I'm already laughing.
I have hugged my book. You know, paper comes from trees, so there's my tree hugging!
But it's all I have. My book. The only proof that me story is real. Characters that exist only in my imagination but seem more real to me than some people I know. Living in this created world which often holds more appeal than this one I live in now. This story is a large piece of who I am. This story is my legacy.
I am the #1 fan of my characters, of this tale. I believed in it first.
I wonder if J. K. Rowling ever just say in awe of her published book knowing that she was on a larger path of seeing her visions becoming a reality? If she ever just picked up her book and hugged it, letting it give her a moment of security in its reality?
Or maybe it's just me and I'm crazy. Like the last crazy queen of Lilinar. Yes, I will keep hugging my book in between telling my story.
It's just not the same to hug a Kindle.
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Plotting and replotting
For the second time I've thrown out several chapters of the book and started again.
The first time I was about chapter 22 when I threw It all out and started again. This time was at chapter 32 and went all the way back to chapter 14, though I did add in a chapter 2.5 and rewrote major sections of earlier chapters.
It's part of that "making the story harder" I spoke of in the last post. I really do love the levels it's getting. It may take being a writer to understand that concept. So many jobs in today's society only have one answer, one necessary outcome. Flip the burger and make sure it's fully cooked. Sell the widget, meet the monthly quota. I could have even written this story once and shipped it to the world.
But you'll love it more because I peeled back the top soil to see what other beastly little plot twists lay wriggling in the dirt.
The first time I was about chapter 22 when I threw It all out and started again. This time was at chapter 32 and went all the way back to chapter 14, though I did add in a chapter 2.5 and rewrote major sections of earlier chapters.
It's part of that "making the story harder" I spoke of in the last post. I really do love the levels it's getting. It may take being a writer to understand that concept. So many jobs in today's society only have one answer, one necessary outcome. Flip the burger and make sure it's fully cooked. Sell the widget, meet the monthly quota. I could have even written this story once and shipped it to the world.
But you'll love it more because I peeled back the top soil to see what other beastly little plot twists lay wriggling in the dirt.
Making the story stronger
I have a sign in my writing office which reads, "Make your story stronger. Show it slowly. Show it thoroughly. And always show your characters doing the action. Then make it harder for them."
It's that last line that always gets me.
I enjoy making the story harder. If I have to really think through my plot, especially when I keep in mind that everything has to make sense across three time lines, them I know my story is getting deeper. Yes, it already feels bigger than me. It needs to. Let's face it, if it were simple for me then why would I need to be writing an epic fantasy? I want a world that engages the reader and makes you think. So, it's got to be tough for the character.
Then there's the thrill when your character rises to the occasion and proves himself to be he very hero he was created to be. When he devises a way out of the sticky situation. When the writer stands up and cheers in victory with the character. Yes, those are the moments!
A challenge to my hero equals a new level to the puzzle for me which equals a greater thrill ride for the reader. Ah yes, those are indeed the moments.
It's that last line that always gets me.
I enjoy making the story harder. If I have to really think through my plot, especially when I keep in mind that everything has to make sense across three time lines, them I know my story is getting deeper. Yes, it already feels bigger than me. It needs to. Let's face it, if it were simple for me then why would I need to be writing an epic fantasy? I want a world that engages the reader and makes you think. So, it's got to be tough for the character.
Then there's the thrill when your character rises to the occasion and proves himself to be he very hero he was created to be. When he devises a way out of the sticky situation. When the writer stands up and cheers in victory with the character. Yes, those are the moments!
A challenge to my hero equals a new level to the puzzle for me which equals a greater thrill ride for the reader. Ah yes, those are indeed the moments.
Friday, December 23, 2011
Laurent appears
I actually wrote the scene this morning where Laurient takes the stage and I think he stole the scene. Centaurs! Gotta love how they just take over. If you've read book one, you know what I mean.
Then, afterwards I was talking to my number 1 fan (aka my youngest son)and he said he thought there was a Laurient character in Lord of the Rings guess its time to research.
I purchased a copy of The Three Books today at Barnes and Noble for their Habitat for Humanity donation. I told the clerk, the lovely Christine who helped get my book in (yeah, she's my best bud now!), that I was donating it and she said, "Aw, that's the Christmas spirit." I laughed and replied, "What, to be total self-serving?!" Fortunately, we both laughed at the joke.
Happy holidays, my dear readers. I hope you have a good, safe time! Blessings to you all.
Then, afterwards I was talking to my number 1 fan (aka my youngest son)and he said he thought there was a Laurient character in Lord of the Rings guess its time to research.
I purchased a copy of The Three Books today at Barnes and Noble for their Habitat for Humanity donation. I told the clerk, the lovely Christine who helped get my book in (yeah, she's my best bud now!), that I was donating it and she said, "Aw, that's the Christmas spirit." I laughed and replied, "What, to be total self-serving?!" Fortunately, we both laughed at the joke.
Happy holidays, my dear readers. I hope you have a good, safe time! Blessings to you all.
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Evolution of a character
When Laurierent first came to me, the last thing I imagined was that he would be another character in my Sacred Knight series. But once he was,the trick was to figure out how he fit.
I know I had originally pictured him as half elven. A kind of Legolas image. But obviously that is so been-there-done-that. So how to put a spin on that?
I won't say that I'm anywhere near having his character figured out, but I'm on the road.
I'd hate to give away any spoilers, but I will say he is of mixed cultures. Too many of my characters already have abnormal backstories so I've decided to give him a good, normal childhood, one that let him become a lovable, flamboyant, regular person. He's a leader and a loyal friend. A got-your-back kind of person.
It's starting to feel like this world has never been without him.
But how does a character actually evolve from name to character, especially when there's already an established plot line? There's no easy answer. I'm sure everyone also has different ways too. For me, it almost always begins with "what if?"
For the development of Laurierent I asked myself what of he was an archer, but not half-elven. What could he be? I soon had an idea. He was half centaur. Hence his mixed cultures. It put him in the exact place needed a character in book 2. I also realized that because of the magic mythology already stated in the series, I could have him do some things here which will foreshadow other events in books 3 and 4. It was
Coming together wonderfully.
Then his name changed again. It shortened down to Laurient. I don't know if this is a permanent change. I might very well go back to the original by the time I get to him in my draft. Author's prerogative. Of course you could always write me and let me know which version of the name you like best. Get your say in!
I know I had originally pictured him as half elven. A kind of Legolas image. But obviously that is so been-there-done-that. So how to put a spin on that?
I won't say that I'm anywhere near having his character figured out, but I'm on the road.
I'd hate to give away any spoilers, but I will say he is of mixed cultures. Too many of my characters already have abnormal backstories so I've decided to give him a good, normal childhood, one that let him become a lovable, flamboyant, regular person. He's a leader and a loyal friend. A got-your-back kind of person.
It's starting to feel like this world has never been without him.
But how does a character actually evolve from name to character, especially when there's already an established plot line? There's no easy answer. I'm sure everyone also has different ways too. For me, it almost always begins with "what if?"
For the development of Laurierent I asked myself what of he was an archer, but not half-elven. What could he be? I soon had an idea. He was half centaur. Hence his mixed cultures. It put him in the exact place needed a character in book 2. I also realized that because of the magic mythology already stated in the series, I could have him do some things here which will foreshadow other events in books 3 and 4. It was
Coming together wonderfully.
Then his name changed again. It shortened down to Laurient. I don't know if this is a permanent change. I might very well go back to the original by the time I get to him in my draft. Author's prerogative. Of course you could always write me and let me know which version of the name you like best. Get your say in!
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
A Character Comes to Life
As I said in my last post, spam email found me a new name, but what can one do with a name only? Not much.
Laurierant. That was all I knew. Where did he fit? Who was he?
Have you ever heard the saying that to give something a name takes away its power, or makes it less scary? For me, giving something a name is a clue for me to get creative and discover the story. So who was this character? I knew he had to be male since that had been an initial factor.
With a name, the beginnings of a image for the character develop. I saw him as blond. I knew he wasn't too muscular, but he had pizazz and attitude.
"Well, well, well, if it isn't Laurierant de Santz, come to grace us with his presence, have ya?" was the first line I heard spoken. Something still didn't feel right, but I was on the right track.
I started to see an elven archer. I've been wanting to write a story about an archer for the last month or so, so I wondered if the time was finally right to get the story. But it still didn't feel right.
Now let me tell you what it's like to write an epic saga. Epic sagas generally have a lot of people in them. I'm still discovering characters and plot twists as I write. A few people have heard me talking about how I'm thinking of breaking the second book into two (it's either that or let the movie studio do it for me when they get their hands on it! Since that's the latest trend in Hollywood as well as my wishful thinking.). Seriously, there is a lot of material and I'm not feeling I'm doing the story justice right now. However, breaking it into two also means more developing of other characters and scenes. Push the story. Make it harder for the characters. Those are the two most important rules of storytelling, in my opinion.
Another thing I always have to be aware of is the plot line continuing into the books that will follow. Even though I have a fair idea of what's going to happen, every time I push the story adjustments need to be made. It's like a big game of chess where you can plot your moves ahead but you might have to adjust based on what your opponent does.
So here I was thinking about book 4. I had already made several adjustments. Looking backwards and forwards at a timeline from several different angles will certainly occupy your brain for a few days! In the end I realized I was going to need more characters.
Brain kicks in and says, "Remember Laurierant?"
How could I forget? He was the reason my subconscious was not working on the right story!
"I beg to differ," the brain argues. "Remember the blond elven archer you wanted in book 4? Hello, that's Laurierent." Please note the change in spelling. Yep, it really did happen that way.
And so Laurierent was born. His evolution remains another matter.
Laurierant. That was all I knew. Where did he fit? Who was he?
Have you ever heard the saying that to give something a name takes away its power, or makes it less scary? For me, giving something a name is a clue for me to get creative and discover the story. So who was this character? I knew he had to be male since that had been an initial factor.
With a name, the beginnings of a image for the character develop. I saw him as blond. I knew he wasn't too muscular, but he had pizazz and attitude.
"Well, well, well, if it isn't Laurierant de Santz, come to grace us with his presence, have ya?" was the first line I heard spoken. Something still didn't feel right, but I was on the right track.
I started to see an elven archer. I've been wanting to write a story about an archer for the last month or so, so I wondered if the time was finally right to get the story. But it still didn't feel right.
Now let me tell you what it's like to write an epic saga. Epic sagas generally have a lot of people in them. I'm still discovering characters and plot twists as I write. A few people have heard me talking about how I'm thinking of breaking the second book into two (it's either that or let the movie studio do it for me when they get their hands on it! Since that's the latest trend in Hollywood as well as my wishful thinking.). Seriously, there is a lot of material and I'm not feeling I'm doing the story justice right now. However, breaking it into two also means more developing of other characters and scenes. Push the story. Make it harder for the characters. Those are the two most important rules of storytelling, in my opinion.
Another thing I always have to be aware of is the plot line continuing into the books that will follow. Even though I have a fair idea of what's going to happen, every time I push the story adjustments need to be made. It's like a big game of chess where you can plot your moves ahead but you might have to adjust based on what your opponent does.
So here I was thinking about book 4. I had already made several adjustments. Looking backwards and forwards at a timeline from several different angles will certainly occupy your brain for a few days! In the end I realized I was going to need more characters.
Brain kicks in and says, "Remember Laurierant?"
How could I forget? He was the reason my subconscious was not working on the right story!
"I beg to differ," the brain argues. "Remember the blond elven archer you wanted in book 4? Hello, that's Laurierent." Please note the change in spelling. Yep, it really did happen that way.
And so Laurierent was born. His evolution remains another matter.
Can spam email be good?
I, like you, get a lot of spam. Who doesn't these days? So is it possible that spam could ever be a good thing?
I certainly didn't think so until earlier last week. That's when I got an email that gave me an idea. All I could read on the email line was From: reverend father laurie...
Needless to say, it made me laugh. A "father reverend" with a girl's name of Laurie? Really!
Of course that got my brain to thinking. What if the rest of the name "twisted" to make it masculine?
Brain playing some more. Can you hear it?
I knew it was from that familiar little tickle that I get when something is working out. So I waited and let my subconscious mix it around. Worse, I left the annoying little spam blocker notification in my inbox just so I wouldn't forget what my brain was mulling. Usually that's the first thing I get rid of during the day.
Then, late in the morning, the tickle turned to a "ding." Just like toast popping, a name came out of the machine: Laurierant.
But if I thought I was done there, I wasn't. A character was about to be born.
So, has spam ever been a good thing in your life? Or have you had a similar experience? Keep your eyes open. You never know what you might see.
I certainly didn't think so until earlier last week. That's when I got an email that gave me an idea. All I could read on the email line was From: reverend father laurie...
Needless to say, it made me laugh. A "father reverend" with a girl's name of Laurie? Really!
Of course that got my brain to thinking. What if the rest of the name "twisted" to make it masculine?
Brain playing some more. Can you hear it?
I knew it was from that familiar little tickle that I get when something is working out. So I waited and let my subconscious mix it around. Worse, I left the annoying little spam blocker notification in my inbox just so I wouldn't forget what my brain was mulling. Usually that's the first thing I get rid of during the day.
Then, late in the morning, the tickle turned to a "ding." Just like toast popping, a name came out of the machine: Laurierant.
But if I thought I was done there, I wasn't. A character was about to be born.
So, has spam ever been a good thing in your life? Or have you had a similar experience? Keep your eyes open. You never know what you might see.
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Call for videos
Hey Sacred Knight readers, your help is needed!
Help to get the word out about The Three Books and its upcoming sequel. Please make a short video in one of the two following areas:
From now until 12/15/11, make a short video of you wondering when the next book is coming out. Something like, "Hey Dawn, when is the next book coming out."
Until 12/31/11, make a short video of what you thought of the book and why you would recommend it to a friend.
Please just keep it simple. It doesn't need to be anything fancy as I'll do editing to fit it into promotional videos I'm putting together. When you're done, just email me the video at dawnATmorningskystudiosDOTcom (of course, you know what to do with the "at" and the "dot" right?!) Make sure you put SK Video in the subject line so I don't accidentally delete it.
At any time, you can also put a review on Amazon's or Barnes and Noble's websites.
Great! That's it. Let's get the word out. Thank you so much for all your help. My readers, you are a great bunch!
Help to get the word out about The Three Books and its upcoming sequel. Please make a short video in one of the two following areas:
From now until 12/15/11, make a short video of you wondering when the next book is coming out. Something like, "Hey Dawn, when is the next book coming out."
Until 12/31/11, make a short video of what you thought of the book and why you would recommend it to a friend.
Please just keep it simple. It doesn't need to be anything fancy as I'll do editing to fit it into promotional videos I'm putting together. When you're done, just email me the video at dawnATmorningskystudiosDOTcom (of course, you know what to do with the "at" and the "dot" right?!) Make sure you put SK Video in the subject line so I don't accidentally delete it.
At any time, you can also put a review on Amazon's or Barnes and Noble's websites.
Great! That's it. Let's get the word out. Thank you so much for all your help. My readers, you are a great bunch!
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