Inspiration in strange places

I write fiction in part because I don't have the patience to be accurate with research. Instead of figuring out the facts to the detail, I'd rather make them up... and that's somewhat frowned upon in the non-fiction industry.

But my stories are all drawn from truth and real life experiences. Everyone has experienced all the emotions to one degree or another. Usually I feel a moment, a situation and think 'this could become a story by wondering what if'... the changes of a real situation answering 'what if' grow into fiction.

Today I took the kids to see Maleficent. I love going to the movies but it's unusual that I love a specific movie itself enough to be wrapped up and impacted by it. Most I enjoy while I'm watching (or not) and then forget about them shortly after. Maleficent was amazing. It was magical in its story and its presentation - the effects and the cinematography were phenomenal. The story was beautiful, real and painful and honest. The characters seemed so true (despite the occasional wing or horns in the head) and so flawed. I came out of there wanting to write more fantasy stories, which is something I've never been interested in before.

If you get a chance to check it out, please do so!

N

Unproductive... ARGH!

Unproductive is the polite term for it.

I remember a discussion in an early science class about the difference between 'causational' and 'correlational' relationships. The example used was this: A ten year old has bigger feet than a two year old. A ten year old has stronger reading skills than a two year old. The size of feet and the reading skills both increase with age but the larger feet is not responsible for the reading - it's not a causational relationship.

I've not had diet Coke or M&Ms in two weeks.

I have not been able to solve my latest WIP issues in two weeks.

Causational? or Correlational?

The WIP character is in a lot of pain and stress, in a very dark place that many have seen from afar. It's hard to figure out how she works there, how to explain what she does and why she makes the choices she has so far. I've got the beginning and the and and really struggling to see if there's a middle worth writing since 7K words does not a novel make.

I'm pretty sure it's the lack of diet Coke and M&Ms.

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Stone Dust and Lucky Clovers (previously known as The Practice)

My passions include - my kids and their dad, my dog, writing, reading, taking pictures and baseball.

Of these, the oldest is probably baseball.

I love the art of the game, the history, the culture, the class. The superstitions. The stats. The smell of grass and dirt and the squeak of a new ball. The way real stitches feel under the fingertips... Baseball is more than a sport, it has a soul all its own.

I have written two shorts centred around baseball. Nine is available through Amazon and Kobo, and my latest was just released by Cobalt Press in their Cobalt Review: Special Baseball Issue. (Click here to read it! I'm RF for the Home team, which is the only way I get to play on the grass).

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Told you so...

I warned you it's impossible to get anything literary done in the summer. Laundry too. I did manage to poke out some words at work this week when my clients were on vacation or no-showing. And I took my 'puter to PJ's soccer this afternoon and got a few more words added.

I saw this on FB and thought it was really neat, so I thought I'd share. (is it bad for my rep as a YA author to say 'it's really neat'?) It's phat. It's totes awesome. (yeah, that's probably worse, eh?). Anyways, check it out have a look:

Please appreciate that the picture is by itself. The banner said something in the first person about finding it useful as a writer, which was too dishonest for me - I haven't used it yet I just think it's 'neat'. And I'd like to colour-code it.

N

PS you might be able to tell that my thoughts are a little bit rambly over here... That doesn't help.

Writing Process Blog Hop!

Another invite!  I'm not being nearly reclusive enough.

This one has questions I need to answer:

1. What am I working on?

 Egads I don't know!!! I'm running around in circles putting out fires! I'm marketing my first novel as much as I can, I'm still subbing my second novel. My third novel is out being beta-read and I have about 1000 random words that may or may not be the infant heart beat of another story.

2. How is my work different from others of its genre?

I've said a few times, I hate the concept of 'genre'... a story is a story, I don't like that we have to stuff it in a category so it's easily found on a shelf somewhere. I'll use my Pulizter notoriety to change that.

But for real, my work is different just because it's mine :) At the risk of sounding terribly cheesy... I think writing is an art form that is driven by personal experience, emotions, beliefs and opinions - even if you're writing fiction, the truth that is relatable to the reader is built from a foundation of the author's life events and insights. I struggle to sell Game Plan because it's not a 'catchy, action packed' story... it's a soak in and feel story.

3. Why do I write what I do?

I dunno.

Okay okay, I really don't know. I'm actually surprised at how different each of the stories I've written is... the first is a contemporary YA about teen pregnancy, the second a dystopian story about the power of words, creativity and defining love, for the third I'm trying to tame and organize a harrowing experience of four teens in high school and the fourth? The fourth hurts already. Maybe I have multiple personalities.

4. How does my writing process work?

I need quiet. I love the idea of having a soundtrack for a story, but I can't, I need silence from music, from kids, from interruptions. I have my work space that is only for writing with a spot for my diet Coke and M&Ms. My cat likes to jump on and off my knee.

Please check out my Twitterly friends' blogs:

The Magnificent Alison DeLory

The Effervescent J.D. Robinson

The AllWise Marion C. Lanier

The Delusional Ellen Mulholland (She's an A's fan, poor girl)

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