Life Gets in the Way (Weekly Update)

I had a couple of people mention that they liked my first procrastinator's diary entry, so I thought I'd do one for this week too.  Ideally, this would be a non-issue and I'd instead be sharing how much I accomplished on my novel, but I'm me, and procrastination should be my middle name, so here are this weeks "life" moments. 

1.  Dog sitting is not conducive to writing--especially when the dog has to go outside to do her business every five minutes, must stay on a leash as there is no fence, and when her business is usually just an excuse to go out and spy on the neighbors.

2.  Auto-Buy authors with new releases:
     a.  Nora Roberts' (a.k.a. J.D. Robb) newest book, Fantasy in Death, came out on Tuesday and I had a coupon.
     b.  Rachel Vincent's newest Shifter book--appropriately titled "Shift" in now on shelves.
     c.  Lynsay Sands' "The Hellion and the Highlander" came out on Tuesday.

3.  American Idol was on THREE NIGHTS this week. And since I'm temporarily without a t.v., I have to go to my mom's house to watch it with her.

4.  I had SIX conference calls and meetings this week (over 10 hours worth), making me behind in my duties, requiring me to work more and "play" less while I was in front of a computer.

Star Struck

So, I'm feeling a little star-struck.  I wrote a book review of Rachel Vincent's Shift--the fifth in her Shifter series--for the website Paranormal-Romance Junkies (click here to read it), and the author, Rachel Vincent herself, commented on it.  I totally feel like I've just had a conversation with a celebrity.

And she also posted the link to the Paranormal-Romance Junkies web site on her blog too!  Hopefully drawing even more attention to that site. 

Of course, I've looked over the review I wrote a couple of times and have caught about 10 things I wish I could fix now...poor wording choices, choppy sentence structure, things like that.  Oh well.

Is There Such Thing as Horror-Lite?

I've been working on a short story for a contest.  The guidelines were pretty simple: it had to be 2,000-5,000 words, deal with werewolves, and it could be in any genre, but must have elements of horror.

I immediately got a great idea for the characters and the scenario. Excellent.  Then, as I started writing, I realized that I had all the elements of a paranormal romance.  That was okay--the guidelines said any genre, but it needed some elements of horror present. Here's the problem:  I don't think I can write horror.  I actually had to do research on what the "elements" of horror fiction were.  It seems that, as a genre, horror fiction is evolving as fast a anything else--maybe faster.  Horror no longer means monsters, at least not in the traditional sense (i.e. Frankenstein, vampires, werewolves, etc.).  It includes such things as psychological thrillers, murder and mayhem, war stories, even techno-thrillers, so long as they induced a feeling of "horror" or "dread" in the reader.  In the end, it appears that the true elements of horror fiction are suspense and atmosphere, and a surprise ending is usually a plus. 

Great.  So now I've got to try and figure out ways to incorporate horror and suspense into my piece.  Sadly, I don't think I'm quite clever enough to do a surprise/twist ending. So far what I've done could maybe, loosely, be described as horror-lite.  Question is, does that count?

Oh, and as a side note: I have another problem--I like my characters and my premise enough that I think they might actually make a better full-length paranormal romance novel.  I so don't need another work in progress added to my stack. 

Here's a peek at some of what I have:

“I know your secret.”

Emma Stone watched her companion, not bothering to hide her skepticism. She cocked her brow as she selected a tortilla chip from the appetizer platter in front of her, silently waiting for him to continue.

“You’re a werewolf.”

Her hand jerked at his words, dumping the contents of the loaded nacho onto her lap. Cursing under her breath, she grabbed a napkin and cleaned up the mess. Only when all that remained on her denim-clad thigh was a grease stain the size of a quarter and she was confident that her face revealed nothing, did she look at him.

D—he hadn’t given her his real name, first or last—rested his elbows on the round table, his hands cupping his pint of Guinness. He was attractive, she’d give him that. Good looking in the rugged, outdoorsy way she’d always liked. Dark tousled hair, mossy hazel eyes. Yes, she thought, altogether good looking. It would be a shame to have to hurt him.

She met his eyes levelly. “So rather than inviting me out to discuss a photography commission, you wanted me to meet with you tonight to tell me fairy tales?”

“Hardly fairy tales. More like current events. Completely non-fiction I assure you.” His voice was smooth and resonant, with just the slightest hint of an accent—something vaguely Eastern European, Russian maybe—and without the slightest inflection to indicate that he was aware that he had said anything remotely outrageous.

“So you believe in werewolves, D? Do you believe in vampires and witches, too?” she scoffed and reassured herself that he couldn’t possibly know.

“There are more things in Heaven and Earth,” D quoted softly.

“Yeah, well, what did Shakespeare know? Look, if you’re not interested in my photography, we have nothing more to discuss.” Emma stood up, tossing the crumpled napkin onto the table. A wad of cash joined it. “I’ve got more important things to do.”

A Movie Review--Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Theif

Back in December, I reviewed the book Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Theif by Rick Riordan (see it here:A Book Review: Lightning Theif).  I absolutely loved the book.  I decided that since I only read the book because I saw a preview for the upcoming movie, it was only right for me to review the movie now that I've watched it. 

The movie was good.  Not nearly as good as the book (which is to be expected, I suppose).  I knew going in that they had changed a lot from the book in order to make it into a movie--for one thing, the characters, who in the book were 11 or 12, were easily 15 or 16 in the movie.  So I was prepared for some changes. Like with any book to movie adaptation, the story lost some of its charm--especially since the charm was in the details, and the details are skimmed over in the movie. Other changes that I didn't really like, though the logical part of me can understand why they were made, included the "why" of the quest and the quick wrap-up of the ending. 

One of the things that I found the most enjoyable in the movie was the cast.  While there weren't many whom I would call big-name actors, I recognized almost all of them.  So I'm going to go through the main cast, what I recognize them from, and their role in the film.

1.  Percy Jackson (son of Poseidon)--Played by Logan Lerman.  I recognized him from 3:10 to Yuma in which I thought he was fantastic.  He also played Bobby in the t.v. series Jack and Bobby.  I thought he captured the take-charge, impetuous hero aspect of Percy very well.  While the dialogue early on in the movie fell a little flat (a consequence, I think, of poor dialogue, not poor acting) he was soon off and running, facing off mythical monsters and Greek gods with aplomb.

2.  Grover (Satyr guardian)--Played by Brandon T. Jackson.  Unfortunately, Jackson is one of the actors I didn't immediately recognize, but a quick search of IMDB indicates that he's done a slew of movies, t.v. and comedy specials, even writing and producing.  I can say, as Grover the Satyr (half man, half goat). He was a great side-kick, and, more importantly to me, portrayed Grover closer to the book version than any of the other characters. According to my quick trip to IMDB, you may have seen Jackson in the recently released Tooth Fairy or in Fast and Furious (Tokyo Drift).

3.  Annabeth (daughter of Athena)--Played by Alexandra Daddario.  While I recognized her face, I didn't know exactly from where.  Another quck trip to IMDB (isn't that the coolest site?) told me why I knew her--she's had guest appearances on boat-load of different television series, including Law & Order, Damages, Nurse Jackie, White Collar. Daddario is beautiful and can expertly weild a sword, but her character fell a little flat--the character in the book is very complex--intelligent, driven, proud and aching for a connection to her family.  That wasn't portrayed in the movie (again, it probably has more to do with the screenplay adaptation and editing out "unnecessary filler".  I can only hope that if they continue with this franchise they will allow more character development with Annabeth.

4.  Chiron (Centaur, head guy at Camp Half-Blood)--Played by Pierce Brosnan.  One of the most recognizable actors in the movie, depite the long, curly hair and horse's body, Brosnan sort of made me cringe.  I don't even have a good reason, just that something felt a little off about it.  Everything he said was just a little too-dramatic sounding, and his comedic lines fell a little flat. Maybe I was having a tough time trying to reconcile James Bond as a centaur. 

5.  Percy's Mom--Played by Catherine Keener.  Though she has a whole list of great movie credits, I immediately remembered her from her role in 40 Year Old Virgin.

6.  Poseidon--Played by Kevin McKidd, who I see every week on Grey's Anatomy as the troubled war vet Dr. Owen Hunt.  In this character, and McKidd's interpretation of it, I can say I actually like the movie version better than the book version.  In the movie, we got to see the father who had to make a difficult choice and who wanted his son's love as much as the son wanted a father's. 

7.  Zeus--Played by Sean Bean.  Can I just say, casting Bean in the role of Zeus was pure genius.  I've been a fan of Bean's ever since I first saw him as Boromir in Lord of the Rings--Fellowship of the Rings.  It's actually almost unfair that LOTR is why I recognize him since he's done a lot of truely brilliant other works.  While his role in Lightning Theif can't be construed as "brilliant", it was spot-on.  I loved his moody, broody, arrogant personification. 

Others I recognized in the cast include:  Uma Thurman (Kill Bill) as Medusa,  Rosario Dawson (Rent, Seven Pounds) as Persephone, Steve Coogan (Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian) as Hades and Melina Kanakaredes (CSN:NY) as Athena.

In summary:  Was it as good as the book?  No.  Was it good?  Yes.  Will it be the next Harry Potter? Doubtful.  Will is be a successful new franchise?  Probably.

I give this movie 3 out of 4 Jewels from the Dragon's Hoard.

Life Gets in the Way (A Procrastinator's Diary)

It's funny how life can get in the way of one's passions.  For example, I've been working on my novel for going on 9 months.  One would think I'd be farther along by now. But, I hate to say it, I haven't added anything to it for a couple of months. 

But I have a couple of reasons (read: excuses) for not getting anywhere on Embracing the Dragon.

1.  I've been in the process of applying for and interviewing for a job that would move me across the country. Debating the pros and cons of this with my friends, family and co-workers takes up a lot of time.
2.  My mother went in for surgery and due to some nasty complications, has been in the hospital and therapy for the last two weeks, so I've been spending a lot of time with her.
3.  I've attended an on-site writing workshop and am finishing an on-line dalogue workshop.
4.  I've been reading a lot of books so I can write book reviews on a great website I'm following (It's pretty cool--check it out here).
5.  I've been working on a short story for a contest I'm thinking of subitting something for.
6.  American Idol started.
7.  Facebook is the devil.
8.  It seems like every author I collect has a book released recently, and I have to read them right away, right?

So, those are my reasons (Excuses) for the procrastination. A couple of them are legitimate--the whole considering moving across the country and helping my mother stave off boredom while in the rehabilitation center are pretty much unavoidable.  American Idol and Facebook probably have more to do with my will-power.  At least the education, short story contest and the book reviews still count as writing. 

One of the main things I learned in the "So You Want to Start that Novel" workshop last month was the need to have discipline and set real writing goals and schedules.  I think I really need to do that.  Soon. 

But first I'll have to update my status and check out Fox... ;-)

Hey, I Got an Award!

I'm very honored to have received a Superior Scribbler Award from Gina Leigh Maxwell @ To Write or Not to Write: My Journey Into the Literary World.  Gina just finished her manuscript for a Paranormal Romance that brings a new twist to the vampire genre.  There's vampires, angels, prophesies and a yummy hero.  What more could a girl ask for in a book?

A side note:  Gina and I have crossed paths in several paranormal romance related blogs and sites recently, but we crossed paths much earlier than that: we actually went to school together, though we didn't know each other well at the time.  Funny how such things can work out, isn't it?

Thanks Gina, and good luck!

I Wrote a Poem (sort of)

I don't know poetry from anything.  I'm not a poet.  I don't even understand poetry. But today I wrote a poem.  It doesn't really follow any style--I guess a sort of bastardized Haiku is the closest.  It's actually 4 Haikus that work as one poem. I don't think Haikus are really supposed to act as stanzas in a larger piece, and I'm pretty sure they are supposed to have some sort of deeper meaning, but since the structure is so defined  (5/7/5 syllables) it's easier for us non-poetic people. Despite the fact that I don't think it actually counts as one, I'm quite proud of my poem.  So here it is!

My Garden

Faerie wings flutter
Jewel bright and iridescent

In the summer breeze

Dragon scales glitter

Polished, gleaming, golden bright

In my flower bed

Sprites dance on moist leaves

Peaking over then under

Mischief in their eyes

Imagination

Planted, tended and cared for

Blooms for those who see

Paranormal vs. Urban Fantasy vs. Horror

I read a lot. I’ve always read a lot. I’ve always been drawn to romances. Even in middle school, I’d pick up a couple of Harlequin Teen novels and be set for hours. Soon it was Harlequin Adult romances. Then it was historical, then action/adventure, then paranormal…every couple of years, depending on the offerings, my genre preference would shift just a bit.


I’ve also always been drawn to the fantastical and magical. From Lord of the Rings to Harry Potter, and from Buffy the Vampire Slayer to Twilight, this mix of horror, romance, action and fantasy has become hugely popular, particularly in the last ten years or so. Needless to say, the number of books that relate to the fantastical has grown exponentially in relation to this shifting craze.

I had a handful of authors that I collected, or, more specifically, that I had on my “buy automatically” list. Granted, that list grew a little longer each year, but I was always able to keep up. When a new book came out I’d pick it up, read it within the next day or two, and patiently (okay, maybe not patiently) wait for the next new release by a favorite author.

I never used to have a TBR (To Be Read) pile before. Lately, however, since I discovered the vast collection of books that make up the Paranormal Romance sub-genres, I have not only developed an extensive TBR pile, but I’ve also created a lengthy TBR list. I have stacks of books that I can’t wait to read, but don’t know where to start. Should I read this one first, or that one? It’s crazy, not to mention a little bit hard on the wallet.

But my not-so-recent foray into Paranormal Romance has led me into a new discovery: There is a very fine line of distinction between Paranormal Romance (PNR) and Urban Fantasy (UF). Now, instead of heading straight to the Romance section of my local bookstore, I have to explore no less than three areas—Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy and, in some cases, Horror.

So, what’s the difference?

I’m going to use the handy Wikipedia definitions (say what you will about this as a “good” resource, it’s fine for what I’m doing now).

• Paranormal Romance is a sub-genre of the romance novel. A type of speculative fiction, paranormal romance focuses on romance and includes elements beyond the range scientific explanation, blending together themes from the genres of traditional fantasy, science fiction, or horror. Paranormal Romance may range from traditional category romances with a paranormal setting, to stories where the main emphasis is on a science fiction or fantasy based plot with a romantic subplot included. Common hallmarks are romantic relationships between humans and vampires, shapeshifters, ghosts, and other entities of a fantastic or otherworldly nature.
• Urban Fantasy is a subset of fantasy defined by place; the fantastic narrative has an urban setting. Many urban fantasies are set in contemporary times or contain supernatural elements. However, this is not the primary definition of Urban Fantasy. Urban Fantasy can be set in historical times, modern times, or futurist times. The prerequisite is that it must be set in a city, primarily rather than in a suburban or country setting, which have their own subset.
• Horror fiction is a genre of fiction, which is intended to scare its readers, and horror is synonymously used with a shudder. The genre of horror has other names that are regularly used, examples of these are: thriller, dark fantasy, terror, dark suspense. [Everything I’ve read indicates that the definition of Horror is fluid, constantly shifting and morphing over time, but ultimately it’s about suspense and atmosphere, no matter the type of characters or setting.]

There are a lot of over-laps in these three sub-genres of fiction. A lot of what I read that is categorized as PNR fits more clearly with the definition of UF. Some of what I see categorized as UF is more Horror. Some UF I would consider Paranormal Romance. Yes, I know that Wikipedia is not the end-all of research tools, but I found these to be good summaries. There is, of course, a lot of mixing and intermingling between them, and the classification is mostly a publishing company tool for marketing and sales.

Some authors, such as Patricia Briggs (whose Mercy Thompson series is classified as UF), straddle the line between PNR and UF so closely that I would be hard pressed to decide where to put her work. Some of her other novels are more pure Fantasy than UF. Then there is Rachel Vincent whose Shifters series is classified as PNR, but I would call UF. Then there’s Laurell K Hamilton whose Anita Blake series is usually (depending on the bookstore) shelved with Horror, but has elements of all three genre types.

I tend to define Paranormal Romance and Urban Fantasy this way: PNR is a Romance novel with Paranormal elements; UF is a Paranormal Novel that may or may not contain romantic elements. Since I prefer my books—no matter the genre—to include romantic elements, those stories that that I read that are absolutely have a romantic element.

A Book Review: Bite Marks by Jennifer Rardin

Back Cover Blurb:
Jaz Parks here. But I'm not alone. I'm hearing voices in my head - and they're not mine.

The problem, or maybe the solution, is work. And the job's a stinker this time -- killing the gnomes that are threatening to topple NASA's Australian-based space complex. Yeah, I know. Vayl and I should still be able to kick this one in our sleep. Except that Hell has thrown up a demon named Kyphas to knock us off track. And damn is she indestructible!

Every now and then I’ll read a book and really enjoy it—it will leave me smiling and thinking, wow, what a great book—but I’m not entirely sure why it was so good. This is the dilemma I am facing with this book, the sixth installment of Rardin’s Jaz Parks series.

We’ve had five previous books to get to know Jaz, Vayl and her crew of side-kicks. **SPOILER ALERT***And since the fifth book, One More Bite, we know that Jaz and Vayl have fully (finally!) acknowledged that they are together romantically. One of the things that makes this one so great is that now we get to see them learn to rely on each other as a couple on top of their mission goals, and how their personal relationship then impacts their professional one.***END SPOILER**  Bite Marks also delved more deeply into the background and motivations of the other major characters (Bergman and Cassandra both play pretty important roles in the plot).

The story is full of action, as are all of Jaz’s adventures, but for the first time, the action was not the main focus of the plot—it was the character and relationship building which was kind of nice to see. There were several scenes that had me frankly laughing out loud (Jack the dog, a robotic cat and a herd of kangaroos are just some of the fun bits) and several others that had me cringing and saying “eww” (who knew gnomes were so gross?).

The only real problem I had with it is that there were so many sub-plots and sub-storylines that it was easy to lose track of the main mission. So much attention was paid to Jaz’s possession and the interactions with the demon that has been plaguing Cassandra for centuries, that little time was actually given to rescuing the NASA base from the gnomes. And in the end, one branch of the three-pronged plot was not resolved, a new quest was introduced, and additional complications with the CIA connection were realized, leaving the book with an almost “cliff-hanger” or “to-be-continued” feel.

Despite this, I put the book down feeling good, and ready for the seventh in the series, Bitten in Two.

I give this book 3 1/2 Jewels from the Dragon's Hoard. ♦ ♦ ♦ ◊

Shel Silverstein and Simple Language

In my on-line dialogue class, one of the lessons deals with "How to achieve simplicity?" The English language has so many words and we, as writers, are tempted to grap for some at times that are highfaluting or even just odd to show off (I, myself, have often been accused of using $5 words). Sometimes we forget how emotional and entertaining simple words can be. 

The class I'm taking uses a Shel Silverstein poem ("The Little Boy and the Old Man" from A Light in the Attic) to illustrate this.  This short poem, a whole ten lines, is a short dialogue between a little boy and an old man, as the title suggests, but is so powerful and emotional, and not a SAT vocab word in sight. 

"The Little Boy and the Old Man"
Said the little boy, "Sometimes I drop my spoon."
Said the little old man, "I do that too."
The little boy whispered, "I wet my pants."
"I do that too," laughed the little old man.
Said the little boy, "I often cry."
The old man nodded, "So do I."
"But worst of all," said the boy, "it seems
Grown-ups don't pay attention to me."
And he felt the warmth of a wrinkled old hand. 
"I know what you mean," said the little old man.

Isn't that amazing?  Amazing in the emotion it evokes. Amazing in its simplicity.

The point of the class's lesson, of course, is that when writing dialogue it's important to stay true to character.  Make good choices.  If the character is an egomaniac and loves to spout the dictionary, then have at it for that character.  But the audience still has to understand what he's saying. Communication is a writer's biggest responsibility and if the writer doesn't get it, then it's important to fall back on simplicity a bit more.

Why I Write Contest

When I first started getting back into writing and started to look for forums or groups where I could pick up tips and suggestions, critique and be critiqued, I found Editor Unleashed. At the time that I joined this awesome site they were starting their Why I Write contest in conjunction with Smashwords.

This contest features a popular ranking on the forum along with final judging by an editorial team. The 50 best essays will be included in the “Why I Write” anthology on Smashwords. And one Grand Prize winner will receive $500 and promotion at Editor Unleashed and on Smashwords.

Now, I have no illusions that I will win or place in this contest—there are some amazing writers out there and some of the submitted essays blew my mind—I figured it was a good chance to at least try something. So I did. (The results aren’t in, so don’t expect a big unveiling after the submission stating that I was a winner...I have no expectations to that.)

__________________________

Here’s what I submitted:

Happily Ever After

When I look at today’s headlines of the Chicago Tribune I see election fraud and government corruption, twelve dead in what was once considered one of the safest military bases in the country, a principal held hostage in a New York City school, a city bus that crashed into a house, killing three, and over sixty death notices. Oh, and did I mention that this week’s hottest celebrity couple is on the splits?


Everyday we are inundated with news that is depressing, frustrating, infuriating. The good news, if even mentioned, is buried under the avalanche of tragedy and despair. Day in and day out, we are confronted by tyranny and destruction. The bad guys win, the good die young and true love lasts only until something or someone better comes along.


When I write, the hero does not give in to temptation or take the easy way out. He puts everything on the line to protect what he believes in. He faces tough challenges but I know, in the end, that the dragon will be defeated.


When I write, I can ensure that, even if only in my imaginary world, evil forces will be routed, the hero will return home victorious, the guy will get the girl, and lovers will live happily ever after.


There are no certainties in real life, but when I write I can, at the very least, guarantee a happy ending.
______________________

Okay, during the beginning days of the popular ranking, there was a glitch in the programming that allowed everyone to see where the average ranking was. Oops. During this time period I noticed that my essay was averaging 4 stars in a 5 star ranking system, which translates to “Good” which makes me quite happy. There were a lot of essays with 3 stars, and even a couple with 2. 5 stars were also few and far between, so I’m quite satisfied with a 4 star grade.

I had a bit of an ego-boost out of it, though. One of the forum members apparently liked it enough that she sent me a private message:

"You make an excellent point in your essay. I like how you personalized it and then brought it home with a statement about how strongly you feel about endings.  Good luck!"

So far my first attempt at a contest has had pretty positive results.

UW Dialogue Workshop--Exercise 3

The assignment:
Create a vignette of one page or less in which an object takes on importance in the dialogue. Perhaps it has interesting details, or perhaps the object is a metaphor for something else.

My submission:

“Just look at it, Kevin. Isn’t it the finest house in all of Savannah?”


“Sure. It’s great.”

“It’ll be yours someday, you know. All that history and tradition. It’s been in the family for more than a century. That says something. It means something that for over a hundred and fifty years MacNamara House has passed from father to son, generation to generation.”

“Right.”

“Your father would be so proud to see you here. He couldn’t wait to take the reins and, when the time came, to pass them on to you. To carry on the legacy.”

“Grandpa, Dad couldn’t wait to get out of here. The minute he was able, he lit out and never looked back.”

“No, no. He loved it here. If he would have had time, he would have realized it and come back. If he hadn’t died, he would have returned home.”

“Whatever.”

“You’ll see, Kevin. You’ll see. It means something to be a MacNamara and to live in MacNamara House. It’s tradition and legacy.”

“It’s pressure and conformity. It’s following antiquated rules and society.”

“It’s pride. It’s honor.”

Sigh. “Fine. Whatever.”

“Ah, just look at that house. It truly is the finest house in Savannah….”

The instructor's thoughts:
She said, and I quote, "This was an elegant scene."  I don't think I've ever written anything that could be construed as elegant before.  "As a result of your writing choices, we feel the emotional tug between these characters, and we’re also intrigued about the house. As a reader, I would read on to find out more about the MacNamara house and why it’s such an issue. You have a hook for an entire story or novel."
 
When I turned this scene in, I was a little worred. Some of what she liked about the other two submissions were accidental, or, at the very least, not consciously deliberate, but this time I did plan on the house as a metaphor, I planned the sharp contrast between the flowery description and the short replies.  I was affraid that, since I was actually trying, I was going to miss the mark.  Luckily, it worked out.

UW Writer's Workshop "So You Want to Start that Novel"

I was so excited for this class. I signed up months ago, was counting down days in my head until Saturday finally arrived.  Then, it was even better because work had me in Wisconsin on Friday so it was like fate. 

Sadly, in the end, I was a little disappointed. Not disappointed in the contents of the class, but in some of the class mates.  It felt like no one was paying attention to the exercises and instructions--they used the exercise as an excuse to read random bits of their novel out loud, or to go on and on and on about their plot.  It really felt like they were looking for the instructor to give them individual feedback, which wasn't the point. [I'll add here that I was tired and grumpy, so my patience for such people was at an all-time low.]

There were some good things brought forward, however: 

1.  Know Thyself:
Knowing how much time a day (a goal or intention), when your best work gets done, and what you do that keeps the juices flowing is the first step.  Using this information and setting your writing goals and habits will help keep things moving.

2.  Know Thy Character:
It's important that the characters are believable and authentic. Perfect or perfectly nice characters who never have challenges are boring. 

I now know why I've been struggling so much with my story, and it has everything to do with the fact that I don't know my main character.  I don't get Lacey at all. Until I understand her, my story isn't going to go very far.  One of the things the instructor said, and I'm pretty sure she was quoting someone else though I'm not sure who it was, was "If you have a passive character, you have a passive story."  Lacey is absolutely a passive character.

3.  Know Thy Plot:
Conflict adds interest, plain and simple.  Take your character. Figure out what she wants most in the world. Put in obstacles to keep her from getting what she wants.  Add a couple of things to help. Repeat as necessary. Wham! You have a plot and a potentially interesting story.

4.  The Plot Blueprint:
Plot deals with relationships and causality--one thing happens because of something else.

Now, I'm not good enough at graphics or blogging (yet) to actually incorporate the diagram, but basically it's like this:

Character wants something--something gets in the way--fortunately something helps--unfortunately, because of the something good, something else gets in the way--fortunately, this leads to something that helps--which unfortunately leads to something that hinders--until the moment of crisis (climax of the story)--another "unfortunately" followed by another "fortunately" until the moment of resolution, when the scene ends (and ending can be either "win", "lose" or "draw".  This back and forth wth the "Fortunately" and "Unfortunately" can be repeated as  necessary.

In Embracing the Dragon, this diagram would look something like this (though this is very simplified):

• Lacey wants to be normal/wants to settle into her new life calmly and without drawing attention.
• Unfortunately, she can turn into a dragon (pretty much the antithesis of normal)
• Fortunately, someone teaches her how to control and hide her second nature
• Unfortunately, the bad guys want to use her to help create the ultimate monster and kidnap her
• Fortunately, the Drakes come to rescue her.
• However, saving her required that she full embrace her new lifestyle and is now permanently connected to the "abnormal" world of the Drakes.
• Fortunately, embracing her new life allowed her to defeat the bad guys.
• And they all lived happily (abnormally) ever after. :)

5.  Conflict is good. 
A combination between internal conflict and external complications is better.

Internal Conflict + External Complications = Interesting Story

The level of internal conflict is usually determined by the genre.  For example, an action adventure story may have less, literary fiction generally has more. Something like romance generally has more than the first and less than the latter.

So, in the end, the class did what I wanted:  It gave me an idea of whether or not I was going in the right direction.  I think I am, so if I can set my goals and intentions, and stick with them, and then discover more about Lacey, I think I'll be okay.