The Writer's Tale by Russell T. Davies & Benjamin Cook

Also, please see the following quote I discovered in Russell T. Davies book, The Writer's Tale, on Page 42 of the paperback edition:
"That's the thing about writing. It's all doubt. Doubts about plot, story, character, etc, let in every other doubt, the real doubts, about yourself, your very self."
I could not identify with this more than I do right now. Sitting down and trying to push through National Novel Writing Month but running into the walls of my own self doubt.  I get caught up in whether or not this is a good story, are the characters interesting, can I possibly do this at all.  I think I've even resigned myself, more than once, to the idea that maybe I am not a writer at all.  Of course, it is this self doubt that is keeping me from continuing.  In this part of Davies' book, he is talking about embracing everything in order to write.  How the mundane things about his day to day existence make their way into his writing.  That there is this soup of creativity in his head with ingredients from science fiction as well as reminders to call mom on her birthday.    It's your life experiences that make you who you are and help to make your characters richer and more believable.

What I am liking most about this part of the book is that we see the sheer panic he's feeling as he approaches his deadlines.  It's nice to know that famous writers go through the same highs and lows that the yet unpublished wannabes authors experience in the same process.  It definitely gives one the feeling that anyone with a desire to sit down and create could do what Davies' is doing.  It's just sticking with it and pushing through those self doubts.  Feeling one's fears and doing it anway.

The Writer's Tale by Russell T. Davies & Benjamin Cook

I am currently reading The Writer's Tale by Russell T. Davies & Benjamin Cook.  I just received it yesterday in the mail and, after struggling through an eight-hour shift at my part-time job, I was able to dive in last night.  It was much larger than I expected and the format was not accurately described in the Amazon description.  I assumed it was going to be a memoir about the last full season and subsequent TV specials; written in prose and telling a story from start to finish.  It's actually an epistolary novel that covers the entire final season.  I'm already about sixty pages into the book and loving it.  Have you ever wished you could read the e-mails exchanges of this writer or that artist?  Somehow get inside their head and understand the genius that lives there?

Started with the intent of writing an article about the writing process that takes place for a hit television show, I can understand how it quickly became the textbook size tome that it is.  It appears to be an unedited dialogue between Head Writer for Doctor Who, Russel T. Davies, and Benjamin Cook.  Written through e-mails Davies is explaining his writing process as he is crafting Series 4, David Tennant's last full season, of Doctor Who for the BBC.  Davies is also constructing series 2 of Torchwood and The Adventures of Sarah-Jane (Both Spin-offs of Doctor Who) at the same time, so there is a bit of a bleed-through on his thoughts and ideas.

What has struck me the most, at the very beginning of this book, is the honesty with which Davies writes.  His e-mails to Benjamin Cook are full of a self-doubt one would not expect from a successful television show writer.  (Davies has created several shows in addition to resurrecting Doctor Who.)  He talks about his procrastination problems and looming deadlines for the shows.  Mistakes he's made in his life have served as inspiration for his art.  And we even see him repeating story formulas from the previous seasons as a means to get over writer's block.  Knowing how the fourth season turned out, I am anxious to see how he came to those decisions from his original ideas. (For those Doctor Who Fans out there:  apparently Donna's character was not intended to return for an entire season, merely a one off story or role in the finale.)  I'll keep you posted on the developments or interesting quotes I may come across.

National Novel Writing Month - November 2, 2010

We are only on the second day of NaNo and I am already behind.   My total word count for yesterday: 326.  The saddest part is when I went to verify the word count on the official NaNo site.  They keep track of writing streaks and failure streaks, so I am already showing a failure streak of 1 day and I'll need to write 1710 words a day for the rest of the 29 days to make up for not meeting my 1666 word count for the first day.

On one hand, it's a very handy calculator that helps me adjust my goals.  On the other it's kind of depressing to see how far behind I've already gotten.  The problem is that I already hate where my characters are and I don't want to start all over again, though that is probably the best course of action.  Let me know if you have any helpful hints.

November Reading List 2010

Soulless by Gail Carriger (10/1/10) - Finished 10/15/10 
Changeless by Gail Carriger (10/16/10) - Started 10/24/10
Twenty Years After by Alexandre Dumas (6/01/10) -Started
The Portrait of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde (05/01/10) - Started
The Poe Shadow by Matthew Pearl (07/01/10)
The Dante Club by Matthew Pearl (07/01/10)
A Clash of Kings by George R. R. Martin (08/01/10) - Started 10/25/10
Lamb by Christopher Moore (11/01/10)
Harry Potter Series Re-Read (9/01/10)

National Novel Writing Month 2010 - The countdown begins

Only 4 days left until the official start of National Novel Writing Month.  For those of you who are unaware of this crazy contest, please check out their official website at http://www.nanowrimo.com/.

I have been on the fence about ideas, but think I have committed to the Disney Princess meets Sex in the City one.  Obviously, they will be characters of my own making but I am basing them on the personalities of the Disney Princesses.  My main focus in research right now is to figure out what alcoholic drinks I think each of these ladies would order on a girls night out.  It's giving me a bit of insight into what I think each of their characters will be.  I welcome any suggestions, so far my list is as follows:

Snow White: Candy-Apple Martini
Cinderella: Godmother (Amaretto and Rum)
Mulan: Cricket (Grasshopper with Vodka)
Aurora (aka Sleeping Beauty):
Tiana:
Jasmine:
Belle:
Ariel:
Pocahontas:

The Sinful Life of Lucy Burns by Elizabeth Leiknes

The premise sounded very interesting: An 11 year-old Lucy Burns sends a letter addressed to "To Whom It May Concern" in an effort to save her sister's life. It's not until she's in college that the full contract is revealed. In exchange for her sister's life and continued well-being, Lucy must agree to be a facilitator for Hell: she will be given a list the damned that she must usher off to their eternal fate. Written around the Faustian Archetype, Lucy must find a way out of her contract with the devil if she ever wants a normal life.

The story was just a little too similar to Brendan Fraser's Bedazzled. I had a very difficult time connecting with the character of Lucy Burns. The author's writing style did not make it any easier and I found myself not wanting to continue. I think the problem, for me, started with page one where the author depicts her heroine playing with her older sister. The author has one kid call the other a "retard." I understand that this is how some children talk to each other and I would be completely lying if I said there wasn't a time in my own childhood where I used this word. However, I have grown up and the times they have a-changed. I find this word, along with several other derogatory terms, to be unacceptable in any context. I almost stopped reading there. (I had similar problems when reading Ian Fleming's, Dr. No.) But, out of respect for my roommate who had recommended the novel, I sincerely tried to give this book a chance and pushed on.

Halfway through the book, I felt like the author was telling instead of showing. There wasn't a lot of character development for Lucy and the events of the novel just seemed to be rushed. The reader is told that Lucy likes to take her car to the Snow White Car Wash after she sends a human being off to hell. Then it is unnecessarily explained to the reader that having her car cleaned is like washing off the dirt Lucy feels after fulfilling her part of the Devil's contract. We're told about the relationship Lucy has with her neighbor and we get to see a part of it but, as a reader, I don't believe it. It feels forced for the purpose of the story rather than something organic. The joking banter between the friends is jarring without that natural bond of friendship in place.

I have to be honest, I didn't fully finish reading the novel. Though I skimmed through to the end to see how it all works out and it was pretty much as expected. I cannot recommend this book nor will I discourage someone from forming his or her own opinion about the work. There are more than a few novels I did not personally like that are considered great works of literature. (For example: A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole.) Please check out other reviews on Amazon to determine if this book might be a good fit for you.

The Secret Life of Dolls by Cleolinda Jones

Recently, I have been catching up with a favorite serial of mine: The Secret Life of Dolls by Cleolinda Jones.  I stumbled across it when a friend told me I should check out Cleolinda's Twilight in 15 minutes.  Finding the Secret Life of Dolls, or SLOD, has been one of the highlights of my internet time-wasting and I was thrilled to discover new entries had been posted.

It's a fictional account of the dolls that live in Cleolinda's room.  She happens to be an avid fan of several films/books and therefore has several of the official character dolls.  Cleolinda adds her own spice to each of the characters while staying true to their original representations.  While Twilight is not one of my favorite books, or movies for that matter, Cleolinda has made the character of Edward into something extremely likable.  She is able to point out the flaws of the character as written in the novel even though I can tell she does have a special place in her literary heart for the original series.  Other characters that appear in her stories: Elizabeth Swann from Pirates of the Caribbean, Anna Valerious from Van Helsing, Lyra from The Golden Compass, Galadriel, Arwen, Aragorn, and Legolas from the Lord of the Rings Trilogy.

Basically a type of fan fiction/soap opera, it's one of my guiltiest pleasures.  I definitely recommend checking out her website/livejournal and reading through some of her entries.

National Novel Writing Month 2010

I have attempted to win National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo)since my friend, Katherine, introduced me to it.  (For the record: Since 2004)  The goal is to write a 50,000 word novel in 30 days.  It starts on November 1st and ends at midnight on the 30th.  In order to meet this goal it is necessary to write 1,666 words a day for the entire 30 days.  My friend aims for 2,000 a day so that she isn't as panicked towards the end of the month.  The exercise is supposed to free the writer of all responsibility to edit and just allow them to create.  As the NaNo website clearly states:

Because of the limited writing window, the ONLY thing that matters in NaNoWriMo is output. It's all about quantity, not quality. The kamikaze approach forces you to lower your expectations, take risks, and write on the fly.

Make no mistake: You will be writing a lot of crap. And that's a good thing. By forcing yourself to write so intensely, you are giving yourself permission to make mistakes. To forgo the endless tweaking and editing and just create. To build without tearing down.

I'm usually good for about 10,000-20,000 words and then I hit a road block from which I never recover.  The best year was when I was incredibly passionate about the story and wanted to develop it into an actual (possibly publishable) manuscript.  Unfortunately, Ianthe and her protectors didn't make it out of the forest scene I'd written.  I still have this one on my hard drive, waiting for inspiration to strike again.  The next best year was when I took a cue from Jasper Fforde and created a playground for some of my favorite literary characters.  Borrowing his bookworld as the framework, I was able to work out some of my aggression towards the Twilight series. The worst years are when I start with absolutely no idea at all.  Though, last year's time machine story wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.  I've been worried about this year because I haven't had any brainstorms or even a low pressure system threatening to move in.  That is, until last night.

While working at my second job, a local retail store, I had an idea.  I was dressed as Snow White for the big Halloween debut event the store was running and had to walk down to the grocery store to buy my lunch.  Not thinking about this ahead of time, I failed to bring a change of clothes and had to walk through the store still in costume.  A little girl was so excited to see Snow White that she ran to get her father and dragged him back to meet me.  It was really quite adorable.  But it also got me thinking about the Disney Princess Line-up and what if they all lived in a house together.  (Maybe a sorority, Real World, or Sex In The City-type group.) Or possibly I could take the Princesses' personalities and use them in characters in a different setting, like a small town or college group of friends.  Maybe they are looking back after 20 years and wondering about the course of their lives.  So this could be a good start for NaNo, depending on how I can develop these seeds.

Soulless by Gail Carriger

I just picked up a new series, Amazon actually recommended it to me, about Vampires & Werewolves.  I know it's overdone at this point and it seems like everyone is jumping on the bandwagon, but I've been interested in this type of literature ever since I read Interview With A Vampire by Anne Rice in high school.  The one exception to my fascination with Vampire Literature has been the Twilight Series.  In Stephanie Meyer's work, I have found the something that can make vampire stories uninteresting to me, and that is the complete lack of characterization and the less than adequate plot development.

Soulless by Gail Carriger is the first in a series called, The Parasol Protectorate.  The description that caught my attention on Amazon was this: "SOULLESS is a comedy of manners set in Victorian London: full of werewolves, vampires, dirigibles, and tea-drinking."  Something about this just seemed interesting and I have not yet been disappointed.  I am only five chapters in, but already we've had a rogue vampire death at the hands of our heroine, Alexia Tarabotti, and a look at the Supernatural Politics present in this alternate representation of Victorian England.  There is a definite, what some would call, Steampunk element to the novel that is very intriguing. 

What I have learned, thus far, is that Vampires, Werewolves, and other supernatural creatures are well known in Victorian society.  There is a government agency run by Alpha werewolf, Lord Maccon, that helps to maintain that balance between good taste and lawless abandon.  There is an obvious tension between Lord Maccon and Alexia, but neither one will openly admit to anything more than a severe distaste for the other.  Alexia is not a normal human, she has the unfortunate condition of being soulless.  This means that the supernatural creatures in London do not have any effect on her.  In fact, it's quite the opposite as her touch can restore temporary humanity to whomever is daring enough to come close. 

So far, my favorite quote in the book is one having to do with Lord Maccon.  In this passage (chapter 2, page 36)Alexia's friend, Ivy, is musing on the Scottish Werewolf:

He was so very large and so very gruff that he rather terrified her, but he always behaved correctly in public, and there was a lot to be said for a man who sported such well-tailored jackets - even if he did change into a ferocious beast once a month.

 This is a great example of the tongue-in-cheek dialog and descriptions present in this novel.  I am very anxious to see how this all turns out in the end.  Undoubtedly, Lord Maccon and Alexia will finally succumb to the secret feelings even they don't realize they have for one another.  According to the author's website this is the first in a projected five novel series.  I think this may be a series I will keep on my bookshelf, but it will depend on how it develops.  Check back in with me later this month to see how things are progressing.

October Reading List 2010

The Immortal Life Of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot (8/1/10)-Finished 9/20/10
Jane Bites Back by Michael Thomas Ford (9/22/10) - Finished 9/23/10
Soulless by Gail Carriger (10/1/10) - Started
Twenty Years After by Alexandre Dumas (6/01/10) -Started
Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris (2/14/10) - Finished 9/21/10
The Portrait of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde (05/01/10) - Started
The Poe Shadow by Matthew Pearl (07/01/10)
The Dante Club by Matthew Pearl (07/01/10)
A Clash of Kings by George R. R. Martin (08/01/10)
Lamb by Christopher Moore (11/01/10)
Harry Potter Series Re-Read (9/01/10)

I feel like I accomplished a lot in September, even though I added two brand new books to my ever-increasing list.  Hopefully, Soulless, will move quickly and I can finish one of the older books on the list before moving on.

I am including links to the books on Amazon's website. It should make them easier to find if any of them sound interesting. I am almost tempted to do chapter by chapter entries like Mark over at Mark Reads Harry Potter. (Warning: Mark's website contains harsh language and is not suitable for children under a certain age.) It would mean I wouldn't go so long inbetween entries for this blog. Unfortunately, I am not nearly that entertaining. Still, it's something to think about.