I love writing the first line of a novel because you have all this unused shine bottled up in you that is just bursting to make it onto the page. If I ever find myself NOT excited to begin a novel, I have to question if the idea is ready to be written.
I also hate writing the first line because it can so easily sound forced. I've read many a first line that almost seems to scream I'M A FIRST LINE, I NEED TO GRAB YOUR ATTENTION WITH HEART-POUNDING CONFLICT AND TENSION AND INTRICATE STYLE AND OH, WHILE WE'RE AT IT LET'S THROW IN SOME WORD-BUILDING.
And let's not forget the really short first lines, the one-worders, because they act toward the same effect: STOP. I'M AN IMPORTANT STANDALONE. I GRAB YOUR ATTENTION. LOOK AT ME.
Showing posts with label new ideas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label new ideas. Show all posts
Saturday, October 19, 2013
Sunday, October 6, 2013
Idea is not enough
The Idea is not enough to carry an entire novel, as I have always known and just recently found applied to my current WIP.
Right now, I'mstruggling working through my WIP, THE SERENDIPITY LABS. And I love the idea. Agents and fellow writers seem to, too. But what originally made me put down the piece in favor of working on my NA manuscript is coming back to haunt me, and now I'm remembering all the reasons why I decided to drop it the first time around.
Writer's block happens. If I gave up every single time that I encountered writer's block, I wouldn't have the two relatively polished manuscripts that I do. But, for me at least, there's a distinct difference between writer's block and writer's fear. The fear is a deep, gut-feeling that makes me reluctant to write, alerting me to the fact that something is wrong with the manuscript, something that isn't as easy to fix as a flat scene or a chunk of awkward dialogue.
Right now, I'm
Writer's block happens. If I gave up every single time that I encountered writer's block, I wouldn't have the two relatively polished manuscripts that I do. But, for me at least, there's a distinct difference between writer's block and writer's fear. The fear is a deep, gut-feeling that makes me reluctant to write, alerting me to the fact that something is wrong with the manuscript, something that isn't as easy to fix as a flat scene or a chunk of awkward dialogue.
Sunday, May 19, 2013
Alpha Readers
The term BETA READER is tossed around a lot in the writing world because beta readers are crucial to bettering your novel. They're the people who you send you novel to after you have finished it and more or less mopped up the casualties boo-boo's in your writing. Granted, boo-boo's you never even thought possible are going to be unearthed by the wonderful eyes of these super-humans, but that's the point, right?
I, however, find another kind of reader extremely helpful to my writing process, and that is the ALPHA READER. These are the medics in the battlefield who watch the chaos unfold firsthand. Usually, they'll be reading as you write. For example, I had a group of 2-3 alpha readers who braved through INGENICIDE chapter by chapter as it emerged. There was a lot of cringing. And moaning. But there were also some parts of the story that were good enough to make it to the version of the MS I have today (v6!) and we discovered them together and had our little parties on the googledoc.
Alpha readers are great for a whole list of reasons, but I'll give you the two that make them especially dear to me:
1. They hold you accountable.
(AKA I bug them incessantly with READ READ READ READ!)
No, really. When I found myself with writer's block, I reminded myself that no matter what, I had to get my chapter out there! So I could send out a fancy notification email to all my lovely alphas! With a oh-so compelling quote! Like this:
NEW!Ingenicide Chapter 10- COLOR OF POISON
"I try to rationalize, make list of parts of me that I can cope without. But when I’ve taken all of me for granted for so long, any relinquishment feeds a black cloud of doubts. I need my sight. I need my hands, my feet. I need my brain to work."
See? I was really into it :D
2. They catch problems early on.
Some problems you should not get hung up on as you are writing because they make you stuck in a rut. Those are the problems that you go back to at the end. Surface wounds. On the other hand, some problems are like infection. The might start small but then they start working their way into the core of the story. Usually, these are the problems that, if left untended, cause the major rewrite. While it is not guaranteed that a manuscript won't have to undergo a rewrite, alpha readers do lessen the chances. Reading along, they'll point out the most glaring of problems as you go, even catch the occasional typo and inconsistency that won't hurt to fix as long as you don't become obsessive about it. Ultimately, your first draft will be cleaner (though that doesn't mean you won't still have work to do!) if it passes through the eyes of the alpha reader.
Thank you and much love to my aplhies if you are reading this.
I'm actually in need of alpha readers for my next project, IF LIFE WERE FAIR (click on the link for the description--at the bottom of the post). Comment with your email OR email me at joanart6 AT gmail DOT com if you are interested! Thanks a bunch!
Do you use alpha readers in addition to beta readers?
I, however, find another kind of reader extremely helpful to my writing process, and that is the ALPHA READER. These are the medics in the battlefield who watch the chaos unfold firsthand. Usually, they'll be reading as you write. For example, I had a group of 2-3 alpha readers who braved through INGENICIDE chapter by chapter as it emerged. There was a lot of cringing. And moaning. But there were also some parts of the story that were good enough to make it to the version of the MS I have today (v6!) and we discovered them together and had our little parties on the googledoc.
Alpha readers are great for a whole list of reasons, but I'll give you the two that make them especially dear to me:
1. They hold you accountable.
(AKA I bug them incessantly with READ READ READ READ!)
No, really. When I found myself with writer's block, I reminded myself that no matter what, I had to get my chapter out there! So I could send out a fancy notification email to all my lovely alphas! With a oh-so compelling quote! Like this:
NEW!Ingenicide Chapter 10- COLOR OF POISON
"I try to rationalize, make list of parts of me that I can cope without. But when I’ve taken all of me for granted for so long, any relinquishment feeds a black cloud of doubts. I need my sight. I need my hands, my feet. I need my brain to work."
See? I was really into it :D
2. They catch problems early on.
Some problems you should not get hung up on as you are writing because they make you stuck in a rut. Those are the problems that you go back to at the end. Surface wounds. On the other hand, some problems are like infection. The might start small but then they start working their way into the core of the story. Usually, these are the problems that, if left untended, cause the major rewrite. While it is not guaranteed that a manuscript won't have to undergo a rewrite, alpha readers do lessen the chances. Reading along, they'll point out the most glaring of problems as you go, even catch the occasional typo and inconsistency that won't hurt to fix as long as you don't become obsessive about it. Ultimately, your first draft will be cleaner (though that doesn't mean you won't still have work to do!) if it passes through the eyes of the alpha reader.
Thank you and much love to my aplhies if you are reading this.
I'm actually in need of alpha readers for my next project, IF LIFE WERE FAIR (click on the link for the description--at the bottom of the post). Comment with your email OR email me at joanart6 AT gmail DOT com if you are interested! Thanks a bunch!
Do you use alpha readers in addition to beta readers?
Monday, May 13, 2013
Time to Start a New Novel
Due to exams and awful, brain-draining hazards of the like, I've had this post sitting around and it's long overdue because I've already decided on the new idea I want to work on while I wait on query replies for INGENICIDE. But since I have a breather from studying and this blog has been a bit barren for some time, I'll post it anyway. All mentioned ideas will be added to the WIP page...sooner or later :)
It's pretty unbelievable that INGENICIDE, MS #2, is finally at the stage when I can sit back, stare at the computer screen, and think hey, I think it's almost there***. I have to underscore the ALMOST because there's no question that it could go through the ring of fire again is someone pointed out a specific area to fix. But it is almost perfect as in it's time to stop fussing over it and shifting clauses and commas around. Even if there is a larger problem, my eyes have tired after the 3rd pass. I have to reconcile that it will never be perfect. At this stage, this is about as good as it will be. I've been dipping my toes into the query waters for the past two weeks now, but it is time to toss this MS into the ocean.
Hopefully, it'll swim.
***Just got edits back from my CPs. More suggestions on making it better have been gushed over and piled into a to-do list.
Meanwhile, it's that time again when I go back to my list of SHINY IDEAS. The list has been growing, and now I'm worried that I might not be able to write all these books, these books and their sequels and their trilogies. So I'll have to pick favorites. So hard.
A great resource that I've found for picking between shiny ideas is this blog post: How Do You Decide Which Story to Write? I'm just going to bullet the main points (you can read the article in detail if you go to the link).
Stars if your idea is a story that:
Here are the ideas I have been considering:
1. THE SERENDIPITY LABS
Genre: YA Speculative/Myth Retelling (inspired by the Fates and Pandora's Box)
Setting: Alternate Universe
In a single day, seventeen-year-old Natalie Laenus learns what it means to be blind.
As the prison keeper’s daughter, shy and obedient Natalie is no stranger to the eccentricities of the inmates. But when one tosses hydrochloric acid into her face, even her apathetic parents enter a state of shock. Just when Natalie has resigned to a life of darkness, a stranger appears in her hospital room, reassuring her that the accident was a technical glitch. He makes only one request: forget that it ever happened.
When the third degree burns vanish, no one seems to remember the tragedy—except for Natalie. Torn between the desire to meet her savior and to heed his warning, she decides to put the incident in the past.
But one person, a new convict called Jasper, can see what her parents cannot: the touch of interference from the Serendipity Labs, a perpendicular world that exercises prevention and damage control over luck and mischance. He asks Natalie to free him. In exchange, he will help her find the stranger.
Before long, Jasper sucks Natalie into his twisted little games. His motivations for aiding her are murky, his morals questionable, and Natalie is hesitant to trust him. But the faceless stranger haunts her dreams. The past will not go gently. And perhaps there is a dangerous thrill to Jasper’s reckless intensity.
But the most dangerous force of all lies within her. The force of curiosity.
2. MUST THINK OF TITLE
Genre: YA Historical Fiction (a dearth in this genre, I say!)
Setting: 1900
Please excuse my absence. My plot has been sucked into a black hole and must be retrieved.
3. IF LIFE WERE FAIR ***
Genre: upper YA/NA Contemporary
Setting: Modern day
Bernadette: Binge eater taking a gap year. Has never held a job longer than a week.
Luke: Waiting tables to send money to his “white trash” family.
Her mother’s ultimatum for smart-mouthed eighteen year old Bernadette Lisle? Get a job or lose the credit card. Having surrendered to her eating disorder, Bernadette knows she has to hang onto the money. That doesn’t mean she has to love her new job at the fancy French bistro downtown, where everything’s a melodramatic nightmare. But slowly, Bernadette comes to love her fellow waiters and waitresses. And there’s Luke, that assistant chef who wants to write stories for a living. He’s kind of cute, but he’s got way too many chips on his shoulder. Bernadette used to care, too. Now, she can’t stand to be reminded of the life she ditched.
But when Luke suddenly comes down with a weird bug, Bernadette must confront what it actually means to live--for his sake. It’s not just about existing from day to day, shoving her face and then running off the calories. If life were fair, Bernadette knows that she should have been the perfect candidate for stomach cancer. Not Luke.
***This is the project that I'm currently tackling!
I'd love it if you shared which one you find most compelling :D
It's pretty unbelievable that INGENICIDE, MS #2, is finally at the stage when I can sit back, stare at the computer screen, and think hey, I think it's almost there***. I have to underscore the ALMOST because there's no question that it could go through the ring of fire again is someone pointed out a specific area to fix. But it is almost perfect as in it's time to stop fussing over it and shifting clauses and commas around. Even if there is a larger problem, my eyes have tired after the 3rd pass. I have to reconcile that it will never be perfect. At this stage, this is about as good as it will be. I've been dipping my toes into the query waters for the past two weeks now, but it is time to toss this MS into the ocean.
Hopefully, it'll swim.
***Just got edits back from my CPs. More suggestions on making it better have been gushed over and piled into a to-do list.
Meanwhile, it's that time again when I go back to my list of SHINY IDEAS. The list has been growing, and now I'm worried that I might not be able to write all these books, these books and their sequels and their trilogies. So I'll have to pick favorites. So hard.
A great resource that I've found for picking between shiny ideas is this blog post: How Do You Decide Which Story to Write? I'm just going to bullet the main points (you can read the article in detail if you go to the link).
Stars if your idea is a story that:
- You want to write
- Fits the market
- Is ready to be written
- Appeals to others
- Challenges you
Here are the ideas I have been considering:
1. THE SERENDIPITY LABS
Genre: YA Speculative/Myth Retelling (inspired by the Fates and Pandora's Box)
Setting: Alternate Universe
In a single day, seventeen-year-old Natalie Laenus learns what it means to be blind.
As the prison keeper’s daughter, shy and obedient Natalie is no stranger to the eccentricities of the inmates. But when one tosses hydrochloric acid into her face, even her apathetic parents enter a state of shock. Just when Natalie has resigned to a life of darkness, a stranger appears in her hospital room, reassuring her that the accident was a technical glitch. He makes only one request: forget that it ever happened.
When the third degree burns vanish, no one seems to remember the tragedy—except for Natalie. Torn between the desire to meet her savior and to heed his warning, she decides to put the incident in the past.
But one person, a new convict called Jasper, can see what her parents cannot: the touch of interference from the Serendipity Labs, a perpendicular world that exercises prevention and damage control over luck and mischance. He asks Natalie to free him. In exchange, he will help her find the stranger.
Before long, Jasper sucks Natalie into his twisted little games. His motivations for aiding her are murky, his morals questionable, and Natalie is hesitant to trust him. But the faceless stranger haunts her dreams. The past will not go gently. And perhaps there is a dangerous thrill to Jasper’s reckless intensity.
But the most dangerous force of all lies within her. The force of curiosity.
2. MUST THINK OF TITLE
Genre: YA Historical Fiction (a dearth in this genre, I say!)
Setting: 1900
Please excuse my absence. My plot has been sucked into a black hole and must be retrieved.
3. IF LIFE WERE FAIR ***
Genre: upper YA/NA Contemporary
Setting: Modern day
Bernadette: Binge eater taking a gap year. Has never held a job longer than a week.
Luke: Waiting tables to send money to his “white trash” family.
Her mother’s ultimatum for smart-mouthed eighteen year old Bernadette Lisle? Get a job or lose the credit card. Having surrendered to her eating disorder, Bernadette knows she has to hang onto the money. That doesn’t mean she has to love her new job at the fancy French bistro downtown, where everything’s a melodramatic nightmare. But slowly, Bernadette comes to love her fellow waiters and waitresses. And there’s Luke, that assistant chef who wants to write stories for a living. He’s kind of cute, but he’s got way too many chips on his shoulder. Bernadette used to care, too. Now, she can’t stand to be reminded of the life she ditched.
But when Luke suddenly comes down with a weird bug, Bernadette must confront what it actually means to live--for his sake. It’s not just about existing from day to day, shoving her face and then running off the calories. If life were fair, Bernadette knows that she should have been the perfect candidate for stomach cancer. Not Luke.
***This is the project that I'm currently tackling!
I'd love it if you shared which one you find most compelling :D
Saturday, March 9, 2013
Crazy things that writers do...
Issue #2: FONTS
I'm kind of a font freak. I collect them as a a little girl would collect barbies (I did that, too). So, when I'm procrastinating, I do this:
So now I have a bunch of new fonts and an idea to write! How does life get better?
What is your guilty pleasure when you take a break from writing?
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