process – Page 6 – Dabbling in the Art of Writing

Paranormal

Posted on July 15, 2016 by Kassandra Carrillo

Lately, I have been going through the multiple files on my (other) flash drive and through my idea notebook and all the other mediums I have for keeping track of all the ideas in my head. During this search, I came to a realization that most of all my stories lean toward the paranormal type of genre. I say most because I have two maybe three fantasy stories, two science fiction stories and the rest are paranormal ideas.

However, I have been researching the market in order to get my book publish, sending out query letters, and seeing what time of books are being read. I know it’s a tough market for anyone to sign a contract with a publisher but it happens and it’s awesome. The paranormal market is very tough to get into too. There are a lot of amazing books out there that fall under paranormal. Paranormal romance isn’t a big thing for me because, although I have a subtle romance subplots in my stories, it doesn’t encompass the entire story.

Ultimately, I don’t think I can write anything else but paranormal (at the moment). Something about the whole concept – I just can’t get out of my head. Characters and scenes just appear out of nowhere even though they don’t belong to a particular story. Sure, I want to write some fantasy but I don’t think that would be any time soon. I think it is because of this that I sometimes doubt myself. Should I try writing something else that isn’t paranormal? Self doubt just keeps piling up.

Sure eventually, I go back to my writing and I get hyped up again and keep working hard. The paranormal genre just has this hold over me. I just can’t over the element with magic and awesome creatures. I have an addiction and I just can’t stop. In a sense, I feel confident in my writing but in another sense, I just want to burn it because it is no good. Thinking about it now, it’s not like I would ever compare my manuscript with someone else’s work. To me if just one person liked my book that would be great.

So why do I keep writing?

Because what else am I supposed to do with all these ideas?

Resources

My List of Resources

Posted on June 17, 2016 by Kassandra Carrillo

This week I’ll share with you my list of go to websites when I need extra help in my writing. There are plenty of websites out there and I’m not saying some are better than others. I will say, however, that I have mostly stuck with the following websites because they have worked out for me so far. For the most part, this list is biased toward fantasy tools but there are other websites too.

1.Evernote

I use Evernote to jot down notes, story ideas that pop into my head, and copy down urls. Since I have the app, I can access all my notes on my phone so I don’t always have to be in front of a computer. There’s a free basic version that I think works well and the websites has other features you can pay for.

2. Donjon

This is a website for fantasy generators and it also has information/generators for D&D and science fiction as well. It has a world generator that you can customize and the websites shows an image of your map which is really cool.

3. Seventh Sanctum

This is another website with generators. This is more diverse than Donjon because you can generate armor, weapons, magic, technology, superheroes, and anime and manga.

4. Chaotic Shiny

This website does focus on fantasy (I’m finding a theme here). There’s generators for culture, people, places, accessories with a wide variety.

5. Fantasy name generators

Although it says fantasy, this is primarily a name generator for many things; places, real names, descriptions, and pop culture. For those of you who play WoW, Guild Wars, Diablo, this website is for you. There are generators for every race in the games; Warhammer 40k, LOTR, and so much more.

6. Plot Generator

I don’t use this one often but you can pick the genre you’re thinking about writing and fill in some blanks. With a click of a button, you get your plot. It might not be what you want to write about but I think it’s a good way to start.

7. Writers Plot Idea Generator

This is another plot generator but the website includes plot twists, character name, character profile, and location generators.

8. Fiction Factor

This websites has articles on writing and tips. There are also other genres they talk about with their own website like fantasy or horror.

9. Pronounce names

I use this website when I have no idea how to even pronounce a character name. This situation falls under all the names I make up in my head (or on a generator).

10. Celtx

Primarily I use this website for my scripts but they all have a novel function that you can use. They also have app that can be downloaded.

The list isn’t perfect and it all tailored to what I need. If there are other websites out there that are really great, please tell me. I’m open to any suggestions on other websites that I can use. Like I mentioned, I don’t have all the list of resources but I found these very helpful.

Methods, Writing

Tick Tock

Posted on March 11, 2016June 10, 2016 by Kassandra Carrillo

Recently, I have been reading a lot of short stories by my peers for my creative writing classes. While some have been great with their ups and downs, others are a bit lacking. As per one of my previous posts, I like to sit back and think about what I can steal and what I can avoid. The conclusion that I came to was very simple.

The stories that were a bit lacking had one thing in common: there was no clock. By this I mean that there was no urgency in the story. There was no deadline and the characters didn’t really have a motivation to do anything. So, this got me thinking about my own writing and without realizing, my novel already had a clock. Subconsciously, I must have made this decision knowing that my characters needed a deadline. Of course, the situation that I presented in the first chapter called for a deadline.

However, I looked at my other ideas I plan to write into novels and I noticed that they didn’t have a clock yet. Usually, I’m able to create a bare skeleton plot for my ideas and sometimes I am good at having it all planned out.Yet, I found a few that I was stuck on. I didn’t know what was going to happen or what was at stake. This is where the deadline came in.

The deadline gave the plot(s) a sense of urgency. Not only that but it prompted my characters to move forward. This only helped my character’s motivation appear on the page because readers want to know why someone is doing something. There’s always a reason.

The clock can be metaphorically or physically, like a bomb about to go off on a plane. Either way, it shows that something has to happen. This event will propel readers to turn to the next page eager to find out what happens. So, if you’re struggling with your writing, sit back and think for a moment. Is there a deadline? What is at stake? Would the story stay the same if the deadline isn’t met?

Thanks for joining me this week.

Until next time,

Kassandra C.

Methods, Writing

Plot and Subplot

Posted on February 22, 2016June 10, 2016 by Kassandra Carrillo

Just recently, I have started working on my second book in a five part series I plan to write. My beta readers are busy reading through the first book and so it’s a good opportunity to start writing the second. Unlike most people, I don’t exactly outline the entire book. I like to let the story breathe on its own and expand toward places I wouldn’t have thought about otherwise. So, I faced a dilemma.

I knew the effects I wanted to write about; the ripples of the events that happened in the first book. I made an entire list of those effects and I thought I was ready. I was on the second notebook page when I realized that I had no idea what this story was going to be about. My list of effects was beside me but it wasn’t a story. There wasn’t anything connecting these points. They were just scenes and without a connector, it wasn’t a story.

I went back to the writing board. What was my story about? I wanted to follow the themes of revenge and family but how could I incorporate this into a story? Somewhere online I read that books in a serious should more or less be a stand alone book. While they might be part of a series, it has to have its own story despite having the same cast. Thinking about my plot made me think about the overall plot of my series. I knew what I wanted to accomplish in the last book but I needed to build up to that point. How could I get to point A to point D?

The answer came to be while I was sitting at work. My effects list was in front of me and I knew that most of them were all character based. One way or another, the characters had to face that effect and deal with it. One point in particular caught my attention. The cult in my book needed more of a presence and it was in that moment that I realized that they could be the center of the story. They were the driving force.

And so, I had my plot.

It doesn’t always work that way but what helped me was that I concentrated on one detail that I could expand and luckily it worked out. This exercise, so to speak, made me realize that subplots can’t drive the story because then, without an overall connection, there is no story. If you ever have trouble coming up with a plot, shot down a few points that must happen in the story and then ask yourself: how does my character (s) get from this moment to that moment? They you fill out the details.

Take from other readings and writings that you might have done over the course of your life. The what-if game is also very helpful because it allows you freedom to think about different scenarios that you wouldn’t necessarily put into writing. Overall, it’s important to remember that each book in a series builds the plot as a whole and each piece must work together to get you to the end. But in the end, take it one chapter at a time.

Methods, Writing

Magazine Shopping

Posted on February 20, 2016June 10, 2016 by Kassandra Carrillo

Have you ever browsed through a magazine and cut out images because they’re your favorite though you can’t afford them? Or your teacher asked you to cut out your future goals for a grade. Either way, at one point or another, we all have looked through a magazine.

But Kassandra, what does that have to do with writing? Here’s my answer: everything.

I used to collect lot of old magazines from school and bring them home. Every day I would go through them and cut out images that I liked and what I wanted to have. However, it was only after that I started cutting out images for my characters. I would glue the images to a sheet a paper under a specific name. What would so and so wardrobe look like? What about their homes? What could they buy? What do they wish they could buy?

All these questions helped me build my characters economic background. The way a character dresses, where they buy, etc. reveals a lot to a reader without telling them. With those images, I created a life for my characters that I could see and describe in my writing. That way, not only could I use the magazines after I finished looking through them but that activity allowed me to expand the way I create characters. It’s a fun and creative process to bring back the enjoyment – in my opinion- to creating characters.

While there are many articles and websites about character development, I like to believe that playing dress-up and house with your character is just as helpful.

Do you know any other non traditional ways to build our characters? What process do you use? Leave your answers in the section below. Thanks for reading.

Until next time.

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