Still Arc-ing, I Swear!

Blech, this 'creating a plot arc' biz is more difficult than I thought. BUT! After working and reworking what I have so far, I think I've cooked up a much better first-half than originally conceived. Now, however, I'm running dry. I think I'll just get to writing and let the story and the characters yell at me. Or nag my husband; he's really quite brilliant at thinking out of the box...a great Ideas man.

I found that scribbling my existing scenes on note cards and spreading them out on the living room floor is a kick-ass way to mastermind a plot. You can shift things around easily and visualize lots of what-ifs. Just thought I'd share that wee germ of wisdom. And I do mean 'germ'.

Happy Humpday, my literary lurkers!

Arc Shmarck!

Okay, I actually sat down last night, notes and 'outline' on lap, and tried to create a plot arc to help me flesh out my wannabe novel. I didn't have as much juicy material as I thought I did! Not surprisingly, the middle of the book is flagging. Got my beginning, got my end, now...to bridge the two. I mean, how many books have we all read that contain this awkward, draggy middle bit? Too many. Gotta remedy that. This day is busy; art in the morning, laundry, weeding in the garden at some point, and major plottings in around making curry for dinner. Wish my DAY flagged a little in the middle! Anywho, off to the races!

ACK!

Missed a day. I blame my migraine, except it's still visiting, like a tiresome in-law. Maybe I'll post TWICE today! (Go ahead...hold your breath...)

Monday, Monday!

Had an UBERfun weekend, so now I'm jazzed and ready to roll! After sushi for lunch with the hubs, that is. :D

I sat in on a cool panel with some scifi authors at the con, and though that's not really my genre, they touched on an important point: staying true to your own world's mythos. I just finished the modern vampire novel 'Bottomfeeder' by B. H. Fingerman, and something about the ending really bothered me. Couldn't put my finger on it, until...

(SPOILER ALERT!) For the most part, his vampires were very traditional re. sunlight, non-aging, drinking blood, yadda...but then he broke the 'aging' rule for ONE character, just to throw the reader off. I felt thoroughly manipulated. I mean, WTF? Apart from that, the tale was well written, and that's a huge admission from me because as a rule, I hate stories penned in the first person. Okay, maybe the protagonist was mysteriously well-versed in artsy fartsy stuff for his working-class background, but overall the narrator's voice was readable and entertaining. Far too often, first person narratives are PAINFUL to read. Moreso than third person, in my book. Just my personal buggaboo. But Fingerman broke his own world's mythos, just to give the ending a surprise twist. And I nearly flushed the book down the toilet.

*phew!* I feel SO much better now, having purged that rant! Now, on to far more productive stuffs, like a spicy California Roll in a soy wrap...mmmmmmmmm........

Nuthin' today, or this weekend...

We're heading off to a convention (ConGlomeration) this weekend--well, tomorrow, actually--so I've been packing and making business cards and prints and...

You get the idea. So this blog gets a brief respite until Monday, at which point, I should have much to share. Ta, babies!

Going to a con this weekend in Louisville, KY (one of my favorite cities, I must say.) ConGlomeration...a little gaming, a little art, a little writing. So I hope to get to some panels and revitalize my creative mojo. No, I still haven't done that effing story arc. What's wrong with me?! Oh, wait, that's right...I have three kids, an occasionally needy husband who's home all the time and 19 other 'hobbies' that pull me off in a gazillion directions. Might be time for Spring Cleaning...anyone want to borrow a male for a while? I'm swimming in them.

Hamster