Falling Behind

I just noticed that I missed two... almost three... days of posting on my blog. Sigh, just another sign of how far I am falling behind.

But no more. I am going stay on top of my blog in April.

How are things going in your corner of the writing world?

Prompt Tuesday #40

Every Tuesday I post a writing prompt and my response. It gives me a chance to exercise my writing muscles outside of my WIP, and hopefully inspire you to write. So enjoy my flash fiction piece and post your own in the comments!

Prompt

Source: Resources for Creative Writing #13 (visit the site for a great intro to these prompts.)

Leaves changing color

Response

The leaves are changing colors
The season changing
The hours roll on
The sun sets
And the world begins a new.

I Can't Believe I Am Doing This!

Well actually there are two things I can't believe I am doing:

1. I am shelving Three of Ivory.

Yes, I know - shocking that I would set aside a project. I just think I need more time to wrap my head around the story and get to know the characters. I want Three of Ivory to be amazing. There are some things I need to do before I can give it the time and effort it really deserves.

2. I am starting a fantasy/romance project.

Me. Romance. I know! Now to clarify it is not going to be a steamy romance (yuck!). It is going to be a love story. Something along the lines of Jane Austin. This idea has been floating around in my head for a while. Here are some examples of the idea leaking out in my writing:

Exhibit A
Exhibit B
Exhibit C

Making this decision was hard. But I came up with a really really good reasons why to do it.

As I was writing Three of Ivory I realized that it had much the same tone as Shadowed Stones. This is not what I wanted. The idea, the world, the characters are all different. So I decided I need some distance from the project so I could reset and look at it with fresh eyes. My new project is like a half step between the tone of Shadowed Stones and the tone I want for Three of Ivory. I think it will be a good way to break away from Shadowed Stones and get ready to write Three of Ivory.

Another thing I am trying... I am not telling anyone about the plot to my story. I want to plot it a write the first draft before anyone knows an ounce about it. Part of this is to keep me interested in the project. The other part of it is that this is the first real love story I have written. And I want to see how it goes without any outside influence.

Have you ever had to shelve a project - before you really began?

The Mighty Pen #39

The Mighty Pen flash fiction contest is a just for fun writing contest (inspired by my wonderful husband). I post the beginning of a story – and you post an end! I will choose a winner and several honorable mentions. The contest is open until Sunday night and the winner is announce on Monday where I feature them on my blog. Check out past winners on the tab above.

Note: This is a family friendly blog – so please keep it PG rated. Thanks!

The Beginning

"Please, let me go," she pleaded, tears streaming down her face.

Pain shadowed the evil in his eyes. He spoke, his voice low and dark, "I can't." ...

Three Words #39

One of my favorite writing games is something I call three words. I post three words and encourage you to write a flash fiction piece containing those three words. If you would like to challenge me – post three words for me and next week I will post a piece of flash fiction using your words. Enjoy!

Three Words

• Ellipse
• Intergalactic
• Render

Flash Fiction

Using the three words: Blush, Unpalatable, and Speaker(from last week.)

A blush darkened the young girls cheeks.

"Come, Aaron, you are embarrassing her," a sultry woman's voice spoke from beyond Mordin's view.

A deep laugh bellowed up from the shadows. "So I am."

Mordin's blood frozen when he recognized the speaker. Not Aaron - Arnon.

"She must find your request... unpalatable," the woman smirked.

Mordin could wait no longer. If Arnon was here he must take the chance to strike him down, once and for all.

Prompt Tuesday #39

Every Tuesday I post a writing prompt and my response. It gives me a chance to exercise my writing muscles outside of my WIP, and hopefully inspire you to write. So enjoy my flash fiction piece and post your own in the comments!

Prompt

Source: Resources for Creative Writing #10 (visit the site for a great intro to these prompts.)

A cut on the hand

Response

Cari looked down at the red stripe on her palm. She traced her fingers along the partially healed wound. When did this happen? She wondered. I don't remember cutting myself.

"Torin was teaching you to use a knife to defend yourself." Urie said to her from across their small camp fire.

"Torin?" Cari asked. A pained look darkened Urie's eyes.

"He's a... good friend."

"I don't remember," Cari admitted.

"I know," Urie responded. "That is why you are here. To remember."

Tagged Again!

So.... like forever ago the wonderful Laura tagged me. And I am just now getting to it. Since I am so late... I won't pass the tag along to anyone specific. But if you would like to - go ahead :)

Here's how it works:
The rules:
1. Go to page 77 of your current MS
2. Go to line 7
3. Copy down the next 7 lines - sentences or paragraphs - and post them as they're written. No cheating
4. Tag 7 authors
5. Let them know

Here is a sneak peak into Shadowed Stones (since I technically don't even have one page of Three of Ivory

---

They were frightened; Lyni could tell that from the occasional sob or whimper that escaped their lips. Whenever one would make a noise the others would shush them, knowing that if Lyni was distracted they would all be dead, buried under a pile of cold stone.

Their situation was desperate.

Slowly she turned her back on the huddling servants, hiding the sudden tears that she could no longer hold back. She was tired, her whole body ached, and her head screamed with pain. At least all of this crowded out the gnawing complaints of her empty stomach. Lyni did not know how much longer she could hold out.

If it had only been her that Feldon had placed in the small room she would have given up quickly and accepted her fate. Her freedom from Feldon’s grasp was worth much more than her life and she could never sacrifice the lives of others, just to defy him. All this, the dark wizard knew and used against her.

Behind her one of the young servant girls was crying softly, and Lyni shared in her desperation. Her hold on the ceiling above them was weakening with each breath, and with each breath their deaths drew closer and closer. She hoped, at least, that the servants knew that she had tried her hardest to save them and given everything she had to ensure that they did not become victims of Feldon’s desire to control her.

The ceiling slipped a few more inches.

Lyni screamed with frustration and tried to push it back up, but it was no use, the endless strain had finally worn her down.

---

Ooo - I am so glad that this landed at such a wonderful point in the story! Enjoy!

The Mighty Pen #38

The Mighty Pen flash fiction contest is a just for fun writing contest (inspired by my wonderful husband). I post the beginning of a story – and you post an end! I will choose a winner and several honorable mentions. The contest is open until Sunday night and the winner is announce on Monday where I feature them on my blog. Check out past winners on the tab above.

Note: This is a family friendly blog – so please keep it PG rated. Thanks!

The Beginning

"Sometimes I wonder what have been. If only I hadn't...

Three Words #38

One of my favorite writing games is something I call three words. I post three words and encourage you to write a flash fiction piece containing those three words. If you would like to challenge me – post three words for me and next week I will post a piece of flash fiction using your words. Enjoy!

Three Words

• Blush
• Unpalatable
• Speaker

Flash Fiction

Using the three words: Hang, Untranslatable, and Widower (from last week.)

I just let the words hang there, suspended in the silence between us.

"I am sorry," the translator said, "but that is untranslatable. They have no concept of such a thing."

"It is really quite simple," I replied. "They return the Widower and her crew - or we destroy their capital city."

I was not sure - but it looked as if the Andredi ambassador's eyes bulged as the translator tried to convey my meaning. At length he spoke in the deep flowing words of his native language. The translator turned to me, his face ashen.

"The ship they will return. The crew.., they have already disposed of."

I spread my hands on tghe table and stood very slowly. "In that case, Mr. Ambassador, we are at war."

Prompt Tuesday #38

Every Tuesday I post a writing prompt and my response. It gives me a chance to exercise my writing muscles outside of my WIP, and hopefully inspire you to write. So enjoy my flash fiction piece and post your own in the comments!

Prompt

Source: Resources for Creative Writing #3 (visit the site for a great intro to these prompts.)

One thing wrapped around another

Response

The vine bit into Carsa's arm as it slowly tightened its hold. She looked down at the black emptiness below her. Then her eyes turned back to the bloodthirsty face watching her from the cliff above.

Resolved, Carsa reached into her boot and pulled out the slender dagger she kept hidden there. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Then with one swift movement Carsa cut through the vine - severing her connection with the world above.

She fell into the darkness.

I am not an Insecure Writer

Lack of Confidence

In the online community of writers I have come across a lot of people who lack confidence in their writing. I understand what that is like because when I was starting out I felt the same way. And I am sure many of you know what it is like to...

-Hold on to your writing and not let anyone else see.
-Finally give up your writing but then spend the whole time worrying that the person will hate it.
-Never hear any of the positive feedback because you are fixated on the negative.
-Feel like there is not point to being a writer because you aren't perfect now.

I spent many years going through all this. Of course it probably did not help that I did not like myself much and so found it easy to put myself down. But I learned some important things in life that helped me not just in life but in my writing too.

Recently I read two posts that got me thinking about this subject in depth. If you missed these - you should take the time to read through them:

Sticks and Stones on Rookie Scrivener
Are Your Efforst Unique or Do You Blend by Jody Hedlund

There Is Hope

Many of you know about The Insecure Writers Support group that posts once a month about their insecurities. I almost joined it once until I realized one thing - I am not an insecure writer. I used to be, but I grew out of it. So all of you out there that still struggle with having faith in yourself as a writer - there is hope.

Being Confident

I am sure by now you are wondering how I did it. Well, the road was long and hard for me. But the concept was simple.

There are only three people in the world whose opinion matters to me: My God, My Husband, and Myself. Nothing else matters.

Saying it is one thing. But living it is another. Once you achieve this state of mind you will be amazed at the freedom, courage, and confidence it gives you.

Now I mentioned that the road was hard. Especially in writing. So here are a few tips that I used to develop a strong enough confidence in myself to stop basing my self image on what others thought.

1. I spent time getting to know myself as a writer. Learning my voice and being comfortable with it - without any external influence. - This meant that I did not read much and I did not give my work to others to read. I just wrote and wrote and wrote until I understood who Krista the Writer was.
2. I learned to focus on the positive when I received feedback. This does not mean that I ignore negative feedback. But what I do is I read through feedback and sort it into negative and positive. Then I read just the positive again. Ending with the good helps it stick in my mind.
3. I stopped comparing myself to other writers. This was hard because it is natural. I learned to read novels with an eye to enjoy and to learn. If I caught myself comparing myself I gave myself a little time out. There will always be someone better. There will always be someone worse. In the end comparisons don't help you learn anything.
4. I don't take it personally when someone critiques my work. Of course I still feel disappointing that my work isn't perfect. But I also love to grow and learn. If you are perfect there is no room for growth. I try to look at feedback from the point of view of - how can this help me grow?
5. And last but not least - If all else fails - ignore them. Some people are bound to think differently then you. That is what makes life interesting. Wouldn't it be boring if everyone thought and felt exactly the same! So if you don't agree with someone else's opinion - it is okay to ignore them. Or of course - to voice your own opinion.

So to you, the writer who feels like the words you writer aren't worth anything, I say - THEY ARE! Just because you wrote them! They may never be published, or even seen by someone else. But they matter because they are your words. At the very least by writing them you learned something.

Still not back on the Wagon

So... I am still not back on track. I have some work I need to critique for one of my critique partners. And some notes he gave me. But I still haven't gotten to that.

I also re-worked the outline for the first 9 chapters of Three of Ivory. Decided that was far enough for now and that I need to start writing. But didn't.

I started think about my other project that I want to work on. My dilemma is that the story really has two parts - and I don't know where to start. On the one hand I could start in the middle which would be exciting. I could then leave the beginning for a prequel. But I am kind of anti-prequels written after the fact. I have almost decided to write the beginning and then the end.

I also need to get Shadowed Stones ready to submit to the next publisher on my list. But - I haven't even started that yet.

So pretty much I have things I should be doing. But I'm not. To be honest I got knocked out of my writing grove earlier this year - and it has been a struggle to find my way back.

One thing that has helped me is reading everyone's blogs and seeing what they are up to. It makes me want to come back - even if I have been able to actually get there yet.

How is your writing going?

The Mighty Pen #37

The Mighty Pen flash fiction contest is a just for fun writing contest (inspired by my wonderful husband). I post the beginning of a story – and you post an end! I will choose a winner and several honorable mentions. The contest is open until Sunday night and the winner is announce on Monday where I feature them on my blog. Check out past winners on the tab above.

Note: This is a family friendly blog – so please keep it PG rated. Thanks!

The Beginning

Slowly the wheels began to turn...

Three Words #37

One of my favorite writing games is something I call three words. I post three words and encourage you to write a flash fiction piece containing those three words. If you would like to challenge me – post three words for me and next week I will post a piece of flash fiction using your words. Enjoy!

Three Words

• Hang
• Untranslatable
• Widower

Flash Fiction

Using the three words: Eagle, Errand, and Error (from last week.)

"Maple, I have a an errand for you," Sir Riken the Head Messenger said.

Maple stood and snapped to attention. A small thrill ran up her back. An errand from the Head Messenger. "Yes, sir!" she exclaimed.

He handed her a single page folded and sealed with blue wax. Maple's eye flitted to the imprint in the wax, the image of an eagle flying over a rising sun. The royal seal. Maple managed not to sequel with excitement - just barely.

"Deliver this message." the Head Messenger told her.

"To whom?" Maple asked.

The Head Messenger handed her another, smaller, piece of sealed paper. "Everything you need to know is in here."

Maple nodded, saluted, and then ran from the assembly hall.

As she turned around the corner heading from the front doors she heard a voice from behind her. "I hope you have not chosen her in error, Riken."

"Maple will not let us down," came Riken's answer.

Prompt Tuesday #37

Every Tuesday I post a writing prompt and my response. It gives me a chance to exercise my writing muscles outside of my WIP, and hopefully inspire you to write. So enjoy my flash fiction piece and post your own in the comments!

Prompt

Source: Resources for Creative Writing #1 (visit the site for a great intro to these prompts.)

Broken Pottery

Response

Hanna reached her hand down and brushed her finger against the jagged piece of clay. Trails in the dust showed evidence of her touch.

She stood, the red silk fabric of her gown hissing in the silence. Her escort of soldiers watched her movements through the room silently.

After some time had passed she turned to one of them. "I am ready now."

I lose the Tag Game

So like forever ago Angela from The Starving Novelist tagged me in a Meme. And I am just now getting around to passing it on. Sigh, I never was good a playing tag :)

Here's the deal - I answer the following questions - then tag other people. Here goes...

1. What is your dream vacation?
Me and my husband completely alone with no contact from the outside world for a week. Also - no chores or cleaning or anything. Just 100% free time to do whatever I want.

2. Are you spontaneous or do you like to plan ahead?
I plan. In fact I have back up plans for my plans - and back up plans for my back up plans.

3. Tell us one thing you want to do but don’t dare to do.
I don't know. There are a lot of things that I fear doing. But most of them I don't want to do anyway. And the ones I do want to do - well I don't let my fear get in the way. I guess the only thing would be to tell some people what I really think.

4. What's your biggest phobia?
Being buried alive. Or drowning.

5. If you were stranded on a desert island – what 3 things would you want with you (not including laptop, or family).
A fishing spear, machete and flint. (And Jeff Probst. Yes I watch Survivor!)

6. Name three blessings in your life.
My husband. My writing. My faith.

7. What was your nickname in High School?
Uh.. I never had a nickname. At least one that people told me to my face :) I was a big nerd and a geek and all other kinds of labels that put me in the 'uncool' group. But no nicknames.

8. If you could meet the President of the United States, what would you say to him?
Hi.

9. If you could be any literary character for a day, who would you be?
Hmm. A character from a Jane Austin novel.

10. What is your favorite quote?
"Oh be wise; what can I say more?" Jacob 6:12

Tagged
I think I am supposed to tag seven people - but since I am a little late in the game - I am only going to tag 3.

Wendy at Scribblings of Wendy Jave
Laura at Laura B Writer
Angie at Notes From the Writing Chair

p.s. My regular prompt tuesday post will be coming later today.

Emotion in Writing, Part 4: Conflict and Connection

In Part 1 of this series I talked about the power of emotions and why they are important in writing. In Part 2 I talked about Pain and Joy. In Part 3 I went over Love and Hate.

Today we will be discussing conflict and connection. I know that these are probably not the first things that come to mind when you think of emotions. But all emotions lead to one or the other - a conflict or a connection. And some emotions, like love, can even lead to both.

Conflict

Conflict is the driving force of a story. Without conflict there is not story. Would you read 200 pages about someone who has a perfect life? No. Why - because it isn't possible. It isn't believable. And it is down right boring.

Lot's of things can cause conflict in our writing. For me the most powerful ones are conflicts born of emotion. Take a moment and think of your favorite book - the one you read over and over again. What is the conflict? Keep digging deeper until you find a conflict tied to emotions.

My favorite book is The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley. The main conflict begins when the hero - driven by an emotional force he does not understand - kidnaps the heroine. The following conflicts ensue because the heroine starts to fall in love with the desert people and of course - with the hero.

Emotional conflicts fall into two major categories. There is a conflict because of opposing emotions. (For example, Bella and Jake from Twilight have different emotions towards Edward - which creates a conflict between them.) Or the emotion a character has is in conflict with what they have to do. (In The Blue Sword the heroine loves the hero but must go against him and risk loosing his love to save the day.)

Connection

I wrote and entire series on Emotional Connections with Characters. What I want to discuss here is emotional connection between characters.

Let's address the obvious first - love. When two characters love each other (on whatever level) they become connected. I laughed in Harry Potter when he broke up with Ginny because he did not want to put her in danger. When will heroes learn that just because the aren't with the person they love the bad guy won't still kidnap them.

Back to Harry and Ginny. He breaks up with her to keep her safe. However he still loves her. And guess what - Voldemort knows that. Gasp. So even if Harry wasn't with Ginny - Voldemort would still come after her to get to him.

Hate can also connect to characters. Take for example Harry and Voldemort. They hate each other and that is a powerful part of what binds their fates together.

Can you think of other connects between characters that are formed because of emotions, such as fear, hope, respect?

In summary, emotions are the tools we use to create conflict and connection in our writing. They give depth and detail to a story.

What do you think? What are some emotional conflicts and connections you have come across in your reading or writing?

Validation and a Quandary

So... my goals have kind of fizzled out a little. When I get back to writing, reading and critiquing - I will update my goals and start fresh.

Validation

I know it is kind of a no-no to blog about rejection. However, I am going to do it.

Tuesday I received a rejection letter from Shadow Mountain publishing. And I was excited. (I know what your thinking and my husband agrees with you. I am completely insane.)

I am excited because I got a response. And I feel a little more validated as a writer. The good news is I am totally motivated to submit to the next publisher. Yeah!

Quandary

I started re-outlining Three of Ivory and I really like where it is going. But I have this other idea floating around in my head that is kind of exciting. I don't like to abandon projects (hello! I hung on to Shadowed Stones for 10 years!). But I also think that I need to be more flexible and not lock myself into one project. Mostly because I think that was one of the reasons why Shadowed Stones took me so long.

My plan is to work on both of them at the same time. I haven't done that before so I am not sure how it will work out. But I want to see if I can do it.

What do you think? Should I work on both projects? Or just go with one of them?

The Mighty Pen #36

The Mighty Pen flash fiction contest is a just for fun writing contest (inspired by my wonderful husband). I post the beginning of a story – and you post an end! I will choose a winner and several honorable mentions. The contest is open until Sunday night and the winner is announce on Monday where I feature them on my blog. Check out past winners on the tab above.

Note: This is a family friendly blog – so please keep it PG rated. Thanks!

The Beginning

The domed archway reach far above their heads, hanging over them like an dark cloud....