Adding action items for fiction characters

I've already been tracking issues in the text of my novel, putting "ISSUE" in Heading 2 so that it will show up when I automatically generate a table of contents.

Now, I'm also adding ACTION items in the same manner whenever a character makes a commitment to do something, so I can make sure he/she does it and - thus - not have loose ends. Like I do for myself, I compile TO DO lists for my characters. (My husband isn't exempt, either -- what a micro-manager I am!)

The story keeps evolving and I'm having a lot of fun with it.

How I approach writing a novel

I start off with an outline that includes a synopsis of each scene. The synopsis gets more developed as I write. Before tackling a scene, I have a list of everything that must happen in that scene (after that, the characters ab lib and I often have to adjust future synopses accordingly).

Now that I’m in the middle of the thing, I’m having to reanalyze everything based on the different story lines, what each character should know at the time, how each character is spending their time in my timeline, and so on. That was something I really couldn’t do in advance.

For the timeline, I label each scene by date, such as Wk2 Weds, and number each scene by generating an automatic table of contents (TOC). That way, I can take one of the characters and list the scenes and dates that affect him/her to track his or her actions (such as Sc30 Wk2 Tues – Ravi visits George re pirate attack).

I also have at least three windows of the book open on my laptop while I’m writing so I can scroll through the TOC and previous/future scenes that involve the current characters.

This book, being a suspense novel, really demands a TOC and ongoing synopsis of each scene because I can’t let anything fall through the cracks. I also maintain a list of ISSUEs to be resolved, flagging them so they appear in my TOC.

This is my third novel—I need to rewrite the other two after I finish this one. I’ve been generally silent since I’ve been so immersed in it lately, but thought I’d come up for air and share this.

From an action scene to a philosophical one

I just completed a mid-book action scene and the next one facing me is a sensitive, philosophical one. Guess that means I'll work on it tomorrow and do other things the rest of the afternoon.

I've checked out a biography of a powerful woman in the eleventh century and am having trouble getting into it. It has to be just me. The book is highly rated, but so far I'm bored. I will give it a chance, though, and read a chapter every day. I think the work would have been much better fictionalized, though.

The dangers of psychotropic drugs

A scary 134-minute-long video clip on our corrupt pharmaceutical system. This video examines the dangers of psychotropic drugs.

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article25231.htm

One of the lead characters in my second book is a psychiatrist and the book deals with psychotropics, so the information in this video will be useful in my rewrite.

Alexander Theroux's Darconville's Cat

I'm reading Darconville's Cat out of a pure enjoyment of Theroux's prose, rather than an overwhelming interest in the story. So, of course, that means I'm reading other books concurrently (as I tend to do much of the time, anyway, but usually alternating between fiction and nonfiction).

As to writing, I've finally gotten past an intense action scene. I must go back and rewrite it after I complete the rest of the book. In fact, I should take a quick online class on writing action scenes, first. Action scenes do not come naturally to me. Actually, the entire book is slow, not like the first two (which are still waiting in the wings for rewrites). I think it is because I don't totally have my energy back, after ten years of stress. But I can see progress, albeit slow. Best of all, I still love the concept of this book and now have confidence in my ability to plot ... well, at least more confidence than I did previously ...

Rick's career change is now accomplished and I'm looking forward to him having a saner life--meaning weekends off! He's enjoying the process of finding clients, as well. Some day the business will pay off, I'm convinced.

Not my normal genre, but ...

... The Seance by John Harwood is really good.

Next, I'll try Darconville's Cat by Alexander Theroux -- unless I get sidetracked by a Steve Berry novel, the kind of suspense I love to indulge in.

Still waiting for 13 Bankers, the new one by Simon Johnson and James Kwak that is a must read and a current report on today's financial situation. The authors blog at Baseline Scenario (http://baselinescenario.com), a site that is now one of my favorites, except I get their updates by email to save time. (I am working very hard at cutting down my Internet browsing time!)

Attributes of main male character in novel

I feel really good about discovering and working out several plot problems, but I'm stymied on how to endow my male hero with an attribute that will get transformed throughout the novel. This is my struggle for today, and hopefully I can end the day with a resolution.

Page count is nearing 100. Beginning setup is now complete, so next comes the harder point of weaving the story threads together into a pattern that is tight yet complex. Once again, I am so glad I outlined the whole thing in advance, else I'd be in trouble right now (as I was with my first book).

Onward.

Observations on books

Some of the most disappointing works I've read are by authors who have once produced good work. I think the reason is that publishers sign them up for multi-book deals and the authors are forced to take time to promote their own work and have little time left over to do a quality job for their upcoming deadlines.

Whenever I find an author whose work I like, I generally read everything else they've written. Fortunately, since I'm now getting the majority of my books from the library, I don't have to buy material that no longer makes the grade.

I resolve that if I'm ever lucky enough to get my work out there, I will absolutely refuse to let a book be printed unless it is truly up to standards. That makes a good case for having a backlog of novels before I even solicit publication.

Broken blog

I had to delete my Tarot Card of the Day and Funny Cat widgets to get my blog back online. I think there might have been a conflict with my recent installation of the Adobe Creative Suite. Oh well! Still have the flu, so I'll have to experiment later.

Loving the library

We decided not to spend any discretionary funds for the time being, and we're really reducing the expenses. One result is I've become proficient at interlibrary loan, searching for and reserving books at home on my laptop, and I'm able to find most of what I need.

Also been busy taking grant-writing webinars -- very useful. Got into their database for three hours today and downloaded 45 files of information on funding foundations.

Making progress on the book, as well. Have written over 70 pages and made some enhancements to previous work.

Just wish I could get over this flu -- I've had it a week and it doesn't seem to be going away all that soon.

Getting closer to Part II

I've set some goals and have been meeting them. Didn't write yesterday because I was out all afternoon doing research for the Arts Council and running errands. Today, I will write twice as much, and am more than halfway toward that goal. I'm really enjoying the process, getting down the bones of the story. Hoping, though, I will be able to find the ability to enhance it a lot on the second pass.

I finished a Michael Gruber book and am now setting out to read everything he has written (except his children's story). He raises the bar for intelligent thrillers.

Have a new program of checking out books through online interlibrary loan -- an austerity measure I'm inordinately proud of. We already own too many books; 21 full-size bookcases plus several smaller ones. We're swimming in the things.

On a related note, I've determined to learn how to use the latest Adobe applications, including InDesign so we can write and publish our own e-books. I ordered the Creative Suite and am looking forward to training myself in these apps two or three hours every morning--a good alternative to surfing the web and getting royally pissed off at the oligarchs.

Our little Brunhilde is a lot more active, now, with the other cats outside during the day, doing cat patrol and running around. It's nice to see her run and move around (though her waddly little body makes us laugh), and she inspires me to exercise more. We've determined she doesn't have an eating disorder, like Tessa, because she doesn't show an inordinate interest in food -- she just didn't move very much at her SPCA home. She is so sweet and loving. We're glad to have her in our family.

My hero's background

I need to delve deeper into Ravi's background today and have some decisions to make, like how has the man related to women all his life. He is a scientist and inventor, certainly not a playboy type, but nevertheless he looks like Sanjay Gupta -- good looking with gravitas, in my estimation.

Ravi will appear in future books (one already written, but on hold) so it's important that I get this right.

Robert Reich strikes again: "Our Incredible Shrinking Democracy"

Robert Reich's new post, "Our Incredible Shrinking Democracy," is a must-read. For some time, I have thought Reich's analysis of our political and economic issues is both succinct and hard-hitting. He can explain complicated issues in the most direct terms and I agree with most of what he has to say. If you don't want to read anything else on these heavy issues, at least read Robert Reich.

His blog is located at:

http://robertreich.org/

The direct link to this article is here:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-reich/our-incredible-shrinking_b_446748.html

Another cat with an eating disorder

We selected a beautiful calico cat from an SPCA photo on the web and when we went to pick her up, discovered she is now 17 pounds -- way overweight. She's a year old. We brought her home, anyway, and now have to go about healing her.

We wanted her as an indoor companion to our nice, sleek male. Fortunately, he won't object to not having his food left out all the time because feeding is incidental to him.

I learned that one has to be patient in a cat weight reduction diet because if the cat loses weight too fast, it can contract a fatal liver disease. One site said 1 to 2% of its weight each week (about 1/4 pound for her, or 1 pound per month) and another site said limit weight reduction to 1/2 pound per month. This is going to be tricky. But -- oh well -- we saved another cat's life.

Making my villain more ominous

So far, my novel's villain is not as ominous as I'd like him to be. I need to keep his unspoken threat subtle, but give him a dangerous undertone.

This is something for me to ponder, while moving on to the next scene.

This is also something for me to work on when I get stuck in a future scene.

Always something.

First rush of self-empowerment now muted

After the first rush of enthusiasm I achieved from reading the Self-Defeating Behaviors book, I'm back to wondering if I actually do have the strength (or whatever it takes) to make significant life changes or even to finish my current novel. Rick tells me that this is simply the human struggle for enlightenment and that it is very difficult. True.

He suggested that I continue tapping (the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT)) on all my issues and sub-issues, and I made a list of them. Then, he suggested I simply release my attachment to accomplishing things that seem well-nigh impossible, to not be neurotic or anxious about things. That, of course, is the exact opposite to ways I normally deal with problems, and I suspect it is for others, too. But there might be ways to redirect my focus to healthier issues that would serve to help me accomplish the same goals. I don't know. All this is rather abstract for me, but I'll think about it.

When I checked the bank balance this morning, I had a wonderful opportunity to apply detachment and refocus. We had less money than I expected (of course!) but after momentary panic, I thought of ways to cut back next month and the problem didn't seem so insurmountable, after all.

Recipe for salmon pate - we loved it!

Salmon Pate

1 8 oz. package cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons onion, grated
1 teaspoon prepared horseradish
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper, ground
1/8 teaspoon liquid smoke seasoning
1 16 oz. can salmon, drained, cleaned and flaked

In a medium bowl, cream together the cream cheese, parsley, lemon juice, onion, horseradish, salt, black pepper and liquid smoke seasoning. Add the salmon, mixing lightly. Chill for 1 hour. Serve on a non-salty carrier, such as melba rounds, toast quarters, or--our favorite--Ezekiel pocket bread.

How easy this is, for such a treat.

Self-Defeating Behaviors

Just finished this book, Self-Defeating Behaviors: Free Yourself from the Habits, Compulsions, Feelings, and Attitudes That Hold You Back.

Amazing! I now feel very empowered in my personal life and goals.

Obama's new populism is simply window-dressing

There is this:



Furthermore, if Obama expects the middle class to grovel at his feet and bless him for a token $5 or so financial break, he will have an attitude adjustment in store for him.

I'm not even going to comment on what the Supreme Court has done to us, now, by taking away all restrictions on corporate election contributions. Except to say how wonderful it would be if people wake up and boycott the corporations who run political ads.

In the meantime, I'm focusing on things in my own life that I have control over.

Book progress is very slow

After working on the narrative for a grant proposal for the past couple of weeks, I'm having real problems working on the narrative of my novel. Only finished one scene today ... hopefully tomorrow will be better.

Rain, rain and more rain. It will be good to see the sun again next week, but then it's going to rain again for another week. The backup power grid is out in our county and will not be fixed for another three months, so we're suffering power outages. Fortunately, Rick and I have solar backup, but we're limping along on that until we can get our generator serviced. We also learned that the trackers collect a bit of daylight energy for the batteries, even without sun.

After losing Ted Kennedy's Senate seat to a Republican, it has finally dawned upon our infantile president that the long-suffering populace may be unhappy with his lack of progress on reforms, so he is shaking his rattle at the banks again ... at least until Goldman Sachs brings down the stock market enough to teach him who the real masters of the universe are. In the meantime, GS will rake in another fortune on short sales. Where are the Lords of Karma when we need them?

No gossip about friends

What I am NEVER mentioning on this blog are names and information about friends, contacts with friends, or any kind of gossip. So friends who come here can be assured of that.

The only exception to that rule is Rick, my husband, and I have his permission.

Just discovered hula.com

Since we refuse to get cable TV, we miss out on the good things, like documentaries, but DSL costs enough and we don't want to pay the price for cable, when we spend most of our time reading.

Especially since I just read an article about cable prices going up to make up for revenues lost to free places like hula.com.

Hula.com? Thanks, folks, for telling me about it. I watch DVDs on my laptop already.

I just watched my first 22-minute documentary and muted the commercials. Love it!

http://www.hulu.com/documentaries

(My ergonomic setup is a recliner with an upright back and leg-rest up, the laptop on a rolling table, the external keyboard on my lap, and the mouse on the chair arm. Got rid of backaches that way.)

A quick break

Taking a quick break from a very productive fiction-writing day, and still have the whole evening ahead of me.

In the next couple of days, I'm going to have to tunnel out to work on an Arts Council grant proposal. Had the most marvelous brainstorming session with Donna B. yesterday.

How to save pensions

This article

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20603037&sid=aHFCE999fWR0

seems to support the supposition in my previous post that the Fed has manipulated the stock market, creating a bull market to artificially regain wealth for retirement funds (and the oligarchy, too, of course). If that suspicion is true, then it would be natural for the Obama administration to try to create a mechanism to "lock in" that increased wealth to the common folk, lest they revolt. Transferring 401K money to a different annuity fund (as discussed in this article) would be one way to freeze those profits. (And what insurance companies might profit from those annuity funds, might I ask, knowing the ultimate benefit of any economic decision is conferred on the rich elite.)

Also see this mainstream article:

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/time-for-fed-to-disprove-ppt-conspiracy-theory-2010-01-05

Time for Fed to disprove PPT conspiracy theory -- Commentary: Analyst charges that government is manipulating markets

Simon Johnson Decries Influence Of Wall Street Oligarchs,

This article ties in with another piece I read this morning about the Federal Reserve manipulating the stock market. Boosting stocks so they trade higher is just another way of enriching the corporations, banks, and pension funds, thus covering up a lot of bad investments and artificially boosting GDP.

The catch is they cannot do it much longer, just like they cannot spend taxpayer money to buy mortgage-backed securities from the banks much longer. I suppose when that time comes, the powers that be will have to actually fix things, rather than continuing to rob the society blind.

Shadow Elite: How the World's New Power Brokers Undermine Democracy, Government, and the Free Market

This book was published in December 2009 and I read a great review on it today. The local library ordered it for me on interlibrary loan. Sure looking forward to reading it. The review can be found at

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/arianna-huffington/the-first-huffpost-book-c_b_412999.html

First twelve pages

My, that doesn't sound like very much, does it, but I have been on 'vacation' and also doing other things. Rick read these first twelve pages this morning and liked them better than any of my previous work. It's nice to know my novel-writing skills might be getting better.

The next cluster of scenes is set in the Taverna Mediterranea and after writing just a tiny bit, I had to go off and research interiors for places such as I envision the Taverna Mediterranea to be. Unfortunately, I found very little on the web I liked, but captured several images anyway and will simply have to design my own setting. Most of a day spent on research for narrative that will probably take only an hour to write! Oh well!

I wonder how much of this was just avoidance of a rather intense interplay of characters coming up. In the first twelve pages, I developed the leading characters and in this next scene the three main ones will meet and interact. The fur will fly. A 'pissing contest' will take place between the hero and the villain, which will be a lot of fun if I can portray it properly -- did write some of that narrative today.

I am sure glad I have an annotated outline already built. It is working out so well to be able to write by a script, but yet it's not locking me into predetermined ideas, as I feared it might. For example, today I modified the next scene to not have Jack there and instead work the scene from Ravi's thoughts. I think that will be more effective.

Oil prices

This is my first attempt at embedding a post. Well, here goes ...

A really haunting picture is on Kunstler's site, which we must navigate there to see.