Blast from the past.

Here's a  post from December 2009. Yeah, I've been here a while now!

***

Gilgamesh and Enkidu

The most powerful myths are about extremity. They force us to go beyond our experience. There are moments when we all, in one way or another, have to go to place we have never seen, and do what we have never done before. (p. 3)

Bernini's Apollo and Daphne

[Myth] enables us to place our lives in a larger setting that reveals an underlying pattern and gives us a sense that against all the depressive and chaotic evidence to the contrary, life had meaning and value.

A Short History of Myth by Karen Armstrong.

Blast from the Past.

Note: I am currently at the Romance Writers of America National Conference. While I'm gone, I'm reposting some of my older blog entries. This one is about how writers figure out their characters.




Every writer finds ways to make her characters three-dimensional and interesting. We fill out character sheets, brainstorm via longhand in cheap (or expensive, depending on your personality) notebooks, post pictures of what we think they look like - the list goes on and on.

Archetypes or stock characters are fantastic starting places. Often people get quite upset about these ideas, claiming that using them leads to one-dimensional characters or stereotyping. In the hands of a writer who isn't paying attention, yes. That can happen. I really like the way Christopher Vogler puts it in The Writer's Journey:

Looking at the archetypes....as flexible character functions rather than rigid character types, can liberate your storytelling. It explains how a character in a story can manifest the qualities of more than one archetype.

Every good story reflects the total human story, the universal human condition of being born into the world, growing, learning, struggling to become an individual, and dying. Stories can be read as metaphors for the general human situation, with characters who embody universal...qualities, comprehensible to the group as well as the individual. (pgs. 30-33)

Here are just a few archetype systems that writers I know use.

Joseph Campbell

Joseph Campbell's breakdowns which includes categories such as Hero, Mentor, Threshold Guardian, Herald, Shapeshifter, Shadow, and Trickster.

Visconti-Sforza Tarot.

The Tarot- Which has the advantage of very pretty art in addition to helping figure out character traits.

Astrological signs (a perennial favorite)


Gods and Goddesses of various pantheons (I have a weakness for the Greeks, but I've found inspiration in other religions, too)






I'll be getting into these ideas into great depth in later posts. Let me know if you want me to go into the whole Jung/Joseph Campbell origins of modern thought on archetypes. It's fascinating and I love it, but I can be long winded about it.

Blast from the Past.

Once more into the past - this post is from June 14, 2010.

Jennifer Crusie rocks my socks. 

 

For those who aren't familiar with the romance genre, a little back story.

Here's part of what Wikipedia says about Ms. Crusie:

Crusie was graduated from Wapakoneta High School, and then earned a bachelor's degree in Art Education from Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio.^[1] She has two Master's degrees. For her first, from Wright State University in Professional Writing and Women's Literature,^[1] Crusie wrote a thesis on the role of women in mystery fiction.^[2] Her second master's degree is an MFA in Fiction from Ohio State University.^[1] She has also completed work towards a Ph.D. in feminist criticism and nineteenth century British and American literature at Ohio State University.

So we know we're dealing with a driven, intelligent woman who loves romance and who can discourse intelligently on the themes and motifs of romance fiction. On her website, Ms. Crusie discusses her writing process and analysis of genre fiction.


I have to recommend the below essay, if only cheer about someone mentioning V. Propp's and Claud Levi-Strauss' theories on literature and myth.

This Is Not Your Mother's Cinderella: The Romance Novel as Feminist Fairy Tale.

Best of...

I'm celebrating four years here at LindaMercury.com! And as part of the good times, I'm re-posting some of my earlier posts.

Today's post is, "Hands On Research" from April 15, 2009.

***

By training and preference, I love research through the writer's traditional resources - print, photographs, online ready-reference.

This week, though, I got down and dirty with first hand experience. There are some things a girl just can not learn through other people's words.

Like how to shoot a firearm.

My good friend, a former Marine, graciously took me to a pistol range on Monday. There he patiently explained the handling of the four different pistols I ended up renting and shooting.

I learned what single action and double action meant, what the hammer did, how to hold the weapon, how to aim it, and finally, how to shoot it.

First came a revolver, the .38 Special. Next came two 9mm, a Sig and a Glock. Lastly, .45 Smith and Wesson.

The .38

The 9mm Sig

Whenever I learn something new, the oddest things stick out at me. I didn't expect to be tossed around as much as I was. I'm not small, nor am I weak. But my thumbs and wrist still feel like they've been gnawed on!

The 9mm Glock

Second, I was struck by the difference between the slow, accurate firing of the revolver and the faster, "throw a lot of bullets at it" feeling of the semi-automatics.

This one felt like it ripped my arms off.

Handling something that has the sole purpose of killing something is an interesting mixture of fear and power. It's not unlike getting behind the wheel of a car, but with a less ambiguous reasoning. After all, a car is also transportation.

Will I ever own one? Unlikely.

Will I fire them again? Most likely.

Will I try other firearms, such as rifles? Again, most likely.

This is information I need to make my writing vigorous, strong, and real. Lots of times, writers put in characters who are not affected by their ability to kill, who almost seem to seek it out.

I've already learned this is not truthful. Those who understand the kind of power and responsibility that come with holding life and death in their hands are more likely to never want to use it.

The Best of....

Guess What! This blog is FOUR YEARS OLD! It's hard to believe, but I've been attempting to make sense on the Internet for that long. To celebrate, I'm going to run a few of my 'Greatest Hits'.

Sit back, grab a beverage and enjoy our thrilling ride through yesterday.

From February 10, 2009, The Care and Feeding of an Author.

It's a sad fact that I have to learn a lesson many times before I truly get it (I guess that makes me normal, huh?!). And today, the lesson I learned again is what makes me the most productive.

Being relaxed, well-rested, pain-free, and generally patient with myself means I have a day that rocks hard. I'll compose and edit with great ease and pleasure. Writing is a joy to me and makes me feel amazing.

The minute I tense up and start nagging myself at how much I need to get done and how lazy I am and how much I suck....

Well, let's just say I'm better off going back to bed and calling it a done day.

So to this end, I do a wide number of things to put myself in the best possible place.

I work out five days a week (don't get too excited about this, somehow I'm still a super curvy girl). I give myself permission to take naps.

The hardest thing, though, is to remember that writing is not just Butt in Chair, Fingers on Keyboard. Everything feeds that fire - reading, watching movies, doing research, even taking a long, hot, scented bath - fuels the writer.

Nagging? Not such a good motivator.

Pleasure? The best motivator ever.

What are your pleasures? What motivates you?

****

Dracula's Secret, Blood Wings #1
Dracula's Desires, Blood Wings #2
Dracula Unleashed, Blood Wings #3, to be released March 21, 2013

Countdown to Dracula Unleashed, #2: Teaser

Dracula Unleashed gets released on March 21st. To celebrate, I am doing a special blog series, full of giveaways, teasers, and other surprises.

Today I give you...The first page of Dracula Unleashed.

June 30th

“Lucifer’s left testicle!”

A delicate snifter of the finest Juarez brandy shattered against the brand-new flat-screen television. Radu Tepes, brother of Dracula, Master of Istanbul, raged out of his green leather wing-backed chair to confront the news.

Umar Mernissi, were-hawk and now director of the Consortium for Concerned Citizens, the civil rights organization Radu had founded, looked directly into the camera, seemingly making eye contact with Radu. “In addition, Mr. Tepes, my former boss, conspired to commit murder. In his personal effects, I found an order to kill Lance Soliel, the still-missing director of the Tualatin Mountain Homeless Shelter.”

“Lies. Those are all lies.” The angry vampire gripped the edges of the TV and yelled to the man who would not stop trashing his reputation. Shards of the ruined glass and alcohol broke the bluish light into rainbows over their nattering faces.

“Fuck you, you tweeting birdie.” Radu flipped both his middle fingers at the were-hawk’s talking head. “You damn well did not find any written orders for a hit.” He jabbed his index finger at Umar’s face, dimpling the soft LCD surface. “That command was entirely verbal. I never leave a paper trail.”

Suck on that, feather-brain.

2013 Resolutions: Maggie Jamieson and Being the Best ME possible

Resolve 2013: Be the BEST Me Possible

Maggie Jaimeson

HEALING NOTES

Go and make interesting mistakes, make amazing mistakes, make glorious and fantastic mistakes. Break rules. Leave the world more interesting for your being here. Make. Good. Art.
– Neil Gaiman  addressing  The Philadelphia University of the Arts Class of 2012

Leading a creative life is not for the faint of heart.  It is highly likely that many people you care about will at one time or another do a “tsk, tsk.”  If you dare complain about the challenges of creating, the lack of money, the difficult choices you have to make, most people will not understand or empathize. Some will actually be I-told-you-so friends or will distance themselves because they just don't get it. Leading a creative life during the Renaissance was prized, but during 21st Century America not so much. Today, for many, the belief is you’re an adult and you should know better than to make such a (feel in the blank with a word akin to “stupid”) choice for a career. However, for a true creative person it is the only choice that brings fulfillment. So, how do you make it work? How do you keep going in spite of the naysayers and the challenges?  Here are a few rules of the road that work for me.

1. Embrace Failure. You will fail at some point, and probably at multiple points. It is inevitable. I had 39 rejections before getting my first book contract. Other writers were successful with several books and then couldn't sell anything for years. It's the nature of being a working writer. If you paint, draw, dance, act, it is the same. Creative people fail, but they also succeed. Embrace your fear of failure and get on with it, because you will eventually succeed. Let's face it, you ARE a creative and that means you must create.
2. Embrace Success. Because most creative people fail a lot before they get to the point where they are selling regularly, once success happens it is natural to think it’s a fluke. Watch out for this kind of self-talk: “If all those readers, buyers, publishers, editors, really knew that this book is no better than the other nine I couldn’t sell, they would run screaming.  Gosh I hope they never figure it out.”  Make peace with the impostor syndrome that comes with success. You will be visiting success a lot. Enjoy the time you have there and accept it as an affirmation of all your hard work.
3. Don’t compare your success to someone else. Each creative person has a different path. You have no idea what that other person did to get there and, even if you did know, chances are your choices would be different. 
4. Celebrate each small victory. Don’t get swept up into the next thing before being fully present with the joys of this one.  In the beginning I celebrated rejections because it meant I had the guts to send out my work. Then I celebrated edits because at least I had an editor. Then I celebrated publishing. I even celebrate bad reviews because I know the person read the book and cared enough that he or she was angry when I didn't meet expectations.  OMG! A person READ my book. That is a reason for celebration. Celebration is key, don't let an opportunity for celebration escape you.
5. Make up your own rules. This is an era in which the creative landscape is in constant flux. The rules are being broken down, the gatekeepers are being replaced and displaced. There are no hard and fast rules. Do works for you.
6. You are unique and only you can tell your story.  You don’t need to copy others, just be the best you possible. Make your art, tell your story, find your voice.

Now, go forth and conquer! 

Contact Maggie: Website | GoodReads | Facebook | Twitter | Blog

Maggie Jaimeson - Take a Vacation

Jessa Slade - Get Organized

Paty Jager - Volunteerism

Linda Mercury - Creating a Literary (or Creative) Life

Jenna Bayley-Burke - Eat Healthier

Cassiel Knight - No More Procrastination

Cathryn Cade - Take Time for those OTHER Creative Passions

Su Lute - Reduce Stress: Find and Follow Your Bliss

Jamie Brazil - Shrink My Closet

2013 Resolutions: Jessa Slade and the Literary Life

 Resolve 2013: Chaos and Creation

Jessa Slade

The Darkest Night (A Marked Souls Christmas novella) 

Whenever I have friends and family visit me in Portland Oregon, I frequently haul them up to Mount St. Helens in Washington to admire the devastation a volcano leaves behind. The visitor center shows a short film called “Chaos and Creation.” The narrator says “chaos and creation” repeatedly (with very dramatic intonation) and inevitably, for every group I escort up there, the phrase becomes the running joke of the day.

I think living a creative life is having a small thing -- a dream -- writ large. Basically you are making a mole hill into a mountain, and that means fomenting a certain amount of chaos in what other people might consider a “normal” life. To pursue a creative dream, sometimes you have to destroy the peace and quiet and sacrifice chunks of everyday life.

I’ve accepted some chaos and sacrifice to make room for my creative life:

1. Drastically reduced TV: I’m a storyteller at heart, so of course I love television. But committing to my own stories means sacrificing someone else’s. I still have a couple favorite shows, but most often I have to flip through a copy of Entertainment Weekly at the grocery store to keep up with popular culture.

2. Less-than-perfect housekeeping: Okay, admitted this isn’t much of a sacrifice, but it can definitely lead to chaos. In the end, though, I’d rather have my words written than my socks folded and put away in the drawer. I’m just going to wear them again anyway!

3. Tight finances: This is an ugly reality for most creative folk who don’t have a reliable source of income (trust fund, understanding spouse, blackmail scheme). Making a creative life takes an investment of time and resources that can wreak chaos on AND demand sacrifice from your checkbook. But who needs fancy shoes when you’re at your computer in fuzzy socks anyway?

Are you willing to let in a little chaos for your creation? Please share in comments.

Goodreads, My website, My newsletter, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest
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Continue the blog party!

Maggie Jaimeson - Take a Vacation

Jessa Slade - Get Organized

Paty Jager - Volunteerism

Linda Mercury - Creating a Literary (or Creative) Life

Jenna Bayley-Burke - Eat Healthier

Cassiel Knight - No More Procrastination

Cathryn Cade - Take Time for those OTHER Creative Passions

Su Lute - Reduce Stress: Find and Follow Your Bliss

Jamie Brazil - Shrink My Closet

2013 Resolutions: Paty Jager and the Literary Life.

Following Your Dream by

Paty Jager

I’m not sure when the true bug to be published bit me, but once it did, I took writing classes, tried to joining a local writing group(they ended up being all poets and not helping my fiction writing), and eventually connected with Romance Writers of America. 

The hardest part about being a writer is first believing in yourself and your craft. Anyone, be they a writer, an artist, a musician, not only have to learn how to do the art form they love, they have to be able to convey feelings, and paint pictures with words and music that others can resonate with. 

Once the craft is learned, and you believe in your work, you have to put that work out there for others to purchase and enjoy. You also need to surround yourself with people who encourage your writing, people who hold you accountable for the best work you can do, and people who believe in you. 

Never let the naysayers or jealousy pull you down. If you are surrounded by the right people, your creativity will soar and you will be able to follow your dream of creating a literary or creative life. 

 Secrets of a Mayan Moon

Places you can connect with Paty:

Website               Blog        Goodreads         Facebook        Twitter         Pinterest          

Maggie Jaimeson - Take a Vacation

Jessa Slade - Get Organized

Paty Jager - Volunteerism

Linda Mercury - Creating a Literary (or Creative) Life

Jenna Bayley-Burke - Eat Healthier

Cassiel Knight - No More Procrastination

Cathryn Cade - Take Time for those OTHER Creative Passions

Su Lute - Reduce Stress: Find and Follow Your Bliss

Jamie Brazil - Shrink My Closet