I had kind of a breakthrough. I'm not sure I should jinx it though. I started all these different things and they had similar scenarios. I'd get the first scene written and think of something else. In fact, when I re-read them, I had used some of the same names. I decided that they were all pieces of one story, which means some names will be changed. I put them all in one document and started writing the beginning. Now I have 22,000 words.
Today I thought about what was working and what wasn't, and I'm ready to make changes and add more. I try to write a whole scene - dialogue first then I go back and add stage directions and stuff. The next day I read it all and if it sounds stupid or repetitive, or doesn't make sense, I do rewrites. It takes a while. I stop when I don't quite know how to make the transition to the next bit of information. That next bit will come to me the next day when I'm working out. I don't know how it does that. I think my mind relaxes or something. I almost see it in a waking dream. It tells me what to say and do, and what it all looks like visually.
I almost feel like the story was there all along. I did what made sense - I couldn't build another non-consent BDSM world without referencing Cinderella Club a little. I am looking at one character in particular who had a spot on the periphery of CC, and now I have her story - sort of, and a number of others that can take place in the same location.
I don't want to share any of it yet because every time I share in real life, someone either copies me or tries to change the idea somehow - they want to be part of my process, which I thoroughly hate. This story feels like I had written it before, in another dimension, if there is such a thing. I would like that to be true because I would like to believe that somewhere else there is a Mia Natasha with a slightly different story. Maybe a better one.
I also hate when people say "Life's too short" and "You only live once". Life is not that short. Sometimes it feels like an eternity. An animal's life is short. I look at my cat and I wonder what it will be like when we have to cross that bridge. My cat represents a specific chunk of my life, like the Mayan Calendar. When my cat is gone it will be an ending. I will reflect on the time we had together as our dynasty or whatever, and assess my success during that period. Have I made any leaps in this time? What the fuck am I doing? I don't really want to think about that.
When I'm writing, I am so into it - as though it's the greatest thing ever written - unique, original, refreshing.... I get high from it. Not manic, just - happy. Content that I am creating and I have the confidence to do it.
JK Rowling had good reviews on her pen named book but sold only a few copies. So what did they do? They totally told. I don't buy that it was uncovered by other sources. I think it was leaked to the media. What if I said that I am really Jo? Of course, no one would believe that, because we sound nothing alike. Too bad. Because I have good reviews too. It's never enough. You can fool yourself that it is, but it isn't.
I sent paperbacks to specific people hoping for the kind of media attention that is bigger than a random blog. But nothing yet. No responses. Does anyone read blogs? I know there are a few of you who read this even though you don't comment (Hi, Kelly). I know I'm not talking to myself because if I were, well, that's a sad face emoticon, which I would post if I knew how.
When I re-read old diaries, I feel like it's a different person but I love that person. That sounds about as narcissistic as they come, but I do. I do love myself. I am strong and courageous, organized and focused, (and I have a pretty fucking great ass). I love the idea of finding my younger self (in a time-travel) and sitting her down to tell her that she won't change very much. And that is perfectly okay. (But oh my god, she's going to love my hair!) I'm trying to think of a specific point in time that I would change that could change the trajectory of my life. But I'm not sure I would change anything. I keep wanting to go back to the night I first slept with The One so I can keep my clothes on and leave. Would he have pursued me? I doubt it. Actually, I know he wouldn't. I was always going to be just sex.
Would I go back to high school and go slutty? Fuck someone? No. Because I always wanted the relationship to be adult. I never thought and still don't, that kids who live under their parents roof should be having sex. I hate it because they are living children's lives but playing adult games and they are just not emotionally ready. College students are the same way, let's be honest. Dorm fucking seems to lead to marriage without even actually having dates, which is so fucked up. I know women who had never even purchased sexy lingerie or stillettos because their relationships happened in sweatshirts and sweatpants, and one ratty bra that they washed on Sundays!
Which reminds me of the bondage pictures I see that people post on Twitter - the homemade ones where the girl is roped up and in the background you see dirty laundry in baskets littering the floor, photographs of family on the wall instead of art (not placed there aesthetically either), and cheezy matchy-matchy furniture sets that would make the Architectural Digest editor's head spin while puking pea soup, and it's supposed to be sexy. Is that sexy to you?
These days there are a gazillion twenty somethings living with their boyfriends on their parents' dime. Apartments in big cities and jobs that can't pay for them. And they are playing house. To me that's not sexy either.
The men in my new book all own their own places except for one. It's preferable for them to be in some way independently wealthy so they don't have to work in order for their Dom/sub relationship to be 24/7. One will work from home... I have it all planned. It's actually much easier to make them all have dead parents so you don't have to deal with them but I won't do that. I think having the parents in there in small doses grounds the story because you see how the parents see the person and it's always different than the way they see themselves. Like some people are complete fuck ups at work but their parents praise them galore! Others work their asses off and their parents think they don't work hard enough. I may have said this before in another post, but I love when each character in a show has their "problem". In Star Trek the Next Generation, no one has the kid they want. Warf's kid is like a Ghandi instead of a this-is-a-good-day-to-die warrior. Wesley Crusher makes all sorts of stupid mistakes and gets emotional while his mother the doctor is calm under pressure, Jon-Luc had a son in one episode- not sure if he really was or he thought he was, but the guy did not want to follow rules. In Beverly Hills 90210, every single character had a substance abuse problem or some other "issue". Donna got drunk at prom, Kelly did coke, David was taking pills to stay up late to do that radio show....
Anyhow, there will be a huge cast of players in my new story. I will challenge myself to write scenes with lots of people in them to balance the one-on-one scenes that can get repetitive. Even so, people want the one-on-one relationships.
The other thing about that book from my previous post (On my own blog - http://mianatasha-erotica.blogspot.com/2013/07/thickening-plot.html) that I'd read for "research" : the guy basically had no friends. In the next book, which is so short because there is no plot, they go out with her friends and all he wants to do is take her home to fuck her. The point of going out is to dress up, to be alluring while you are out in public showing off how much your man likes you, showing him to anyone - look at this sexy fucker, everyone - he's going home w/ me. Then you think about it, anticipate it and when the fucking commences, the hot liquid magma becomes full blown lava.
In real life, guys have tons of friends because they just hang out without the deep emotional stuff. They like each other. And that's the final piece to my puzzle today. The men in my story will bond. I'm aiming for epic - but if it is that in my mind only...then I really am JK Rowling. And you will buy the book. Should I have put that in caps?
Today I thought about what was working and what wasn't, and I'm ready to make changes and add more. I try to write a whole scene - dialogue first then I go back and add stage directions and stuff. The next day I read it all and if it sounds stupid or repetitive, or doesn't make sense, I do rewrites. It takes a while. I stop when I don't quite know how to make the transition to the next bit of information. That next bit will come to me the next day when I'm working out. I don't know how it does that. I think my mind relaxes or something. I almost see it in a waking dream. It tells me what to say and do, and what it all looks like visually.
I almost feel like the story was there all along. I did what made sense - I couldn't build another non-consent BDSM world without referencing Cinderella Club a little. I am looking at one character in particular who had a spot on the periphery of CC, and now I have her story - sort of, and a number of others that can take place in the same location.
I don't want to share any of it yet because every time I share in real life, someone either copies me or tries to change the idea somehow - they want to be part of my process, which I thoroughly hate. This story feels like I had written it before, in another dimension, if there is such a thing. I would like that to be true because I would like to believe that somewhere else there is a Mia Natasha with a slightly different story. Maybe a better one.
I also hate when people say "Life's too short" and "You only live once". Life is not that short. Sometimes it feels like an eternity. An animal's life is short. I look at my cat and I wonder what it will be like when we have to cross that bridge. My cat represents a specific chunk of my life, like the Mayan Calendar. When my cat is gone it will be an ending. I will reflect on the time we had together as our dynasty or whatever, and assess my success during that period. Have I made any leaps in this time? What the fuck am I doing? I don't really want to think about that.
When I'm writing, I am so into it - as though it's the greatest thing ever written - unique, original, refreshing.... I get high from it. Not manic, just - happy. Content that I am creating and I have the confidence to do it.
JK Rowling had good reviews on her pen named book but sold only a few copies. So what did they do? They totally told. I don't buy that it was uncovered by other sources. I think it was leaked to the media. What if I said that I am really Jo? Of course, no one would believe that, because we sound nothing alike. Too bad. Because I have good reviews too. It's never enough. You can fool yourself that it is, but it isn't.
I sent paperbacks to specific people hoping for the kind of media attention that is bigger than a random blog. But nothing yet. No responses. Does anyone read blogs? I know there are a few of you who read this even though you don't comment (Hi, Kelly). I know I'm not talking to myself because if I were, well, that's a sad face emoticon, which I would post if I knew how.
When I re-read old diaries, I feel like it's a different person but I love that person. That sounds about as narcissistic as they come, but I do. I do love myself. I am strong and courageous, organized and focused, (and I have a pretty fucking great ass). I love the idea of finding my younger self (in a time-travel) and sitting her down to tell her that she won't change very much. And that is perfectly okay. (But oh my god, she's going to love my hair!) I'm trying to think of a specific point in time that I would change that could change the trajectory of my life. But I'm not sure I would change anything. I keep wanting to go back to the night I first slept with The One so I can keep my clothes on and leave. Would he have pursued me? I doubt it. Actually, I know he wouldn't. I was always going to be just sex.
Would I go back to high school and go slutty? Fuck someone? No. Because I always wanted the relationship to be adult. I never thought and still don't, that kids who live under their parents roof should be having sex. I hate it because they are living children's lives but playing adult games and they are just not emotionally ready. College students are the same way, let's be honest. Dorm fucking seems to lead to marriage without even actually having dates, which is so fucked up. I know women who had never even purchased sexy lingerie or stillettos because their relationships happened in sweatshirts and sweatpants, and one ratty bra that they washed on Sundays!
Which reminds me of the bondage pictures I see that people post on Twitter - the homemade ones where the girl is roped up and in the background you see dirty laundry in baskets littering the floor, photographs of family on the wall instead of art (not placed there aesthetically either), and cheezy matchy-matchy furniture sets that would make the Architectural Digest editor's head spin while puking pea soup, and it's supposed to be sexy. Is that sexy to you?
These days there are a gazillion twenty somethings living with their boyfriends on their parents' dime. Apartments in big cities and jobs that can't pay for them. And they are playing house. To me that's not sexy either.
The men in my new book all own their own places except for one. It's preferable for them to be in some way independently wealthy so they don't have to work in order for their Dom/sub relationship to be 24/7. One will work from home... I have it all planned. It's actually much easier to make them all have dead parents so you don't have to deal with them but I won't do that. I think having the parents in there in small doses grounds the story because you see how the parents see the person and it's always different than the way they see themselves. Like some people are complete fuck ups at work but their parents praise them galore! Others work their asses off and their parents think they don't work hard enough. I may have said this before in another post, but I love when each character in a show has their "problem". In Star Trek the Next Generation, no one has the kid they want. Warf's kid is like a Ghandi instead of a this-is-a-good-day-to-die warrior. Wesley Crusher makes all sorts of stupid mistakes and gets emotional while his mother the doctor is calm under pressure, Jon-Luc had a son in one episode- not sure if he really was or he thought he was, but the guy did not want to follow rules. In Beverly Hills 90210, every single character had a substance abuse problem or some other "issue". Donna got drunk at prom, Kelly did coke, David was taking pills to stay up late to do that radio show....
Anyhow, there will be a huge cast of players in my new story. I will challenge myself to write scenes with lots of people in them to balance the one-on-one scenes that can get repetitive. Even so, people want the one-on-one relationships.
The other thing about that book from my previous post (On my own blog - http://mianatasha-erotica.blogspot.com/2013/07/thickening-plot.html) that I'd read for "research" : the guy basically had no friends. In the next book, which is so short because there is no plot, they go out with her friends and all he wants to do is take her home to fuck her. The point of going out is to dress up, to be alluring while you are out in public showing off how much your man likes you, showing him to anyone - look at this sexy fucker, everyone - he's going home w/ me. Then you think about it, anticipate it and when the fucking commences, the hot liquid magma becomes full blown lava.
In real life, guys have tons of friends because they just hang out without the deep emotional stuff. They like each other. And that's the final piece to my puzzle today. The men in my story will bond. I'm aiming for epic - but if it is that in my mind only...then I really am JK Rowling. And you will buy the book. Should I have put that in caps?
Have you ever mentioned how much you make a month on average from your ebook sales? It's totally fine if you don't want to release those figures, I'm just wondering if you have and I missed it. Like the blog, keep up the good work.
ReplyDeleteWell, Rockit, I like to pretend it is more than it is because if I do that, then maybe it will be someday, and if I don't, then blog readers will probably tell me to take a gaddamned hike and get the hell outta here.
ReplyDeleteI get paid quarterly and it amounts to around $150 a month, sadly. But once people believe I'm really JK Rowling, the sky's the limit, right? I just read another article about her, and the truth about success in publishing is that a team of people are spending shitloads of cash to advertise books. I spend nothing at all, I am not a writer in real life nor did I go to college for literature or English, nor is English my first language, technically, although once I started school I blew off the other so I'm not exactly bilingual either.
Tweeting, blogging here and on One Handed Writers, and on my own blog, plus a little time on Facebook is all I do. Once and a great while I'll get interviewed for a blog or someone will post a good review on Goodreads or Amazon and that keeps me going. And comments like yours do too!
Most of my friends dreamed of having a family when they grew up. I dreamed about being famous. Like I was so sure I would be - not sure why. As a writer, I'm known to more people internationally than I am as an artist and that makes me feel like I am already a success even though the money isn't really there. Here's hoping it will be soon.