Help on Writing

In between school, chores, defending my homework from my cat, and other things, I have been immersing myself in this book and taking a sabbatical to try and better my writing technique. It is amazing, Story Engineering by Larry Brooks gives you way more info on structure, theme, and character than other writing blogs, books, and various other things that I have read.
He uses something called the Six Core Competencies. It's a list of things you combine to make good stories.
First is concept, then character, then theme, then structure, then scene execution, and finally writing voice.

He describes concept as a tool to help you involve that initial idea into a rough outline. He says to take your idea and morph it into a "What if?" question that could lead to more what ifs and eventually the beginnings of a fantastic story.

He also talks about the "three dimensions" of a character. The first layer is what we see on the outside: habits, appearance, quirks, and attitudes. The second layer explains why that character does what it does - in other words backstory, which is also connected to the third layer. The third layer is the true essence of a character. For instance, you have a person who is a bit messed up. Made a lot of bad decisions in life (I E drugs, alcohol, etc...) and that character is faced with two choices, one of which is the better choice and the other a very bad choice. Now, despite all of the things this character has done, he or she could take the better choice showing his or her true character.

This is a wonderful book that covers practically everything you need to know about how to write a piece of fiction. ^_^

Until next time~

Wednesday Mysteries....Computer Malfunction

This one is not exactly a mystery... Mostly because it was my fault to begin with.

See, last night, after dinner and homework, I sat in front of my computer writing. I'd written the first chapter in first person and was painstakingly trying to change to third while adding bits and pieces here and there. Well, after a while, I heard a loud crash behind me. I got up, thinking the cat did something, and hurried to toward the site of destruction. Apparently, she'd managed to cram her fat fuzzy body into a space that was much smaller than her. It was a shelf that had a few CDs on it, and in the process of climbing up there, she'd pushed all of them out creating the crash I'd heard.

She was stuck. I could tell because of the loud growls and meows echoing out of the shelf when I'd tried to pull her out. I went an got the parental kitty un-sticker and while pulling her out, a few more CDs fell and knocked out the power cord for my computer.

After I'd painstakingly cleaned up her mess, I flicked my puter back on. Guess what happened. (nods solemnly with tears prickling in eyes) I hadn't had time to save part of my progress and Auto Save chose that exact moment to stop working. I lost ALL my fixed and added data.

Me agonizing over my computer. 

 Now, the funny thing is, I thought I'd saved it before running in like a knight in shining armor to save Princess Puss stuck in Too Small Tower. I also don't understand why Auto Save didn't kick in. I guess that thing they say about breaking mirrors is true...

 T_T Oh why, dear mirror, did you have to break?! Why couldn't you pick something else besides my story to pick on?

Until next time~ ^_^

(I do not own the picture by the way.)  

Wednesday Mysteries... Kidnapped Homework

Welcome to another installment of Wednesday Mysteries where I tell my creepy middle-of-the-week experiences around a digital campfire!

As you know, to escape the jelly-afying effects school (I blame math) has on my brain I like to let my imagination run wild. 

Today, I came home and, as usual, went straight into the dining room to start on my homework. Quickly unzipping my backpack, I flipped it upside down and let its contents thrown up in a messy pile all over the surface. Organizing them into piles (i.e. hardest to easiest) I went in hard on the my most illusive subject - duh, duh, duuuuuuuh.... (drum roll please?) math. After tackling it and coming out of the fight beaten, bruised, and lightheaded I stood up to take a break.  I went into the kitchen for a Gatorade. 

Pookah

Pookah, my fat and fluffy dinosaur of a cat, sauntered in and promptly sat on my left foot and began licking my right. This stalled me for about a five minutes, because every step I took I was assaulted by a pink tongue. 

When I'd gone back into the dining room, my organized stacks were tossed and dumped all over the floor. Grumbling, I then sat my glass of Gatorade on the table and bent to pick my papers up. Upon closer inspection, I noticed my math homework was missing. Going through each pile several times, a rising panic began doing a jig in my stomach. 

"Oh no...no, no, no...." I whispered  desperately. 

I looked under the table, in the kitchen (thinking maybe I'd brought it with me when I'd taken a break), and re-checked my backpack. Slumping in the dining room table's chair, my was face ashen and sickly. Sucking it up, I worked on my other pieces. My only thought the rest of the evening was, "What am I going to tell the teacher? My cat ate my homework?" 

Jujubi The Culprit

This mysterious unexplained phenomena went unexplained until next Wednesday when it turned up in the bathroom behind the door in the corner all crinkled with little holes all over the sides. It was if someone had sat there with a pencil and stabbed the sheets repeatedly. I noticed one sheet was missing. Looking around the bathroom and the hall, I heard the unmistakable sounds of paper crunching. Following the sound, I came upon my other cat Jujubi with a piece of paper in her mouth. Yes, you guessed it, my other sheet of homework. 

Do you have animals that steal your stuff to? Have you had something go missing one day then reappear the next day - or even a week later? Tell me! I'd love to hear from you!

(I do not own the campfire picture by the way. But, the cat pictures are entirely my own ^_^)

Spot Light! TV Shows For Writers?

Hello! Here's yet another installment of Spot Light!

Today, I'd like to draw your attention to a post that I thought was both funny and had a point to it. This person brings to mind reality TV shows for writers: Here's what they have to say

They made a very valid point that there are no TV shows out there for writers. Why I wonder? They have TV shows for just about everything else, why not writing? It would be cool if they'd come out with something that  instead of following celebrities but followed the big names in the author world - like, Jim Butcher or J. K. Rowling. It almost seems a little unfair that we don't have a say in reality TV or any type of TV show for that matter.

What do you, the writer, think? Also, what are your suggestions as to what TV shows you'd like to see about the writing community? I'd love to hear your opinions!

Wednesday, School, and...Ghosts?

Ah yes, Wednesday. How are you my dear? (No, I'm not talking about Wednesday Adams) That time of the week that marks the middle mile stone you have to get past before.... THE WEEEEKEEEND(echoes in a mysterious voice). For me, who is a student that grinds her forehead against a cheese grater at the mention of MATH, Wednesday was always hard to get through because Friday was just looming on the horizon, its hand beckoning toward me making kissy noises. So I've learned to try and trudge through with my head down and my arms pulled in to protect my vitals from the bombarding equations and scientific garble. Not that I don't like scientific garble, but after a while, it begins to sound like, "Blah, blah, blah, blah - test next week - blah blah."

But, another way I've learned to deal with this torture was to let my imagination run wild: Shadows in the corridor - could it be a ghost? Unexplained laughter - could it be a fairy? You get the idea.

So, this Wednesday, I was taking my lunch break and as I was walking down the hall to the cafeteria, I heard what sounded like crying. Stopping, I looked around. The bathroom was right there so, curious, I went in to see what poor soul was crying a river. It was louder in here and the unmistakable stench of dirty water burned my nose and made my throat close up.
"The janitor needs to get in here and figure out why it smells so bad..." I mumbled to myself.
I set my bookbag down on the sink and approached the stall that seemed to have the tearful occupant.
"Hey, are you okay?" I asked softly.
The sobbing just got louder and more intense, like the girl was gonna have a nose bleed if she didn't stop soon.
So I said, "Um, I know this may seem strange to hear from somebody you probably don't know but, whatever your sad about will get better. I promise. I'm Belle Knight.What's your name?"
She paused in her river-making and hiccuped, "Stephanie McComber..."
"Hi Stephanie, what's got you so sad?"
She hesitated but responded, "My boyfriend."

Ah, yes. The source of all teenage girls' troubles.

I nodded and stood there a few minutes talking with her and giving some friendly advice. Not once did the stall door open.
When I asked her if she'd like to come to the cafeteria with me she refused and said she'd like to stay behind and fix her makeup. Shrugging, thinking that nothing was not out of the ordinary, I left to join my friends at our usual table. Well, I'd kept them waiting a while and my lunch hour had been reduced to fifteen minutes. Scarfing down what little food I'd chosen from the lovely (note the sarcasm) choices the lunch lady had provided, my friend asked me why the heck I took so long. In between bites I told her about Stephanie. When I looked up to take a sip of my lemonade, my friend had blanched. She told me that a Stephanie McComber had killed herself in that restroom two years ago.

Okay, so I'm a little freaked out. I just had a conversation with a ghost. Wouldn't you be a little shaky? So I asked one of my teachers if they knew this Stephanie and they said the same thing and that, to their knowledge, no Stephanie McComber was enrolled at this school currently.

Yup. That was my Wednesday. So, tell me, how was yours? Any creepy ghost stories to share? Heck, it doesn't have to be a Wednesday ghost story, it could be a Monday ghost story! I'd love to hear from you~

I bid you Adieu ^_~