Happy Fourth of July!
It's a glorious day here in Missouri and I've really enjoyed a day of learning new things. I can't say why but I just feel kind of spongy and ready to grow. I was online learning about my blog (that I haven't blogged on very much....I set up three of them so far and I still don't know exactly how they work).
Then, I linked to a blog by Emily Hanlon, http://fictionwritersjourney.blogspot.com/. I listened to her teleclass which turned out to be just a recording of her talking about POV. It was really great to listen to while I organized my photos and figured out how to download 500 photos off my new Samsung Fascinate (smartphone). I really loved hearing her thoughts on practicing a strict point of view. "We never want the character to be us....we want to become the character." Then she spoke well about falling in love with your character, moving out of self and into the character, and the character's energy waiting for us, as writers, to come to them. Well, check it out yourself!
Then, because my mind was firing a mile a minute, I remembered what Kimberly Frost, http://www.frostfiction.com/, said at last month's Writers Retreat Workshop, http://writersretreatworkshop.com/: write down the beginning and the end of your book and the plot points to get started. "....leave the bits in between open for the muse's magic to happen."
I have already written half of my current novel without a ending in sight. Though I've written about one of the closing scenes I had not yet figured out exactly where to take the story. So, I started with my last chapter....called it chapter 36 (this is because I promised my friend, Cecile a.k.a. Tanne, to give her 60 pages a month for six months and we would have a book by Christmas....so chapter 36.)
Anyone remember the very old saying, "Kawabunga?" I think it was surfer speak for WOW! I was able to plot backwards to chapter 31 and it was sooooooo easy! I love it. Now, I have my first five chapters at the top of my bulletin board and my last six at the bottom.....just waiting on the Muse to fill in or at least spread a little pixie dust on the chapters I've already written.
The novel in progress, working title, The Ozark Belles' Wicked Feud.
So for all of your grand parties I hope you have a blast. I feel like I had the best Independence day ever. We grilled out hotdogs yesterday because we couldn't wait another day for the yearly trip into nitrate-land. It was bliss! Hot dogs with mustard and relish, baked beans, potato chips and iced tea. Later strawberry ice cream. Yum, the land of forbidden foods is most seductive in the summer.
Having satisfied my fetish for pre-formed pig snout, I figured it was time to jump back on the wagon and eat right today. I started cooking around lunch time and made a 100% out of my garden salad (which you will read about in my poem, "Humility Salad," when I get it finished) and it was divine.....divine!!!! Then I made a nice pasta sauce with tons of fresh basil from my three enormous plants, and finally I reworked the potroast leftovers into a beautiful stew that looked way too hearty for July. My cooking is done for a couple of days.
It's a glorious day here in Missouri and I've really enjoyed a day of learning new things. I can't say why but I just feel kind of spongy and ready to grow. I was online learning about my blog (that I haven't blogged on very much....I set up three of them so far and I still don't know exactly how they work).
Then, I linked to a blog by Emily Hanlon, http://fictionwritersjourney.blogspot.com/. I listened to her teleclass which turned out to be just a recording of her talking about POV. It was really great to listen to while I organized my photos and figured out how to download 500 photos off my new Samsung Fascinate (smartphone). I really loved hearing her thoughts on practicing a strict point of view. "We never want the character to be us....we want to become the character." Then she spoke well about falling in love with your character, moving out of self and into the character, and the character's energy waiting for us, as writers, to come to them. Well, check it out yourself!
Then, because my mind was firing a mile a minute, I remembered what Kimberly Frost, http://www.frostfiction.com/, said at last month's Writers Retreat Workshop, http://writersretreatworkshop.com/: write down the beginning and the end of your book and the plot points to get started. "....leave the bits in between open for the muse's magic to happen."
I have already written half of my current novel without a ending in sight. Though I've written about one of the closing scenes I had not yet figured out exactly where to take the story. So, I started with my last chapter....called it chapter 36 (this is because I promised my friend, Cecile a.k.a. Tanne, to give her 60 pages a month for six months and we would have a book by Christmas....so chapter 36.)
Anyone remember the very old saying, "Kawabunga?" I think it was surfer speak for WOW! I was able to plot backwards to chapter 31 and it was sooooooo easy! I love it. Now, I have my first five chapters at the top of my bulletin board and my last six at the bottom.....just waiting on the Muse to fill in or at least spread a little pixie dust on the chapters I've already written.
The novel in progress, working title, The Ozark Belles' Wicked Feud.
So for all of your grand parties I hope you have a blast. I feel like I had the best Independence day ever. We grilled out hotdogs yesterday because we couldn't wait another day for the yearly trip into nitrate-land. It was bliss! Hot dogs with mustard and relish, baked beans, potato chips and iced tea. Later strawberry ice cream. Yum, the land of forbidden foods is most seductive in the summer.
Having satisfied my fetish for pre-formed pig snout, I figured it was time to jump back on the wagon and eat right today. I started cooking around lunch time and made a 100% out of my garden salad (which you will read about in my poem, "Humility Salad," when I get it finished) and it was divine.....divine!!!! Then I made a nice pasta sauce with tons of fresh basil from my three enormous plants, and finally I reworked the potroast leftovers into a beautiful stew that looked way too hearty for July. My cooking is done for a couple of days.
However,out in the garden, my tomatoes aren't looking very beautiful even though the other veggies are really doing well. When it rains a lot the tomatoes suffer. I hope they come in anyway. I should have tomatoes, green beans, and potatoes by my birthday on the 26th when my sister comes to visit.
OK, last thing. Thank you for writing. I love your comments and emails. Next time I will tell you about the wierd watermelon salad my sister makes....basil, watermelon, feta, olive oil....very, very different. xxxxoooo and KA_BOOM to you all! Teresa
OK, last thing. Thank you for writing. I love your comments and emails. Next time I will tell you about the wierd watermelon salad my sister makes....basil, watermelon, feta, olive oil....very, very different. xxxxoooo and KA_BOOM to you all! Teresa
Loved the post. I haven't gotten a complete ending yet, but I can nail it down soon. Been listening to the "gary" tapes. Really very helpful to remember everything but I do think Kim's approach works better for me in some things. I have 9k+ written of the new book. Working on my next "Phone" scene and remembering our little group. :-)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the reminder! I have been absorbed in my notes and crit notes and using the Carolyn Wheat Four Arc system to figure out movies I'm watching. Very instructive.
ReplyDeleteI'm still here. Honest to pete I haven't gone away! Wrote the beginning of the last chapter today at work. It may change but for now, it's what I envision.
ReplyDelete