Paying it Forward

     In the course of paying it forward, author F.C. Etier, aka "Chip", tagged me, Cindy Amrhein and Jess Schira  to write a "Paying it Forward" post. Chip, a frequent contributor to the Venture Galleries Group, is a great writer and a good guy--a big supporter of fellow writers and authors.  Thank you, Chip, for the opportunity to link up and write about, well...writing.
In the post, I'm supposed to answer four questions: What am I working on? How does my work differ from others of its genre? Why do I write what I write? How does my writing process work. So, here goes.
     Writing. I live it, breathe it, love it. And although I love the job I do forty-plus hours a week outside the home, it can't hold a candle to writing. Currently, the biggest part of my writing focus is spent on my work in progress, working title "Tayden". Mostly at the editing stage, I share it weekly, 8 little old sentences at a time on Weekend Writing Warriors . That's where I ran into Chip.
     If you read Chip's post, you know how he feels about genre. And I completely agree. I suspect that although the number of books written in tightly defined genres might be static, it's more likely that it's falling while the number of books blurring the lines between genres, or creating sub-genres, is skyrocketing. Tayden fits into the latter description: a blurry-line book. It's scifi-ish, dystopian-ish, and fantasy-ish.
     I think that along with entertaining us, there's something to be learned from everything we read. Some scifi/fantasy writers create incredible alien creatures and cultures that don't resemble humans and their behaviors. Mine tend to have very human qualities in spite of the skin they're in. My stories all lean heavily on human elements, dynamics, human nature. And the reason is that although I'm capable of writing about life forms vastly different than humans, it's far easier to learn from a story if we can relate to the conflict, the trials, and the emotions that the fictional characters experience.
     I've infused the story of "Tayden" with the theme of intolerance. Setting it on another world with beings other than humans is my attempt to subtly draw a parallel between intolerance, bullying, and discrimination there in the fictional world, and here in the living, breathing, world. But, my main goal is to entertain, otherwise it might as well be a textbook, right?
     Pantser by nature when I write, I know how the story starts, and I know how it ends. I know the basic arc, but everything else is dictated by my characters when they begin to interact. I know it feels real to me when they start talking to each other, so I hope it feels real to the readers. This does create a lot  more work in the editing process. I wrote Tayden 3 years ago, and am still rewriting scenes in it. I work with a crit partner who edits each of his chapters before he moves on to write the next. I envy that. I try. It's difficult to fight my nature. :-)
     Maybe part of it just comes down to this: I'm on a journey to be published, learning as I go. I write. I edit. I'm fortunate to have met so many great writers along the way. The destination is there, and I'll make it. But I can't discount how much joy I'm getting from the journey.
     I think tht covers the questions, plus. Now I'm going to email the three writers I'm tagging for this post.

Weekend Writing Warriors: May 25, 2014

 

         Welcome Warriors, and Snipsuns, and anyone else who wanders in. I hope everyone is having a good weekend. If you're in the USA and traveling for the holiday, be safe on the highways. I'll be heading out later today with hubby and two dogs heading an hour and a half north to our daughter's house for a barbecue. Tomorrow, the local small town has a parade and a Memorial Day Ceremony at the gazebo in the park. It might take me a day or two to make my rounds to read all of the great snippets.  :-)

     Weekend Writing Warriors is a weekly bloghop. Each week, participants sign up HERE at wewriwa.com, then post 8 sentences of their work, published or unpublished, to go live between noon, Saturday and 9:00 AM Sunday EST. Then we visit each other and read, comment, critique, encourage--all those things that do a solitary writer's heart good.

     Snippet Sunday group from facebook--not us, but many of our participants do both, can be found HERE

      Set up. I've skipped ahead a few paras.  They've finished eating, and Fode (the Port Operator) is tired, and he's questioning the plan that Kad and company have decided.

     Fode glanced at all three of them, then propped his elbows on the table. Lifting his fingers to his temples, he began to rub in a circular motion, making his eyes open, then nearly close, open, then nearly close.  “Are you sure you wanna head upriver tonight?  Awfully dark by the time you get there—to be heading into the mountains. You know what I’m saying?” 

     Kad had a gut a feeling that the guy was okay, but still nodded at Drave, looking for his opinion. The big guy always seemed to have a crystal ball when it came to picking out sneaks and snitches.

     

Seems that they've worked through the worst of it without Drave drawing blood. ;-)

     That's it. What jumps out at you, good or bad? I'd love to hear it.  Thank you so much for reading this.

Weekend Writing Warriors: May 18, 2014

     

 

         Welcome Warriors, and Snipsuns, and anyone else who wanders in. May is past halfway through! Where does time go?

     Weekend Writing Warriors is a weekly bloghop. Each week, participants sign up HERE at wewriwa.com, then post 8 sentences of their work, published or unpublished, to go live between noon, Saturday and 9:00 AM Sunday EST. Then we visit each other and read, comment, critique, encourage--all those things that do a solitary writer's heart good.

     Snippet Sunday group from facebook--not us, but many of our participants do both, can be found HERE

      Set up. I've skipped ahead a few paras. Their food has arrived. There's been some back and forth between Fode, and Kad's group. Fode expressed distrust--not sure if these people are Dom-Cen plants (spies).   The dust is finally settling, though tension remains. Fode gives the introduction and handshake another try. Tweaked punctuation to fit into the 8 sentence limit.

     Kad reached out and shook the proffered  hand, then watched as Drave  accepted Fode’s hand when it came his way. It was only seconds before the discomfort of the crushing grasp showed on the Port man’s face. Before releasing the vise grip, Drave nodded his head, slow and measured, without losing sight of Fode’s eyes. If that wasn’t enough to let the local man know that he was no match for Drave should he choose to betray their whereabouts, then he deserved the merciless shellacking the giant of a man would unleash on him. 

      While they ate, the awkward silence grew thick as midwinter ice-fog, until Fode broke it. “I never look hard at a face and I never remember names,” Then he managed a pinched smile before adding, “At least when asked.”

     His voice was a mire of warning and sarcasm when Drave finally spoke. “A good policy to stay alive.”

     Hey...at least they're all talking now. ;-)

     That's it. What jumps out at you, good or bad? I'd love to hear it.  Thank you so much for reading this.

     One quick note. It was a good week. I had the pleasure of meeting one of wewriwa's participants, the very talented, fun, and interesting  Susan, aka Sue K aka Susan Koenig, author of The Bench . She was traveling through my neck of the woods and we were fortunate to be able to sync our schedules so we could meet for Dinner. Sue's been involved with other things that have kept her away from wewriwa, but told me she'll be getting back it to it soon.

 

     If you're traveling my way, I'd love to meet you. I'm in western Pennsylvania, USA. Closest city  to me is Pittsburgh, PA. Have a good week!

A Wedding Cake

The reason I didn't do a Weekend Writing Warriors post today :-)  This cake: it's baking and decorating sucked the time right out of my Friday and Saturday. But my friend liked it, and that made it all worthwhile. :-)  I'll be around to visit wewriwa Warriors.

Happy Mother's Day! Whether your children have two legs or four! :-)  Have a great day all.

Weekend Writing Warriors: May 4, 2014

 

Welcome Warriors, and Snipsuns, and anyone else who wanders in. Happy May!

Weekend Writing Warriors is a weekly bloghop. Each week, participants sign up HERE at wewriwa.com, then post 8 sentences of their work, published or unpublished, to go live between noon, Saturday and 9:00 AM Sunday EST. Then we visit each other and read, comment, critique, encourage--all those things that do a solitary writer's heart good.

Snippet Sunday group from facebook--not us, but many of our participants do both, can be found HERE

Set up. I've continued where I left off last week. Tayden told the Port operator (against Drave's will) that he can sit at their table. Drave either cautiously or rudely ignored the Port man's handshake gesture.   The Port operator ordered his dinner, and asked the server if it's the local river fish. Tweaked punctuation to fit into the 8 sentence limit.

     She smirked, and her voice was full of feigned indignity when she said, “You jestin’ fool. As if we’d be servin’ any of that Dom-Cen garbage.”

      The Port man winked at her, and then mumbling to no one in particular groused, “We don’t need it, none of it. They can keep their Dom-Cen noses out of our business. We’ve always taken care of ourselves, and you can bet all your tomorrows that their supplies and help come with strings attached.  It'd take a halfwit to be hornshwoggled by Central's handouts." As his eyes shifted from face to face to shadow, he seemed careful not to let them rest on Drave for too long--and that was good. Whether the motivation was respect or fear was of no consequence; either one would keep his bones intact.

If I was seated with them, I wouldn't be able to eat. Too much stress. I'd have heartburn. :-) That's it. What jumps out at you, good or bad? I'd love to hear it.

Thank you so much for reading this. Have a good week!