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?