Write Early. Write Often…Write Something!

Refresh, Relax & Renew

LOL, being economical of words I should just say Vacation.

Not this time are we visiting an 'activity' spot. Not this time are we tied to seeing as much as we can so that we don't miss anything. Not this time are we going to be busy from early early morning to late late at night. Vacations like that should not be called vacations. They should be called trips or journeys or treks. These words that imply more than going someplace they harken to an adventure, a time of discovery or information overload.

Not this time. We are going to a place where there is one tourist spot. So. One day trip. The rest is for reading, and walking. Sitting by the pool. Eating a slow lunch after a long breakfast in preparation for a leisurely dinner.

Vacation.  

Writing Partners

There is something amazing about writing partners.

First it is the amount of time they spend reading your words. Words that are hard won, hesitant on a page, adolescent enough to want to fit in.  Then there's the time they invest in being brutal to those words, snapping at them, picking them up and examining them on all sides, poking them for size and texture and suitability. 

Writing partners are like the parents of a comely child with a date approaching the front door. Will this date be good enough, kind enough, strong enough to take care of my child should the need arise. My writing partners want every word to be a sure thing, every comma and period to mean what it should, be placed where it should and be gainfully employed in holding the entire work up to critical light.

SOUP is more than up to the challenge. For me, that's why I work so very hard come a Wednesday submission. 

Now to rewrite that pesky bus scene…

Late in the Day…

Two hours of tennis this AM. Why? It makes me feel like I'm normal. Not tied to my phone, the internet, the texting. I get to be out there, soaking up all that Vitamin D. Running around, laughing, hitting the ball. Smashing an  overhead. Slicing a backhand. Acing a serve. Whoa!

Then home. Lunch. And reading. Back to Charlie Bone. Lots of stuff going on. Trying to keep track. Getting back into the swing of his life and his problems. Jenny Nimmo has some awesome evil characters. It would be amazing to spend a dark and stormy Halloween night in an ancient Welsh castle with her. I bet her ghost stories would rock!

Critiqued Spivey and another chapter of Pilot Mountain School. Yes, I always have something to say. But I am always grateful for the opportunity to read my critique partners work and to learn.

Monday Monday

Some writing today…but more reading. Finished Justin Case School, Drool and other Daily Disasters. I enjoyed the story of Justin, an Olympic class worry-wart. Well done! Justin can worry about just about anything, from school to dogs to his friends. But he figures out a lot of stuff too which is the great part of the story.

Then I wasn't tired of reading so I started the eighth book of Charlie Bone and the Red Knight. I like Charlie. He doesn't hesitate to stand up for his friends, he knows who his enemies are and he's willing to take a chance on the ones in-between.

Some writing, as I said. Trying to get the 'narrative arc' down for Bartholomew and the elements I really like are having a hard time fitting. grrgh! back to work.

Character

Character? The World Book Encyclopedia Dictionary describes character first as all qualities or features of anything; kind; sort; nature.

 Character then is a neutral word. Denoting neither good nor bad. Just qualities. Just features. But we don't let words wallow much in the neither nor area. We want it to have properties of good or bad. Sometimes we add a qualifying word. Disreputable or maybe the very plain good and that gives our noun a bit more umph! 

Just finished the last Artemis Fowl. His 'character' has grown, evolved, become different. He was a throughly likable, brilliant Irish boy with a completely disreputable background and going quickly toward amoral although he was bright enough to know the difference. I hope Atlantic Complex is the last AF because he's just not that interesting anymore. Sad. Really 

Reading is Fun

Artemus Fowl and the Time Paradox. Sheeze. Three quarters of the way into the book and now I remember! The Lemur. Opal and her demented minions! How could I forget? Will finish this tonight. Move on to the Atlantis Complex tomorrow and then to Justin Case School, Drool and other Daily Disasters.

Too many books, Too little time…<sigh>

Narrative Arc

Going to forget about character for a bit. I realized I can't do justice to Tommie until I now how the plot is going down. Yes, yes, I am a 'plot person'.  So. Onto the Narrative Arc.  Think of this as the story path and it's divided into four parts to the book: Exposition, Complication, Climax and Resolution.

 Exposition is the description of the upcoming story, setting the stage. Complication is the problem in the story. Climax is the peak or high point of the story and resolution is the solution, the outcome. 

Layer those four items with dramatic tension that would be the way the complication is solved reaching a climax and then lessening with resolution.

You can add another layer of time. Past, present and future, but I think for a middle grade book I'll spend my time in the present, with just a dab of back story. 

So, my goal for today is to complete the revised narrative arc for MRDR MYSTRI and see how that goes…

Revealed

Yes. Yes. It's all about me. That's what Amy Koss said in her workshop at the LA Conference. If you're stuck for what your character should be doing don't look outside, look deep within. What do I want? How do I want it?

 I could wax highly philosophical here, but we're talking about writing. So. What do I know? Wait. First. What did I know before this revelation revealing discussion? 

 I know the character must grow. Nancy does grow. As a detective. But as a human being? Sketchy at best, I'd say. I know the character must be three-dimensional. They have to be more than the sum of all their good parts. They have to be conflicted, to a greater or lesser degree depends on the age level of the MC and the type of book you are writing.

 Gordon Korman talked about the fact that edgy will be moving from YA to MG. The question is how? Will it be in realism? Will it be in conflict?  

A diversion…

Yes, I am interrupting this fascinating discussion of plot versus character to talk about books.
I just received the latest Artimus Fowl by Eoin Colfer. It gave me a headache. Did Eoin forget how to write Artimus. Or is he trying some new experiment? Because I was yanked back and forth through so many point of view changes that I think I have whiplash. Did someone not pay attention?

Yes I get that Artimus is having a breakdown. Part of the Atlantis Complex? Okay, I may have to return to the Time Paradox and re-read, but still. It's been two years but I shouldn't have forgotten so much.

Okay, it's decided. Stop The Atlantis Complex, read the Time Paradox. Then we'll talk.

Revelation

So. What do I know? I know I love plot above all else. The more complicated the better. Why? Because when I grew up we were not encouraged to be wrapped up in ourselves. Not in my family at least. To focus on me, myself and I was not desirable. As traits go it was to be shunned. Could I assess blame? Yep. However, the take-away is not to blame but to understand.

It never occurred to me, reading Nancy Drew, that I should be worried about her feelings. Did she like what she was doing? Well, she must have otherwise ol' self-reliant Nancy would have changed the mix. Did she feel put upon by all the pressure of having to solve those mysteries? Probably not. She was helping. She was making life better for others, people without the resources to make their lives better themselves. Humm…sounds like what we really want. But…do we?