What Eccentric Writing Habits Have I Never Mentioned? By Connie Vines

When you mention that you are a writer, people often take a step back and give you that 'once over' inspection. This reaction used to make me uncomfortable.  Now I only smile.  I don't know exactly what I'm expected to look like--Stephen King, perhaps?  Joan Wilder?  Charlotte Bronte?

When I am asked about my writing methods, schedule, inspiration--I respond truthfully.  However, I never tell people every little thing.

Most authors, of course, have personal eccentric writing practices. Fueled, no doubt by his or her personal muse.  Agatha Christie munched on apples in the bathtub while pondering murder plots, Flannery O’Connor crunched vanilla wafers, and Vladimir Nabokov fueled his “prefatory glow” with molasses.

Then there was the color-coding of the muses:  Alexandre Dumas, for decades, he penned all of his fiction on a particular shade of blue paper, his poetry on yellow, and his articles on pink; on one occasion, while traveling in Europe, he ran out of his precious blue paper and was forced to write on a cream-colored pad, which he was convinced made his fiction suffer. Charles Dickens was partial to blue ink, but not for superstitious reasons — because it dried faster than other colors, it allowed him to pen his fiction and letters without the drudgery of blotting. Virginia Woolf used different-colored inks in her pens — greens, blues, and purples. Purple was her favorite, reserved for letters (including her love letters to Vita Sackville-West, diary entries, and manuscript drafts. Lewis Carroll also preferred purple ink, but for much more pragmatic reasons: During his years teaching mathematics at Oxford, teachers were expected to use purple ink to correct students’ work — a habit that carried over to Carroll’s fiction.

So how do my little eccentric (or never before mentioned) writing practices measure up?  Is my personal muse quirky, dull, or out of control?

Since my quirks are normal for me, I had to think about this for a bit.

• I always drink coffee that is part of my current ‘setting’.  When my setting is New Orleans I mail order my coffee from my favorite spot .Café du Monde.  I have my cup and saucer, and a portable mug when I writing outdoors.   I have a blue coffee pot and matching tin cup when I writing westerns (yes, the coffee is VERY strong and black).  And of course, a Starbucks cup or a Disneyland mug when my novels take place in So.Cal.

• My music and my menu planning also is linked to my settings.  All within the range of normal.  Though I have more than my fair share of coffee mugs and cups.

• I listen to diction videos on YouTube so that I am not relying on my memory for the sound of a Cajun accent, Texan’s drawl, etc.

• I visit areas on Google Earth and Zillow.  Even if I have lived or vacationed there, I may have forgotten an interesting ‘something’ I can insert into dialogue, or find a way to describe a scene.

• I talk to myself.  Or not simple little sentences.  I’m talking about a two- way conversation: “Do you think that might work?”  “No.  No one is that stupid!”  “How about. . .”  This is the time my husband walks by to find out who’s on the phone, or if I’m asking him a question.  The dog even pokes her head in to see what’s going on.  I’m thinking this is a bit outside of the ‘normal’ range.

• When I write I have to make certain my work space in in perfect order.  I have colored folders/pens/notebooks that match and are exclusive to the story I’m working on at the moment.

• I never enroll in an online class when I’m writing—it’s guaranteed writers’ block.  I never talk about my WIP because I mentally clock that as writing time and lose interest in the story before it’s completed.

• Whatever story I’m am working on is my favorite.

• I survive on 3 hours sleep when I am deep in a story.  I know I drink coffee, but seem to run the story in my mind when I sleep too.

• I also pick up the quirks of my heroines.  I have several friends who are in theater and said it’s a bit like ‘method acting’. Fortunately, I’m back to my state of normal a couple of weeks after typing THE END.

I think all of this part of a writer’s voice.  It is what we, as readers, look for in a story.  Hopefully, it is what my readers, enjoy about the novels, short-stories and novellas that I write too.

Visit my Amazon webpage for my book trailers, teasers, and ebooks and paperbacks.

Happy Reading!

Connie

Hop over to the next blog post

http://yesterrdayrevisitedhere.blogspot.com/

http://connievines.blogspot.com/

http://triciamg.blogspot.com/

Pronouns Suck Sometimes

borrowed from Google Images

Pronouns are a necessary evil to avoid the redundant use of a name, but I take exception with "it."
I have no idea how many times I've had to read backwards to discover what "it" is.  In my opinion, authors use that particular pronoun too many times.  I prefer using a hard noun, and my thesaurus if necessary to find the right word.

Another thing that bugs me...is it just me?  I cringe when there are two people talking in the story, and it's readily apparent they are the only two in the room, but the author feels the need to keep using tags to identify them.  Hey, give the reader credit for being smart enough to figure things out.  John said and Fred said after every sentence is just too much.

borrowed from Google Images

One more tip....Deep POV.  If you are writing from the POV of your main character and have been for sometime, there is no need to use introductory phrases to define who sees, feels, senses, etc.  If you've made if clear to the reader whose POV your in, then all the above belongs to that person and you don't need to identify for the reader.

Example of an annoying read in my opinion:

I've been writing about Clare for some time.  It's clear to the reader she is the heroine in my story and is the person in the driver's seat...

Clare looked at Jason and sighed.  His broad shoulders stretched his shirt seams to the limit and his smile rivaled the sunshine.  She wondered how she got so lucky.  She felt like a princesss in one of the fairytales her mother once read her.

Better...

Jason's broad shoulders stretched his shirt seams to the limit.   His smile rivaled the sunshine.  How had she gotten as lucky as the princess in one of the fairy tales her mother once read aloud?  An audible sigh escaped her lips, and he turned at the sound.  She smiled to display her contentment.

Perhaps a little corny, but I think you get the point.

borrowed from Google Images

Avoid redundancy, especially within the same paragraph.   Using the same word over and over is a sign of a lazy writer, and you want to show your creative side.  I use my online Thesaurus religiously to find ways to express sentiments without repeating myself.

borrowed from Google Images

Remember, short sentences emphasize emotions better than long ones.  Don't stretch the limits of human readability by creating the longest sentence in the world.  Periods make sense...use them.

This is all my feeble brain can think of to share at the moment, but I'll be back with more things that bug me.  You can bet on it.  *lol*

Sunday Snips & Stuff #sundaysnips

Some time ago, I started a story inspired by a trip to Alaska, but I never finished it.  I had planned to tell the story of a Danaina Athabaskan Indian maiden from Elutna, Alaska.  I ran short of research information, so I switched to something else, I know better...the old west.  Still, I'm fascinated by the over one hundred spirit houses that surround St. Nicholas' church in the historical Eklutna burial ground, so I'm going to share a little info with you.  Indian didn't just exist in an area we consider the "old west."

Back in the early 1800s, Catholic missionaries came to Alaska and thrived among the many tribes dwelling at the mouth of the Eklutna River.  As was the custom before the arrival of the Russian Orthodox, deceased Athabaskan were cremated by the tribe, but as cultures blended and Catholic belief forbade cremation, spirit houses cropped up around the church..  When a person died, they were laid out beneath a blanket and a layer of stones to keep them warm for the forty days the Indians believed a person's spirit lingered.  A spirit house was built to shelter the corpse and keep the departed from dwelling among the living, and the family painted the house in their own traditional colors.  A cross, reminiscent of the one on which Christ was crucified was erected as a final touch. 

 Some believe Spirit Houses were necessary because the ground was quite frequently frozen and unyielding to grave digging, but history tells us that the unique buildings were part of the Athabaskan belief.  Just a point of reference, I learned...the Alaskan tribe are tied linguistically to the Navajo and Apaches.

Unlike the upkeep of burial plots here in America, Athabaskan's believe that which is taken from the earth must return to the earth, thus the houses are left to decay and rot.  When touring the resting place, it's not uncommon to see new houses of those with Danaina ancestry  stand among the ruins of the old.  The homes...some realistically complete with flower boxes and draperies, are said to represent the level of grieving.  Small houses  indicate the passing of a child, and I was moved by the large amount of those at Eklutna.  The number of those lost made sense when I learned  a small pox epidemic wiped out a large portion of the tribe in the 1830s.

If you ever make a trip to Alaska, I urge you to visit the historical resting place in Eklutna, not far from Anchorage.

NOW...please hop on over and check out my partners in crime.  Tricia has been dealing with an ill sibling, so she may not have a current post, but keep visiting...she's an awesome author and has lots of info to share.  Have I mentioned that each of the bloggers who join me are excellent authors.  Books We Love is picky about whom they publish. :)  Here's the links:

http://connievines.blogspot.com (Connie Vines)

http://yesterrdayrevisitedhere.blogspot.com/ (Juliet Waldron) 

 http://triciamg.blogspot.com (Tricia McGill)

Negative Traits = The Perfect Villain by Connie Vines

Looking for the perfect, or not so perfect, villain for your story?

Finding a hero, well that is perfectly simple.  A dash of Prince Charming, a sprinkle of Albert Einstein, a quarter cup of Fred Astaire, a hint of Hans Solo. . .well, you get my drift. A quick whisk or two and TADA!  You have a hero!

Not so, with a villain, that is an entirely different cup of (hemlock) tea.

Deeply flawed, and driven by: dark forces, questionable morals, a wounded soul, or simply bad fashion sense, villains must connect with readers in some realistic way.  A strong villain forces the hero to step up, demanding more moral fiber than he, the hero, knew that he possessed.  Remember, there is no “Happily Ever After” without the twists and turns supplied compliments of the villain!

Remember unless your villain is a serial killer, or the embodiment of pure Evil, he—the villain, must possession a rich and complex character and past.  He must be a worthy antagonist for protagonist (aka: Our Beloved Hero).  So, how exactly do you plan to come up with the perfect villain?

I like to start with back-story (of course for most of the novel this is known only to me). I pepper hints and drop in a few clumps of info.  Later, the reader will say, “Of course!  I should have guess sooner!” The reader may harbor sympathy (which I like to develop in my Tween stories).  Everyone can relate to an event, which made a profound change is his/her life.  Sometimes this even makes a person better/stronger.  Other times (as in the villain’s case) it drives them to the edge of insanity, or damages them beyond (mental/emotional/physical) recover.  However, in the beginning, the story all about the hero.

It is not until the middle of the story; we appreciate the villain’s ability to set those nasty plot twists into motion.

Your villain can be your hero’s mirror.  Oh, you can go for the classic blonde vs brunette, if you are looking for campy.  Or, you can look to character traits.  The hero may be shy, fearful of horses, and a back-words sort of dresser with a gentle way with those in need.  While the villain is confident, articulate (with a sexy accent), owns a stable of show-horses, wears Armani suits, and (at times the veil slips) he sees gentleness as weakness.  He discovered as a child, only the strongest survive!

Give him quirks, sensitivities (remember the movie “Red Dragon”), an awareness of himself. Your villain must evolve also.  He may escalate into pure Evil, or see the light.  Or, perhaps, reside somewhere in between the two places.

Remember to open his old wounds.  Something, be it a place, event, smell, or sound must trigger his behavior.  Show the villain trying to avoid a situation, event.
I can’t divulge too much about my “villains” due to the manner in which they tie into a story’s plot.  However, I will give you a hint, or two.

Whisper upon the Water, my YA/Tween novel set in the late 1880s in a Native American boarding school deals with the aftermath of the Indian Wars.  The story also addresses the way the children were treated and forced to become “White”.  My villain is Sister Enid.  The reader will discover that Sister Enid as a story of her own.  My romance and romantic suspense novels, Lynx and Brede (Rodeo Romance Book 1 & 2), also have carefully constructed villains.

My next BWL release, is an anthology, Gumbo Ya Ya has five separate stories.  And, a myriad of delightful villains to boo and hiss at!
·        “Marrying off Murphy” my villain is a friend who shoves my hero into an ‘unwelcomed situation’.
·        “Love Potion # 9” brings us two villains: “element of magic” and. .well, that’s enough of a hint.
·        “A Slice of Scandal” is a murder mystery where villains abound.
·        “The Ghost of Gombi Island” we have a pirate, a ghost, and a witch on the high seas (I will let you ponder the villain’s identity.)
·        “1-800-Fortune” (a T.A.R.A. and Fool for Love, finalist). Brings us an unnamed villain (at least until the final pages—remember, no peeking when you purchase the book).

What character traits.

Or what I’ve discovered usually irritate me, and, consequently, my hero the most.  Remember, just like the menu at “Denny’s” you can mix or match your selection.
Abrasive, Antisocial, Catty (one of my personal faves), Confrontational (perfect for a co-worker when combined Catty and Devious).  Or, Obsessive (no wait, that’s me!), Paranoid, Perfectionist, Self-Destructive, Vindictive.  These are just a few traits, I am certain you can name many, many more.

Does you villain need the limelight? Alternatively, does he prefer to hide in the shadows?  Does he have a driving need to belong? To be loved?

Your villain did not just crawl out from beneath a toadstool.

Write that backstory and make certain your villain is the worst that he can be!

Reader, who is favorite villain--the person you love to hate?  Why?


Connie Vines

Welcome Julie Lence - I've Blog-Jacked You!

courtesy of www.bloom.uk.com

The Poinsettia is a native Mexican plant. Its origins trace back to present day Taxco. The poinsettia, Euphorbia pulcherrima, Willd, is a member of the Euphorbiaceae family and is defined as a female flower, without petals and usually without sepals, surrounded by individual male flowers enclosed in a cup-shaped structure called a cyathium. The Euphorbia genus contains 700-1000 species. The Aztecs in central Mexico cultivated the plant and used the colorful leaves, known as bracts, to make a reddish-purple dye for clothes and makeup. The Poinsettia’s milky sap was made into a medicine to treat fevers. 

 

Joel Roberts Poinsettcourtesy of http://www.apsnet.org

Joel Roberts Poinsett is credited as the first American to bring the plant to the United States. A botanist from Greenville, South Carolina, Poinsett was also the first United States Ambassador to Mexico. Best remembered as the founder of the Smithsonian Institute, Poinsett traveled to the Taxco area, discovered the colorful plants growing on adjacent hillsides and had some of them shipped to his home, where he grew them in his greenhouse. From there, he gifted some of the plants to his friends and also sent some to botanical gardens and to fellow botanist John Bartram in Philadelphia. Bartram sent the plant to his friend Robert Buist. Buist was a plants-man from Pennsylvania and thought to be the first person to sell the Poinsettia under its original name. Legend has it the Euphorbia pulcherrima, Willd, became known as the Poinsettia in the 1830’s, after Joel Robert Poinsett. 

 

courtesy of www.orthodoxytoday.org

How did the Poinsettia become known as the Christmas plant? The Aztecs prized the poinsettia and believed it to be a symbol of purity. In the 17^th century, Franciscan monks in Mexico incorporated the flower into their Fiesta of Santa Pesbre; a nativity procession. This is the first time the Poinsettia was associated with Christmas, leading Mexico’s Christians to adopt the plant as their Christmas Eve flower. The star-shaped bracts symbolize the Star of Bethlehem. The red leaves represent Christ’s blood and the white leaves symbolize his purity. 

 

courtesy of www.distinctive-decor.com

Once the monks included the Poinsettia in their nativity procession, a few legends sprang up as to why and how the plant became associated with Christmas. One is the tale of poor, young Pepita who was upset because she did not have a gift to give to the baby Jesus at Christmas Eve mass. As she made her way to the church, her cousin tried to cheer her up. Pedro told Pepita that even the smallest gift presented to Jesus in love would make the Christ child happy. Pepita picked some weeds and placed them beside the manger. Before everyone’s eyes, the weeds magically transformed into beautiful red flowers. Another tale says it was an angel who told Pepita to pick the weeds and bring them to the church. Regardless, the parishioners swore they’d witnessed a miracle, and from that evening on, the flowers became known as Flores de Noche Buena; Flowers of the Holy Night. 

 

Merry Christmas Everyone! I wish you and your family a joyous holiday season. Julie