What I'm Loving Lately: Orphan Black

Several months ago I randomly began receiving regular issues of Entertainment Weekly. I have no idea how I was selected for this as I don't watch television much. Still all my bills are paperless and it's nice to get mail I guess. The magazine proved useful before the Oscars and when wrapping a birthday present for a friend who loves pretty much everything television.

Recently I got this copy:

Orphan Black? Hmm? Clones? What's this?

It's a show about clones, people! Maybe you don't know this but clones and genetic augmentation plots a course that leads right up my nerd alley.

Orphan Black is a Sci-Fi drama. I was all like, "You can stop convincing me. You had me at clones." The show is about a troubled orphan punk named Sarah who sees a woman who looks exactly like her commit suicide at the train station. Unable to resist the pull of the coincidence or the purse left on the platform, Sarah goes to the woman's apartment and delves into the life of her possible twin. However, instead of a long lost family, Sarah discovers a host of clones from all over the world. Oh, and someone has begun killing them off.

The first season is available on Amazon Instant (sorry to Netflix only customers) and the new season starts April 19th. I've been binge watching season 1 and will actually have to upgrade my cable to get BBC America which isn't included in my super basic package. Yes, it's that serious.

I see what you did there Entertainment Weekly.

Well played.

Pictures From My Story (Somewhat Obligatory Post)

Switching up the Wednesday post this week. Rather than give you yet another song, I decided to find some pictures that represent parts of my story. Don't worry I haven't run out of songs. My writing playlist just keeps growing.

Pictures can be so very inspirational. I'd even go so far as to say that they are generally worth much more than a thousand words.

However, finding images for things already formed in my imagination took way longer than I thought it would and I am still not satisfied with most of them.

But this skylight situation is pretty close.

Hot chocolate can fuel writing

...and science.

Warning: Searching for clothes your characters wear will (most likely) send you into a shopping frenzy.

Can't you imagine the smell of this journal? Or is it just me?

Happy Wednesday!

On My Writing Playlist: Pearl Jam

"Alive" by Pearl Jam captures what could end up being the main theme of my current writing endeavor. I can never be sure where the story will take me until I've already arrived and take an investigative look around. However, I am certain the question asked in this song will be at the least one of several major themes.

Whether someone is deserving life or not is prevalent in my story, I am of the mind (and I believe Mr. Vedder is in agreement with me on this) that it's not the answer but the person answering who is more intriguing. Who decides if someone is or isn't worthy to be alive? A jury of peers? A dark figure in a littered alleyway? A doctor holding defibrillator paddles?

Furthermore, what happens when knowledge and circumstance deliver us beyond preserving or ending life but creating it? What responsibilities come with that power?

Like a Spark: Title Epiphany

Music is an important part of my writing process. It seems it becomes more vital with every chapter that I write or edit. At present I am almost done my first round of edits for my current project, a YA Fantasy.

My next project a YA Retelling begs every day to be written. In order to satiate the demands of the feral beast that my shiny new idea has become, I made a playlist based on the book, the characters and how I feel about it all. I was listening to the playlist in the car this morning when it came to me-the title of the YA Retelling, I know what it should be. Elated, I rocked out and drove on.

Historically, I am terrible with picking out titles. I am one of those writers who can't force a story or a character. I prefer for the names and personalities to present themselves. It's so hippie of me, I know. But how can you pick two or three words to represent the 70,000 you wrote? In Young Adult there is even a trend toward one word titles. Not that we should all follow the trends but marketing is something to keep in mind.

I am so pleased with having a title, I had to google it to see if there were any books already published with the same one. So far, I think we are in the clear. I also had another idea in the afterglow of my title epiphany.

I mention how I use music as inspiration and encouragement a lot on here, and starting tomorrow I am going to post videos of songs I listen to while writing. If you like it, it may become a Wednesday tradition.

Overcoming the Paranoia Plague and Other Victories

I love to write in public, usually on the train to and from work. I am more productive because I don't have Internet access, and people are around. I feel the need to work, to be doing something. I can do 400 words each way.

One problem I deal with is paranoia. I fear over-the-shoulder readers. To guard my writing against these evil spies-that may or may not actually exist-I zoom out...a lot. If no one is next to me, I zoom out to 80%. Easy to read for me, but enough to thwart those devious passengers with stretchy necks.

If someone is next to me and they are occupied (reading a book, the Metro or playing angry birds) I zoom out to 70%. I do have to squint, but it's distinguishable text.

And if the person next to me has boarded with no distraction, some part of me assumes their eyes will linger to my open word document. They'll read, they'll judge, they might even ask me about it and that, that is just too frightening. I zoom out to 60%.

No amount of squinting makes this text easy to read. This sounds crazy. It is. If I am writing it's fine. I don't need to read the text. I just write.

Today, I was editing. When a guy sat down next to me, sans book, sans paper, sans Tetris or Solitaire on his phone, I paused. If I zoomed out, I would struggle to see what I am editing. So, I left it. I did glance up periodically, to be sure I was not being watched.

It didn't take long for me to be sucked into the edits and forget all about my paranoia.

Which brings me to my edits.

I am in this glowing place with the editing process.


Welcome to the Glowing Place

They are going really well. There is a lot to perfect but I feel great about the changes. Mostly they are cosmetic, restructuring sentences and things. I haven't altered much plot yet. Nonetheless, I feel great.

Not only did I overcome my silly paranoia, for now I see that is what is was-pure silliness-I also am progressing with my story.

I wanted to blog about this magical feeling. You see, there are dark days ahead. Plot holes I can't see now, but will undoubtedly suck me under to a place no writer speaks of. Hopefully, this post will taunt remind me, I will find the Glowing Place again. If I am patient.

Music & Writing

I love music.

My characters love music.

It makes sense that I listen to music when I write. Right?

Initially, this was to block out background noise on the train, but now it has become part of my routine. I am more productive with music playing. In high school, I did my homework with very loud, angsty, alternative rock blaring. I wonder if that was the same technique in practice. Blocking out other distractions, like the blinders on a horse. Only here the other distractions are usually my own thoughts...which are probably sufficient to spook a horse-I've been reading about zombies. Just saying.




My dog, Cody, loves music too

I know a lot of writer's use music to help them focus. Stephenie Meyer who cannot write without music, posted her playlists, they are probably the most widely known since they used some of the artists in the movie soundtracks. Whatever your feelings about her writing or the films, you can't deny her playlists are pretty fantastic.

My playlists, while writing, change a lot because I need new songs to break up the monotony. Also, if I don't get a lot of good work done, I will sometimes blame the music. This is wrong of me, I know.

At present my writing playlist is made up of 80+ songs. I listen to it on random. I have been favoring songs that put me in a high school state-of-mind and songs my characters would like, most of them by the following artists:

The Gaslight Anthem
Brandi Carlile
Jenny Lewis, Rilo Kiley, Jenny & Johnny
Missy Higgins
Neko Case
Katie Herzig



All None of these belong to me. Taken at Guitar Center.