Posted by nightphoenix on Apr 2, 2011 in
Output,
Process This week, being spring break, I knew I wasn’t going to get much done in the way of actual writing. So, instead I’ve spent a little time concentrating on Amphiptere’s Vision, the MMORPG the hubby and I’ve been working on. It was inspired partially by World of Warcraft and by a turn-based, cartoonish RPG called Dofus, plus a heavy dose of experience from playing Achaea, a text-based MUD. The game I imagine is what’s called “sandbox” style: heavily role-playing dependent, where players can directly affect the world. Players build the houses, towns, roads, and cities; players create and run the organizations; players generate the big conflicts in the game. There are 61 discrete sentient races, 21 of which are playable. The abilities are many and varied, and a lot of the skillsets require creativity and imagination to use. Read more…
Tags: worldbuilding
Posted by nightphoenix on Mar 21, 2011 in
Process Actually, this post is about dreams. Specifically, the small and sometimes nonsensical details that dreams create.
Many of my story ideas come from dreams. Usually two or three dreams that have been fleshed out, expanded upon, and changed where needed to make a coherent plot. Most often, the main element a dream will leave me with is a mood. How does this story feel? What emotions does it evoke? The more detailed dreams will provide me with several characters and maybe even some plot elements, but that mood is what I take the most time in analyzing and writing down.
But often, my dreams aren’t coherent enough, detailed enough, or removed enough from life to really use. What I call “story dreams” actually happen only once or twice a month, if that. Dreams where I wake up and say, “Man, that would make a great story!” and I rush to write it down. Such were the beginnings of Dragon Singer, Briar Rose, Dreamcatcher, Mask of Eldarmarch…the list goes on. Honestly, if they happened any more frequently, either I’d need to be a much faster writer, or my queue would be much, much longer (than it already is).
However, even the fuzzy, wacky dreams can yield ideas in the form of details. Details of life, of people, of feeling; stuff that sort of passes you by when you’re awake. Sometimes things like that are easier to notice in dreams because they occur bigger than normal, stranger than normal, or simply out of context.
For example, I’ve been having a lot of dreams lately relating to the nuclear problems they are having in Japan right now. Radioactive stuff and refugee type themes. Radiation frightens me. You can’t see it, hear it, smell it, or feel it, and you don’t sense anything off if it’s hitting you. Plus, nothing but distance can shield you it. And it kills in a rather painful, horrible way. That’s up there with velociraptors and tiny dark spaces on Nightphoenix’s DoNotWant list.
The latest in this dream series involved me taking care of a bunch of hairless rabbits who’d been exposed, and then trying and failing to stop some overlord from taking over a small imaginary country. (Yes, even in the dream, it was imaginary. And yet, its loss was terrible. Hard to explain.) I was traveling with the refugees, and this monarch of a neighboring friendly nation was giving the refugee children little bags full of tiny toys and candy. Specifically, red apple-spice candy. There was a moment where I was watching the line of sad refugees shuffle along past me, and all around was this miasma of sweet spicy apple-y scent on the air. For some reason, it was that smell and everything it represented that really made it sad for me. That’s what really stayed with me when I woke up.
That’s what good details do. They call attention to what’s really important in a scene in a subtle, in-world way. They meld all those abstract, powerful emotions into an object, a texture, a moment, something tangible the audience can take away with them. “That was a great love story” isn’t nearly as powerful as “I bawled my eyes out when he handed her that ring”. They might not remember anything else about the story, but they’ll remember the ring and the feelings associated with it. Think about the Phantom of the Opera’s rose with a black ribbon, or Joker’s joker playing card. Significant details often become symbols, reoccurring themes that crop up again and again in a story. (And any details mentioned when describing a room, or object, or person, ought to be significant: ie, if the protagonist always wears a blue headband, that should play some later role in the story…if only to identify or mark her).
So, today, I am reminded to mine my dreams for details missed in the waking world. Like hairless rabbits. And apple-spice candy.
Tags: brainstorming, dreams, ideas
Posted by nightphoenix on Mar 14, 2011 in
News You may have noticed that some of the categories and tags for the blog have changed. I went through and cleaned house a bit, as it were. I’ve decided to take the blog in the direction of documenting the creative process, both in general and specifically in my own work. I’m not retroactively changing or deleting any posts…just giving things a direction to take from now on.
In the tags, I deleted a number of redundant and rarely-used ones, and combined a few others. Notably, got rid of both the artwork and Mortal Instruments tags. Made the artwork a category instead of a tag, and the other…well, for some reason the MI tag was getting hits every day (almost since the day I created it, mind). There was only ever one post in that tag, making the sheer number and consistency of hits a bit mind boggling. I suspect a bot was responsible. I really don’t like bots snooping around. Don’t worry, the post hasn’t gone anywhere…I just nixed the tag.
Categories have been redone to reflect the new direction, and are, I hope, somewhat self-explanatory. Input is what I absorb in the form of books, movies, TV shows, etc…that which fuels the process. Output is whatever I’m working on, the results of the process. And there’s the process itself; how influence, inspiration, and imagination combine to make something new.
My next goals are:
1) Update the Projects page. Add some story ideas that have emerged in the last few months. Reorganize to reflect the current queue.
2) Update the Wands page. Add pictures as needed. Start the process of writing descriptions for each wand.
3) Make the first “official” creative process post.
Also I may, in the future, create a separate artwork page that showcases a bit more of my art.
Tags: the blog
Posted by nightphoenix on Mar 10, 2011 in
News I just realized I haven’t updated this blog in about a month. That’s both irresponsible and inexcusable of me.
I’ve been productive, which I suppose is part of the updating problem. Have plotted out the Waters story, and decided to give it an actual title: This Chosen Fate. Have also written nearly a full chapter of Promises, Like Tears. I’m getting a much better handle on Naeth’s character this time around. He’s actually supposed to be sort of annoying and not really all that likable when you first meet him, which will make his later improvements stand out all the more. I’ve been debating theology with friends, which easily turns into a time-sucker with me.
Also, one of the blogs I follow regularly, Slacktivist, moved to a new internet home last week, which sparked a…ruckus. Very quick sum-up: Within the community of commenters and lurkers that follow Slacktivist, many people had objections to the content of the new home site, Patheos, and felt that they could not in good conscience support such a site. The community seemed ready to split over the move. This is the type of situation that moves at internet speed and can only be kept up with if one is willing to follow 1000+ comments or so across the space of about 5 separate threads on two different websites. However, the community seems to have settled on a compromise: Fred will stay at Patheos to be a sort of light in the darkness, per se, but he’s handed the old space over to a few of the regulars from the community as a safe space for those who don’t want to or cannot bear to deal with the vile stuff on Patheos. Which, I have to say, is pretty awesome of him. But…following all the drama has taken up a lot of time this week.
Have also been cleaning the apartment, which is of course a never-ending job.
However, the truth is…I’m not sure where to take this blog. I definitely want it to remain about the writing, but really what it’s become is a sort of “update on me and my writing” space. Which is great (if a bit narcissistic) for me…but how interesting is that for other people? I’d like to give this place more of a direction, so people can come here and know more or less the sort of topics to expect.
I have two sort of hazy ideas. One, have the main theme be “the creative process”. The process of getting ideas. Turning those ideas into stories (or art, or…well, those are my two areas). Brainstorming. Worldbuilding. I could get even more specific, like: The Creative Process for Fantasy Writers. Or something. This could also incorporate the “real life meets writing” and “how such-and-such impacted me as a writer” posts that I do every so often.
The other idea would be to focus on the more nuts and bolts aspects of writing, like GMC and problematic plots and such. And how certain books and movies either succeed or fail based on these things. That’s kind of what Writing Excuses is, which makes it really interesting to me…but it’d essentially make this into a how-to blog. Dunno if I like that.
Anyway, I’ll be giving this more thought over the next few days. Just wanted to check in and say, no, I haven’t fallen off the face of the planet. 
Tags: goals, ideas, the blog, the real world
Posted by nightphoenix on Feb 10, 2011 in
Input,
Novels,
Output This week I started shopping Hands, Like Secrets around to some agents, and believe it or not, I’ve already had a request for a partial! I actually heard from this agent the day after I queried them. In case you aren’t familiar with the publishing business, such a response is jaw-droppingly fast. Of course, I’ve also already received my first “form” rejection from a difference agency, so I guess it all balances out. But again, fast.
Interestingly, the agent who requested the partial was one who requires a writing sample with a query. The agency I got a rejection from only wanted the query itself. This means that the one who was interested saw some of the writing itself, and the one that wasn’t, didn’t. If this pattern keeps up, that will tell me that my writing is compelling and my query is not…meaning I’ll need to revise the query letter. But I’ll climb that ladder when I get there, I guess. I’m cautiously optimistic at this point.
Meanwhile, I’ve begun the process of revisiting the first draft of the second and third books. The first thing I noticed was that the writing isn’t as bad as I was afraid it was. Having said that, yeah…it needs a whole lot of work. Second realization was, man, how this story has evolved since I wrote this draft. Still using mage and cleric as terms, still third person, still working out kinks in Raphel’s character, for instance. Most of my scenes don’t have nearly enough conflict. Stakes don’t feel high enough. Motivation feel very contrived in places. Things work out too neatly.
Having said that, general pacing is okay. Secondary characters are believable and generally deep enough…no major tweaks needed. Scenes are more or less in the right order. My main tasks are going to be raising stakes, revising Naeth’s character, and revising the Keeper’s character. I will also need to weave bits of Caosgi in when my characters are on Dheu, and bits of Dheu in when they are on Caosgi…otherwise, it’s going to feel like two smaller books smashed together. I need to weave some flashbacks or dreams about Saeli’s Aschamon days in there, too, so the second book will connect back to the first. Tie Saeli’s feelings about Brendan to her feelings about Naeth.
It feels like a lot of work, but I think once I really get going, it won’t be so bad. Been working on this story long enough that I have a pretty good handle on where it needs to go.
I’m also going to start brainstorming and plotting The Waters, so I have something else in the works if the trilogy doesn’t get picked up right away. I chose that one because of the ones I’m really itching to do next, it’s the most straightforward. I love Raphel to death, but he makes me want to write an awesome “bad boy” who actually is the hero…not just masquerading as one. Alex Merrett is that character. Then I’ll do Windwaker, or maybe by that time I’ll be ready to work on Mask of Eldarmarch again. Dragon Singer is so complex and will require so much research that this is not the time to tackle it. Like Briar Rose, it needs to percolate for a while longer.
Again, apologies for the sparseness of posts. I’m going to make an effort to post something at least once a week, but I’m not promising anything. I’m not one for “check-in” posts…I only post when I have something to blather about.
Now…back to work.
Tags: business of writing, editing and revisions, goals, Shades
Posted by nightphoenix on Feb 2, 2011 in
Input My son turns 5 today. Long overdue, if you ask me. It’s interesting, watching one’s own child’s succession of birthdays. I’ve noticed that he starts acting the age he’s turning several months before February, and mentally I start thinking of him as being that age. Makes the actual day feel a little anti-climactic, at least for me. (Probably not to him. At least I hope not.)
I’ve been making an Excel list of agents to query. Today I will be sending out a query to the agent I met at the writer’s conference, and then picking out 10 or so others to send a first round of emails out to. Man, talk about a complicated process. Every agent wants something different. Some want just a letter. Some want a letter and a writing sample. Some want all that and a synopsis of the story.
Of the ones who want a sample, some want a chapter. Some want 3 chapters. Some want 5 pages. Some want 10 pages. At least one wants 50 pages (!). That means, for each one of these, I have to find a break somewhere in that neighborhood. Some want said pages attached. Most want the sample in the email body and will delete anything with attachments.
Of the ones who want a synopsis, most want a page or two. Some want 5 pages. One wants 3-5 paragraphs. *eyeroll* How many bloody synposises (synposi?) do I have to write?
Some want you to query just one agent at the agency. Some say that a query to one is a query to all. Some will let you submit to another agent at the agency if the first rejects you. Some stipulate that a rejection from one is a rejection from all. Most want an email. Some have a weird online form you have to use instead. Some respond to everyone. Most warn that prolonged silence is a no. Response time is anywhere between 1 week and 6 months.
Are you beginning to see the need for a spreadsheet to keep all this straight?? Now I figure if I can navigate all this excitement, I’ll be a step ahead of most people who go through this process.
I’m finally reading Towers of Midnight. I have to say, sometimes the library has good timing. I knew I had requested the book sometime back, and I was terrified it was going to come in during those couple of weeks before the conference. You know, when I was busy copyediting and preparing and most definitely not having time to start an 843 page beast. (That’s, er, overlooking the fact that I did read Fallen by Lauren Kate, and the final Vampire Academy book Last Sacrifice during that time. Um, yeah.)
I’ve also been reading the Maximum Ride books by James Patterson. Those are fun, though the super-short chapters get annoying pretty fast. I mean, when every single chapter is a page or two long? It starts to feel like this breathless, chronological montage of…stuff happening. Or like watching a fan blade turn round and round. It becomes a gimmick for making the book seem fast paced, but here’s the thing. These books don’t need it. They’re face-paced enough. Choppy chapter breaks are unnecessary, especially when they don’t really…divide…anything.
And here it comes, the deep thought for the day. Read more…
Tags: business of writing, musings, the real world
Posted by nightphoenix on Jan 25, 2011 in
Input So what does rape culture have to do with atrocities in the Bible? Nothing, really, except my reaction to it. (Warning, I use some language in this post that I don’t often use.) Read more…
Tags: rants
Posted by nightphoenix on Jan 25, 2011 in
Input When I started this blog, I said I wasn’t going to make posts about politics or religion. Because, for the most part, discussing such things just gets me riled up and irritated with nowhere to direct it, and that’s an unpleasant feeling. And, for the most part, I think I’ve stuck by that. Anything I talk about here, I try to make it relate to writing or creativity, at least tangentially.
The point of the above disclaimer is to assure whomever is reading this that yes, I really am going to make this about my writing.
I read something disturbing the other night, which ties in rather…uncomfortably…with some other issues that have been on my mind lately. Read more…
Tags: rants
Posted by nightphoenix on Jan 24, 2011 in
Input,
Output Well, there’s one week until the conference.
I’ve finished the copyedit…finally…so this thing is about as good as I can make it. I just need to do a run of business cards, and finish up the bags we’re going to hand out to the speakers. I’ve been slowly working on a synopsis, and I’ve been doing some digging around on AgentQuery.com’s articles about agents and query letters. Boy, that’s going to be a…process.
Started an Excel worksheet of all the agents I’m going to query. Slow work.
I’ve also been taking a long look at my writing queue, and rethinking what I should work on next.
Obviously Shades has first priority. Now that I have the first book done, I really need to get the second and third books written. The overall story is incomplete. However, I’ve been poking around on some writing forums, and realizing that in the interest of furthering my writing career, dedicating myself to working exclusively on a series may not be the smartest thing for me to do.
Even if I get an agent for Shades, the first book may not sell. Then my agent is going to turn to me and say, “Well, what else have you got?” And if all I’ve got is the rest of that trilogy…yeah. Or, the book may sell but not do all that well once it’s published. The publisher may not want to put out the other two books, or at least not right away. Again, they’ll turn and ask “What else have you got?” Or heck, the book may do well enough, but the publisher wants to space out the trilogy and have me release something else in the meantime…and it’s back to that question.
What else have I got?
I’ve made the decision that I don’t want to work on Mask of Eldarmarch next, like I’d planned. I’m just…not all that enthused about it right now, and I’ve gotten a lot of other ideas over the past few years that I’d really like to tackle first. Right now Dragon Singer is at the top of the queue, but now I’m wondering if that’s a good idea. Dragon Singer is going to be a challenge…complicated plot with time travel, and a lot of research about stuff I don’t know a whole lot about. Maybe I should start with something simpler, you know?
I’d probably start with the Waters, if I was going to pick one. Straightforward romance. Fantasy setting. The research is on stuff I already know a lot about (sailing ships), and on stuff I can utilize my “artistic license” (what was Earhart’s personality like after X years in a place that doesn’t actually exist?). Then I’d tackle Windwaker, another relatively easy one. Then, then maybe I’d be ready for Dragon Singer.
What I think I’m going to do is try and work on Shades plus another project in tandem. (And yes, I know you aren’t supposed to do that.) Shades needs to get done, but I want to have another project in the works in case I need it.
Hopefully I won’t. Hopefully Shades will take off, and I’ll have people frothing at the mouth saying, “Where’s the rest of it???” At that point, yeah, I can focus my efforts.
Tags: business of writing, the queue
Posted by nightphoenix on Jan 14, 2011 in
Novels,
Output,
Process Well, I finished the line edit a week or so ago, and have been (mostly) diligently working on copyediting. And realizing that there’s often a wide gulf between what I think I wrote and what the sentence actually says. And that I tend to read what I think I wrote. Blarg.
I’m also working on a synopsis, which is more blarg…but not as bad as it could be, since I had the foresight to sum up all the important events of Hands on index cards in preparation for editing. I think I’ll have everything ready for the conference.
Speaking of: Hey, the Space Coast Writers Guild conference is coming up! Jan. 28th and 29th (which is a Friday and a Saturday). It’s a great conference, and not too pricey, as far as writing conferences go. Click here for details and a registration form. You can also walk in and register the day of.
I did the conference booklet again this year (yeah…last weekend’s mad project), and I hope it looks as good printed as it does on a computer screen. The registration booklet I did was a little graphics-busy, IMO.
So…one might ask why I’m blogging when I probably should be copyediting or synopsising or somesuch. Well, I’m feeling a bit burnt out and I figured writing something is at least more productive than reading pages upon pages of Slacktivist comments. Not that those aren’t interesting, and un-productive…anyway. Read more…
Tags: business of writing, Shades, the real world
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