the whole shebang…

the ins and outs & ups and downs of a new novelist's journey

first workshop/critique group. August 5, 2009

Filed under: fun :), writing exercises — Eden Tyler @ 1:26 pm
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now that i’ve moved back somewhere near civilization, i’ve found what seems to be a great writing group. the way it’s set up makes it more of a workshop than just a reading/writing group so i’m really excited about it. i’ve never been able to participate in something like this before.

the weirdest part isn’t going to be having people read my work—i’ve no problem with throwing myself out there for any and all feedback… the reading aloud part is what i’m concerned about now. it’s not nerves or anything—just the simple fact that i haven’t had to do any reading aloud (other than to my kid!) since college.
guess i have to practice, huh.
it’ll be different, but i bet all will go well. i hope…

now i just have to work on what i’ve submitted to the workshop leader.
i’m really in an editing mood today, so what i’ll have tonight will probably be totally different than what she’s already read, but the hard copy i’ll distribute to the others will be the newest version. i’m hoping to get a lot of feedback—mostly as to what doesn’t work and different suggestions to fix it. but it’s also nice to know one’s strengths as well and use them to fix those trouble spots…

wish me luck! i hope to meet some great people =)

 

140 characters. July 9, 2009

Filed under: fun :), writing exercises — Eden Tyler @ 11:17 am
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So I just spent a couple minutes coming up with a Twitter pitch.
Once my character count became 0, I stopped.
I’ll rewrite it soon—spruce it up a bit.
But this is what I have as of now::

Visionary dreams show Alexis she’s a faery and must join with a Depraved one to defeat true evil. But will she succumb to that evil herself?

Have any of you tried this yet? If not, you should.
I thought that my one-hundred-word pitch was difficult. I had to work quite a while to make it right. But only 140 characters to tell an entire novel….

 

random picture prompt. July 2, 2009

Filed under: fun :), writing exercises — Eden Tyler @ 12:33 pm
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so I entered this on someone else’s blog.
I won’t say what I think of the judge, but…yeah…..

anyway, here are the prompts.
there are three and all had to be incorporated in the story.
rather than just write the obvious (about fraggle rock and a deformed animal), I came up with something different.

I didn’t edit it, but that’s how these things work. so I’ll leave it unedited for this post, as well =)

* * * * * * *
weird-deformed-animals-01

RD_FR_036

217230109RMmfJu_fs

* * *

Little Maggie ambled along as quickly as her awkwardly shaped legs would allow. Her mother held her right hand, trying to keep Maggie close, while Clara, the mangled, orange, pig-tailed doll that had been around Maggie’s entire life, dangled from her left side. Clara was Maggie’s favorite thing in the world, but the little girl’s arm was just too tired at the moment even to hold such a light object, so Clara’s limbs dragged the ground.

As the family—Maggie, her mother, and her father, who walked on the opposite side of her mother—walked down the dirty streets of Mexico, Maggie wished she was at home curled up in her cozy, pink bed with Clara. Sweet Clara, who calmed her and kept her safe during the hard times. The times when the pain was almost unbearable. But, alas, the doctor believed a trip would be good for Maggie’s illness, so here they were, on their way to see Chichén Itzá. Her father’s pick for their first stop. Next, they would visit Costa Rica, a place her mother had always dreamed of going. Maggie wondered why no one asked her where she wanted to go. This trip was, after all, for her, right?

JUNE 26, 2009 3:56 PM (Eden Tyler)

 

oh, another thing… June 29, 2009

Filed under: Help!, excerpts, fun :), if you give a girl a pen..., writing exercises — Eden Tyler @ 2:31 pm
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first five sentences are up — 16 submissions are posted.
stop on by and give your thoughts =)
(as of right now, there’s only one post above the first critique, so they’re easy to find…)
i’m sure all the writers would appreciate it

xx

 

meh. June 23, 2009

Filed under: if you give a girl a pen..., writing exercises — Eden Tyler @ 11:49 am
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that pretty much sums up my day.
so i’m going to post something a little bit ‘bleh’
not that i’m that bad atm, but i’m close :P

it’s from a giveagirl prompt.
first loss/death or separation of some sort.

*************

I’ve felt his presence almost every day since that dreaded one in middle school.

He watches over me, but not too closely. Enough to make sure I’m safe, but he doesn’t hover. I’m allowed my own decisions. My own errors.
But, no matter what happens, I know he’s there for me. He loves me.

I really never knew him. Wasn’t allowed to. Was too young before he got sick, and then once he did, well…. Parents can be overprotective. Leave it at that.

But even worse than being overbearing is not being there at all.
Richard understands this. He feels my pain. I hope he never felt it himself, in his earthly life. If he did, it would explain why he has taken over my father’s place.

He is a kind soul. It’s true I didn’t know him well then, but I’m sure I do now. I know his spirit.
And that’s what matters, right? Souls, spirits, whatever you want to call them. It’s not the body a person is in. That’s not who they truly are.

He was many things to many people, while in his body. A son, a brother, a lover, a friend, an artist. And on and on.

But to me, he’s an angel. Any past mistakes on this earth did not stay with his spirit. They were burned. Destroyed, as they should have been. The remains of both his body and his faults turned to ash and now I have the best part of him.

I’m sure he visits others. His presence comes and goes. I’ve no clue who else he sees, but I do know they are lucky. I sure am.

He has become my lion within. My Lion of Stone.
He’s given me the strength to be gentle to my child, yet ferocious to others when the need arises. I have the will of a lioness—never giving up.
I am gentle, sweet, and loving. I am also a force to be reckoned with. I am a little bit of everything, thanks to him.
I hope to be able to repay the favor to another one day.

By Eden on 06.05.09 11:54 pm |

*************
also, i posted a new page.
pleaseplease check it out.

xx

 

i just added new pages! June 20, 2009

Filed under: excerpts, if you give a girl a pen..., writing exercises — Eden Tyler @ 12:26 am
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it shows them at the top of the page, but that tab really does you no good.
if you feel like reading any excerpts or blog comments/entries/stories/whatever, check out the ‘extra pages’ section on the right.
let me know what you think, if you feel like it—or get around to it.

i’m going to sleep now.
the crazy storm is over and i’m exhausted….
yay! bed. one of my fave things ever is sleeping.
so much fun!! nite, all =)

-e*

btw—i had over 50 page views today (well, technically yesterday—the 19th). thanks to all who read and comment. it’s insanely, greatly appreciated. truly!!! xx

 

my psychic reading. June 15, 2009

Filed under: fun :), writing exercises — Eden Tyler @ 11:04 am
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so, i’m not writing about writing today…
i’m going to spend some time adding pages to the blog
—some deleted scenes and other shortshort stories from writing prompts will be available to read.
also the beginnings of a few other novels.
i’ll be adding this stuff over the next couple of days, whenever i get the chance….

but on to the title topic — tarot cards and palm reading.
yesterday, i went to a psychic for the first time.
’twas interesting.
i’ve not a clue if i believe in this stuff, but apparently i will have a successful business by the end of next year! well, the only thing i’m working on ‘business-wise’ is my book.
does that mean it’ll be published?? idk..

but, whether it’s true or not, it definitely got me motivated to finish it.
my own personal deadline has been to have it polished enough by the end of this year to start querying before and into 2010.

aside from anything to do with Avalon, she actually knew some rather personal things about me that i didn’t offer. things that weren’t vague in the least and wouldn’t work for everyone.
some of the things no one but me knows.
it definitely made me think….
i’m not sure if i’ll ever go back, but it was a fun experience and i’m extremely glad i did it.

something i’ve always wondered about and wanted to do is crossed off of my list.
hmmm… that just gave me an idea. i might just have to make a list of all the things i want to do and experience. sounds rather fun, now that i think about it.

anyway, just wanted to share that you might just possibly be reading the blog of a soon-to-be-published author lol ;)
better make nice now hahaha  j/k

have a great day and check out the new pages as they pop up!!
xx   -e*

 

first Official giveagirlapen.com post!! June 14, 2009

Filed under: fun :), if you give a girl a pen..., writing exercises — Eden Tyler @ 12:51 am
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So, it’s past midnight, and my scheduled post for giveagirlapen.com has appeared!!
I’m rather excited—very cool to see your name as an author on a site you don’t own =)

Now for the hard fun part. I’m off to write the story I requested of other readers/writers. I can’t be remiss in my duties, now can I?? ;)

PleasePleasePlease check it out HERE.

Thanks a lot. Greatly appreciated!!!

p.s. i just realized i wrote regularly (i.e. not all lowercase letters).
odd—must be because i was busy writing ‘for real’

 

firsts on fridays on give a girl June 12, 2009

Filed under: if you give a girl a pen..., writing exercises — Eden Tyler @ 5:37 pm
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it was too perfect to not use..
(oh, no!!  –split infinitive!!!)
so, I have another excerpt from Avalon posted.
really short one. have a look!!

http://giveagirlapen.com/exercise-in-writing/firsts-on-fridays-3

giveagirlablinkie

thanks!! =)

-xx

 

revision of yesterday’s excerpt. June 12, 2009

Filed under: Progress!, excerpts, writing exercises — Eden Tyler @ 1:45 pm
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a new and improved version.
thanks to this blog, i was able to look at it from a different perspective.
just seeing a chunk of my text alone, i could pick it apart easier.
might be a good editing exercise…..i’ll have to keep it in mind.

so, here’s the revised version**

When the fogginess cleared, Alexis looked around and saw the life in everything—even the air. The grass was so bright it was almost electric. It, like the air, seemed to move—no, breathe—on its own. Tree branches swayed, as if waving a hello to her. Every flower, a different color. Their mix of fragrance, intoxicating. Alexis felt the sun radiating on her face.

Looking down, she jumped back in surprise. Her clothes glistened with miniscule dew drops. Upon closer contemplation, Alexis realized the drops were not wet. Curious. She felt a cool sort of glowing coming from her face, and as she went to touch it, she noticed her hands were covered with the same kind of sparkles.  Her skin and her clothes?  Amazing.

She held her arm out, and turned her wrist back and forth to watch the sunlight replicate, strangely enough, the shimmering of stars. It was fascinating, and quite lovely. Nothing like this had ever happened in any of Alexis’ dreams. She supposed that was because they were only dreams. And when she visited the faery realm yesterday, it had been a moonless night.

Alexis felt she was alone, and so decided to wander. When she moved her right leg, she gasped. The softness of the grass tickled her sole. She placed her foot down, and felt the pleasantness of the soft thatch. It was better than she could have ever imagined. Her senses began to overwhelm her, but in a wonderful way. Walking along, she brushed the tips of her fingers along the wildflowers, feeling their emotions with each touch. It was splendid and calming, and it was also—home. Nothing had ever felt so right before.

Ahead, in the distance, Alexis saw someone, or something, approaching her. It moved quickly. Alexis craved interaction with this new world, so she picked up her pace. A sparking light, not unlike the first sight of her mother, met her.

This orb also became a person. Another gorgeous woman, with skin similar to Alexis‘ own. The dress she wore was even more scintillating. It was phenomenal.

The beauty spoke. “Hello, Kellyn. We have been waiting for you here.”


*so, there ya go. i’m sure it’ll change as i canthelpmyself from changing at least one thing when i look over my work.. but hey, it is what it is for now. and i’m happy for the moment =)
that’s what counts, right??

oh, and–here’s the cover i was using on authonomy (the book is private on there for now until i get some more writing done and it’s edited a little more)::
newabandonededgeofavalon

the cover art was done by jasmine beckett-griffith. hence the watermark…
i think it’s beautiful :D