multitude of stories posted, that they aren't really a sign -- they're a small glitch, a tiny anomaly. Don't use them as examples for yourself. You'll be disappointed. In essence, there is nothing at all wrong with such sites for people who aren't interested in any form of traditional publication, or in drawing readers who are interested in the quality of writing they'll more likely find in a site with more controls. However, if you have higher goals for your writing ability (not necessarily for your future in publication) then take the time to step back before you post your material and think it over. Look around the site to make certain that anyone is even going to notice you there. If there are thirty pieces and twenty-seven of them are so badly written that you wince when you look at them, this is not a site for you. Yes, your material will likely shine brighter than the other stories -- but it is unlikely people will ever get that far to read it. (This is the same advice I give to people looking at ebook publishers. Make certain the rest of the material is as good as your own work, because being better than all the others won't win you anything if people take a look at two books and decide never to come back again.)

There is nothing wrong with publishing on the Internet if this is what you really want to do. Not everyone wants to deal with traditional publication, which can be difficult, annoying -- but like anything that is work, can be worth the rewards, too.

In the end, it is what you want and what you are willing to do that matters. If you aren't interested in being a better writer, then don't worry about it. It's not a crime. Go out, write, post and have fun. If you are looking to improve your skill, then be wary of all sorts of traps you can find on the Internet, from people who are trying to make it too hard to those who make it too easy.

Check out lots of sites. Try many things. Find what you want and what works for you. Relax and enjoy both the art of writing and the fun of learning.

A little bit about politics

zette@longlines.com — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 03:17:01 GMT

The day after....

Yesterday, it was easy to get caught up in the excitement of what was going on. I'd watch the TV for a little while, then go back to my office... then wander back out and watch a bit more. By the end of the night, I had watched a lot of things twice and had watched more TV than I had in the previous month.

My real question was if I would feel as upbeat and happy about it all the next day.

The answer is yes. Tired, but still upbeat and happy.

I still have hope that things are going to get better. It's been a long while since I could say that about anything even remotely political. There's always a chance that I'll be proven wrong, but that's a chance we all take with the choices we back.

Let's see if a new way makes a difference.

It's not as easy to be optimistic as it once was. After all, I grew up in the 60's and 70's -- at a time when we really, truly believed we could help make a better world. It wasn't all about love-in's and drugs; that's just the parts that the media focused on, because the media is always looking for sensationalism. Like every age, we were more than what was documented. The biggest, most important power we had was that of hope -- but that hope died with every assassination of someone we believed in, and with every lie and trick that came from the Nixon Presidency. It was very easy to stop believing by the end.

And that's wrong, because we did make a change. Little changes that you don't much think about -- but I remember having to stand waiting for a school bus to show up and freezing because, being a girl, I had to wear a dress to school. And big things -- because today we have a black president. This wouldn't have happened without the work of people in the 50's, 60's and 70's. Yes, we had setbacks, but even so, things kept moving forward. It took far longer than it should have -- and the work is far from completed -- but the world has changed, and for once I can even believe that it's changed for the better. I can hope for something good again.

It is a shame that we can't spread that hope and belief to everyone in the world, because you can do far more with hope than with negativity. I know the world isn't even as safe as it had been back in the 60's -- and believe me, it wasn't very safe back then -- and I know that we have enemies who won't care how much of a change this election has made.

But I'm still going to dare to hope again. I'm going to dare to believe that we are heading into a better age once more.

And now back to writing....

No Excuses

zette@longlines.com — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 01:43:01 GMT

I started last year with a bad attitude toward everything, including writing, and found it hard to get out of that mindset. I did all right anyway -- didn't miss any contract deadlines, made a couple sales, and finished the year with just slightly over one million words typed in on stories and articles. (I don't count journals, posts, and edits.) I wrote some new stories and novels that I really enjoyed, despite my overall attitude toward the world, and I'm looking forward to editing and submitting them.

The one thing I never did was make excuses not to write. I did the work I had agreed to do, found some fun stories to write that drew me out of my bad mood, and wrote every day because it is not only what I do for a living, but what I love to do.

I did come very close to missing a deadline this last year, but I buckled down and did the work, and in the end I had something I was proud to turn in to the publisher. He seems happy with it as well.

It would have been easy, at any time during the last year, to say 'I don't feel like it today' and let the work slip by for a while. Lots of people miss deadlines, after all, and they plainly don't care. And with the other writing that wasn't on contract -- well, I'm the only one keeping track of whether I make my personal goals or not. So why not give up on some of the goals, sit back and just not care?

Because that's too easy. And once you start getting that 'it doesn't matter' attitude, then it's going to be easier the next time. Should it make a difference if you are writing for yourself or for others? No. My feeling is that if you can't do the work, and do it well, for yourself, then how can you apply yourself to it with enough care for people you don't know and will never meet?

I decided, after the snarly, growly 2008 that 2009 was going to be better. Things are better financially, and while I'm not thrilled with winter so far, I figure we're getting through it. I had, at the end of 2008, done the one thing I always try to do: I finished writing all the drafts I'd been working on during the year, and made certain that I could start 2009 with a clean slate and an ability to write anything I wanted to.

I have been working on the new science fiction novel, Draw the Line. I'm doing something odd with it -- writing only about 500 words a day on it. It's the first thing I work on when I get to the computer -- before email, before checking websites, and before doing any other work. You know what? It has really helped my attitude. I enjoy the story, and it reminds me of what I love about being a writer -- the ability to sit down and create tales of wonder.

Later in the day, I pull out Glory and work on the rewrite of it. I thought there was going to be a lot more wrong with it than there is. What a wonderfully fun story! I am also working on the first notes for another fantasy novel. It's not titled and I have very little for it so far... but I'm enjoying the work.

I've been getting in a little over 3k in words a day -- and still having a lot of time left over to work on art, site, Vision, and whatever else pops up.

I also started out this year with a determination to do better in attitude, and it's been working wonderfully well for the first two weeks of the year. Maybe I'll fall down later, but so far I've been more productive and happier. I have also gotten back a beta-read novel and I'm doing the last edits and preparing to send it out. Will it find a market? I think it will, though it may take me a while to find it. I think part of that is the 'joy of the hunt' for me.

So here, really, is my point. You don't have to write every day, but if you want to be a professional writer -- or at least act like one -- treat your writing as something more than a 'when I get to it' event. Don't make excuses for not writing -- find reasons to write instead. 'I don't feel like it' isn't going to win you any points with readers, so don't get into the habit now.