Mar 01 2012
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A little of this, a little of that…

Hello everyone! I’ve been really busy lately and haven’t had much time to blog.  My apologies:) I just celebrated my 33rd birthday. It was a good day. I spent the day shopping with my bf and then we tried our luck at Hard Rock casino. I was hoping I’d strike it rich and could then become a stay at home writer but all dreams don’t come true…at least not now. Patience is a virtue I suppose:) It was a happy day because it was my birthday but it was also a SHOCK to hear about Whitney Houston passing on that day. I grew up singing “I wanna dance with somebody, I wanna feel the heat with somebody.” I wanted to be as fabulous as she was. Oh my gosh and that video was so much fun. Luckily, I was too young to rock a blonde curly wig like hers. The 80′s/early 90′s was  my favorite time and her music shaped my life. The world will miss such a talented and beautiful individual!

I also managed to get some time off from work for a much needed vacation or shall I say “staycation”. I was a complete hermit that week. I stayed up late (after midnight) and slept in (9:30 ish am). It was heavenly and I was pretty bummed when it ended. I spent Valentine’s Day on South Beach. We dined on a Coconut Shrimp Roll at Doraku on Lincoln Road and enjoyed a Red Velvet sundae at Serendipity. It was heaven in my mouth! :)

As far as writing, I’ve been experiencing the following: frustrated/lazy/crazy/can’t find the words . I love to write but I get super lazy sometimes. I have also gotten frustrated with this latest writing project. The good news is that I know why I’ve been so frustrated. Oh yeah…problem solved!! I feel so much better about my writing when I’m organized. By organized I mean when I have an outline or when I have the characters set out. So right now, I’m taking some time to really develop my characters and I’m finding it to be really fun! I’m turning these one dimensional characters into real people with real problems, issues and inner demons.

Well, i hope you all are having a fantastic week! It’s crazy busy at my job and I can’t wait till Friday! I’m hoping that the sun will be out so that I can get lots of Vitamin D! Talk to you all soon:)

 

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Feb 14 2012
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I’ve been a naughty blogger!

 

I’ve been MIA lately! No I didn’t fall off the face of the earth nor was I abducted by aliens, I’ve just been busy with my head in the clouds. I’ve been writing a lot lately and I finally received Larry Brooks’ Story Engineering. This book has changed my life as far as writing goes. It’s given my story structure and organization. I feel so much better now. i stressed way too much before about where the plot was headed and how to keep the pace moving along. Story Engineering has changed all of that. It’s like the bible for writing.

I’m about 17,000 words into a new piece, which is a thriller. I’ve been so excited to take a stab at writing from my favorite genre. So far it’s been a blast, though it’s not as easy as I thought it would be. I guess I expected the story to unfold easily but that hasn’t been the case. I struggle with over thinking things. I’ll write a scene and then end up changing it when i need to just let it go and save re-writing for the second draft.

Well, I hope your new year is off to a great start:) Oh yeah and Happy Valentine’s Day!

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Jan 20 2012
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A Simple Plan.

I finished reading the book A Simple Plan by Scott Smith a few days ago and wow talk about needing a stiff drink after that one. The movie is about two brothers and a friend who find 4 million dollars in the cockpit of a downed plane. The pilot is dead and no one is searching for the money. They decide to wait to see if someone will claim it, hence “the simple plan”.

The story was actually adapted into a movie in 1999 starring Bill Paxton, Billy Bob Thornton and Bridget Fonda. It’s an old movie but a good one. I figured I’d read the book because 9 times out of 10 the book is usually much better than the movie. Though in this case, the book and movie are very similar. I actually liked the movie better because I found the main character Hank, played by Bill Paxton, more likable than the character in the book. The main character in the book version is dark. I didn’t feel his remorse for the things that happened and I certainly couldn’t relate to his actions.

The characters and the imagery were well crafted. The characters felt alive to me. I felt the cold and bitterness of the small snow covered town that they lived in. I enjoyed this book because its more of a subtle thriller. There is no crazy psychopath who the hero is up against. The characters’ inner demons add conflict to the story which unfolds like a train crashing into a subway station in front of your very eyes. You sense that the men’s discovery won’t end up on a good note but you aren’t prepared for the ways in which the tragic events happen. It’s simply great storytelling.

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Jan 11 2012
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Stuck in a Writing Rut….

Hey guys! It’s been a minute since I’ve blogged but I’ve been at a loss for words lately. I’m working on a new story, a thriller, and it’s making me crazy! I haven’t felt creative at all lately and it’s partly due to the fact that I’ve become obsessed with fashion blogs so instead of writing I’m drooling over cute skirts and sequined clutches. I’m also just stuck plot-wise with this new story. After a few days of staring off into the abyss of my computer screen I figured out why I can’t seem to find the words to complete a chapter. I’M NOT ORGANIZED! I have a loose outline for the story but I need something more concrete. I need a chapter-by-chapter breakdown of what’s going to happen so that when I sit down to write I know what I’m doing and not wasting precious time. Right now I don’t know what’s going to happen in the middle of my story and that’s a problem.

So this brings me to another point….I keep reading how super fantastic Story Engineering by Larry Brooks is so I’ve decided to purchase it and study it. It should arrive in 4-14 days according to Amazon. Geez, I hate waiting but in the mean time I will write whatever wonderful and crazy things pop into my head, finish reading A Simple Plan by Scott Smith and visit my favorite fashion blogs:)

What do you guys do to get or stay motivated with your writing?

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Jan 05 2012
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Book Reviews

Beautiful and tragic

I finished reading Sister by Rosamund Lupton today (at work…shhhh, our little secret) and I had to hold back the tears. I don’t have a sister but you don’t need one in order to relate to this story. The message is clear that sisterhood isn’t defined by DNA alone.

The story is about a woman named Beatrice who discovers that her sister Tess has died and is determined to figure out what happened to her. There were so many things that I loved about this story. For one, I loved that the book is written as a letter to Tess. It pulls you deeper into the story and you feel the emotion behind every word. The writing is intimate as if you’ve been granted special access into the deepest thoughts, feelings and memories between two sisters.

I also loved how clear you could see the characters develop. You see how they grow and how such a tragic event has changed them for the better. It’s beautiful and heartbreaking in the same breath. I found myself holding back tears as I read it because I felt the characters sorrow. I could relate to the grief that Beatrice felt losing someone so close to her. I think we all can relate to losing someone and the pain that comes along with it. Lupton makes sure that with every chapter you feel more and more grief stricken and as you get to the finale you are left speechless but relieved that Beatrice never gave up. The end felt like a bad break -up, where you feel as though your heart has been shattered but there’s also an ounce of liberation hiding in the deep corners of your soul.

There’s only one word that comes to mind when I think of Rosamund Lupton’s writing style : elegant. It’s 318 pages of pure poetry. If you haven’t read this book yet, I suggest that you stop what you’re doing and pick up a copy. You won’t be sorry!

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Dec 29 2011
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Misadventures

Case of the holidays!

I haven’t blogged in a while and that’s due to the holidays. I’ve had a real big case of it. I’ve had a lot on my mind lately as far as writing is concerned. For one, I find it hard to balance maintaining a blog, Facebook, Twitter and writing a new novel. It can be a bit overwhelming but I know that it’s necessary to network and connect with potential readers.

I’ve also hit a brick wall as far as writing. I haven’t written nearly as much as I had planned. Not sure if I’m burned out or just being lazy, either way I’ve got to pull myself together. I’ve missed my writing goal consistently for about two weeks. It’s not that I don’t want to write but I’ve been so distracted with family, buying gifts, and everything else that life throws your way. But this is all about to change because starting today I’m going to meet my writing goal of 1,000 words a day, which isn’t that hard to do when I really put my mind to it (and stay off of the Internet). The Internet, specifically Twitter, is the biggest challenge for me. I’m kind of addicted to social media.

I’m currently writing my very first thriller and so far it’s been both challenging and exciting. I love to read thrillers because I enjoy the fast paced, edge of your seat drama. I love being whisked away on a crazy, mind boggling adventure not knowing whether the characters will live or die. Since I’m a newbie to this genre it’s taking a little more research and time to write it. The biggest challenge has involved balancing the pace of the story. Thrillers should be fast paced, a thrill ride of sorts. I’m trying to keep this in mind when I write each chapter. I’ve had to re-write chapters already due to lack of action. The last thing I want is for a reader to fall asleep.

I’ve also been spending a lot of time developing characters. Honestly, I enjoy writing the adventure more than building the characters, but I know that characters are vital to the story. It’s also taking me quite a bit of time to come up with a good villain. I have to admit that I’m totally influenced by movies and television and am always thinking and drawing upon things that I’ve seen. However, I didn’t want my villain to be someone totally familiar.

If anyone has any good tips on writing thrillers/suspense novels, please feel free to leave a comment. The feedback is welcomed:) Happy New Year!

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Dec 15 2011
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On the 25th day of Xmas, my true love gave to thee….

Books! (hopefully)
So my Christmas list this year is comprised of lots of books…and yes, I still make Christmas lists even though I’m an adult…don’t judge:) I’ve been so tempted to buy them myself, but with Christmas a hop, skip and jump away I figured I’d add them to my list, after all they are affordable.

Here are the books on my Christmas list: (Note: many of these are from Novel Girl’s top book recommendations. You can check out her blog here: http://rebeccaberto.wordpress.com/)

Sister, Rosamund Upton

Afterwards, Rosamund Upton

Beautiful Malice, Rebecca James

A Simple Plan, Scott Smith

The Dark Side, Jane Mayer

A Thousand Splendid Suns, Khaled Hosseini

For Sale By Owner, Kelcey Parker

The Host, Stephanie Meyer

American Psycho, Bret Easton Ellis

Write Great Fiction: Creating Compelling Characters, Nancy Kress

Self Editing for Fiction Writers, Dave King

Writers Guide to Psychology, Carolyn Kaufman

Dec 11 2011
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I’d rather be lazy than write…

 

There are days when I don’t want to write, when the words just don’t flow and all I want to do is sit on the couch and watch crazy reality shows in my pj’s. Then there are days when I sit at the computer, staring into the white abyss of Microsoft Word, thinking that if I just concentrate hard and long enough I can will the words to appear on the page. Shockingly, that hasn’t happened yet.

I realize that in order to be successful (sell books, become a better writer, save the planet HA!) I have to write anyway. It’s hard and it sucks, but if I just keep writing, I’ll reach a point when the words fly off of the tips of my fingers and before I know it I’ve written 5000 words. What a feeling of accomplishment!

So, now that I’ve completed another blog post, it’s time to get back to the new story that I’m working on…I’ve got a word count to meet!

Dec 07 2011
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Misadventures

Sharing Isn’t Caring…

Have you ever gotten super excited about your writing and waited all day to share it with someone, only for them to look at you crazy because they didn’t understand it? Well, if not, consider yourself lucky.

Today I wrote an awesome, really rough draft, of a prologue to a new story that I’m working on. It was wordy and detailed, but as i said before it was a rough draft. My inner voice begged me not to share it, because I had previously read some tips on writing and the number 1 tip was to NEVER allow anyone to read your first draft. Against my better judgment, I didn’t listen and shazam, I was hit with the good ol’ phrase, “Uhh, I don’t get it.” A million not so friendly words flooded my mind. But it wasn’t my listener’s fault, it was mine.

Lesson for today folks: Don’t share your rough drafts with anyone unless you’re prepared for a blank stare or armed with a coat of confidence.

Dec 02 2011
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Book Reviews

Plot & Structure

I picked up a copy of James Scott Bell’s, Plot & Structure today. It’s an informative book that offers techniques for crafting awesome plots. I’m only on chapter two and yet I’ve picked up some really good tips. One of the best tips that I picked up so far was that every idea shouldn’t become a story. I won’t lie, in the past I’ve tried to write a story for every idea that I’ve had and it was a complete waste of my time. I guess I had a hard time letting go. I got stuck on characters, titles, situations, etc. not knowing that the best thing I could do for myself was to let it go. Oh well, I’ll crack it up to a valuable lesson learned.

Another reading highlight is this great quote by author Jean Hanff Korelitz regarding plot. This quote moved me and I plan to print it and post it some place where I can read it everyday.

“When you get right down to it, there’s something uniquely satisfying in being gripped by a great plot, in begrudging whatever real-world obligations might prevent you from finding out what happens next. And it is especially satisfying to surrender to an author who is utterly in command of a thrilling and original story, an author capable of playing us like fish, of letting us get worried, then riled up, then complacent and then finally blowing us away when the final shocks are delivered. “

I couldn’t agree more!

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