Stuck?

Move on.

In response to the question: What do you do when you are stuck?

First off, I do not believe in writer's block. I believe in the interruption of flow of writing due to a lack of inspiration on the part of the writer. I believe in a lack of willingness and endurance to continue by the writer. But I do not believe in writer's block.

When I get stuck I do one of four things.

1. Push on through.
2. Go look for inspiration.
3. Forget about it for a few months and work on something else.
4. Move on forward in the piece to a part that I have inspiration for.

Guess which one works the best.

Is is number 1, of which results in poor writing that is later fixed up in the editing process? Is it number 2, which may lead to 3, or worse provide you with something you didn't want as inspiration, so you get stuck with renditions of robin hood each time you look at the story? Is it number 3, of which results in large time gaps, but may result in the best writing of the next section? Or is it number 4, Which allows for good writing, inspoirations, and a need to connect the dots?

The choice it truly up to you. Or me. Or just the writer. And the pro and ons of each may need to be weighed.

As it is, this is the Inktress, signing out.

Avatar: Not the Last Airbender (In 3D)

For a movie that took twelve years to make, one expects high quality, good plot, compelling characters, and excellent special effects. I am happy to say that this movie qualified for 3.956667 of these standards.

The movies main character, Jake Sully, a paraplegic jarhead who takes control of a specially designed native body, was intelligent, funny, and altogether, a normal idiot. He takes the watcher through a very Disney Pocahontas type plot and falls in love and eventually saves the day. The main female lead, Neytiri, was a strong, princess type character, whose no bullshit type attitude causes the audience to back her up and fall in love with the world she represents. And the world...

Oh.

My.

God.

For a CGI world, complete with floating mountains, it was so realistic that you often forgot that it's, well, not. The effects were spectacular: the 3D was realistic, though at the beginning it focuses your eyes for you, which gets a little annoying; the CGI was beautiful, realistic; the few sets were intrinsically designed and integrated into the world... There are so few faults that all I can say is... wow.

But it does have faults. It is cliche to a fault, though beautifully executed. Very predictable, but entertaining. The unattainable mineral, unobtainium (No I am not making this up.) distracts quite a bit from the seriousness of several important scenes. (Though the film does need its fair share of laughs, don't get me wrong. I just don't think this was the best way to do it.) The boss battle was a bit drawn out to the point of overextension, and perhaps it was somewhat unrealistic.

What did bug me a little is the fact that the movie was very anti-industrial, anti-gun, anti- anything that is made of metal and that harms nature. Which I agree with on a much lesser scale. I am not anti-gun, and I am not anti-industry, but I do believe humans should take care of natural resources and not kill natives.

But overall, I'd give the movie a 5 star review. That is, if I were a professional film critic.

Of Windlings

My windling novel has been on hiatus since school's start. (I really ought to get back.)

But since it's been asked, and because it always helps to write about your stories, or talk them through, I am going to tell you a little about them. Because, let's be honest, what's a writing blog for, elsewise?

So I have a windling story, and it has a lot (and I do mean a lot) of prewriting that has gone into it. To start with, I usually have to define windlings and the expansionist, dystopian society in which is founded.

• windling- a creature born into the most dominant speices on the planet (humans) that has designation and control over a specific element of nature. (i.e. death, regeneration, ice, fire, shadows, calamity)

• the dystopian society- New Earth is a combination of the Earth's most powerful nations that are slowly taking control of the entire world through warfare. During the story, it controls approximately two thirds of the Earth, excluding Africa and Australia.

• New Earth's Academy for Gifted Students (NEAGS)- After New Earth Discovered the existence of windlings the decided to exterminate them. This plan failed, as the windlings are replaced by new babies after death. Thus they decided to force integration into the military by bringing them all to one school where they taught them and brainwashed them so they would not use their powers against New Earth (which is industrial, which does tend to tick off the representatives of nature).

• Windlings of New Earth (WNE)- Windlings that have graduated from NEAGS and are now part of the New Earth Army.

• The Guardians- A group of renegade windlings that believe that they need to protect nature by getting rid of the New Earth Regime by killing everybody they can, and getting rid of as much of the human population as possible so that Earth may regenerate.

• The Olympians- A group of renegade windlings that believes it needs to negotiate with New Earth to set up nature as a more dominant force and humans as a lesser one. Disagrees with the Guardians on a regular basis.

• The Independents- The windlings that live in Australia and the southern half of Africa, that work with their governments to make their world a better place. Non-military, regular citizens. That have cool powers that can destroy stuff.

With those terms thoroughly defined, I can now talk about my plot with minimal interruption.

Which I will.

Eventually.

What influences your writing?

Everything.

In response to the question: what influences your writing?

My writing is influenced by the world around me. As I seem to always be writing dystopian societies, it would be fair to turn to one of my main influences: politics, especially today.

Now I do follow politics, and of this I consider myself proud. Doing what I'm supposed to. But I like to look at constructions of governments and such, and blow different portions or ideas out of proportion.

Other times, I'll be in an old building, and I'll almost literally be able to see an entire scene unfold in the building. And it is beautiful. And then I go and write it down.

Sometimes, I'll be anywhere, and strike up a conversation with an interesting stranger, and add them in quietly in the background of my story.

Life inspires. I collect stories, and then the stories come out on paper. This person here, this setting here, this political school of thought there. So yes, life inspires.

Everything inspires.

How do you come up with your characters' names?

One at a time, my friends. One at a time.

In response to the question: How do you come up with your characters' names?

Okay. this is a relatively difficult question, due to the fact, that, well, I have several different methods. I actually have one character that remains unnamed.

More often than not, though, I come up with the characters' personalities, roles, and environment growing up first, and then decide what their parents would likely name a child, and then pick and choose what fits them. I do not have names that reflect the individual powers of the characters, or adjectives in different languages that mean sad or angry or something (i.e. Tristan). Those types of names tick me off.

Sometimes though, they just say hi, my name is Sky (Almost true story. Originally she was a River.) And that being said, I also like nature names.

But in historical fiction, or stories with different themes on it, I find names by going through historical records and picking names that just seem to fit the character. Of course, picking and choosing can be difficult at times, and then I do the simplest thing and put in a number or code that I could later ctrl+r with a later chosen name. Mostly because temporary names always stick.

And that is how I come up with names. Names are important, and sometimes symbolic, and can make or break a character sometimes. So as advice to my fellow writers, choose your names carefully, and trust your gut feelings. Those are usually all you need.

What are your strengths as a writer?

The hardest part about this question is admitting I have strengths as a writer. Which I do, though I know I am not good as other people. But yes, I still have strengths.

In reponse to the the question: What are your strengths as a writer?

1. Ideas - I am very good with coming up with ideas. If I didn't have to actually write them out, I would have over twenty books published by now. My worlds extrapolate on themselves and each other, until I have one story line here, with this main character, and another story line here with somebody who meets the first main character in passing. And then the story explodes outward, with infinite possibilities, and an infinite number of endings. Which ultimately forces me to ask- which ones?

   
   

2. Editing works - I am very good at going through a piece and taking parts out that need to be taken out, or making another part smoother. To be honest, I work best with other people's works. I'd probably make a good career editor. I take the piece, read it once, note any major events or foreshadowing, as well as any parts that would sound awkward. Then I divide it into parts and edit it, cutting out irrelevant and detracting bits where they need to be. I am merciless. I am also effective.

   
   

3. Dialog - Its funny when I reread my works, and I notice how as soon as I incorporate dialog, quality of writing and flow greatly increases. As far as I have noticed, this does not apply to me alone. Therefore, I love conversations. But communication is not always verbal, so one really must be careful with dialog.

   
   

4. Description - I have been told, that people love my description. I am able to describe much better using poetic devices. Poetic devices are fun.

   
   

5. Using Figurative Language - As is figurative language. The fun thing about poetry and figurative language is that you can write one thing, imply something else, and take and take an object, and somehow make it mean more than all it's mass ever could. Figurative language is powerful.

   
   

6. Making Points Connect - And lastly. Making points connect. It's beautiful when a piece can be reread and each time you notice something new. Like that's why so-and-so did this and that directly results in this falling causing plot element D later on in the chapter when they can't find the book. It really is beautiful. That is why it is important in any piece to note any foreshadowing and where characters are at any time. Then you can defend a small part your editor wants to cut, when really the action taken in that portion directly connects to major plot elements, as a way of foreshadowing. Making points connect is really what makes or breaks a book for me. So do it. Okay fellow writers? It's a good exercise.

People, Children, Tools

Yes.

In repsponse to the question: Do you see your characters as people? As children? As tool?

My characters are my babies. I create them, I nurture them, I watch them develop, I fall in love with their quirks, make my audience fall in love with them, and then kill them off for effect. Which would make me a bad mother, except for the fact that my characters are not my babies except in a very loose metaphorical sense. They seem like people. They have their own lives, feelings, thought patterns, etc. So yes the are people.

But people I have complete control over.

Which brings us to the last part of the question, and the real answer. They are tools. They tell my story. They are carefully crafted tools, that dance across the pages, like puppets doing my bidding, responding to my every whim, thought, or delusion. I want this character to save that character's life? Done. Another character to break the law? Done. This crowd favorite to die? That was predetermined at birth.

I will admit to the fact that once I create a character, there are some things I cannot do without completely changing the character. If it is against a character's morals to break the law, I cannot logically make him break the law without creating a motive strong enough to make him do so.

Some writers say that their characters write the story on their own. Personally, I don't know what they are on. The writer is always in control of the piece and characters. No characters come off the page and write it for you. They may give pointers in the way of 'would that character really do that?' or 'why does this happen?' But other than that, they are figments being written on paper.

Which is why, ultimately, characters are tools.

What Kind of Writer are You?

A good one. In my universe where I am good at everything. Which I may also add doesn't exist.

In response to the question: what kind of writer are you?

As to what kind of writer I am, I'd have to say a wannabe novelist, short story writer, and poet.

As for what genre I write, it depends on my mood.

I have written:

• Horror - for the most part short stories
• Sci-fi - Short stories and novels (not finished)
• Fantasy - Novels and shorts
• Historical Fiction - short stories <3
• Steam Punk -short stories

But the general themes of my work include strong female main characters and dystopian civilizations. Dystopia themes don't always have to be sci-fi, though I do admit that it helps. I have several stories that prove my point.

However, writing, other than this blog and for school, is currently on a hiatus while I get my feet back under me at school. So if I were to answer the question in the moment, it would have to be essayist and blogger. Which hey, I do enjoy writing essays and speeches. I actually have a few that are planned for this blog.

Where do you write?

Anywhere I want to.

In response to the question: where do you write?

Most of my inspiration comes to me in class, to be completely honest, which would be fine if I was in a writing style class, but usually, I am not. In fact, I would go as far as to say that I am completely horrible at picking times to write. I have poetry in the back of my math binder, a full fledged short story in the back of my economics notebooks, and countless other story beginnings scattered throughout other notebooks where my ideas land so I can stop obsessing over them for the rest of class.

As to where I like to actually sit down and write, the answer happens to be my room. My room is very comfortable, and I can take my laptop and start typing for however long I need to. There is no place quite as comfortable or care-free as my room, and I feel like I can sit down and concentrate on what I want to do. This is where my stories extrapolate into universes of disproportional sizes, sci-fi galaxies to small towns on the oceans edge back in the 1800s. Characters emerge, and I have to prewrite and get everything down and organize who is where in the story at what time, and why it matters, and remember to eat because there is no food in my room and I will otherwise forget.

Sometimes it's nice to go outside and write freehand on paper, and just look at the sky and draw inspiration from my little world. Sometimes I write description, sometimes I write poetry, sometimes I work on my stories.

It all depends on my mood.

What's hard about writing?

Well, a lot of things, really.

In response to the question: what do you find the hardest about writing?

First off, keeping a piece going to completion is one of the hardest parts about writing. It is difficult for me to sit down and actually write a novel. To be honest, I have not finished a single one, and have hardly gotten past the beginning in most of them.

My best works, as I see it are short stories because, le gasp, I actually finish them.

I get distracted easily, which may have something to do with my ADD, and I have trouble keeping on topic (again with the ADD).

I know its quantity that can easily turn into quality.

It's just difficult getting to that point without feeling like you have to go back.

And that is where I run into issues. The beginning of my writing has always been looked over hundred of time where the last part desprately needs revision. That is just the way it is. Sometimes I wish that I could simply sit and write and not go back. That would be beautiful. If I could actually be honest with myself and do it.

Also, with finishing a work, comes my good friend: writer's block. Writer's block and me go back a long ways. Every single thing I write seems to go through a point where words aren't seeming to come alive and go onto the page. (Not in a dyslexia way, mind you, but rather a, "this is going really well" type of way.) And sometimes, even when I am trying to force it, the words just stop coming and I have to look at it and ask. "Do I need a break?" "Am I doing something wrong?" "Why is my keyboard not working?" (Last one has a funny story behind it. Maybe I'll blog it if my nonexistent readers ask.) But getting over writers block simply means getting inspired. How can you force inspiration? You can't. But you can sure make it easier to find you.

Talking about your story with some fellow writers or starting at a different point may help. I find fellow writers the most useful tools out there. (Find some and make friends over a cup of tea. And invite me, if you will. I like tea.)

Also on the difficulties with writing: editing my own work. The easy solution: get other writers to look over a piece for you. This is probably why I love other writers so much. (Other than their intriguing and absolutely brilliant personalities.) But yes, with editing my own work, I find it difficult to cut out what needs to be cut out. And figuring out what needs to be cut out is even more so difficult. And actually having the piece in hand helps too. Which brings us back to point one.

So yes. The answer is endurance in writing, and self-editing, which shouldn't be done anyways.

I'm off to get a cup of tea.

So you call yourself a writer...

Hello random readers who I like to pretend exist.

This time I am actually writing about me. Mostly because it's easy, and I feel like this blog is dead. So yes, I do call myself a writer. For various reasons, the main one being that I write.

So I will be answering a good number of questions actually found on a blog chain. Which I stole. Or copied. Take your pick.

I will be answering them as quickly as possible. As many as one a day. Until they start coming at once a week. Or I come up with my own questions. Which eve comes first.

I will of course credit the blog chain right now for their inspiration, because I definitely need it.

The members of this blog chain are:

Girl With a Notebook

From Elysium

Sometimes helpful nonsense...

Somewhere in my Nowhere Kingdom

Flames and Shadows

If one of the people from aforementioned is reading this, thank you for your stolen questions. They make me happy.

Questions:

What makes a character memorable to you?

If you could present your work to one (or more) specific author(s), who would it be?

How do you improve your writing?

What is new with your writing life?

What was the last thing that inspired you?

What are your writing quirks?

What's your most recent obsession, as far as writing is concerned? Is there anything that's recently (or not so recently) begun to pop up in everything you write?

What are your plans for your career as a writer?

How do you manage your time when it comes to writing?

How has writing affected your life?

How much pre-writing do you do before starting a writing project?

What do you do when you are stuck?

How do you edit your own work?

When picking points of view for your fiction, what do you consider? Is there any rules about combining points of view in a longer piece? Any limitation to the number of narrators?

Do you prefer fantasy or reality? And, of course, why?

What influences your writing?

How do you come up with our characters' names?

What are your strengths as a writer?

Do you see your characters as people? As children? As tools?

What kind of writer are you?

Where do you write?

What do you find are the hardest things about writing?