Story Development and World Building

     I have normally do not have an issue with story development or world building, but I am finding that as I try to develop a new story, I am having issues.
     Normally, I love my brain. It works in mysterious ways most of the time, but I love the way it works. This come out of nowhere that I find brilliant. One time I came up with an entire story from one line of dialogue. The whole story was there, not just bits and pieces, the whole thing. I knew what the issues were, what was going to happen, and how it was going to end. This happens a lot. Or when I come up with new stories, ideas come gradually but never few and far between.
     However, that is not the case as I try to develop a certain new story. The idea came to me as a snipet and has practically stayed that way the whole time. Most of the time, when I try to develop the story and to learn where it will be going, it comes to me in big chunks. Not the case with this one. I got the idea as that tiny bit, what the characters were. Normally I get characters names and persons right away. Not so with this one. Characters names and personalities are not hard for me, but this time, it was nearly impossible. I'm not even sure I have them now. I keep thinking, oh, this person could be this or this person could be this, but then I think but this person could not be this but something else. I thought I had the two main characters but decided to change the name of the main girl character. Ugh. It is so frustrating. I wanted some of the characters to stay at a certain place but then I wondered why they stayed there or what purpose does it serve. This never happens to me. Most of the time I just have aha moments that astound me. Now, I wonder where my brain has gone. Possibly the bahamas. I suspect it is much warmer there.
     I can't even figure out what the conflict of the story is. It is maddening. I feel like I have failed my brain, or perhaps that my brain has failed me. Either way. Last night I had a bit of a breakthrough with the story and I wanted to cry. It was one of those aha moments and I just wanted to cherish it. Because with this story, they are few and far between.
     Well, there you have it folks, the rant of a girl who fears she has lost her aha moments.

Editing

     I'm not sure if I've already said this, but I am not one for editing. Not at all.
     I have already said that I plan on self publishing my books. Now, self publishing may be considered easy, or a cop out, or a way to deal with failure. However, that is not the case. There is so much more that goes in to self publishing that no one knows, cares to know, and so on. I will get into this on another blog when I get farther into the process.
     Right now, the guy who is designing my covers is already at it, so that leaves me with the task of perfecting the book so it is ready when the cover is. Now I really don't like editing. I know I have talked about this before. I also know that I said that when I started totally rewriting one other of my books that I was in love with it, but I am again faced with editing a book.
     First off, this is the first book I ever wrote and it is my baby. I love it to pieces. I know that it is not perfect, and I know that it needs a lot of work, but I just find editing daunting, and scary, and mean. I know that my book is not perfect and that I truly will have to edit it if I want it to be any good and if I want people to read it.
     The first thing that I am fixing is the tense. I wrote it in past tense, but I just like present tense, and also it works better in present tense. Now, my jeez, let me tell you how hard it is and how time consuming it is to switch tenses on an 80k word novel. It's not necessarily hard, but it does take a lot to find every single word. Ugh. And it takes so long. It took me like a half hour to do one chapter the other day.
     Then, there are plot holes I have to fix, and things that resemble too closely to other books, and grammar issues, and emotional issues, and telling not showing issues. Oh. The issues.
     I am the type of person that would MUCH rather create than edit. I can create all day long, but the moment I have to edit, I spend barely any time on it. I am such a terrible writer. I realize that editing is something that must be done in order for a good product, I just don't like it, and I like to wine about it on here.
     But there is just something about creating, writing fresh, discovering new things, that is infinitely better than editing, and fixing. What writer wants to fix things? What writer wants an editor to tell them their writing sucks and they need to fix it? Not me. I know that I need to just buck up and do it, but I still don't want to.
     So there you have it folks, you now know where I stand on creating vs. editing. I hope you enjoyed my rant. Tata. 

Finishing A Book

     Last night, I finished writing my book. I cannot say how good that feels. I was so happy. But today I almost feel lost. I wanted to finish for so long and to have it done. But I have also spent the past few months writing every single night, and now that I have finished it and don't have to write every night, I don't know what to do with myself.
     I already miss writing those characters. But at the same time, I am looking forward to working on other projects. My brain is going in too many directions, having too many conflicting feelings. Poor thing.
     I truly thought finishing this book was going to take far longer than it did. I knew how I wanted it to end, but I wasn't sure how I was going to get there. Then yesterday I added a scene that was just going to be a filler scene. One that would merely act as a way to bring three of the characters closer. But when I thought about it, I had one of those light bulb goes on over the head moments. An aha moment if you will. And I knew how I was going to end it and how I was going to get there. It was amazing. I also had one of those moments where I really love my brain. Because sometimes, I do truly love my brain.
     Normally I write about 2,000 words a night. Now, I started writing the ending scene but didn't think I was going to finish it in one night. I thought it might take me two nights at least. But then I started writing it and getting further into it and I just couldn't stop. I had to finish it. Many of the reasons I stop writing for the night is because I want to go to bed or because I don't know where to go from where I am at. But last night, I ended up writing 5, 414 words to finish it.
     This book is by far the most complicated book I have written. It is by far the most involved book I have written. It is by far the most emotional book I have written. And I love it. Of course, it kind of has to be all those things because it is the first book in a trilogy.
     It also happens to be the longest book I have ever written. The total word count of the book is 94,890 words. Once I got over the word count of my previous longest book, I felt a rush of accomplishment for every thousand words over it I got. I am certainly a strange person but I happen to be okay with that. 
     Anyway, I have finished it and I feel great. I feel accomplished. I feel like I have achieved a victory over something. I just feel lots of things. I recommend finishing a book if you want to feel great about yourself.
     Once again, I have twitter if you would like to follow me. My handle is @LaciMaskell

Shit First Novel

     So just about every author I have read about or watched interviews on have said that the first novel they wrote was just complete shit and will never see the light of day. Is this always the case? Why is this the case?
     The are exceptions to this. Becca Fitzpatrick published the first book she everwrote. Alex Day is publishing the first novel he wrote. I'm sure there are more cases this happens but I can't think of them right now.
     Anyway, I realize that a writer's first book is them trying to figure out their voice and writing style and so on. But why I don't get is why they would hate their first book. I love my first book. It is my baby. My pride and joy if you will. And while it may be shit and not my best writing, I still love it. I am still going to put the effort forth to make it the best it can be.
     That's another thing. Authors who just scrap thousands and thousands of words or hundreds of pages. I don't know how anyone could do that. I mean, I did totally start over on a book but I didn't just delete the other draft. That would hurt my heart way too badly and possibly make me cry. I just can't see totally deleting something you've worked so hard on and spent so much time on.
     So, the shitty first novel, just scrap it or love it? I'm sure it is different with every person, but I love mine. I'm proud of myself for finishing something of that magnitude and gotten me that much closer to my dream.
   
     As I've mentioned before, you can follow me on twitter @LaciMaskell.

     Until next time.

Too Much Outlining

     Is there such a thing?
     Outlining. Some authors do it. Some do not. Are you a pantser or a plotter? As I have told you before, I am a bit of both. There are some authors who do not plot at all and just let the creativity flow. Some say that they do not have time for creativity. Now Richelle Mean I know has every one of her books and series plotted down to pretty much every detail. George R. R. Martin does not to much plotting at all. I love both of their works and I think the way they have chosen works for them.
     My question for today is, is there such a thing as too much planning?
     I believe there can be.
     I am currently working on finishing my third book. Now for all three of these books I have had notes on which I draw from to know where to go or what dialogue I want a character to have and so forth. In all three cases I have used these notes and they have served me well. Now, depending on the book and how long I have had to think about it and mull over it, the more or less notes I have. The book I am currently working on have taken me forever. I swear I have been working on this book almost a year and a half.
     Now, I really love this story. I think it is one of my best so far. However, I am beginning to feel like because I know exactly what is going to happen until the end, I don't want to write it and that is why it is taking me forever. I feel like my creativity, although that is what got me the story and how it will happen, has been staunched and all I have left to do is to write the story how I already have it planned. I obviously know that that does not necessarily have to happen, but nonetheless that is how I feel. I do love the way I have it planned out and I plan to stick with that, however, I feel like because I have it so planned out, that is why it is taking me forever to write. I'm sure I'm just repeating myself and you may be lost, but that is how I feel.
     So maybe yes, there is such a thing as too much outlining. Notes are a good thing and outlining is a good thing, but don't stifle your creativity.

It's Been A While

     As the title may suggest, it has been a while since I posted. Not too much has been going on.
     As I may have previously mentioned, I plan to self publish my books. I have recently found a designer for the covers of my books. That makes me quite excited. He asked me what I want in my covers. I sent him a list of all my favorite covers so he could get an idea of what I am looking for. Many of those covers are the covers of books of an indie author named Rachel Higginson. Along with her covers being wondergul, her books are wonderful.
     I have been working on a book for a while now and just last night I reached 80k words in the project. It was like a late Christmas miracle. I feel like the project has taken me far too long already. Also, I know I will have to put a lot of work into it once I have finished the first draft. Sometimes being a writer is frustrating. But I certainly would never want to do anything else.
     In other news, I now have twitter. You can follow me @LaciMaskell .
     I will try to post more often on here in the future.

Book Soundtracks

     I love music almost as much as I love movies, reading, and writing. I think music is essential to life. Music can bring light to the darkest of days. I honestly can not put into words how much I love music and how I could not live my life without it.
     When it comes to the arts and the way music influences all arts, I believe that music is needed for all of them. I need music just to function in life. Music is essential to a movie. Music helps to convey the right tone of the movie or is used to convey a feeling. Jaws would be nothing without those three little notes. The Lord of the Rings would be nowhere as epic without Richard Howe's score. TV shows need music in the same way. One Tree Hill wouldn't be half the show it is without its musical influences and guests. As an audience member and a fan, I love knowing the songs on a movies sound track. I often buy these soundtracks and listen to them over and over again just to remember how I felt when I watched that certain movie.
     Like movies and TV shows, I believe a book needs a soundtrack. Music does the same for the author writing the book as it does for an audience member at a movie. Without music to guide the story or help the author to know how to play the emotion in a scene or book, the audience may not feel the way they should for a scene or book.
     Now, I believe there are different ways a soundtrack for a book can be used.
     Some authors have one song that lays out the theme and emotion of the whole book. Some have a song for each scene, or each chapter. Some know the song that their character would be listening to or thinking about at certain times. Some authors have the story written but find songs that fit the mood, tone, or feeling of their book. And as always, other authors use songs or music in other ways. Jackson Pearce listened to one certain track, which was ocean waves, when she wrote Fathomless.
     Generally, most authors use music the same way for every story they write. And as per usual with me, I use music in almost every way.
     Most of the time I find songs that fit the book, but in different cases, I use music in different ways. In one of my books, there is a song that fits a scene perfectly for a certain character and a certain scene. It is not an over arching theme song, no, it is for one scene and that scene alone. Other times, I find some songs that fit the over arching  theme of a certain character but not of the whole book. As long as I have music behind my books, I have feeling and drive. Without music, I fear I would be lost.
     A lot of authors like to share their playlists or soundtracks with their readers. I think this is very lovely. Sometimes they just give the playlist. And then sometimes they give the song, which scene it belongs to and why it drives the scene. That is one organized author if you tell me. Or perhaps one with a lot of time. But I find it fascinating to get a glimpse into the authors mind and how they felt writing their story or what inspired them.
     Anyway, I'm sure I got nowhere with this post, but at lease now you know how much I love music.
     Until next time.