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Processes.

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I’ve been off my writing grind for awhile, caught up in a busy time for my other job (driving grain trucks for harvest, believe it or not). It has given me time to realize, in a much more prolonged way, the processes I go through as an author. It was nearly a year ago that I made the big step which started me on the transition to “someday I will do this” to “I will do this now.” Over the past year I have learned a lot–to say the least! A lot of this learning has been about the industry, but much more has had to do with myself.

I go in cycles with my work. It starts out in trepidation, a lot of doubt and not much self confidence. But the need to write builds up and eventually I put words out there and feel an immense sensation of mental release.

Then I go back and read the words. This is an essential part of my process. When I’m writing I get so involved in the flow that I scarcely remember all the details the story accumulates. Thus, when I go back not only does it remind me of the plot twists, but it also builds my self confidence. I read my own words and my mind allows a not so humble thought (“hey, this doesn’t suck!”) to emerge.

This gives me confidence to write more. In my most confident moments I will go on a writing spree, accomplishing a chapter a day. I am high on the feeling of actually accomplishing my goals, and doing them well. This is how I got two manuscripts (rough drafts admittedly!) done in only six months.

After the high necessarily comes the low. For me, this comes with the denials, and the frustration of being stuck in the plot. When the writing isn’t flowing, I feel like it never will. When denial after denial flows into my inbox, I despair that is the only response my work will ever get. This is a recipe for sluggishness, a part of the process where I shy away from my Word document.

Thus, I’m back to trepidation and lacking self-confidence. Square one of my process. However, it is fascinating to inspect this circular way I work, and it is heartening to know that the next step is one in the right direction. Happy Friday!

Chapter 7 Thoughts

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Chapter 7–what a critical chapter for Capacitance! Here we finally learn a bit more about Mara’s project is, and we peer a little more into the secrets of her world. Hopefully suspense has been building for you as a reader up until this point as you wondered what Mara was working on in her lab. Chapter 7 gives the plot and the stakes of the story a little more of a foothold.The slight release and building of tension is what keeps a reader a happy and engaged one instead of a frustrated one. By giving a little, but not all, away in this chapter, readers remain invested in the story.

As I wrote this chapter and got more into the details of the story–especially the scientific details–I found myself having to take some more time away from the Word document and more time on the web and on scratch paper, hashing out ideas. The name for Meditrinum was created by looking up names of ancient gods and goddesses. I wanted the name of the drug to be smart, but rooted in tradition (creating another subtle facet of world building). Thus came a search of all these gods and goddesses and lo and behold I found Meditrina–goddess of health, longevity and healing. This was perfect for Meditrinum as the drug repairs DNA. So I found the goddess, added the -um suffix to make it sound more pharmaceutical, and there you have it. Creating names for things and people in a story all my own has been rather a challenge, but a thrilling one. For some characters, such as Runey, I knew what his name would be, innately. For others, such as Travers, I vacillated back and forth on what to call them, and I am still not entirely sure that the name was the right choice. However, I did enjoy naming Meditrinum; looking deeper into the development of the name and putting some research behind it was something I felt very strongly about. I love seeing other authors implementing this sort of word play with their made up words (I’m thinking J.K. Rowling here!) as it gives the older or more discerning reader a little more food for thought, or at least the delight of an intellectual discovery.

Another important aspect of this chapter is that it shows a different side of Mara. We see her get overwhelmed with stress in her lab; although we haven’t known her that long, we know as readers that Mara stepping away from a problem is not typical behavior for her! This shows readers (hopefully) that she isn’t just a workaholic. Faced with a potentially enormous problem that will affect not just her world, but her life as well, we see that even Mara doesn’t remain cool under all kinds of pressure. More importantly, this chapter shows a more humanistic side of Mara. Her meeting with Professor Travers shows her letting her hair down a bit and engaging in friendly socialization. Throughout the process of others reading Capacitance, some of the feedback I have heard is that Mara is not likable. Hopefully this chapter starts to diffuse that conception. Reading and writing styles are so subjective, but I love hearing people’s opinions–is Mara a likable character? Do characters necessarily have to be likable from the first instant they’re introduced?

Stieg Larsson’s Millennium Series (The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo)

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I am sorry for the lack of posts this week–everything is off balance with my travels of the past weekend, but I am going to try and get back on track with the traditional Wednesday post about a book which has inspired me. Today I am talking about a series. A series which was tragically cut short and is very different from any of the other inspiring books I have written about on here. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, or Millennium series. I picked up the first book in the series randomly one summer when I was in college and looking for a snappy read to pass a long road trip–the book perfectly fit the bill. Not sure what to expect, I was instantly swept into the action and the non-conventional characters. Aside from being a compelling thriller that is sometimes physically impossible to put down, the three books in this series have lessons that all writers can take inspiration from. 

First and foremost are the characters–they aren’t your typical protagonists. Lisbeth Salander, the tattooed, bisexual, computer hacking genius with a photographic memory is not the standard archetypal female protag. And Mikael Blomkvist, while on the whole a very classic, likeable protagonist, is not without his confused, rather infuriating womanizing tendencies. Thus, these two protagonists are presented to readers and given ultimately compelling situations and challenges, making the reader invested in them, even when they don’t deserve it. These kinds of characters which blur the line between black and white right and wrong are, in my opinion, some of the most interesting types of characters–readers indentify with them, trust them and root for them while in reality, if they were to meet these people on the street, they might shy away or be judgemental. Through the art of writing and the act of reading, one is transported to a much more open-minded place. 

Next, I must credit Larsson for his treatment of controversial issues. He is not afraid to introduce rape, murder, and socio cultural issues onto the page. He shows this underbelly of society which most people might not want to talk about and makes it front and center to his plot line. Larsson’s advocacy for women in these books is incredible; through Lisbeth Salander, he shows a woman being put through hell and by placing her in a contemporary setting, he reminds readers that her story is not fiction for some. 

Larsson’s treatment of the contemporary setting is something I take inspiration from as well. Many of the books I read are historical or fantasy, so it is important to read things set in the present. Larsson does this in a very gripping manner. The reader feels like they have actually visited Sweden after reading the book, and (in my case anyway) leave the reading feeling very inclined to actually make a visit over. The books portray the very essence of how an American feels after traveling to Europe–that they have just experienced something very familiar and yet distinctly foreign. 

The only aspect of Larsson’s series that I don’t enjoy is that fact that it ended. The ten books originally planned are now just three due to the author’s untimely death. I read somewhere online that the outlines for the remaining seven books exist. I was talking to my Dad about how I was cheated out of the remaining books and said I hoped someone would write them for Larsson someday based on his outlines. Dad’s response, “Maybe that someone could be you.” If only I could do them so much justice! 

Monday Updates 

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I know I promised another chapter on Monday, but that is going to be delayed. I’m so sorry!! While living out in my secluded corner of the country is perfect for writing stories, it does present some technological drawbacks. Our internet connection is slow at best and has a monthly data allowance which is relatively low–this month it got used up. So my desktop computer is offline; since Capacitance is stored there, I can’t post the chapter from my phone. Thus, the delay! I hope to get the chapter up on Wednesday so stay posted! 

In the meantime, being offline, I have been working on Inductance. I thought I only had one chapter left, but I started writing that chapter and found that one chapter actually needs to be two chapters. So hopefully tomorrow I will actually have it finished! It’s always fun writing along and finding more depth to the characters at that point in the story. That’s what happened today; while it was kind of frustrating as I had hoped to sit down and finish the book, I definitely think the extra material is a good thing! 

This is also a busy week as I prepare for the conference in Austin this weekend. It will feel great to have Inductance finished when I set off for that trip. I have my agent consultation schedules and, while I didn’t get my top choice agents since I signed up late, I still think they will be very interesting to pitch to. I’m excited to see what comes of the weekend. 

Once again, I am sorry about the lack of chapters posted today! I’ll fix that as soon as I can! 🙂