Dipping my toe into the blogging sea I once again dive into these endless waters. Where was I? Swimming in another ocean, named my novel. Well, it’s done. And I’ve been to New York City looking for an agent to represent my work. The writer’s conference was hosted by the International Women’s Writers Guild. This conference was one of the least expensive I could find that offered individul meetings with agents. If you have recently perused the cost of writer’s conferences you know then, fellow writer, they can be very expensive.
So what is my novel about? I can’t spill the beans just yet. Somehow it takes the power out of the whole project if I describe it in a blog post. But I will say that it has been quite an adventure of time and space. And he research has been consuming. I travelled back to Elizabethan England and had to learn Early Modern English. Yes, the kind that is spoken in Shakespeare. Just enough to give a taste, not overwhelm the reader, because that would boggle the mind and slow the story. Then there was the science itself. I relied on David Bohm’s theories of the universe to explain time travel and why this could be possible. Quite simply, Bohm states that the universe is a dynamic hologram.
No science fiction in the story, but some of the characters speak of the possiblity of time travel because of these theories. I also immersed myself in psychology and psychological theories, because this is an important part of the story. And the symbolism. Should I even get started on the symbolism? Probably not.
Why would I go through all this trouble? Because I was inspired, lit on fire with a passion I wanted to share with you, my one day reader. So you too can be inspired. And be transported to another time and another place and wonder about reality. And Shakespeare!
I’ll let you know when it’s published. And of course share with you the journey along the way. Because I’m back.
My friend Karen Swim asks, “What are you doing with your days?”
Good question.
My response: Taking a blogging break. I don’t know for how long. Probably for two to three weeks.
Don’t worry about me. I have some projects that need laser like focus and blogging and blah blahing keep me too frazzled to apply this focus.
I enjoy communing with all of you and I will be by to visit you when I can.
I was recently up in Northern Michigan getting pictures of fall color, fishermen, and yes, more barns.
Fishing the Platte copyright Ellen Wilson
Lake Michigan Leelanau Peninsula copyright Ellen Wilson
Oak Leaf copyright Ellen Wilson
Nuthatch copyright Ellen Wilson
Barn Leelanau County copyright Ellen Wilson
And because I have that damn J thing going on with the Myers Briggs thing I just had to post today. The little voice kept saying wait on it wait on it. Who really cares? Apparently my anal sense of puntuality does.
I’ll probably get around to it tomorrow.
Talk with you soon. E
PS Oh and check out my RSS number since my last post. It was up to 120. Now it’s 108. Hmmm. I still haven’t quite figured this number thing out yet but I’m I’ll leave it up because now my curiousity is really piqued.
I just did the math. You will be writing 6.66 pages a day. That’s 1666.5 words a day. I know you all can do it and I wish you the best of luck. I’ll be rooting for you. Yes, afterwards you can have a nice, tall, cold one.
Maybe two or three.
No, I won’t be partipating this year because I have a novel to finish this month. One that’s been around for a few years. And while I planned to come to this post smirking, I realize I can’t. Actually I have about as much time as all you NaNoWriMo writers. I have to get around 100 pages down to be done and over with it at the end of October. And at around 15 days that’s about 6.66 pages a day. So I’m going to rush through it because it needs to get done.
The good thing about NaNoWriMo is you don’t have time for blocks. You don’t have time for anything except getting your happy little fingers tapping on the keyboard. You won’t have time for writer’s block because you will be blazing through it all. Oh wait –
There is one block that could create a wall. A wall that either your characters will scale to reach estatic heights or it will stop them dead in their tracks. Frozen. Or celibate. Which is okay if your writing about monks. But even monks have fantasies – or they just skirt the issue all together.
I’m talking sex scenes.
Now before you go thinking what’s she on about here? That’s exactly it. What are you going to do when your characters want to get it on. Because, quite frankly, sometimes your characters will take hold of your novel and run away with. And that’s what you want them to do. So give them the freedom.
Sex scenes are the absolute hardest things to write. Well. That’s why if you participate in the NaNoWriMo you won’t have to think about it. Just throw your skirt over your head and your pants out the window and get on with it.
Create some vivid images and seduction scenes. Work your way up to it. Or get right into it. Either way you’ll learn something from it. Natalie Goldberg talks about a writing workshop she attended where the teacher told the participants to write about their first sexual experience. One women wrote down her first one. Then the next one…and the next – long into the night. Continue reading →
I know some of my blogging friends will be participating in the 