Writing

In order to accommodate the ideas that violate the House Rules, I've created a second blog for myself. This one is private (so don't bother looking for it) and contains random phrases and reminders to myself. I spend most of my time in front of a computer anyway, and unlike … [Read more...] about My blog, my brain

New story/novel ideas are no longer allowed to hit me between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Ideas will please wait patiently until I am at home in front of a computer or a spiral notebook. No jostling each other in line. Shoes and shirt required. Must be … [Read more...] about House Rules

I think I know what my protagonist does for a living. That's the second writing breakthrough in two days; yesterday I solved a slew of problems with my other novel-in-progress (the one I'm determined not to work on until this one is done) by reading the first few pages of … [Read more...] about Lunch writings & ramblings

Every time I watch season 2 of Buffy, I have this little tickle in the back of my mind. There's something in that story that I want to use, but I can't pick out just what it is. So I keep watching over and over, thinking that eventually I'll have The Answer. Eventually the … [Read more...] about Brain tickle

Caitln R. Kiernan has the best description of writing an outline I have ever seen, involving Daffy Duck, dynamite, and golems. No, really. … [Read more...] about Outlines kill.

On the way to work this morning I had an wonderful idea for my work in progress: go back a few years and tell the story of how everything fell apart between the characters instead of picking up just before it gets better. (Silly me, to think that was the beginning!) How can I … [Read more...] about Wah!

Last night as I was falling asleep I knew, absolutely and with great clarity, what my protagonist does for a living. Today she could be a schoolteacher or a tatoo artist for all I know. If you see a fictional profession wandering loose, corral it for me, would ya? … [Read more...] about Missing: one fictional profession

Found a new blog today called How to Write a Book in 10 Days. I think he's tripping over the blog format a little; the posts really ought to be read first to latest. Other than that and a couple of glaring typos, it's an interesting read. I haven't managed to get through it all … [Read more...] about NaNoWriMo is for sissies

I was dutifully writing at lunch today, a nicely cathartic little scene in which I get to take a few jabs at the people who annoyed me throughout high school. Just now, someone wandered out of the conference room across from my office and asked directions to the ladies' room … [Read more...] about High school, doppelgängers, and X-Wing pilots

I did great on my goal last week – I wrote four days at lunch instead of just three – so I'm going for it again this week. I went to lunch with Lisa yesterday (wave), so today I had to pick up from Friday. It felt like starting from scratch, but then I managed to tie … [Read more...] about More writing