Has Your Writing Run Its Course?

I hope everyone enjoyed the courtroom drama. I thought about putting up another post to finish things up, but then I realized there was nothing else to say. For one thing, the courtroom series was more for me than anything else. If you didn't catch on, the unnamed defendant was myself and the witnesses were main characters in my various WiPs. The purpose of the exercise was to do some characterization, to feel out my characters for a bit. It worked well I think, and I got a clearer idea of who these people are.

I've never been one for making lists. Sitting down and listing my character's favorite color or personality quirks is not my thing. I'd much rather put them in a situation and watch how they move through it. I also have a very short attention span, so I envisioned how my characters would feel knowing that I have put them to the side for a while. In their mind, they probably felt abandoned though in mine they are still a character I'll come back to. I also got some really awesome feedback from Kat that identified some phrasing I need to tighten up. Thanks Kat, I appreciated the insight.

What I mean by the title of this post is that my courtroom scenes have run their course and I don't really feel like writing more about it. I get this way from time to time, where I start a scene or story and get into it for a while. And then I'll come upon a place where I just don't feel like continuing. Either I don't like where the story is going, or I'm not feeling the characters. See attention span comment above. Yeah, it's a serious problem that my eons of life and experience has not eradicated. Okay, maybe not eons. Just a few decades.

Have you ever been writing a story and decided that it's over, before you really expected it to be?

Ten Word Tuesday - Story Ideas

Want a story idea?

Borrow the eyes of a child.

Blog Chain - Can We Talk?

This latest edition of the blog chain is Kate's fault. So go to her blog and blame her. Just kidding, Kate. You always have cool questions, and this one is no different.

The question she poses to those of us working the chain is the following:

Do you enjoy writing dialogue? Do you use a lot of dialogue in your writing (for our purposes "a lot" will be defined as more than a smidge and yet not so much that the quotes key on your computer is completely worn out.)? Do you have example(s) of dialogue you especially enjoyed from something you've read? Do you have example(s) of dialogue from your own writing? What about these examples makes them special?


Okay, she is actually asking a bunch of questions, but it's all on one subject - dialogue. So lets talk, shall we?

When I first read this subject, I was thinking how much fun it would be to explore this. Then as I began to ask myself these questions, I realized something. I really do not like dialogue. I've never enjoyed creating dialogue, probably because it just doesn't seem to come naturally.

When I first began writing dialogue, I would constantly make that terrible mistake - trying to find another word for "said". For example:


"That was exactly what I wanted you to think", Derek breathed.

"No", Sheila screamed.

"Yes" Derek exclaimed. "And now you will suffer for it".


Yeah, terrible dialogue. Thankfully I learned, and I try not to make that mistake these days.

As far as an example of dialogue I have liked, I take you to the words of J.R.R. Tolkien in The Hobbit. The following scene is when the trolls are discussing how they want to cook their newly captured dwarves.


"No good roasting 'em now, it'd take all night," said a voice. Bert thought it was William's.

"Don't start the argument all over again, Bill," he said, "or it will take all night."

"Who's a-arguing?" said William, who thought it was Bert that had spoken.

"You are," said Bert.

"You're a liar," said William; and so the argument began all over again.


I like this section of dialogue especially because of a few things. There's a hidden speaker here, but Bert and William don't figure that out. This speaks to their apparent lack of intellect, giving us a glimpse into their character. It also speaks to the talents of the hidden speaker, who turns out to be Gandalf the wizard.

Okay, it was probably too easy to pick something from Tolkien, but he's about the only author I could remember off the top of my head. I do pay attention to dialogue more these days, so maybe the next time this comes around, I'll have a better example.

As for my own writing, I'll give you a glimpse into my current WiP. In this scene, the main character Trevor just got grilled by his boss. He is not himself, and his friend Brent notices.


“Trevor, you listening? Man, you were this close to serious trouble. What the heck has gotten into you?”

“Nothing Brent”, Trevor shook his head. “I just had a bad night, didn’t get much sleep. I wasn’t paying attention and I took a wrong turn, that’s all.” He tried to smile at his friend, “Thanks for trying anyway.” How the hell was he going to get two specimens done in one day?

“It’s okay. Boy, Stein really has it in for you. Sure, he’s not great under any circumstances, but he seems to enjoy watching you squirm.” Giggles erupted from Brent’s mouth, smothered only barely by his meaty palm.

“Thanks a lot, pal.” Trevor tossed Brent a glare, more brutal than he intended.

“I’m just kidding, Trev. Really. Don’t be mad.”


I hope I am improving in my use of dialogue, but I honestly can't say if it's good enough. What I do like about this example is that I can feel their character coming through. I can visualize what is going on here, see these two having this conversation. I at least feel that I'm on the right track, but I do still feel unsteady when it comes to dialogue.

One thing I can say is that I am paying attention to everyone else on the chain with these questions. While it's been difficult to answer these, I have to thank Kate because I have the opportunity to learn a great deal from my fellow blog chainers.

Now that I've done my best with this one, head on over to Kat's blog to see what she has to say. If you haven't read my predecessor Sandra's answer, you need to go check that out too.

Contest Fun

I'm not feeling completely recovered yet, so my unplug period will have to extend just a bit longer. But I wanted to tell everyone about the contest Beth Revis is holding in celebration for her recent book deal. If you haven't visited her page before, you really need to. She is an inspiration to all of us writers, and now she is an example of how determination will help you succeed. So drop by her blog, sign up for the contest (did I mention she is giving away some super duper cool prizes for both readers AND writers), and then browse through all the previous content she's put up. Trust me, if you haven't visited her yet, this is one mouse click you won't regret.

Congratulations Beth. And good luck to everyone who enters her contest.

Ten Word Tuesday - Relief

What is relief?

When a sinus headache finally goes away.

Out Sick

My wonderful son brought something home with him on Friday. Now I've got it. So yeah, this is probably going to be a couple unplug days.

I hate being sick. I get grumpy, I'm always tired, and I'm so not myself. And I don't have time to take off work, which really sucks.

Anyway, if I'm not commenting like usual, this is why. I hope to be back to normal asap.

Wednesday Wonderings - Is Your End Abupt?

I just got done reading The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. A few words of note however, before I plunge into the discussion. This book isn't my usual type of thing for two very distinct reasons:

1. It's a YA-genre book, which is definitely not my first choice.
2. 1st person writing, which I'm usually do not like.

I did not know that it had sci-fi elements when I picked it up, but it was a nice surprise. Honestly, I didn't know alot about the author or the book, other than I had seen quite a bit of mention here and there about it. On the whole, I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed it. Until the very end, that is.

Without spoiling the story for any of you haven't read it, I will merely say the end of the story was very abrupt. It just ended. There are all sorts of questions in my head at this point, wondering what will happen to the various characters. I also noticed the final line which reads "End Of Book One", an obvious clue that this is part of a series. So there is a reason for the book to end this way. But it got me to thinking about endings.

In this particular case, the author had a really good reason. The MC has done some things that have severe implications within her world, and it goes beyond just saying the wrong thing at the wrong time. In an interview in fact, Suzanne Collins even stated that she hadn't intended to write the story as a series but that it became one due to necessity.

The topic of endings is especially important to me at the moment because I am working on ending my current WiP. I am not intending for this book to be part of a series, so I am trying to tie up all the various plot threads into a neat package. The question that bugs me is how to end it properly, without being too abrupt. There will be hanging questions of course, because my story ends with a cataclysmic change in human society. Deciding which questions to answer and which to ignore is one of my difficulties.

This got me to thinking about the idea that no story truly ever ends. If you think about it, there really is no way to end a story. For example, let's say the MC of a story dies at the end. A tale could still be told regarding those left behind, dealing with the loss of this person. What if the MC leaves for greener pastures? There's a story to be told regarding what it's like when they get there or what the place is like now that they are gone. Let's face it - unless you are writing an ending in which everyone lives happily ever after, there are threads of stories hanging off the edge.

I don't yet have any concrete ideas where I will draw the line and finally type The End. How do you deal with endings in your respective stories? How do you decide a particular plot thread is so secondary that it needn't be resolved?

Ten Word Tuesday - Working In I.T.

If we take away the users...

...computers work just fine!

Wednesday Winnings And Comparisons Of Skill

Thanks to the talented and successful Galen Kindley, I'm a winner! Galen's book Hearts of the Morning Calm is about to be published, and he is holding a contest to win some free copies. Jane Kennedy Sutton and I were the first lucky winners. Time to do a happy dance, Snoopy style!

I have been a fan of Galen's work from the moment I first stumbled on his blog, and it's an understatement to say I am excited to receive his book. Ecstatic might cover it. Because of this honor, expect to see an interview of Sir Galen (he's unofficially a knight, we're just waiting for the Queen to acknowledge it) here at The Muse soon. I will also be posting a review of the novel, once I'm done enjoying it that is.

This brings me to the topic of comparing ourselves to other writers (aspiring or otherwise). Christine got me thinking about this, thanks to her recent post. Her post hit home as I realized I have been doing this writing/blogging thing for over a year now. When I look back at where I started...well, let's just say only force of will keeps me from deleting those first posts. But what I can say is that I have learned so much in the past year. I had to stop for a moment though and take stock. Do I compare myself to other writers I've met here in blogland? Sure I do.

Christine had an interesting quote that I don't entirely agree with:

"When I compare myself to anyone else, I negate the power of my own journey. And I lose the purpose of the journey in the first place."

While I understand her meaning, I disagree with the idea that comparison mandates negativity. I prefer to approach comparison from a different perspective. When I compare myself to other writers, I get the chance to evaluate what they are doing right, what I may be doing wrong, and figure out how to improve overall. Rather than viewing comparison as a disintegration of self, I see opportunity.

There are a few writers/authors I've had the pleasure of becoming acquainted with (online, anyway). Each of these people have had an effect on how I think, how I write, and how I view literature. Some leave me daunted, with the feeling that I'll never be able to write as well. But most have something to teach me, whether they are aware that's what they're doing or not. I have watched success stories like Jody Hedlund unfold, and her example gives me hope. I marvel in awe at the writers in The Literary Lab, as all three of them challenge us to think deeply about our craft. I keep a sliver of hope alive that someday I'll be ready for Elana's book about querying.

Christine is an author I have a great deal of admiration for, and so this post is not meant to be a detraction. While I may disagree with her statement, I see the determination and drive behind it. These are wonderful qualities, and they are one of the many reasons I look up to Christine. What I take away from her post is that I need to remember who I am at the core and not let anything deter me from continuing my journey towards publication.

Do you compare yourself to other writers? If so, how do you deal with the results of your comparisons?

Ten Word Tuesday - Ego Boost

Writing something good...awesome.

Readers expressing they like it...magnificent!

Blog Chain - Are You Writing Large?

Normally you wouldn't be seeing two blog chain posts in a row. But for the first time, I am the lucky individual who gets to start things off. Let me tell you, I put in the time on this one. I went through every question my fellow chainers have asked over the past year, just to make sure I didn't repeat a topic. That was probably a mistake too, because there have been some really awesome questions. I have to say, it's a little daunting to be in the company of such fine individuals.

In any event, I racked my brains for a while and came up with the following question:

Do you create characters that are larger-than-life or are your characters more like the average Joe?

First off, when I think larger-than-life, I think of people who are exceptionally talented. The hunky knight who's 6'5", 250 lbs of muscle, saves the damsel without getting his armor smudged, and brings about the sunrise just by staring at the horizon. Okay, that's a little overdone, but hopefully you get the idea.

With regards to my own writing, I generally choose characters that are average Joes. This is probably because I really enjoy exploring the capability of people, their ability to adjust to unexpected circumstances, and how average people can come out on top even when things look impossible. Despite how dark some of my writing gets, I'm probably the eternal optimist.

The other aspect I like about the average person is how realistic they can be. This depends on the genre of course, but if you put an average person into any circumstances, there is a story waiting to be told. How does this person deal with conflict? Do they fall in love with someone who is unattainable? Do they have the quirks that can impede their success as much as further their progress? Add to this the fact that the average Joe needs to struggle to overcome larger-than-life problems and you have a tale really worth telling.

The problem with larger-than-life characters is that sometimes it's too easy for them. Their abilities allow them to do things that others can't. While this might be more exciting, it lacks the drama of the average Joe trying to succeed similarly. All of this is not to say that I don't enjoy larger-than-life characters when I read or watch a movie. But with my own characters, it's rare that they are anything other than average (at least when the tale begins).

Finally, it needs to be said that I don't always choose my characters. More often, they choose me. There are a whole host of average characters out there looking for me, waiting for me to tell their tale. Almost like stalkers. Kind of creepy, when you think about it. Anyway, all I know is that I will be more likely to tell Gulliver's Travels than Rambo.

What type of characters do you create?

Now that I've given my take on it, I'll pass the virtual torch to Kat. Stop by her page and see how she answers this one.