What is the Theme?

Anyone who has ever ventured into a Literature class has heard that question several times. Stories are supposed to have themes, though they are often subject to all sorts of interpretations.

When I first started writing, I despised the idea of a "theme". Even more so when I was given a writing assignment with a pre-determined theme. I wanted to write what I wanted and however I wanted. That attitude seems incredibly childish to me now. Out of my list of current short stories, they are all for different anthologies running off a single theme. Instead of seeing this as a barrier as I once did, I now see it as an exciting challenge or test. 

These tests are especially good for my characters. I can see how Esther or Bryan react to specific situations. For example, I am currently writing a short story regarding the theme of failure. So what exactly would happen to cause Esther to fail? And what are the repercussions? Looking over the publisher's specification, I also see they do not want any European Faeries. So Esther fails against a spirit of Asian origins. It isn't too restrictive, but I have certain points that must be established. 

Having this vague outline in the beginning can be a lot more helpful in the long run. While I still enjoy sitting down and just writing whatever comes to my mind, those stories tend to take longer to

finish. They usually need a lot of trimming as well in order to cut out my own ramblings. 

Of course, these anthologies can be a lot harder to actually get published in. Understandably, the publisher wants to make sure all the pieces are cohesive and fit with their own idea of what the theme means. My example of failure might not be what they are looking for. Or maybe it is. Either way, I've written something I'm proud of.    

The Silent Rejection

Everyone knows the scene where the teacher/coach/director walks down the hall. A single sheet of paper is clutched in their hand, which holds the list of acceptances. Crowds watch in silence as it is posted to the wall, and then they flood to it. Beady eyes search out their own name. 

I really hate those lists. It was awful in school, and it's still awful now. A publisher updates their site with the list of accepted stories. I spend twenty minutes double checking that my name isn't there. You just have to accept it and move on to the next project. 

I wish I could add something a bit more eloquent, but I'm just a little put out. Understandable though. However, I'm not going to wallow any longer. I have to keep going forward. The Muse is thankfully providing plenty of new ideas. 

The Past 6 Months

I guess it's a bit stereotypical for people to reflect on the past year when December rolls around. Still, I think it can be beneficial. For my writing, things really went into overdrive in July. While I'm always writing, the discovery of new opportunities in actually getting published gave me the kick to take my craft more seriously. A slew of rejections in the beginning of the year might have discouraged me, but I wasn't going to just give up.

It started with googling the simple phrase: mystery novel submission. I was hoping for a second chance in sending out Our Fathers, and I found it. The novel is complete at a lovely 89,177 words. An estimated 15,000 of those were freshly written between July and September. The novel also went through three drafts during that time. I am immensely proud of this book, and I am incredibly hopeful about the future with Scarlet and Colby. The publisher said they will get back to me early next year, so we just have to be patient.

After finishing off Our Fathers, my time was filled with a slew of short stories. Only one did not take place in my Steampunk Fantasy series. In total, I've written 58,369 words of short stories so far. I might be able to finish another one by the end of December, but we will have to wait and see on that. One will be published, and I'm anticipating more results soon.

When I look at those numbers, I am both so happy with myself for doing it, and encouraged to do even more. I am also incredibly nervous about the future. The first few months of 2015 should be filled with either acceptances or rejections. But instead of fretting and refreshing my email every five minutes, I am going to keep on writing. I need to finish off Resurrected Thief, decide which sequel to start, and pump out more short stories. I also decided I'm going to seek out an agent if Our Fathers is rejected. There is only so much one gal can do!

Staying With A Schedule

For some reason, that's a lot harder than it sounds. It's my own fault, because I change my schedule at least once a month. For example, the second draft of Resurrected Thief was to be finished by December 1st. I haven't even touched it yet. I just keep finding new things to work on!

At least once a day, I check a series of sites for new updates on the current markets. I usually like to have a general idea of my next project, which helps when the writer's block settles in. However, this usually means finding new submissions or anthologies due fairly soon. Right now, I can pump out a short story in about two weeks, so it isn't the end of the world to add in new projects. It just tends to bump back everything without a set deadlines.

That always means the novels. The few publishers that do accept unsolicited manuscripts either do so all year or during a set few months. It allows me to be more flexible, which is great for everything BUT writing the novel. Yet having a half finished draft causes panic when some of the bigger names will randomly announce they are holding openings for a few short weeks.

Last time this happened, I rarely left my laptop. I think I drove my poor mother insane when Harper Voyager made their announcement...

One of these days, I am going to refuse to stray from the schedule. I want to finish this book already and get it out there! Maybe around March...

Who knows where this is going...

After meeting my word goal for the day, I decided to work some more on my expanded world building. Obviously, I have the structure and all the important details already established. Still, it's always good to keep adding in all the details.

I started out on more of the history of two characters that will be introduced in the second book. They are very close to Esther, but I can't say more without spoiling myself. One of them makes an off handed comment about how the Fae once had an organization similar to the Monster Hunters. That one comment has been ringing in my head all day long. This ringing has somehow turning into a new trilogy. 

This whole concept of shared worlds and overlapping stories has always fascinated me. It is a huge part of why I love comics. Obviously there are more people in the universe than your main characters, and I want to explore that. A great modern example I can think of is Gail Carriger. She has two book series set in her steampunk world, and a third one next year. That's pretty much always been my dream. Tapping into short stories helps too. 

I am also a sucker for origin stories. I think it's important to see how people become who they are. I would happily read an entire series of origin tales about every single people in Middle-Earth. Hopefully my readers will want this too. 

So, for those who are counting...There is a 5 book series about the Hawke family, 3 book series about a secret Fae group, and dozens of short stories. Plus, whatever pops into my head while writing all those. 

That still doesn't fit in everything I want to do with the Black and Redd series. I have ideas for so many crimes for them to investigate. I haven't quite decided the length of all of them yet. Though, I have thought about doing one book with alternating chapters of Scarlet and Colby on two different investigations. I've also dabbled with the idea of writing some of their fathers' adventures, or a young adult series about Scarlet and Colby as teens getting into trouble. 

It never ends!

Everyone Wants Something

It's a bit of a cliched saying, but we all know it's true. And this simple fact is something I really want enjoy exploring with my characters. What do they want? What are they and what aren't they willing to do to get it? And of course, what actually happens next?

A friend of mine told me to think that every character is after a glass of water. I think she might have quoted that from someone, but I honestly can't recall. She said to think of the story as a quest for that glass of water. However, I've been struggling to see what is my character's glass of water.

In my current short story, Bryan Hawke has no idea what he wants. I have a general idea, but it's not enough. As a result, he is coming across like a whining child who isn't getting what he wants and yet
doesn't even know what he wants. It's incredibly frustrating for me. We both know that he honestly has no idea if he wants to remain in the "family business". Yet that isn't enough for a good short story. I know he wants to save his friend. I've just been lost on the specifics.

Forgive me for any vagueness. I both don't know all the details, and don't want to spoil the entire story.

I've been pondering on the "quest for water" for a few days now. It's actually been encouraged by playing plenty of video games full of quests for odds and ends. The past three quests I've played in a fantastic game about assassinating people, where your end goal is very clear. You want to either kill someone or save someone. As I painfully learned, it's not the easiest way to charge right to the end goal. Plus, it's not always the best story.

As I spent a good amount of time collecting herbs for a poison, it finally dawned on me. What better way to put an end to his whining than to have the lad charge head first into battle without a clear head? After struggling with what happens next, we're both forced to settle our priorities. I only hope it comes across in the story as well as it seems in my head.

Back to writing!