A Nocturnal Writing Journal

An Open Letter To My Subconscious

2010-06-18T21:40:00.000-07:00

I’m not doing too badly, all things considered. Looking at things objectively, I realize I could be a lot worse off. There’s a roof over my head (complete with air-conditioning), I haven’t missed too many meals, and even if we’re dropping the cable TV, at least we’ve got the ability to follow the television shows we feel that we need to in other ways. So I’ll concede that things are nowhere near as dire as they might be.

BUT

I was much happier and felt a lot better about myself when I was working on my writing. I don’t know what it was going to be at the end of the day – a book, a comic, a short story – none of that mattered. What mattered was that I was writing. It was more than that – I was taking the steps towards redefining myself. Then one circumstance after another left the bits and pieces in a jumbled mess.

This cannot be borne.

I’m thirty-five years old now. If I’m lucky, I’m a third of the way through my years, and I’m still fumbling with the basics. I want to try to move beyond this. To that end, I want to state the following.

I want to write. I was happier writing than I think any work has ever made me. And this act was a joint effort between you (the subconscious mind) and me (the waking mind). I’m not certain where things are falling down, because I have to believe that you want to see me write as well – you want to be expressed. For the briefest of moments, you had a voice and an audience in me, before things fell apart. If you can help me to figure out what I want to write, I would like to make another attempt – this time, unsaddled by a full-time job.

I’ll try to make sure that I block off time each day to write – even if I don’t have an inspiration. I’m just hoping that you’ll give me a sign that we can give it another go. We were making a great team.

Thanks,

Me.

Stumbling

2010-02-24T22:14:00.000-08:00

Today just felt like I was stumbling in my efforts to write. I just didn't seem to be able to make it happen. I suspect it's a result of not having been as physically active today. I spent most of my time today dealing with my defunct car, which is no longer mine.

I've been sitting up late to try to write, but I'm just not getting anywhere tonight. I think I'm going to call it a night and try again tomorrow. This time with a bit more elbow grease.

Tonight's Word Count: 257

Total Word Count: 31,360

Two Nights In A Row

2010-02-23T21:19:00.000-08:00

Alright, this is feeling a bit more like it.

I didn't get a writing exercise done today, but I got a lot of cleaning done around the house. The errands are really lining up for tomorrow, too, but hopefully I'll find a bit more time to write.

Tonight I worked on a scene between Erin, and her former mentor Achilles. It almost seems like any time I'm having a hard time getting started, I should work on something with the two of them. They seem to work pretty well together, and I think they probably get some of my better work. Here's a snippet of their dialog:

Alec walked over, and rested a hand on her shoulder. “You did the best that you could in a bad situation. Even though there was a lot I hadn’t taught you, I could tell you learned a lot more just by paying attention.”

“Maybe, but I never really felt like I knew what I was doing.” She stepped away, and turned to face him. “I always felt like I was faking it, or guessing what I had to do next. I knew I wasn’t ready, but they wouldn’t hear it.”

Achilles shrugged in response. “You seem to be doing a fine job right now. Your friends are obviously looking to you for guidance. And I think this thing you guys are looking into might wind up being a bigger deal than the rest of the Brigadiers think.” He smiled at her. “You’re doing fine.”

“You might be wrong about that,” Erin replied with a chuckle. “I’ve been going over Baker’s notes again since our meeting topside. I’m not done, but if I’m right, Kosmos’ ‘Atomic Nebulizer’ isn’t anything more than an alien battery charger. At least, that’s what I’m getting from Baker’s notes.”

“I guess that’s a relief,” Alec agreed. “But sometimes the tiniest things cause the biggest problems. Are you going to keep at it?”

I need to figure out how I'm going to proceed through the second act, though. My first attempt brought things to a head really quick. I've figured that I can spend more time on Erin's growth, and her issues with her parents, but I want the plot to continue alongside it. I'll puzzle it out.

For now, it's... god, It's 12:24 and I'm about to say "it's late". I've been on a daytime orientation for a few days now, and I guess I'm adjusting. But that means I need to get to bed soon.

Today's Word Count: 591

Total Word Count: 31,103

Getting Back Into The Groove - Part Two

2010-02-22T20:48:00.000-08:00

It's a fresh week, and a new chance to try to get into a rhythm.

So today, I woke up in the morning, and did a bunch of housework. I pretty much reclaimed our guest-room from a tide of filth, and took a time out to do a writing exercise. I sat down to try to write, but I was having trouble getting into the scene I'm working on.

After talking to Hilary about it over dinner, I think I found my way in though. I got some writing done tonight, but it's late and I'm calling it a night for now. With some luck, I'll have an easier time getting back to it tomorrow. So there's no excerpt tonight. But here's my total word count:

Total Word Count: 30,512

Writing Exercise - Airplane

2010-02-22T06:14:00.000-08:00

Okay. My weekend wasn't terribly productive on any particular front (except helping to fix up my Dad's computer for Hilary.) So a new week starts, and I'm trying to roll straight into it, and get some stuff done. What better way to start than with a writing exercise from C.M. Mayo's website. Here's what we have for today:

February 22 "Airplane"
This is an exercise about generating specific sensory detail. On a typical flight, what are:
5 things you might see; 5 things you might smell; 5 things you might touch;
5 things you might hear; and 5 things you might taste?

Another listing exercise? Still, these are good at helping to visualize a scene. Here we go:

Smell
Perfume/cologne
noxious odor from 'bathroom'
real food up in first class
unwashed person in the seat next to you
baby that needs to be changed

Hear
Conversation
Crying Children
quiet fart/burping
music
flight attendant

Feel
Fabric of the seats
the rough carpeting on the ground
armrests
another person's hand
airplane window

See
People
luggage
seats
windows
electronic devices

Taste
peanuts
sandwich
chewing gum
candy
soda

And... time.

This one was actually pretty easy. I've been on a few flights in my life, and I think our culture has enough understanding of the potential of any kind of shared-transit experience to know what you might run into. Of course, being almost seven feet tall, flying is certainly not my desired mode of transportation. Even if I was at my ideal weight, it'd be an uncomfortable experience at best, considering the cattle-car conditions in a 'coach' flight. I'd almost rather ride with the luggage.

And a note: I did actually get 700-800 words written on Friday, and didn't document them. I meant to sit back down Friday afternoon and try to write some more but never got back to it.

Now, I'm going to get ready to do some cleaning, and job hunting. I'll get back to writing a little later. I want to build up some good, positive momentum before I start.

Writing Exercise - The Unwanted Gift

2010-02-19T06:49:00.000-08:00

Okay, taking another stab at diurnal existence. It's not my cup of tea, but here we are. So I'm going to start my day with another writing exercise courtesy of C.M. Mayo's Website:

February 19 "The Unwanted Gift"
Make a list of 10 unwanted gifts. Then circle the one you find most intriguing. Describe it. Start writing.

Interesting. We'll see how I do.

Socks
Sweaters
Music
Sports paraphanelia
Utensils
Kitchen gadgets
Vacuum Cleaner
Lawn Tools
Necktie
Nothing

I find music on my list the most intriguing - probably because my tastes are so eclectic and far from mainstream culture that attempting to buy it for me is almost a hopeless cause.

He looked at the CD grimly, before peeking up at his mother. He knew that if his face showed what he was thinking, her smile would fade, a step at a time. She probably just asked the clerk what the most popular thing was. Does she even bother to pay attention to what I actually listen to? Of course not. He struggled to force the corners of his mouth up into the semblance of a smile. There's got to be something I can do with this. I mean, I'm sure I can sell it off at the very least, I just need to keep her from finding out. "Thanks, Mom".

And... time.

I actually had a rough time coming up with 'unwanted' gifts at all. Half of the things I wrote, while hardly something I'd call desirable, are things that we could at least find a good use for around the house. (I guess that's part of the whole 'growing up' thing?)

I'm trying to hammer out a daily schedule that should give me some exercise, some writing and job hunting time, and some time to do chores. Hopefully this'll help things fall into place.

A Post For 2/17

2010-02-17T23:27:00.000-08:00

No change in word count for the 17th.

I'd been growing more aware of a problem I was having with my story. I felt like it was hurtling straight into the third act way too early. My antagonist was just moving way too quickly, and hurting the pace of everything.

The impact of changing my sleep cycle back to nights hasn't helped any, either of course.

But tonight (with Hilary's help) I think I've hammered out the difficulties in my plotting. I'm going to have to go back a few nights, and make some changes. I'm not throwing anything out (at least not yet) but I think I know what needs to go where. So my progress tonight isn't really measurable, but I've got a lot going on later today. Hopefully I'll have a word-count back tomorrow.

The Awkward Shift

2010-02-16T16:17:00.001-08:00

My head is really in a fog today. I got to bed around 3am, and was back up at about 9:30. I've done some writing in fits and starts. It's not as much as I'd have liked, but it's still some progress. Since it's my first daylight attempt, I think I'll just accept it as-is, and hope to do better tomorrow.

Today's Word Count: 504

Total Word Count: 29,341

Writing Exercise - Falling Snow

2010-02-16T08:30:00.000-08:00

Okay, so maybe I should change the title to the Diurnal Writing Journal? We'll see how long this sticks.

I woke up a couple hours ago, and I'm trying to warm up to get some writing done today. So I'll start off with another one of C.M. Mayo's Writing Exercises. Here's the one she has for today:

February 16 "Falling Snow"
With specific detail that appeals to all the senses--- sight, hearing, taste, touch, smell--- describe falling snow.

Interesting. Living in South Carolina now, I rarely see snow anymore. I suppose as a former New Englander, I've got an advantage over the natives though. While I can count the snowfalls I've seen in the past decade on one hand, I've seen a lot more than that in my lifetime. But we did just have the great 'Blizzard of 2010' so at least the memory of snow is fresh.

Here we go:

The cold air penetrates my nose, almost burning it. The scent is unlike anything else - it's impossible to place, but it smells clean as the world is slowly buried under a pure, white blanket. It covers the grass and the leaves, making it impossible to see where the lawn ends and the street begins.

The moonlight glimmers off the ivory blanket covering the world, creating an eerie luminescence that gives the night an otherworldly feeling. This is a night that one might find elves, or changelings. The White Queen of C.S. Lewis would be more likely found on the street tonight than a car or an SUV. I make a note to beware of Turkish Delight.

The wind whispers to me, as it makes the falling flakes dance one way, and then another. Opening my mouth, I catch one on my tongue, feeling first the sharper coldness, then fading into a warm wetness. The only taste I can use to describe it, is that of winter. And it's a taste I haven't known for a long time.

Stepping out into the snow, I feel the satisfying crunch it makes underfoot, and my lips rise in a grin.

And... time.

I miss the winter. What we typically get down here in South Carolina passes for late fall by my standards, and moves almost straight into early spring. But the snowfall we got last week served as both a gift and a gentle reminder that real winter is a lot of work. It's shoveling snow out of the driveway, scraping it off the car, and stockpiling food in the event that the roads aren't drivable for a few days. I had to clear the new-to-me car of snow before I could leave the house, and I realized that I don't even own an ice scraper anymore.

Now, off to real writings.

Changes

2010-02-15T22:47:00.000-08:00

Well, since my work situation is still up in the air, I'm going to try to shift back onto a daytime schedule. As such, I won't be writing tonight before I go to bed - but I'll try to make sure I do so after I wake up, and before midnight. (So it'll at least be on the same day.)

And after I wake up, it's job-hunting time.

Dialects and Accents

2010-02-15T02:45:00.000-08:00

It's probably a huge mistake on my part, but tonight I started playing around with an accent. Floyd, patron of the diner frequented by much of the superhero community in my story, has his first lines, and he's got a pretty distinct way of speaking.

The way I picture Floyd, he's a part of the city (whichever one I eventually decide this is). He's lived her all his life. His parents were poor, but honest and hardworking. His diner is his pride and his dream. So the way I hear him sounds like he's from the city. Here's an excerpt:

She caught Floyd’s attention, and waved him over to the counter. “What’s going on, Floyd?” The folks around her shot Erin a few sharp glares as they strained to listen to the television.

“You been under a rock, or somethin’?” Floyd pointed to the sinks behind the counter, and quietly continued, “ain’t no water in the city, accordin’ to the news. Every tap’s gone dry. City officials are sayin’ that the water’s just gone.” He shook his head. “Only water to be found is in bottles. Some mooks are already chargin’ outrageous prices fer ‘em. I’m tryin’ to hold the line tonight, but I’ll probably be out by mornin’.”

This is what Alec’s busy with. “I’m going to guess that the Brigadiers are already on it,” she whispered.

“Yeah,” Floyd answered with a nod. “They been’ checkin’ the sewers and pipes fer signs of tamperin’ but there ain’t been none. They said it was like the water all just left on it’s own, or somethin’.”

Please tell me if I'm laying it on too thick, or god forbid if I'm doing it to an offensive level.

Tonight's Word Count: 833

Total Word Count: 28,837

Writing Exercise - Shelly's Scene Objective

2010-02-15T01:22:00.000-08:00

Once again, housework kept me away longer than I initially planned. I was hoping to have nestled myself in bed by now, but I'm just warming up for some writing. So I turn, once again, to C.M. Mayo's website for a writing exercise to start myself out. Here's today's:

February 15 "Shelly's Scene Objective"
In The Power of the Actor, Ivana Chubbuck shows actors how to use their emotions to empower a goal. Actors identify their characters' overall objective, as well as their scene objective. Applying this to writing, assume your character is "Shelly"; her overall objective is to get married; her scene objective is to get "Kyle" whom she has just met, say, in a coffee shop, to ask her on a date. Write the scene from Shelly's point of view.

Sounds a little more doable than yesterday's, but then again I did manage to get that one too. Here we go:

Damn, Shelly thought to herself as she stepped forward, I really like this blouse.

She walked straight into the path of a man who was staring rather intently at his phone. As soon as she felt contact, she whipped her coffee cup back at herself, drenching her violet blouse. At least it wasn't fresh, she thought as the liquid began to seep through.

"Wha..?" The man stumbled backwards, and looked up, finally noticing Shelly. "I'm sorry, Miss," he stammered. "I didn't realize, um, I guess I should keep my eyes in front of me when I'm walking."

Shelly looked down at her blouse, and sighed loudly. "This was my favorite top, too. Can today get any worse?"

"Is there any way I can make it up to you?" he asked sheepishly.

Shelly grinned inwardly. "Well, you could pay for the dry cleaning I guess..."

Okay, I didn't get as far into the scene as I wanted. My notion was that Shelly had seen Kyle walking through the lobby of this building for weeks when she stopped in to get coffee with her friends, who have teased her relentlessly about him. Today, she went in early, and set an ambush to get his attention.

Now that I've got the wheels turning, let's see about my own work.

Forward Progress

2010-02-14T04:36:00.000-08:00

Well, I may not have made up for last night's lack of anything, but I've done enough for tonight. (Though peeking out the window behind me reveals that the sun is up, maybe I should say 'today' instead.) I'm tired, and I really need to get to sleep soon.

I hate alarm clocks. Despite is actually a closer word for the intense feeling I hold for them. One of the few advantages of the posting I worked for the past 18 months or so, was that I didn't need one. I went to sleep as soon as I got home, and woke up when I woke up. The way these clocks jar you out of your sleep and back into the waking world sets a horrible start to your day. Whatever I wind up doing, I hope I can avoid an alarm clock.

A sharp, piercing cry penetrated her sleep. She rolled first one way, and then another, trying to escape it but it pursued her no matter how she lay. Finally, she cracked one eye to see that six hours had passed, and her clock was trying to wake her up for work. Please, just let me sleep.

The clock was unmoved by her pleas, and instead redoubled it’s beeping. “I’ll put the clock across the room. That way, in order to turn it off, I’ll have to get out of bed and wake up.” That was a brilliant idea. Struggling free of the blankets, she sat up before pushing herself onto her feet. Her lithe, nimble feet thudded numbly across the floor as she groped for the clock and switched off the alarm. God, I want to get back in bed. Let me just get a drink, first, and then I’ll decide. She moved to the kitchen, and pulled a clean cup out of the cabinet. But when she opened the tap, nothing happened.
That’s odd. She tried the cold-water tap again, but nothing came out. Snarling slightly, she tried the warm water, also to no result. Did I forget to pay the water bill, or something? Shrugging, she opened the fridge and winced at the brightness of the light. “And it’s all caffeinated. Okay, clock, you won.” Pulling out a diet coke, she twisted off the top and took a deep sip as she walked over to the light switch.

Tonight's Word Count: 569

Total Word Count: 28,004

Writing Exercise - St. Valentines Day Massacre

2010-02-14T03:34:00.000-08:00

This past week has thrown a lot at me, and I'll certainly confess - I'm rattled. But I'm going to get some writing done tonight. And to warm up, I'm going to return to writing exercises from C.M. Mayo's website.

Here's the exercise for today:

February 14 "St Valentine's Day Massacre"
This is a plot-generating exercise.
(1) List 5 small gestures Bob makes that show he loves his wife, Betty. (For example, he might do the dishes; he might buy her jewley, etc.)
(2) List 5 actions by which Betty reveals that she no longer loves Bob (For example, she might not pick up the phone when she's sees the caller ID that shows it's him; she might travel on business when she doesn't need to, etc.)
(3) List 3 ways Betty could kill Bob.
(4) In three words -- no more--- describe Betty's secret boyfriend, Jeb.
(5) Where did Betty meet Jeb?
(6) Finally, in what way is Jeb a suprising character? Answer in only 2 adjectives.

All that in five minutes? I'll see what I can do.

1) To show that he loves his wife on Valentine's Day, Bob prepares her breakfast, and delivers it to her in bed. He then tells her to go back to sleep, because he's going to clean the kitchen and entertain their son. That night, he plans to take her to the restaurant they went to on their first date, before taking her to an expensive hotel for the night.

2) To show that she doesn't love Bob, Betty doesn't eat breakfast (she tells him that she's not hungry.) When she does get out of bed, she makes starts working on something from work that could wait until Monday. She criticizes the way that he's cleaned the kitchen. She refuses to talk about anything intimate at dinner. Back at the hotel, she gets drunk on the wine he's romantically provided, and passes out before things can get amorous.

3) Betty could easily poison Bob - the ingrate lets her do almost all of the cooking. She could also sabotage his car - he's always underestimated her knowledge of cars. She could also have her lover fake a break-in, in which Bob might be shot.

4) Betty's lover is Dave, a guy she's been working with at the office for the past several years.

5) Dave's secret is that he's in witness protection. His last girlfriend was the wife of a powerful mobster.

And... done.

Okay, I may have fudged that by a few seconds, but I got almost all of it in the allotted time. Plotting isn't typically one of my problems, but I can see the value in doing something like this. Next time I find myself in a position where I'm not sure how to get from Point A to Point B, I'll try to brainstorm alternatives. It can't hurt.

I'm feeling better about things. I found out yesterday that my employment is in question. In the course of a week, my car has died and now my job may be next on the block. I'll go see what they have to say, but if they fire me it won't be the worst that could happen. Even if they don't, I'm going to start looking. But I'm going to also try to keep the writing going - starting now.

Nothing Coming

2010-02-13T01:55:00.000-08:00

I've been sitting here for almost two hours now, and I've got nothing. I've had another issue on the same magnitude as the car trouble hit, and I'm just not focused. I'll have a few nights to work with it though.

Tomorrow, I'm going to sit down and start hammering out a writing exercise. Hopefully that'll help snap me back into things. But for now, I'm going to chill out before going to bed.

Something Witty Goes Here

2010-02-12T02:21:00.001-08:00

Sorry to let you down tonight, but I'm not going to have an excerpt or a discussion of what I'm writing. I got a whopping four hours of sleep yesterday (and didn't get into bed until noon). But we may have a solution to the automotive oubliette in which I've found myself. Hilary's boss has a (seldom) used '94 Buick LeSabre that's in our price range. According to Kelly's Blue Book, her asking price is a little high, so we might try to talk her down a little. But she's kindly letting us borrow the car in the meantime, which means that I've got transportation.

But for now, I need to catch up some sleep. Seriously. No, I'm not even kidding.

Tonight's Word Count: 311

Total Word Count: 27,435

Parent Issues

2010-02-11T02:35:00.000-08:00

I've noticed that there's a particular mood, or mindset that I reach when I'm having a good night writing. It helps me tune everything else out, and it feels like my fingers are struggling to keep up with the words. I've been having a hard time reaching that over the past week or so. The past couple nights have been more of a trial. (Go figure.)

But tonight I hit a vein of words, and mined it. It wasn't my biggest night, but that's fine. If it helps me get back into that mindset again more regularly it doesn't have to be. I think my writing's better, and I know I get more done when that's the case.

Tonight, I'm focusing in a little more on Erin's life beyond the superheroics, or even beyond the support group. She's got work and school to juggle along with the night-life that's slowly pulling her back in. But when she arrives at her apartment to get ready for work, she finds a letter from her Dad wedged between the door and frame.

An envelope was waiting for Erin at the door to her apartment. It was wedged between the door, and frame. There was no address written on it, and no stamp. Hand delivered, then, she quickly deduced. The front simply had her name hand-written on it in a bold script.

Dad

She recognized her father’s handwriting immediately. She seized it from the door, and stepped into her apartment. Tossing her jacket over the back of a nearby chair, she flopped onto her bed and regarded the missive from her parents. What the hell do they want? If I were smart, I’d just burn it. Instead, she opened the envelope, and read the letter inside.

Erin,

Your mother and I were very surprised to see that you had been out wearing the armor last night. You made it clear that you weren’t going to pursue those career options when you had yourself emancipated. Does this mean you’ve changed your mind? If so, might you change your mind about some of your other decisions?

We saw an article in the paper about an apartment fire where at least one hero helped rescue several people from the flames. Was that you? Were you working with Keller?

We would love nothing more than to help you resume your career. You’re always welcome to come home. But if you’re working with Keller, and don’t want to come home, please remember that we own the name ‘Amazon’ as well as the visual design of the armor. If you’re working with Keller again, then we need to sit down and come to some arrangement for compensation for your use of our property.

I know this sounds harsh, but your mother and I are only doing what we think is best for our family – and that includes you. We’ll be hoping to hear back from you.

Please, come home. Are we so bad that you’d rather live in a place like this?

Dad

By the time she reached the bottom of the page, Erin’s jaw was hanging wide open. “Are you so bad?! Yes, you are,” she exclaimed to nobody in particular. “In the same breath you ask me to come home, and threaten to sue me if you don’t like what I’m doing.” She crumpled the paper into a ball, hurling it across the room and then lay still on her bed for several minutes.

Turning her head, she saw the time and cursed. Why is it that family has such a talent for driving you up the wall when you don’t have time to cope with it? Rolling off the bed, she trudged to the bathroom to start her shower, and begin preparing for work.

I think it goes without saying that she's got family issues? Well, we all do. It's one of the few universal certainties. But the courts actually had to get involved in Erin's issues with her parents. Erin's parents are like the parents who force their kids into music, sports, or beauty competitions, but taken to the very small extreme who try to turn their child into their meal ticket. But they do care about her - all the other stuff has just gotten in the way, and her winning legal emancipation from her parents was a blow to their pride - and that never stops smarting.

Tonight's Word Count: 906

Total Word Count: 27,124

Back On The Horse

2010-02-10T04:03:00.000-08:00

I was still a little distracted tonight by the drama with my car, but I refused to go to bed until I'd written more than last night. I'm trying not to panic, and I still know where my towel is.

Of course, I also wrote a post regarding the blog award Stefanie over at 52 Weeks of Wordage passed along to me. Thanks again, Stef! That also helped to remind me that while I've got my troubles, I've still got a lot to be thankful for.

Today's excerpt is actually last night's work. Erin and Wanda (formerly a super-speedster known as 'Flurry') were talking about old times during an idle moment, so I indulged myself in a flashback to the incident they were discussing. Here's a bit of Eris in action:

Erin crouched in the rafters of an old High School gymnasium. She took in the scene below her carefully. A motley group of kids, varying between scrawny and overweight, had corralled 23 members of the school’s football team in the gymnasium. The captors were all members of the East Hills High Science Club. I don’t get this, she thought to herself. I know a few of these guys. They’re shy and quiet. What’s gotten into them?

“I hope you guys are in position,” she whispered into her suit’s built-in communications system.

“We’re good to go.” The voice came in from her earpiece, funneled straight into her ear to prevent any noise.

“Here I go, then,” she whispered back. In a fluid motion, she slid out of the rafters and swung on the line she’d already anchored behind her. She swooped through the room dramatically, a cape flowing out behind her, before releasing her line. She landed on the balls of her feet in a crouch just a few feet away from one of the kids holding the football team hostage.

Steve Hollister’s face made no indication that he’d noticed her arrival right in front of him, but after a moment he began to speak. “Eris, superhero, partner of Achilles. Named for Greek goddess of mischief. Are you here to rescue us?”

Rescue us? The question echoed in Erin’s head. “Actually, you guys look like you’re doing fine all by yourselves.” She nodded in the direction of the captive teenagers. “What do you need rescuing from?”

Steve’s face remained blank and vacant, but again he began to speak. “Science Club, misfits, intelligent, misunderstood. Victims, targets, weak. Football team are the worst offenders. Protective measures, keep our self safe. Cannot hurt us.” As Steve’s voice faded, Erin realized that each of the members of the Science Club had said the same thing and at the same time. “Other offenders still free. Unsafe. Require help. Are you here to help?”

Beneath her mask, Erin gently chewed her bottom lip. Right now, Flurry should be waiting by the side door. Flashback would be waiting at the main door for the signal from either Bass or herself. If I can’t talk these kids down, the Justice Teens are going to kick in the main door, with a huge flash of light and sound while Flurry tries to round them up before they can hurt anybody We don’t even really know what these kids can do. “Alright,” she answered. “I’ll see what I can do. What do you need to be safe?”

The Science Club answered again as one. “Require safety. Punishment of threats, bullies. They must be removed.”

Erin chose her answer carefully. “They won’t threaten you again. But I can’t punish them.” But I’d hate to see what you make of jail, or prison if you’re sent there.

The sudden flash of rage on Steve’s face, as well as all the faces of the captors took Erin completely by surprise. “Eris, goddess of mischief, deceiver, betrayer! We will not be imprisoned! We will have justice, retribution!” A blinding glow began to build up in each pair of eyes.

Erin dove to the side, and yelled the signal but she never heard it escape her lips. The gym was swallowed by an ocean of light and sound that buffeted her Erin was knocked onto her back.

I'm interested in hearing what you think. I've been trying to pick bits and snippets that'll make sense without a lot of effort to introduce them, or set them up.

But for now, I think it's just about bed time. (Though I may stay up to give the car place a call before I go to sleep.) Keep your fingers and toes crossed for me. :)

Tonight's Word Count: 823

Total Word Count: 26,218

An Unexpected Award

2010-02-09T23:29:00.000-08:00

In yesterday's post I mentioned that Stefanie over at 52 Weeks of Wordage passed an award along to me and I really wanted to do an entire post related to it. I really appreciate that. I started this blog to document how frequently I started writing. The only folks I expected to look at it were those who already had a personal interest in my writing. And while it's hardly the most frequently read blog on the web, I'm still humbled whenever I see a comment or a follower. So, first off, thanks to everybody who reads this.

Of course, there's a form to be followed - I have to list ten things that make me happy, and then pass the award along to five bloggers who make me happy. Despite my panicking yesterday, I think I can manage it.

So here it is:

What Makes Jason Happy?

Hilary - It's certainly cliche to say that your wife/girlfriend/fiance/partner makes you happy, but that doesn't make it any less true. She brightens my life in no end of ways, and her unflagging support is the single most substantial reason I'm trying to write at all. I can't think of anything or anybody that makes me happier.
Writing - January was probably the best month I've had in years. I attribute it largely to the fact that I wrote regularly. I know I'm not writing the next New York Times Bestseller, or the next great novel to be taught in literature programs around the world, but just the act of writing makes me feel better.
Our Cats - In our home, we have ten furry bundles of joy. While Hilary and I both acknowledge it's way too many, we love each and every one.
My Job - For all that I gripe about it, I've got a job that provides me with time to read, time to write, and medical insurance. It also provides me with long hours, so I knock out a work week in four days, tops. I don't care for the pay, and the actual 'work' can get on my nerves, but I'm happier with it than without it.
You - Any time I see that somebody's not only reading my blog, but commenting on it, I get a little boost. Thanks for that!
Our House - We've got a nice, large (if overly cluttered) house. Every day I go to sleep in my own bed, and pull warm blankets over myself. I've worked in a homeless shelter, and it shows you how important this really is.
Our parents - Hilary and I both have some really great parents who've gone far above & beyond the call to help us out. They're great folks, and we're lucky to have them.
My (relative) health - I'm a creature of habit, and most of them are absolutely horrible. My taste buds seem genetically destined to long for only the very worst, deeply fried foods. I prefer sitting and reading, writing, or just about anything to exercising. But defying all logic, my last doctor's visit revealed that most of my 'numbers' for Cholesterol, Blood Sugar, Blood Pressure, etc. are remarkably normal despite it.
Stories that surprise me - I'm very much an eclectic person when it comes to my taste in television, movies and books. I'm not sure if it's a talent for writing, or just vast exposure to stories in many media, but much of the time I feel like I can make a pretty good guess at where a story is going. I absolutely love it when a story takes a sudden left turn, and leaves me holding my jaw.
My nephew - I haven't seen him nearly enough, but a week ago he ran Hilary and I ragged (along with his grandparents and my sister.) I'm now starting to buy comic books for him, in the hopes of bringing him to the dark side. :)

My car would've made the list, but for it's performance yesterday. If it recovers for under a thousand dollars, maybe it'll make it next time. :)

Now it's time to list off five bloggers who make me happy:

First and foremost, I have to pass it back along to Stef at 52 Weeks of Wordage. I don't know if I'm allowed to do this, but it's my blog so I say I can. She's inspired me to try the writing exercises I've been neglecting lately, as well as to start posting some excerpts.
Caine is second only to Hilary for inspiring me to get on my butt and write. His own blog, Blaque Spaces, covers a gamut of cool comic book stuff, and technology that's stepped right out of the pages of comics. He's also working on a webcomic pitch for Zuda, and when he has that ready, I won't shut up about it.
Miriam S. Forster's blog, Dancing With Dragons Is Hard On Your Shoes was brought to my attention by Caine by way of a post she wrote pointing out that writing even 500 words a day over the course of a year is a mighty achievement. I always look forward to a new post.
Jen over at unedited inspires me with the brave way she puts her work up there to see. It's another blog I read regularly.
I've only been following Jamie Grove's How Not To Write for a brief while, but when he posts, it's usually a good swift boot to the hindquarters - and I need that from time to time. Does it make me happy? In the long run, yes it does.

Thanks again for the award, Stef! Now it's time to get to the writing. :)

A Heck Of A Night

2010-02-09T01:49:00.000-08:00

Hey folks,

I've had a roller-coaster doozy of a night. As I got onto the interstate yesterday evening to head in to work, I noticed that my engine was racing, but I wasn't getting over 35 mph. For some reason, my car doesn't want to shift out of first gear. The interstate isn't a good place to find this out.

So I've spent a chunk of my evening trying to arrange to tow my car from work (where I did eventually arrive), where to tow it to, and how much I might be willing to pay in repair work before I just write the old girl off. (I still don't have a good answer for that last one.) To say that my head wasn't properly in the game for writing is putting it lightly.

But I did write. I didn't get started until late, and it wasn't as much as I'd like but I should have plenty of time to make up for that tomorrow. I've already called off, since I won't have a way to pick my car up until Thursday at least. Barely into February, and I'll have used 24 hours of my 40 hours of vacation time.

I do want to point out Stef over at 52 Weeks of Wordage - she gave me an award which I'm planning to properly highlight and answer tomorrow. It hasn't gone unnoticed. :)

Here's tonight's word count:

Tonight's Word Count: 614

Total Word Count: 25,395

Super-Team Drama

2010-02-08T01:59:00.000-08:00

One of the things that's constant with superheroes is the drama that follows them. They've got rivalries, and hatreds among their peers and enemies. Many add the neuroses that come from living a double life that they feel the need to hide from not only the world, but their loved ones as well, and it's not hard to see that only part of the conflict in these stories comes from fighting the villains.

And drama seems to be the order of the day with the Brigadiers. I think it makes sense, though. These are people playing their roles on a huge stage, and they're widely accepted to be the 'best'. There are probably very few people who could live with that without being changed somewhat by it.

The chief drama of the night comes from the antagonism between John Doe, one of my characters, and his ex-wife. Here's an excerpt of it:

Well, this is it, Erin thought to herself. I guess I can admit to myself now that this has been kind of fun, but it’s probably for the best if someone else handles it. She inhaled, and stepped forward to address the room.

“Achilles told us that you’ve got an important matter for us,” Animus cut in sharply. “I hope you’ll pardon the absences, but we can be hard to pull together on such short notice.”

Erin felt the gentle flick of a lash in Animus’ voice, and cringed inwardly.

“I cancelled lunch with the Secretary of Defense to come here,” the armored form continued. “So please be brief. The five of us in this room don’t have time to waste.”

A blur of motion in the corner of her eye caught Erin’s attention, and she turned just in time to stop John from rushing forward. His lips were curled, and his eyes squinted with rage but her sharp look and her hand planted on his chest stopped him. Turning her back to the dais, she mouthed the word ‘No’ and saw him back down. Are things really that bad between them that she’d try to goad him like that?

While John isn't the one speaking with her directly, his presence has her irritated. (I'm not sure if I've done a good job of showing that, though. I'm tempted to break my own rule to go and revise that a little bit, despite not having finished my first draft.

Animus (formerly known as Annie-Mation) was married to John Doe, one of the has-beens who's working with Erin. Their separation was messy to say the least. There was infidelity, backstabbing, and lots of hard feelings. And now she's running The Brigadiers - the team that Erin and her crew need to convince of the gravity of a threat that they've discovered.

But not all of my writing was this drama. I'm writing a scene with Erin and Wanda talking about old times, and it's got me thinking of throwing in another flashback. One of the folks I've given access to the whole shebang liked one I had in the first chapter and I found a place that feels like it'd be a natural fit to do another one. Of course, it's precisely where I stopped writing for the night. We'll see how that feels tomorrow.

Here's the word count for the night:

Tonight's Word Count: 1,064

Total Word Count: 24,781

Tomorrow night should easily carry me over 25K. And it felt good to have another night over a thousand words, even if it wasn't by much. January was a great month for me in every regard, and I want to try to carry that over. I've been worried about losing momentum.

I'm looking forward to getting back to it tomorrow. But for now, it's almost time for good vampires (and nocturnal writers) to get to bed.

The Brigadiers Revealed

2010-02-07T02:42:00.001-08:00

Well, okay, I've only revealed five of them, and I already knew who three of those were, but it was enough to get me moving again.

I'm trying to play off some of the comic book archetypes I see in mainstream super-hero comics with the members of this team, and I think the couple that I had to invent were pretty good. At least I like them right now. Two might be missing at the moment, but I think superheroes can be a tough bunch to gather at short notice.

Here's an excerpt from tonight's work:

Tearing her eyes away she looked off to the right. At Animus’ right hand sat The Veteran. He nodded to her, acknowledging her gaze, and giving a friendly smile that lifted Erin’s heart a bit. At least he’s here. I don’t know if anybody could go against The Veteran. I’d probably jump off a bridge, if he asked me to. He was a veteran of World War II, but right afterwards, some kind of government experiment made him the first real superhuman. He’d served his country again in Korea, but after the turmoil of the Vietnam era, he viewed himself more as a guardian of the innocent rather than pledging his loyalty to any single nation. That was when he’d traded in his red, white and blue outfit for the blue and green uniform he now wore – the colors of Earth from space.

The Veteran is one of the Brigadiers, and the one I thought would give me the most trouble. He surprised me in that regard because of the two that I fully developed tonight, he was the one that came to me first. I think that Superman and Captain America serve the same role in current comics, despite the obvious power differences, because their greatest gift is their ability to inspire those around them to greatness. They also both have a sense of right and wrong that guides them. I wanted to create a character like that. This excerpt doesn't tell his whole story - though I have more than I've shared here. But I hope I've got someone who can pull off that same vibe without feeling corny or 'lame'.

I didn't get as much writing done as I'd have liked - I blame no one but myself. But the important thing is that I broke through a bit of a block I was having - and that block was coming up with some additional characters. I think I've gotten myself to a point where I'll have an easier time picking back up.

Anyhow, here's tonight's word count:

Tonight's Word Count: 732

Total Word Count: 23,717

It's Not Happening Tonight

2010-02-06T01:48:00.000-08:00

Well, a late night is turning into a no-go night. I was up a bit later than usual gaming online with a buddy from High School. I took a break to eat something before getting to work, and it's just gotten later and later.

I'm going to declare tonight a night-off. In all honesty, this whole weekend has been focused more on having fun but I need to get back to work tomorrow night. In the meantime, I need to come up with some more good superheroes to be in the Brigadiers.

Enter The Brigadiers

2010-02-05T02:58:00.000-08:00

Tonight's writing has brought Erin and her friends face to face with the premier super-team in the world I'm creating - The Brigadiers. They're the Justice League, and the Avengers - everybody knows them and I'm trying to play up a few specific things here.

I don't think that it's hotly argued that superheroes and their stories are the mythology of the modern age. Thesus lost his father because he forgot to hoist the right colored sail on his return from slaying the minotaur in Crete. Peter Parker lost Gwen Stacy because the Green Goblin knew who he was. Hercules performed his legendary 12 labors to atone for having killed his own children in a madness inflicted on him by Hera. Bruce Wayne fights crime in Gotham because he wasn't able to save his own parents from it.

So Superheroes are the gods and demigods of the modern age. I'm trying to play this up as I describe the Brigadiers' fortress (carved into an asteroid in stable orbit around the Earth.)

Here's an excerpt:

The Brigadiers conference room was massive. The vaulted ceiling reached upwards to space, ending in a transparent view of the eternal night sky. The crystals that provided soft light in the other parts of the compound that Erin had seen only lined the walls here. Several brilliant light fixtures were suspended from the ceiling. The floor here was tiled, forming a path leading through the center of the room towards a raised dais.

Upon the dais sat a table in the shape of a half-circle with the straight edge facing the door. Behind the table stood seven large chairs facing the entrance, and in those chairs sat the Brigadiers.

What do you think? Am I overdoing it? My notion is that of a room with seven thrones, in which these gods of modern myth look down on the Earth. Aside from playing around with the mythology angle that I already like, I think it foreshadows that Erin and her friends' concerns won't be viewed as 'important' by these other heroes.

Anyhow, here's tonight's word count:

Tonight's Word Count: 1,000

Total Word Count: 22,985

Oddly, I found I was at precisely a thousand words when I decided to break. (The excerpt above is the tail-end of my night's work.) I still haven't filled the tale of The Brigadiers, so I need to try to think on that a bit before I sit down to write again.

A Slow Night

2010-02-04T02:28:00.000-08:00

I didn't get started until late tonight, and had a harder time getting started. It's my own fault - I got caught up goofing around while waiting on some laundry and next thing I knew it was 4am. It's strictly my bad.

I did get some writing done, but not quite 500 words for the night but I think my bed's going to be calling me soon. I'm not beating myself up over it, but I need to make sure I get started a bit earlier tomorrow.

Here's tonight's word count:

Tonight's Word Count: 444

Total Word Count: 21,985

Getting Back Into The Groove

2010-02-03T02:12:00.000-08:00

One thing I've known about myself for a few years, is that I'm most comfortable with routine. I like my wagon ruts, and generally get to feeling a little anxious whenever I veer from my established patterns. So naturally I feel good, getting back to my regular schedule.

Tonight, Erin revisited an encounter she had earlier in the story. She'd come across a pimp menacing one of his girls back in... Chapter 4, I think. She wasn't in costume, and couldn't see him clearly enough to know whether or not he was armed so she opted to try to scare him off. I wanted to show that she had to do something, but that she wasn't ready to intervene directly. She was still smarting from the events that forced her to retire her superhero identity a couple years ago.

Tonight, encouraged by several successes (including reconciling things with her old mentor), she came across the same man getting ready to work another one of his girls over. This time she stopped him, and laid the smack down upon him. (She fractured his hip in her initial attack, and when he kept trying to attack fueled by adrenaline and rage, she shattered his leading hand and elbow.) I'm hoping that the contrast between these two encounters helps to highlight the change in her state of mind. And in a story featuring superheroes, it really was time for some kind of violence, I think.

Which is a shame, because I think that tomorrow night's writing is going to start battering her new-found self esteem. But she's stronger than she gives herself credit for - and this is how she's going to learn that.

Here's tonight's word count:

Tonight's Word Count: 933

Total Word Count: 21,541

I didn't get a writing exercise in tonight. I'll see if I can't catch up with those over the next few nights.

Second Month, And 20,000 Words

2010-02-02T01:41:00.000-08:00

Just under a month ago, I started this journal to help document my attempt to produce a book. I've now passed two more milestones: I've been working on actually writing this story for about a month now, and tonight I've passed 20,000 words.

Tonight I've been writing another meeting between Erin and her former mentor, Achilles. Erin went into this one a little better prepared though, so she's a bit more secure about it. This meeting is going to lead her (and her companions) to a meeting with The Brigadiers - the premier super-team in the world I'm creating. I know who several of them are, but I think I need to come up with a few more. Of course, once I've hit the writing mindset, my trouble with coming up with names disappears (or at least shrinks a lot.)

The past month has been one of the better ones I can recall. I've actually begun (and continued) to write one of my story ideas. I've made some progress in cleaning the house, including clearing myself a better place to isolate myself from distractions for some writing. I've made some realizations about my relationship with my parents that have changed how I look at them (for the better), blood work from my doctor held some good news, and I've had an excellent time with Hilary. Now I need to work on making February just as good.

Here's tonight's word-count:

Tonight's Word Count: 1,085

Total Word Count: 20,608

Writing Exercise - OCD

2010-02-01T22:39:00.001-08:00

Well, now that I'm back on my normal hours, I'm feeling a bit less tired. I had an excellent time over the weekend, and it's well worth the temporary discomfort of shifting my waking hours for a couple days, but it's good to be back on nights.

I lost a couple nights of writing exercises there. Maybe I'll make them up later, but for right now, I'm going to pick up with today's from C.M. Mayo's website (as always)

February 2 "OCD"
Your character is an obsessive compulsive. Describe his or her morning. Do not use the words "obsessive compulsive." (Show don't tell.)

Sounds like fun. Here we go.

The alarm sounded, and Kyle rose. Swiveling neatly, his feet touched ground directly on top of his slippers. And... now, he thought to himself as he reached out to turn off the alarm. Standing, he turned to head to the bathroom, but he saw his bed out of the corner of his eye.

The far side was unused, untouched, perfect. Passing the bathroom, he stepped over to the far side of the bed. Bending over for a closer look, he began smoothing it completely flat and gradually worked his way over to the side in which he had slept. He meticulously straightened the sheets, and folded the blanket back. He removed his pillow from the case entirely, and reached into his nightstand.

The tips of his fingers brushed against a neat stack of crisply folded replacements. Withdrawing one, he carefully slid the pillow in before folding the now empty case and placing it atop the pile of neatly folded clothing in the hamper. Stepping towards the bathroom, he turned abruptly and picked up the alarm clock. He held it up to his eyes, ensuring that the alarm was still turned off.

And... time.

I didn't get quite as far into it as I would have liked, but I think by this point I've figured out that I'm almost always going to think I could do better.

I'll be standing up to take a walk around shortly. After that, it's back to writing.

Wiped Out

2010-02-01T02:35:00.000-08:00

Over this weekend, Hil and I went to see my parents. Our plan was to drive down Friday night, and spend Saturday before leaving after dinner. Amazing how plans change.

The weather reported that Columbia was the recipient of freezing rain on Saturday. Driving back home at night on highways potentially littered with black ice didn't sound like what we consider to be a good time, so I called my boss and arranged to take Sunday night off.

Since my parents don't share my own nocturnal tendencies, I wanted to temporarily muck with my sleeping habits to spend a couple of days with them. They were a great couple of days, and well worth the minor inconvenience of being tried tonight - but I'm just not sure I can get any more writing done.

I sat down about an hour ago, and managed to get a couple hundred words out but now I just can't stop yawning. I think our bed is most likely in my immediate future. So I don't have much to comment on in my writing tonight. I know where I'm going to take things from here tomorrow. Of course, my next shift presents a new difficulty. My monthly shipment of comic books is scheduled to arrive while I sleep. I'll be taking it with me to work in order to comb through the box, making sure that I've received everything on the invoice. And of course, to read a bit. But I want to get back to writing, and I'm confident that'll get me on-task.

Here's tonight's word-count:

Tonight's Word Count: 287

Total Word Count: 19,523

Writing Exercise - Movies Between 10 and 15

2010-01-30T19:47:00.000-08:00

Tonight I'm writing from my parents' house on Hilton Head Island. We came down for a visit, and apparently Columbia was drenched with freezing rain, making the drive home less than optimal. We're staying overnight, and driving back tomorrow.

But am I going to let that stop me from writing? Not if I can help it. Here's tonight's writing exercise courtesy of C.M. Mayo's website.

January 30 "Movies Between 10 and 15"
In a 1974 interview with Gerald Clarke for The Paris Review, Gore Vidal said, "Every writer of my generation has been influenced by films.... Find out the movies a man saw between ten and fifteen, which ones he liked, disliked, and you would have a pretty good idea of what sort of mind and temperment he has." Either for yourself, or for one of your characters, list the movies you (he / she) can recall having seen between ten and fifteen.
(Is this bananas? Or is there some nugget of something to this?)

Here we go:

Predator, Aliens, Big Trouble in Little China, Overboard, Return of the Jedi, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, UHF, The Princess Bride, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, Dances With Wolves, Top Gun, Total Recall, The Running Man, The Dream Team, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Ghostbusters 2, Beetlejuice, Batman, The Wraith, The Naked Gun, Three Men And A Baby

And, time:

I definitely think that there's something to this. Several of these movies have stayed with me, and I'm sure they will stay with me for all my life. It's a little more of a memory exercise, but I think it bears thinking about.

I'm going to try to make some headway writing tonight. I'm not in my usual writing habitat, but I'll see what I can do.

Act Two Takes Shape

2010-01-29T01:30:00.000-08:00

I think I have a more specific idea of how this second act is going to progress. I had some of the story-beats I wanted to hit worked out, but now I think I've got a better idea of how I'm going to get there.

This part of the project is going to test Erin's resolve. I told Hilary roughly how I think things are going to go, and I'm not sure she liked it. I don't think it's because she dislikes the story, though, I just don't think she wants Erin to be taxed the way I think she needs to be.

This story's moved away from my original vision, but it also hasn't. The seed, the idea that the whole thing leapt forth from is still there, but the focus on Erin is making it more about her and less about the other characters. I think it's fitting, since as soon as I finished writing my first draft of her 'bio', I said that I could write so much about her. This really feels like the story of how she really comes into her own, and that does tend to mean some hardships coming.

I tried to reassure Hilary that Erin would not only overcome her trials, but that she'd be made stronger by them. Or at least that I thought she would. That didn't quite reassure her, though I think it gives me a bit more confidence early on into this stage.

As a question for anyone reading, at what point do you officially call a story or writing project a book? I'm into my 40th typed page in Word. (Single-spaced, formatted for a typical sheet of paper.) I was wondering that as I typed this.

Here's this morning's word count:

Tonight's Word Count: 834

Total Word Count: 19,236

20,000 words is on the horizon, and it doesn't feel like it's taken long at all to reach it. Outstanding. I'm not sure if I'll be writing the next couple of nights, though. We're making another attempt to go visit my parents tomorrow evening, and returning Saturday night. I'll take the laptop for opportunistic writing, though.

Writing Exercise - The Five Dollar Bill

2010-01-29T00:10:00.000-08:00

And here's tonight's writing exercise (courtesy of C.M. Mayo's website):

January 29 "The Five Dollar Bill"
A five dollar bill changes hands five times in one day. Make a list of where, when, who hands it over, and for what. For example:
~Where: Starbucks, New Jersey Turnpike
~When: 7:30 am;
~Who: Bob, a truck driver;
~What: a cup of coffee (black) and a bean burrito.
If you can complete this exercise in less than five minutes, go back and add more detail to describe the places and the people.

Starting now:

Where: McDonalds off a nearby interstate
When: 5am
Who: Jim, road-tripping back to see his parents after a 3 year absence
What: 2 Sausage Biscuits and a large coffee

Where: Mcdonalds off a nearby interstate
When: 6:17 am
Who: Sam, the McDonalds clerk working the drive-through register
What: Payback - angry at his boss for yelling at him, he takes the money from the register and pockets it.

Where: Corner of Senate and Park St.
When: 2:28 pm
Who: Millins, the dealer Steve buys pot from
What: Part of the payment for some 'comfort' for the weekend.

Where: Movie Theater
When: 5:15pm
Who: Rachel, the clerk at the ticket office
What: A ticket to see a movie with his girlfriend

And... time.

I thought I knew what the last stage was going to be - but on reflection, Rachel would've needed a reason to be taking money from her register, and I've already had one person steal the bill already. Five minutes went by kindof fast on this one.

What's In A Name?

2010-01-27T23:43:00.000-08:00

I can't speak for anybody else, but one of the hardest things for me to do is to come up with a name for someone or something.

And it can completely stop me in my tracks. Tonight, I sat in front of MS Word for a good 45 minutes to an hour because I needed to come up with a few names for active superheroes in the city my story is set in. I had nothing, so I let myself waste a little time - check Facebook, catch up on some of my feeds on Google Reader.

I've gotten better, and once I'm warmed up, the name thing doesn't intimidate me so much anymore. Once I'd built up a head of steam, I deduced Achilles' name rather easily - Alec Keller. But here, I wanted a few superhero names to toss out at Floyd's at the beginning of this chapter, and it had me stopped cold. Eventually, I figured one out, and dug out two more that I'd mentioned earlier and it worked. Do you have anything like that? Anything that can paralyze you for an hour or longer?

Tonight's writing was pretty good for Erin, though. Too bad that in the coming nights, she's going to face a lot of demoralization from several quarters. I'll let her live it up for tonight, though, and call it.

Here's the word count:

Tonight's Word Count: 847

Total Word Count: 18,402

Writing Exercise - Purple Things

2010-01-27T21:45:00.000-08:00

Tonight's exercise from C. M. Mayo's website is another listing exercise, and I'm not entirely sure what to make of it:

January 28 "Purple Things"
What things are purple? Make a list

But I'll give it a go.

Eggplants, pants, bad suits, shirts, ties, flowers, aliens, eyes, beams of cosmic energy, Galactus, handkerchiefs, the sky (through a red lens), bruises, prose, crayons, magic markers, paints, computer screens, bubble gum, jewels, jello (if something went wrong), cars, trucks, Barney the Dinosaur, blueberries, colored ink, stained glass, dye, dice, pictures, shirts, cups, plates, houses (if the resident is color-blind, maybe), candy

And time.

Well, truth be told, I didn't come up with anything new for the last 30 seconds of that five minute period, and I feel like I was really reaching for some of it. (Though I'd imagine that the 'reaching' was the focus of the exercise.) I wasn't so much thinking what is purple, but what could be purple. At least, that's the direction I went.

Time to settle down now, and try to get some writing done.

Act One - Completed

2010-01-27T02:09:00.001-08:00

Well, at least for my first draft. I know I'm going to have to revisit it - especially the first week and a half, or so. But my story is taking shape. And while the past week or so provided me with the comfortable sensation of having a better idea of how that part of my story was going to work, I now find myself preparing to start on Act Two. Once again, I've got a general idea of where I'm starting from, where I'm going to, and a few of the events - but the immediate future is clouded.

I'm both excited and nervous. I think I was a little more confident as the story beat I was heading for grew closer. Now it's out of my sight again, though I know roughly what direction to head out in. I'll be fine, I'm sure, it'll just be a matter of getting started next time I sit down to write.

This next chapter's going to introduce this world's more prominent superheroes. Erin and her friends are thinking they might be out of their depth, and it's time to look for some help. This is going to be challenging for another reason - I only know who one of those characters is, and only in the sense of a one-sentence summary. (That'd be Achilles, referenced in Erin's trip to the dentist on this blog.) A couple months ago, that'd paralyze me until I did some pre-writing on each of them. Now... I think I'm more ready to just roll up my sleeves, and see what I come out with. Though it's going to mean re-reading what I have, and writing down the names of any superheroes I've already referenced. (If anybody wants to do that for me, please let me know? I'm not sure if I'm ready to actually read my own material yet.)

My next writing session will be from the writing room back home, with a lot fewer interruptions. But I don't think I've got anything to complain about tonight. Here's the word count:

Tonight's Word Count: 1,564

Total Word Count: 17,555

And it's a record-breaking night. Not only did I exceed my best nightly word-count, but I polished off my first act. That might call for a reward.

Writing Exercise - Flying A Kite

2010-01-26T22:36:00.000-08:00

Another day, another writing exercise from C. M. Mayo's website. Here's today:

January 27 "Flying a Kite"
Describe a person flying a kite

And start:

He bent over and picked the plastic form off the ground. What's the matter with this thing, he thought. Turning it over in his hands, he looked it over. The frame still looks good, and I don't see any tears. Why won't it fly?

He turned and felt the wind whip through his hair, carrying the salty air past his face. The beach was empty. He'd seen a jogger about twenty minutes ago, and nobody since. The sun was barely over the horizon. I can't believe I'm having this much trouble with a kite. He held it firmly into the wind, and felt the breeze trying to wrench it from his grip. Alright... let's give this one more go.

With an upward toss, he released the kite and stepped quickly back. It struggled to navigate the currents of air buffeting it. He tugged on the string, pulling it into a better angle to catch the wind, and gasped involuntarily as it took flight. He slowly fed out the string, watching it rise higher and higher in the early morning air. He stopped feeling the chill air, and stopped noticing the wind as it rose.

And, time.

It's been a long time since I've tried to fly a kite, so the mechanics escape me. ;) I'm trying to do a little better about injecting my characters' voice into bits that don't have any dialog, so I'm trying to work that in where I can.

I haven't started writing yet tonight. Apparently the University of South Carolina won a basketball game tonight, so things are a little busy for 2am on a Wednesday morning. I'll be getting to work on that presently, though.

On The Verge Of A Climax

2010-01-26T01:32:00.001-08:00

Get your mind out of the gutter, I'm on the very edge of the first act climax to my writing project.

I was in the middle of a detailed post about what I wanted to do for the climax. I was talking a bit about the narrative technique I wanted to employ for the way I've pictured this scene playing out - but I realized that not only was I spoiling my story before anybody had read it, I was spoiling it before I'd even written it. I think that it'd be better for a reader to judge the dramatic affect by reading it before they know it's coming.

So I've shelved that post. I'll go back to it after I've written it, and one or two folks have read it. I'm lucky in that I've got friends like Caine who are willing to give my first draft a look, while I'm writing it. He's already given me some feedback that I'm trying to work in as I work my way forward. I've made a conscious decision not to go back and apply it to the early parts of the story until I've completed the first draft. I'd be willing to take on a couple other 'Alpha' readers if there's any interest.

I think I'm going to stop writing for the night, though. I've still got some time to work with, but I want to sleep on this scene and give my subconscious a chance to weigh in on it. I've still gotten over a thousand words written, so it's not like I'm slacking. Here's tonight's word count to prove it!

Tonight's Word Count: 1,102

Total Word Count: 15,991

Almost a third the length of a NaNo entry. Not bad, though I'm taking a more relaxed pace. I'm definitely going to have to take another stab at NaNoWriMo this year.

Writing Exercise - Dream Solution

2010-01-25T21:24:00.001-08:00

Since I don't have a convenient excuse to avoid doing the writing exercise on C. M. Mayo's site tonight (other than I'm probably going to seriously time out) I'm going to have a go at another one.

January 26 "Dream Solution"
Your character has a nightmare. But in the middle of it, he or she creatively solves the problem. For example, Ted dreams that he is being backed to the edge of a cliff by someone coming at him with a saber. All of a sudden, Ted realizes that the saber is made out of the same tin foil his wife used to wrap up the peanut butter cookie dough for the freezer, and so, he sits down and starts playing the kazoo. Hey, have fun! What is your character's nightmare, and what is his or her "dream solution"? List as many as you can think of in 5 minutes.

My concern here, is that I'm not sure what my characters' nightmares are, much less how they resolve them. But I'll give it a go.

And... start:

Erin gasped as she stared at the sky. Women were falling from the heavens. "That's not it", she thought to herself. "It's the same woman. Hundreds, thousands of the same woman are falling from the sky throughout the city." Without thinking, she leapt from the precipice she stood on, and caught one of them, but just a few feet to the side was another. And another next to her. And more, and more.

She caught movement out of the corner of her eye, and Erin turned to look. The woman next to her had been caught by... well, by Erin. Across the city, Erin dived from rooftops and billboards. She swung in on grappling lines, catching the multitude of the single falling woman. Each and every one.

There's one character down. After reading it, I'm not sure if I was as clear as I'd have liked. Erin's nightmare is a falling woman, one that she didn't save. So her nightmare is an impossible task - the same woman falling a thousand times at once. But the solution is that an army of her, one of her for every falling woman appears. I think it means that she has to understand that one person can only do so much, and to trust herself and others more.

John looked down at himself was disgust. The filthy flesh that comprised his body was decaying before his eyes. It was putrid and rank, covered in open sores and crawling with insects. But he couldn't help trying to pick a it. Removing a large chunk, he found cool, steel underneath.

And... time.

And there's another one, though I'm not sure I had a chance to do justice to him in the time I had left. John (or J.O.H.N.) is me playing around with another type of character from science fiction and comics - the robot that wants to be human. John managed to achieve his wish, but it was the worst thing that ever happened to him. The decay and putrefaction he sees is his own self-loathing for what he's become. But underneath it all, he's still the same being he was.

I think I surprised myself with that one. I was expecting to have a hard time with it, but once I thought about what my characters' nightmares were, I came up with dreamlike solutions a lot more quickly than I thought.

Act One

2010-01-25T02:27:00.000-08:00

I think I'm drawing to a close in my first act.

To keep things simple, I tried to plot my project according to the three-act structure so that I could get a grasp on what shape the story was going to take. I think I see the light at the end of the first act now.

I'm not sure where my story is geographically, though. I keep referring to 'the city' because I'm too cowardly to either make up a city, or pick one. I'm going to need to do that in my second draft, though. The city I'm making, though, I feel like I added a pretty colorful locale to. Floyd's Diner is a 24-hour greasy spoon that's particularly popular with the cape and mask crowd. (Or at least, with those on the right side of the law.) There aren't many places to grab lunch at 3:30 in the morning, and so Floyd's got the occasional bit of 'to go' business with the city's heroes who aren't too busy to break for lunch. It just came to me, and I like it. If I get the chance to tell more stories with these characters, I expect Floyd's to appear again.

I didn't do tonight's writing exercise. It involved adapting a few lines from elsewhere, and adapting them for lines of your own. It sounds like the type of exercise that helps you get a feel for the flow of your words. I just didn't have it in me to find a bit of rhythmic text that grabbed me.

But I did get some writing done. Here's the word count:

Tonight's Word Count: 896

Total Word Count: 14,889

In my next shift, I expect to break 15,000 words - all of which will have been written since the New Year. A month ago, I hadn't taken any of my ideas past pre-writing notes and now I'm almost 15,000 words in. It's exciting. I'm looking forward to getting back to it.

Sunday Morning Writing

2010-01-24T03:58:00.000-08:00

I took a break after my writing exercise below to do a little housework and relax some. I sat back down a little while ago to try to get to work on a scene between Erin and her former mentor Achilles. He's the man who saw her, and was so impressed that he trained her as his sidekick. But the past couple years have changed things between them. Erin's left the superhero life behind her, and Achilles' presence alone is enough to make her uncomfortable.

I wanted this scene to really work, so I asked Hil to read what I had down, and bounced some ideas off of her. She had some helpful feedback, and I think she helped set me on the right path. At the very least, the scene finished writing itself.

Now I'm changing locations to Floyd's Diner. It's a 24-hour greasy spoon, that's frequented by the cape-and-mask crowd from time to time. (Or at least, those on the right side of the law.) As a consequence, Floyd's is probably the safest eatery in the city after dark. Most of the time, they pick up their food via the rear door and run, but occasionally they have a seat at the counter next to anybody else who's looking for a hamburger at 3:30am. They're harder to find than you might think.

Here's tonight's word count:

Tonight's Word Count: 705

Total Word Count: 13,993

Writing Exercise - Your Character Visits The Dentist

2010-01-24T00:10:00.000-08:00

Tonight, I'm warming up with another exercise courtesy of C. M. Mayo. Here's tonight's appetizer:

January 24 "Your Character Visits the Dentist"
Your character visits the dentist. Write the scene

Let's get started.

Erin stared up at the institutional ceiling and tried to relax. The chemicals she'd been given by Achilles helped to negate the effects of the sedatives, and she was attempting to lie still and calm. The fluorescent lighting gave an unnatural palor to the room. She hated going to the dentist to begin with, but this one was something else.

Quietly, she heard the door behind her open and soft footfalls moving about the room. "Is she ready?" a man's voice asked in hushed tones. She heard a drawer open, and saw a shadow out of the corner of her eye.

With no prelude, she whipped her foot up, catching the dentist square on the side of the head and sending him reeling. She spun her body around, leaping to her feet. "You thought we wouldn't notice you'd come back to town, Dr. Decay?" A crash from the direction of the waiting room signaled that Achilles had also made his entrance. "Or did you think we wouldn't notice you trying your games as a dentist instead of a doctor? Time to throw a little chaos into your plans."

And scene.

Erin's the main character from my current project, a story regarding a group of former superheroes. This is an 'untold tale' of her life as a sidekick to the costumed her known as 'Achilles'. They both play important roles in my project, and I thought that it would be fun to portray the dentist as a super-villain. After all, who hasn't wanted to kick their dentist in the head? :)

Writing Exercise - Your Publishing Firm

2010-01-23T02:50:00.000-08:00

Another writing exercise with kind thanks to C. M. Mayo and her website.

January 23 "Your Publishing Firm"
Assume that you have both endless hours in every day and endless pots of money. Therefore, you could, with the snap of your fingers and no worries, start your own publishing firm. What would you call it? What sort of books would you publish? What sort of image would you project? What would your office look like? What kind of "culture" would your firm have? What sort of people would you have work for you? Who might be your customers? (By the way, you can also try this exercise for one of your characters.)

Here we go:

Here at Quirk Publishing, there's one rule that needs to be remembered - Jason gets final say. Mainstream political and military thrillers are a dime a dozen. So are biographies, franchise science fiction and fantasy. Don't even get us started on Young Adult stuff. Jason's tried to make a home here for things that other publishers wouldn't bat an eye at. If it tickles his fancy, you've made it. You may have to edit it a time or three, but you will be published.

We find that this takes a lot of pressure off the author, which helps them to produce better work. Of course, many writers have a lot of interesting quirks themselves, so along with editors we have licensed and certified counselors to help talk the writers down from their ledges... both literal and metaphorical.

Culture around the office... it's chaotic, but fun. The odds are that you can find a project that interests you. Fiction, histories, the odd biography... they're all here. We even have a small comic book publishing arm. That's Jason's personal pet-project. He vets all the artists and writers for that one himself. It's not big enough to catch the eye of the big comics distributor... yet. But he's worked out a deal with our book distribution to get those out there.

And done.

That one was pretty fun. It felt like a reflection of my personality, at any rate. (Though 'Quirk' might understate things a little in my case.) My tastes in everything are so across the board it's hard for me to keep up sometimes. The one thread that binds them together reliably is the fact that I tend to prefer things that tend to skew away from the mainstream. (Though I do have to confess a love of cop dramas. It seems like I'll watch anything with 'Law & Order' in the title. And Castle is probably my favorite show airing right now.)

I'm not going to do any story-work tonight. I've put down this writing exercise, and that'll have to be enough for now. I'm going to relax a bit more before bed. I return to work tonight, so I want to make the most of what I've got left.

A Light Night

2010-01-22T03:06:00.000-08:00

Tonight, I'm working on a scene where my main protagonist, Erin, is facing her father-figure for the first time in a couple years. He bailed her out of some trouble last time they saw each other, and she's been too ashamed to face him since. He means well in this encounter, but she's immediately defensive and takes everything the wrong way.

So, this is an important scene, to me. I want to try to show the truth of their relationship instead of explicitly stating it. (Hey, it's been years since I've tried to write almost anything before starting this project.) But because I think this scene is important, progress was slow. I'd still be working on it, but I'm getting tired and I want it to be right.

I want to try talking a little more about what I'm actually writing here. I know it'll be more interesting to read, but I'm still a little unsure about how much to share, and how much to hold back. Any feedback on the subject is certainly welcome.

Here's tonight's word count:

Tonight's Word Count: 497

Total Word Count: 13,288

Writing Exercise - Magical Furniture

2010-01-21T23:37:00.000-08:00

Again, thanks to C. M. Mayo for providing a list of writing exercises. Here's today's:

January 22 "Magical Furniture"
This is a little exercise in magical realism. With realistic detail, write a scene in which your character has a conversation with a piece of furniture. Assume that the person and the piece of furiture disagree about something.

And, here we go :

Jason casually placed his laptop on the tabletop. But as he opened it, and prepared to sit a voice seemingly from nowhere spoke out.

"Hey! What the heck are you doing?"

His eyes scanned the room. He was alone, except for the boxes that had been here since he moved into the house. Odds and ends that had never found their proper place, and were exiled for their lack of usefulness to this room that he was now trying to find a use for.

"Don't you think I've got enough crap on me already?" the voice continued. "You really think I need more?"

"Excuse me," Jason replied. "Am I actually speaking to my table?"

"Oh, now he's polite? He piles stuff up on me for years, and now bothers with 'excuse me'? That's rich. Yes, as it so happens, you are talking to your table."

Jason's brow furrowed. "Sorry, I didn't think my furniture could talk."

"Did you ever bother to ask it?" the table replied sharply. "I know I've had a few words for you for years now, but I've held my piece. But this... this is the last straw. Some of this stuff needs to go."

"Well, I'd have done something ages ago if you'd told me it was a problem!" he protested.

And... time.

I think this ran a bit more smoothly than the listing exercises I did for the past two days. Of course, the subject is the load of junk I've had this poor table weighed down with for years. It feels good to turn this room into useful space. I hope it appreciates it as well. ;)

Breaking In The Writing Room

2010-01-21T02:41:00.001-08:00

As the title of this post suggests, tonight I did my writing from within the spartan 'comfort' of my writing room.

Now, that doesn't mean I'm done in here by any stretch. The floor definitely needs a good mopping (if not an outright scrubbing.) There are still a few boxes that need to find themselves stored elsewhere, and some other detritus on the table that's serving as a desk. But I thought I'd progressed far enough that I could try to start using it for it's appointed purpose - and on that score, it's a success. I pulled one of our dining-room chairs to use until I can get something more suitable, plugged in the laptop and got started.

Granted, I got a later start than I would've liked. I tried to sit down, but I felt like I was forcing things. I took an hour's break and made some decent headway. How decent? That depends. I've been trying to write 700-1200 words a night. But my friend Caine e-mailed me a link to this blog. The basic premise of the link states that writing 500 words a day is a goal to shoot for. After all, 500 words times 365 days is over 100,000 words written in a year, which according to the blog is about the upper limit for a 'publishable' novel. But why that suggestion? Is it to keep you from burning out? Is it to try to show that a small amount of progress every day over a year can add up to a novel? I think I'm ahead of that curve on average, and I'm pretty comfortable with my output. I'm just curious, if anybody knows.

Tonight I wrote a bit over 700 words. Yesterday I might've been a little dissatisfied with that amount. But in light of Caine's e-mail, I think I'm going to try to view it a little more positively. I want to see how much I can do, but I do sometimes need to remember to keep a more positive outlook.

I left my story at a point that I think I should be pretty eager to pick back up later. So hopefully tomorrow will be a very fruitful night. For now, I think I'm going to see about taking care of some last loose ends about the house before going to bed.

Word Count:

Tonight's Word Count: 746

Total Word Count: 12,791

Writing Exercise - Filmy Fluttery

2010-01-20T22:47:00.000-08:00

January 21 "Filmy Fluttery"
In Dreaming by the Book, a path-breaking analysis of how novelists instruct us to form images in our minds as we read, Elaine Scarry devotes an entire chapter to "rarity". I call it "filmy fluttery." Writes Scarry, "rare objects--- ghosts, filmy curtains, shadows-- move more easily than solid ones do... Filmy objects--- hair, paper, light cloth, flower petals, butterflies (petals in motion)--- continually move about in the mind almost without effort." The exercise is this: In a typical café, what might be filmy or fluttery? Simply make a list of as many objects as you can, and very briefly describe the way in which these might move.

So here we go.

Curtains - The curtains billowed like smoke in the breeze.
Napkins - A sudden gust of wind from the open window inspired the napkins on the table to take flight, lifting them up into the air before watching them glide back down on their own.
Tablecloth - The light breeze carried the edges of the lacy tablecloth aloft with it, held aloft on nothing more than the slightest breath of air.
Wind Chimes - The movement of air in the cafe, created by the door set the wind chimes in motion like a flurry of butterflies, creating a chaotic but beautiful melody.

And that's five minutes. I don't spend enough time in cafes I guess. But I can definitely see the value in thinking about it, and visualizing a more complete setting. I'm not quite used to hitting the ground running in regards to writing - that's one of the reasons I'm pursuing these exercises.

I'm about to start working for the night now. So I'll post back later.

My First Setback

2010-01-20T02:06:00.001-08:00

About half an hour, my laptop ran into a Blue Screen Of Death, wiping out a fair chunk of progress. Save early, save often, right?

Part of me wanted to just shut down, and entertain myself for the remainder of the shift. I resisted the urge, though. I still remembered the basics of what was lost, if not all of the exact verbiage so I went about trying to replace it lest I forget.

I started writing a little earlier tonight, which is what I need to do. And while I may not have as many words saved as I wrote, I still crossed the 12,000 word mark. Tonight's writing involved trying to figure out an argument that basically splits up my protagonists with some bad feelings. (My main protagonist will help to discover she's a better leader than she gives herself credit for by pulling them back together - or at least I think that's what's going to happen.) I'm not sure how well that works, or if it feels contrived - but I do think that the group needs a little internal strife, and they've been getting along a little too well. If I'm letting you read for me, let me know what you think about it (when you get to that point), since that's one thing I'm unsure of.

Here's tonight's word count:

Tonight's Word Count: 726

Total Word Count: 12,045

Writing Exercise - 10 Places, 10 Smells

2010-01-19T21:19:00.000-08:00

Taking a nod from Stefanie Howerton, I'm going to start working on some writing exercises. I think that, aside from helping my skills as a writer, they might also help me get more in the mindset that helps me get my writing done. Since I'm going to have a little more to do on my working nights during the hours that I feel like I get my best writing done, the quicker I can get started writing on a given night, the better off I'll be.

They're laid out by day to form a year's worth of exercises by date. I'll be boring and pick the one for today. (That'd be January 20th at this point, now that it's after midnight.) And of course, it bears mentioning that the exercise comes from C. M. Mayo's website, so my thanks for that resource.

January 20 "Childrens' Birthday Party: Surprise"

Make a list of all the things you would associate with a childrens birthday party. Try to get in smells, tastes, textures, sounds, colors, and of course, silly games and toys. Nearing the end of the five minutes, circle the items that surprised you in some way.

Clowns, Cake, Mothers, Trampoline, Grass, Blue Sky, Clouds, Sunlight, children, presents, picnic table, hot dogs, hamburgers, gift-bags, movies, tablecloths, kazoos, magicians, pizza, video games, toys, fence, swimming pool, cameras, Fathers, ice cream, candy, breeze, cooking meat, laughter, shouting, headaches, tummy aches, music, sugar

None of it really surprises me, though for most of the five minutes, I found myself thinking of actual objects. I caught myself towards the end and started throwing in some less tangible things. I suppose I could claim that headaches surprise me, but I'd imagine that for any parents involved it might be the only thing possible with a bunch of kids running around on a sugar high, whooping and yelling - and the inevitable stomach aches that come from eating too much candy.

With that as a warm up, time to look at my story, and pick up from last night's work.

Challenges

2010-01-19T02:16:00.000-08:00

For those who don't know, I'm currently working as a nighttime security guard, and I do some of my writing at work. In the middle of the night it's a way for me to keep myself awake, pass the time and try to do something productive.

Of course, this means that sometimes the demands of my job will interfere with my actual work, if you can understand that distinction.

We've had a bit of a cold spell lately, so part of my job was put on hold. (Between 10pm and 4am, another guard and I are supposed to take turns keeping an eye on the parking lot to discourage vandals and thieves.) With the temperatures gradually increasing, that part of my job was reinstated tonight. So I'm going to need to find a comfortable way to write around the fact that every other hour I'm supposed to be outside - away from my laptop. Tonight, I cheated a bit. But I need to get used to writing in smaller increments so that it doesn't interrupt me too badly. (And I also need to start more quickly to make the best use of my time.)

That said, I had another decent night. In all honesty, I think it was my most productive night so far, but I think I can do better if I didn't putter around quite so much. :) Anyhow, here's the word count for the night:

Tonight's Word Count: 1301

Total Word Count: 11319

A Milestone

2010-01-18T02:25:00.000-08:00

I passed a milestone tonight - I've written over 10,000 words for this story.

The length of this story is something I'm uncertain of. I think I have the major plot beats laid out, but that doesn't tell me how long it'll actually take to tell the story. The benchmark I'm using is the 50,000 word barrier used to determine success in NaNoWriMo - but that's largely because I'm not sure what else to use, or what length to shoot for. I'm certainly interested in hearing anybody else's guidelines or suggestions in that regard.

Right now, I'm just planning to follow the story as far as I can track it. It's already gone through changes since I first tried to figure it all out. And some of my favorite bits to write were bits of character work that helped me (and will hopefully help a reader) to get under my characters' skins - and those weren't planned. I'm trying to put them in as it occurs to me that they might fit.

Tonight was a rough start, though. The three day weekend here in South Carolina means that the 'inmates' were up and about longer than normal on a Sunday. That, in turn, meant that I was a little nervous about trying to sit down and write until a little later. But I'm not going to complain - it was a reasonably productive night. Any night over 1,000 words is still a pretty decent one for me.

Taking a nod from a new acquaintance on the internet, I might try to perform a few writing exercises. My impression is that they only take 5 minutes. Aside from helping me to hone my verbal skills, they might help put me in a better state of mind for writing later in the night. I'm planning to give it a try with my next shift. Those will be posted here.

Here's tonight's word count:

Tonight's Word Count: 1054

Total Word Count: 10018

Regarding the Writing Room, I'm hoping to finish cleanup Wednesday or Thursday. Then all I should need is a chair.

Writing Room Update

2010-01-16T04:21:00.000-08:00

Before going out last night, I continued the push to clean out the spare bedroom in our house with the intention of making it over into a writing room. I think I can say that I've cleared 80% of the stuff in that room with a high degree of confidence. And much of it has already been hauled to the dump. The rest is a little trickier, as it's mostly comprised of things that I would like to keep. Figuring out what to do with those things is a trickier matter - particularly since putting them aside to deal with later is what started the whole issue.

I haven't written anything tonight, but that was to the plan. After sleeping, I don't plan to write or clean today. If either happens, it'll be spontaneous. I work a brief four hour shift, during which I'll likely be reading The Hero With A Thousand Faces, and marking the time until I put that tiny slice of misery behind me.

But now, to the disappointment of the cat who's nested here in my lap,I need to make preparations to go to sleep.

Ten Nights Writing

2010-01-15T01:48:00.000-08:00

Well, I'm still close to the beginning, but this is a little milestone. I've been actually writing to produce this story for almost two weeks and I've chalked up ten nights of actual writing. I'm pretty happy about it - I've managed to retain my focus, and work towards a single project. I feel a little awkward being self-congratulatory, but I'm happy.

I'm also happy with what I've written for the past couple nights. Up until then, I regarded my work with a degree of trepidation. I just told myself that I'd put it out of my mind until I finished the first pass on the story, and then I'd see about re-working everything to the point that I wouldn't cringe at it.

But I'm pretty happy with the past two night's writing. I think I'm managing to get things across clearly, but with a little more subtlety. I could be wrong, but I'm feeling a lot better about not only the act of writing, but of the writing itself. Hilary read up through the end of last night's work, and she liked it. She gave me one piece of feedback, and it was something I'd honestly considered myself. I wasn't going to any lengths to describe my characters physically, unless there was something unusual about their appearance. When I'm revising, I may add more of that to the beginning, but I'm trying to work more of it in.

I'm not planning on writing tonight (Friday). Hilary and I are planning to meet up with a friend of hers to hit up a karaoke bar. We haven't been in too long, and it's something we've all really enjoyed in the past. I work a short four-hour shift on Saturday. We'll see if I write Saturday night or not. If the mood takes me, I will - if not, I'll just chill.

Here's today's word count.

Tonight's Word Count: 1216

Total Word Count: 8964

My Second Weekend of Writing

2010-01-14T01:49:00.000-08:00

For any that don't know, my screwed up work schedule has me working nights instead of days, and my 'weekend' falls largely in the middle of the week.

So this is the first day of my second weekend of the year. I was looking forward to putting in a good, long night of writing. It didn't quite work out that way, but I'm not going to complain. I didn't get to sit down until about 2am, and didn't really start writing until at least 3am. But the story just poured forth. In about an hour and a half, I'd written over 600 words and had to decide whether to press on, or call it.

Ultimately, my belly made the call. I need some food.

For those who've got access to my story on Google Docs, let me know what you think about the last chunk of Chapter 4? I'm feeling unusually happy with it, and I don't know if that's a good thing or not. :)

But the writing progress isn't the only thing going on. I hauled several boxes of junk to the dump today. (Well, yesterday for you diurnal types.) I also got some more cleaning of my writing room in-progress done. If I don't get it done this weekend, I should definitely have it next weekend. I'm looking forward to that. I'm planning to lug another load of stuff off on Friday. I feel twinges of regret on some of it, but I know that the things I'm getting rid of aren't really important. (If they were, I'd have seen them in the past three years.)

On top of that, I spent some quality time with Hilary and had a really great day regarding some personal issues. So even though I fell short of the 1K words I'd like to have written tonight, I feel great. I'm going to have something to eat, watch something off the DVR, and get ready to call it a day.

Here's the word count:

Tonight's Word Count: 660

Total Word Count: 7748

Commencing Chapter Four

2010-01-13T01:53:00.000-08:00

Tonight was shaping up to be a difficult night. The 'tenants' at the building I watch were bringing in a lot of beer (especially for a Tuesday night) and there was a lot of activity. I was hesitant to even start trying to write until after midnight. And then I found myself caught up in conversation on Twitter with friends. (I don't get a lot of interesting conversation on my work-nights, so I tend to be a sucker for some.)

So I was naturally feeling a little nervous about how much writing I'd get done.

I didn't have to worry that much. I would have rather had a third thousand-word night, but I feel fine calling it a night where I am. I'm stopping mid-scene, and I think I know how the scene will play out. I'm trying to do this to make it easier to pick up my writing again tomorrow night. I think it's helped before.

The fourth chapter is a lot of work with my main protagonist. I'm trying to tease out some of her back-story since she seems to be my main character. I can't help but feel that I'm being entirely too clumsy and direct. I don't know if there's any medication that can make me feel better about my writing, but at least I'm able to keep writing and keep moving forward. I wonder if there are writers who actually like their own work. I feel like I've got so much room for improvement. But that's what this is for.

I'm less than an hour from being done with work for the week. I'd like to finish clearing out the writing room. I don't know if it will happen, but I'm going to try. I'm also hoping to spend more time writing this weekend than last. Again, we'll have to see how that pans out, but I want to break 1K each night I write. (I'd like to try to shoot for 2K, but one step at a time.)

Here's the word count:

Tonight's Word Count: 937

Total Word Count: 7088

Chapter Three - Complete

2010-01-12T01:58:00.001-08:00

Well, I had an easier time starting tonight than I did last night. I was a bit worried when I wasn't able to sleep as much as I'd have liked (due to the situation with my medicine mentioned in yesterday's post.) But by midnight, I had put down the comics and started to write.

I'm seeming to work in spurts. A couple hundred words here, a few hundred more there. My most productive period seems to be between 3:30 and 5:00am. The past couple of nights, at least, I've been able to just sit down and let the story flow out a bit more easily. That's surely due in part to the fact that the tenants are sleeping by that time on a night when they have to face the prospect of morning classes.

But tonight, I finished my third chapter. And this far in, I'm having some interesting experiences. The story is starting to break away from the notions under which I conceived it. I initially meant for it to be a kind of comedy adventure, but the comedic elements are fading into the background, or transforming into something else. I also meant for it to be, primarily, an ensemble story but I''m finding it easier to center in one of my protagonists. I'm even thinking of adding solo scenes where the main story has natural breaks to help draw out her own story more naturally. I've tried to split the difference between exposition and demonstration in revealing who my characters are. I'm not sure how well I've done that, but I'll find out later I'm sure.

I'm a bit torn as to when to start asking for feedback, as well. On the one hand, writing this story (whatever format the length puts it in) is primarily a test to prove to myself that I can stick with it, and finish it. And getting a lot of feedback early on would probably prompt me to go back and try to re-work earlier things instead of continue the story. I get to wondering if what I'm writing is any good, or if there'd be any interest that would prompt people to want to read it. I'm try to bear in mind, though, that this is just a first draft and not a finished product. And when I get too critical of it, I try to remind myself that I'm not out anything besides time in working on it. (And honestly, I'm getting paid for most of the time I'm spending.)

I'm planning to start the fourth chapter with my main protagonist before returning to the actual story. I think I'm also going to flash over to my antagonist soon. He's a contrast to my protagonists and I think that the best way to highlight those is to give him some more 'screen' time.

I've rambled on for tonight, though. Here's tonight's word count:

Tonight's Word Count: 1002

Total Word Count: 6151

That's two 1K nights in a row. I'm hoping to push for those to be the standard, and maybe push a little further on some nights.

A Rough Start Into A Productive Night

2010-01-11T02:04:00.000-08:00

I had a hard time getting started tonight. I don't think that I really got going until about 3:30 am, when I wanted to start four hours earlier. I'm trying to figure out why, but I think it was a combination of missing my first dose of medicine this afternoon, having new comic books to read, and a bit of dissatisfaction with one or two of my characters.

The first... I've got one more day's worth of pills, and there was a little SNAFU with my replacement prescription. I need to get the doctor to resolve that this afternoon after I wake up, and drive the corrected prescription over to the pharmacy so Hil can bring them home when she gets off work. But with the number of pills I had left, I had to skip that dose in order to have my later ones.

The comics, surprisingly weren't a bigger distraction. I think I read one issue after 11pm, and that's it. I love my comics, and receiving my monthly shipment of new books usually occupies me intensely. The fact that I was able to put them down says something to me.

The dissatisfaction with characters... I chalk that up to one part neurosis and one part accurately realizing that the character of the Masked Mystic might need an overhaul. I'll think on it. Maybe it'll be something I save for revisions.

The story's working out the way I envisioned it so far, but it's also diverging too. I originally saw it as a big of a comedy-adventure. But thus far I'm not sure I'm hitting the 'funny' much. I've certainly written some bits that amuse me, but my sense of humor probably isn't the best judge for other people. I'll wait to hear feedback to see if I'm badly off target.

Tonight's Word Count: 1151

Total Word Count: 5149

That's a bit of a milestone, for me. My second 1K night, and I've gotten 10% of a NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) submission in. Granted, it's taken me a full week to get there, but it's regular progress. And it's more consistent work than I think I've been able to do on other projects. Hopefully, since I'll have this medicine issue resolved, I'll make more progress tomorrow.

Internet Issues

2010-01-10T17:48:00.000-08:00

I'd planned to at least write a blog post this morning before bed, but a recurring issue with our cable package left me frustrated to the point that I didn't want to write, and I couldn't post to the blog.

Put simply, on the nights when the temperature gets cold, our home phone, internet and HD television channels become unusable. There isn't a problem with the lines, but the services just disappear. The return at some point in the morning and everything's fine again when I wake up. But after another night arguing with the technical support for our service provider, I was in no mood to write. (This issue is the primary reason that I'm keeping my actual 'writing' local, as opposed to keeping it online.

I'm hoping to start writing tonight in a couple of hours after two days off. I also haven't done much cleaning in the Writing Room over the couple days either. I've amassed a small mountain of garbage on our porch to be disposed of, and I need some clear space to put things that aren't going to be our problem any longer.

Taking A Night Off

2010-01-08T12:37:00.000-08:00

I'm posting ahead of time, since I have no clue what kind of shape I'll be in when I get home.

In celebration of different things, Hil and I are going out to the local karaoke bar with a friend. It's something we haven't done in a long time, but we always had a great time. (I'm personally celebrating five straight nights of writing.) In an uncharacteristic move, I've offered to try to drink anything our friend puts in front of me. Since I typically avoid alcohol like most folks avoid trips to the dentist, this could be an interesting night. (That's right, I karaoke sober.)

It's entirely possible that I won't be working tomorrow either. That one depends entirely on mood. But one night at a time.

Work Continues When I'm Off

2010-01-08T03:39:00.001-08:00

Last night I began work on clearing our third bedroom out to use it as a writing room. At about 5pm this evening, I went back to work towards that goal. In an hour's time I probably doubled (at least) the amount of garbage I'd hauled out onto our front porch. The UPS driver's probably going to be a little confused when he delivers my monthly shipment of comic books today.

I don't really have a metric to record my progress, so I guess the fact that I worked at it is what counts the most.

I sat down to write a bit later than usual. That's fine, though, since I'm going to be up a bit later than usual today. I need to run over to the doctor's office, which means that I'll probably be up until 10am. But I still put some writing away. Hoover sat on my lap to supervise once I really got going, and I wound up surpassing last night. I had a few interesting thoughts about a potential twist for one of my characters. I jotted down some notes, but there are a couple of issues I'll have to address if I'm going to use it. I like it, but I might not be able to work it in here.

Here's the night's progress:

Tonight's Word Count: 640

Total Word Count: 3998

Just for a comparison, my abortive NaNoWriMo attempt topped out at 1056 words, and that took two or three nights. And I'm nowhere near ready to jump ship and try to start something else.

Productive On Two Fronts

2010-01-07T01:59:00.000-08:00

I feel like I got a lot accomplished tonight.

True to my word, I started working on clearing our third bedroom to use as a writing room. I cleared four or five boxes of detritus to head out to the dump and swept about half of the floor. We had no use for this bedroom when we moved into the house, so we decided to use it for temporary storage of things we wouldn't need immediately.

The storage was decidedly more than temporary. And the pile was in fact added to over the past few years. These pictures should adequately

convey how bad it had gotten. (Be thankful that the lighting isn't good.) But there's a noticeable difference after an hour or so of work. (I stopped because the dust was becoming problematic, and I anticipated Hilary would be going to sleep soon.)

It's clearly going to take a few days (and possibly more time than I've got in this 'weekend') to overhaul the room enough to make it a functional place to write. But the fact that I can see an appreciable difference after one night's efforts is a big encouragement. And since the room I'm currently writing in is a 'finished' garage, this new writing room will hold heat and cold better - making a more comfortable environment to work in.

But that's not the only area where I made progress tonight. While my word count was down a bit further from last night, this is a 'weekend' and I didn't start until a bit later (on account of the fact that I was cleaning and seeing to other chores.) I think I've got a better idea on how I want the second chapter to unfold. Talking out some of my thoughts with Hilary helped some on that score as well. That's one of the advantages of being home when I write, I guess.

But this makes four nights that I've consistently added to my story. I've managed to maintain focus, and interest in what I'm writing which is already a big improvement over my attempt to write something for NaNoWriMo. And the ability to maintain focus is primarily what I'm looking for, here. I know that two chapters don't make a novel/novella, but at least the early metrics are promising.

Anyhow, here's the word count for the night:

Tonight's Word Count: 436

Total Word Count: 3358

Point Of View Characters

2010-01-06T01:50:00.000-08:00

As I was starting to write tonight, I realized I was having a little trouble getting started. While I don't doubt that some of the trouble was just the effort of starting, I've come to think that part of it was that I didn't feel strongly anchored to the second chapter. I think it was due to the fact that I wasn't yet anchored in a POV (Point-of-View) character.

The first chapter only had two characters, and I knew from the outset which one I was going to seeing it through. But with the second chapter, I planned to introduce the rest of my cast. With a total of five protagonists, who are going to be together for much of the story, how do I write this chapter in the most interesting way that I can?

I thought about it, and settled on one of my characters as my main POV character for the rest of the story - largely because I felt that this character was the one that an audience could most easily get behind. Things got a bit easier from that point on, and I made some progress. Not as much as either of the past two nights, but not that far off, either. (I'm having a tricky time getting from where the chapter starts, to where I know it's got to end. This is something I'm going to have to get used to, though.)

So I thought I'd ask... what are your thoughts on POV characters? Are they always necessary? Do they sometimes get in the way of telling a good story? When should you use them, and when shouldn't you? Just interested in hearing some thoughts.

I'm wrapping up a little early tonight, but I'm planning to work on my writing at some point tomorrow. I'm also planning to start work on clearing out my writing room. If I can find our digital camera, maybe I'll post some 'before' pictures.

And as always, I've copied tonight's work to Google Docs for my select pre-readers. If you've got the time, I think I have enough written that I'd like to hear about anything that you think stands out (positive or *ulp* negative).

Tonight's Word Count: 822

Total Word Count: 2922

Another Solid Night

2010-01-05T02:14:00.000-08:00

Despite a rough start, I actually managed to meet my goals for the night.

Last night, I managed to actually begin writing my story, and produced 900 words to that end. Tonight, my plan was to match that though by 3am I wasn't liking my chances. I'd let myself get distracted by my job, but also by the internet (which I really need to be better about.)

But somewhere after walking my last patrol for the night (around 3:45 am) I hit a roll. I sat down to write, and the story came. I had a few small story issues to work through in my first chapter/scene, but I managed it. I'm not sure how much I like the way I did so, but I'll worry about that later. For now, I'm just trying to produce a draft of the story and save the editing/rewriting for later. I'm still playing with Google Docs, trying to find the best way to share it with those who're willing to read it in it's current state. (Ideally I'd like to find a way to update the entry on Google Docs from a file. Some internet outages at home have convinced me that for the actual writing stage at least, I should work local.)

Once I fell into a rhythm, though, the writing proceeded well. I'm not feeling horribly about it, and I actually did one better on my word count. We'll see what tomorrow night holds for me.

Tonight's Word Count: 1200

Total Word Count: 2100

And oddly, both nights have ended on precisely even word-counts, rounded to the hundred. What's that about?

The Writing Has Begun

2010-01-04T02:33:00.000-08:00

It took me a little while to steel myself up to it, but tonight I began the act of writing my story.

I don't know what I'll think about my progress after I've slept, but I suspect I'll be extremely unhappy with what I've written thus far. But the story has begun.

I'm still unsure about my pacing. While I'm no longer quite so frightened that I'm going to rush through chapters far too quickly, I'm still nervous about my pacing. While the first chapter isn't rushing, a flashback scene therein may have gone by too quickly. I'll have to read it when I get back to work, and see.

A new concern has raised itself, though. I'm beginning to think that I'm over-narrating. I like to think of myself as a clever person, and I'm not sure that the tone I'm writing with fits. I'm also not sure if I'm describing things instead of trying to show them because I'm so amused with my own 'voice'. Ultimately, I'll probably need others to read what I have so that they can tell me, yea or nay.

But for tonight:

900 Words

And total:

900 Words

Interlude

2010-01-03T20:44:00.001-08:00

I hadn't planned on getting any writing done over this past weekend due to the New Year's holiday (and the chance to spend more time with Hilary than our work usually allows.) I had planned to update the blog over the weekend, however, but was frustrated by Time Warner Cable's service. We had some manner of disruption in our area that blanked out all of our services (cable, telephone and internet). Things were active again at the house before I left for work tonight, so hopefully that won't bother us anymore.

Over my 'weekend' I watched an episode of 'Hoarders' and it made me look around our home a tad uncomfortably. While our house is nowhere near the level displayed on the show, I can't shake the feeling that we're further in that direction than we should be.

Why do I mention this? Because I've decided that a 'Writing Room' at home might help. We live in a three bedroom house with no children. We have a guest room, but our third bedroom has served as nothing more than a repository for things we haven't wanted to deal with since we moved in. And a big table I bought when we moved in. I'm planning to go through the things in that room, throwing out what I can, and claiming it as an 'office'. There will be no television, or telephone in this room - just a place that I can set up my laptop, close the door, and hopefully work. When I feel like it's well enough to show off, there may be pictures.

Tonight I plan to actually start crafting my story. I even think I have a line to start with, so I'm interested in seeing how far that takes me. I'm a little anxious, but hopefully that'll pass as I work.

Preparations Proceeding Apace

2009-12-30T02:11:00.000-08:00

Do I get alliterative when I get antsy? It seems that I might.

Last night's big contribution was a realization that my antagonist wasn't a good fit for the story I'm working on. As I tried to picture how he fit into the plot, he kept raising more questions that had to be answered. Eventually I realized that what I was really working on there was an entirely different story. When I came to that realization, I came up with a new character to serve as my antagonist - one who serves the needs of this story very well.

Tonight, I believe, I finalized the details for his own history and place in the world. I've given him a name, and a story all his own. In turn, the pieces of my rough plotting outline started to fall into place. I think I've got my key moments picked out, and I'm quite happy with the psychological dynamic between my protagonists and my antagonist.

So, if everything's going so well... why am I feeling a little anxious? I'm drawing closer and closer to the part of this project that, well I guess it scares me a little.

I'm very comfortable working with the discrete elements of a story. They're simple, and they're only scraps of narrative surrounded by notes hurriedly scratched out. They don't interact with one another, and they don't provide a narrative.

I'm not precisely sure why the prospect of sitting down and starting to actually write my story seems to scare me. I've got a few notions that I'm sure contribute to it. I'm concerned about how to pace a story, and worried that I'll move too quickly through it. I'm afraid that, in an attempt to avoid making that mistake, I'll draw everything out and describe every object and location in my story to a horrifying level of detail. And, of course, my own insecurities about the quality of my writing no doubt play a part.

I think that the medication I've been taking these past several weeks has definitely helped me focus in on a single story idea, and I think I've developed this one almost to the point that I should start writing it. Too bad I don't think it's going to help me with my anxieties. Those are mine to deal with.

Returning to Work

2009-12-29T02:13:00.000-08:00

I let myself slack off last night, and I'm feeling a little guilty about it. It made it that much more difficult to start working again tonight. But that time off may have helped shake something up in my head.

In an attempt to kick-start my writing (or in this early stage, it's still planning) I'll usually just open Word and start free-writing. I saw something about this when an author detailed their writing process - they'll just start free-writing about anything (why they're having trouble writing, etc) until whatever part of their brain is being difficult realizes that they're going to be writing one way or the other.

As I was doing this free-writing, my thoughts (and my writing) drifted to my antagonist, and what I was thinking about doing with him. I started thinking about the culture this character came from, and suddenly realized that his story didn't work terribly well with the story as a whole. He could still work perfectly well as a valid threat to be confronted, but he didn't add anything extra - and for this character, I'd really rather tell his story that shoehorn him where he doesn't work quite as well.

And almost instantly, I realized what I needed for an antagonist. I'm unsure if I should put the details here in the blog, but the idea I had basically reflects my protagonists in a way that I think adds deeper levels to the story I'm trying to tell. The new antagonist I'm building - I don't know his specifics, but I think I'm already in his head. I can understand why he's doing what he's doing - and why he's doomed to keep doing it. He's under pressure to validate himself... to 'show them all'. I'm excited about the idea, but I still need a couple details before I can start building him and refining my plot. I've been researching, trying to find the spark that'll fill in these last blanks for me, but I don't have anything yet. I'll sleep on it, and see if that provides any illumination.

A Night Off (Mostly)

2009-12-24T04:18:00.001-08:00

Tonight, I largely excused myself from writing. Over the past week and a half, my primary goal has been to do some work consistently - and that's a goal I've succeeded in thus far. While I've had nights where I clearly got less work done than on others, and no night has resulted in massive progress, I've worked consistently towards a single project.

Tomorrow, we'll be going out of town to see Hilary's parents. It's going to involve a disruption of my nocturnal lifestyle, but for a good reason. I'm not sure how much work I might get done, so I'm going to try to set this weekend (and possibly next weekend, when we plan to see my family) aside for the purpose of thinking/day-dreaming about what I've got thus far. (The notion being that without sitting down to work, I might come up with some good ideas.)

Tonight, however, I did talk to Hilary about my antagonist and one of the big questions I was having about my plot. She was an immense help - pointing out something that I should have seen. So there was still progress made.

This will probably be my last post until Monday morning, so Happy Holidays and Seasons Greetings to anybody out there!

An Odd Night to Categorize

2009-12-23T02:25:00.000-08:00

Tonight was odd.

On the one hand, I feel like I let myself slack off tonight. I didn't work on my writing quite as much as I'd hoped. I spent more of my evening reading forums, and even reading a few comics. So I'm hesitant to say I made a lot of progress, because I don't think that I did.

But I did help to refine some of the elements of my plot, and perhaps more importantly I think I identified a few questions I have to answer in order for my plot to hold up.

So I'm going to need to greater categorize how much progress I make in a night. Does anybody have any suggestions for labels? I'm not feeling incredibly imaginative at this point of my morning.

Also, a bit of a note. Over the next couple weeks, I'm going to be doing some traveling and I'm not sure how internet access will actually work out. While I'm on the road, I may just declare those days to think about my story and jot down ideas as they occur to me. But I wouldn't count on blog updates on the days surrounding Christmas and New Year's Day. They're not completely out of the question, but they're far from certain.

Moving On To An Antagonist

2009-12-22T02:17:00.000-08:00

Tonight I finished my initial stab at charting out what my main characters think of one another. It's certainly subject to change as things progress and I start to get a better handle on the character's voice in my head.

But as I thought about plotting, I came to realize that the biggest reason my plotting was so vague (and my third act nonexistent) was that I still hadn't sat down to think about who my antagonist is going to be, and what he's trying to do. From my own personal tastes, I don't want to write a one-dimensional hand-wringing villain. I'd much rather have a character who believes he's doing something necessary, but his actions place the conflict into the story.

I was mining the back-story I'd written for my characters in an effort to find a villain there. I'd come up with a possibility, but I felt that it weighed the story too heavily in the direction of one of my characters - one who doesn't lend himself to being very likable. I asked my friend Caine to look at what I was thinking, and he agreed that it could work. I still felt it was going to need some work, but while I was thinking about it, Caine offered to share another idea in case I was still looking for characters. I'm always eager to hear others' ideas - even if they don't fit with what I'm trying to do, they usually send my thinking in an unexpected direction. It was just such a mental ricochet that helped provide me with a strong candidate for my antagonist. I know who he is, what he's trying to do, why, and why he's making his move now.

I know sometimes I get paranoid about taking others' ideas, and worried that I'm not doing my work myself. But when I'm feeling less neurotic, it's a great thing to have someone you can bounce ideas off of. He sent me an e-mail a little later with something he wasn't sure was working and it sounds like I might've been able to help return the favor some. He's working on a project as well, and when it's ready I'll talk about it here (and elsewhere). From what I've seen, it's something I really want to read more of.

I didn't fully flesh out my antagonist though. I want to leave that to start with tomorrow. I really like the idea, so I'm hoping that'll help me build momentum early during my next shift at work. I feel like I made some decent progress tonight and I'm looking forward to tomorrow.

Character Charting

2009-12-21T02:09:00.000-08:00

Tonight I spent my working time thinking about my characters as a group. I spent a little time in Google Wave updating their entries by listing off some attributes or facts about several of them that I want to keep in mind going forward.

I also sat down with a blank sheet of paper (okay, it's the back of a take-out menu) and set about charting what my main protagonists think of one another. The idea here, is so that I'm establishing how they interact with one another. This should help me 'hear' them more clearly, so I don't find myself wondering "How would this character react to what THAT one just said?". I've got some dynamics going on - pity, respect, jealousy... I think it all feels pretty good. I'm not done with my chart yet, but I've gotten a lot down.

I really like a couple of my characters. Part of me would really like to spend more time on one of them. (One of the characters my friend Caine helped get me rolling with. I wonder if he can tell which one, just from reading the threads on Wave.) I think that character has a lot of room for storytelling, and I wouldn't be surprised to see more elements of their story show up by the time I'm done.

Tomorrow night, I need to see if I can put in a bit more character work, and then some more thinking about plotting. My third act is still almost a complete mystery to me.

I definitely got some work done, so I'll still tag this as 'progress' but I think I was slacking off a little more than I'm happy with. I'm not sure if that's motivation, or other factors. I'm hoping to do better tomorrow, though.

Protagonists - Completed

2009-12-20T02:20:00.001-08:00

With more gracious help from my friend Caine, I believe I've decided on all of my protagonists. Part of me feels a little guilty for taking the help - as though I think I'm somehow cheating by talking to a friend, and taking the great ideas he gives me. I think I put my own twist on them.

But with all of my protagonists decided upon, tomorrow I'm going to start working on charting the dynamics of the group - what does everyone think about everyone else. Who wants to spur them into action, and who thinks that interfering in things is a mistake.

I'll probably also revisit my plotting. I think that these character ideas have given me ideas that could very well influence the shape of the story. This is possibly the most exciting part for me thus far. The thing I enjoyed the most in writing the comic book scripts I've done was finding ways to connect my story into a larger universe. Making connections between things that might not seem related at first glance is something that I find really fun.

Going forward, I need to try to remember to give myself something fun to start on for the next session. Something I read tonight is sticking with me. To paraphrase, if you have trouble starting from a clean sheet, then leave the work in the middle of a scene. I think it's supposed to give you a place to jump back in (and ideally a place you're eager to jump back in). My planned work for tomorrow is stuff I think I'll be itching to start with.

My First Week's Progress

2009-12-19T01:06:00.000-08:00

I sat down to start a little earlier than the past couple of nights. And with the help of a friend (Thanks, Caine!) I think I've possibly gotten my best character yet. I stink at sports metaphors, but he tossed me a great seed for an idea like a gentle pitch straight over the plate. I may like what I got from it, but whatever I made of it started with his suggestion.

I'm calling it tonight after creating one character, but I think I've found a few things out about my writing process. I've seen it suggested elsewhere, but I try to get my brain going by just 'automatic writing' to get my fingers and thoughts going. I honestly believe that helps. Music choice also seems to matter. I've tried listening to playlists of music that I like. I've tried listening to Christmas music. But I think I've had my best results from listening to Enya. The fact that a large number of her lyrics are in Gaelic and Latin (two languages I don't understand) probably helps.

I've been writing this journal for a week now. While I've had a couple nights where I had trouble getting the ball rolling, I think I've managed to put most of my protagonists together. I think I need one more, and then I can start charting out the group's dynamics - I'm really looking forward to that part. I still need to detail antagonists and other important characters, but writing the backgrounds for the characters I've already selected has given me thoughts on some of those already. It's nice when the work you've DONE helps you with the work you've got to do.

Spirits and motivation are both still pretty high. I've worked consistently on one project for a week now, as I get my ideas organized. This week at my night-job, I should have lots of time to play with. The tenants should be home for Christmas, leaving me with a lot of night to fill. Next week, I'll try to have a more formal recap.

Limited Progress

2009-12-18T00:58:00.000-08:00

Once again, I didn't get started until later in the evening. I've had a couple notions that might help in regards to making the plotting more specific. I feel like I ought to set up two more characters for my group of protagonists.

But things aren't coming well. I've tried getting up briefly, but I'm still not feeling anything coming tonight. I'll et myself off a little easy tonight, and just try to see what occurs to me. Is it better to just try to force this sort of thing, or let it come on it's own? I'd imagine that the answer differs from writer to writer.

I don't feel like I can tag this post with 'progress' tonight, though.

A Late Start But Not a Lost Night

2009-12-17T02:24:00.000-08:00

As I almost expected, I didn't start writing tonight until late - however, write I did. Hilary and I played Lord of the Rings Online until nearly 2am, when I popped out to Wal-Mart to do a little grocery shopping. (Trust me, it's the best time to do it.)

But I sat down at about 3:30am, and began to work. As I've seen suggested elsewhere, I started with some free writing to get my brain moving. I wrote about what I wanted to try to write. Before long, I hit on a few ideas that coalesced into the character I think I was trying to create. He came together pretty quickly once I started writing.

That left me trying to come up with another character concept. I allowed myself some access to the outside world via Twitter and the web while I thought about what I wanted. A little more brainstorming resulted in yet another character that I'm pretty happy with. (Well, at least happy with for the moment.)

It's now about 5:30am. I've got somewhere to be at 3pm, so I'll draw the line here for now. This was possibly my most productive night yet though. It certainly felt a bit easier. I'm not sure if that's because I was writing from home (where I can control the music I hear, and I'm much less likely to be interrupted) or if it's due to other factors. Either way, a good night.

More Character Creation

2009-12-16T02:06:00.000-08:00

Tonight was almost as productive as last night. I had some forces working against me, though, in the form of interruptions that almost seemed strategically planned. Around 4am, I was ready to throw in the towel for the night, but as I stood to walk my last patrol of the morning I had some inspiration for more character concepts. I need to remember to stand up and walk around more often.

I did also get a first stab at another character's backstory written out. It came out to be a bit of a downer though, for a story I want to try to keep lighthearted. I'll have to sleep on what I've got, and solicit some feedback.

Tomorrow night will be a big test, though, since I'll be off work. I need to resist the temptation to play video games all night in order to hammer out a few hours of writing (at least).

Second Night - Progress Is Made

2009-12-15T01:48:00.000-08:00

Tonight I got my first bits of tangible work tonight. Yesterday morning, I settled on a concept to work with. The main reasons I picked the specific concept were that it seemed like something that would be fun to work on, something that I had a feeling for how the plot would proceed, and most importantly that it wasn't something I'd have to research. (I'm concerned that if I wander too far off the beaten path, research might become procrastination.)

Tonight, I sat down and started outlining my plot. I tend to think in terms of a three-act structure, so that's what comes to me most naturally. And while I think I have a basic understanding for the plot, there's still room to add twists as they occur to me. I jotted down what I thought would happen in the first two acts, but the third one is largely open thus far.

This concept also had several characters attached. I began writing the history, and determining the capabilities of one of my protagonists. I had an idea of who he was, but as I wrote, things seemed to continue falling into place leading me to understand not just who he is, but where he came from, and some of the challenges he's facing. I've got a name for him too, which is usually one of my sorest of spots.

I got as far as naming a second character before calling it a night. I'm not sure if I've got two hours of straight progress, but it felt good.

As I build the story elements this way, though, I need to try to figure out what format this story's going to take. I'd originally envisioned it as a comic book. I still think it would work well in that form, but with this project, one of my primary goals is to avoid giving myself a reason to stop working. (Such a reason might be the fact that I don't have any artistic skill myself, and that's something you need in a graphic format.) I think that I'm not going to concern myself with format, and write this story in short-story or novel format, depending on how long it feels. If it goes well, I can always adapt it back into a comic book script, after all.

Rough Night

2009-12-14T02:29:00.000-08:00

I'm not sure how much progress, if any, I made tonight because none of it was tangible. I'm trying to decide what I want to write, and how developed my ideas are. I think I've settled on an idea I've discussed with a friend. It's a fun idea, and while I think I have a general overview of the plot, there's still room to play with it.

Hopefully tomorrow will yield better results.

Word Count: 0

Beginnings

2009-12-13T21:12:00.000-08:00

I've always had problems with maintaining focus on things. It's been apparent from a young age, and it's cost me at least one good job. While my current employment may not offer the benefits and pay that my old job did, it does at least offer me free time in the middle of the night.

I've always loved stories in just about any medium. I enjoy television, movies, books, audio-dramas and video games. But it's not taking in stories that I like. I've made up stories in my head for almost as long as I can remember. Over the past couple of years, I've thought that I might enjoy writing. I've written a couple of comic book scripts for a friend, and tried to begin writing things of my own. What I've found is that my problems focusing on things were impacting me here as well.

I've taken steps that should hopefully address these problems and started this journal to document my attempts to write. I'm planning to try to write each night, and record my progress here. Hopefully it'll show that I'm able to stick with my ideas, and make better progress over time.

It's time to begin.