Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween!

Sunday Salon: October Wrap Up

Doorway to the stars by Josephine Wall

October has been an interesting reading month.   I discovered Nalini Singh Guild Hunter series and explored 17th century England in Iain Pears An Instance of the Fingerpost.  Dipped my toes into Christine Feehan's Dark Series and the world of the Carpathians and thought the characters were way over the top emotional until I read Bram Stoker's Dracula and saw the connection between the two.   I hung out with Eleanor Brown's The Weird Sisters in the town of Barnwell and visited again with Eve Dallas in J.D. Robb's 33rd book in the In Death Series New York to Dallas.   And I chewed my fingernails to the quick as angel Jim in J.R. Ward's Fallen Angel series 3rd book Envy battled evil Devina for yet another soul.    I seem to be on an angel versus demons kick lately.

Plus I finally learned how to properly outline with K.M. Weiland's Outlining Your Novel: Map Your Way to Success.Wonderful, wonderful, book with great advice that really hit home and made so much sense and really gave me a kick in the right direction.  Has been really helpful in preparing the story will be writing for Nanowrimo.  It was released at just the perfect time.

As I been working on my characters back stories, I'm getting to know them better and coming up with more ideas for the story.  Still need to get a handle on my Villain and will be working on he and his henchmen for the next couple days. I revised my synopsis and it seems to make more sense now and be a bit intriguing at the same time. 

"Three German shop owners who specialize in repairing antique grandfather clocks have died within 3 months of each other. Homicide Detective Quinton Donovan is positive their deaths are connected. Then he receives reports some of their customer's homes being broken into and clocks stolen or damaged. His investigation leads him to Elizabeth 'Jersey' Lee, an assistant district attorney who is investigating Brian Finnegan, owner of a large microchip design firm and son of one of Boston's prominent rich families for fraud. Jersey and Brian once had a tumultuous relationship which ended badly and now they hate each other. So why were both their  fingerprints found in the clock maker's shop?"

So while I'm partaking in NaNoWriMo, decided that when it comes to reading, I need to find some books that are not unputdownable. I read during breakfast and if the book is too good, then want to continue reading instead of writing. Books are so distracting. *grin*  My Row80 goals will be quite simple for the next month:  1667 words a day.  Anything else will be icing on the cake. 

I have a few scheduled posts (thinking ahead for once) that will be coming up so you won't be bored while I'm writing my little fingers to the bone. (key violin music) Hee Hee! 

Off to carve pumpkins. 

Monarch by Michelle Davidson Argyle Giveaway Winner

Have you been waiting with bated breath for the winner of Michelle Davidson Argyle's book Monarch.  Sorry it took me so long.  Distractions don't you know.   Without further ado - Drumroll please! 

The winner is: 

Melanie Leeson of Beauty and the Armegeddon

Congratulations! 

Row80 Mid Week Check in - A bouquet of sharpened pencils!

Courtesy of Melissa Doroquez

Shiny Pencils: In the midst of prepping for Nanowrimo 2011 and getting all my duck in a row which includes a nice new shiny notebook and sharpened pencils. I discovered my creativity flows best writing it all out rather than staring at a computer screen. Just have to make sure not to write too fast and my writing's legible so when I go back can actually read what I wrote. Have had a few head scratching moments in the past trying to decipher cryptic sentences. *grin*

30 days - 30 scenes: Have a simple outline of 30 scenes and then got to a point where wasn't sure which direction I was going to go in, so stopped and turned to researching characters. It'll either become clear as I think about it or will come to me by the time I get there.

Nesting:  Between researching and planning, have been cleaning and decluttering. Feel like I'm nesting.   Blogging will probably sporadic during November so may be doing quickie row80 check-in's on group facebook page.

Check in with other ROWers and see what they are doing.

My gift to everyone participating in Nanowrimo - A bouquet of shiny, sharpened pencils. Have fun!

Sunday Salon: Reading and Planning

"I'm thinking of" courtesy of Davide Restivo

I finished reading Dracula by Bram Stoker today. I think I know why it took me so long to get around to reading the story.  Age.  As I get older and learn more about writing, the more I appreciate the classics.  It was interesting finally getting to know Jonathan Harker, Van Helsing, Lucy, Mina, and Dr. Seward. It was written back in 1887 and in a unique format - in a series of letters, diary entries and telegrams. Makes for an interesting read. Since it is the Victorian age, the dialogue is long, flowing, pretty at times just to say the simplest thing. I enjoyed it.

I'm still working my way through K.M. Weiland's Outlining Your Novel.  I now have pages and pages of notes and now need to organize a bit.  I came up with my premise sentence or in other words - elevator pitch.  I read it to Father and he started talking about run on sentences and grammar, etc.   Not the point, dear.  He's a stickler for that stuff.  After he got past it, he said he liked it.  He's been enjoying helping me brainstorm. Every time I come up with an idea, he has much to contribute.  He's great for the technical and spy stuff.

I'm working on scenes, setting, and character background and backstory.  I always considered myself sort of a pantster with a little bit of plotting thrown in.  This time I'm plotting with a bit of pantster thrown in. We'll see how it goes.    A lot to do with only 8 days left to November, however....   My timing is perfect.  We just completed 7 weeks of lessons and are taking a week off.  We usually home school year round with 3 to 4 weeks on and one week off so we all are quite ready for a break.  Will have plenty of time amidst making James Sonic the hedgehog costume for Halloween.   I also printed off Randy Ingermanson's Snowflake Method which I finally get it and will be incorporating it because he has some really great suggestions. 

Speaking of suggestions, be sure to check out Em and Lena's weekly mashup of writing links on the Fun Not Fear! Nano support group blog.  

Plus I've been checking out Literature and Latte's Scrivener and after having completed the tutorial, am in love.  Going to give the window's beta version a try for Nano.  I'll be spending the week typing in my notes and exploring it a bit more. Should know by the end of the week if it's doable for me. 

You know how I asked this question in last sunday's post:   "At what point does your mind blow up from too many characters and different story lines?   Is it possible to channel them all and keep the stories straight?"   The earth is in alignment and there once again is synchronicity.   I received Holly Lisle's weekly tip email and the question was exactly that.  Her answer: 

I strongly recommend working on one project at a time.

If you work on multiples, then I recommend having one in planning,
one in first draft, and one in revision AT MOST.

I do not EVER recommend working on two first drafts, two revisions,
or two planning stages simultaneously.

The reason is:

1) With one project at a time, you stay focused and get it done.

2) With three projects, but each in a different stage of production, you can still maintain your focus because each sort of work is different enough to require different parts of your brain, different actions, different ways of thinking.  You can maintain a clear separation between each project and what you're doing on it (though it's hard).

3) With two or more projects at the same stage of development, you   end up wasting time going between notes on your different characters and worlds, trying to keep your stories straight.

Thank you Universe!  Check out how how ROWers are  doing and be sure to leave them a note of encouragement.

An Instance of the Fingerpost by Iain Pears

An Instance of the Fingerpost

By

Iain Pears

Back Cover: "It is 1663 and England is wracked with intrigue and civil strife.  When an Oxford don is murdered, it seems at first that the incident can have nothing to do with great matters of church and state.  Who poured the arsenic into the victim's brandy?  The evidence points to Sarah Blundy, a servant girl...She confesses to the crime and is sentenced to be hanged."

An Instance of the Fingerpost is a standalone novel by Iain Pears, author of the Flavia di Stefano Mystery Series.  I was introduced to Pears books a couple years back when was asked to review Stone's Fall.  I enjoyed it and have since acquired several of his Stefano mysteries, plus this book.  I finally decided to dive in and read it for Fall Reading Challenge.

It is an intriguing historical fiction novel,  a bit long winded at 752 pages, but it's that long for a reason. The story takes place in 1663 in Oxford, England and is told in 4 different stages, each stage narrated by a different man in first person point of view.  Each man different as well as arrogant and attempting to tell the story their way.  You are never quite sure whose telling the truth. First there is Marco da Cola, a young Italian doctor, then Jack Prestcott, who doesn't believe his father is a traitor and is trying to clear his name, mathematician Dr. John Wallis. Lastly Anthony Wood, an antiquarian - student of history. The story is full of history, archaic medical theories, religious persecution, political intrigue and deceit.  It's quite convoluted and complex and not an easy read, but it will capture your interest detailing 1600's science and medical practices and the politics of the age.  

Pages:  752

Publisher:  Berkley Books

Released:  March 1, 1999

Source: Personal Copy

"When in a search of any nature the understand stands suspended, then instances of the fingerpost shew the true and inviolable way in which the question is to be decided.  These instances afford great light, so that the course of the investigation will sometimes be terminated by them.  Sometimes, indeed, these instances are found amongst that evidence already set down."

--- Francis Bacon, Novum Organum Scientarum

ROW80 Mid Week Check in

Thanks to K.M. Weiland's Outlining Your Novel, I've spent the past few days 'what iffing' ideas about my upcoming Nano story, Blue Steel. I'm currently on Chapter 5 and taking scads of notes.  Much seems like common sense, but I'd never thought about doing the 'what if's' before.  It has lead to some interesting scenarios and a plausible sub plot.  Last night I sprang it on Father and he liked my ideas which made me feel good.  He also came up with some interesting input which may make it into the story.  We'll see - sometimes he goes over my head with electronic jargon and leaves me with my brain about to explode from trying to absorb it all.

I know there are only a couple weeks left before Nano but I'm going to try and plot as much as I can this time.  Something I've discovered about myself is I can't read craft books while in the midst of writing a first draft.  I start thinking more about the mechanics then the story and there goes all my creativity.   I'm getting in the Nano mode so modifying my goals to concentrate totally on story planning.  Less is more at this point, so everything else is sort of going out the window.

Wonderful Michelle set up a Row80 group over on the Nanowrimo forums in the writing groups:  link

and I just discovered you can subscribe to threads now through rss.  *grin*  So cool!  

Check in and see how everybody else is doing.