How to be a Plotter & a Pantser at the same time

I’ve been working on The Blood Within, part of my House of Reinhardt series, for the past few weeks. While I'm having a blast writing it, it's still being a pain in my bum. See, I'm usually a hardcore plotter. I'm talking outlines, timelines, diagrams, post-its & bulletin boards. And normally, those things work for me. But when I started TBW, I wanted to take things a little differently. I wanted to let the creative process find it's own way. I have the basic points mapped out in my head, sure, but how am I going to get there? I don't know! It's been...interesting. Sometimes, I surprise myself with my spur-of-the-moment-quick-thinking. Other times, I want to bang my head against a very sharp, metal instrument.

The first few chapters were super awesome! I wrote them quickly and with no problems, and they don't need much editing. But the further in I get, the worse off I am. Some of the chapters took me DAYS to write and they still need a serious round of red-penning.

I thought things couldn't get much worse. A few days writing a single chapter--no biggie. I can deal.

Boy, was I wrong.

Nothing has been as trying as Chapter 8.

I've had some serious bonding issues with Chapter 8 for about 3 days. THREE. He just wouldn't play nice, and by 'wouldn't play nice' I mean I'd spit out 200 words and Chap 8 would throw them back in my face, laughing! I'm talking I'd write 1000 words only to delete 1500. Yes, he'd actually make me delete words that had NOTHING to do with him! Can you believe that? Chap 8 has a mind of his own! I mean, come on; get with the program!

Despite our domestic problems --after much fighting and hair pulling-- Chapter 8 is done (for now) and I've moved on to the next part (which I'm calling Chapter 8B since it's still in 8 but is a different scene).
Now I'm trying really hard to get 8B to play nice but I don't want to piss him off, so I decided to do a little exercise to get the creative juices flowing. It's not exactly "pantsing", but it's not quite "plotting" either.

Mind Mapping is a great way to get the juices flowing & get a little direction in your writing. The key is to keep both halves of your brain working together. The left side is your analytical side, and the right side is your creative side. Personally, I tend to let my left side take over. I start putting things in organized columns and rows, complete with bullet points. But that ends up stifling your creativity! If you can Mind Map correctly, you'll be a much happier writer and your story will thank you. You'll use both logic and creativity. When you Mind Map, don't let yourself focus on order or neatness. Let the ideas fill up the page. Use bright colors in random places. Make squiggly lines, little doodles, lots of notes jotted here and there. Use lines and bubbles to keep your ideas in order (you're right brain needs a little action, after all..) but don't let order override your creativity. Maybe your Mind Map will be a little prettier, but this is what I came up with.

Here's my Map, just starting off. There are a few key pieces that I already knew were going to happen. ((Sorry about the lighting…))

And here's my Map finished. See all the craziness?!

**Does Mind Mapping seem like something that could work of you? What methods do you use to piece your books together?

Drama on Steroids

I'm supposed to be writing in my WIP but, as you can see, I'm not. Instead, I've been procrastinating by blog hopping. Originally, I was looking for a good writing exercise--notably a topic from a blogfest. But I just couldn't find anything that struck up a quick idea. All the ones I found required too much thinking on my part, and I'm more in the mood for "new-character, please invade my brain" kind of ideas. Not to worry, I'll keep looking for more exercises. What I did come up with was a pretty nifty new blogfest to sign up for.

Dawn Embers over at It's in the Book is hosting The Broken Hearts Blogfest from March 13th-15th! Now, is it just me or does this fest look like something you could sink your teeth into?? I don't have any new characters coming out of the woodwork just yet, but I do have a few sparks of oh my God, this is going to be soooo good! so I'm pretty excited to participate in this one. Truth be told, it's been a while since I last took part in a fest, but I'm assuming--praying--it's like riding a bike.

This uber awesome pic was created for this fest by Mia Hayson. Pretty fab, don't you think??

So be a sport and run on over to Dawn's blog and sign up! With all the drama that will be flying around, it's going to be like a soap opera on steroids. Oh, yes. There will be blood, sweat, tears, screams, sarcasm, and maybe--hopefully--even a bit of revenge! All I'm saying is you'd better take advantage of the turmoil and be there on March 13th, 14th, or 15th, or you can no longer call yourself a writer. There, I said it. You miss this fest and you are no longer a writer! *adds alarm to iPhone calendar so I don't forget and end up relinquishing my sparkly writer's tiara.*

Unofficial Post a Photo of your Work Space Day!

Hey guys! I'm dropping in at the tale end of February 1st Unofficial "Post a Photo of your Work Space Day"! I absolutely LOVE looking at pictures of people's writing space so when I dropped by Kristen Yard's blog today and saw that HOLY COW! it's Post a Photo of your Work Space Day I was ecstatic!

But come on, who doesn't like to see where the magic happens?? So I decided to post a few pics myself... are you ready??

And yes-- because you asked, the walls are pink. It was a 4 year old's princess room before I took it over, and I'm far to lazy to paint... Trust me. Pink suits my muse ;-)

This is where some writing happens. And Netflix makes an appearance...

And this is where some serious plotting takes place =)

I'm an old fashioned kind of girl-- I sit on the floor and use my WIP notebooks to file away the details.

Still...sometimes the best stuff comes when curled up in bed and on the lappy 8-)

Anyone else post any pics of their work space??

Major Changes

Before you ask, let me explain... You see, between today and my last post, I got a 2nd job and have been working a LOT, as in 13 days on, 1 day off, then 13 days on, and 1 day off. Basically I haven't had much time for anything, let alone my poor, forgotten blog. But I'm dropping in today to say HELLO and
Ohhh Nooooo.
I'm starting MAJOR changes on my unfished but dearly loved paranormal romance novel. It's not an easy thing to do, especially since this book is my nearest and dearest but it HAS to be done. I just can't go on the way I have been. It's too much for the first book in a series so I'm cutting, cutting, cutting. And replotting my tush off. It's not easy and is definitely not fun. As a matter of fact, I think I'd rather take on a paper cut to the eyeball. Nevertheless, here we are...
So where have I been? In writer-purgatory.

I’m baaaaaaack ;-)

Hello all!

I know it’s been a while, but I promise I didn’t forget about any of you. I’ve been swamped with work and such and haven’t had time to drop in since….oh, wow…September. Okay, that’s a bit embarrassing, but completely unavoidable. I promise!

But now that I’m back, I’m working on getting out of my little funk (and by little funk, I mean start writing again). It’s been a while. Too flipping long and while yes, I do miss it, I almost feel as though I don’t know where to begin. No, that’s a lie. I don’t almost feel as though I don’t know where to begin---I totally feel as though I don’t know where to begin. Add to that the brand spanking new character that popped into my head and is demanding her own book be plotted out n-o-w just to shut her up. I’m trying to ignore her, I really am. The last thing I need is a new story on my plate. I already have so many on the backburner, but this new kid—Claire, she says her name is—refuses to leave me alone. It’s distracting and if only she could wait her damn turn, I may be good to figure out my new Plan of Action for the rest of 2010 and into 2011. I have to get a move on. My poor Nightlings series is about ready to give up on me. I’m so ashamed! Still, I’m determined to have Kate and Caleb’s book finished in 2011, the sooner the better.

But it’s been a while since I was last in the writersphere, and I suppose there was a change of venue for the awesome #amwritingparty’s that I was so fond of—you know, back in the day. Then again, it is Thanksgiving week and I know as well as anyone that this is a week of craziness. But that’s probably why I’m so ready to get back into the swing of things. IT’S NOVEMBER! Where did the year go?! Oh my God! I’m so behind on my WIPgoals that it isn’t even funny! Actually it is, in a neurotic, straight-jacked-meets-padded-room kind of way.

So today I’ll be figuring out who’s still around on #amwritingparty, blogs, and wherever else we writers used to lurk when hiding from our word processors. If you do Twitter, I’m @courtneyreese86. If not, drop me a line on the comments section of this post!

See ya around,
Courtney

PS> Oh yeah, I’m changing my blog layout for a while since my old but awesome grey butterfly template was slowly falling apart. This one is a temp while I work on tweaking the code for a new one I want. Hope you like ;-)

This is how I write...this is how I write...this is how--

I've been a bad blogger--and writer--lately. I admit it, I've been a real disappointment. But I"m trying to turn all that around by getting back into the groove of things.

First, I've been working on Nightlings, moving some chapters around and getting it all beautiful for my new critique group members at CritiqueThisWIP.

Secondly, I've been trying to get some good blog posts going. Okay, so I haven't been so successful at that second part, but, like I said, I'm trying. I blog over at CritiqueThisWIP once a week (which, for a while, was more than enough). But this week, I'm branching out even further and wrote guest blog post for Kayleigh's Kaleidoscope! What's it about, you ask? How I Write (do you see the irony?). What have I realized? That I really love blogging--not to mention writing--so I'm going to make it a point to get my butt back in "the zone".

It hasn't all been easy. I've been feeling down about my writing for a few months now. Nothing comes out right, my grammar skills are annoying me to no end, and my "voice" has been hiding out in a very dark, very quiet place. How are you supposed to write when the cursor just sits there, blinking that irritating I on an otherwise blank screen?! Don't tell me just do it, because I've been tryin' and it just ain't workin'. But that will all be coming to an end. No more putting it off. You may be reading a bunch of crap, but at least I'll be posting again, right?

Don't forget to swing by Kayleigh's Kaleidoscope to see just how crazy a writer I am!

In Which I Issue A Challenge

As many of you know, I’ve been slacking on writing new material for the past few months and only writing up a scene (or blog post) when a blogfest rolls around…sometimes. But no more! As of Sunday, April 11th, I have officially reopened Nightlings (AKA The Immortal Series) to do more than the occasional edit. Oh yes, it was a wonderful day and I finally after much downtime have finished a very intense, action packed chapter involving my two MCs, Kate & Caleb.

So, to mark my success and my journey back into the merry land of writing, I have decided to take “InkyGirl” Debbie Ohi up on her Words a Day Challenge. I’ve thought about doing this before, but life gets in the way, blah blah blah. So, just as a lets-see-how-this-goes kind of start, I’m going hit the ground running with the 500 Words A Day Challenge.

See! I even get a pretty badge to add to my blog to remind me each and every day to write at least 500 words in my WIP.

*Note: 500 words in my WIP means just that—500 words in my WIP. Blog posts, Tweets and IMs DO NOT COUNT.*

**2nd Note: That was more for my benefit than yours. What can I say? I like to bend the rules…**

So, because I like a good challenge, I’m extending this this one to each and every one of you, my lovely writer friends who should be writing and NOT blog surfing. So, run your butts on over to InkyGirl’s Words a Day Challenge and pick your challenge (grab your badge)! You can choose from 250wpd, 500wpd, or 1000wpd.

Once you’ve picked your poison, you can compete with me—because every good challenge involves a friendly competition. Tweet your progress on Twitter with #wpdchallenge.

What are you waiting for?! Challenge yourself to write!

Point of View @ Critique_This

 

I’m blogging today over at Critique_This_WIP about Point of View. Come check out my feelings about writing a first person POV murder scene.

Blood, Sweat, & Ink

Writing is a craft. It is something that requires time and dedication…and more time. You must practice, learn, and eventually, you will grow as a writer.

It isn’t always easy. It will, at times, suck. But practice will make you a better writer and, in the end, you’ll be grateful for all of your hard work.

So, how does one “write better”? There are several ways. Some will have you shell out some cash. Others will leave your wallet intact.

Option 1: Join a local writers group. In the DFW area, we have this nifty little thing called Writer’s Workshop. Now, I haven’t exactly attended a meeting but Tiffany Neal and ChristaCarol Jones have, and they assure me, it’s worth the $100 a year, membership cost.

Option 2: Grab yourself a nice, grammar-wise Critique Partner. This is one of my favorites! Critique Partners, as well as Critique Groups, are invaluable. They provide help with plots, characters, writers block…oh yeah, even grammar. It isn’t always easy to find a compatible CP/CG, though. Sometimes,  it just doesn’t work out. Maybe your writing just doesn’t mesh well enough for your partner to properly critique your baby. Or, maybe you write different genres. Maybe (and this is a big one) your time/dedication differs from your partner's. Do they have 5 kids, a full time job, and an weekly PTA meeting to plan? Are you single with nothing but your WIP to keep you busy? Yes and yes? Then you have a potential problem, honey.

When picking your partner, go in knowing that you might not be on equal footing. Remember to be patient and understanding. And remember that opinions are just that—opinions. Maybe your CP thinks you should leave out the part about your MC’s dead grandfather’s tragic demise, but you think it helps to explain why your MC is the way she is. Opinions, opinions.

Option 3: Instead of the tried and true “edit, critique, and revise” method, try a different way to perfect your writing: Writing Exercises. Exercises can help you to improve your skills while keeping your creativity active. Casey McCormick has some great exercises on her blog, Literary Rambles. You can also find more “creative excercises” at PoeWars.com.

That being said, I’ve saved the best for last. Blogfests. Yep, that’s right—blogfests. Here’s how it works: Some awesome writer/blogger puts out the word that they are hosting a blogfest. They tell you what you’re supposed to write about, and you sign up on their blog, then go off and write a scene based on the parameters of the blogfest. On the date of the big event, you post your scene to your blog and *ta da* you’re done. People will see your name on the sign up sheet, then come to your blog to check out what you wrote, and leave comments telling you what they think of your entry. How simple is that? Did I mention it’s TONS of fun? True story.

So get to it, Anne Riley and Tara Fouts are hosting two Blogfests this weekend that are sure to be phenominal!

Check it Out!

My critique group, Critique This, has just started a new blog and guess what?! Today is our very first day of blogging!

…AND…

I’m the one who gets to start it off with a bang! So run on over to our new group blog and check out my post about the pros & cons of pen names!

See you there!

CritiqueThisWIP.blogspot.com

It’s Okay—not everyone will like it

When I wrote my Middle Grade PG Love Scene Blogfest post, I had an idea in my head. First off, I though, “when have I ever read a love scene in a middle grade book? Oh, that’s right. Never.” Would Judy Blume have her MC fall victim to uncontrollable lust and go bang her best friend’s brother? I should hope not—otherwise, Ms Blume would not be writing for kids 8-12, and I would have a few more of her babies on my bookshelves. So I tweaked the prompt a little—and came out with my entry. Overall, I was pretty happy with it. It was a little-kid-love-scene, and it suited me just fine.
Before I go any further, I’d like to tip my hat to those of you who write MG. In a way, it’s very simple—kids don’t read complex sentences, so when you write it, the simpler, the better. Emotions are raw and character behavior is almost animalistic. But for someone who usually writes for adults…wow. It sure ain’t easy to switch writing styles.
For my entry, I took a fairly common scenario, and put my story to it (in a format fit for ages 8-12, of course).  When I had finished, I asked J to read it over and tell me what he thought.
One paragraph later, J looks up and says “I don’t like it. It’s choppy…simplistic. Elementary. Nothing like your usual stuff.”
And I proceeded to panic. No lie; my first thought was I’m losing it! But then, in a rare moment of clarity, I realized that *ding ding ding* it’s okay. I’m writing a completely different genre than what I usually do. Of course it’s going to be different. And I’m writing for kids, so duh it’s going to be “elementary”.
So, is it a good thing that J didn’t like it? Considering he’s not a 10 year old girl, hell yeah it’s a good thing. He likes my adult, paranormal stuff, and this may be a stretch, but I consider it a success that my eleven year old protagonist didn’t resemble my two hundred year old vampire warrior that stars in Nightlings. Hurray! I think I can count the MG/PG Love Scene Blogfest as a successful writing exercise, because that’s what blogfests are—interactive, writing exercises.
It’s not easy for us writers to remember that not everyone is going to love our babies like we do. In fact, it’s even harder for us to appreciate that fact. How do you take your criticism? What do you do to keep from letting it get you down?

Side Projects? What side projects?

School is putting a serous cramp in my writing life. Whenever I think I have time to sit down and do my thing…AHH! Another essay is due!
It’s hard to remember my priorities sometimes. I want to write my novels, but I need to finish school. And then there’s that pesky work thing. Really though, when is a writer supposed to write? I’ll have to be dead before i get the time to work on it, and by then I’ll be too dead to actually write the damn book!
I’m not the kind of writer who see’s twenty minutes of free time and can sit down to write the next few pages of my WIP. I need to warm up—to get into the zone. And then, of course I’ll need to get out of the zone. I can’t just stop writing when I’m on a role, after all. That’s just crazy talk. Absolute nonsense.
Fortunately for me, (and unfortunately for you) I realize that I’m not the only person who struggles with balancing the precious 24 hours given to me. Plenty of you work, raise families, do the school thing, volunteer, play a weekly game of bunko, have a social life, read, and still manage to get in your writing. Who knows? You might even have time to exercise. And to all you well adjusted people, I say kudos and congratulations (in addition to a hearty “screw you”).
But really, if I could give you an award, I would. It would be called the Ass Kicker Award and it would be awarded to bona fide ass kicking people everywhere. Except for me, because I’m a scatterbrained nut-job with a fondness for writing.
On another note, I’ve finally decided to do something about the extra pounds I’ve packed on in the past, oh, two years, or so. You see, I have this genius plan for weight loss. Get ready, because I know this is going to shock some people (mainly, anyone who knows me). I’m going on a diet! Actually, I’m already on one. It’s been one day—the most successful diet attempt I’ve ever had.
I feel like a vegetarian. Okay…a quasi-vegetarian. I’m actually eating those green things and passing on the cookies. I’m pretty proud of myself, as I have no willpower. Maybe I’m just a horrible stereotype, but I’m a Southern woman, and I like my food fried. Umm mmm! Fried chicken, fried Twinkies, fried cheese sticks. You fry it, I’ll eat it.
But for breakfast today, I ate these strange things called strawberries and peaches. Lunch and dinner? Fat free yogurt—and a bowl of shredded lettuce. I mean, come on! Who eats a bowl of shredded lettuce?! [I might have cheated with tacos…but J made them for me. It would have been rude to decline :) ]
Please, oh please, oh please, dear gods of weight loss—rid me of my extra forty pounds! Smite down these evil fast food cravings and let rabbit food taste like Belgian chocolate.
Once I’m over this damn cold, I’m going to start that exercising thing. Maybe I’ll even get out of the house…
Baby steps. Baby steps.

Let’s Write a Story

I’ve had some people ask me about the different kinds of scenes that can be submitted for Blogfest. Now, this may sound crazy, but—any good old scene where one, or both, of your characters realizes “Wow, I love this person” will do.


I like to see where my characters take the scene. Initially, I may have some sort of rough draft or outline about what’s going to happen, but the characters are the ones that get the final say. If they end up taking the story somewhere else entirely…so be it. They know what they want more than I do (consciously, anyway).

13 days until the Love at First Sight Blogfest and I’m still shuffling  different ideas around in my head. There are so many potential characters that are battling for my attention, and even more that keep popping up to say “how’d’ya do?”. So how’s a girl to chose one scene to post?

There are ways to form the barebones of a story. The Story Architect by Victoria Lynn Schmidt is a great place to start. In her book, she lists 56 “classic” story themes that are used in every genre of fiction. If you want to take a look inside, you may view a bit of it here. While I love this book (and recommend it to anyone writing fiction), it isn’t exactly cut and dry for a romance scene for the LaFS Blogfest. We don’t want a whole plot do we? Some people may be inspired to create a novel around their LaFS scene, but for now, I just want a scene—a hot and steamy scene. 

So, in lieu of anything better, I’ve decided to write my own list of themes—themes for Blogfest.

Blogfest Architect: Types of Love

• Opposites Attract: the wrong people with the right feelings. Love against all odds.
• Holy cow—I love you!: Some personality types fight the whole love-at-first-sight experience. Instead, write the scene where your character(s) realize that they are in love.
• Head Over Heels: Do your characters steal little glances at each other when no one is looking? Do they blush when the object of their infatuation speaks to them? If so, they may be head over heels .
• Infuriating Infatuation: ‘The woman drove him nuts! Pompous and bossy—a pigheaded know-it-all. He thought he’d always wanted a nice girl with a pretty face. Now, he wasn’t so sure.’ This is another of the holy-cow-I-love-you themes.
• Forbidden Love: Romeo & Juliet is a classic for a reason. Who doesn’t love the idea of breaking the rules for love? How can something so wrong feel so right?
• Unrequited Love: Taylor Swift’s Teardrops On My Guitar says it all. Pining after someone who’s in love with another person is a hell of it’s very own making. No one said love at first sight has to be mutual.
• Fairy Tale Love: The stars align and falling in love feels so easy. Talk about a fairy tale…
• Childhood Love: Jack and Jill have been in love since the day they went up the hill. Jack may have broken his crown but Jill stayed by his side while he healed. After all these years, he’s never forgotten her. Now, it’s time to track her down and confess his love. Maybe she feels the same way…
• Hero Love/Damsel in Distress: Need I explain?

Want to challenge yourself?

• I’ve read that some people are going to switch point of view Blogfest. If you usually write from the female perspective, try writing your scene from the male POV and vice versa.
  
  
• Try writing a “historical” love story based on characters that already exist—or existed. Take advantage of creative license! There are plenty of time periods to chose from. Try on of these stories or find one of your own.
  
  
  
  • Lancelot & Guinevere
  • King Henry VIII & Ann Boleyn
  • Napoleon & Josephine
  • Ferdinand & Isabella
  • Marc Antony and Cleopatra
  • Eurydice & Orpheus
  • Adam & Eve
  • Samson & Delilah
    
    ♥ Want more historical romances to choose from? Consider your wish, granted— Top 20 Most Famous Love Stories in History & Literature.
    
    
• Retell a classic and make it your own.
  
  
  
  • Cinderella
  • Gone With the Wind
  • Ariel the Little Mermaid
  • Aladdin
  • Jack & Jill
    
    
• FanFic. Is there a book, TV show, or movie that messed something up? Fan Fiction lets you fix it…
  
  
  
  • Lost
  • Burn Notice
  • Weeds
  • Desperate Housewives
  • Vampire Diaries
  • Twilight
  • Outlander
  • Werecats Series
  • Avatar
  • Bones

Have I forgotten a good one? Anyone have any other themes to add to the list?

I hope I’ve stuck a creative nerve. If not, there’s always the next blog posting. Don’t forget to sign up for the Love at First Sight Blogfest!

Happy writing!

PS. If anyone needs additional inspiration, I have some terrific poems on my inspirational blog, To Keep it Going.

Plotting the Properly Paced Prose

(I'm sorry about the title; I just couldn't help myself...)

Plotting is one of those hit-or-miss kind of things. Sometimes, ideas will flood your mind with incredible possibilities of unbelievable (or completely, "well duh") images. But, then there are the days when you can't, for the life of you, think up one tiny, little scheme to foil the bad guys. Now, I've seen some writers tackle the plotting process like some football players tackle...oh, let's say Aaron Rodgers. Unfortunately, I am not one of those writers. I need highlighters, post-it notes, dry erase boards...divine intervention...to even put a dent in my plots. Fortunately, once I get going, there's usually no stopping me. Usually.

Over time, I've found that I need to revisit the plotting-boards to make sure that everything is all-fine-and-dandy. Even then, after countless plot revisions and agonizing editing sessions, I'll discover a looming plothole that stands out despite the rest of the uber-cool plot. And, as most civilized writers would do, I simply flip my shit.

How could this happen? I've geared countless sticky notes with the sole purpose of protecting my unsuspecting manuscript from the evils of plotholes and--possibly worse--pacing problems. And yet, when editing fever rolls around...*wham, bam, thank you ma'am!* Houston, we have a problem.

Before I go any further, I feel I should warn you that while I'm not a perfectionist, I do have OCD tendancies. And I'm very visual. And I'm a masochist.

But I like plotting. In fact, I re-plot every five-or-so chapters just to make sure that my plot is the best it can possibly be. I've been meaning to do this post for a while now, but it's been a bit of a trouble maker for me. Everyone plots differently, and even I can't commit to a fool-proof way of doing it. I can, however, show you the jist of how I plot. I can only hope that it helps someone else to do their impossible plot.

---

1. I start off with a package of post-its (extra sticky, because I move them around a lot!) then I take my trusty dry erase boards (two of them), a few markers, and sit down with a glass of wine (or the whole bottle) to get started.
   
   
2. As the juices start flowing, I write down each idea onto a post-it and stick it to the dry erase board. At this point, it doesn't matter what order they are in so long as I've got them written down and stuck to my handy-dandy white board.
    
3. Once my imagination dries up, I grab my second dry erase board--and even more post-it notes--and start to organize the chaos. I start re-writing the plots-points on different stickies based on what they mean to the story I have in my head.
   
   
   
   
   
   • Main plot points are on blue post-its.
   • Secondary storylines are on green post-its.
     
   • Romance plot points are written on pick stickies.
   • Comments/questions are on yellow.
   • Ideas that I'm not so sure about get put on purple.
     
   
   I place them all on the second board in a logical order...
   
   
   
   
4. ...then go through the pointless step of writing them down again, by hand, on the freshly cleaned, first white board--by coordinating colors, of course. There's no point in telling me how utterly stupid this step is--I'm well aware it is repetitive and tedious--but this is one of those OCD/Masochistic tendencies I warned you about earlier. Normal people, feel free to skip step 4.
   
   Step 4 ends up looking like the picture to the right.
   
   
   
5. Once all of that is done and I've started the actual writing, I keep a spreadsheet of my word that helps to keep everything in order and tracks the pacing of the novel. This log tells me all the major details of my plot, starting with the act, chapter, chapter-summary, the time and date of the chapter, the point of view, setting and chapter word count. I also have two extra columns called "Point of Chapter", which helps to keep me from including pointless scenes, and "Changes".
   The Changes column is there to help me keep track of what I need to change based on my instincts, and what my critique partner and critique group thinks I should change.
   The last column is the Total Wordage column which uses an auto-formula to tally up the total word count of the whole novel.
   Here's a screenprint of what my spreadsheet log looks like:
   

Now that I've shown you how I do it, why don't you drop me a comment and tell me how you do it?

Want your own plotting-spreadsheet? Here's my template.

It's research, I swear.

One of my very favorite things about being a writer is the simple fact that it gives me the excuse to research the most...unusual things. I mean, come on...if someone sees me reading a book on medieval torture devices, I have an out-- "Oh, I'm just researching some of the horrendous methods used during the Spanish Inquisition for a book I'm writing. How utterly barbaric they were back in those days; I'm sure glad we've evolved into a more civilized species."

Or maybe that one time, when my boyfriend got a little too nosy and took a little peek at my browser history? "Oh honey...don't worry, I can explain my interest in demonic possessions, exorcisms, and creepy pagan rituals. I swear its just research for my next book."

I thought it would be fun to do a post on some of the research topics I've used in the past few years. Some of them are somewhat normal, while others...well, they are subjects that only a writer might understand. Actually, maybe this should be a writer only post, because otherwise, someone might try to have me committed to a white-padded-wall institution...

So, like I said before, I'm going to list a few of my most recent, Google-powered searches.

• YouTube video search of "big cats". Yes, that's right-- Big Cats. My current work in progress has three paranormal night races, demons, vampires, and shapeshifters. I wanted to see video of a lion/leopard/cheetah (you name the kitty) running/pouncing/stalking so I could accurately describe it in my book when my shifters transform into--you got it--Big Cats. And thanks to the BBC and their excellent wildlife footage, I can.
  
• Infomercials. Uh huh...infomercials. I was writing a scene and one of the characters started to make the point that someone's idea was as stupid and pointless as __________---and I needed an infomercial to fill in the blank. So I did a quick search; this is the best one by far....
  
  
  
  
  
   
  
•  High-end, designer clothing and evening dresses.
  
• Gunshot wounds--where to aim to maim, not kill. What can I say, there's a war going on in my books--I want it to be realistic. 
• Military helicopters. I needed a helicopter in my book and I needed to know which one to use...
• The weight of the KA-BAR survival knife and the different holsters one can use it with.
  
• I received a package in the mail a few months back. Inside, were two books I purchased for research purposes. However, when my family saw what was inside the package...lets just say I had to remind them that I write murder scenes. 
• Howdunit Forensics by Dr. DP Lyle 
• A Book of Poisons by Serita Stevens & Anne Bannon

Of course, those books took their positions on my bookshelf next to Dr. DP Lyle's other works, Murder and Mayhem and Forensics and Fiction...

Of all the things I've looked into, one of the best research topics I read was on Multiple Personality Disorders. The book, Switching Time by Dr. Richard Baer, is the story of a woman, Karen, and her seventeen different personalities. I won't go into the details, but I was truly amazed by this story and the depth of this illness. I was absolutely spellbound by Karen and her alters, all whom had their very own names, personalities, and purposes.

I'd actually been looking down the psychology aisle at Borders when I came across the book, took a peak inside...and couldn't put it down. I couldn't imagine anyone questioning my choice of reading material...until of course I brought it home and my family looked at me like I'd grown four extra heads. Why in the name of God would I want to read such a thing? The girl had obviously been abused and now suffered from a psychological illness; it was a tragedy, not entertainment, and certainly not research for a paranormal romance!

And the really sad part was, I could actually see their points. This was a tragedy, and I was a little too enthralled by the whole concept of it.  Of course my family (who happen to think my interest in all things "different" to be...well, different) got me thinking.What kind of a lech am I that I can sit down for four straight hours and read through page after page of trauma and illness and hopelessness? Obviously a very sick kind of lech...

...or a writer. Ah ha!

Hallelujah! Praise the Lord, I have an excuse for my twisted fixation with the weird, the macabre, and the completely random. As writers, we're naturally nosy and intrigued by the strange and unusual. We get ideas from everywhere and from everything. If something strikes our fancy, we want to know more about it, to learn everything we can, and we want to file it away for future use. Well duh, right?

So--what have you researched lately?



 **Want to buy the t-shirt at the top of this post? The Write Snark

Sneaky Little Bugger

Christmas is coming, and coming fast! I've been busy this last week getting ready for it, but I still haven't finished all of my shopping. Since I haven't had much time to sit down and write, my brain has been running in overdrive to try to make up for the loss of exerted creativity. In other words, the voices have started screaming (in lieu of their usual mutterings). I'll be at the store, browsing through the latest and greatest, looking like your average Christmas-shopping crazy person. But on the inside, I've completely checked out. My mind is a maze of plot-lines, juicy conflicts, and character issues. I swear, I think I might even hear myself mumbling from time to time...

I've got Kate and Caleb in some lover's quarrel (so out of sync for the holidays, don't you think?) at the same time that I have my Dark Goddess musing on the details of her newest plan for world domination. Then, I've got a group of rogue Immortals who are feeling extra left out and incredibly needy (even though they don't make their debut until book six--that's right book six, and they're already bitching at me!)

But that isn't all. I've been working on my plot (which I'll be blogging about in the next couple of posts) so I have what if I do this, or what if I do that's competing with irate Rogues, quarrelsome couples, and a Dark Lord-ess with a hard-on for taking over the world. And that's not even counting the characters who just turned traitors and are deciding on their best course of action for ambushing the Vampire General!

Peachy, just peachy. Why do I suddenly have flashbacks to my sixteenth birthday at the DMV? Oh yeah, that's right, "Everybody take a number and wait your turn." Order would be such a handy little tool to have at my disposal. Too bad my brain doesn't do order. I picture my characters taking their number, then glancing between the paper slip and me with a look of are-you-effing-kidding-me writing on their faces. It's sad that I'm amused by the visual...

On one side, this whole "bonanza" of mental goodies is awesome. I'm coming up with some quality ideas. Plot lines are a necessity in my world, and conflict is as important as romance in my novels. If my writing is in short supply, my idea-pool is overflowing.

On the other hand, I think my brain might explode from all of its recent activity. While I'm not exactly aware of any overactive-brain related deaths, I won't rule out the possibility--especially when the idea of it happening to me seems so real.

But enough about my up-and-coming implosion; I do have something to blog about today, and it will only take a few short sentences, so get ready--I wouldn't want you to miss it!

I save each chapter in its own Word document, so I don't necessarily know how many words are in my MS at any given time. In the chapter, yes. In the MS, no--unless of course I take the time to add up all the different files, which is precisely what I did. And I was shocked to discover that I've been quite the busy little bee. My current word count for "Book 1" of the Immortal Series is at an unbelievable 35,822--and it completely snuck up on me!

I really don't know why I'm shocked by this--it isn't as if I don't write four-thousand-word chapters--but I am. It probably has something to do with the fact that when writing, I only look at the word count for each individual chapter, and that never goes above six thousand. To see the numbers 35,822 flash on the screen almost seems like some cruel kind of joke. But it isn't. I know because I added the numbers...

...three separate times.

So yay! Go me!  I'm "29%" done with my WIP, which is still--sadly--nameless.

Until next time, happy writing!

Writing is like playing God...or acting like a seriel killer

Last night I had an amazing (if incredibly long) talk with my CP, Kelly Reese. Other than e-mails, we really haven't had much time to sit down and talk so I was very excited when she called me last night to chat. After my cell phone died, we resorted to IM, and WOW--some of the things we were saying in shorthand could probably have gotten us arrested had we been talking in a public place!

I thought I'd write down a few of our most crazy lines...

Kelly: OH! I love ------ for no particular reason.
Me: Oh, I know! She's awesome! Great personality, cute, witty... At least until she dies-- she's not so spunky after that.
Kelly: NOOOOOOO! Why do you always kill off the people I like?
Me: I don't WANT to kill her off! I HAVE to.
Kelly: But i like her for no reason!
Me: If it makes you feel any better, I won't enjoy killing her. I'll probably even cry a little.
Kelly: GOOD!

So that little chunk of IM magic got me thinking. Wow, writing really is kind of like playing God. You create people only to kill them off. That, and I have a really intense plot! And I kill off a hellofalotta people! But I'm not that bad...I mean, take Karen Rose. Superb writer, incredible plotlines, characters to die for, NYT Best Selling author...kills 20-something people a book. She's got around ten books now--that's 200 people offed, just like that! So, what I guess I'm saying here is--at least I'm not that bad.

But then, a while later, we started talking about a different chapter where a new character and his family make their debut. That's when my whole writers-like-to-play-God theory went right out the window.

Me: Oh, I forgot to tell you, John's* family dies later on, but I haven't written it out yet.
Kelly: NO! Why?!
Me: I need them dead; it's nothing personal. Speaking of deaths, I should also tell you that I'm killing Lee* off too.
Kelly: NO! What about his family?
Me: It's because of his family that his ass has to die. Blame them.
Kelly: But his family is okay?
Me: Yes. They're fine. I'm only killing off a few people...Jane*, Lee*, and John's* family. Oh and a priest that you haven't met yet.
Kelly: I think your inner seriel killer is coming out...

Hmm. So maybe we writers don't mirror God so much as a sociopath on a killing spree. And I though I was writing a romance--paranormal though, it may be. I supose anything worth reading has a few deaths in it, right?

The Infamous MEME

Carol over at Carol's Prints was nice enough to tag me in a "meme". Now, I'm still new to blogging, but from what I've gathered from the blogs I read, a meme is basically a questionnaire. So, it's my turn to answer the meme, and tag someone else...

So-- Kayleigh, tag, you're it!

What’s the last thing you wrote? What’s the first thing you wrote that you still have?

The first thing I wrote that I still have was called CFC vs. Bad Boys. In my defense, I was ten years old at the time. It was about two rival, gang-like clubs; your typical good vs. evil scenario. The bad club was always trying to bring down the good club. The big climax occurred when the Bad Boys kidnapped the CFC leader’s girlfriend and he had to save her! Yikes.

Write poetry?
The last time I wrote a poem was for my nana when was nine. It pretty much sucked.

Angsty poetry?
I’m not good at poetry. Sorry.

Favorite genre of writing?

Paranormal Romance or its subcultures.

Most annoying character you’ve ever created?
I love all of my characters; they all have a piece of me in them, but…a character in an old PNR I wrote really got on my nerves. Dara: needy, insecure, jealous, selfish, evil. That pretty much sums it up.

Best plot you’ve ever created?
My current WIP has a pretty awesome plot.

Coolest plot twist you’ve ever created?
Hmm. Everything I write is a plot twist in its own little way.

How often do you get writer’s block?
I don’t so much get writer’s block so much as I lack the motivation to sit down and type out a scene.

Write fan fiction?
Once upon a time…

Do you type or write by hand?
I do both. I generally “write” out scenes because it helps me to get down the meat of it without dealing with OCD over grammar and spelling. After I hand write the most of it, I type it up and add the mashed potatoes and gravy….and obsess over grammar and spelling.

Do you save everything you write?
Yep. I obsessively control/S every few seconds whenever I type. I back up all of my files on an external drive also. I once lost the MS I was working on because my computer crashed. I was at the halfway mark…

Do you ever go back to an idea after you’ve abandoned it?
I don’t like the word “abandoned”. Every “unfinished” piece I have gets filed away. I usually find my way back to it in time, after fresh ideas make it workable again.

What’s your favorite thing you’ve written?
I’m not entirely sure. I love all of my books, but I think I’d have to say my current WIP because of how organized I was when plotting. Everything seems to be paced pretty well and makes sense (so far).

What’s everyone else’s favourite story that you’ve written?
My current WIP “Book 1” of The Immortal Series is my fiancé’s and my CP’s favorite. But isn’t ‘newer always better’?

Ever written romance or angsty teen drama?
Of course. Who hasn’t? Really. Tell the truth.

What’s your favorite setting for your characters?
No preference. They go where the story takes them!

How many writing projects are you working on right now?
Too many. I’m working on 3 series. My main love, a PNR, is an open ended series, of which I’m currently writing in 3. So, including my other series, I have a total of 6(ish) WIPs.

Have you ever won an award for your writing?

Only A’s on English papers. I haven’t even submitted any of my writing into an contests—until now, I wrote strictly for myself.

What are your five favorite words?

Good question. I love curse words, of course—they just add such emphasis—but I won’t list those. I use “usually”, “tend to”, and “though” a lot, but I can’t think of any words I particularly like. I enjoy using strong verbs and adjectives.

What character have you created that is most like yourself

Kate (Immortal Series) is actually based off of me. She’s much stronger though and could totally kick my butt in a fight ;-)

Where do you get ideas for your characters?
They come to me actually, silly as it sounds. I’ll be writing a story and some “voice” will pop into my head, like Hello, what about me? You can’t write this story without me! Hmm, that definitely makes me sound a little nutty…

Do you ever write based on your dreams?
Oh God—all the time. As a matter of fact, most of my novels have been based (on some level) from some weird dream I’ve had, which ironically makes me feel like I’m violating some copyright law...

Do you favor happy endings, sad endings or cliff-hangers?

I figure there are too many sad endings in real life to justify putting them in fiction. Obviously some scenes require sad endings and some novels just lead to one, but on principal, I only like sad endings in poems and short stories. 

But seriously-- I can’t stand committing myself to a book (whether reading it or writing it) and ending up with a crap-tastic ending. It makes me feel so…tricked, like someone’s laughing and pointing fingers at me while taunting “ha ha! I got you!”

Are you concerned with spelling and grammar as you write?
Unfortunately, yes. It’s a bad habit I’m trying to break. I tend to take FOREVER to write 500 words because I’m too consumed with “does that comma go there?” and “semicolon or period?”  Write or Die can usually help me avoid the grammar checks but then I get mad later when I’m reading over it and I see all of my mistakes…

This is why I am the world’s slowest writer.

Does music help you write?
I’m like Carol; I use music and lyrics to help me plot out scenes in my head, but I can’t listen to it when I write because it distracts me. Sometimes I can listen to piano music, but that doesn’t always work for me.

Quote something you’ve written. Whatever pops into your head.
“The TV was on and a commercial advertised for the Real Housewives of someplace-or-another.”

Wow, that was a lot of questions! I didn't think I'd ever finish. Some of the questions really embarrassed me...like #1. Yep, that was the worst of them.

My next blog post will be back to "normal" and will be posted either Thursday or Friday. Have a great day everyone!

Sticky Situations

Wow--so I've totally fallen off the edge of the planet for the past week. I haven't even been on Twitter, which is how you know something's up in the Reese household.

Right after Thanksgiving (which was a wonderful day of food, football, and family) a personal crisis reared its big, fat, ugly head. Its taken most of my time away from writing, blogging, tweeting---you name it--so I've been pretty much AWOL for the past week. This problem has been (for the most part) resolved, and I'm finally falling back into the swing of things...at least as of 11am Monday morning.

My plan today is to write the ending to chapter 10 and work on chapter 11. Kate and Caleb are in a tough situation and they have to fight off the enemy and save the day--you know, all in a day's work, right?

Will blog about my success tomorrow!

An Interview and a new Critique Partner

I'm a few days late on updating my weekly blog, but better late than never, right? I've been busy writing away for the past week and trying to get through some very important scenes. Unfortunately, I've been suffering from a serious case of brain-farts. I'll sit down to write, have the scene plotted out, and then....*crickets*. Nothing happens. It's like I can't find my voice, and its REALLY annoying.

Luckily, I was able to write Interview #2 (featuring Caleb) which will be débuting on Carol's Prints, a blog by author Carolina Valdez Miller, sometime this week! Caleb's interview will be featured in a series called Totally Sane Interviews with Vampires, Hobbits, and Talking Toads, a series where authors interview their characters. These interviews are hilarious and very insightful into the minds of writers, the latter of which may not be a good thing...

I'm so excited to be one of the writers featured of Carol's blog! I can't wait to see Caleb's interview up on the Web. 

To see Interview #1, featuring Kate, click here.

Another huge plus this week is that I found a new (or old, depending on how you look at it) Critique Partner! I've been wanting a CP for a while now but I'm so picky about my work that I have been hesitant in really looking for one. Luckily for me, my MC Kate has a mind of her own and was determined to be a little crazier than I had originally intended. Because of a traumatic event, I'd been toying with the idea of giving her PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, for those of you who don't know). Originally I had decided against it because I didn't want her to seem weak--especially to herself--and I was afraid PTSD might do just that. But, like I said, Kate has a mind of her own. PTSD doesn't change much in the story but it does take us to some other places.

Obviously, I needed to do some research on the disorder to make sure I got it right. So, instead of reading websites, I e-mailed my cousin Kelly--who just happens to have a degree in Psychology! We got to talking and she's going to be my new CP. I trust her with this job for several reasons, one being the fact that she used to critique my stories when we were young. But, more importantly, we talk books all the time, and she knows what I like and what don't. Kelly knows me and--most of the time--where my mind is headed even before I do! She isn't a writer, but an AVID reader and I'm so very grateful to have her critiquing my work. Thanks, Kel, for all your help!

I've been sidetracked from the Immortal Series today by a story that's pummeled its way to the front of my mind and is demanding to be written. Forced to comply (because to resist would only result in torture) I've started the beginnings of Dream Waker. 

Dream Waker is a short story, though, I don't know if I'd even call it that. I'm actually more comfortable calling it a "tale". It's short (obviously) and a bit of a thinker--and totally implausible. Still, its a story worth writing and one that has a pretty clear message. Once it's finished, I'll post in up on my blog for all to see.