Kindle loving Steve smiles at his purchase

I have a Kindle.  It is smooth and sweet and I’m thinking of naming it Steve.  As in Guttenberg (2 “s”).  As in Gutenberg (1 “s”) Press and Gutenberg Project.  I love www.gutenberg.org, where all books are free and I can find first hand accounts of whatever I’m researching.  Like Victorian Egypt, where my characters decided to go.  Why, I don’t know.  They’re unpredictable like that.

My book budget (ha, ha, as if) hasn’t taken too great a hit.  I’ve downloaded two books and a magazine subscription.  I’ll let you know about “The Help” when I’m done reading it.

Meanwhile, head over to www.writerslikeme.com for my handy writing hints and publishing news.

So, what would your pet relate if they had opposable thumbs?

Take care and visit me at www.writerslikeme.com

Cheryl

Cheryl

As CNN and People look back every year at what happened and who died, I think it’s just as important to review your own year.  What did you accomplish? What disappointed you?  What surprised you?  Are you where you thought you should be?  Why not?

For myself, I’m in a different spot than I thought I would be.  Writing is a part of my life, but it’s gone in a new direction.  That’s neither bad nor good.  Just different.  And exciting.  I love my characters and I enjoy being part of their journeys.  I’ll won’t cuss when my muse doesn’t show up, because, ultimately, I am my muse.  There is no fairy waving magic words in the air, no benevolent (or mean spirited) force influencing me.  If I don’t produce, it’s my own fault.  If the words flow, it’s because of my talent.

Not long ago, I read a writing exercise.  It’s beautiful in its simplicity:

If nothing was holding you back, what would you do?

For 2010, what’s holding you back?  Why aren’t you doing what you want?

Make a commitment in 2010.

by Meghan Rizzo

A woman’s heart is a vessel of complex desires; within it lies a conflict between needs and dreams. The woman needs security and comfort, but craves adventure. She wants to be treated well, but understands the allure of the ‘bad boy.’ She knows there is no such thing as a perfect relationship, but she will never give up on true love.

No matter how content she may be, no matter how many of her needs are met, at times, wistful memories of beloved childhood fairy tales and their ‘happily ever afters’ arise. When life becomes routine and just a bit too comfortable, a certain longing takes hold, an escape is needed, and this woman suddenly finds herself in love with a fictional character.

Fictional characters represent the absolute ideal. They are perfect to the point of being inhuman (and many of them are). How many times, for example, does an author describe the central romantic character having to use the bathroom or even eat? This character leads a life full of adventure and drama, without tending to the mundane and routine necessities of life, and a women smitten with such a character imagines herself his beloved companion. She lives vicariously through the pages of a book or the glow of a TV screen.

Surprisingly, some of the characters women lust after possess highly undesirable traits. Dr. Gregory House, for example, of the TV show House M.D. has become quite the sex symbol. However, his character is addicted to narcotics, he is cold and mean-spirited, and he takes a sadistic sort of pleasure in making others uncomfortable. So, why the appeal? Each woman imagines herself being the sole individual who can tame the beast within, and how special she would feel if she were the only one considered worthy enough not only to be treated nicely by such a character, but to be adored by him. The current vampire mania also confirms this theory.

Women who fall in love with fictional characters are not delusional. They do not expect their objects of affection to climb out of their novels or TV screens and sweep them off their feet. They are merely indulging in fantasy, and this is a healthy outlet for any woman who finds herself slightly bored with the status quo.

Falling in love with fictional characters is actually quite common and there is nothing abnormal about it. Fantasy makes for a wonderful pastime and it is particularly useful for women already in relationships as fantasy can enhance sexual experiences.

On the other hand, the desire for an individual who doesn’t even exist can be damaging if it becomes overwhelming. The besotted woman might find herself expecting the real people in her life to be like these fictional characters. Obviously, no one can live up to expectations based in fantasy and a woman who has unrealistic demands will find herself sorely disappointed.

Some women even become obsessed with these fabricated objects of affection. They might spend an inordinate amount of time perusing fan websites or watching the same film over and over again. This is not healthy and might even be indicative of a mental illness such as depression.

When a woman can find a balance in which she has appreciation for her real, but flawed life and can accept fantasy for what it is, then falling in love with a fictional character poses no harm and can actually be great fun.

Are you participating in this year’s NaNo?  What story are you working on?

How can you kickstart your muse?

Don’t get out of the habit of daily writing.  It’s easy to do.  Life intrudes and “I’ll write tomorrow” can become a mantra.  Instead, set your alarm for 10 minutes.  You’ll be surprised how much you can write in that time and how much over the limit you’ll go.

Turn off your inner editor.  Don’t search for the perfect word.  I’m a fan of XXX.  When in doubt for the best word, the name of that character in the 2nd chapter, or whatever it is that you’re stuck on, insert XXX.  When you come back to it during your edits, it won’t seem as important.

Don’t reread what you’ve written.  In preparation for this retreat, I printed off the last ten pages of what I’d written.  I never looked at them.  I started from the last sentence and pushed on from there.

Even if you think you’re writing dreck, it’s good dreck.  Not every building can be the Taj Mahal.  Sometimes you have to start with a straw hut and make a lot of improvements.

Now that my book is done, I have a week to go through it and make my first cut of edits.  On Nov. 1st, I’m starting a new story.  I won’t be shooting for the full 50,000 words, but I’ll be participating in my own version of NaNoWriMo http://www.nanowrimo.org/ and taking my own advise.

Happy writing!

Could I get any closer?

Apparently, Wordpress has a maximum limit for photos.  This shows 1/4 of the true picture.  The photographer wasn’t two feet from me, and you can’t see the pretty deep rose sweater I wore, but the squint is at a minimum!

And I’m not scowling, as my daughter always claims – I think hard.  Hopefully, about my characters and what trouble I can make for them.

I ask because I recently picked up a new book at the library, a novel I’ve heard good things about.  I’m barely 40 pages into it, and wonder at the wisdom of plunging in any further.  Maybe I’m put off by the daunting size – almost 800 pages.  Or maybe I’m used to the Hero’s Journey style of storywriting.  This book has no gripping hook or invitation to the other world, and I haven’t related to the myriad characters introduced so far.

I once read you should use the following formula in determining how many pages you should read before giving up : 100 minus your age.  I think that’s about right.  There are too many good books out there that are more worthy of my time.  Goodness knows, I have lists and lists of them, not to mention my TBR pile (currently outweighed by my discard pile.)

What is your book “nyet” factor?