January 2017: The Optimistic Year Plan

January

Prompt: 

What’s your Wriye Word Count goal and why did you choose it? What are you going to be focusing on this year? What are you doing differently this year compared to last year?

     My goal for this year is 75k- fairly modest for WriYe, but still more than I managed last year. I think I managed 73k by the end of 2016? I could check, but I'm being lazy this morning. Regardless, I was this close to winning WriYe for the first time ever and then all motivation went *poof.*

Last year I had had to change my goal from 100k to 75k due to "life in general compounded by lack of  desire to write." This year, I'm going to start with a goal I know I can make, and hopefully change it to a higher word count if I meet it. 

     I have experimented, and find it more motivating to start with attainable goals, rather than crazy high ones. If I start with something hard, I apparently loose interest as soon as I fall off the bandwagon. Which generally happens by March, if not even earlier.

     This year, I'm hoping to focus on- well, focusing. When I finally bully myself into writing, I am far to easily distracted. I would like to find a set up that will get me into writing mode, and the self discipline to actually sit and write for the twenty minutes to an hour before getting lost in the internet.

And there are so many ways to wander....

Bonus:

What are you most excited about for in 2017? Writing wise or not. Let us know!

Currently, I'm most excited about possible vacation ideas. Last year I went to England with my sister and a friend for two weeks- I'd love to do something like that again, though maybe a little closer to home. I've had half an idea to try a road trip up to Nova Scotia and possibly Cape Breton, but the  timing is tricky with the cold weather. Another idea is heading for a resort in the Dominican for a week as a family vacation, though we still need to figure out pet care while we're gone.

I recently started Rosetta Stone Japanese, as I am trying to be a bit more serious about learning the language. I would like to visit Japan, possibly during the Olympics in 2020. But languages take a long time, and though I've picked up a bit from anime and an informal group I attended for a few months, I would like to be able to make myself understood before getting lost in a foreign country. I figure if I can understand and speak a little, I might be able to get away with not being able to parse katakana/hiragana. Hopefully.

We've been cleaning out and reorganizing the craft "room" in the basement since the week after Christmas- finally bought cabinets and tearing apart a desk to have a setup with two tables that will work better for us. Having spent about four weekends working on it, we're at least 80% finished. I am hoping to be done by the end of February, and able to get back to working on projects. 

Maybe this year I'll finish a few!

October 2016: Sure I Have Plans- Many Plans

October 2016

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


October
If you are a planner, what part of planning is your favorite? If you’re a pantser, what is your favorite part of pantsing?      I am totally a planner. I don't really enjoy planning, per say, but if I neglect to plan before writing, I get somewhere between 200 and 5,000 words into a story and stall out completely because I don't know where I'm going. Not that there is no end goal, but in the sense that I have no idea how to bet from Point A to Point T, from which I would be able to finish the story.
      Really, Planning is a necessary evil.
      I suppose my favorite part of planning is world building. Most of my stories fall into the fantasy genre, and planning gives me time to jot down all those interesting cultural quirks- naming conventions, why countries don't get along, family history of the main character, legends, etc.
      These tidbits make the story much more interesting to write, and knowing that the main character's mother came from a well off trading family in a foreign city but disappeared when her betrothal fell through eighteen years earlier and has not contacted them since adds a lot of depth to "Jafar joins a caravan and travels to Lore (a large city in another country) to avoid pursuit." Now he gets to meet his extended family, which he was unaware he had.

      When writing with a buddy, the planning takes a back seat. Plan, who needs a Plan- all I need to know is what we want to do for the next scene, and I rarely get stuck when I have someone to work off of. The creative energy doesn't even have to be there. I learn so much more about my characters much more quickly and easily when I don't have to control the entire cast, and the goal of writing isn't getting to the end of an arc so much as enjoying the journey there.

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

August 2016- Saying more with Less?

August 2014

Let’s talk a bit about...

Writing Short Stories
What do you like about writing short stories? 
      I don't write short stories; I just don't finish them.
What don’t you like about writing short stories?
      How you have to move the plot so quickly that there isn't enough time to develop the characters- at least I feel that way. I might be able to get around it if I were doing a fan fiction piece, because I would already have a good understanding of the character; most likely, my audience would as well. As I usually don't "know" my characters until I've been writing them for a while, I find it nrealy impossible to write short stories that I am happy with.
How do you think short stories differ from novels?
     The pacing needs to be completely different, the writer needs to pay a lot more attention to "suggesting" the setting and character to the reader, rather than describing everything in detail unless the setting is the focus of the piece, and the character either tends to be focused on one major decision point or not develop much at all.

Bonus: What is your favorite short story anthology?
 J.R.R. Tolkien's Silmarillion- All the backstory you ever wondered about for the Lord of the Rings.

July 2016- And Every Year...

July 2016

Well, the zombies have taken over.

         They have? I didn't even notice...

 Which means we can talk a bit about...

Traditions

Zombies are a July tradition here at Wriye. Do you have a writing tradition of your own?
      I suppose NaNoWriMo and more recently their "camp" events are something of a tradition of mine- generally failing them. But I faithfully sign up and write at least a few thousand words, all through college. I've done probably four or five years, at this point, most of those as a "rebel" working on a story I had already started or writing with buddies.

     Hurrah for rebelling!How did it come about?
     A friend of my sister's mentioned it to us my junior year of high school. We told her that she was crazy, and we did not have time. Then we started writing anyway, but did not actually sign up as neither of us had reliable computer access. That first year, we wrote by hand, usually on the bus on our way to sports practice or in the car on our way to other classes. I think I only made about 5k that year, but NaNo had caught me. I did several events during both undergrad and graduate school, even if I only won once and had to count all of my college papers in my rebelling- at least I had motivation for actually doing my homework!

        My last year of graduate school, I found WriYe, and here I am.

Bonus: Share an example of your tradition!

{Insert Novel List here... photo still in editing}

June 2016: Are you talking to me?

June 2014

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

Critique and Criticism

What is your method of critiquing a piece of writing? 

     I read though the entire text twice, once to get an idea of what I'm reading, and the second so that I can pick up on what I missed in the first read-through. Then I either start talking, or jot down notes if I'm "critiquing" in google documents or via email. In Google docs, I highlight what I'm talking about and leave comments. In an email, I quote and then write my impressions, and highlight the text with suggestions.

What do you expect out of people critiquing your work?

    My expectations mostly depend on what is being critiqued. With letters or reports, I mostly want a human grammar checker and feedback on whether I am communicating my ideas effectively or, if not, how to better get my point across.
     With fiction writing, I'm mostly looking for feedback on overall feel or plot and character realism.

Bonus: Here’s a non-blog bonus: go into the Read Me, Feed Me forum and critique someone’s work. They’ll thank you for it!

May 2016: Genre- how to find your friends in the library

May 2014

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

GenreWhat’s your main genre? 
... Fantasy.

Why do you write in that genre? 
Because I do not believe that I could do justice to a strictly realistic world, and it allows for a lot of flexibility in creating a world. I enjoy "realistic" fiction when I'm writing with others, but am just not comfortable writing it when I control all of the characters.

Do you have a tip to share for someone wanting to break into that genre? 
Don't be afraid to experiment, and as long as you take the time to world build and explain why things work the way they do, anything can happen. Your character wants to walk on water? Ok, did you want that as a special ability, or a normal thing? ;)

What genre would you like to break into?
I'm not sure, really- I'm quite happy here. There's just so many options.

Bonus: What is your favorite book written in your genre? (Written by you or another great writer!)
... There are many favorite books of mine that fall into the fantasy category. How about a top ten list? No? Okay, fine. Top Three.

The Lord of the Rings by J. R.R. Tolkein 

Inda by Sherwood Smith

The Magic of Recluse by L.E Modesitt Jr.

April 2016: I think I'm going to need a bigger trunk

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

All the more cake for me, then. I'm always stuck there. My inner editor is very stubborn.

Trunked Novels

Have you ever set a novel aside? 

Yes- many times, as I have never finished one.

Was it finished or unfinished?

Unfinished- see above. :P

 Why did you abandon that novel? 

Usually, I run out of ideas, get tangled up in the plot, end up so annoyed with my lack of progress that I scrap the entire thing with the intention of starting over, edit my original plan  ( ie. - no, MC, your personality makes no sense for a fourteen year old. Ah well- what if I speed up the plot and make all of the characters two to four years older?) get 5-10k into my "re-write" and lose interest. Defeated again.
Or, my life goes haywire- college, grad school, health issues, most recently full time employment- and I write so seldom that I forget the plot entirely.

What would it take for you to go back to it? 

Inspiration, a pot of tea and a mountain of chocolate.

Bonus: Post an excerpt of your trunked novel.

I guess I need all the bonus points I can get.... here goes:

     Tsora stood and stared moodily up at the first year tower. Well, I suppose I have now been successfully shipped off to boarding school. They couldn't get rid of me fast enough. There should be a limit to being scared of people. Even at school, they tuck me away in the top floor of this unnaturally tall tower. I mean, give me a break! I haven't done anything yet! 

     Depressed, he began hauling his trunk up the winding tower stairs. What did they put in this thing? It's heavy! I knew I should have packed myself. Well, I guess I'll find out when I open it. I wonder what my roommate will be like- though the powers that be may have decided not to bother giving me one. I'm not as dangerous as all that.

     Lost in thought, he stumbled, nearly tumbling down the stairs. Darn- I wish I could use magic for this! too bad I was banned until I get to training. It would be much more convenient- I am an Air mage, after all. Finally, he reached the top of the staircase, setting his trunk down on the landing. He waited until he caught his breath, then walked over to pull open the door to his new room.

     Inside was fairly bright, despite the setting sun outside. there was a mage light bumping against the ceiling, and a bunk bed against the far wall. Under the windows to the left were two identical desks, books already stacked atop them. Well, guess I do have a roommate. I hope at least he won't be too much of a jerk. And not like the cousins at home, either. I mean, he won't even know me. so, as long as I'm civil he won't have reason to dislike me, right? I just hope the world really works that way. If it doesn't , school won't be much better than "home." Though it hasn't felt like Home in years- I really prefer wandering the city. People are so interesting, and as long as they don't know who I am, we don't run into any problems. If they did- I don't know what would happen. Well, I suppose that mages don't generally wander around the districts outside the market- but I'm not doing anything illegal, just wasting time. It isn't as if father wants me around. I know I'm just another chore to him. I wish he'd pay me some attention, though. I'm not another one of his paintings. I enjoy talking to people. At least my roommate won't be as bad as he is---

     "Excuse me." said a quiet voice behind him.

     Tsora spun around, then stood frozen. 

     "Whoa- A ghost!"

***

     Saeki stood in the hallway, dripping. The headache had only gotten worse after dinner-he had hoped the shower would clear it, or at least lessen it. No such luck. and now that he had climbed the long twisting tower to the top floor that was his room assignment, there was a stranger standing in the doorway, looking in. He has Chestnut brown hair cut short, and was slightly taller than Saeki himself. And I was hoping to have a room way from other people....

     "Excuse me." he said quietly. The stranger half turned and nearly jumped a foot into the air. 

     "Whoa- a ghost!"

     Here we go again. Saeki thought despairingly.

***

     The ghost rolled its silver eyes. "My name is Kuroni," it said sarcastically. Water dripped from long silver hair, rapidly collecting around the ghost's feet. Wait, ghosts don't have feet- he's real! My roommate?

     "Um, are you my roommate?" Tsora asked.

     "Why else would I be at the top of this tower?"

     "I apologize- that was rude of me. My name is Tsora. Tsora Silvena. So- you're a Kuroni. What's your first name?"

     "That is no concern of yours. Just call me 'Kuroni.'"

     "I can't do that!" Tsora objected. "There are dozens of Kuroni's at this school! Come on, what's your name?" 

     The silver-eyed boy stared back stubbornly.

     "Fine, I'll come up with something else to call you. You can be - Ayaki! Because in runes, "aya" is silver." Hearing no objection -'Ayaki' remained sullenly silent- Tsora decided that the name was perfect. It was fitting enough-  his roommate had silver eyes and hair, and very fair skin. It didn't help that he was also wearing very light grey clothing; he really did resemble a ghost.

March Challenge- the Editing Pub Crawl

Editing Pub Crawl

The First Step

You’ve finished your novel, but the celebration is over. Now you have to figure out what to with it. Ponder your options with a 5 minute word war. 

Word Count: 146  3/12

Printing

You’ve decided to edit your novel, which means it’s time to print it out. While you wait for the printer to spit it out, you do a 1k sprint.

Word Count:  1,017   3/12

The Read Through

Your novel has been printed, a mountain of paper large enough to be used as a weapon. You settle down to read it with a 30 minute war.

Word Count:

First Impressions

You started out thinking that it’s not that bad, but by the time you’ve reached the end you can see the truth. There are plot holes big enough to drive a truck through and your characters seem so shallow. As you think of how to fix them, you do a 500 word sprint.

Word Count:

But What Does it Really Mean?

You’ve gone backwards and forwards trying to find the solution to the problems in your novel, but you keep getting lost. You settle down to figure out why you really wrote this novel and what your novel is really about. While you think, you do an Epic Music Hour.

Word Count:

Ripping into the Guts

You’re now prepared to do a full edit, to dig into the guts of your words and find ones that are better. Armed with colored pens, you set to work while writing the last 3 digits of your last WIP.

Word Count:

Beta Readers

You’ve edited your novel until your eyes cross, but the plot holes have been filled and your characters strengthened. Now it’s time to let others read it and leave their mark. While you wait for the beta readers to do their work, you do a 20 minute war. 

Word Count:

Final Draft

Your beta readers have returned your story and you’ve fixed the issues that they’ve spotted. Your novel is finally finished! You celebrate by sprinting to the nearest thousand!

Word Count:

Total For Crawl: 1163

I did do the remainder of the challenges eventually, but not within the time constraints.

Hiding from my Inner Editor

March

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

Oh, must we? I've locked my inner editor away and moved into a tower on a different continent where she can't find me and harp about how terrible my writing is...

What is the one thing you struggle with when it comes to editing? 

     When Editing, I struggle most with restructuring the plot and scenes. I loathe the "re-writing" phase, because I have so much difficulty getting the words down on the page in the first place. I am not a prolific writer, and I want the scene to "just be right" the first time, requiring at most grammar, spelling and sentence structure corrections in editing, and maybe dialogue re-working if my character comes across incorrectly when I'm re-reading.

What is the one thing that you find easy to do? 

     I like editing for grammar- I find it simple, and most of my mistakes are just because I was writing quickly (or while overtired, which happens more often than not.)

What is your favorite editing tip?

     If you don't know the meaning of the words off the top of your head, don't use it (unless it's a cultural thing). I have been a reader for years, and my vocabulary tends to be wider than most. If I don't know the word- actually don't know it, as opposed to looking it up for specific definition or spelling- then anyone reading my writing would probably need to look it up as well. And who wants to stop in the middle of a story to go grab a dictionary?

Bonus: Take a selfie/novel-ie of you/your novel in the midst of revision.

     Nope, sorry- these pictures do not exist. I don't currently have anything in the editing process, and if I stop to edit now, I'll never get back to the first drafts. This is a proven fact, and a major reason that after seven years of writing, I still have no finished works.

Ouch, that hurt- a February Progress Report

February Goals

• Write and publish Blog Circle Post
• Finish Romance Pub Crawl by the end of the month
• 15 Days of the consistency challenge
• 10k
  
  February total- 1756 words.
  So, that was an awful month for writing. I think my motivation just died. I mean, sure I was busy- company merge, fixing all the computers that broke last month, filing taxes, my sister had a birthday, planning for a convention in March and vacation in May... Stuff happened. Just not writing stuff.
  Partially because the nerve in my write arm kept lighting up and since I have a data entry job, I didn't want to push it by writing at home.
  But still, less than 2k is pathetic.
  
  Ah well- here's to a better March!
                                    - Jay

Missed Connections- Because February is late

February

Onward! This month's prompt...

Character Connection:

How do your characters connect with one another? 

 Generally, my characters connect somewhat by accident.  I'll start a story with one character, and more introduce themselves (or just barge in) as I continue writing. For example, I started a new story in January with a character named Jafar. I knew very little about him, except that he lived in a lord's household and was somehow related to the "main family." And then I met his mother, step-father and two half sisters who live more than two weeks journey away, and his Uncle, who apparently is in charge of his education. This took about... two hours of staring at blank pages.

What kind of connection do they have? How do you connect your characters to the reader? 

     I like having mentor relationships- thus the Uncle- and struggle with writing multiple characters the same age and/or peer group. I generally prefer writing with a buddy to avoid the struggle to create both sides of a friendship or romantic relationship before I really fill in the characters personalities. 

     I connect (or attempt to connect ) the characters to the reader by getting their thoughts onto the page and making them believable in their interactions and reactions. 

Bonus:

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

     “Rakae, I need you to listen.” Rizek stated firmly. He waited until Trakaen nodded his understanding, and then continued. “I do not blame you for- for how things turned out.” He held up a hand when Rakae made to interrupt, “No, let me finish. You were not precisely blameless, but what happened was not solely of your own making. We all made mistakes. We assumed that your father would allow you to return to Illum after he had spoken to you- all of us. It is true that you left us no way to contact you, but neither Izel nor I thought to ask for one. 
When you left- you spoke in good faith, fully expecting to come back and marry her. When you never came back- well, we all did what we had to, Rakae. You became your family’s lord, I married Izel, and Izel had your child.” Rizek paused for a moment, considering. “Did you give your brother a chance to explain why I mad the journey to see you, or did he tell you that I was here and you ran off before he got to the point?” Rakaen dropped his gaze  to the floor guiltily. Rizek shook his head and sighed. “Izel’s child- your child, Rakae. You have a son. We have taken care of all of our children as best we can, but- you can give him more, here. Imael told us that if we needed to, we could bring him to this house and the K’vorne family would take care of him. My- our other option is to indenture him. We don’t have the money to apply for an apprenticeship, and we’ve two daughters now.”
     “Rizek- I- of course we’ll take him! He’s my- my son. I have- Desrella is pregnant. If this child lives, he might never inherit, even if he should be my heir by birthright alone, but- he is my blood, Rizek. It would be an honor to be allowed to educate him accordingly, especially after- what I did not do, over the last several years.” Trakaen looked up and met his former friend’s eyes, “How can you- even think about offering this to me, Rizek? I don’t even deserve the chance to-”

     Rizek interrupted him, his voice low and fierce, “Because he is your son ! If he is to be given into the  care of anyone but his mother, it should be you. Because we trust you to love him, as well as take care of him as we cannot. Because, despite what happened after your father called you home, we loved you. We still do, even though we can never go back.” Rizek breathed in deeply, then exhaled, forcing the tension to leave his shoulders. “You were her betrothed. And you were my lord, but more than that-  you were like a brother to me. We lost a part of our family when you left, not just an employer or a contract. I always wanted the son of yours I was raising to know you, and so did Izel, as much as she did not wish to lose contact with her child. He has that chance- you have that chance. Even if he does have a half-brother and cannot be your heir within the K’vorne family- let him be a part of your own family. If he grows up to be like you and your, he will be a good man- and there can never be enough of those in the world.”

One Down-- January Progress Report

Goals for this January:

• Start Writing
• Write at least 1,000 words this month

• Continue updating idea project in Scrivener.

• Start writing "Jafar"- new WIP

• Write and Publish Blog Circle Post
• Complete "I Have a Dream Challenge"

• Complete Full Moon Madness
• Minimum Month Goal- 8494
• 5k Weekend
• Shoot for the stars goal- 10,000 Made it to 8,737
  

                       Min. Goal                   Goal                 Final count

January:          8,494                        10,000                    8,737

Well, January is now "officially" over- it being February the first and all. Therefore, it is time to UPDATE the progress thread!

First the bad news- I did NOT make 10k this January. Let us have a second of silence to mourn the death of the goal. *pauses*

Second- the bright side- I DID finish my "minimum" goals for the month- one challenge and 8,494 words written. I even over shot by a few hundred on word count!

And this is in spite of dead keyboards, video card fits, head colds and my EDJ.

So. January has been conquered. Now if I can continue to win over the words in February, I'll be off to a good start 

May the words be with us all!

                                  -Jay

Martin Luther King Day Challenge

January 18-24, 2016 

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is a United States federal holiday marking the birthday of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. It is observed on the third Monday of January each year, which is around the time of King's birthday, January 15.

While MLK Day is a US holiday, that doesn't mean we all can't enjoy the message of peace and equality that it is meant to portray. It also doesn't keep us here at WriYe from using it to theme a challenge! This year, we're continuing on with the tradition of word count crawls and you have a week to complete it.

RULES

- OBEY ALL RULES

- You must take the pubs in order without skipping any.

- You don't have to post in the original thread but it's quite nice to do so!

- The only pubs that count are the ones completed between the 18th and the 24th.

- Have fun!

WRIYE CRAWL

News, Information, and Questions: You click onto Wriye, excited to begin the year. You skim through the News and Information threads with a 5 min word war.

Words Written: 113

Event Total: 113

Sign Ups and Introduction: You decide on a goal for the year and sign up. You even write a clever bit to introduce yourself! To get you started on your goal, you decide to write the first 3 digits of your Word Count Goal. (example, 250K goal, write 250 words!)

Words Written: 103

Event Total: 216

The Sofa: As you scroll down, you take a moment to look at the mysterious mod section. Just what do they get up to in there? You ponder this for a 100 word sprint.

Words Written: 138

Event Total: 354

General Writing Chatter: The only thing better than writing is talking about writing with other writers. There are many different topics in this forum, and you read through them with a 15 minute war.

Words Written: 321

Event Total: 675

Challenges: The challenges forum is so motivating, always pushing you to greater heights with your word count. Since you're here for a challenge, you decide to take on the Epic Music Hour. (there are videos on youtube, or else just put on whatever music you want and write for an hour.)

Words Written: 1147

Event Total: 1822

Progress Threads: The progress threads are the best place to toot your own horn and read about the progress of others. You catch up on the progress threads with a 1K Sprint.

Words Written:

Event Total:

What’s your Genre: Fantasy or realistic fiction, you can find your people here. An interesting thread catches your eye and you write a response with a 500 word sprint.

Words Written:

Event Total:

Planning your Novel: Whether you plan your novel before you start it or after, this place has some good resources. You pause to taste marvel at the map made out of candy with a 10 minute war.

Words Written:

Event Total:

Editing your Novel: Whether you love editing or hate it, it is a necessary process in the journey of a writer. You scan your project for any typos with a 15 minute war.

Words Written:

Event Total:

Publishing your Novel: The goal of many of us, whether it is simply on a fan site or bound in paper. The glory, the fame! While you revel in it, do a 20 minute war

Words Written:

Event Total:

WIPs: The best place to keep track of your works in progresses and works in mind. You take a moment to read through the summaries and then write 100 words for every WIP you have.

Words Written:

Event Total:

Read Me, Feed Me: This is where you share your work and chip in to help other people with their own works. In a sense of community, you do a 3 Digit Challenge.

Words Written:

Event Total:

Blather Away: Everything that isn't writing gets talked about in here. While you love writing, you can also talk on and on about the other things you love with a 30 min war.

Words Written:

Event Total:

Procrastination: You've been doing this crawl for what seems to be forever. You have a decent word count thanks to this, but you're ready for a break. But first, you'll procrastinate by warring until the end of a song.

Words Written:

Event Total:

Archives: The archives are your final stop at the board. Looking at the seven years of history preserved, you round out the crawl by sprinting to the nearest thousand.

Words Written:

Event Total:

Aand last out of the starting gate....

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’s your Wriye Word Count goal and why did you chose it? 

This year- 100,000. so, roughly 10k each month to give me a little wiggle room for the busy months and time to take vacations (Because those are important to my mental health!)

What are you going to be focusing on this year? 

 This year, I just want to meet my monthly goals at least half the time. Apparently "finish a story" is at this point such a large goal that I don't even want to try. Instead of more "overall" goals, I think I need to break them down further.

What are you doing differently this year compared to last year?

Working full time with two hours of commuting time a day- oh, wait, you meant with my writing.

Uh, Hopefully doing it?

Bonus:

Set your intention for this year. Share it with us!

Really, I'd like to commit to trying for 2k each week and go from there.

Also, I want to finish crocheting my blanket before the end of March.

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.)

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?