By Rachel M. Thompson on January 11, 2012
Oh, right, I promised to update every week. And then promptly forgot under the onslaught of a double-ear-infected toddler vomit-fountain, so please excuse the lateness of this update. Marcus is now on the mend, and I’m pretty well buried in the revisions process.
I’m racking my brain for short story ideas, because I really want to put something out on submission by the end of the month, just to prove to myself that I Can Do This. So far, not much luck. It would help if I could find my idea notebook, I suppose. It’s probably buried under a pile of laundry somewhere.
Posted in Writing
By Rachel M. Thompson on January 2, 2012
I’m not normally a New Year’s resolutions sort of person, due to the crushing sense of depression when I inevitably fail to meet goals like “become rich and famous by next birthday” or “build fabulous beach body by summer”. However, following the example of better writers has served me well so far, so I’m going to at least set myself some writing goals for the year.
1) Finish revisions on the current work in progress by March, and have a query letter ready before the Desert Dreams conference in April.
2) Complete at least the rough draft of one more novel this year. That’s aiming low compared to other writers I know, but I’m not them!
3) Write and submit one short story a month. This is probably the hardest one for me, but deadlines do have an amazingly positive effect on my output.
4) Update this site promptly with new publication info, and update the blog on a regular schedule, weekly if not more often. I’ll have a new look for the site later this year, which is super exciting. Hopefully that will keep me motivated!
So what sort of resolutions have you made this year?
Posted in Life, Writing | Tagged Life, musing, Writing
By Rachel M. Thompson on September 28, 2011
More new characters materialized during yesterday’s writing session. The band director at Dani’s (my protagonist) school put in an appearance, along with a kid named Brandon.
Let me introduce you to Brandon. He’s a sax player, tall and gangly, a bit of a geek with a chivalrous streak, and a prankster who’s being sent to the office for swiping the oboe players’ reeds. Who can blame him for that, I ask? Have you ever listened to a novice oboe player? It’s not something I recommend, unless I can recommend it to be considered a form of torture under the Geneva Conventions.
I’m picking up some momentum with this middle section of the book, finally. Throwing challenges at Dani in both the magic and mundane arenas is giving me a chance to really explore her personality.
Posted in Writing | Tagged novel, Writing
By Rachel M. Thompson on September 14, 2011
So I was merrily typing away at my WiP (work in progress) this morning, filling in an important scene that previously existed only as a single sentence reminding me of what should go there: “Kieran takes Danielle and her evidence to visit the High Court, but still can’t convince them of the danger.” All well and good. It’s a scene necessary to explain why a teenage girl is needed to save the world, should have included some interesting description of the corner of Faerie that they’re visiting, and maybe some hints about the parts of Kieran’s past he hasn’t told Danielle (namely, all of it). Pretty mundane.
This scene hit me upside the head with a club and took off running. The characters developed in ways I never planned, a character who wasn’t supposed to be there suddenly stole the scene, a character I hadn’t even conceived of yet just popped into existence. Kieran’s history gained several layers of new detail. The elves became much more fey and wild than I’d anticipated and less comprehensible to mere humans like poor Danielle.
Best of all, the new version of the scene forced my two protagonists into a very difficult situation regarding their personal relationship. Are they strangers forced to work together for the common good? Friends? More than friends? How can they tell when there’s an enchantment clouding Dani’s judgment?
Now I need to go back through the manuscript and change several scenes to reflect this new development (and Kieran’s newly detailed personal history) and make notes on how this affects the as yet unwritten final scene of the book. How exciting!
It doesn’t hurt that this sudden explosion of new details netted me nearly 3000 words before lunchtime.
ETA: And finished out the day with 4068 words. Good thing, too, since a sick toddler kept me busy the rest of the week!
Posted in Writing | Tagged novel, Writing
By Rachel M. Thompson on August 8, 2011
I think I’ve broken something in my brain. I set out to write stories that are interesting, enlightening, hopeful, even funny–and every time, somewhere along the line there’s an unplanned left turn down Sinister Avenue and end up parked somewhere in Horrorville.
I don’t, for the record, read much horror. And I can’t stand horror movies for the most part, as my imagination likes to run wild with the ideas and images presented. I’m beginning to realize that this isn’t because I have no horror in me.
Apparently I have too much.
Posted in Writing | Tagged musing, Writing
By Rachel M. Thompson on July 16, 2011
This morning I woke to the sound of a much-needed rainstorm to discover a sweetly sleeping five year old curled up on one side, my beloved husband snuggled close on the other, and my toddler sitting on my feet while loudly demanding that I get up and find the Cars 2 game for his Leapster.
I imagine you can guess which of these actually woke me. At least he waited until after 6:00 today. Instead of bothering with the game, we opened up the blinds in the living room and sat admiring the rain.
I’m a pretty lucky lady.
Oh, and for all of you now stuck with a coffee jingle from the 80s cycling through your brain, You’re welcome.
Posted in Life | Tagged family, kids, Life
By Rachel M. Thompson on June 2, 2011
I received my iPad 2 on Tuesday. It’s taken me a few days to get everything set up the way I want (actually, I’m not sure I have even now). Playing with this thing is like having a dozen childhood fantasies come true. The ones inspired by Star Trek, that is, not the fairy princess ones. Or the one about being a flying superhero. Okay, I digress, suffice it to say I had an active imagination right from the get-go.
Anyway, my point is that the iPad feels crazy futuristic. This morning I sat at the kitchen table, drinking my coffee while I flipped through news stories scraped from my social media sites. Hubby, passing through the kitchen, stopped to comment on what a very Star Trek moment it was. How true, and how awesome!
This tiny little device (relative to the laptop I’ve been lugging around) not only serves up all the interesting news and entertainment content I could ever want, but it lets me do my writing from wherever I happen to be. Currently that would be in the living room, watching the boys play.
Of course the device isn’t perfect, but so far I’m loving it, and don’t feel like I’m missing out on anything. That may change the next time I desperately need access to something served up via Flash. Right now, I’m willing to take that risk.
Oh, and that movie coming soon that you suspect may not be as good as the source material? Yeah, you’re right. Trust me, I know. I’m from the future.
Posted in Life | Tagged technology, Writing
By Rachel M. Thompson on May 15, 2011
Writer Mama: How to Raise a Writing Career Alongside Your Kids
Author: Christina Katz
Publisher: Writers Digest Books (March 15, 2007)
Paperback, 320 pages
Writer Mama is a compact little book focused on balancing the needs of a family against the demands of a freelance journalism career. It’s a very practical guide written in clear, no-nonsense language with a friendly tone that made me feel like I was reading a lecture from a well-intentioned teacher.
Unfortunately, this is not an avenue that particularly interests me. I was looking for general information on balancing family life and writing, but most of the book focuses on the specifics of defining a journalistic niche, querying editors for freelance assignments, and the nuances of pitching non-fiction works. I’m a fiction writer. I may branch out at some point, but it’s not really on my immediate agenda. As such, a great deal of the meat of this book was of little value or interest to me.
However, there were several sections I found both interesting and useful even for those of us on the fiction side of the fence. The chapter on negotiating sets out the details of the most common types of rights sales, which apply to short fiction as well as non-fiction. Another chapter provides sensible advice about attending writing conferences. Not only why you should go and what to expect, but also what to wear and the most important items to carry with you during the day. This actually has me investigating the local writer’s association, hoping for a conference to check out.
Other topics of interest to all writers include proper bookkeeping for business purposes, building a platform and name recognition, developing multiple income streams, and polishing a book pitch. Some of her tips are fairly obvious, like maintaining a blog or website to build name recognition, but on the whole each of these sections offer the same kind of solid advice as the rest of the book.
All in all, this is a well-written and well-organized guide to freelance journalism for the stay-at-home mom. If I decide to give non-fiction writing a whirl, I’ll definitely pull this book off the shelf again for advice.
Posted in Reviews
By Rachel M. Thompson on May 6, 2011
My story “Ma Sutton” has been published in Issue 10 of Silver Blade Magazine. This story is near and dear to my heart, as the major inspiration for the title character was my maternal grandmother. She was a storyteller herself, as well as a published author, though as I recently discovered it’s nearly impossible to find a copy of her book Tincey available for sale.
In any case, I like to think Grandma Lil would approve. I really hope so, at least! She was well known for giving people “the Look” when she didn’t approve of something, and nobody wants that.
Rest in peace, Grandma Lil. Your love of a good story lives on in your children and grandchildren. We miss you.
Posted in Writing | Tagged appalachia, sales, Writing
By Rachel M. Thompson on April 11, 2011
My story “Payment Plan” is is now available both online and in print in The April 2011 issue of Eclectic Flash. You can read the online version for free, or you can purchase a copy of the April issue for less than $5.
There are a ton of excellent stories in the April issue, and I’m proud to have mine printed alongside them. Eclectic Flash is definitely worth a read.
Posted in Writing | Tagged sales, Writing
"The main rule of writing is that if you do it with enough assurance and confidence, you're allowed to do whatever you like. (That may be a rule for life as well as for writing. But it's definitely true for writing.) So write your story as it needs to be written. Write it honestly, and tell it as best you can. I'm not sure that there are any other rules. Not ones that matter." -- Neil Gaiman