New Writing Phase/Genre Time

I am back to trying to edit again…not because I want to. Editing is my least favourite thing to do, especially when I have a novel that keeps screaming to be written and couple ideas running through my head.

I tend to go through phases of writing genres. I don’t know why and I wish I could explain it. It seems like I am going to be in a dystopia YA genre phase. I’m not complaining because it has me intrigued. The only complaint is more of a worry because it is a new genre. Sure, I’ve written one novel, but that is not enough.

It is easy to speculate about the future because so many things can happen. I think I am drawn to this genre because there will always be violence as the world changes. Also, most of what has been established will be changed. It’s intriguing to think of these concepts. It’s also as close to science fiction writing as I will get.

Have other writers gone through a phase similar to this? Or are most authors always in one genre and have never ventured?

Sorry for the short post, not much is new and I’m more distracted about my health issues. Update to come about that later.

Almost Time to Edit…Again

Well, that title pretty much gives away what this post is going to be about. I finished typing up Control Me, reaching just over 90,000 words. There is one problem though, I tend to add more than remove in my novels.

I find when I write I forget parts of sentences or I don’t fill in the blanks when it comes to describing scenes or parts. It’s the only downside of handwriting what I think of at the time.

Editing will resume soon, I just need to make sure I’ve taken a long enough break. I did do all the chapters, making sure that they were not too long. I like smaller chapters, easier to read. This, too, may change as I edit. I remember changing a lot with Murder Never Dies and Unknown Caller.

Once I get the first 10-15 chapters edited I will post them for free for people to download and get a feel of my novel. It’s not like any other I have written and I enjoy it, but I am sure most may not.

For now, I have been working on the sequel to The Selected while processing two other book ideas. This tends to happen a lot, I get many ideas, but I have to make sure I really want to edit or not. The sequel is going well. Most of the plot is starting to fall in place already, making it easier to write. The only problem is my work and health issue is making it difficult to stay awake once I am home.

I am 60 pages into the novel, which is a nice chunk. Some day’s I wish I was a full time writer with a schedule I created and had a room I could lock myself in that never let me get distracted. I’ll continue to dream.

Back to writing! I am in the mood to do it and have not done any yet…I am terrible. Next week I should be editing and should have Control Me up by the summer!

When I Want to do Other Work

My mind is a pain in the ass sometimes. A couple days ago I was typing up Control Me and working on the sequel to The Selected and my mind had to distract me.

My mind decided to distract me with a new book idea. I only typed up two pages and am still trying to get a feel for it. I figured I would share my really rough draft of it to decide if I want to continue or not.

Here it is:

The lights flickered in the hospital hallway I stood in. Alarms, sirens, beeps and shouting surrounded me. As people ran past me they shoved me to rush to rooms. Paramedics wheeled people in covered in blood, burns or other severe injuries. Everything seemed to be a blur. No one took notice of me as I searched the halls.

“Anna! What are you doing here?” my mother came out of a room. Her scrubs were coated with blood. She was coated in sweat, her ponytail now frizzy and falling out. She took off her gloves and placed both of her hands on my cheeks.

“Dad called. Why is he telling me to go to Denver?” I said to my mom while I looked at her. This was my mom on a rough night at the hospital. She was an ER doctor and the occasional surgeon if needed. “He said I had to leave tonight. I packed what I could and came here to get you.”

My mother led me around the nurses and doctors station and into a small break room to talk. The commotion in the hospital and the power on the brink of going out was too distracting and loud. “Oh, honey. My sweet baby girl.”

Whenever she said that I knew that she was going to refuse and follow it by an explanation that will not be favourable by me. “Mom, you have to come with me!” I protested.

“I have to stay here and help.”

“Dad said he wasn’t going and now you! What am I to do?”

“You can do this baby. Dad and I have obligations. He is in the military, he has to fight and I cannot leave the hospital with all the wounded.”

“Then why are people not leaving if the threat has publically announced?”

“Most people think we are safe here in Canada because only the States have been attacked. Your father and I don’t want to risk your life like that. You must go. Denver only suffered a little damage from a nuclear bomb far away from it.”

“How am I to get there?”

“The car sweetheart. Now, getting going.” Her eyes were tearing up.

The door opened and a male wearing scrubs entered the room. “Diane, thank god you are here. Well, hello Anna,” the male doctor said to me.

“Hello Dr. Schmidt. How are you?” I said. However hectic and depressing the situation was I never forgot my formalities.

“Glad to see that you have not left. Are you going to Denver?”

“Yes, she is,” my mother said with a stern voice.

“Good. My son, Devon, is on his way here. I was going to give him my car, but if you are going I would like it if he could go with you.”

“Devon, as in the sophomore U of T student?” I said to Dr. Schmidt.

“Yes. He will be here shortly. I, too, want you both to leave as soon as he arrives.”

“Why don’t you go with him?”

“I am obligated to stay here, just like your mother is. He is all I have left and I want to make sure he makes it to the refugee camp in Denver. If nothing happens here, I am sure we will all make our way down there to meet you and him. I will tell him to meet you out by your car once he arrives.” Dr. Schmidt left without saying another word. He sensed that my mother and I needed more time alone.

“Mom, you have to come with me.”

My mom pulled me into her arms and started to cry. Her entire upper body was heaving up and down as she cried. “No, baby. I need to stay here. Dad knows I am here and I have to wait for him.”

I started to cry against her shoulder, not wanting to let go. I had turned 18 on May 8^th 2016, only two weeks ago, and now we were preparing for a nuclear war. A war that was started between the United States and North Korea, and Canada was getting stuck in the mix because of being allies with the United States.

“The longer you stay, the harder it gets. Did you grab the photo album I told you to grab?”

“Yes, why?”

“I made it for you.” She pushed me away from her so she could look at me.

I realized she had known about this potential event longer than I did. “How long have you known about this?”

“Only a few days. Now go!” She let go of me, crossing her arms at her chest like she often did.

I nodded, knowing that stance and look, even through her puffy, red eyes and tears on her cheeks. I left the room, crying hard, and ran towards the entrance/exit that I was to meet Devon at. My whole body hurt from the crying that wouldn’t stop.

Finished ‘The Selected’ Now What?

It felt strange finishing ‘The Selected’ because I didn’t want to finish, if that makes any sense. I wasn’t ready to let go of the characters; which I assume is a good thing if I want to write a sequel (at the least). I haven’t written a YA in a long time, so this was a nice change. Mind you, this YA is not like a typical Ya because that is not like me.

Well, I just started the sequel. Not too sure on where I want to take it, but I am positive it will go where it wants to go.

Now that I have finished that novel I can do my typical break from writing where I type up my next book. I have already typed up 38 pages of ‘Control Me’. My oh my, the writing is poor. I am surprised I even understand what I am writing. Nonetheless, I will figure it out like I normally do.

‘Control Me’ is one of my favourite novels I have written so far. It is more action packed and exciting and the two protagonists are some, if not, the strongest I have written yet.

I am hoping to get it typed up by January. I want to make sure I have plenty of time to edit and work on the cover art. I am not good at that, so I need all the time I can.

Instead of doing Nanowrimo, I will just try to type up 50k of the novel. Figured it works the same to me. Handwriting that much is just too hard.

Now I will go and start typing up a little bit before resting for bed. I am very old and need my sleep. Here is a little bit of the novel for your enjoyment:

 

Within seconds I stopped sending them the feeling of sadness. My point was proven my abilities existed.

“Do you know how much danger you are in with a third of the countries trying to find you?”

“As you have seen and experienced, I am more dangerous than any of them,” I said. Instead of speaking to them through their minds I opted to speak aloud. “Emotions are only one aspect of what I can control.”

“You are a commodity that people will do anything to get a hold of. As you have analyzed, people have ideas with the use of you.”

Pushing Limits

I have this weird conception where pushing limits is a great thing. Not in every day life, but in my books. I am not always a mystery writer…I dabble in other styles too.

My books contain violence. Some of it is overdone, others it is just right. What I mean by overdone  is 1440. That book is straight violence. It is hard to read because well, it’s gory. It was a riot to write because it was something so outside my normal way of life and thinking. An escape to a place so much worse than here.

Not saying all my novels are like that. Most do have a strong-willed, tough protagonist. No, that is not me. Strong-willed, maybe, but not tough, or as brave as most of my characters.

Pushing limits in novels is what makes them interesting. Most banned books push limits by containing information that some people find controversial. Not every novel can please every reader. The world would be so boring and generic if novels did do that.

All right, the main reason behind this post is about the next novel I plan to self-publish and the one I am hoping to finish writing soon. Both these books are a little different than I am used to writing, and tend to push a lot of limits; which I tend to do with my writing. I will start with Control Me. No, it is not sexual, start off with that. It’s a little out of my writing comfort zone. That’s right, I have one of those. This particular novel is about a girl born with a certain skills most humans do not have. She can control people with her mind, change their emotions and talk to their minds. She is wanted by all different governments/people wanting power to use as a weapon. She basically is forced to flee the country and hide with a highly trained guy. That is basically the gist of it. Lot’s of fighting, evil people and arguing. Yes, there is sex, but if there wasn’t I would be beaten my friend Shawna…with my own writing book. She is good at knocking that type of sense into me when it comes to my books. I cannot say any more because I am typing up the rough draft and will still need to edit it. As you can see, not exactly for everyone.

Now, The Selected. This one is about 14 year olds that get selected to pretty much become assassins/spies. They train to kill and will train to seduce. I am nearing the end of the novel, and there will be bloodshed and changing of the main characters mentality. I am waiting to hear uproars when I do self-publish it next year. No one is safe because in training people will die. Can’t really prevent people dying when they have to train with real weapons, or I am little sick.

Now that I have told you what my two current works are about you can understand why people may not like them. Some people should, but who knows. To end my blog, I will tell everyone something funny my co-worker told some of our new coworkers. He told people I am crazy because I write novels and like to murder lots of people in them. Outcome, most of them avoid me, but still piss me off. Now I wonder if I yelled if they would be terrified of me. Hmm…time to ponder scary writing mind.

Off to be productive, or think about being productive.

Nearing an end

As always, well, not so much as always, but I am getting close to finishing The Selected. It is going to be a much shorter book, probably just over 200 pages typed up. I know, I know, clearly I have not rambled enough. I just feel like this book doesn’t need to be that long. I may add more, but I won’t be typing this book up till next year.

With nearing the end with this book I am thinking of the sequel. I know, bad, terrible, etc. I like these characters, and know that this book cannot be it. I want to do more with them, if I can do it. If not, the book is just fine on it’s own.

Also, I am back to work, so my writing amount has decreased. It is to be expected with the first few weeks because my body needs to adjust to working. It’s tough. I am exhausted every day I come home and am in pain. Soon, I plan to write to distract me and to prolong when I go to sleep.

Some people say finishing a novel is easy. I find it a little bit of both: easy and hard. It’s easy because I know where I want to take it; hard because I don’t like letting go of a book. You get attached to the characters. It’s weird because in real life, I don’t get clingy, just with my writing. The only difference between this book and any other one is that I probably won’t take a break between writing this one and the next one. I don’t know how many books will follow this one, but I doubt I will really take much of a break between writing them. Only time may be to type up another novel…which I should be kind of doing now. Ultimate procrastination.

Oh! This is what happens when you get writers block and want to procrastinate:

 

Not that great, but it works for me. It shows the basis of where the novel takes place in 2065. I am not good with graphics, but the logo works for me. It’s supposed to be a patch worn on a uniform. Don’t criticize me for my lack of skill to create this.

Time to go back to writing it. I am thinking I have about 10-20 pages left, depending how fast I want this to happen. Knowing myself, the action parts will happen fast. I hate too much filler. I admit, I sound like a broken writer. All right, enough rambling. Must write, then bed.

My Music Motivation

I mentioned last post I would list the songs that motivate me for my current novel. I find music is a great help. This is always debatable, as I have seen on many forums. Some people have even snapped at me saying that using music is stealing it…don’t ask me how seeing as I don’t write about what the songs are. Alas, I don’t get why people critique what other people do to help them write. I hate writing in silence and for those who can, how can you do it?

I am hoping this post will help motivate me to write. I am nearing the end of my first draft. Everything is in my head, just writing it out is the problem. Plus, there will be a few sad parts, and that is always difficult to write. See how side-tracked I get?

All right, down to what this blog post is about. My music playlist. I have several songs, so I will rank them. No clue if they relate at all to my book, but they at least help motivate me to write it and are partially my muse. Here is the main influencing list:

1. Eyes Open by Taylor Swift.
2. Titanium by David Guetta ft. Sia.
3. Both of us by B.O.B. ft. Taylor Swift.
4. Some Nights by Fun.
5. Wide Awake by Katy Perry.
6. Hope & Ruin by The Trews.
7. The Fighter by Gym Class Heroes ft. Ryan Tedder.
8. Safe & Sound by Taylor Swift ft. The Civic Wars.

Some other songs do help, but these are the main ones that set the mood for me. Does anyone else use music to help? If so, what songs?

Sometimes Being Strong Makes me a Better Writer

Recently my health has gone all weird on me. Two experiments failed, go figure. For now I am taking a break before I try the next one. Hopefully no allergic reaction to this.

To pass the time I have been listening to my writing playlist for my current novel. Yes people, I make playlists of songs directly for each of my different novels. Powerful lyrics are a must and they must be able to be sung really loud. No point in just writing to quiet music. The songs not only have to appeal to my books but how I am currently. These songs make me stronger because they motivate me, I relate to them and they just make me smile. Another post I will post my playlist.

Oh! With my current health situation I found someone I can relate to. Never been so happy to have someone else to talk to that understands me. She also has a blog about it. I may mention her later on in my blog! Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate all the support both spoken or silent. I just am tired of burdening everyone with it.

What I am going through is a pain in the ass. Sorry for swearing, but that is what it is. I am stubborn as hell so I am not letting it hinder me. I am writing more than ever and I know why. I have something to forget, ignore, banish, etc. Without working I need a good distraction, and writing is it.

For now, I will let my strength show in my writing. For everyone else, here are quotes I find inspirational and I can relate to.

How I Self-Published and why

Someone asked me to talk about what I did in regards to the title. I chose to self-publish because I don’t want to spend hours working on query letters, reworking my manuscript over and over just to be told ‘No’. Instead, I chose to self-publish for myself, family and friends.
When it came to deciding if I wanted a paperback copy of my novel I chose LULU. A friend from university recommended it to me. I had to do all the formatting and cover design. This takes time. They do tell you suggestions, trust me, for those considering it, take it. This site also puts the novels up on Amazon.com and Amazon in the UK. Handy. Not many people will actually buy them or I just fail at properly marketing them.
These books were more for me to order in bulk and have family and friends buy them from me. It’s really nice to see my work in an actual novel.
Obviously with how the world is advancing today I chose to use a site for ereaders. I know a lot of people chose to use KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing), but that contract is just terrible. You can only publish through there for 3 months. Not my thing. I am from Canada and our main ereader company is Kobo. I decided to go with Smashwords. They have a larger range and so far I have done quite well. Not well enough to quite my day job, but enough to make myself feel like a real author.
I do still dream of being professionally published someday, but this way I feel more comfortable. Unfortunately, some people will review it and be rude about the work because it is not “professionally done”. To me I just brush that off. Compliments are nice, but there are bad reviews too. Do not take it to heart. Not everyone likes all the popular novels.
If you chose self-publishing most would suggest that you have to spend more time marketing than anything else. Not my thing. I do join some free promotional periods so readers can read my book for free through Smashwords.
I hope this helped convince people about self-publishing. Another site to consider for paper copies of your novels is Createspace, which is through Amazon as well.
Read up on contracts, copyrights, distribution and fees. Research a lot and find what best suits you. Because of my want to self publish I put 3 novels up on both sites and will put up more as I type them up and write them. Do it more for yourself and those close to you. Be proud of your work. Well, back to writing I go!

Writing Genre: Dystopia

Yes, people, this is what I have been posting about. Why? Why must I torture you with all this? Well, I did because this is my topic for my blog this week.
I absolutely love books that tend to be based around a Dystopia, such as: Hunger Games trilogy, 1984, Fahrenheit 451, Divergent series. With you thinking about one, or all of these books, time to define!
Dystopia: a society characterized by human misery, as squalor, oppression,disease, and overcrowding.
Wikipedia explanation of Dystopia: Dystopia is defined as a society characterized by poverty, squalor, or oppression. Most authors of dystopian fiction explore at least one reason why things are that way. Dystopias usually extrapolate elements of contemporary society and are read by many as political warnings. Many purported utopias reveal a dystopian character by suppressing justice, freedom and happiness. Both utopias and dystopias are commonly found in science fiction and other speculative fiction genres, and arguably are by definition a type of speculative fiction.
Enough with the definitions/research. I did enough of that for University. I am quite excited that more popular books are using this genre. The main type of age group attracted is Young Adult. Not surprising seeing as more people read YA than any other age group. If I need to explain why then I am concerned.
Once again, here is the picture I saved from a writing page/website.

My book is only 135 pgs. in so I am still fine-tuning what exactly I am doing with the world. So far, it is Post-Apocalypse and for Dystopia. Why is this genre so widely popular?
It is popular because it is still based on on our planet, but details are changed. Most change after a war or disaster. Makes sense? There are so many variables of what would happen that people can play, reinvent and change our world. My favourite is 1984. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love The Hunger Games, I just enjoy the other one more. It happens. Both are huge inspirations for my next novel, with the help of music.
How do I know I am writing a dystopian novel? Here is a little bit of the opening. Don’t mind the writing, still working on the 1st draft, so it is fairly rough.
The Selected:

I was fourteen when I was taken. As the government termed it, I was selected. It was an honour to be selected. Families took great pride. The children only had nostalgic images and phrases of what it meant to be selected. It was honour, duty to the new Nation of the North. The kids selected received the best education, training, jobs and if the time came, would represent the nation during a war. 

I should explain how this all came to be. The year is 2065. World War III had occurred in the year 2020 and caused the world to divide into eight new nations. Three were allies: Europe, Australia and its colonies, and us, Nation of the North—comprised of the United States, Canada and Greenland. We joined our nations together after we barely won the war with our allies. We had to rebuild after losing so many men, women and children. It was nasty and everyone learnt about it in grades seven and eight. 

I am from Ontario, the southern part. The only names to remain in the nation were the previous states, provinces and territories. Town and city names no longer existed. The war had ended forty years ago and since then the world changed into what it is now. My grandfather died in the war and my father has never fully gotten over the affects. When I was selected he looked upset, like the world had taken something so precious from him again. I was the eldest of four siblings and the only girl. I was my mother’s favourite by default.  

It was my grade eight graduation. My classmates and I stood in front of our parents and family. We were smiling, all happy to be moving on to our next step. High school was the defining moment. we would find out our trades or schools to go to afterwards. Then, after that, people were permitted to get married and have children.

That is all I am giving because it is still a work-in-progress. Hope this helps prove why Dystopian literature and my constant posting about Dystopias makes sense.
Keep writing everyone, like I am.

Too Hot to do Squat

That is my mom’s line, not mine. Mind you, I do use it quite a bit. I have done some writing and finished knitting my first eReader cover. Yeah for me!

To go along with my writing theme of trying to help others know more about writing techniques I am giving another definition of what I use: flashback. Here is the definition, including more specific ones.

Flashback: is an interjected scene that takes the narrative back in time from the current point the story has reached. Flashbacks are often used to recount events that happened before the story’s primary sequence of events or to fill in crucial back-story. A character origin flashback shows key events early in a character's development. In the opposite direction, a flashforward (or prolepsis) reveals events that will occur in the future. The technique is used to create suspense in a story, or develop a character. In literature, internal analepsis is a flashback to an earlier point in the narrative; external analepsis is a flashback to before the narrative started.

Trust me, this is handy to use and a lot of writers use it. In my latest novel. Murder Never Dies, I start the novel with a flashback. This part is essential to the back-story and instead of writing another entire novel, or a hundred pages at the least I include some smaller flashbacks. Here is the beginning of my novel as an example:

Blood; there was lots of it. It was everywhere. It was all over me and the floor beneath me. I looked around the room, trying to recognize where I was. I tried to move my head, but it would not re­spond to my command. Something was wrong beyond my ability to see or comprehend. My eyes were all I had to allow me to figure out where I was. The wall I was facing was dull, except for when the lights which flashed or highlighted it. The colours and patterns of the lights looked like those from emergency vehicles. Red, then white, then blue and it repeated. Not in a set pattern. I knew the pattern: officer down, in need of backup. Worse call to get and whenever the call came through it required the patrol cars full sirens and lights. I knew that call all too well and in this case, the officer was me.

I tried lifting myself off of the concrete floor. My mind seemed to not be able to send these thoughts of movements to my nerves in order to get my body to react. I looked at the ground in front of me and all I could see was blood. Is that all mine? It could not be. I was not alone in the room. There was someone else with me. Someone else that had been hurt or killed. I looked up as much as my eyes would let me without going blurry or crossed-eyed and saw the body of a man. He was not moving. He—too—was surrounded by blood; which I knew was his. His face seemed familiar to me. I looked at his features. The dark, empty eyes; the long black hair tied back in a ponytail, matted with blood, sticking to his cheeks. The expression on his face was not of sorrow or of pain, but of anger: pure hatred. Whoever he was, all I could get a sense of was that I had killed him. Shot him with a gun not belonging to me. My hands seemed to not want to work for me at the moment. The place became even lighter, like spot lights had been aimed at the building to see who was or was not inside it. To see the dead man or me would be hard, unless people were high enough up off the ground and that may not have been enough to see us on the floor.

“Brady Oakes. Come out with your hands up! Release Detective Walden!” a man with a megaphone said slowly, boldly, so that I could hear him with ease inside the building.

Brady Oakes? The name of the dead man came slowly back to my memory. I had been investigating murders and he had been the prime suspect. Had I come here to stop him or had I been taken as his next victim? I looked at the dead man or Brady Oakes as he was known as. Confusion set in, my thoughts and memories were all a mess in my head. The noises outside worried me because I could not remember what was going on or what had transpired. All I could hear was the sounds of vehicles running, no footsteps or voices. I wanted to cry out for help, but my voice would not allow me. Am I dying?

“Detective Walden? Can you hear me?!” the man on the megaphone said.

I tried to yell ‘yes’ in response. It failed. Everything I had tried to do failed. There was a noise, which sounded like a door being broken into. Where? I was unable to see, or tell where it was coming from. The loud thud surprised me. I did not know if my body had reacted to it or if my mind was the only part of me that did.

“Get a paramedic in here! She’s still breathing!” an officer yelled out to the emergency personnel on the other side of the door when he had reached me.

I felt a presence of a small group of people near me. Something unnatural was happening. My body was reacting to the presence of one person in particular: a man. He had to have been out of my range of sight since his presence was barely felt.

“Detective Walden, can you hear me?” a paramedic said to me as he crouched down by my face.

I tried to tell him that I could hear him. Why can’t I respond to him? My mouth was moving to the response that I wanted to say to him. I wanted to tell him, but no sound was generated or moved from my vocal chords.

“She can’t talk! We need to get her to the hospital immediately!”

The paramedics, slowly and carefully, rolled me on to my back, placing a neck brace around my neck. They checked my vital signs and wounds as quick as they could. The total amount of noticeable wounds was seventy: a large and concerning number of wounds for any person to obtain and still be alive and breathing. “Let’s rush her! She’s lost a lot of blood and if she loses any more she won’t be conscious for much longer, let alone alive!” They lifted me onto the stretcher and rushed me out of the building.

“I will be there in a bit,” the man that had spoken on the megaphone informed the paramedics. “I’m all that she has!”

“I’ll let the nurses at the hospital know, Sergeant,” one of the paramedics said before he closed the ambulance doors, allowing my sight of the man to no longer exist.

The following chapter begins with: “Chapter 1: Two Years Later”.  If I did not do this at the beginning I would have to do this at the end. Flashbacks are a major part of this novel because it relies on the connection of a past case with a current one.

Next week I will think of another common writing aspect, unless someone would like to suggest me to explain one. This helps me remember what I learnt when I got BA. in English and Professional Writing.

Proud of my Mommy

This week I went to my mom’s for a change of scenery. I tend to do this more now that I am off because it helps me in a way. I read several books because my stupid pain pills make me all hyper when I should be sleeping. Only wrote a little; I feel like writing today so I can at least make up some lost time.

Now, no one laugh, but I am helping my mom out with her crafts by knitting again. Yes, I know how to knit, laugh all you want. I re-learnt in less than a day. We went to the little shop that hosts a lot of crafters, maybe to sell some things (we hope), or just to get their stuff out there. Here are a few of what my mom had displayed. She is working on ereader/tablet covers. I kind of am helping knit them. Hence kind of.

While knitting I told mom about my dream I have at least once a week about starting a Creative Arts Summer Camp for kids; primary focus is writing. She wants me to consider trying to do it because it would be something I would love to do and also something no one teaches anymore. To be honest, I learnt to write a novel by myself. Sure, you can get support, but no real lessons on how to start or what to do.

Enough of that idea/dream. Off to do a little bit of writing. Took my time to do this. It is amazing how one can do something to pass the time and turn it into something other people can cherish. That is why I love writing. I will blog again about why I hate writers that just want to write to get professionally published. Writing should never be about money making; if that happens, great, if not, one is still creating a work of art.

Hope everyone likes my mom’s work!

Foreshadowing

If I were to post this topic somewhere else I would get an onslaught of hatred with a few loves. I figured I should blog about it after talking to another writer.

Definition:

Foreshadowing: An indication of events that are to come. In fiction and drama, hints of forthcoming events prepare the reader or spectator for the eventual outcome of the action.

I don’t care what some writers say, I love it! Of course, you cannot use it all the time because it will loose it’s lustre. Some writers can pull this off well, while some do too much. To me, if you want to use this only put in a small section. If you give away too much then the reader knows what to expect. Mind you, I have only done this with one book: 1440. Okay, I am not fully experienced but I have done it before.

How I used it:

Sometimes, I wonder how I got here. Why did I deserve this? I have wondered a lot during the past day. It was all I could do. I have been alone most of the day. I spent most of the time in silence. Now I lie here, silent, and alone with my thoughts. I listen closely, and jump at the sound of gunshots, outside of the room I was locked in. I can hear the screaming and more gunshots. I turn my head and look at the empty doorway. I desperately want to know what is happening outside. Who is dying, and who is being injured. I cough up blood and spit what was left in my mouth on to the floor. I continued to listen to everything happening outside of the room I was in. I wished I could just get up and unlock the door to see the horror outside. My body will not move, except for turning my head. I cough up more blood and my eyes began to tear up. I know that this is not good. I know that I am dying. I look up at the door and watch it slowly darken. First at the edges, then the darkness swallows the door. The last thing I comprehended is the sound of a single gunshot and then utter silence.

This paragraph is the only thing in my prologue. I did not feel like it was necessary to put in more from the later chapter this comes from: second last chapter in my book. Oh yes, I do use prologues. Only in 2 books, so no need to yell at me.

I suggest that if people cannot think of a first chapter and want to write mainly the action or climatic scenes to use foreshadowing. It is a great way to draw in readers if done properly. Use it wisely and not for every book. I think it worked quite well for 1440.

Hope this helped other writers. My goals have always included helping other writers and never judging.

Back to reading I go…for now!

Don’t Know Where to go

Ugh! I hate being a writer…sometimes!

I’ve been so distracted by everything that seems cool and well, my health. So what has happened to my writing? Pushed aside!

Not good. My goal is to try and write more when I go on sick leave. Why? Because I have been slacking. I have no clue where I want to take my story or what to do with it. I have gotten over 80 pages in and now am kind-of stuck. It doesn’t help that when I am in pain I do not want to write. For some reason I feel like my  writing is worse when in pain…or just in general.

Hopefully I can write. Most people are having success.

On another note, I am doing a free ebook giveaway for my newest book. Giving out 5 copies. Only thing to keep me entertained right now it seems. Back to playing video games until I force myself to write something, anything. This is just sad. Amazing what an organ can do to you. Love writing, but unable to.

On another note, another great writer has died. I loved Fahrenheit 451. Fantastic read.

Here is the ebook giveaway link. Anyone can join. Just be nice to me if you give me a review. I’m not intending to be the next James Patterson.

https://www.facebook.com/events/407215529322487/

So Many Distractions

It happens, right? The hubby left Monday and I have written, oh, maybe 10 pages. Everything is so distracting! I have had two girl date nights, so that took up time.

And, well, Diablo 3 has become my new thing. For those that don’t know me, I am terrible with video games. I generally suck and get addicted to playing.

Well, it doesn’t help that I am still getting a feel for this story. It’s tough for me to write something so new. I have done a fair chunk of introducing and training to the characters. I am just not sure what to do after that. I am sure one day it will just appear to me and I will have no problem writing it. This problem is why I always have two book son the go, one I am experimenting with, the other I can easily rely on writing for a bit. It will be written; it will just take some time.

It’s summer too! I hide inside when it is hot and go outside when it is cooler and I can sit in shade so I won’t burn. I love writing in the summer, but it is tough. I am having a writing struggle. I actually have to struggle to write. Stupid tumour is on my mind no matter how much I try to push it out of my head. No worries, not cancer, just a giant pest. When I am in pain I don’t want to write and the pain has been around a lot lately. Maybe I will learn how to write while in pain…hmm…must think of how to do that.

On another health note, I have decided that if the Docs approve, I want to go on sick leave June 11th. I see the surgeon the 15th, so if I get an appointment booked I am fine. My not glamorous at all job is becoming a little too tough on me. Hoping for a surgery soon. I am tired of waiting, especially over 7 months. Alas, Ontario healthcare is terrible.

Soon I will show people what is wrong with me, but for now off to eat breakfast, have a cup of coffee and write for a bit. Write first, video games later….but before 2 because I work at 3. Well, I best get going, I am even procrastinating on this blog. Five pages is my goal. I think I can manage that.

Such Good News That Other Authors Would not

Today my blog has reached 2500 views. For most, I know, it is small, but for an unknown blogger it is a a big deal. Mind you, I don’t know if people are actually reading my blog. Who cares! Still views.

Also, I have sold a few eBooks now and am content. Not a tonne, but enough to make me smile. And my free 10 chapter preview has done well. Barnes & Noble has had 184 downloads of it. Excitement. Maybe people will actually read it once it is officially complete.

Talking about that, the brother is getting the last chunk of editing today. Lot’s left for him, but then I can get a chunk done of the final revising. Ugh, almost done the painful part of completing a book to self-publish. So I hope by the middle of May to be at the end of revising, that way it can be out by June. I like to have books out for the summer, best reading time because people like to lie out in the sun. Also I can ignore the idea of having to type up another book.

Oh yes, so the YA novel is going well. Over 40 pages in. Fantastic. Thinking of the name “The Selected”, but knowing me, that will change. I suck at titles and I think one is great and the odds are never for me. I have named two books by myself out of 17.  Not a very reassuring number. I am not lying though, I like this book idea. It has been so long since I have been this dedicated to two books right in a row. This must feel like most writers when writing a new story…or I hope so.

Plus, I cannot understand how I am failing at my two hours of writing a night. I can do a chunk on my days off, but right after work when I should be relaxing and writing would be nice, I cannot do it. I get distracted, even with the hubby having to use my computer because his died. So sad.

One day I will get over my phobia of telling the world about my new book once I get over halfway through. Sorry, my only bad news of this blog posting.

All right, rambling aside, I must get back to writing before the doctor’s appointment. All I do is do the whole wait and see game with doctors. For those that know me, six months of this is not good. I have now lost all patience and am getting pretty moody. Due to that, I am off to write. Helps me vent and relax.

New YA Book

Oh my god!!! If I were a dog I would be running around in a circle for several minutes. And yes, that was far too many exclamation marks, so hate me all you want for it.

I have not written or even thought of writing another YA since I was a YA. This seems a little strange to me. No, I am not writing it because it’s the most sold age group for novels or because I want to be the next Suzanne Collins or Stephanie Meyer. I am writing this because for some strange reason this book idea came out of nowhere.

I am over 20 pages in, which is not much, but remember, I handwrite like I am an old woman. By now if I did not like the book I would stop. Instead, I am stuck in the debate of how many novels should be in this series. 2? 3? 4? It’s so tough. I am thinking four, but then I have to make sure I talk about the characters and what is happening and not jump right to the action.

For those of you that do not know me, I love action. Ok, fine, I also like getting to know characters too.

As you can tell, I am excited about having a new book idea that is sticking and so soon after completing both writing and typing up one. I do have to edit my other novel at the same time, but now I can dedicate some time to writing.

Trying to write two hours a night is tough, but I have to. Not for myself, sadly. I have a demanding friend, aka the sister, who wants to read as I write. So, lots of writing needs to occur.

All I can say is that it involves teenagers, violence, training, education and survival. Yeah! My style of novel!

Back to writing I go. Yippie! Oh, here is the novel that a friend chose for me to write in.

Even 7 year old me Knew I Should be a Writer

While at my Mom’s we found these old school reports. I read them and well, laughed. Thanks for the hint people. Took me till I was 12 to start writing novels. Jeez!

Here is term 1!

And here is term 2!

Hope all can read! If not, let me know and I will type out what it says!

Needs Motivation or Dedicated Writing Time

I understand that full-time writers are able to create a work schedule to write. Say 9-5, or something like. Whatever works for them.

Alas, that is not me. I wish I could do that, but, unfortunately, I have to work. Writing gets bumped back. And no, for those that wonder, I do not come home and write/edit till I go to bed. Half the time I am lucky to get to write for more than 2 hours.

Honestly, what happened to me. As a kid I could write all night. Now that I’m older I want to sleep a lot, or that is the whole health problem. That too adds to my lack of writing, damn health.

I am now wondering if I should force myself to write for 2 hours a night and make it a habit (except for my days off, then I can clearly write more). I have no clue if it will even help any. Some days I know I won’t be able to write due to pain, but I think it is worth a shot.

Motivation for working out was never a problem, but for writing, yes, it was a big problem. If I want a shot at getting publishing, hence the word ‘if’ I have to get back into a routine. I love routines. This should be simple…I hope.

Well, time to rest and hold my food belly. My aunt cooked an amazing meal, great times with the Fam, and my soon-to-be cousin-in-law as of this morning. Love when holidays have amazing news.

Oh yes, I will try to write. I can balance a book or laptop on said food belly. Time to instil the new routine as of tonight, if my eyes stay open. I hope everyone’s holiday was enjoyable and delicious.

Stuck in Writing Limbo

Writing ideas are appearing, but….well…they suck. Nothing can be flourished with them.

Instead, I’m writing one of my nameless books I started years ago. It’s a part of the series with the same characters from Unknown Caller. I’m already 70 pages in. Yeah!…I think.

I want to write new books, I really do. This book is just so comfortable. It is perfect for writing limbo.

Oh yes, Writing Limbo is a time between not wanting to edit a book I’ve just finished/recently self-published a book and starting a new book idea that I just cannot wait to write.

I really hope every writer has this time. Maybe they don’t call it my morbid name, although it suits it. Limbo is the place between phases/steps/anything you want to place in here.

I feel different during it. I feel, not myself. Normally I am proud to be a writer and writing a new story. Not right now. Well, okay, I am a little proud because I can list off what I have done. It’s more the lack of a story I want to really talk about.

All I can hope for is that during Writing Limbo this unnamed book will be complete. Hey, it’s a bonus. Make something out of limbo.

I am sorry if this is random. My mind is everywhere. So, with that, time to stare at my writing book and see if I can muster up some energy/ideas to write. Here’s to hoping.