Terescia's thoughts and such.

I’ve spent the weekend really getting used to yWriter from Spacejock Software (listed on my Software for Writers page).

I knew yWriter was a good program, because I’ve used it before, but since WriteWay Pro has been my main writing software for the last few years, I haven’t spent much time playing around with other software.

However, I recently started a new project and decided to give yWriter a shot this time, because I wanted to try something that used true text files–that way I can move my files around and even edit them on my pda without having to save it between formats.

If you haven’t tried yWriter and you’d like something powerful and free, try it. yWriter is an excellent, full-featured program. Nowadays, this programs has almost all of the features that I love in the WriteWay Pro program, including the ability to track work count progress (although not detailed like WWP’s reports), keep text notes on characters, print outlines/synopsis, work with a storyboard, and edit scenes independently of each other without losing the convenience of fewer files. (yWriter keeps the text files separated into chapters, whereas WWP is one single file.)

Give yWriter a try and let me know what you think about it. Are there particular features you like or don’t like?

I haven’t found anything that I didn’t like on the program, other than the inability to use italics or underlines. Other than that, I don’t do much formating of my work until I’m editing in the final stages.

I need to be alone to create, whether I’m alone in the sense that there’s no one here with me, or alone with myself and my thoughts in the middle of a crowd. As long as I’m able to center myself within my mind, I can enter my world and create.

However, times come when I can’t be alone or I’ll go crazy. Most humans need interaction with others and being a writer doesn’t really make me that different from everyone else.

I get lonely sometimes, when I look up from my computer and realize I’m not part of the world I’ve created. I’m not a character. I don’t live in that world.

The real world beckons.

There are writers who will tell you they never have problems separating themselves from the characters they create. Good for them. I’m not sure I always believe them, but who am I to say what goes on in another writer’s mind?

If I couldn’t become the characters I create, how can I be sure their actions and reactions are genuine? Because for me, creating a character is about more than writing down a set of actions and saying that’s what happened. The dispassionate observer will always make different choices than the one made by the person who’s actually in the moment.

This is why I believe a synopsis written before-hand will almost always lead you astray.

I become my characters and I write as if I were in the situation I’ve created, and my ideas come when I move about the room, talk to my friends and my enemies, see the things around me. I translate what I see and what I do into words and write them down.

This is the reason why I don’t think out my story before I create. This is the reason I have to be alone. When others are talking to me or interrupting me, I can’t be someone else. I have to be me.

But then the time comes for me to leave my world and re-enter the real world. Because a solitary writer doesn’t have to be a solitary person–can’t be, if authenticity of character is important.

The way people behave changes as society changes. A good writer has to stay on top of those changes so their characters are reflective of real people. Every person you write should have some basis from someone real. Only then can you write characters that real people care about.

The things real people do are great story fodder.

I don’t always want to be the characters I create, but there’s a strange joy in figuring out why someone has done something.

If you’ve hit a stumbling block with your story, think about your characters.

• Are they making genuine decisions or are you forcing some issue?
• Are you becoming that character in their moment of crisis or are you playing puppeteer?
• Is your character boring you?
• Have you reached a point where you don’t want to be the person you’ve created?

These questions can help you, if you think hard and are honest with your answers.

There are times when a writer must be solitary, but don’t assume you should always keep yourself locked up in a creative state. Sometimes you just need to listen and learn from the people around you, so that your ideas can flow freely.

(Comments on this topic are welcomed.)

It’s amazing how easy it’s becoming to find more time to write. Just this past week, I noticed that Amazon.com is now selling grocery items (Affiliate Link! :-). This wouldn’t be that big a deal, but as a member of Amazon Prime, I get free shipping on most of the items I buy through Amazon, and I live in a state with an enormously high sales tax rate (9.75%). I don’t pay taxes on my Amazon purchases.

Of course, if you’re not a member of Amazon Prime, and you’re not in a hurry to get your items, you can also take advantage of the Super Saver Shipping and still get your items delivered for free.
I love that I can now save myself two hours or more of time that would have been spent running to and from Wal-mart to pick up something my local grocery store doesn’t carry. My rural area has only one major grocery store and it never seems to have everything I need, and the things it does have are overpriced and undersized.

Writing time is precious these days, so the extra time is well worth the wait. As a relatively slow writer, two hours of time each week is several pages of whatever book I happen to be working on at the time. In a sense, those two hours each week could mean the difference between meeting my writing goals for the week or not (assuming I only go to the store once a week, which isn’t always true ;-).

On a personal note, I’m excited about the Amazon grocery sales because my sister must maintain a gluten-free diet. The stuff she has to buy is outrageously expensive as it is, but because of size of the town we live in, she has to drive over 50 miles just to buy a package of gluten-free potato flour.

Amazon sells lots of those specialty items and I can get them for her with my Amazon Prime account so she doesn’t have to pay for delivery. :-)

I read something on the AskAnAuthorAll loop (for RWA members) today that struck a chord with me. I’ve been suffering from the horriblest (not a word, I do know that) case of writer’s block I’ve ever found myself facing. It might not be a true case of writer’s block per se, because I believe it stems from stress related to building my new home and all its related problems and issues, but it has been a genuine problem for me for the last 6 months.

However, there’s another theory, and a post I read on the AskAnAuthorAll loop brought it to mind (actually, you could even say it spelled it out for me). This theory is that of the lazy writer.

How many times have I suffered from what I called writer’s block and yet knew what the problem was and how to fix that problem, but just didn’t want to do it? Or was too tired to do it? Or just didn’t feel like doing it? Or really needed to do other things?

I will admit, lately, with the house reaching a critical point in its development (the last roof is going on Monday and the plumbing rough-in is DONE and the electrician is anxious to get started), I have spent a lot of time on the phone, treking to and from the house, out shopping, etc, but there have also been a lot of days and nights when I’ve spent at least several hours watching television.
Not sure why I’ve chosen to unwind in front of the television instead in front of my keyboard, when my writing used to be my number one coping mechanism for life!

This is certainly going to require some thinking on my part. (I do love to analyze my behavior patterns, and no, I really don’t know why.) :-)

If you have any thoughts on this, do share.

If you enjoy taking trips, you might want a chance to win one from eHarlequin.

Visit www.eHarlequin.com and enter the Your Family Garden Contest for your chance to win a family trip for four.

Just thought someone might be interested in entering! I was. :-)

Here’s a really interesting link for anyone who suffering from a lack of inspiration. This writing prompt generator is on a site dedicated to writing for children, but I didn’t get childish ideas while I was playing around with it! Try it out.

Tell me, do writing prompts help you when you’re not feeling the love of writing?

So, it’s time for an interview with a first-time author, and who better to choose than my first-time writer friend, Heather Reed.

TERESCIA: You’re a soon-to-be published author, and I know that because you’re also my closest friend. I doubt I can be objective where my friend, business partner (WWR), and critique partner is concerned. Ah, well. We’ll pretend.

Anyway, I know you recently went through your first revisions for an editor. Was it as scary as you imagined it would be to make changes to your book based on someone else’s wishes?

HEATHER: Scary really doesn’t describe what it was like. At first, I looked at the revision letter and thought, “How am I going to change that?” But by the end of the revisions I couldn’t have been happier. All of the changes made the story stronger and I learned a lot about myself and my writing abilities.

Of course, it also helped that the editor I worked with at the time was really great. She answered all my questions and helped me work through whether or not some of the changes really needed to be made. All in all when the process was over I was pleased with the end result.

TERESCIA: Did you have trouble giving over control?

HEATHER: I won’t lie. Read the rest of this entry »

Ah, Dianne Castell, writer of Harlequin American and Kensington Brava books, and a truly lovely person! She was kind enough to let me pick her brain about writing, so please, if you enjoy the interview, let us know.

TERESCIA: I love to talk about writing. And there’s nothing like talking about writing and writing about writing to keep one from actually having to write, because writing is very hard work.

On that note, I’d like to ask what keeps you writing.

DIANNE: The stories. Most writers I know would write if they got paid or not. We have these stories running around in our heads and there’s no satisfaction until you tell it.

TERESCIA: What truly motivates you to write fiction?

DIANNE: Too much reality in the world already. Sometimes I think how can the world go on? Sooo, I write and read for fun. I need an escape once in a while. Turn off the news and stop reading the paper and pick up a fun book.

Read the rest of this entry »

I’ve let myself become slack in my keyboarding skills and lately, I’ve noticed a distinct backward trend in my ability to type a coherent word.

I don’t know if it’s because I get so excited with my ideas or that my mind just goes too fast for my fingers to keep up, but I have become overly dependent on the backspace key.

So, I’m relearning to type. If that’s something you can actually do, that is. I sure hope so. I think my writing sessions at the keyboard would be greatly improved if I could keep up a little better with the words flowing out of my mind.

I’ve gone to typeonline.co.uk and am using the typing practices.

Apparently I type anywhere from 44 words per minute to 68 words per minute, with anywhere from 1 to 14 errors. Ouch. No wonder I get frustrated when I’m typing! I’m really not that good at it.

LIE BY MOONLIGHT

By Amanda Quick

I don’t know if I’m mentioned it here before (but if you’ve seen my website, you know this bit of trivia, oh yes, you do), but I adore Amanda Quick novels. :-)

I read the excerpt for Lie By Moonlight in the back of The Paid Companion and I’ve had the almost uncontrollable urge to go out and buy the hardback. There was a day when I would have, no doubt, but these days, with the new house on the rise, I can’t afford hardbacks. I’m lucky I can afford paperback right now! No joke.

Anyway, I received the email from Jayne Ann Krentz’s newsletter that Lie By Moonlight was out in paperback a couple of days ago, so the next time I hit Wal-Mart (or it hits me), I intend to pick up a copy of the book.

Reading is supposed to be a good way to deal with stress, right?