Victor, it's alive!

The start of 2015 saw the start of a local writing group here in Lawton, OK: O.W.L.S. (Oklahoma Writers and Literary Storytellers).  Happy dance for everyone--oompa!  I had been looking for such a group for about a year and had resorted to traveling a two hour round trip to Duncan, OK to work with their writing group--worth it for feedback.  But a ten min drive for a local club, that was much to be preferred.  I immediately invited my mom and my oldest son, who both write fiction.  After three sessions and an enthusiastic post discussion that began in the car and continued as we entered the house, my second son volunteered to come along next time.  We all turned stunned eyes on the sixteen year old lad.  This particular child is, what one might call, an extreme introvert.  We joke--well, we half joke... actually, we are afraid it might be true-- that he will be our thirty year old virgin living in the basement playing RPG's online and getting paid to hack something.  So when he voiced a desire, separate from our prodding, to do anything outside the house, we couldn't believe our ears.  We didn't let on, of course.  We all played cool and simply said, "Sure.  You are welcome to come along."  So now our family populates about half the writing group.

Each week we read fifteen minutes worth of our writing, current or past work, and then receive about five minutes worth of feedback.  My oldest son began a new work a couple of weeks ago and has started running the prologue by everyone.  He started reading and immediately we were immersed in a world of gears, steam, rogue scientists and their creations.  Our hearts throbbed as the good doctor's creation attacked the people in the lab and shredded them to pieces.  The odor, the screams, the urgency, the--  Um.  Hey!  What's going on?  Why did you stop?  That's it?  It just ends?  We want more. Well the author hadn't gotten any further.  But we wanted more, darn it all!  He had written and read with such dramatic conviction, he had grabbed us all and dragged us into his world.  It very much felt like a War of the World's radio production from back in the day.  Then the sixteen year old read is very short beginning to an off the wall fantasy that had me laughing out loud.

All of this I mulled over during the following week and then it hit me: wouldn't it be fun to produce a weekly (or biweekly) pod cast with current topics or some fantasy world we create but that sounds librew supply store, I got all the boys (I included the last son (fourteen) because he is a born showman) together on Skype for a conference call and put the idea to them.  I sent them a link to a website that has a catalog of the old shows for them to listen to and spur their imaginations.  Tomorrow we are going to discuss what we want to do with it.  What is so cool is that not one of them mocked the idea, but really sounded interested!
ke the old radio shows?  So today, while manning our

I will report as we get our ideas gathered and the podcast recorded.

Wow! That worked!

Image via WikipediaSunday of last weekend (the 1st of May) I set out to do some writing and research.  (Often times research gets done more than writing, but it is a necessary step for a full story.)  When realization--inspiration from God-- struck!  But I had to get the idea down so I would not forget or lose even an iota of what I wanted to capture.  So I wrote down about five bullet point sentences for the prologue, each a point that had to be hit in a chronological order.  Then I began to fill in the blanks before the first sentence and so on. Once my story reached a goal, I deleted that sentence and continued the story to the next point/sentence.  Each day this week I added 2-4 pages and now the prologue is complete!  (I wrote in between activities and while multitasking.)  I found this made it so easy to stay on task; I did not lose track of where I was going or how I was to get there--which I do often, actually, as I am a very detail orientated person and sometimes lose sight of the big picture.

My prologue simply needs editing now, but I will save that for a day when I am not in the "mood" for writing or when I am done and it is time to clean up my work for submission (that will rock!).

What I will do with the chapters I have already written (about 3 -4) will be to go straight to the end and write the bullet point sentences of what needs to be accomplished in that chapter.  Then, once that is complete, I will go through what I've already written and see if I managed to stay on point at all.  Where there is issue I will correct and add what may need to be added.  I think a good thing to do with the sentences is to add what emotion is to be experienced by the character or even the reader.  Are the emotions coming through the narrative as the story aims for the goals?  I sure hope so....

Now back to writing!

Different Methods

Image via WikipediaI began writing in earnest about 8 years ago.  At that time I was given a plethera of different methods to help move  my writing along.  The snowflake, notecard, outlines, free form, "envelope" etc.  What I have found however, is that I tend to use all of them at different times.  SOmetimes, I simply need to get the ideas down, so the envelope is the most practical.  Or I may need to remember where I am and where I am going, so I will jot down a revised outline.  Other times I will simply sit down and write whatever comes to mind.  I think that what the most important factor is is that I use whatever will keep my story moving forward.

Work and Not

Image via WikipediaRight after my last post, about 9 months ago, I came down very ill, was diagnosed with Lyme's disease and had very very very hard time recovering. Recently, it was discovered that not only do I not have Lyme's disease, I have never had Lyme's disease. This does beg to question: what is wrong then?

But this is only important information to understand why I didn't get anything done for so long.

Now, I have begun a new sci-fi/fantasy. I am very excited despite the lack of progress. On a much brighter thought, and one for which I am extremely happy, my daughter, who finished her first manuscript last fall, has been editing the project. Today we wrote a bio/resume, a synopsis, and a query letter and it was submitted, via email! We only sent it to one so far, being far too tired to continue tonight. Tomorrow we will sub some more and print out the snail mail versions to be mailed on Monday.

Love this word

I was watching TV or reading something on the inet and the word "requiem" popped out at me. I looked up the definition, having only a working knowledge not a defined knowledge of the word. Besides the reference to Catholic services, it means death or death dirge. Which led me to synonyms of requiem:
Monody -- greek word
threnody
coronach
jeremiad -- or a righteous prophecy of doom.
knell
exequies

What a full word!

Then two more words jumped out at me: hewn and buffeting.

Hewn:
–adjective
1. felled and roughly shaped by hewing: hewn logs.
2. given a rough surface: hewn stone.
–verb (used with object)
1. to strike forcibly with an ax, sword, or other cutting instrument; chop; hack.
2. to make, shape, smooth, etc., with cutting blows: to hew a passage through the crowd; to hew a statue from marble.
3. to sever (a part) from a whole by means of cutting blows (usually fol. by away, off, out, from, etc.): to hew branches from the tree.
4. to cut down; fell: to hew wood; trees hewed down by the storm.

Buffeting:
–noun
1. a blow, as with the hand or fist.
2. a violent shock or concussion.
–verb (used with object)
3. to strike, as with the hand or fist.
4. to strike against or push repeatedly: The wind buffeted the house.
5. to contend against; battle.
–verb (used without object)
6. to struggle with blows of hand or fist.
7. to force one's way by a fight, struggle, etc.


How cool is our language? :)

Ciao for now,
Darcien

Character Building Worksheet

Fiction Writer's Character Chart
NAME:
Character's Full Name: ______________________________________________
Reason or meaning of name: ____________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
Nickname: ___________________________________
Reason for nickname: ______________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
Birthdate: ________________________________________
Astrological Sign:_____________________________

PHYSICAL APPEARANCE:
Age: _____________________________________
How old does s/he appear? ___________________
Eye Color: _____________________________
Glasses or contacts: _________________________
Weight:__________________________________________
Height: __________________________________________
Type of body/build:________________________________
Skin tone: _______________________________________
Skin type: ________________________________________
Shape of face:_____________________________________
Distinguishing Marks:______________________________
Predominant feature:_______________________________
Hair color:_______________________________________
Distinguishable hair feature (bald, receding hairline, etc.):
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
Type of hair (coarse, fine, thick, etc?)__________________
________________________________________________
Character's typical hairstyle:__________________________
Looks like:_______________________________________
Is s/he healthy?____________________________________
If not, why not:_____________________________
________________________________________________
Physical disabilities:________________________________
________________________________________________

FAVORITES:
Character's favorite color:____________________________
Why? ____________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
Character's least favorite color:_______________________
Why?____________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
Favorite Music:____________________________________
Why?____________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
Least favorite Music:_______________________________
Why?____________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
Food:____________________________________________
________________________________________________
Literature:________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
Expressions:______________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
Expletives:_______________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
Mode of transportation:_____________________________
________________________________________________
Daredevil or cautious?______________________________
Why? ____________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
Same when alone? _________________________________

HABITS:
Smokes: _________________________________________
What?____________________________________
When and how much?_______________________
________________________________________________
Drinks:__________________________________________
What?____________________________________
When and how much?_______________________
________________________________________________
Other:___________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________

HOBBIES:
How does character spend a rainy day? _________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________

BACKGROUND:
Hometown:_______________________________________
________________________________________________
Type of childhood:_________________________________
________________________________________________
First memory:_____________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
Most important childhood event that still affects him/her: __
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
Why?____________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
Education:________________________________________
Religion:_________________________________________
Finances:_________________________________________
Why?____________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
FAMILY:
Mother:____________________________________________________________________________


Relationship with her:_______________________
_________________________________________
Father:___________________________________


Relationship with him:_______________________
_________________________________________
Siblings:1)________________________________
2)________________________________________
3)________________________________________
4)________________________________________


Birth order:_______________________________________
________________________________________________
Relationship with each:
1) _______________________________________
2) _______________________________________
3) _______________________________________
4) _______________________________________
Children of siblings:________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
Extended family?__________________________________
________________________________________________
Close?___________________________________________
Why or why not? __________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________

ATTITUDE:
Character's greatest fear:_____________________________
________________________________________________
Why?____________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
What is the worst thing that could happen to him/her? ____
________________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
What single event would most throw character's life in complete turmoil? _________________________________
________________________________________________
Why? ___________________________________
_______________________________________________
Character is most at ease when: ______________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
Most ill at ease when: ______________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
Depressive or SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder)? _______
Priorities: ________________________________________
________________________________________________
Philosophy:_______________________________________
________________________________________________
How s/he feels about self: ___________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________

Past failure s/he would be embarrassed to have people know about: ___________________________________________
________________________________________________
Why? ____________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
If granted one wish, what would it be? _________________
________________________________________________
Why? ___________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________

PERSONALITY:
Greatest source of strength in character's personality (whether s/he sees it as
such or not): ______________________________________
________________________________________________
Greatest source of weakness in character's personality (whether s/he sees it as
such or not):______________________________________
________________________________________________
Character's soft spot:________________________________
________________________________________________
Is this soft spot obvious to others?_____________________
If not, how does character hide it?_____________________
________________________________________________
Biggest vulnerability:_______________________________
________________________________________________

TRAITS:
Optimist or pessimist:_______________________________
Why?____________________________________
________________________________________________
Introvert or extrovert:_______________________________
Why?____________________________________
________________________________________________
Drives and motivations:_____________________________
Talents:__________________________________________
Extremely skilled at:________________________________
Extremely unskilled at:______________________________
Good characteristics:_______________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
Character flaws:___________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
Mannerisms:______________________________________
________________________________________________
Peculiarities:______________________________________
________________________________________________
Biggest regret:_____________________________________
________________________________________________
______________________________________________
Minor regrets:_____________________________________
________________________________________________
Biggest accomplishment:____________________________
________________________________________________
Minor accomplishments:____________________________
________________________________________________
Character's darkest secret:___________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
Does anyone else know?_____________________________
If yes, did character tell them?_________________
If no, how did they find out?__________________
________________________________________________

SELF-PERCEPTION:
One word CHARACTER would use to describe self: ______
________________________________________________
One paragraph description of how CHARACTER would describe self:______________________________________
________________________________________________
What does CHARACTER consider best physical characteristic? ____________________________________
What does CHARACTER consider worst physical characteristic? ____________________________________
Are these realistic assessments?_______________________
If not, why not?____________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
How CHARACTER thinks others perceive him/her:_______
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
What four things would CHARACTER most like to change about self? (#1 most
important, #2 second most important, etc.)
1.________________________________________
2.________________________________________
3.________________________________________
4.________________________________________
Why?____________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
If change #1 was made, would character be as happy as s/he thinks?___________________________________________
If not, why not?____________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________


INTERRELATION WITH OTHERS:
Is character divorced?_______________________________
Has character ever cheated on signficant other?___________
How does character relate to others?___________________
________________________________________________
How is s/he perceived by...
Strangers?_________________________________
Friends? __________________________________
Wife/Husband/Lover?_______________________
Hero/Heroine?_____________________________
How does character view hero/heroine?_________________
________________________________________________
First impression:__________________________________ Why?____________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
What happens to change this perception?________________
________________________________________________
What do family/friends like most about character?________
________________________________________________
What do family/friends like least about character?________
________________________________________________

GOALS:
Immediate goals:__________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
Long range goals: _________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
How does character plan to accomplish these goals?_______
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
How will other characters be affected?_________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________

PROBLEMS/CRISIS:
How character reacts in a crisis:_______________________
________________________________________________
How character faces problems:________________________
________________________________________________
Kinds of problems character usually runs into:___________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
How character reacts to NEW problems:________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
How character reacts to change:_______________________
________________________________________________

GENERAL:
Favorite clothing:__________________________________ Why?____________________________________
________________________________________________
Least favorite clothing:______________________________ Why?____________________________________
________________________________________________
Jewelry:__________________________________________
Other accessories:__________________________________
Drives:___________________________________________
Where does character live?___________________________
________________________________________________
Where does character want to live?____________________
________________________________________________

Spending habits (frugal, spendthrift, etc):_______________
Why?____________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
What does s/he do too much of?_______________________
________________________________________________
Too little of?______________________________________
________________________________________________
Most prized possession:_____________________________ Why?____________________________________
_______________________________________________
Play musical instrument?___________________________
Which?__________________________________
How did s/he learn?________________________________
________________________________________________

UNCATEGORIZED:
Person character secretly admires:_____________________
________________________________________________
Why?____________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
Person character was most influenced by:_______________
________________________________________________
Why?____________________________________
________________________________________________
Most important person in character's life before story starts:
_______________________________________________
Why?____________________________________
________________________________________________
How does character spend the week before the story starts?
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________