And Now There Will Be Three

First there was “Kiernan’s Curse,” which I am still revising and marketing.

Then there was “Devon’s Wish,” which is waiting for revising.

And now?

Now???

There is “Benen’s Burden,” which I have already written the first couple paragraphs. 

Just like Devon is 100 years after Kiernan, Benen is 100 years after Devon.

It starts with a (figurative) bang, too. (Should I tell ya??  )

I guess I’m going to have to figure out how to write two big projects at once (instead of writing one and editing another) because I’m still working on “Navajo Rose,” which is a contemporary taking place from Arkansas cross-country to California.  (That’s the one I asked about the rock songs for the other day.)

Filed under: editing, revisions, writing , editing, Ireland, Jen Nipps, jennipps, revising, writing

Late 80s/Early 90s Rock

Ok, guys, I have a favor.

I’m working on a current story that takes place in current times but the main character is a big fan of late 80s/early 90s rock.  I have a few songs, but let’s just say I wasn’t really into that music in that time.  I was more into pop and country.

So…

Hit me with ‘em!  Tell me some of your favorites from, say, 1987 to 1993.

Filed under: writing , early 1990s, Jen Nipps, jennipps, late 1980s, music, rock music

Monday Poetry Train

Woo-hoo!  The Poetry Train didn’t get derailed this week. 

This one is relatively recent.  I think it’s from May this year.

Cacophony

Calls of the birds
All around the cabin
Claim my auditory
Orifices, no longer
Permitting me to sleep
However much I prefer it.
One in particular consistently
Nags me to wake up even though I
Yearn the cacophony to silence.

Filed under: poetry train , Jen Nipps, jennipps, poetry, verse

New Links

I just found out two of my friends/acquaintances have blogs.  So be sure you check out PETiQuette and Jacki’s Blog.  (Remember, links will open in a new window.)

I haven’t written a thing since Wednesday evening.  No writing isn’t going to get me anywhere, so I need to get back to the grindstone.  First, though, I have to do some day-job work.  *s*

I have to admit to being a bit anxious about a couple submissions I have out.  It’s almost time to hear back on a couple, so I’ll likely be antsy until I hear one way or the other. 

(Let it be good.  Let it be good.  lol)

I’m going to try to get back on board the Poetry Train later today.  Hopefully that train won’t be derailed again.

Filed under: not writing, poetry train , Jen Nipps, jennipps, OWFI

Happy Thanksgiving

I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving Day with your families of blood and of heart.

I’ll be back to posting in a few days.

Filed under: not writing , Jen Nipps, jennipps

Finagling Finances

Yes, money has a direct impact on writing activities.

Tonight, I’m looking at a conference in Chicago.  I’ve pseudo-committed to going.  I know I can afford the conference rate.  The hotel won’t be a problem.

What, then, is the problem?

Getting there.

So far, the lowest rate I’ve found for airfare is $50 leaving out of Dallas.  Ideally, I’d leave from Oklahoma City, so I’m still looking.  It may be that the Dallas rate will be the one to go with.  It’s non-stop, too, which is a good thing.

Before I found that rate, the lowest I had found was $350.  I can’t do that, but I can do the $250.  Yes, it’s a bit more than I wanted to pay, but it’s still within my budget (moreso if I sell any of the articles I have pending at the moment).

Filed under: writing , airfare, conferences, Dallas, Jen Nipps, jennipps, money, Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, travel, workshops

Strengths

Nita, a friend online and off, tagged me with a meme she had been given.  The aim is to list five of your strengths as a writer/artist.  You must not mention any weaknesses.  Once you have completed it, tag four others.

1. Lifetime Student – I am ever-curious, ever wanting to know more about something.  Around people, I rein that in so as not to appear too much of a super nerd (description per my mother, but it is appropriate).  Writing something I know little about allows me to exercise and even sate some of the curiousity.
2. Creativity – I am a creative person and it has taken me a long time to admit this.  Creativity provides fuel for the writing engine.  I doubt I could do much of what I have done without it.
3. Persistence – This is, admittedly, the same as Nita’s “perseverance.”  Still, I have to list it.  Very little would get done without it.
4. Curiosity – I mentioned this already in the first strength, but it deserves a listing of its own.  I think a person can like the activity of learning without being innately curious.  Ther are things people want to know about.  The difference I see is I want to know as much as I possibly can about something, not just enough to satisfy the momentary curiosity impulse.
5. Procrastination – Used in this sense, procrastination is a strength although it can easily be a weakness (and often is).  There is such a thing as necessary procrastination.  Those are the times when you’re too close to whatever it is you are working on.  You need to put off working on it for a while, be it a day, a week, or a month, in order to gain some distance from it and be able to approaching it with a fresh mind.  (This is especially true in editing/revisions.)

I’ve been thinking about who to tag.  I think I’m going to go with plaidearthworm, Jenn, Tirgana, and Jeni.

Filed under: editing, revisions, writing , creative, creativity, friends, Jen Nipps, jennipps, meme, strengths, writing

A Bit About POV

I’ve been noticing lately there have been some search strings bringing people to ths blog looking for information on point of view (POV).

I don’t claim to be an expert on POV, but I’ll put a little bit about it here. If there are more searches/questions, I’ll find some sources to link to.

Types of POV:

1st Person — Told from the viewpoint of “I/me.” In my opinion, it’s the most difficult to write. Examples of 1st Person POV include Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series.

2nd Person — Told from the viewpoint of “you” as though the reader is the main character in the story. THis is rarely used. I can’t think of any specific examples or authors. Remember the “choose your own adventure” books from the 80s (which I’ve noticed recently are making a bit of a comeback) where you’re presented with two or more choices to continue along the story? Those are/were in 2nd Person.

3rd Person — Told from the viewpoint of “he/she.” There are subsets of 3rd Person.
3rd Person Limited — This stays with one or two characters for the entire story. The reader doesn’t know anything the character(s) don’t, unless there is more than one character, in which case the reader could well know something the other POV character doesn’t.
3rd Person Omniscient — These stories are generally god/author as narrator. Many times, the reader knows everything, including what the character(s) don’t. To me, this POV invites head-hopping, moving from one character to another to another to another (or even back-and-forth between two characters without a scene break or something to take you directly into the other character’s POV) and can be confusing.

Of the projects I have going or have recently completed, three (“Navajo Rose,” “Kiernan’s Curse,” and “Devon’s Wish”) are 3rd person limited. Only one (“Confessions of a Fat Chick”) is 1st person (and honestly gives me problems because of that).

So that’s a bit on POV. See you next time.

Filed under: POV, point of view, writing , 1st Person, 2nd Person, 3rd Person, Jen Nipps, jennipps, point of view, POV, writing

Sandy Eyes

That’s how they feel anyway.

I’ve just finished going over “Kiernan’s Curse” again. I think this makes the sixth time.

I never thought I’d get tired of this story, but I’m starting to get there. I still like it and I still think it’s a good story, but I’ve been over it so many times that I’m ready to call it done and shelve it, except for marketing, submissions, and promotion stuff.

I decided to drop NaNo. I have too many other things working and some personal stuff going on that I’m already way too behind on it to be able to catch up with anything.

I’m not abandoning the project, just not running with it for all I’m worth at the moment.

Filed under: editing, writing , Jen Nipps, jennipps, NaNoWriMo

Enough Alredy!

Somebody needs to take the Clue Stick away from the Universe and tell it to quit beating me over the head with it.

Lately, a lot of people have been asking me about “Confessions of a Fat Chick” and NOT meaning the blog. I know my Grandma told some of these people. But….

A lot of them are people she doesn’t know. Granted, they could find out about it on the ‘Net. Again, but….

Many of them are older, which is not an insult by any means, but I know they don’t use a computer or the Internet.

How do they find out about it?

I’ve been hit with the clue stick a few times today and just about bludgeoned with it earlier this week, so I think I need to shelve Navajo Rose and work on CFC instead.

Filed under: writing , Jen Nipps, jennipps