Happy Wednesday!
I’ve been struggling with choices recently; those that I’ve made, and those that need to be made. So imagine my delight (?) at finding an image that rings so true. As a gamer, you’d think I’d be better equipped.
Are you inspired?
Happy Writing!
I’ve heard people say they are afraid of accomplishing their goals, of getting what they’ve worked so hard for. It seems an odd thing to fear, but sometimes we struggle for so long that the struggle, in itself, becomes comforting. Like anything, good or bad, we grow accustomed to what we’re used to and anything else, such as change, is cause for fear.
We all tell ourselves something – something that makes us feel better, something that lessens the regret, something that keeps us stationary – it’s a habit we need to break.
Reach for those goals and embrace the good that will come!
Wishing you all the best in your endeavors!
As I reflected on last year, I realized I wrote very little (in addition to not doing much of anything else. Seriously, what happened last year?). It’s embarrassing because what’s the point in saying you’re a writer when you have very little to show for it. I wrote some flash fiction pieces, but not many, wrote a bit of fan fiction, and did one rewrite, in addition to the blog. I am ashamed.
As I stated, I don’t care for New Year’s resolutions, but it was a good jumping off point to make some changes. I have altered my schedule entirely in order to make some real progress, and I can report, “so far so good”. I finished the next chapter in the Dragon Age fan fiction which I really enjoy writing. It’s a nice escape. You can read it here, but forewarning, this is the chapter with the “mature” content and you have to agree to proceed on the website. The somewhat edited version can be found on my blog, here. I am also proud to report that I wrote the first draft of my TV pilot, The Demeter. Now the real work begins.
So while I let the pilot percolate on the back burner, I decided to write some flash fiction to keep up that momentum. Remember that quote about discipline…I’m all over it!
Ripper
The crescent moon’s pale light only added to the already ominous feel of the evening. The fog rolling in from the harbor wound its tendrils along the deserted streets and through the empty alleyways, creating the perfect landscape for a horror story, and a crime. The recent rains made the cobblestones shine, and also helped to wash away the remains of the many foul deeds to be found in this part of town. The pronounced click of the Inspector’s heels on those same stones echoed in the surrounding silence. He was on the hunt.
His long coat kept the chill from the outside at bay, but all he had seen in the past months had induced a permanent chill to be lodged in his spine. He had started to walk differently, more determined. The people were looking to him, but he was finding it increasingly more difficult to look at himself. He needed a clue. He needed answers. He needed resolution. Or he would forever be haunted by his inabilities.
Queen of the Night
She loved the moments just before night fell. Those moments when the world seemed black and white. She escaped into the night, feeling the cool air upon her skin, opening her arms to it, inviting it in. Death followed in her wake, floating behind her like mist. The earth dried up and the trees shrunk back to allow her passage, which pleased her. Despite her absence, they had not forgotten her. All around her was devoid of life, and she reveled in the silence. She was Death’s bride, and if she could, she would scratch her long black nails against the world to sharpen them in the anticipation of her kill. She had slumbered too long, but looked forward to reacquainting herself to the world.
The Guild
When she had escaped her jailers, she swore to herself that she would never again fall victim to the whims of man. She cut her hair, changed her name, and did what she could to distance herself from her old life. She did not seek out those she once knew, she did not let anyone know of her fate, but instead chose to protect herself. Everyone knew of the Guild, and what they represented, but what their ignorance could not understand was what it meant for those who were a part of it; it was indeed a brotherhood. She would first have to prove herself, and then they would find her. They only sought out those who were truly worthy. She moved to a new town and began her training. She took whatever work she could find, each a learning tool, a lesson towards her goal. It took some time, but she finally received her invitation, and then her real training began.
Shrouded in shadow, swathed in the garb that held both reverence and fear, she slid down the embankment with arms outstretched enjoying the thrill of the freedom in those moments just before she found her mark. With her face masked, they never knew that the girl they once thought a traitor was now their executioner.
~
Honestly, looking over these, I’m not in a dark place or anything, despite the running theme. Remember, you can join in the Writing Prompt fun any time! If you’re ever inspired, please share!
Happy Writing!
Yes, I know. It’s Thursday. No matter. Enjoy this week’s Writing Prompt and keep working towards your writing goals!
Happy Writing!
We live in an age of immediate gratification. The world is at our fingertips and we can have (almost) whatever we want thanks to Prime shipping. In the words of Veruca Salt, “I want it now!” And do you remember, we didn’t like her. This makes waiting for positive feedback, a step forward, or any progress on a long term goal for creatives all the more painful.
We seek out a modicum of pleasure in the quick response to a post via any one of the social media time-sucks (those little thumbs-up and likes can really do a number on the ego, can’t they?!), and we can check our inbox a hundred times a day (because very little actually arrives in physical mailboxes any more), because we can’t seem to wait. We want satisfaction, and we want it now. It’s makes the “patience is a virtue” phrase all the more relevant.
The creative path is not the way for those who desire a “quick fix”. Creatives need to find a balance in this fast paced world and remember that we need to put in the time and effort to reap the reward, and it starts with this:
I want this as a poster on my wall. In fact, I may do just that. It’s easy to get sidetracked, and I know this from experience, but no more.
Stay strong, my friends! Wishing you all the best with your goals!
I hate, that as screenwriters, we are often told that our first screenplay is rubbish. No one ever says that about a first time novelist. (Although, obviously, there are exceptions to that rule in either case.) It’s an infuriating statement. I’ve been writing something since I was eight, of course, that was all rubbish and I had no idea what I was doing, but when I wrote my first screenplay in college, I was in love. That’s when everything changed.
Now, the premise of that screenplay has sort of remained through subsequent drafts, but it has seen a major overhaul of story and characters a number of times. So yes, that first screenplay was terrible in comparison, and I would never have considered sending it out, but I don’t believe that’s what “they’re” talking about.
Regardless of how many revisions a screenplay has seen, I think “they”, the elusive industry people, believe that a first screenplay is just a starting point. They don’t believe we have found our voice, learned enough about structure and pacing, and all the other technical screenwriting terms we’re supposed to know because writing a screenplay is nothing like writing a novel*.
*I’m currently reading Hemingway’s A Farewell to Arms. Gracious. If a screenwriter wrote like that, we’d be blacklisted. For those who have read it, you know what I mean, for those who haven’t, eek, it’s a tough read.
As a screenwriter, I have not focused on any other writing styles as part of my portfolio or tried my hand at being a freelancer. I wouldn’t even know where to begin. Whenever I tell someone I’m a screenwriter, the next words out of their mouth are almost always in regards to having anything published. Nope. I don’t write the kind of stuff that can easily be published, anywhere. And then I feel like a failure. Although, in all fairness, I’m not going to hone my screenwriting skills writing an article on cats, or what-have-you.
Reading Stephen King’s On Writing didn’t help morale either. (Now, I learned years ago not to compare myself to others, not in writing or in success, but, and this is a BIG “but”, he currently has 50 titles to his credit, in addition to so many other things while I’m sitting proudly behind my 4 1/2 full length features, which I round up to 5 to sound better and the immense TV show floating around in my head. Ugh.) He started writing when he was a kid too, influenced in a completely different way than I was. Where he enjoyed the horror movies of the 50s, I was drawn to princess stories and the fantasy films of the 80s. He was encouraged to create his own stories, but honestly, I don’t remember having that same sort of support. Here’s that discrepant part of my memory. I don’t remember really sharing anything I had written until my senior year in high school when I took a creative writing class. That was the first time I had ever read my words aloud, and although the feedback was positive, I didn’t feel compelled to send my work out. Again, I didn’t even know where to begin.
I continued to write in the privacy of my room, taking a variety of English classes, playwriting, and creative classes along the way, but nothing satisfied the way screenwriting did, and I wouldn’t find that for many years. I remember I wrote this one-act play that my teacher loved. She said I should have it put on by this theater group that performed at a coffee bar across from the university. I never pursued it.
It was these early mistakes that I think stunted my growth as a writer. Without proper encouragement, I was left flailing – never to develop my voice, never to see my work in print or on stage, never to pursue a career with any fervor. Now here I am, all these years later, finally getting it together.
So, here’s the point.
If you truly want to be a writer, you have to work at it. That’s how we develop our voice. We have to read. We have to write. Everyday. This has been reiterated by every writer throughout history. And it is absolutely true. I am not the same writer I was when I was 8, at least I hope not. I’m not even the same writer I was in my 20s, and that is due to exposure. When we are exposed to other voices and styles, we see what we like, what we don’t, what works, what doesn’t (at least for us), and that makes us better writers by adding to our toolbox. Another lesson from On Writing.
It is through trial and error that we develop our writer’s voice. We have to practice everyday. Find new ways to explore our voice. That’s why I started writing the flash fiction pieces, and the fan fiction, for that matter. This blog has helped me tremendously as well. I thought that if it wasn’t screenwriting, it didn’t matter. How wrong I was.
Don’t make my mistakes. Let my errors be a lesson or a cautionary tale. Find avenues to get your work out there. Attain feedback. Find a writers group. Find a beta reader. You can be your own cheerleader, most of the time we have to be anyway, but find someone who will encourage you. You may already have this person in your life, or maybe they’re a friend waiting to be made in a writers group. They don’t have to be a writer, but only other writers understand the life. It’s tough, it’s lonely, and often thankless, but we do it for the love.
We love to tell stories, and hopefully one day, others will love reading them. As for that first screenplay, I’m still going to send it out. I love it…now. It doesn’t remotely resemble the first version all those years ago in Screenwriting 102, and that is in part because I have written and rewritten and written some more, not nearly as much as I should have by now, but I like my current voice and style, and that is reflected in it’s most recent rewrite.
Although in the real world, by which I mean Hollywood, I would not be allowed to keep rewriting my script 10+ years later. Oh my gods, if someone doesn’t buy it soon, I’ll be known as the George Lucas of rewrites. 😉
If you ever need an encouraging word, you know where to find me. Wishing you all the very best!
I try to keep the Deadline section of my own blog up-to-date to help those looking for current contest information a place to find it, but someone else has already done that for me for the new year.
Stephanie Palmer of Good in a Room has released a list of the 10 noteworthy screenwriting competitions in one place, here.
If you’ve been thinking that this is the year to enter a contest, these are the ones that have cache. Write them down on your calendar, post them next to your computer for encouragement, and make this the year that you follow your dreams! Also, take note that some of the deadlines are already fast approaching, so don’t delay if you want to be a part of them.
And if you’re not already following Good in a Room, put yourself on her list. You’ll receive helpful tips and advice via email, and that’s invaluable for us novices. Wishing you all the best of luck!
Yesterday was The Sis’s birthday. Last year I wrote her a letter, which is, I believe, my most searched/viewed post. This year I thought I would dedicate a Writing Prompt to one of her favorite things, Star Wars.
I wanted to find an image that was clearly Star Wars related without being so specific as to inspire only fan fiction creations. I think I’ve done just that with this:
Maybe now I can get her to join in the Writing Prompt Challenge fun. 😉
Happy Writing!
Time was not on my side yesterday. I picked up an extra shift, and then came home exhausted. I could not keep my eyes open. I didn’t read, I didn’t write, I didn’t walk my dogs. It’s those kind of days that make me think, “I just wasted what I was given”, and I have done enough of that already.
Moving forward, I’m trying to do things differently. I’ve set myself up with new goals and a new schedule that were designed to help me accomplish more, and so far, I’ve been pretty good. Yesterday was a random exception, or so I’m calling it. I’ve finished reading my first book of the year (YAY!) and I’m about a third of the way through writing the sci-fi/space pilot script (another YAY!).
One of my other goals is to stop playing it safe. I was driving around the other day thinking about my life and my writing and the predominate thought was, “I don’t want my work to never leave the hard drive”. I want to leave my mark, and in order to do that I have to leave my writing comfort zone. I have to take bigger risks in my storytelling. That’s what will make it worth it. That’s one of the reasons I tried my hand at that mature content in my Dragon Age fanfic. Escape from the ordinary, I guess. *Side note, Stephen King’s On Writing has been inspirational. If you haven’t read it yet, put it on your list. I highly recommend it.
And so I put forth the following quote:
“We all die. The goal isn’t to live forever, the goal is to create something that will.” – Chuck Palahniuk
Be brave, my friends! Happy Writing!
Also, I was thinking of the passing of David Bowie quite a bit, and this quote feels quite apropos. RIP.
It’s easier to be a fan nowadays, easier than it was when I was a kid. Gracious, I sound like an old woman, reminiscing, or rather complaining, about the ol’ days. The internet has made it easier to find alternate avenues to explore, groups to join, and art and fanfiction to continue to grow our devotion.
When I was growing up, we didn’t have fandoms, we just liked something. We were fans, but we didn’t have nicknames for what we aligned ourselves with. If we had, I guess I would have been a Smurfette, or maybe a witch (Bewitched), perhaps Wonder Woman’s younger sister, or even a gelfling (The Dark Crystal). I’ve always been a princess.
Now there are Browncoats (Firefly), Loki’s Army, and SuperWhoLocks (the trifecta – Supernatural/Doctor Who/Sherlock), among so many others. We now refer to ourselves as Cumbercookies (Benedict Cumberbatch fans) and Whedonites (Joss Whedon supporters). As I’ve discovered myself drawn to new fandoms with more fervor, it’s made me think: How do fandoms choose us?
Dragon Age to me is what Star Wars is to The Sis (she’s a Sith, by the way). I loved Star Wars growing up. I had an X-Wing (which was sold at some point in my youth at a garage sale much to The Sis’s disappointment), dressed as Princess Leia on multiple occasions, am pretty sure Han Solo was my first crush, and it will always hold a special place in my heart, but I don’t feel the same way about it anymore. Maybe it’s because while I was growing up, I didn’t have those alternate avenues to explore; those resources to fan the flames of my devotion. Don’t get me wrong, I still get that sense of awe when I hear the Imperial March, and I welled up during the opening credits of The Force Awakens, but maybe it’s because it’s always been a part of my life that I take it a bit for granted.
The Sis, on the other hand, is a walking encyclopedia of Star Wars information. For a speech in her communications class, she was deemed an authority by which she could use herself as a source due to her knowledge. She IS a Star Wars fan.
Dragon Age, Captain America, and Doctor Who are all newer to me and I love them all individually for their uniqueness and ability to draw me in, and am thankful for all the ways I can explore these worlds more fully. Dragon Age is medieval and fantasy combined – a true favorite of mine – and why I love Game of Thrones as well. Captain America is a man out of time with a great sense of self-sacrifice to do the right thing, while rarely thinking himself worthy. Gotta love a do-gooder. This is why I’m on his side for Civil War. And then there was Doctor Who. Hmm…what was it exactly that drew me in? Maybe it’s the ability to mix a laugh while simultaneously breaking your heart in the same breath. Maybe it’s that the Doctor is so alone in the universe and you just want to hug him. It could also be the show allows one to travel in time and space, so there are a number of worlds and people to explore and meet, and he’s always so happy to do so. The perfect traveling companion.
I’ve been reading Stephen King’s On Writing and he was greatly inspired by 50s horror movies and stories, and that is what influenced his work. I think the types of stories we’re exposed to as kids leave a big mark. I was raised in the 80s with Disney princesses, Roald Dahl, and the dark stories of Jim Henson’s puppetry genius. I am drawn to characters that want to do the right thing, that have an opportunity to go on a great adventure while falling in love and defeating some larger than life villain. Pretty much sums up all those fandoms I’m invested in, and the types of stories I write too. I think this is how a fandom chooses us -it speaks to us on some deeper level.
While the internet has created a great divide in human interaction in general, it has also allowed people who have felt isolated to find others like-minded in their devotion easier. When someone recognizes the gaming symbol on your shirt, there is an instant connection. When some random salesperson overhears and understands your fandom reference, we feel a kinship, and that is what this new world of fandom has created: a network of allies. The Sis and I made a new friend at a Supernatural con because she had a Star Wars tattoo on the back of her neck and it instigated a conversation that led us to finding a soul sister. Thank you, fandom world.
I have friends who don’t have a fandom, and I think, how boring is your life?! What do you have to look forward to? This new sphere has opened up a number of opportunities is which we don’t have to hide our love for a fictional character or world. We are now free to openly celebrate what makes us geeks. That is a great thing.
Of course, there are stories of fan-hating at cons and on the internet, but trolls will be trolls, and as in real life, we can’t control what others think of us, and it’s none of our business anyway. Eff ’em! Do what makes you happy and love your fandom.
If you’re in need of some recommendations for a fandom, I’d be happy to help you find one! After all, who knows what kind of friends you’ll meet; interesting, creative, clever, devoted, good people. I have a bunch I’ve never even met in person, but our fandoms united us and allowed friendships to grow. Now we support each other in all our endeavors, not just the geeky ones.
Also, becoming invested in a fictional world can help you in your own writing. You may be exposed to new ideas and beliefs. A variety of characters with subtle nuances and habits can help you with your own character toolbox. Role playing games have you make decisions that effect the world around you, and having that sort of decisive mindset may help make a difficult decision in your own story. Expansive gaming worlds, like the Marvel universe, have a great way of connecting a number of storylines and characters, and if you’re building your own world, it may help you connect those dots. I’ve found resolutions or ways to make my worlds better because of my fandoms. Maybe you can too.
So, who do you align yourself with?
A Writer's Discrepant Memoirs and Other Tales 