Tag: Brainstorm

Puzzling It Out

So, I’ve been fiddling with a new idea to go with this game-like approach I’ve been thinking about (I haven’t forgotten, Jodi!) while being offline most of last week to spend time with my mom, her friend, and the kids who were out of school.

I found a great resource Folktexts where they have collected a ton of Folklore and Mythology Electronic Texts. I spent a lot of time looking at folktales Wikipedia as well. The English Wiz site also has a very cool section on The Etymology of First Names.

So… I decided I wanted to try to write something around “The Flower Queen’s Daughter”. I don’t know how it’ll turn out, but it’ll be an interesting excercise. DH said it sounded long, but that was probably just my mangling of telling him too many details along the way.

So, yesterday while the kids were in martial arts class, I sat down with my clipboard and started planning. I’ve gone over the story several times to get a feel for what all needs to be included, but beyond the plot sequence, I hadn’t done much else with it yet.

If I was truly going to turn this into a section for a game, I’d need to go into much more detail in mapping out where all the different settings were located and deciding what connected them together that could be interesting or at the least useful. Instead, I came up with 8 locations that can be used and reused during the story.

The Flower Queen’s House
The Hero’s House (more likely his father’s)
The Ditch along the Road
The Road where he’s searching (generalized location here)
The Dragon’s House
Salon/Receiving room
Ball Room
Stables
Meadow
Garden

The characters required seems a large and unwieldy list just now. And they’re not going to be literal representations of how they’re referred to in the book. I was thinking of having the animals/flowers/etc represented in their coats of arms/crests and let it be more metaphorical.

Hero – Alexander
Heroine – Anthea
The Flower Queen/Gyspy — Flora, I’m conflating these two characters
The Dragon Mother — Rosalind
King of Eagles — Arnold
King of Foxes — Todd
King of Fishes — Dylan, Marvin, Morgan, or Meredith
The Dragon’s brothers —
The Dragon — Drake
Hero’s Father —

There are also some items that play roles in the story that will need to be mentioned: a bell, a mare and her foal, and three cloaks (copper, silver, and golden).

I’ve already worked out which characters/items/locations are needed for which of the 16 plot points I pulled directly from the synopsis so far. My next plan is to take those note cards and write Dunne’s Story points on the reverse. I think I’ll also need a few more scenes so that this isn’t completely in the hero’s POV. The heroine needs some reason why she’s just going to waltz off with a man she barely knows instead of staying in what appears to be a cushy place.

So my next step is to lay out the plot points on my handy plot diagram and see where they fall and where I still need answers and ideas.

Thursday Thirteen: Barrington Interview

 

13 Questions for Hugh Leighton

 

I decided to take Dana’s advice and put the reticent viscount on the spot. Now, I didn’t force him to wear pink or call him “Bo Peep”, he knows if he doesn’t cooperate, he might just be attending the masquerade dressed as such. I think the Duke and Duchess of Bolster could be convinced to help him lose a wager where that was the forfeit.

1. How would you describe yourself in a single sentence?
I am the sixth Viscount Barrington, my best friend is the Duke of Bolster and I’ve received no complaints from my looking glass nor the ladies.
2. How do you think others would describe your personality?
Don’t believe the scandal sheets! Half the time, they exaggerate until I can’t even believe I perpetrated such preposterous pranks. The other half, they omit the best parts of the story. However, society must find me an amusing fellow to have me around. I do keep getting invited back.
3. What do you see your role in life?
I feel it’s my duty to provide a bit of levity where there’s none to be found. London can be such a dreary place at times. People reflect their surroundings, you know. If not for me, people like Lord and Lady Threapwood would never have their noses tweaked. Deary people. Dreary.
4. How are you different from your peers?
I don’t pass on gossip and I’m very cautious, considering the source, when I hear it. I’ve been linked with numerous scandals over the years, but never has my name been linked with a woman’s in serious tattle.
5. What do you care most about?
Besides my friends and enjoying life? Not much, family is all and good for others, but it’s best when you can choose your own.
6. How do you deal with problems?
I usually try to laugh them off. If someone else has the problem, I try to make them laugh it off so they can forget about it.
7. What was the most significant thing that ever happened to you?
Must’ve been just after I was sent up to Eton. Was just after my mum passed and Grandmama packed me off saying my father was no fit role model. Anyway, I was set upon by a pair of bullies. Didn’t appreciate my teasing ways. James, er, the Duke of Bolster, stepped in and we’ve been close ever since.
8. What kinds of relationships do you have with the others?
As I mentioned, I’m close with the Wyndhams. Hm? Oh, that’s Bolster’s family. The Duchess and I are quite close; Bolster’s still jealous. Quite amusing, really. His cousins are sweet girls. A bit young for my tastes though. My grandmother? Oh, no, she hasn’t stuck her spoon in the wall yet. She still attempts to control my life and I try to stay just out of reach. She can be a veritable dragon at times. Particular lady friends? No, not at the moment. I try to stay out of reach of the schemers and matchmakers as well. No time for that.
9. What’s your opinion of the opposite sex?
If it’s not my title they want, it’s my money. Or both. Very few of them ever take the time to get to know the real men behind the titles they chase.
10. What would it take to make you change significantly?
It sounds trite, but I suspect the love of a good woman who accepted me for myself could reform my reckless ways. It’s not that I never want to marry, I just haven’t found the right woman. I thought I had once or twice, but we’ll just chalk those up to the ignorance and ill-preparedness of youth, shall we? Are we nearly done? Baring my soul like this is quite unusual and I’m expected at Bolster House.
11. Just three more questions, my Lord. Why do you think your story deserves to be told?
I have surprising depths for such a carefree fribble. No, I wouldn’t care to elaborate.
12. What would you would like to do that you have never done before?
I should like to find where I belong. I’ve always felt at sixes and sevens but what’s to be done?
13. What are you going to do now?
I’m off to Bolster House. The Duke and I are to play billards. And I dare hope this evening at White’s he shall be the one spouting horrid poetry as the forfeit. I’m quite tired of always losing to him.

Links to other Thursday Thirteens!

1 Susan Helene Gottfried 2 Comedy Plus 3 Paige Tyler 4 pussreboots
5 Jennifer McKenzie 6 Gwen Mitchell 7 Nicholas 8

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

Emotional Composition

Comedy and Tragedy MasksThe exercise today on Romance Divas in their author of the month workshop with USA Today Bestselling Author C. L. Wilson is to take a scene we’ve already written and revise it so that it has a completely different tone. I’ve been thinking about which scene to use and am coming up with a blank, but that’s what inspired the comedy/tragedy masks today. They also fit with the recent emotional ideas and themes I’ve been looking at recently.

You’ll be glad to know I’m finish reading Dunne’s Emotional Structure! However, I’m not quite done thinking about or talking about all the strings and connections that I’m going to need to figure out how to seamlessly manipulate in my writing to move forward with what should be character-driven romance stories.

I realized this morning I’m freaking myself out and making writing those three sentences harder than necessary. I need to cultivate better habits regarding how I come up with and save ideas. I have a bunch of loose notes that are mostly character sketches and my story ideas are even rougher even if they may include several thousand words worth of “notes”.

It’s scary to admit, but it’s true. Mistress of the Storm is nothing but notes really, the same with Beneath His Touch – both are pretty much just opening sketches. What became Revealed started with much fewer notes, but, again, an opening sketch. I liked how Dunne compared the process to an artist’s sketch. You start with gesturals and move to more detailed sketches to make sure you’ve balanced your composition. I’ve done a lot of opening gesturals, but unfortunately, I only focused on one corner and never really took a necessary step back to look at the big picture.

I need to buckle down and work on coming up with complete ideas that go from beginning to middle to ending. I plan to practice this by setting aside time to brainstorm ideas and polishing them to that three-sentence stage. Later, I can take those and work them up to three pages. I want to acquire the habit of thinking bigger than just character sketches or laying groundwork for the conflicts between the main characters.

More on Structure

Character Arc and Story Structure
Ref.: Peder Hill at http://www.musik-therapie.at/PederHill/index.htm

I neglected to find a pretty image to go along with today’s post. I chose the image and post to serve as a focal point. The diagram is very familiar to me by now. Books on plot and structure obligingly include at least one variation when discussing the Classic Three Act Structure and overall story arcs.

Today, I stumbled across Peder Hill’s take on how a novel is written. I haven’t dug through all the sections on his site yet. I’m still immersing myself in learning how to construct a story that doesn’t just meander aimlessly as it explores characters and conflict. I’m probably too methodic in my approach, but my brain works that way. Learn the rules, color inside the lines, and play along with the sheet music firmly on the stand in front of me. That sort of rigidity keeps me in my comfort zone while I’m learning new concepts.

I decided that I need to set aside another 30 minutes out of my day and practice writing extremely short pieces that include a set up, several increasing tests and crises that build to the climax and then wrap everything up. I will probably also sit and brainstorm these beforehand instead of trying to do them off the cuff. To make this work, I will need some accountability, so I’ll try to post the best one of these each week. So if you don’t see any, ask me what happened and make me go write one!

Brainstorm: GMC & Hero’s Journey

Mountain Peak in AntarcticaI’ve been pondering and trying to make some more headway on that story about the Food Critic and the Chef that I brainstormed in Building Tension and Food Porn or Romance?. I hate my original outline. The story doesn’t go anywhere yet. It rambles along, but doesn’t have purpose or any promising structure. Below, I’ve tried to change that by examining the heroine’s GMC (goal, motivation and conflict) and attempting to map out her hero’s journey.

GMC: The heroine likes recognition and really wants to achieve a feeling of belonging. She lives the life of an outsider, never really becoming a part of any group in a meaningful way. Her life is empty in many ways and she seeks ways to fill it. However, she’s looking in the wrong place: she needs personal fulfillment, not just career fulfillment.

Hero’s Journey: Francine’s ORDINARY WORLD is that of the café society. She eats out most nights avoiding her empty fridge and her empty apartment. She has made a career out of this lifestyle and made something of a name for herself as a food critic. She meets her first GATE GUARDIAN who also acts as a HERALD when Francine’s reservations to the hot new restaurant in town are lost. She fails to cross that threshhold and instead reluctantly ANSWERS A CALL TO ADVENTURE when she’s forced out of her comfort zone and finds a small cozy restaurant off the beaten path.

She’s TESTED in the restaurant when a clumsy waiter dumps soup on her and she must face the chef if she wants to leave with her cleaning bill paid. The waiter acts as an ALLY and accompanies her into the kitchen.

Francine spends time becoming familiar with the benefits of working closely with family and in a small, close-knit environment on her APPROACH THE INMOST CAVE where she runs into a rival critic, who recognizes her and threatens to expose her to the café society, clearly an ENEMY.

After crossing a second threshold into a world of shifting loyalties, she faces her SUPREME ORDEAL where she’s forced to choose between standing by her professional honor and integrity or submitting an overly glowing review of the hero’s restraurant – a decision from which, there is no going back.

She decides to stand by her beliefs and also takes possession of her REWARD, the blossoming relationship between her and the hero and a sense of belonging she gains by helping reshape and relaunch his restaurant. Her outlook is buoyed by the chance to start building a life of her own with what could be the man of her dreams. Unfortunately, the hero’s not too pleased by the honest review.

Her editor and her rival critic nip at her heels threatening to take away her hard-won reputation and posing a danger to her relationship with the hero on THE ROAD BACK .

She crosses a third threshold, leaving her editor’s office, and experiences a RESURRECTION, and is transformed when she quits her job for the paper and strikes out on her own. She RETURNS WITH THE ELIXIR realizing that she is recognized as a part of the hero’s ORDINARY WORLD, his restaurant and his life.

It’s still pretty rough, but seems better than my rougher outline. Any suggestions, comments, and criticisms are welcome. Just no rotten fruit, please.

Thursday Thirteen: Bad Hero, Bad!

 

13 Things A Hero Should Never Say…

…when the heroine has just impulsively confessed her love and blurted out those three little words…

1. “No, no, no. This was just supposed to be about the sex!”
2. “Me too! I am great, aren’t I?”
3. “Why does every girl I kiss say that?”
4. “Huh? We’ve only been living together for, what? Ten years?”
5. “Me or how I make you feel, baby?”
6. “My wife’s not gonna like this.”
7. “What? Do I know you?”
8. “Why? I killed your kittens, stabbed your brother, ruined your sister, and have kidnapped you and have been holding you hostage for a week. Women!”
9. “Mmmmm…. I love you too, Monique. It was Monique, right?”
10. “Hold still, you’ve got something in your teeth.”
11. “What? Come out of there so I can understand what you’re saying.”
12. *belch* Pass me another cold one, babe. Dammit! Interception!”
13. Zzzzzzzzzz!

Links to other Thursday Thirteens!

1 Jennifer McKenzie 2 Lorelei James 3 Amelia June 4 Seeley deBorn
5 Adelle Laudan 6 Heather 7 Tempest Knight 8 Savannah Chase
9 Robin L. Rotham 10 Elle Fredrix 11 Debbie Mumford 12 Morgan St. John

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

Comfort Zones

Eero Aarnio Bubble ChairYesterday’s Thursday Thirteen scraped against the edges of a few people’s comfort zones. Many commenters noted how they could never do any of them or how they would never attempt certain ones. A couple of the items were declared dangerous!

Yes, impulsive behavior can lead to dangerous consequences, which is why I said I didn’t endorse rushing out to do them. ALL of those items are well beyond my own personal comfort zone and I’m glad several people recognized it for the brainstorming activity it was.

Normally, I’m not impulsive or spontaneous when dealing with people. Small talk with someone I don’t know very well is pushing it for me. I am more likely to buy something that looks fun (or tasty!) or to drive somewhere new just to see where that road leads.

I think I like the idea of spontaneity even if I rarely act on outrageous (heck, even little) impulses. Serendipity also plays a big roll in how we deal with the world too — enough good experiences when we go out on a limb will lead us to take more risks in the future.

Joining the Romance Divas was one of my most impulsive moves. Imagine the unease I felt when I accidentally clicked on the live chat link and found myself welcomed and ordered to WRITE! It was scary, but I did it and those chat challenges have become one of my favorite things. It’s amazing how easily you can step out of your comfort zone with a little nudge, a lot of support, and the realization that there are others in the same boat.

Now, I need to settle in and adjust to the new ideas I’ve been absorbing at a rapid rate and put off worrying about what lies beyond my comfy, little cave until after I’ve dealt with these new growing pains.

Thursday Thirteen: Impulsive Romantic Gestures

Ok. I give in. It’s all the Divas’ fault! Please Note: I don’t endorse rushing out and doing any of these things! Use your own best judgement!

 

Thirteen Impulsive Romantic Gestures

1. Kiss a stranger on the street.
2. Marry a stranger.
3. Go on a blind date, no questions asked.
4. Decide you like someone based on their perfume/cologne.
5. Ring a doorbell and kiss whoever answers the door.
6. Blow a kiss to a stranger on the bus/train.
7. Hug someone you don’t know in a park.
8. Give flowers to a perfect stranger.
9. Sweep someone off their feet and/or spin them around.
10. Waltz with someone in a public space.
11. Declare your love publicly! (preferably down on one knee)
12. Write your name and number and slip it into that good-looking stranger’s pocket.
13. Fly/drive to Vegas for an impromptu honeymoon.

Links to other Thursday Thirteens!

1 Seeley deBorn 2 Amelia June 3 Heather 4 Morgan St. John
5 Paige 6 Debbie Mumford 7 Robin L. Rotham 8 Elle Fredrix

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

Building Tension

Image of Holding in Tension

On the Romance Divas‘ forum, one of the gals, Jasmine Rowe, has been sharing some of what she calls on her blog, Jasmine’s Grotto, “Opinions, Advice and Writing Wisdom Pearls”. I love her post on Conflict, How To Get Some – The Gap. Definitely a pearl of wisdom.

The idea is to take expectations and how we readjust when there’s a gap between them and the reality that so often intrudes. I thought it might be a useful exercise to come up with some of the expectations and intruding conflicts that some of the couple’s on the list from yesterday might have. None of these are polished. They done pretty rough this morning.

The Food Critic and the Chef
Initial Goal: The critic wants to review a restaurant and have a nice meal.

She goes to the place where she made reservations (gap) her name’s not on the list
She can wait for a table (gap readjust) The wait will be 2 hours, fully booked tonight
She has to find a new place to eat (gap readjust) All her usual haunts are full too
She finally finds a small hole-in-the-wall joint (no gap) She’s seated immediately
Menu looks great; she settles in to enjoy her meal (gap readjust) Food gets spilled on her
She’ll just send the bill for the cleaners (gap readjust) She’s taken to the back to clean up and meets the handsome chef
She expects to stay professional (gap readjust) He charms her out of writing a bad review
She expects to never hear from him again (gap readjust) He calls her up for a date

The Car-jacking Victim and the Undercover Agent

Initial Goal: Theheroine wants to get some cash from the ATM.

She goes to ATM to get cash (gap) a guy pulls a gun on her and orders her to slide over
She tries to call 911 on her cell (gap readjust) No signal.
She tries to signal people on the highway (gap readjust) They ignore her and he exits onto a secluded road
She asks for a bathroom break, thinking of escape (gap readjust) He walks with her
She tries to run anyway (gap readjust) he tackles her and holds the gun to her head
She believes he’s going to kill her (gap) he kisses her

Something to start with in each case. Feel free to offer any suggestions for these or any others from the list or make up your own in the comments section!

Brainstorm: Conflict

I’ve been looking for ways to add small brainstorming sessions into my day as I wait. With two kids, I do a lot of waiting. Yesterday, I managed to do my journal entry while I was waiting for DH’s car to be lubed.

Yesterday, while waiting to get the kids from school, I sat at the flagpole with my notebook in hand. I had about 25 minutes before the bell rang, so I decided to come up with a list of couples that I could refer to and pick a pair to explore at random.

I wasn’t looking for a list of just any old couples, but ones that would likely experience some naturally occurring conflicts. I haven’t decided if I’m going to use any of them or not.

Admittedly, many of them are more contemporary in nature than historical. I’d like to come up with some that are more specific to a Regency setting, but it wasn’t a requirement when I started the list.

Executive Chef Food Critic   Girl Scout Leader Boy Scout Leader
Single Parent Teacher/Principal   Developer Farmer
Thief Collector   Single Parent Doctor/Nurse
Crime Victim Cop/Detective   Crime Witness Cop/Detective
Banker Homeowner   Executive Driver
Spy Counter Spy   Dog Lover Cat Lover
Military Brat Soldier   Rebel Pacifist
Wrongly Accused Lawyer   Environmentalist Fisherman, Logger, Developer
Report Undercover Detective   Bloodbank Worker Vampire
Social Worker Single Dad   Developer/Architecht Historial Preservation Society
Band Director Football Coach   Animal Rights Activist Butcher/Rancher
Pagan Christian   Hostage Hostage Taker/ Negotiator
Victim of Car Jacking Bank Robber/ Undercover Cop   Union Leader/Worker Factory Boss
Stowaway Captain   Photographer Isolated hermit
Beach House Owner Coast Guard      

Some make more sense on their own than others, feel free to use any as a jumping off point. If you don’t get my thinking, I’ll be happy to explain. Also, if you have any ideas for a great conflict that you don’t mind sharing with the world? Feel free to add them in a comment!