Thursday, April 29, 2010
No Such Thing As Failure
I believe every draft is a success, even unfinished stories. Each time I sit down and write, I learn a little more about the craft. I may only have one gem sentence in 500 words, or one interesting character out of a cast of five, but that sentence or character is worthy of success.
My current WiP is my "starter novel." I've said from the get-go that my goal is to finish it, learning the process along the way. I believe I'll one day write a novel worthy of publication, but it's probably not this one. I'm struck by both comfort and stress in this statement. Comfort because it gives me the freedom to just write, but stress because writing a novel takes a lot of time and energy. Sometimes I ask myself, am I wasting my time?
I read an interesting article on Writer's Digest.com by John Smolens that answered that question for me. In "There's No Such Thing as a Failed Story," Smolens says, "For every five completed rough drafts, you’re lucky if you find one that you can develop into a finished short story, one that you feel is as good as it can be, one that you feel is ready to be sent out to editors."
Not only did this article reassure me about my current project, it provided a couple a-ha moments about writing in general. Smolens talked about his mentor, the late Andre Dubois: "Most fiction writers, [Dubois] believed, are .200 hitters, meaning they hit successfully twice out of every 10 at-bats...For every five stories you send out, you’re lucky if one of them is accepted for publication." (Quote taken from same article.) Having penned thirty-two short stories in the past two years, I can say with certainty that although I'm pleased with most of my work, there is only about twenty percent I would consider great stories. And of those six, I've only had one accepted for print publication (and two more submitted that I'm waiting to hear back on).
From this article, I now realize I don't have to polish my current WiP, once the first draft is complete. If, at that time, I don't feel the story is strong enough to peddle to agents, then I will move on to the next project with confidence that I'm not short-changing myself in any way. I'm simply moving forward in my craft.
Published authors: Have you written significantly more stories than you have sold? Aspiring authors: Does it encourage or discourage you to hear a successful writer say the majority of work by all fiction writers is unpublishable ?
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
TAGGED!!!!
The rules in this fab game are to answer 5 questions, 5 times, and then tag 5 other bloggers. So here we go:
Question 1: Where were you five years ago?
1. Living in our tiny, "starter" house, dreaming of walk-in closets, pantries, and garages.
2. At my baby sister's wedding -- and just six weeks ago we welcomed their first child into the world!
3. Working out at the stupidist YMCA on the planet. Group prayer was mandatory before every aerobics class. Too bad if you were Hindu or Jewish or any other religion... Oh, and we weren't allowed to say "Namaste" at the end of yoga classes. Outrageous.
4. On the mall in Washington D.C. for the National Fourth of July fireworks, which were nothing short of spectacular!
5. Visiting Ground Zero in New York. I'll never forget the silence.
Question 2: Where would you like to be five years from now?
1. Finishing my second novel, the first that I'll try to sell.
2. Querying agents for representation.
3. Writing from various locations on my super-duper MacBook (that I'd better have in five years!)
4. Debt-free.
5. On an exotic island celebrating twenty years of marriage with my wonderful husband.
Question 3: What is (was) on your to-do list today?
1. Write.
2. Get a haircut (It looks fab, in case you were wondering :) *check*
3. Buy a couple tee shirts at Target. *check*
4. Wash laundry. *crickets*
5. Pay bills. *check*
Question 4: What five snacks do you enjoy?
1. Chocolate
2. Cascadian Farms Organic Granola Bars (especially Mixed Nuts)
3. Plain, fat-free yogurt with granola sprinkled on top.
4. Apples and peanut butter
5. Homemade chocolate chip cookies....or just the batter
Question 5: What five things would you do if you were a billionaire?
1. Go to the mall for a full day buying whatever I wanted without EVER looking at a price tag.
2. Buy the most expensive MacBook on the market.
3. Pay for education costs for all my children, nieces and nephews, for as long as they want to be in school.
4. Buy a beach house, a mountain house, a dessert house, and an apartment in Manhattan.
5. Create a not-for-profit company that builds and outfits schools, hospitals, and homes in African countries.
TAG! You people are IT:
Jai Josh, for wearing a low-cut shirt for Cleveage Day
Justine Dell, for helping us all be better at grammar
Magically Ordinary, for sharing with us "Words of wisdom...
A fact of life...after Monday and Tuesday, even the calendar says W T F."
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Open Wide
A new dentist's sign went up in a neighboring town, on the opposite end of the recently constructed plaza that houses a just-opened Mexican restaurant. The new dental offices look clean, sleek and modern, from the outside, of course. I won't step foot inside, so I will never be able to comment on the office interior or on the good dentist's services. Why, you ask? Because according to the sign, the dentist's name is Justin Payne, DDS.
Justin Payne? Really? As in: Just In Pain? Who in their right mind goes to a dentist with a name like that? For that matter, what man chooses dentistry with a name like that! If it had been me, and I was passionate about working inside the general public's mouthes, I would at least use only my first initial. J. Payne, Super Dentist. Throw in the middle initial even: J.S/T/W/P/Whatever it is. Payne.
Whether it's fair or not, names give us immediate impressions of the people who bear them. Choosing character names for fiction is a fun and delicate business for this reason. I once participated in a workshop on Characterization, and we spent a session discussing character names. We were given an interesting assignment to open creative doors and raise awareness where names are concerned. I'll print the assignment here, and anyone who wishes to give it a go should do so before reading the rest of this post, where I'll include my own answers:
Typically, all characters have at least a first name. Because of our own experiences, cultural or social background, age, etc., we often hold opinions about certain names. Names can suggest courage, sophistication, clownishness, intelligence, sex, race, class, religion etc. Here is a little exercise. Tell me what the names below mean to you, what we might deduce about the character.
1) Loyd (the author spelled the character’s name incorrectly for a reason, why would she do this?)
2) Marie Huguenot (this one is tricky)
3) Dr. Selim Sengor
4) Zeph
5) Colin Glass
6) Colie Bluestone
Monday, April 26, 2010
Extra! Extra! (Contests!!)
The fabulous Carolina Valdez Miller of Carol's Prints is celebrating surpassing 300 followers. Whoot! Her blog is top-notch, and I love her energy. She's giving away a TON of signed books, y'all! Click here, click here!!
And, every time she gets 50 more followers between now and May 25th, she's adding prize packages, so spread the word :))
The incomparable Simon Larter of Constant Revision is celebrating more than 250 followers with an awesome, vodka-soaked, iambic metered contest. All you have to do to enter is follow him and fill out the high-tech form, but you up your chances of winning when you follow his prompts and write a piece of flash fiction or metered poetry. Lots of fun and great prizes! Click here to read all about it!
Other great contests to enter today are:
Noelle Nolan's 150 Followers Contest!
Enthusiasm for Catching Fire
Synopsis: Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has won the annual Hunger Games with fellow district tribute Peeta Mellark. But it was a victory won by defiance of the Capitol and their harsh rules. Katniss and Peeta should be happy. After all, they have just won for themselves and their families a life of safety and plenty. But there are rumors of rebellion among the subjects, and Katniss and Peeta, to their horror, are the faces of that rebellion. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge. (Source)
I loved this book as much as its predecessor, The Hunger Games. Suzanne Collins is a masterful writer who understands the art of breakneck pacing in fiction. I literally couldn't put Catching Fire down until I'd finished the last word.
All I can say is regardless of your preferred genre, to write or read, you will enjoy this book. In fact, I you haven't yet, pick up copies of The Hunger Games and Catching Fire and read them. Then you'll be ready, like the rest of us, for the August 2010 release of Mockingjay, the highly anticipated third and last installment in the Hunger Games trilogy.
Have you read The Hunger Games and Catching Fire? On a scale of one to five (with five being "On My List of Top Five All-time Favorite Books" and one being "Hated It!"), how would you rate them?
Friday, April 23, 2010
Daredevil Living
A couple months ago, with her now faithful life partner next in the jump line, she did it. The two of them went skydiving. When I watched their videos, I was filled with awe that she would dare to jump out of a plane at 14,000 feet. She fell at a speed of 120 miles per hour! The picture of her, taken by the company's photographer that documents each jumper's experience, is now her computer desktop wallpaper. Firey sunset colors outline the profile of her body, and her face is the picture of pure, living-in-the-moment joy.
I'm not an adrenalin junkie, but I crave experiences that force me right in the middle of the present. I want my immediate senses hightened, my emotions raw and all about the moment, not the moment before or the one after. So, I've been thinking: What would that experience be, for me?
I've never scuba dived on a coral reef. That comes right to mind. I'm sure there are other ideas if I gave myself more time to think. But, scuba diving would be awesome! Oh, and I want to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro. And I want to climb over the top of the bridge at Sydney's harbor.....
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Happy Earth Day!
[Arg! Blogger won't let me post comments on anyone's blogs today! I'm frustrated!!!!]
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Awards and Announcements
Help celebrate Earth Day tomorrow, April 21 by neutralizing your blog's carbon emissions. How? By participating in a joint effort by "Make It Green" and "Arbor Day Foundation." It couldn't be simpler:
1. Click the Leaf Logo above, taking you to a website that explains the program.
2. Copy the HTML code for one of the buttons (like the one above)and paste it on your blog's sidebar. Blog about the program to increase awareness and boost participation.
3. Email your blog URL to CO2-neutral@kaufda.de
4. For your blog, one tree will be planted in Plumas National Forest in Northern California by “Arbor Day Foundation” our partner in US for the “My blog is carbon neutral” initiative!
How will planting a tree in California help reduce a blog's emissions in, say, Georgia? Here's what initiative organizers say: "We plant trees, both in Germany (in the upper Harz region) and in Northern California. Why are we doing this? Because the reduction of carbon emissions by planting trees has the same effect, regardless of where in the world the trees are planted. It involves all of us to give something back to our environment." (Read more HERE)
Thank you to Courtney at Southern Princess and Lola at Sharp Pen/Dull Sword for the Sweet Blog Award! I love both these blogs, so check them out if you haven't already!!
I'm passing it along to:
Jade @ Chasing Pavements -- She has a published short story, check it the link from her post yesterday!
Michelle Teacress
Mary @ Play off the Page
Angie @ Answering the What If
Ellen @ Pink Tea and Paper
Sweet Dominique at En Violet passed me the Beautiful Blogger award. Please be sure to visit her today!
This one asks me to share 7 things about myself. In the spirit of keeping things lively (and I think I've shared all the fun facts about me already!), I'm going to share seven things I did yesterday to make my day a success:
1. Ate a mixture of Shredded Wheat and organic granola for breakfast.
2. Ran three miles on the treadmill.
3. Lifted weights: super set of Smith machine squats and Sumo squats; super set targeting biceps and triceps
4. Wrote 3,000+ words of chapter four.
5. Emailed an old friend from college.
6. Cheered my daughter and her team to softball victory, pulling ahead 16-14 in the bottom of the last inning.
7. Renewed Catching Fire at the library and promised myself I'd finish it by this weekend.
I'm passing this award on to:
Shannon McMahon
Alexandra @ The Publication Follies of Alexandra Shostak
Wendy @ On 'n' On 'n' On
Tiana Smith
Laura @ Wavy Lines
Thank you to the most awesome author/blogger Wendy Ramer at On 'n' On 'n' On -- Because a Writer Always has Something to Say for the Butterfly Award. Wendy's blog always puts a smile on my face. Check out her site today!
This award goes to:
Jessica @ The Alliterative Allomorph
Harley @ Labotomy of a Writer
Lilah Pierce
Jenn Johansson
Tory @ Head in the Clouds
I'd like to thank Cherie at Surrounded by Books for the Blogger BFF award. Cherie's multi-talented and her blog is wonderful. Drop by today!
This award goes to:
Anne at Piedmont Writer
Shelley at Stories of the Ordinary
Summer at ...And This Time, Concentrate
DL at Cruising Altitude
Simon at Constant Revision
And, thank you to the warm and hilarious Roxy at A Woman's Write. If you don't read Roxy every day, I encourage you to start!
I'm passing the Awesomesauce award on to:
Sarah at Falen Formulates Fiction
Crimey at Crimogenic
Terry at Gardner West, Private Eye
Amber at Musings of Amber Murphy
Roland at Writing in the Crosshairs
thank you so much for participating in our initiative and making your blog carbon neutral! Your tree will be planted this month by the Arbor Day Foundation. The scheduled start plant date was Monday, April 19 and the trees will be planted by a contracted crew. The roads are being plowed, all contracts solidified, and twelve shipments of 150,000 seedling each are being assembled. We thank you for the support!
There are still some trees looking for a sponsor. So if you know some people who have a blog or website, pass it on and we'll make their blogs carbon neutral too!
Best,
Christin
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Tuesday Teaser
I'm interested in hearing how the pacing feels to a first-time reader. As a short story writer, I've worked hard in perfecting the craft of concise exposition, of only giving readers background information essential to the story's one significant moment in time. The voice of a novel, however, is entwined in the POV's internal perceptions, often stemming from his/her background and experiences. I don't have the experience yet in novel writing to know how much background information and internal perception is important and relevant in any given moment, without slowing down the pace. I pay a great deal of attention to this as I read other author's work. But when I sit down to write, ugh! Doubt seeps in. Your feedback on this point is greatly appreciated!
This is one page from Chapter One. As this is an excerpt from my WiP, it will only be posted two days :)
Monday, April 19, 2010
Pattycake, Pattycake
Friday, April 16, 2010
Steampunk Dreams
One of these days, I'm going to try writing a Steampunk tale. It'll take some mind expanding I'm not sure I'm capable of, but who knows? Maybe the right inspiration will set off a muse-rattling explosion in my head.
In the meantime, I'll enjoy the imaginations of others already brave enough to imagine a Steampunk'd world (and maybe feel inspired!):
Artist Bob Fett has done some amazing series of Steampunk images. His historical artwork is equally impressive. For some Steampunk/Cyberpunk/Historical Fiction inspiration, view more of his work HERE.
And, maybe images like these (these are not the work of Fett, btw) will spark my imagination:
How about you? Have you tried Steampunk? Is there a genre way outside your comfort zone you'd like to attempt?
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Sisters
A Sister Lost
Ages ago we shared our lives, but now.....
Sadness tortures my soul when I think of you
Immersed in glamorous audacity, skin and ego
Stroked by countless people, but none who really love you. I see you
Trample down fields of flowers in reckless pursuit of nothing that matters
Eager to finger that golden horizon.
Reaching, insatiable, for the jewel-encrusted platter
Laden with unrestricted choices, you are
Oblivious to the pewter chalice you've knocked to the floor
Spilling my love, unnoticed, under the
Table of your life.
By Nicole Ducleroir 10/2008
A Sister Found
Aging accusations became brittle with time
Siphoning the last of my stubborn resolve
Into the abysmal void where what matters not is
Silenced, forever.
Time is touted as the healer of all pain, but
Everyone knows it takes more.
Reaching out from your fractured world, shaking the family tree, you
Forced me forward, frightened, until the gap between us snapped shut and
Order returned to the universe in my heart.
Unwritten chapters await our pen; across the first pristine page I write:
Never, ever again will I accept a day of my life
Devoid of your precious light.
By Nicole Ducleroir 12/2009
Author's Note: Due to width limitations of blogger post columns, some of the longer lines of these acrostics fell to the next line. Arg.
Artwork by Linda Wilder @artistwilder.deviantart.com
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
S-t-r-e-t-c-h-!
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Genre Headache
As I work through the first draft of my WiP, I realize identifying a genre to describe my work will be an ongoing process. My style tends toward literary fiction, in that I explore the human condition through character-driven storytelling. I'm a fan of lush descriptions, a poetic voice. On the other hand, the plot I've devised is riddled with suspense. The stakes are high, life-threatening. Each character is plagued with conflict borne from psychological tensions. Oh yes, and there's romance in there too. Is there a blanket genre that covers all those characteristics?
Perhaps there is. Perhaps, I'm writing a work of commercial fiction.
AgentQuery.com says, "Commercial fiction uses high-concept hooks and compelling plots to give it a wide, mainstream appeal...Like literary fiction, the writing style in commercial fiction is elevated beyond generic mainstream fiction. But unlike literary fiction, commercial fiction maintains a strong narrative storyline as its central goal, rather than the development of enviable prose or internal character conflicts." (Read all their genre definitions HERE.)
Does your WiP fall gracefully under one genre heading? Have you found an umbrella genre that pretty much covers your work's characteristics? Do you wish there was a genre called "Other?"