Early to bed

Yeah, right. I’m a night person. Always have been. I wish I was a morning person sometimes. Especially on Monday mornings. But sadly, I’m not. I’ve tried going to bed early - 11:30. But I just can’t seem to get to bed before 12:30. No matter how much I want to. I have to start getting ready for bed at 9:30. Then maybe I’ll be in bed before midnight. Last night was a typical night. I went to bed at 12:15. Then I couldn’t get to sleep because my horror script kept nagging at me. I had an idea on how to make a scene better. And a thought of an extra scene I could add to up the scare factor. So I turned on the light, went to my office and jotted it down in my notebook. Then I went back to bed. It doesn’t help that I don’t start getting really into the writing process until after 10. So by midnight I’m usually on a roll and don’t want to go to bed. So I force myself. And then the story won’t leave me alone.

My goal for the next couple of weeks at least - be in bed by no later than 11:30. I’m hoping for 11.

Happy blogging!

Cindy

The End

My first attempt at writing a script is finished! It took me about four weeks. But the episode I had in mind for Supernatural is now done. I have a lot of polishing to do before I send it to the contest or to agents. It was so much fun to write. Of course I had to give it to someone who actually watches the show. She said it was awesome. She’s my best friend. But she swears she’s not lying

Now I have the second one to do. I need at least two spec scripts before I start sending them out to agents. And I wanted to enter at least two scripts in the contest. Maybe after I’ve got the scripts done I’ll go back to writing the book. I really want to get that finished and try to find an agent for that too.

Happy blogging!

Cindy

A change of pace

I don’t know why but recently a script idea for Supernatural has taken hold and won’t let go. So I decided to give in and try to write the darn thing. It’s going well, I think. Considering I only have one sample script to go from. And I haven’t written scripts since high school. Back then I didn’t know what I was doing. I had the format all wrong. And no stage direction. Now, my script writing is much better. Then yesterday I got another idea for another Supernatural script. I’m still going to be working on the book though. Have to finish that. For now I’m working on the scripts so I can enter the Writer’s Digest writing competition. I’m sure it’s just as hard to break into screen writing as it is to get published. Maybe even more so. But if I’ve got the ideas I have to at least try. It will give me practice for when I adapt one of my books for the big screen

Happy blogging!

Cindy

It’s all about motivation

November 24 when he had our first snow storm I was really motivated not to drive in the snow. So I took the bus for the first time since we moved. When I was at my parents’ house I took the bus all the time. But from where we are now I had no idea what bus to take, how much it was, how long it would take. I hate the unfamiliar. But motivation had me up at 5:30, calling the bus line at 6:30 when they opened and waiting at the bus stop by 6:45.

So, how motivated am I to lose weight? Motivated enough to give up my Pepsi every day? Motivated enough to actually exercise at least 3-4 times a week? Not yet. But maybe I’ll get there.

I am motivated to sell my books. Hugely motivated, for reasons I can’t go into, to get published and become a full time writer. I’m motivated enough for that to tape my TV shows instead of watching them. If you knew me and TV you’d know how motivated that is.

So, I was trying to work on my synopsis of Simon Says. Thanks to my brainstorming group I know where my problem lies. My villains need more motivation to be villains. They need a really good reason to be the bad seeds they are. And they are really bad seeds. After talking with Margery, I think I have a better handle on why they do what they do. I think because they’re villains we sometimes forget they need good reasons to be bad. Now, I can fix the synopsis. Once I do that and revise the chapters I have written so far, I can shuffle some of the chapters around, add a chapter and get working on the rest of the book.

Right now, I’m motivated to eat dinner. Then I’ll get back to the book. Anyone else have problems coming up with motivation for your characters? How do you fix it? Where do you get motivation for made up people? Do you find it harder coming up with motivation for your villains?

Happy blogging!

False alarm

I mailed my complete to Harlequin last week. They had requested it and I took way too long to send it. But at least I sent it. I changed it a lot. And hopefully it’s better now than it was before. I got the postcard back last Thursday. When my sister came in the house yesterday carrying the mail the first thing I saw was a manuscript sized brown envelope and my heart sank. I’ve heard of fast rejections before but they hadn’t even had it a week. Thankfully, it was not a rejection. It wasn’t even from Harlequin. It was goodies from the Hearts Through History chapter to thank me for doing a workshop in the summer.

There was an envelope from Harlequin in the pile though. It was my Blaze entry. At least I know they actually got it. I don’t know how I did in the grand scheme of things. The letter that accompanied the return of my entry doesn’t say. But now I can change the story into a romantic suspense and send it somewhere else.

For now I’m working on Simon Says. I love this story. And have loved it for a while now as it sat on the back burner. It’s dark and disturbing. Will definitely need an agent to sell. But that’s okay. That’s on my mission list for the new year too. Try to get an agent.

I’m off to bed. Huge snow storm happening over night and the roads are going to be bad tomorrow (at least that’s what they’re saying). So I have to get up earlier so I can leave earlier.

Happy blogging!

What’s your line?

I’m not talking about the line you’re writing for. Or the one you’re trying to write for. I’m talking about your log line. Maggie Shayne spoke at our TRW chapter meeting on Saturday. The workshop was about writing page turners. She was a great speaker. Funny and nice. Got me thinking a lot about the conflict in my stories. In some I need more. But what really got my attention was the log lines. We did a little exercise and had to come up with one for the book we were working on. I’d been wanting to come up with a log line for all my books so I sat, pen to paper. And… Nothing. I couldn’t come up with one for the book I’m working on now. Not without all my notes. But a log line for one I have on a back burner came easily. So I guess that one is going to be moved to a front burner very soon.

All this talk about log lines has me thinking about pulling out some of the scripts I have on back burners.

So, do you have a log line?

Happy blogging!