Writing Exercise - Mixed Tapes/CD/Playlist

I love music when I write, everything simply flows better with tunes bumping in the background. As a writing exercise, I will ask myself the following question:




"if where to make me a mixed tape/CD/playlist, what would be on it?"




Addie's Playlist 
Calgary - Bon Iver
Dog Days of Summer - Florence & the Machine
Techno Fan - The Wombats
Wishing Well - The Airborne Toxic Event
Shine - Alexi Murdoch
Sabotage - Beastie Boys
Sara - Jefferson Starship
Guido's Song - Nine the Musical
Fast Car - Tracey Chapman
Breathe - Telepopmusik



Whenever I am writing about Addie, I throw her playlist, it is amazing how her character comes to life.

Some of my best playlists have come out of this writing exercise. I'd highly recommend trying it. If you need help, shoot me an e-mail.

1,000,000 words !?!?!!

1,000,000?

Someday.



Someday. I’d like to write, 1 million words in a year or several books, short stories or novels. That is tall order for someone {anyone} who works a full time job and has many other activities {kids, social life etc.} going on outside of work.



I've been working on formulating an obtainable goal for myself. I’ve finally settled on 500k words for a year. I’ve managed to break the goal down into achievable parts –


Plain O’ Logistics

About 41,666 words per month {Not bad considering if I keep on pace with NaNo, I will have 50k worth or words} Or {broken down even further}
1370 words per day.


Do-able.




Other considerations -

Editing – My least favorite task but a necessary evil - decided I will edit as I go. If I am feeling smart, I will take my trusty iPad with me to work and edit on my lunch breaks.


Burn out - is always a risk in anything you set out to do however, I will rise to the occasion and figure out how to beat it and get the mojo back.... I realized it will never be the perfect time to begin. The key is to quit wishing, wanting, procrastinating my time and do something I truly



love.


Amazing what you'll do when you truly love something. You will move heaven, earth and anything in between to do it. Anyone care to join me on this venture? Let me know!




Happy writing!
XO, HRJ

The Tragic Hero

Snape has to be one of my favorite characters of modern literature. He is multi-layered and complex, one moment he is the villain, the next moment he is a saint, he uses his cunningness for survival however it is not solely for himself.

When I am writing, I LOVE for my characters to have depth. I like my villains to invoke a sort of empathy. My heroes to create a sort of rage. In short, I don't want my characters perfect or too idealistic. When the characters are over simply or perfect, I there is a sort of disconnect from the reader.

I am working hard to write a Tragic Hero however I have discovered how incrediabilty difficult it is. I will keep working on it...

Happy writing!

XO,
HRJ