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