When I was younger, I was heavily influenced by Stephen King, Edgar Allen Poe, Lord Byron, Dean R. Koontz (“Watchers”), and Clive Barker. “The Haunting of Hill House” was one of my favorite books, along with “A Separate Peace.”
Writers out there … what authors influenced you most? What’s your favorite book by another author?
Finally catching my breath and getting ready to write. I’m getting down everything that I can, filling in the climactic fight. I’ve pictured the fight in my head and have notes that I’ve jotted down throughout the day.
Time to dive right in.
When I was a kid, my father used to often say, “I hate like thunder that …” I knew that that meant, “I really hate that …”
But thunder was a big deal to me. As a child, i was often afraid of the loud storms that would roll over August County, where I grew up. One time, during a particularly bad storm, he took me into his lap and leaned me back against him.
“Don’t worry, honey,” he said. He tried to explain how thunder was just sound. But I didn’t get it. Thunder sounded like something really big and mean. Then he tried again, “Honey, you hear that awfully loud sound?”
I nodded.
“Well, that’s nothin’ to be afraid of. It’s just the water wagon rollin’ through heaven. That old sound, it’s just its big ole wheels turnin’.”
It’s the same story I told each one of my kids when storms have hit here. And just like then, it works every time.
I was having trouble last night with the climax of the book. I posted earlier about maybe having too many action sequences in the very end of the novel. So, i sat down and wrote it out like an outline.
I needed to see it down on paper and also picture it in my head. Doing this helped clear up some of the writer’s … well, editor’s block. And now I’m ready to keep rolling! Time to finish this novel!
Just got up. Saw my eldest off to school. Ready to write. Since I’m editing, I’ve pictured the scene I want to edit today and figured out what I want to work on for the next hour or so. With a clear picture of the scene, I’m ready.
Do you just set down and write? Or do you make a plan? … like the dreaded outline teachers always made us do in school and we vowed we’d never do again?
Not looking for any specific mood to my music playlist for writing today. When all else fails, it’s time for a little 80s music.
Beds are Burning by Midnight Oil
The Final Countdown by Europe
1985 by Bowling for Soup
Wheel in the Sky by Journey
I’m going to start at chapter forty, since the ones before it have already been pretty well polished, I need music to help me push through today, something not specific to any scene, but something that’ll keep me going. I can’t help it. I’m a sucker for the Oldies.
Loco-motion by Little Eva
The Twist by Chubby Checker
Let’s Twist Again by Chubby Checker
Little Red Riding Hood by Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs
Spirit in the Sky by Doctor and the Medics (but it has to be this one)
Keep a Knockin’ by Little Richard
And some CCR for good measure:
Bad Moon Rising by Creedence Clearwater Revival
Travelin’ Band by Creedence Clearwater Revival
It Came Out of the Sky by Creedence Clearwater Revival
Still recovering from the flu, but hanging in there. I’ll be hitting the chicken noodle soup and tea (sweet tea, of course) hard today.
Now that things are written down, it’s time to edit more. Edit, edit, edit. And making things as polished as I possibly can.
Had some really good ideas on little tidbits to add (they would happen at about 3 in the morning, but at least they happened).
The Writing of N.R. Allen 