I got this from Razored Zen. He posted it when I was out of it, cyber wise, so I'm a little behind; let's see if I can catch up.
Your genre(s): Well, I've written poetry (both scifi and non), short stories, fantasy, science fiction, horror-ish stuff, romance, and erotica, and some subgenres in there as well, like folk tales, animal tales, children's, paranormal romance, and maybe urban fantasy. I've always wanted to try murder mystery as well. I might try that in the future some time. But I'd have to be a really good plotter then.
How many books are you working on now: Hmm....I have lots of started things that I put away to work on other things. I have one book that is basically 4 novellas (one about each girl in a band). I have one fantasy I'm currently revising. Then I have a bunch of short stories. AND there's this chick lit idea I've been kicking around for a long time that will probably never get written, but it's fun to toy with.
Are you a linear or chunk writer: I do it both ways. Which ever way the writing decides to come. Sometimes a scene comes to me and I have no idea where it's going to end up; I just grab a pen and try to get it down and then put it aside until the right moment comes along to insert it. And there usually is a right place, though sometimes it just ends up being backstory that I have as material on the character.
The POV you’re partial to: Whatever tells the story best. Sometimes it's first and sometimes third. Sometimes limited third and sometimes omniscient third. I have no idea where this prejudice against omniscient 3rd person came from. It's a method, like any other method. Lots of celebrated authors used it, so I see no reason why I shouldn't if it tells the story best. I suspect a little bit of "literachur's" snooty "standards" have snuck into genre writing. And I've heard writers debate for hours over the correct POV to write in and have been told by editors I have too many POVs trying to tell the story.
Well, if it's a big story, it needs a lot of different POVs to tell the story from! Like I said, whatever works best for that story. We really do more harm than good when we try to put so many rules on our own craft instead of just working on it.
The Tense you use: I guess past, mostly. I could see the effect present first would have on a story, but I haven't yet written a story that needed that.
The theme that keeps cropping up in your books: God, the universe, trying to think outside the box, what you see isn't always what you get, don't assume, kids without dads or responsible parents, having to grow into your calling in life, don't wait for prince charming, parents trying to make things up to their kids, the magic that we forget to see even though it's all around us....I guess there's a lot I like to write about.
How many days a week do you write: Fiction writing or other writing? I work with words every day. Sometimes as a proofreader/copy editor, sometimes as a fiction/poetry writer, sometimes as a reviewer/article writer. I try to do something every day, even if it's just writing in my journal or penning a poem that hits me on the bus. This is what I am.
I used to play the violin as a kid and I remember I was supposed to practice 15-30 minutes a day. I would put it off and then try to practice 2 hours the day before my lesson. My instructor could always tell. I never got around to practicing my violin everyday, though I still have my violin. I did enjoy playing it and still do sometimes, but I wasn't supposed to be a violinist. I was supposed to be a writer. And if I am really serious about this then it's something I need to try to do every single day.
What time of day do you get your best writing done: Either early in the morning (which almost never happens anymore), or from 3 pm on. I tend to do a lot business writing and job/gig searching in between.
Who are your mentors: I've never been able to find an actual mentor. That would have been nice. There are some people I've known I would have liked to have had as mentors, but they weren't that interested in me as a writer and had others they were interested in. So, I guess I'm like Charles, most of my mentors have been books. When I was a tween/teen I was fanatical about finding female role models to live up to. They were: Joan of Arc, Helen Keller, Edith Cavell, Florence Nightengale, Louisa May Alcott, Laura Ingalls Wilder, LM Montgomery, and Marie Curie. If Marie Curie could subsist on radishes in the middle of winter whilst studying at the Sorbonne and working at a lab job, then by golly by gum, I could do it, too. If LM Alcott could write after cleaning houses all day, then so could I.
Other "mentors" of mine include CS Lewis, JRR Tolkein, and Charles Williams. They were willing to research to the nth degree to get to the heart of something. And Charles Williams wasn't afraid of writing about, what to Christians would be considered, taboo subjects.
My favorite authors to read: Including the people above plus, H. P. Lovecraft, Edgar Allen Poe, Andre Norton, Patricia A. McKillip, Marion Zimmer Bradley, Douglas Adams, Terry Pratchett, Neil Gaiman, Charles DeLint, Rachel Vincent, Vicki Pettersson, Leigh Purtill, Stephanie Rowe, Lilith Saintcrow, Simon R. Green, Charlotte McLeod, Dorothy Sayers, Margery Allingham, O. Henry, Damon Knight, Georges Simenon, and lots of others.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Monday, July 14, 2008
Get your RED HOT COPIES!
Just a post to let you know that the issues of The Illuminata (Tyrannosaurus' Press newsletter of all things scifi and fantasy) and Chocolate Zoom (all things chocolate) are out.
You can find The Illuminata here: http://www.tyrannosauruspress.com/Illuminata/archive.html
(Just go to the bottom and click on the July 2008 issue link). Check out my articles on Writers and Their Health or Archetypes and the Villain.
And you can find the new issue of Chocolate Zoom here: http://www.chocolatezoom.com/index.php
Check out my article on Chocolate in Asia.
Crossposted a lot of different places
You can find The Illuminata here: http://www.tyrannosauruspress.com/Illuminata/archive.html
(Just go to the bottom and click on the July 2008 issue link). Check out my articles on Writers and Their Health or Archetypes and the Villain.
And you can find the new issue of Chocolate Zoom here: http://www.chocolatezoom.com/index.php
Check out my article on Chocolate in Asia.
Crossposted a lot of different places
Monday, July 7, 2008
Rachel's Rules
Carolyn, on You're Boring Me, put out a list of her "rules" and reading it and talking it over with Jim I realized I had a list of rules as well, probably just as individualistic.
So, here goes.....
1) If I can possibly help it, I don't let anyone walk behind me. I hear footsteps on the street behind me, I'll suddenly develop a need to look for something in my handbag and stop and search through it until that person has passed. And I hate people behind me on the stairs, especially going up the stairs. I'll just wait until you've gone on ahead, thank you very much. All this especially holds true for people wearing "I'm so very important shoes" that click clack on the floor behind me. I hate those shoes.
2) I can't stand cold fruit. It needs to be room temperature for the flavors to be at their best. I do like cold juice, but fruit needs to warm up before I'll eat it. And I do like cooked fruit, but not pineapple. Can't stand pineapple on pizza.
3) If I am going to drink soda, I like it to be a little flat and a little warm. Beer is good cold, but again, I like it to sit a little before I drink it. Carbonation is just not my thing. I'd much rather have flat water than sparkling.
4) Most of the time, I like to keep my chocolate separate from other things. I don't want to mix it with fruit or alcohol or coffee. Ideally. I will eat it otherwise and enjoy it, but mostly I like it on its own.
4a) Most of the time I hate chocolate cake. Most chocolate cakes are dry and flavorless unless you get a nice chocolate mousse cake.
5) In general, I hate dry food. Dry food gives me the hiccups and is flavorless. If you see me eating dry food like crackers, it's because my stomach is upset and you'll notice I'm only eating a tiny bit at a time. Otherwise, I love goo. I want plenty of mayo on my sandwiches and lots of butter on my toast and popcorn and a lotta mustard on my hot dogs. Dry salads are the worst.
6) If someone wants to be my bff forever a little too fast or sooner than I think appropriate I don't like it. I'll hide from them. I may end up becoming bffs later, after I've had a chance to get to know them better, but I hate being rushed. Which leads me to...
7) I hate being rushed. I was rushed all growing up by a grampa with jingling change in his pocket and various other busy adults that kept me going from violin lessons to choir to church to vacation bible school to day camp to swimming...I think we can stop now. IMHO the only people who truly deserve to have everything shoved aside for them are doctors, firemen, and policemen. They are the only ones with real emergencies. The rest of us just think we have emergencies. That's not to say I don't respect deadlines, but don't tell me it's an emergency snap you need it "ASAP" unless someone is dieing.
8) Never use "ASAP" in my presence. For a reason, see above. If you need something as soon as possible, then say, "as soon as possible." And if possible, give me a specific time and date.
9) I am not a joiner. See 7 above for reasons. I got burned out on joining and participating. I can commit, and will participate if I have a choice as to the level of participation and if you don't try and guilt me into thinking it's my godly duty to participate. My writer's meetings are only once a month. I can commit to that. So far.
10) No guilting allowed! Okay, I know I'm guilty of this myself, but I hate it just the same and try to keep myself from doing it these days. If I hear a petitioner asking people, "Can you spare ONE MINUTE for global warming this afternoon?" I wanna smack'em. It is SO guilting people into stopping and then it's not just one minute, it's 15-20 as they try to talk you out of money you don't have in the first place!
11) Do not try to talk me into eating or drinking something I don't like just because it's "good for me." For example, I don't try to make you eat broccoli, so why is it so important for you to make me accede to eating peas. So I don't like red tea, so what. I drink lots of other liquids with antioxidants in them. I don't make you like lapsang souchong or russian caravan tea, do I? I will respect what you dislike as long as you respect what I dislike.
12) I do not use black pens unless I can't find any other colors. I prefer blue, purple, pink, and green. Or really sharp pencils. Black ink just looks so angry to me. I use red pens for proofing.
13) The toilet lid should always be down once you leave the bathroom. It's only common sense. I've lived around enough animals and in enough small places to know that keeping the lid closed on the toilet is very important. It's just gross to keep the lid up for one thing. Those commercials when a woman loses her earring down the toilet? Hello! If the lid were down, that wouldn't happen.
14) Always have enough toilet paper. NEVER RUN LOW ON THE TOILET PAPER. And keep it near the toilet! What's the point of having extra toilet paper if you can't reach it when you're sitting on the seat in question and have run out?
Okay, I know I have more rules, but I can't remember what they are. Those will work for now.
So, what are you rules?
So, here goes.....
1) If I can possibly help it, I don't let anyone walk behind me. I hear footsteps on the street behind me, I'll suddenly develop a need to look for something in my handbag and stop and search through it until that person has passed. And I hate people behind me on the stairs, especially going up the stairs. I'll just wait until you've gone on ahead, thank you very much. All this especially holds true for people wearing "I'm so very important shoes" that click clack on the floor behind me. I hate those shoes.
2) I can't stand cold fruit. It needs to be room temperature for the flavors to be at their best. I do like cold juice, but fruit needs to warm up before I'll eat it. And I do like cooked fruit, but not pineapple. Can't stand pineapple on pizza.
3) If I am going to drink soda, I like it to be a little flat and a little warm. Beer is good cold, but again, I like it to sit a little before I drink it. Carbonation is just not my thing. I'd much rather have flat water than sparkling.
4) Most of the time, I like to keep my chocolate separate from other things. I don't want to mix it with fruit or alcohol or coffee. Ideally. I will eat it otherwise and enjoy it, but mostly I like it on its own.
4a) Most of the time I hate chocolate cake. Most chocolate cakes are dry and flavorless unless you get a nice chocolate mousse cake.
5) In general, I hate dry food. Dry food gives me the hiccups and is flavorless. If you see me eating dry food like crackers, it's because my stomach is upset and you'll notice I'm only eating a tiny bit at a time. Otherwise, I love goo. I want plenty of mayo on my sandwiches and lots of butter on my toast and popcorn and a lotta mustard on my hot dogs. Dry salads are the worst.
6) If someone wants to be my bff forever a little too fast or sooner than I think appropriate I don't like it. I'll hide from them. I may end up becoming bffs later, after I've had a chance to get to know them better, but I hate being rushed. Which leads me to...
7) I hate being rushed. I was rushed all growing up by a grampa with jingling change in his pocket and various other busy adults that kept me going from violin lessons to choir to church to vacation bible school to day camp to swimming...I think we can stop now. IMHO the only people who truly deserve to have everything shoved aside for them are doctors, firemen, and policemen. They are the only ones with real emergencies. The rest of us just think we have emergencies. That's not to say I don't respect deadlines, but don't tell me it's an emergency snap you need it "ASAP" unless someone is dieing.
8) Never use "ASAP" in my presence. For a reason, see above. If you need something as soon as possible, then say, "as soon as possible." And if possible, give me a specific time and date.
9) I am not a joiner. See 7 above for reasons. I got burned out on joining and participating. I can commit, and will participate if I have a choice as to the level of participation and if you don't try and guilt me into thinking it's my godly duty to participate. My writer's meetings are only once a month. I can commit to that. So far.
10) No guilting allowed! Okay, I know I'm guilty of this myself, but I hate it just the same and try to keep myself from doing it these days. If I hear a petitioner asking people, "Can you spare ONE MINUTE for global warming this afternoon?" I wanna smack'em. It is SO guilting people into stopping and then it's not just one minute, it's 15-20 as they try to talk you out of money you don't have in the first place!
11) Do not try to talk me into eating or drinking something I don't like just because it's "good for me." For example, I don't try to make you eat broccoli, so why is it so important for you to make me accede to eating peas. So I don't like red tea, so what. I drink lots of other liquids with antioxidants in them. I don't make you like lapsang souchong or russian caravan tea, do I? I will respect what you dislike as long as you respect what I dislike.
12) I do not use black pens unless I can't find any other colors. I prefer blue, purple, pink, and green. Or really sharp pencils. Black ink just looks so angry to me. I use red pens for proofing.
13) The toilet lid should always be down once you leave the bathroom. It's only common sense. I've lived around enough animals and in enough small places to know that keeping the lid closed on the toilet is very important. It's just gross to keep the lid up for one thing. Those commercials when a woman loses her earring down the toilet? Hello! If the lid were down, that wouldn't happen.
14) Always have enough toilet paper. NEVER RUN LOW ON THE TOILET PAPER. And keep it near the toilet! What's the point of having extra toilet paper if you can't reach it when you're sitting on the seat in question and have run out?
Okay, I know I have more rules, but I can't remember what they are. Those will work for now.
So, what are you rules?
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Hello!
I may be on radio silence for a while as my computer has broken down and I am only here because of the kindness of friends! So, you may not hear from me for a while. Hopefully I'll be back soon.
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