Monday Madness: Ode to Movies

I tend to like my movies like I like my novels: full of fluff and good feeling. I gobble up romantic comedies and Disney movies like dark chocolate and have gotten to the point where I don't even try to hide it anymore. But thanks to Netflix and Red Box (and weather that has you spontaneously bursting into flames when you dare to venture outside) I've been catching up on some "less fluffy" movies. Much to my amazement, I'm actually enjoying them.

Here is a list of movies that I've watched that I didn't think I would like, but actually did:

Winter's Bone — This movie made me so uncomfortable. First, it was made in my backyard (not literally), and the familiar setting, along with the rough and scary characters (who could be related to me) really set me on edge. This movie haunted me. Freaked me out. And while I resented being reminded of the people that I come from (yes, I have relatives a lot like the people in this movie), it was definitely worth watching.

Million Dollar Baby — I kept putting off watching this one because someone had told me the gist of it once, and that it wasn't a happy movie. They were right; it's not a happy movie. But it's not really a sad or depressing movie either. There's a lot of hope in this film. And I know that I'm not a movie critic by any means, but I thought this was an excellent movie because of just how emotive it was. Again, some of Maggie's family reminded me of people I know, and so it might have hit closer to home for me than someone else, but if you do not feel some little ping in your heart at the end of this movie,  then you are dead inside. Seriously.

Love & Other Drugs — I didn't want to watch this movie because I thought it was about DOING drugs. And not the prescription kind. My husband finally convinced me to watch it, and it rocked my world (and not just because of the many, many, many sex scenes). It was such a gritty take on love—no romantic comedy here. I cried and laughed many times during this movie, and it led to a serious discussion about what love is between me and my husband. (Good news: We think we have it figured out. Our version, anyway.)

The Prestige — A whole different can of worms here, but I found myself engrossed in this movie. This movie is a prime example of love-to-hate characters. Throughout the movie, I did not like either one of the main characters. Neither Angier or Borden were "good". What they were, instead, were very mortal. Prone to mistakes and jealousy and stupidity and vanity. And the end . . .man, the end. So twisted. I loved it.

Next on the list: The Black Swan and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.

But first, Suckerpunch. :)

Liking these movies was a good reminder to me that there are great things outside our comfort zone, if we just give them a chance. Now that I've branched out my movies, I think the next step is my literature (and not just because I'm being forced to, like in school.)

What about you? See any movies you thought you wouldn't like, but ended up loving? What about books?

Monday Madness: Toning Your Core

I really like to exercise and I find it funny that a lot of exercise vernacular can be applied to editing a manuscript. I find it so amusing, in fact, that I thought about paralleling my exercise routine with my current editing process. However, if that were the case, I would have been toning my core for, like, three months straight.

That's right, I'm in the process of trying to get a sexier middle (in my manuscript rather than my actual abs). Thanks to some very helpful critiques, I realized that two of my middle chapters included a lot of summary rather than action (i.e. flab instead of muscle). So I went to work.

First there was the light stretching. I tried tweaking a word there, a sentence here.

Then the warmup: replacing telling with showing.

The actual exercise: scrapping entire paragraphs and scenes for others.

Then the cool down: fine tuning the scene.

Finally, the last stretching: tweaking of words and sentences.

By the time it was over with, I was mentally exhausted, but at least now I have a stronger core.

Monday Madness: A Little Sugar with My Vinegar

I can be a pretty ruthless critter. Yes, me. It's like my Darkside. I find much pleasure in taking someone's story and ripping it to shreds.

Most of the time I remember to be nice about it. (At least, I think I am. I've yet to receive any death threats.)

But I HAVE scared a few people off. Some people can't handle the steady dose of vinegar I pour over their manuscripts, and they usually run for cover when I come critting. But here's a little sugar for my vinegar: I'm mean to you so I can be mean to me.

For example, I can't dissect your character's motivations without first making sure mine are pretty dang clear. I can't complain about your lifeless dialogue if mine is so dead it's starting to smell. Also, when I'm critting, I find mistakes in my writing by looking at yours. If your MC's whining drives me crazy, there's a good chance my MC's whining will drive someone else crazy. So, snip, snip.

Critting makes me excited to be a writer. I like to contribute, to make a difference, and to help my fellow writers dish out the best stories they possibly can. If it means I have to be a little sour rather than sweet, well, okay then. And give it right back to me.

And I love my critters. Those who can stand me usually give as good as they get. Maybe this makes me wacky, but I honestly get MORE motivation after receiving a critique. Even if it's ripping my story to shreds. Even if it's telling me I suck. As long as they point out how I can fix it, then I'm game.

What about you? Do you prefer sugar or vinegar with your critique?

Monday Madness: Water-Friendly Writing Tools

Most of my best story ideas come when I'm wet.

Okay, that sounded wrong.

Ahem. Rephrase: I get a lot of great story ideas when I'm doing mindless things like washing dishes or taking a shower. The variable that these mindless activities have in common is water. Water and writing do not go together. Soggy paper is not easy to write on. Ink runs. Computers fry. And taking the time to dry off wastes precious inspiration.

Which leaves me to believe that someone (i.e. someone who knows things about science and technology and inventions and stuff (not me)) should create a writer-friendly waterproof tool for recording ideas while otherwise soaked.

Think of the possibilities!

Mid-water gun fight, you discover the EXACT move you needed for your MC to sniper Bad Guy. Waterproof writer tool to the rescue! ('Cause you know your six-year-old cousin isn't going to stop squirting you just because you have a piece of paper in your hand.)

Your nightly shower serenade results in the perfect scene in chapter two, part three of your spy novel. And your husband stole your towel again. No worries! Just grab your waterproof iPad and type out a few sentences.

Inspiration strikes for overcoming obstacle No. 713 in WIP, but you're covered in water and flea shampoo and in the middle of giving your dog a bath. Waterproof writing tool to the rescue!

Seriously, someone needs to get working on this.

(Oh, there ARE bath paints and crayons, but they are WASHABLE, so what's the point?)

Monday Madness: Killing Your Love Child

I'm conducting a social experiment (secret: I like messing with people's minds sometimes) and it involves a status message on Facebook.

It says: Killing my love child.

Writers might smile and nod in understanding, but I'm pretty sure my family is going to pepper me with question marks and "WTH, I didn't know you had kids!" Or "Are your dogs okay?" Rest assured that no living, breathing person (or animal) was killed. Just some imaginary ones.

You see, I'm doing some housekeeping on DRAGON QUEEN. Mostly it involves getting rid of a lot of useless characters, who were there just to be there. They didn't have a purpose beyond making the MC look good, so, I took out the hatchet and started hacking away at them. Now I have gone from having about a bazillion secondary characters to only a million. I'm making progress. (I think I'll do the rest of them in with arsenic . . .they're starting to suspect me.)

I've been thinking about this massacre for a while, but it was only after I wrung a chapter through my critique group that I realized it was time to start sharpening the knives (er, pen) and finally do something about it. But killing a love child (or children, in this case) is pretty messy business. It required a lot of thinking and planning on my part. Who had to go? Who needed to stay? Which ones could be combined to make one character, instead of two or three? So, I got out my handy dandy notebook and made a list. Next to each character, I wrote their race (believe it or not, that's kind of important in this story--I'm talking fantasy here, too, so please don't pelt me with tomatoes), their personality traits, the reason for Jade wanting them to be her "advisors" and then I started knifing them in the ribs. (I'm really enjoying this murdering metaphor, if you couldn't tell.) I went from having eight advisors to five. Progress, yes? Then, of course, there were the dragons. Most of the dragons play important roles in the story and most of them have unique and well-developed personalities. The exception was the General, Gorn. He was just sort of there, hanging out, sharpening his claws, and bellowing orders. So, he got added to the hit list and I took his position, some of his traits, and slipped them into Tyar--who went from being a possible love interest (or at least lust interest) to being more of an older brother figure to Jade (to deal with some of the OMG everyone wants your MC issue), also it will make a certain scene that happens later in the book MUCH stronger, in my opinion.

Okay, I'm rambling here. But I just wanted to show you how I deal with my love child(ren). They're not as easy to do away with as you might think. Shrinking my character pool is actually taking some significant rewrites and cuts, but sometimes that's what you need to do to create a stronger (and less confusing) story.

But what about you? Any love children rotting in your basement?

Monday Madness: Best Title Ever (and 5K Results)

Eternal Rider by Larissa Ione

A romance novel with this sort of title  deserves five stars just for ingenuity. Hehe. What's he riding, I wonder?

And on a completely unrelated note (no riding involved), let me just share that I finished the Hogeye 5K in 34:20. My fastest time ever! I am seriously so proud of myself.

I finished 16th in my age group and 160th overall. (There were 200+ racers.) What's funny is that I'm apparently a mean-looking runner. Some coworkers were cheering me on and they said that I gave them a death glare. OMG! Did not mean to and totally don't know where that came from. I think it was more like I was concentrating so hard on just making it to the finish line that I didn't realize what expression I had on my face.

But 34:20! Squee!

Monday Madness: Not In the Mood

I'm reintroducing Monday Madness, and while I'll certainly try to be helpful, more likely than not it will just be my inane ramblings about what I'm reading or writing at the moment. Enjoy!

I have book binges that totally depend on my mood. If I'm in the mood for something angsty, I'll usually go for YA. If I want an adventure, I'll find something in fantasy. If I want a love story, well, I go for romance, naturally.

Which brings me to a dilemma. What do you do when you're not in the mood?

I have Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher sitting on my coffee table right now. It's a library book, so that means I should get around to reading it soon (like, before it's due back). It's also supposed to be one of those books that will "change your world" so I've been really looking forward to reading it.

I'm just not in the mood. You see, I'm in a pretty good mood this week (mainly due to sunshine and reading Anne McCaffrey's Dragonsong, which was so good) and I'm reluctant to change that. And Thirteen Reasons Why is guaranteed to put me in a not-so-happy mood. I mean, it's about a girl's reasons for committing suicide. Not lighthearted in the least. And I'm one of those weird people who are easily influence by books, movie and music. A sad story, movie or song makes me sad. There's no getting around it. (And it really annoys my husband when I start moping over nothing.)

So, instead of reading the book I was supposed to read, I dug through my bookshelves and found Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, which I've read no less than six times. Lol.

I'm sure I'll be in the mood for a serious story soon, and probably force myself to read it just because I hate having to renew my library loans (and also because a less happy part of me really does want to read it) but just not today. Tomorrow doesn't look good either.

What do you do when you're not in the mood? Do you move on or hunker down and read anyway? Please share!

Monday Madness: How to Tell if You're a Writer

I've been thinking a lot lately about what makes a writer, and if I even qualify as one anymore. I feel like I've been slacking. Sure, I've never been one of those industrious people who write every day. I don't have word goals or scene goals or anything like that. I'm not even published yet (though that will be remedied soon). I don't feel like I'm vastly talented or even "better" than any other writer. I still feel like I need to improve. Like I have a lot to learn. I don't put my work out there as much as I used to. Not for critique and not for potential publication. So what gives me the right to call myself a writer?

What gives me the right to give advice to other writers, either? Yes, I have a bachelor's degree in creative writing, but I'm not expert. Heck, I don't even know what I'm doing most of the time. I don't have structures or guidelines that I follow. I just sit down and write. What comes, comes. And sometimes it doesn't.

My imagination isn't the best. Sometimes I come up with ideas that are good, but I still get that niggling feeling that no idea I have is good enough or original enough. Sometimes I think that all that comes from me is garbage.

But I still call myself a writer.

I'm a writer because I have to write. What I write might not be publishable. It might not be original or amazing or even legible. But, still, I have to write it. I have to create characters. I have to tell their stories. Because if I don't I'm halfway convinced that they'll bore out of my skull themselves.

I write because I like to pretend. I like to build and breathe life into places that never were, but could be. I write because if I don't, there's this strange, urgent pressure that builds inside of me until I think I might explode.

If you're a writer, you probably know what I'm talking about. But even if you don't, that doesn't mean you're not a writer...that just means you're a different kind. As long as you feel it in your soul, beneath your skin, as long as you have ONE story to tell--you're a writer.

You might not be a bestseller novelist. You might not be published at all. You might have just finished the rough draft of your first story, but you're still a writer. You might not have written three words since November, but you're still a writer.

It's not a profession. It's a calling. And people will mock you (kindly or cruelly) for daring to write, but you will write all the same. Because you have no other option.

That's how you know you're a writer.

Monday Madness: Revisiting Old Friends

I've been taking advantage of my library card lately and so I've been reading a lot of books. Some good. Some not. And it's the ones that are "not" that's made me really crave the familiar...and the knowledge that the book I'm going to read is a good one.

So, this week I'm going to dust off some of my hardbacks and read some old friends. And hopefully it will remind me why I write. For the beautiful, magical words and worlds, the lively characters, the amazing dialogue. THAT is why I read. That is why I love literature.

But unfortunately, I've read quite a few books lately that have left me with nothing more than a "meh" feeling. I hate that feeling. I'd rather loathe a book than feel nothing for it. Loathing still means that the author did something RIGHT somewhere along the way (at least right enough for it to twang one of my nerves). When I come across a book that doesn't do either for me, it just makes me sad.

Disclaimer: Yes, I know that not every book was intended for whatever audience I'm grouped in. That's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about a book lacking that certain something that just makes it breathe. That something that makes me FEEL something. Rather than annoyance. I'm annoyed too much for that to be a book's fault.

So I'll be pulling some of my old friends off the shelf these next few weeks (until I once again get the thirst for fresh ink). I'm going to bury my nose in those pages and remind myself that there are books out there that sing.

How about you? Ever need to take a breather from those shiny new releases and pick up your favorite, dog-earred paperback? Which one is it? Please share!

Monday Madness: What's in a Name?

SURPRISE! Another Monday Madness post! And I thought they'd keeled over.

But this post was actually inspired by something mundane and probably not too stimulating that happened over the weekend.

I've had a kitten (orange and white bengal, once with blue eyes, now with gold (which I deduced his eyes changed when he signed his soul away to the devil)) for a couple months now. When I got the kitten, I was assured that it was a female and so promptly named it Buttercup.

Well, it's not female. And while I have no issue in calling a tom "Buttercup," my husband insisted on calling him "Butthead" instead. Since I didn't want our kitten answering to Butthead, I decided that I would come up with a better name for him. Eventually.

You see, just like when I'm musing on names for characters in my stories, I'm usually struck by the perfect name and it just sticks. Most of the time it's coincidence (or a strange streak of luck) that when I begin researching the name it has connotations that I like.

But sometimes I do the opposite: research and then name. This was especially true for my short-story-turned-novel "One Thousand." I wanted the mermaid's name to have dark connotations, so I went to babynameworld.com and typed "dark" in Meaning Search. I saw Achlys, liked the sound of it, and the murdering mermaid was born.

More often than not, however, I go with what my muse whispers. Those names are usually stronger, more genuine. They are the names the characters give themselves. Even Drake's name in DRAGON QUEEN was one of those names that just struck me. He and I snickered at the irony of a dragonslayer named Drake until he revealed to me that he had a BIG secret. And then it was even more ironic. When names reveal themselves, usually magical and intriguing things happen in my stories. It's probably part of me being a pantser. I'm more inspired when I just let things unfold as they will.

And then, sometimes, I get lucky enough that my muse (or subconscious) knows what it's doing and I don't have to do a lot of cleaning up to make things coincide later.

So what about you? Do you put a lot of thought into your names or is it something that just pops into your head?

(P.S. My muse whispered to me that the kitten's new name would be Simba, because he thinks he's the king of the jungle...or at least the Christmas tree.)

Monday Madness: The "AHA!" Moment

Surprise! I actually thought of something. So I have to be really quick and write it down before I forget...

Wait, what was I saying?

Kidding.

I've been fiddling with some of the projects that have been gathering dust on my thumb drive. Trying, really, to decide which one I want to focus on. I know that DQ needs most of my attention (stop procrastinating, Brandi, just get it to the querying stage! Mmkay?) but I want to be WRITING on something.

So I picked up ONE THOUSAND again. For those of you new to this blog (or just need a refresher), ONE THOUSAND is a story about a murderous mermaid in ancient Greece who ends up being captured by a sailor out for revenge. (She killed his brother.) I have some really great ideas for this story, but, the thing is, it takes a LOT of research. I've been spending way too much time surfing the internet, trying to find relevant information on ancient Greece and customs and all that. So much time, in fact, that I haven't really WRITTEN anything. (I've even despaired that I won't be able to write this story until I actually GO to Greece.)

I've been so worried about getting things historically accurate (even though there are mermaids involved) that my muse has been oppressed. But then I had the "Aha!" moment.

I always seem to struggle with switching back and forth between two people's POV (I think it's the romance writer in me) and, with Elpis (the sailor) I've been struggling because ancient Greece is HIS world. So nothing is new or interesting to him. He takes everything for granted. And I'm afraid that he'll come off as more of an information outlet than a character. So, I was thinking that instead I should tell the whole story through Achlys' (the mermaid) eyes. Then everything will be new. Everything will be strange and wonderful and I don't think I would have to worry so much about getting all the terminology right. Plus, it's Achlys' story. And while I will miss digging around in Elpis' head, I think it would be much more interesting (for me and the reader) to see him completely through Achlys' POV. A challenge, yes, but it's made me excited for the story again. Woohoo!

I love those "Aha" moments. They bring the spark back, don't you think? What about you, had any Aha moments lately? And what did you glean from it?

Monday Madness: Overcoming the E-mail Obsession

If you've ever submitted any of your stories (be it for a magazine, an agent, or a contest) you've probably experience the E-mail Obsession at one point.

This involves:

Checking your e-mail every 3 minutes or so.

Having a new heart attack when you have any kind of new message.

Get disappointed when its yet another spam for Viagra. (WTF? I'm not even a GUY!)

Get even more disappointed when there's nothing new.

Check "Sent" messages to make sure you sent it to the right person.

Count the days your submission has been out.

Go to Duotrope.com and check average response times.

Refresh e-mail again. Disappointed again.

Tell yourself you're not going to check e-mail for the rest of the day.

Resist for five minutes. Check again.

Go to submission website and fret over the guidelines. Yes, you did it right.

Refresh e-mail.

I am happy to say that I have finally overcome the e-mail obsession. Granted, I don't have any queries out for my novels, but I DO have a couple of short stories out on submission. Going on two months. Gah.

But I've discovered a little secret that prevents me from overloading Yahoo with all my refreshes. Forgetting about it. Acting like you don't care. Moving on to other things. Yes, it works. Amazingly well, actually.

Now, I still check my e-mail once a day (just in case) but that's my limit. Why waste the time fretting over when an e-mail is going to arrive (and what it will say) instead of moving on to another project? Distraction is key, my friend. Yes, indeed.

Now, anyone need the hookup on discounted Viagra?

Stretched Thin

I've always been a bit socially awkward. I say the wrong things a lot. Laugh at unfunny things. Don't make enough eye contact...or too much. My jokes flop. I try really, REALLY hard to be a person's best friend, but I usually fail. Because I try TOO hard, as my mother always says.

Well, I feel like I'm trying too hard to be helpful and insightful and provide you with interesting tidbits on Monday Madness. The truth is I feel like Monday Madness is flopping more than flipping. Everything I say (or, more accurately, try to say) comes out a little stale. A little lifeless. A little awkward. So, next Monday will be the last regularly scheduled Monday Madness. It might make an occasional occurrence in the future when I can actually THINK of something interesting.

However, I do have recommendations for helpful blogs. 

The Sharp Angle. Lydia Sharp always has interesting things to say and I'm learning something every day from her. And when her husband, Joe, pops in you can usually get a unique perspective on things (as well as a grin-inducing post title).

Don't pet me, I'm writing. Tawna Fenske always has an amusing anecdote about writing or her experience as a writer. She's a lot of fun to follow!

The Other Side of the Story. Janice Hardy, author of The Shifter and Blue Fire, is always sharing helpful information on character development, plotting and writing in general.

I will continue to post book reviews on Wednesdays. Luckily I'm about two weeks ahead on that. Woohoo. I hope you're enjoying reading them, because I'm enjoying writing them. :)

Hopefully with less pressure on my brain to come up with something brilliant over the weekend for Monday Madness, I can start writing on my stories again. Maybe even some poetry.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Monday Madness: Are You a Winner?

Hello, fellow NaNo-ers!

How's the writing going? I know some of you are super motivated and have already surpassed the 50,000 word goal. Others (like me, ahem) are still flagging. I regret to say that I probably won't "win" NaNoWriMo this year. I've only got about 40,000 words and though I MIGHT be able to write 10,000 words in the next two days, I doubt it. I'm, frankly, exhausted. And my imagination is beginning to resembled a shriveled raisin. Sad? Yes it is. The story is also picking a fight with me, trying to take me a direction I don't want to go, so that's making writing more difficult. Because I feel like everything I've wrote lately is crap. (Yes, writing crap is better than not writing, but I'm just too frustrated to deal with it now.) I'm going to write some more today. I can't guarantee it will be 5,000 words or even 500, but I'll keep writing until Dec. 1. Then I'm going to take a well-deserved break.

Normally, the daunting idea that I might not reach a goal would have my stomach in knots. I'm a perfectionist and I'm ambitious. I like to succeed. I like to reach my goals. Normally, I would be frantically pounding away at the keyboard (even if it was to repeat curse words over and over) in the hope that I would make it. But, you know what? I'm not stressing. Mainly because I have too many other goals that I am achieving that letting one slip is okay by me.

In my mind, just knowing that I wrote 40,000 words in one month is amazing. I've never written so many words in such a short amount of time! So, that makes me a winner in my own mind.

But how are you faring? Did you "win" this year or are you going to make your own blue ribbon out of glue and glitter?

Please share!

Monday Madness: We Cannot Escape Our Genre

If I had to define what type of writer I am, my first label would be fantasy, closely followed by romance. That's just what I like to write. It's what I like to read as well.

FURY I considered romantic fantasy. DRAGON QUEEN was fantasy, with touches of YA and romance. MORGUE TREE is YA fantasy. ONE THOUSAND is historical fantasy (also with romance). And LAST OF THE ELVES is romantic fantasy.

All of these are novels or WIPs. Big projects, as it were. However, while my short stories have similar elements of fantasy and love, they also tend to branch away and take other routes.

I recently wrote a short story for a for-fun contest on the WD Sci-Fi/Fantasy Forum. We had to take two eerie pictures (one of a misty castle and dragon and the other of a skull-mountain oozing blood) and write a horror story. I've never considered horror one of my strong suits, but I had a lot of fun exploring the genre. Making it eerie and creepy and giving it a not too happy ending.

But it still ended up being fantasy. And it still ended up having romance.

WTF?

So I looked at other stories. "For the Love of a Zombie" is about a vampire turning his beloved into a zombie, a bit of dark humor. But still, there was fantasy and there was romance.

"Eater of Worlds" is about a man returning to his homeland to destroy it and finds out it's his sister's fault that he has to do so. Fantasy, check. But romance? No. Yet there is still love there. Between siblings.

"Faceless" was a play into sci-fi. As a short story, it's possible that escapes my niche of fantasy and romance, but as I've thought about expanding it into a novel, what has it become? You guessed it. A romance.

"The Vulture and the Dove", about two clashing winged beings in a future Tokyo, also had the fantasy and romance.

It's like I can't escape it.

So, tell me, when you've branched out from your typical genre, have you noticed familiar things slipping in? Or can you completely break away from your usual writing style?

Assuage my curiosity. :)

Monday Madness: The Invisible Post

That's right. It's invisible. Too bad. It's chock full of useful information that would probably land you an agent faster than you can snap your fingers. And it has a handy dandy spell that turns poorly written novels to solid gold (get cash for gold now!).

And, yes, I'm totally lying.

The truth is, I'm so far behind on NaNoWriMo, I can't think of anything useful or clever to share with you. So here is my not-so-cleverness. If you'd like, feel free to rub my face in your own NaNoWriMo success. I have 7,000 words to write.

Toodles!

Monday Madness: Tips for Tackling NaNoWriMo

So, fellow NaNo-ers, how's it coming? Are you staying on top of your goals? Flagging behind? Have you suddenly sprouted extra fingers and are simultaneously banging out two separate scenes in your novel? (If so, can I borrow a pair?)

I'll admit, I'm behind. Because, well, I'm not the best at sitting in front a computer on the weekends so, yeah...

BUT, I will catch up. All I have to do is write 5,000 words and I'll be good. Think I can't do it? Think again!

I have some secrets up my sleeve. Okay, not secrets, but some nifty tools that help me out. And, because I'm feeling generous today (and riding a sugar high brought on by a powdered donut), here are some of the things I use to keep me on track.

Write or Die. I'm usually pressed for time and always easily distracted, so Write or Die by Dr. Wicked is a great tool to keep me on track. I usually write about 1,000 words at a time (to keep it down to manageable chunks) but you can set it for as many as you want (I think up to 50,000).

Pandora. I like to use music to get me in the mood to write, and nothing is better for that than a personalized radio station. If I have a certain theme in mind for a story, then I can enter a similar music style and create a station. For The Morgue Tree, I'm going with a lot of Breaking Benjamin, Fireflight and Paramore. Yep, it's emo.

Revising. This might sound a little counterproductive, but it helps me narrow the focus of the story. While using Write or Die, the things I write can be either raw genius or pure garbage. I do a lot of pruning and polishing, and, by doing this, usually have a stronger hold on the story. I usually add words, too. And, since I'm a perfectionist, I can feel more comfortable about moving on with the story, knowing that it's not a lot of crap just taking up space.

How about you? Have any tips that keep you on track? And are you on track?

Monday Madness: Do or Do Not...There is No Try

“Do or do not...there is no try.”

Aside from “Luke, I am your father” that famous line by Yoda is probably the most popular quotation from Star Wars. (Even if you’re not a Star Wars buff, you’ve probably heard it somewhere.)

As writers, it’s hard to distinguish between trying and doing. After all, we spend most of our time TRYING to polish our novel, TRYING to write a query, TRYING to snag an agent/editor, TRYING to get published. Whether we actually succeed depends on a mixture of skill and luck and timing, right?

Not quite.

See, there’s a difference between trying (which is often a soft excuse for not succeeding) than doing. If you’re TRYING to write a query letter, will it ever be finished? If you’re TRYING to get an agent/editor, will you actually ever get one? With TRYING there’s no guarantee of results, but with DOING, there is.

The main difference between trying and doing is perseverance and attitude. If you try to do something, there’s a big chance that you’re going to get discouraged and quit trying at some point, but if you’re doing something, then it’s a bit more difficult to stop.

Take NaNoWriMo, for instance. There's a lot of people out there who are going to "try" to participate, but by saying "try" they are not fully investing themselves in the process. They might be discouraged by other obligations, make excuses, half-heartedly invest in it. But if you approach NaNo with the "I am going to do this" attitude, then you're more likely to succeed.

So, let's say it together: No more trying. Now is the time to start doing. I AM going to finish that novel. I AM going to get an agent/editor. I AM going to get published.

Let's do it!

Monday Madness: Better Late Than Never

Oops. Yep, I know, I'm late. Sorry. Usually I write these things ahead of time and pre-schedule them to avoid this, but, yeah. I've been busy.

So, this Monday, I would like to talk about procrastination.

Or get around to talking about procrastination. Look! Something shiny!

Ahem. Okay, seriously, procrastination is a writer's best frenemy. It's fuzzy and cuddly and oh-so-much-fun, until you realize that you haven't written two sentences in the three hours you've been on your computer.

So, if you're like me and haven't finished your short story because there are just so many cool websites out there, here are some tips for overcoming procrastination:

1. Stay away from technology. No computer. No TV. No Kindle/e-reader. Not even a radio. Grab some paper, a pen and a hard surface and go at it the old fashioned way. (Also, stay away from windows.)

2. Use Write or Die. This is a handy online tool (and FREE) that will help you overcome writer's block or lack of motivation or both! And did I mention it's free?

3. Have a brainstorm session. By this I mean that you just write whatever pops into your head. Write without editing or worrying if it's good enough.

4. Set yourself a goal with rewards/punishments. For example: If I write 1,000 words today/finish this scene/finish this chapter, I can go have ice cream. If I don't, I have to pick up rocks in the backyard. (But this only works if you're the type to stick to your rewards/punishments. If you have ice cream either way, it defeats the purpose.

So what about you? How do you tackle procrastination?

Monday Madness: What To Do When They Just Don't "Get It"

There have been times when I've written something that was simply on fire. I loved it. LOVED it. So I submit it for critique with bated breath, crossing my fingers and hoping they love it too. (For those of you out there further along in the publishing process, you might have experienced a similar feeling with submitting query letters.) But then the responses come back and you realize what you were so enthusiastic about has other people scratching their heads.

My first (and suppressed) reaction is always: What do you MEAN you don't get it? What don't you understand? He's a unicorn-dragon hybrid who breathes underwater! What's not to get??? (Ramble into incoherence.)

My second is: What don't you get?

It's always best to ask for specifics. If they can't be specific, you have my permission to stick your tongue out at them and move on (JOKING). But, seriously, if they can't pinpoint what's bugging them about your story then try to find someone who can. In most circumstances, once the first person puts a finger on what's bothering them, the others will usually chime in with "Yeah, that's what I meant!"

Third: How would you recommend fixing it?

Sometimes your critters will offer you suggestions on how to clear up what they "don't get." Maybe it's scene clarification or a more detailed description of the unfolding events, etc. Maybe it's just inserting one word. But usually you get an awesome brainstorm session from the don't-getters in the end and (who knows?) you might end up with an even more awesome story than before.

(Just a side note here: A reader who doesn't get it is NOT the same thing as a reader who doesn't LIKE it for whatever reason. But even for the latter, if they can't give you a reason for their dislike, it's best to just make a mental note "OK, so-and-so doesn't like it" and go on with the story. Not everyone is going to jive with your story, but they should all be able to at least "get it.")