Well yes, I wrote a short story. I did it while not planning to do so, but I still did it. I wrote a short story.
While walking the dog Friday, I got an idea for a story. I tend not to start a new story if I'm writing another one, so I put the idea behind me. My current work in progress is waiting in line to be written while I'm editing a finished novel. I wanted to start with correcting my work, but my motivation was far away on a vacation it neglected to tell me about. I just couldn't push myself in doing anything.
Siting in my chair being my lazy self, it hit me. I took my writing block, blue pen, and I went downstairs to sit at my dining table. I wrote for like five to six hours only stopping to drink or stretch my back. I finished the story at almost five thousand words. It's the most work I've done in months. I'm now editing the story, hoping to finish in time to self-publish it this Sunday.
It surprised me what I could accomplish if I set my mind to it. I thought I was spent for that day and I still managed to write a short story. This experience showed me the greatness of inspiration. I now understood how it is possible that some writers can write a novel in a matter of a week or two.
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Monday, August 29, 2011
The ART of DRAMATIC WRITING
You've seen it right, the title is in CAPITAL LETTERS, this book deserves the added exclamation. If you want to know more about how to improve your writing craft, be it playwright, writing a short story, a novelette, a novel, a screenplay, even your grocery-list, buy this book. 
Lajos Egri explains the need of having a premise, characters, and conflict to shape the story. He shows that without this the story will not reach its full potential. He proves his points with explanations, and examples of existing plays (from the era he wrote the book), and a session of question that he answers in great detail.
This book helped me understand why some of what I wrote previously worked and some not so much. It gave me understanding where previously I was guessing and going by feeling. It's not that you can't write a great book based on going just with pure imagination, but it's rare. Knowing why things work gives you that much more confidence in your writing, and the right tools to knowingly write (or attempt to) a great book.
I'm glad I read this book. It's a shame I forgot who recommended The Art of Dramatic Writing to me, I would kiss him or her a thousands times. It's a great book and an asset to every writers bookcase.
Lajos Egri explains the need of having a premise, characters, and conflict to shape the story. He shows that without this the story will not reach its full potential. He proves his points with explanations, and examples of existing plays (from the era he wrote the book), and a session of question that he answers in great detail.
This book helped me understand why some of what I wrote previously worked and some not so much. It gave me understanding where previously I was guessing and going by feeling. It's not that you can't write a great book based on going just with pure imagination, but it's rare. Knowing why things work gives you that much more confidence in your writing, and the right tools to knowingly write (or attempt to) a great book.
I'm glad I read this book. It's a shame I forgot who recommended The Art of Dramatic Writing to me, I would kiss him or her a thousands times. It's a great book and an asset to every writers bookcase.
Monday, August 15, 2011
Made myself a website
Yes I did it. I finally, finally, after years trying and wanting, finished making a website, and in my biased opinion it looks great, terrific, just pure awesomeness. Check it out for yourself if you don't believe me. Tell me how great it look. www.alexrosaria.com
But please don't shatter my delusions, illusions, or whatever the high is I feel about making a website. Nah just comment the truth if you so desire. I'll scream, cry, pull my hair if other despise my website, but in my eyes it will stay awesome.
A website is an ongoing process, I'll have to keep polishing the content, and keep adding more to it, and increase its functionality. What is new to me is to make a website search engine friendly, but I'm learning how to do that. Finding out how to make a website took most of the time making it, and It was great process, despite the now and then frustration encountering a bug or not knowing how to do something.
I might make more websites, I only have to think about what. Any idea's?
But please don't shatter my delusions, illusions, or whatever the high is I feel about making a website. Nah just comment the truth if you so desire. I'll scream, cry, pull my hair if other despise my website, but in my eyes it will stay awesome.
A website is an ongoing process, I'll have to keep polishing the content, and keep adding more to it, and increase its functionality. What is new to me is to make a website search engine friendly, but I'm learning how to do that. Finding out how to make a website took most of the time making it, and It was great process, despite the now and then frustration encountering a bug or not knowing how to do something.
I might make more websites, I only have to think about what. Any idea's?
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Agents and writers, that what bothers me.
I've read a blog post at The Passive Voice about how some writers act in defense of their agent. It stirred me to write a blog post of my own, because it's something that bothered me since I started writing.
In the beginning as a fresh new writer, it baffled me that writers grovelled in the dirt to get an agent. They really did despair with each rejection and went into orgasmic highs when they landed an agent, and that without even selling one book.
I though at that time, if you are groveling and going trough all that misery of rejections why not submit directly to a publishers. The chances were the same as in getting an agent, only then at least you sold your book. Selling your book can justify yourself getting in orgasmic high, even to psychedelic drug use high, whichever you fancy.
However, the arguments given against submitting directly to the publisher is that they don't take non-agent submissions. I think if you are already grovelling in the dirt to get things done, why then not ignore that one rule? Most don't go against rules, because we are thought we need to follow rules at all cost. The publishers and agents know that, that's why this rule exist, while the publishers still have their slush-piles for manuscripts send to them. If they like your book, they will not deny it just because it wasn't send by an agent.
I've never understood the need writers have to consider their agent a business partner. To me they are like a salesperson, an employee, and one that ask too high a salary. I don't understand why writers give them 15% of earnings and give them total control of their finances. Most Agents aren't accountants or bookkeepers. Worse is the utter belief in the need of agents to negotiate a contract. They probably know as much about contracts as the next men or woman, because most are not literary lawyers, or studied law to know better. Why then the need to go down in the dirt on your knees, with you puppy eyes raised high to the mighty agent, if he is an employee of yours? I wish my employer would do that for me, I would have had a six figure salary by now, a bigger car, and a bigger house.
The way writers defend their agents seems like idolatry, and maybe it is. The writer the lowly supplicant, and the agent Saint Peter keeping the gate to heaven. I think part of what happens here is partly because the way we humans are bred. We are thought to be dependent, and in most of all things in life we are dependent on others. We don't plant our own food, or make our own things, or repair anything ourselves. (exceptions excluded) We don't even protect ourselves anymore, it's the law and police that's expected to do that for us. We are encouraged (some even forced) to learn at schools and follow the teachers every command, while critical thinking isn't thought at schools. We are supposed to choose every so many years representatives that will govern us. We chose them so they will tell us what we may or may not do. This we think is common and normal. Responsibility and consequence (partially) is taken away from us humans, and that makes some(a lot) of use act weird when it's completely illogical to do so.
We should open our eyes more to things going on, and believe less, and think more. The more we think the better we will lead our lives in our own favor. Writers should start think about what is happening and adapt to the changes happening around us. If they keep their idolatry they will get burned.
In the beginning as a fresh new writer, it baffled me that writers grovelled in the dirt to get an agent. They really did despair with each rejection and went into orgasmic highs when they landed an agent, and that without even selling one book.
I though at that time, if you are groveling and going trough all that misery of rejections why not submit directly to a publishers. The chances were the same as in getting an agent, only then at least you sold your book. Selling your book can justify yourself getting in orgasmic high, even to psychedelic drug use high, whichever you fancy.
However, the arguments given against submitting directly to the publisher is that they don't take non-agent submissions. I think if you are already grovelling in the dirt to get things done, why then not ignore that one rule? Most don't go against rules, because we are thought we need to follow rules at all cost. The publishers and agents know that, that's why this rule exist, while the publishers still have their slush-piles for manuscripts send to them. If they like your book, they will not deny it just because it wasn't send by an agent.
I've never understood the need writers have to consider their agent a business partner. To me they are like a salesperson, an employee, and one that ask too high a salary. I don't understand why writers give them 15% of earnings and give them total control of their finances. Most Agents aren't accountants or bookkeepers. Worse is the utter belief in the need of agents to negotiate a contract. They probably know as much about contracts as the next men or woman, because most are not literary lawyers, or studied law to know better. Why then the need to go down in the dirt on your knees, with you puppy eyes raised high to the mighty agent, if he is an employee of yours? I wish my employer would do that for me, I would have had a six figure salary by now, a bigger car, and a bigger house.
The way writers defend their agents seems like idolatry, and maybe it is. The writer the lowly supplicant, and the agent Saint Peter keeping the gate to heaven. I think part of what happens here is partly because the way we humans are bred. We are thought to be dependent, and in most of all things in life we are dependent on others. We don't plant our own food, or make our own things, or repair anything ourselves. (exceptions excluded) We don't even protect ourselves anymore, it's the law and police that's expected to do that for us. We are encouraged (some even forced) to learn at schools and follow the teachers every command, while critical thinking isn't thought at schools. We are supposed to choose every so many years representatives that will govern us. We chose them so they will tell us what we may or may not do. This we think is common and normal. Responsibility and consequence (partially) is taken away from us humans, and that makes some(a lot) of use act weird when it's completely illogical to do so.
We should open our eyes more to things going on, and believe less, and think more. The more we think the better we will lead our lives in our own favor. Writers should start think about what is happening and adapt to the changes happening around us. If they keep their idolatry they will get burned.
Monday, June 20, 2011
What does bad handwriting have to do with writing?
What does bad handwriting have to do with writing? One would think nothing, but is that really so? In my case, my handwriting had a major influence on my writing. I can write fast, and it's easier for me to write longhand than to type sitting in front of a screen and keyboard, because pen and paper you can use anywhere.
I wrote a great part of my second book in the Finitum series by hand. I assumed (assuming in itself is bad) that I would easily type over, a thousand words an hour, and be done within two weeks. My mistake was not taking in consideration that the faster I write the smaller my handwriting becomes, and that it will be horrendously unreadable. Instead of typing over at the speed of thousand words an hour, I manage at max a four hundred. It will take months instead of mere weeks to have it typed over. So in no possible way I could have finished end May 2011 as I had planned, and neither at the end of June. I may be finished by the earliest at the end of July, but most likely near the end of August. I know now I should never again write stuff down on paper. It's too time consuming to do so.
I wrote a great part of my second book in the Finitum series by hand. I assumed (assuming in itself is bad) that I would easily type over, a thousand words an hour, and be done within two weeks. My mistake was not taking in consideration that the faster I write the smaller my handwriting becomes, and that it will be horrendously unreadable. Instead of typing over at the speed of thousand words an hour, I manage at max a four hundred. It will take months instead of mere weeks to have it typed over. So in no possible way I could have finished end May 2011 as I had planned, and neither at the end of June. I may be finished by the earliest at the end of July, but most likely near the end of August. I know now I should never again write stuff down on paper. It's too time consuming to do so.
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Book Review: I Eat Butterflies: Tales of Vampires, Mages & Mutants
I EAT BUTTERFLIES - Tales of Vampires, Mages & Mutants is a trio of sinister & sexy erotic horror / urban fantasy / dark & dangerous sci-fi stories from the creator of THE WORLD OF SYNNIBARR and CRYPT: THE PHARAOH’S CURSE.
THE BRIDES: The Brides of Dracula have always been secretly calling the shots by making Draculii as fall guys. What happens when you create the wrong dark prince?
MERLIN’S KNOT: Upon discovering the secret code interlaced within the Celtic knots, a group of college students learn how to use real magic, and the knowledge propels them into a world of intrigue and adventure.
VELOCITY SYNDROME: An Orwellian take on the near future, where there are groups of low-powered mutants, humans have chips in their brains, and the world is drowning. And the answer to one murder may save the world or lead to total destruction
My Review
The stories in themselves are okay to good: Velocity Syndrome being the better one. While reading I had the feeling that the author was new at the craft of writing. This was evident from his overuse of "purple" prose, so much it distracted me from reading his story, which is a pity. Luckily he improved. In his third short story "Velocity Syndrome" he writes much more fluent and readable. Because of that I could immerse myself better in the third story than the previous two.
The brides was a drag to read. The story is an interesting one. It's a new way (for me at least) describing vampires. However the writing was distracting, and this made reading it less enjoyable. For example in the story the brides talking amongst themselves about the past, one retells the story how they started. A flashback by retelling. It's nice getting some back-story, but it's weird and awkward way of doing it. Why would one of the three people, who have lived and experienced the event, retell this to the other two who lived it along with her? It's made it too obvious it being a flashback, and this can distract readers.
The story picked up when the brides found a new prince. The writing started to flow better at the end. This made it more a pity, that while improving in his writing style, the story suffered a little fall. It felt chunks were left out, and stuff started happening ad hoc. The ending was a little abrupt and left things not so clear. It felt it rushed by leaving me to ask my self; "What happened!"
MERLIN’S KNOT is less flowerly written. The story follows a clearer path than The Brides. It has an interesting take on magic and technology. Too bad the story gets convoluted by having too much going on at once. I'm sure some will like that. To me it has an B action movie feel to it. There are things added to the story that I felt were not there to add to the story(because it didn't make sense), but for the cool factor. However the writer is improving in his craft. Merlin's knot is less a drag to read.
Velocity Syndrome is more coherent and read fluent compared to the first two, it is less distracting written. I enjoyed reading this one. The setting is great and the story draws you in. At the end it has a twist, only too bad it is a tad confusing.
From reading "I Eat Butterflies: Tales of Vampires, Mages & Mutants" I have come to believe Raven c.s. McCracken has an imaginative mind and that he shows he improves with every word written. If he keeps writing I'm sure he'll come to a point he'll be writing great stories. These being his first, they are however not so great, but still worth reading.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
The making of the Trailer
My brother came to me with the idea that I should make a book trailer. Me being me, I dismissed the idea immediately. If I ever were to make a book trailer, I wanted it to be cutting edge, clean, terrific, to the perfection. I didn't think myself adept enough to be able to make such a book trailer.
I have never made a trailer before. Actually the manipulation of video and sound is forlorn to me. I told my brother I would first need to learn how to make one. I assumed it would cost me a great deal of time to learn, and time not being on my side, I put that idea behind the line of things I would one day do.
For some unknown reason, yesterday, my mind got stubborn. The idea etched in my mind, that I would make a book trailer. No matter how messed up it would turn out, I would just do it. To hell with my compulsion to have to be good before doing anything.
Yesterday I thought, planned, and sought information about making trailers. Today I downloaded Windows Live Movie Maker. Installed it. (The usual, click, click, clickedy click.) Ran the program and just started making stuff. On and off in between doing dishes, walking my dog (he ate horse dung), and taking my son to his swimming lessons, I made a book trailer. It took me about four hours. If I didn't have to search for an appropriate music score and one that is copyright free as well, I would have finished much earlier.
The lesson from this experience is, that we ourselves tend to keep us back. It's the uncertainty we feel in our own capabilities, the fear to fail, the fear what people might think of us if we fail, that keeps us back from doing anything. We shouldn't be afraid to do stuff. Just do it, and you'll learn, even if you fail, sometimes especially because you failed.
My stubbornness (and part compulsive behavior ;) ) made me make this:
I have never made a trailer before. Actually the manipulation of video and sound is forlorn to me. I told my brother I would first need to learn how to make one. I assumed it would cost me a great deal of time to learn, and time not being on my side, I put that idea behind the line of things I would one day do.
For some unknown reason, yesterday, my mind got stubborn. The idea etched in my mind, that I would make a book trailer. No matter how messed up it would turn out, I would just do it. To hell with my compulsion to have to be good before doing anything.
Yesterday I thought, planned, and sought information about making trailers. Today I downloaded Windows Live Movie Maker. Installed it. (The usual, click, click, clickedy click.) Ran the program and just started making stuff. On and off in between doing dishes, walking my dog (he ate horse dung), and taking my son to his swimming lessons, I made a book trailer. It took me about four hours. If I didn't have to search for an appropriate music score and one that is copyright free as well, I would have finished much earlier.
The lesson from this experience is, that we ourselves tend to keep us back. It's the uncertainty we feel in our own capabilities, the fear to fail, the fear what people might think of us if we fail, that keeps us back from doing anything. We shouldn't be afraid to do stuff. Just do it, and you'll learn, even if you fail, sometimes especially because you failed.
My stubbornness (and part compulsive behavior ;) ) made me make this:
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