The Pen of a Ready Writer

     Dungeon is under the knife -- meaning the book is in the process of being critiqued and corrected.  I asked a friend to read it for me, and she is awesome.  For too long, I had stared at my book -- knowing that there were multiple things that needed fixing and not quite knowing how to go about it  -- or knowing what to do but then second-guessing myself.  I needed help...either that or perhaps another 5 years of maturity under my belt...and I didn't want to wait 5 years.     It's incredibly humbling to see all the red scribbled over my manuscript...and even more humbling to know that the critique is absolutely right.  But that's not the strongest feeling that comes to me as I read through her red marks.  The strongest feeling is RELIEF      That may sound odd to say, but it is true.  The fact that she puts her finger right on these nebulous things that have been bothering me fe...

     With all the work I have been doing for BB background (and not just the villain posts you see here), Dungeon lapsed into silence.  At least, it did until this week.  Suddenly, the story is reviving itself in my head, and the editing needs that swirled loosely through my brain are becoming concrete corrections (at least, some of them are).  I am rather excited to pick it up again and see where the editing takes me.      Today, I took a scene that I have tried to fix multiple times and simply deleted it.  I discovered it is not necessary to the story.  So why wrestle with it?  Dump it and move on!      Of course, "dumping" for me involves saving it somewhere else in a pile of discarded scenes.  I haven't quite brought myself to letting it all the way go.  It is out of my book and that is what counts.  And, if I need it again -- for this book or another -- it can be recycled...

Talking on the phone      I spoke with a representative from a self-publishing company the other day.  None of my projects are ready to publish, but it is sometimes beneficial to study your publishing options ahead of time.  I looked at several companies and ordered free information packets from a couple of them.  One company then had a representative call me.      She had several interesting and helpful things to say, and perhaps I will share them in another post sometime.  But one word of wisdom appeared when I confessed I had 3 works in progress. You should focus on and finish your novels one at a time.      It's not a bad piece of advice.  I find that I do my best work when one project takes the lead and it becomes my sole focus.  So why do I have 3 projects?      Perhaps it is my immaturity as a writer.  There are times when one proj...

     Withdrawing her hand from the engraved door, the princess glanced around her. This had been her life. She rarely left these two floors – what need had there been? – and even in her usual haunts she did not open all the doors. She passed doors every day that were known to be merely the shortcuts for servants or unused rooms. The nagging thought that a dungeon could have existed in her own castle without her knowledge emerged again. She felt like she knew her castle, but did she? ~Dungeon       Editing novels is new to me -- especially editing my own. It is not an easy process. In emailing a friend the other day, I described my allegorical baby encased in concrete while I stood over it with an axe. Somehow, I have to chip the concrete away -- my baby cannot live like he is. And yet I hesitate for fear that I will hurt him,. I can hardly tell which is concrete and which is baby. What if I whack away the wrong piece? Thi...

     Two other bloggers have recently posted things that I have found inspiring.  One was a post by Rachel Heffington called Skeletons, Blog Design, and a British Holiday .  The other was a post by Anne-girl called An Experiment .      The Skeleton post was inspiring because it talked about building on your first draft.  Sometimes I cringe part-way through a project as I realize that it is nowhere near publishing quality.  But Rachel points out that this is okay -- no one writes a story that is perfect on the first draft.  Instead we should view our first draft as a sort of skeleton to then build the story on.      This was also an encouragement to start building more into Dungeon, which has been sitting rather idly this week.      The experiment post was about writing separate storylines for each of your main characters and then putting them together at the end.  I have re...

1. Where are you from?      I am originally from Penty Village, but I have spent most of my years in a little town called Runtford -- not far from the castle. 2. What is your greatest hope?     Before the story started, I suppose my greatest hope was...well...there is a young man...I suppose there is no need to hide anything from you...there is a young man whom I love very deeply...and my greatest hope was that he would ask me to marry him.  There!  That was my greatest hope. 3. What do you pray for?      I pray for the young man that I love - that he would prosper and do well, that he would always be secure in the love of the Lord, that he would walk in wisdom.  I pray for my little town - that change would come for the better, that the injustice and cruelties would stop, that our food would not be taken away.  I pray for the kingdom - that God would turn the hearts of our leaders toward Himself. 4...

1. What is your job?      I am an undermaid.  In the castle, servants are at different levels.  The upper servants serve the royals directly.  They don't talk much to the lower servants.  The lower servants do the background work.  The royals might never see the lower servants.  And me?  I'm lower than the lower servants.  I run and do whatever I am told. 2.  How long have you been a maid?       Most o' my life.  And I've been at the castle for almost 6 years. 3. What are your strengths and weaknesses?      Mercy me!  I don't know.  I don't think I am very strong.  I try to be but there are many who are stronger than I am.  I am just so glad to be here, even when it's hard.     I have a lot of weaknesses.  I'm not nearly strong enough or fast enough, and I make mistakes sometimes in my work.  Plus, there's a lot of thing...

1. Where did you come from?  A little village called Runtford, near the castle. 2. How old are you?  I don't know -- you will have to ask Rachel.  She remembers ages and birthdays and other similarly useless facts.  3. What are your strengths and weaknesses?  Quick mind.  Impartial judge of people.  Reader of men's characters.  Able to spot a lie.  Strong sense of right and wrong.  Not a lot of patience for silliness.  Prone to action (regardless of logic or insurmountable odds) if my sense of right and wrong dictates it. 4. How did you meet Rachel?  When I was a boy, there was a bull in a fence behind the blacksmith shop.  Everyone knew to leave that bull alone.  I was heading home one day, and I saw the bull pawing and snorting.  Then I saw this little girl, smaller than myself, standing in the pen like fool.  I looked at that pale face that should have been rosy, the da...

Here are the answers to the questions for my villain: 1. Who are you?      I am a man of great talent and experience. 2. How did you become a villain?       Ahh, why do people jump to use the v-word?  I personally do not see myself as a villain.  I have done much for this kingdom.  Does anyone thank me?  Does anyone recognize my greatness?  No.  Regardless of my sacrifices, they will only say that I have done my duty to my superiors.  I have had enough of these people who think they are so far above me for no reason other than pedigree.  Their loyalties lie with bloodlines and not with true greatness.  They underestimate me.  They are the villains. 3. What is your greatest strength?  My strength is an ability to play a part -- any part -- as needed.  It is the most vital -- and the most rewarding -- part of my plot. 4. How do you face opposition?  It makes me an...

Cover design by Anne-girl at http://scribblingskeyboard.blogspot.com/      So, in February, I won a raffle hosted by Anne-girl on her blog .  The prize was a "for fun" book cover designed by her.  She contacted me promptly and we began working on this cover.      My job was to give her some info on the story -- something she could build a cover around.  Her job, of course, was the artistic part.      This opportunity to have Anne-girl work on a cover with me was, in my opinion, a fantastic opportunity for me to walk through the steps.  I've never had someone make a cover for me before.  What would it be like?      After I sent my initial information to Anne-girl, she came back with a set of drafts that she had created -- different covers she had come up with based on the information I had given her.      Looking at those covers, I could see what "ran...

     Below are the answers from my princess: 1. How old are you?       I will be 19 years old on the 2nd day of the fifth month. 2. What do you look like?       I carry in my veins the blood of kings.  So, naturally, my hair is a light color, and it is long.  My eyes are blue or green, depending on my dress and mood. My hands are small and soft.  I look like a princess; I am royal. 3. Do you have any friends?      Whom is my equal?  My parents are above me, although you may consider them my friends.  Everyone else is below me.  I greet the children of our noblemen with proper courtesy.  I wave to the populace in the rare public event.  I confess I sometimes interact with my royal servants: Hatach, or the Dressmaker, or others...but those cannot be called friendships.  A princess is not expected to fraternize with anyone. 4. What is your bi...

     Molly is the underservant of the underservants.  She is very timid and fearful, accustomed to being ordered about by the servants above her.  She has a tendency to burst out with whatever thoughts come to her mind, and she is clearly uneducated.  But she has her own type of courage that allows her to maintain a grateful attitude even in the hardness of her young life.  And, believe it or not, without her, the entire kingdom may have been overthrown...

The old man from Dungeon might look a little bit like the old man in this picture: Picture from the movie "The Count of Monte Cristo" via Pinterest Quotes from the old man:      “What for?” came an old man’s voice out of the dimness.          The princess spun to look for this new voice.   Her eyes could barely distinguish more cells across the hall.   One of them held an old man with long, white hair.      The old man shrugged under her stare.   “What else can you do to him?” he asked pointedly, waving his hand at the despair around him. ***        “Using bribery now, are we?” the old man lilted. ***        The old man picked the dropped pear.   He took a bite, slurping up the juice as he went.   The princess raised an eyebrow, thinking how horrified her mother would have been at the old man’s manners.  ...

I didn't find an exact person for Jacob either.  Apparently, when you get to know a character before you search for their picture, then it is hard to find a picture that exactly matches.  The character has already become his/her own person.  This picture might look a little bit like Jacob, however: Actor: Logan Bartholomew via Pinterest

     I have been looking for pictures for some of my characters.  Today I was looking for Rachel pictures.  I didn't exactly find a current picture for her, but here is a picture of Rachel about 10 years before the story starts. The Little Knitter by William-Adolphe Bouguereau via Pinterest

As you will see below, several of my characters from Dungeon have agreed to be questioned.  Feel free to email questions to me or post them in the comments below. The Princess: When I asked her, she was standing by the window, tossing crumbs to her birds.  She was quiet for a moment as she pondered my request.  Then she spoke.  "It's my duty, isn't it?" she said, softly.  "To be there for them when they need me, to let them know me as I now wish to know them.  I will be glad to answer the questions of your friends." The Villain: He was not happy to see me coming.  From the distance, I could see shards of anger and resentment flickering across his face.  When I reached him, his face was calm and he bowed with the courtesy of a nobleman, but I know him too well to fall for his polite pretenses.  I stated my request, looking straight into those cold, calculating eyes and watching him weigh his response before he...

     I am having a custom book cover made for Dungeon by Anne-girl.  It will be a "for fun" cover as she will just be borrowing pictures from the internet (i.e. I won't actually have my book printed with this cover).  I am so excited.  Stay tuned for results!      Let the artist begin her work! "Katie Painting" By Jeremy Lipking Oil on linen, 16 X 12 via Pinterest P.S. You can see the announcement for the three book cover recipients here.

     The princess felt a twinge of excitement that temporarily erased her discomfort.   Here was an inmate of the rumored dungeon.   Here was one of the things she came to see.   Emboldened by her purpose, the princess tried another question. "Why are you here? What have you done?"      The young man did not move or make any response.     The heavy footsteps and the light were even closer now.      The princess could not believe that this prisoner was not even speaking at her request.   “Answer me, young man,” she ordered.      “What for?” came an old man’s voice out of the dimness.         The princess spun to look for this new voice.   Her eyes could barely distinguish more cells across the hall.   One of them held an old man with long, white hair.      The old man shrugged under her stare. ...

Chillon Castle dungeon via Pinterest These are two of the things I want to improve for my second draft of Dungeon: characters and wordiness.      My characters are full in my own head, but I am not sure they made it fully onto paper.  Hatach, especially, needs a little more attention.  I hadn't given him much attention early in the book because my princess doesn't give him much attention, but I may need to let the readers know more about him.      I also tend to explain things too much, I think.  Part of it is the fact that I am frequently interrupted when I write.  Part of it is my own desire to be very clear.  But, somehow there is a way to be very clear without treating your readers like simpletons.

via Pinterest      Here is a picture I found on Pinterest.  It is possibly one of the king's rooms on the highest floor of the castle.  It could also, I suppose, be one of the suites in the Halls of the Honorable Guests. via Pinterest      I found this castle on Pinterest.  I liked it because you could see that there were many floors in this castle (consistent with my story) and also a few towers.  I also like the fact that it looks bright and elegant -- you wouldn't, at first glance, think of a deep, dark dungeon under its walls. via Pinterest via Pinterest via Pinterest via Pinterest via Pinterest via Pinterest via Pinterest These were all pictures that might have been things that the princess saw on her search through the castle, before she found the Dungeon.  There are different styles, I know, and she probably didn't see all of these in her castle, but you get the idea.