Check out this post on Worldbuilding with a Wiki. I never thought of using a wiki for anything but an informal info source. Boy, I've really got to start thinking outside of my teeny little box.

Stuck for character backstory development? Might I suggest scrolling through the pictures at It's Lovely! I'll Take It! and imagining which ones your character might have lived in/decorated/cringed away from? Talk about a picture being worth a thousand words....

I have hatchlings!

HAPPY CHOCOLATE DAY, EVERYONE!

I've already eaten some, now you GO FORTH and CONSUME GOOD CHOCOLATE!

On a lower note, looks like my eggs aren't gonna make it. I think I looked at them too often from the same computer before I realized it was NOT a good idea to do so. Dragons on my mind these days, so I've got regretful pangs about losing this batch. Live and learn.

I made one small change to the backstory of the storyline I'm supposed to be working on. The result: a story that has felt that it didn't have enough to drive it forward suddenly shows new signs of life as it simmers in my brain. I'm glad I didn't give in to my impulse to just shove it aside and start a new storyline. Not finishing manuscripts is a dangerous habit I've visited before, and I don't want to do it again unless I write something that's just not viable (and that obviously sucks to anyone who reads it).

Now to get some motivaiton going....

Whoever said planning for a wedding is fun LIED THROUGH THEIR TEETH!

Haven't been writing any fiction. I have been writing for my job, and the funny thing is that my writing skills are strong enough in that area for my boss to be confident that I'll send out letters that will get all the necessary and potentially sensitive questions asked to all of the people involved without insulting anyone. So I can still write. Sort of.

Meanwhile, I also bought a book called THE MIND OF YOUR STORY, by Lisa Lenard-Cook. I'm hoping that examining the heart of my story will help me figure out why this one isn't a joy for me to write and why my slow writing has ground to a complete halt.

Now all I have to do is catch up. To remind me of how important catching up and writing is, I've placed some dragons on this page. Whenever anyone finds a reason to visit this blog, the dragons (now eggs that hopefully won't die) will be here. For any one to visit this page, of course, there has to be something worth reading here. And since my own life is not particularly exciting, the something worth reading will most often involve writing. No worries, I am NOT going to use this blog to chart my wedding planning progress. That would only add to the stress.

But I see why people say blogging is good for writers. I try to think about my story often, and I fail miserably to get any farther than regret about not writing. But WRITING about working on my story somehow makes it more possible that I could actually work on the story. Henh.

Succumb to whimsy at some time this month. It'll make you feel good, and everyone else will eventually forget their own shock.

I want to WRITE AGAIN! It's been too long!

But I've forgotten where I wanted my storyline to go....

A lot of writing instruction manuals suggest that to better get to know your character, you should imagine interviewing them. I try this every so often, but I've never really felt comfortable doing it. Here's how my interviews usually go:

Me: All right then, Vey, why don't you tell me a little about yourself?
Vey: (Stares blankly at me from across the table)
Me: Erm... (nervous paper shuffling) Why don't you tell me a little about your childhood? What made you the man you are today?
Vey: (Frowning) You do know you're talking to yourself, right?
Me: Well, ah, technically yes, but this is supposed to be an int-
Vey: I mean, let's be honest. I'm not even from your reality; why would I be sitting at a table with you?
Me: You're missing the point. I'm trying to get to know you better. I'm making the effort to figure out what makes you a unique individual. And no one can hear us, anyway.
Vey: Oh, all right. (Clears throat, then begins to speak in a stiff, artificial manner) I had a very difficult childhood. We were trained to-- Look, I'm sorry, this just isn't working for me. This isn't how I operate.
Me: Well, if you want to get real about, it, you don't normally speak like you're speaking now, either.
Vey: If you're gonna be a smartass, I can take my toys and go home.

When I write, when I think about my characters, I live in their skin. My outer body stills, and my mind turns to what they're seeing and feeling. It's difficult to do--and probably why I'm slow, since you can't do this when you're mind is buzzing with too much real-life responsibility. But writing through the character's skin gives them such life, such vibrance, that for a few moments I can forgive my pokiness and just enjoy the ride.