Another week of winter passed us by, another week of creativity! Hopefully we’ve had the last snow of the year. On Tuesday we received about nine inches but with thirty-five mile per hour winds, we ended up with drifts nearly four feet high. Normally it takes about two hours to completely clear our driveway and the apron. This time it was closer to five. Roll on spring!
Why I want to Write–What’s Led Me to This Stage in My Life
When I’m working on outline for one of my stories, initially I don’t worry about reality. A beginning idea is transformed from a basic plot, who and what, without consideration for where and when. As I write I’ll jot down a number of potential scenarios, some which may be eliminated later while others become the basis for a specific chapter or thread in the story.
For example, in ‘The Kurdish Connection’, there is an international team and the Kurds. I wanted someone to monitor activities of several team members. This led to the creation of a government watcher from one agency, a two-person team from another agency (although that isn’t obvious at first), and a second two-person team supporting the Kurds. The two-person teams were initially identified solely by physical characteristics, Thin Man, Fat Man, Beady Eyes, and Spectacle Man, until eventually their names appeared.
As time goes by, internet and book research is added into the outline, leading to where and when. Some ideas are shelved, but not erased, as I never know when I might want to refer back to something. A general premise is created and I’ll begin work on the first chapter. As a plotter, the outline is a useful tool for me, but it’s always subject to change.
My Work in Progress
Since finishing the first draft of ‘The Kurdish Connection’ I’ve been busy reviewing the various critiques I received and adding recommendations into my manuscript for when I commence editing. As of today, I’ve gone through the prologue and the first seven chapters. In a couple of weeks or so, the editing phase will begin.
I also completed and posted the second chapter of ‘A Cartel’s Revenge’ to the two subscription writing sites I use. Excellent feedback for improving my writing and keeping the story pointed in the direction I intend to go.
My brain cells were firing away this week at maximum velocity. I had always planned for ‘The Kurdish Connection’ to be the first in the Bedlam series. I’m not sure if ‘A Cartel’s Revenge’ will be part of a series or not.
I’ve now added three additional plots to the Bedlam series and given each one a working title: ‘A Malicious Affiliation’, ‘Carnage in Singapore’, and ‘Ultimate Escalation’. The premise for each will be available next Sunday.
Blog Posts I’d Like to Share
Every week I continue to skim through dozens of blogs, sometimes for enjoyment purposes and other times to help stimulate my creativity. Today, I’d like to share the following blogs with you. Both provide inspirational thought through prose and/or poetry. I hope you’ll find something of interest.
Daily Inspiration – this blog blends writing from different authors and poets and is a good place to lose yourself in a world of inspiration.
A Whispered Wind – the writing of Lori Carlson, a mixture of poetry and prose and well worth a read.
Books I’m Reading
This week I’ve been reading ‘DeathByte’, the sequel to ‘Bloodridge‘ a novel by D.S. Kane. I’m not quite finished, so my thoughts will be provided next time.
Writing Resources
This week I’d like to mention an additional writing resource I’ve acquired to help improve my writing and storytelling. I think the titles capture the purpose of the books very well.
The Emotion Thesaurus – A Writer’s Guide to Character Expression.
Show Don’t Tell – The Ultimate Writer’s Guide.
This concludes another week’s ramble. Hope you found something of interest or at least useful for your own writing. Until the next time, thank you for reading!