Criss Angel Here's the deal. Today I sent out this rant to my writing group--
This week I've had three new ideas which impact what I've JUST rewritten and part of the damn plot I finished plotting ( Ugh!)-- AND in interviewing Nick for the Sunday Six, just for fun cuz I'm annoyed with my WIP and ready to scream, he told me I have him slightly wrong and suddenly he looks like a tall Criss Angel-- I'll post pics. Fricking A!
Yep, Macy. Roller coaster. ( This was in direct response to an email from M. saying that writing is a roller coaster. We had both had great days followed by all right days followed by nada but distractions for me and a migraine for her. Migraines! What a pain!)
Plus, I have no topic for the blog? Ideas anyone? I don't take very long to write them, I just don't feel like writing about anything. I feel like going to the beach -- a beach much further south than the beaches 'round here-- all day and then dancing all night. A tropical breeze would be fun, too.
Roxy wrote back --Let's all meet at that beach! It sounds great!Aren't those characters annoying? :)
Katrina wrote back-- Maybe you could write about the process of creating a story...those ideas that take forever to appear and those that come in a barrage of thought. It's part of the writing process. I think our minds will forever think of other possibilities. Some we need to hear out and others maybe not so much. It's like the problem of having ideas for other stories when we're chin deep in the current one. It's a challenge for us all to figure out how to filter it, right?
Macy wrote back -- How about the roller coaster?
Samantha wrote back-- Criss Angel! Wow, no wonder you're surprised. The man does have the most spectacular abs -- but I didn't picture Nick in eyeliner! Post those pics, I want to see which ones look like Nick. I agree about the roller coaster, but what really drives me crazy is that mine is going almost all downhill. I figure I'm in the second or third level of the underworld by now.
Jacqueline didn't write back. She is in Texas. Her daughter had surgery and is in recovery right now. She'll be back in Hawai'i tomorrow. We received word that the surgery went well. Prayers and positive thoughts would be much appreciated, I'm sure.
Okay, so based on that feedback, I wrote the rollercoaster blog and I uploaded a pic of a rollercoaster and two of Criss Angel. For those of you who don't know, Nick is my main character's romantic interest. As you may have guessed, I have the hots for Criss Angel despite what my neighbor calls his "dirty hotness." That may explain why Nick suddenly wants to look like him-- ha! Funny how that happens. If I go with his new request, I think that his looks would be an interesting contrast to Carly's since I imagine Carly, my main character, as someone who looks like a cross between Kelly Ripa, Jennifer Anniston and Reese Witherspoon, maybe with a hint of Sienna Miller but not quite so trendy.
Anyway . . . back to the rollercoaster thing. Everybody knows that a rollercoaster is an amusement park ride where passengers sit in a series of cars that are linked together. The cars move along a pair of rails supported by a wood or steel structure. The cars are carried up a steep incline by a linked chain. When the cars reach the top of the incline, they roll free of the chain and are propelled downward by gravity through a series of drops, rises, loops and turns. Ups and downs. According to the online dictionary at answers.com, a rollercoaster can also be an action, event, or experience marked by abrupt, extreme changes in circumstance, quality, or behavior.
How about it? I don't really think I have to write out a map showing you the ways in which this applies to the writing life. Productivity and creativity both ebb and flow. The emotions that accompany those ebbs and flows may rise and fall. The initial learning curve is steep -- and never really ends. For purists, rollercoasters are closed circuits, no? The novel itself ought to be a rollicking ride for both your characters and your readers with ups and downs, good momentum and at least one loop where everything turns upside down for a bit.
When it comes to the writing life, there are good days, bad days, confusing days, annoying days, dry days and exhilarating days. The key is that you keep moving.
If you'd like to try to your hand at designing a roller coaster, you can do so at Amusement Park Physics. I like the instructions: You will decide the following - the height of the first hill, the shape of the first hill, the exit path, the height of the second hill, and the loop. When you're done, your coaster will need to pass an inspection for both safety and fun.
Inspection, huh? Think about that-- agents, editors, publishers, readers. Also, if you think about that initial climb, it's somewhat slow but so filled with anticipation and excitement.
Here's my thought on what's been happening with me-- what if the initial climb isn't high enough? The amount of energy the coaster has to complete its journey around the track depends on the potential energy it has due to its height at the beginning. Moreover, the shape of the first hill will determine whether your coaster will stay on track. I think I was so excited to jump in and get started initially that I made mistakes. I made the initial climb too short. I didn't learn enough about my characters, engage in plotting or any of that. I just took off. I try not to get all bent out of shape about it-- despite occasional rants. When all is said and done, I fully expect to feel exhilarated by the ride and ready to write again.
Cheers and happy writing--
Alyson
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