So, I was clicking around romance websites and reading parodies, and I stumbled on Jennifer Cruisie's blog via AmyLiz's website, and she does collages as a writer's tool. Hmm. I don't think I could be that organized, but since I was having a massive "Oh, my god, everything I've written on this book so far is UTTER INTESTINE-TWISTING CRAP and I should stop and die now!" night, I was wondering what do other people use as writing tools (besides drabbles) to get into their characters, or otherwise tighten up plot and arc and all those things?

Cause me? Haven't done anything like that. And I'm thinking it could be beneficial.

I made a collage for the last book, as a lark. It was very fun in a grammar-school way to cut pictures out of magazines, blah blah -- but when I was done with it I forgot to ever look at it. So there's that.

I let characters brew for as long as possible, and I do make notes about their physical appearance, so I don't forget them (I even go so far as to note bra size, clothing size, so I can get a really good picture). I mostly like to figure out the big things -- what scares this person most? What's the one thing this person would never do? What's the one they've always wanted to do? Can I give him/her a one-word identifier, like "caretaker" or "risktasker"?

Also? It may sound weird, but I usually identify every character with an animal. I don't say so straight out, but if I feel that Character X reminds me of an owl, I have to figure out why. It also helps keep characterization and description consistent.

Erin, my mom, who writes plays and short fiction, has done very specific drabbles for her characters: when a character feels vague or lost, she'll:

• Re-read what she's already written, skimming for something character-specific that leaps out at her -- just a phrase, a thought, a look will do; then

• With that in mind, do an Imaginary Look At Me drabble (very very loose, sometimes a paragraph and sometimes just little scribbly notes), describing an imaginary snapshot of that character in some significant life moment. Doesn't have to be anything that occurs within the story timeline, and for my mom it sometimes helps if it isn't. Anything significant: first day of school, prom picture, posing with mom at a bridal shower, sitting on a steamer trunk about to sail off on honeymoon, posing with his CO in uniform for the folks back home. Then she jots down notes on the character's clothes, the look on her/his face, who was holding the camera and how the character felt about the photographer and the moment and the other people in the picture, how the rest of the day turned out.

Sometimes she'll get stuck and have to do a second drabble, but usually just the one will pull the character back into focus, and often she'll get a flash of insight she wasn't expecting.

Oh, these are excellent ideas!

I just spent an hour changing my writing environment. I had moved my computer to the bedroom for the summer cause, AC...but I got another window unit for the kitchen, so the sun room should stay much cooler.

Sitting on my bed and writing was great for a while, but it's hell on my back, and I don't like hearing beeping and pinging in my sleep if I leave the comp on. Although, I did like the ability to just drop whatever I was reading and lunge at the keyboard if a sudden urge to write grabbed me. I'm trying to pay attention to those urges and obey them more.

I think I will leave the MSS alone today, and work on drabbles and interviews and research, and just try to concentrate on who my characters are and what the situation is that's surrounding them, rather than driving them through the pages just to get a certain number or words per day.

Damn, this is hard. But it's fun!

What should I say in my bio statement? Just thinking of it makes me feel boring. I know my email's one bit, though it's been years since anyone's actually done that.

Where you live, where you went to school, anything else published. Also, depending on the place the bio is for, you could add some of your interests--I might put politics and The three Daves (explain who they are and what they do).

OK, something like:
Erika is a liberal wheelchair user who is hoping the previous story can be used for party chat when she is a famous novelist or to pass the time when she is washing writers' coffee cups at HBO. She is addicted to feedback and can be reached at(my e-mail)

Monday means new drabble topic!

Challenge #112 (poetry) is now closed.

Challenge #113 is hunger.

Erika is a liberal wheelchair user who is hoping the previous story can be used for party chat when she is a famous novelist or to pass the time when she is washing writers' coffee cups at HBO. She is addicted to feedback and can be reached at(my e-mail)

I love that! Perfect.

I read that as if it meant you used your wheelchair liberally, but that cracked me up, so I say keep it. I think it reads great!