Author: ransomnoble

Published Writer: young adult and science fiction

When and Where?

People like routine, whether they admit it or not. Writers are no different, often choosing the same places and times to do their work.

I like it quiet, though I have proved I can write amid distractions. For the best efficiency of time and effort, I write when I won’t have interruptions. I find I do most of my writing when my daughter is napping and my husband is at work.

Research happens anytime I get a chance and can take notes. A lot of times the TV is on. For those of you who don’t know, my husband watches a lot of TV. I rarely pay much attention to it, though my comprehension is enough I can tell you the main storyline most times. My hands prefer to be busy, whether typing or knitting or rolling a ball back and forth with my daughter.

I have a digital recorder in my car that I sometimes use to capture ideas in the car. There are also notebooks stashed around the house and in my purse. I have a slush pile file where I keep ideas in case none of that is handy in front of the TV. (Often it isn’t anymore- a stray notebook is fair game where my daughter is concerned. She also loves to take my pens or crochet hooks and crawl/walk off with them.)

I’ve never been one to wander into a coffee shop and make a silent corner my writing home. Sometimes I listen to music, but many times it’s difficult to match the project to the soundtrack. And the wrong soundtrack throws off the entire project. At this point, it would be harder to take off and have someone watch my daughter than just try to make the most use of her naps. She also plays pretty well by herself sometimes if I’m in the middle of something big.

I can’t take that for granted, though. When she’s awake she can get into everything (!) – so we generally are in very close proximity and attempting to fold laundry rather than letting me write.

Last time she ate half a PB Twix candy bar. And loved it. Three minutes can make a difference, which is why the scissors, pens, and other potentially dangerous items are all out of reach.

And why I write during naptimes, after bedtime and, if I manage, before she wakes in the morning. Several people have recommended that I get up before she does, but if she’s up a lot at night (like last Saturday she had me up between 12:30 and 3 am, as in, I was up the entire time) I simply cannot wake before she does at 6:30 or so.

I’m just glad it doesn’t happen much. And I do get time to write. I make time for it.

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Head-Hopping

Have you heard of head-hopping? What is head-hopping?

A writer is accused of head-hopping when the thoughts of more than one character are shown without a break of some kind. It’s considered sloppy at best.

Why?

As writers, we do our best to have the reader identify with the protagonist. Most of the time, that is also our main viewpoint character. This is who the reader spends the most time with in a book, and the writer always hopes the readers want more. It is also our first rule to be clear.

I know, there are a ton of big-name authors who don’t follow those rules. The thing is, they’re big-name authors and people buy their books just because they’ve been written. I’m not that lucky. While there are a few people who have purchased my book that I don’t know, the majority of people who own The Art of Science I know personally. (Thank you, everyone!) I want to write well enough to become a big-name sometime. At that point, I hope I do still play by the “rules” of writing.

No promises, though.

Clarity begs us to write from one perspective at a time, like we see as we go through life. It makes things clearer to know, for certain, that you will only be behind one person’s eyes at a time.

I mean, when was the last time you were sitting in a classroom and actually heard the teacher’s thoughts? You can evaluate his demeanor, find positive or negative qualities in the tone of his voice, or interpret his gestures in any way you want, but part of that will be based on the teacher and the rest filtered through some part of the viewpoint character in the way conclusions are drawn from there. And if not through the viewpoint character, then by intrusion of the author.

Giving direct thoughts that can’t be heard by the current viewpoint character is the author telling us things, rather than showing how it happens. Unless, of course, you have an actual mind-reader.

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Reflection of the Author

Have you run into a reader who thought that because you wrote a story, it must be true? Or worse, it must be about you?

It doesn’t matter in what genre a writer chooses to write, unless it’s non-fiction, it isn’t true. I know this is going to sound weird, but that means the story was created as a flight of fantasy for the author. Some of the might be more nightmare than daydream, but it’s still something made-up.

Sometimes part of it is true, but that doesn’t mean a reader can figure out which parts are borrowed from reality by reading. At least, not by a good writer.

I had a story I wrote where the original version had three characters based on real-life people. The first draft had the main character looking through ‘my’ eyes, but I shifted the viewpoint to a different character in the next draft. It became a better story because of it. To further confound people, none of the events that happened in the story were true. I just borrowed the characters to illustrate something I wanted to show in a story. I ended up changing quite a bit about each of them as I went, too. I don’t think the other people I borrowed would recognize themselves. I didn’t recognize myself in there when I was done.

I’m not sure I’m actually done with that story, or it might not be done with me. It’s such a fine line to say who’s steering these things sometimes.

Next time you pick up a book, stop yourself from wondering what happened in the author’s life to make her write that way. A writer’s mind is rich with things that could happen, if this and that changed, or if something else had been different. Subjects may be researched and not from personal experience. It might be because a story in the newspaper seemed too good to pass up for fiction. Imagination will fill in gaps where research leaves a writer wanting for information.

The question that remains in my mind is whether to look askance about any writer who poses that question about me. It makes me think more that he can’t imagine as many things as I do, and maybe his writing is about something true about him.

Posted on by ransomnoble 5

Write What You Know

While this advice is almost a cliché, it is also true. Most of us write what we know, or we learn about it well enough to fool most, if not all, readers.

I know two people who write with characters in the military. One of them is ex-Navy. The other has a mother who retired from military and is a volunteer for Soldier’s Angels, among other things. Both have knowledge beyond the layperson, and neither has a problem letting me know if I make a mistake.

Not that I write about the military, but if I did, I’d run it by them for critique.

Science fiction has a basis in fact, but any time you run into an alien civilization or culture, we lose most places where we can reference something. And it has to be human, in some way, shape, or form. A science fiction writer must abide by the known science at the time, but after that he’s free to build whatever or whomever he wants.

I miss the days of Martians. So many of the classics I read have them featuring prominently.

The question then runs – what about fantasy writers? What is it about them that gives us a reference to write about dragons, vampires, or magic? These things have never been proven to exist… Proven being a key word to use. I suppose no one can prove without a doubt that there is a god out there, either, yet religion thrives outside the fantasy field.

Is it a coincidence that L. Ron Hubbard, science fiction writer, also created a religion? Or is it simply something that stems out of the mind of an extremely creative person to get others to buy in? Did he believe any of it, or did he just build it and they came?

I forgot who said it recently, but an agent asked at a gathering where the speaker was telling the hapless authors to give credentials about their work, what credentials gave her authority to write about vampires? She never got an answer. The speaker changed the subject. Lovely.

What references can I provide for my science fiction and fantasy forays? I love to imagine what isn’t there. That served me well as an engineer to design new products and redesign to improve existing ones. It also lets me paint pictures with words of things no one has imagined yet. I’m not going to put that on my fiction cover letters, though.

Posted on by ransomnoble 2

Surprise!

In my mailbox, I found Shade. This new YA novel by Jeri Smith Ready promises romance, ghosts, and mystery. Something in the world has changed, called The Shift, and anyone born after can see and hear ghosts. The main character, Aura, loses her boyfriend (in life, but she can still see and hear his purple spirit) and meets a new, living guy who comforts her. Sounds like quite a triangle.

I can’t wait to read it.

I was even more astonished to see it was signed to me in the front cover. Wow, what a lovely gift from a friend. Surprise gifts like this leave me a little speechless. I love giving gifts like that, but I never know what to say in return. “Thank you” doesn’t seem to cut it.

And it wasn’t for a specific holiday, like my birthday. It was just out of the blue.

I suppose now I should begin plotting how to surprise gift her back in such a spectacular way. Maybe I’ll send it onward to someone else. It would definitely be less expected. Perhaps both?

Gift-giving is so difficult to capture the essence of, sometimes. There’s definitely an art to it.

When was the last time you received a completely unexpected gift that made you smile? When was the last time you gave a gift that delighted the recipient?

Posted on by ransomnoble 5

Weekend Downtime

Every time I visit my in-laws I am taken entirely away from the computer for a weekend. It’s nice to get a break and play with the kids. (I only have one, but there are also two nieces and a nephew.) My husband’s sister and I play games usually. My oldest niece is getting to the age where she can play quite a few with us, too.

However, it’s odd to not check email or blog. However, those two activities become so difficult when the only computer connected to the internet is located in the baby’s room. So either she’s awake and wanting to play, or she’s asleep and I don’t allow anyone (even me) to go in there and disturb her!

It gives me a good excuse to catch up on my knitting during the evenings when we chat or read during the mornings before anyone else is up. That doesn’t happen that often, but the option exists if I wake early enough.

I also get four hours each way in the car. Necessities for car travel include the iPod for listening to music, since we take my car with the booster seat, rather than my husband’s car with XM radio where we would have to switch the seat.

I also feel like I’m behind every time we go away. The laundry has to be done before and after, and while it shouldn’t be anything extra, it seems like it is. I dash around figuring out everything we need to take with us (the husband packs for himself, but I manage for the baby and me). I always forget something at home and something there. Usually it isn’t important enough to ship, but I don’t know how I can go through all that and miss things.

I suppose I ought to give myself permission to not have it all together. Perhaps next time.

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Random Blogger

It’s no secret I freelance sometimes. Depending on the topic and my interest level, blogging for others is a lot of fun.

The research takes a little time, but it’s great to learn something new. (Who, me, like to learn?) Then the blog post pours out of somewhere. Usually it flows easily. I’m not one to write 6000 word mammoths, sticking very close to 300 words for the most part. Perhaps I’ll begin working on lengthening my attention span per topic.

It may not be the most lucrative hobby, but anything fun can’t be bad.

Sometimes I look at those blog for money sites, like ProBlogger. I mean, it seems like a good idea, but does it work? I suppose I might try it sometime, once I finish another novel or something.

The novel really is the focus of my work these days, outside of being a mother and wife and all those other things I do: teaching, tutoring… It never ends.

It’s all about doing what you love, right? The sayings abound- do what you love and the money will follow and do what you love and never go to work again.

Of course, if that was true, parenting would be a paid career posting, rather than paying out your nose for the privilege of parenting.

Money isn’t everything. If cliches are so good at saying what we mean, why can’t we write with them? I guess we need more ways to express our creativity.

Until the next novel, I suppose I will just keep randomly blogging. Not so random here as me, but randomly for others. And learning tidbits that might make it into other stories, where those bits of knowledge of music, beer, and golf come together.

At least it hones my writing skills in some ways, plus research. There are much worse things I could be doing with my [spare- ha!] time.

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The Little Engine That Could

My mother brought a copy of this book for my daughter. I’m glad to share with her books I loved as a child.

The Little Engine That Could, by Watty Piper, is a great book to help anyone know that they can do something only if they try. The mantra of the Little Blue Engine is “I think I can – I think I can!” all the way up to the top of the mountain.

Do you ever wonder what you can do, if you just think that you can?

A lot of people tell me I do a lot of things. Okay, I do. Is it because I have superhuman abilities? Haha, I wish. Sometimes I wonder if I get things done because I think I can squeeze them in.

Somehow, I think I can squeeze in some time to learn Mandarin, and the time is there. I think I can squeeze in time to write a novel, even after having a child, and I managed a rough draft in about seven months. I think I can scale buildings in a single bound!

… Wait, I still haven’t managed that one.

I enjoy reading the book to my daughter, though. One day she may attempt things just because she thinks she can. It might even be because of this book we are reading together. Then again, it might also be due to me not letting little things like time crunches get in my way.

What obstacles threaten what you want to do? Can you get rid of them?

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Basic Skills

How often, as adults, do we get tests of our skills?

I’m not necessarily talking about the things we do for a living, though as a writer I get my English tested every time I chat with a copy editor friend of mine. (Thanks, Sarah.) I’ve also played Brain Age and Big Brain Academy. The nice thing about those games is it doesn’t feel like you’re stretching your brain while you play.

But since Sarah moved to Germany, I no longer get to IM her constantly when I have a grammar question or ten. English grammar really isn’t that easy. Sure, there are other sites I can go to that will tell me where to use a semi-colon or how to spell a word.

Some of those sites even offer quizzes, but while it keeps your skills up it doesn’t exactly offer a baseline on knowledge. It’d be the same answers if you took it tomorrow, so how else do we make it random?

I started wondering because, since I tutor, I’m taking the practice exam to be ready to help a couple students through it. It’s definitely an odd feeling to be re-taking it after all these years. I wonder if it will correctly identify how well I’ll do my first year of college now…

Yeah, I doubt it, too.

“Use it or lose it” is a common phrase. So if we don’t use that wonderful knowledge we used to know, it’s gone, right? Kind of? I always heard the half-life of knowledge is four years. [Provided you don’t use the skills.] So, after four years, you know half as much as you did. After eight years, you know a quarter. After twelve years, you’re down to one-eighth.

No wonder I recall very little French. I studied that sixteen years ago, and it really doesn’t come up often. Chemistry, on the other hand, I have studied more recently, plus I get to tutor the subject. A lot of it is now close to the forefront of my mind.

Does it help me write? I’m not sure. But an active mind keeps thinking, and my mind turns it into creative something-or-other.

I’m still on the lookout for more things to soak up, knowledge-wise. Stay tuned for more random knowledge-builders. (And don’t be afraid to link some for me in the comments.)

Posted on by ransomnoble 2

Focus

It’s something that seems to be lacking in me these days.

I just want to do it all. And sometimes I don’t see anything wrong with that.

But it’s also good to evaluate goals at different points to understand where the progress is going. Or if you’re making progress at all. Or if the goals still mean something.

It doesn’t work to put all your effort into something that you decide isn’t important.

So, what’s the most important thing? Don’t Tell Your Mother is what I want to finish this year for writing projects, which is why I have the rest of the things on hold. Even if they keep beating my brain trying to get out. I’m taking notes, but that’s all.

Hoping they’ll be a little quieter if I’m firm in my focus. The goal is still important to me! Just hang in there, help me rewrite my novel, and I’ll get to the rest of you crazy novel ideas.

I just don’t think they’re listening to me.

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