Tuesday, March 2, 2010

So...its been a while...

So it’s been a while since I updated my story, and even longer since, I posted here in my blog. I did warn you that school might eat my butt. This is sort of what happened. School is keeping me busy; in fact, since school started (a month ago) this is the first day I don’t have homework to do and I still have to go into school for a group project, but there has been other factors.

Factor one: despite my great excitement over Innocent Sins, it has never been fun to write. The more and more I move forward with this project the less and less I like it. I kept looking forward to new events and found them disappointing. It bored me to write and it bothered me to write. I do normally get inspiration for my story ideas from Astrid, but this is the first time where my female lead was HER character with a name and some tiny details changed. I never liked that and I knew she never liked that. So I’m putting Innocent Sins away until I can figure out what I want to do with that.

Factor Two: I am getting more and more uncomfortable with posting my work to FictionPress. When I started to write, I needed readers, you guys, to make me feel like my writing was worth while and it worked. I’ve had popular work posted there and always felt the love and support you guys gave me, but it’s time I stop using that crutch. Also, I don’t think publishers would publish work that is available, for free, online. So, starting today, I’m taking down all my novels from FictionPress. I’m sorry to any who likes to read it, but I am going to try to publish soon.

Anyway, with these decisions in mind, and with some emotional turmoil starting up again, I have continued to write, and edit. I started a new novel, under the working title of Family Bonds. I described it once. It’s my first non-supernatural story and I imagine it will be shorter than some of my other novels. It has a surprising life considering how little time I can dedicate to it, but I’ve enjoyed writing it. This will be my first novel I write without posting, at all.

I will keep my ‘readers’ updated on my Facebook account. I made a list of friends for people who are my readers and keep updates on my writing, and editing. If you want to add me as a friend, just look for Nica Borders-Chagolla. I think I’m the only one. Ether way, you have a picture here, so you know what I look like.

In other news, I’m editing Pair of Jokers. I’m on page 60 now, of the first edit read through. There are 188 pages. I edit by dividing my story into segments about 30 pgs long, and then use these report folders to keep them together, while I edit. I’m on the third segment out of six, so when I’m done with this, I’ll be half way though with the second step! (This is big news to me people, never gotten this far, I simply chose to rewrite Beasts.) Anyway, once I’m done with this, I’ll make my changes and then send them of to my ‘editors’. Let them fix up my grammar, and hear about what they think needs changing. Then I’ll decide what I’ll listen too, fix the grammar, and, well, we’ll see after that. It’s a while away.

Ether way, I’m planning to keep this blog up. I might start keeping it as a place for me to discuss certain parts of writing and reading, give you people something to read rather than a list of my writing activities. If you guys have any questions, don’t be afraid to leave comments, and for now, happy readings.

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Update and some thoughts on Poetry

I haven’t posted here in a while. Things have been boggy as far as writing goes. I read over the unedited manuscript for Pair of Jokers and something amazing happened, for me at least. I loved the story, I loved the characters and I even liked the writing, but the best part of all of it, was I didn’t love the story from the point of view of a writer reviewing her work, I loved it from the point of view of a reader.

It’s an amazing thing when your writing reaches your reading level. Keep fighting until it gets there, only practice can make you a better writer.

So I’ve been slowly editing Jokers, and even slower writing on Sins. Sins is giving me issues, but mostly I just feel really blocked AND fogged. I have to keep pushing forward on my writing but it’s a little harder than with Jokers, but I am not giving up. Sins will be finished and then I’ll focus heavily on editing Jokers.

In other news, school starts for me on Monday. I have no idea what this will mean for my writing. It will probably make me focus more since I’ll have less time but we’ll see. I’m very excited about heading off to school, and while I don’t have any creative writing classes this year I’m probably going to start working towards my degree next year, which hopefully will mean good things for my work.

But some of you, those of you with Author Alerts, might have noticed I posted something new and rare on my profile; a poem. I do have several poems on my profile, but I’m not a poet. I do like expressing myself though poetry but I’m a bit of a snob when it comes to poetry.

My senior year I took a creative writing class that taught me a lot about poem structure and form. I loved it. I loved how it made me work hard for my poetry to have meaning. I loved trying to fit what I wanted to say into a certain form or rhyme structure, but it was hard and I’m a lazy person. So I turn my nose up to free form poetry but don’t like to write anything other than it. (Except for a sonnet now and then.)

But this poem I found in a notebook while cleaning my room. I wrote it last year I think, on a way from school. I was dealing with the break up that made me start writing seriously all together, a break up that still affects me in some ways today. As you know, I am a Leo, hence the title. The emotion is something I can still relate too as I read over the work and with some minor editing I decided to post it.

I think it’s a fine poem, not great, I still wish it had structure but it works and I like the last line.

Boy I’m glad I’m not there anymore.

Monday, January 4, 2010

Innocent Sins is up!

Okay, so it’s a day or two late, but I wrote two chapters to make up for it. That’s right, Innocent Sins is up. It was great to slide back into this story; it almost makes me look forward to editing Jokers. I enjoyed the beginning though it lacks the hook that Jokers had but not every story can have that great hook. I can only hope that everyone enjoys it. I do admit I’m a little nervous about posting my work again. I got used to writing by myself, all closed up. I might just start writing like that all the time soon, I don’t know.

If anything, this story will be up because people deserve the sequel that I actually want to write. I don’t know what’s going to happen once I finish this story. I think I want to spend this year focusing on getting some of my work polished and sent off. I’m going to put in a mental drawer some of my younger aged protagonist stuff, until I know exactly what I want to do with them, and focus more on this.

So I think my next project will be editing Jokers, getting that polished and then sent out. I find it a little ironic what a strong influence the Catholic Church is having on my two female leads. I never planed it that way but somehow religion just seemed to work for both the characters. I’m going to walk on some careful ground with Sins I think, since I have some ideas how that is going to go but I’m sure I can handle it.

Side note: If you’re Catholic, hit me up. I’d like to know more about how the church works, though I don’t think it will come into much play, but I do know I want to know more about the teachings, which I know little about. That was okay for Clara, who left the church out of disinterest a while ago once the story started but Eve is still an active Catholic.

I didn’t realize that until I started writing that Eve would be even more devoted right now than ever. So, I wouldn’t mind some help with that, though I’m not going to worry about it too much. I have a Catholic friend I can discuss things with to fix it up in later drafts. For now, I want to get the story out.

Ether way, I hope you like Sins and we’ll see what the future brings, right?

EDIT: First post of 2010. Also, first time writing 2010!

Thursday, December 31, 2009

Update!

So…I think it’s time for an update. It’s been a little while and things are changing over here. New Years is coming up, meaning I just have one more month off (whoo!) before I go back to school and have to deal with homework and a much longer drive. So I’ll be loosing a lot of time, so what I really wanted to do with my time off was rewrite Beasts and then write a whole another novel but there’s a slight problem with that first one. I like Beasts, I like it a lot, and in someway it’s great to see where it’s going but…

I’m starting to hate it. I resent working on it, and as much as I want to move forward with a piece I think it’s time it goes back into a drawer. I’m sorry I keep being so silly about my work but sometimes things need to go in drawers, Timeless (and it’s sequel) is currently in the same drawer.

I’ve decided what I want to work on next is Joker’s sequel. I had so much fun writing Jokers and I miss it. I want to return to those characters, they have always been jumping around in my mind. So I’m going to give in and write Phoenix’s story, I took time off, I distanced myself from Eve’s source material and found some changes for her that I think will help. I have this story pretty well outlined out, so I’m hoping to start today or tomorrow. I went though all my pre writing questions.

I don’t know what I’ll do after I write Innocent Sins (the sequel’s current title), but I do know that I got ideas on how to rewrite Mantle and Written, two novels that I really wanted to rewrite. I have some problems with Beasts is that while I like that it’s a high school novel I’m so enjoying writing stories where the characters are older, and able to control their own lives. That’s what I loved about Jokers; I didn’t have to worry about realistic parents or homework.

I am a little worried about Mantle, it’s one of my most cliché ideas, and I have a hard time starting projects when I can see their clichés. I feel like it’s still a good story and I can deal with the clichés well enough but…well, the ideas came from a parody RP and I can not write parody, so you can see the problem.

Ether way, Written interests me, it will be right in between my old style and new. While I like writing the older characters, I liked Kit’s relationship with her father far too much. So I plan to cut out Caldur’s parents, and have Kit be 18, and a senior in high school. I also am debating including a subplot with a nurse for her father, which may or may not work out romantically. I just see a great scene that would show a lot about Kit’s personality.

Like I said, I don’t know when I’ll write these ideas, but Innocent Sins is currently next. Expect the first chapter soon; I plan to try to match my NaNo pace. Maybe cut out weekends though, for my mom. We’ll see.

Monday, December 14, 2009

Open Letter

An Open Letter to the edited story and characters of Becoming Beasts

Dear Asher:
What. The. Fuck? Can you EVER stay consant? Really. First I imagine you as a laid back jokester with a hero complex who helps Kaylee learn to relax and enjoy life. Then you become a mildly controlling, very possessive, and aggressive guy with a tendency to whine and a HUGE chip on your shoulder. That’s fine, I rolled with it, hell I enjoyed it. But you have to admit, despite that GIANT warning you gave me in your first scene the first several chapters were oddly light hearted for how you became. So I went back and I started to write you a new.

And then you decide to lighten up!? Seriously? Really, what the hell is up with you? Just because you’re reacting to my fears that Becoming Beasts has too many of the unfortunate implications as Twilight you’re lightening up and encouraging Kaylee to…Oh….

…Clever. Real clever, becoming a nicer more accepting guy just because I decided I dislike the parallels between you and Edward. But that’s enough you got it? This book can’t move forward unless editing edits! I know I’m rewriting it but still! No more changing, got it? I’m fine with the new you and your scenes between Kaylee and yourself are still quite adorable but that’s enough.

Also, this attitude better not get in the way of the drama. I liked the drama. I’m watching you.

Dear Wyatt:
Uhhhh, yeah, sorry about kind of putting you in the ‘Take that’ side of the whole ‘fearing unfortunate implications’. I think I managed to redeem you a bit, I mean you are nicer around girls than guys and I always planed that for you. So…I’ll try to keep things rolling so people see you’re a nice guy and maybe teach you a lesson along the way.

Or write a sequel about you where you learn the lesson…or maybe not. I got too many sequels on my plate. Anyway, I’ll try to be nice, okay?

Dear Tony:
First off, thank you for your subplot coming into the story rather than being vaguely, but continually, hinted at without being addressed. Yeah, you act a lot different than I thought and nothing quite like the crippling fear that I’m writing a ten year old wrong just because I haven’t been around one since I was ten, and I can’t see my age appropriate cousins enough to be sure but hey, now you’re a character.

Also thank you for promising drama down the line. I may need it if SOMEONE (I’m watching you Asher) won’t provide.

But did you have to be so different too? Geez, why do none of my characters act like I think I will? How can I not know you? I made you! Gah!

Dear Kaylee:
I have no problems with you. Thanks for sticking true to yourself and sorry for making you cry so much, but hey, it’s worth it right?

Dear Story as a Whole:
Are we moving at the right speed? I mean we’re 28k in and the main romantic lead JUST kiss. I am trying to make this shorter right? Well, we’ll see. At least I like the chapter numbers, making the chapter 3k instead of 6k is doing great and if this does end up being around 100k I should have around 32 chapters. That seems like a good number.

I still might write rough drafts with longer chapters to give me something to pad and so my readers have more to read. 3k can go by fast.

Also, thanks for helping me get over my fears of writing in the dark. I feel much better as a writer knowing I can write without consent feed back and still feel good about myself. Yay learning!

Sincerely,
Your God, Creator, Lord, Master and Humble Servant
The Author.

(Do you guys like this? Would you like me to post more 'open letters' as I work? Comment.)

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Update in Plans

Alright, I thought a little updating would be nice. So editing is hard guys. Really, really hard. Mostly because of my own fears in writing without consent encouragement. (There’s a reason why I post my work.) I need to get over this since if I ever really want to fulfill my dream I’ll have to write without posting but for now I’m trying to figure out ways around it. I’m still keeping Beasts as my main project, with rewriting it being top on my lists.

Yes, rewriting. I’ve decided to completely rewrite the book partly in due to my sudden shift in villains but also to keep characters more in tune with how they turned out. I have to admit I’m seeing some uncomfortable parallelisms between this and Twilight, mostly in how the characters act. I think that will change further down the line though.

Anyway, to keep my spirits up I’m going to write what I feel will be a shorter novel, perhaps a novella. If you go back in my posts you’ll read an idea about the farm boys. This is a story I’ve decided to write after I’m done rewriting two Beasts chapters (trying per day). I’m trying to make my chapters shorter, but more numerous. I notice I’m writing rather long novels with a rather small amount of chapters.

So expect some updates soon with my new novel, current title Family Bonds. The Timeless sequel is currently on hold, though I’ll try to make it my next project. I can’t help but feel the Joker sequel calling me though. I loved writing Jokers so much and I think that showed. Timeless may have been more popular but…Well, we’ll see what happens, right?

I’m going to try to get the first chapter up tomorrow and if I’m lucky it will also be updated daily, but like I said, we’ll see.

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

To Write or To Edit? That is the question

Alright, so my last post left some confusion to what I’m doing next. I planed to scrap editing so I could get started on the Timeless Sequel, but when I started writing that I realized two things.

1)I felt guilty leaving my first good novel on the side lines for so long. If I ever want to DO something with this work, I need to start editing and that means I need to start editing the first work I want to do something with. So I opened up all my Beast documents and realized I need to start editing this, start actually moving forward again.

2)I am terrified of writing the Timeless Sequel.

Okay, so that last one might be a little weird, but here’s the truth. Timeless was very hard to write. It was labored at many points, wasn’t fun and I felt that Jenny had some borderline Mary Sue moments. This may have something to do with it being a rare historical, and so I never felt quite comfortable in Ancient Egypt, despite my research. Plus the romance was slow moving, and I like much faster moving romances, but all that is fine, that was Timeless and in the end, I think it’s a good teen novel.

Thing is that I don’t know if Timeless’s sequel (working title: ‘Ancient Perspectives’) has enough to be a full novel. I plan on the majority of the drama to rely on emotional issues between the main couple, they need to define themselves in modern times and find out who they want to be, together and apart. The only problem with this is many of my emotional problems tend to solve themselves before I realize it. Mostly because my characters tend to do what I would do in such a scenario, talk about it. So I don’t know what I’d do if this turned into even a 50k novel (which is still a novel but compared to Timeless’s size…)

I will write it. There is more to Jenny and Nebi’s story and over all I feel that my fears mostly come from fear of failure at writing my first sequel, but fear or not I know what the right choice is.

I said I’d work on editing Beasts and it’s time I started. So I’m going to try to rewrite Beasts this month, just like I did with Jokers, a chapter every free day I have. Since school ends next week for me, I’ll see if I can increase that. At the end of Jokers, I got up several chapters a day. I’m debating posting the rewrite but I don’t think I should. A lot of things are going to change and I want to entice people to buy when I get this published.

Because I am going to get it published people. Believe it.