Writing Sya

Updates
10.31.2003

"Are you going to write about your childhood?"

I told her my story was going to be made-up. However, I don't think my housemate gets it. She was quite perplexed when I said that the quality didn't count--just the quantity.

[ posted by sya on 9:17 PM : (0) comments ]

Just Some Complaining Simply Because I Can

I feel as if my head is about to implode. None of my experiments have been going very well the past two weeks. I have deadlines for various things all within days of each other. The transportation out here really, really sucks. And on top of that, I'm going to write a 50,000 word novel in 30 days starting in less than 6.5 hours.

What I need is a nap.

[ posted by sya on 5:43 PM : (0) comments ]

Articles on Academic Writing

Was It as Bad for You as It Was for Me?

Scientific literacy: Clear as mud

[ posted by sya on 8:23 AM : (0) comments ]

10.29.2003

Interview with Chris Baty. He is my idol. Especially around this time of year.

[ posted by sya on 10:17 PM : (0) comments ]

A couple months back, I was talking to a fellow Nano-er and we speculated about the number of participants in Nanowrimo. Will the number of participants always increase every year? We basically figured that after a certain amount of time, the number of people in Nano would be at "saturation." This means that eventually the number of participants will reach an equilibrium where there is a core group that does Nanowrimo every year and at a certain rate, there is another group that decides not to do Nanowrimo again which is balanced by the group of newbies.

Chris Baty, the founder of Nanowrimo, believes that there will be 25,000 participants this year. Five years ago, it was just him and 21 of his friends. Quite a phenomenon. But also in some ways, I wish I had found out about it at the beginning.

[ posted by sya on 9:12 PM : (0) comments ]

10.27.2003

One of the forum threads is titled "Ever fallen madly in love with one of your own characters?" My answer to that question is no, but I do like my characters or at least sympathize with them. So my question in response to that question is, "Is it recommended for an author to write about a character that they care about to some extent?" If an author absolutely hates his or her protagonist, does it make the work that much more difficult to write?

[ posted by sya on 7:22 PM : (0) comments ]

10.25.2003

It's one week until the writing frenzy begins.

I'm actually feeling a bit nervous about the whole thing. I mean, what if this year my idea doesn't pan out? What if somehow I don't manage my time as well? After writing out a complete outline exactly twenty days ago, I haven't really done any concrete planning.

Oh sure, I've thought about titles and have been inspired by random things to add something to the story, but well, it's nothing definite. Lately I've just come back home from work extremely tired and more than vaguely stressed out. All I want to do is to take a shower and crawl into bed.

I want so desperately to talk to somebody in their flesh and blood about writing a novel in a month but I'm so afraid that they will dismiss me as a stupid girl who doesn't know her priorities. And writing is such an egotistical subject--whenever I do talk about it, I feel as if I'm just blowing up a lot of hot air. It doesn't help that everyone I know around here are older and a hell of a lot more serious.

[ posted by sya on 2:03 PM : (0) comments ]

10.22.2003

NaNoWriMo: Now you too can be a writer! Yep, another elitist person. I noticed that in the bio, the author of this essay is a microbiologist. Well, as a microbiologist myself and participating in this "self-delusional" endeavor, I'd have to disagree that it is diminishing in any way the accomplishments of "real" writers. If anything, NaNoWriMo is more of a support group for writers. Plenty of "real" writers think this is a good idea. There are also a number of published authors participating. Science is also a lot like this--there are plenty of professional scientists who get paid for what they do but they are by no means demeaned by all the kids who work on science projects or people who serendipitously stumble on a discovery. A microbiologist, of all people, should understand that.

[ posted by sya on 9:00 PM : (0) comments ]

Restaurants on the Fringe, and Thriving. How cool is this? I really like the idea of underground restaurants where getting in is invitation only. A small part of the plot has my characters going to a restaurant--if I made it a not quite legal restaurant, it would definitely add to the atmosphere.

[ posted by sya on 7:12 PM : (0) comments ]

10.21.2003

I wish I had this teacher as my freshman English teacher in high school.

This is not to disparage the woman who was my freshman English teacher, but to be honest, I had been extremely intimidated by her. She was the quintessential southern woman with the sharp nails, coiffed hair, and cool eyes. She made everyone read a kazillion books over the summer and memorize forty vocabulary words each week. If she had been my introduction to English, I would have been scared off the language.

She only gave us two opportunities for "free reign"--to do book reports on a biography and a fiction book of our choice. Of course, it had to be approved by her so I felt like I was stuck between a rock and a hard place. I had to pick something relatively serious or she would look down her aquiline nose and say in that thick southern drawl of hers, "Pick something else." I chose an incredibly large tome about Thomas Edison and The Phantom of the Opera (located, predictably enough, on the classics shelf of the bookstore).

Those weren't bad books by a long shot, but only now do I wish that at the time I had the gumption to pick something I wanted to read and then write about.

It was probably because of that rigid structure for English class that I started up a secret writing life that I told nobody about. There was plenty of homework, but I would do it all at school. At home, I would write my own stories on yellow legal pads, loose-leaf notebook paper, and the primitive word processor on my Dad's computer. I think I finished my first fantasy novella sometime that year--it was thirty or forty pages single spaced.

This proved that I could do something myself but then I also realized that it would never be accepted by the establishment that my freshman English teacher represented. And even after her, writing professors had always set restrictions and conditions on what students could or could not write.

It's very human to want to be accepted for one's own work. But in reality, I find myself toiling in a vacuum. If only I had some sort of mentor like the teacher in the link who cared that I could write whatever I wanted. Maybe then I wouldn't have such low morale every time I started a new writing project.

[ posted by sya on 9:48 PM : (0) comments ]

I posted this premise on the Nanowrimo forums (which obviously I've taken to posting again--I'm keeping a wide berth from those few members who think I'm as transparent as glass):

This year I'm trying for something quite Lovecraftian. My main character is an insecure young woman who moves to a city that is not quite normal. During the course of the story, she meets a (possibly mentally unstable) man who believes something other is infiltrating the city.

This "other" thing is actually still somewhat ambiguous at this point. I still have not decided whether I will have the "other" materialize as some sort of monster or a "nameless horror". Or maybe it will be something else altogether.

[ posted by sya on 8:52 PM : (0) comments ]

10.19.2003

Again On Titles

So I've been wasting time by searching for titles on the Nano site. I mean, I'm not searching for a title for my work, but what people have come up with their own work. Fortunately, no one has taken my tentative title yet (which is tangentially related to lobster physiology).

Unfortunately (for other people, that is) there have been inadvertent duplication of titles. Just search for a common word like "dream" and it's all too obvious. I don't think anyone's going to get prosecuted for having the same titles--there are already books in existence that have the same titles, easily provable by searching on Amazon.com--but to me, it'll just be that more difficult for one's work to get exposure because it can be confused with someone else's work.

[ posted by sya on 3:44 PM : (0) comments ]

10.18.2003

You know how people say that being a writer instantly makes you sexier? Or at least more artistic? Random people asking for your autograph or begging for dates. Groupies springing up to worship your work. People generally standing in awe of your genius or insanity or both.

Well, it's not like that. In real life, no one gives a damn. At least to me anyway.

[ posted by sya on 7:18 PM : (0) comments ]

The news articles are just starting to be churned out for NaNoWriMo.

Novel challenge for writers. It's just like the BBC to emphasize that people have gotten published from their Nano efforts. This will only serve to disillusion people with hopes that National Novel Writing Month will jumpstart their writing careers. Sure, I'm a serious writer, but I take Nano as it is--something fun to do during November.

Want to write a novel? Really quickly? This article is more in the spirit of the thing although I wouldn't go so far as to write out every acronym or quote government documents.

[ posted by sya on 9:48 AM : (0) comments ]

10.16.2003

Yikes. October is already more than half over and I'm not even done with world building. To be honest, I'm not sure I'm ever going to be done with world building--I've been putting it off this entire week in favor of making it up as I go along during November.

I'm still going to write the novel on my original idea. As for the new idea, I've been using it as a writing exercise this month. I've also realized that this new idea is set in a similar world to a short story I wrote two or three (or was it four?) years ago, i.e. that story was also somewhat a western/horror. I had submitted it once to Cemetery Dance magazine which was rejected in one week. I don't think they ever read it. I submitted it again to a different magazine but so far I haven't heard back from them. It's been seven months and I have a feeling my manuscript is sitting at the bottom of some editor's slush pile.

Anyways, the point is, I think I can wring out at least one short story from my new idea and submit that before the end of the year. In fact, besides that one, I'll have to write up the literary short story I was planning for the Atlantic Monthly fiction contest (deadline on December 1st!) and revise another short story (this time, a scientific ghost tale) and submit both of those too before the year is out.

[ posted by sya on 8:54 PM : (0) comments ]

10.14.2003

Uh oh. I have another plot idea. Unlike my current idea which is more of a Lovecraftian/urban fantasy/speculative genre, this new idea leans toward a mix of horror and western with a morally ambiguous main character. Right now, I'm thinking about saving the idea for either right after November or for next year.

[ posted by sya on 7:28 PM : (0) comments ]

10.12.2003

I give up. I'm not going to the goddamned Nanowrimo forums anymore. Yes, I'm egotistical, but I've had enough of people ignoring me, trying to correct me, and implying that I'm not a real writer because I appear to be a prude and that I don't open up myself enough.

[ posted by sya on 2:59 PM : (0) comments ]

Grocery List

Like the industrious little squirrels, I've been stocking up for the coming winter. Recently, I've also started stocking up for Nano.

1. Soda: I think I have enough to last me through December, but I'll probably end up getting another case for backup.

2. Coffee: Woefully deficient. Need at least three extra tins.

3. Hot cocoa: The situation is similar to that of soda. Probably get an extra box sometime before November.

4. Tea: Maybe too much. I have enough to last me an entire year or two.

5. Snacks: It doesn't look good. I have enough to last me through October at the moment.

6. Other food: There's enough non-perishable food for the winter. I will have to force myself out of the warm house if I want anything fresh.

[ posted by sya on 1:50 PM : (0) comments ]

10.09.2003

World Building: Religion

A few of my planned scenes will have religious backdrops. What I don't plan, however, is to spend needless exposition explaining the religion. The characters in this world have spent their whole lives with it so it would seem out of place for them to ruminate about their faith's origin when in their world, it's as commonplace as a chair.

I might end up making an "faq" or appendix and posting it alongside the story in case someone is confused. I won't say anything about the details except that I was inspired by religions where gods and goddesses have different facets and the ability of Christianity to convert pagans by adopting some of their superstitions and festivals.

The plot covers a relatively short period of time so I don't have to bother with fleshing out an entire year's worth of festivals, holy days, and other secular holidays. Unfortunately, the characters are going to be present at some religious services/rituals so I will have to figure out how to do those without sounding like a knock-off of an existing religion.

[ posted by sya on 8:45 PM : (0) comments ]

10.07.2003

Oh crap! I completely forgot to include the laboratory scene in the plot. Somehow, I've got to fit it in.

[ posted by sya on 5:43 PM : (0) comments ]

I got my Nanowrimo t-shirt today. But I do not think anyone will notice if I wear it. No one noticed when I wore last year's t-shirt. This does not prove that no one cares about Nano. It only proves that no one cares about what I wear.

[ posted by sya on 7:20 AM : (0) comments ]

10.06.2003

Titles and a Hint of What May Come

I have started compiling a list of possible titles.

Most of the time, I don't do this until I've written the majority of the work. And when I do start thinking of titles, they're all silly, to my ears anyway. At least I know I'm not going to go with one word titles. Unlike other kinds of titles, they sound particularly random--as if the author had just picked a word out from the dictionary.

On the Nanowrimo forums, I also have started to hint more about what I may be writing. Character-driven narrative mixed with a Lovecraftian plot. I think I will concentrate on the female main character. However, I'm not sure what point of view I should use. I think it'll lend an interesting tone if I use first person, but at the moment I'm leaning toward third because first person is extremely difficult to get right--I'd have to avoid trying to sound like me. And this character is nothing like me.

[ posted by sya on 11:36 PM : (0) comments ]

10.05.2003

Semblance of a Plot

This afternoon, I sat down and actually wrote down an entire (but tentative) outline that is seven pages long. I now have a plot. I know exactly what may be happening in the story. I also have names for all the main characters and major places where the story will take place. Names for secondary characters will be made up as I go along. If I end up following the outline closely, I might have to put up a warning/disclaimer for scenes of explicit sex and violence. But it's still relatively early; I might end up toning it down.

I will probably not put up any portion of the outline. I'm a little paranoid at this point that someone might "borrow" my idea before I've had a chance to actually write it out. The list of characters will probably come out with the first chapter.

[ posted by sya on 6:04 PM : (0) comments ]

10.03.2003

More on Spam

Well, my first book publishing spam arrived in the inbox today. My first inclination about such solicitations is pure suspicion. Nanowrimo, despite its good intentions, is a treasure trove for opportunists striving to take advantage of ego-starved writers. Personally I will disregard all such solicitations. If I want something published, I will submit it myself and have accepted on its own merits and not because I pay them a lot of money. It's almost like those Nigerian banking scams. So my suggestion? Trash the e-mails. It's cheaper to xerox off copies of your novel.

[ posted by sya on 11:24 PM : (0) comments ]

What Genre?

What writer wants to pigeon-hole his or her own work? It sounds a lot more interesting if you say that your work has a bit of everything. But publishers and bookstores will probably disagree--they need to classify fiction. That's how they think they will be able to sell books.

If I ever get published, I will leave the classification to the publishers and the editors and the agents and the stores. After all, they have nothing else to do. What we writers should be worried about is what to put in our stories and how to tell it so it sounds fresh. There are only a few story lines in existence--if you come up with a basic plot, it's pretty much assured that someone, somewhere, has thought of it before. It's a variation on the saying that most of us will never have any original ideas. But I think what matters is in what order those thoughts are. There are only ten digits in the decimal system, but particular numbers, for instance pi, go on infinitely non-repeating. So like pi, find a unique order for those ideas.

It's easier to say what my idea is not. I'm not going to try to be literary. "Literature", actually, really isn't a genre but more like a tone and an outlook. No matter how much the reader may identify with this particular writing, there is a certain level of pretention that the author is trying to say something. Me? I'm not trying to say anything at all. If any sort of message comes out, it will only be secondary to the events.

But what would I say my idea is? In 2001, I called my idea a trashy occult mystery. In 2002, I basically wrote in that particular genre again. This year, well, at this point I'm just going with "speculative" which is a term from the pulp magazine industry. Speculative encapsulates anything that might be, could be, will never be. This includes everything from mystery, horror, fantasy, and science-fiction. So in that sense, I'm going to write in the same genre.

I wonder how many people will be speculative for November.

[ posted by sya on 6:59 PM : (0) comments ]

10.02.2003

Insight into an Inspiration Mechanism

It's amazing what can spur ideas to form. Recently, I've been reading some research papers about quorum sensing in bacteria for a molecular pathogenesis course to refresh my memory on the autoinducer systems. Research papers are a bit dry to say the least, probably because the majority of scientists don't take very much interest in writing (but there are some amusing papers--I remember one I read several years ago about a signaling system involved in development where copious Star Wars metaphors abounded--how that paper got past the reviewers is beyond me). Anyway, these quorum sensing mechanisms are basically phosphorelay systems where phosphates are shuttled from protein to protein in the bacterial cell until it hits the target gene repressor and makes it fall off the DNA. The freed genetic material is then transcribed which can in turn do several things--such as making bacteria form colonies and biofilms.

Well, wouldn't it be nice to have a nice metaphor for this? So I began to think of a tiny mongoose jumping from rock to rock in a river to reach the other side. And then, I naturally thought, why don't I put a mongoose into the novel?

Now all I have to do is to think of a way to incorporate it into the story without sounding too foolish.

[ posted by sya on 7:30 PM : (0) comments ]

10.01.2003

A Ghost of a Plot and Other Things

I don't have much of a plot. I'd rather say I have no plot except for the fact that there is evidence of a beginning of an outline in my writing notebook. I only hope that once I start writing, there will be Lovecraftian overtones. Yeah, I said that the previous two years too but they turned out to be something quite different.

This year, I'm going to try to avoid setting any scenes in a college or a library--both places that I spend an inordinate amount of time in--since descriptions of those are easy and a cop-out. However, I'm not ruling out laboratories even though I spend even more time in a lab than a lecture hall or the stacks. I will also try not to use moldering old mansions which happen to be fantastic settings for conventional mysteries and horror stories but also rather cliche. The old mansion trick will be reserved for emergencies--just as other writers use the ol' ninja trick to jumpstart their writing.

Like the previous two years, I will have two main characters, one female, one male. The female character will be lot more emotionally fragile--but at this point, she also looks a lot more interesting psychologically. The male character is not going to be as macho as the previous main male characters. He's going to be a bit mentally unstable--to what degree, I haven't decided yet.

I'm also in the midst of world building. The most pressing question is: should I have magic in this world? Or should it be something occult? Both? Neither? Should I use animal companions/familiars/sidekicks? So far, I've only concentrated on world building, literally, from the foundation up. That is, everything is going to take place in one city. I might post the city plan if I ever find the time to redraw it.

[ posted by sya on 8:33 PM : (0) comments ]

A Writer's Egoism

So this is my third year going into this. I am both excited and slightly bitter.

Bitter?!

Yes, bitter. I'm not going to have any friends to cheer me on. It's that whole academia/fun/you-know-what-you-should-really-be-doing kind of conundrum. The people who know that I write think I'm insane. Scientists don't write. They're supposed to be chained to the lab bench. (However, if my hobby had been mountain biking, everyone would be totally excited. Around here, mountain biking is sexy. Writing isn't.)

I can't coerce other people to do this. I'm at one of those, you know, major universities, and it's sort of foolhardy to divert someone from their studies for something that is both fun and hard only to see them crash and burn. I don't want to be responsible for that. And there's also the air of pretentious snobbishness that completely intimidates me. Maybe that makes me a coward. But at least I'm a safe coward.

This year's Nano novel is also going to be placed online as I write it. It's more to keep myself on track. No one paid attention to the novels the previous year. Hardly anyone commented on them out of their own volition. Almost no one actually read my work. I posted copiously on the forums the previous years, but did anyone care? No. I don't expect anyone this year to follow my progress either.

I have to admit, I feel really jealous when another Nano novelist posts something about participating in Nanowrimo and then gets a whole flurry of comments by people who are dying to read their work. Where's my recognition? When someone asks me what I did during November and I reply, "I wrote a 50,000 word novel." And they respond with, "That's impressive!" I'm not mollified. I don't feel like a writer who has done her job. I feel like a four-year-old who has been studiously ignored while I try to show off my fingerpainting.

So I'm going to slog through it yet again. Alone.