News on the Writing Front!

I’ve been MIA from the internet the last couple of months.

Long story short, I was busy with a task that was important enough to warrant my full attention. You may be wondering what sort of thing that would be.

Drumroll, please...

Writing, of course!

I FINALLY finished my NaNo novel. Well, the first draft, at least. Next item on the to-do list is to edit the beast. We’ll see how that goes. I’m notorious for crumpling under the shame of poorly written manuscripts. The good news is that I’ve learned a lot this past year about editing and I'm happy to say I don’t fear it like I used to. I have a whole pack of red pens in my desk drawer to prove it.

After the whole debacle where my laptop ate a good chunk of my very first manuscript, and the other where my plot (and motivation) melted into a pile of goo about 60,000 words into my second manuscript, it feels pretty good to be able to say I’ve finally got a finished draft. Third time’s a charm, right?

And yes, I backed up my file this time.

Image Source

A Month of Letters Challenge

I just signed up for Mary Robinette Kowal’s A Month Of Letters Challenge where participants write a letter each day except Sundays and President’s Day for the month of February. The letter can be a postcard, fabric swatch, newspaper clipping, or whatever you want. You can even write a letter to the main character in Mary’s novel SHADES OF MILK AND HONEY and she will write back as Jane using a real quill and writing slope.

Personally, I’ll be sending out lots of postcards since I have more than I can count on my entire extended family’s fingers and toes. I also plan to send recipes to my mom on index cards so she can pop them right into her recipe box. It’s not like there’s any room left for more, but it can never hurt to have too many recipes.

I highly recommend joining in. It’s going to be a great way to practice penmanship, writing, etc. and get fun things in the mail.

What I Learned About Editing

I don’t have much experience in the area of authoring, editing, and writing so I’m doing a post based on a bit of good advice I received once. (I’m probably the last person you’d want to pay attention to for advice on writing, but I’ve found this bit of info to be particularly useful.)

First, a fact about myself. I spend way too much time obsessing over details.

Who doesn’t, though? (If you don’t, put your hand down and play along.)

I’m not surprised I’ve had such a hard time breaking my habit of nitpicking through grammar and spelling issues. Extreme attention to detail is a huge aspect of graphic design so it makes sense that I’m naturally inclined to obsess.

At some point, somewhere between editing one draft and getting hung up on grammar errors halfway through another, and having a major case of stress-induced heart burn and gnashing of teeth, I realized my process wasn’t working. I pulled myself away from my work long enough to get some much-needed advice. After my graphic designer spent a few days having a small tantrum I came to terms with what needed to be done. It’s time to stop obsessing over details and MOVE on.

Write the book.

Then edit.

At least then I will have a finished manuscript.

Dad Wrote A Story

My dad wrote a flash fiction piece inspired by the second challenge at Rachel Harrie’s Writer’s Campaign. He doesn’t have a blog so I told him I would post his story on mine.

It's actually quite good.

“Imago? Not Tonight!”

“No, dear brother. Not tonight, not today, not ever,” she said in "the voice" reserved for such times.

His response was spontaneous and predictable. “Why not? It’s in the dictionary, isn’t it?”

“It’s not in my dictionary, nor any dictionary,” was the reply. She knew what was coming next.

“But it is in Papa’s dictionary, and it is a good word,” he pleaded.

She well remembered the dictionary Papa had frequently referenced. Words like lacuna, synchronicity, miasma, and other obscure creations of his imagination. The dictionary they never got to actually see themselves which was stored on the top shelf, just out of reach.

The fire in the stove had burned down somewhat, but the room was uncomfortably warm. The kettle, once full of water, was beginning to make a low noise, a sign it would need to be refilled soon. Outside, the storm dragged on, a harbinger of many more winter nights to come.

The pair sat across the board from one another. Suddenly she grew tired, but staring down at her pieces, she felt the excitement. Starting with the "o" she slowly arranged her pieces downward.

“Oscitate. Double letter, triple word, and out. Just like Papa!” she exclaimed.

NaNoWriMo, Saved By The Bell, and a Giant Cat

My days as an absentee blogger are officially over.

For now, anyway.

Here’s the latest from my neck of the woods:

1) I won a flash fiction contest over at Rachel Harrie’s Writer’s Campaign. I placed twelfth out of 192 entries, which is, apparently, high enough to win a prize. Thanks to everyone who voted for my entry, by the way. It’s an honor.

2) I’m doing my first NaNoWriMo this year. My cousin managed to talk me into it a couple of months ago. My word count isn’t quite where I want it to be, but I’ve got an awesome idea that I can’t stop thinking about (sound familiar?) and I’m good at pumping out words in short amounts of time. I can’t wait to see what I have at the end of November.

3) A good friend of mine stopped by and photographed some drawings for my portfolio. I’m hoping to get them up on the Internet soon and score some new clients.

3) I went to a crafting retreat a few weekends ago outside of the city. A friend of mine, who happens to be an avid scrapbooker/crafter/graphic designer organized the retreat and invited her friends to come out. I’m not a crafter or a scrapbooker, but I figured it would be fun and, as it turns out, I had a great time.

While I was there I had every intention of writing at least 6,000 words for NaNoWriMo, but ended up knitting half a mitten, drawing a still life, and eating more food than I have in the last six months and partaking in more girl talk than a group middle school girls at a slumber party in 1991 arguing Zack vs. Slater.

4) Oh, and I turned 30 yesterday so I’m celebrating by posting a picture of my giant cat.

2nd Campaign Challenge

It's time for the second campaign challenge over at Rachael Harrie's Writer's Platform-Building Campaign.

This one was a doozy, but I enjoyed the challenge.

Rules:

• 200 words exactly, excluding the title: Yes
• Flash fiction, non-fiction, humorous blog musings, or poem: Got it
• Include the word "imago" in the title: Uh huh
• Include miasma, lacuna, oscitate, and synchronicity: Check
• Make reference to a mirror in your post: Done!

                     

The Battle of Imago

His fist ricocheted off the Opponent’s red armor.

The ligaments in his blue arms extended and retracted at lightning speed through the small lacuna of safety between them that flickered with shards of moonlight.

Though they wore the same type of armor, he knew it wasn’t uncommon to be unfairly matched.

For a brief moment, their arms became entangled and their movements mirrored each other in a synchronicity that frightened him.

The Opponent slammed his fist into his face and a wave of pain darted through his neck and skull. He returned the favor with a swift uppercut. The Opponent’s armor rattled and a mechanism in his left arm snapped.

He smiled. The Opponent was weaker.

The Opponent struggled to maintain his stance and faltered. Through the miasma of aggression he saw an opportunity and drove his fist straight into the Opponent’s jaw, causing his head to oscitate from his shoulders and pop into the air.

Before he could celebrate his victory he felt his body rise into the air and float some distance before settling on a shelf.

“If you ever want to see your Rock’em Sock’em again, you boys better turn the lights out and go to bed!”

                       

If you liked my story take a moment to swing on over to the list of entries and vote for me (#53).

1st Campaign Challenge

The first challenge for Rachael Harrie’s Writers’ Platform-building Campaign has been posted! If you aren’t participating in the campaign (have no fear!) you can sign up for the next campaign at Rach Writes next February.

Here are the challenge rules:

"Write a short story/flash fiction story in 200 words or less, excluding the title. It can be in any format, including a poem. Begin the story with the words, “The door swung open” These four words will be included in the word count.

If you want to give yourself an added challenge (optional), use the same beginning words and end with the words: "the door swung shut." (also included in the word count)

For those who want an even greater challenge, make your story 200 words EXACTLY!"

And now for the good stuff:

Pappy’s Fiddle

The door swung open and a tall gray-bearded man stepped over the threshold.

“Pappy!” the children screamed. They leapt from the floor and gathered around him, hugging his legs, and smiling up at him.

“Well, I declare!”

Pappy shut the door and sat his case on the floor, then hugged them back.

A child, slightly older than the rest, stayed hidden in the shadows. He crossed his arms and watched the old man as he put the smaller children on his knees and bounced them and laughed as they pulled his beard and tugged his ears.

“Pappy, play us a tune!”

“Well, alright.” He sat the children down and pulled a fiddle out of his case.

The boy in the shadows frowned, then went to the door and pulled it open.

“Son, you’ll wanna stay for this,” Pappy said to him.

Pappy’s bow hit the strings and the boy froze. Notes leapt from the fiddle, filling the room with musical honey, and the children fell into silence and stared at Pappy’s fiddle in awe.

Goose bumps formed on the boy’s arms and, unable to control his reflexes, he smiled, then let go of the handle and the door swung shut.

If you like my short story swing on over the Rach’s blog where you can read tons of other stories like mine. (Tons of other stories may be an understatement.) I'm #292 by the way.

Character Development Through An Artist's Eyes

Being an artist, I tend to understand things better through visual representations. Because of this, I sometimes like to describe my character development through color.

Here’s how my main character in Brilliant Idea #2 develops throughout the plot. It only covers the beginning, middle, and end, because I don’t want to give away too much of the storyline just yet, but I think you can probably get a general idea of what’s going on.

1) Softer tones represent naivete and youth.

2) Bold dark tones represent chaos, discomfort, and discord.

3) Bright colors represent growth and new life.

Something about that last one reminds me of Cake Wrecks and really makes me want to eat a cupcake.

Why You Should Back Up Your Work

Around this time last year I was just about to finish up on the very first edit of my very first manuscript. (Yay!) I was only a few chapters from the end and (Ack!) the hard drive on my laptop died. I lost all of my edits and the last three chapters of the manuscript. (Boo!)

Lego Twitter Fail Whale by tveskov

By then, I was so over my manuscript that I didn’t care that it disappeared into hard drive heaven. I didn’t lose any sleep because I was in the loathing stage of our relationship and, as I’ve said before, that usually occurs about the time I really start digging into the editing process.

Honestly, I was happy to move on because Brilliant Idea #2 was pounding on the door and I was raring to get started on it. In the end, I’m glad I decided to forget about the lost manuscript. I was able to take a break from obsessing about it for a good long while and, because of that, I’m completely over the loathing stage and back to being infatuated. Right now, though, I’m forcing myself to finish editing Brilliant Idea #2 before I get side tracked again. It’s so easy to get sidetracked and I NEED a finished manuscript like a pirate needs orange juice.

So now that I’m back on board with my first manuscript, I’m having some serious regrets about losing all those hours that I spent slaving away on my manuscript. Can’t believe I let something that like that slip through my fingertips.

I think it goes without saying people, back your stuff up.

I Think I Have Editor's Block

The last couple of days have been like a giant traffic jam of workflow. I haven’t gotten nearly as much accomplished as I intended. I like to blame it on Netflix for adding four seasons of Mad Men to Watch Instantly, but I know it’s my fault for getting distracted so easily.

I think I’ve figured out my problem, though. I’m pretty sure I have editor’s block. I’ve never had a problem with writer’s block, but I’ve always had issues with editing. I would almost rather have the flu than edit my manuscripts. One of my biggest pitfalls is taking a look at the big picture and getting bogged down in the details. I tend to do that quite a bit and it's about then that I start despising my work and getting burnt out.

Also, I tend to get bored when I’m not constantly exploring my characters and their journeys. That’s my favorite part. Let’s face it though, I can’t do anything to change the writing process. Editing is a very necessary component.

Every once in a while, though, I come across something I wrote and I think, “Did I write that? Holy cow.” Those little moments inspire me to keep slogging through the mud, and give me hope that, in the end, I’ll have a sparkling manuscript that I can call my own and be extremely proud of.

Do You Love Zombies, too?

If I could be someone else I would be a superhero zombie warrior:

I would live in a post-apocalyptic world.

I would never be bitten.

Biohazard by Francisco Javier Argel

I would defend myself with ballpoint pens.

Pen Attack by illustir

I would live off of acorns, pecans, and blackberries.

Pecan Grove Field by Proleshi

I would carry a bow and a sword.

Link by Dunechaser

I would use hairspray and a lighter in a pinch.

I would live in a treehouse.

Wolkenkukucksheim by glasseyes view

I would ride an electric car because it’s so quiet.

Melex 212 by Karwik

I would ride a vintage enduro when the battery in my electric car died.

1972 Yamaha RT-2 360 Enduro by twm1340

I would ride my moped when the vintage enduro died.

I love zombies. Sometimes I imagine what I would do if a zombie outbreak happened in my town. I live near a nuclear plant so sometimes I think that’s not too far fetched an idea, but until the nuclear reactors go, I’ll settle for writing about them.

Fear of Writing

First, let me just say that I’m not an expert on the English language. And by not an expert, I mean I’m really bad at it.

Example: Friends from overseas constantly ask me what English words for such-and-such and so-and-so are, to which I constantly answer with blank stares and shrugs.

And in case you hadn’t noticed, the same goes for grammar.

There was a time when I let these little handicaps of mine get in the way of pursuing my life-long dream of being a writer, but now those days are over. I’ve decided to stop being ashamed of my weaknesses and start dealing with them.

Now, I’m not saying that I’ve cured my disease, but I’m working really hard and I get better every day.

Here are the top three things I do on a regular basis to help curb the symptoms:

1. Read; alternating classics with books from my genre
2. Study poetry and imagery
3. Regularly have amazing conversations with a good friend of mine who is an expert on literature

If you don’t think you have the skills to become a writer, let me encourage you to stop doubting yourself and start pursuing your dream.

Being Inspired

Some of you may be wondering about yesterday’s momentous occasion that went unexplained.

To make a long story short, I had a breakthrough in writing.

It’s the kind of breakthrough that brings epic relief and it’s the kind of relief that makes you feel like you can do anything. You might think I’m talking about my work in progress, but alas, I’m simply referring to my resume.

Two days ago, after an amazing conversation with a good friend of mine, I was inspired to sit down and rewrite my resume. You see, when I’m wearing my Graphic Design Hat, I’m really good at creating visual hierarchy, typesetting, sniffing out hard-to-find problems, and making sure the composition is perfectly balanced.

However, it’s usually when I’m wearing my Graphic Design Hat that I forget to put on my Writer’s Hat. So, yesterday I put on my Writer’s Hat while I redesigned my resume and the result was a fabulous story about a superhero designer that regularly saves clients in distress from super villains like Ugg Lee Desine and Un-Herdoff Khompany.

Anyway, it’s nice to feel that inspired every now and then, isn’t it?

The Writer Has Caved

Today, I’m celebrating a recent momentous occasion by posting my very first blog entry.

Allow me to introduce myself:

Name: F.E. Sewell

Occupation: young adult fiction fancy pants writer. Okay, this is more fantasy than reality, but one can dream, right?

Actual Occupation: Graphic Designer

First Story You Can Remember Writing: A short story about fairies and elves trapped in a forest dungeon. I was eight, I think.

Likes: mopeds, sailboats in the summer, zombies, reading, writing fiction, the South, strawberry cupcakes with pink sprinkles, science fiction, artsy things

Dislikes: moldy strawberries, swimming in seaweed, artificial sweeteners, airplanes, sleeping on my left side, books about two-stroke motorcycle engines

Inspired by: color theory, young adult fiction, J.K. Rowling’s ability to build a thoroughly entertaining and imaginative world that everyone is obsessed with

Thinking: Florence Welch sounds a lot like Neko Case

Reading: A POETRY HANDBOOK by Mary Oliver

So, there you have it. That’s me in a nutshell.

Welcome to my blog!