In the meantime, here’s the Second Skin trailer for your enjoyment. Whoot! It’s a book birthday!

Brainstorming

I jot down as many ideas as possible, any and all plot twists, research implications and threads I can weave into my story. I let the story take me into multiple directions, get lost and discover dead ends, using the same structure of what will eventually be my whiteboard, but allowing myself to explore every angle before locking in. Through this process I’ll filter out the lesser plot twists and (hopefully) leave the gold.

Plotting

When I have the major plot points narrowed down, it’s time to take the story to the whiteboard. I’ll divide it up into Teaser, Acts and Setup for the next book (as I usually write series fiction) and then subdivide each section with a more detailed list of scenes, each building to the next act/section. I’ve developed my whiteboarding structure from a blend of resources, but mainly from Blade Snyder’s, Save the Cat! The Last Book On Screenwriting That You’ll Ever Need. That’s right, my plot structure for novels is the same as my structure for scripts.

Character Development

And now my visuals come into play. I grab a bulletin board, cover it a background appropriate to the genre and then plaster the thing with representations of my characters. Here’s the board for Strangeways vs The Blood Brothers which I’ve just primed for action.

It will end up looking something like my board for Second Skin (below), although this time around I won’t have plot notes – any text will be character traits / quirks. The board moves around the house with me, depending on where I’m writing at the moment, and I will stare at it between sentences/paragraphs/pages, keeping those traits/quirks front and center so my characters stay consistent.

During the creation of this Triple Threat of storyboarding, I might start jotting down scenes, dialogue, etc. However, I don’t “begin” the story – the real hunker down and write stage – until I’ve completed these three steps. So…am I a plot Nazi? Maybe, but with deadlines and a day job, I find this the best way to avoid large rewrites during the editing process and pretty much nailing the plot in the first draft.

Which leaves edits for fine-tuning my use of imagery, language and emotion.

This simply can’t continue. For my 2012 New Year’s writerly resolutions, I think I’ve found a way to much needed balance. A writing schedule that includes that pesky little thing called – a life. I nabbed the idea from screenwriter, Scott Myers (as per his blog post on writing schedules), coming up with a structure that works with my current writing patterns, includes time for reading, and also forces me to be physical. I work in a school library three days per week, but the other four days are my “writing days” and here’s the schedule I’ve developed for 2012. NOTE: 5am wake up time is usual for me, but might seem extreme to others.

WRITING DAY SCHEDULE

5-8am: breakfast, reading, excercise

8-NOON: update blogs, answer interview questions, write guest posts/articles, update social media (FB/Twitter, etc)

NOON-1pm: lunch – play with the pups / take them to mailbox

1-4pm: write (daily goal 3 pages can be on one or spread over multiple projects)

Evening: research, watch film/TV, outline, brainstorm…and live a little.

Seems doable, right?

But wait! That’s not all I have planned. In an effort to organize the many writing projects I have on the go, again – I’ve built upon the advice of Scott Myers (as per his blog post on stacking projects) and developed a Progress Chart of all current and completed WIPs. This thing slices, dices and promises to eliminate hours of where-the-hell-am-I-on-this? time wastage. Projects are divided into format: series fiction / stand alone fiction / non-fiction / scripts / freelance articles / blogs (yes, they count as writing projects!). It looks something like this:

And it goes on for five pages. This chart provides me with the one thing I struggle with the most…perspective. It gives me a bird’s eye view of what I’ve accomplished, what I have in the works, and all related word counts / deadlines. I’m hoping it will be a bit of a timesaver in 2012 – a handy reference tool when I’m confused about my status on a specific WIP, but also serve as a swift kick in the ass. Hard to argue that I’ve been “super-dooper productive” if items are NOT being crossed off this list or if word counts fail to increase in a timely fashion.

So there you have it. My writerly resolutions for 2012 and beyond. How are YOU planning to tackle your muse in 2012?

HAVE A SAFE AND HAPPY NEW YEARS!

During my glasses and braces youth, I took piano lessons for five years and at the same time taught myself to play guitar. Eventually I picked up the violin, and then the bass guitar. Though my only formal instruction was in piano, I was able to branch into other forms of musical expression because each new instrument had two common denominators:

The theory was the same.

Success came down to practice.

Each used the same notes, time measurements, song structure and the more I played – the greater my skill. Because of their shared foundation I was able to build upon what I’d learned in piano and transfer my knowledge to other instruments.

I feel the same way about the various formats I write in: lyrics, flash fiction, short fiction, novellas, novels, and scripts.

The theory is the same.

Success comes down to practice.

While I don’t have any formal training in fiction, other than the single creative writing class I took in college, I’ve read and wrote, wrote and read, deleted and revised – learning the craft of writing by trail and error. Though I now have a handle on the basic tools I need to produce a decent story, I still have much to learn.

I like to share my discoveries with other aspiring writers and have posted a handy list of my personal “must have” tools / resources for writing fiction on my website…here. http://judithgraves.com/events/author-visits-2/writer-resources-to-die-for/

After recently diving headfirst into the world of screenwriting, I’ve established another list of resources I studied / absorbed / highlighted and stickie-noted to death which you’ll see below. What I didn’t expect (but should have anticipated) is that the better I’ve become at writing scripts, the better I’ve become at writing and plotting – just about anything.

Screenwriting resources and the skills they impart translate well into the world of fiction. Nothing will teach you more about plot, character development and the need for conflict than the following resources. Even if you never intend to write a script, I encourage you to read a few of these…your fiction – and your readers – will thank you for it.

Then all you have to do is numerous hours of butt-in-chair practice. I know you can do it…now go ahead and add these babies to your Christmas wishlist:

SCREENWRITING RESOURCES TO DIE FOR

CRAFT

Save the Cat: The last book on screenwriting that you’ll ever need – Blake Snyder. Ironically Save the Cat was the first book on screenwriting I’d heard other fiction writers talk about and thus the first one I purchased…but I do return to it again and again.

Save the Cat: Goes to the movies. The screenwriter’s guide to every story ever told – Blake Snyder. Main plot points of films identified so you can make them happen in your own tales.

The Coffee Break Screenwriter – Pilar Alessandra. Fantastic resource for plot structure and dividing the task of writing a complete script into bite sized, manageable sections.

Your Screenplay Sucks: 100 ways to make it great – William M. Akers. I find this to be the best revision tool around. I use it for fiction manuscripts as well. It helps you identify problem areas and kick the snot out of them.

Four Screenplays. Studies in the American Screenplay: An analysis of four groundbreaking contemporary classics – Syd Field. Wonderful breakdown of Thelma & Louise, Terminator 2, The Silence of the Lambs and Dances with Wovles. In terms of understanding what makes a story work – this beast is priceless.

Cinematic Storytelling: The 100 most powerful film conventions every filmmaker must know – Jennifer Van Sijll. You’ll never watch a movie the same way again…and it will help you place your fictional cast on your stage with more finesse and creativity than ever before.

SCRIPTS

A la The Shooting Script series – as with writing fiction, the best way to learn what works is to READ. Here are some of the scripts I’ve purchased, but I also follow the Scott Myers blog http://gointothestory.blcklst.com/ for script evaluations and industry insight.

A Knight’s Tale – Brian Helgeland – great example of how to incorporate music, as well as take on a period piece with humour.

Dan in Real Life – Pierce Gardner and Peter Hedges – heartwarming example of family drama / romantic comedy.

Stranger than Fiction – Zack Helm – seriously brilliant…and offers tons of insight into the creation of the script.

Juno – Diablo Cody – groundbreaking, wicked cool and reads every bit as quirky as the film.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Once more with feeling (the musical script book) – Joss Whedon – includes the sheet music for the songs Whedon composed for this episode, that’s right – words AND music, the background to its creation and then…the very cool script itself.

SIDE NOTE: I also study other script formats, such as graphic novels. Here are some resources if you’re interested…

Graphic Storytelling and Visual Narrative: Principles and practices from the legendary cartoonist – Will Eisner. Great insight in the development of comics and how to combine words with images.

Panel Discussions with industry storytellers – Durwin S. Talon. Everything you’ve wanted to ask about graphic novels…with real answers.

Panel One: Comic book scripts by top writers – Nat Gertler. Featuring scripts by Neil Gaiman, Jeff Smith, Kurt Busiek and more!

And the mood I foster around this time of year goes beyond good cheer…into….great trembling fear. That’s right, there are scares to be found this holiday season. Thrill-seekers, I encourage you to follow my other, other blog, MOST-WANTED MONSTERS as Dawn Dalton and I celebrate all things diabolical and yet oddly festive. We took a brief hiatus in November to participate in the death-defying thing called NANO, but we’ve clawed our way back to the land of the living. Each week in December we’ll feature the best of the worst things to fear this Christmas – starting tomorrow.

And as a stocking stuffer of sorts (while it’s not the release of Second Skin that I’m all hepped up for) the ebook edition of UNDER MY SKIN is now available via Kindle and Nook. For the month of December it will be just .99 cents. Really, the world of ebooks and ebook marketing is quite terrifying for someone new at the game. My first novel – the one that took four years to write as I learned the mechanics of  fiction – can be had for the price of a bad cup of coffee. Mind boggling.

I’ve decided to follow young adult fiction author, Arthur Slade’s lead and blog about my experience on the .99 shelves of virtual bookstores. In January, the UMS ebook will bump back up to a normal sales figure and I’ll be able to evaluate the success of it’s cheapo introduction – which is, at its most basic level – an attempt to garner interest in Second Skin when it launches. Watch for those posts in the new year if you’re interested in the results.

NOTE: if you haven’t read Slade’s series The Hunchback Assignments, you’re missing out on some fantastic steampunk and fantasy storytelling based on the Hunchback of Notre Dame.

Now go forth and have yourselves a scary little Christmas!

I’ve also been informed that Second Skin’s release date has been pushed back a bit. February 1, 2012 is the absolute latest release date, but I’m hopeful it will actually be sooner. I have big plans for both the online and live launch parties. So stay tuned!

In addition to the Under My Skin ebook being released VERY SOONish, it is going into second printing and gets a muted, moody new look. Check out the cover flat:

Speaking of shiny and new, my friends – and brilliant authors - Dawn Ius and Jessica Bell have started an online literary journal featuring short pieces of poetry, fiction, artwork and photography -think somewhere between short stories and flash fiction, otherwise known as vignettes. They’ve put out a call for submissions to their journal, Vine Leaves, and writers – I encourage you to submit a story. Check out their guidelines here.

I enjoyed some inner geek soul food this weekend at Edmonton’s Pure Speculation Festival –  a celebration of all things sci-fi / fantasy. I was thrilled to join author / playright, Marty Chan, author / graphic novelist, Gail Siddonie Sobat, as well as science fiction author, Nicole Luiken on the young adult fiction panel. Gail shared information from a recent study concluding there is a derth of female authors and female main characters within the science fiction genre. We spoke to this, providing sample titles and offering insights into changing trends we have observed in the publishing industry. Of course the best part – answering questions from the well-read audience.

“Every year, Pure Speculation features the Geeks for Geeks Charity Auction, in support of a local Edmonton charity. This is a great way for you to get a great deal on some exceptional and one-of-a-kind geeky merchandise, and show your support for a worthy cause, the Crystal Kids Youth Center.”

The vendors were a sight to behold, costumed and crazy cool. I scooped up a few books at the publisher tables and a killer Steampunk choker necklace from the ladies at Dark Knits Boutique.

I hope to see YOU geeking out with us next year!

Pure Spec’s seventh annual festival earned some well deserved press, from this Edmonton Journal article on Jason Kapalka, the Gaming Guest of Honour, and co-creator PopCap Games,  to the following Globle TV clip of event organizer Jay Bardyla (also owner of Edmonton’s very cool, Happy Harbor Comics) and Holly Conrad, Costuming Guest of Honour from Los Angeles:

I was thrilled to be invited back and this November 19th, I’ll be speaking on the Young Adult Fantastic Fiction: Not Just About Boy Wizards panel with Gail Siddonie Sobat, Marty Chan, and Nicole Luiken. The blurb:

“Testosterone-filled fantasy continues to dominate the industry, yet there are any number of compelling narratives featuring the female protagonist and her particular strengths, trials and passions. Unfortunately, women writers of children’s/YA SF novels with female protagonists are still all-too-frequently relegated to the literary backroom. Presenters will share insights about the female writer & the protagonist of speculative fiction, and their essential roles in righting the gender imbalance & the ghetto-ization that plague the SF genre.”

As a part of Pure Spec’s fundraising efforts for a local charity via the GEEKS FOR GEEKS auction,  I’m even raffling off naming a character after one lucky winner. That’s right, a character in SKIN OF MY TEETH could be named after YOU. Although said character’s life expectancy is not guaranteed and it is likely that he/she may suffer a painful death under the light of the new moon – or some such paranormal goodness.

If you’re in Edmonton, I encourage you to check Pure Spec out. Loads of gamers, game designers, authors, artists, celebs – not to mention the COOL costumes. SEE YOU THERE!

No daily posts of my word counts, no weekly check ins or pep-talk posts as per every other year. This November I’m going dark, stepping deep into my writer’s cave and away from social media, my blog, and even conversational emails. And believe me, I know it’s gonna hurt. I’m a social media junkie. But the projects I have lined up deserve my full attention and I’m DYING to tell those stories well.

I’ll be back in full force in December for the launch of Second Skin and you’ll be sick of me once more.

Have a safe and happy Halloween and a productive NANO adventure if you’re one of the brave.