Day - 27

My last post talked about Snapped and I've mentioned it before in previous posts. I am very intrigued by this show, even though it isn't exactly a cheerful, happy, show. The show Snapped is about women who all of a sudden snap (ironically enough) and perform some heinous murder. One of the most disturbing episodes I saw was of a sixteen year old girl who stabbed her mother thirteen times because she wanted to kill her boyfriend at school the next day. She was also plotting on killing her father. This is after she tried to OD on aspirin and after she went to her local church for counseling. Why do people snap and should this violence be glamorized?

That's a very tricky question. As far as glamorizing it, I'd have to say it depends on the situation. Maybe it should be glamorized to show that there are a lot of people out there who are hurting and need some type of hope or direction in life. Maybe by seeing people who experience this type of hurt, we will have more compassion for everyone in our daily lives?

Why do people snap? That is a very good question. I believe it stems from some type of hurt or pain. There are a lot of people who are hurting in the world and they might just need a friendly smile or a hug. As cheesy as that sounds, maybe tragedy could be prevented with a little kindness?

Can I Get Published In A Year

Day - 26

Inside the mind of a serial murderer. That is what I'm attempting to do with Red Bow. Ted Dekker has done a great job of getting into the mind of serial killers. So why do I have the fascination? I think they are very complex and methodical. From reading different books and doing research, serial killer typically have a reason for killing. Maybe it's an addiction, like Dexter has. Maybe it's triggered by a traumatic event, like a loved one getting killed. Whatever the reasoning, there is usually a method to their madness. Then again, there are the circumstances where people are just crazy nuts and kill for no reason. However, I think that is actually rarer than people think.

I find it kind of ironic that I, being very anti-violence and get skittish around needles, like to write about these types of stories. Maybe it's all of the horror movies I've seen. Maybe it's all of the episodes of Snapped I watch. I don't know, but for those people who know me, they will probably say that I'm very quiet and laid back and have never displayed any inkling of violence. That is what is so great about writing. I don't have to be a serial killer to write about one. I just have to have the imagination to create a story about one. Maybe that makes me weird. Or maybe that makes me creative. It has sure worked for Ted Dekker, so why can't it work for me?

Can I Get Published In A Year

Day - 25

Taking a break today to mentally recharge my batteries. It was bound to happen, but my mind feels tired. I think part of that is the fact that I've never written this much in succession before in my life. Interesting.

Can I Get Published In A Year

Day - 24

Getting close to finishing the initial ending for Crush. That will leave the tail end of the beginning and the middle part to work on. I wonder if it would have been easier to write in order, but to be honest, I didn't start to think about the middle of the story until after the ending ideas developed. I'm not sure if that's proper technique, but it's working so far.

Can I Get Published In A Year

Day - 23

Writing narrative. Up until I started doing exercises from the "Writing Fiction - Step By Step" book, I've only written in 3rd person. Part of the reason for that is because I have been heavily influenced by Ted Dekker. Most of the books that I've read by him are in 3rd person. One of the nice things about 3rd person narrative is it allows a broad perspective to be presented.

One thing I did notice when writing one of the exercises in 1st person is that it was actually pretty easy to write. I thought that it would be difficult, but it actually wasn't. I'm cautious about writing in 1st person because I think for what I'm trying to convey in the three stories, 1st person may limit the story. I could be wrong. It's possible that I may think that now simply because I don't have much experience with writing in first person.

Are there any preferences in your book readings? Do people really care what narrative it's written in? Is one better than the other or is it personal opinion again?

Can I Get Published In A Year

Day - 22

Dialog. This is one of the most important pieces of a story. Sure you can have a lot of description but there needs to be some type of dialog to move the story along. It helps explain emotions, decisions, and can help explain details in a plot line. One tip that I've been encountering in the Writing Fiction book and different author FAQ websites is that the dialog should be succinct and have a flow to it. This actually makes me scratch my head because I've read different books where the dialog was a bit rough to get through and others where it flowed smoothly and easily.

I think this goes back to interpretation. For example, Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris has a distinct first-person narrative. The dialog has a certain flow to it. To be completely honest, I hated the first 50 or so pages. The dialog irritated me. However, after reading some more, I understood what the author was trying to accomplish with the style of dialog and I liked it after that.

So I'm left with an unanswered question. What determines good dialog in a story? Proper English? Punctuation? Cohesiveness? Or is it just personal opinion yet again?

Can I Get Published In A Year

Day - 21

My imagination is running wild because I thought of two more ideas for different stories. I should start selling these ideas to Hollywood so I can retire. Hmmm....

Can I Get Published In A Year

Day - 20

Day 20. Time sure does fly when you're trying to write three books.

If I were to describe myself, I would say that I'm easy going and something of a sarcastic person. I've noticed that said sarcasm has made brief appearances in my writing. I hope that it doesn't get overused but I think it's nearly impossible for part of your own personality to not be put into some part of a story that you write.

Come to think of it, there are characteristics and traits from a lot of different people that I know that are in various characters in my stories. I think this was unintentionally/intentionally done. Inspiration and ideas come from everyday life and if people's personalities are strong and influential there is a good possibility part or all of that may be used in something I write. Scary, huh? :)

The main female character in Red Bow has a lot of traits from my wife. The character isn't her, but she has a lot of similarities.

Can I Get Published In A Year

Day - 19

I was able to knock out 5 1/2 more pages in Crush. I think that the story is picking up steam and new scene ideas are developing. It's still a long way until 250 pages, but the fact that I'm moving along at a slow, steady pace is promising.

Can I Get Published In A Year

Day - 18

Plugging away on Crush again. I'm over halfway through the first month. I have to admit that this is a lot more work than I expected. I knew it would be a lot of work, but setting aside time each day to write requires a lot of discipline. Especially when I work full time and have other things that I do (e.g. baseball, spending time with my wife, etc.).

If I learn nothing else, I would have to say that writing everyday definitely helps set up a consistent routine. It's not that I don't want to write every day. That's not the case at all. There are just other obligations that I have to take care of. Now if only I could win the lottery and just write all day and travel. That sounds like a pretty good gig.

Writing is a lot of work, but it's work that I enjoy doing. Immersing myself in the characters of a story and seeing how scenes and dialog play out is very fascinating to me. I have ideas for a general plot line and it's awesome to see that scene explode into something larger than I originally imagined. I can't even begin to fathom what that writing will look like with more practice and hopefully some guidance from a teacher or someone similar.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that writing is my passion. Whether or not I get published, that remains to be seen. Even if I don't get published, I believe that I'll continue to write for my own personal satisfaction. There is always Lulu.com, right?

Can I Get Published In A Year

Day - 17

I'm torn between three endings for Crush. One of them is a complete cliffhanger. It's the type of ending where the reader has to decide what they think happens. The second is a complete ending that is concrete. Since the story is a love story, it ends with the guy either picking/getting the girl or not picking/getting the girl. The third ending is based on the concrete ending, but with a twist. I like twists in stories, but maybe that's just because I'm a twisted person. Who knows?

Can I Get Published In A Year

Day - 16

Doing some research on the FAQ sections of various others, in relation to writing tips. One tip that sticks out is trying to write in the same place at the same time. This will help train your brain to know that in a certain environment, writing will always take place.

I tend to write in different places. Basically anyplace that I have a computer and some free time. However, writing in my "lab" (as I like to call my computer room) is my favorite place to write.

On a side note, after seeing several episodes of "Snapped" on Oxygen, I have so many new ideas for expanding Red Bow. Nothing quite like take real life situations as a basis for creating plot lines and scenes.

Can I Get Published In A Year

Day - 15

Pounding away on some research for Untitled. I thought I'd change it up and step away from Crush to try to keep my mind fresh. Busy weekend ahead but determined to make some progress.

Can I Get Published In A Year

Day - 14

I looked up information on a few local writing classes last night and it looks like I just missed the cutoff time. I will have to wait until around June to look for the next group of classes. It should be interesting to get a different perspective on writing from people who have actually had success from it.

Can I Get Published In A Year

Day - 13

I'm actually posting this on day 14, but it's for day 13.

I was able to knock out six quality pages in Crush after work. I think that these six pages are the most important part of the story. It's the turning point, if you will. After writing those pages, I thought of two different endings to the story.

So what kind of endings do the folks out in Internet land like? Endings that wrap up all the loose ends? Open-ended endings? Endings with a twist?

Can I Get Published In A Year

Day - 12

To cuss or not to cuss. That is the question. One of my favorite authors, Ted Dekker, is a New York Times Best Selling writer. One thing that should be noted is that he doesn't cuss in his books. Part of this is probably due to his faith background, but it is commendable to be able to have so much success without cussing.

Personally, I don't mind it either way. I've read books with no swear words, a couple, and TONS of swear words (*coughs* Mark Henry *coughs*). I can see the merits of using it and not using it.

However, I think that language can possibly alienate an otherwise select group of individuals. So where does that leave me? Well, I'm going to write what I'm going to write. If I think that the story warrants some heated dialog, then I will put it in there. Will I be alienating people and turning people away from reading what I write by cussing?

Do you mind if a book has some swear words? If you don't mind, where is the line crossed?

Thoughts?

Can I Get Published In A Year

Day - 11

Not much writing down today to be honest. Lots of driving to and from the Mariners game and then back home. Tomorrow is another day....

Can I Get Published In A Year

Day - 10

Plugging away today. Up in the Seattle area for the long weekend. Working on some back story for a few of my plot lines for the Untitled story. I want to make sure that there is some type of structure and realness with the plot line.

Came up with some new scenes for Crushed as well. I think that the story is starting to develop more. Now it's just a matter of putting that all together.

Can I Get Published In A Year

Day - 9

Is believability important in a story? Sure, authors can bend the rules and make up anything they want in the story (e.g. fantasy books, superheroes, etc). When does it become too over the top? Is there a standard that books should be held to? Or is the creative side of anything is possible what makes books fun to read?

Personally, I enjoy when I'm immersed into a story that is creative in terms of supernatural abilities, unique scenery, and humanly impossible feats. It allows my imagination to go wild when trying to picture the scenes in my head.

The same could be said for movies, right? That possibility for anything and everything to happen in a story is what draws me in as a reader. While there are certain things that a story should have (plot and some type of ending), I love how books disregard the rules for what a character can do in a story.

Can I Get Published In A Year

Day - 8

The start of week two. The start of the baseball season has put a damper on my writing, so I need to be a little bit more disciplined with my writing time. I'm uploading Exercise 4. I decided to create some back story for Amber and Tim, building on Exercises 2 and 3. Kind of a downer story, but sickness is never a fun topic.

I will have 4 days off of work starting tomorrow. I plan on writing like a madman during that time. It's time to finish up these exercises and knock out some pages in these stories.

Ch1-EX4

Ch1-EX5

Ch1-EX6

Can I Get Published In A Year

Day - 7

I'm at the end of week one and I'm pleased with the progress so far. I've gotten into a routine of trying to write each day. Also, the exercises from the book are helping I think. The writing exercises make me think of The Karate Kid. Not the remake they're doing, but the original. Baby steps. Wax on, wax off.

As part of my research, I read three books last week. That's another tip that I see on every author's website. Read, read, read. Just like you're supposed to write, write, write.

Can I Get Published In A Year

Day - 6

I have a few exercises under my belt and I have to admit that my attitude toward the exercises has changed. Initially, I thought the writing exercises were lame and didn't have a point, but after writing a few I understand that it's setting up building blocks to build off of. Writing something as massive as a 300 page novel is nothing to be sneezed at. However, if you learn how to build off of scenes, it can be done.

I had a lot of fun on the third exercise and the drama in the story could be expanded so much. I could feel the tension at the dinner table after rereading it.

The first week is almost done and that will leave 51 weeks to get through. I'll be posting my writing progress for my stories as well.

So have you told a friend yet about this awesome idea and awesome blog? :)

Can I Get Published In A Year

Chapter 1 - Exercises 1-3

I'm uploading some of the completed exercises from Chapter 1 in PDF form. Let me know if you have trouble accessing the file.

Ch1-EX1-3

Can I Get Published In A Year

Day - 5

I've realized that writing three different books while working full time is very similar to going to school full time while working. It has been some time since I've done both, but I'm certainly up for the challenge.

The writing assignments from Chapter 1 are being worked on and I'll post them soon for critiquing.

I'm pleased with the pace that I've achieved in terms of daily writing. At this pace, in roughly two months I should have two books done and the third partially done. That leaves a lot of time for editing, rewriting, and polishing.

Just out of curiosity, what are some of your favorite books? Why are they your favorite books?

Can I Get Published In A Year

Day - 4

3 days down, 362 more to go. Yikes!

Author Tip #2 - Write entire story first and then go back to edit. Don't start editing before your story is done.

This was one of the tips that a New York Times Bestselling Author gave at a book signing last week. This really hit home with me because I am a perfectionist and I want to make sure that everything that I write is perfect (e.g. perfect spelling, grammar, punctuation, etc.). However, because I've been so concerned with cleaning up the writing, I would keep going back and working on the same chapter over and over again. By writing the entire story first and then going back, I keep a steady pace and actually achieve the goal of completing the initial draft. There is plenty of time for revisions after the fact. Old habits die hard but since I heard that advice, I've not been editing while writing. +1 me. The truth of the matter is that nothing I write will ever be perfect so it's of benefit to me to not focus so heavily on that aspect of the stories and get the initial drafs done first.

Can I Get Published In A Year

Prologue

I thought I'd post a small paragraph from the first thing I ever wrote so that I can compare it to stuff that I write now. This is from a very short story that I wrote one day in about 15 minutes. Looking back on the writing, it makes me laugh. There were so many mistakes and faux pas committed, but it's good to see progress right?

So let me ask you? Is it boring? Is it average? Is it good? Does it suck? If it sucks, why does it suck? I can't know what to improve if I don't know what to fix.

Prologue

An orange leaf floated from a maple tree to the ground at the abandoned fairgrounds. Upon landing, the leaf began to gyrate from the random wisps of wind. This particular fairground was home to the Stevens County Fair. Your typical funnel cake, hot dog, amusement park ride filled gala that was a bustling place of countless hours of entertainment during the summer. However, on this brisk November morning, the fairgrounds were empty except for a lone person sitting on a bench. Kaitlin. Kaitlin tightened her scarf around her neck and let out a shiver. She looked like a chipmunk wrapped up in layers of clothing. Her cheeks were pressed together by her tightened hooded coat. Kaitlin enjoyed the solace of the quiet fairgrounds. This was her “happy place,” her refuge, her go to spot when she needed to get away and just think. Think. Think. Think.

There was something about the sound of quiet that put Kaitlin at ease. Nothing really mattered in this place of solitude. She was free to think and clear her head. She was also free from distraction and people for that matter. A puff of breath that looked like a small cloud of smoke appeared in front of Kaitlin as she let out a long sigh. She wondered how she could have been so blind to the signs. There was no way I could have known! How could I have known? This was quite the conundrum that she now had to deal with. A small tear formed on the corner of Kaitlin’s right eye. Slowly, the tear began to run down her right cheek and move toward her lip. Eventually, the tear dropped to the ground with a soundless splash. She wiped away the tear with her mitten covered hands and sniffed, trying to hold back the flood of emotions that was both literal and figurative.

“Ok,” she said with conviction.

Kaitlin quickly stood up, wiped the dust off of her jeans and started to walk back to her car. The “game” was about to begin.

Can I Get Published In A Year

Day - 3

Yesterday I knocked out a couple more pages in Crush and am now at the turning point of the book. Since I'm writing the ending first, it makes the writing process somewhat odd. I'm not sure if published authors write start to finish, but it's working so far so I'll go with it.

As you can see, I posted a picture of the "Writing Fiction" book that I'm going to be using. The first chapter has a total of 13 writing exercises. I will be posting those as PDF attachments for public perusal. My goal for this weekend is to finish those exercises.

In doing research on writing do's and don'ts, I've found that writing is very subjective. What one person thinks is good, another person might hate. Even for accomplished authors. One of my favorite authors is Ted Dekker and his book Thr3e is definitely in my top five favorite books. However, there are people who have read it and have said that it is the worst book ever written. On the flip side, there are people, like me, who love the book. Another example is Charlaine Harris who writes the Sookie Stackhouse novels. Some people hate it, some people love it. Yet another example is Stephanie Meyer. Depending on who you ask, a person may say her writing is the best thing since sliced bread. Others may say that it is complete trash. So where does that leave me since writing is so subjective? I've shown some writing to different people and some people say they like it. Some people say it sucks and I shouldn't write ever again. I think writing, as with anything, is left up to personal opinion and interpretation. No one book or writing style is going to appeal to everyone. Maybe after this quest is done, I will have learned that there is a niche group who like what I write. I may also learn that the niche group that like what I write is too small to get published.

In any case, if an author like Jenna Black can write 18 different novels over 16 years before getting published, that gives me hope. I'm stubborn and determined and I like a challenge, so let's see where this quest goes.

Can I Get Published In A Year

Writing Fiction Step By Step

This is the book I'll be using for writing exercises.

Day - 2

I would consider yesterday productive, even though I only had about 20 minutes to write. I was able to crank out 5 more pages in Crush. That's a plus.

So on to the question of emotional scenes in books. What makes a scene sad or intense? Is it the adjectives that are used? Is it the similarity to a personal experience?

I think it's a combination of both. If the reader can relate to it (e.g. a family member passing away, getting fired from a job, etc.) then it becomes more personal to the reader. I racked my brain trying to think if there was a book that I have read that has brought me to tears. I couldn't think of one. That's not to say that there haven't been books that have been powerful and tugged at my heart. I like to save my crying for more relevant things...like when you're waiting in line for 17 hours in the freezing cold, outside of a Fred Meyer, trying to be the first to get a Nintendo Wii. But, only to be disappointed and have supplies run out just before you. That would make me cry, but I digress.

A friend told me that this blog reminded him of the "Julie & Julia" movie. Hmm...I hadn't even thought about that, but I can see the similarities. I liked that movie and no it didn't make me cry!

One more thought for the moment. This last week I've had the fortunate opportunity to meet five different authors at book signings. Three of those authors are best selling authors. Of course I jumped at the opportunity to rub elbows with people in the biz and try to gain writing knowledge through osmosis. One thing that they all offer as tips for aspiring writers is to write. Not just write but I think they all said something like "Write your butt off!" I suppose that's what I'm trying to do. After all, that does sound like sound advice and they obviously know what they're talking about.

It's been fun, it's been real...but I need to go write. (You thought I was going to say "It's been real fun," huh?....Bazinga!) Don't forget to tell a friend. The more diverse group of people who can offer feedback, the better!

Can I Get Published In A Year

~ "I write because I care and drugs are bad."

Twitter Link

A Twitter feed for this quest because Twitter is cool.

http://twitter.com/cigpiay

Page Count Update

To help visually see my progress, I'm going to post page counts on the three stories I'm working on. The page counts are a little bit misleading in Word. A standard 8.5 x 11 document with 67 pages translates to roughly 90 pages in a pocket sized paperback book. So my 8.5 x 11 page count may be low, but there is at least a 20 page buffer.
I would like each book to be a minimum of 250 pocket size pages. Now that we have that cleared up, here is where I'm at:

Crush - 38 standard pages (60 pocket size)
Red Bow - 67 standard pages (90 pocket size)
Untitled - 1 standard page (1 pocket size)

I'll be completely honest and say that most of my writing right now is on Crush. I really like the way that the story is unfolding. Since I don't know anything about proper writing technique, I'm writing this backwards. Backwards you ask? No, I'm not writing sdrawkcaB, I'm writing the ending first. Why the ending first? Because that is what is fresh in my mind. At least for this story, knowing where the story ends up will help me work the plotline from the beginning of the story.

Can I Get Published In A Year

Day - 1

Greetings and welcome to my blog. Since nobody is probably reading this, why don't we go around the room and introduce ourselves.

*silence*

A-hem, ok. I'll break the ice. I have decided to embark on an epic quest. A quest that is not for the faint of heart or the weak. On the contrary, this quest is a test of will, desire, and endurance. What is the quest you ask? The quest is simple. I would like to become a published writer. Fresh off the heels of my 29th birthday, I've decided life is too short to not try to achieve your dreams. Well that should be easy to get published. I mean, how hard could it be? Well, I have no formal training in writing (e.g. writing classes, etc.). So why write? Well, it's simple. Writing is fun for me. Sure, I may not be very good at it, but writing is something that allows me to escape the rat race of the monotonous, daily grind. I guess you could say that writing is my dream job. Life is too short to live with regrets and "what ifs." So here I am, giving myself a year to see if I can see my dream come to fruition.

Here is my basic plan.....I will use a "How To Write" book as a guide and will also use answers from various author's FAQ sections on their websites. Since I don't have just one genre I would like to write in, I will write three stories within the year, each in a different genre. The idea is that with three different genres, I can increase my probability of catching a publisher's eye. The first genre is a love story/romance book. Ok, so before you hit the "Back" button and start muttering "I can't believe it's not butter," let me plead my case. I think there are a plethora of romance stylebooks that have been written from a girl's perspective. Why not change things up and tell a love story from a guy's perspective? And....not just any guy's perspective......a guy who is a nerd. (I will pause while you say "Ooooohhhh" and "Humph, interesting!")

*pausing*

Now that I've got your attention, let me assure you that there won't be gratuitous sex scenes, book covers with long haired, sculptured, manly men on said book covers, or angsty teen plot lines. Nah, that's so cliché. Allow me to take you into the inner workings and thoughts of a nerd who has a crush. It could work....right?

The second book that I would like to write is in the horror/serial murderer genre. Whoa, easy there people. Don't cross your arms and furrow your brown in confusion just yet. Let me explain. Serial murderers are fascinating to me. There is the obvious, "Wow, that guy is crazy!" comments that come to mind. Well why not try to elaborate on why the serial murderer is killing people? Maybe he has a reason for killing people? Did we stop to ask him? Nooooo! I currently have around 90 pages already written for this story called "Red Bow." However, I'd like to elaborate and beef up the plot lines, develop the characters, and clean up the dialog. So I have a semi-head start on this book.

The third and final book that I would like to write is a sequel to "Red Bow." This story starts with one of the main characters from "Red Bow," Mason Wendell, working as a cop. One of his college friends mysteriously gets kidnapped. Naturally, you would say, "Meh, I saw that on 'Without A Trace' last week." Maybe, but what if I told you that the friend who was kidnapped was kidnapped by accident? What if I told you that the intended kidnapee (is that a word?) was a twin of the kidnapped-er (huh?). In any case, this book will be more of a thriller/mystery, as opposed to a horror/serial murderer book like "Red Bow."

Well there you have it. My master plan. This could go horribly wrong. I won't know unless I try. So join me as I document my journey, try to somehow break into the writing scene, try to find an agent, try to find an editor, and most importantly....try to find a publisher who will publish my books and give me a writing contract. A Twitter feed will be up shortly. Remember to tell a friend and feel free to offer any criticism or feedback that you may have. You are after all my guinea pigs who are helping me hone my writing craft. *rubs hands together and grins*

After all this writing, I'm wiped out and going to bed.

Peace out,

Can I Get Published In A Year