I got to thinking about Cinderella this week. How both of her stepsisters tried on the glass slipper with no success. Then, Cinderella tried it on and it fit!
A few weeks ago, I was trying to make something fit, trying valiantly, and it just wouldn't.
In my case, the ill-fit wasn't a shoe, but a scene I was editing for my then novel in progress. I had a powerful scene which just wasn't working.
I fiddled with it, tweaking it, changing the odd word and punctuation mark, and was no happier. I knew the scene was good, and good for the story, yet it wasn't working.
I finally admitted that it wasn't going to. Not at that point in the story.
So I moved it. It works now : - )
Sometimes a problem with a piece of writing is just a matter of an ill-fit. A scene that may not be working may be due to where it takes place in the story, rather than due to a problem with the scene itself.
Regards,
Karen
Showing posts with label Writing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Writing. Show all posts
Friday, January 11, 2008
Thursday, January 3, 2008
The book with no title
I'm struggling with the title for the book I just finished. Usually, the title is one of the first things I decide on before I start writing. For me, the title cements the book, summarizing it in my mind.
With this book though, I wasn't able to decide on the title at the outset and so I settled on a "working title" to keep myself from calling my work-in-progress the "book with no title" : - )
I'll be turning it in this month and I still haven't come up with what to call this book. Maybe it will be released as "the book with no title" after all. : - )
Regards,
Karen
With this book though, I wasn't able to decide on the title at the outset and so I settled on a "working title" to keep myself from calling my work-in-progress the "book with no title" : - )
I'll be turning it in this month and I still haven't come up with what to call this book. Maybe it will be released as "the book with no title" after all. : - )
Regards,
Karen
Friday, November 30, 2007
One way to add realism to our fiction
On this day, November 30, 1959, production on the film "Psycho" began.
Now you may be wondering why I began my blog with that tidbit of information. The reason is that I discovered a new research site. If you've read my earlier blogs, you've read about my fascination with research. I'm sure you can imagine my excitement at being able to add another one to my list. : - )
I got the above information from the web site of the History Channel by clicking on "This Day in History" and choosing the Entertainment category. I checked out the Literary category first, of course : - ). I learned that on this day in 1835, writer Mark Twain was born.
But while I was browsing the site for fun trivia, it occurred to me how useful this site could be for writers. It got me thinking about how we can use "day in history" information to add realism to our fiction.
The goal in writing fiction is to suspend disbelief. Writers want readers to believe that the story they're reading and the people they're reading about could really exist. It doesn't matter when or where our story happens. If our readers don't believe what we're writing, then our fiction has failed.
Referencing people who lived during a given time period helps our readers identify with the people we've created. Including events which actually took place at the time of our story is one way of making our fictional world familiar. Maybe even a place that readers will want to go to. : - )
In case you'd like to take a look, here's a link to the site:
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history.do
Regards,
Karen
Now you may be wondering why I began my blog with that tidbit of information. The reason is that I discovered a new research site. If you've read my earlier blogs, you've read about my fascination with research. I'm sure you can imagine my excitement at being able to add another one to my list. : - )
I got the above information from the web site of the History Channel by clicking on "This Day in History" and choosing the Entertainment category. I checked out the Literary category first, of course : - ). I learned that on this day in 1835, writer Mark Twain was born.
But while I was browsing the site for fun trivia, it occurred to me how useful this site could be for writers. It got me thinking about how we can use "day in history" information to add realism to our fiction.
The goal in writing fiction is to suspend disbelief. Writers want readers to believe that the story they're reading and the people they're reading about could really exist. It doesn't matter when or where our story happens. If our readers don't believe what we're writing, then our fiction has failed.
Referencing people who lived during a given time period helps our readers identify with the people we've created. Including events which actually took place at the time of our story is one way of making our fictional world familiar. Maybe even a place that readers will want to go to. : - )
In case you'd like to take a look, here's a link to the site:
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history.do
Regards,
Karen
Thursday, November 8, 2007
NANOWRIMO
Are you participating in NANOWRIMO this month?
In case you haven't heard of it, NANOWRIMO is short for National Novel Writing Month, an annual event each November in which writers register to attempt to write 50,000 words of a new novel in 30 days. http://www.nanowrimo.org/ The emphasis is on quantity not quality. The thinking behind NANOWRIMO is to write freely, accumulating words, without stopping to edit.
I think the concept is wonderful, particularly since, as I've blogged before, I'm obsessive about editing as I write, thinking out each sentence before it makes it to the page.
Each year I intend to sign up for NANOWRIMO, and each November I'm neck- deep in another project and unable to start something new.
Being the Type A personality that I am (I blogged about that a few weeks ago : - )), I don't know if I can take the necessary step back from the work that I'd need to in order to write without editing - but I'd love to try! I'd love to challenge myself and see if I can let go and just write.
I'd also like to see just what I'd end up with in terms of useable material. Wouldn't it be a kick to discover that I'd actually written something worthwhile?
I won't have an answer for that this year, since I didn't participate. I'm working to complete my current novel at this time. But, I have high hopes for participating next year : - )
Regards,
Karen
In case you haven't heard of it, NANOWRIMO is short for National Novel Writing Month, an annual event each November in which writers register to attempt to write 50,000 words of a new novel in 30 days. http://www.nanowrimo.org/ The emphasis is on quantity not quality. The thinking behind NANOWRIMO is to write freely, accumulating words, without stopping to edit.
I think the concept is wonderful, particularly since, as I've blogged before, I'm obsessive about editing as I write, thinking out each sentence before it makes it to the page.
Each year I intend to sign up for NANOWRIMO, and each November I'm neck- deep in another project and unable to start something new.
Being the Type A personality that I am (I blogged about that a few weeks ago : - )), I don't know if I can take the necessary step back from the work that I'd need to in order to write without editing - but I'd love to try! I'd love to challenge myself and see if I can let go and just write.
I'd also like to see just what I'd end up with in terms of useable material. Wouldn't it be a kick to discover that I'd actually written something worthwhile?
I won't have an answer for that this year, since I didn't participate. I'm working to complete my current novel at this time. But, I have high hopes for participating next year : - )
Regards,
Karen
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Where does good writing come from?
There's a writing fairy godmother who flits about the universe, visiting all writers, waving her magic wand over us so that we will all instantly produce perfect prose.
I'm sure you've met her.
You haven't?
Don't feel badly, I haven't either.
But, if I can indulge the thought for a moment, wouldn't that be wonderful?
Reluctantly letting that fantasy go, where, then does good writing come from?
I've been at this for a while and though I'm certainly not the definitive authority on the subject, I've learned that good writing comes from bad writing.
Good writing is made, not born. Often for many of us, first drafts of a piece of writing are a mess of rambling in places, with gaps you could fly a plane through in others. Reading over such a mess, it can be very difficult to believe that out of that muck, will come good writing. But the truth is, it will.
That first draft - messy as it is - is the most important writing we do because it gets the story from our heads to the page. Once there, we can go about moving words, discarding, and adding at will, turning bad writing into good. We'd never be able to do that if we didn't have something to work from.
I'm working my way through a first draft now, turning a mess of bad writing into good. I am getting there. But, if you happen to meet up with a writing fairy godmother, do send her my way : - )
Regards,
Karen
I'm sure you've met her.
You haven't?
Don't feel badly, I haven't either.
But, if I can indulge the thought for a moment, wouldn't that be wonderful?
Reluctantly letting that fantasy go, where, then does good writing come from?
I've been at this for a while and though I'm certainly not the definitive authority on the subject, I've learned that good writing comes from bad writing.
Good writing is made, not born. Often for many of us, first drafts of a piece of writing are a mess of rambling in places, with gaps you could fly a plane through in others. Reading over such a mess, it can be very difficult to believe that out of that muck, will come good writing. But the truth is, it will.
That first draft - messy as it is - is the most important writing we do because it gets the story from our heads to the page. Once there, we can go about moving words, discarding, and adding at will, turning bad writing into good. We'd never be able to do that if we didn't have something to work from.
I'm working my way through a first draft now, turning a mess of bad writing into good. I am getting there. But, if you happen to meet up with a writing fairy godmother, do send her my way : - )
Regards,
Karen
Thursday, October 11, 2007
The Tortoise and the Hare
My writing isn't coming as quickly as I'd like with my current work in progress. Or so I've been thinking. I seem to have developed this idea lately that I'd written my two previous novels faster than this one. Thinking back on this, though, I realize that wasn't the case. I've always been a tortoise when it comes to my writing, rather than a hare.
I'm a slow, methodical writer. I think each sentence through as I write it, testing it for its purpose in the story. Each sentence must earn its place in my mind first, or it will never be included on the page. As a result, I don't write a full chapter at each writing session, but only a few pages.
I don't complete manuscripts at lightning speed, but, neither do I find myself discarding countless pages when I get to the editing stage. All of the thought that I put into each line makes for tight and accurate writing.
I am definitely a tortoise when it comes to my writing. Since I'm working on my third novel, though, slow and steady works fine for me. : - )
Regards,
Karen
I'm a slow, methodical writer. I think each sentence through as I write it, testing it for its purpose in the story. Each sentence must earn its place in my mind first, or it will never be included on the page. As a result, I don't write a full chapter at each writing session, but only a few pages.
I don't complete manuscripts at lightning speed, but, neither do I find myself discarding countless pages when I get to the editing stage. All of the thought that I put into each line makes for tight and accurate writing.
I am definitely a tortoise when it comes to my writing. Since I'm working on my third novel, though, slow and steady works fine for me. : - )
Regards,
Karen
Thursday, October 4, 2007
Writers' Foreplay . . .
Recently, I noticed that over the years I've developed habits or rituals as a warm up for writing and to get the thoughts flowing. I hadn't realized that I was doing anything "special" or maybe what I mean is "specific" to get me in the writing mood. I wonder if getting in the writing mood could be described as writers' foreplay : - )
Before we all start conjuring up lurid images, I think I'd better explain just what I mean.
In an ideal world, we writers would get comfortable in front of our computers (or with pen and paper in hand) and WHAM! brilliant prose and ideas would come to us that we could then just record. Unfortunately, for this writer at least, my writing sessions don't go that way. I've found that I need to encourage the creative process - often drag it forth - kicking and screaming : - )
So, just what do I do? A variety of things I realized. Some days, I read over the pages I wrote the day before. That reminds me of where I left off and puts me back in the lives of the people I've created. Other days, I write a note to myself of what I want to accomplish with the days work - not so much a number of pages, but the plot points and emotions that will move the story and characters forward. Lately, though, I've been doing something different: I've been pondering what type of music - or what specific musical recording would suit the scene I seek to write.
This addition to my process surprised me. I don't play any musical instruments, read music, or know much about music at all. I don't understand why someone as challenged musically as I am would find thoughts of music a stimulant to creativity. I don't know how, or more, why this is working for me. : - )
But, it is. : - )
Today, I'm seeking to write a scene in which the FBI heroine in my work in progress has lost her only lead to break her current case.
Now, what music would suit this scene. . .
Regards,
Karen
Before we all start conjuring up lurid images
In an ideal world, we writers would get comfortable in front of our computers (or with pen and paper in hand) and WHAM! brilliant prose and ideas would come to us that we could then just record. Unfortunately, for this writer at least, my writing sessions don't go that way. I've found that I need to encourage the creative process - often drag it forth - kicking and screaming : - )
So, just what do I do? A variety of things I realized. Some days, I read over the pages I wrote the day before. That reminds me of where I left off and puts me back in the lives of the people I've created. Other days, I write a note to myself of what I want to accomplish with the days work - not so much a number of pages, but the plot points and emotions that will move the story and characters forward. Lately, though, I've been doing something different: I've been pondering what type of music - or what specific musical recording would suit the scene I seek to write.
This addition to my process surprised me. I don't play any musical instruments, read music, or know much about music at all. I don't understand why someone as challenged musically as I am would find thoughts of music a stimulant to creativity. I don't know how, or more, why this is working for me. : - )
But, it is. : - )
Today, I'm seeking to write a scene in which the FBI heroine in my work in progress has lost her only lead to break her current case.
Now, what music would suit this scene. . .
Regards,
Karen
Friday, August 24, 2007
While researching the twelfth century . . .
My latest romantic suspense release BETRAYAL is set in 1122, England. I did extensive research into that time period so that my people would be true to the customs, everyday concerns, and political climate of the day.
One of the aspects of that time that I found fascinating was the influence of the church. The rules set out by the church were not to be broken, and for those suspected of an infraction, the church's punishment was swift and severe. Suspected heretics, for example, were subjected to impossible tests - called trials, at that time - to prove their innocence. One method used was to tie an accused hand and foot, place him or her in a sack weighted down with rocks then throw that sack into a lake. If the accused floated to the top, alive, then he was judged not guilty of a crime against God. If he did not surface, then it was decided that God's justice had been served.
In BETRAYAL one of the characters who antagonizes heroine Katherine is a bishop. Once she is introduced to him, she soon comes to realize that this particular bishop has an agenda of his own which he furthers by using his power as a member of the church. After reading of some of the methods used to prove heresy, I couldn't resist including a scene in which Katherine's faith is called into question. The scene turned out to be quite powerful.
I won't spoil it by revealing anymore, in case you haven't read BETRAYAL.
Research, I find, triggers thoughts and ideas to deepen characters and further the plot. It also makes for fascinating reading : - )
Regards,
Karen
One of the aspects of that time that I found fascinating was the influence of the church. The rules set out by the church were not to be broken, and for those suspected of an infraction, the church's punishment was swift and severe. Suspected heretics, for example, were subjected to impossible tests - called trials, at that time - to prove their innocence. One method used was to tie an accused hand and foot, place him or her in a sack weighted down with rocks then throw that sack into a lake. If the accused floated to the top, alive, then he was judged not guilty of a crime against God. If he did not surface, then it was decided that God's justice had been served.
In BETRAYAL one of the characters who antagonizes heroine Katherine is a bishop. Once she is introduced to him, she soon comes to realize that this particular bishop has an agenda of his own which he furthers by using his power as a member of the church. After reading of some of the methods used to prove heresy, I couldn't resist including a scene in which Katherine's faith is called into question. The scene turned out to be quite powerful.
I won't spoil it by revealing anymore, in case you haven't read BETRAYAL.
Research, I find, triggers thoughts and ideas to deepen characters and further the plot. It also makes for fascinating reading : - )
Regards,
Karen
A Letter from Lady Katherine Stanfield, the heroine of BETRAYAL
England, 1122
My dear Friends,
My name is Katherine Stanfield. Five years ago, I was betrothed to Lord Nicholas de Lauren, the only man I will ever love. And five years ago, I deserted him for another man.
Fate and a deadly enemy have brought us together again now. Finally, my dream of marriage to Nicholas has come true and I am Lady de Lauren. But I cannot delude myself that this marriage is the second chance at love that I'd prayed for. Not at all. Nicholas is openly bitter. He has not forgiven me for that betrayal of five years ago.
In a recent conversation, we quarrelled about the past:
Following a tense meal in Merton hall, Katherine walked beside de Lauren up the wide castle steps. She went by the lady's chamber, onto the lord's with him. Inside the room, she turned on him.
"You knew. You rendered aid following William's attack. You knew what he had done, yet, you brought me here where my presence could only hurt these good people. Had you no other allies in the vicinity where we could have lodged this night, we were well prepared to sleep on the road."
"Lord Perry is my ally," de Lauren said. "Perry Keep is but three miles north."
"Yet we are here? Why? Sweet Mary, can you tell me why?"
De Lauren's voice was cold. "'It was time Stanfield's lady saw for herself what her noble house has become under William Norris' rule."
Dishonorable. Unscrupulous. Treacherous. Tears burned her eyes. Aye, she knew well that with her marriage to William, she'd destroyed all her father and what Stanfield lords before him had spent their lives building.
"Think you, you have revealed something about William that was unknown to me?" Katherine wiped her wet cheeks with the back of her hand, and straightened her shoulders. "Be assured, I knew what manner of man William was when I married him. And if I had it to do again, I would do the same."
"And if I had it to do again, I would do the same."
I spoke the truth when I said those words to Nicholas. I would not change that past, even if I could. In truth, even if he did forgive my betrayal of five years ago, that would not be the end of it and enable us to start fresh.
For what Nicholas does not know, is that in the last few hours since I became his wife, I betrayed him again . . .
Katherine
My dear Friends,
My name is Katherine Stanfield. Five years ago, I was betrothed to Lord Nicholas de Lauren, the only man I will ever love. And five years ago, I deserted him for another man.
Fate and a deadly enemy have brought us together again now. Finally, my dream of marriage to Nicholas has come true and I am Lady de Lauren. But I cannot delude myself that this marriage is the second chance at love that I'd prayed for. Not at all. Nicholas is openly bitter. He has not forgiven me for that betrayal of five years ago.
In a recent conversation, we quarrelled about the past:
Following a tense meal in Merton hall, Katherine walked beside de Lauren up the wide castle steps. She went by the lady's chamber, onto the lord's with him. Inside the room, she turned on him.
"You knew. You rendered aid following William's attack. You knew what he had done, yet, you brought me here where my presence could only hurt these good people. Had you no other allies in the vicinity where we could have lodged this night, we were well prepared to sleep on the road."
"Lord Perry is my ally," de Lauren said. "Perry Keep is but three miles north."
"Yet we are here? Why? Sweet Mary, can you tell me why?"
De Lauren's voice was cold. "'It was time Stanfield's lady saw for herself what her noble house has become under William Norris' rule."
Dishonorable. Unscrupulous. Treacherous. Tears burned her eyes. Aye, she knew well that with her marriage to William, she'd destroyed all her father and what Stanfield lords before him had spent their lives building.
"Think you, you have revealed something about William that was unknown to me?" Katherine wiped her wet cheeks with the back of her hand, and straightened her shoulders. "Be assured, I knew what manner of man William was when I married him. And if I had it to do again, I would do the same."
"And if I had it to do again, I would do the same."
I spoke the truth when I said those words to Nicholas. I would not change that past, even if I could. In truth, even if he did forgive my betrayal of five years ago, that would not be the end of it and enable us to start fresh.
For what Nicholas does not know, is that in the last few hours since I became his wife, I betrayed him again . . .
Katherine
THE WORST THING ABOUT WRITING (Originally posted to The Five Star Authors' Blog)
Quite often, writers are asked about writing. One of the questions most often asked, I've found, is "where do you get your ideas". I blogged briefly on that topic here, at The Five Star Blog in May, and I'll be blogging on that subject again on November 2nd at "The Idea Boutique".
Recently, however, I was asked a question that I couldn't recall having been asked before. It was: What did I feel was the worst thing about writing? After I gave my response, I thought the question had the makings of an article. And so, I wrote one. The result was a first-person opinion piece that appeared in this week's issue of AbsoluteWrite.
My agreement with the publisher doesn't permit me to reprint it here, but if you'd like to take a look, the link to the article is:
http://www.absolutewrite.com/freelance_writing/worst_thing.htm
If you'd like to share your own thoughts on what the worst thing about writing is for you, post a response here, or write to me at: karen@karenfenech.com
Regards,
Karen
Recently, however, I was asked a question that I couldn't recall having been asked before. It was: What did I feel was the worst thing about writing? After I gave my response, I thought the question had the makings of an article. And so, I wrote one. The result was a first-person opinion piece that appeared in this week's issue of AbsoluteWrite.
My agreement with the publisher doesn't permit me to reprint it here, but if you'd like to take a look, the link to the article is:
http://www.absolutewrite.com/freelance_writing/worst_thing.htm
If you'd like to share your own thoughts on what the worst thing about writing is for you, post a response here, or write to me at: karen@karenfenech.com
Regards,
Karen
BOOK COVERS (Originally posted to The Five Star Authors' Blog)
I've been out of touch for a while, busy with new releases due out this month, next, and November. While all this pre-publication prep has been going on, one of the things I've been focused on are book covers.
Waiting to for my book covers is always nail-biting time for me. It's a lot to expect for one image to capture the essence of a 90,000 page book. That's the equivalent, I think, to writers condensing our stories into a one-page synopsis. It's not easily done, and not always done well. We've all seen some terrible book covers out there and felt the author's heartbreak.
I received the cover for BETRAYAL a while back, and am thrilled to write that I was, well, thrilled. Five Star invites authors to submit an idea for their covers. I had a vague one, and after I submitted it, I worried that the artist reading my small offering, might be thrown off a great idea of his own. I was worried that I might have contributed to a terrible cover. The artist, however, included a couple of the elements from my idea and then came up with something so much better than I'd imagined. I'm challenged when it comes to uploading files etc, so I couldn't post the cover here. It's on my website, though, if you'd like to take a look. Let me know what you think.
The link to my site is: http://www.karenfenech.com/ The cover is posted on the "BOOKS" page.
I just received the cover for my September short story release, and I'm happy to write that I like that one too. Two covers down, one more to go. . .
Regards,
Karen
Waiting to for my book covers is always nail-biting time for me. It's a lot to expect for one image to capture the essence of a 90,000 page book. That's the equivalent, I think, to writers condensing our stories into a one-page synopsis. It's not easily done, and not always done well. We've all seen some terrible book covers out there and felt the author's heartbreak.
I received the cover for BETRAYAL a while back, and am thrilled to write that I was, well, thrilled. Five Star invites authors to submit an idea for their covers. I had a vague one, and after I submitted it, I worried that the artist reading my small offering, might be thrown off a great idea of his own. I was worried that I might have contributed to a terrible cover. The artist, however, included a couple of the elements from my idea and then came up with something so much better than I'd imagined. I'm challenged when it comes to uploading files etc, so I couldn't post the cover here. It's on my website, though, if you'd like to take a look. Let me know what you think.
The link to my site is: http://www.karenfenech.com/ The cover is posted on the "BOOKS" page.
I just received the cover for my September short story release, and I'm happy to write that I like that one too. Two covers down, one more to go. . .
Regards,
Karen
WHAT'S IN A NAME? (Originally posted to the Five Star Authors' Blog)
I spend a lot of time thinking about names. Actually, I collect them. I write them down in my "name" journal. Since my husband and I aren't planning any more children, that would seem like an odd preoccupation, but the truth is the search for names has become an important pursuit for me.
I wasn't always into names, but as a writer I've found that having the right name for my characters is key. A character named James behaves differently than one named Jim, or Jimbo.
With BETRAYAL, due out this November, I had the great fun of researching names from the twelfth century. One of my discoveries was "Elspeth" a variation of Elizabeth. I couldn't resist giving that name to one of the characters in my story.
If I have the pleasure of meeting you one day, I hope you'll understand if I take out the little notebook I carry in my purse and jot down your name. :-)
Regards,
Karen
I wasn't always into names, but as a writer I've found that having the right name for my characters is key. A character named James behaves differently than one named Jim, or Jimbo.
With BETRAYAL, due out this November, I had the great fun of researching names from the twelfth century. One of my discoveries was "Elspeth" a variation of Elizabeth. I couldn't resist giving that name to one of the characters in my story.
If I have the pleasure of meeting you one day, I hope you'll understand if I take out the little notebook I carry in my purse and jot down your name. :-)
Regards,
Karen
WHERE DO I GET MY IDEAS? (Originally posted to The Five Star Authors' Blog)
One of the questions I'm asked most often as a writer is, where do I get my ideas? Sometimes they spring from the humor of my life!
Anyone who knows me, or has visited my website, knows that I have curly hair. Well, after living with it for so many years, I've learned to work with it, and enjoy the versatility of it. It's not a problem for me anymore. On most days, that is.
There was this one day, though, a weekday several years ago, and both myself and my daughter had slept in. Since I was going to be driving her and a few of her friends to school that morning, I not only had to get her ready to leave the house, but I had to get myself ready as well. While getting her breakfast, I caught my reflection in the toaster and saw that my hair was as wide and thick as a mop. I left her to finish eating and went off to fix the problem.
Several brush strokes later, my arm was aching and my hair still looked like I should be cleaning my floor with it. Clearly, there wasn't a quick fix, and I was out of time. I needed to get the kids to school. I was thinking that I'd just have to leave it, and go out into the world with it as it was, when inspiration struck. I grabbed the toque my husband wore during the winter months when he was out shoveling snow from our driveway, and put that on. Now, that should have been the end of it. Problem solved, right? The thing was, it wasn't January, it was June.
Maybe I just should have gone out with my mop-hair?
One good thing did come out of that - the idea for my humorous short story - Bad Hair Day!
I'm not having a bad hair day today. Honest. See for yourself, if you like. I'm at: http://www.karenfenech.com/
Regards,
Karen
Anyone who knows me, or has visited my website, knows that I have curly hair. Well, after living with it for so many years, I've learned to work with it, and enjoy the versatility of it. It's not a problem for me anymore. On most days, that is.
There was this one day, though, a weekday several years ago, and both myself and my daughter had slept in. Since I was going to be driving her and a few of her friends to school that morning, I not only had to get her ready to leave the house, but I had to get myself ready as well. While getting her breakfast, I caught my reflection in the toaster and saw that my hair was as wide and thick as a mop. I left her to finish eating and went off to fix the problem.
Several brush strokes later, my arm was aching and my hair still looked like I should be cleaning my floor with it. Clearly, there wasn't a quick fix, and I was out of time. I needed to get the kids to school. I was thinking that I'd just have to leave it, and go out into the world with it as it was, when inspiration struck. I grabbed the toque my husband wore during the winter months when he was out shoveling snow from our driveway, and put that on. Now, that should have been the end of it. Problem solved, right? The thing was, it wasn't January, it was June.
Maybe I just should have gone out with my mop-hair?
One good thing did come out of that - the idea for my humorous short story - Bad Hair Day!
I'm not having a bad hair day today. Honest. See for yourself, if you like. I'm at: http://www.karenfenech.com/
Regards,
Karen
WHEN ANOTHER PROJECT BECKONS (Originally posted to The Five Star Authors' Blog)
Have you ever been deep in a writing project when another project beckons? This has happened to me in the past, and usually I'm able to stall the project by writing down a brief summary of the story that came to me and promising it (myself) that I'd get to it next. Well, it's happened to me again and this time the story won't stay quietly in the background while I complete my current work(s)-in-progress.
The new story idea is a sequel for my upcoming release BETRAYAL (coming November 15th). I really enjoyed writing BETRAYAL and very reluctantly said good bye to the characters on the last page of the novel. It was time to let them go, I know, but it was hard for me. I suppose it's natural after enjoying writing that book so much that I'd want to re-visit the place and the people with another story.
I have other works to complete, however, before I can get to the sequel, so the idea will need to simmer on hold for the time being. For now, I'll content myself with adding more pages to my notes on that project. By the thickness of my folder so far, I'm going to have a book made up of just notes before I ever get around to writing this story! But that's a good problem to have.
I hope your own projects, writing or other, are going well.
Regards,
Karen
The new story idea is a sequel for my upcoming release BETRAYAL (coming November 15th). I really enjoyed writing BETRAYAL and very reluctantly said good bye to the characters on the last page of the novel. It was time to let them go, I know, but it was hard for me. I suppose it's natural after enjoying writing that book so much that I'd want to re-visit the place and the people with another story.
I have other works to complete, however, before I can get to the sequel, so the idea will need to simmer on hold for the time being. For now, I'll content myself with adding more pages to my notes on that project. By the thickness of my folder so far, I'm going to have a book made up of just notes before I ever get around to writing this story! But that's a good problem to have.
I hope your own projects, writing or other, are going well.
Regards,
Karen
Thursday, August 23, 2007
SPRING CLEANING (Originally posted to the Five Star Author Blog)
Every year at this time, like so many others, I start thinking of doing my spring cleaning. For me though, spring cleaning always involves more than my house, the biggest job for me is cleaning - or cleaning out - my computer harddrive.
I'm a messy writer. Now I'm not talking about leaving scraps of paper and pens and pencils around my home office. I write almost exclusively on computer so the mess I'm referring to literally occurs on the harddrive. That's probably why it gets so out of hand, the mess isn't readily visible - no piles of papers littering the floor of my office for me to trip over.
When I'm writing, or thinking about what to write, I journal and brainstorm ideas on characters, plot, setting etc. If a line of dialogue or a scene comes to me, I make a note of it. Recording my thoughts this way is a process that helps me develop my fiction and non-fiction and lets me see what an idea looks like on screen, rather than just inside my head. It's a process that works well for me. What results from this process, however, are hundreds of notes that are not in any order. To organize them, I read each one and either discard it for not being the gem I thought it was when I wrote it, or decide it still has potential and file it for easy reference at a later date.
Spring cleaning my harddrive takes a l-o-n-g time and I usually end up discarding more notes than I keep, but doing it takes me back to ideas I'd had and then forgotten about, bringing them once again to the forefront of my mind. When I find a note that sparks an adrenaline rush, and gets my heart pounding, I know I've just found the next book or short story that I'm going to write. And of course, I now have a clear harddrive that I can spend the next year filling with ideas again!
How is your spring cleaning going this year?
Regards,
Karen
I'm a messy writer. Now I'm not talking about leaving scraps of paper and pens and pencils around my home office. I write almost exclusively on computer so the mess I'm referring to literally occurs on the harddrive. That's probably why it gets so out of hand, the mess isn't readily visible - no piles of papers littering the floor of my office for me to trip over.
When I'm writing, or thinking about what to write, I journal and brainstorm ideas on characters, plot, setting etc. If a line of dialogue or a scene comes to me, I make a note of it. Recording my thoughts this way is a process that helps me develop my fiction and non-fiction and lets me see what an idea looks like on screen, rather than just inside my head. It's a process that works well for me. What results from this process, however, are hundreds of notes that are not in any order. To organize them, I read each one and either discard it for not being the gem I thought it was when I wrote it, or decide it still has potential and file it for easy reference at a later date.
Spring cleaning my harddrive takes a l-o-n-g time and I usually end up discarding more notes than I keep, but doing it takes me back to ideas I'd had and then forgotten about, bringing them once again to the forefront of my mind. When I find a note that sparks an adrenaline rush, and gets my heart pounding, I know I've just found the next book or short story that I'm going to write. And of course, I now have a clear harddrive that I can spend the next year filling with ideas again!
How is your spring cleaning going this year?
Regards,
Karen
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