M Happy New Year

I just wanted to apologize for being away and not really posting since before Christmas. Anyway, I wanted to wish a happy new year to all and I hope that all of the joy of the fresh start spreads to you and your families.


My resolution for this year is going to be: tighten the screws on my manuscript and query. I have spent the last year writing and learning how to seek out publishing from all of the great publishing, writer's, and agent's blogs out there. Thank you for your support in 2010 and now it will be time to put it to practice in 2011.
Happy New Year!

Happy Holidays

Merry Christmas to all and Happy Holidays.  I will talk to you next week.  I hope that you have a great time with your families.

M. Writer's cramp

I have always found that I love the writing that I do and I generally enjoy reading what I write. However, I am finding myself falling out of love with just about every word I wrote in a WIP lately. At this point the only thought that I am having is that I want to scrap the whole thing and start over. 

I would call it a mental and emotional writer's cramp, my hands don't hurt, but I can't go forward until I step away, rub away the unwanted writing, and come back rejuvenated.



The plot was decent, the characters needed work, the description was poor at best, and I really can’t stand it.


I think that the story needs to be told though it is a really uplifting and fun fantasy type Middle Grade novel.


Have any of you ever scrapped a story? Have you ever been disgusted with a story that you rewrote it? I guess that I am still developing and learning about myself, so I don’t know if this is a normal stage of the insanity that is writing.

M. Christmas Movies, Dead or Alive?

As is customary with the holiday tradition, I have been watching the Christmas movies with my children. Like always, frosty manages to not melt and Rudolph finds the path to Christmas, but there is one thing off. When I watch the movies of old, even the disturbing Claymation ones, I notice that they are better stories and by far better done then the newer stuff.
There are several newer age stories that have branched from the original ones and I just don't see how they carry any weight against the ones of old. Possibly it is just my nostalgic look on the old ones, but for a lack of a better term, the new shows are crap.
What is your favorite movie of old and is there a newer one that I haven't seen that is worth it?

My all time favorite live is The Christmas Story and animated is Frosty, I love that snowman.

M. Twas the Week Before Christmas

Twas the week before Christmas and...  Ahhhhh!!!!  I still don't know if I'm ready.  The hustle and bustle of Christmas is getting in the way of anything and everything being accomplished, but in a good way.

We get to see family that we haven't seen in a while and friends that have become distant come together.  The people coming out of the WAWA's (A convenience store, with the best coffee in our area) hold the door for you and don't give the normal annoyed looks that usually exist.

It would be nice if people would walk around with the spirit of the holidays all year long.  It would be like a land filled with Anti-depressant laced coffee.

I hope that everyone has a great holiday and I wish everyone and their families a safe and happy holiday.

M. Cookie Day

Today marks a day of Christmas tradition in my household that has dated back for several years now.  So in celebration of that day, there is no talking about writing today, just writing about cookies.  Which is fun too.

Basically my wife and sister-in-law make mounding heaps of cookies, which I sample all day, in all different shapes, sizes, flavors, styles, it is basically a smorgasbord.  Then to top it off, this year she is making chocolate fudge and a family recipe of Congo Bars (Which are too good to describe.)  It is a wild day filled with sugar rushes and fun to spare.

Family traditions, even though some are filled with sugar and calories, are always a key element of the holidays.

Any favorite family traditions in your house for the holidays?

M. Writer?

I was reading Betsy Lerner's blog last night and she was asking what specifly makes someone a writer.  Here.  There is a great few contridictions about the walls and barriers that we hit as writers but my comment is, "I say that I am a writer. It is up to agents and publishers to make me an author."

I have already become a writer just by writing and nobody can take that from me.  It doesn't matter to me if what I write is ever read or published, it would be nice, but not the main goal.  Writing is a soothing outlet for me that I have found to be as enjoyable as reading.

Don't get me wrong, I will continue to try to get published and send query letters out.  I will read the query shark and get suggestions from Betsy on how to do all of these things, but if it never happens, I am still a writer.

Do it because you love to do it and don't give up no matter what and don't let a label stop you from your goals.

M. Blogging

Blogging is so much more of a task then I originally thought it would be. At first, I figured it would be just logging on every day or so and talking about whatever was on my mind. Then I read that it was supposed to be about something. On top of that it has to be entertaining, educational, and well written.
I don't really have any issues with the process, it is just sometimes taxing. It has been about a week or more since I have written anything. It wasn't a lack of time; it was a lack of inspiration. I was just having blogging blah.
To be honest, I am having the same issue with writing in general right now. I can't seem to get the keys and fingers to flow like they were and I don't know why. I hope that this stops soon and I am hoping that part of my healing the issue is coming on here and saying it. So here it is, I want my inspiration back.

ROMANCE

The genre of romance is easier to describe than most of the rest. It is often coupled with other genres and can stand alone, but usually doesn’t. The plot will mainly focus on the relationship of the protagonist or a possible relationship and the many trials and tribulations that the said hero goes through to find love.


As is the way with most writing, the romance novel has no roof or ceiling and the only one that can limit the story is the writer. The story can be told in any time, place, or world that the writer sees fit. The main key goals that must be met in the story though are; there has to be a main plot revolving around the relationship between two characters that are falling in love or are in love and that the ending must have a happy ending with the pair coming out on top, despite the horrors or tests the writer put them through.

Romance is a simple concept if you think about it and anyone can write it, the only thing that you would need for experience would be to once have felt the feeling of love for another.

STEAMPUNK

Let's go off of the normal beaten path and jump into a sub-genre that is somewhat different than what we have been discussing.

Steampunk is an interesting genre on multiple levels and takes some skill on the writer's part. It is a genre of science fiction that revolves around a period of Victorian times, but what our world would be like if we still lived in them.

The best way to think about it that you are writing a story about what the world would be like if we never kept technologically evolving. In this said world, there would be no blogging, computers, and like Gilligan not a single luxury. Well maybe some luxury for the really rich, but think about what life was like for people in the time period if they weren't royal and that is your character base.

Basically it seems like a fun idea to create a world such as this, but I don't ever see myself being able to write one. If steampunk is your way to go though, then sit back pretend like you have a typewriter and pretend like the world we live in never happened.

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy thanksgiving to all that are reading and I hope that you have a wonderful holiday.

FANTASY

Fantasy

Today we are going to talk about the broad genre of fantasy. It is one of the reasons that I am writing today and defiantly the reason that I became a reader. So, bare with me as I attempt to be as impartial as possible, here we go.

Fantasy and science fiction are often grouped together, but are not the same by a long shot. Fantasy revolves around the imaginative world of well, fantasy. Things that would and could never happen in the real world such as goblins, elves, and other fantastic creatures that your mind can produce. Where science fiction follows a more science based theme of the, could be possible, but we will get to that another day.

These stories often take you to a place that happened a long time ago or in a parallel dimension, but there are key elements that are often there too that make us know we are working with a fantasy.

Key Elements

 There is often a quest for our protagonist to perform,

 There is often a clear line between the forces of good vs. evil,

 Some use of magic/the supernatural/swords and knights/fantasy creatures, be as creative as your little heart desires.

 The sky is the limit in fantasy and if you have covered that then maybe you should go underwater and underground.

 

Examples of Fantasy

JRR Tolkien - The Hobbit & The Lord of the Rings Series

JK Rowlings – The Harry Potter Series

Robert Jordan – The Wheel of Time Series

Thriller Suspense

The thriller/suspense genre has several key elements that separate it from the rest of the others. A thriller has plot twists and turns that keep the reader on their toes and on the edge of their seats as the protagonist faces death or other possible huge significant events, such as saving the world, loved ones, or saving someone from a serial killer.


The difference between a mystery and a thriller is that the a mystery focuses on the clues and solving the crime and a thriller focuses on the event in question and the protagonists attempts at stopping the significant event.

In most cases a thriller's protagonist comes out on top and saves the day, but not always.
There is usually evil around every corner and there is a jump factor
The ante is usually great and important to the protagonist.

Mystery

The genre of Mystery is fiction that focuses and surrounds itself around puzzles and clues that are followed and investigated by an investigator. The genre is broad but fits into a specific category because of a few key elements which are as follows:
KEY ELEMENTS:

PUZZLE/CLUES
STORY SURROUNDS INVESTIGATOR
STORY LACKS PARANORMAL ELEMENTS AND RELIES ON LOGIC
THE CRIME DETAILS ARE NOT IMPORTANT, THE FOCUS IS THE SLEUTH
LITTLE ATTENTION IS ON THE CRIMINAL ELEMENT
While I know this may not be the entire genre's elements, these are the keys to knowing if you have a mystery on your laptop. If you have written something from the detective's perspective with no psychics and the detective finds clues and follows them to the unknown killer. Then maybe, just maybe, you might have written a mystery. One of the key elements that take a mystery to a new genre would be a killer's perspective or a look into the killer's mind.
Keep in mind a genre can overlap and intertwine, but if the tone and elements are investigator based in your MS then you probably should query as a mystery.

M. Genre

I find that writing the story is the easy part. Categorizing it and putting it into a little gift wrapped box and calling it something is the hard part. I am going to begin researching genres and blogging their definitions so that hopefully we will have a database when it is complete to reference. I will do my best to stay on top of this and keep the information coming, but some of this is new to me so I also have quite a bit to learn.

Unknown Diagnosis

Unknown Diagnosis


M. A. Leslie

The room is shifting, but not like a merry-go-round,
The room is moving from side to side,
Shaking left, shaking right, and the room teeters like a boat,
Seasick and nausea, can’t walk straight, always falling,
Can’t drive, trouble talking, stuttered speech,
Blurred vision that is sometimes double,
Can’t shake feeling, never ending, not always awful,
But the symptoms are never fading.

Doctor’s visits, knowledge aplenty,
Tests and scans, Tubes and darkness,
Blood drawn and taken, tested, and prodded,
Still no answers, still nothing concrete,
Doctors trying, guessing, practicing,
Hypothesis, possible diagnosis, medication, but still not working,
Side effects, symptoms remain.

The walls are moving around, can’t walk through them,
Step forward but go right,
Headache, migraine, pain, constant,
The eyes are moving shifting, crazy,
Can’t see at times, dangerous walking, still seasick,
Headache for days that will not pass,
Eight days go by migraine pulling behind the eyes,
Wake on day nine, symptoms gone, better,
Healed and healthy, problems are gone.

Back to work, back to normal,
Life is better, life is right,
Symptoms passed and not returning,
Driving, working, and living.
Four months gone, while sick,
Three weeks well, not a glitch or a problem.

Evil symptoms again returning,
Symptoms return, after one month well,
After four months of uncertain hell,
Problems return, still no answers,
Return to doctors for practiced opinions,
Problem continues and now is different,
All of the same as before but now hands burning,
Diagnosis, unknown, testing prodding, waiting,
Again, back to waiting with no answers,
Unknown Diagnosis.

M. Word Count (I Hate It)

The most difficult part of writing for me to date has been word count.  For some reason the first draft consistently gets to about 60 to 70k.  Then we go through it again and try to bulk it up and again and again.  I understand that the world of publishing is a business and that a publishing house has to have a product to sell with the standard 80k to 110k, but at what point does a book just get fluffed like a pillow?  It isn't any softer or fuller, just puffy.I often read stories and blogs about other writers that face the exact opposite problem of having a book that needs to be cut.  Which is worse?  I guess it would be better to have too much and take some out, but then you have to be a grim reaper to your beloved and cut letters, words, and lines that you had spent so much time filling in.  Is there a happy medium?

M. HP Crosses Generation Gaps Just Like Bon Jovi

Harry Potter Crosses Generation Gaps Just Like Bon Jovi.

Very few books in the world can be read by a small child and then enjoyed by that child's parent.  Only to have been recomended by his grandmother in the first place.  Harry Potter can.  In the music world Bon Jovi does that and I feel that JK Rowling may have been the only writer to create a generation spanning character that can be enjoyed equally by an eight year old and an eighty year old.  I know in our car, my wife and I will sing along to a Bon Jovi song and both of our children will happily join the chorus.  And just like Rowlings, their grandparents know all the words and love Bon Jovi too.  I realize it isn't exactly the same but it is close.  The stretch across generations.  Amazing, yes.  But obviously it can be done in the literary and music industries.

M. The Hobbit

This was one of the stories that really stirred my interest in writing.  It wasn't the one that made me a reader and it definitely wasn't why I started writing, but it is the wick in my mind.  It took several years of wax to build around it and then finally a flame to ignite before I started to put pen to paper and then fingers to keys.  I just hope to be able to create something as beautiful and amazing as THE HOBBIT and some day inspire someone else.  While some may not agree, it is truly a piece of classical American Literature.

J.R.R Tolkien, thank you for the inspiration.

M. Being Tested

Life is strange how it works and how it doesn't work sometimes. All things happen for a reason is what I have always been told and I believe it, but I just wish I knew what that reason was when it was happening. It is kind of upsetting to be in the middle of the thing that isn't working out and trying to tell yourself, "It is happening for a reason." I just don't know why that’s all.
It really irks me that as people we are always test to find out how strong we are. I am always satisfied when I pass the tests, but I am getting to a point in my life now where I would like to know that the test has been passed and maybe, just maybe I have gotten a good enough grade. Unfortunately though, in life there is no graduation. You just keep going from one test to the other and hope to god that you can pass the next one with as much class and strength as you did the last.
Just remember that you will always be tested and it isn't if you pass or fail, it is how you carry on.

M. Coffee

I find that one of the most essential parts of writing and concentration is coffee.  I required the brown elixir of life to recieve my charge to complete my day and push past my limits when it it is needed.  The aroma in the air, the french vanilla creamer swirling in as I stir it with a spoon, and the warmth as it rolls down your throat.  I don't know at what point but at one point in my life I went from enjoying coffee to needing coffee.  It is my vice though, which isn't really all that bad, it's only coffee.

M. Freedom

Well I finally finished reading FREEDOM by Jonathan Franzen. It was one of those books that definitely will change the way that I think for the rest of my life. His writing style, his voice, the way he creates characters is nothing short of amazing. Somehow he intertwines the lives and overlaps the stories of all of the characters in a way that you don't even notice it happening. Basically, I recommend reading the book and seeing how you feel afterwards. It may give you a different perspective of how you abuse/use your freedom.

M. Characters You Create

Writing is one of the most difficult tasks/hobbies that I have ever taken on.  It is grueling and mostly thankless.  So far all I have done is entertain myself, which for now has been good enough, but I have a thirst to be published.  I am starting to fall in love with the characters that are coming to life on the pages as if I know them.  They each have their own personality and quirks that make them unique.  Generally I like most of them and wouldn't want to see any harm come to them.

I think back to when I read Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and how J K Rowlings had to kill off one of the characters.  In an interview she had stated that she had become extremely upset and even cried doing it.  I never understood that until now.  I couldn't imagine taking one of the characters that I created and just killing them.  I would be heartbroken.

M. Rain, Rain, Go away

The rain has been pelting the house since early yesterday and is relentlessly continuing this morning.  The sky is a drab grey and cloudy with meloncoly undertones and dim light.  The radar screen shows no signs of the attack letting up and I am planning on a day filled with writing.  Hopefully I can find the inspiration today, as of late I have been slightly blocked and it is the most frustrating feeling in the world.

Fourth and Goal

Senior year was what Jake Richards had been waiting for his entire life, that and standing on the football field. High School had revolved around football, he had remembered plays, practiced daily leaving sweat and blood on the field, and spend his entire off season training, and here he was in the state championship game as the starting running back for the team that he had played for since he could walk. It was the end of the fourth quarter and his team was down by three points. The coach had called time out after the last play and he knew well that this would be the last play of the game and the last play of his high school career.


They were lined up on the two yard line and all it was going to take would be one little push but it was now fourth and goal and with no time or timeouts, this was the last shot. Jake huddled up with the young men that he had spent most of his childhood with playing on the field and they came together as one unit listening to their quarterback the golden boy, Stan Philips.

He looked at everyone and then around like he was making direct eye contact with each and every one of them then he looked to the center and said, “Twenty-one dive; on one, on one, ready break.” There was no fluent speech or motivational boost, the message was read from his eyes and everyone knew what they needed to do.

They all clapped together and headed for the line, Jake’s nerves were now on fire as he took his place in the backfield. The ball was coming to him. His coach had chosen him to carry the ball the last two yards over the line to win the game, the thought was starting to sicken him and he did his best to focus.

The linemen took their places and the gap that would soon be Jake’s road to victory now formulated in front of him. They would block and he would find it. The quarterback walked up and started yelling as if to tell everyone what to expect and what he saw. Voices were tense and loud to speak over the obnoxious din that was echoing from their opponent’s side.

While they were a few yards away and behind facemasks Jake could hear them as they snarled and growled. The linebackers were poised and ready, a few of them yelled out like they knew what was called and where to expect to go.

Jake took a deep breath and settled his feet behind Stan then allowed himself to become still and calm. He zoned out the noises across the field and only heard his quarterback as the cadence began. The front line dropped their hands on their knees, and then they placed their hands on the ground. And finally the ball moved.

In an instant Jake was running forward to his quarterback and taking the handoff. The line had opened the hole and he sprung forward with only one adversary in his way. Jake was at full speed as was the linebacker, the only person that could stand in his way. The time on the clock had run out and all relied on his arms reaching the ball across the line. It was completely up to him.

Like a steam powered train the linebacker ran toward him with his breath visibly pouring with chilled vapors from the November air. The collision was eminent and as he wrapped his arms around the middle of the halfback he did everything in his power to stop him. He too was trying to be the savior of the game and like two titans they clashed on the line pushing to achieve their own agendas.

Finally with one last gut wrenching push of all of his might and a twist of his body, Jake powered into the linebacker and crossed the ball over the line. His arm clutched the ball to his chest and didn’t let go but the rest of his body gave way as he fell into the end zone. He knew that he had reached his goal and he no longer had the power to even try to stand any further. Surrounded by cheering, screaming, and tears of his opponents, Jake laid on the ground completely alone, the pressure, the practice, the constant pressure was finally gone. He lay on the fresh cut, painted grass and for the first time he could actually smell the way that the field smelled after the mower made its cut, it was beautiful.

M. Thirty

Well I survived becoming thirty and while I can say it isn't much different, it is somewhat different.  I can no longer say that I am in my twenties and that in itself is depressing.  But what is done is done, I can't stop time and all I can do is move forward.  I have my beautiful wife and two great children and I know that it is only going to keep getting better.  Here is to the people out there that have hit a milestone, whether it is small like mine or large.

M. Book Banning

All week I have been reading about book banning on other blogs. It is a real shame to live in a country with a freedom of speech and to still have to have this conversation. To all of the people out there who want to ban books, I say stop. I was reading Nathan Bransford's blog and came across the list with the top 100 banned books of the decade and it is sad. Here is the list, decade list. There are quite a few books that are on there that not only taught me through school but I can honestly say, changed my life.
If you don't like it then don't read it, if you want to oppress your children and give them close minded unimaginative thoughts then go ahead and stop the books from entering your door. Do not stop everyone else out there from finding that one book that will change their lives. If you take that from them then you are taking away a piece of their freedom.

M. Crossing Over into 30, 2 Hours and Counting

Today is my last day of my twenties.  While it is scary to think that another decade has passed and I will never be able to say I am twenty-anything ever again.  Actually I only have two more hours and then I am thirty.
My twenties were a great time of my life, I got married during them, had children, and found an amazing career.  Even though I became ill during my last year of twenty I can still say that I enjoyed them.  Now I look forward to turning a new corner of my life and passing over the threshold of another decade.  Thirties are going to be the best years of my life, I don't know why I know this, but I just do.

Here is to Thirty and crossing over into a new decade of my life.

M. Reviewing Your Own Work

Have you ever written something then read it to check it for errors.  I am sure that you all have, if you are a writer then you have to every time that you write something down.  That really isn't what I am wondering.  What I want to know is do you ever know what you want to say then write something, thinking that it says what you want it to say, and then go back and reread it thinking that it says the right thing?  I know that is a long confusing question but I am trying here.

Think of it this way.  You want to say, I went to the hall.  But you write I went to the ball.  They appear similar aside from the B and H right.  Except you have been staring at text the whole day and all you can think about is what you wanted to say and you end up skimming over the section, possibly several times.  Maybe this only happens to me but I think that if I didn't have a partner to read behind me then 50% of my mistakes would be missed.

M. The Abyss

Today I don't know what I want to write about and that in itself is something that I can touch upon. I give daily newspaper reporters an immense amount of credit. Somehow they have to write, in an inspired fashion, day in and day out on subjects that they may or may not be interested in. How do they do that? I am having a hard enough time thinking of a subject for today and I have full rein over what I write.
The problem today isn't what I would call writers block it is more of a lack of inspiration. The words are still there and they are flowing from my fingers okay but something is missing. I think the key word is substance.
I am missing an inspired idea to write down and that is a scary concept to me. Have you ever had this happen? You just don't know what to write about.

M. Query Letters

A query letter not quite four letters but so far this has been a four letter word to me. It doesn't seem all that difficult in concept and execution. Basically it is a business letter that is supposed to sum up the book that you have been pouring your heart out for into one page, simple right?
At the beginning of the business letter that you are writing have all of the pertinent information that you need at the top, name, address, phone, email. How will the agent that you are querying contact you if you don't give them a way to contact you?

Paragraph one: Reach out to the agent that you are querying. This is where you want to tell them why you feel they would be an excellent fit for your novel. Just reading about them on a webpage that catalogs agents isn't going to cut it. Most agents have Blogs and WebPages that offer background information and other books that they represent that may be close to what you're writing. Do you research and know the people on the other end of the email that you are sending out. Keep this first part short and sweet though and then move on to the key of the letter.

Paragraph Two: This is where you get to sum up those 70k plus words into one paragraph. Give the main character's name, explain in quick detail the plot, the conflict, and the main idea of the story. You don't have to give the ending away, basically catch their attention. The best thing to do is to imagine that you are writing the back cover of your book to sell it to potential readers, if you can accomplish that then you will have the right information in there.

Paragraph Three: Give the agent the manuscript’s title, word count, genre, and also dabble into some of your background information. This is where I have the most trouble and doubt. I don't have any background information to give, I am just a man that writes with his wife and we feel we have stories that should be told and can be told.
Paragraph Four: Thank the agent for their time and consideration. Be polite and professional, you expect that from them whether they send you a reply so do the same for them. After this is complete you can write your salutation.
Finally I can only give one last piece of advice that I don't follow enough, read your query before you send it. Just because the spell check didn't underline the word doesn't mean that it is spelled right.

M. Location?

Where is your favorite place to write? It really doesn't matter to me as long as I am comfortable. Sometimes I write on my easy chair and other times I find myself sitting at the desk and pounding away at the keys. Then there are the late nights where I am attacking the laptop by a low incandescent light in bed. Basically, as long as I am comfortable though I can write anywhere.

Do you have a specific place that offers you the most inspiration? Do you prefer cuddling up in the easy chair like me or at a desk with perfect posture and proper wrist spacing for typing?

I do think that a writer should have a place that they enjoy doing their work but that shouldn't only be one place in the house or where ever they like to do it. In the world we live in with wireless internet and laptop computers it makes it possible for us to go anywhere and write anywhere, so I say go out there and find your place, maybe even unplug a cord. If that fails you then there is always the old fashion way, which is sometimes my favorite, pick up a pen and paper and just write.

M. Inspiration

What is your inspiration?  Is there a certain outlet of creativity or a person that inspires you to write?  For me my wife is my inspiration and without her I know that my writing wouldn't be anywhere near where it is today.  We sat down together and started this venture as a way to pass the time and it has turned into something that fills my soul.  Every time my fingers hit the keys I feel as though I am releasing pent up creativity that has been dying to be released.  I also know that I wouldn't be doing this if it wasn't for my wife.  Ideas flow from her like water from a faucet and all I can do is hope to not spill a drop of her creative juices.

A. First Day of School

Yesterday was the kids first day of school. It was both sad and happy to see them walk in the building. They go to private school, in the area we live it is our only choice. It tough too on us to pay the tuition, but it always seems to work out. I love being a mom and I love the business that's goes with it. Both of my children play football, yes my 6year old daughter plays football and loves it. My son plays too, he is getting really good even with his new diagnoses of JRA he is still pushing through. My husband and I are on the football board also, this is our first year and we had no idea what we where getting into. Then there's also my sister we took in she is doing cheer leading this year. So along with the first day of school comes all the extra activities. This year so far we will have, Football, dance, cheer leading, hockey, wrestling, and basketball. That's just the kids. For me have work, PTA, Football, and of course writing. Like I said we are busy, but I love it.

M. Characters vs. Plot

What makes a great novel?  Is it the plot that doesn't let up and carries you through the book until you reach the end only wishing and praying that it will continue.  Or is it possibly the characters in the story its self?  Do you fall in love with the charaters to the point that when the author does something to them or causes them pain it causes you some sort of pain.  What does it for you?  Is it some of both and is there a balance that has to be in a book for you to keep from becoming too bored?

M. Outlining

As a writer I have found that I am a structured outliner. Normally I need the roman numerals to guide my way as I travel from one chapter to another. I don't always stay on the outline and sometimes I have an inspirational idea that adds to the story in the middle of writing a chapter but generally speaking, if the outline isn't set then I get confused.

Some are able to sit down and use the steel trap that is attached to their necks and pour out word for word and line for line until the story has been told. I, however, am not one of those people.

My wife and I find that our best outlining time is during long car rides that involve us sitting in a car with nothing else to do. I am not sure what sparks the creative fire but something about sitting in an SUV turns the gears to our brains.

What type of writer are you? Do you outline or do you just fly by the seat of your pants?

M. Happy B-Day

Today was quite an interesting day, it started at five o'clock in the morning with my wife making a family recipe known as Congo Bars for our son's birthday. He turned eight today and while that doesn't seem so old, it feels too old to me. I still can't believe that I am the father of a child that is eight. I can remember being eight. He opened a few presents, one of which was a guitar, and then we were off to grandma's house. For the most part the day was filled with fun and enjoyed greatly that is the main reason that I am posting this blog so late.

Originally posted on September 8th.

M. Hello All

Hello world,

I would like to take an opportunity to say hello and say nice to meet you. I am an aspiring writer like many others out there, but unlike most writers I am only half of my pen name. My wife A. is the other side of our writing team and together we are working to become published authors. The fact that we write together and share a pen name could be considered unconventional but we are a team and together our work is stronger. Why change something that works.

Since March of this year I have been ill and unable to work to the capacity that my job requires. Instead of just sitting around and sulking or feeling sorry for myself I picked up a pen and paper. With the help of my wife one page turned into two, then two became ten, and finally after a few months of writing my wife and I have gotten two novel rough drafts done, one young adult rough draft complete, and a few short stories. This is something that I have wanted to be able to say that I did my entire life and now we are working to go to the next step, getting published.

As a person that has spent no time in the publishing industry I have relied on the internet and sources that are out there to see how this obtainable. I can honestly say there is plenty of great information and sites that basically teach you how to do it from start to finish. As I learn and use these outlets I will be posting information and hopefully will be able to help another in the same boat as I am in.

Originally Posted on September 6th.

A. First Day

Today is my first day of blogging, not really sure how to do this so I guess will just start with my day.

Tomorrow is my son's 8th birthday. We had what he calls a "fake birthday" today at my parent’s house. I can't believe he is going to be 8, sometimes he seems so much older and other times he is still my baby. So today we did a lot of remembering when I went in to labor with him. We talk about it every year and I remind him of my 40 hours of labor to wind up with a c-section. He thinks it’s funny every time we tell him the story, one day I am sure he will be sick of it.

As for writing today we took our second novel to my parents today to work on it out by the pool. We didn't get a chance. I was helping my mom redo the business office. My parents own their own business and I work there 3 days a week. The just re did the whole office and updated it, so now we have to find a place for everything, so that’s how I spent the morning. Then I helped my mom cook and had a few cocktails. Did not get to any proofing today, my husband is going to work on some tonight maybe.

Originally from September 6th 2010