THE weekend has arrived!

Sorry i've been gone for so many days. I have my black belt test coming up this weekend, along with the first US Open Championships! I've been training hard for both of them!

Wish me luck. I'll definitely post and let you know how i did. Meanwhile, hang tight. I'll get back to writing full swing upon my return. I have been punching in as many words as i can for Nanowrimo (see post below). I'm taking my computer and my alphasmart with me to keep plugging away on the long drive.

Meanwhile, enjoy.

The pic is of my favorite character from the Jap-Anime, Bleach. He reminds me a lot of one of my book characters, especially in this shot. It is currently on my desk-top background.

I'll be back!

my first Nanowrimo

If i knew only my writing friends ever came to my blog, all i'd have to say is: I joined Nanowrimo! EEEK!

But, since it's mostly my family that comes, i'll explain a little further. :)

National Novel Writing Month (Nanowrimo)
happens to always be the month of November. Starting the first, and ending the last.

Goal? To write a 50,000 word book from start to finish: no editing (that's for December). MY goal? to crank out 50,000 words of this fantasy book. (i know it'll be much longer than that by its end).

I figured this might be some really good motivation to get working on this half of the split. (don't know what i'm talking about? see some previous posts)

I believe you might be able to track my progress here: Nanowrimo User-Page but i'm not sure if everyone can see it or if you have to have an account first. ??? This is my first year actually participating. Not sure what i've gotten myself into.

I'm not even sure if it's actually plausible for me. Obviously the first weekend in november will be "out", as i'm testing for my black-belt, and will be quite busy in other things. But hey, anything to get working on this thing. Right?

Right.

update:
HAHAHHAHHAHA Just noticed the Quote of the Day:
"Go forth a conqueror and win great victories."

Oh Yes! And if you've signed up for Nanowrimo too, please leave your username and i'll hook up with you on the site :)

the Big "What If"~!

I watched a show today that reminded me of the importance of the big "What If" of a story.

A lot of you probably know the show: The Nightmare before Christmas. I'm at my inlaws today, and their grand kids were watching the show while i was trying to work on my book. (yah... wasn't being distracted at all!)

Anyways, the big what if that came to my mind for that one was: What if Halloween took over Christmas?

Sounds interesting, huh. It's something that you can see and feel. Something to spark all sorts of questions and a promising story-line.

A few more big "What if" questions you might recognize:

What if a vampire fell in love with a human?

From the video posted just below: What if a deaf girl wanted to play the violin?

What if a simple ring could give it's wearer the power to rule the world????

From a Japanese anime, What if a name written in a notebook could deem their fate? (The Death Note)

Yah, been watching movies today.

Anyways, you get the point. These "What If" questions, the BIG ones, are the center force and life of a story. IT is what makes the book work or not (even before all the wonderful things like characterization, cool twisting plot, moving scenes, poetic writing, ect ect ect...) All the really cool movies i watch (cough cough, and books i read :) have got this big question as its crux.

Some questions are better and stronger than others. I like the ones that pose all sorts of intriguing ideas, conflict, and excitement by just being asked! (learn more about this on Storyfix, link found on my sidebar tools)

So what's mine?
mmmm..... blink blink....

Right. I'm on it.

inspiration and perseverance in a dream

Posted up for myself, and for my Fam and friends.
Doe, i hope you get to see this one. I think you'll like it.

Oh, and an update on my progress: i have enough structure plotted out to begin writing Part One. I'll do a separate post about what Part one entails later :)

awwwwww....

Chapter one Accomplished! After a dozen new ideas thrown in the trash, some of them even completely written out and edited, I found one that works. For now :)

No, but really. I like it. Superb!
MOVING ON. Finally. My word count no longer at "0". YES!
Only 100,000 more words to go to catch up to where i was. tehehehhee

Chapter One covered things like: The immediate hook. the initial intro of my theme and concept. The slam in your face of the new Fantasy world :) And, most important, the founding of Character Arc within my Hero (least this end of it) and the hint of how his inner-demons might make him stumble.

Next step: GOTTA get this story structure done! I have to be headed in the right direction at the start of chapter two... all plowing ahead to my allusive first plot point!

Setting up the Stage

I do this for every book i've ever written (which admittedly isn't that many). Each story has its own plot-book. And so, with the split of the story, came a new book.

I took some awesome pics of the inside. I worked on it all day, making it "just right", but when i went to upload it here on my public blog, i felt it not the best idea. So, you only get the front page. :) I blocked out my name and address, of course. Don't need any unwanted visitors coming by. If you click on it though, it should make it bigger, and you can have a good laugh at my "greetings". Some of my longer-term friends already know where it's going. I put something like this on the front of all of them.

It's been a lot of fun so far putting it together. It contains things such as: the magic-system and its abilities and sources. The focus "magic" learned of book 1 and all the details associated with its find. 2 pages of research that went into the creation of this magic system :) (just so i keep the facts straight). An overview of characters and settings, which is then later broken down to a page each, for the main ones (awesome pics included, of course!) A spread reserved for the story-structure (once it's figured out), and a longer section for the future chapter-outlines.

Then, in my traditional form, the rest of the book is for my scene break downs. This is done with separated pieces of paper (all equal size from my posti-pads) taped into the pages of the book. That way i can physically move the scenes around as things change. I find it best that way, so i don't feel the need to force the book in any particular direction, planned or not, but still allowing me to have a structure of the overall arc and growth of the characters and their goals. :) Me likes it this way.

So, something interesting has happened during the process of simply getting the book ready. I realized something. My main-character has changed on me. Not necessarily the guy himself, but some of his driving personality. Because i've torn him away from the devastating beginnings of the Sci-Fi storyline, the distrusting stubborn part of him melted away. i didn't have a choice! I stared at his page (in the book) with his picture and general new history written down and said "you've changed on me, haven't you." He's much more of a 'dreamer' now, because of how he was raised. This is my new pic for him that i've placed in my plot-book, in respect of that change. It is very different than any other picture i've pegged for him. But i think i like it.

Weird. But cool. But weird.

A character's back-story certainly influences how they are! I've heard it said, but dang i see it now. I have to hold him carefully as i write, so he has room to breathe in this new direction. Guess we'll see where he goes. :)

something else of interest: in wading through the characters and placing them in one story or the other, i noticed that only the strongest characters made the cut at all.

Quote of the day went right along with everything: "He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life." -M. Ali

making a final choice on "the split"

When the big red bird first came into the shop (when i lived back in Phx), i thought it was the biggest most beautiful bird in the world, and there was NO WAY i'd ever have one that big. It wasn't the "oh i can never afford one" type of NO WAY, it was the "he's way too big for me".

I lived at home at the time, in a standard size spare bedroom (i'm terrible at guessing dimensions). And i already had little Aussie, who's cage barely fit at the head of my bed and against the wall.

So, needless to say, over the few months that I worked with "big red" and helped hand-raise him, when i realized that i was getting attached to him, it caused quite a dilemma.

Plot point #1: A friend/customer made a suggestion to me: "He looks as attached to you as you are to him. You should take him home." Bink blink... a macaw?

I would go home, talking myself out of it--listing ALL the very good reasons why i simply couldn't take on a project like that. WAY too expensive. the cage would be 4x5x6, which took up a good quarter of my bedroom by itself. The bird would out-live me--i didn't even know if i could afford to take care of him. He's a macaw--a living fog-horn that would go off at any point in time.. BAD news for apartments or rentals. And heck, i was still living at home! Not to mention the plain cost of everything. A very LARGE amount for the bird, and almost equal that in the cage. Macaw toys usually START at 50 bucks a pop, and even bulk food would run around 100 dollars for 3 months worth. The list went on and on. I would be convinced. It just couldn't happen.

Then i'd go back to work. He'd beg for a pet on the head. He couldn't even stand up on his own yet. I'd have to hold both his feet and he'd cling to my shirt for support. I'd coo to him and he'd fall asleep in my lap. In love... wanted to take him home. He was becoming a friend. I hated leaving him behind at night.

I'd go home, dreaming and trying to find a way, only to see my room again, and all the logical reasons why it just couldn't work would come back.

This went on for well over a month. Day in, day out.

Plot point #2:
One day i went into work, and a customer and his wife that i had gotten to know very well (already owned a few macaws, and responsible for the entire PP1 to begin with!), were in the back. The big red bird was with them. He leaned against the man's shoulder as he stroked him... the couple chatting happily with the store-owner. They had talked for a while about buying another bird, but previously had thought about the blue/gold macaw. Obviously, they had changed their minds.

My heart broke. I started to cry. That's when i knew what my decision had been all along. As soon as the customers left (heart pounding), I asked if they had purchased him. They had not. I immediately went to the boss and made arrangements to make payments.

About a month later, bubba came home for christmas :)

so, what does this have to do with the whole book process?

Last night Tristi left a comment-suggestion on my post. I was having such a hard time deciding whether to break up the book, and lose all of my YEARS of work thus far, or keep it together and trust in my original vision.

Tristi's suggestion reminded me of this experience with Bubba. She wanted me to see/work one day as if it were split. And the next as if it were not, and see how i felt.

So, i mentally "walked into the shop" and imagined seeing my book split up. I saw two books, each bound separately and shelved in different isles. Heck, i even imagined a customer fingering one of them. The feeling was neutral. I didn't really feel one way or the other. It had possibilities, but it was daunting.

The "envisioning" thing wasn't working.

BUT... then i imagined 'walking into the shop', and saw the book as it stands now--one solid storyline. And you know what? Something surprised me.

I felt sad. I looked at that book, in that cover, and mourned for everything that would never be told in the fantasy realm. Then it got worse; I felt anxiety. I couldn't bare loosing everything that That half of the story could become.

It surprised me how intense the feeling was. I had to remind myself that this was only a 'thought' and not 'reality', because my heart was starting to get defensive with my head. :) It wasn't being very nice either.

So?? Plain as day. Back on course. No turning back any more--no matter how many trash bins i fill with crumbled up ideas. I've posted this thing up here, just in case i wonder at my decision again. And yes, Tristi, the work ahead of me is simply mind-boggling and very daunting. But, I'M THE PLOTTING QUEEN.
i know i can do it.

I think for now I'll even call my Fantasy book "Big Red", just as a reminder as to why i'm doing this.