A Post in Which I Declare My Absence

Dear Readers,

I start driver's ed tomorrow.  I am not looking forward to it.  Because of this parent inflicted torture, I shall be somewhat absent from the blogosphere. I will check in now and then, and I might even post some more of the Pink Dragon Mission things.  I also will be participating in the Teens Can Write Too! August blog chain, but I might not comment on the other's posts until the thing is nearly over.  We'll see. 

Wish me luck,
Lily The Ever Imaginative

Character Texting

A couple weeks ago, while I was reinventing Lizzie's parents, I discovered a new method of brainstorming. Okay, so maybe someone else thought of it before I did, but it was new to me.  This method is what I like to call "Character Texting".  You essentially have a texting conversation with your character. I do this through a Word doc.  The way I started Character Texting was I randomly typed the sentence "Okay, Mrs. Evans, what will you be?" into the Word doc I was putting all her character info in.  Then she responded.  And we got a little conversation going.  I find this method to be much more productive than staring at the computer and thinking.  "Do I want her to be a realtor?  A interior designer?  A jelly maker?" and only typing it down once I've decided.  Through Character Texting I can ask her what she wants to be, and get her opinion.  Also, it kills two nargles with one stone, since I also get insight as to how she would say things.  Sure, I'm texting someone who doesn't exist and asking them what they want to be and looking at how they see the world, but it works.  And instead of thinking of her as part of me (she's MY character), I think about her as her own person, and she becomes more of herself.  Yeah, it's crazy and a bit schizophrenic, but I'm beginning to think that no really good fiction can come from someone entirely sane.

 To give you an example of how I Character Text, I shall hold a brief conversation with Lizzie (a teen sleuth and main character in my WIP).

Me:  Lizzie.  You need a motive.

Liz: Yes, I know.  I'm kinda pathetic in my story at the moment.  What happened to the subplot you had going with Joe?  I was looking forward to meeting a character who carved coffins for a living. Especially since he was dating my sister, and I could tease her about it.

Me: I decided not to do it.  But I am saving it for a later story.  Besides, it didn't really give you a motive anyway.  It could have worked for Lainie, but not for you.

Liz:  True.  I think I cooperate with the police too much. 

Me: Agreed.  Maybe I ought to give you your own lead to follow.

Liz:  That could work.   Which lead?  One that's in the story already, or a new one?  And am I right or wrong?

Me:  I don't know.  I think having you be partially right would be fun. 

Liz:  Yeah, for you. 

Me: And the readers.

Liz: Sigh. 

Me:  Sigh... ya know, if I spelled that Sygh, it'd be a good name. Or maybe Syghe....

Liz:  Solston to Lily!  Can we please stay in my story world?

Me:  Yeah, sorry.  I like having you be partially right. Maybe you misinterpret a piece of evidence. 

Liz:  That could work.  But the question still remains:  New lead, or old lead? 

Me: Hmm.  I never piled any good evidence against the actual bad guys, and the police certainly don't have enough reason to follow them....

Liz:  But you could fix that.  I'm not sure I want to follow the real bad guys.  I don't like them. 

Me: Do you like any of the bad guys?

Liz: Well, no.  But I really don't like them.  They're kinda...scary.  You don't show that in the story, but I've been in your head long enough to know what they're like.   You had talked about my motive being a combination of hyper curiosity and a strong sense of justice, and if you stick with that, I need to follow a lead that is more puzzling and intriguing than scary.  You have to make me want to solve the mystery.  I like solving puzzles, so give me a puzzle to solve.

Me: The whole story is a puzzle.

Liz: Yeah, but all I do, especially in the latter half of the story is say "Oh, look, this evidence goes here.  I better call the police!  I overheard something that might solve the mystery, I better call the police!" Over, and over, and over again.  I hate to say it, Lil, but story-me is BORING!  She's a good citizen, sure, but she's boring.

Me:  I hadn't looked at it like that. But I want you to be an admirable character.

Liz: There are ways of making me admirable the way you want me to be without making me boring....


There's more to this conversation, but it got kinda long.  I started typing and Lizzie got vocal.  It really helped with my story.


What do you think of Character Texting?  Give it a try and let me know how it works out!

The World Through a Writer's Lens

Today is my turn to post for the Teens Can Write, Too! July blog chain.  This month's question is: 

"How has writing affected your perception of the world?"

Writing has changed how I look at many things, but in subtle ways.  I listen to how people talk more than I used to.  Sometimes I look at strangers and see the faces of potential characters.  Or maybe they're wearing something I think a character would wear.  Or maybe they're just being normal and I wonder what their story is.  I didn't used to do that. 

Writing has also changed how I listen to music, watch movies, and read books.  For example, when I heard Carrie Underwood's new song Blown Away, I had two reactions: Eew, and Ooh.... The song is about a girl of undisclosed age who lets her father die in a tornado.  It's never said directly, but I got the impression that the father had killed the mother years before.  Eew, creepy, twisted, blugh. However, I have a character who can relate, Viola Wood, and I got a writing buzz. Viola's circumstances are way more complicated, but she can relate to wanting her father dead.  Her reaction to that song got me to like it.  Enough to listen to it multiple times in a row.  Had I not been a writer (or at least without a character like Viola), I would have just had the Eew reaction and never listened to the song again.  I had a similar experience with Rascal Flatts's song Here Comes Goodbye, only what happened with that one was I set the emotion and some of the lines to a scene right before a battle.  That made it worth listening to. Otherwise it's just another sad breakup song.  

Writing has somewhat changed how I look at odd happenings. Like the time my mom found a random windshield wiper set on our car.  It wasn't one of ours, someone had just put it there.  When she told me about it, I thought "What if it was a magic windshield wiper?"  I'm not sure what a magic windshield wiper would do, but it has potential.  Odd things like that, and even some ordinary things, now trigger ideas.

That's all for me folks.  Be sure to check out the rest of the blog chain! 

July 7–http://miriamjoywrites.wordpress.com–Miriam Joy Writes

July 8–http://musingsfromnevillesnavel.wordpress.com–Musings From Neville’s Navel

July 9–http://insideliamsbrain.wordpress.com–This Page Intentionally Left Blank

July 10–http://maybeteenauthor.blogspot.com–Blog of a (Maybe) Teen Author

July 11–http://scribblingbeyondthemargins.wordpress.com–Scribbling Beyond the Margins

July 12–http://lilyjenness.blogspot.com–Lily’s Notes In The Margins

July 13–http://correctingpenswelcome.wordpress.com–Comfy Sweaters, Writing and Fish

July 14–http://laughablog.wordpress.com–The Zebra Clan

July 15–http://realityisimaginary.blogspot.com–Reality Is Imaginary

July 16–http://a-myriad-of-colors.blogspot.com–A Myriad of Colors

July 17–http://anmksmeanderingmind.wordpress.com–An MK’s Meandering Mind

July 18–http://incessantdroningofaboredwriter.wordpress.com–The Incessant Droning of a Bored Writer

July 19–http://allegradavis.wordpress.com–All I Need Is A Keyboard

July 20–http://teenscanwritetoo.wordpress.com--Teens Can Write Too! (We will be announcing the topic for next month’s chain)

Happy Independence Day!

Independence Day is one of my favorite holidays, not just because of the fireworks, but also because it is a celebration of freedom and, obviously, independence; both of which I hold dear.  

Every American knows the Star Spangled Banner.  What some don't know is that what is sung as our national anthem is only the first verse of a poem entitled "Defense of Fort McHenry" by Francis Scott Key.  Here's the whole thing:

Defense of Fort McHenry by Francis Scott Key

O say can you see by the dawn's early light,
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming,
Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming?
And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there;
O say does that star-spangled banner yet wave,
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

On the shore dimly seen through the mists of the deep,
Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,
In full glory reflected now shines in the stream:
'Tis the star-spangled banner, O! long may it wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion,
A home and a country, should leave us no more?
Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps' pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave:
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave,
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

O thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved home and the war's desolation.
Blest with vict'ry and peace, may the Heav'n rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation!
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust."
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

I haven't memorized the whole thing yet, but I'm real close. 

 

Here's the Wikipedia article on the Star Spangled Banner.  

While I'm on the subject of patriotic music, I'll pass on the links to some of my favorite patriotic country songs. 

By Toby Keith:

Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (there is some profanity usage in this one)

Made in America 

American Soldier

It's America - Rodney Atkins

Only in America - Brooks and Dunn

Ragged Old Flag - Johnny Cash

Have a wonderful Independence Day everyone.  God bless America!

The One Lovely Blog Award

Liam, from This Page Intentionally Left Blank, has given me another blog award.  This one is called The One Lovely Blog Award, in case you couldn't figure that out from the title of this post.

This award comes with three rules:
1. You have to thank the person who nominated you on their blog to receive your honor.
2. You have to tell 7 things about yourself and human canoe counts!
3. You have to nominate 15 blogs and then tell them of their nomination!

To these rules I shall comply, though I find myself at a loss as to what "human canoe" is.

So, thanks Liam, for passing this award on to me. 

For the facts:

1. There are very few TV shows that my family likes that aren't science fiction or murder mysteries. 
2. My middle name starts with an "M".
3. I'm typing this with a pony tail holder holding the three middle fingers on my left hand together.  It feels kinda weird.
4. I can't decide whether to make one of my characters a lord or a beekeeper.  Or both.
5. I prefer romance stories where one of the romantically entangled gives up fame/fortune to be with the other romantically entangled person.  The only two romance based story ideas I have are like this.  
6. My favorite song of the week is Peponi by ThePianoGuys, which is a cover of Coldplay's Paradise.
7. My garden is in desperate need of weeding.  And rain. 

Now I have to nominate.  Hmm.... Liam has nominated most of the blogs I read already.  Fizzle frogs. Well, I won't be able to do 15, but I can do:

The Life of a Teenage Writer
Allison's Bookish Life
Inklined Writers
The Fiction Dairies

Four is all I can think of at the moment, so that is all I shall do.  If I missed your blog, feel free to scream at me in a comment.

That's all for me, chaps.  Have a nice day, and remember to keep an eye out for pink dragons.

June TCWT! Blog Chain: Covers

Today is my turn to post for the Teens Can Write, Too! Monthly blog chain. This month's prompt is: What are some book covers that grab you? Why?

My taste in covers is pretty varied.  Anything with a dragon will capture my attention. For example, the covers of the Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini.

From Wikipedia

Honestly, it doesn't get much cooler than dragons.

I like some covers with people on them.   I don't like ones with kissing or holding hands or other romantic yichk on them.

From Goodreads

From Goodreads

From Amazon

These are the covers for the Dark Mirror novels by M. J. Putney.  (Sorry about that weird border around Dark Destiny.  Also, Dark Destiny is number 3, but The Blogger Formatting Demons won't let me put the photos in the correct order without causing other problems). 

I like these covers.  They hint at magic and mystery. And of course the castle on Dark Destiny is awesome.

Other covers with people on them that I like are the covers for the Paranormalcy series by Kiersten White.

(First from Wikipedia, 2nd and 3rd from the author's blog)

I'm not sure why I like these covers, but I do. Maybe it's the colors. Or her hair.

Another series with covers I like is The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flammel by Michael Scott.

From Wikipedia

I love all the symbols on these.  There are actually two more books in the series, but I didn't want to find pictures of them. 

From Goodreads

Before I sign off, I'm just going to mention something that some of the others in the chain have said. It's often the titles that grab me.  Sometimes the cover will help me decide whether or not to read the book, and sometimes the cover doesn't make a difference, like when I bought By These Ten Bones by Clare B. Dunkle. I bought it because of the title and the blurb (that and it was only 50 cents).  The cover kinda creeps me out.  I haven't read the book yet, so I can't say as to whether the cover fits the book or not.


I think that's all for me.  Be sure to check out the rest of the blog chain!


June 8– http://hazelwrites.wordpress.com –hazelwrites
June 9– http://miriamjoywrites.wordpress.com –A Farewell To Sanity
June 10– http://insideliamsbrain.wordpress.com –This Page Intentionally Left Blank
June 11– http://laughablog.wordpress.com –The Zebra Clan
June 12– http://weirdalocity.wordpress.com –You Didn’t Really Need To Know This…
June 13– http://otherrandomthings.wordpress.com –Dragons, Unicorns, and Other Random Things
June 14– http://correctingpenswelcome.wordpress.com –Comfy Sweaters, Writing, and Fish
June 15– http://kirstenwrites.wordpress.com –Kirsten Writes!
June 16– http://lilyjenness.blogspot.com –Lily’s Notes in the Margins
June 17– http://inklinedwriters.blogspot.com –Inklined
June 18– http://realityisimaginary.blogspot.com –Reality Is Imaginary
June 19– http://planetaryelastic.blogspot.com –Tangential Bemusings
June 20– http://musingsfromnevillesnavel.wordpress.com –Musings From Neville’s Navel
June 21– http://allegradavis.wordpress.com –All I Need Is A Keyboard
June 22– http://incessantdroningofaboredwriter.wordpress.com –The Incessant Droning Of A Bored Writer
June 23– http://teenscanwritetoo.wordpress.com –Teens Can Write Too! (We will be announcing the topic for next month’s chain)

DLYCW June - Chad Kintz

This time for Dress Like Your Character Week, I dressed up like my character Chad Kintz from my work in progress The Black Cat Diamond: a Lizzie Evans mystery.  Chad is Lizzie's brother's best friend, and a graffiti artist. (See this post for an interview with him).

This outfit was much simpler than the one for Tori was.  All it consisted of was jeans, the paint splattered shirt (Chad probably wouldn't wear that color, but the design went with the whole graffiti artist thing), and the baseball hat.

My hair was the trickiest part.  I had it up in a ponytail and then flipped it up toward my face so that I got that spiky look. It kept slipping, as you can see, but it worked in the end.


And of course Chad is not a girl.

I didn't really get any insight into Chad's psyche, but for some reason I got an idea of how he smiles. And no, I did not manage to get a photograph of it. 

Well, I think that's about it. Be sure to check for other DLYCW post this week!

June Dress Like Your Character Week

Hello chaps! Today starts another round of Dress Like Your Character Week (affectionately know as DLYCW), created by the lovely ladies Pheris and Sarah, and myself.  (Can't remember or don't know what DLYCW is?  Check out this post for an explanation. ) Need a review of the rules? Well, here they are:

• Please refrain from nudity, inappropriate captions and poses in your photos
• In your post, please link to the host's post, and don't forget to leave a link to your post/blog on it.
• You do not have to show your face if you don't want to (Here's the link to a website where you can blur your face out if you want)
• Feel free to invite other participants privately to ensure they are comfortable with participation
• In your post, tell us how your writing changed when you dressed up, or did something else daring (did you use an accent? We'd love to know!)
• Spread the word! Tell other people about DLYCW.

I will have my post up soon! In the mean time, check out this video, and enjoy the rest of your day.

The Writer in You Blog Hop

The Writer in You Blog Hop is hosted by Katie over at The Fiction Diaries.  In Katie's own words, "This is a blog hop for all you aspiring writers out there. It is a chance to meet other writers and share tips, writing, and experiences, all while gaining new followers for your lovely blog!" Each week she posts a question for answering.  This week's question is:  Do you outline your writing?

I outline the order of the main plot points, like when my main character should find a clue, then I pants what happens in between. Sometimes I'll pants how it happens, if I know where the clue needs to lead, but not what it is or where and how Lizzie (my main character) will find it.
I don't outline the subplots, but that may change if I ever write something with enough twisted subplots to rival Dickens's Bleak House. 

Apologies, Death, Etc

So.  I disappeared again.  My apologies.  In order to make it up to my readers, in a few moments I shall present the Alphabet of Death.  The idea for this piece of genius was inspired when my sister and I saw a book entitled "T is for Titanic" at the library. We thought that was kinda funny, so we, along with our parents, made the Alphabet of Death. The writers out there may even be able to use it for brainstorming purposes. Perhaps someone has a character who is serial killer that uses methods of killing that are in alphabetical order.

So, without further ado, I present: The Alphabet of Death!

A is for: Arsenic, asphyxiation, assassination
B is for: Bludgeoned, bored to death
C is for: Cyanide, choked
D is for: Drowning, decapitation
E is for: Electrocution
F is for: Falling, falconry accident
G is for: Gas explosion, garden gnomes
H is for: Hit and run, homicide, hanging
I is for: Injection of poison
J is for: Jealous spouse/lover
K is for: Knife in the back
L is for: Loss of blood
M is for: Murder
N is for: "Natural" causes
O is for: Old age
P is for: Poisoning, pheasants
Q is for: Quicksand
R is for: Radiation sickness
S is for: Suicide, suffocation, strangulation
T is for: Trauma, tar pit
U is for: Upset stomach, umbrella abuse
V is for: Venomous animal bite,
W is for: Wildebeest stampede
X is for: X-ray machine malfunction
Y is for: Yak stampede
Z is for: Zebra stampede

Got any additions?  Let me know in a comment!

While I'm on the death theme, I'll pass on an interesting, if not gruesome, link I got off of my library's website. Coroners reports from 1896 to 1935. Cool, huh? One of my favorite things to do with them is look at what the people had in their pockets when they died. Most didn't have anything, but some did. Very interesting.
Also, the stories are fascinating. Tragic, but...appealing, in a creepy sort of way. For example, in 1928, why did Jefferson P. Kemp (age 69) kill Lucy Barber (age 86) and then himself?  Why did Jefferson want to murder an 86 year old woman? What's the story there? Was he drunk? Had she just revealed to him a horrible secret about the past that enraged him so much he shot her, and then was so horrified at what he'd done that he shot himself? For some reason I find it fun to speculate.
Another thing is the names. Two I got from the coroners reports are Idrell and Lietha. I don't remember how they died.

And on that happy note, I'll leave you to enjoy the rest of your day.  I'm off to make a clafouti. Yum.