tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56890762575338641232024-02-18T22:41:20.205-07:00Syncopated SynonymsAuthor Courtney Floyd's official writing blog...Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11989495806035739320noreply@blogger.comBlogger92125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5689076257533864123.post-27035011373506454232013-11-04T18:23:00.000-07:002013-11-04T18:23:09.260-07:00New WebsiteHello loyal followers (I seriously need punctuation that represents tongue-in-cheek sarcasm),<br />
<br />
This blog is now located at www.synonymsandsuch.com!<br />
<br />
I will leave all of the content on this page, but new posts will ONLY be made at the new site.<br />
<br />
*sniffle*<br />
I'm gonna miss this place.Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11989495806035739320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5689076257533864123.post-42557199044695703262013-09-22T10:42:00.001-06:002013-09-22T10:43:18.759-06:00On Finishing! The Ten Stages of Finishing and Some Stats.Yesterday, somewhere in the yawning abyss of time between 4:30 and 5:30, I finished the "first" draft of my mystery novel, <i>They Called Her La Llorona</i>.<br />
<br />
This is the third or fourth novel draft that I've finished in my lifetime (not really counting other iterations of this particular book), and I've come to realize that, for me at least, finishing a draft is a very mixed experience. Here is my list of the ten stages of finishing, in no particular order.<br />
<br />
1. Disbelief. This can't really be the end, can it? *scroll through entire document, looking for a reason to keep writing*<br />
<br />
2.Relief. I actually finished, dammit. I beat the odds and this won't be another half-written tale in the pile of shame under my bed.<br />
<br />
3. Euphoria. I AM WRITER! HEAR ME ROAR!<br />
<br />
4. Doubt. There is so much left to do, should I even be celebrating this minor milestone?<br />
<br />
5. Defensiveness. OF COURSE I SHOULD BE CELEBRATING, SELF. How many people ACTUALLY write 72000 words that GO TOGETHER IN SOME CRAZED SEMBLANCE OF ORDER AND INTENT?<br />
<br />
6. Lack of Direction. My purpose, my raison d'etre has been THIS PROJECT for the past however many months and or years. Now what?<br />
<br />
7. A Million Possibilities. Now, one of those other projects tumbling around on my bigger-on-the-inside noggin can come out to play. Which one to choose?<br />
<br />
8. Hope. Because, despite the amount of revision I KNOW I will soon be doing, some of my words are actually pretty dern good, if I may say so myself.<br />
<br />
9. Overwhelmed. There are a million more things to do now, like the writing of query letters and synopses and dedications...<br />
<br />
10. FEEL ALL THE FEELS! AT THE SAME TIME! MY HEAD IS GOING TO EXPLODE.<br />
<br />
Ehem.<br />
<br />
Excuse me while I stuff all of these reactions back into my pocket and give them a stern talking-to.<br />
<br />
Okay, Righty-O then.<br />
<br />
THEY CALLED HER LA LLORONA is currently 72,200 words long, and will probably reach 80,000 by the end of the revision process. Probably more exciting than that, to me, is the fact that I wrote this entire draft in <b>A LITTLE OVER THREE MONTHS.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
I don't think I've ever written a faster draft without a co-writer.<br />
<br />
I'm gonna go dance around my house, now. THANKYOUVERYMUCH.<br />
<br />Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11989495806035739320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5689076257533864123.post-44572730410782171572013-06-25T23:04:00.001-06:002013-07-15T12:52:44.131-06:00Zombies and "Inaction": A Couple of Posts**Sometime in the fairly recent past (time is a jumble to me because of the SHEER MADNESS that was graduate school), I wrote a couple of blog posts for my writing pal, A.L. Brown. They are linked below. Click them. Read them. Love them. Send me virtual lemon bars as a reward. Call off the demon assassins you summoned to attack me for not posting frequently enough. Or ignore them.<br />
<br />
Shrug.<br />
<br />
See it I care. (I *DO* care! Don't abandon me!)<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.al-brown.com/on-that-new-old-undead-fad-zombies/" target="_blank">On That New, Undead Fad: Zombies</a>, a brief-ish post that tries to answer the age old question: why in the name of all that is good would anyone write about such rotten people (pun very much intended)? Also, I love zombie movies, but when I state in this post that "I really like... <i>Survival of the Dead</i>," the fairly recent George Romero flick, what I really mean is *coughitsuckedcough* I found the premise slightly intriguing.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.al-brown.com/when-the-action-fades-what-we-write-about-when-nothing-is-happening/" target="_blank">When the Action Fades: What We Write About When "Nothing" Is Happening</a>. The title is pretty much self explanatory (almost wrote examinatory, which would change the entire arc of that post). I think it's chock full of my own slightly demented brand of dry humor, and not at all as boring as the title might make it sound. But don't take my word for it [cue <i>Reading Rainbow</i> montage].<br />
<br />
**This post goes well with ice-cream. Or wine. I suggest wine. Merlot, to be exact. Mmmm. Merlot.Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11989495806035739320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5689076257533864123.post-57472303701576314202013-06-25T22:18:00.000-06:002013-09-11T07:37:20.908-06:00Tricksy Hobbitses: Tricks, Treats, and the Craft of WritingWhen you're a writer, a real writer who doesn't just have delusions of grandeur but actually acts on those delusions, you are all about one thing: writing to completion. Well, you're actually about lots of things, like reading and rainy days and coffee and, oh yeah, that crazy little thing called revision. (You though I was going to say "love," didn't you? Well, I've got news for you: most writers are sociopaths.* They are really good at mimicking emotion but it's all fake. Fake, I tell you! Now, don't tell my husband I said that. He already looks at me sideways a little bit too much).<br />
<br />
But, to get back to the very nice focus I had before my little aside, writers have one important task to accomplish before they can do anything else (by which I mean bask in the glory of publication and fame). One word looms large in the writer's vocabulary, and that word is finish. <br />
<br />
Except it's usually plastered is letters six foot tall in every nook and cranny of your squirrely little mind. Because you'd rather be in facebook. Or twitter. Or tumblr. Any of those blackholes of awesome procrastination.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">FINISH. FINISH. FINISH. FINISH. FINISH.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Yeah, I'm a big believer in visuals. Mostly because we live in a very visual society, not because I'm much of a visual person. When I "watch" TV, I'm usually actually listening to the show and doing something else, glancing at the screen every once in a while when it sounds like something interesting is happening. But I am a writer, therefore I am a strange individual.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">While we're on that subject, let me just tell you a secret. It is hard to finish things. It is hard to finish a draft; it would be easier to pull out all of my hair and light it on fire. In front of toddlers. And then pay for their therapy for the rest of their lives, even though I would have to get twenty-five more jobs to do that.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Why? Because the voices in my head want to be creative and free-spirits and all of that hippy-dippy, happy happy joy joy crap. Which means that I end up spending hours on pinterest looking at pictures of other people's tattoos, hours reading other people's books and other people's writing tips, hours scribbling notes to myself about my stories instead of actually writing, and etc.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Now, I don't buy into the whole muse thing, mostly because my Muse is almost always on vacation (I think she's in Hawaii this year. You might remember her trip to Greece, if you are one of my two longterm readers). If I relied on Muse, I'd never get anything done. Ever. Because when she's around she's really needy. She wants Ben and Jerry's (Coffee Heath Crunch is her favorite) and <i>Doctor Who</i> episodes and online shopping sprees.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">My Muse is expensive.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">So, in lieu of throws of creativity and artistic passion, I trick myself. And then I growl at myself like Gollum, cursing my tricksiness and my treachery and the loss of my precious...</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">But I digress. I trick myself into finishing in a very specific way: I maintain the illusion of freedom. I don't keep a set work station. I have two "formal" writing spots in my house and, most of the time, I end up working somewhere else. Like at my kitchen table so that I am close to the coffee. Or the living room floor, using the coffee table as a makeshift desk. Or the front porch in late afternoon, when there is shade and the roaster-oven that is the New Mexico summer is beginning to cool and I can watch the sun set and listen to the birds chirp in terror as they try to evade the ridiculous number of stray cats that seem to live in my neighborhood. Seriously. There are at least thirty.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I trick myself into thinking that I am free and unfettered by simply taking advantage of portable means of writing (it doesn't have to be a laptop, a notebook will do in a pinch) and, for some reason, even though I know I am tricking myself, it seems to work.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Tricksy hobbitses. Filthy hobbitses. My precious. My precious draft. It's finished.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">*When I say most writers are sociopaths, I mean it because it is statistically 100% true.** And I'm good at math.***</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">**Writers have a tendency to lie. Especially this writer. It comes of stringing words together with all the intensity of an Obsessive Compulsive on Ritalin. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">***My lawyer (who may not actually exist) insists that I mention that I am not, in actuality, all that good at math. I shudder at the sight of numbers, especially when they come with this weird sign: %</span></div>
Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11989495806035739320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5689076257533864123.post-4484864011120374152013-06-07T20:27:00.000-06:002013-06-07T20:27:54.166-06:00My-Novel-Writing-Month (or My-No-Wri-Mo)Hello dear readers, it is I, The Crazy Writer, or, you know, Courtney.<br />
<br />
I'm writing today because I've made it my goal to finish my mystery novel BY THE END OF JUNE. *Cue lighting and thunder as if by celestial decree*<br />
<br />
No, seriously, it's thunderstorm season in New Mexico and I am not being dramatic. Those words have been heard and acknowledged by the gods.<br />
<br />
Spooky.<br />
<br />
Anyway, here's the story (and the details):<br />
<br />
About, eh, five years ago, when I was still a lowly undergraduate at my local university, it occurred to me that I should write a novel, and that I should set that novel in my lovely home state. Why, you ask? Because I stumbled onto wordharvest.com, the former web HQ for the Tony Hillerman Prize (which can now be found here: http://www.hillermanprize.com/).<br />
<br />
Since that fateful day, I have worked through not one, not two, but THREE iterations of the novel. Refining characters, throwing out crazy/newbie-mystery-writer-plots as I went. I also finished an undergraduate and a graduate degree during this time period, which in part accounts for the ridiculous amount of time I have spent just trying to <b>find </b>my story. I mean, you'd think after five years I would at least have a polished draft and a half-a-dozen rejections letters from literary agents. But no, I've got diddly squat (by which I mean, 10,150 words as of this afternoon).<br />
<br />
And that is okay, because mystery is a hard genre to write (for all of the scoffing people do that it is "formulaic," it takes planning, anal attention to detail, an excellent sense of realism, and an obscene amount of research to produce a well crafted mystery novel). I view this time as my apprenticeship, which I hope does not smack of hubris, because I won't claim I'm done learning. Ever.<br />
<br />
But, at this point, I have a plot that not only works but works <b>well</b>. I know my characters and I know which ones have the most to lose, what motivates them, and what they need to go through as the plot progresses. I have finally figured this all out *crosses fingers* and I think it is time to get this baby written and polished and sent into the world.<br />
<br />
I started this month with a mere 3365 words on this draft. In the past two days, I have more than tripled that. My goal is to write a MINIMUM of 15,000 words a week. I will update here and/or on Twitter (@cannfloyd) as I progress.<br />
<br />Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11989495806035739320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5689076257533864123.post-80050338344714408612013-05-22T16:15:00.001-06:002013-05-22T16:18:37.969-06:00One-liners...The Writer's Pick Up Line and MoreAfter two weeks of the post-graduation (that's right, I'm a Master now) watching of stupid TV shows (read: decompression), I've finally been feeling up to writing again. Specifically, I feel like working on my southwestern mystery, which is tentatively titled <i>They Called Her La Llorona</i>.<br />
<br />
What does this mean? I've been rethinking my mystery plot and tweaking it to be amazing--no questions asked. It also means that I've been a doing bunch of craft/plot related research as well. And this flurry of activity has reminded me of something I once knew but had forgotten (or, you know, arrogantly disregarded):<br />
<br />
<b>It helps to start your plotting with a one-liner (or a tagline, if you're in showbiz). </b><br />
<br />
If you don't believe me, just keep reading. Thinking about a one-liner has forced me to rethink the beginning of my novel: the inciting incident. Turns out, I started my story in the wrong place. It also made me rethink POV. I'd been writing a third-person POV, which would have been okay if I were writing a thriller (which this <i>could </i>be, admittedly, if I weren't so stubborn in my vision) but is not necessarily the best choice in a more hard-boiled, P.I. style novel.<br />
<br />
That said, I'm way too close to the problem to unbiasedly decide which one-liner is the most intriguing and works best for my story. That's where you come in. I'm listing the rough one-liners I've come up with so far. I'd love it if you, my loyal audience, would chime in with your opinion: <br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>Confronted with a string of bizarre murders made to look like drownings, recently retired Marshal, Jesse Clacher, must track down a killer and set things right with his wife and daughter--before more women die. </li>
<li>When a barefoot Hispanic woman in a tattered, white dress stumbles into town wailing about the death of her children, retired Marshal Jesse Clacher is forced to seek the help of his estranged daughter in order solve the case and save the woman.</li>
<li>When La Llorona crashes his retirement party wailing about the deaths of two young girls, Jesse Clacher sees it as an opportunity to start his P.I. business--and make peace with his estranged daughter.</li>
</ol>
Personally, I like #2 the best, with #1 coming in a close second. But I think that #3 is interesting because of its unexpectedness (which may or may not be good, considering that I'm aiming for more of a hard-boiled feel and less of a comedic style like a cozy or a caper).<br />
<br />
Which do you like best and why?Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11989495806035739320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5689076257533864123.post-55025345194439885562013-01-28T13:25:00.000-07:002013-01-28T13:27:46.490-07:00Writing About Trolls, or Troll-Vial PursuitI recently lost two week long word wars to my writer pal, A.L. Brown. But she was exceedingly gracious and allowed me to write a couple of blog posts related to one of my current WIPS: <i>The Monster in My Pocket</i>.<br />
<br />
Below, you can read excerpt from the novel, from the point of view of my favorite troll, Brug. You can read the related blog post <a href="http://www.al-brown.com/troll-vial-pursuit-everything-you-wanted-to-know-about-those-of-the-troll-variety-part-i/" target="_blank">here</a>. Look forward to another excerpt and another linked blog post, soon.<br />
<br />
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Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11989495806035739320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5689076257533864123.post-26750941845667626352013-01-07T22:34:00.000-07:002013-01-07T22:34:52.686-07:00The Minutia Of Writing Fight Scenes: Episode 1 | Three Types Of Action <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Welcome to Courtney’s Blog, I’m you guest host for today. <s>As
payment for losing a word count battle </s>Out of the kindness of my heart, I
am here to address a very simple question: How does one go about writing good fight
scenes? (And accordingly, why would anyone ask me?)</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">The latter query may be addressed <a href="http://www.al-brown.com/about-me/">here</a>. For the former, and primary, keep reading.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">There are undoubtedly many differing methods for writing a
fight scene and countless opinions on what constitutes a good one. To begin,
let me try to sum up what I think makes a fight scene claw its way to the top
of the heap. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><b>Realism.</b> Or in some cases, call it believability. Whether we’re
talking about a little old lady, a Spetsnaz veteran, or a big pink mountain
troll, the reader wants to be convinced that the battle is real and possible in
whatever universe his or her head is in at the moment. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><b>Pacing = Fast</b>. Good fight scenes are page-turning at its
best, and for some of us, reason enough to sludge through a few too many
chapters of dialogue and all those other boring non-fight scenes. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Length = Just Right. Too quick and the reader is disappointed
and confused, too long and you lose realism and pacing. Give the readers time
to get involved and in the swing of things, then go on long enough to wonder,
and just before it gets repetitive, end it. Got it? Me neither.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Since this topic is really an endless can of kung fu worms,
and one of the few things that I can actually write about in a rather
long-winded fashion, this post is about to get really specific. </span></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: center;">
Here's a great scene from <i>Jack Reacher</i> to get us in the right mood.</div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><u><b>Three Types Of Action: An Analysis
Of A Character’s Fighting Style</b></u></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">As I perceive fighting, there are three types of action that
a combatant may take. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><b>A
Planned Action, an Impromptu Action, or a Reaction. </b></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">The first two are basically
offensive, while the last is almost always in defense or at least in response to
an offensive action by the opponent. A fight scene does not require all three,
but it will likely have them. The key component of a planned action is
restraint, arbitrary parameters that limit a combatant’s actions and reactions.
An impromptu action is not necessarily unplanned, but unrestrained.(Jack Reacher is a great example of this, he is a big planner, but he rarely holds much back.) The difference
in severity and intent between planned and impromptu responses, as well as the
cause of shift, can show a great deal about a character’s ideas, principles,
familiarity, and skill when it comes to violence. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">By examining these three items, the fighting style of any character
can be determined. Let us consider this <a href="http://www.al-brown.com/see-cass-fight-an-example-of-a-fight-scene-in-a-novel/">scene</a>. The
setup is fairly simple. We have two characters in a dark alley who end up
fighting each other. This, on the surface, sounds way too clichéd to even
bother with, but it’s all in the execution. That’s why I like this example. It
is completely free of special effects or any other arbitrary factors that might
make an otherwise dull fight seem more exciting. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Let’s look at Cass, the point of view character and the
protagonist. She begins with all planned actions. Even though neither the
battlefield nor the opponent is known to her, she thinks she understands the
level of danger and therefore plans her level of response. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><i>“ She smiled as she realized
that hadn't nearly killed a couple of innocents. Now the fun could begin. Time
to put on a show.”</i></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Then, after enough scene setting, the first kink in her
plans appears<i>.</i></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><i>“Cass was expecting the man
called Marco to drag Anne out of the car. She was momentarily surprised when he
reached for her. She continued to feign unconsciousness while the big man
maneuvered her out of the car. He unceremoniously dropped her on the ground
several feet away before returning to slam the door closed. “</i></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Now, let’s skip to my favorite part, the actual fighting.
This is first actions that each of the combatants take. Planned actions. Cass has
planned to put on a show and not injure her opponent, who she thinks is an
actor. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><br />
Marco, on the other hand is planning to hurt her and maybe even rape her. His
actions are planned based on the assumption that Cass is a victim and not
likely to be a problem. The manner and mood with which each approach the fight
is in each case unwise, yet very revealing.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><i></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><i>““Come here,” he grunted.
Cass raised her arms slowly, in what might be confused with a surrendering
gesture. She stopped just of arm’s length. He was reaching out to grab her when
she raised her eyes. He hesitated when she met his gaze. Cass attacked. </i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><i>She threw a ridiculously
slow, but pretty kick towards his head, trying to play along with the drama
level she'd observed so far. He ducked, and she followed with a double
roundhouse. He dodged the first kick, but caught the second. With impressive
strength, he threw her against the alley wall.”</i></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><i><span style="font-style: normal;">Now, for Cass, little has changed in the way of her planning, she is
still controlled, unconcerned.</span></i></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><i>"You stupid girl. Now
I'm mad. I was gonna make it quick." He shook his head and pulled out the
Glock.”</i></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><i><span style="font-style: normal;">Marco reacts, escalating the fight, Cass’s dramatic resistance being
the apparent cause, but perhaps not the only one. I like to think that he
sensed more than he saw and became cautious and instinctively wary of Cass. Pulling
the gun was a reaction, an instinctive response. This, to me, indicates that he
is not comfortable with hand-to-hand combat and prefers the perceived advantage
of a gun--and possibly, that he fears Cass for some reason...</span></i></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Cass tried to overcome the instinctive urge
to try and kill the man.” </i></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><i><span style="font-style: normal;">And right on cue, we get to see what Cass wants to do. Her reaction is
simple and demonstrates how deep her head-on personality goes. It also,
indicates a familiarity with firearms, and a lack of the irrational fear that
some might feel. This also shows us her level of self-control. Instead of
killing the man she still thinks is an actor, she restrains her reaction and
moves back to planning.</span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><i>“She kept telling herself it
was not a real gun right up until he the bullet tore through her left thigh.
Cass looked down, shocked. It must have been a solid core 9mm hollow-point,
because it went right on through. It hurt like the dickens, but she could
hardly feel it. She was angry and that made her focused, focused like the laser
beam mounted on the rail of her very own Glock 19, back home in the safe.”</i></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><i>"Now you won't be trying
any of that kung fu crap on me, babe. Let's have some fun."</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><i>He moved towards her, teeth
bared, and a look in his eye that said he wasn't going to kill her right away.
The moment he'd fired that gun, Cass had forgotten all about the show or
anything else other than the right here and now. She was no longer playing by
any rules.”</i></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">And
there it is, the shift, the final escalation. Cass is ready to take impromptu action
without restraint and there will be no reactions called off anymore. This is
where the actual fight begins for Cass. She now understands. Both combatants
are now part of the same battle.</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><i>“She'd pulled herself up into
a sitting position, her back against the grimy brick wall, her hands curled up
against her left shoulder. She kept her eyes glued to her target as she waited
for him to get close enough. The seconds were eternities as he walked up, then
knelt down over her. He reached out with his free hand and felt of her hair.
His other hand, still holding the gun, was against the ground, helping to hold
him up. It was the end. </i></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><i><span style="font-style: normal;">Notice that she is not planning anything specific, she is more focused
on the target and the result. This, to me is characteristic of impromptu mode.
She is probably considering many possibilities as she has been prone to do before
this, but she does not remove any from play. She will take action when she sees
opportunity and she will do what can be done to create opportunity.</span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><i>Cass's tied hands moved in
unison towards their target, one just an inch behind the other. The edge of her
right hand struck the big man’s throat. The other hand followed it, adding the
strength of her other arm. A blow that was dangerous with one hand became
deadly with two. There was a wet sound as he tried to breathe through his
partially crushed trachea.”</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><i><span style="font-style: normal;">Here we see what happens when Cass takes unrestrained action. She acts
quickly, and with no finesse. She goes straight for the throat (ha ha) and
lands a nasty, but effective blow.</span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><i>“His jerked back to his feet,
hands instinctively grabbing at his neck, trying to ease the pain. Cass was
free and the gun was out of play. She stood and set herself against the wall,
using it to steady her injured leg long enough to kick with the other. The kick
wasn't pretty, or high, or any of the other things that look good on a
television screen. It was only nasty. Cass's foot nailed him right above the
groin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He took a step back, still
searching for air, then he collapsed, no longer capable of standing.”</i></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Cass
is now in control, and she pushes her advantage, taking the extra time she has
garnered to make another attack and seal her victory. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><i>“Cass fell down, unable to
maintain the balance needed to recover without both legs working. She got her
good leg under her and picked up the gun, but there was no need for it. The
kick, as intended, had not only knocked the wind from her enemy, but dislodged
the cartilage connection of the pelvis, damaging the structural integrity of
his body. He was not going anywhere.”</i></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><i><span style="font-style: normal;">So, let’s sum up what we know about the fighting style of each of these
combatants.</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><i><span style="font-style: normal;">Cass</span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><i><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Planned: Controlled,
unwilling to hurt others, uses kicks, showy ,dramatic. <br />
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>What this tells me: She has
a reason not to escalate the fight herself. She is skilled and prefers using
her legs in a fight. This strongly suggests a background in martial arts and
especially a kicking art such as taekwondo. </span></i></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><i><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Reaction: Lethal,
focused, steady.<br />
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>What this tells me: I see
an immediate understanding of weapons and the level of danger. Also, Cass clearly
has no compunctions about using deadly force to defend herself. She is very
in-control of her reactions/impulses and aware of her surroundings/perceived situation
even under stress. </span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><i><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Impromptu: Calm,
reasonable, decisive, and deadly. Able to use hands, and feet. Not showy,
brutal and efficient.<br />
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>What this tells me: The contrast
between the efficient, ugly techniques here and the showy stuff earlier demonstrates
her depth of skill and understanding of her martial art. She shows confidence
in her ability and especially her leg by choosing to leave the gun out of play.
We see that she knows how to be lethal and that she will be when she decides to
be. No hesitation. Makes us think that she has been in a similar situation
before. </span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><i><span style="font-style: normal;">Cass’s fake (planned) fighting style: Martial arts, preference for
showy kicks, non-lethal, controlled, inefficient.</span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><i><span style="font-style: normal;">Cass’s true (impromptu) fighting style: Martial arts, preference for
kicking attacks, efficient, precise, unyielding. </span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><i><span style="font-style: normal;">Cass’s instinctive <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(reaction) style:
?, deadly. (this scene didn’t tell us much more than that) </span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><i><span style="font-style: normal;">As for her opponent, I’ll leave the summation up to you. If I do all
the work, you might forget what was going on here. My philosophy on teaching
(honed in the sacred halls of martial arts) has a huge hands-on component, so
go for it. Tell me about Marco’s fighting style. </span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><i><span style="font-style: normal;">If you have any questions or comments for, me, the author of this lengthy
post, don’t be shy. Only Chuck Norris can kick you through the internet and I
am not Chuck Norris. (I can only kick people over a basic LAN.)</span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><i><span style="font-style: normal;">For more on techniques and tricks for writing fight scenes (or writing
other things), check my blog: <a href="http://www.al-brown.com/">Tough Target.</a></span></i></span></div>
A.L. Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03196709739389740141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5689076257533864123.post-5883331086467507272013-01-06T17:21:00.001-07:002013-01-08T18:27:03.466-07:00Updates on the Word War, and...Check this Out!My friend A.L. Brown and I just finished week three of our word war (which she won, by the way, because I spent my writing time today working on a brand new blog project--but I'm getting ahead of myself).<br />
<br />
Here are my thoughts so far: the word war has helped salvage an otherwise barren period of my writing year. It is hard to write during the holidays, as agent Rachelle Gardner notes in <a href="http://www.rachellegardner.com/2012/12/whats-your-holiday-writing-plan/" target="_blank">this post,</a> and I don't think I would have written 8,000 shiny new words if it hadn't been for this little duel between writing buddies. I know, 8,000 is a pretty small number. But holiday writing time is pretty sparse, and when you're a writer who is trying to finish a Master's degree, take classes, and still have a bit of time with the family/friends/husband, you take anything you can get as far as word count goes.<br />
<br />
That said, I aim to beat some writer butt in next week's word war. You can follow my progress via my Twitter account--just search for @Cannfloyd.<br />
<br />
AND NOW FOR MY AWESTRIKINGLY AWESOME ANNOUNCEMENT:<br />
<br />
I started a book blog.<br />
<br />
A book blog that is actually my personal reading journal, in which I will chronicle ALL of the books I read this year and provide information like reading times and my impressions. I'm pretty sure I can read 150 books this year, easy. So call that my unofficial goal. I've also asked some pretty amazing people to join me as guest bloggers to help broaden the material on the blog, and also to help construct a section of the blog that is intended to help English grad students prep for dreaded Comprehensive Exams and/or GRE lit sections.<br />
<br />
Check it out here: <a href="http://www.readscribblerevise.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Read, Scribble, Revise</a>Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11989495806035739320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5689076257533864123.post-44625849537402777092012-12-14T16:16:00.001-07:002012-12-14T16:17:08.574-07:00The Things We Do For the Love of WritingWe've talked about writer's block frequently on this blog, and I've slandered my muse in such discussions more times than I can count. Now, though, the time for talk is over. It is time to fight back.<br />
<br />
Taking into account my competitive nature and the fact that writing is such a solitary activity, I've decided to team up with my writing buddy, A.L. Brown, to push my way past the writing doldrums I've fallen into yet again.<br />
<br />
The plan:<br />
1) daily wordcount updates, posted via Twitter.<br />
2) weekly summaries of the writing experience (posted on blog and linked to Twitter) coupled with a weekly wordcount total to determine the winner.<br />
3) loser owes winner a guest post on winner's blog (or dinner, the prize may vary).<br />
4) repeat weekly...<br />
<br />
Let the games begin!Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11989495806035739320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5689076257533864123.post-24409548456957720962012-12-14T13:02:00.001-07:002012-12-14T13:02:20.289-07:00A Part-Time Heretic's Guide to Small-Town Living*, Part One<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: Courier; mso-fareast-font-family: Helvetica; mso-hansi-font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It's Sunday morning. The birds are
chirping, the sun is slanting in through your crooked window shade, and from
somewhere outside a chorus of slamming car-doors greets your ears. You glance
at the clock. It is only 10 am. </span><span style="font-family: Courier;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Welcome to life in the Bible-belt. You live
across the street from one of your small town's many (and I do mean <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">many</i></span><span style="font-family: Courier; mso-fareast-font-family: Helvetica; mso-hansi-font-family: Helvetica;">)
churches. There's no helping it, really. There is almost-literally a church on
every corner. And the corners without churches usually host convenience stores.
If you like your Sundays of the lazy variety, this may be a problem for you. What you need is a strategy, and someone experienced to help you create that strategy.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier; mso-fareast-font-family: Helvetica; mso-hansi-font-family: Helvetica;"> You are in luck.</span><span style="font-family: Courier;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier; mso-fareast-font-family: Helvetica; mso-hansi-font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I will be your tour guide to life on these
pot-hole ridden streets. I'm a long time resident, you see. </span><span style="font-family: Courier;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier; mso-fareast-font-family: Helvetica; mso-hansi-font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Consider me the slightly nasal voice of
reason. By the time we're through, you may want to look into
relocating--possibly to one of those nice locations they advertise, quite
conveniently, on the sides of U-haul trucks.</span><span style="font-family: Courier;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier; mso-fareast-font-family: Helvetica; mso-hansi-font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>But we should really get started. Time is
of the essence, because in small towns everything shuts down early on
Sundays--well, everything except Walmart.</span><span style="font-family: Courier;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier; mso-fareast-font-family: Helvetica; mso-hansi-font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Before the day is over, you will know
everything you need to know to make it in this town--especially if you are a
fast learner and take my first piece of advice to heart:</span><span style="font-family: Courier;"></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Courier; mso-fareast-font-family: Helvetica-Bold; mso-hansi-font-family: Helvetica-Bold;">Booze:</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Courier;"></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In the Bible-belt, dry counties are the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">rule</i></span><span style="font-family: Courier; mso-fareast-font-family: Helvetica; mso-hansi-font-family: Helvetica;">
rather than the exception. If you want to stay sane, you should develop a
strategy for the procurement and maintenance of a booze stash. Practically
speaking, this means that you should do your "grocery" shopping
before Sundays roll around. Because, although you can now purchase alcohol in
restaurants and bars on the Lord's day, you cannot purchase it and take it
home.</span><span style="font-family: Courier;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>You probably feel perplexed, if not
slightly annoyed and disgusted at this fact. It has often flummoxed me as well.
It would seem that city ordinance encourages public drunkenness to an
unsettling degree. Why prevent people from drinking in their homes? Why force
them to make a spectacle of themselves while they attempt to drown their
sorrows and keep their sanity? The answer is elusive; that this blue law is
allowed to persist is beyond me--although I suspect that the religious figures
and upstanding citizens responsible for it must be firm believers in the
doctrine of public confession of sins...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier; mso-fareast-font-family: Helvetica; mso-hansi-font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It may have occurred to you that this
ordinance wreaks havoc on a national pastime that smalltowners hold in deep
reverence: Sunday night football. If you, like so many of your new neighbors
and fellow citizens, are a football lover, the strategy I've suggested is vital
to your happiness in this small town. Superbowl Sunday, after all, is only a
shell of a celebration without a nice, cold brew in hand.</span><span style="font-family: Courier;"></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Courier;">Entertainment:</span></b><span style="font-family: Courier;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier; mso-fareast-font-family: Helvetica; mso-hansi-font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I hope you did not forget your appetite
when you moved to this booming metropolis. From here on out, your primary form
of entertainment will consist of eating-out or drinking. That's right, other
than a few events (mostly musical in nature), this small town offers good,
clean, wholesome fun in an edible form. </span><span style="font-family: Courier;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier; mso-fareast-font-family: Helvetica; mso-hansi-font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>If you happen to be an innovator, then you may
not feel the absence of typical entertainment venues (such as a movie theater,
a bowling alley, a skating rink, or even a bookstore) so drastically. This is
because you will be too busy entertaining yourself at the expense of your
neighbors and fellow citizens. </span><span style="font-family: Courier;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier; mso-fareast-font-family: Helvetica; mso-hansi-font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>If you are not an innovator, I suggest that
you learn how to entertain yourself as quickly as possible. I'll give some
suggestions as to where you might start:</span><span style="font-family: Courier;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier; mso-bidi-font-family: Courier; mso-fareast-font-family: Courier; mso-text-raise: -1.0pt; position: relative; top: 1.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">•<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Courier; mso-fareast-font-family: Helvetica; mso-hansi-font-family: Helvetica;">Develop your eccentricities. A good friend of mine recently began
channeling her witch-like inclinations--cackling, reading musty tomes aloud,
lighting thousands of candles, chanting to the moon, and more cackling--in
order to make her life a better place and scare away some of the less reputable
elements of small town society--thieves, drug-dealers, neighborhood busybodies,
and junkies.</span><span style="font-family: Courier; mso-text-raise: -1.0pt; position: relative; top: 1.0pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier; mso-bidi-font-family: Courier; mso-fareast-font-family: Courier; mso-text-raise: -1.0pt; position: relative; top: 1.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">•<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Courier; mso-fareast-font-family: Helvetica; mso-hansi-font-family: Helvetica;">Invent your own logic. Instead of groaning about the mundane nature
of your new reality, you can take that reality and make it interesting. That
cable van that's been outside of your neighbor's house all morning? The driver
is really an FBI agent. See, isn't that better?</span><span style="font-family: Courier; mso-text-raise: -1.0pt; position: relative; top: 1.0pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier; mso-bidi-font-family: Courier; mso-fareast-font-family: Courier; mso-text-raise: -1.0pt; position: relative; top: 1.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">•<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Courier; mso-fareast-font-family: Helvetica; mso-hansi-font-family: Helvetica;">Mess with people's heads. Instead of responding politely, honestly,
and predictably to everyday conversation, make things up. Become a storyteller.
Sure, you may lose a stodgy friend or two, but the people who still like you
afterward will be the more...colorful...type.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier; mso-fareast-font-family: Helvetica; mso-hansi-font-family: Helvetica;">Today's small town tour is now complete. Check back next week, same time and same place, for the next leg of the tour...</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Courier; mso-fareast-font-family: Helvetica-Bold; mso-hansi-font-family: Helvetica-Bold;">*Disclaimer: some advice contained herein may be a selfish attempt to drive away new residents so that the small town can remain small. It may or may not be funded by the city planners. Lawyers may or may not have advised this disclaimer.</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Courier;"></span></b></div>
Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11989495806035739320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5689076257533864123.post-21521658650449630232012-06-21T11:13:00.000-06:002012-06-21T12:02:43.248-06:00That Time Muse Suckerpunched WillpowerThere's this war in creative writing. It's kind of like the Hundred Years' War, except longer. Centuries of armies have massed around two primary camps: Muse and Willpower. The constituents of Muse think that beautiful, meaningful writing can only come through inspiration. Willpower's minions, on the other hand, claim that NO inspiration is required. To heck with the fickle whims of Muse.<br />
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Me, I fall somewhere in the middle of the two camps, which is probably why I get kicked from both sides, but that is another blog post. I fall somewhere in the middle for one important reason: I know a secret. Muse (being a fickle girl who may or may not like sparkly things) can be bribed.<br />
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My Muse happens to like coffee and traveling and walking through nature like a modern day Thoreau (I'll pass on that tasty woodchuck though, buddy. I'd rather have an Elk burger). My Muse likes antique typewriters that can be converted into <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/62642931/diy-usb-typewriter-conversion-kit">USB compatible writing machines</a>. My Muse likes sarcastic t-shirts and many different kinds of excellent music (I've been on a jazzy, bluesy kick, lately). My Muse likes scheming. <br />
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Bribing my Muse doesn't mean I'm dependant on some sort of mythical, faerie dust and Disney smiles *inspiration* (said in a Spongebob voice). It just means I'm bringing my full arsenal of capability to the table--or, more appropriately, the writing desk. It means I'm not forcing myself to slog through my writing day like it is some kind of horrible task. I'm interested and dedicated. I'm working and having fun.<br />
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This is starting to sound disturbingly like a personal ad for my Muse. I think she may be sitting on top of my head like Remi in Ratatouille, pulling my hair to control what I type...<br />
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So. In the interest of putting my Muse back in her place, let me tell you a story. A story about that time Muse suckerpunched Willpower (and Willpower put Nair in her shampoo bottle). But first, a little bit of background. My Muse is one of nine beautiful women (supposedly goddesses, but I think the Greeks were just suckers for pretty women). Actually, I think I'm the creative only child of two Muses, who randomly trade custody of me: Calliope and Clio. Calliope is the muse of song. Clio is the muse of history, i.e. the scroll or writing. In all honesty, Calliope is not the subject of this story--she's a pretty reliable Muse as muses go, and she really has nothing to do with Willpower, because I have no delusions of becomig a professional songwriter and am happy to write songs infrequently as inspiration hits.<br />
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Now, there's another famous lady throughout Western history, and she is closely tied with success (creative or otherwise). Her name is Lady Fortune (or Lady Luck to all you modern Americans). She's an elusive one and, despite the praises that have been sung to her, she is bald. Yep. You got it. BALD. I think it's because all of the down-on-their-luck people in SHakespeare's day thought you had to grab her BY THE HAIR to catch her.<br />
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Anyway. Back to my Muse. One day, she decided to trick Willpower into thinking they could be partners. You know, in the cahoots and rendezvouses (is that a word?) kissy-kissy way. Then, when she convinced Willpower to abandon me in my time of need (proibably while I was working on a term paper) and once he did, she locked him in a cage and punched him in the stomach before returning to taunt me with ridiculous ideas and impractical plot twists.<br />
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A few days later, Willpower escaped (possibly because I gave him coffee and a donut with a metal file inside [it was a long john, ok, not a round donut! Don't be so critical]). As I've already noted, Willpower's next move was to put Nair in my Muse's shampoo. <br />
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Let's just say she looks a lot like Lady Fortune, these days.Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11989495806035739320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5689076257533864123.post-40742470513679555912012-06-02T12:07:00.000-06:002012-06-02T12:09:57.791-06:00What Ho? A Double Standard in the Literary World?Sometimes, while I'm wandering along the various fields of the literary world (I'm currently in one full of thistles, but that is beside the point), I stumble over a big, fat incongruity. This week, it's an incongruity directly related to my own writing efforts: <p>
WHY do people snicker if I tell them I'm writing an Urban Fantasy with elements of crime fiction, like mythical stories are <i>sooo lowbrow</i>, but still consider things like Le Morte D'Arthur and The Faerie Queen to be high brow, glorious literary productions?
Why is a mystery novel "sure to make you rich" but not sure to bring you the literary acclaim that, say, a historical/memoir/women's fiction "literary" novel will?
Why do I feel embarrassed to admit that I'm a "genre" writer? <p>
On a surface level, it's all about money. Popular literature is "lowbrow" because it is easily accessible to all kinds of people. Readers do not have to have a master's degree or a PhD to unerstand the underlying ideas and themes that shape the novel and make it significant. And, because popular literature is neither rare nor hard to "get" in either sense of the word, there are no obvious bragging rights (cultural capital--the ability to value yourself above other people because you are able to access and "understand" rare and highly valued art). In this light, one could claim that there are NO SOCIAL STATUS BENEFITS TO BE GAINED BY READING GENRE FICTION. <p>
Of course, one would be wrong. But one could say such a thing, and be accurate to the social consesus on the subject. <p>
Have you ever noticed that popular art can, and often does, become "classic"? Bugs Bunny, Abbot and Costello, Laurel and Hardy, the Three Stooges, Shakespeare (oh yeah, he was a popular artist back in the day), and FilM Noir are all notable examples. Although popular art becomes high brow art as it becomes less and less accessible (as it ages and generations of people who don't use the same cultural cues [things like slang, symbol]), thus tending to validate the monetary system of valuing art, that isn't entirely why it turns into highbrow art. <p>
If popular art can BECOME high brow art, then such art cannot be, for all intents and purposes, VOID of any social/cultural value, can it? <p>
Okay. I will climb off my giant soapbox and go work on my lowbrow fiction now. Thankyouverymuch.Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11989495806035739320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5689076257533864123.post-41976660422198969012012-05-21T12:50:00.001-06:002012-05-21T12:50:05.415-06:00It's Not Simply Revision, It's Radical RenovationI've recently (but not so very recently) stumbled across two very interesting terms: upcycling and re-purposing. Now, these terms aren't new--in fact, they're just really specific terms for recycling via craftiness--but they are much better at expressing something that should be a large part of a writer's day-to-day life.<br />
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As an English instructor, I come across some very skewed conceptions of "revision" on a frequent basis. Most people seem to think that "revision" is the act of editing: spell check, grammar check, punctuation check, and maybe a quick rampage through the thesaurus for good measure.<br />
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I'm sorry to burst your collective bubbles, but that's not really the case.<br />
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Revision is the radical renovation of something that exists--it's like turning your dark, tiny, frumpy bathroom into a wonder rivaling an ancient Greek temple, complete with beautifully tiled floors and a jacuzzi. In that respect, writing itself is an act of revision--it is the manipulation of an existing thought or series of thoughts, an addition or change to any pre-exisiting existing body of work on the subject, the shift from "light-bulb!" to "tangible-product!"<br />
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I say all of this because I finally acknowledged the nagging voice in the back of my head, demanding a real revision of my work in progress (WIP). That little voice has been dissatisfied with my protagonist for quite some time, it's been suggesting that I nix her because the real story I am trying to tell revolves around two of the secondary characters. <br />
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In short, I'm not merely "revising" (editing) my story, I'm purposing my story. The same fibers are being used, and even though it looks completely different, it's more or less the same book, but in the end, it will be a <a href="http://restitchme.com/?tag=repurposed-bag" target="_blank">messenger-bag instead of a suit coat</a>.Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11989495806035739320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5689076257533864123.post-59733283117843663892012-04-27T15:13:00.000-06:002012-04-27T15:20:03.307-06:00The Importance of Being AwkwardLong, long ago, my grandpa told me not to let people call me a genius. I never understood why being called a genius was such a bad thing. I like to study, and being noted for my smarts is much better than being termed "dummy," isn't it?<br />
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It's taken years, but I think I might have figured it out. If naming something is tantamount to defining it, deciding what its value is, then grandpa's advice makes some sense. I don't want to be simply smart. I don't want to be boxed in by the expectations that accompany the label "genius"--in fact, I have a propensity for using words like "um" and "howdy" when I speak, not to mention my frequent use of contractions. Besides, I can't do rocket science or advanced math, so how much of a genius could I possibly be?<br />
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Ironically, while I've successfully evaded the "genius" label (for the most part, maybe, certain individuals insist on calling me one--probably because it makes them feel less defeated when I beat their pants at scrabble. They can justify their loss by my prowess--if I was "normal," they would have beat me [ha]) I seem to have stumbled head-on into another one: awkward.<br />
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I'm not exactly sure how small talk works. The other day, when somebody asked me how I was doing, I told them "no," because I was still stuck in another conversation and the correct answer ("great, how are you?") evaded me. I then had to explain myself, with further awkwardness. Oh, the tangled webs awkward people weave, when they first, awkwardly begin to speak.<br />
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Still and all, I'm pretty sure this term is a distortion, an odd return of a certain, specific label that has been repressed (ehem, "genius"). Isn't awkwardness--social awkwardness--a sign of genius? Answer honestly. Don't tell me you've never seen Shelden on Big Bang Theory. <br />
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Maybe my nerdy, bookwormy side is just something that shouldn't be suppressed. I can't avoid it. It must be expressed. So, FYI, If I'm wearing a badge that says "genius" next time you see me, it may not be a sign of egomania. I may be advertising my social awkwardness.Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11989495806035739320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5689076257533864123.post-23271752033439573012012-04-17T08:57:00.000-06:002012-04-17T09:05:41.359-06:00What I Talk About When I Talk About ProcrastinationOccasionally, I get inspired to write.<br />
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Inspiration is problematic because what it really consists of is my brain deciding that it doesn't want to study, or grade another stack of papers, or make a paper-clip chain and string it around my office. It consists of my brain seeing some mediocre rehashing of a story that's been done to death (Snow White, anyone?) and rebelling against the fact that my less obviously unoriginal stories are still not quite ready to be thrown out into the world (they also lack sparkly vampires, so perhaps the world is not quite ready for my stories, either). Mostly, it consists of me scribbling madly on scraps of paper, only to realize that's I've turned my story upside down and inside out, and I don't have time to put it back together before class. <br />
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Yep. You've got it: inspiration acts a lot like procrastination. <br />
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But, maybe procrastination is all in the eye of the beholder. Am I procrastinating by working on my novel, or am I procrastinating working on my novel by studying and going to work? (I promise I'm not being [completely] facetious. I know what my priorities are: I have to have money to feed my cat or she might kill me in my sleep). I'm not sure what it's called when your cat kills you--maybe convenient-human-who-feeds-me-icide. Whatever it's called, it sounds unpleasant. <br />
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And you thought I was going to talk about Facebook, didn't you?Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11989495806035739320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5689076257533864123.post-13536804013299201612011-12-15T11:38:00.000-07:002011-12-15T11:38:08.880-07:00Finishing the book...I usually have an ending in mind when I start a book. The fantasy series I'm working on with my good friend, <a href="http://al-brown.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">A.L. Brown</a>, is actually a good example. Although our "end" turned out to be the "big end" of the series, rather than the actual end of the book, we had something to work logically toward. We had something to anticipate.<br />
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This, however, has not been the case with my mystery novel. I deliberately avoided planning the end. I planned the crime, had a rough idea about who the villains were, and planned several major plot points. But, I wanted a mystery and so I wrote as though I was going through it day by day, with my characters. It's been a long, but mostly fun process.<br />
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And now, within chapters of the end, its become a slow slog toward the finish line--at least as far as plotting goes. I don't know exactly how this thing's going down. It may get messy. Anticipation is weighing me down. I want to know how it ends and the tension is crippling...<br />
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Maybe that means it's good, eh?Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11989495806035739320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5689076257533864123.post-45579610700758535532011-12-06T11:18:00.001-07:002011-12-06T11:40:11.770-07:00What Writers (might) REALLY Want for ChristmasIt's that time of year again. Everyone in your life suddenly has an agenda, and they typically express it in one of two ways:<br />
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1. Blatantly. These are the people who pester you with questions for the twenty-four days prior to Christmas morning. "Whaddya want?" "What can you use?" "Do you like marshmallows?"<br />
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2. Covertly. These are the people in your life who suddenly resemble stalkers and/or zombies. They're constantly looking at you sideways, trying to read your mind and/or decide where to shoot you with a tranquilizer gun.<br />
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Anyway, in recognition of the season, I've complied a list of things that I think writers may actually enjoy. Notice that there are no fancy shmancy notebooks on this list. In my experience, these very lovely notebooks are never used because, well, they're just a little bit too lovely. And intimidating. My writing will never match the two-tone Italian-lambskin-leather and hand stitched pages...<br />
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Some Things Writers (might) REALLY Want for Christmas:<br />
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1. To be published. I know, this one is kind of impossible to fulfill, but there you have it.<br />
2. Time to write.<br />
3. Time to eat good food and to spend with friends and family.<br />
4. A<a href="http://www.usbtypewriter.com/"> USB typewriter</a>!<br />
5. Something good to read...<br />
6. Coffee. Lots and lots of coffee. Also, a "writer" coffee mug like this <a href="http://www.cafepress.com/+writer_clues_writing_mug,80742869">one</a>.<br />
7. The next season of Doctor Who on DVD (and also, a sonic screwdriver). No, I'm serious, this is a universal for writers, not just my own preference!<br />
8. A <a href="http://www.shakespearesden.com/gwfp.html">Great Writers Finger Puppet Set</a>. (Yes, I did pass the first grade). <br />
9. Sticky Notes. <a href="http://www.shakespearesden.com/the-portable-procrastinator-doodle-pad.html">Like these,</a> for example...<br />
10. Cookies! (You thought I was going to say "pie," didn't you?)Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11989495806035739320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5689076257533864123.post-55205605858915821292011-12-02T11:58:00.001-07:002011-12-02T12:05:43.355-07:00Name ChangeAs it turns out, I probably won't be keeping <i>To Die For</i> as a title for my current mystery novel as it's already the title of a fairly popular Women's Fiction novel. Since my blog was named after my novel, my pending novel name-change needs to be applied here as well. Syncopated Synonyms seemed like an appropriate choice for the blog, given my excitement over finding a free, brand-new and very snazzy thesaurus the other day...the novel is yet to be renamed.Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11989495806035739320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5689076257533864123.post-43150816998718934522011-12-02T11:26:00.001-07:002011-12-02T11:34:51.973-07:00Lofty Goals: Reading ListsEver since I was eight, I've had the urge to make a list of all of the books I've ever read. It started innocently enough--by my seventh birthday I'd already garnered the moniker "bookworm" and at eight, I'd decided to keep a list of books I read every year. Except, I never managed to keep up with said list. Oh sure, it always worked out for a month or two, but after that I'd forget...a month would go by, then two. By the time I'd remember my list, I'd have read another twenty, thirty, maybe forty books.<br />
<br />
I read very quickly.<br />
<br />
<br />
Anyway, here I am decades later, still wishing I'd managed to maintain a list. I must've read over a thousand books by now. I'm pretty sure my yearly count almost always flirts with 100, maybe more now that my "job" <i>is</i> reading. <br />
<br />
The best I ever manage to do is keep a running list of favorites. This year, some of them are:<br />
<em><em></em></em><br />
<div class="commenttext">
<em><em><br /></em></em><br />
<em><em>
The Book Thief by Markus Zuzak<br />
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins,<br />
White Teeth by Zadie Smith,<br />
The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz,<br />
The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler,<br />
Double Indemnity by James M. Cain<br />
The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath<br />
Devil in a Blue Dress by Walter Mosely<br />
Death Masks and Blood Rites by Jim Butcher<br />
Pat Barker’s Regeneration Trilogy,<br />
Toni Morrison’s Beloved,<br />
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte,<br />
Eavan Boland’s Outside History and Object Lessons,<br />
and Whose Body by Dorothy Sayers.<br />
</em></em></div>
<br />
<br />Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11989495806035739320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5689076257533864123.post-89066275965790641322011-11-24T17:51:00.000-07:002011-11-24T17:51:00.151-07:00Ultimate Apple PieApple pie is the official food of this mystery writer (well, after steak, green chile, french fries, and macaroni). I make this stuff every year. Enjoy it topped with a scoop of French Vanilla ice cream. It's delicioso...<br />
<b> </b><br />
<b>Filling:</b><br />
8 apples cut up really small<br />
1/3 cup honey (plus extra to dribble on the crust)<br />
3 TBSP sugar<br />
LOTS AND LOTS OF CINNAMON<br />
2 TBSP of FLOUR or CORNSTARCH<br />
<br />
<b>Topping </b>(optional, I only use it sometimes...)<br />
1/4 cup butter<br />
1 pkg graham crackers, crushed...<br />
cinnamon to taste<br />
1/3 cup brown sugar<br />
<br />
<b>Crust:</b><br />
I use the Better Homes and Gardens single crust recipe for a 9" pie. If you want to do a lattice topping, you may want to make enough for two crusts.<br />
<br />
<b>METHOD (madness):</b><br />
1. Make pie crust, roll it out, refrigerate it while you make the filling. <br />
2. Cut up apples, mix in honey, sugar, and cinnamon to taste. Also, add flour to thicken.<br />
3. Sprinkle on topping if you so desire.<br />
4. Bake pie (with tin foil covering it) at 400 degrees for 15 minutes and than at 350 for an additional 30 minutes (both times, please. I don't know why, it's just in the recipe.)<br />
<br />
<b>Enjoy!</b><br />
For those of you with an adventurous personality, try this recipe with GREEN CHILE! Trust me, it's exceptional. Just throw a couple of diced green chiles into the apple mix and follow the reqular instructions...<br />
<br />
<br />Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11989495806035739320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5689076257533864123.post-59070122095680328392011-11-13T17:37:00.001-07:002011-11-13T17:50:43.941-07:0010 Things That Make Me Happy...and some random things I'm looking forward to.Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and in between snatches of school related stress (moments during which I am in the pit of despair, as Anne of Green Gables would say), I find small things to be happy about. Such as:<br />
<br />
1. Reaching 45,000 words on my novel (sorry, NaNo, I had a head start).<br />
2. Pie. I love pie, and Pie Day (aka Turkey day [aka Thanksgiving]) is fast approaching!<br />
3. Coffee. It keeps me going...faster and faster until I crash. As long as I can make it to finals week, I will be ok.<br />
4. My family. Because there are people in the world who are as crazy as me.<br />
5. Music. Yours, mine, somebody else's--it doesn't matter as long as it's good. (As a songwriter, though, I am probably biased...)<br />
6. Books. But I reserve the right to hate the ones I have to read for school, just on principle. I will love them again as soon as they are no longer attached to deadlines.<br />
7. Green Chile. There are no words to do it justice, but I may attempt to write a song about it anyway...one day.<br />
8. Steak. Especially free steak, but hey...<br />
9. Being an Adult (aka being able to eat chips and salsa for dinner if I so desire). This one only stands on the days when # 10 is not in effect.<br />
10. Being a kid. Because I'm still unencumbered enough to dodge my responsibilities like the best of 'em...except when #9 kicks in and my guilty conscious gets the best of me.<br />
<br />
<br />
Also, my personal lights-at-the-end-of-the-tunnel are:<br />
<br />
1.The arrival of <i>Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows </i>at my local theater.<i><br /></i><br />
2. My library's annual book sale (woo!)<i> </i><br />
3. The -still-quite-a-ways-away arrival of <i>Hunger Games</i> the movie at my local theater<br />
4. Pie Day! Thanksgiving (yes, I also love mashed potatoes and gravy).Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11989495806035739320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5689076257533864123.post-68448563821611402262011-11-01T19:44:00.000-06:002011-11-01T19:44:03.946-06:00Watson, the Game is Afoot...Today, NaNoWriMo began. I'm already behind, as I haven't had a spare minute (until now) to actually write anything creative. Well, I guess I'm technically still on schedule--I'm shooting for weekly word counts. I am a grad student, after all. I have to prioritize.<br />
<br />
Also, if I sound a bit defensive, it's because I've just recovered from the worst bout of writer's block I've ever had. EVER. In my entire seven years of writing, I have never been blocked this badly. I'm sure my film noir professor can attest to this fact--she's probably grimacing over some poorly done reading responses, right about now.<br />
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Anyway, here's the game plan: I need to write 20,000 to 30,000 words before the end of November. Real, coherent, part-of-my-novel words. I know, that's not quite 50k. Don't rub it in. I'm crazy enough to be attempting this at all. That divvies out to be 5,000 to 8,000 words a week. Two to three chapters. Should be cake...<br />
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<br />Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11989495806035739320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5689076257533864123.post-19598594403378891892011-10-24T11:46:00.000-06:002011-10-24T11:46:08.177-06:00Heffalumps and Woozles (Writers and Readers)<pre><b><b><span style="font-family: Elephant;"><span></span></span></b></b></pre>
<br />
I just want you all to know I've got Winnie the Pooh on my mind: <br />
<blockquote style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Heffalumps and Woozles: They're black they're brown, they're up, they're down
They're in, they're out they're all about,
They're far, they're near they're gone, they're here!
They're quick and slick they're insincere
Beware! Beware! Be a very wary bear
A heffalump or woozle is very confusil
A heffalump or woozle's very sly!
(sly) (sly) (sly)
They come in ones and twosles but If they so choosles
Before your eyes you'll see them -multiply
(ply) (ply) (ply)</span></blockquote>
Writers and Readers. Heffalumps and Woozles. What do they have in common? "They come in ones and twosles," that's what. They need each other (I'm conveniently ignoring the bit about them being quick, slick, and insincere).<br />
<br />
Composition theorist Peter Elbow agrees:<br />
<blockquote>
People who get better and get published really tend to be driven by how much they care about their writing. Yes, they have a small audience at first--after all, they're not very good. But they try reader after reader until finally they can find people who like and appreciate their writing...It may sound so far as though all the effort and drive comes from the lonely driven writer...but, often enough, readers play the crucially active story of how writers get better.</blockquote>
Also, I'll have a readable second draft of my novel ready by the end of December. Hint, hint.Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11989495806035739320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5689076257533864123.post-61788480603516650762011-10-18T13:00:00.000-06:002011-10-18T13:21:41.986-06:00NaNoWriMo...I find this sort of ironic. Throughout my undergraduate career, I told myself I'd do NaNoWriMo but inevitably chickened out because I had "too much to do." Four years in a row, I chickened out.<br /><br />Well, guess what. I finally broke. As a first year graduate student who also happens to be teaching (or attempting to teach?) a bunch of freshman how to write, I am participating in NaNoWriMo for the first time. It's a desperate act. I'm a desperate individual. I want to finish the novel I've been working on for three years. It is time.<br /><br />I'd like to say that I've finally mastered the art of time management and that, although my workload is exponentially larger, I have everything under control. But that would be a lie. I still procrastinate and reading still takes time (theory reading takes obscene amounts of time). I'm just frantically scrambling to finish my "small" sets of weekly work before November arrives.<br /><br />Hey, I've never claimed to be completely sane...<br /><br />Anyway, in honor of the approaching madness, I've complied a list of the five craziest writers I've heard of/admire most (in no particular order of craziness or admiration):<br /><br />1. Hunter S. Thompson (Fear and Loathing, anyone?)<br />2. Jack Kerouac (hobos and mushrooms and booze, oh my!)<br />3. T.S. Eliot (because an Insane Asylum is not an appropriate way to separate from a spouse)<br />4. Sylvia Plath (Bell Jar...mhmm)<br />5. Lewis Carrol (tea time, anyone?)Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11989495806035739320noreply@blogger.com0