Tag: writing

(Alphabe-Thursday: I and J) Inside Jokes

AlisonLeave a comment

My last ‘catch-up’ entry for Jenny Matlock’s Alphabe=Thursday.

This is the next in my series of trying to sort out how we make those people in our stories ‘real’.  What is your opinion on “inside jokes”? I know that in real life if you are friends with a group of people long enough, things will happen that will become the future ‘inside jokes’.

My family, for example, only has to mention Friar Tuck or Valentine’s Day hearts to have my mother turn red and everyone start laughing (forgive me mom). No one else would understand but it is hysterical to us. My husband’s family has ‘cheever on the roof’. Again, makes no sense to those on the outside.

Does that work in books?  If there is a group of friends that are really close, do they have inside jokes? Does it translate well in the reading or do you have to over-explain, thereby killing the inside joke?

Do you know of any books that have these kinds of interactions? Does it work for you?

I think one issue would be that comedy is difficult. Everyone has a different sense of humor and what is funny to one may not be funny to another. A favorite book of mine is “The True Meaning of Smekday” by Adam Rex. I thought it was laugh-out-loud funny. But I can appreciate that a lot of the humor was subtle or required the cultural knowledge behind it to be understood. It may not be an easily accessible humor.

Would it be the same with an inside joke?

 

Edit: Apparently I also missed the letter “K”. Well I am feeling a bit contrary and so I am just going to say that the letter ‘K’ doesn’t exist in the Italian language. Quindi se io scrivo in italiano, no devo usare la lettera ‘K’. Basta.

(Alphabe-Thursday: G and H) Grief and Hidden Burdens or Hardships for Our Characters

Alison2 Comments

Since I am sooooooo late in posting my alphabets, I am combining letters. And I will just link back to Jenny Matlock’s main website.

 

I had an interesting experience this summer that started me thinking about character motivation.  I work for two Universities. However, the classes I teach are not offered during the summer semester. So that means no paychecks for July, August, or up until the end of September. I know that this is coming each year and I plan for it. I am usually able to save from through the year and save school loans (my husband is a full-time student) and tax returns. It typically isn’t an issue. Much.

Now, this summer. . . Husband started graduate school. We didn’t realize that school would be starting in May instead of September (like all the other schools he was accepted to). So, here come due a large tuition payment and yet school loans don’t start until September (because that’s when school is supposed to start?). So, it drained pretty much everything we had.

Summer was interesting.

Part of understanding this is the fact that I can NOT miss a payment. The thought of even being late on a bill or a payment makes me physically ill. So I can tell you that there wasn’t a day (hour?) that went by that I wasn’t mentally shifting our finances around and sorting out how to pay for one thing or another.

I’m pretty sure I wasn’t my normal self in my reactions with those around me; simply because in my head I was constantly battling reality.

It got me thinking about writing characters.  Do we have characters carrying unknown burdens that affect how they treat others, or respond to different situations? How can we include these things to make a well-rounded character without having to do a lot of ‘back story’? What about a chronic illness, one that isn’t physically apparent?

Can you think of any of your favorite characters that are carrying these Hidden Burdens?

NaNoWriMo a No Go

Alison2 Comments

Well, I explained the craziness I was taking on in NaNoWriMo (writing a 50,000 word novel in the month of November) and then I haven’t checked in since November started.

I’m sure that all of you had images of me sweating over my keyboard, pounding out thousands of perfect phrases destined to become the next ‘take-your-breath-away’ novel. Right?  Anyone???

Well, it’s funny how things actually work. My grand total for words written on my novel. . . (are you sure you are ready for this?)  289!

Wow.

Not only did I not get that done, but I also missed out on the Alphabe-Thursday for G,H,I,and J. I will be making those up before this week’s edition.

It is strange. I don’t feel too bad about not getting more fun writing done. November wasn’t completely lost to the writing vacuum.  I did get non-writing things done. Or I should say non-fun writing things done. I finished several major projects for work that required a lot of writing. I did get all my grapes picked and the juice bottled (yum!). Unfortunately we had a  funeral too. And while it was really hard to lose my husband’s grandmother (she is an amazing woman), it was also really nice to see all the family that came in and play hostess to those who dared to stay with us.  Also, my husband decided that he would like a Tom Baker “Dr. Who scarf” for Christmas. For those of you not familiar with the scarf, here is an image.

Yes, it really is that long. And my husband is 6’ 4’’. So that is a LOT of scarf. I did get a start on that in November.

 

As I was writing I discovered a few things. It may have been an idea that had been kicking around in my head for a while. An idea that still intrigues me, but I hadn’t fleshed it out enough.

I need a few things to write a story:

When I write I need to have a solid “Who.” That was problem number one. My main character wasn’t whole. I didn’t really know her, or what her situation was. Without knowing her, it is really hard to care about what is happening or going to happen to her.

I need a concrete “What.” I need to know what my main character (MC) has been thrust into and how it will be fixed.

I also need a definite “Why.” Why does she care? Why does the conflict matter to her and thereby matter to me? What is at risk?

The “How” is something I can figure out as I go. But without having those other questions answered – Nothing happens.

So now I will set to work on answering those questions, playing with it in my head. Meanwhile I will be attempting a major overhaul on my ‘already written’ story. I am excited about the revisions and how it will make the story in my head come to life on the paper.

(Alphabe-Thursday: F) F Is For Fear

Alison13 Comments

Jenny Matlock It is that time again, Alphabe-Thursday on Jenny Matlock’s blog. (click on the button to see all the other ‘F’ entries.

F is for Fear

Ah, Halloween. The perfect time for this emotion.

I have always had a love/hate relationship with fear. I liked to be frightened . . . to a point.

But, I have an over-active imagination and so I can’t watch movies that are too scary. My brain just won’t let go of them.

When I was young, my room was in the basement. There wasn’t a window and there wasn’t a door.

There was a doorway, but not a door. Needless to say, when I turned the light out at night, it was dark; really dark.

So, in my head I had to make up ‘rules’. There were rules that all the monsters had to follow.

First and foremost, the rule:

After I turned out the light I had until the count of 10 to get in bed and cover up with my blankets.

Everything under the covers was safe.

Of course I had to add an amendment rule:

My head didn’t count and it could be out of the blankets. (It got too hot trying to keep my head covered)

My bed was against the wall and I had to sleep with my back to the wall.

Now I’m a grownup and I don’t have to do that anymore.

Okay, so maybe I still catch myself counting from time to time. And, when I wake up from nightmares I have to continue the dream in my head until there is a happy conclusion. Then I can go back to sleep.

Now—thanks to my friend Elesa—I have five new ways to die that I can add to a list of fears. (check it out- she’s hysterical)

Back to fear. I think that there are different kinds of fear; different gradations.

We can be afraid of things like spiders, snakes, or pineapple wielding ferrets. We can be afraid of feelings like rejection, humiliation, failure. And, we can fear for our lives or the lives of those we love. Those are all very different feelings, and yet we call them all fear.

So, now I guess it is time for my take on fear.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kiera stretched and rubbed her neck. I hope I get used to these twelve hour shifts soon. The shower after felt good, but I’m afraid it is going to put me to sleep.

The hospital employee lounge was well-stocked and provided the nurses coming off their shift with a shower or some food. There was a small bed as well for a power nap or two. Kiera walked to the fridge and grabbed a drink. Moving to the mirror, she glanced at her hair. She shook her head as she pulled the wet curls back into a make-shift bun.

My hair is going to be terrible after this, but I’ll take care of it at home. She moved to her locker and grabbed her new jacket. It was a bright yellow, not a color she would normally of purchased, but her family had given it to her as a graduation present. They were so proud of her for getting her degree. The color went nicely with her dark complexion and black hair.

It’s really quiet now. Kiera thought as she stepped out into the hallway. The lights were low for nighttime and the hallway deserted. The only sounds were the quiet noises of the various machines and her footsteps on the linoleum. Her cell phone vibrated once in her pocket.

Why can’t he leave me alone?! Her tiredness was gone. She could feel her heart rate immediately accelerate and her pulse throb in her throat.   Always texting. Should I look? She paused in the hall and glanced quickly over each shoulder. With a sigh she pulled out her cell phone to see.

“I KNOW U R THERE. TXT ME BACK.” Kiera felt her stomach flip. She tried to swallow through her suddenly dry throat. Almost immediately there was another text. “HOW DO U LIKE THE NEW JOB? HOSPITAL GOOD?”

How?! How does he know? I haven’t spoken to him in over a year and I thought he left town. I thought he couldn’t come back. She shoved the cell phone in her pocket and whirled around, looking everywhere in the darkened hallway. I’m getting paranoid. He’s doing this to freak me out. He always loved it when I was scared.

She continued out of the building, waving at the reception secretary. She walked to the dark parking lot, humming softly to herself and making a mental shopping list in her mind. She was nearing her car when the phone buzzed again. With a growl of frustration she pulled the phone back out. Her breath caught in her throat and everything went cold. The phone’s bright screen illuminated the night and the terror on her face as she read the message.

“LIKE THE NEW JACKET. U LOOK REAL GOOD IN YELLOW.”

 

Do You NaNo?

Alison2 Comments

November is quickly approaching.

With that, also comes the beginning of NaNoWriMo.

What is this NaNoWriMo that I speak of?

Well, I’m glad you asked.

NaNoWriMo is National Novel Writing Month.

It is a particular and crazy experience. In one month you write a 50,000 word novel.

Of course that is really fast and you will end up with a lot of garbage, but that is kind of the point. The idea is to get the writing flowing without worrying about editing everything as you go. There will be terrible writing, but there will also be ‘a-ha’ moments that will be golden. At the end of November you will have a beginning, something to work from, expand, and polish.

I had two main story ideas bouncing around in my head lately. One I used for a short-story contest on NPR so I can’t use any of it for anything else at the moment. So, I guess it will be the other one. It is a concept that has intrigued me for a while and I’m excited.

My problem is my preparation is behind. The rules for the month state that you can’t have anything actually ‘written’ of the story, but you can outline and plan before hand.

I don’t have an outline yet. I have a vague overall story arc, but nothing concrete.

For work I have been having to rewrite a manual for one lab, and update another one. So, I’ve been trying to get it done before November rolls around and it hasn’t left much time for planning. Perhaps I will be a ‘pantser’ (you know, just write ‘by the seat of your pants’ and see where the story takes you rather than plan) this time and just write it as I go.

So. . . do you NaNo?

(Alphabe-Thursday:E) E is for Ennui

Alison14 Comments

E is for Ennui

I know, you are here you find out what ‘ennui’ is. This is an Alphabe-Thursday entry for Jenny Matlock’s blog.

The funny thing is, when I was trying to think of an emotion to write about for ‘E’, the word ‘Ennui’ popped into my head.

So did ‘elephant’, but that typically isn’t a feeling or an emotion.

Oh, I could probably argue it and say that after Thanksgiving dinner you might feel ‘elephant’, but that would be stretching it. So I went with the other random word.

And yes, I had to look up the definition too to make sure I was on the right track.

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines ennui as such:

 

Ennui: a feeling of weariness and dissatisfaction: boredom

 

So there you have the ‘what’, now for my portrayal of it – inspired by my class on Tuesday.

~~~~~~

Micah’s eyes were drooping and her head nodded while the professor continued to drone on in front of the class. Micah checked her watch.

Forty-five more minutes?!  I will never make it. She tried to listen to the lecture. She took a few notes and then began doodling on the paper. Her seat was hard and uncomfortable. She shifted around to try to find a better position. Tapping her pencil on her other hand, she looked at her watch again.

Forty-four minutes?! Seriously. I am never going to take another class this long again. A two-and-a-half hour class gives way too much information all at once. She sighed and tried to listen again.

I wonder what Devin is doing right now? Maybe I’ll text him and find out. She slid her phone out and, under the table, texted her friend.

Okay, so now what? She made another attempt at listening, her foot tapping out of desperation for something to do. She started to plan out her schedule for the weekend on her note paper.

At least I look like I’m taking notes. When that was done she put down her pencil and stared up at the board. The professor was still explaining an image of the microcirculation in the blood.

How can she talk so much? Doesn’t she get bored too? Micah’s head was feeling heavy so she leaned against her hand. I’ll just close my eyes for a second…

The sound of closing books and moving chairs startled Micah back to reality. Class was over, finally.

Saturday Centus: “Trick or treat”

Alison15 Comments

This is the Saturday Centus entry for Jenny Matlock’s blog. Again, the rules are: using the prompt, write a 100 word (not counting the prompt) story. This week’s prompt is “”Trick or treat!” they shouted as the door opened. .  .”  I’ve marked it in red.

~~~

“Trick or treat!” they shouted as the door opened slowly. The children jockeyed for position on the porch.  The plastic of their costumes rustled as they tried to look through the opening door. No candy was coming. They began to mutter, their words indistinguishable under stiff masks. The eldest, Susan, pulled the superhero face up on top of her head so she wasn’t trying to look through the limiting eye-holes.  Still, there was no smiling neighbor with a bowl of candy, or anyone at all. The other children pushed her forward and she stepped in the door.

“There’s no one. . .” The door slammed and the children screamed.

(Alphabe-Thursday:D) D is for Depression

Alison23 Comments

This is my next entry in the Alphabe-Thursday on Jenny Matlock’s blog. (you should check out the other entries too) I decided to try writing different emotions for each letter to practice capturing those emotions on paper. This is “D is for Depression” and before you ask, I am fine – thanks.

 

 

Depression

It’s not about sadness. Sadness is easy.

It’s emptiness. Whatever passed as my heart/soul/essence has been shredded and scooped out.

It is apathetic, hollow deadness.

It isn’t always the same: sometimes it is worse.

Add to the emptiness all the feelings of negativity you can imagine:

Irritation, self-pity, self-loathing, insanity, disgust, rage –

All rolling around inside like smoke spiraling in a moon-dark sky.

Sometimes it is just the emptiness.

It really isn’t about sadness.

Saturday Centus: “If I had a hammer. . .”

Alison18 Comments

Saturday Centus post for Jenny Matlock’s blog

Saturday Centus rules: You can use UP to 100 words to tell your story. The prompt does not count for your 100 words AND it must be left intact in the body of your story. No illustrations are permitted. Your story can be fact or fiction, just keep it PG, please!

This story is because apparently I have October on the brain. I  put the prompt in red.

~~~~~

The sound of shuffling footsteps and dripping water echoed through the cavern.  A table in the center of the room contained a large, sheet-covered shape.

“Not right!”  The lab-coat clad scientist pulled his hair. The shuffling footsteps paused, a hesitant voice responded.

“Sir? Is there a problem?”

“This is the problem!” He threw the sheet back from the experiment, exposing the woman on the table.

“She’s beautiful.” The assistant said with a sigh as he cringed.

“You brought me the wrong ears! How can we infiltrate the beauty pageant circuit now? If only,” He tipped his head and squinted.  “If I had a hammer . . .”

(Alphabe-Thursday:C) C is for Cheerful

Alison13 Comments

It may come as a surprise, but sometimes the positive emotions are trickier for me to describe. So I thought I would tackle ‘Cheerful’. Typically, I would just say “So-and-so smiled.” Ta Da!

I figured I would start by listing things that make me cheerful. . .

Long-sleeved T-shirts and jeans, fall colors and a crisp touch to the air –

Pumpkin flavor, chocolate, fresh-baked whole wheat bread, homemade grape juice-

Northwestern Beaches with jagged rocks – the kind of beach that needs a sweatshirt-

Chinchillas and alpacas, Halloween, moon, purple and brown-

Matt, kids giggling, mountains, red-rock mesas, God-



Naps, lightning storms, colors and patterns in fabric (but not sewing)-


Soft touches and quick kisses, sunsets, Disneyland-

Okay, let’s try a bit of ‘cheerful’ then . . .

~~~~

The feeling burbled up from his stomach. When it reached his throat, laughter burst out, surprising even him.

~

Her eyes lit up and a smile spread across her face.

~

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes in the sunlight, holding on to the warmth that filled his chest.

~Er, hmmmm.

. . . She smiled.