When to Cut and When to Recast

I have a bit of a conundrum and so I am writing about it, which is what I do when my thoughts begin circling the same drain for too long.

When I submitted my latest book, it was with the full knowledge I had written a scene and side story that impacted the main character in quite negative ways. It was a gamble and unfortunately it didn't pay off. Now I must rework the story to change a major arc and no matter what I do, nothing is as powerful as that original line.

But in watching the major meltdown Game of Thrones readers and watchers are going through right now with the Sansa Stark story changes, I see the side of the reader for the first time.

We set expectations with our characters, and people begin to identify with them, so they acquire a life of their own, outside of our pages. But what about stories where none of the characters are relatable? Can we write our own characters into corners that are too extreme to be endearing?

Of course we can, and that was the problem with this story. So now I am grasping (and gasping) to recast the main character's reason for existing and falling far short of where I want to be. I've finally decided to meet the challenge and that instead of one major point causing her identity crisis, there will be several, each building upon the other until finally she reaches the person she needs to be.

As you might surmise, this is still an idea in progress. While I see the end point, the journey is still muddy. But that's what writing is about, at least to me. Chipping away at the marble until I find the beauty inside; a story lives and breathes depending upon which pieces you take away. Take the wrong path and everything is tainted.

This is the sixth story I've written and the first where I've been told, I love it but... . To say it took me for a loop would be an understatement. But now I feel ready to accept the challenge. I know where I want to be, now I have to find the path.

And the road goes on.

Getting Ready for April Challenges

I've decided to bite off a challenge. I might be crazy but it sounded fun. Basically, the challenge is  Blogging From A to Z. You use a letter of the alphabet for each day.

So I am gathering little pieces of trivia, story ideas, book reviews, and anything else I can think of to accomplish this feat. I can't promise each post will be a masterpiece, I hope that there will be something for everyone.

And now I am off to do more research, maybe right a few more words, and try to figure out why this year seems to be flying by at the speed of light. Along with why it is late March and we have freeze warnings in the Deep South along with thunderstorm warnings.

See everyone on April 1st for " 'A' is for April!"

Liebster Award

Thanks you so much to  Mary Montague Sikes of Notes Along the Way on my nomination for a coveted Liebster Award. The Liebster Award is given to bloggers with fewer than 200 followers. It is such an honor just to be nominated. The rules are as follows:


Liebster Award Rules:

1. Thank the blogger who presented you with the Liebster Award, and link back to his or her blog.

2. Answer the 11 questions from the nominator; list 11 random facts about yourself, and create 11 questions for your nominees.

3. Present the Liebster Award to 11 bloggers, who have blogs with 200 followers or less, whom you feel deserve to be noticed. Leave a comment on the blogs letting the owners know they have been chosen. (No tag backs.)

4. Upload the Liebster Award image to your blog.

Eleven random facts about me

1. As a child, my grandmother used to singe my hair instead of cut it because she heard cutting ruins naturally curly hair.
2. I love to travel and would love to have been a globe trotting flight attendant.
3. I'm allergic to penicillin and mangoes.
4. I rode the Mindbender looping roller coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia 54 times without ever getting off.
5. I wrecked my mother's car 8 days before I had a driver's license. She was not amused.
6. I believe our souls life on past our physical death.
7. I've always been shy, which some people have mistaken for being a bitch.
8. My husband and I met at a gas station.
9. I have more books than bookshelves but I can't bear to part with any of them.
10. As a child I wanted to be a jockey.
11. I tend to sometimes be brutally honest, which again people mistake for bitchiness. 

Eleven Answers:
1. Knowing what you know today, what would you choose to be (profession)? Why? I would still be me, it's taken a long time to grow into a person I am comfortable with and get along with, why would I change that?

2. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would that be? Why? I would live several places: the beach, the mountains, wherever the mood takes me. The world is a constant adventure.

3. Would you rather visit the mountains or the sea? Why? Both. Each moves my soul in different ways.

4. Tell about your favorite dinner. Deep fried lobster with a hollandaise type sauce at Chops Lobster Bar in downtown Atlanta. Best. Lobster. Anywhere.

5. What part of your home most inspires you?  My family. No matter where they are, they are who I get out of bed for on a daily basis.
 
6. Do you like to read fiction or non-fiction? Both, it just depends on the subject.

7. What is your favorite book? I re-read "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy whenever I feel blue. I also re-read Ayn Rand's "Atlas Shrugged" whenever our fabulous government pisses me off.

8. Did you have a favorite subject in school? History. It fascinates me.

9. How many vacations would you like to take each year? Where? I would make my life a vacation if I could. In reality we take two, one in each of our off-seasons at work. In the summer we usually go to the beach and the winter always depends on the weather. Sometimes we ski, sometimes we visit family in warmer climates.

10. Do you prefer to fly or to drive? Fly, but I do love a good scenic car ride.

11. Are you an extrovert or an introvert? I am an introvert whose life and job have forced her to become an extrovert. 

Eleven New Questions for New Nominees:
1. What inspired you to start blogging?
2. Where do you spend most of your time when writing, developing the story or editing?
3. What childhood memory brings the biggest smile to your face?
4. If you were given three wishes, what would they be? Why?
5. Where is your favorite place to vacation? Why?
6. What are you most afraid of?
7. If you could redo one thing in your past, what would it be?
8. What is your favorite classic movie?
9. Where is the strangest place you ever found yourself?
10. If you could have one night with any person in the world, who would it be? Why?
11. Short hair or long hair?

I'm checking out blogs and gradually adding to make my list of 11. If you have time, I hope you will accept and follow the instructions for the award. I'll keep track of my growing list here, so check back often:
 

We Interrupt This Blog Hop...

...for a little bit of shamelss self-promotion:

Today on Laurie's Paranormal Thoughts and Reviews:  ME!!


Featured Author Today

Thanks so much to Laurie Jenkins and her fabulous blog!


We now return you to Carrie Ann's Blog Hop - one more day to win excellent prizes and connect with an amazing group of authors/bloggers.

Wow, What a Rush!

Last weekend here in Georgia was magnificent. Clear blue skies, pleasant temperatures - all the right ingredients for contemplating my next story!

Actually, I have three that are battling for attention and it is becoming crowded in my head. Everyone is talking at once, all of them convinced their story is the most important, and I hoped taking last weekend off from writing and just wandering through the woods on horseback would put all the pieces in order. I was partly right.

Ever since childhood I have found solace in the forest. The lack of noise pollution, the quiet acceptance of the creatures, these are just two of the reasons I love the woods. As a teenager I would disappear into the trees behind our house (usually with a stolen pack of cigarettes I'm afraid), to spend hours staring up at the tall Georgia pines and majestic oaks; working out the mysteries of the universe in two hours or less before dark.

Riding through the property was awesome. The weather was just right, my mare figured out the way home and all I had to do was sit back and think. All my characters came forward and presented their cases.

I need to finish the synopsis for book 2 of the Guardian Stories. That is the first priority. Everything is ready for submission and waiting on me to finish the synopsis. But for some reason I am having a block against sitting down and writing, not just the synopsis but anything. My mind is full of snot, compliments of my children and husband, and I cannot put words together in any sort of sense.

There are two other stories vying for attention, who have also fallen victims to the mucus attack. I promised one the first crack when clean oxygen returns to my brain, but the other is going to have to wait, much to their consternation. I hate to say no to the voices in my head, but between making chicken soup for everyone, working two email accounts for work, picking up prescriptions, and blowing my own nose - something has to give.

All these things and more slogged through my densely crowded brain while Penny (the horse) and I tackled the woods and hills of Northwest Georgia. Wind from Superstorm Sandy the previous weekend had removed most of the leaves from the hardwoods. The sun was bright in a brilliant blue sky, with not a cloud to be seen and the air was warm until the light breeze stirred up a chill to brush the skin.

After a while it began to dawn on me to stop being so hard on myself. I need to just allow myself the time to care for my family and myself; something I tend not to do when I am in full on writing / working mode. September and October were crazy at my day job. My crews were out working more than 70 hours nine weeks in a row, which of course meant hubby and I were working those same hours. If my brain is overtaxed, there's a good reason for it.

So I've decided to spend some time doing nothing. I've worked hard, I owe myself downtime, and no one is going to deprive me of the opportunity to clean out the cobwebs and snot. I know many people are participating in the NaNo WrMo challenge of 50,000 words and more power to each of you! Believe me, I would if I could. But that's not where my head is at this moment. While the rest of you write, I'm going to relax, catch up on my reading and work on outlining my next book.

With that goal in mind, I make the pledge to not do any "serious" writing until after Thanksgiving, which is amazingly only one week away. So, for one week I am taking suggestion for books to read. I have a Nook and would like at least 5 books to choose from. If you know of something I should check out, leave me the title and author.

And with that, I'm off for the day. I think taking the pressure off might kick start the healing processes, and that might spread to the rest of my sickly family. And a healthy family for Thanksgiving is the best blessing of all!

We Have A Winner!

Congratulations to Tara Mills!

You are the winner for the Autumn's Harvest Blog Hop giveaway of a $10 gift card to either Amazon.com or Barnes & Noble - your choice! The comments were awesome, and it was hard to pick just one winner. If you ask me, you are all winners. I wish I could give something to each one!

Autumn is on the downswing now as we head to Thanksgiving, then the Holiday season in December. Join me later this week as I talk about our family's Thanksgiving traditions and my fondest recollections of dinner disasters!

Thank you to everyone who came by; whether you left a comment or not I feel extremely humble to have shared not only my memories but also an excerpt of my first novel, "Catalyst - Guardian Rising." If you are interested in learning more about my book, the first of a trilogy, then please visit my blog: www.catalyst-the-guardian.blogspot.com.

And a BIG thank you to Carrie Ann's Blog Hops for putting together this magnificent networking opportunity. I hope I get to know some of you better as a result of her 'Hops"!

It Is Elementary...

..That I do not like to have my picture taken. For this reason I have always been the person working the camera, so I won't be caught by surprise. Also my weights yo-yos and illness didn't always lend to great pictures plus I have had silver hair since my son was born 24 years ago. It was hard to be grey when all my friends were still blond. So for years I colored my hair to just about every shade of blond and light brunette that Loriel every made.

Alas, soon the hair color no longer worked, not even when done professionally and I decided to bite the bullet and be the first of my 'crowd' to let it go natural. Of course, my helpful Hubby promised to straighten up his own mess, starting that if I looked my age he would act his. Well the hair is silver but some days, HH is more trouble than my son who is 23 and Hyper Active!.

However a new picture was needed as an author's photo for the new book, CATALYST: Guardian Rising so with much apprehension I contacted a few photographers whose numbers I obtained from our local barter collective. One called me right back, Gina C Photography. It took a week from session to final edit and she was a delight to work with.

So the end result if on its way to the publisher and can also be found on my facebook page. Personally for a 49 year old who works outside most of the year I think I look awesome. And for the first time in a while, I kinda feel awesome too.

Who am I and Where Did I Come From?

I had dinner the other night with three of my closest female friends. Due to schedule conflicts we hadn't been together in almost a year, and the conversation was fast and varied. One is expecting to become a grandmother for the first time while another will have both children in college. Two were going back to work as teachers of children with learning disabilities. After all these great and life changing events, it was my turn.

When I mentioned I had a publisher interested in my book I also mentioned this blog. Linda asked me, "What is your blog about?" and I had to stop for a moment. What is this blog about and for? So, after spending several days pondering the topic, I finally came to a decision.

This blog is my journal, my take on things around me and the way I see the world. It isn't about what I wore on a particular day, or great places to eat around town where I live. It isn't about my children in general or anything in particular. This is what I think, feel, experience, write or hear within a defined period of time.

So this is me, being me, for the first time in a long time. There will be posts on my books and writing, my family and friends, triumphs and tragedies. According to the rules of conversation as handed down by my father, I will blog on everything except politics, religion and the Great Pumpkin. Well, maybe politics if I can't hold the irritation inside any longer.

Northern born, Southern raised, youngest child, biggest mouth - all terms used to describe this child of the 70's. My father was an aeronautic engineer and my mother a librarian. Personally I can't add without a calculator but I do have a passion for books. And I usually have an opinion on everything.

Grab a cup of coffee and come along with me, I have a wealth of topics I want to cover. Tomorrow I think I'll cover something totally different - like the new weather patterns or the lack of good network television during summer months. But whatever it is, I know it will be all me.

Another Month Slides Into the Dust

Well, two more days and March 2010 will be history. Let's look at what has happened around the globe this month. The Democrats ramrodded a health care reform bill through Congress even though 85% of Americans don't want it, the weather went wacky all over the country dumping record amounts in the NE, and I have still not heard from any reputable publishers about CATALYST.

The first item is one of the three areas I choose not to discuss in public. The other two are religion and the Great Pumpkin. But, if the general population has not figured out we are rapidly sliding down the hill toward becoming a Socialist nation then they deserve what they get. I highly recommend reading Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged to anyone with a mind still capable of making independent decisions. It will give your life a direction and affirmation.

As for the weather, Mother Nature has obviously hit menopause. I would assume we are heading toward global climate change on a magnitude not seem in humanities lifetime. Does that mean we are the cause of this change? Not completely. I think these cycles of the earth are normal. God set into motion a living system, complete with chaos theory. Free will is not confined to people.

I am working on a new book. Nothing related to science fiction or fantasy, this book is in honor of my daughter and our two horses, Bella and Penny; and all the other horses who find themselves in rescue centers. If you love horses, then join the movement for responsible breeding of horses, especially Thoroughbreds. The reckless search for the next great racehorse unfortunately leads to many wonderful not so great horses have to find homes. I will never let I horse I own or care about be sent to the kill pens.

My closest friends came for dinner Sunday to catch up and provide support for my son's godmother and her daughter. Stacey lost her husband last year to ALS, and there are still some sore spots, but it was wonderful for them to come up and enjoy some fellowship with old friends. I pray for her everyday.

My husband has to have tests done tomorrow first thing for his heart. I ask everyone to pray for his protection and that nothing extreme is wrong. Updates to follow as I get them.

Another Week Down and What Have I Accomplished?

Well, another week is about to be history and what have I done for the betterment of my family? We have large contracts at work in negotiation, I've done laundry and been to the grocery store. What have I done for my writing? Not enough!

Sure, I'm in a quandary over unscrupulous publishers but that doesn't result in forward momentum. What I really need to do is go back to my lists and start the process with another round of query letters. I knew when I started writing it would be a long and sometimes painful journey. But nothing worth having ever comes easy.

Without quite realizing what was happening I have allowed the end to overshadow the vehicle. Vivienne's story is compelling and she deserves it to be told. While I have taken a moment to step into another story, one which has existed in short story form a long time, I am never far from her attention. Book Two still waits for its ending and Book Three is always percolating.

Getting published is one thing. Being proud of what is published is quite different. I have certainly read some books and thought at the time, "well, that was a waste of paper and time". But then there are some books that stir the soul, fire the imagination and inspire one to greatness. I want to be proud, when the time comes, of the final edition when it is printed.

One of my favorite authors is Robert Heinlein. While many of his books changed and enriched my world, one which I find myself referring to over and over again is "Time Enough for Love". The concept of eternal man and genetic compatibility is most interesting to me. If they could take my brain and transfer all my knowledge into an exact, young and limber body with no lasting side effects or pain I would say "Sign me up!" Life is to be experienced.

One of my favorite saying in TEFL is found the first notebook of Lazarus Long. "Never underestimate the power of human stupidity." My all time favorite saying from the same book is:

"Do not confuse “duty” with what other people expect of you; they are utterly different. Duty is a debt you owe yourself to fulfill obligations you have assumed voluntarily. Paying that debt can entail anything from years of patient work to instant willingness to die. Difficult it may be, but the reward is self-respect. But there is no reward at all for doing what other people expect of you, and to do so is not merely difficult, but impossible. It is easier to deal with a foot pad than it is with the leech who wants “just a few minutes of your time, please--this won’t take long.” Time is your total capital, and the minutes of your life are painfully few. If you allow yourself to fall into the vice of agreeing to such requests, they quickly snowball to the point where these parasites will use up 100 percent of your time--and squawk for more! So learn to say No--and to be rude about it when necessary. Otherwise you will not have time to carry out your duty, or to do your own work, and certainly no time for love and happiness. The termites will nibble away your life and leave none of it for you. (This rule does not mean that you must not do a favor for a friend, or even a stranger. But let the choice be yours. Don’t do it because it is “expected” of you.)" Robert A. Heinlein, Time Enough to Love.

And that - is that!

I'm Confused, but That's Normal

Tuesday we received 4 inches of snow. By Sunday it is supposed to be almost 70 degrees. What the frack?! I know the weather in Georgia is unpredictable but enough is enough. The hubby thinks this might have been the last round of snow, and I certainly hope so. Snow makes my real job a little more difficult for sure.

I sent out a few more queries on the book. How can someone have your query letter for less than three minutes and decide it isn't what they want? Even I can't make a decision that fast. If they aren't willing to take a jump with me, an unknown, then tell me that. Don't just hit the pre-typed turn down without even opening the attachment. Blind rejection really steams me, in case you hadn't noticed.

Oh well, going to spend some time with the horses over the next four days, that should help my blood pressure. Unconditional love and acceptance make me smile. Perhaps something wonderful will come in over the weekend. Still have at least three outstanding queries I have not heard back from. Maybe one of them will request the full book to read. Once they read it I know they will be willing to take a chance on this middle age mom from Atlanta. If the situations were reversed I'm sure I would read what they wrote. Oh yeah - most of them have written NOTHING. They just like to crush other people's dreams.

I'm not bitter at all, can't you tell?

How Did it Become March Already?

I have come to the conclusion I am having problems keeping track of how fast these days are speeding by. Soon the boy will be on his way to Boot camp and the girl will be spending all her time and effort on her horses. The hubby and I will throw ourselved into the opening party season here in Atlanta and I will still be looking for Valentine Cards!

So far my publishing efforts have three publishers looking at the manuscript, one of whom I think is a scam company. A legit publish was looking at the book, but took a pass because I didn't know how many author copies I wanted to purchase. Is there some standard accepted number of copies an author should purchase? I was honest to them in my reply, but obviously they found my reply a downer.

But that was only Round One. I still have query letters out to three publishers, and have a second round ready and waiting for dispatch orders. As the old song from the
70's reminds us, "I will survive, I will Survive.