Writer's Travelogue: Caribbean Edition

I’m back from my cruise on the big wide blue! Sun and live music and islands. What an escape! For all of you stuck in the heart of winter like us here in Wisconsin, I’m happy to report there are still places in the world that are warm and sunny right now!

I believe travel is one of the best sources of inspiration for writers (Hence, the travelogue posts). It gets us out of our comfort zones, shows us new places, cultures and people, and often gives us wonderful real-life stories that can spark fiction on the page, too.

This trip was no exception!

I held a sea turtle...

...and kissed a stingray!

 

Pucker up!

I have a renewed love for the ocean (which played a huge role in my first novel).

Overlooking the back of our ship with the Cayman Islands in the background.

I saw a gorgeous full moon rise over the water as the ship sailed out of port. Breathtaking and definitely worthy of being somehow captured in a scene!

My actual picture of the moon...not my best work, guys,
but hey, it's tricky to take good moon pictures in the middle of a concert!

So here's a sunset shot instead.

And another one to get you in a tropical mood.

The big difference for me on this trip was that, in addition to the amazing scenery and locales, I also drew so much inspiration from the people. It’s always fun (and often heartwarming) to observe, watch people interact and hear their stories. Lots of folks faced weather-related travel woes trying to get to this trip, so the stories of intrepid adventure were plentiful! Several people drove halfway across the country at the last minute, starting in the middle of the night – or merged together a crazy combination of drive-fly-drive to reach Miami.

It sounds a little cliché, but the performers too were great sources of inspiration. I’ve always been a huge fan of live music, and to listen to it on the sea, beneath the sun or stars in the middle of nowhere, was something special indeed. During one of the shows, the band invited a young family on stage whose son was battling cancer and the little guy got to body surf the crowd as his wish! It was fun and hilarious and touching all at once, and that’s what I love about these kinds of moments.

And I had an awesome break-through at the end of the trip about the magic system, characters and plot for the YA steampunk that’s been rolling around in my head!

So next time you need a break from writing - travel, wander, breathe it all in. It’s well worth it!

Writing Withdrawal

I'm off cruising, so I'll have a new "Writer's Travelogue" post for you when I get back! In the meantime, it's confession time:

“Hi, my name is Nicole, and it has been 72 hours since I last wrote.”

Here’s my confession. I get crabby when I don’t write. It’s like my brain gets stopped up with all the ideas, dialogue lines and characters screaming to get out. I juggle a lot of things in life, but I always feel the stress and craziness most when I can’t fit in writing time.

I’ve dubbed it “Writing Withdrawal.”

Even 20 minutes is enough to get that right-brain, left-brain balance back.

How about you? Got a writing withdrawal confession to share? Or a tip to squeeze in more time?

Fantasy Sports Olympics

It’s Olympics season!!!! Those of you who’ve been following the blog for a while know I’m a big fan. I love the games, the competition and the global fandom. During the last Summer games, I hosted the Olympic Blog Relay and had a blast. This year, I’m thinking something a little different is in order. I give you…

The Fantasy Sports Olympics!!!

I’ve chosen 7 characters to compete in 7 fantasy sports, from Quidditch to Sky Jumping. And, yes, I’ve definitely missed some sports (like dragon riding!), so feel free to add ‘em in the comments. Seriously, guys, I really wanted to feature the dragon riding thing, but there are so many varieties and characters, I didn’t want to pick just one.

Each character will play in his or her own sport and will be matched against fellow characters, with a chance to medal in three key categories:

1. Sheer daring
2. Athleticism
3. Teamwork

Cue the Olympic Anthem for the parade of athletes!

 

And, now, the medal ceremonies!

 

SHEER DARING

Harry Dresden wins on this one - riding a T-rex is daring enough, riding a dead skeleton of one brought back to life requires a special kind of crazy. Hope and her friends from Sky Jumpers come in next. Not only do they have the guts to jump off cliffs without harnesses or nets, they do so through a layer of toxic air that can kill them if they forget to hold their breaths! And, the bronze goes to Tris Prior in Divergent for zip-lining off the Sears Tower. I'm not gonna lie...if I could have some guarantee that it wouldn't result in me being flattened like a pancake, this one would be kinda cool!

ATHLETICISM

 

Hunger Games stands at the top here. The tributes are constantly on the run, forced to survive in and adapt to elements that are literally being created for the express purpose of killing them, AND they have to battle each other on top of that. Yeah...I think they're about as athletic as it gets. Harry Potter and crew make their first medal appearance in the games at the silver level. From Quidditch to deep sea shenanigans to facing dragons (Hey, I got it in here, after all. Huzzah!), they have to be pretty darn athletic - physically and wits-wise. The bronze winner is Vin from Mistborn, who does awesome parkour-like routines off the sides of buildings thanks to her ability to "pull and push" with innate metals. Think of it like those nifty stunt wires...only it comes from within her instead!

TEAMWORK

And, finally, we have the Teamwork category, where Harry Potter trumps the lot. Clearly, the Gold Medal candidate here after all that Harry, Hermione, Ron and the rest of the gang go through. Think of Ron's noble sacrifice during Wizard Chess to send Harry safely on to the next obstacle - this crew is all about teamwork! A close second is the cast of The Lightning Thief and other Percy Jackson books. On top of the normal "save-the-world" obstacles, they must overcome millennia of built-in parental feuds that threaten to break up their little group, and they do! Lastly, Hunger Games takes the bronze, because in spite of the whole "we-have-to-kill-each-other" dynamic, there's some decent teamwork going on. The partnerships among tributes of the same District, Rue and Katniss, Peeta and Katniss. And, of course, the coaches and sponsors.

So, there you have it! Did YOUR favorite characters medal? What sports did I forget? How would YOU hand out the medals? Are you planning to watch the Olympics?
 

New Twist on ‘Write What You Know’

We’ve all heard it before: Write what you know. Sometimes we can get so pigeonholed into assuming that applies only to our obvious big picture knowledge—work experience, hobbies, regional culture, etc. Those can certainly help us craft a great story, but they also can come off as pretty serious.

For most genres, we’re hoping to draw on something a little more creative than the vast accounting knowledge of our day job or the fact that we can write characters with an authentic southern drawl (or one that sounds like a nordern ya hey from Wisconsin, der, don’t ya know).

I’d like to suggest we look at it from a micro level. What are the moments, the life experiences, the memories, that you KNOW. Those personal emotions and sensations form an even more powerful version of “Write what you know.” They become the tiny details that make or break a scene, that intangible element of believability that makes readers fall in love with a book.

For example:

• I know that on quiet days in the woods, you really CAN hear a single mouse scurrying amid the underbrush.
• I know what a tall ship looks like under a coating of frost and snow.

Voila! Yes, there really IS a ship hiding behind all those trees and snowbanks.

• I know that your face can literally go numb if you’ve exercised too long without stopping for food. (Oops! Not fun.)
• I know exactly how Christmas Tree Worms dart back inside their coral homes when you wave a hand in front of them.

 

*Video added so you guys can see how cool these are.

• I know what leaking radiator fluid smells like and what happens when your alternator dies in the middle of driving.
• I know how fast and tight a heart races when you’re in the middle of nowhere and it’s midnight and you can hear some kind of animal crossing the stream in the pitch black a few paces away.

Will I ever use these examples fully? Probably not. But they become pieces of the whole. Memorable pieces.

So, what do YOU know?

Poll Cookie Giveaway

Congrats to Michael Pierce! The random number gnomes have deemed you winner of this month's poll cookie. Email me your info, and I'll send off your delicious cookie goodness.

There Ought to be a Rule

© Kutt Niinepuu | Dreamstime Stock Photos

What if we could each submit our own “golden rule of publishing?” What might you change? What would you keep?

Here’s mine.

Thou shalt be allowed to finish stories. In some format. Somewhere.

How many times has your new favorite book or TV series been cancelled right in the middle of all its glory? Arrgghh, so frustrating! One of the series I’m reading was cancelled by its publisher last summer, three books in! It drives me batty because the characters I’ve come to know and love are suddenly stuck in this gigantic awful limbo where I’ll never. ever. find out their backstory or get to see their conclusions. Urrgghh!

The expansion of e-books and self-publishing options is helping this tremendously on the book side—thankfully, the author of that fave series of mine is continuing it on her own.

How about you? What rules would you champion?