Crazy Sick Talk with my Characters

I want to blame my two week absence on the Cardinals disgracing my city and losing in the World Series (grrrrrr, talk about devastation to the core...and a waste of money on all that daggone party food!), but I've been incredibly sick and am finally starting to feel like myself again. Bronchitis, sinusitis, and a stomach virus all decided to ransack me simultaneously. I've never experienced such a sucky sickness in my entire life...but then again I always say that when I'm sick. Just like I always say "this is the best cake I've had in my entire life" whenever I eat great cake.

And yanno', I swear teaching grade school children is like a death trap. The little sweetums are always sick! And they aren't very good at grabbing a tissue versus their sleeve, covering their coughs, using hand sanitizer, and the like. Yet I still adore them and their potent germs.

So, whilst laying up like a dead woman I had loads of time to talk to my characters, fantasize about perfect future scenarios (believe me, all ladies in their 20s do this) and read the Bible...while feeling a tad guilty for taking notes for my novel instead of my personal journal but hey, stuff happens. Jesus knows I totally love Him and will spend extra time with Him this week. Anyway, back to the characters bit...

Obviously I've done the whole character sketches, picking through their personalities, appearance, traits, habits and so on, and simply letting them take up residence in my head while I listen and observe. As well, I've been through the interviewing, discovering, and analyzing processes.

Essentially, I know my folks pretty well....but I still like to talk to them. Sometimes they talk to one another. Or I envision them meeting my family and friends. I make up fun, sad, serious, dangerous, happy, ridiculous, or whatever situations and sort out how each of my characters would respond or say in such circumstances. Is that too eccentric? Am I the only one who enjoys the company of their own characters or should I say further exploring them? Good Lord...that sounds a bit psycho for folks who don't understand fiction writing, but it's the truth for me.

If I tell you I was the only person holed up in my bedroom while I was sick I'd be telling you a boldfaced lie. One night I even fell asleep talking to my characters and proceeded to have a dream about them with me in it! And HELLO! Let's just say I totally have a crush on the male love interest in my book now. I'm just sayin! Logan is a charmer in person....or in dream, whatever. No wonder he's a lady killer. But anyway yeah. It. Was. Freaking. AWESOME! My imagination was on overload during this sickness and no lie...my characters made it fly by so fast. I now possess a greater love for them because they kept me company when no other human being wanted to be around sick ole' contagious me. And below is how I feel about those people now, hmph! ;-)

Can anyone else relate to me here? Am I the only one who treats my characters like living, breathing, running around, having a good time real folks?

What Makes a Good Villain?

Look, I'm not going to give a lengthy introduction here. I'm not about to justify nor delve into the many eccentricities of me. You guys know by now that I'm a pretty unconventional girl. So, I'm just going to throw it out there without attempting to give an explanation beforehand...but I sort of just did give an explanation, huh? Eh well.

I like villains.

I fall for the bad guy.
The darker and dangerous the better.
I don't give a darn if he's a stone cold killer.
I'm down for the sick and twisted crazy ride (just kidding, mom).

Yeah, I'm that girl. But this only applies to the marvelous world of fiction we find in totally awesome novels, comic books, films, shows, and what not. There is no way I would ever associate with a psychopathic scoundrel in my real life. I don't have a thing for illustrious miscreants and I sure won't ever give into the charms of a handsome serpent rocking a dazzling smile and....well, moving right along...heh heh.

Essentially, I have much admiration for writers who can humanize a villain that well. The sort who can cause their readers to develop sympathy for the treacherous monster causing all kinds of chaos. I'm talking about a writer who has the ability to mask a character's wickedness so well that the reader forgets and sometimes don't even care how evil the character is. They start rooting for the character.

That's how I am. My mother hates it--and she will probably hate this post too. She doesn't understand how I can be a nice (sometimes), saved good church girl (lol) and have a fascination with things I should really abstain from. I know, I know, I know...pray for me.

But really it's not that bad. My salvation is not in jeopardy. I think it's normal, actually. Honestly, how many people do you know absolutely LOVE Bellatrix Lestrange? I loved her from the moment she was introduced in the Harry Potter series. She has such character and her very essence is simply magical and graceful yet deranged and sickening. And yes, I did mourn the loss of Sirius Black...but I still loved Bellatrix! The same goes for The Joker, Cruella de Vil, Valentine, Dark Phoenix, Magneto, Voldemort, Dracula, Hannibal, Loki, Klaus...and the list goes on and on my dear friends.

I just think it's awesome, you know? And I believe this is an ability that every writer who wants to be successful in the publishing world (in the appropriate genre, of course) should have. Readers hate the stereotypical and mundane villains whose actions are totally predictable and eye roll worthy. Readers want villains who are unpredictable. Villains who are smart, crafty, has potential and great ideas, and are motivated. Readers dig rebels with a cause. And man...villains with a troublesome past? They take the cake.

Really guys, even Lucifer has a past. The villain of all villains! The guy was the favored angel in heaven head over the choir and he gave it all up simply for a control he would never acquire, a ridiculous amount of unnecessary envy, and crazy greed. That's one heck of a past. He had a father, no THE FATHER, a family, a marvelous place to call home...but something happened.

Something always happens, right? That's what readers like-that something that causes the villain to change. And I'm talking before he/she is actually deemed a villain. And although I detest Satan and he is one villain I would never play patty cake with....the dude has a past, present, and future. If you want to create a successful villain start by reading the Bible. There is so much good in there, of course, but it also tells of the evil side. Learning about that true evil--the very birth of it--has caused me to write villains a lot better. They all take after the devil anyway, right?

And by the way....Satan sucks to the utmost. Jesus rocks. Just thought I'd throw that out there, lol. Don't want you guys thinking I'm some psycho devil lover or anything. I'm all for God, folks. I just can get caught up with the villains in stories I read. ;-)

Brainstom. Outline. Organize. Write.

I'm not going to lie.
I'm a bit scatterbrained.
I know, I know, I know.
What can I say? Stuff happens.
Heck, blame the bloodline.

Externally, I'm a pretty neat and tidy person. My living quarters stay clean. I don't like messy areas. I hate weird odors. I can't cook or bake in a disgusting kitchen. I like my hair and makeup a certain way. I just like a nice, sweet candle scented area that also happens to be immaculate. Can you blame me?

But on the inside...honey baby chiiilllddd, I am a stanky hot mess. Especially when my creative juices flow. I'm talking ideas crashing into one another. Light bulbs exploding here and there. Ah ha! Moments popping up like freaking grasshoppers. No lie, it's nuts.

During the brainstorming phase of producing ideas for my novel I jotted down notes on whatever was available--phone, laptop, napkin, whatever. Those notes consisted of major details about my characters, the premise, difficulties to overcome, plot twists, main events, and so on. This exercise typically occurred after my college classes at a local café I frequented. Yes, I worked on my novel instead of writing a paper or studying for an exam. Bad student, I know. After enough brainstorming I really tried to get an idea of the desires I had for my novel. The themes, genre, target audience, how events will affect my characters, what will the setting be, do I want to make a career out of this and so on.

Then came my outline phase. I did a bit of research and learned not all writers feel the need to create outlines before diving into the actual writing of the manuscript. Some writers prefer an outline simply to have a guide. Something that will keep them on track without limiting their novel's possibilities, of course. It's perfectly okay to make changes to the outline whilst writing. It's normal to get more or better ideas when you really get into your story.

Now organizing my outline was pretty simple....well, kind of. First I went into deep detail for each of my characters. Then I listed their names again and provided short sentences, no more than 15 words, for each along with a possible quote. I spent a lot of time on my characters because I know a great fiction book is character driven. Sucky Characters = Sucky Book. Honestly, have you heard of The Joker? Pure awesomeness. I then expanded on the premise, setting, stakes, plot, definitions for certain artifacts, terms, or special items.

And really, a novel outline is just like a long list of stuff needing an explanation. That's it. Not all writers must create an outline before the actual writing, but I do simply because I like to hurry up and get my ideas into a saved document. And at the time I was a beginner. And like I said before, it's not mean to limit your novel's possibilities or restrict your creativity, it's just a guide. Like an organized tool to help you along the way. You don't have to stick with it. There is nothing in the heavenly sent writer's rulebook that states you cannot make changes to your outline.

After all this I felt comfortable enough to start writing. And what's so beautiful is that I wrote my entire novel within months. I was so excited and gung-ho about the whole thing that I cranked out 160k words in less than one semester of college. If I wasn't working, in class, or doing homework my face was glued to the laptop screen with my fingers typing away. Now, I wasn't that excited when the revision stages began but hey, it is what it is.

So that's how the writing of my novel started. I brainstormed, outlined, organized my ideas, and got down to writing. It's okay to spend a lot of time on those first three stages but you have to start writing some time. Don't get too hooked on making your outline perfect, it's not that big of a deal. Like I said, it's just a tool to help you stay on track and keep your ideas from being forgotten.

How to Cut Your Novel--Five Steps

Your Manuscript Is...

--Way too long
--Contains too much filler
--Extremely wordy
--In dire need of cutting
--Overly descriptive
--Has unnecessary backstory
--Full of unneeded adjectives

Folks, this is normal. If you're a writer then you've definitely heard at least one of these statements before. Whether it's from a critique partner, literary agent, editor, or even your dear old mum; believe me when I say they are correct. This sort of revising is simply part of every writer's life. It's just something that has to be done. About a year ago literary agent Vickie Motter told me to cut 60k of my book (I know. I was way over the limit) and it was the best advice I ever received. She didn't have to tell me that. Initially she rejected my query. I politely asked for feedback and she promptly responded to my email. She took the time out to address the concerns of a young novice. Not all agents do that. It rarely happens, really. It took me a bit of time, but this five step process below really helped me clean up my manuscript. Check it out.

Step One: Consult the Experts
- Don't be afraid to raid your bookshelf. Pick up some of your favorite books you share the same genre with and skim through them. Discover why you adore the book so much. What is it about the characters, wording, premise, and so on that keeps your eyes glued to the pages. Simply jot down some notes regarding what those books contain that perhaps yours doesn't. It's very simple, this step, and I find it extremely helpful.

Step Two: Read, Read, Read
- Read over your own manuscript and MAKE NO CHANGES YET. Highlight possible problem areas. Make short notes in the review/side margin.

Step Three: *Rubs Palms* Now Down to the Nitty Gritty
-Look for adverbs, mainly those ending with "y" and determine whether they're necessary.
-Were, That, Was....believe me, most of the time you don't even need those words. Passive=Ugh.
-Watch out for too descriptive paragraphs. The sort readers tend to skip or skim.
-Get those unnecessary adjectives under control. They can turn a really good line into an annoying one and even confusing one.
-Backstory--I guarantee you, nobody likes it in a book...unless it's like totally awesome though.

Step Four: Tell the Readers Something they DON'T KNOW
-Writers tend to give information the reader already knows. This is extremely annoying.
-Characters' thoughts can get really annoying, especially when they are repetitive and ridiculously long. This goes for monologues as well. Those can get boring very fast. And most of the time I find them unnecessary. Show the reader a story; provide a clear picture. Don't just tell them a tale.
-Don't let dialogue go on and on and on and repeat the same old information "just to make sure the reader understands." Believe me...they get it. They got it the first time.

Step Five: Perhaps I Missed Something
-Repeat the above at least 3x before handing it out again. You want to make sure the person who told you to cut your novel sees a major difference. Give them a Book Hangover. ;-)

Wednesday Revelation--Novel Confession #02

I'm late. I know. I'm so sorry. Ugh, #BloggerFail

Anyway, let's launch into the Novel Confession for this week...Unfortunately there's some backstory here. Sorry, I know how much us authors absolutely loathe the backstory dump! This post will be long. Can't say I didn't warn you.

Out of all four of my siblings I've always been the most eccentric one out the bunch. I've gone through so many fashion phases, makeup trends, tried out several different personalities (I was nuts, I know), faked accents for months at a time, and just had a straight up crazy, fun loving time getting lost and finding myself in the process.

Throughout my changes the one thing I've always remained true to is my deep fascination with the spiritual and supernatural elements in this world. Growing up my eyes always widened when I learned of the mind blowing miracles Jesus performed, the Angels and their messenger moments, the Rapture and days of Tribulation talk in the Book of Revelation, the tales of soothsayers and no good spiritists in the Bible, Satan trying to tempt Jesus (I know right? What the heck was that older than dirt idiot Lucifer smoking?!), and all the demon stuff.

Yeah...I was that weird kid. But I never got a Ouija Board, HECK NO! That's pushing it. I always told myself I'd never cross that thin line.

That all being unnecessarily said, whilst writing one of my later chapters my mother kept nit picking at me about my WIP. And I was ticked! She didn't really know anything about my novel. She had never read a page of it. She was already against the urban fantasy with biblical symbolism idea even though she just looovvveeddd Chronicles of Narnia and Lord of the Rings. And I just felt like I didn't need her input when she'd already kicked my novel to the side. Essentially, my mom had this random notion that my book was becoming too dark and twisted. That I was teetering on the edge of something unholy. This is how I viewed her...

But unlike that lady above my mom was actually right. Duh, she's ALWAYS right.

The chapter I wrote was borderline disturbing. It had a very dark and brutal undertone to it. Bottom line, it was demonic. And after writing it I didn't feel like myself. I had this odd idea to research demon hierarchies--something I never would have thought of doing. Bizarre, right? I'm all down for conducting research for novels but I'm not down for dabbling.

Now, I'm not going to lie. The chapter was darn good and I was totally digging it...but it wasn't representing God and it certainly wasn't what he requires of me and my gift. Instead it was glorifying evil. If another writer had written that chapter I would have thought, "woah, this chick is obviously dabbling in some daaarrk stuff." Although I knew this I refused to change it. Hardheaded, I know.

So one night after my mother had prayer she came to talk to me and said, "God told me you just wrote something evil and you need to delete it and start over. It's ungodly and it's too dark. Whatever it is, change it. Now." Did I listen to mom? Nope. I brushed her off like a pesky gnat. I was angry and in denial. I went to bed with a bitter taste in my mouth.

That night I dreamt of an Angel adorned in a white so brilliantly bright that my eyes strained to even look up at him. I just laid in my bed while this huge warrior like Angel took up my entire room and was saying something to me that I could not understand. His mouth kept moving in a language so foreign and a voice so thunderous that they had to have been divine. It was almost as if he was chastising me, but I just couldn't comprehend the scolding. Towards the end of this dream he pressed his heavy hand to my forehead and FINALLY spoke in English. He said, "don't look up demons."

And before I could speak to him I was awake with my eyes glued to where he'd just stood. I felt like I'd just been transported from dream world to the real world within the blink of an eye. And the message was so clear too. His last line continued to replay in my mind and I couldn't get what my mother said out of my head. So you know what I did next?

I deleted that chapter and wrote it over! Yah darn skippy I did! I was freaked out! Scared! Totally not trying to get on God's bad side. I also rid of those stupid ideas regarding demon research and never wrote anything else without asking God to write with me. Mom was so right and when I told her of this dream she simply smirked and said, "I told yah so!"

God really does have His Angels watching over His children....even the hardheaded ones like me.

Witches of East End Novel & TV Series

So I was playing ketchup with the telly the other evening and I saw a totally awesome looking preview that reminded me of several novels and other TV shows that I used to be obsessed with growing up. Initially I thought of the The Fyne Witches series. You know those Sun Witch, Moon Witch, etc. books? Then it kind of put me in the mind of Twitches, but a more edgy and racy version of course. And lastly I couldn't help but think about that totally awesome TV show "Charmed." You guys remember that show that centered on three powerful witches who were also beautiful drama filled sisters? "The Power of Three" ladies?


Well anyway the preview ended...and I realized I didn't even catch the title of the show. I knowww, all that contemplating and I ended up missing the actual name of the show. So I did a little researching and discovered that it's a TV show focusing on three cursed witches. A mother and her two daughters try to live normal lives (why do supernatural folk always try to live normal lives? That's like the oldest and biggest fairytale lie they tell themselves.) but ends up entrenched in a web of magic, fate, betrayal, and the usual good vs evil adventures. Here's an actual summary from an online article.

~~Julia Ormond stars as Joanna, a witch in a seaside town who is cursed to lose her daughters, Freya and Ingrid (Jenna Dewan-Tatum and Rachel Boston), over and over — giving birth to them again each time they die. She decides to break the curse by casting a spell over her girls so that they won’t dabble in witchcraft or know their true nature. Now they’re grown and fate has come calling on the night of Freya’s engagement party: Spells are cast, gloom and agony are foretold and, when Freya starts making out with her fiance’s brother, a vase of roses bursts into flames.~~

Sounds good right? Right!

I actually can't wait for the premiere. I've been waiting on another good supernatural show to break the mold and I'm hoping this is it. I'm a sucker for a good witch tale and the fact that this series is based off the book series from Melissa de la Cruz, the ones with those lovely mythological and totally in-depth Beauchamp ladies, I think it may be a winner. Check out the promo below!

Looks good, yeah? Freeeaaakkkkin' Yeaaahhh!! I think my other supernatural freak of a sister will love this show too! Yay!

Wednesday Revelation - Novel Confession #01

So, I seriously dislike one of my characters....But hold up! Let's back it up a bit.

Have you ever had someone in your life who constantly gave every person around them unsolicited advice or just always had an optimistic perspective about whatever and whoever? I'm talking about a person who will cause you to see every angle of a difficult situation verses merely your own. The one who is NEVER *rolls eyes* bias. The person who will talk you down from going off on the jerk that just totally disrespected you and deserves to be put in his place. The one with Jiminy Cricket syndrome! The type of person who will inform you of your wrongness AND toss a bible scripture at you just to prove they're right and you're wrong. I mean really? C'mon! Who told you to add God in this? NOBODY!

That's the sort of character my Alyse Selvin is. She's a know-it-all and dang proud of it. It's not that she is so arrogant that she deems herself biblically correct in all her ways, it's just that her mind is so wrapped up in Christ that her heart is not enveloped with darkness. She harbors no deceitful desires, impure endeavors, or ill intentions. The girl simply wants everyone to choose the right path and remain on it. She lives for joy and happiness. Alyse literally cries when a rainbow appears...and when she bites into a delicious cupcake on her off diet/cheat day (or maybe I'm talking about myself right there, who knows lol). She is just a freaking sweet as pie angel! 

And I have to respect that. Although she is that friend that pushes you in the right direction, loves unconditionally, takes accountability for close ones, calls you out on your bull, and has no problem being honest...she can still be annoying as hell (yeah Auntie Joyce I said hell and I still don't consider it a curse word-BOOM...*cringes, cowers away in fear of reproval*) with her virtually perfect self.

But notice I said virtually. This is where my annoyance climbs to dislike.

Alyse is a flawed character just like many of the others. It's just that I cringe when I meet know-it-alls who aren't even close to having it all together (Oh God, that kind of sounds like myself right there, LOL! Yikes!). She struggles with insecurity, she is unaware of her worth, she can't conceal her emotions,--even the loony and eccentric ones--she doesn't know when to shut up, she is usually the weaker one in combat, and she's also in love with a guy who will never look past his own faults to be with her. He's so caught up in his own innate downfalls that he doesn't deem himself worthy of Alyse's love which obviously overlooks his faults. Complete and utter craziness, no!? Seriously, one of these days Alyse is going to get it through her thick skull that she is more than just invisible scars and unguarded thoughts. That her once believed incurable wounds can be healed. And that she goes beyond good enough.

Essentially, I think it's her vulnerability and visibility that kills me. She's always on someone else's case but every time I write her in I can't help but think, "girl please, you have more issues than Vogue" or "typical good girl probs" --I'm so insensitive, I know.

Anyway, I'm the complete opposite of her. I don't like people knowing if they hurt me or not. I know when to keep my thoughts to myself..who am I kidding? No I don't. I hate when folks can read my emotions. I like masking my true self with dark humor, witticism, empty sarcasm, and lots of laughter. Besides my family, there are only a few people who know the real me. And I will admit that I used to be more open....but time and experience has taught me to remain guarded. 

And that's where I think my annoyance of Alyse starts to dig deep-when it gets personal. She wears no mask and I hate that. I can't understand why she sets herself up for harm. I tell myself I would hate to have someone like her in my life. That I'm so glad I'm not like her. But if that is the case why would I create her? Why would she end up being one of my most in-depth characters?

Hmm, makes me wonder what other lies I've told myself.