The Twirl and Swirl of Letters

Experiments are fun!

The Twirl and Swirl of Letters

Work on PAaA has slowed for the time being; however, I’ve been thinking about the structure of the novel. I’ve had a renewed interest in writing short stories; also, a few interesting characters revealed themselves.  They all have different perspectives that would be very fun to explore as main characters.

So, I’ve decided to experiment a bit.

The book will be written as a series of interconnected short stories, featuring many of the same characters, like “Claude’s Dog” by Roald Dahl. CD is a novella comprised of four or five short stories with interconnecting subplots. That’s how PAaA will run.

Part of the reason why I’m attempting this is because I want to follow EP, a female character, around her job. And as a snippet writer, this may help me from jumping around too much. 🙂

AW Blogroll: Memories of The Halloween Tree

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The Halloween Tree, Salem 2008. By Beth

The Halloween Tree, Salem 2008. By Beth

This month, the Absolute Write blog roll decided to follow the prompt of “anything related to autumn or Halloween.” I was preceded by Angyl78 and will be followed by Trulyana!

October. The one month of the year to inspire such varying images. The innocence of childhood and the deep dark of the world lock horns, struggling to gain importance. So, which is it? A holiday for the children or for the adults?

Growing up, I made a Halloween tradition for myself. I would read Ray Bradbury’s The Halloween Tree every October. This story, about a group of friends who rescue their friend Pip, is more than just a book. It’s about realizing childhood must come to an end.

I haven’t read The Halloween Tree in some time, not since my freshman year of high school. As I look back, I’ve discovered just how much that book meant.

I first read it in early middle school (or perhaps the fifth grade) after viewing the movie version one fateful Saturday. I didn’t know who Bradbury was. The histories and traditions described in the book drew in the budding amateur mythologist. I enjoyed it, intrigued by the worlds explored. So it continued until high school, when I no longer took part in this ritual.

I wish to read it once again. To experience the story I knew then and the story of deep friendship, maturation, and sacrifice I recognize the book to truly contain. The friends mature, they band together, they lose their innocence, they discover their own mortality. To the characters and me, Halloween is now more than costumes and candy. It’s life, death, everything tied up in one night.

Participants:

PARTICIPANTS
1. Lost Wanderer – http://www.lostwanderer5.blogspot.com
2. Claire Crossdale – http://theromanticqueryletter.blogspot.com/
3. Angela 785 – http://thebookshelfmuse.blogspot.com/
4. Ravencorinncarluk – http://ravencorinncarluk.blogspot.com
5. Angyl78 – http://jelyzabeth.wordpress.com/
6. shethinkstoomuch – http://shethinkstoomuch.wordpress.com
7. trulyana – http://expressiveworld.com
8. Bsolah – http://benjaminsolah.com/blog
9. freshhell – http://freshhell.wordpress.com
10. Ralph Pines – http://ralfast.wordpress.com/
11. aimeelaine – http://www.aimeelaine.com/
12. HigherEdUnderground – http://higheredunderground.com/
13. Cath – http://blog.cathsmith.net
14. DavidZahir – http://zahirblue.blogspot.com/

Yet another NaNo Meme

The Twirl and Swirl of Letters

So, I was reading Ralfast’s Sturm und Drang blog the other day and saw this meme about NaNoWriMo (created by Benjamin Solah). While I’m still kind of on the fence about participating this year (and if I do, it may or may not be PAaA), I thought the meme would get me in the writing mood.

When and how did you find out about NaNoWriMo? How did you go?

I found out about NaNo in high school, but I didn’t participate until last year.

How many times have you done NaNoWriMo?

Only once.  I’m hoping the Highlander philosophy doesn’t work with this.

How many times have you won? If you haven’t won, what was your best result?

I won last year! And man, did that book reek. I’m half proud, but mostly embarrassed by the result.

How did you go last year?

I won! But I didn’t have a plot, characters, or anything. It was a whim I decided on November first. Was it a lot of fun? Yes.

Where do you write and with what do you write?

I write on my computer or with pen and paper.  Usually I write in my room, but this year I’ll probably do some writing in the library.

How do you find time to write?

Its a wonderful procrastination tool. Really, I’d come back from class and write instead of taking my usual late morning nap. That, and I went to sleep very late at night (or early in the morning).

Are your partners, friends and family allies or enemies?

My friends mostly thought I was crazy, but in the end they supported me. This hasn’t prevented them from wanting to read my work, which I have refused. My profs who knew about it were quite supportive (I was able to write two articles for my journalism class about NaNo).

What are you strengths and what do you use to help you get to the end?

Dedication! And the thought of a job well done. Bragging rights help too.

What are you weaknesses, obstacles and challenges that hinder you from finishing?

I’m easily distracted and tend to procrastinate. Plus, I enjoy sleep.

Do you plot/outline/plan or do you write by the seat of your pants? How much do you plot or how unprepared are you?

Last year, no plot, no problem. The result was ugly. This year, if I participate, I have characters and a time line to follow. Better prepared than last year!

Do you participate in the real life community, go to write ins and meet ups in your area?

Kind of. I met up with one other NaNo-er, and meant to go to a write in but didn’t get around to it. This year, I’ve limited my extracurricular activities, so I think I might go to a write in or two.

What are your writing aids? Special snacks, music, totems, rewards or punishments?

Tea, lots of it. Music, I made a playlist of ’60s music, and also listened to a lot of Pete Townshend’s solo work.

As for punishments, failure is not an option.

Characters Without a Plot may Apply (the same is true for plots without characters)

The Twirl and Swirl of Letters

I’ve decided that I’m going to participate in NaNoWriMo this year; however, I’m not going to be working on Per Ardua ad Astra for it. This will leave me free to not feel guilty about writing parts of it now.

Lately, I’ve had a hankering to work on short stories. So? I’m going to write an anthology of shorts. At the moment, I don’t have a particular theme connecting everything. It may be a collection of spec fic shorts. Or maybe a bunch of stories about my pilots. Who knows?

As I haven’t written short stories in a long time, one may end up being a novella. The stories might be flash fiction. They might be traditional shorts. I’m getting rather excited about this. I’ve developed a character sans plot; now, perhaps he’ll get one. Or two. Maybe I’ll be uber-geeky and write a fanfic.

Bits and Pieces

The Twirl and Swirl of Letters

I am, by nature, a snippet writer. I write things out of order, with half-baked scenes thrust onto paper before I dash to another time and place. This is not without its problems. For one, character development is made a bit more difficult. My characters interact in the future the way they would in the present (if that makes sense).

For another, it makes the whole timeline a bit difficult to figure out. I have a basic idea of what I want to happen when (for example, the first MC death occurs in mid-August), but post and prior to these events are a bit shaky.

I also partially blame this habit for my inability to actually finish a manuscript. I dash here, there, and everywhere while neglecting to complete the blasted thing. Like a butterfly am I, going from story flower to story flower. Sometimes crosspollination occurs (and that works every now and then).

Hopefully, this will change with Per Ardua ad Astra (such a mouthful). I’m really trying to get things moving forward. Dedication to one story. And if I get distracted, I’ll write a short story (not start a different novel).