Time Machine Question

So, the question was posed to me yesterday: "If you could go back in time ten years, and take only one thing with you, what would it be?"

Good question. I mean, I could do what Biff did in Back To The Future, and get a sports almanac, and get wealthy betting on sports I already know the outcome on...or I could get a printout of the biggest lottery payout numbers...

I mean, there's a lot of endless possibilities. Then I finally decided (and clearly, taking something back with me involves less than integrity-driven motives) I would take the Twilight series back with me. And I'd put it out before Stephenie Meyer ever had her dream (heh heh!). You have to admit, the girl had good timing. There wasn't a whole lot of vampire "stuff" out there, and now, that's ALL you can find at the local bookstores.

Isn't it all about timing? I wrote a fairy story last year, and I was excited to submit it, and suddenly, all the books on the shelves were about Fairies! (I guess vampires had their run, and agents were actually saying "no vampire books please" on their websites!). So, naturally, no one wanted to read my Fairy story.

So, now, I'm working on something different. It doesn't have Vampires in it. It doesn't have Fairies. It has a regular girl, no mystical creatures whatsoever, but it does have a fantasy element--Time Travel. I'm not seeing a whole lot of those types of books out right now.

So, maybe by the time I finish these edits, and start submitting, someone will have come out with a GREAT story where a Fairy and a Vampire Fall in love whilst TIME TRAVELING together. And everyone will be freaking out and getting inspired to write about Time Travel.

I sound jaded, don't I?

The Apple Doesn't Fall Far From The Tree...

"Hey Mom?"

"Yeah?"

"What's that thing called, you know-- that they wore on their backs and put arrows in before they shot them?"

"A quiver?"

"Yeah, that's it! Thanks, Mom!"

My son is writing a story. He's finished keyboarding at school, and got an "A" in the class, so, clearly he learned something. And now he's motivated to write more, because he doesn't have to "hunt and peck," and can actually type as he thinks. I love that about computers. I've loaned him my Alphasmart Neo so he can be mobile, and we just download his work onto his computer at the end of the day. I love it! My daughter loves to write. My 11-year old son loves to write. My nine-year old loves to write. Three down, one to go! I think it's such a great outlet for creativity. Even if the stories aren't read by anyone but family.

My three-year old still prefers books to toys. There is hope, yet! Plus, he's my son, right? He HAS to love reading and writing! ;-)

Write A Novel Like an Oreo

I have figured out that around page 200 or so in a manuscript, is where my writing can get a little...un-spectacular. Not that I usually write spectacularly, but I like to have a strong beginning, and a strong end. Therefore, sometimes, the "middle" suffers.

I need to write a novel like an Oreo. Strong, yummy front and back, and the BEST part in the middle! I need to make the middle somewhat...scrumptious.

A challenge! And now, I feel the sudden need to go have some oreos and milk...

Vroom Vroom

All revved up, and what is happening???

Ppphhhhbbbtttttt. As in, ZERO. Maybe because I wrote 5500K on the wip last week, and it took a lot out of me? Now I am doing zilch.

Bad Lara! BAD!!!

I swear, it happens every time I set a deadline. Why is that?

Loathing.

I think sometimes one can hit a point, usually during or after massive edits, where it is possible for one to LOATHE their own book.

It is currently happening to me. I am SO SICK of my EMMA story right now. I've finished my third-to-first person edits. I've added 6K words. I've cut about 3K. I've reworked the first five pages about 7959375 times. Because, you know, agents rarely read past the first five pages. Heck, I've heard, recently, that most agents don't read past the first two pages. Unless you hook them, reel them in, and make them happy they continued reading.

Yeah, that's a lot of pressure. The first two pages have to be perfect. Well, the first TEN, because that's usually what they ask for in a query.

I hate my story. I want to never look at it again, for like, months, but since NaNo is coming up, if I don't get it out there before December, it will sit in the growing slush piles with all the NaNo projects. And then the Holidays will happen. And then the New Year, and then, nothing will happen in the month of January, and it will be February before things start rolling again.

Unless I have a KILLER first two pages. Which I'm currently SICK of.

Pphhhhhbbbhhhttttt.

On a Roll...

My current WIP is 49K, now that I've edited/chopped it. Now I need to add 10-15K back in, but it has to be a new storyline I'm incorporating. Tricky.

I've got the outline, and I've done the research, now it's a matter of interjecting these three chapters into the middle of the story, and making it seamless.

Fingers crossed! If it works, it will be great! Well, at least *I* think it will be. After that, it will be for my beta readers to decide.

But at least I'm writing! I'm being proactive! Go me!!!

It Was a Dark and Stormy Night...

I am trying to figure out which weather makes for the best for writing. For me, anyway. Some writers like sunlight streaming in the windows, some like to hunker down by candlelight while a storm rages outside, some like a cup of steaming coffee and a 5am morning (NOT me!) and some just like to write when the mood hits them, and they block out everything but the computer in front of them.

I think that might be me. I have a gift (curse?) of blocking things out. It's not very good sometimes, because if I'm on the phone, or reading a book, I don't hear anyone around me. I shut them out, and focus on what I'm doing. It really does drive my hubby nuts. And my kids.

I think morning might be the best for me, now that I think about it. Especially after the kids have left for school and the house is quiet. Except for my three-year old. Can't exactly block him out. ;-)