Pic of the Week . . .

Flicking through Google Images as I usually do, trying to decide on a pic of the week. It come to a point where I nearly gave up and went for a safe artist that I already knww . . . when suddenly, out of nowhere, popped a picture that I loved. I clicked on the website, and it opened up this huge gallery of wondrous pieces that kept me captivated for what felt like hours.

The pieces are a mixture of dark, atmospheric, moody, beautiful - and I loved it! I loved them all! In fact, I was so excited that I couldn't quiet decided which one to go for, so I today I'm going to treat you to TWO pics of the week. Aren't you lucky!

The Artist's name is Linda Bergkvist. Flicking through her gallery I realised that I've already come across her before, with a random picture that I once found but couldn't find the name. I was actually given the artists name back then, but never really had the chance to look it up - and then forgot about it. Sorry. But today she's back! And with vengeance!

Enjoy!

'Eyzaathe . . .'

'Autumn Whispers . . .'

How To Write A Synopsis . . . I Think . . .

The time has finally come, after the years spent tenderly polishing Gorthian, that a synopsis is needed. I hate synopsis writing, and I get the strange impression that so does everyone else. Everywhere I turn, every blog I read, I'm hearing the same complaints.

Many people don't see the point in a synopsis. Usually they are asked to submit a covering letter, some sample chapters and a synopsis. So if they want sample chapters, why do they need a synopsis? Well, I think that should be clear. The sample chapters are to allow the agent / publisher to get a feel of your writing style, and the synopsis allows them to get the feel of the story as a whole, as opposed to reading the whole thing. Agents / publishers are busy people. They haven't got time to read an entire manuscript to find out whether they like your work. If something is sent in without a synopsis, what do you think will happen to it? Yep, it'll have a date with the bin until the cleaner comes to take it away. They do not have the time.

So, how do you format a synopsis?

Nathan Bransord gingerly wrote a blog post about writing them, but it was a subject he had tried to avoid for a long time. In the end he gave in, battled his fear and put finger to keyboard to type 'How To Write A Synopsis . . .' .

He couldn't give any rock solid advice on how to write them, but did shed a little light on what to aim for. Luckily this isn't the first time I've approached agents, and so I've done research before in the past, and I have a rough idea what is required.

Unfortunately, and as Nathan reluctantly pointed out, there is no right way to write a synopsis. Many agencies and publishers are after different things. Some want one page, some want ten; some want a brief outline, some want a chapter by chapter breakdown. The only advice I can think of giving is do some research into your tended submitee, find out what they want.

But there is a second option and do what I and many others do? Write the outline for your story. Aim for about three pages. If you go over, it's no big deal, as long as it's attention grabbing. Make it heart felt. Don't write 'And then he did this, and she done that...'. Put emotion into it; make the agent / publisher feel what the character has to go through to get to the final climax; grab the agent / publisher; coax them into wanting to take time out of their busy schedule to read and fall in love with your sample chapters. This can then lead to them wanting to read the entire manuscript.

See how much hangs on your synopsis? It's the biggest marketing job for your work; the selling point; make or break. Write a rubbish synopsis, expect a rejection. This is probably the biggest reason why people hate synopsis writing so much. It's not the initial condensing an entire novel into three pages worth . . . We're writers, for crying out loud! That should be a challenge we're willing accept. It's the pressure of getting your synopsis right.

And it's THAT pressure that I'm feeling now. I aimed for three pages, but got five. I tried to cut it down even more, but found that if I did I was loosing the essence of the story. In the end I've come to the conclusion that my synopsis for 'The Calming Of Gorthian' has to be five pages long (well, four and a half - and that's double spaced!).

Only time will tell if it's right or wrong . . . wish me luck.

Pic of the Week . . .

Today's Pic of the Week is something a little different. It's a raw graphite sketch, untouched by any digital remastering.

Does anybody know who the artist is? Any ideas? Oh, wait a minute!! It's me!!! lol

Have a good weekend everyone . . .

What's In A Name. . .?

Just what is in a name?

For those planners out there, you can sit and ponder for hours over the construction of a piece. You plan right down to the last detail, every twist, every turn, every surprise. You even plan your characters.

If your anything like me, you want to get to know your characters as much as you can. I like to know what drives my character. Delving into their psyche can help with that. I don’t mean you should put as much planning into your characters as you do with the plot. Sometimes that’s just not possible. Sometimes a character unfolds as you write, and it isn’t until the end that you realise who that person actually is, but knowing a little bit about them prior to writing, I find, helps.

But then everybody’s different. There’s no right way or wrong way to write a story. What one person finds easy could be completely impossible for another. It’s like art. Abstract artists paint some wonderfully bizarre pieces. They paint abstract because they are comfortable with that style and they like it, but tell them to paint scenery or a renaissance portrait and they probably couldn’t. It’s not that they can’t – you have to possess a certain amount of talent to put paintbrush to canvas – it’s just that they’re not comfortable painting that kind of picture, and it inevitably affects the end result.

I only need to know a small amount of my character’s psyche to be able to know what drives them. Take my more recent character, Blake, for example. He’s a cold person, and not many people in his town like him and tend to steer clear of him. But why is this? Why is he so cold? Well, looking into his past, his mother died during childbirth, and his stepmother also died when he was about 5. At that age he was old enough to understand the hurt that it caused him, and the torture it put his father through. From then he subconsciously became scared of letting anyone too close, fearing getting hurt again, and thus, making him cold and push people away from him. Just from this, you know Blake’s going to be a hard man, unsympathetic, uncaring, and the word `subtlety` doesn’t even enter his vocabulary.

Anyway, I’m rambling - but I'm a female and that's allowed. The `name` that I originally wanted to refer to wasn’t the name of a character. It was the name of this blog. WTF’s. What does that mean to you? “What the f…!”

Originally I started this blog so I could post the random (WTF) writings we do at our writers group, the North Herts Writers’ Circle. That was all. But, just like characters in stories, it’s taken on a life of it’s own, and no longer is it about random pieces. It’s evolved, it’s grown, as characters tend to do. So the title WTF’s, I feel, is no longer relevant. It’s time for a change – but subtle.

How about:

WTF’s – Writing Thrilling Fiction

Hmmm…any ideas??

How Well Do You Know Your Characters . . . ?

Incase you hadn't guessed, I'm also a bit of a film buff. I love a good film - even a bad one if it keeps me entertained for an hour and half. I watch them for the enjoyment factor, regardless of bad script, rubbish effects or silly plots. Bad acting is an exception. There's only so much a person can take.

Anyway, I watched `Inkheart` yesterday. I've heard about this film, but not taken much notice. I can't remember it being in the cinema, and if it was, it must have been a flop because it wasn't showing for long. I did know that it involved books and reading, though. So when I saw the DVD on sale for £3 - yes, £3!!! - I nabbed it. If it was bad, I wouldn't have lost that much.

As it turned out, it was actually quiet enjoyable, and makes a great family film. Okay, the dialogue left a little to be desired, but that was over-shadowed by the story line. Brendon Fraser plays a man with a gift. Whenever he reads aloud, he brings the characters of the book to life, and the last book he ever read aloud was one called `Inkheart` nine years ago. It had disastrous affects that have haunted him ever since, and eventually they catch up with him for the dramatic climax of the film. Light hearted and enjoyable stuff.

One part really grabbed me. Paul Bettany plays a character called Dustfinger, who is a flame thrower brought across from the book, and who wants nothing more than to just go back home. In one scene, he gets to meet the writer of Inkheart - the very person who created him. He was terrified at meeting him at first because he didn't want to know his fate. He didn't know how the book ended, and he was scared of finding out. The author, on the other hand, loved him and was so surprised that his character was everything he imagined him to be. As a writer, I sympathised with all of this, and it had me hooked.

It also had me thinking. How well do you know your characters? What would happen if you met them in the flesh? How would you feel? How would they feel? It prompted me with the idea for a writing exercise. It's intended to help practice the art of writing, and as a way of getting to know your characters better.

Choose a character that you've created, whether they're your favourite, your hero or heroine, your villain or your villain's henchman. Maybe they're a person you know really well, or a person you want to get know a bit better. Once you've chosen, imagine they become real - either through means of magic, science fiction, or whatever scenario your imagination creates - and then you meet.

As a writing exercise, how would you feel to meet to them?

As a character building exercise, how would they feel? What would they do? What would their reaction be? Would they hail you as their god? Or would they hate you, discovering that their entire life and all their tragedies has been created just for a good read?

Who is your character?

If you feel inspired by this little exercise, let me know the outcome. I'd love to read and view other people's concepts.

Pic of the Week . . .

23rd April = St George's Day.

St George is a patron saint and often depicted slaying a dragon. Anne Stoke's (one of my favourite fantasy artists, and one who has been published many time on Pic of the Week) comment on Facebook was:

"Today is St George's Day here in England (UK). He is patron saint of the country and in legend is famous for killing a dragon. As you probably noticed I very much like dragons, so I am not sure I approve of this celebration! As with most festivals the English use it as an excuse for a drink, and this evening I shall raise my glass to the dragon ;) "

I love this message. It made me laugh . . . and I kind of agree with her. Tonight I shall also be raising a drink in memory of the dragon (although that drink will probably be coffee...)

Today's Pic of the Week will, of course, be of a dragon. Unfortunately the name of the artist escapes me as it is an old picture. Non-the-less, it is here to be enjoyed.

Pic of the Week vs Clash of the Titans...

I went and saw the new release of Clash of the Titans during the week. The original was my all-time favourite film whilst I was growing up, with tales of winged horses, giant scorpions, the Kraken, and of course, the horrific half woman - half serpent, Medusa, who could turn any man to stone with a single glance. This was probably a tell-tale sign that I would grow up with a deep fascination with fantasy.

The new version doesn't quite follow the original, but it was still a fantastic film, and the graphics were superb (still getting used to 3D, though). And for any fan of the original, look out for the golden owl in the new one. He gets a cameo appearance which made me giggle. I don't think the director could resist slipping it in there.

However, it got me thinking. Greek religion back then wasn't a simple one. You had numerous Gods, demi Gods, Titans, Giants, and monsters, including the Cyclopes, Minotaurs, Herpes and Centaurs. Each had their own tale to tell, whether it be a tale of love, of heroism, of murder and betrayal, or even jealousy. It made me wonder whether Greek Mythology was the birth of the fantasy genre.

The tale of Medusa is one that has always struck me. She was always my favourite character in the original Clash of the Titans, and I'll give credit where it's due for the new version of her. A beautiful woman made to look ugly. There are many different variations of her tale, but the one I like best is tragic and sad, and brings life to the beast forced to dwell in her ruined temple.

It is said that Medusa was one of three daughters. She was stunningly beautiful with long flowing hair but arrogant to go with it. She was very promiscuous and flirtatious, and one day caught the eye of Poseidon, God of the Sea. In terror, she fled for sanctuary to the temple of Athena, but Poseidon caught up with her and had his wicked way with her inside. Athena was outraged and disgusted by this happening in her temple, and put a curse of Medusa, turning her into a half woman-half serpent, with snakes for her hair. She also made it that if she ever set her gaze upon another man again, they would be turned to stone. So Medusa was cursed to stay in the temple, alone, miserable and a victim of a crime that she wasn't entirely answerable to, until Perseus brought about her end and beheaded her. No wonder men feared to go any where near her. They're afraid to go near any woman with a grudge.

If you delve deep into Greek Mythology, there are so many fantastic ideas that could be used to inspire. I find it all fascinating, and seeing as it's Pic of the Week day, and in celebration of the new release of Clash of the Titans (and in memory of the cursed Gorgon), I present to you the new an improved version of Medusa...