First Day of ROW80 Goals (Around the Words in 80 Days)

Writing a lonely act. It helped to have people around who support you, even if it's on the internet like the site for the writing challenge called Around the Words in 80. I'm grateful for these other writers. It's the first day of this challenge and it couldn't have come at a better time. I need some encouragement. I haven't written anything on my story in a week.  If you read this blog then you know I've written some poetry but nothing else.

• Writing Goals
• Write every day.
• Contiue to write a poem at day.
• Post poems and ROW80 check in posts.

My goal for this week is simple write something every day and post..  I hope to build up to the word count daily goal of 500 words. I want to have the first 25% written by the end of the month. I have a bunch of scattered scenes written and have reached the first 10% mark.

Health goals

• Lose 5 pounds

I want to make it a habit to go to the gym 3 days a week, and by the end of the month be going 5 days a week. I need to lose 5 pounds. (First weight lose goal marker) I try to tell myself that I really only want to be healthy and not worry about the extra weight.  Still I really want to lose the extra weight I just want to lose it and still eat my bread too. Eating goal limit my bread and sweets. That mean stop eating cookies with my church college group. I still going to Monday's night Cookies and Compline just not eating the cookies. 

H is for Hunger, Not Food Something Else...Anything Else

No not that kind of hunger...

Source: iamstepher.com via Molly on Pinterest

Have you even wanted something so bad you could taste it?

That the kind of hunger I'm talking about - wanting something.
(Now I'm trying to think of something not food relative.....)

All right you want a giant shark plush!

 

Source: ohgizmo.com via Megan on Pinterest

What all are you going to do to get this giant man eating plush?
Are you going to the store?
Search the Internet?
What if someone tell you (like your parents, your roommate or your spouse) that there is not way they're having that in their living room!
Creating an antagonist or any character really is knowing what he or she wants and at what length they are willing to go to get it and what or who stand in their way.

What is your character hungry for? Is a very important question for an author.  One I notice I have a problem with while writing.

F is for Frightening

The antagonist can be frightening.
I once read a tweet that said something along the lines of a thing is more scary if unseen.  This was advice for writing came from a agent who also wrote a few books, I think. 

If you follow a few lit agents on twitter you get some interesting advice.

E is for Evil

Source: Uploaded by user via Annie on Pinterest

Is the antagonist evil?
In my story there is dualism at work, (think Star Wars) and the characters are influenced by this good and evil hidden in their world.
So in the case of my story yes the antagonist is evil, can she or he be redeemed and forgiven? Without a doubt. Am I going to write my antagonist being redeemed I have no idea.

My Heroine Alana see angels but the questions are. Are they good or bad angels?  Are they even angels? And what else is hidden from sight?

D is for Don't Dare Give Up

There is one thing we can all learn from the great antagonists of storyland.

Source: iheartinspiration.com via Krista on Pinterest

C is for Confict and Creating My Antagonist. (Also A ROW80 Check-in)

C is for Conflict and Creating my antagonist.

So far this A to Z Challenge and round of Around the Words in 80 Days Writing Challenge (I'm trying to do both challenges.) I have giving a lot of thought about what is an antagonist and who is my story's antagonist.
All because I started with A is for Antagonist. At first I planned to write about anything writing and decided my A would be for Antagonist but then I accidently posted on the A to Z challenge blog list A is for Antagonist instead of the name of my blog, A Force of Love.
When I went looking for my blog on the list I realized my mistake but then a few people come over my blog and commented how they like antagonists. Born was the new idea my topic for the A to Z would be all things antagonist or at least my thoughts about antagonists.

I'm still brainstorming who is my antagonist but I both by the end of this A to Z challenge to know who this person is.

Ok C is for Conflict.
The antagonist is not the person who determing to destroy everything.  Most of the time they want something and it doesn't goes well with what the protagonist wants.  There lies the conflict between the protagonist and the antagonist. They are in each other ways to get what they want.

For ROW80 this is my brainstorming the plot of Feathers and Deaf.  All about antagonists.

Until next time, happy writing and blogging.

B is for Bad Guy

Is the antagonist a bad guy?

Source: posterrevolution.com via MA on Pinterest

We could aim the question back at you, Glinda.
I do think The Wicked Witch of the West was crazy and had a mean laugh.  And for me as a child she was at the top of the list for villains. She was Dorothy's antagonist. 

Dorothy's wanted to get home and according to Glinda she needed to visit the Wizard.  The Wicked Witch of the West didn't not want her to meet the Wizard, and the movie never tell why.  Since they're desires are against each other they are each others' antagonists and Glinda and Dorothy are allies.
While Glinda is not Dorothy's antagonist I wonder if she is the story's bad guy.  I once heard or read that the true villain set the story in motion.  Glinda knows that Dorothy wants to get home and the red slippers on her feet the whole time she skipping down the yellow brick road have the magic to send her home from the beginning but instead she send her down a path that leads to murder.  In the end Dorothy goes home with blood on her hands and Glinda stay as the most powerful person there and therefore rules Oz.
All this is not to change the way you watch Wizard of Oz or the way you look at the Good Witch Glinda, but it's another thing I learned from writing my 2nd YA novel you need to have an antagonist (which my novel doesn't) and you need to know all your bad guys.

A is for Antagonist

What have I learned from writing my second full length YA novel?
I have learned I need to have an antagonist.
Really I wrote an novel with no clue who the murder was.  I kind of hoped the person would jump out and scream I DID IT! Nope, no luck.
As a writer we need to know who the antagonist of our novels are. They can stay hidden from the reader like the notorious A in Pretty Little Liars.




Is Mona the Antagonist?

Does her desires and wants conflict with the liars?

The protagonist's and the antagonist's desires have to cause conflict for the plot to move forward and the story to avoid being boring.

Source: spottedontv.com via Sarah on Pinterest

Around the Words in 80 days' Goals (ROW80)

I have decided I need to extend my "little world" So this 2nd round of Around the Words in 80 days, is about extending my world, changes I can make to get beyond "me." 

The last round I learned I have a hard time keeping my goals for 80 days so this time I'm breaking it into 20 days/set of goals.

How am I going to do that?

I'm going to get each 20 days a theme.  The first theme is create.

Writing/Editing Goals

• Not only weekly and mid-week report but daily reports.
• Visit a ROW80er's blog each day.
• Edit a page of my Feathers and Deaf WIP each day.
• Work on some plot ideas to improve Feathers and Deaf.
• Write a page of my notebook story titled Days with Caleb.

Life Goals

• Check out, maybe buy, Matthew Hussey's Book Get the Guy and watch the matchmakers' TV show Ready for Love.  (Hey as a child I loved the show Love Connection!  My best friend and I would stay up late to watch it, thro I think I liked the show more than she did.) If nothing maybe I get a story idea out of it.
• Keep applying for jobs and anything else I think I need to do to improve my chances of landing a job like washing my black pants for in store applying and interviews. I need a day job to support this writing habit.
• Re-decorate my bedroom and my sitting/TV/writing room.

This is my plan to create and extend my world.  I leave you with a music video titled My Own Little World by Matthew West. (Below that is the blog hop)

ROW 80 - 8 Days Left

Alright eight days left of my first round of around the words in 80 days and the next one starts April 1st.
What have I learned from this writing chellenge so far?

1. I'm not good at keeping goals for 80 days.
2. DON'T GIVE UP!
3. Today is a new day for aiming at the goal.
4. You may have to change the goals, but don't give up!
5. That I'm still learning.
6. Write, Write, Edit Edit.
7. The story or editing will happen one word at a time.

Goal for the eight days left.

• To edit one page a day.
• To not give up on my writing, or on other things in my life.

Yesterday Lee McAulay left this Emily Dickinson's poem on the Around the Words in 80 days blog.

“They may not need me, but they might
I’ll let my smile stay just in sight
A smile as small as mine might be
Exactly their necessity.”

 

I think I'll remember it for today's motto.

 

Well ROW80ers, how's y'all writing coming?

Happy Writing,

Annie Laurie

Author's Paralyzed, Angels and my ROW80 Check-in

Dear Writers,
Do you get paralyzed at the thought of writing or working on your novel?  I do when I think about all I have to do in order to fix the plot holes in my Work in Progress. I get overwhelmed  and can't even look at what I have written.

Any advice?

I have decide to work on a short story a memoir.  I'm following the same outline I posted here. Right now I'm hoping to write the triggering event. The event that the reason I think anyone would want to read a memoir about me even if its only the people at my church. My fiction story isn't the only thing that feature angels.

At the Beginning and a ROW80 Check-in

Hello ROWers and others readers,
On Sunday's check-in I said I would work on an outline for my story to create a second draft, post a picture of me on this blog and write an About Me page for this blog.
So far this week I have worked on the outline.  The outline can be found here. It's a 9 steps outline for plotting.  Its made into blocks (not by me). So far I have taking the main events in my first draft and put them in the plot blocks.
Sorry I'm not going to show it.  It contain spoilers just in case this book it published someday.
But I will tell you that I cut my oragial beginning.
The first event of my plot started at a halloween party, but I had written an introdution the characters a long introdution to the characters before that.  I think I should introdutes the chararters at the party right before the first changing point happens.  I really need to think about the first line, first phargraph and page.  According to this outline the event should show up in the first line somehow, but I don't want to throw the reader into the action and not give them some people to care about on the way.  This what I plan on working on once I write the About Me and post a picture.

How are y'all coming with ROW80 this week?

9 Steps Plotting Outline and A ROW80 Check-in

Here is a plotting outline I found over at Jody Spark's Blog

 

I'm thinking about using it for writing my 2nd draft. Thank you Amy Beth and Hunter for their advice in the comments from my last ROW80 post. They answered my call for help.

Goals for the next week of ROW80 (decide to roll with this day by day, week by week)
To create an outline for my 2nd draft based on this plotting outline.
To create an About Me page for this blog.
Add a picture - time for me to say this is me (so to speak)

So how is your writing coming?

Help! My ROW80 check-in (On Writing)

 

Hello ROW80ers and others who happen upon this blog,

 

I'm stuck.  Some people call it writer's block.  I hate that term, it make it sound like all your creativity is being held back by a brick wall or something.

 

I feel like it everything else in life that hurting my creativity and writing. I sit there thinking about something else other then the story.

I need to create a 2nd draft somehow pull what I've written for the 2nd draft with what I like about the 1st or rough draft.

 

Anyone have a writing exerciseI can do to get my story moving again?  Anything? Please help.

Lent and ROW80 Check-in

Today is first day of Lent and Mid-Week check-in For ROW80.
This whole round of ROW80 I have been back and forward on my goals changing them or not reaching them.
Writing goals
First it was write 100 words a day then I changed it to write 500 words a day but then I didn't write every day.
So now I've changed it again to simply write everyday.
Since Sunday I wrote on Monday and Tuesday.  I haven't wrote anything today yet.  There still some of today left I hope to write later after the Ash Wednesday service at 6.

I wrote about a family crisis for my MC's new friend, of course this made me realized I still don't have a major event or crisis for my MC to go through. I mean what drive her to do the things she does? I know she wants to find her friend (forever best friend) and this trying to find her friend changes through the book, first it just looking for her in the lunchroom.

Life goals
I have applied for some jobs.
Need to apply for some more.

For Lent I gave up (I hate that we say I gave up for Lent but I can't think of another way to put it) anyway I gave up for Lent: sweets, twitter and facebook.  Will only check and maybe post on twitter and facebook on Sunday.  So all my twitter writing buddies you may only see me on Sundays. I realized this morning that I spent most of the morning of twitter and facebook I think its a good sign I need to give them up for a while.

She's Wants (Character Development), a ROW80 Check-In

It's time for mid-week check in for ROW80 (Around the Words in 80 days.)
I can't believe its Wednesday.  My most busy day of the week and its all in the evening.
First: Healing Prayer Service at my church.
Second: Book Club, also a church gathering, we're reading Francis McNutt's The Power that Heal It's about praying at home with family for healing.
Third and Last: Coffee Club where we discuss God over steaming cup of coffee at the local coffee shop.
And now my ROW80 check-in
On Sunday I realized I didn't know what my heroine wanted. Click this link for the post all about that part of my novel writing journey here titled What Does She Wants, A ROW80 Check-In,

I haven't been writing.  A lot on my mind. Like what do I want to do with my life? What Career? No I'm not a high school student or college student but I'm at that point again in my life where I must make a decision. I was kind of hoping God would just hit me over the head with a brilliant idea for a job and I could go on my merry way down that path.

What I really want to do is write.  Write fiction. I want to be published to see my book on a shelf or even just a e-book with an amazing publisher's name standing behind it.
But I need a job to make money as I write, and as I learn.
Maybe Feathers and Deaf will be pubished in the next few years. Oh wow I could dream that all day. but I need to finish it and I will finish it with the support of my new friends from ROW80 (Thank you guys) and my crazy friends here around me too.

Sorry I got off track but it's what I've been thinking about since last Wednesday.
What does my main character want? She wants to find her friend.  In the first chapter she's in the lunch room trying to find her best friend in the crowd.  In different ways through out the book she'll be looking for her friend.

How are all the rest of the ROW80 writers doing this week?

Annie Laurie

What Does She Want, A ROW80 Check-in

What Does she want?
I've been writing and brainstroming my story turning it into the 2nd draft.  This morning in church I realized something I'd no clue what my heroine whats.  (yes, my mind wondering away during church but just for a moment.)
In the first draft my heroine wanted her two best friends to get along and be best friends with each other.
Well in the second draft I changed the two best friends into one best friend and the new girl at school.
I know what the best freind wants.
I know what the new girl wants.
but what does my heroine want? This happen to me everytime I write even if I know before hand the main want or goal of my heroine.  I get writing and the desire the main goal for my hero or heroine will disappear and I'll realize it.  Or it turn out this not strong enought to make it 200 pages.

Goal before Wednesday is to come up the answer to this question. What does she want?

Annie Laurie

A notebook, a pencil, and ROW 80 Check-in

A notebook, a pencil, and ROW 80 Check-in

As some of you know this is my first Around the words in 80 days or #ROW80 as its called on twitter.
It's been a learning process.  I keep changing my goals since I'm learning about how I write and learning how to write this book "Feathers and Deaf"

When I wrote the first draft I remember writing 500 words a day. What I forgot was that I didn't write every day when writing the first 1/4 part of the book or the intro act of the book. Some days I just brainstormed, or plotted.

And here the the other thing the story flowing better when I sit down with a notebook and pencil vs sitting at my laptop.

All my characters are changing but maybe one who I haven't even wrote into the story yet since he made an appearance into the first draft until later in the plot.
Things that changed:
My heroine is not a cheerleader, she doesn't have two best friends, at least not yet. 
One of the best friends Mallory, turned into the new girl at school, the first day of senior year.
The remaining best Friend Karen, is not starting a new relationship but had a boyfriend since 8th grade.
Oh and least not forget that my heroine is now hard of hearing.
This is all in the first chapter.


Without a doubt this is a Work in Progress!
But I'm having fun, can't see my life without writing. I think I'd write no matter what.

Annie Laurie

ROW80 check-in and FashionBeans

It's that time of the week again, its either the first day of the week or the last day of the week depend on how you see Sunday, and it also the Sunday check-in for Around the Words in 80 days.

On Wednesday I had a happy preppy report for my check-in about what I discovered about my 1st draft of Feathers, now called Feathers and Deaf, at least that how I've saved it on my computer.

I kinda of like it, deaf and death kinda sound alike and it's goes with the plot line.
I have my good days and my bad days as far as writing my (changed) daily goal of 500.  I haven't wrote today yet.  I still have time after supper to write.  I'm going to the Rice Box to get Chinese in a little bit. I'm hoping to have my 2nd draft written in 100 days a total of 50,000 words. A good length for a young adult novel.

Today instead of writing I did a little characters resourcing over at FashionBeans a Men's Fashion website in England. I have three male characters in my story so far and since my heroine know her world more by sight since she's hard of hearing I wanted my guys to have a more individual fashion styles.  When I googled men's fashion that what came up and they had a section called Men's Street Fashions with 1077 photos seem like a good place to start.  (really wish my bbf was here with me to look, I think we'd have a good laugh over some of the street styles they found, you don't see most of these in Alabama. But I did see a few styles that remind me of guys I've seen at the coffee shop my go to place to people watch and write)

I realized yesterday I didn't write a writing prompt this week. 

My editing goal has turned into writing my 2nd draft, trying to decide if I still want to write my memoir about my spiritual journey the last few years.  If so I'm going to have to change my daily goal again.  Maybe 100 words on memoir and 500 words on Feathers and Deaf...
Need to decide, maybe I'll know by next check-in on Wednesday...

Annie Laurie

ROW80 Mid-week Check-in Writer's Voice

ROW80 Mid-Week Check-in

I read my 1st draft of Feathers (Working title) while it didn't have big plot holes it didn't have a strong plot. I did find a few scenes that suggested a stronger (I hope a stronger) plot.

I need to get rid of the love triangle between heroine and two boys, just make it one boy.

I changed the heroine's name again. It's was Stormy Anne, than Hannah (which make me think Hanna from the T.V. show Pretty Little Liars [Love that show] and while my book is placed in a small town, the best friend is missing possibly murder and who did it anyone guess I don't want it to also share a character's name)

Add a little Switched at Birth (Love this show too) and me into the plot.  My heroine is now hard of hearing.  I'm hard of hearing and see/experience the world differently why not write about it.  It might help me find my writer's voice.  (So of course Switched at Birth is one of my favorite shows look at all the deaf characters and actors and part of the plot deals with everyday things people who are deaf deal with)

Speaking of writer's voice I found a blog post on YA Highway by the author of Divergent Veronica Roth about Embracing Your Own Voice not changing it.  After reading it and looking at the parts of my 1st draft I liked I realized I'm a sparse prose girl and not a lyrical prose girl.  But I have learning over the years of writing that I love symbolism in stories and it show up in my writing whether I plan it or not.  In college ( lit major) one of my favorite short story writers was Nathaniel Hawthorne.  I'm sure this symbolism is part of my writer's voice.

All that dealt with my editing goals now my writing goals.

 I woke up Monday with a head cold I thought for sure it would hinder with my writing.  Nope. I think I wrote more thanks to this cold.

Since I'm working on my 2nd draft I turned to writing in my notebook.  Something about the drag of the pencil helped the ideas and scenes emerge on the page.

Funny what you can learn while being stuck inside by rain, cold weather, and a head cold.

Annie Laurie