Writing

Venetian Carnevale Beats Halloween in Salem, MA.

Florentine Scribblings

Yep. Carnevale is just so much fun–I wish I could return another year and participate fully, huge ball gown, wig and full face mask. My half mask (very simple and completely different from everyone else’s–mine looked as though a child painted it poorly and stuck some faux gems on, but that was part of the charm).

Venice is even more of a labyrinth than Florence. Since the city is on the water (in the water, in some cases, such as the flooded St Mark’s Square), places that are geographically close together. My friends and I ended up on the wrong island, and instead of  having a direct line to St Mark’s…well, we could have gone swimming.

We ran through the alleys, the narrow streets. Our hearts thumped. We were late. If we ran…maybe we could get there…no such luck. We raced, myself and two friends changing position as the leader. People crowded closely, guarding the four bridges we needed to cross. “Permesso! Permesso!” I bellowed. We grabbed each others’ shoulders, flying through the streets in a maddening game of crack the whip. It was stressful, insane, but above all…fun.

I may have missed the first boat to the mainland (but I did get there–thankfully there were two boats waiting). Would I have traded making that first boat with not having that little jaunt through the city? Nope. Whenever I think of Venice, I’ll remember that weaving, laughing, forty-five minutes.

With the extra long bus rides from Florence to Venice (the first being at six am…ouch), I managed to get some writing in. Alas, no good short stories, but the ‘impression’ writing I did turned out good–some of it may end up in future stories or perhaps in essays.

Looking Ahead: Some Goals for 2010

The Twirl and Swirl of Letters

As 2009 winds down, I turn my thoughts from Christmas dinner (roast beef and English roast potatoes…yum!) and the year ahead. 2009 was a good year and the blank expanse of 2010 is promising (if daunting). I have a few writing goals set for myself.

1. Write one(+) short story a month

Given that my short story production this year was…three…this will be a definite improvement. I hope to write a variety of genres. Fantasy, sci fi, historical, mystery…who knows?

2. Submit work/enter contests

I’ve received some encouragement to submit various short stories to magazines. I’ve wanted to submit my work since high school, but never felt that I was good enough for publication outside of the school literary magazine (and have refrained from my college’s lit mag because my work is so atypical of what they publish). Part of my hesitation is rejection, but I know I’ll have to deal with it. Aim high, fall fast; I have years to improve.

3. Read more

Yes, I need to read more. I always do (I’ve joked about changing the name of the blog to She Reads Too Much). Fortunately, my courses for next semester look like they’ll be chock full of interesting (and informative) reads: I’m taking a course on Dante, Petrarca and Boccaccio along with one on Florentine architecture.

4. Write another novel

I’m going to write the first draft, with hope. Either my pilots or my alt reality WWIIesque Resistance piece. Although this may be pushed aside due to writing my thesis/distinction piece/grad school applications. Though, I do have roughly a month before the semester begins, and two months summer vacation…hmmm…I’ll just have to not let research distract me too much. 😀

Photo (C) Beth

Blocked.

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I don’t call it writer’s block. It isn’t. I can write a story, but…ugh. There’s no soul. No clicking.

I’m participating in a Short Story Secret Santa. I need to write a short story for someone based on her prompt. I’ve been working on it, but really, nothing is coming. I’m writing and writing. As usual, I’m having more fun coming up with the symptoms of various fake illnesses than how these illnesses play into the story. And researching Victorian medicine (I went to the Warren Anatomical Museum a couple of weeks ago. Utterly fascinating).

I’m sitting and staring blankly at the page, aimlessly with no direction. After picking up a vague direction (stemming from John Snow’s discovery of how cholera is transmitted), I put it down again. It wasn’t working. I picked up a different direction, with one of the same MCs, but this time in a supporting role. No avail. I’m thinking that I need a different MC and some semblance of a plot not tied at all to Snow, cholera, or other infectious diseases.

Beth’s Writerly Recipe!

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Every once in a while, I like to ponder lists. If I were stranded on a desert island, what five things would I bring? Who would I eat dinner with, of any person living or dead? What are my favorite books, movies, albums, etc?

So, what do I need as a writer of fiction? DavidZahir preceded me with a great post of the four things he needs.

So, ladies and gentlemen, here is my recipe for writing!

Take one notebook and one blue pen: Yes, pen and paper. Despite my horrific handwriting, I feel most creative when committing ideas directly to paper. The smooth roll of the ink beneath my fingertips is quite conducive to thinking. As great as word processors are for recording scenes and stories (and organizing them), for me, nothing gets the creative juices flowing like a crisp white sheet of paper.

Add a dash of research: Libraries and the internet make this step much easier. As I write historical fiction (and sci fi influenced by actual events), this is an important step. A lot of inspiration comes from the pages of other books, scientific, historical, etc.

Mix in one cup of strong tea: Being teetotal, my poison of choice is a strong, hot cuppa. Cuppas calm me down and get me in a more productive frame of mind.

A pinch of laughs: When things get stressful, either in the story or while writing, keeping a sense of humor is essential.

Here are the rest of the AW Blog Chain participants!

1. DavidZahir – http://zahirblue.blogspot.com/
2. shethinkstoomuch – http://shethinkstoomuch.wordpress.com
3. Lost Wanderer – http://lostwanderer5.blogspot.com/
4. aimeelaine – http://www.aimeelaine.com/
5. Ravencorinncarluk – http://raven.youareannoying.us/
6. Bsolah – http://www.benjaminsolah.com/blog/
7. Charlotte49ers – http://www.amandaplavich.com/
8. Angyl78 – http://jelyzabeth.wordpress.com/
9. truelyana – http://expressiveworld.com/
10. Claire Crossdale – http://theromanticqueryletter.blogspot.com/

NaNo nearly upon us…

The Twirl and Swirl of Letters

National Novel Writing Month is nearly upon us!

Continuing with my renewed love for short stories, I’m “rebelling” this year and producing a collection. No, its not PAaA. This collection will follow a character I’ve been developing since this August, a fellow named Pryce. The stories will be adventure fantasy tales set around the world and through this guy’s life. Woohoo!

My goal for NaNo is to write at least ten shorts. I haven’t completed short stories in a while, and I’m hoping to come up with a few salvageable pieces to submit to magazines and boost up visibility. Plus, it’d be pretty swell to have my work in print!

Pryce is a fun character to write about. He could be a villain if twisted in the right direction, or if he went through certain situations. It could be fun, writing about the progression of a person to villainy. Hmm…perhaps I have my overarching theme.

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).