Just returned form the SiWC, and am totally jazzed and inspired and imbued with this fluttering sense of expectation…it’s going to happen!
However, first we have to dance Salome’s dance for the Agents, Publishers, whomever; before they will even look at our manuscript--our writing—we must Pitch…waft the veil of the synopsis, before their eyes; weave it through the musk of incense and idiom until, entranced, they beg to see the flesh (err…the actual writing).
First in Category-Young Adult Fantasy
Dante Rossetti Award
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Sunday, October 17, 2010
CHARACTEROLOGY
I picked up this ancient book on Characterology and have found it completely fascinating:
“Characterologists believe that the intimate connection of spirit, mind, and body not only affects the expressions but also etches its story and patterns in a person’s appearance
--Carl E. Wagner, Jr.
For just a couple of examples:
• How many of our heroines have “large eyes” which characterolgy tells us indicates an outgoing nature--talkative and expressive.
• “Deep-set eyes” may indicate a person slow to speech and sparing of words. Yep, that’d be our laconic cowboy hero all right.
• And where would we be without our villains--why are they always such fun to describe? Foxy-eyes, slanting downward to the nose may indicate deceit; or straight-across eyelids an indication of cruelty. “Wolf’s Eyes”, showing the white on both sides and on top of the iris “is frequently found in people of a violent nature” (C. Wagner, Jr.)
The descriptions are endless, and fascinating…of course; we are the total sum of our parts—no one feature can be taken alone as the sum of our personality
“Characterologists believe that the intimate connection of spirit, mind, and body not only affects the expressions but also etches its story and patterns in a person’s appearance
--Carl E. Wagner, Jr.
For just a couple of examples:
• How many of our heroines have “large eyes” which characterolgy tells us indicates an outgoing nature--talkative and expressive.
• “Deep-set eyes” may indicate a person slow to speech and sparing of words. Yep, that’d be our laconic cowboy hero all right.
• And where would we be without our villains--why are they always such fun to describe? Foxy-eyes, slanting downward to the nose may indicate deceit; or straight-across eyelids an indication of cruelty. “Wolf’s Eyes”, showing the white on both sides and on top of the iris “is frequently found in people of a violent nature” (C. Wagner, Jr.)
The descriptions are endless, and fascinating…of course; we are the total sum of our parts—no one feature can be taken alone as the sum of our personality
Friday, October 8, 2010
COFFEE HOUSE MUSE
Enjoyed a good "coffee house workshop" with the usual suspects from my writers group. Achieved a good four hours input, with 3 or 4 breaks for "speculative" conversation and laughs. Then... my creative wheels just started spinning. It's like my characters were on a union break or something; milling around the set without any direction. Time to pack 'er up and head home.
During the course of getting dinner organized, I was suddenly mentally re-organizing the last scene and kept running over to the desk to jot down notes. If Bill noticed the Zombie glaze I'd get over my eyes when thinking about scene reorganizing, he refrained from commenting (or perhaps he's getting used to the times I'm afflicted with distraction).
I'm determined I'm going to let the story cool a bit before I haul it out again, but I know tomorrow I'll be on a roll again.
During the course of getting dinner organized, I was suddenly mentally re-organizing the last scene and kept running over to the desk to jot down notes. If Bill noticed the Zombie glaze I'd get over my eyes when thinking about scene reorganizing, he refrained from commenting (or perhaps he's getting used to the times I'm afflicted with distraction).
I'm determined I'm going to let the story cool a bit before I haul it out again, but I know tomorrow I'll be on a roll again.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
FRIENDLY FIRE
A component (a rowdy bunch, but we did finally get down to business) of our writers group met for coffee and critique last night.
I brought an excerpt of a work in progress, River Wraith, and was both challenged and invigorated by the thoughtful input from my "colleagues"—some of the things they catch, make you want to thump your head like Homer Simpson in a "Dooh!" self-reproach.
Other comments resulted from a shrewd eye catching a copy edit type error, or wording that could be tweaked for more effect. It was all good, honest stuff from people I've grown to trust.
I wriggled like a puppy in sheer joy, when compliments were bestowed--for the same reason, they came from fellow writers I trust and respect.
We all have a different writing style, and it was great reading/ hearing everyone’s work; we're going to get to enjoy watching each other succeed and eventually celebrate when we've found a niche where our work will be enjoyed by readers at large.
I brought an excerpt of a work in progress, River Wraith, and was both challenged and invigorated by the thoughtful input from my "colleagues"—some of the things they catch, make you want to thump your head like Homer Simpson in a "Dooh!" self-reproach.
Other comments resulted from a shrewd eye catching a copy edit type error, or wording that could be tweaked for more effect. It was all good, honest stuff from people I've grown to trust.
I wriggled like a puppy in sheer joy, when compliments were bestowed--for the same reason, they came from fellow writers I trust and respect.
We all have a different writing style, and it was great reading/ hearing everyone’s work; we're going to get to enjoy watching each other succeed and eventually celebrate when we've found a niche where our work will be enjoyed by readers at large.
Friday, October 1, 2010
MY FLIGHT TO WRITE...
I ran away to one of the local coffee shops this morning...my flight to write.
Why, you may ask, when I have a perfectly good desk at home, complete with comfy chair?
Well, it's amazing how a different environment (ie: away from the laundry room, garden that needs winterizing, and yes, the guilt I feel when husband wanders by and sighs, "What'cha doin'now?")
Yes, I bundled Guilt into a dark closet to be dealt with later and I settled into a corner at Serious Coffee with a large mug of 'Coal Miner's Blend', flipped open the laptop and heaved a tremulous sigh--will the words come? They did! I'll have lots of editing to do...later...but forced myself to keep it going for two hours. Progress!
Returned home happy and at peace with myself, until tomorrow at least.
Why, you may ask, when I have a perfectly good desk at home, complete with comfy chair?
Well, it's amazing how a different environment (ie: away from the laundry room, garden that needs winterizing, and yes, the guilt I feel when husband wanders by and sighs, "What'cha doin'now?")
Yes, I bundled Guilt into a dark closet to be dealt with later and I settled into a corner at Serious Coffee with a large mug of 'Coal Miner's Blend', flipped open the laptop and heaved a tremulous sigh--will the words come? They did! I'll have lots of editing to do...later...but forced myself to keep it going for two hours. Progress!
Returned home happy and at peace with myself, until tomorrow at least.
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