I'm currently doing rewrites on my first book, Prescription for Murder. As I bang my head against my computer keyboard, I ponder when is enough, enough? I started this story years ago. I knew NOTHING. I didn't even know about the page settings. All I had was an idea and that was it. I would write for a couple weeks and then put it away for months at a time.
This last year I determined to learn the craft. At least to the best of my current ability. I've read books, taken workshops, joined a Mentor group, etc. Now I look at this book with disdain. I look at it and am overwhelmed with it's lackluster appearance. It's dry and boring and I can't fix it. It's broke. Without the ability to be repaired. Okay, I know I'm probably being a little dramatic, but you get the picture. I'm stuck. When do I decide to chuck it all, and when do I say this is a great story it's worth salvaging? No, really, when? I'm hoping you can tell me. =)
Seriously, I'd like to hear some of your woes. Since I have maybe three people who read this blog, I'll take what I can get.
Thursday, January 26, 2006
Monday, January 02, 2006
ROUND ROBIN SHORT STORY-- PART THREE
A few friends and I are doing a round robin short story through our blogs. I hope you'll join in. Here is the original post from Jennifer Tiszai's blog.
It’s a new year and some of us (me, Sabrina and Jenny) are starting on new wips. Through various IM and e-mail conversations the topic has come up about whether or not blogging helps or hurts our writing and creativity. Personally, I’ve come to the conclusion that it can be helpful as long as it doesn’t cut into writing time on my wip. It can help stoke the creative fires—and things can get pretty creative around here.
I don’t know if I can blame him for starting this chain of thought, but Mike Snyder (who always seems to be the source of, um, “creative writing” on this blog) left a comment last week about brainstorming a story. Then Malia mentioned the idea of a round robin story on her blog. So she and I brainstormed and came up with the idea of doing a round robin short story through our various blogs. The more the merrier so feel free to kick start your creative juices in the new year and jump on in.
Here’s what we came up with:
Anyone who wants to join in will write a 300-500 word segment of a short story. Hopefully we’ll end up with about ten segments but that’s not set in cement.
Each segment should include at least one of the following:
A tire iron
Nail polish
A map
A dead body (for us suspense writers)
A kiss (for the romance writers)
The ocean
The desert (because it’s my blog)
A visit to a salon
A writer who gets her book trashed to her face (knowingly or unknowingly)
A rainbow
A clairvoyant basset hound
Use your imagination. These things don’t have to be used in the way you would normally think of them. Feel free to steal each other’s characters or use your own.
What I’m thinking is that as you write your section, post here in the comments what part you’ve written (part two, part three, etc), then we can go read it on your blog. Then when it’s all done, (if ever) I’ll post the whole thing all put together either here or on my website.
To see part one go to Jen's blog. Part Two is on Malia's blog, and here is part three:
It wasn't that she didn't like Ryan. She just could't stand how he controled every situation. He was constantly making plans without her consent and taking it for granted that she felt the same way he did. She could hear Ryan approaching. She turned. If she wasn't so irritated at him, his expression would make her feel bad.
“Oh, hi Ryan.” She put her arm around Russell's waist. Ryan looked so out of place in his Dockers and loafers. He looked good, just out of place.
“Hey. What's going on?” He looked from her to Russell.
“Haven't you met Russell?” She feigned innocence.
“No, I think I'd remember.” He reached out a hand. “Ryan Taylor, and you are?”
“Russell Fink. I'm a friend of Sarah's.” He looked at her, probably making sure he got the name right.
She nodded.
“Friend?” Ryan crosses his arms. He looked directly at Sarah.
“I'm sorry Ryan, I should have told you sooner. We've been seeing each other for a while now.”
Ryan didn't say anything. She saw him swallow hard. He looked at the sand. “I guess that's it then. I'm happy for you Sarah.” He turned and started to walk away.
She felt ashamed. Not to mention a little disappointed that he didn't even try and make a play for her. Still, she knew she had to tell him the truth. “Ryan wait.” She reached out and put her hand on his shirt. “I'm sorry. Russell's not my boyfriend.” She looked back. Russell raised his eyebrows. He probably thinks I'm crazy.
“I didn't like how you cornered me at the restaurant tonight. Declaring your feelings in front of everyone." She sighed. "I felt trapped. I don't like everyone knowing my business.”
“You could have just told me. I'm not some ogre, Sarah.” He shook his head. “I still don't get it. Who's Russell?” He turned around to look at Russell and he wasn't there. “Hey where'd he go?”
Sarah assumed he must have gotten tired of her game and left. Then she heard it. Sonny. He was growling and barking like crazy.
“Hang on, Ryan.” She walked around the boat rental building and she saw him. There stood Russell, tire iron in hand. He was standing over what looked like a body. She gasped. "Oh dear God!”
It’s a new year and some of us (me, Sabrina and Jenny) are starting on new wips. Through various IM and e-mail conversations the topic has come up about whether or not blogging helps or hurts our writing and creativity. Personally, I’ve come to the conclusion that it can be helpful as long as it doesn’t cut into writing time on my wip. It can help stoke the creative fires—and things can get pretty creative around here.
I don’t know if I can blame him for starting this chain of thought, but Mike Snyder (who always seems to be the source of, um, “creative writing” on this blog) left a comment last week about brainstorming a story. Then Malia mentioned the idea of a round robin story on her blog. So she and I brainstormed and came up with the idea of doing a round robin short story through our various blogs. The more the merrier so feel free to kick start your creative juices in the new year and jump on in.
Here’s what we came up with:
Anyone who wants to join in will write a 300-500 word segment of a short story. Hopefully we’ll end up with about ten segments but that’s not set in cement.
Each segment should include at least one of the following:
A tire iron
Nail polish
A map
A dead body (for us suspense writers)
A kiss (for the romance writers)
The ocean
The desert (because it’s my blog)
A visit to a salon
A writer who gets her book trashed to her face (knowingly or unknowingly)
A rainbow
A clairvoyant basset hound
Use your imagination. These things don’t have to be used in the way you would normally think of them. Feel free to steal each other’s characters or use your own.
What I’m thinking is that as you write your section, post here in the comments what part you’ve written (part two, part three, etc), then we can go read it on your blog. Then when it’s all done, (if ever) I’ll post the whole thing all put together either here or on my website.
To see part one go to Jen's blog. Part Two is on Malia's blog, and here is part three:
It wasn't that she didn't like Ryan. She just could't stand how he controled every situation. He was constantly making plans without her consent and taking it for granted that she felt the same way he did. She could hear Ryan approaching. She turned. If she wasn't so irritated at him, his expression would make her feel bad.
“Oh, hi Ryan.” She put her arm around Russell's waist. Ryan looked so out of place in his Dockers and loafers. He looked good, just out of place.
“Hey. What's going on?” He looked from her to Russell.
“Haven't you met Russell?” She feigned innocence.
“No, I think I'd remember.” He reached out a hand. “Ryan Taylor, and you are?”
“Russell Fink. I'm a friend of Sarah's.” He looked at her, probably making sure he got the name right.
She nodded.
“Friend?” Ryan crosses his arms. He looked directly at Sarah.
“I'm sorry Ryan, I should have told you sooner. We've been seeing each other for a while now.”
Ryan didn't say anything. She saw him swallow hard. He looked at the sand. “I guess that's it then. I'm happy for you Sarah.” He turned and started to walk away.
She felt ashamed. Not to mention a little disappointed that he didn't even try and make a play for her. Still, she knew she had to tell him the truth. “Ryan wait.” She reached out and put her hand on his shirt. “I'm sorry. Russell's not my boyfriend.” She looked back. Russell raised his eyebrows. He probably thinks I'm crazy.
“I didn't like how you cornered me at the restaurant tonight. Declaring your feelings in front of everyone." She sighed. "I felt trapped. I don't like everyone knowing my business.”
“You could have just told me. I'm not some ogre, Sarah.” He shook his head. “I still don't get it. Who's Russell?” He turned around to look at Russell and he wasn't there. “Hey where'd he go?”
Sarah assumed he must have gotten tired of her game and left. Then she heard it. Sonny. He was growling and barking like crazy.
“Hang on, Ryan.” She walked around the boat rental building and she saw him. There stood Russell, tire iron in hand. He was standing over what looked like a body. She gasped. "Oh dear God!”
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