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Up down up down. The roller coaster is giving me ulsers. So what does this fantasy writer do during writing breaks throughout the day? She makes sure her online writing community is functioning properly. Recently it's been rough going.
I love my writing community. It's a haven for so many beginning writers. There are so many of us addicted to the site and to keeping it running that when things go bad, I'm devastated for the members. Well, the site has been growing so much and we've been blocking so many evil spambots and inputting so much information there that things had started running slowly. Dragging, actually. Painfully so. It's my job as administrator to keep things functioning as smoothly as possible, and my husband's job to implement all those things because the backbone of such a site is beyond my comprehension. He is good about drawing little pictures on scrap paper or napkins snatched off the breakfast table, so I can have a visual of how this box connects to that piece of information so that LegendFire can function at all. It's an amazing, dizzying network.
Last week we decided to upgrade our firmware (which is always stressful because of unforeseen complications), in the hopes of fixing the dragging load times. Alas, no success. We turned our magnifying glass elsewhere, to finding excess information that was being loaded during every click anyone made and archiving that. Turns out our spam blocker had blocked over 10,000 ip addresses. Now, that's a lot of evil spambots trying to access our insignificant little community. A positive step forward. So, just as things started running quickly and efficiently again, our webhost has a "major outage" which keeps taking down our site. My author's website is hosted by the same host, and has likewise been up and down, up and down, which can't be helping how I'm perceived to readers (and potential buyers) who know no better.
There are some things that one must learn to release. Control over uncontrollable situations being one of them. It's been hard not to panic over the past couple of weeks. Once the issues are all resolved, they won't matter one bit. The roller coaster will come to a stop, and my upset stomach will settle down nicely.
In the meantime, what can I do but write? Right? :D Woe! Woe to Aralorr! In the next few pages, innocence shatters forever.
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Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Friday, March 1, 2013
Some Kind of Update...
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I feel terrible about not posting at all in February. Not even one little progress report. I've been too focused during my writing hours to stop and blog, but it's Friday and I feel more relaxed, so here I am. To be honest, I'm leery about book updates now, because I don't want to spoil the reading for anyone. I'll just continue to be vague, shall I?
LAST MONTH'S PROGRESS
Chapter(s): 16-19
Pages Revised: 29
Became: 42 (yes, it's safe to say that I'm nearly doubling the current content)
Deaths: 1
Good things that happen: Carah receives unexpected help in learning to become avedra
Bad things that happen: The Black Falcon invites kings, lords, and ladies to a suspicious gathering
Wait! Who is Carah, you ask? Well, here's a hint: she likes to call herself the Duke of Ilswythe, because she doesn't like to be outdone by her older brother.
In other news, my short story Resurrecting Janis has made it to the second round of reading at a particular online magazine. Martin Davey confessed to me that even though one of his stories was rejected by this same magazine after making it to the last round, he received a full critique from the slush readers. Such a critique would be well worth a rejection, which is a far cry from a form letter. So either way, I'm looking forward to the zine's response.
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I feel terrible about not posting at all in February. Not even one little progress report. I've been too focused during my writing hours to stop and blog, but it's Friday and I feel more relaxed, so here I am. To be honest, I'm leery about book updates now, because I don't want to spoil the reading for anyone. I'll just continue to be vague, shall I?
LAST MONTH'S PROGRESS
Chapter(s): 16-19
Pages Revised: 29
Became: 42 (yes, it's safe to say that I'm nearly doubling the current content)
Deaths: 1
Good things that happen: Carah receives unexpected help in learning to become avedra
Bad things that happen: The Black Falcon invites kings, lords, and ladies to a suspicious gathering
Wait! Who is Carah, you ask? Well, here's a hint: she likes to call herself the Duke of Ilswythe, because she doesn't like to be outdone by her older brother.
In other news, my short story Resurrecting Janis has made it to the second round of reading at a particular online magazine. Martin Davey confessed to me that even though one of his stories was rejected by this same magazine after making it to the last round, he received a full critique from the slush readers. Such a critique would be well worth a rejection, which is a far cry from a form letter. So either way, I'm looking forward to the zine's response.
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Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Inspiration: Lothiar
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If I found the perfect image of Lyrienn long after I wrote her, I had two strong images for her brother from the very beginning. Both sources will prove how long ago I wrote the first draft. The first comes from the cinematic trailer for Warcraft 3: Reign of Chaos.
This fallen hero provided the fun visual inspiration, and Lothiar has remained fairly true to it despite the numerous changes the novels have undergone.
The second source is closer to home and far darker. About the time I turned my attention to writing my villains, two airplanes flew into the World Trade Center. The media repeatedly played footage of the man responsible.
These kinds of images troubled me for years. This soft-eyed murderer sitting with his back to a rock wall so no one would be able to identify his location as he rallied support for his cause and laid blame on his victims. This is the kind of evil that provided the backbone for Lothiar. Of course, fiction can't touch the horrors of real life, despite my efforts to weave the proper words.
CHARACTER PROFILE
Project: The Falcons Saga
Name: Lothiar
Race: Elf
Home: Lady's Palace, unknown reaches
Family: son of Danyth and Leavhan, older brother of Laniel and Lyrienn
Significance to the story: Kieryn's archenemy.
Extra Tidbits: His name means "ash"
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If I found the perfect image of Lyrienn long after I wrote her, I had two strong images for her brother from the very beginning. Both sources will prove how long ago I wrote the first draft. The first comes from the cinematic trailer for Warcraft 3: Reign of Chaos.
This fallen hero provided the fun visual inspiration, and Lothiar has remained fairly true to it despite the numerous changes the novels have undergone.
The second source is closer to home and far darker. About the time I turned my attention to writing my villains, two airplanes flew into the World Trade Center. The media repeatedly played footage of the man responsible.
These kinds of images troubled me for years. This soft-eyed murderer sitting with his back to a rock wall so no one would be able to identify his location as he rallied support for his cause and laid blame on his victims. This is the kind of evil that provided the backbone for Lothiar. Of course, fiction can't touch the horrors of real life, despite my efforts to weave the proper words.
CHARACTER PROFILE
Project: The Falcons Saga
Name: Lothiar
Race: Elf
Home: Lady's Palace, unknown reaches
Family: son of Danyth and Leavhan, older brother of Laniel and Lyrienn
Significance to the story: Kieryn's archenemy.
Extra Tidbits: His name means "ash"
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Monday, January 14, 2013
Back at it - Falcons Progress Report
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*whew* Sporadic writing during the holidays causes me to feel that I've made little progress, but rewriting one chapter and making it three isn't bad. It's been the villains, all through December and January. In the original draft, I devoted too little time to my villains until it was too late. They turned out flat and boring, and even I snoozed while reading through their scenes. No longer. The son of the Black Falcon becomes three-dimensional, with a single unhealthy obsession that eventually changes everything for the worse. Dark decisions follow, and Chapter 14 provides the turning point for volume 1 of Sons of the Falcon (title subject to change).
HOLIDAY PROGRESS
Chapter(s): 10, 12, and 14
Pages Revised: 7
Became: 34+ pages
Deaths: 1
Good things that happen: ...
Bad things that happen: a neglectful father turns his son toward an unhealthy friend
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*whew* Sporadic writing during the holidays causes me to feel that I've made little progress, but rewriting one chapter and making it three isn't bad. It's been the villains, all through December and January. In the original draft, I devoted too little time to my villains until it was too late. They turned out flat and boring, and even I snoozed while reading through their scenes. No longer. The son of the Black Falcon becomes three-dimensional, with a single unhealthy obsession that eventually changes everything for the worse. Dark decisions follow, and Chapter 14 provides the turning point for volume 1 of Sons of the Falcon (title subject to change).
HOLIDAY PROGRESS
Chapter(s): 10, 12, and 14
Pages Revised: 7
Became: 34+ pages
Deaths: 1
Good things that happen: ...
Bad things that happen: a neglectful father turns his son toward an unhealthy friend
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Saturday, January 5, 2013
I'm such a slacker...
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...when it comes to writing during the holidays. November and December wreak havoc on my routines, so eventually I just stop trying and wait for January to roll around. Roll around it has, so here we are, back to blogging.
How were your holidays? I hope they were filled with chaotic joy and so many blessings your hands are too full to hold them all.
Ours started out with a bang. For Thanksgiving, my husband and I had the opportunity to break every beloved tradition and take a road trip with friends. We ended up in Moab, Utah, in a gorgeous rental house. The weather was ideal, cool air with a warm sun to bask in while we ate turkey sandwiches atop the slickrock formation. Then while our friends challenged themselves on mountain- and road bikes, my husband and I hiked around the arches. This is one of our favorite places on planet Earth.
In other news, one of my dearest acquaintances from the online writing world flattered me to pieces when she asked to interview me for her new blog The Ether of My Imagination. Kimberly's posts will be focusing on writing instruction and Indie authors, and her delightful sense of humor is not to be missed. The interview is now available, so head on over and check it out.
Happy 2013! I wish you all the best in the coming months.
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...when it comes to writing during the holidays. November and December wreak havoc on my routines, so eventually I just stop trying and wait for January to roll around. Roll around it has, so here we are, back to blogging.
How were your holidays? I hope they were filled with chaotic joy and so many blessings your hands are too full to hold them all.
 |
| La Sals from Slickrock |
 |
| Double Arches, Arches National Park |
In other news, one of my dearest acquaintances from the online writing world flattered me to pieces when she asked to interview me for her new blog The Ether of My Imagination. Kimberly's posts will be focusing on writing instruction and Indie authors, and her delightful sense of humor is not to be missed. The interview is now available, so head on over and check it out.
Happy 2013! I wish you all the best in the coming months.
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Tuesday, October 30, 2012
How Do You Write Dialog?
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We receive a lot of questions about writing at LegendFire. How do I ...? What do you think about this idea? Am I doing this right? What's the proper grammar rule for ...? Recently, however, I've noticed that the most-repeated question over the years has been, "How do I write dialog?"
This question has always struck me as humorous and, honestly, astonishing. It's like the "What does your watch face look like?" kind of question, where someone says to you, "Cover your wristwatch with your hand and describe your watch face."
How many times a day do people look at their watches? Yet every time I've seen this experiment done, most people are invariably stumped.
So it must be with writing dialog. How many conversations do we take part in everyday, much less hear to our left and our right throughout the waking hours? Most of us are continually surrounded with the sounds of conversation and the visible signs of body language. We even have conversations on candy:
So how does a beginning writer capture conversation on their pages?
1. Actively listen. As in: "What does your watch face look like?" Go sit in a busy place (where you won't be caught eavesdropping) and really listen. Don't think, don't analyze, turn off the phone (ironic tip, that), and just listen. How does a conversation evolve from small matters to hitting the heart of someone's problem? How do the speakers stop and start, hesitate, stutter, hammer their points home? How can you tell if they are nervous, angry, in love?
2. Note the body language that accompanies a conversation. Actively observe.
3. Read. How do the pros capture dialog? Actively read. Note how the author of your favorite book filters through the chaos of real-life conversation to make dialog useful for their storyline. If you're writing a Romance era romance, you'd better be reading a lot of Jane Austen. Her characters never respond with, "Okay."
4. Practice. If you're nervous about writing dialog, write a script. Forget the exposition and the action descriptions for a while. You're obviously comfortable with those. So write your story in script format. Minimal scene direction. Meaningful dialog that moves the plot-line forward.
5. Read what you've written. Aloud. Really. Can a human tongue easily and naturally pronounce what you just wrote? Given the era and subject you're writing about, do average people really use those words on a daily basis? Remember, you actively listened already. You should be able to answer that question.
These are the same tips I find myself repeating over and over again when LegendFire members ask, "How do I ...?" Have I missed anything? Does anyone have any tips to add? Because what works for me may not work for others. How did you learn to write dialog?
.
We receive a lot of questions about writing at LegendFire. How do I ...? What do you think about this idea? Am I doing this right? What's the proper grammar rule for ...? Recently, however, I've noticed that the most-repeated question over the years has been, "How do I write dialog?"
This question has always struck me as humorous and, honestly, astonishing. It's like the "What does your watch face look like?" kind of question, where someone says to you, "Cover your wristwatch with your hand and describe your watch face."
How many times a day do people look at their watches? Yet every time I've seen this experiment done, most people are invariably stumped.
So it must be with writing dialog. How many conversations do we take part in everyday, much less hear to our left and our right throughout the waking hours? Most of us are continually surrounded with the sounds of conversation and the visible signs of body language. We even have conversations on candy:
So how does a beginning writer capture conversation on their pages?
2. Note the body language that accompanies a conversation. Actively observe.
3. Read. How do the pros capture dialog? Actively read. Note how the author of your favorite book filters through the chaos of real-life conversation to make dialog useful for their storyline. If you're writing a Romance era romance, you'd better be reading a lot of Jane Austen. Her characters never respond with, "Okay."
4. Practice. If you're nervous about writing dialog, write a script. Forget the exposition and the action descriptions for a while. You're obviously comfortable with those. So write your story in script format. Minimal scene direction. Meaningful dialog that moves the plot-line forward.
5. Read what you've written. Aloud. Really. Can a human tongue easily and naturally pronounce what you just wrote? Given the era and subject you're writing about, do average people really use those words on a daily basis? Remember, you actively listened already. You should be able to answer that question.
These are the same tips I find myself repeating over and over again when LegendFire members ask, "How do I ...?" Have I missed anything? Does anyone have any tips to add? Because what works for me may not work for others. How did you learn to write dialog?
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Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Chilling Halloween Reading!
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Looking for scary, grotesque, or disturbing tales to read during the Halloween season?
Ever since its release in October 2011, Past the Patch has been available for FREE at Smashwords and other sites. This collection by Dark Red Press features stories by thirteen authors (an appropriate number, eh?).
I'm not bringing the book up again because I hope to make a penny or two; we contributors don't make a penny off free books. I'm simply passing it along to you again out of the kindness of my heart. Have fun reading, and have a safe, candy-filled Halloween season!
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Looking for scary, grotesque, or disturbing tales to read during the Halloween season?
I'm not bringing the book up again because I hope to make a penny or two; we contributors don't make a penny off free books. I'm simply passing it along to you again out of the kindness of my heart. Have fun reading, and have a safe, candy-filled Halloween season!
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