Winner and Writing Ramble....

Drum roll please............
from the randomizer - The WINNER is....

Anonymous TARA you are the winner of a shiny ;-)
Contact me so I can get you your prize.

So now onto my writing ramble.

A friend suggested that I give examples of how stories come to me. Well as of right this minute I'm working on one book and decided to do another open call submission. Which means, these characters aren't ones I've let cultivate in my head. I have to create them out of nowhere, basically.

Most times my characters just show up. I know what they look like, they typically even give me their names, I know their basic personality traits and as I put them to paper more of those traits just come out. And I love it when they do something that surprises me and I didn't expect them to do it!!!

For the novella I'm brewing in my head--those traits aren't there yet. And it scares me shitless to think I have to totally create these people from scratch.

Well last night after some long talks with other authors, and friends, I only had a small grasp where this book was going. But in saying that...The damn arrogant man (which is a trait of his I know now) woke me up early in the morning to converse with the other male character. And yes, I looked like an utter fool telling the voices in my head it was too early for this. And HHB asking me who I was talking to. ;-)

But, this is pretty typical for me. I usually get the man's POV first. Don't ask me why...I just do. So my heroine is tight lipped - which is pissing me off at this point since I don't have a lot of time here. But I got a jumping off point for the book--which helps some.

I say some because I only have a few minor conflicts in my head and they are not as strong as I'd like them to be at this point. So more cajoling must be done. And honestly I'm wondering if it will be worth it in the end.

It will, I know it will. I'm accomplishing two things with this task. One, I have a forced deadline. As an unpubbed author I feel it's important to push myself with limits that will be expected of me when I am published. Two, It's also forcing me to create something out of my norm. Also once I'm pubbed there will hopefully be times I'm asked to write with another author, or write to a specific theme. This exercise will only make me stronger. Or so I hope. :-)

So there you have it. My mind, how it works, and how crazy I really am first thing in the morning.

BTW - any writing suggestions on how to get this moving - I'm all for it!!!
I love hearing how others do this process.

Hugs,
Laurie
LKap