I'm still alive...

I'm still alive and so very thankful for it.

March 4th 2008 I was hit by a drunk driver. Now I live with constant emotional, mental and physical pain but I am alive and so very THANKFUL for it!

I'm recovering, but the road back to "me" is long.

Have I been writing? Yes and no.

Duncan and Jenna were forgotten for so long, but now I'm feeling the pull to tell their story again. Hurray! :)

I'm chronicling my baby son's journey over at Baby Wyatt's Story. I was pregnant with him when we were in the accident. He was born with PPHN ... persistent pulmonary hypertension, otherwise known as persistent fetal circulation. Absolutely terrifying stuff, let me tell you. Come visit me and my little miracle baby!

M.

I'm Still Alive

I'm creatively battered, bruised, sore, but elated! The online class Discovering Story Magic is intense and REALLY gets to the heart of your writing. My poor little characters and plot feel like they were blind-sided by a dump truck, LOL! But they will emerge better, stronger, and more believable than before!

And cos I'm a real sick-o, I've just signed up for another intense online class: Margie Lawson's "Deep Editing: The EDITS System, Rhetorical Devices, and More!" This one looks awesome, and I'll keep you all posted.

Cheers!

P.S. that story board pic is coming!

Story Boarding

I'm stuck, mired, stalled. Ugh. But I refuse to get down!

So, I've signed up for Discovering Story Magic online class and I'm still referencing the books in my target line. I'm tearing them apart and seeing how they tick. The "hero's journey" is very enlightening!

Don't worry, Jenna and Duncan are still running through my mind. Just mulling over the possibilities. And I'm getting ready to try story boarding. Very excited about it! Right now there is an author of the month workshop over at Romance Divas with the fabulous Julie Leto called Plotting With Your Pants On. Check it out! Very great stuff. I'll post a pic of my story board latter.

M

The Hero's Journey

This is something that I've puzzled over for a while but I think it is becoming clear.

Here are the steps in order:

1. The Ordinary World
2. The Call to Adventure
3. Refusal of the Call
4. Meeting with the Mentor
5. Crossing the First Threshold
6. Tests, Enemies and Allies
7. Approach to the Inmost Cave
8. The Supreme Ordeal
9. Seizing the Sword
10. The Road Back
11. Resurrection
12. Return With the Elixir

Deborah M. Hale's free online workshop "The Lovers' Journey" explains these points in detail, focusing on romance. Truly eye opening!

Procrastinating... yes I know.

Okay, I blame this post on Trish Wylie. Kinda fun in a procrastinating way! LOL I really like the ring in the pic.

What do you do to procrastinate? My top 5:

1. read romance novels... for research purposes, naturally!
2. start yet another art project that somehow does not get completed. sigh.
3. go shopping for stationary supplies. I've got an addiction. sick, i know.
4. clean my house. like vaccuuming behind the stove. REALLY sick, i know.
5. painting my house. seriously.

:)

M

Procrastinating... yes I know.

You Are a Ring Finger

You are romantic, expressive, and hopeful. You see the best in everything. You are very artistic, and you see the world as your canvas. You are also drawn to the written word. Inventive and unique, you are often away in your own inner world. You get along well with: The Pinky Stay away from: The Index Finger

What Finger Are You?

Oh, the STRESS of it all!!

Yup, it's official. Chapter 4 is giving me a bald spot! Grrrrrrrr.

I took a little break from Jenna and Duncan in the form of watching five children, all under the age of four for a few days. Let me tell you, the stress from that makes my chp.4 problem look like a walk in the park.

How is it that someone who is only three feet can move so fast? And what about the herd mentality? If one runs, they all want to run. And do you think it is in the same direction? Nooooooo, it's in all different directions. It forces you to mentally calculate who has the potential to get hurt the worst the first in seconds so you can speed after that one.

All moms who have more than three children, I salute you!

Hmmm... I wonder if the bald spot really is from chp. 4...

M

Speak To Me

How do you write dialogue?

I talk out loud, acting out the lines I want my character to say. Then I write them in "screenplay" format with little tags indicating a movement, expression, thought or feeling that goes with the line. I'll read it through a few times, making sure the subtext, or the un-said items I want the reader to pick up on are there. Then, I'll flesh it out with description, actions and such. In other words, it takes me a long time. :(

I think that is why I've been procrastinating a little. I'm at a crucial scene and dialogue is paramount. Ugh.

Does writing dialogue get any easier as you write? I certainly hope so!

By the way, I'm at 15% of W.I.P. done! Yay!!!

M