Author Archives: S. C. Green

About S. C. Green

A full-time worker, full-time father and full-time husband with dreams of becoming a full-time author without coming off as being full of it. Currently he is in the midst of revising his first novel in hopes of shopping for an agent this fall.

Harvey Is Dying

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Harvey's namesake

There are few things that can bring a true writer down. A writer can write even when he or she doesn’t feel like it. A writer writes even when more questions are written then answers. A writer writes because that’s what writers do. That being said, I think I’ve encountered an issue to bring my word count to a trickle.

My computer is dying.

Harvey, my name for my laptop, has been a trusty workhorse for more than six years. From coffee shops to conventions, Harvey has been a companion to which I’ve spent countless hours. I’ve stayed up late into the night to help him through a few viruses. Updated him in timely matters. Kept him safe inside a nicely padded bag. When his battery finally gave out, I stuck by him and a close by outlet. And when the cord started to expose the wiring, I diligently taped it up.

Alas, now I can hear the death rattle in his spinning hard disk, drastically undersized compared to today’s standards. There were days when I had to wake him three or four times before he started to function at just a shadow of his former glory. His stop-stutter response to each keystroke or lagging cursor desperately trying to keep up with my tracing finger are signs I can no longer ignore. I must close Harvey’s screen for a final time.

He will be missed for there is no way I can replace him. At least not currently. Of my three stations I work between, he took the brunt of my creative time. The home computer offers little in the way of a quiet enough setting and I exercise stealth when writing at work, but neither offered me the mobility of network capability as Harvey. So how will I carry on?

I will be forced to drag out the ancient relics of pen and paper.

That’s right. Do today’s kids even know how to use these or what they were for? Well, my plan for the time being will be to write things longhand, and when the opportunity strikes, I’ll manually transfer it to the more well-known digital format. Sure, it’ll slow things down, but let’s look for that silver lining.

I can still write. Being I’m a writer and that’s what writers do, that’s a good thing. Two, while I’m typing it up, I get a chance to edit it. Almost like a second first draft. At this point I’m not fully in edit made, but glaring errors are hard to miss.

So I will soldier on. Maybe one day there will be a laptop to fill the void Harvey has left. It won’t be soon. (Unless anyone knows of some really good deals. *ahem*) Until then, I will write when I can, and what matters most to me. And to Harvey I offer a three key solute.

[Ctrl] + [Alt] + [Del]

Working the Middle

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It’s easy to get lost in your own story. After all, you’ve created these wonderful characters to spend your time with, and sent them on incredible, if sometimes unbelievable, adventures. You might also have painted lush settings ripe for exploring. Then there comes the day when you pull away from the story, look around and say…

“Where the hell is this all going?”

If you can’t answer this question, you need to stop right where you are and figure it out. Otherwise, you’ll write yourself in circles with material that will all end in your Deleted Scene File (You are keeping a DSF, aren’t you?)

I’m going to throw you a couple of suggestions to help you answer that question. For this next part, I’ll be speaking mainly to the pantsers out there. The outliners don’t seem to struggle as much with this part of the story. Although that shouldn’t stop you from trying it. Just because you have an outline doesn’t mean you have to stick to it.

1.

Try going back to a key turning point in your story. Change what happens, and write about 1,000 words based on the new outcome. Does it work better? Does it resolve the wall you might have bumped into? Whichever scene you decide to go with, throw the other in your DSF. That way you can change it back without the extra work.

2.

Try a character interview. In separate document, throw out a bunch of questions to one of your characters. Of course you’ll ask important questions related to motives and personal goals, but don’t forget to throw in some random questions, too. Ask things like “What is it about your favorite junk food that keeps you snacking?” or “What is your most useless talent and how did you develop it?” Just make sure it’s an open-ended question, and you might be surprised at the gold that can surface. Maybe a character has a talent you didn’t realize that would take you to the next part of the story. These random questions also help jog your brain to look at your story from a new angle. That’s always helpful.

3.

Put the story down and write something else for a while. The worst thing you can do as a writer is to stop writing. If you come to an impasse and can’t find a way out, you probably need more time to find the right solution. That’s okay. It happens. In the mean time, don’t let your craft suffer by not writing at all. That will guarantee a prolonged wait to your ending. Maybe even indefinitely.

These are several things that I’ve used and found helpful. If you have tricks of your own, please share them in the comments. I’d love to try them.

Beginnings In the End

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There are only three parts of the novel that are the hardest to write: the beginning, the middle, and the end. And to keep these posts from going into epic fantasy lengths, we’ve sectioned it out over the next three weeks. To keep things chronological, we’re tackling Beginnings first.

Little side note: The easiest part of writing? The ideas. Everybody gets them. It’s taking that idea and translating into words for others to read where most trip up. Because, really? Where do you start?

That in itself can be a daunting question. After all there’s so much emphasis on a story’s start. Books have been written solely on the importance of the first five pages. I can totally understand wanting to get it right. Those pages will be the ones judged on whether a reader will want to continue. Blow it, and it’s pulped. Own it, and you’ve made at least one new fan. I can see how this thought stymies most ideas from ever becoming novels.

Again I ask, where do you start?

Here’s my answer: It doesn’t matter. When you’re all done with the novel, your first chapter will have changed a MINIMUM of two times. Some might find this intimidating. For me, I found it the most freeing realization.

…permission to write bad.

When I first started writing, I used to write the first chapter over and over and over trying to get it just right. Was I telling too much? Did I keep too much hidden? Is it starting in the right place? Funny thing happens when you write and rewrite the first chapter again and again. The rest of the story never gets written.

So here’s what I did. I gave myself permission to write bad. This did two things. First and foremost, it got me writing. It’s impossible to gain momentum if you’re not moving forward. The second thing it did was take the pressure off creating brilliance on a first go-around. It might also keep you from sharing your work before it’s really ready, but that’s a topic for another week.

It’s like when I first learned how to drive stick. It wasn’t pretty seeing my dad’s ‘82 Montero lurch, buck, and stutter as I ground down first gear attempting to get out of the driveway. Once I got going, though, third and fourth were easy enough. If you only saw me drive by at cruising speed, you’d have no I idea I burned out the first two gears getting that far.

Remember all those questions I had earlier, the circular ones that kept me on chapter one? Sitting in front of a finished first draft, I could answer them all. I knew if it was too much or not enough, because I had the rest of the story there to reference. More than likely there were a number ideas that sprouted during the middle and end that I wanted to elude to back at the beginning. I could see the full story arc and decide if I started a chapter one too early, or need to tack on an extra chapter before the original. These are things I wouldn’t have know if I didn’t write right on through.

It comes down to not letting the beginning bother you in the beginning. It’s the ending that always makes it clear on how the beginning should be.

500 Club (1/26)

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Another Thursday brings us another 500 Club! Scroll down for two more prompts waiting to be explored.

Here’s what to do:

  1. Write 500 words based on one of the two prompts below.
  2. Post it to your blog.
  3. Give us a small taste in the comments below along with a link to the full text.

And now on to the prompts:

1. Attracting Opposites: In 500 words, convincingly combine two opposite elements. Blend fire and ice, love and hate, or space travel and deep-sea diving. Pick one of those or choose your own, just make sure they’re extreme opposites and make them coalesce.

2. Things Out of Place: Write a short story about something out of place. Maybe stacks and stacks of book, but not in a library or book store. Or, a full working kitchen at the heart of a cave. Make it believable and make it in 500 words.

*Feel free to change the name or sex of the characters as needed.

Auspicious Pudding, Part II

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This week we’re writing a Round Robin Story. Each of us are shooting from the hip to put a story together for your (and our) enjoyment. If you haven’t already, check out Part I here. Back? Good. And the story continues…

Part II

“The weald,” answered Jasper. He turned to Ty, a little exasperated. “Has the stomach rot gotten to your ears? I just said that.”

Ty’s stomach flipped at the mention of it. The pain didn’t last long as his attention quickly focused on the trees. The trees that shouldn’t be. That couldn’t be there.

They most certainly were there.

A clump of moss gave easily way when Jasper pulled it from the bark of the closest tree. Redwood? Was it even possible for a tree to grow that big?

Ty watched as Jasper sniffed the moss, nodded to himself ,and proceeded to smash the clump in his gnarled hands.

“What are you doing?”

Jasper just hummed to himself. The cuffing of his hands pounding the moss punctuated his song. The tune was only vaguely familiar to Ty. Just when he thought he could place it, Jasper stopped, picked up a sprig of pennyroyal and pressed it between moss-mushed hands. He gave it a good squish and then presented it to Ty.

“Nice. I’m impressed. No, really,” the sarcasm was like a candy coating over each word. “I just feel bad for leaving the Forestry Craft Badge at home. You so earned it.”

Ty went on to say more, but Jasper shoved the sprig in Ty’s mouth. Before he could spit it out, the old man had one hand on the back of Ty’s neck and the other covering his mouth.

“You can thank me later,” offered Jasper.

The grime on Jasper’s hand felt slick and coarse like wet sand paper on the back of his neck. His thoughts whirred from his now grim-streaked neck, to wondering how hands so old and knobby could still be so strong, to the horrible thing in his mouth. To say it tasted like minty dirt would be like calling the moon a rock. It combined the flavor of fresh lawn clippings with the grit of under-stirred hot cocoa. Sure there was an underlying hint of mint, but that silver lining was too thin encompass this gray cloud.

“Now would you stop struggling so I can talk to ya’ proper?”

Ty hadn’t realized he was jerking about, and when he did, he felt wholly justified. He kept it up for just a second longer as to not let Jasper think it was him telling him to that he stopped.

“That should settle your stomach for a bit. Yes, I know. Kinda’ feels like it’s going to do the opposite. It won’t though. Just chew a bit.”

Jasper’s grip loosen, but didn’t let go. He waited to see Ty’s jaw work the mush before going on.

“Good. Good. Now mind you don’t eat it. In small doses it’ll calm the rot. Swallow the whole of it, and we’ll be stopping at every other tree with a soft leaf.”

Ty didn’t want to admit it, but he could feel the knot untie itself in his gut. He didn’t fool himself. It was still there, only loosened.

“I can see it in your eye. It’s working.”

Jasper let go, leaving a mossy hand print in his place. He wiped the remainder on his pants and started rolling his sleeping bag and stowing his gear.

“How… Where did you… I mean,” Ty couldn’t get the words out. He didn’t even know where to begin. The trees? Magpies? The minty grit in his mouth?

“Can your auspex do that, too?” He finally asked.

Ty’s tone said jest, but his eyes begged for something to hold on to.

“Not just any auspex, that’s for sure. Now stop gawpping and roll up your bag. We got things to do and no telling how long to do them in. Move it now. Move.”

Whether by Jasper’s design or not, Ty was grateful for the busy work, moving in the familiar motions of breaking camp, rolling this, packing that. He didn’t know how longer Jasper had been talking before he started listening.

“—to see this. It’s good though. Very good. Maybe lucky even.”

“Jasper?”

“Son, if I told it all now, how am I to enjoy the look on your face when we get there?”

His smile was as much sincere as it was concealing.

Tune in this weekend for the stunning conclusion! (No pressure, Amy.)

I’m Open

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Most years I have one or two books I’m absolutely can’t wait to get my hands on. A book that’s makes me retire early to bed just so I can get a few extra minutes flipping pages under my dim book light. Alas dear reader, this year is different.

There’s nothing on the “To Be Released Must Read” list this year. For one, my go-to author has not announced a book release this year (yet, I hope). And two, nothing has really caught my eye in the past year to make me mark my calendar.

I need to clarify that I’m still excited about books. I always have at least one on my bedside table and another cued up on my iPod. I’ve just found myself in a unique situation where the things I am currently reading either don’t have a follow-up book or I’m so far into the author’s backlog of novels, that I’ll have quite a while before I need to start vying for new content from them. So  I am excited about certain books to read this year. They just don’t happen to be waiting for release.

As for my go-to author, Jim Butcher. It’s been eleven years now that he’s published at least one new novel each year in his Dresden Files series. Two in 2010 if you include his collection of short stories in the same world. For a number of those years, he’s also produced a second or third novel. So it comes with a little disappointment that there is no official release date for his next novel. Although according to Wikipedia and his Livejournal blog (define stalking), the title of book fourteen in the Dresden Files is Cold Days. There’s also talk of a steampunk book he’s working on. I will say, however, if the man publishes a book, I’ll buy. Hardback. The week it’s released. No man-crush jokes.

So with the exception of a possible late release date from my go-to author, the rest of my reading time is open. Speaking of open, I’m open to suggestions. If you have any, please leave them in the comments below.

Resolution Results

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I’m not sure why, but this new year feels just like waking up after a good night’s sleep. All my inner plans are stretching their dormant muscles, ready for some exercise in hopes that the rest of the year will continue the regiment. It’s a little hard to explain, but it feels like waking up the morning of something important. Maybe Christmas morning, or the start of a road trip to Disney or Vegas. The anticipation is almost eating me alive.

I know millions of people go through the same. That’s why gym memberships are on the up for the next couple of weeks, and the self-help section is picked clean at the local book store. They feel the change. They want the change. They need the change.

And so do I.

I’ve made resolutions in the past. Promises that fall by the wayside as soon they become inconvenient or unrealistic. I think I had the right idea last year when I decided to focus on three words, three ideas that would carry over to all my endeavors. I suck at juggling though, and as a result, I lost focus many times throughout the year. Even now I’m struggling at recalling what they were. Whatever, moving on.

This year I’ve chosen one thing to focus on. One thing to rule them all… *ahem* Sorry, my geek was showing.

Here’s what I chose:

RESULTS

Getting it done. Finishing. Sticking a fork in it. Typing “The End”.

See, I know what I need to do. I even know how to do it. But who the hell cares if I never do it? Any way you slice it, people remember the author, not the critic. Going on and on and on about how to write and revise a story or how others make it work or crap it up is easy. Everyone can do it. Creating the work they all talk about? That takes not only talent, but determination. Results.

I need Results. So this is what I’m going to do:

  1. To get Results, I will work when I can. Using spare moments to further personal goals is ALWAYS a good thing. Put down the videos games. They waste your time. Period.
  2. To get Results, I will work when I don’t think I can. These times are usually small and hide between other tasks. Get an hour lunch? Eat faster and utilize an extra fifteen minutes for yourself.
  3. To get Results, I won’t ask for permission. I want it, so I’ll do it. Asking just gives someone one else the opportunity to tell you no, and nos don’t wield Results.
  4. To get Results, I will get Results. Call it what you like. Power of Attraction, the Secret, Addiction. Once you get a taste for it, you’ll want it again and again. Absolutely nothing wrong with that.

500 Club (1/5/2012)

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New Year, new prompts. Let’s not get out of the habit of letting our creativity play. Make it your New Year’s Resolution. Start writing now!

Here’s what to do:

  1. Write 500 words based on one of the two prompts below.
  2. Post it to your blog.
  3. Give us a small taste in the comments below along with a link to the full text.

And now on to the prompts:

1. Finish this opener: Joe swore he’d never do it again, but here he was, standing out front with _______ in hand and unable to stop from going in.

2. The new year marks ends and beginnings. Write 500 words where the last line mirrors the first.

*Feel free to change the name or sex of the characters as needed.

Confessional Classic: When Lightning Strikes

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Originally posted March of this year. This is probably one of the harder writing lessons I had to learn. Sure, inspiration strikes like lightning, but you can’t wait for it.

Growing up in the southwest, I’ve bared witness to some of the most incredible thunderstorms ever. The rolling in of black clouds, spreading like an oil slick across the sky. A wall of dust swallowing the low mountains moments before engulfing everything within sight.

The dirt and sand are soon chased by the falling rain. A torrential rain could last for minutes, or a lighter spatter could take the whole of the day. Thunder booms loud enough to knock pictures from the wall. Windows threaten to shatter in their sills from a barrage of crackling sound. And the lightning.

The lightning traces a jagged line to the ground, burning its image to any retina that sees it. Bolts shoot from cloud to cloud, to the ground, or out into nothing. Some thick as oaks and others wiry thin. You can feel the electricity all around you. The power terrifying and overwhelming in the same instant as being exhilarating and enthralling.

I’ve felt and seen this year after year living in the desert. The monsoons are relentless. That’s also why I can say with authority that getting struck by inspiration is the exact same.

In moments of inspiration I can’t write fast enough. The thoughts hitting the page as if a thunderhead were attacking the keys. I live for those moments.

The trouble came when I waited for those moments. I used to be under the misguided impression that I could only write when the inspiration struck. Unfortunately, like a desert thunderstorm, they don’t happen everyday.

I had to learn how to write when the inspiration was dry. Sure it felt like banging my head on a wall some days, but I put my time in. And that’s key. Where my ideas might not have been flourishing during those inspiration droughts, my craft was. It gets better with every hour I put toward it.

Try to think of it like storm chasing. Days of preparation and searching all lead up to the storm you know you’ll eventually get to. When you do, you’ll have so much in the way of preparedness, you’ll be able to wrangle that inspiration strike into something brilliant.

So don’t waste your time waiting for inspiration to strike. Go head-long everyday. Who knows, you might make your own inspiration.

2011 Guest Author Recap, Part IV

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Here is the final week our Year-End Guest Author Recap. You can check out the first three weeks here and here and here, respectively, if you haven’t already. Now let’s finish out this month’s author rewind with the last seven guest posts in 2011.

2011 Guest Authors, Part IV

That does it for guest post in 2011. I hope you’ve gleaned some valuable insight or at least enjoyed how they tried to shed it. I know we did. Please join us this coming year for even more guest author posts