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Six Sentence Sunday

This is new for me. I don’t usually post on Sundays but this Six Sentence Sunday trend has me intrigued so I thought I’d play. Today’s six is from the urban fantasy, Almost Normal, I’m working on. It’s the NaNoWriMo novel from 2010 that needs more words for it to be declared finished.

My protagonist, Sierra, isn’t quite normal but she tries very hard to be like everyone else. To help her “get” other people she’s taking acting lessons on the side.

“I haven’t been fifteen in sixteen years.”

“Try to remember how you were all those years ago. You’ve got talent, Sierra, work it,” the director said.

A twinge of guilt went through her at his compliment. Being other people was easy for her. Acting like other people not so much.

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Across the pond

As I said last week the boyfriend and I spent New Year’s Eve in England. We flew out Boxing Day and arrived the morning of December 27.

For years I’d been hearing what was better in the UK compared to Canada. It seemed like in almost every situation (driving, watching TV, shopping, chocolate) I would hear how it was better there. Finally I got to experience it first hand. And I have to say SOME things ARE better in England than they are in Canada.

So, to me, what’s better and what’s not?

Better:

Bookstores – Five floors of books. I was in Heaven.

Television – The commercial breaks make more sense there.

Comedy clubs – I was laughing so hard I was crying.

Chocolate – North American chocolate just doesn’t taste the same.

The Tube – The subway system there is so much better. Sorry TTC.

Shopping carts – Easier to “drive” because of the wheels.

The History – Over 1000 years of history, the buildings are amazing.

The museums – A lot of them are free and ask for donations from visitors. Made me wonder if museums here would get more visitors if they did the same thing.

eHarmony commercials – Way better. They don’t presume you MUST want to be part of a couple.

Not better:

Roads – Way too narrow. They can’t help it. They’re mostly based on the medieval roads, which were narrow.

Driving – The speed limit is way too fast.

Service in restaurants and most stores – Horrible. In one restaurant we waited for at least half an hour to place our order. More waiting ensued after we ate and we ended up going to the bar to order dessert.

Restrooms – Completely closed in (for privacy) but hello claustrophobia.

Pictures and more posts about England later!

Until next time…

Cindy

New year – same goals

Happy New Year from England!

The boyfriend and I are visiting the UK to see old friends, see family and do some sight seeing. Posts about England will follow later this month. This post is about my yearly goals. As usual I didn’t accomplish everything I wanted to last year. I did not submit ten short stories and one novel. Though I did submit short stories. I did not read twenty-four books. I read five. The workshop goals I always manage to do. And the movie goal is easy to accomplish as well. I watched movie 100 in England.

Onto this year’s writing goals:

1. Write every day with an average of at least 1,000 words a day
2. Read twenty-four books
3. Watch 100 movies
4. Read twelve scripts
5. Critique more
6. Take at least two workshops
7. Give workshops
8. Submit ten short stories and one novel
9. Continue to grow the in person writing group
10. Update website

I’m taking Margie Lawson’s Defeat Self-Defeating Behaviors so I’m confident I will be able to accomplish everything on my list this year.

I hope 2012 is great for everyone. Do you have any 2012 goals?

Until next time…

Cindy

Writers should not…

I’m not talking about cheating the reader or being predictable or having clichéd characters. No, I’m talking about what writers shouldn’t do to other writers. Especially newbie writers who don’t know any better than to take what a published writer says as gospel. Me, I don’t care. I listen to advice, use what I want and toss the rest. But I’ve been writing for a long time, belong to writing groups that share information, done the research on agents and editors, taken the workshops (countless workshops).

A newbie writer is looking for guidance. A lot of new writers want to know the very basic information. The information those of us who have been doing this for a while take for granted. So you have to remember two things. There are no stupid questions. And you were a new writer once too.

I’ve had new writers ask me where to start. They have an idea or they have a character so what do they do now. This is the most common question I get asked. If a new writer asks you that keep in mind what a writer should not do.

Writers should not tell other writers how they SHOULD write. There is no wrong way or right way to write a book. It’s an individual process. What works for me might not work for you. I should not tell you that you should let the book simmer for a year or two. That you must have a detailed chapter by chapter outline. That you must have action on the first page (it’s a good idea but you don’t have to do it). You might be a pantser. A chapter by chapter outline wouldn’t work for you. I’ll admit, the more a book simmers for me the faster I can write it when I sit down to write. But I would never let it simmer for two years. And some readers and editors actually like books that start off slowly, building the suspense without hitting you over the head with the conflict.

Writers should not think that just because they are published they know everything about writing and getting published. Writers learn new things about writing every day. Published authors I know continue to take workshops to improve their craft. The only difference between me and a published author is they have a contract. If I got a contract tomorrow that doesn’t magically make me more knowledgeable or mean what I have to offer in the way of advice is any better than the published author who got their contract a year ago. Do published authors have more to teach us? You bet they do. They have insight into the part of the business the unpublished don’t. They know all about ARCs and proofs, deadlines. I listen intently when published authors speak. But I’ve also seen stories by a published author who didn’t know how to properly use a dialogue tag.

Be helpful. Be supportive. Writers should not tell a new author their story is boring or won’t sell. How do you know? What you find boring someone else might find enchanting. Yes, I’ve told authors their books might be hard sells because of the subject matter. But I would never tell them it would never sell.

I try to always preface my advice with – this is what works for me. The writer can pick and choose what they want to listen to.

If you’re a new writer I highly recommend joining a SUPPORTIVE group. One that won’t judge. That won’t tell you how writing must be done. Local is always best. Meeting face to face with other writers is a great experience. If you’re in the Guelph area (living or visiting) check out the local writing group Guelph Write Now.

What advice have you been given that totally didn’t work for you? What else should writers not do?

Until next time…

Cindy

John Carpenter – the early years

So to make my quota of movies for the year, the boyfriend picks movies for us to watch. He’s introduced me to a lot of new movies I might never have tried on my own. Some of them quite good. Some are just plain weird.

We had a John Carpenter weekend this past weekend. Now, I like John Carpenter. I’ve seen a number of his movies and liked most. The first Carpenter flick up was They Live. Not a bad little movie. The acting could have been better. But overall I thought it was entertaining. I called the contacts in it before they happened. I found some of the actions of the characters to be ridiculous. If you could see something no one else could because you were wearing special glasses would you announce it in a crowded store that was filled with thing things you weren’t supposed to able to see?

Next movie up was Dark Star. At the beginning of the movie there was an apparently new intro that explained that the movie was a comedy. It also said one of the actors was on LSD while filming. Um, yeah, makes perfect sense to me. It was one very weird movie. I’m surprised they weren’t all on some sort of drug at the time. The best was the alien on board that was basically a beach ball. And the crew’s ability to talk to a dead crew member who is in cryogenic freeze.

I’m glad his movies improved over the years. Both ones that he wrote and ones he directed.

At the very least it’s two more movies for the year. Now, I’m off to work. Hoping to leave a little early to get more words in for NaNoWriMo.

Until next time…

Cindy

NaNoWriMo Progress

As promised here’s the progress post. I wish I could say I had a stellar first day. Sadly, I did what I usually do, what I do best. Procrastinate. I had dinner with my writing group but got home in plenty of time to get lots of words in. But then I had to unwind, chat with the boyfriend, hug the cats.

I did get in 1688 words before going to bed. I forced myself to write to at least the minimum. I wanted to give up at 1029 words, rationalizing that it was good enough on the first day. It was ten to midnight, I was tired. I decided that if I let myself slack off on the first day it would set the tone for the rest of the month. So I pushed myself to get the rest of the words in.

On the way to work this morning I realized that what I wrote as one of the opening scenes would have to move to the middle of the book. It’s all good though. I came up with some other scenes, with the help of the boyfriend, that I can write today.

How did you do your first day?

Until next time…

Cindy

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