Val's Blog
“Monster Girl book 2″ is coming soon!
Viki’s getting a sequel!
Something I like to do as a memento for myself is take a picture of the words “The End” and the date on a blank page for whatever first draft I just finished writing. Since I write all my first drafts longhand, those notebooks make great keepsakes of the time I spend with each story. All of my film scripts were written this way, too. As much as I don’t enjoy transcribing, I feel a certain magic that I can’t live without when I touch pen to paper that I don’t get from a keyboard. There’s an interesting experiment with this that I tried recently, and I’ll blog about it soon.
As for the sequel to “Monster Girl“, this has been a tough one to get through. I hit a snag around the middle of the book, and it was tough to keep going, but I was determined to finish the story. However, by the time I got to the resolution, I didn’t like where it had ended up. It wasn’t true to the story and it wasn’t true to Viki. So, after rewriting the last half, I’m happy to say that the first draft of “Monster Girl Book 2″ is finally in the can!
That’s film speak for “the movie has been shot”, and now I’ve got my work cut out for me over the next few weeks as I revise and edit, but I’m excited to see this first BIG step accomplished. It’s always a huge relief when I get that initial telling down in print. I’m a fan of the school of thought that believes there are three drafts, or steps, to telling a story:
1. tell it to yourself (first draft)
2. tell it to your reader (second draft)
3. tell it well (polished final draft)
I don’t know who came up with that, but it’s genius. It also reminds me of filmmaking, as movies are made three times: once in script form, then during the actual production, and then in editing. As I said, it’s a relief to see this first step completed. The first draft, or vomit draft as I like to call it, is always the hardest. Self doubt and all sorts of negative thinking creeps in while writing it. My internal critic can be such a nuisance. So, it’s invigorating to get that first draft completed, and it always lights a fire under me to get to the next step of re-writing so that it can get out into the world!
I’ll be announcing the full title as well as a contest to win an autographed copy soon! Go here to be notified!
And if you haven’t read Viki’s first adventure, it’s available in both paperback and for the Kindle. You can also sample the first chapter FREE.
Thank you for the continued support!
BookEnds: When Characters Come To Life
“Viki” by Victoria Skye Cleveland
I’m starting a new blog series on Verbs & Visuals called “BookEnds”. (Shout out to my friends who helped with the name!) Writing a book takes a lot of blood, sweat, and tears. Or maybe that’s makes a lot of blood, sweat, and tears. Either way, it’s hard work and I’m finding that I have a lot to say about writing endings specifically. The following is a little story about how the ending to “Monster Girl“ changed unexpectedly. Don’t worry, there are NO spoilers.
When it happens, it’s like being inside joy.* Like the high a runner gets (or so I’m told). It’s one of those moments that makes writing fun. And if it ain’t fun, why bother?
What’s this magical feeling I’m talking about? That moment when the character in the story takes on a life of her own – when she starts making her own decisions and demanding things be done her way.
I had a similar experience when writing “Monster Girl” and it caught me by surprise. Even though I do a lot of writing by-the-seat-of-my-pants, I do outline a little bit (mainly key events). Well, I was positive I knew how I wanted “Monster Girl” to end, but Viki, the main character, had other plans. If you’ve read “Monster Girl”, you’ll know that Viki likes to do what Viki likes to do and rarely listens to the grown ups around her. Including me!
I won’t spoil anything for you, but I had Viki walking down a path that was not in her best interest and she told me so. The lesson here is for us writers to listen to our characters. Sometimes, they know better what they want or how they should react than we do. By listening to Viki, the overall message of the book changed to one that not only makes much more sense for Viki’s character, but also one that I am much more proud of. I have my character’s hardheaded determination to thank for it!
I love hearing from you whether it’s about the subjects of my books or blog posts or writing in general! If you haven’t already, I personally invite you to join me on my literary journey. Some big news is coming soon and I’d love to share it with you directly! To start things off, I will send you a short story that I wrote that you can’t get anywhere else! Get it here!
*I recently watched Star Trek Generations again and for some reason that quote by Guinan (Whoopi Goldberg) stood out.
Original “Viki” illustration by Victoria Skye Cleveland.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Thanksgiving is a time to give thanks and appreciation to family, friends, and those in our lives that matter. It’s a time to reflect on the good in our lives and to help those who may not be as fortunate as us. Do you have any Thanksgiving traditions? Mine is simply getting together with family. It doesn’t matter what we do as long as we’re together.
It’s also a great time to warm up under a blanket with a good book! I’m currently reading Stephen King’s “The Shining”. It’s the first time I’ve read the book although I’ve seen the movie numerous times. I’ll let you in on a secret: Even though I LOVE King’s short stories and novellas (and movies), this is the first time I’ve ever read one of his full-length novels. I’m really digging it! King has a way of sucking you into his characters’ lives that makes it difficult to put down. So, what about you? What are you currently reading? Any books you’re looking forward to?
If you’re around your computer this weekend shopping for deals, remember, books make great stocking stuffers! When you buy “Monster Girl” as a paperback for a gift, you get the Kindle version for yourself FREE instantly!
Thank you for your continued support!
Have a safe and happy Thanksgiving! Don’t forget to give your fur babies an extra belly rub or scratch behind the ears!
Top image: Flickr Creative Commons Thanksgiving Dealies by Martin Cathrae
Review: Chain Saw Confidential
Who knew Leatherface was a poet?
When I discovered the book, “Chain Saw Confidential“, I had no idea Gunnar Hansen (Mr. Leatherface himself) was also a writer. Hansen brings a professional yet conversational style to the accounts (both his own and those of actors and crew) of the “Texas Chain Saw Massacre” production.
I really dug this book. There were a few things about the making of the movie that I did not know – little tidbits of info for any aspiring filmmaker – that were quite enlightening. Some of the most interesting stories involved the late Marilyn Burns (aka Sally) and what she went through all in the name of movie making. Hansen describes the rough shooting conditions with an almost nostalgic voice. It’s clear he remembers his part in “Massacre” history fondly. While “Massacre” isn’t my favorite horror film, it definitely leaves a lasting impression with its raw style. If you’re even remotely interested in the movie itself or low budget filmmaking, this is a fun, enjoyable read.
While you’re at it, be sure to check out the all-new 4k transfer for the 40th anniversary of “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” on Blu-ray. I haven’t seen it yet, but I hear it’s gorgeous.
(Note: You’ll notice I did something a little different this week. I plan to start sharing little mini-reviews of things I like such as books, movies, games, etc. Enjoy!)
Verbs & Visuals
You may have noticed a little change around here. After much debate, I’ve decided to rebrand my author website to an idea I originally had – and talked myself out of. Live and learn!
Welcome to the new “Verbs & Visuals”, a place for me to showcase not only my published books but also my filmmaking and photography.
I’ll be adding content from my movies and photos to combine with my book writing soon. It will allow me to branch out and share more of myself and my interests. I’ve been making movies and practicing photography for over 7 years now. I hope you’ll enjoy this redesign as much as I will!
Happy Halloween!
What does Halloween mean to me?
To a horror fan or Monster Kid, Halloween isn’t just a day at the end of October; it’s a month long celebration of our year round love affair with all things spooky. While I enjoy horror movies every day of the year, I ramp it up during October, and I also throw in visits to local haunted attractions and parties with friends.
Halloween got its start as a Celtic holiday when people celebrated their deceased loved ones at harvest, and would dress up in monster costumes to walk among the dead and not scare them away. While I don’t celebrate the holiday in the same fashion, I do appreciate its history. Halloween is a time for fun, and I enjoy keeping the Monster Kid in me alive by dressing up in my favorite monster costume and celebrating with friends and family.
What does Halloween mean to you?
Don’t forget: Today is also the last day to buy “Monster Girl” on sale – it returns to full price tomorrow, November 1st.
Earlier, I posted a list of 31 horror movies as suggestions for what to watch to get into the Halloween spirit. I didn’t get to nearly as many scary movies as I wanted to, but I did a see one new one that I LOVED – “Exists“, directed by Eduardo Sanchez (co-creator of “The Blair Witch Project”). It’s a found footage horror movie, which I’m not a big fan of, but it was well made and very INTENSE!
What did you watch this scary season?
