Honesty and Censorship

Okay, so here's my beef with blogging this week:  I really can't use a blog as a substitute for a journal or stream of consciousness thinking.  Why?

First of all, because if I talk about the idiot at work, or the tiff with my brother-in-law, or what I really want to do this weekend, with my luck the idot, my sister, and my husband will all read the blogpost and get ticked off at me.  It's one thing to be honest; it's entirely another thing to be uncensored.

Which brings me to my second beef:  although I don't believe in censorship, I have to do it all the time!  Cripes.

Guess this means I'll continue being nice on the blogs and scribbling like mad in my journal, thus ruining the lives of a very large number of trees.

What's YOUR take on honesty in writing...and censorship?

Spotlight on Talent: YOU!

After taking a hiatus from hosting my Author Exhange Blog, I've got it back up and running with a slightly different format.  In addition to interviewing published authors (any genre/format) and other publishing professionals, I'm now also publishing Guest Blog Posts and doing some book reviews.

In the year between February 2009 and Feburary 2010, I published nearly 100 interviews with a variety of published authors, editors, publishers and other industry professionals.  All genres were represented, as were a magazine and a couple of book publishers.  My aim is to help other writers spread the good word about their work and their passion.

We writers walk just a step out of time with the rest of the world...after all, how many people do you know who actually prefer sitting in room all by themselves, living with imaginary friends and lives?

Due to time constraints (I was actually spending between 15 and 20 hours a week with duties related to the Author Exchange Blog before going on hiatus), I've implemented strict submission guidelines and have extended the length of time I need before scheduling guest appearances on the blog.  I'm hoping the new guidelines will not only help me manage my time better, but will also streamline the process of getting more people up on the blog.

Feel free to spread the word to any writers, or other people in the industry, you may know.

Building Characters

I remember when my kids used to go trick or treating on Halloween.  They always had terrific ideas about "who" they wanted to be.  My son, who was an altar boy in the year I'm remembering, wanted to be The Pope.  Many people were horrified, including my in-laws.  But our parish priest thought my son's idea was terrific.  He believed that kids his age should know about religion, any religion, and wanted to help Michael "spread the light."  So he allowed Michael to wear one of his vestments and gave him advice about building the "hat."  (We never shared with Fr. Paul that Michael's goal was going for humor, not spreading the light of the Lord.)

Creating characters for a book or short story is not quite as easy as stepping into a character at Halloween.  Before the book is fully plotted, you have to come up with a backstory, motivation, quirks, likes, dislikes, habits, and the basis for some serious conflicts with one or more of the other characters.  Oh, and did I mention motivation?  Why is a very important question to ask your characters.  As in:  a) Why, Mr. Villain, do you want to chop up and kill women and then place their eyeballs in your freezer?  or b) Why, Mr. Larger-Than-Life-Hero, are you so damn scared of one tiny woman?  Sure, she's got a big mouth, but she can't hurt you, can she? or c) Why do you love small children and animals, Ms. Heroine?  Especially in light of the fact that your parents died when you were a kid and you spent your formulative years in a series of foster homes?

See what I mean?

When I first began writing novels and joined RWA and MWA, I soaked up other writers' advice like a sponge.  I copied every character chart I could, jotting down everyone's ideas about how to craft characters.  I thought I knew what the true steps to characterization greatness were.

Unfortunately, when you craft your characters with that much zealousness, with that much CONTROL, they tend to get boring.  Precise is nice when you're planning; it's dreadful to read.

I've since learned that if I pick 3-5 absolutes with respect to my characters (i.e. their goals, their raisons d'etre, and a little bit about their birth families/backgrounds), I allow them room to grow and develop as the plot and their own personalities require.

How do YOU build characters?

Emotion

I've found that some of my best writing is done when I'm in the midst of turbulent emotion.  Like my very first novel, which was completed within a few months not too long before I separated from my ex-husband.  Funny how getting up at 5:00am each day, and writing for two uninterrupted hours, was cathartic.  Not that I wrote about  my marital situation or personal feelings, but I was able to tap into some serious emotion when writing that first romantic suspense novel.

I've found myself in the same situation several times in the ensuing 20-odd years.  I'm in one of them right now, for a very sad reason.  The son of a friend passed away unexpectedly late last week, and my mind has been distracted with a variety of thoughts, remembrances, and odd insights.  All of which are proving to be fodder for the book I'm currently plotting--and emotion for the book I'm writing.

I used to feel goulish when sad, tragic events spurred me to write.  But I've come to understand that the human condition forms the underpinnings of my work.  Each experience, and each emotion, helps form the layers of my thought process and the actual writing.  I suspect that the writers who most inspire us and whose work most appeal to us are those who are the most accomplished at tapping into our emotions.

Some writers freeze in the face of strong, turbulent emotions.  And others, like me, seem to get diarrhea of the keyboard.  I guess it takes all kinds...

What kind are you?

(RIP, Justin)

Honest Scrap Award

My blogging buddy, Bill Kirton, a writer who lives in Scotland and who hosts the blog, Living, Writing, and Other Stuff, has honored me with the Honest Scrap Award.  I'm told the award is given to bloggers who share honest information with their readers.  Considering the fact that my "honest" blog doesn't have the largest readership in blogdom, I am pondering the pros and cons of lying and telling tall-tales on the blog to acquire readership.  If I did that, however, I'd have to surrender the award.  What's a girl to do?

According to the rules of the Honest Scrap, I must present the award to 7 other bloggers.  Then, I have to share 10 HONEST things about myself.  I'll start with the 7 bloggers--that's far less boring and lots easier!

1. 
   
   Pets and Their Authors, hosted by Amigo, the Golden Retriever (he owns author Mayra Calvani)
2. 
   
   Riding With the Top Down, hosted by a number of authors:  Kylie Brant, Helen Brenna, Debra Dixon, Kathleen Eagle, Michele Hauf, Cindy Gerard, Lois Greiman, Betina Krahn, Susan Kay Law, and Christie Ridgeway
3. 
   
   Fact & Fiction, a local bookstore that does a tremendous amount of marketing on behalf of a number of authors, especially local authors
4. 
   
   Dennis N. Griffin, hosted by--you guessed it--Denny Griffin!
5. 
   
   NorlightsPress blog
6. 
   
   SOAR's blog
7. 
   
   AniMeals' blog

How's that for a diverse group of blogs?  Well, I can honestly say I check them out on a regular basis.

Now, for the 10 honest things about myself.  It was tough coming up with 10 things that won't bore you to tears--and that's just MY opinion.  If I see my number of blog followers decrease, I guess I'll need to revisit the definition of boring, eh?

1. 
   
   I like spiders.  (What's not to like?  They eat mosquitos and flies.  Besides, remember how nice Charlotte was to Wilbur?)
2. 
   
   I don't have a favorite color, although most days I prefer either green or red.
3. 
   
   I don't have a favorite flower, either, although I love the fragrance of carnations and any flower with a daisy shape makes me smile.
4. 
   
   I have a wolf pack in my neighborhood.
5. 
   
   Once upon a time, I used to be young and cute.
6. 
   
   I'm very proud of my three children:  they're smart, and nice, and hard-workers.
7. 
   
   I'm a morning person.  Doesn't matter what time it is, if the sun's up, so am I.
8. 
   
   I'm a sucker for babies, dogs, and cats.
9. 
   
   It took me 30 years to appreciate, and like, my naturally curly hair.
10. 
    
    I fully intend to make the NYT bestseller list someday.

'Nuff said.