My New Partner In Crime...

This past weekend I discovered I have a great new writing partner to bounce ideas off of. I discovered he'd been living in my house for the past 15 1/2 years. :-)

This past weekend my oldest son caught the writing bug as he sat down next to me when I was working on my story Cursed. (this was the untitled story I was working on back on May 25, 2013 that has now changed focus entirely. Dominique isn't in it (she wll appear in the sequel) and now Tristan has a twin brother, Ethan)

He loves the plot and started tossing a few random ideas at me. Suddenly, he was pacing around and throwing out character descriptons and scenes... And as any writer knows ... once the pacing and brainstorming starts; S**t has gotten real. :-)

During our 2 hour session together my one story of Cursed has now been outlined to be 3 or 4 books we have entitled the Bloodlines Series. Three new characters and rich backstory were added and possible spin-off books for two of the characters (but that's down the road a bit.)

I am very excited. I wish I could bottle the energy that was flowing in my living room Saturday and sell it. I'd make millions!


~~ KEEP WRITING ~~

Prologues and Epilogues? The Alpha and Omega?

I'm currently working on a story that involves reincarnation and I was trying to figure out how to show the past life but focus on the current incarnation without clogging up the novel with weird flashbacks. Luckily I got some great suggestions from the United Critique Front group on Facebook. Then I also ran into this article the same day !

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Writers love writing prologues, epilogues, and flashbacks. Readers hate reading them. If you insist on writing them, make sure you know how, and when, to use them.
 Prologues can be used when the opening scene of your novel:
1.    Occurs long before the main story
2.    Is the ending to your story – making the entire novel a flashback (I may use this one day)
3.    Is written from a viewpoint that is never used again
4.    Is a real document
5.    Is integral to the whole of the story but is not immediately obvious (THIS WAS MY REASON)
Prologues must be powerful. The opening scene and the prologue must be able to stand alone. If your prologue takes anything away from your opening scene leave it out. 
Excerpt taken from Writers Write – How to write a book 

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I'm definitely a fan of the Prologue, I always have been since I was a young reader. I don't know why people complain. It gives a great one chapter back story and an epilogue gives a bit a closure and wraps it all up, or sets the scene for a sequel.

What are your thoughts on Prologues and Epilogues, Dear Readers?

~~ KEEP WRITING ~~

Helpful Links ...

I don't have much to post today so I'm reposting lol. This was posted on Facebook. Great helpful groups to join and pages to like if you're on Facebook.

Here are some pages you should go like:

Creative Teen Writers
Creating Fictional Worlds
Write Q&A
... Through The Eyes Of A Storyteller

Seriously, go like them! You can never have too many posts on writing filling up your news feed. It will help keep you inspired to write. :)

(Originally posted by ~ Paige at the Write On community group on Face Book)


~~ KEEP WRITING ~~

20 / 20 Plot Vision ...

            Being a writer you tend to look closer at themes; not just in books but even when you're watching a movie.

            I was watching Mystic River  ( Mystic River (novel), by Dennis Lehane / Mystic River (film), directed by Clint Eastwood and based on the novel ) with my son the other night. If you haven't seen it yet then my God what are doing with your movie collection!? It was definately heart wretching at some parts, but a very good movie with great writing.

            I've seen it before but this time since I've been writing more and learning about plotting and carrying a theme throughout a piece of work;it was a different experience.

            In the movie three boys are friends, they are playing street hockey one day and writing their names in cement when a "cop" comes and yells at them and takes Dave (Tim Robbins) away in their car as Sean (Kevin Bacon) and Jimmy (Sean Penn) watch from the middle of the street and Dave stares out of the back window; afraid. It turns out he wasn't a cop but a child molestor. As you can guess Dave is abused and is never the same.

            Three things jump out at me during the movie that instantly take you back to that point when they are boys. In one scene Dave gets in a car with some thugs and drives away looking out of the back with fear and uncertainty. And there is a later scene when Sean and Jimmy are in the middle of the street talking about Dave and the camera pans out; reminecent of how they watched Dave being driven away as a boy. At the end of the movie it zooms in on the cement block where they had written their names "Jimmy, Sean, and Da ...." Dave never finished his name because they were interrupted by the pedophile. In a sense .. Dave himself was never completed. He was lost during his days of abuse. Amazing writing.

Extras : Here is a post on Musings From The Slush Pile by Melissa Foster about "Weaving a Theme Throughout Your Book" ... Read more from Melissa on her her own site.  

PS : I did hear back from the judges of the 1000 Likes Contest. I am allowed to submit my short story even though it went over the 1000 word criteria. ( I got it down to 1222 by the way) They did say I would lose some points for going over, but I decided to submit it anyway. Wish Me Luck :-)

~~ KEEP WRITING ~~