So, it's time for NaNo. . .

It's November and writers all around the world are hunkering down to begin the next "Great Novel." However, I won't be one of them. :-) NaNo is a great concept, but I work retail and this time of year means extra hours - getting home from work after 9:00pm or later, cranky customers and well, an end to the illusion that people can be civil to one another in the name of the holiday season.


Sound cynical? Nope, just realistic.

Anyway, that isn't the point of this post. NaNoWriMo is more than a movement to get writers motivated to finally put that idea that's been bouncing around in their imaginations into actual words, on a computer screen, or into a spiral notebook - whatever works. It also fosters creativity among young writers through the Young Writers Program which brings the fun and challenge of creating a novel into classrooms. In a time when schools in America are suffering from budget cut after budget cut, the free lesson plans that NaNo provides to teachers are a way for kids to nurture their imaginations.

While I won't have the time to begin a new novel this NaNoWriMo, I do have a goal for this month. I will completing the rough draft of my historical fiction novel set in the 1st century C.E. Roman Empire. This rough draft has been long in the making due to the fact that I had to put it aside while I studied for the LSAT. So, now that it's over, I'm going back to my creative endevours.

So, are any of you joining in the fun of NaNo this year? If so, what do you hope to gain from the experience? If not, are you setting an alternative writing goal for yourself?

Happy Writing!

Back from the Abyss

Wow, I just saw the last post date - May 20th? Really? I guess I did get wrapped up in studying for my LSAT and neglect my poor blog. :-o

Well, that big, bad test is over and now I just have to wait for the scores to come through. Should be in my inbox by the 28th. Until then I'm just trying to stay busy and not dwell on it. So what better way to do that than throw mysefl into other projects?

Let's begin with writing. Tomorrow is the deadline for replies on a contest I entered in May. No email = not accepted. So, if I hear nothing, I'll be resubmitting that story to a print anthology. Also on the menu for this week is to polish up my space zombie romance (yup, you read that right) and send it off to a print anthology put out by the same publishing house.

Then I'll be working on two fantasy novellas I have in the making. One is a prequel to Somewhere, which a few of you have read in part on the WD forums. I've decided to make a novella trilogy (or possibly quartet) from that storyline; beginning with Pazia's story and ending with a story from Na'im's pov (he is only 3 when Somewhere takes place).

The othe story is about Ellivi'an. She is of a winged race called the Inefim. Her parents were murdered when she was young and she's grown up with a fierce hatred of not only the Pek'rahe responsible, but of their entire race. But she may just discover something that will change her mind.

I've also just begun the process of becoming a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteer. I brought my self-study binder home today and go back in a couple weeks to meet with the director and go over the first three chapters.

I'll be posting a site of the week tomorrow at some point. I'll be posting two sites for each of the next few weeks to make up for lost time.




Think that's enough to keep me busy? ;-)

So, what has been keeping you busy/pondering/frustrated/etc. while I've been away?

Site of the Week - NPR (Novel Ideas)

Once again, the week has flown by. My day planner is a mass of scribbles and moved deadlines for my study goals. Nothing that I wanted to do got done. However, I did begin a new short story tentatively titled "In Darkness." While it's still in the rough draft stage, I'll post the first section here after I wow and excite you with this week's site - NPR.

NPR? You mean National Public Radio? Yup. It's no secret that NPR promotes the works of artists and authors of all types. However, I found a page on their site that goes beyond asking the author about their current endeavor. This page features several very well-known writers (think Jodi Picoult and Scott Turow) and asks them how they write, come up with ideas, edit and overcome the nemisis of every writer - professional or otherwise - writer's block. *shudder*

While the interviews were done in 2006, the insights and advice these seasoned writers provide are timeless.  After reading Walter Dean Myers' interview I was inspired to try something new. He creates timelines for his characters and the world around them before beginning his books. (He spends up to 6 months "pre-writing.") 

I am working on an historical fiction novel and time frame is very important. I think creating a timeline for the era, as well as my characters and how they fit into the Roman world, will help me immensely! Currently, I'm keeping it all in my head - which can get a bit complicated, especially since I am planning to make this a family saga of sorts with successive books telling the stories of this main character's children and perhaps her husband's childhood as well.

So, after browsing the interviews, what inspired you?

Update on my writing life.

Well, I've been busy, busy with my writing. Trying to come to grips with a highly emotional scene for my historical fiction novel - which I'm finally making progress on - woo hoo!  And I also recently wrote a short story for an online magazine. Got the rejection letter today. Bummer. But I'm not too bothered by it. It was more an experiement in trying new subject matter and creating something specifically for a publication than anything.

I'm also working on another short story for a contest which ends on the 15th. It's a challenge, but a fun one.

 Over the past year I have become too comfortable working away at my laptop - safe and secure from the actuality of the writing world. I've decided it's time to stop ignoring the writing opportunities that come up while I'm working on my novel and get back out there.

So, what about all of you? Have you found yourself falling into a rut? Or perhaps just keeping your writing to yourself out of habit or trepidation? If so, what are your plans to break out of your comfort zone?

Nothing in life worth having comes easily. Taking risks is what it's all about! Go for it!

A new look & an invitation to discuss.

Well, I've decided to try a new template. Love the images in the background they feel "fantasyish," but it's a definite learning process for me to navigate. For instance, it took me five minutes to figure out how to post this because there wasn't a big button that said "create new post."  ;-)  (I can hear Joe laughing at me.) Obviously, I am not very good with computers. I actually had to spend 15 mintues on the phone with my little brother to figure out how to change the template in the first place. LOL!  I talked him into becoming the newest follower of my blog while I was at it. Thanks for the help and boosting my follower count, Kev. :-D

Now, on to a real writing discussion. I have been nibbling away at Calli and got another few pages written today while I was at work. (Too bad the bargain store is closing at the end of the month. No more "free time" at work. Bummer.) I still have to type up what I wrote. It's a piece that takes place in Rome from Martina and then Echo's POV. I've recently added two new characters, Jordanes (another Germanian) and Vercingetorix (Rix for short. He's a street urchin from Gaul). They both make appearances in this section.

While I like them both, Sefu is still my favorite secondary character in this novel thus far. My discussion invitation is this; who is your favorite secondary character in your current project(s)? Why does that character stand out to you?

Why do I do these things?

Can I have a show of hands, please? How many of you have ideas in your brain that are stewing because there are only 24 hours in a day and you are limited to the puny, paltry, insignificant number of 2 hands? Do these ideas in queue chastize you at night as you lay down to sleep? Why haven't you written me down yet? How much longer do I have to wait? WTF - are those feety pajamas? You're an adult for God's sake! 

But I'm really being serious here. I have several book ideas floating in limbo. And I just added another to the  list. Darn me and my obsession with history. I was just reading a book (Badass: A relentless onslaught of the toughest warlords, vikings, samurai, pirates, gunfighters and military commanders to ever live - by Ben Thompson - hilarious & informative BTW) and rediscovered Anne Bonny. I'd seen some History Channel shows on pirates where she was mentioned, but she'd fallen out of my memory. But now I am inspired. I have to write a book about her!

So, what is waiting in your head to be given life on the computer screen, notebook page, paper bag . . . ?

Welcome to 2010.

Well, now that the new year has begun, I must make good on my promise to update and "revamp" this blog. While I have decided to keep posting writing samples on occasion, I will also be adding some new content.

There are a lot of web sites and blogs out there that offer advice to new and/or aspiring writers. But with so many people out there giving opinions and advice you often run into conflicting information. What I propose to do here is to choose one site a week to peruse and then offer my conclusions/findings about each site. I'll be giving each a rating as to how helpful (or not) I found the content. Take these ratings with a grain of salt. I don't pretend to be an expert. What I am offering is another aspiring writer's viewpoint in hopes that I might help one of you find a venue to becoming the next big thing in the writing world.

Because my work schedule changes weekly, I do not have a set day of the week upon which I will be posting. However, I will have a new post up by Sunday each week before 12:00am, Pacific Time.

In addition to these site reviews, I will also be posting the occasional writing prompt or discussion topic.

I will begin 2010 with a discussion topic.     

In recent years, self-publishing has become a more respected form of getting your book into the hands of readers. (Look at Christopher Paolini, for example. He began as a self-published auther at the age of 15.) Have you, or would you, consider self-publishing your novel as a way to get noticed by a large publishing house? Or would you consider self-publishing as a lucrative business without a "real publisher" coming in with an offer?

I'm looking forward to hearing what you have to say.

K. Looney(writer)