December- 2015 over, on to 2016!

Foiled again in 2015!

But at least I managed some progress before I tripped into the creativity-destroying wasteland that is full time employment.

Regardless, new year, new Plans!

Goals for this year:

• Write at least 1,000 words a month to keep the ideas flowing
• Write the dang plots down as they come to me, especially the ideas I get at work- store a notebook at my desk for those moments
• Continue updating idea project in Scrivener.
• Write something to post on AO3?
• Finish Kings Shadow - because I still haven't
• Post on blog at least once every month - because I failed at it last year. Terribly.

October 2015 - Planning vs. Pantsing

October 2014

Just one month left before NaNoWriMo! So our next topic is pretty obvious...

NaNo Planning vs. NaNo Pantsing
Which is better for you? 
     By this, you assume that something actually works. I usually start by pantsing. Plot bunny appears, I write a chapter or so, then I sit and plan, and re-plan, and never finish anything.
Which one always fails?
     Straight pantsing. If I can't find a coherent plot in my writing, I end up either frustrated or bored, depending on the story. My writing time is generally very ruched during November. I didn't participate in Nano before I started college, so November was always exam season. I then started working full time and 'not having time' is the norm. So I have to make time, and if I'm not motivated to do so I can easily go months without writing.
Or can you do either or?

Bonus: Show us your NaNo planning - handwritten or computer screen!

September 2015- Distractions

September 2015

School days... Starting up again. So let’s get in as much writing as we can before the books hit!

Distractions
What is your worst distraction? Hopefully not blogging!
     Reading.
Are they self-chosen (TV, Reading, etc.) or more of a necessity (school, work, etc.)?

Um-  definitely both categories. Anything I can come up with. World class procrastinator, here.

Really though, I usually choose reading, in addition to my [mandatory] 40 our work week + ten hours of commuting which eat the majority of my time and energy. Reading is the great escape, where I can ignore what I'm not doing and  enjoy watching someone else's life.
Other 'distractions'- crochet, cosplay, manga, drawing, latch hook, cross stitch,
 needlepoint, quilting, chainmail jewelry, beading, cleaning/organizing, 
scrap booking, PC gaming, knitting, Dungeons and Dragons.... cooking/baking, 
and when I am truly desperate doing the dishes.

If you could get rid of ONE distraction, what would it be?

Why would I want to get rid of my distractions? I would be terribly bored.

Bonus: Try to forego one of your distractions this month and see how much higher your WC is! But not that school, work, necessary stuff. We need you happy, healthy and not in trouble for truancy.

August 2015- Short Stories

August 2015

Let’s talk a bit about...

Writing Short Stories

For those who write them often, give us some advice! 

For those who are new to the technique, what was the hardest thing to learn?

As I am neither, I'm not sure what to write about here. I'm not a big 'short story' person. By this, I mean that I don't write them and generally avoid reading them unless they are a part of an ongoing series, usually extra backstory that the author could not work into the overall tale but decided to publish later as a collection. 

If I were going to attempt a short story, the first thing I would focus on would be nailing down the main purpose of what I was writing. With so much less space on my virtual page to work with, I would want to make every bit of it count. Am I just trying to write the back round to a particular character I've already worked with in another piece? What instances am I going to cover, what shaped him or her into the person they became? Who did they interact with? What did they hate?

I would like to have an entire time line and know where I was going to end the story before I started, unlike my usual writing style.

Bonus: Who is your favorite short story writer? If you don’t have one, tell us about one you’re going to try and hunt down.

J.R.R. Tolkien- no surprises there. I especially enjoyed "Leaf, by Niggle" and Roverandom.

July 2015: Overused Tropes and Cliches

July 2015

Well, the zombies have taken over. Which means we can talk a bit about...

Overused Tropes and Cliches

Um- Hold on a minute. I use these words, but if I'm writing about them, an exact definition will be helpful.

trope
a : a word or expression used in a figurative sense : figure of speech
b : a common or overused theme or device : cliché <the usual horror movie tropes>: a phrase or verse added as an embellishment or interpolation to the sung parts of the Mass in the Middle Ages

cliché
1: a trite phrase or expression; also : the idea expressed by it
2: a hackneyed theme, characterization, or situation
3: something (as a menu item) that has become overly familiar or commonplace

Thank you, Merriam-Webster.

Ok, now that I am certain that I know what I'm writing about...

We at WriYe know that zombies may be overdone, but we love them anyway. What are your favorite tropes/cliches? 

  I greatly enjoy that one character who interprets all figures of speech literally. They are hilarious in that while their responses are correct, they are no longer talking about the same thing as all of the other characters. The reason a character reasons that way tend not to vary overmuch: They are learning the language that is being spoken, Syntax is used differently than their home culture... they happen to be an alien... I don't particularly care, I just sit back and enjoy the comedy.
  Time travel/ fix-it, especially in fan fiction, um- runaway and or exiled royalty/nobility?

 Which ones are your least favorite?

   That the fathers and or adults in general are stupid, when animals that aren't dogs act just like dogs, when the timeline does not actually work and/or contradicts itself, plot holes (seriously, Ella Enchanted: "I order you to break the curse!" Option A- she breaks it, therefore it's broken. Option B- She can't break it, therefore breaking the curse. But no.)

June- Critique and Criticism

June 2015

With the start of Last WriYer Standing (LWS), let’s talk about...

Critique and Criticism

Everyone has a critique story. Tell us yours. What are your feelings about critiquing? About criticism?

     Actually, I'm not certain I do have a critique story. I have generally avoided critiques, as they bring my inner editor roaring to the scene. At that point, my story stalls out and I lose all interest in in writing it, because I know it won't be right. I do not yet have anything completed, and therefore have hidden it away from all critics.

     I don't mind criticism once I've finished- especially when writing for business or papers for school or work, but unless what I am writing a piece as a collaboration, I cannot be told what is wrong with it. Criticism has killed more of my stories than anything else.

May- Poetry: Lyric and Verse

May 2014

You guys still around? I hope so! Let’s go into...

Poetry

How do you feel about poetry? 

I can enjoy reading it, though I generally do not go out of my way to do so. I find that it generally has a ... "musicality" to it, and is a very evocative art form.

Do you write any? 

Very occasionally, I suppose. Generally only when in a very specific mood, or when adding flavor to one of my stories. Some legends just need to be told in verse. :)

Do you see the significance of it or do you think it is a waste of time? 

Um- that's... an odd question. I think all writing is significant, even if only to practice and improve the individual's skills (specifically, my writing skills). I am very good at technical writing, but I think I struggle to "show" my reader the world I'm writing.

Bonus: What is your favorite poem? Tell us! (Written by you or another great writer!)

The Fall of Gil-Galad by J.R.R.Tolkein
Though I had read it previously when reading the book, I really fell in love with this piece listening to the 1981 BBC Radio recordings. The story is unfortunately abridged, but the scene in which this poem/song was done was included. I would love to be able to do this with poetry- to both tell  story and have my readers"see" the scene as clearly as I did listening to the actor recite this for the first time.

Gil-galad was an Elven-king.

Of him the harpers sadly sing;

the last whose realm was fair and free

between the Mountains and the Sea.

His sword was long, his lance was keen.

His shining helm afar was seen;

the countless stars of heaven's field

were mirrored in his silver shield.

But long ago he rode away,

and where he dwelleth none can say;

for into darkness fell his star

in Mordor where the shadows are.

April- Nature, Nurture and Genre

April 

And we've made it through editing! Hopefully. If you are still stuck there, all the chocolate and cake for you.

Archetype

It’s said that there are only so many plots in the universe and all novels/stories are a twist on them. What about for our characters? Can you pinpoint your current main character’s archetypes? 

     Okay, let's see- Aiden is a knight in training, second son of a royal house. He relates almost everything to "duty" and tends to have a difficult time relating to other people his age and making friends. He is more comfortable around adults, and prefers a stable environment in which he knows exactly what is expected of him. 

How do you feel about the concept of archetypes? 

     I can see them in a lot of what I read, as well as what I write. They can either be used to good advantage or completely kill a story based on how the author uses them. 

Really, Aiden is too responsible at this point- I need to tone him down to the level of a young adult, not a competent military commander. he'll be that way when he's older, but he needs to grow into it to be believable. 

Do you think your character is a blend of a few or one steadily - or unique in their own right?

     Aiden is a blend as he stands now, but I'm still trying to nail down his actual personality and make him into his own unique character.

Bonus: Let’s see your interpretation of your character as the epitome of their archetype. Write us a sample or draw us a sketch. Um, how about pull a photo off the internet? :P

Editing: Minecraft for Writers

March

EdMo - the Month for Editing. Let’s just talk a bit about it for this month’s prompt...

Revision

Easy question: why is it necessary? 

Editing is necessary because the first draft is all about getting the story and characters out of your head to where someone else can look at it. My first crack at making that happen may be passable, but it wn't be great- I'll still have all those pesky typos and characters changing their names mid paragraph and pathological liars with three different but similar backstories because the timeline kept shifting in my head as the character developed.... 

Well, you get the idea. 
No one really wants to read that- they want all the loose ends woven back in and character consistency and THE ONE TRUE STORYLINE and all that jazz.

Hard question: do you enjoy it?

Yes and no. I can enjoy editing when I'm in the mood for it- grammar is usually the fun part where you find the totally bogus mistakes or your phone tried to auto-correct to something completely out of context... and setting my characters heads straight on what exactly happened during their childhoods and when. All the fun and joy of tricking out my imaginary library in the sky and making it look awesome before I allow anyone else to see it.
On the other hand- editing takes forever. It's a constant struggle to keep doing something constructive instead of being pulled back into re-reading the story just for fun. Like fighting monsters instead of gathering enough stone to make the rest of the roof....

Bonus: Take a selfie/novel-ie of you/your novel in the midst of revision.
Uh, this may appear at some unspecified time in the future?

Cryjay whining

Ughhhh. Tea, needs teaaaaaa!

I had so much to get done this morning. Mum woke me up at eight (reasonable) to help her put the chairs on the porch so my uncle could borrow them and the tables without dealing with her antisocial dog, and I had told Teva that I would write with her this morning (not that she got up before 10). I watched the last four episodes of Log Horizon Season One.
Then the phone started ringing. I've had twelve calls between my cell and the land line. All but one was actually for me. I am exhausted, headachy and possibly feverish. I have vacuumed upstairs, cleaned up my desk, balanced my checkbook, painted my nails, consolidated the mess in my room, updated my planner, paid my phone bills for December and February, submitted my 38+ hours at work to my temp agency.
Now Grammy and Grampy are here and my headache keeps getting worse. Bleh. Though we did get to show Grammy our projects before they flee to Florida (which they plan for Monday, I think).
I'm complaining to Kin, but I don't even know what to take for this or if it's just a stress reaction to my first week at work.

On a completely unrelated note, these are awesome:

Not that I need one, you understand. They're just awesome.

So I Hadn't exactly examined my motives before...

February 2015

Character Motivation:

What is the main motivation behind your characters?

Generally some version of protecting the people they care about. Which is generally friends and occasionally family- and I didn't realize that I did this, so thanks for the question.

Where do you come up with that motivation?

I find that it's generally intrinsic to the characters and becomes a force in the plot- even if the motive wasn't there to begin with.

Do you tend to use the same sort of motivation in every novel, or do you tend to mix it up more?

I'd say that they're all aspects of hte same thing? I have difficulty in varying my main characters, though I am working on a story that I hope will be different, but it's still in the plotting stages. The characters haven't had a chance to hijack it yet.

What is your favorite example of character motivation?

I like the selfish ones that accidentally start caring and being responsible. Oops?

Bonus: Share with us an excerpt from your current or completed novel(s) that demonstrates your favorite example of character motivation.

No bonus points for me, it's all in my head. Which is kinda sad...

Unplanned Disorganization

     Yay, "Compose" has returned to me! It refused to work Wednesday...

     Right- I'm one of those people who enjoys organizing but is constantly disorganized anyway. :P Usually its at a manageable level (Defined as: where I can find what I want with less than five minutes of searching 90% of the time). The continued disorganization is caused by two things- the reworking of systems I don't like, and well, adding more stuff. Which brings me to my current state.
     Currently- well, all except my largest pieces of furniture have been kicked out of my bedroom because the carpet is being cleaned. 

     I store almost everything in my bedroom. (Pauses to be thankful that I did not have to empty the closet as well.) My wardrobe is in three different rooms with limited accessibility, and most of my several hundred books are packed in boxes or stacked precariously atop an ottoman/blanket chest in the spare bedroom. The trinkets, makeup and jewelry, writing stuff and photos are everywhere else. And I mean Everywhere.
     *cue screaming in fear and agony*

     It took about four hours to dismantle my room yesterday, and as I wait for the last section of carpet to dry, I am dreading fitting everything back in. I finally had a (mostly) working system, and now I can't find anything. Again. *headdesk*

     I may like organizing, but I loathe cleaning. I had to scrub the walls- though that was mostly scratches from moving furniture. And everything needs dusting before it finds a home. My mother smirked and told me I might have my room back by the TWENTY FOURTH.
     Obviously, I'm unsure of how to deal with that- thus my ranting. Online, where mother can't hear me... ;)

Who gave this year permission to start so soon anyway?

January
Another year, another Blog-Go-Round. The WriYe Blog Circle is a collection of us writers who also have blogs. Every month, we’ll give you a prompt, with a bonus challenge. Write about the prompt (answer the questions or don’t - up to you!) and share your link here. Try to build up a blog roll with your fellow WriYers. We’ll start off the way every New Year starts off... Goals: What is your one main goal for this year? Call it your writing resolution. Not two. Not five. Your main and only one.
Write one draft or one story all the way to the end. Grammar does not matter. Punctuation does not matter. Plot Holes are unimportant- this is a rough draft, development is what it's FOR. Speed does not matter. Sudden personality changes do not matter. Roll with it. The year you began writing the story DOES NOT MATTER.
This is SPARTA!!!
? When did that get in here?
And why is it your goal?
Just full of questions, aren't you? It's my goal because I never finish anything in my writing, and I'm a terrible procrastinator. (I know December was a similar question, but this should be the distillation of everything you plan to do this year. It may be "Publishing a novel!" or even "Just write every month.") Bonus: Make a mantra to tell yourself all year when you feel as if you can’t reach this goal. Share it with us! One More Word