What I learned from re-writing Raven’s Return . . .
Time: It doesn’t matter how long it takes because you just do it.
Rules: I have to have rules in my book, and the rules need to be followed to make sense. However, I can change the rules.
Control: I created the universe of Raven’s Return, and I can change it. I am not locked into the plot if it does not move me. I am not trapped.
Consequences: If I change the rules and the universe, then I must face consequences.
That’s what I’ve been doing with Raven’s Return. Consequences. I got bored, my readers got bored, and I no longer liked the book. It needed life. I changed the rules. I changed its universe. I made the good characters evil and flipped everyone upside down.
Now, I have to face the consequences, which means re-writing the book. As I always tell my students, “Reading about evil people is just a little bit more fun than reading about good people.”
March 25th, 2015
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I haven’t visited my blog for awhile. I was busy flipping Raven’s Return to 1st person, dealing with a health issue, and switching careers. In other words, I was going through a midlife crisis.
I survived the editing, health issue, and career change. It’s good sometimes to be thrown off balance and switch to another road.
So Raven’s Return . . . going back to basics again with the original manuscript with some changes. Either I find a publisher or go indie. I’m tired of stalling, tired of trying to make the damn thing perfect. It just needs to breath and be what it is . . . a coming to age fantasy. My other story is knocking around in my head, and I can’t shake it. I’m going to have to place it on paper soon before it gets the best of me. Raven’s Return needs to be set free.
Career change. Yep. You can read about it at http://badmotherrunner.com/ and my Facebook page is https://www.facebook.com/cardonabadmotherrunner?ref=hl
Switched from teaching to personal training. I’m still teaching, but my students are not falling asleep and turning their papers in late. My lesson plans are workout sessions, and I get to interact one on one with my clients. I love it. I can workout with them and teach them about Dante. Can’t beat it.
The health scare. Dodged a bullet. I still have to go get checked out again in February, but I know I’ll be all right.
Change is good. It keeps us going.
January 2nd, 2015
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What do you do while you wait for responses about your manuscript?
1. Check emails every three seconds?
2. Make brownies?
3. Go back to normal life?
4. Start on the next book?
Usually, my answer is #2 or #1 or both. Normal life? Um, no.
However, I’ve started another book. It’s not the second in my series, but it’s one of those non-fiction, self-deprecating books. It’s been real easy to write, and it’s taking up my time. That’s good. Perhaps, it’s even freed my mind.
The ironic part is that this little book will probably sell pretty fast, and my other books will still be waiting in line. In fact, I might add a little blog to go with the other book under my pen name. Hmm.
In the meantime, I have had some good responses on Raven’s Return, and I’m playing the waiting game right now. But who says I have to wait and not do anything?
May 2nd, 2014
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The last time I wrote on this blog was in October of last year. Wow. I cannot believe how consumed I’ve been with flipping this book to first person. It has taken forever or seems like forever. I finally finished it, and I have my readers in place.
Why in the word did I ever decide to flip my narrator from third person to first person? It’s because it sounds so much better now. I like this book. I really like it. Changing to first person was really the best thing I’ve done for this book, but it was tons of work. I really re-wrote the book.
If ever any writers want to flip their narrator, talk to me first. It’s a huge commitment.
I’m happy with it.
I’m glad I can start blogging again. I was just so consumed with this book that I placed any other writing on the back burning. Yes. I have another idea stirring about something completely different, but that is literally another story.
And I have the second book to write of Raven’s Return. Don’t worry. It will be in first person.
And . . . Happy St. Patrick’s Day.
March 17th, 2014
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Check out my interview and excerpt from Brownie Fix on Samantha March’s blog. Love this blog tour. Check it out:
http://www.samanthamarch.com/
July 24th, 2012
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Here’s another review of Brownie Fix. It’s a honest one, which I like. The only thing is that the reviewer mentions a mother-in-law, and I didn’t have one in my story. Hmmmm. Here’s the link:
http://amielouellen.com/blog/
Enjoy.
July 20th, 2012
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Kirby
I’ve been getting ready for my July blog tour and answering interview questions and writing blog posts.
One of the interviewers asked me to name my favorite writing tool. Well, that tool’s name is Kirby.
No, Kirby is not my computer but my dog, a not so small dog that sits in my lap in the morning and stares out the window and occasionally starts growling when he sees a dog outside.
When I’m writing my posts, he sits in my lap, and when I’m editing Raven’s Return, he sits in my lap.
He’s like my conscious that tells me to write. Of course, when he’s in my lap, I don’t want to get up because I’ll disturb him. I guess he makes me sit still at the computer.
Kirby is a rescue dog, and I thought he was going to be a little Shih Tzu, you know the kind you can carry around in a sling bag. After all, he was emaciated the day my family got him. My vet nursed him back to health from parvo, the killing disease for puppies.
He survived, and he kept growing and growing. In fact, I had to cut up, via Flashdance, the shirts I bought him because he was growing out of them.
The end result is a 19 pound Shih Tzu, a big Alpha dog.
So . . . my best writing tool is not a what but a who. It’s my not so little Kirby, and I’m lucky to have him.
June 9th, 2012
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I am going through Raven’s Return, my second book, and having fun with it.
I first started editing it and figuring out what I needed to change, and then I got very serious about it, and then I hated it.
What happened?
I forgot to have fun with the book. It’s not a serious topic, but a plot-driven, playful book. I forgot to have fun with the characters, and I’m sure at this point they are so happy that I’m playing with them now.
Whew.
What am I doing so different?
I’m adding more and more dialogue on each page. I learned from my first book, Brownie Fix, that the dialogue moves the story along, and readers want the dialogue. Once I started adding the dialogue, then I started having fun again.
I had forgotten that writing was supposed to be fun, but it’s the editing that’s a pain.
Right now, bring on the dialogue.
March 1st, 2012
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I hate it when I get to the point that I start pushing harder, and then I have to change direction because it’s not working. It’s life. When a brick wall is thrown up you can crash through it, which is extremely painful, or you can chip at it, which takes patience and time.
Common sense tell me to chip at it, but common sense involves patience, a trait I sometimes tend to lack.
At times like this, I have to step back and change direction and takes some chances.
It’s all a learning experience. It’s life.
February 29th, 2012
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