Welcome to My Web

New shell, same writer. Thank you for stopping by my new Blog, Story Spinner Web. I will be weaving new tales, advice or trials along the writing thread soon, very soon…

 

Adventures in (Not) Blogging, but Still Writing

Noticing the embarrassing amount of time that has passed since I last blogged, I felt I must at least update my loyal followers as to the why of my absence (and the Blog name change!).

I love lists, so here are my reasons organized in just such a manner:

1. Through fate or kismet or the genius algorithms of Facebook, a friend of an author who had my same former nome de plume found me, and I was in a scramble to find a new name, yet it still had to be “me.” I had searched the internet before but spacing between initials be cursed, that was the reason I did not find my doppelganger initially. After two days of sweating like the old comic strip “Cathy,” (yes, dating myself) I finally settled on Caroline Elle Murphy (instead of my former C. L.) and my new blog name: Story Spinner Web.
2. Why Story Spinner Web? Magic, creation, spinning of tales…I think you can connect the dots. No I do not love black widows but I will happily greet an orb weaver in my garden.
3. I prepared for and attended my first SCBWI (Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators) Conference in LA last summer (woot!) and my head was full of fantastic information to process. And process. I apologize for not sharing the pearls of wisdom…but I felt they were well covered elsewhere. Perhaps the “write” mood (har har) will strike and I will impart the things that STILL stand in my brain, even after six months of time. Just know if you are ever considering going, I say, DO IT.
4. I have been working on two novels (one YA Dystopian, one adult (paranormal???)) romance, attempting to perfect a picture book manuscript as well as writing a new one.
5. Parenting, Spousing, and Laundry-ing takes up a great deal of time. Not complaining! (Except about the laundry–yeah, #firstworldproblem.)
6. AND…duh duh duh (that would be dramatic music speak), I am researching literary agents.

Therefore, no excuses here, just updates, and hoping my Blog muse will return when she feels the timing is right. I certainly will put good news (or even writer struggle news) here when I get it.

In the mean time, I leave you with sage advice from Monty Python:

“Always look on the bright side of life.” (Insert whistle).

 

PS For anyone who wonders why I chose the particular image up top, the answer is: I was being random. But photos of camouflaged hummers always seems like a good idea, and…made you look! 😉 Boy, what was in my water tonight???

Magical Transcendence aka Storytime

Some stories leave lasting impressions. The title, the author, may elude your memory, but the images and feelings these gems weave through your being never leave. The emotion, poignancy, betrayal, joy: all of it remains, magically transcending aging.

I am thankful that my teachers and some person writing my elementary textbooks and curriculum loved certain stories enough to include them. All Hail fiction in schools.

“Where the Red Fern Grows” by Wilson Rawls, “All Summer in a Day” by Ray Bradbury, and “The Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell are just a few that have remained seared in my personal memory and heart, long after my childhood has passed.

In case you who are reading this haven’t read these particular stories, I hate spoilers, so I won’t spoil them for you…but get thee posthaste to a bookstore and read them. You won’t be sorry. Well, you might be a bit sorry when you go through an entire box of Kleenex. Or when you stay up late at night, wide awake mulling over the definition of “games.” Oh, or if you never look at a loner or unique child the same way again. I suppose you might hate me an itty bitty tiny iota, but I bet you will feel a better person, more thoughtful person for it.

I know I am. Tiny facets, perhaps even large swaths of my character have been nailed into place through the musings created by these and other such stories. Right and wrong, shades of morality, compassion, the measure and quality of love and relationships—so much of my essence has been sifted through the sieve of storytelling. I am so grateful to these and so many other authors.

I would like to shake their hands.

But since this is not to be, as many have long passed from this earth, I simply will do what should be done and pass on their words. There is power, magic even, in this legacy left by word weavers.

We must encourage children to find these stories, to see their worth. We must inspire our community to keep storytelling alive through reading programs and funding of public sharing of books and story collections. We must share our favorite tales with friends, reluctant readers, even adults rediscovering books amidst their busy lives, in the hopes they may find such riches we have.

And we must ask those of you with a story in your heart to keep the faith. Keep working. Write what is in you.

Our hearts and minds will thank you.

Word.

We’ve all heard the adage, “Actions speak louder than words.” That’s truth…except speaking–or not speaking–is an action too.

Consider these:

Say “I love you,” or “I forgive you,” before someone dies.

Speak up in the face of injustices or lies.

Don’t cut with words; those scars remain.

Declare things you love about yourself. Turn away from self-pain.

Trace loving phrases in the sand; letters fade but memories stay.

Tell your children how special they are, especially when skies are gray.

Listen when someone needs you to; silence can be a balm.

Pass on a favorite poem, like a sonnet or a psalm.

Write your story for those you will leave behind.

Send your words out into the world, and they will be returned in kind.

To write, to speak, IS to act.

May the right words flow freely from you.

 

*Credit to http://www.wordle.net/ for helping me create the word cloud pictured above.

 

 

Cerebr-ation

No, I do not have a typing impediment.

Rather, I am fond of new and fun word formation, especially those erupting from the human imagination, and wish to use my own to capture my end of writing year summation.

Cerebr{um}-ation=a brain activity and creation celebration. At least that is my definition.

I must confess an inclination to describe my periodic brain vacation (writer’s block), expiration (ideas that suck), heart palpitation (feelings of no, I suck!), or occasional ovulation (wait, what?), but I will refrain, as these do not fall into the category of the aforementioned classification.

Instead, I will stay the course and revel in manifestation, via my favorite outline mode, list formation:

1. I started my own little blog nation (thanks for being part of it!).
2. I fist-bumped up my media by initiating a Twitter and Facebook author-relation (another ovation to you who support me on that!).
3. I genuflected to the keyboard and wrote over three hundred new pages of verbal illustration (special thanks to the NaNoWriMo program for kicking my butt in this regard).
4. I humbled myself before my writing partners and revised over one hundred fifty words of grammar exploration (there are no words, ladies, except thank you to Pluto and back).
5. I embarked on an exploration of new, fun, outrageous, sobering, wonderful stories from preschool to life school (inclination of head toward all you amazing authors out there, past and present).

In my personal life, I simply will say that I continue to be blessed with many a vocation: parenthood, spousehood, daughterhood, friendhood, dancemomhood (not kidding;))…Okay, I realize I am reverting back into more word mutation, but you get the gist.

I hope you will also take a moment to give yourself an affirmation of your very own cerebr-ation(s); give yourself a life exclamation.

2015: Observation!

2016: Salutation!

And may your days be ever peaceful.

 

 

Hello, Story (My Boyfriend’s Back)

Stage 1—Infatuation

I just met my Story. I knew from the moment I saw him it was love at first type. The words flowed between us like the falls at Niagara: powerful, unstoppable, magnificent. We rushed in, the air sang, electricity surged beneath my fingertips as I explored the newness of his beginning, middle, and end. We’ll be announcing the New York Times Bestseller List faster than you can say Big Apple. This is gonna be great.

Stage 2—WTF was I thinking?

Stop. The. Press. My chest is panicking, my brain is freaking out. How did I not see this before? My Story went from God of the Word to a Gaping Mud Pit in one day flat. He got all complicated on me, stopped his Museful caresses, and even had the nerve to show me huge swaths of his flabby self. Yesterday he was perfection embodied. Today he is boring, runs in circles, lacks elegance, and I can’t tell you how many places he needs a shave. I still feel a strong attraction but I have no idea why. No backing out now, though.

Stage 3—Exploration

Now that he let me work on him, I think my Story is actually rather hot. It’s time to take this a step further…maybe even go all the way. I’m giddy thinking about what new things we’ll discover together. I’ve been reading up; who knows what new positions my punctuation will take? I can almost picture the candlelit room, our text bodies bared to each other. Will he still love me, will his prose still wrap around me like the Kama Sutra Clasp in the morning? Only one way to find out. I’m going in.

Stage 4—Commitment

No, I WON’T give gory details—I’m just not that kind of girl. But I can happily say we’ve settled into a groove of wordly contentment. 40,000 words in is really an engagement, right? Sure there are days we fight—he wants me to write him one way, I insist that I am in control (and of course he secretly knows I AM). I still give him plenty of white space to roam. I mean, it’s the modern age, right? I’m secure knowing my story will love me until the denouement.

Stage 5—The Breakup

I knew it. He’s leaving me the minute we finish working on him (though I am sure we’ll never REALLY be done). My heart is heavy, my tears flow onto the keyboard. I must send him off into the world of publishing, of total body makeovers, seas of proofreading marks, or even complete brush-offs from editors and agents alike. He may not survive; my mind screams with fear for him. But I have faith he’ll get the call. Our romance is over, but we’re still friends. Who knows, maybe we’ll rekindle our romance down the line for a sequel. But now it’s time to let go.

Goodbye, Story. Fly.

All right, who’s next?

Life’s Trash Purge

Ever have the feeling your garage is closing in on you? Or your desk? Your chest constricts, you feel like starting a bonfire in your living room, your grumpy pants fry your loved ones with each withering glance?

Well if the answer is yes, then I invite you to join me for the “big purge” of life’s trash.

I admit it, I am something of a packrat. (For those of you who may not know about this creature, they collect just about everything they find for a nest, especially junk, while doing it with deceptively destructive teeth and overly cute ears. You will be happy to note my teeth and ears are normal.) Not like the TV crazies, but a few notches down. I clean, yes, but lurking in boxes and stuffed in closet corners are—get ready—papers! Mementos! Dating back years and years. And don’t get me started on books (though trade stores are motivators here).

And how do I feel when I think about tackling this project?

It’s enough to make me weep. And turn around. And surf Facebook, because then I am at least being social.

Ahem.

So I finally changed out my clothes for happy working pants last week and tackled one box, then another. There I found memories and letting go. I found letters from old boyfriends (eek!), old bills (shriek!), and things I would be embarrassed to show my children (bleep!). It stirred up feelings from long ago, then like a gravedigger, I gave them peace.

Shred box. Recycling. Trash. Glee.

I didn’t realize what an emotional weight was lurking in the shadows of the storage spaces, but a little sweat and I feel stronger. Inside. (My muscles still need some work.)

And you know what? It somehow also freed up my mind, my creative spaces. I suddenly had inspiration on how to rework parts of my book I have already written, got new scene ideas, even new story ideas, not to mention felt motivated to pump up the decorative air of my house.

The physical work actually made room for new soul synapses. Huh.

So now the mountain doesn’t seem quite so high, and even if it was, I will still put on my climbing pants and sally forth.

So come along. Take my hand. I’ll smile all the way.

If Character Building Was a Series of Short Films, or the Agony of Finding a Fictional Life

Author to Character, Scene I

Well, hello there, my precious. Soooo nice to meet you. Come, let me get to know you and you can live in my pocket a while. (Hours/days later) *Bleep*, where did you go now? Now I have to go (grumble grumble) backtrack and do character interviews and revise twenty scenes, not to mention the interaction and dialogue with fifty other characters. (Bangs head against craggy rock.)

Character to Author, Scene II

(Filing nails.) I have been waiting and waiting for you. Why am I still naked? Can you puh-leeeease figure out what I am supposed to wear now? I don’t think my dingy pants from the last scene works for me here, you know? (Tilts head and gives “the look.”) Why did I have to get stuck with this one, anyway? Sheesh, Gucci or even Ralph Lauren would have me dressed to the nines by now. Get it together, you! (Taps foot angrily.)

Author to Character, Scene III

You (curse curse curse) WILL do as I ask here. What do you mean you wouldn’t do that? Who is running the show here, anyway? Get back to your place, I mean it. No, you won’t have all the glory if you do that. Are we good? Ok, roll ‘em. No, no, your cue was back there. Oh, I guess you have a point that it’s hard to do a head kick when you were lying down first. Ok, yes, insert getting up from the floor first. Hey, did you just roll your eyes at me?

Character to Author, Scene IV

Dude, I know you want to take your time and everything, but could we please get to the good stuff now? Backstory is cool and all, but I would really like to kick butt or make out or save the world or something. See, the reader thinks so too. You think you’re so cool trying to guide us through everything, manipulating the reader’s feelings, opening my wounds for their pleasure. What kind of sicko are you? Seriously, you are going to do WHAT to me now? Masochist.

Author to Character, Final (for now) Scene, Scene V

(Crawling on hands and knees.) Ok, ok, YOU WIN! I give up! I will say it. I do not have control. (Whimpering.) Do I have to say it louder? Hmph. I do NOT HAVE CONTROL. Satisfied? Yes, you can take the wheel now. I don’t really know how that happens exactly but it’s all yours. What is that you said? Now your girlfriend wants a turn? Oh HELL no! I am going to bed. (Collapses and falls asleep peacefully…until 4am…)

How to Survive the “I Suck” Syndrome

NO! YES!

When I was in college with stage stars in my eyes and dreams of becoming a professional classical singer or musical theater performer one day, I remember being in my voice lessons and constantly “judging” myself. I didn’t quite realize the extent to which I did it, but my kind and nurturing (though also at times kick-butt) voice teacher, Professor Robert Swensen stopped me one time after observing my perfectionist and self-judgemental ways, and asked, “Have you ever read The Inner Game of Tennis?” I of course looked at him like an exposed animal and wondered what the heck tennis had to do with the difficult musical passage I was attempting to navigate.

After keenly discerning that the answer was “No” from the likely blank-brained expression I gave, he went on to explain that the book wasn’t really about tennis, but about how to quiet the “judges” in our heads while we performed. I held it together during the lesson, but when I left, I broke into tears, not realizing I was becoming my own worst enemy to my craft. I judged myself so much that it was actually hurting what I loved to do. And he helped me realize I must do something about it.

It took a lot of time, effort, and letting go, but I finally realized that there was a time and place for judging oneself, or rather, since I have made a conscious effort to exile “judges,” there is a time and place for those voices who will push you to betterment, and there are times to just be in the moment, at peace with where you are at. You can work on it after the fact, let it sink in with a positive pusher, rather than the negative naggers. And I had a LOT of the latter.

Fast forward to my new chosen path, venturing writer/author (more on the singing another time), and of course those pesky judges came back. I read a lot of books, of course because I LOVE to read, but also because it helps me learn, and sometimes I just think, “How could I ever do this as well as _____ (fill in the blank)?”

Luckily I have a couple of amazing writing friends who have given me encouragement and affirmation (though I still have doubts about deserving it), in addition to a loving, supportive family.

But “I suck” still creeps in. Especially when I have a road block in my writing.

Then I remember Professor Swensen’s gentle reminder, and that crazy out-of-context but oh-so-relevant book about tennis, and I realize that, yeah, I have my own voice, and yeah, I have a lot to learn still, but right now I just need to be in the moment and DO IT. So that is the frame of mind I intend to occupy.

And the judges can suck it.

How the Heck to World Build–Correspondence from the Trenches

Pulling ideas out of the firmament to create your fictional (or even non-fictional) world can be a chin-scratching endeavor. I am sure some thoroughly good planners start with notebooks filled with research before they even begin their story, but if you are anything like me, your world is unfolding as you write.

If you write historical fiction, I defer to the great Diana Gabaldon on how she researches. Check out her website. (Philippa Gregory is another.)

Otherwise, my advice from the trenches (which I reserve the right to revise later) follows:

When to start world building?

Anytime. Just after beginning. Or in the middle, especially when your writing buddy has a bit too many questions about the landscape and clothing, etc. Of course your reader needs to feel, see, hear, etc. the world! (Obviously this never happened to me.) If you are at a good place in your story to do it, then do it.

Where do you begin?

Charts. Pinterest (my writing buddy found me a gem here). Borrow away on Google or your choice online search engine. World building ideas abound, and really it’s not what someone else comes up with, it is what interests you most about your world. Chances are if you are wondering something, your readers will, too. Fair warning, though: be prepared that you’ll generate more research for yourself, which you will want to set aside for later. You still need to write the story!

You can also try an interview with your main character, if that gets your juices flowing. Take down that fourth wall and ask about everything you can think of. Then leave room for you to know more than him/her.

What to include?

Well, these are your notes, so as much as possible to make your world seem real to you and therefore to your reader. Don’t overwhelm yourself with too many details, but tidbits that allow readers to grab onto the feel of your world are vital.

Include all the senses. For example:

What will your characters see? (Landscapes, buildings, people, clothing, animals, plants, water, machines, farms? What’s in the sky—sun/moon, clouds, weather?)

What will they hear? (Quiet, urban, chatter from animals or people, water, machines?)

What will they smell? (Pleasant, rank, (plumbing will affect this), floral, fruity, dusty, musty, people odor, animal odor, baking, other local scents based on industry or farming?)

What will they taste? (Spicy food, bland, variety, little variety due to economics or local agriculture?)

What will they touch? (Plants, food, furniture, buildings, tools, the earth, water, people, etc.)

Seems obvious, but as you write it is easy to leave out some of these, and you may find you tend to use one sense in your writing more than others. It’s fun to branch out.

Extra thrilling details, which can add to plot or subplot: natural disasters, technology (to what degree?), the state of food (poison, lack of), diseases, political landscapes, cultural clashes. Again, online charts, people. They’re awesome.

Oh, and make sure to draw a map. In pencil. It’s amazing how even if you draw in chicken scratch (not naming names), maps reveal flaws in how your characters move, or logical things you need to include or fix.

Lastly, if you feel yourself suddenly drowning in the muddle, take a deep breath and shut the door on the research. Go back to your story. What’s important will crop up, and you can always go back and tweak later.

In the mean time, happy “Master Builder”-ing.