Category: Writing

Equilibrium and camp Nano.

6/13/2012

The really cool thing about attending camp, is getting ahead on episodes of The Equilibrium Saga.  I decided to use this story, instead of a new one, for this month’s camp. Stockpiling, as it were. Which means that I’m finally back on track. :) So keep watch every Wednesday evening (pacific time) for a new installment.

Which gets us to tonight’s announcement for the current episode, Rip Van Winkle Part 2.

In the last episode we left Ashton alone in a hospital room, wondering whether the reality he thought he had lived through, or the one he returned to, was the real one.  Or were they both, somehow?  In either way, he will need to deal with the reality he is in…

Do you like how the story is turning out?  What do you all think? We are still in the very beginning and there’s a lot more to come.  I would love to hear comments and have discussion on it. Either here, or over on my website. Come and ask a question or leave a comment on the forum.

And if you are new to the Equilibrium Saga, and would like to start at the beginning, here is a link to the first episode.

Meetings part 1.
http://www.sianawineland.com/2/post/2012/03/meetings-part-1.html

You can also access the story through the page buttons at the top of the screen, just click on Equilibrium.  Instructions for navigating through the story are in the right hand information bar.

Thanks for reading,
Siana.

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Equilibrium Saga Chapter 3

5/24/2012

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Third chapter to the Equilibrium Saga. Rip Van Winkle part 1.

Last week, Ash finally returned home, but to great confusion. If he was home, why was somebody else residing there? And what or who caused him to go unconscious? If that wasn’t hard enough on poor Ashton, he now has more trouble and danger to deal with. But this time, it’s not from the supernatural. Or is it?

So it has been a few weeks since I last announced the weekly release of the Equilibrium web serial on this blog. Life kind of caught us up in its hecticness and took over. I haven’t quite managed to get completely back on track, as you can tell since this is Thursday not Wednesday. Hopefully I’ll manage the proper day next week. :-)

And if you are new to the Equilibrium Saga, and would like to start at the beginning, here is a link to the first episode. Meetings part 1.

http://www.sianawineland.com/2/post/2012/03/meetings-part-1.html

You can also access the story through the page buttons at the top of the screen, just click on Equilibrium. Instructions for navigating through the story are in the right hand information bar on the Equilibrium page.

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Creating Moods and Pictures with Words- Some thoughts on characterization with author M. Pax.

5/21/2012

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Characterization is about painting a picture, about making every word count in our fiction.

Instead of just having a room and a desk, the room and the desk can help illustrate our main character.

He sat down at his desk piled high with assignments. His leg hit the keyboard tray which had just lost another screw. He ripped it off, cracking the plastic.

As opposed to.

He caressed the hand-turned legs of the 19th century mahogany desk, then pulled out the polish and rag from the bottom drawer, wiping over every crevice with care. Checking to make sure the blotter was properly placed, he set his stationary and pen on top. Dear Alice, he began to write.

In each instance, the reader learns a lot about the character and what type of person he is, what his habits are, etc... The same can be done with objects and worlds and clothing. They shouldn’t just sit there doing nothing when they could be doing a whole lot of something.

And I may see a tree that looks like a drooping old man. But is that what my character would see? How would my character describe it?

I took a workshop a few years ago with Elizabeth Lyon and she suggested creating a lexicon for every character to help us create descriptions and sentences filtered through our characters’ sensibilities instead of our own. It’s something I had done most of the time anyway, but it really helped me take characterization to the next level. Our jobs and hobbies give us all a unique vocabulary by which we view the world. By creating a lexicon, we can more clearly paint that view through our character’s thoughts by using words they would use.

What’s your favorite way of creating richer, character-driven prose?

The Backworlds
After the war with Earth, bioengineered humans scatter across the Backworlds. Competition is fierce and pickings are scant. Scant enough that Craze’s father decides to hoard his fortune by destroying his son. Cut off from family and friends, with little money, and even less knowledge of the worlds beyond his own, Craze heads into an uncertain future. Boarding the transport to Elstwhere, he vows to make his father regret this day.

Available as an ebook from: Available from: Amazon / AmazonUK / Smashwords / Feedbooks

Free on Smashwords & Feedbooks. Will be free on Amazon in a few weeks.

Sign up for M. Pax’s newsletter to be notified the moment The Backworlds goes FREE on Amazon, and when it becomes available from other retailers.

About the author:

M. Pax’s inspiration comes from the wilds of Oregon, especially the high desert where she shares her home with two cats and a husband unit. Creative sparks also come from Pine Mountain Observatory where she spends her summers working as a star guide. She writes mostly science fiction and fantasy, but confesses to an obsession with Jane Austen. She blogs at her website, www.mpaxauthor.com and atWistfulNebuae. You’ll find links there to connect on Twitter, Goodread, FB and other sites.

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Midnight (or 2am) Musings.

3/19/2012

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So, last night as I tossed and turned not being able to fall asleep, I came up with a great blog post. Isn’t that just the way of it? I really should have just gotten up and made notes of it at least, because now I’m stuck trying to remember what my super revved up brain had going.

So, there I am not able to sleep, so I plug in my head phones and turn on the latest Rooster Teeth pod cast. Now if you don’t know who Rooster Teeth is, they are the superb makers of the Machinima show, Red verses Blue. Which is totally hilarious, but definitely not toddler safe, so we don’t get to watch it as often as we would like. Or listen to the podcasts.

Well, that was a big mistake.  At least if I wanted to go to sleep. I only got to listen to 20 minutes before I had to turn it off because I was waking up the toddler, who had crawled into my bed, with all my laughing.

So I put on an episode of RVB instead.  Season 9 episode 15, The Sarcophagus. That episode is the most amazing eight minutes of excitement and perfect timing. What they can do I just find awe inspiring. The timing of the scene to the music that was made for it, is breathtaking for me.  It invokes such an emotional, visceral response that I never get tired of watching it.

That is what I ultimately want to accomplish with my writing. With my Valkyries (whom only some of you have met yet).  Really with any story I tell.  My dream is to touch someone like that. To make them feel that intense connection. To have the timing of my words to the music in their heads combine with exquisite, poignant strength. Something they will desire to re-experience.

Then I will feel like I have made it.  I will have succeeded.

If any of you wish to check out Red versus Blue this is where you can find them.
http://roosterteeth.com/archive/?sid=rvb&v=more

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First installment of Equilibrium is up.

3/7/2012

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Come one! Come all! The first installment of The Equilibrium Saga is now posted. I hope you enjoy it :-) Just click that little button that says EQUILIBRIUM up top ^
Thank you for visiting :)

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You can also find the first chapters to Emergence, the first book in the Genesis Chronicles there.

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My name is Siana, but it is pronounced Shawna! Talk to my parents about that one.

Equilibrium and camp Nano.

Equilibrium Saga Chapter 3

Creating Moods and Pictures with Words- Some thoughts on characterization with author M. Pax.

Midnight (or 2am) Musings.

First installment of Equilibrium is up.

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Equilibrium and camp Nano.

Equilibrium Saga Chapter 3

Creating Moods and Pictures with Words- Some thoughts on characterization with author M. Pax.

Midnight (or 2am) Musings.

First installment of Equilibrium is up.

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