How I Write–My Favourite Resource/Research Sites

For those new to coming to my site, every week, my accountability group poses a question to each other about writing. This week, we’re shouting out to those who have great resource/research sites.

I chose this topic because there are tons of great sites out there for authors and aside from the usual craft kind, there are some that I keep on my iGoogle homepage.

Writing craft wise, there’s one I constantly visit because of the depth of her articles. This would be Roni Loren. I especially like her friday round up of what’s been going on around the internet. This is a must visit for me every friday.

I’m sure everyone knows the Bookshelf Muse but if you don’t, they feature an emotion or event or whatever and offer a variety of descriptive words you can use instead. They’re similar to the Flip Dictionary, but a bit more specific.

Jody Hedlund’s blog is another awesome resource for authors. I find something to relate with most if not all of her posts. They are insightful for aspiring writers and pubbed authors.

Now, research wise, I found these sites by accident but I must say that I love them. For instance, if you’re looking for medical research, Jordyn Redwood has a great site. She offers great posts to help fiction writers write plausible medical scenarios. If you write forensics, then you should check out the Writer’s Forensic Blog where they answer questions and discuss certain topics like “How Could My Time-traveling Physician Save the Life of My 15th Century Heroine With a Blood Transfusion?”. The last one is Arma Virumque Cano, a blog I was turned on to by a post based on this question, “What kind of handgun would you use to slay a dragon?“.

Don’t forget to check out my accountability partners in crime: Danie Ford, Emma G. Delaney, Kimberly Farris, Kristen Koster

How I Write– Are You Locked in a Comfort Zone?

For those new to coming to my site, every week, my accountability group poses a question to each other about writing. This week, the topic was about comfort zones and whether we’ve stepped out of our zones or are stuck there? And if we’re stuck, how do we plan to get out of it?

I think comfort zones are easy to fall into. They are those areas that you know you do well in. It may be writing your characters a certain way (i.e. mine: alphas) or sticking to certain themes. The thing about comfort zones is that once you’re in it, it can be hard to get out of. Trying something new and unusual can seem difficult and even turn a perfectly good idea into a brain block.

I’ve been facing this with my new wip, Not Quite Dead. In this manuscript, I’m not only dealing with having to do a whole new world (post apocalyptic), but I also am writing ordinary heroes and heroines. I’ve written characters with abilities all my life. So writing one who isn’t enhanced is interesting because there are circumstances they have to hide or can’t fight back because they are outnumbered and don’t have abilities to draw upon. Also, in this wip, there are no modern conveniences. No phones. No computers or internet. No electricity. Nothing. The world is extinct and the humans who’ve survived have to go on with life with what they have. They have to go back to a life that includes farming for their own food and doing everything themselves.

But it’s not just the plot that I’m pushing with this story. It’s the characters. Instead of dark heroes, my hero in this book, Jason, is very light and chatty. The heroine, is antisocial. I also have a character, Trip, who is just a little bit crazy. He does things…says things that sometimes, I don’t know how to write. I wish I knew. lol. It’d be easier to make him into someone I’m comfortable writing, but I’m not.

The thing with comfort zones is that your writing will never grow if you don’t step out of that circle you’ve drawn around what you know. Not only that, but if your writing is always the same, readers will get bored.

What I’ve learned is that when you step out of that perfectly warm, comfortable zone, doubts are in full force. I faced the last few weeks. Why? It’s something new. What if I’m not doing it right? What if I’m not writing it the way it should? Or the biggest: What if it’s boring?

I was so blocked I asked someone to read what I had. I was at the point where it was either going to be drop the story altogether or push through. It can be a bit trying when you’re writing something new. At times, the writing just doesn’t come. It’s slow and it takes a lot to drag the words out. Other times, it speeds along. It’s a roller coaster that can quickly get out of control. However, all that negative stuff aside, I think it’ll be worth it when I finally write THE END.

What about you? Do you have a comfort zone? Are you stuck there? If you haven’t stepped out, why haven’t you?

Take a chance!

Don’t forget to check out my accountability partners in crime: Danie Ford, Emma G. Delaney, Kimberly Farris, Kristen Koster

How I Write– Reader Pet Peeves

Book pet peeves…everyone has them. Whether you’re reading a book or it’s happening in your own manuscript, they’re there. They’re those little nails that scratch on the blackboard of your brain. Little things that just make you roll your eyes even as you keep reading. Or, maybe it’s enough for you to call it quits and put that book back on the shelf.

It’s always difficult, especially from a writer’s point of view, to know what may turn off a reader. Every reader out there has a different opinion about something. But I know for myself, there are some thing I pick up on in my own writing. Things that when writing I may not notice but in editing, jumps out in huge glaring letters.

1. Wandering body parts- I don’t know why, but this can be a big one for me. The eyes of the heroine did not collide with the hero’s. Her GAZE did. Would be painful if it was her eyes. Things like this can drive me batty. I know my critique partners probably think I’m a bit crazy on this one. Sometimes, wandering body parts aren’t quite so noticeable, but other times, yeah…it just makes me smack my forehead.

2. I don’t think I do this a lot…but cutesy phrasing. Nothing makes me roll my eyes at writing quite like this. It just bugs me. I’ve written a few things in the past, however, that is so cutesy that I want to erase. There’s a part in Hunting the Shadows that every time I see it, I narrow my eyes and grit my teeth.

3. Inaccuracies. Ok this, I’m walking the edge on. I make up science all the time in my books, so I’m SURE there are readers out there who are screaming at me that it isn’t how it works. However, what gets me is bad archaeology/anthropology. In the past, I’ve stopped reading books from an author who did this. Of course I was in highschool when I read the book (I don’t remember what the issue was) but still, I don’t read books by said author.

4. Jarring. Sentences. That. Pull. Me. Out. I’ve done this a time or two. It may not even be as dramatic of my example, but sometimes, when sentences are split in some way to add emphasis, it makes it harder for me to get back into the writing. Once or twice or so in a book isn’t bad. It’s when it’s on every page that I want to curl up and hide under my King Tut comforter.

These are some of the technical peeves. I would also probably list love at first sight and the big miscommunication problem also, but these are lesser peeves because it all depends on the author. Some can pull this off. Others can’t. It all depends on the writing style.

What are your reader pet peeves?

Don’t forget to check out my accountability partners in crime: Danie Ford, Emma G. Delaney, Kimberly Farris, Kristen Koster

How I Write–Creating Characters

Now that I’ve submitted Book 2 to my editor, I’m left with two new projects. I don’t know about you, but I’m finding them incredibly daunting. Like…how will I ever write another 80k? One thing that a very wise friend said, was maybe I didn’t know my characters enough yet. Which, at first I thought I did know them, but now, I’m not so sure. Just because I’ve written them before, does NOT mean I know what makes them tick. Not completely at least.

Now, I’ve made no secret that Book 3 is planned to be Davan’s book. I know little facts about him.  For instance:

-he’s not Caucasian
-he loves to cook
-he manipulates the shadows
-he’s an assassin

But this doesn’t define him. Who is he? What are his likes and dislikes? What are his fears? Well, a fear could be that he could get stuck in shadow form forever and that’s definitely I plan to play around with a bit. Why does he like cooking? Is it just his way of escaping the ugliness of the world he lives in? Does it make him feel more like a family with the other members of his squad if he cooks? What else?

Now, at the Centre, my characters aren’t dictated by the customs or beliefs of other cultures. I don’t mix that in because they’ve been raised in isolation. They may have learned about it, but it doesn’t affect them. They are their own culture in their own right. A small fact, at the Centre, they don’t celebrate many of the holidays we do. They don’t have Thanksgiving or Christmas or Valentine’s Day…or even birthdays. It’s not their way of life. That doesn’t mean the characters don’t sneak each other presents, however.

Every character has a coping method, something they do to survive just one more day. It may be their ‘secret’ or their secret may be something else altogether that has helped shaped who they are. And there lies the difficulty of truly knowing what makes a character tick.

So what makes Davan tick?

He was trained to be an assassin. The man who does the dirty work for the Council. How does he feel about this? Is it just another part of his life that he barely thinks about it anymore or does he wonder about each target, who they are and what they may have done? Does he question the Council as much as J.C.?

When creating characters, I go through a lot of what ifs and Q&As. I know some people swear by character interviews but I can’t. How can I write Davan’s answers if I don’t even know them?! It doesn’t just jump out at me like this. Neither do I look at archetypes. Heck, I don’t even know an archetype. I’d rather not box my character into that kind of description.

How do you create your characters? Or…readers, what do you wish you knew more in regards to characters?

Want to see how other writers respond to these questions? Check out these sites: Danie Ford, Emma G. Delaney, Kimberly Farris, Kristen Koster