What have I been upto?

I started to put together a story, and quickly discovered how difficult it is to write a novel.
I then poored my efforts into learning how to write a novel. The internet is wonderful that way. I googled "How to write a novel" and started to read.
I discovered that a great way to know about how to write is by reading... duh!?
I then began my search for great time travel stories - because it is a time travel story that I want to tell. I also discovered that there are about 100 titles that I really need to spend some time reading.
I headed to the library and now I am deep in some great literature. Getting the feel for some of the styles and ways to write a novel.

I am going to spend the next couple months going through some of the books on my list.

I also found a daily log that walks a new author through 100 days (100 pieces of advice) on how to write your first novel. I have begun to create characters that i wish to use in my novel. I am working on an outline (a detailed outline).

And I feel like I am taking the first steps towards putting together a good story.

I know who my audience is going to be and I have direction.

Lets see how this turns out??

back on track

I went to the library and got a book about how to write.
Its not bad. Its giving me ideas and guiding me through the process of developing characters. It also told me a couple good hints when writing a story.
Like not to over use the "he said" and "she said" when writing dialog.

Also, when a person is reading a book they want to read dialog not description.

I am also focusing on my audience... or at least who I would like my audience to be.

I started the first page of the stary today.
I have an outline for my plot. things seem to be coming together.

what happened

This was a good idea...

Man life can sidetrack you when you least expect it.

I am not giving up on this idea.
Its going to take time.

synopsis

Peace and quiet... I love the part of the day when I get the oppotunity to sit and basically be undisturbed. It is really the only time in the day that I have to make any decisions for myself. Not that there is a problem with being busy. I love my job, my wife, my kids and my home that needs so much attention. But after they have all had their share, there is not much left for myself.
I sometimes just sit and think. Othertimes I "veg", or 'zone out in the front of the tube". Today I took the car out and went to get a drink at Starbucks. How nice it is to have a moment to sit. I brought a book, finally time to myself. I choose a comfortable seat by the window. And settle in.

Just as I'm about to open my book, I am aproached by a gentleman who insists on striking up a conversation. I try not to make eye contact and sluff him off. But its not that easy. He really becomes annoying.

"Excuse me, but I am trying to just enjoy a couple moments here with my new book. I don't mean to be rude but I would really appreciate it if you could give me some quiet. thank you" I interject through his meaningless banter. I add a smile and open my book.
The gentleman stands to his feet and seems as though he has understood my need to be left alone. A moment he waits, then glances at his watch. I begin to read the opening sentences of my book and he takes a step towards me. Hovering over me, he stands motionless, as if he is thinking about what to say.
then as rude as a person could be he pulls the book out of my hand and starts, "You are not going to read this book. This book is meaningless, you will gain nothing from it! listen to what I am about to tell you, I hope it will change your life."
as I sit there and stare at him, I am speachless.
He continues, "There are many things that need to be done in the time we have, and reading this waste of time is not one of them. I know exactly what you are thinking... I am not crazy. I am not here to harm you. And no I will not leave you alone until I have said what I came to tell you. I have traveled so long to get here, there are things that need to be corrected."

I think to myself that if this guy touches me one more time I am going to drop him here and now in this coffee shop.

"You are not going to do anything! So stop thinking about how to save yourself from the situation and listen to me tell you how to save yourself from the situation to come."

"What the hell are you talking about?" This guy isn't making any sense. "I'm outta here! Thanks for wasting my time."

"The only person wasting time here is you. this didn't work the last time...why did I think it would change?" Then he walked away mumbling to himself.

I collected my things and headed out to my car, making sure the freak didn't see me go. That was disturbing enough.

When i got in my car I closed my eyes for a moment to compose myself. When I opened them again the man was in the back seat of my car.

"Holy !!" I shouted.

"I need to deliver a message to you if you don't listen to me your life will change drastically."

"Tell me what? What do you want? Whay are you bothering me?"

"You need to listen and listen close... I am you in 3 weeks from now. I need to warn you, and make sure this doesn't happen again... You need to stop what you are doing and get home, right now! I... I... need you to..."
He seemed to be drunk or incapable of saying what he needed to.

Then he colapsed in the back seat. I rushed out of the car screaming that someone help. When people started to ask me what was wrong, I told them that there was a guy passed out in my car. I opened the back door and he was gone.

Here we go

I worte a page yesterday and stopped.
I was trying to start the story from the beginning and work my way through it. But quickly realized I need a guide. Something to keep me on track.

So I am scrapping the "let it develop from beggining to end" theory. And I've decided to continue with another plan. I am going to put together the time line, and the plot (very basic). Then from there I will develop each portion of the story. Kind of like a seed germinating. At first it is just a seed, then it swells and bursts, bit by bit it reaches out and develops into a beautiful plant (or story).

Here we go again...

expanding thoughts

I was thinking about this recently and came up with an interesting idea.

I could tell a story about a character that is stuck in a rut. Life with nowhere to go. Mundane to the max... you get the point. But suddenly, he is taken to another place, and as the story unfolds, he realizes another time, and in the body of another person. But when it happens... there should be another character that it happens to as well. Both characters chase each other though time. One believes that by killing the other they will return to a normal reality. the main character on the other hand is convinced that by completing specific tasks or quests he might make it back or understand better what is going on.

Each story will be random, each of the characters won't know when they are, or who each other is, what sex, what age, nothing. As each part of the story unfolds they find new adventures and have to adapt to their surroundings as well as try and figure out what in the time or space is going on?

I think I'm ready to start putting things together...

Plot ideas

Here is what I'm thinking...

This is a twist on Life on Mars (tv show), Lost (tv show), Quantum leap (tv show), Back to the Future (movie), and The Matrix (movie).

Time travel. Body snatching. Era changes. Interaction between jumps, development with or without resolution. The reactions between characters changes future events.

I would have to have a linear story line before creating the story the way it would be intended to be read.

Would I follow the timeline of a character? Like in 12 monkeys with Bruce Willis? His character was jumping through time, but his friends were crossing paths at different points in their journey. One friend would be dead, and then the next jump the same character would be alive again.

I like this idea. It keeps the reader guessing. And it makes for a read where you don't want to miss a single detail.

I love super heroes as well. So giving some characters abilities might be a cool idea as well.

I think this is going somewhere.

Time...

Time travel is cool.
I always loved movies with time travel in the plot.

I would love to write a story with time travel as an aspect of the story.

My wife is currently reading a romance story about someone who travels through time. falling in love in different eras. Its not really my thing, but one aspect of the story I like is that the character is stuck in the era and believes that she cannot return to the "regular" time period.

I watch the TV show "Lost". Something similar in that show occurred. The characters in the show became stuck 30 years in the past. They didn't know what to do so they just settled in. They never knew if they would ever get back.

I also like the idea that things can change when time travel is thrown in the loop. The show "Lost" is touching on the debate that whatever happened happened... but being the author, I can do whatever I like.

I think I'm going to put something together piece by piece here. Lets see how this unfolds.

Justification

The most interesting blog I ever spent time reading was the blog of an aspiring author. His short stories were so good. I really enjoyed wasting my time on his blog.

My wife has a blog, I really don't understand her obsession with sharing so many personal details with the world. It is very strange to me, this need to post photos and stories about any almost everything.

Since this is my blog I figured that I can do what i wish here. So I've decided that I am going to try and write. Lets see what happens from here.

I'm only going to post when I feel the need to do so. i am not doing this for anyone else but myself.

Time to process some of those ideas...

The Plan

My intention here is to write...

Alot of people say that they want to write. But how many of they just think about writing? I have no formal experience, or training. But I have alot of ideas. The plan here is to record the ideas and maybe actually write something.

Lets see what develops...

new day

Here we go...
test test test
Is this thing on?