Distractions

It's very easy to get distracted from writing, especially with all shiny, flashy things around. I had a free evening tonight, and was all set to work on book three (still untitled), but then there was facebook, and twitter, and television, and the various blogs I like to read, and and and...

Now, I find it's 10:30 at night, and I've yet to write a word. Is it perhaps something subconscious about this story in particular? When i first wrote it, I hit a block. I took my characters to a dark place, and couldn't figure out how to get them out without upsetting "my readers" (I use quotes because there's all of three of you out there). But still, that was the way I wanted (or thought i wanted) the story to go. I've been stuck ever since, and it's been over a year.

Part of the reason I've been tackling it again is because I'm going to start publishing on the Kindle Store. It's an experiment, so hopefully it will be successful. I must say, without the help of Dan (my wonderful, tech-savvy roomie), I would never be in a position to post on the site. There are so many formatting-for-web codes and tricks that I just don't understand.

In my procrastination, I opened up my OneNote file for the series. It's kind of like my encyclopedia of the world i have created in my books. I have a page for each character, which includes quotes of descriptions I use throughout the stories. I also have pages for locations, and other important elements.

Many times I will have an idea of something in my head, for example, the interior of Mobius (described in an earlier post). In my travels across the inter-webs I sometimes find images that fit my imagined idea (for Mobius, it is the interior of the Guggenheim, and the exterior of the Kelowna library). I put these pictures in the OneNote file.

I find looking at these pictures helps me get inspiration, as well as helps me to remember exactly what I had been thinking weeks (or months) previous. Today, I came across the image for Zarek (a pivotal character in the second novel). I hesitate to post it here, because I would rather not affect a reader's imagination (which is why I will never post the pictures of my "fantasy cast" if Force was made into a movie), but I wanted to post a "tease" of what is to come once the second book (tentatively titled "Force of Nature") makes it on to the Kindle Store.

From: http://media.photobucket.com/image/gargoyle/Zappy_Kid/Gargoyle.jpg

In other news, I suppose I should mention that I have reverted back to my original title. It appeals to a wider audience, I think, and for purposes of Kindle-dom I find it is a better fit.

Here I am! Did you miss me?

Since my last post, much has happened, including nothing.

How could much happen, if nothing happened? Well, life went bonkers! It’s crazy busy right now! I am currently playing on two soccer teams, and a baseball team. Four days a week I have some form of sports. So needless to say, the writing fell off the table.

Don’t get me wrong, I have tried to write. The other three days of the week I thought about writing a lot. But unfortunately, thinking about writing isn’t the same as writing about thinking.

At one point, about a month ago, I had another idea. I know, I promised everyone I would finish the third novel in the “Magic” series, but it’s just not working. I may have to completely rewrite it. But this other idea came to me in an entirely new format: a screenplay! I’ve never written a screenplay, so when I set to put it down, I had no idea about formatting. I mean seriously, who has ever heard of a “Slugline”? So I found myself spending more time formatting the damn thing than writing it down. Eventually, I found a template with screenplay styles, and was able to use that, but MAN! It’s tough business!

I wrote so quickly and with such determination, it wasn’t until I got to the main climax that I realized I had NO IDEA where the characters were going to go. I mean, I have an ending, all waiting to connect to the beginning, but I am a bit lost as to some key plot points. When they say “WRITE WHAT YOU KNOW” they weren’t kidding. My characters went travelling, and though they ended up in Greece (the ONLY foreign country I’ve spent any time in aside from the US), I couldn’t remember some key destinations. (It has been fifteen years since I travelled there, and I was twelve at the time, so you can blame my amnesia on the subject.) So, I stopped until I could get more information.

Thank goodness for friends who are travel agents. A little Starbucks bribery and I had him spilling all the important information I needed. I voraciously took notes. And once I had everything I needed....

I went to bed.

Hey, I was tired. Okay?

Well that was a month ago and I have touched it since.

But wait! There’s more!

Last weekend, having no other set plans, I told myself I would WRITE. I decided Saturday was writing day. And sure as shootin’ (did I really just say that?) on Saturday morning I woke up with an idea.

It involves a writer who has writer’s block. Ironic, no?

So I trucked over to Starbucks and opened up my laptop and started to.... stare at it. I had this great idea and no opening line. Ugh. Finally it came to me and I started typing.

I was only a chapter in when I realized something.
IT WAS CRAP! I looked back at the drivel and realized, what a MESS!

So I did the only thing I could think of, I started proofing “It’s a Kind of Magic” again. And, for the first time since writing it, I actually ENJOYED reading it! I never hated it, I just knew it so well that when I read it back I always found it boring. Well now that it’s been months since I last reviewed it, it’s igniting the desire to finish book three, and maybe even write a FOURTH! GASP! I know! Shocker!

I hope I can keep the drive going. I really do want to finish book three. I have the ending all resolved in my head, I just have to get there. The plan is to thoroughly read through books one and two, and then finish book three. I know that will make a few of you happy (Erinn, Mom, Sharlene)

(Also, I wrote to a couple more agents on Sunday :) YAY! Fingers crossed)

Chuck vs the Mailman

Okay, so the title is basically because i've been watching reruns of Chuck endlessly for the past few days. But i was sent this blog the other day, and as someone who spens a small fortune mailing off manuscripts, i thought you might be interested in reading it:

-----

An intersting bit of practical trivia...

I learned something over Christmas that I feel compelled to share with you. This wont change your life dramatically or help you survive the apocalypse but it will save you some $$$.

I recently mailed two identical packages via Canada Post one week apart. One would think that the postage should be exactly the same...well, let me tell you...

Pkg # 1 was mailed from an actual Canada Post postal outlet. Postage came to $11.74. Since I knew a second package would be mailed in about a weeks time, I bought sufficient postage for the second pkg while I was there.

When it came time to mail Pkg #2 I happened to be closer to a franchised postal outlet in a nearby retail shopping mail so I planned to drop pkg #2 off at the franchised CP outlet. When I handed the pkg to the clerk to be put in the outbound mail bag, I was informed that I did not have sufficient postage attached. The clerk proceeded to inform me that I needed to purchase and additional $6 worth of stamps if I planned to have "them" submit my pkg to Canada Post for delivery. After explaining how I knew exactly what the postage should be, the clerk offered some lame excuse that CP is unionized and they can say and do anything with impunity and if I wished to mail that pkg at that outlet, I needed to purchase more stamps.

I told the clerk they were out to lunch and took back my package and headed to the "real" CP outlet to raise hell...Much to my surprise, the CP employee took my package, weighed it and tossed it in the mail bag ready for transport to the sorting facility to be sent on its way. I was informed the amount of postage attached was sufficient and that was that.

The Truth comes out:

Still perplexed by what I was told by the franchised location, I fired off an email to CP for clarification. The reply I received is reprinted below.

The summary:

Real CP outlets charge postage for packages at the published Canada Post rates. Franchise locations can charge whatever they like. If you regularly mail packages at franchise locations you are probably paying too much. Franchise locations are found in shopping malls, drug stores and private businesses everywhere. From now on, all of my mailing will be done from a real Canada Post location.

---

Hello Scarecow,

Thank you for your message to Canada Post.A postal outlet is not a federal government agency and is not owned or managed by Canada Post. For example if the postal outlet is within grocery store or pharmacy it would follow the stores working hours, therefore if the store must be closed, so will the postal outlet inside.Only Canada Post Depots and Corporate Post Offices are obligated to follow the price of stamps and postal products that are legislated by Canada Post. Any commercial and private establishment may charge extra fees as a convenience to their customers. It is at their discretion to apply additional service fees to products that they sell. We suggest visiting a Corporate Post Office in order to avoid paying additional service charges that corner stores or other establishment may implement on their products.

Regards,
Veronika Strofski
Customer Service

----- Original Message -----
From: Scarcrow
Sent: December 21, 2009 20:24:17
To: SERVICE, At Mailposte.ca
Subject: General - Parcel Services - General
12/21/2009

Comments: This month I needed to send two identical packages a week apart The first parcel I took to a Canada Post Office in my neighborhood. Since I would be mailing an identical package in a weeks time, I purchased twice the required postage. ($11.74 x 2)When the second package was ready to be mailed I went to drop it off at the franchise outlet in Carlingwood Mall (2121 Carling Ave). Even though I had already attached the required postage, the clerk informed me that there was insufficient postage. They wanted to sell me another $6.00 in postage.Are franchise outlets allowed to charge more than a Canada Post office?$18.00 for a cd sized padded envelope that was bulged ever so slightly that it would not fit through the sizing guide is outrageous. My FedEx account would get the same package to its destination overnight for only $4 more. I went back to the Canada Post office where I purchased the postage originally and was told that the postage was correct. Via Canada Post the package was delivered in six days.

Rgds.

[People tend to take every opportunity to mislead you, if you let them]
Posted by Scarecrow