The Best Lines

Just wanted to share a random thought--something to kick around in your head when you have nothing better to do.  A fellow author mentioned a topic to me that was discussed in one of her writer's groups:  Who has the best lines?  Is it your protagonist?  It should be.  He/she should always have the best lines.  But many times, people tend to "give them away" to a witty side kick or villain.  So who has the best lines in your story?  It's certainly something I'm going to think about as my character continues to lead me down his path of growth.

Outlines

As I sit here working on a rough outline for some upcoming chapters, I'm going over some notes I took at a recent conference I attended during a seminar that focused on plot development.  (And I am also noticing how incredibly sloppy my own handwriting is when I am scribbling furiously.)  Just thought I'd take a second to pass along a few general pointers I picked up.

*  Don't be afraid to change your outline as the story develops.  As you write, your story may progress in a direction different from what you'd initially planned, but that fits better.  Don't feel committed to what you initially laid out.
*  Have highs and lows that steadily build.  Have an "absolute low" point just before your climax.
*  Plan some "quiet" chapters without a lot of action.  These chapters are ideal for character development.  Give the reader aspects to contemplate during "down" time where they aren't caught up in the action.
*  Have a good general idea of several major conflicts that you want to take place and build your story out from there versus writing start to finish of the book.
*  Don't be afraid to skip around while writing--write what you feel most drawn to on any given day, not just "what comes next" or "where you left off."

Hope that provides someone with some insight.  I feel a little more organized and focused now.  Off to be productive now.

Book Recommendation

I can't believe I forgot to mention the release of a much anticipated book yesterday! (for me anyway)  Goliath by Scott Westerfeld hit the shelf yesterday.  I have complete faith that it will be as great as it's predecessors, Leviathan and Behemoth.  Actually everything I've read of his, which is most everything he's written, has been great... It's a YA steam punk series, so if that's your thing, I definitely recommend you add these to your to-read list.  (* On a side note, I have had the pleasure of meeting the author and he is very cool.)

www.scottwesterfeld.com

Weekend Wrap-Up

Now is the time when I should be bragging about how much I got done over the weekend.  Much to my own dismay because I didn't get ANYTHING written.  Not one.  Single.  Word.  <grumbles in discontent>  But, in an effort to look on the positive side, the weekend wasn't a total loss.  Here are a few non-writing related experiences and lessons I had the pleasure of bearing witness to over a mere two day stretch:

Valuable Experiences:
1)  I convinced a Chuy's employee to let me taze him.
2)  I tried a new type of cheesecake from The Cheesecake Factory.
3)  I watched the police body slam the newest resident of the neighborhood after he drunkenly decided to stroll door to door introducing himself with a plate of chicken....at 12:30am.


Lessons Learned:
1)  The creamy jalapeno sauce at Chuy's contains a mysterious, highly addictive ingredient.  After careful analysis, my suspicions are that it is some variation of crack.
2)  The effects of a one million volt tazer are intensified if the victim is standing bare footed in wet grass.
3)  Endless hours of entertainment can be achieved if one acquires an $80 scooter held together by gray tape.

Now that I have gotten all of THAT out of my brain, I think I'm off to work on something a little more productive.  I feel a desperate need to reclaim those vital IQ points that I'm sure I misplaced in the past few days.

Status Update

I am happy to report that I seem to have found my mojo again.  (Like I'm really going to pass up the opportunity to use the word "mojo" in a sentence!)  I spent around 5 hours reviewing notes and writing yesterday and managed to get nearly an entire chapter done.  On top of that, I managed to finalize (I hope) my outline for the next chapter I'll be working on.  I've got bits and pieces of outlines and notes and segments written, so I'm working on trying to get them organized and pieced together, which is proving to be quite a challenge!  On the bright side, the more I put together, the further along I see that I really am with what remains.  Looks like a lot of writing connecting pieces more than anything, which is a nice discovery to make.  So, going to stay on the track I'm on for now and hope that soon I'll reach my chapter-per-week goal that I've set for myself.

Currently Reading / Mini Update

Just a quick update to let everyone know what I'm currently reading.  Sapphique, by Catherine Fisher.  It's the follow up book to Incarceron.)  I don't intend to breeze through this one like I often do with other books.  In fact, if it's anything like it's predecessor, it'll be one of those reads that's good to take slow so that you can really thing about what's developing in the story.  I've got some time before the next book I'm anxiously awaiting is released, so it's the perfect time to squeeze this one in.  Will also allow me more time to work on my own writing.

That being said, with yesterday's distraction of college football out of the way, my house semi-cleanish, my child occupied and my husband out for a bit, I'm off to take advantage of the opportunity to get a little work done on my New Orleans chapter.  Hope the remainder of the weekend is good to you all!

Currently Reading

Just a quick update to let everyone know which book I am currently completely engrossed in.  The Power of Six, by Patticus Lore.  It's the second book in the Lorien Legacies series.  If you haven't added these to your to-read lists, I would highly suggest them.  (Although you should probably start with the first book, I Am Number Four, otherwise you're going to be very lost and confused.)  Happy Reading!