Most times the little goodies the Girls in the Basement send you isn’t exactly marked on the calendar. So around the same time I decided to only write contemporary romance, I got an idea for a Women’s Fiction. It was one of those prettily wrapped nuggets of an idea. I could see the catalyst and the plot. This story would be funny, but dark.

That’s just it though, the story wasn’t a story, but a seed of an idea, a glimmer of plot. You can write a story with this much, but I put it away to see what would happen. Kind of like taking the seed and burying it in rich soil where it’ll get just enough nourishment. If it survived those harsh conditions–Me, not writing the idea and nugget down. Leaving it all up to my memory–then I’d come back to it.

Every month I’d see something, hear something and it’d make me think of that Women’s Fiction idea–watering it and giving it a little bit of sunlight–You know the Women’s Fiction idea that gets me excited every time I let myself think about it.

What I didn’t realize when I planted that seed was that stupid seed was really a vine. One that needed something to hold onto, but I was letting it go wild. And trust me it was getting everywhere. Writing the first draft of Lynne’s story, here goes a pesky tentacle of the vine from that Women’s Fiction. Editing Everything You Need, oh, there’s another one.

So, last week I gave in and created a wall where this stupid vine could grow. The inevitable next step was to get bits of dialogue. This is where my process of writing a book truly begins. I don’t know who my characters are until they talk to other characters. Now they can talk to me for months prior to this point and still I can ignore them on some level. They are only figments of my imagination. But when they start to grab other people and start talking…well, I love to eavesdrop.

So who did this nameless character talk to? The Grim Reaper. Yeah, from the initial seed I knew this story would have a hint of paranormal to it. But The Grim Reaper. Oy. And because of this, and the fact I like to make a secret joke when it comes to character names, I dubbed this character Desi as in Desdemona the character fated for Death in Othello. Oh, and there’s a hero who at this point hasn’t been named, but I can see him from my heroine’s POV. I don’t even think she really talks to him, but lust after him. But I’m leaning towards neighbor instead of co-worker…

And this is when those pesky vines start to climb up that wall, because I now have character. Or at least a sense of one. Most people get character first, then plot. This route, to me of course, is equivalent to putting out an audition for a play. You get a cast of people together who you get a good sense of and they somehow fit together. Then you go write the script for said play. *twitch, twitch* Instead I already have the script and I know I’m looking for someone who is squandering their life away on a misguided belief of eventually.

I’ll eventually go on that trip to Paris I’ve always dreamed of. I’ll eventually fall in love when the time is right. I will appreciate this person in my life eventually because they will always be there.

So from finding my plot first I knew I could weed out all the characters who are adventurous, but might need to settle down. Characters who don’t let their vacation hours stack up like stock chips to be cashed in at “some point”, but who still aren’t complete. The characters who have loved and loved deeply no matter the outcome. I know they are wrong for this role. Plus it’s NANO. I don’t have time to meander around for thousands of words exploring what would be the worst thing to happen to this character. I have the plot and catalyst I KNOW dying is the worst thing to happen to this character. And I know that truly living that no holds bar type of life is even more scary than death.

Did I mention this story has The Grim Reaper?

Anyway, I know have a general idea of what’s going to happen within the story. Even though CHARACTER comes last in this post, doesn’t mean I’m anywhere finished with finding out more about them. I’ll talk about the next step tomorrow. There might even be a list. Stay tuned.

Questions about any part of the process so far? How do you prepare for NaNo?

What’s ironic is when I set my goal in January for The Year of The Writer I really didn’t know what it meant. I knew it meant change, I knew it meant growth, but I didn’t know what it encompass. The great and scary thing about it is that I don’t know what this new me is going to encounter.

The important thing, I’ve discovered drive again. When I was Melthegreatest I had it in spades. *Come on, I called myself Melthegreatest.* I can look back and see being and getting publishing was a matter of when, not if. Back then I was only a submission away from getting the call. I’m a little ashamed to say getting published knocked the drive right out of me. I had succeeded.

Now what? That question has been plaguing me ever since. Get the next one published just seems so vague. What kind of book? To what publisher? What’s the next milestone?

And then knowing it all comes down to luck. Yes, you have to be prepared when luck comes by.The downside is being prepared for years and never having lady luck on your side. I would like to believe this new Melissa is much more humble. I would like to believe this new Melissa will never give up what she has found to be important.

Yet I know I won’t be the same Melissa Blue next year. There would be something in my path that will make me learn a new lesson. I just hope no matter how I change, I will always then in when not if.

Who were you a year ago? Who do you want to be in a year?

I hate to say it. I hate to even think something outside of a great story and good writing has any weight when it comes to selling your book–BUT it does. The rejections that suck the most are the ones that point out “I just took on a story just like this.”

I’m sure this is going to sound like me raining on the publishing parade, but TIMING is everything. And the worse thing is that you won’t know if it’s good or bad timing until the outcome. People in this industry say it’s like rolling the dice. I have to agree on some level. Every opinion on what makes a good book vs. a great book is subjective. Really trying to gauge your odds is insanity. So here is the real trick to being sucessful.

PERSISTENCE

Not to be confused with stubborness or hope, which can play a huge part in being sucessful, but it’s not the defining factor. Persistence is one of the top reasons I keep writing. I figure eventually the Powers That Be will get sick of me and publish my books already. Eventually my writing will hit the right agent/editor at the right time. But this advice is coming from someone who believes corny sayings like “The only way to fail is to never try.”

Yeah, you get what you pay for here.

Anyway, the true moral of this post is to write what you love to write. It’s the only thing in this business you can control and that actually makes sense. This isn’t to say ignore the market. ‘Cause seriously if you luck out you might end up writing what is selling like hotcakes. Keep growing as a person. Trust me, it will show in your writing. Lastly the only way to learn to write is to keep writing.

*Going back to writerly cave*

But that’s not the point.

The point is that I finally know how to fix Getting Over Mr. Wrong. This is the novel I plan to tackle on the first. This 20k train wreck has been sitting on my computer since March. At the time I didn’t know how in the hell to fix what was wrong with this novel. A lot of it had to do with not wanting to write anymore, period. The other half is that I knew in my gut I was going down the wrong path with this story.

The blessing and the curse that comes with a straight contemporary is that it rides on conflict and conflict alone. Yes, I know all books need this one essential element, but I’m here to tell you it’s VERY obvious when you don’t have it in a straight contemporary. Romantic suspense–pfft–the dead body, or the serial killer can provide you with what can be missing. A romantic adventure can stall without it, but then you have the treasure, clock ticking to beat the bad guy to help guide you through.

But a contemporary lacking true conflict, glares like a big ass laser, repeatedly, directly, into your sensitive retina.

Sorry I got sidetracked…

I need to thank Debra Nixon, or whatever her name is who started the Goal, Motivation, Conflict craze. Me, sitting in my Litigation class–and hopefully my teacher doesn’t read my blog–I wrote out my characters’ name and their GMC. The hero’s was easy. And then I started on the heroine. All I had at the top of the page was the heroine’s name and her occupation. Nothing I thought to write down locked into what the hero’s GMC would be. This is the one thing I need in order to keep writing on a story–the hero and heroine have to be at odds. Where I was headed in this story the heroine was already half in love with the hero, and the hero was going to fix all the heroine’s problems. THE END. A boring ass story, far from what it started out to be.

So, I did something I don’t normally do–I started to think. It hurt at first, but then I got used to the strain. I kept thinking about how could what the heroine needed conflict with what the hero needed. I really looked like I was paying great attention to what the teacher was saying. A plus for me–unless of course he’s reading the blog now…

And then like the post title, a lightbulb slapped me upside the head. The heavens opened, beaming down rays of light and the chorus of people song that high note “aahhh”. I now know the path this story needed to go down. My heroine shall exact her revenge on the male species. It’s a simple, tried, true brillant idea. A woman scorned, but since it’s a romance I must make her fall in love. She’s going to hate me. And this is usually the sign a book will be going very well from here on out.

*le sigh* I’m going to totally kick this books ass now. Can’t wait for the first.

But last night, desperate, and bored I watched season 1, espisode 3 and then 4. If I hadn’t been buzzing with new ideas, knowing I was on the right track with my story, I would have watched episode 5.

Thank you, Joss Whedon.

Thank you, Pam for bragging about how wonderful this show was. (You are totally getting a shout out in my next book.)

So, I have a 5,000 word goal to meet today. (I’m so close to the half-way point of 50k, I can taste it.) It’s not going to write itself.

Sidenote: I surfed the NaNo boards last night and realized I’m not crazy. Some people have already hit the 50k mark. (some above) They pfft at my measely 21k. Some are even trying to write 10k in five hours. Insane. I tells ya. Insane. *of course I totally want to try it.*

Let me give you the backstory first. I think it was about a week and a half ago or maybe two weeks ago I had a strange dream. Not a Martin Luther King type of dream, but as close as I’ll get as having one like him. I was in a wedding. Kid and Play were doing there famous dance and then my father, during the reception came up to me, with fear plain on his face, and said to me and told me I needed to get back to my room. My room was 613. (Even being asleep I knew I needed to take note of this. 13 is just my number.)

At this point, the dream really started to get strange. All of sudden I was a teenager again. I was between 14-16. I had a guy friend. He felt like my brother, but not blood related. We had powers. Cool powers. This evil being was following us, trying to erase us off the face of the earth. We were hiding from him, and right before I made myself wake up, were we about to defeat him.

More things happened in this dream than I’m willing to share, but all the details were so vivid. A part of myself was on high alert. It was like 5:30 in the morning, but I forced myself awake. I found the nearest pen and paper and started to jot down all the details the dream had given me about this world and the powers that I had and my friend had. The idea bugged the hell out of me for the rest of the day. Even at work I kept writing down details on the post-it notes. Out of that strange dream that started off with Kid and Play (Seriously, there were doing the famous dance move from House Party) an idea for a YA took root.

This is what I have so far.

I’ve also put together a Book Soundtrack with upbeat songs even though the book feels dark, but I won’t know until tomorrow (tonight at 12:01) when I start writing the book. The heroine, Jalani (Jelani meaning mighty i.e. powerful) is snarky as usual. Cian (Cian= ancient i.e. knowledgeable) is cynical. Both are the perfect characters. Did I mention this is a YA? (Pam, calm down. I know you are still excited…)

The amazing Gwen Hayes told me that’s how the famous Twilight series started. I’m not sure if this is THE IDEA, but I’m so damn intrigued that I’m committing the next month to writing this book. I think that’s the essence of NaNo. Write an idea and really go where it’ll take you. And, folks that’s what I’m doing. I know I’ll going way, way off the path with writing this YA. I’m a die-hard romance writer (Trust me, I’m thinking of Jalani and Cian’s book when they are grown…Yes, follow your mind to the gutter.) But I can’t ignore this idea.

The moral of this rambling post, novice and newbie writer, go where the ideas take you. (Well, if you are not on contract.) You never know where they will take you.

And, sometimes ideas are given to you on a Silver Platter. Don’t be scared to ruin them by writing them. It takes balls I can tell you that much. By 12:01 tomorrow night I may hate this idea, but I’m not stifling my creativity by trying it first.

Have you had a strange idea for a book and still decided to write it?

(Also, let me know your NaNo screen name. I’ll add you to my buddy list. You know once the site isn’t slogging through the thousands upon thousands of Nanoers.)

But the older I get, more people I talk to, it’s not so common place to go after your dreams. I have a few theories as to why I’m different, but I know people who have matured fast and still they don’t do the one thing that puts a fire in their soul.

So my question is why don’t most people go for their dreams?

I can understand if your dream is to own your own business. If you don’t have the money to do it then it kind of makes your dream hard to achieve. But then again my mother taught me when there is a will, there is a way.

If you haven’t noticed I like to ponder. And this morning I was thinking about my comfort zones when it comes to writing. People have been tempting me to write erotic and I’m hesitant. First, I’m not even sure I could pull it off and make it believeable. Two, it’s the language that really holds me back. Third, I start to think about how big my dream was to write, so why can’t I swing wide and shoot high when it comes to my writing? I love Fantasy, but I don’t write it. I want to write more complex stories, but I don’t write them. I’m starting to feel like I’ve reached the point in my craft where I can start to push those boundaries, but something is stopping me.

Anyway, I’m just throwing thoughts out there in the ether. (This blog is called Brain Clutter for a reason.)

But you can comment on your theory of why people don’t go after their dreams.

And since this blog is so random…

Isn’t this the best picture? Courtesy of Raine Weaver, who found it elsewhere. I love it.

Youtube is a different black-hole for time than video games like Bubble Shooter—best brain rot known to writer—or like blog hopping. You can even say the latter is a form of networking. The former is for plot purposes.

But Youtube—it ate at least three novels I could have written. Though I don’t feel like it was time wasted. I found Dixie Chicks, Jamie Fox’s stand up, the poet who penned “What Teachers Really Make”, Patti LaBelle rolling around on the floor with hair that looked like she stuck her finger in a light socket. I mean, come on, Tina Fey as Palin is worth the 10 minutes it sucks out of my writing time. I’ve discovered David Sedaris and his manly-pee cathether(sp?). You have to see the Letterman video to understand. Lastly, unlike my writing time, I can even spend Youtubing with my kids.

Sidenote: Have you seen the video with Richard Simmons on “Whose Line is it Anyway?”

Priceless time waste.

Then again it’s not always one.

Okay, I lied. It’s a total Brain Rot

Now how does voice tie into music?

Voice is as simple as hearing a song on the radio and knowing the singers identity. It goes past tone right to the infliction of words and the notes a singer holds.

Why I don’t think voice really involves tone?

You can have a light tone to a story vs. a dark tone and still voice will shine through.

Here are two examples of singers who write their own lyrics *80 percent of the time anyway*. First up is Alicia Keys *You Don’t Know My Name*:

From the day I saw you
I really really want to catch your eye
There’s something special ’bout you
I must really like you
Cause not a lotta guys are worth my time

Now one of my favorite singers at the moment, Chrisette Michelle *Like A Dream*:

His sticks was pounding on the drums
When I caught his eye
You know, my gosh, he looked at me
And he smiled at me
And he played to me
And I imagined that he spoke to me

They are both talking about the first time meeting a man. Along with the fantasy they’ve woven around this experience. Yet just looking at the word choice you can tell these are two different writers. They are approaching the same subject in a different angle.

I think that’s what voice is really about. It’s why Faking It is completely different from Homeport. *people frauding the art world.* It’s why so many writers say you can give a room of authors the same premise to a story and get a different execution of this premise from each author. It’s how YOU see the world. It’s why YOU are the only one who can tell the story. I completely agree voice also boils down to world view i.e. word choice.

But what I want you to take away from this post is to tell your story. Who cares if the boy meets girl story has been told a million times already. It’s what how you tell it that counts.

What other ways can music teach you about voice?

Now how is this related to writing?

Like many authors I create book soundtracks. But sometimes I just have songs that makes the words fly from my fingertips. *The only downside to my writing computer. It doesn’t have any of my music.* But today’s blog I’m showcasing the songs that no matter how many times I’ve listened to them, they just make me want to write. *I somehow was able to write this post after spending hours at Youtube*

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mHaFMqde6A&hl=en&fs=1]

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCTvNpmFETc&hl=en&fs=1]

The above song is what I listened to while writing See Megan Run. *Sarah Rose is really Donny Hathaway. You’ll understand once you read the book, because of course you’re buying it, right?*

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSQ_q5cgKAQ&hl=en&fs=1]

Gone In 60 Seconds they have a song they listen to before stealing cars. This song is the one I prefer to listen before I write. *above*

And this last song, you have to know me to understand why I love it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GovJ4jAnr14

What songs can you listen to over and over and over…well, I think you get the point.