Archive for the ‘Writing’ Category
Revision — or, How do you find your Story?
Folks, as I wound up my writing this evening/morning, I had a thought.
Yes, thoughts can be dangerous. But this one probably isn’t. In fact, this particular thought might actually be useful to those working on revising a story, and wondering just how long it’s going to take to fix it. Much less what sort of story you’re going to end up with once you’re done…and whether or not it has anything to do with the story you started with.
The revision process is daunting, you see. It’s also frustrating, nerve-wracking, confusing, sometimes painful, and downright difficult.
Mind, I’m not the only writer to say this. (Far, far from it.) Anne Lamott said this in her book BIRD BY BIRD; she even said that her own first drafts are so awful, she barely can stand looking at them. (My best paraphrase, mind, as I don’t have the book in front of me.)
But these painful first drafts are needed, you see. Only after you get down everything you visualize in your head can you work with the raw materials of your story…and figure out what, exactly, your story is.
Now, some writers work much faster than others, and everyone’s process is a little different. So I can’t give you a timetable as to how long it’s going to take to refine your story from the raw material of your first draft.
All I can do is give you a little encouragement, if you’re dealing with a revision right now. And remind you of three simple things:
- Every writer goes through this; you’re not alone.
- You do have a story there, no matter how obscured it seems right now.
- The end product is worth your time and investment, even though you can’t see that right now.
So, if you’re stuck in the throes of “revision Hell,” as I am right now with regards to CHANGING FACES, try to remember these three things. And ask yourself, “What is the story, and how do I advance it from here?”
That should help you get through the rough spots a little better.
Thoughts about N.N. Light’s Review of “Columba and the Cat”
Folks, I’d meant to write this yesterday, but time got away from me. So, here are my further thoughts regarding N.N. Light’s wonderful review of my late husband Michael B. Caffrey’s story, “Columba and the Cat.”
First, it’s great to get a positive review like that. Michael had a lot of talent as a writer, and that’s one of the reasons I’ve tried so hard to keep his work alive. To know that someone else loves his writing as much as I do is extremely gratifying.
Second, for someone to appreciate it and understand it at the level N.N. Light did it makes me believe that finishing Michael’s work — in Columba’s universe, and in the Atlantean Union with Joey Maverick and Peter Welmsley (among others) — is not only doable, it will be appreciated and understood.
Third, it reminds me of something Michael often told me. “The work will be appreciated, in the end,” he said with a twinkle in his eye. “Even if no one else knows it but us and the universe, it will be appreciated.”
I always thought he said that because of Michael’s Buddhist leanings. But maybe that wasn’t it…or at least, maybe that wasn’t it precisely. (And Michael always was precise, y’know.)
Look. I don’t write the same way Michael did. He used to write all his stories out longhand, then type them into a computer file. Only then would he edit, revise, and keep going.
Whereas my process is much more fluid than that, and usually involves thinking about something for a great deal of time, and then — and only then — going back and fleshing out the initial idea.
But we got to the same place, in the end. And we were able to understand each other, to the point that I can finish his stories despite his style being markedly different than my own…even if the way I do it isn’t quite the same way as he would, maybe the stories will still make sense, and still do what Michael wanted them to do.
That’s why I’m working on the outline of THE QUEST FOR COLUMBA, which is the Columba story as told by Cat, otherwise known as the Duc d’Sanchestre (and a shapeshifter). This is Cat’s story, told my way, and through my voice…but it’s also Columba’s story, as seen by Cat. And in a way, it’s quite fitting, as Michael wrote the Columba stories for me.
Now, I’ll write Cat’s story for him.
I can’t be certain that the stories I’ll tell in his universes are the same ones he’d have come up with, given time. I can tell you that I knew Michael better than anyone, and it makes me feel better to keep working on stories in his universes…more like part of him did not die, and that might yet, if given time, be discovered and appreciated.
That said, I’m very glad that N.N. Light enjoyed “Columba and the Cat” so much. It gives me hope…and really, isn’t that what life is all about?
Advice for Valentine’s Day, 2016 Version
Folks, it’s nearly Valentine’s Day. And I wanted to write a few words, just in case you haven’t read my two previous blogs on the subject (which, for the record, are here and here).
Too many people get caught up in conspicuous consumption on Valentine’s Day, because commercials and books and movies and nearly every possible thing says, “You must buy a whole lot of unnecessary things, or your partner won’t know you love them!” Even if you walk into a grocery store, there will be reminders that Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, so have you bought your cake/roses/card/fill-in-the-blank yet? (The most inventive one I’ve seen around here was over at Festival Foods in Mount Pleasant, where they’re offering a Valentine’s Day dinner, catered, that you can pick up for something like $42. That might actually be useful, and didn’t bother me…but I can see where it might bother someone who feels pressured to do something for Valentine’s Day.)
The thing is, as I’ve said before, Valentine’s Day is not for conspicuous consumption. It is for love. But somehow, in our consumer-driven society, we’ve gotten it into our heads that the only way to love someone is to buy him or her a whole lot of stuff…and that’s just not right.
Let me give you a few examples.
The best Valentine’s Day I’ve ever had was in 2003. Why was it so good? Well, Michael was with me, then, and the two of us had a great and quiet dinner at home, watched some of his favorite “Danger Mouse” videos (Michael loved them, and I enjoyed ’em, too — mostly because I liked seeing how he reacted to them), and then retired to “none of your business land.”
Note that this didn’t cost us anything. We already had the “Danger Mouse” videos. We already had the food. We already had anything else we needed in the house…we didn’t need roses, or wine, or fancy chocolates, or even sushi (something Michael and I both enjoyed, and I continue to appreciate), because we had each other and that’s what counted.
And my second favorite Valentine’s Day was in 2004. Michael and I had just moved from San Francisco to Iowa, and were living in a motel. The move had been stressful and we were close to flat broke, and finding work was a challenge that we hadn’t expected.
So, what did Michael do? This time, we went to a scenic overlook outside Davenport on I-80 with a couple of sub sandwiches, some soda, and sat and talked. It was the middle of winter, but I didn’t feel cold…and I don’t think he did, either. We felt the world was full of possibilities, because we were with each another…and I was touched that Michael remembered I liked spicy-hot peppers on my sub (something he wouldn’t touch because of long-term stomach distress).
You see, if a guy remembers what you like, that is sexy to a woman. Michael knew that.
Now, what did I do for these Valentine’s Day outings? (Maybe you’re asking this, and it’s a valid question.) Mostly, I was there and fully in the moment…yes, I’d asked Michael what he wanted on both days, and I’d actually tried to cook for him in 2003, but he wasn’t having it. (Mostly, Michael cooked for us, because he enjoyed it. And besides, he said I’d done too much for people as it was, over the years; now it was time someone did something for me.) I did suggest the “Danger Mouse” videos in 2003, and I probably suggested going out for subs in 2004…but for the most part, Michael made those outings happen.
So, to sum up…the important thing about Valentine’s Day, or any day, is for your partner to know that he or she is loved. Spending large amounts of money on a Pajamagram or a Vermont teddy bear or fancy chocolates (much though I enjoy that) is not necessary. Showing you care, that you pay attention, that you know what your partner likes…listening to him/her speak and asking intelligent questions (or giving intelligent answers)…being fully in that moment with him/her, with your cell phones/tablets off and your attention undivided…well, those are by far the best gifts you can give.
Don’t let the “must spend big money NOW!” narrative of the commercials blind you to this, OK?
In It for the Long Haul
Folks, over the past few days, I’ve been working on CHANGING FACES (amidst some work on edits). This isn’t easy, as I’d hoped to be done by now…as nearly every regular reader of my blog probably knows.
However, I’m in it for the long haul. Which means I’m going to keep going, keep striving, keep thinking, and keep working, for as long as it takes.
Do I have moments where I wonder what I’m doing? Of course I do.
Do I wonder if all this effort is going to matter in the end? Of course I do.
Still, I have to keep doing it…or I won’t be me.
I’m also reminded of something my late husband Michael told me about his own writing. We were talking about fame, and fortune, and whether or not we’d ever find that as writers–cynics that we were, we figured it probably wasn’t ever going to happen.
Then he said something rather surprising. He told me, “The universe knows what I’ve done. I’m satisfied with that.”
I figured this was the Zen Buddhist in him, at the time. But since his passing, I’ve often wondered about this.
Do we create merely out of ego? Or do we create because we must, or we won’t be ourselves? And does it matter to the universe that we were here, that we did our best, that we tried to create something rather than just take up space to no purpose?
I don’t know the answer to that. But I do know that my husband was a wise man. And I want to believe he was right, even though he didn’t get enough time to finish his stories the way he wanted.
So…I’m in it for the long haul. I will persist, and I will keep trying as hard as I can, as long as I can, and work as much as I can to finish CHANGING FACES and make it the book I know it can be.
Because that’s what matters to me, and I hope eventually it may matter to the universe as well.
Here’s A Snippet from “Changing Faces”
Happy Sunday, everyone!
Folks, I put up a snippet of CHANGING FACES over at the Exquisite Quills blog this morning for their “Sunday Peek” promotion. But then, I had a thought that went something like this…Why not post it here at my own blog, too?
So I decided to do just that.
Anyway, here’s a snippet from CHANGING FACES, coming soon from Twilight Times Books as an e-book:
Allen started to play Ave Maria. Before he got four measures in, I saw people dabbing at their eyes.
Of course, Jolene and Paula both looked beautiful, Jolene tall and buxom in blue, Paula petite and dainty in grey and white. So that might’ve been it…but I still think Allen’s playing had a great deal to do with it, too.
I went to Allen, unnoticed in the crowd, and squeezed his shoulder. He put his clarinet down, and grabbed my hand; as I had been about to hold his hand, I had no problem with that at all.
We could barely see Paula’s blonde head back here, due to the crowd, but it didn’t matter. We were ready to play again long before Paula and Jolene shared their first kiss as a married couple, and before the audience had finished applauding, we were playing recessional music—Mendelssohn, I thought—that Allen had arranged for two clarinets.
After a while, everyone had gone toward the refreshment table but us. But before we could go get something, Jolene came up to us and insisted that we get our pictures taken. I hate having my picture taken, as my outer self doesn’t always match my inner self…and even on a day like today, where I felt more feminine than not, I still hated having the flower in my hair memorialized for all time.
Still, Allen’s kiss on the cheek was nice, and my smile at him was genuine. He was truly a good man, the best person I’ve ever known…someday soon, I’d have to tell him the truth about me.
And if he still wanted to marry me then, I’d let him.
I hope you all enjoyed that…now, keep your eyes peeled for more snippets, coming soon to a blog near you.
Getting Stuff Done, or, a Semi-regular “Changing Faces” Update
Folks, I’m happy to report that I actually managed to get some solid writing in this evening…which especially pleases me due to the fact that CHANGING FACES (abbreviated as CF, for short) was stalled for several weeks as I tried to plot my way around a thorny problem. (No, I won’t tell you what it was, but I will tell you this much: Elaine Foster, my heroine, is a very elusive character to write. Whereas Allen Bridgeway, my hero, is much easier to write.)
So, I’ve managed to write twenty-five hundred new words into this story. Time is short, as I want CF to go to market soon–within a month if possible. (If I wasn’t talking about an e-book publication, this would not be practical, but the e-book revolution has changed everything. Besides, I already have cover art, and my publisher does excellent layout…if not for that, there would be no chance at all to get this out so quickly.) But the story is still evolving, still growing, still telling me more things.
You might be asking yourself, “So, Barb. If that’s the case, why are you so worried about getting it out soon?”
I don’t have a great answer for this, except that CF has been in development a long, long time. (Over fifteen years, easily. And through at least four revisions.) And I think Allen and Elaine’s romance, fraught with peril though it may be, is a story that needs to be told…partly because of the transgender aspects, partly because of the spiritual aspects, and partly because these two individuals love each other so much, it’s hard for me as an author to keep them apart this long in order to best explain their story in a way that I hope will resonate with others.
How far away am I from completion? It’s hard to say, because most of the story from Elaine’s perspective is all new. And what the aliens/angels say to Elaine is also mostly new…as it wouldn’t be a fantasy without something different, and this story couldn’t even happen if not for these fantasy characters, I’d best listen to what they have to say if I’m going to tell the story at all.
“What do you mean, ‘listen to what they have to say,’ Barb?” you ask. (I can clearly hear the annoyance in your tone, by the way.) “You’re the author. Can’t you just tell them what to do and be done with it?”
While that works for some authors, that doesn’t seem to be the way my own stories get told. I have to think about them, and then they come out, sometimes in ways I didn’t totally expect — which is what seems to be happening with CF right now.
All I can tell you is this: In between edits, day-to-day life stuff, and everything else on my plate at the moment, I’m going to keep writing as much as I can, as long as I can, until this story finally resolves itself in a way that feels right to me.
Until I get there, I can’t bring CF to market. But once I’m there, I firmly believe I’ll have a story that’s interesting, relevant, and maybe even helps someone…or at least diverts the person for a few hours. And once I’m finally there, I’ll be extremely and extraordinarily happy to get CHANGING FACES out the door.
So, that’s my semi-regular CF update, already in progress…hope your own writing, editing, and lives are going as well as humanly possible.
Whither Creation, or, “Why Must You Write, Barb?”
Over the past week or two, I’ve been pondering one single thought.
“Why must you keep writing, Barb?”
I write because I have stories to tell. (I know I’ve said this before, but it bears repeating.) And I write because I have to — what’s in me is to create something meaningful through words (and, sometimes, music) and bring a little happiness or illumination or at least something of value to the world at large.
I know. That’s a pretty gaudy statement, isn’t it? But it’s the main reason I get up in the morning.
I have things to do. Stories to tell. Edits to handle, for myself, and for others…music to play, and I hope some more music to write. (That has eluded me mostly since the day of Michael’s death eleven-plus years ago, because since then I’ve had one and only one major musical idea going through my head. Michael’s elegy. And as many times as I write it down, it just comes back in a new key or in a slightly different meter or in such a way that I start to think I’ll have to do something akin to Charles Ives’ “Variations on America” to it, in order to finally get it out of me once and for all. But as always, I digress…)
I have been a creative person for as long as I can remember. I don’t know why I’m this way; I just know that I can either work with it, and become the best creative writer, the best creative musician, the best creative editor, that I can possibly become — or I can leave my talents to wither on the vine.
And, quite frankly, I’m not exactly the vine-withering type.
So, my choice has been to keep working on my crafts. I write, I edit, I play music, I compose when I can (if I can ever get Michael’s elegy down in all its permutations, perhaps another melody will start to show up — I can live in hope, right?), and in this way I do my best to stamp my life as mine.
You are probably thinking, “Really, Barb? Ego? Is that all you’ve got?”
No, it isn’t. But I can’t quite seem to get at exactly why I do anything at all…except that I must do it, or I’d not be myself.
Or I’d not be my best self, at any rate. And as I firmly believe that if I’m going to be alive, I’d best do my best in all things, I’d better be my best self.
Or what’s the point?
So, yes, I’m going to keep writing. I’m going to keep playing music. I’m going to hope that one of these years, I’ll have another musical idea worthy of my time and effort…and of course I’m going to keep editing.
Because that’s what makes the most sense to me.
Periodic State of the Elfyverse, January 2016 Edition
Folks, I haven’t done this in a while, but I figured I’d give you a “state of the Elfyverse,” which has grown to encompass all my writing and editing in addition to the ELFY saga.
Perhaps I’d best start there, though, as that makes sense.
The next book in the Elfyverse is actually going to be three books. For years, I’ve called it AN ELFY ABROAD, because it’s a pun (Bruno’s the Elfy, and Sarah’s the “broad”) as well as being absolutely true. Bruno is a stranger in a strange land, and he’s going to visit the Troll Realm, he’s going back to the Elfy Realm as a power (however uneasy he may be over it), and he and Sarah have many more adventures in the Human Realm (our Earth).
That much, I am positive about.
Everything else, however, is up for debate, as the book/trilogy is in the midst of a revision. But it is in progress, and I hope it’ll be along in due course.
As for other stories in progress…
- There will be a fourth story in the Darkover universe if I have anything to say about it, featuring my judge character Fiona n’ha Gorsali as a young woman just taking up her judicial duties for the first time.
- I’m plotting out Cat’s journey in “The Quest for Columba,” a novella set in my husband’s alternate history/fantasy universe from Cat the shapeshifter’s perspective. (I figured Cat has a great deal to tell me, and he’s probably been saving up the story for a long time. Why should his wife, Columba, get all the fun?)
- There is an Elfyverse prequel in the works called KEISHA’S VOW, which is about one-third completed. I hope to take that up after I’m done with “The Quest for Columba.”
- There is a sequel in the works to my short story “Baseball, Werewolves, and Me,” featuring my worldly-wise psychic Arletta James and her werewolf husband, Fergus.
- And, finally…I’m getting closer to turning CHANGING FACES in to my publisher, but that’s still a few weeks away.
Now, why is all of this in development at roughly the same time?
Partly, it’s because two of the stories were ongoing at the time of Michael’s death in 2004 and I have refused to give them up.
Partly, it’s because I knew there was more to Cat’s story when trying to add touches to Michael’s second Columba story, “Columba and the Crossing,” and that turned into a much more lengthy endeavor. (Right now, that story will be published after I finish “The Quest for Columba.”)
And partly, it’s because I have more stories than even this — but those are the ones people know about, so I wanted to give some sort of update publicly even if publication for any or all of them is a while yet (except for CHANGING FACES, which will be out this year for sure).
So, in between finishing up an extensive edit and working on a few other edits besides, I’m working on my stories, little by little.
Well, that, and planning some book reviews, and writing a few blogs now and again, and trying to help my fellow writers and editors…
And playing my instruments, and writing a piece every great once in a while…
and talking with my friends and family, grabbing a bite to eat and some showers here and there, and sleep, glorious sleep…
You get the idea.
What are you up to, and how is your New Year going thus far?
My Latest Guest Blog (About Editing “A Little Elfy in Big Trouble”) Is Up at Murder By Four
I’m happy to report that my latest guest blog, this one about editing A LITTLE ELFY IN BIG TROUBLE twelve years after I first wrote it, is up at the prestigious writing website Murder by Four.
Now, you might be asking yourselves, why have I been doing so many guest blogs? (Much less why I have had a number of guest bloggers at the Elfyverse.)
There is, of course, a reason for that.
A LITTLE ELFY IN BIG TROUBLE has been out exactly one month. And between that and the two stories I have in the EXQUISITE CHRISTMAS anthology, I wanted to make sure anyone who had any interest in my writing was aware of these things.
(As for an answer to the second question: reciprocating with my fellow authors in the EXQUISITE CHRISTMAS anthology just seemed fair…besides, they’re all fine writers and I thought at least a few of you would enjoy hearing about them and their stories.)
Anyway, I’ve tried to write a wide variety of things. Some have been about the nature of romance, while some have been about editing.
Why did I write two blogs about editing? Well, I found editing A LITTLE ELFY IN BIG TROUBLE to be a major challenge, something completely unlike anything else I’ve done to date. And I figured that two places would appreciate hearing about this — my friend Chris Nuttall’s blog, and the prestigious writing website Murder by Four.
Fortunately for me, both places appreciated me talking about editing. Chris ran the blog first — bless him forever! — and now, Murder by Four has decided to run the editing blog as well.
Here’s a bit from the guest blog:
“So, Barb, what’s the difference between a full-on edit and a rewrite? Especially since you’re talking about adding things or rewriting them?”
A full-on edit is meant to help you, as a writer, figure out what else needs to be added to complete your novel and make it the best novel you are capable of writing. It is not a rewrite, because those usually mean you’re starting from scratch, and you might use some of what you had before – or you might not.
It’s a matter of emphasis, mostly. Analytical skills, perhaps. And certainly a matter of thoughtfulness, thoroughness, and sticktuitiveness…because when you edit for yourself, you have to believe you can see it as someone else does.
Anyway, I do hope you will enjoy reading this guest blog as much as I enjoyed writing it.
Happy Monday, everyone!
Barb Caffrey's Blog 