Non-Linear writing... and it's possible effects

I write linearly. That's just how I think. Very rarely will I skip ahead, but even then it's only a scene that I'm not sure how to write even though I'm pretty sure what will be revealed in it.

But I'm reading a book right now by a popular crime writer and I just keep getting the feeling that this author either doesn't write linearly and/ or didn't reread the work carefully. There are at least three scenes in less than five chapters were characters have similarly worded conversations. As if the author forgot that these characters already discussed these things. Okay, I can let that go-- in real life, people do say the same things more than once.

But then there's two sets of scenes that just seem out of sequence. In an early chapter, a peripheral character is introduced only in the barest way. No name, just what she has done for a major character. Then, a couple chapters later, this character has a scene in which it's explained what she does. I *really* think the second scene would be better coming first.

Partly, my preference is to have the explanation soon, especially if it's just something that occurs a couple times in the book. (In the book I'm reading, the peripheral character appears twice, and never even on page, just in reference.) If you're going to expalin who someone is, then do so the first time. NOt only that, in the book I'm reading, the second scene really seems like a nice get-to-know-the-characters scene.

There are several other examples, where the book just feels like chapters and scenes were moved around. It's not horrible, but it does feel like something's a little off with the book.

And maybe I wouldn't notice it so much if I didn't use this particular book in class, where I read it several times and even twice in a day.

I know, as a writer, I've forgotten things. Forgotten that I've alreayd used that opening or scene somewhere. Usually, though, if it feels a little familiar, I go and check.

Maybe the author of the book I'm reading did read it through. Maybe he was fine with the slightly disjointed effect. Maybe he liked the repeated scenes, since they were a little different. I don't know. Of course, the author the book I'm reading has had more books published than I have years of life... while I have some 50 short stories and an unpublished novel.

All I know is that as a reader (and re-reader) it bothers me just a bit.

My Bad

When this phrase first entered the language, it made me cringe. But, interestingly enough, I no longer cringe. In fact, now that I'm desensitized enough to it's utterance, I've been able to mull it over.

And, I think I kinda like it.

No, really, hear me out. The alternatives would be "my mistake," or "my error." Both are not only longer in syllables, but they are also more complicated in pronunciation. My bad is short, sweet, and easy to say.

My bad also accepts some degree of responsibility for an unfortunate situation. This is something that is so desperately lacking in much of our society. With responsibility taken, even if it's not specific what was done badly, some sort of apology is either implied or can easily be added.

I can accept the fluidity of language. While bad has long been an adjective, I can see it's use as a noun. "Bad" as is something bad, a mistake, a misjudgment, an error.

Like party moving from the land of verbs into the land of nouns.

So, I will readily admit that my initial reaction was misguided. I have revised my position on this slang phrase. I accept it and welcome it. And with it, hopefully, more people willing to accept their own role in things that go wrong.

As for "task" being used as a verb, I will likely go to my grave loathing this particular gem of corporate-speak.

The Name's Marlowe

But not Phillip Marlowe. Just Marlowe.

For my birthday, (March 26th), I got a cat. He's not very happy right now.



I don't think he was very impressed with the car ride. And then strange people and places. So, I have a cat... who doesn't want anything to do with anyone at the moment. =P

It has been nine long, long years since I had a cat in my home. When I moved out, my parents still had several cats.

When I was in high school, my lovely cat had kittens. Twice. For a spell there, we had nine cats roaming in and out of the house. I loved it. I'm not so sure my parents did. (Though, I maintain my dad is a closet cat lover. When he thought no one was looking... you might find him with cat on his lap.)

Then, I moved into an apartment. With a deposit and additional fees for cats. So, no cats for us. Later we moved to a rented condo. Landlady said no cats. Fine.

But, now, I have a house. It's my house. Not only can I put all the nail holes in the wall that I want, I can also have a cat.

I have named him Marlowe after one of my favorite characters. So far Marlowe the cat is acting like Marlowe the PI... after a head injury. A little disoriented and not sure what hell's going on. While bourbon often helped Marlowe the PI, I don't think it's good for cats. I'll try some tuna.

Wordless Wednesday: No Gate Can Stop Trespasses of the Mind

Saw this someplace, thought I'd give it a try, with my own writerly spin.


What's past that gate?
(I'll come back and post my response in the comments later.)

Fascinating

Maybe you don't know it, but you're fascinating. I am intrigued by you. I don't even have to know you... but I see you. Maybe you're my neighbor. Or a person at the grocery store. You say or do something that catches my interest.

I want to know more about you. But between being shy and loathing when others intrude into my life (yes, I'm aware of the irony) I stay quiet.

But I'm studying you.

In my mind I'm coming up with questions about you. Why are you wearing a 4-20 shirt at a Pokemon trading card tournament? Who are you calling vile names on your phone in the greeting card aisle? What's this trip you're talking about with your less-than-interested-looking companion?

I start answering the questions. Maybe I go beyond that. Maybe I've given you some backstory. And maybe the interaction I've witnessed has sparked another idea. What if that oft-repeated threat of yours, short-blond-haired girl with the purse bigger than your head, what if you followed through on that? Who were you threatening? How did you pull it off? Sorry, but now you're a character. And I'll be writing something about you.

I'd still like to know what's really going on. Insatiable curiosity, you see. But, since I don't have that, I'll make something up. It's probably more interesting anyway. And besides, if I make it up, then I don't have to listen to you talk about stupid choices and other things that make my eyes roll. You'd probably irritate me if I knew you. So this works better, for the both of us.

The more tidbits I get on people's thinkings and mannerisms and habits, the more fodder it is for my writing. The more questions I can come up with new answers for. See, sometimes it's hard to get away from the way I think of things and to get into another person's head. If you give me something new and curious, yours just might be the head I get into.

Don't worry, I don't judge. I just collect. It's all so fascinating.

(Image from Wikimedia Commons)

My Town Monday: Grand River comes back

The US Highways System had uspurped Grand River, putting up US-16 signs along the route from Detroit across the state through Lansing and onwards to the shore of Lake Michigan.

But the US Highways System was really just a series of roads. They weren't any better than the old roads were... they *were* the old roads. With new signs. Put me in a new shirt and I'm not less bitter and cynical.



After World War 2, we see the introduction of the Interstate Highway Act. Now this is a horse of a different color. Interstates would primilary be constructed as limited access highways. These are the expressways or freeways (or just highways) as we know them today. With on ramps, off ramps, and fairly un-impeded traffic from point A to point B.








One of the first limited access highways constructed in Michigan was along the route of Grand River. This stretch of road was named the Brighton-Farmington Expressway. At first, this was just a one-lane by-pass going east to Farmington.

Slowly (I mean, we are talking about M-DOT here!) the Brighton-Farmington Expressway was expanded. It was taken downtown into Detroit. Then extended the other direction to Lansing. Then onwards to Grand Rapis.





Somewhere along the way, as the Brighton-Farmington Expressway was built, it got it's new designation. It became I-96. (I-96 is the only intrastate interstate. It does not exist outside Michigan. Like Faygo and Better Made chips, it's purely a Michigan thing.) With the construction of I-96, the old US-16 designation was retired.

Grand River Avenue got it's name back. I-96 didn't follow the exact route of US-16/ Grand River. While Grand River went through the center of town-- and still does-- I-96 was routed around the towns. It cuts across the farthest edge of Brighton at the time, and even now the city limit is just before the expressway. Development has continued on the other side of the experssway, but it's not the same. It then continues on and passes south of Howell.

I-96, like all Interstates going in, had a nasty habit of cutting through roads that were already in place. Some of those roads got bridges. Others got dead ends. Today, there are still some roads in Livingston County that are clearly bi-sected by the expressway, with Road Ends signs on either side of the 6-lane interstate.

(You can see in this pic I poached from Google Maps that the two roads would be connected if not for I-96)

With the completion of I-96, linking Metro Detroit to the soon-to-be suburbs, there was another population boom in Livngston County. Many of the major subdivisions surrounding both Howell and Brighton were constructed during the 1970s and in the start of the 1980s. It's all them Baby Boomers having their kids and moving out of the city. With the Interstates in place, people could live farther from work.

And Grand River Ave reverted to local control, regaining it's name Grand River. From what I can tell, it may be at this point that Grand River gets the Avenue distinction. Something to do with being the fifth Avenue (along with Woodward, Gratiot, etc in Detroit.) But why Grand River was ever called "Road" out here in the sticks, I may never know. That's the sort of thing that doesn't make into history books. Especially when history books are sparse as they are in a place like Livingston County.

My Town Monday is sponsored by Travis Erwin. Or something like that.

Cheating

This is rather unusual for me: I'm currently working on three separate short stories. I started with one, got stalled, got a great idea for a new story and went to write that one. Usually I'm pretty disciplined about finishing what I started, but this was a REALLY GOOD IDEA! So I chugged a couple thousand words into it... then stalled. [Expletive deleted.]

So, I tried going back to the first story, but was still stuck. I poked it a little, but it remains comatose. I'm not ready to pull the plug on it, but it's not looking to healthy at the moment.

Then, another idea came along that seemed like a real short idea. Just maybe a 2-3k story. So... yeah, I started that one. And got into it. Didn't quite stall, but it's gotten slow. A few dozen words at a time. But then I switched back to WIP #2 and chugged along quite nicely. Yea!

In each story, I ran into trouble at the same place. I set up the conflict, then couldn't figure out how to resolve it. [Several expletives deleted.] This is a continually problem for me. I mop myself into the corner. No, really, I do that with a real mop, too, but I blame the odd configuration of my kitchen/dining/foyer/ laundry room. It's either mop myself into the corner of the laundry room or find some place else to dump the mop bucket.

Anyway, back to writing. Working on several stories at once has been interesting. Most surprising is that my brain has done fairly well at jumping back and forth. Like a successful adulterer, I keep to the story currently being told. I don't know if this will be a new trend or not. In some ways, I'd like it to continue. That way, when I ever get back to Novel #2, I would be able to continue writing short stories, keeping my name out there, keep in the practice of writing shorts, that sort of thing.

Are you a monogamous writer or a polygamous one? I used to be serial monogamist, but this cheating's working out. I'm a playa*. (HA!)


Says the woman who married the first and only man she ever flirted with, let alone dated. ;-)