Camp NaNoWriMo is here!

I have a confession to make.  I now have a full time job on top of my full time writing.  I didn't want to do it... but alas... the bills must get paid, and I have grown accustomed to a certain lifestyle... and food. ;)

I work in emergency medicine.  There.  I said it. 

Okay, moving on... I am SO EXCITED for Camp NaNoWriMo this June!!!! I am all set up on my page, my NaNo coffee mug is ordered, and have my camping buddy Suzanne in my 'cabin'.

Life is good. 

So, here is a sneak peek at my novel for this NaNo season:

Title: The Closing

Synopsis:

After her husband takes a bullet to the head in the line of duty, Melissa begins feeling like someone is watching her. No one can tell her what he was investigating, or why he was in that abandoned house, not his partner, or even her husband.

The doctors are calling it Traumatic Brain Injury. They say that he may, or may not recover. He may or may not spend the rest of his life the mental age of six years old.

With the unknown closing in on her, Melissa has no choice but to fight back on her own terms to save her husband... and her life.



Excerpt:

Melissa Briggs pulled into the parking lot of the Weston Psychiatric Hospital in her beige Honda Civic.  Putting the car into park. She sat there with her hand frozen on the gear shifter.  One deep breath, then another… and another.  You can do this.  Stop thinking and just get moving. She scolded herself as another wave of nervous nausea hit her.  She took a sip of coffee, and digging around in her purse, produced a tube of waterproof mascara.  Pulling down the visor mirror, she touched up her makeup, and lip gloss.  Inspecting her reflection, she thought that she almost looked normal, except for that hint of swelling around the eyes and nose.  The tell tale signs of a late night crying session.  Crap. She slammed the visor up, and put on her Jackie-O sunglasses.  Grabbing her bag, she stepped out of the safety that her little car provided.  She smoothed her blouse, and worried for the hundredth time that jeans were not an appropriate choice to see your husband for the first time in two weeks.  Too late now, just stop thinking about it. 

Unplugged...

Hey! I haven't vanished... just and unexpected and very temporary UnPlugging. 

 

I shall return next weekend.  I hope everyone has had a great holiday weekend! 

Happy writing friends!  

The Siren calls...

In Greek mythology, the Sirens (Greek singular: Σειρήν Seirēn; Greek plural: Σειρῆνες Seirēnes) were dangerous creatures, portrayed as femme fatales who lured nearby sailors with their enchanting music and voices to shipwreck on the rocky coast of their island.


I have been dealing with some of that yucky real world stress this week.  *bleh*

You know how that stuff goes for a writer buried in a WIP... at least for me... it goes something like this:

1. I fight off the stress with the initial "I can't deal with this right now, I have to write".

2. The stress refuses to be ignored, growing until it can no longer be called stress, but is now "that ugly thing that resides where my sweet temperament once lived".

3. I go days with out being able to write, but given the surreal state of my surroundings during these times, I don't even realize that much time has passed, until it's too late.

4. My characters seem a bit stale and distant.  They are angry that I have abandoned them, and are giving me the silent treatment.

5. I beg them to forgive me, reliving all those fun times we had together... while I convince my husband that it's not Schizophrenia, and it's normal for writers to talk to their characters. ;)

6.  My characters do not soften at my pathetic plea for mercy, instead, other characters that were listening in on these one sided conversations from the outerlands of my imagination, have entered and offered me comfort in a new story.  They are tempting and seducing me with bits of dialogue, and touching moments with unexpected joys and sorrows.  They make me want to explore this new world.  They make me want to forget the commitment to my current WIP, and I feel wrong about it... but the enticing world is right there... waiting...

It never fails. 

I will finish my current WIP.

I will ignore the Siren call of the next project.

I hope she waits for me.


How do you deal with the Siren call of the next great idea?  Do you stop what you are working on and write what you are feeling?  Or do you power through... after all, it is a job... right?

From my crazy playlist...

A few weeks ago, I posted on my facebook page:

"I have been having trouble with character shifts, like POV.. I couldn't go from one characters voice to the other very easily...they are such drastically different people.

Solution: different play list for each main character.

I know ...what you're thinking...major time waster, right?
 
 On the contrary... if you have a feel for your character...just use http://tvshowmusic.com/shows ... poof! ready made soundtracks!

It has really helped me today!"

I would like to update that: 

LOUD music, I find, not only helps me to get into the tone of my WIP...but,I am staring to notice that if I pick the right play list for the scene that I'm working on, and really crank it in my ear buds (disclaimer: loud music may be harmful to your hearing;) it has a bonus of really shutting up my internal critic. :D
So... for this weekends blog post, I'm sharing some of my favorite and most ECLECTIC music choices for my writing ...

V'WALAH! *theatrical gesture* ;D

The Knux - Bang!Bang!Bang!

Florence +The Machine - My boy build coffins

Joshua Radin - No Envy, No Fear

Thirty Seconds To Mars - The Kill

(of course! LOL)

The Pierces - Got a Secret

Lykke Li - I'm Good, I'm Gone

Teddybears - Cobrastyle

Florence + The Machine - Bird Song

Club Foot - Kasabian

Beggar's Prayer - Emiliana Torrini

Yes, this is a very weird mix... I know... but I have different playlists for each of my characters since they are such different people. :) and I pulled a little bit from each. I hope you enjoy!

How do you pick your playlists?

Light layers... and a stiff drink.

First of all, let me begin this post by stating the obvious:
  I am still experimenting to find my most efficient writing system.  I have been writing for a long time, and have studied it for years... but I still feel like I can do better.  What I mean is... I still get way bogged down by all that story.


I have heard a lot of other writers talking about how they “write in layers”, and I thought that just wasn’t for me. I never was able to really do it.

I have been reading several different writer’s blogs over the last year, and they all do things a little bit differently… but the one thing that they all seem to agree on is layering… so, I’m finally giving it a try.

Wow.  Where to start?

When I thought of writing in layers, I thought that I would be layering the actual manuscript, (during the draft and composition phase), and that just seemed too confusing to keep all that straight. A novel is a HUGE undertaking, and to keep my notes and all the chapters straight is so overwhelming that more days than not, I’m a tiny bit frazzled. (hence my obsession with organizing.  Some days, it felt like all I could do was shuffle things around!)

If I’m being honest here, I will tell you that most of the (many) novels that I’ve started, were not finished because I simply got my plot lines “tangled up” (in the words of the great Stephen King.) I was hopelessly ensnared in a web of story that was too big for me to get my own head around and I simply wanted to start fresh with my shiny new idea and forget about the wretched thing!

So now that I have reached the dreaded point in my current WIP where I am, once again, getting my plot lines crossed... I tried something new (at least to me).  I broke my plot lines down,  as they are thus far… and ran through each thread top to bottom, looking for weak spots. I did this one at a time.

Then, I broke it down by character. From each character’s POV, each plot line… top to bottom… so far so good. I even saw a few neat new bits I could add just looking from a different POV.

So this is what I’m trying…

I know my ending… I know what has happened thus far, and what needs to happen 'tomorrow'. I don’t have a total story outline, so I am half outlining, and half discovery writing. So to try writing in layers, I am using the daily scene snapshots to log each days writing on a separate document, they fall together just like an outline so that I can see them all in order, or if I need to switch them around, and build off of them. 

Grrr.

It still amazes me, how one day I feel like my WIP is going fantastic, and the next, I feel like I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing even after years of practice and study.

This is that part where writers tend to feel like they are "playing writer", I suppose. :)

I shall power through!  Today I shall write 10k!!!

:)

Negative Habit

neg·a·tive

   /ˈnɛgətɪv/ Show Spelled [neg-uh-tiv] adjective, noun, adverb, verb, neg·a·tived, neg·a·tiv·ing, interjection

adjective

1.expressing or containing negation or denial: a negative response to the question.

2.refusing consent, as to a proposal: a negative reply to my request.

3.expressing refusal to do something: He maintained a negative attitude about cooperating.

4.prohibitory, as a command or order.

5.characterized by the absence of distinguishing or marked qualities or features; lacking positive attributes ( opposed to positive): a dull, lifeless, negative character

----------

I am not a naturally laid-back person... I have to work at it. I know this seems like a paradox, but I tend to care about things a tad too much. What can I say, I'm a very passionate person. :)

I truly believe that negativity and complaining (constantly) are toxic to the body and mind, as well as addictive.

I strive for positive thoughts. After all...it could always be worse, and you should count your blessings and be grateful. I try to keep my complaining to a minimum.

Don't get me wrong... I believe a good vent every now and then is very healthy... but I try to vent responsibly. No one likes that friend who still "vents" about the wrong that was suffered upon them last year.

I know this doesn't seem like a post about writing, but I truly believe that you need to have a positive outlook to be able to think creatively. Negative thought is very habit forming (not to mention, contagious), and if you are exposed to it on a regular basis, even if you try to stay positive, that negativity will seep in.

Once that negativity is in there... your confidence, energy, and even your characters suffer!

I never realized how common place it is, (at least in my neck of the woods), for these seemingly innocent little complaints, or negative thoughts to be used as the main structure of "small talk" until recently. It is simply terrible how many times I find myself in one of these conversations!

This is the stuff that blocks creativity, and I am actively trying to break this "Negativity Habit".

So the question is this: how do you block negativity from your day to day life when it is the socially accepted form of communication?  How do you keep a positive friendship with a negative friend?

Is this why writers tend to be hermit-ish? LOL!

Scouting for footholds...

I have never been one of those writers who can just sit down and write. You know who I mean, those people who “think with their fingers”, the free writers… I can’t even stand to just sit and type what I’m thinking!

If I were to get up each morning and sit down at my keyboard and free write for ten minutes, it might go something like this:

I have no real idea what to write today, but I’m going to sit my butt down here and type about my book until I get good and warmed up, even if.. I think I forgot to press the BREW button on the coffee pot, damn it… well… too late now, I set my egg timer already. It’s much too soon in the day to break my own rules. Speaking of egg timers, eggs sound really good right now… hmm.. I think that last thing I had to eat was that chicken snack wrap yesterday afternoon… that’s probably not very healthy. If I don’t eat better I’m gonna screw up my metabolism, at least that’s what mom tells me… speaking of mom, I should call her… I haven’t talked to her in a while… Maybe I’ll ask her to lunch this week. Maybe I’ll invite her to that new Cajun… crap! Write ABOUT THE BOOK, CASEY! Okay, about the book, the booookkk… soooo I’m thinking about maybe having my main character… oh you know what I think my villain maybe … um… suddenly there is an asteroid plummeting from the sky!!!

That is ten minutes of my life that I will never get back.

I think Ernest Hemingway said it best, in his quote:
“I learned never to empty the well of my writing, but always to stop when there was still something there in the deep part of the well, and let it refill at night from the springs that fed it.”

If I’m expecting to climb Mount Manuscript, I’m going to bring my climbing gear, and I am not going to start climbing until I scout out my footholds. That is my route to the top. :) Especially as a newer “climber”, being less experienced, I don’t trust myself to go wandering around on that mountain side with out getting completely lost.

I usually have a "scene snapshot", that consists of about a sentence description of what comes next:

CHELSEA GETS CALL RE: DISTRICT ASSIGNMENT AS NEW DETECTIVE (HAD JUST PASSED EXAMS)/ASSIGNED A PARTNER

Its one line, shortened as much as possible, just enough to remind me what direction/emotion my story is heading in this next bit.  I write this line at the top of that days composition note book page (I keep a fresh composition notebook journal for each project.) and then I mull it over as I wait to fall asleep.  If I have any additional thoughts about the scene, any ah-hah! moments if you will... I jot them quickly on the comp page below the scene snapshot. 

I have been doing this for a little while now, and I really has doubled my productivity! I am happier with my writing day, and enjoying it much more.  I wake up excited to get to the WIP that I have been gearing up for all night! 

I would like to point out, that this is not the same as an outline, but it has some of the same benefits. :) It is, quite possibly, the best of both worlds... a harmony of outlined preparation, with discovery writing fun!

*yay*

NOTE:
If you like this way of writing, I recommend reading Rachel Aaron's Pretentious Title (she has many of these styles in her toolbox, plus her blog is fun to read.)

Its official...

Okay, friends... I did it!  I took my husbands name. :) 

I am Casey L. Clark.

Currently my URL is http://caseylconley.blogspot.com

Since caseylclark.blogspot is taken, I have to put some thought into my new URL... I'll keep you guys posted on this, but for now, I'll just leave it as is. :)

I must admit, it wasn't an easy decision.  I have been Casey L. Conley for 31 years.  It was a bitter-sweet moment, when I hit delete on the Conley in my profile. 
I am happy, and excited for this new part of my life to begin, so I felt a tiny bit silly at being sad over changing my Twitter handle!

 *I know, right?*

I think we all have those moments, those little things that make us nostalgic. 

Exciting changes are happening, my friends!  In the last year I have undergone some major life shifts!  I have to say, its been a wild ride... but now I'm am so excited to settle into my new life (and a little peace and quiet!).

Its gonna be good. :)

p.s.  I have been a terrible blogger, with everything going on... but I shall do better! promise!!! :D

What's in a name?

So, as some of you know... I just got married. *happy dance* 

:D

I am in the process of taking my husbands name, do I change my public name? 

If I want to write under my legal name I should change everything now, before it is too complicated and I have contracts, etc... right? 

I have heard other authors talk about legal ramifications of using a different name for publication, when you switch publishing houses for whatever reason... not that I foresee this as an issue, but I do want to be smart about these things.

I would like to use my married name, Casey Clark. (the literary world loves Clarks :) *plus it has a Stan Lee style alliteration to it, much like my maiden name, only better!*

Decisions, decisions.

I’m pretty sure this is normal…

 

So, as I have mentioned before, I recently quit my job.  I am dedicating myself to my writing full-time.  *yay!*

So far, it has been two weeks.

I’ve scrubbed every inch of my house, cleaned out all of the closets, stocked the pantry cupboards and fridge, washed the dishes (countless times), made a few dozen pots of coffee… pretty much I’ve caught up on everything… except writing. 

*bangs forehead on desk*

My self-preservation/self-sabotage reflex is strong.  I poured every ounce of myself into my writing with my free time while I was burning the candle at both ends.  Now it seems that with a lack of “schedule pressure”, there is a lack of motivation. (and not a small amount of pointless fear mingled with my excitement).  To this I say: time to just do it.

No planning, or overthinking. 

This is the time to just get in the routine of writing.  Just sit at my computer everyday, even if I don’t keep what I write, I need to reconnect with that part of myself that withered during these last four months. 

And if the last two weeks have taught me anything, it’s that I need to do it FIRST THING! I get side tracked soo easy! *the other morning I went into my study, turned on my computer, and then went to make coffee while it was booting up, no problem, right? WRONG!  I wound up washing the dishes while I was waiting for the coffee, then proceeded to mop the kitchen while it cooled, and I was in full domestic scrub mode by 9am!* :)

So to all you writers out there that have gone through this rough patch… any advise or tips?