Vampires in Cyberspace

I have done it! I sent my novel to all my workshop classmates via e-mail. My work is now out there for them to read and to critique. Suppose they hate it? Suppose they love it? Anything but indifference, please! I am ready to have other eyes look into the world of my vampires. Will they find them as lovely and deadly as I do? How would they improve them? Will I be able to take their "constructive" comments and make changes to better the story? I will keep you posted as I go along here. It's all new to me yet I am thrilled to have started this process. I hoped to become a part of an on-line writers group for about a year now so perhaps some writing mates will come out of this class. I know I will grow as a writer and isn't that what all writers want - to create a better story?

I'll let you know.

Facing the Beast

I am about to embark on a quest that is every writers dream and their worst nightmare. I am taking an on-line writing class. I submit my novel and receive my classmates novels in return and get down to the business of reading, editing and commenting on anothers work. I am sure there are stringent guidelines. I would like to think that someone would be as honest yet as kind as they could when reading my novel. I try to extend the same courtesy to other writers as well. Having others read my novel is scarey to say the least. Only one person has read my work and I handed it to him hesitantly. What if he thinks I am a total nut or worse, what if he hates the story? I am exposing my psyche and my inner world. All artists put themselves at such risk when they bare their souls. Whether it is through dance, paint or the written word we toss ourselves out into the ring for all to see and sometimes it aint' pretty. Perhaps e-mailing my novel to my classmates is less intimidating than handing them my work in person. There is still anonymity on the internet still I dread yet am thrilled about receiveing their feedback. I write about vampires, superhuman beings that are at the top of the food chain; beautiful yet deadly creatures, yet faced with submitting my work to my classmates - I'll take facing the vampires anyday.

Anyone passing by I would love your feedback. Who do you allow to read your writing? How do you feel submitting it to strangers to critique? Do you ever get over the initial dread of exposing yourself to a stranger? Is it worse letting loved ones read your work as opposed to strangers? I would love to hear from you, even you vampires.

Walking in my characters shoes,boots, whatever!

How many of you writers find yourselves so immersed in your characters that you can't seperate youself from them? At times I find myself distracted to the point of not being able to think about much else. I am working out scenes between characters, listening to them laugh, talk, fight, resolve things. I once read something to the fact that a good character is one that has been lived in by the author. You take that character with you and try to imagine them in certain situations: buying groceries, standing in line at the bank, wandering around a museum, etc. This is how you bring them to life on the page. If that is the case my characters are jumping off the page! They live with me 24/7, much to the chagrin of my husband who finds himself asking me on more than one occasion "where did you just go?" How do I explain to him that I inhabit two worlds and I try to balance my time in each one. Is that creativity or schizophrenia? I am really not sure.

Ah the life of a writer.