Fall! Books! And Pictures!

So.. IT'S FALL!  

*ahem*

Sorry, it's just, well, you know.. fall! My favorite time of year when all the leaves change color and the temperature drops from too warm for sweats and a hoody to just right. It's when I can finally taste the sweet sweet nectar of hot chocolate in all it's many forms, while curled up on the couch and veg to some of my favorite movies like Nightmare Before Christmas, Hocus Pocus and Coraline (amongst many others).

It's the time of year when ghosts and goblins begin to litter the yards, keeping the fallen leaves company and children become even more antsy than usual, waiting for Halloween and the following weeks of sugar shock induced comas, while they fret over costumes for the long awaited night.

It's also the time for All Hallow's Read, something I heard about a few years back and have since fallen in love with. I blogged about this last year and I'm going to do it again this year. The idea behind All Hallows Read is to give a book, a scary book, to somebody on Halloween. It's an idea that's beginning to take off and someday, will become tradition, but for now we have this: http://www.allhallowsread.com/ which explains everything much better than I can. There's even a really cool poster for libraries and bookstores and whoever else!

This fall is one filled with many "firsts" for me, as well as my little Bootstrap. I'm unusually excited about Halloween because it's his first. His mom wants him to be a tiger or something but I see an Ewok in our future ;)

This Mr. Mom thing is becoming a bit easier and more fulfilling as I learn how to use his naps as productively as possible. Cleaning, laundry, fixing computers and writing; I'll get the hang of it eventually.

Here's what the two of us have been up to of late

Visiting Grandma (AKA: Mom)

Picnic! His food and mine

Getting sleepy on said picnic

Still Picnicking

Staring at the Polar popping out of the water right up against the glass. Mom's in the background :)

So there's that, hope you enjoyed the pics!

Plot a lot (I don't)

I believe in one of my previous posts I promised to talk about plotting out a story. I never did. Mostly because I'm terrible at this whole blog thing and rarely get around to writing a post. Also, I've realized that for the most part I don't really plot out any of my stories. I tend to free write, I sit down and let the story flow its course and I just ride along as the words flow out my finger tips.

This works great for short stories, which I tend to write quite frequently, though some tend to go on and on and become things somewhat larger than mere short stories. I've come to the decision that I'm going to start sending out my short stories, entering them in different competitions and submitting them to different literary magazines and such. I figure I might as well, I write them, no one reads them. Aside from my wife after I pester her to death. So, if you happen to know of any legit magazines and competitions, hit me up. I'd appreciate it.

Back to plotting, plots, plot points, etc. Fun stuff. My current WIP has the working title of The Fox Spirit which I talked about in a previous post. I haven't done much with plotting the story, I have a rough feel for the overall idea behind it. Several important plot points I'm excited to write. It seems to work for me. I know some people do a lot of plotting, lots of background and lots of world building (especially if it's an epic fantasy) but there are others who don't really do any plotting at all.

This is basically what the plotline is:

Exposition- Basically it's just the beginning of your plot where the audience meets your characters. Most importantly the main character, or protagonist. What are they like? What do they want? Who are they? Do they have any hopes, dreams or fears? What do they struggle with? These are some fairly basic questions which in most novels are answered or at least addressed in some form during this part of the book. This part ends once you introduce conflict.

Rising Action- This is where your protagonist and other characters start to walk into hell. Usually, the protagonist will have a goal to further the story. Knight goes to rescue princess, detective tries to find killer, etc. This bigger goal is usually interrupted by smaller obstacles which build tension, small failures and small successes that help develop characters and their relationships. In the graph it's all zig zagged, shooting up and coming back down. Giving the reader a burst of action or tension and then resolving it, letting the reader relax.

Climax- The most exciting part of the story. The protagonist generally comes face to face with the problem for the first time and must make a crucial decision. This is where they show what they're really made of and where they change. Up to this point your character is more or less the same person, the climax is the point of no return where your character's choice will determine who he/she will become by the end of the book.

Falling action- Life goes on. Things return to normal, even if the problem hasn't been solved. Loose ends start coming together and answers start falling into place for the reader.

Resolution- Things resolve. It's basically the end. Any remaining loose ends are tied off, unanswered questions are dealt with swiftly and the story concludes. The consequences of the previous events become apparent (the good and the bad) and..

That's it. In a nutshell. You can go through and plot out everything of the story. Beginning, middle and end. You can plot out every detail if you'd like or sketch a simple outline, or just write.

Do you plot extensively? Outline? Or simply write?

Random, venting, sleep

Tried sleep. Tonight I fear it will not come.

William is asleep next to me, in his cradle, while my wife is on the couch. She insisted, so she could get some sleep.

The night seems to be dragging on, moving much slower than other nights when the land of dreams evades me, when I have less running through my noggin. It seems unfair and yet, that's life, isn't it?

Life is unfair, unjust and cruel but at the same time filled with hope, with magic, yet most importantly, love. Though during our moments of trial, of darkness, it's hard to see the guiding lights and keep a hold of our hopes and dreams.

I suppose I'll try again to enter into slumber, as it is very late. Thank you for allowing me to ramble on a bit in the online realm.

Goodnight, or perhaps, good morning

A post! I can't believe it

It's late.

Far too late for me to up and writing a blog with the little devil that runs my life around and yet..  it may turn out to be somewhat of a habit. I generally watch little ol' Bootstrap (who's becoming increasingly less little at an alarming and frightening rate) during the night because my wife takes certain medications that send her off to lands of bliss and merry little tree gnomes playing their flutes to old Elton John records. I'm jealous of course, not of the medication part but, honestly, who doesn't love Elton John?

Anywhos, I usually end up somewhat sleeping. The little tyke generally sleeps well but fidgets a lot and I'm what you could describe as a borderline paranoid (though less so than my wife), anxiety ridden first time dad who's imagination turns against him and sends him into panic mode at the slightest sound or moveme- Hang on...

...

Okay, he's still breathing. All is good...

Alright, alright. I'm not that bad.. anymore. I've gotten better.

As I was saying, I usually tried to sleep, would get some sleep and then sleep for a few hours while my wife took him in the morning. (note: this routine only started a few weeks back when I lost my job, before that I had to get up early every morning so my wife took him.. I know, I know.. Justified but probably unfair.. Okay, okay I totally could have helped out more back then, but I'm trying to make up for it now)

I'd make some promise or plan to get up and write in the morning but it would never happen and when I finally did get up, I'd usually get sucked into the day's affairs. Mostly helping my wife with William, looking for a job and being a vegetable. (I've totally gotten sucked into Merlin on netflix. Have you seen it?? It's awesome) Needless to say, I never got any writing done, or rarely got any done.

Tonight I decided to start something different and lo and behold, I'm writing. I'm actually excited about writing the story I started not long ago, which was inspired by a poor little roadkill fox I saw in the middle of the night plastered to the road (Foxes are one of my very favorite animals. What? They're adorable, you can't deny it) and my love of all things Japanese. I had lost interest a while back, floundering on which direction it would take and tonight I decided to sit down and just write. Good or bad, or possibly worse in my case.

Suddenly!
-"I just had an apostrophe!"
-"I think you mean an epiphany"
-"Lightning had just struck my brain"
-"Well that must hurt"
It didn't! It was marvelous! I had direction and a much broader scope, the short story had become something else entirely. Something I'm passionate about, and now I find myself chewing through research and plotting (somewhat, I'm not much of a plotter, I guess I should say outlining) and setting down characters. Hopefully, I can keep it all up!

I guess the point I've been trying to make is that, I  wasn't making time to write. During the day was hard because there are other things I need to be doing and because my wife doesn't like me locking myself away for hours on end when I could be spending time with her and our son. Which, in all honestly is more important and I acknowledge that fact and for that very reason I don't usually write during the day. But because I wasn't writing I lost interest in my story. I lost the love and the excitement I had at unfolding this tale and bringing it to light. However, now I believe I've finally discovered a time when I can write and that time is now, and from here on out it's what I plan on doing.

What about you? When do you write? Is there a set time? A schedule? Or is more spur of the moment? How do you fit writing in with family, friends and other responsibilities?

Well, I'm off to bed. It's late and I'm tired.

Sweet dreams.

P.S. - That quote above is from Hook. If you didn't know that, you've failed in life up to this point and should either go find and watch the movie right away or simply cease to exist. Your choice. Happy writing!!

Sorry for the lack of posts

Well, I know I promised a blog on plots quite awhile ago, however, the last month or so has been quite eventful, hectic and stressful. It was a month filled with surprises of the not so much fun variety and I regret to say that my writing had to take a backseat during the last little while.

For those of you that know me, and who are somewhat aware of the situations my family and I have faced, rest assured that we are all healthy and happy and working towards being and feeling much better than we have been.

I'll get a real blog post up soon, I hope.

Until then, keep dreaming big and working to make those dreams a reality.

Mostly writing, an evil iguana and a picture

It's been a large gap once more since my last post, for the few of you that actually follow me, I apologize. For those who don't and are reading this now, shame on you, because you really ought to follow and share it.

"Make Good Art" -Neil Gaiman

I found this speech immensely inspiring and entertaining. It was given to the University of Arts graduating class of 2012 by Neil Gaiman, who gave advice on entering the world of "The Arts."