Friday, May 24, 2013

Thursday's Children: Inspired by Twitter...again...


I should call this post "Revenge of the Plot Bunnies" or "Why Andrew Shouldn't Pay Attention To Other People's Conversations on Twitter".

Unfortunately, I'm a slow learner because that's exactly what happened. And now, like Hate Jacket before it, I have a GINORMOUS plot bunny sitting on my head.

I would love to blame Trisha Leigh, author of The Last Year series, and Jennifer Iacopalli, author of Game Set Match. Because it was their conversation that I jumped into. It started with Trisha asking if the app SnapChat was designed for sexting. I'm guessing she had heard about it on the news or the internet and was asking. I had heard about it on a local radio station a few months ago. Anyway, Jennifer responded with yes and then one of them made the comment that the owners of the app will probably post all the pictures somewhere (conspiracy theory!).

It was then that the fateful words were spoken. "There's a YA story in this somewhere..." At which point, my overly active imagination latched onto it and the plot bunny landed on my head.

I'm supposed to be working on my NA Paranormal story. Julius' story (and any spin-offs/sequels) was supposed be my only foray into the world of YA Contemporary stories. I am supposed to be a SciFi/Horror/Paranormal/Thriller/Fantasy type writer. Hell, just look at my bookshelves. 99% of the books on there are SciFi, Fantasy, or Paranormal. My kindle is the same way.

So why?! Why is my brain wanting to write this story?!

I would blame Jennifer and Trisha, but they are both really sweet and nice people. I'll blame the universe. It's to blame for everything.

I'm actually a little frustrated by this story idea. Not because it isn't good or that I can't pull it off, it just isn't what I imagined myself writing.

This isn't the first time my preferences were trumped by what I was creating.

When I was in college, I studied music. Specifically, music theory. At one point I was taking composition classes. I had grand ideas (as are all college students). I loved the classic masters (Bach, Beethoven, Wagner, Mozart, Mendelssohn, etc.). I wanted to write in that style. It was the music I loved to listen to (and still do). Unfortunately the one piece of music I wrote that actually sounded good, did not mimic these masters' styles. In fact, it sounded like Aaron Coplan.

I'm not a big fan of Aaron Coplan. It's not that I don't like his music, it just isn't what I reach for when I'm in the mood for some classical music. It sounds too American. Cowboys and Beef commercials (his song Rodeo was used in commercials for several years).

My piano piece, River Fanfare, is a fun piece. It's fast, sounds awesome, but it also doesn't sound like Beethoven. A part of me hated it. Not the music, but the fact that I couldn't write the music I wanted. It's probably part of the reason I have a degree in Music Theory and not Composition.

This new YA story is the same thing. It isn't what I envision myself writing. There's a part of me that hates the idea of it. Rails against the concept, even.

However, I also know that I can't force myself to write something. I have to let it exist. I can't become bitter and angry about what is coming out of my head. Writing this story doesn't mean I've failed, it just means that's what is coming out. So yes, I will write this story. I don't know if it will trump the NA or what, but I do have a lot of ideas for it. Names, places, events, actions, consequences, mistakes, redemption.

Yeah, it's a loud one.

'Till Next Time.

14 comments:

  1. I'm so glad you joined us this week! For me it's usually the characters that derail my intended story. They take things into their own grabby hands, shout perverse backstories at me, and generally run amuck. Most of the time I follow where they go, just in case it's a more interesting destination than the one I had in mind. Good luck with your loudmouth plot-gorilla-posing-as-a-plot-bunny.

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    1. Thanks. In this case it's a completely different story with different characters. Oh and it's another contemp. I WANNA WRITE SCIFI DAMMIT!

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  2. The premise sounds very intriguing. I say go for it. :D

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    1. Thanks. I have a lot of stuff already worked out in my head. It's just a matter of writing it down and starting. :D

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  3. I write fantasy--except right now I'm working on a contemporary suspense novel which was inspired by a youtube I watched. It's not a genre I read either. But, I'm having a hell of a bunch of fun writing it and I think it may be one of the most salable things I've ever written.

    The thing about writing is that you can tinker with something and set it aside or dash forward. Stories can change. Have fun with it.

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    1. :D Thanks. I'm just annoyed with my muse. I'm sure we'll kiss and make up soon. We always do. :D I know that right now, I'm writing contemporary stories and that's ok. It just isn't the genre I'm really passionate about, but still. This new story will be awesome.

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  4. If I were writing the genre I read the most of, I would be writing a lot more straight historical romance.

    *hugs* And I know the feeling you mention, about not writing what you picture yourself writing, at least a little bit. I'm a fantasy writer, so why is the MS I have closest to being ready to query a picture book? IT MAKES NO SENSE.

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    1. LOL. Stephen King says that we write what our brain decides to write. :D And seriously? A picture book? Cool! I have a couple of those. :D

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  5. I get sidetracked like this a lot with my writing too. I've even joked with myself that I should just write a dozen or so opening chapters of all the books that would be fun to write and put them together in an anthology or something. How very cool you compose music (even if it's not Beethoven). I am duly impressed.

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    1. Thanks! Generally I can keep the stories from interfering with each other. This time I wasn't really writing, so it just happened.

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  6. “All the effort in the world won't matter if you're not inspired.” - Chuck Palahniuk, Diary

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  7. Ah, yes. The muse, she is a fickle mistress.

    Good luck with this! In my experience, if plot bunnies aren't fed, they morph into plot velociraptors. Follow your bunny down the rabbit hole, my friend...

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    1. Oh yes, the plot Velociraptor. Truly vicious creatures.

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