Priorities and Procrastinations

Writing. It’s something almost anyone can do, but almost nobody can do well. Most people fall somewhere in between, with moments of inspired greatness in a sea of adequacy.

And so, for some, it becomes an obsession, for others an afterthought. For me, it comes as naturally as breathing but as painfully as a root canal. I write for a living, so putting words on the screen is not such a big deal… unless it’s a project like this one, where I feel that people of tremendous skill and talent are counting on me to bring my A-game. That’s intimidating. If you take a look around the FanLib contest history, you’ll see that Kirk vs. Picard was only the beginning. This is a group that literally hangs out on the winner pages, again and again, both as reviewers and as writers.

What Color Should it Be?

That was the question recently posed to the nine of us. Without spoiling the item we’re trying to embellish, it got me wondering about the best way to choose colors. Do we select by what we like? Or do we choose a color that provokes a certain emotion?

I recently painted a room in my home. I wanted yellow, but I didn’t want to be agitated every time I was in that room. (In case you haven’t heard the warning, yellow can make you irritable). In the end, it took me two years to settle on a shade that wound up looking more like Yum Yum Sauce* than yellow.

thoughts of Indy…

                  

                                                     photo by thedreamcontinued

It is the day that the new Indiana Jones movie premieres nationwide. And it’s bringing a rush of memories to the surface.

I first saw Raiders of the Lost Ark at the Drive-In theater. I had just got my driver’s license, and was on a date. There were two showings of Raiders, and in between was Popeye starring Robin Williams. I’m still trying to figure that combo out.

Hearing The Dream

I have a friend.  Her name is Ro.  She is a former school teacher who now runs a scrapbooking site on the web.  She is a wonderful friend, a devoted Mom and wife, and she has something in common with us.

She writes.

She doesn’t just write.  She HAS to write.  It’s in her blood.  She has an obsession.  She is addicted.  She shares what we do with a passion. 

Here, in her own words, she mirrors what it feels like to be us as writers, trying to stay away from the keyboard to do what we call day to day as REAL life…… but the passion will not leave her alone for long.

The keyboard ALWAYS calls her back.

A look inside the writer’s mind, from Ro:

…words.

fiction writer’s cheat sheet

This is an article from Dakota State University I found a year ago. It is simple, yet a fantastic reminder for the experienced writer, and a great cheat sheet for the beginner. Enjoy!

Fiction writers learn to write by writing. Although writing is an art, there are skills, tools, and techniques that can be learned in order to develop talent. And constructive criticism and feedback can help this process.

To be a good writer you need to read a lot, listen and observe everything about you carefully, and write a lot. Writing a lot takes discipline, because writing can actually be hard work- but very satisfying. Setting up a routine for writing is important; it is very easy to find something else to do besides writing. A compulsion to write is very useful.

Fiction writers should have a good grasp of the language, but most of all they must be storytellers. A really good story can compensate for less-than-brilliant writing, but brilliant writing will not save a bad story.

Readers of fiction want very much to find the writer’s work to be believable. It is the task of the writer to produce a story that does not jolt the reader into recognizing that the narrative is just the writer talking, just fiction. The writer should write about what he or she already knows through experience or can learn about through research. The narrative should read as if the writer really knows what he or she is writing about.

Weekend warrior

Going into the weekend, I began to think…

I’m done working for the week, but am I done writing? HECK NO!

It’s strange. There’s an old saying…”You make time for the things you think are important.”

Aint that the truth! All week long you work 8 or 9 hours a day, then spend some valuable time with family, then, when all are asleep, you hit the old laptop for another 2 or 3 hours of typing. It’s funny, though…the typing just doesn’t seem like work!

Take, for instance, the Artifact Project we’re working on. A 5000 or 10,000 word chapter will take most authors a month to write. Our people are doing it in less than half that time, while still working away at their everyday jobs, and loving on their families…

…a labor of love just doesn’t seem like labor at all, does it.

Speed Racer and the Curse of the Lost Alien Artifact

What does Speed Racer have to do with an Artifact found on a distant planet in the future? Well, nothing … on the surface.

While taking a much-needed break from writing his chapter for the Artifact Project, esr960 decided to write a submission for FanLib’s Speed Racer contest. However, the Artifact wasn’t ready to take a break from him. esr960 became consumed with the question, “What would happen if Speed Racer crossed paths with the Artifact?” His cousin’s eyes lit up; she had the answer: “He goes Back to the Future!”

Thus was born the unofficial Speed Racer/Artifact Project crossover event!

Here’s the setup:

When Speed discovers a mysterious Artifact, he finds himself transported to a dystopian future ruled by the evil Royalton Industries. Can Speed change the future in time to save the past?

Find out in Flash Forward!

Artifact Reality! Be the first to read an excerpt!

Just to give you a taste of what we’re doing on the Artifact Project, below is a link to an excerpt from Chapter Three, written by thedreamcontinued…please, enjoy it!

Chapter Three Excerpt

When is a book a book?

“Artifact” is now three chapters complete! Thedreamcontinued (author #3) has just emailed us her chapter, and now Leila_data is up to bat! And I’m excited, because I’m after her…

With the book now 1/3 complete (and a little behind schedule…but that’s okay, we’re tackling something new here!), I am asking myself a question: When is a book a book?

Does it have to be published? Is it the final draft of the manuscript? Or is it simply when the idea is created, and chapters are planned out?

Without sounding too sentimental, I think with this group, it was the birth of the idea that brought a reality to the project, and a closeness between nine people that have never physically met. Anything that happens after, including the publishing (and it will be published…look for it on this site!), is merely icing on the coat.

There is something magical about this collaboration process…every time a new chapter is emailed to the group, it’s like Christmas morning! We get nine Christmases during this process!

So, when does a book become a book? I believe that answer lies with the author/authors. It’s that feeling of completion they get, whichever step they feel it.

Do I have to say it again? Go! Go write something…now!

Fanlib breeds writing success

As a writer, what is the one thing you need to do on a regular basis?

A) Purchase family-sized aspirin to battle the headaches of hanging participles and foul critiques.

B) Tell everyone what a tremendous talent you are, and let them know they can go to H-E-double toothpicks if they don’t like your stuff!

C) Write, write, write!

Well, A and B are attractive, but C is the correct, albeit obvious, answer.

You have to find a way to write everyday. It doesn’t have to be the great american novel, but it has to be something.

A series of short 500 word stories. A poem. A limerick. A biography. A joke. A script. A play. Even a personal journal.

It just has to be something that consistently expands your mind…

My favorite venue for a writing outlet is Fanlib.com. It’s one of many sites that allows fans of almost anything to write about their favorite characters. It lets them finish the stories that TV and film left hanging. It let’s them go where they wished their favorite author had traveled. I highly recommend a visit to Fanlib.

My parting words today? Pick up a pen, right now, and write something silly.