Sanctuary

There's this awesome show on the SyFy channel that's just recently come back on. It's called Sanctuary and it's a mix of steampunk technology, fantasy creatures, weird missions, and awesome people. I've gotten two other people hooked on it, and I'm quite proud of myself.

Not much in life has changed recently. I'm looking forward to summer. I have a feeling I'll be spending a lot of that time down in VA beach. The main tourist-y area is a nightmare to navigate, and I imagine the beaches are gonna be crowded beyond all reason, BUT there is also a beach on the base where my brother works. So I can just go there instead. Win.

I've made some progress on my story, but I've kinda hit a slump. I'm starting to warm up to the idea of getting a quick and dirty first draft down. Just hammer out all of the scenes that need to happen up to a certain point, even if writing them is boring and painful. Because, honestly, if I don't have a clear idea and inspiration for a scene, it's hell to write.

I think that's about it for now. I just felt like I should post something on here occasionally. Or maybe just give up on all of it completely. Haven't decided yet.

Oops.

Well, hey there. I (kinda) forgot about this whole "trying to blog" adventure.  Obviously, it's not working out too well.

Right now, I'm on spring break in VA Beach. I'm helping my brother and (future) sister-in-law to move in to their new home. Honestly, I'm having a ton of fun, even if I am sleeping on the floor. (My fault.). Since my brother has work all day, it's just been myself and Jen trying to set everything up. We managed to get the queen-sized  mattress and  the box spring upstairs by ourselves. Girl power, and what not. I love their place already, and I've only been here for two days.

Although I can't get my own place yet, I have decided to switch rooms in the house. As of right now, I'm in a plain square room on the first floor of the house. Don't get me wrong, I love it, but I'm starting to realize just how little space I have down there. Especially since I want to get a desk for writing. My sister's old room is really nice, and I'd have a ton of space, but first I have to finish cleaning it out. It's not too bad, there's just a lot of big stuff. Boxes that need to go back in the attic, and my brother's old weight lifting machine are the biggest things to deal with. I will keep the big shelf she had in there, though. There's so much room for books. =) I'll take pictures of the process, and maybe I'll get them up eventually.

I've also decided that I want to get a new computer. I like my little Eee PC that I have now; it does its job, so I can't complain about that, but I just feel like I need a better laptop. I'm leaning towards a Macbook Pro. I have to save up money for that, but first, I need to earn money. I'm debating whether to get a new job now, or wait until summer, when I'll have more free time.

Oh, I printed out what I had for my story, since I had reached 50 pages. I've realized a couple things since then. I know what my antagonist is after. Woo. Now he's a bad guy with purpose. I've also realized that I need to re-organize the parts I have written. I just typed up each new scene as I wrote it, without really figuring out the sequence of events first. This is a problem. But one that is still easily fixed.

I think that's a decent summary of everything. Goodnight. =)

Reluctance & Disorganization

The great state of Delaware got a shout out on the Oscars tonight! That makes me happy.

For the past couple of days, I've been trying to think of what I should write next. Do I continue writing about my characters? Do I start writing about what happens in my personal life? What is it that I'm trying to say here?

I think one of my problems with my blog is that I am reluctant to post short entries. To me, that's not enough. I guess I have to say something important in each post. I don't like writing short stories either. I feel like if you're going to write a story, you might as well lay it all out there and go for the novel. I tend to make things more complicated than they really need to be.

Like my plot lines. I feel like every time I come up with a new idea for my stories, I also have about a dozen questions that need answered or things to look up in order to write a more believable story. Plus, I would be horrible at researching things properly if I ever had time to look things up. So I either need to stop worrying about my story and write what I know, or actually look around for the answers to my questions.

I know I'm complaining, but I love having questions about my plot line. It gives me more to work with. I can look at a page of notes scribbled down and I can figure out what angle I need to get the answers. It's like a dumping ground for all of my ideas. I can look at each question and know what I need to write. Sometimes, when I look at all of the questions together, it gives me the answer. It would be like looking at a counter full of individual ingredients and coming up with something to cook for dinner.

My writing style is chaotic and messy, but it's all I know. Maybe there are better ways to go about it, but for right now, it works. I need to organize my life in general, so my writing will follow eventually. Honestly, I feel like once I can organize my life, it will be easier to organize my writing. If you keep fixing the little details, while the big picture is still broken, the details are just going to crumble again.

Here's to hoping this week goes well.

xoxo

Role Models

My writing is not as good as I thought it was. But that doesn't bother me. In fact, it just makes me want to write more. Let me explain....

Everyone has role models. I am no exception. For me, there is nothing more inspiring than a good writer - Someone who can create entire worlds and histories and religions from the blank page and the musings in their minds. There are two authors that I absolutely want to be like: Alison Croggon (I read her Pellinor Series)  and Brandon Sanderson (Mistborn Trilogy, Warbreaker, The Way of Kings, and some others). Many of you might not know their names, but I highly recommended their work.

It's all in the details. These two fantastic authors describe landscapes, people, and histories in a way that is filled with detail, but not at all boring. I want to be able to write with the ease and creative mastery that they possess. I find myself absorbed in their world, wholly invested into the characters and the places they create. They can actually show the reader what they want us to see, instead of telling us about it. I can't do that...yet. However, I fully intend on figuring it out. 

I think I already have an idea for how they do it. 

Lots and lots of practice. I just need more of it. All of my writing skills have come from me reading books and trying to emulate their styles and their techniques on my own. Yet...I feel as if the standard level "Creative Writing 101" course would bore me. I'm not interested in writing poetry or short stories (though I probably should be to start out). I want to write my novel, and I want to write it in a way that will have people racing through the pages, on the edge of their seats, just waiting to find out what happens next. 

Another thing I need to remember when writing is that this is my first draft of my first novel. It is not going to be perfect. In fact, it's probably gonna suck. A lot. But that's what first drafts are for. They are to get the ideas down on paper, and then there are the rewrites.nOne of the major themes of NaNoWriMo is "Edit in December." Although I honestly hope to have my novel finished before then, the essence of the mantra is what's important. I just need to get it all out now, and then I can look at the whole thing and see what needs improved from there. 

One thing I might try (that I picked up on from Mr. Sanderson) is to change up my narrator. I prefer writing in 3rd person, but it's okay to peek into the minds of other characters. For so long, I've had the idea in my head that my narrator needs to follow around one character (FMC --> female main character), and use only her actions and thoughts to propel the story. I'm starting to see that, maybe, that's not the best way to do it. I haven't given a real voice to my other characters. Yes, they speak and have personalities, but I haven't allowed myself to really get inside their heads, because I've been too busy trying to figure out my FMC. 

I have a feeling they are going to have a lot to say. It's alright if I sound crazy. How characters work is a whole other story, that I know makes me sound insane. But, it makes sense to me. Maybe I'll tell you about it sometime. =) 

xoxo

"Write your first draft with your heart. Re-write with your head." - From the movie Finding Forrester

Blank Paper and Black Pens

My name is Molly, and I'm a writer. Not that I've ever actually finished a project, but I'm working on it. Right now, life is somewhat chaotic what with school and family and everything, but some things have changed recently that have made me realize that I need to get my priorities in order.

It's a new year, and I kicked it off by doing something I've wanted to do since middle school: study abroad. For an entire month, I traveled around Italy with 35 other students taking a few classes, but mostly just trying to get as much out of the experience as humanly possible. It was incredible. I cannot explain how much I loved that trip, but I can try to explain, or rather show, how it changed me as a person and changed my mindset for the coming year. The past semester, to put it plainly, sucked. I did not do well in my classes, I was working way too much, and (towards the start of the semester) I was trying to figure out how to deal with a breakup that basically sucker-punched me in the face. After my short 4 weeks in Italy, I'm back in the States and ready to make this year about me. What I want to do, who I want to be, and letting go of the past. One of my biggest problems is that I worry too much, so this year, I'm going to be more confident in my classes and my relationships with everyone around me.

Basically, I've decided I'm going to be one of those horribly optimistic people.

I've noticed that there is something naturally energizing about being optimistic, and I like the feeling. I like dancing to loud music in my car. I like sitting down to write and feeling like I'm going to come up with fresh ideas. I like feeling like I'm going to accomplish something in my life.

I said earlier that I'm a writer. I've heard various tips on whether or not writers should have blogs. I've heard that we shouldn't because it distracts us from our projects. I've heard that we should to keep us in practice. I've tried the not having a blog option, so I figured it was time to give the blog option a shot. Who knows, this might actually help. I won't post my stories, or what I'm writing about, but I will talk about how I write, and the little quirks that come along with writing. Maybe I'll sound crazy, but hey,  that's life.

My first quirk? Let's go with the name of my blog. "Blank paper and Black Pens." They're two things that I love. When I look at a stack of loose leaf, college ruled (yes, I do have a preference for the lines on the page) paper, I don't just see the paper. I see the possibility of a story. I crave to fill up those pages with words that bring another world to life.  I don't always know what belongs on the page, but I know that there are words that are there, hiding, waiting for someone to discover them. There is so much possibility in paper. The second part of the title, the "black pens", is another preference of mine. When I write, I'll usually write long hand. Partially because I don't always have a computer with me, but mostly because... well, I don't know. I just prefer to write things out. That sounds lame.

I think that's a good place to end. Now I'm going to go write some more.

xoxo

"It is impossible to discourage the real writers - they don't give a damn what you say, they're going to write."  - Sinclair Lewis