Friday, July 17, 2009

Story Creation Through Babymaking

For most of pregnancy, story creation is at an all-time high, kinda like my hormones. My dreams are more vivid. I blush to think of the one in which I was a female Hobbit flirting with Frodo Baggins just to get the Ring! Usually, about two new novel-length stories will pop into my head over the course of year. That number doubles when I'm knocked up.

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At some point, I move into the Baby Zone and things get really muddy in my head and I totally get baby-obsessed. (Yeah, I know you thought I already was baby-obsessed.) I can force myself to write through it, but I'm a bit cranky. Okay, I'm a lot cranky. Except when I'm given to silliness, watching George of the Jungle and such. It's those hormones again. Gotta love 'em.

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The good thing about the muddy-headed Baby Zone is no one expects much from me. I'm pretty much beached on the sofa until my very own little Kick-Butt Heroine gets out. And, glory, does she got a great aim! So, I can let my mind wonder from one story to the next, experiment with different things within one story, and just kind of goof off in my own imagination.

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I try not to take it too seriously, because when I do I get cranky again.

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Take SWEET, for example.

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Originally, it was YA Paranormal Romance. However, I've since learned the dividing lining between YA and Adult is even muddier than my brain right now. Since the main characters must deal with both teen and adult issues, I've decided to age the characters as much as is believable and still keep the story's heart and soul.

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Okay, so now SWEET's Paranormal Romance. Not so fast. According to research, the Hero must be an Alpha Male and the Heroine must be a 'Kick-Butt Heroine.' (((sigh))) Well, Adrian is firmly a Beta Male and Ophelia never kicks anyone's butt. They both have to grow into their strength and discover their own courage. There's no story otherwise.

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Uh, Urban Fantasy. Sorry, too much Alaskan Wilderness. 'Urban' means 'City,' you know.

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What about just 'Romantic Fantasy?' Mmm, maybe. I'll let my brain clear up from childbirth first before I tackle that one. Complicating factors are the 'magic' is science-based, although it's based on mythology which makes it 'feel' more Fantasy than Science Fiction.

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Huh?

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Oh, nevermind.

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Still having problems with pacing. Here's an excellent article by the esteemed Jacqueline Lichtenberg for those of you on the same learning curve-

http://aliendjinnromances.blogspot.com/2009/07/6-tricks-of-scene-structure.html

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And here's Mamma-Mia, just 'cause I'm a mama and it's fun-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UJC-zk6Coc&feature=related
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And what about THE MECHANICAL WITCH? Oh, who knows? Right now, I like SWEET better, but that can all change. Muddy brained hormones, you know.

Sunday, July 12, 2009

All I Ever Needed to Know about Childbirth I Learned from 'George of the Jungle'

Memorable Quotes and they're applicable interpretation:

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"To swing or not to swing? Swing!" means "To love or not to love? Love!"

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To rescue Ursula- "Biggest jungle swing in history. Will hurt very much, but George got to do it (whimper)." means "Giving birth will hurt very much, but Kimber An got to do it to get baby (whimper)."


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How does a boy raised by apes grow up to be king of the jungle, marry his beautiful jungle queen, and live happily ever after? "George just lucky I guess! (silly grin)" means "How did a girl raised by a single mom grow up to marry her jungle king and make babies happily ever after? Kimber An just lucky I guess!"


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"I've been waiting for you all my life"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggDNKrTsKv0

Monday, July 6, 2009

'You Must've Been a Beautiful Baby'


Thursday, July 2, 2009

Happy Independence Day!



'Proud to be an American' by Lee Greenwood-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q65KZIqay4E&feature=related
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'Coming to America' by Neil Diamond-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xtMmSU88PdA&feature=related

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'No More Kings' by Schoolhouse Rock
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofYmhlclqr4&feature=related
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'Fireworks' by Schoolhouse Rock
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvH7ySQi37E&feature=related
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'The Preamble to the Constitution' by Schoolhouse Rock-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_TXJRZ4CFc&feature=related

Sunday, June 28, 2009

Detective Inspector Chen series reviewed...

...by Mfitz at http://enduringromance.blogspot.com/

Saturday, June 27, 2009

Besides the Baby

Good evening, Blog Buds.
Thought I'd share what's on my mind this summer, besides the baby trying to kick her way out my belly button. No, it's not Michael Jackson. Although I found his human story fascinating and all my sympathy goes to his family and friends, especially his children, I never listened to his music. He became a mega-star in the '80's when I was a teenager and I didn't like any of the music from when I was a teen. I hear he hired a great nanny and homeschools his children, which I really admire. Mostly, I admire everything he did to protect his children from the limelight. Too few celebraties do that.

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The coming homeschool year. I am so dreading not getting my curriculum orders on time, like last year. I don't have the time or emotional energy to deal with that this year. Makes me severely cranky just thinking about it. I get my stuff done on time. What's their excuse? Grrr... No, I don't want to talk about who 'they' are.

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This one's more fun at this point, but no less confusing. What novel shall I polish up next? Yes, I've been working on SWEET, but that doesn't mean it must be the one. I've got two others primed for the Weed & Polish Phase as well and I'm going to start doing that mid-September. So, here are my options for the Next Novel to Polish for Submission, providing MANIC KNIGHT finishes its journey through Queryland without snagging a publishing contract. If it did snag a contract, then my focus would shift to building my career from there. The thing to remember about the following stories is that *I love them all the same.* The 'write what you love' advice does not apply. In fact, I could just as easy polish any of my other stories, but they're not as highly developed in my head as these ones.

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1) SWEET. I'm calling this a Paranormal Romance, although it's borderline Young Adult (another 18 year old heroine who deals with both teen and adult issues) and technically Science Fiction Romance. It's set in the Here & Now with alien characters who could pass as typical PR-type characters.

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2) LOVE MY NANNY. This was orginally Women's Fiction, but it was the only Women's Fiction in my head. I've read, and it makes sense, for a newly published author to put out the same kinds of stories for a few years while she establishes her career and builds her readership. And so I've converted this one into Contemporary Romance.

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3) THE COALESCENCE OF BENNU AND RA. It's definitely Science Fiction Romance, which limits the agents and editors I can query with it.

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And now I will listen to music. Helps get me over the Cranky Pregnant Woman Thing, you know.
;)
'Good for Me, Baby'
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6/29- can't believe I forgot one story! Well, that's 'pregnant brain' for you.
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4) THE MECHANICAL WITCH. This stands the best chance labeled Fantasy, but it's actually Steampunk, possibly YA, definitely also a Romance.
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Did I mention how I can't color within genre lines to save my life? So annoying.

Thursday, June 25, 2009

There Really Were Female Spitfire Pilots!

I'm astounded! The whole time I was writing and polishing MANIC KNIGHT, I never found any mention anywhere about women flying Spitfire fighter planes during World War II. Well, I just did and I am so flabberghasted and delighted.
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Some Americans may know that American women flew airplanes during World War II in a supportive role, although African American women were never allowed. Likewise, British women flew Spitfires back and forth in non-combative missions. For example, they delivered new Spitfires to the male pilots at the fighter stations.
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Here's the article-
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Bessie Coleman was the very first African American woman pilot and she had to go all the way to France to find someone to teach her how to fly.
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As far as I know, only Russian women flew combat missions during World War II. The enemy heard them over radio and realized they were women, which totally freaked them out. Called them 'the Night Witches.' That's where I got the idea of the Nazis overhearing Angelica and calling her the 'Manic Knight.'
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Anyway, here's Alicia Keys to help me celebrate this discovery- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktUSIJEiOug