Awesomeness, Awards and Awareness

Elana has one of the most uplifting blogs I've ever had the privilege of reading. She doesn't just say we're all awesome, she really believes it and so do I, which is why I am passing along this logo to you. I wasn't going to at first because anyone who stops by here has surely stop by there, but you know what? It's so important to know that people really do care and are cheering you on so this shiny logo goes out to you from me as well. You are awesome!



Another person who makes me feel so great about myself is Angie over at Notes from the Writing Chair.. She was kind enough to give me a heartfelt award and since beginning my writing journey, I could list so many people who have helped me along the way and who I feel deserve this in turn. Elana and Angie are definitely on this list. Here's some others:

Mercedes at A Broken Laptop
Danyelle at Myth-takes.
Christine at The Musings of Christine Fonseca
Kate at The Lovers, the Dreamers and Me.
Suzette at Shooting Stars.
Lady Glamis at The Innocent Flower.
Mary Lindsey at Mary Lindsey's Webblog
Also, H. L. Dyer's Weblog

Thank you for taking the time to write such thoughtful blogs and share your knowledge with those of us who need all the help we can get! :D

On a final note, awareness is a funny thing. Some people like to remain ignorant, stagnant. They choose to watch life pass them by and call their lack of awareness a bliss. They believe they are happier uninformed. I am not one of those people. As I've begun my critiquing journey, I have learned to recognize so much that I hadn't noticed before. The thing about teaching is that the one doing it often learns more than the students. This is the case for me. I can't wait to attack my novel with this wealth of information I've gleaned from reading and critiquing. It just might become a love of mine. Okay, maybe that's stretching, but I am liking it.

WiP Wednesday

It's done!! It's so done! My novel is finished! Well, we all know how relative that is... So to be clear, the first draft is done and now I can move onto revisions! Honestly, what else needs to be said? This post is just going to be a chaos of confetti, streamers and caramel because no one should have to celebrate without caramel! Yes, you heard right. Caramel over chocolate hands down.

Honestly, I think I'm all out of words. I just wrote almost 4,000 in the last two hours to bring my fantasy novel to a close and my hands ache *whine* *complain* *grumble* *grumble* This is a party and no muttering is allowed so I'm done. :D

Next step, find an on-line critique group. I'm a little terrified of this step. Not that I'm afraid of the crits. I'm kind of looking forward to that part. Sick, I know... What scares me is finding a group of people that will be honest in non-brutal fashion and constructive without being cruel. I'm a little nervous about finding a group that I'll click with. I can get along with just about anyone, but I'm trusting this new group of people with pieces of me and I'd prefer that we really hit it off as opposed to just being distant acquaintances. I was hoping I'd be able to find a group I could meet with in person, but no such luck there.

Anyway, that's where I'm at. Also, I am going to be participating in NaNoWriMo this year and I'm so excited! I've got the idea and I've got a husband willing to take on more than his fair share of the load for a month. He's a saint! If you're doing it too, buddy me, nisa79, and let me know so I can keep up with you as well. :)

The Name Game

Half the fun of writing, if not all for me, is creating characters. I love that rush that comes when a character becomes more than just a mess of hair color, eyes and body structure. Giving them depth is like creating a symphony. Each has a unique timbre, tone, melody and harmony (Forgive the musical terms, but that's how I view the world) that mystifies, demands, lures, uplifts, conjures, elates and so on. Naming a character is like the cadence (the chords at the ends of musical phrases). Do you want it to sound finished, deep, thoughtful, whimsical? As different chord structures can evoke varying emotions, so too can names.

Hypothetically now. You're walking through the fantasy section of the bookstore and the cover of one of the books jumps out at you. You pick it up and start scanning and then immediately put it back on the shelf. Why? Because you can't pronounce the names of the characters. Oh I get the whole idea that an author wants to create a unique language for his unique world, but let's be realistic. If you have to stumble over every name written throughout the book, most people won't take the time to read it. Since I mainly write fantasy novels (I know... All 'almost, not quite two' of them. Haha), I'm going to give away my number one tip for creating names. Ready for my secret? It's earth-shatteringly simple. Take your favorite popular name and just change one letter or syllable. Really, that's it. I know. Brilliant right? So brilliant that I'm sure there's been a million other posts written on this. I just haven't seen one yet. Anyway, before you start thinking I'm an egomaniac (I swear I'm not!), let me give an example. Let's talk about Labyrinth. Remember that great movie starring David Bowie? (Who could forget!) His character's name was Jareth. Jared, Jareth. Simple as that. Now I'm not saying that's how they came up with the name. It was just a handy example.

Another simple tip when writing is to pick up a character naming book (or look online where it's free) and browse meanings and origins for what best fits your story, but remember to stick with names that aren't convoluted or ten syllables long... My two cents on fantasy names. May your musical masterpieces all have brilliant cadences. And on that cheesy note (no pun intended), I'll get back to writing my own.