creative-writing

Is it Thursday already? I should write something, then.

Save the Cat is a good book if you’re wondering how to organize a novel. Lays everything out in step-by-step. I recommend it for anyone who wants to write, but doesn’t know where to start, or how to organize things.

I think it’s a shame that it’s now a de rigueur standard for books. If you don’t hit the plot points at the right pages, the agent isn’t going to look any further. I think this is a shame. This doesn’t allow for experimentation, or variations on themes. A lot of good books might be overlooked because they’re not following the path that Save the Cat has set up.

I don’t hate it. I just don’t think that it should be used to the exclusion of everything else. I understand – at the end of the day, this is a business, and risk aversion is rife. I am using it right now to write a YA novel. I like the structure, but I don’t like the notes that plot point x should come in at such-and-such percentage of the novel. I write because I am horrible at math.

Speaking of writing, I enjoy writing Unbroken without an outline. It’s a little slow, because I have to figure out what to do next. I am getting a new novel out of it, though. I am amazed at Tyro’s quick thinking and Ghislain’s steadfast trust in her and her grand design. Right now, they’re dancing for money, and they’re going to run afoul of the clergy and hopefully get to the train scene that I want to write. I think things have been a little safe right now, and I want to get them to the next big city to move the story along.

April 24^th is not coming fast enough for me. I want to get The Show Must Go On in front of someone, just so I can see if it’s good enough for printing. I also need to get back to looking up agents and publishing companies that are looking for horror. It’s a shame that Writer’s Digest no longer prints their guides to agents and publishers. Query Tracker is good, but they’re a little thin on horror. If anyone knows of any other resources, drop a comment. I would like to find some small publishers. I think I would get better results from them as opposed to the Big Five (now four, I think).

Well, I think that’s enough for now. I should try to get back to writing something. Take care and see you next time.

I am picky about keyboards and pens. I only use fountain pens, and I like my keys to feel a certain way when I type. I like a lot of springiness in my keys. I love the clicking sound a good keyboard makes. It reminds me of a typewriter – which I own exactly zero. I love my computers far too much to go down a peg.

My current love is the Arteck HB192 Universal Bluetooth Keyboard. The springiness and clicking is utterly divine! I can switch between my game computer and my work computer with just a press of a button. Being Bluetooth means there are no wires to have to worry about. The keyboard itself is rechargeable, so there’s no need to worry about buying batteries. The battery life is very long, but I’m also the person who turns off things if they’re not in use.

I am totally in love with it. Low profile means I don’t trip over keys or mistype something (much). It can connect to three machines. I’m only using two, but it will allow for even Android connectivity. I know someone who writes on their phone, and I am suggesting this to them. It has all the bells and whistles are far as volume, player controls and brightness. Where has this amazing thing been all my life?

There’s more going on than just me rhapsodizing about keyboards. I’ve gone on ahead and started writing the manuscript to Tribal. In the outline, I am on chapter twenty-one, so I plan on writing it during the day, and working on the outline at night after work and gym. Twenty-one chapters should be more than enough of a buffer to keep everything going. I’m also putting myself on a deadline – stop laughing – and I want to have the second draft done by end of September. With an eye on publication the following year. This one won’t be vetted by the writer’s group because that’s going to take far too long. I want this book out before the current political climate comes to an end…which if you ask me, can’t come soon enough.

Other than that, I have also started outlining Serve Me Now out of a fit of boredom. When I get Tribal’s outline finished, I am going to throw myself into that. I would like to have two manuscripts done this year…even as I sit on two complete manuscripts that need attention. Why? Because I’m like a German Shepherd on a freeway. So many tires and so little time and teeth.