Twitter, Writing and Characters

Hello my darlings. It’s been a little while since I’ve posted anything for you on this blog. I wonder, did you miss me?

Today I want to write about three things. Twitter, Writing and Characters. Not sure what they have in common? Be patient and I’ll show you.

Let’s start with Twitter and Writing.

Twitter is my playground. It’s the place I go to blow off steam. The place I go to laugh with friends and be me. Yes, me. What you see on my Twitter is pretty damn close to the me in real life. I’ve got a list of Twitter people I’ve met in real life. Feel free to ask those people if they agree. They will, I’ve no doubt.

It’s been just over two years since I was introduced to Twitter and since then I’ve met and made the most amazing friends. Some of them, I am sad to say, I no longer talk with, but it always seems that there is someone new waiting just around the corner to meet and get to know. Lately, I’ve been getting to know some pretty awesome writers on Twitter. Some of them are published, some not. My friends are a mixed bag, I think, and it’s also a great place for me to play and learn in the writing community. I started writing because of the people I met on Twitter. I don’t think that would have happened otherwise. I’m grateful for that. Some of the amazing writers that have helped me along the way are: @texistential, @writermomof5 and @CrystalPosey.

I want to give a great big Thank You to these three ladies! I love you all dearly and you will always hold a special place in my heart.

There have been several more women and men since then that have helped me and encouraged me, but these three are at the top of the list. They told me I had a voice and encouraged me to keep working on it. I’ll also go as far as to mention three very specific people who I no longer speak to. If you happen to be reading this, you know who you are; all three of you were also very instrumental in encouraging me to write and helped me find my voice, so thank you.

Now, let’s talk about Characters.

I’m not talking about people, well sort of. I’m talking about characters from stories. Before I was writing, and only reading, I came across J.R. Ward and her Black Dagger Brotherhood series. I was, and am, so caught up in this book series and the characters in it, it’s amazing. Anyone that has read and loves this series would agree with me. Hands down, her characters are so developed, its unreal how real they become in your head. She also has an online forum you can sign up for and she’s put the brothers up on there to interact with her fans. I’m signed up on the forum, of course, and although most people love that environment to chat in, I find it a little hard to really interact with people.

Then, along came Twitter.

First, I’ll back up just a bit. This was all before Twitter and I became friends.

See, I had read an interview with J.R. Ward where she talked about her characters, the brothers, being alive and well in her head and how they literally talk to her. I was both shocked and intrigued. I’d never talked to a writer before and I had recently become acquainted with one, so I asked her. She explained, “Yes, characters are alive in writers’ heads and at times they won’t shut up.” I found this awesome! My definition to her at the time and one I still use today is: it’s kind of like Schizophrenia with an outlet, minus all the harmful shit that goes along with that illness. Seriously, can you imagine? I couldn’t then, but I certainly can now. All these voices in your head talking, pretty much constantly, and the only way to quiet them is to write. Write every damn word they’re telling you. How exciting! I think so, anyway. If you’re a writer you would agree, I’m sure.

So, back to Twitter. The writer I mentioned introduced me to Twitter and she informed me there were some writers that had their characters on Twitter too. She had some of her own characters on there as well, which I thought was pretty cool because I had read some of her stories.

Let me clarify this for you a bit. These ‘characters’ I’m talking about are not people who have created a fan-fiction account on Twitter for a character that they love in a book, no. (Nothing against those folks, if that’s what you like to do then go for it.) These are the actual writers of these characters. When I arrived on the Twitter scene I immediately started talking to these characters. The vampires especially, because they were and still are my favorite. I talked with my friends’ characters and I started talking to some other characters I’d met. I also followed and got to know the writers for those characters. What a world I fell into. It was fun and extremely exciting.

I mentioned above that Twitter is my playground, but Twitter can also be a playground for your character too. There are lots of ways to do character development and Twitter is one of them. You can put your character up and see how they react when talking to real people or role playing with other characters. You can utilize how your character acts and reacts for your/their story. It puts the character in real situations and helps them grow. My husband has used it for two of his characters that he has stories written about. The main one right now you can follow is @knox_barrett. I have used it as well, though those characters are quietly hiding in the back of my head for now. It’s not time for their story, yet. Soon, I hope.

What I figured out, with all this character play on Twitter I was engaging in, was that I had a knack for character development. Most characters respond to me and I am not sure why that is, nor do I really care. I just know that it’s an awesome thing to help a fellow writer bring a character to life. And, besides that, it’s fun as hell!

I’ll quickly tell you about my favorite. Have you met @CrookedFang? If you haven’t, then you should. He’s written by @texistential, one of the amazing women I listed above. Let me tell you about Xan. (CrookedFang) We’ve been friends for almost two years now. Yes, friends. He’s a character in one of @texistential’s stories and he is fictional, but he’s alive and well on paper and in Carrie’s mind. He’s very strong and developed as well as a ton of fun to tweet with.

Xan was the first character that really responded to me. What I mean by that was he was a whole lot quieter before I hit the scene and started bugging him. And now, quiet and Xan don’t belong in the same sentence together. It surprised both Carrie and I how he responded to me and neither one of us really know why. I’m not sure we need to know why. I just know that he sort of…came alive as we became friends and because of that we continue our little Twitter relationship. I certainly can’t and won’t take all the credit for Xan’s blossoming, because there is of course, his brilliant writer! Without her, he wouldn’t be here, obviously. She’s been writing stories about him for over ten years, but I sure have a part in who he is now. That, my friends, is priceless! Also, it makes @CrystalPosey giggle when we play. That woman is so full of wonderful that I’d do just about anything to make her giggle!

So, I hope that what I’ve written gives you a different view into the mind of a writer and the characters that exist there. If you’re a writer, I hope I helped encourage you to bring your characters to Twitter. I’d love to interact with them.
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Love to you all.
Wookies Girl

P.S. You can also find CrookedFang on Facebook.

Queen Bitch!

Hello, my Lovelies.

I know it’s been a little while since I’ve posted anything. I think it’s finally time don’t you?

Today I want to talk to you about me. (There’s a surprise, huh?)

I’ve labeled myself a Bitch. Honestly, others have labeled me that, as well. At one time it was a joke on Twitter.

I love to be right and I usually am, *grin* not really- so, I started calling myself the “Queen of Rightdom in the Land of Who Knows Where.”

Over the years, I’ve been called a Bitch, many times. Here are some examples: Bitch, cold hearted Bitch, narcissistic Bitch, selfish Bitch, sarcastic Bitch, ungrateful Bitch…the list goes on and on.

Because of all of that, I’ve just decided to take my throne and be your Queen Bitch.

I’ve looked up some definitions of the word “bitch.” It was interesting what I found. Here are my favorites:

Dictionary.com says: –noun - Slang . a.) A malicious, unpleasant, selfish person, esp. a woman. b.) a lewd woman.

The online slang dictionary says: a servant, subordinate, or inferior competitor. Often used in the possessive (I thought this one was interesting, but we’ll save for later)

Finally here is the wiki page for Bitch. I’ll let you read that one yourself.

Why am I a Bitch? I am a Bitch because I don’t choose to put up with any shit. It’s a rare thing if I ever do. I’ve had some experiences lately where I tolerated some shit and was quite beside myself over it. But that’s another story for another blog in another time… maybe in the Kingdom of Who Knows Where… who knows?

I don’t really give a shit if you like me or not and I don’t really care what you think about me. It’s none of my business. When I am hurt, I retaliate. I can be quite vindictive, and although I don’t think that behavior is appropriate, it happens. I can also be very passive aggressive when I am hurt or angry. I’m also very selfish and I am not afraid to admit that, either. I am completely vain and I care about how I look. I had my first kid when I was 19 and he ruined my body. You can be damn sure that last year when I got a really nice bonus check from work I had some “mommy repair surgery.” I’m proud of my body, my breasts, and how I look and I am not afraid to show that off. I am a total attention whore. I guess that falls in line with the Dictionary.com definition and I don’t disagree. I can be and have been all of those things.

But, did you know there are different levels of Bitch? In fact there are some Bitches that I would never keep company with. I may be vindictive, selfish and passive aggressive like I mentioned but there are lines that are very important to observe and keep track of.
For example, I would never malign someone publicly or try and discredit them. I may complain to my friends privately but I won’t publicly talk shit about you or anyone else. No matter how right I think I am or how wrong I think you are, that sort of thing will always reflect badly on me. It’s childish and stupid. I would never stick my nose in the business of others where their families are concerned. This kind of underhanded action only does harm. Should I remind you of a little phrase, “mind your own business?” I’ve seen these things countless times on Twitter, unfortunately. May I ask why? Is your life so boring that all you can do is concern yourself with the behavior of someone else? Good lord, people, just live and let live.

For me, I’ve got enough on my own plate to concern myself with rather then focusing on what someone else is doing or not doing. Because of that, I’ll cast my stones in my own back yard and save my vindictive, passive-aggressive behavior for one on one.

Here is something else you should know about me.

In regards to the narcissistic or self absorbed Bitch labels I’ve been given… If you saw me in the morning or anytime with no makeup you would never say “WOW, you are gorgeous.” Because, I am not. I KNOW that I am not beautiful or gorgeous in that “naturally” pretty sort of way. My husband thinks I am and says so, but that doesn’t really count. It’s like a requirement or something when married.

I’m really quite average in the looks department. I have to work for it, work at it, or whatever you want to call it. Like many people, I was teased in grade school and high school. I was too skinny and a late bloomer. The pictures you all see me post on Twitter or my blogs are carefully chosen. The makeup has to be complete, the hair done. The bags under my eyes can’t be too obvious or you will NEVER SEE the pictures. You may tell me based on looking at my pictures that you think I am pretty or you think I am beautiful, even, and yeah that’s great… thanks for that. But my face or my body is not what makes me pretty or beautiful. It’s my personality.

Yup, you guessed it! My Queen Bitch personality.

I’ve known, and do know many, many beautiful women. Many you see first thing in the morning and they are just naturally pretty, or they just came from the gym, hair is a mess and they still look good, gorgeous even, but when they start talking? Oh hell…forget it.
It takes more than a pretty face or a nice rack to be real. It takes more than a giggle and a flip of the hair to hold my interest.

I know many women who I believe are gorgeous. Maybe you wouldn’t agree and maybe you would. They are aesthetically pretty or average, yes, but that’s not all there is. They have an edge, an attitude that makes them come alive before your eyes. They are usually Bitches, too. These women are my favorite to hang and be real with. I’m happy to call them my friends.

When you are on the average side of pretty, and even if you have a nice body, then you still have to work at it. You have to learn to rely on your assets and that boils down to personality. This applies to men too.

People who have met me in person will tell you I am no different then when they only knew me on the web. Those same people will tell you that I am sweet, that I have a big heart, and that I care about people.

I can say, more or less, that yes, all of that is true. I’m loving. I’m caring. I genuinely will be there for you if you ever need someone to talk to or to lean on. I am also very loyal, to a fault. But I am a bitch too, a ruthless one at times.

Here are some of my favorite Bitches that I am proud to call friends. I love these women. They are REAL! They are gorgeous in my eyes, and it’s their personalities that make that so.

Welcome to my Bitch list, ladies!

@divine_pk This gem goes at the top of this list. This woman is so smart and funny. Let’s not even get into how talented she is, and completely gorgeous, inside and out. I talk to her every day, and recently spent the weekend in her home. She understands me like no other. Much love and respect to you, Paula. My favorite Bitch!

@CarrieClevenger OMG this woman has been a friend to me pretty much since I hit the stream of Twitter. She is grumpy, snarky, cynical, intelligent and TOTALLY AWESOME!! I love ever single part of her. She is one of the few people that encouraged me to write. I think she is very beautiful. I’ve no doubt she’ll be a friend for life. It was amazing to be able to spend time with her in person this past summer. She’s been recently published, too. So congrats, my friend, you’ve totally earned it! You can find the books here.

@fanyberg What a doll! Complete sweetheart. She is kind and loving, soft and so talented. She’s “Real,” and that makes her beautiful to me. We’ve met in person the end of July, too. She’s learned recently how to let her inner Bitch out! So proud of you darlin’. Love you.

@julianna12369 This woman is amazing. We’ve talked on twitter for a while, now, and we have some things in common. Just last night, out of the blue, we started talking in DM, and that led to chatting in yahoo. HELL, we have a LOT in common, and because of that she officially made my beautiful Bitch list. Love you girl, and I look forward to meeting in person and racing side by side down the freeway in our matching Beemers very soon!

@mistalicious Oh where to start with this woman? So sweet, completely adorable! Strong, and full of personality and wit! She had a mutual friend come to me and ask me to follow her back. I thought that was AWESOME! One of my Bitches, for sure, and we’ve met in person. Love you, my sweetie!

@shimmer418 Another amazing, beautiful woman. She’s one of the #boobiewednesday founders. We’ve started talking on the phone recently and I’ve been helping her out on the side with that cause. It takes a strong talented smart Bitch to embark on that campaign. Talk about the definition of “lewd” listed above; what’s more lewd then flaunting your bare chest and or cleavage every week or day even on the web right? Well let me tell you. It’s not lewd at all! It’s a way to bring attention to a very worthy cause. This woman has a heart of gold! Go visit her site: http://boobiewednesday.com/

@CtKscribe I don’t even know where to begin with this woman. She is simply AMAZING. She is loud and proud and so outspoken she’s become one of my idols. She is an awesome writer and funny as hell. Yes, she is gorgeous, too, but like the other women it’s her personality that makes her gorgeous to me. She is one awesome Bitch!

@redheadwriting I’ve met this woman in person, as well. We had lunch together. We connected. Why? You guessed it, she’s a Bitch. Just like me. Again, she is gorgeous, talented, funny and sarcastic. So strong in her heart and soul! She’s an amazing writer and she is also one of my idols. I would stand by her side anytime.

There are so many other women I could tell you about that make my Bitch list. If I listed them all, this blog would go on forever.

So what is my point? I guess it’s to say that I am a Bitch, and I am beyond okay with it.

I believe that the Bitch side of my personality is awesome, and there are those that absolutely LOVE that side of me. I embrace it. There are many things that make up being a Bitch. Some are not appealing to people and some are. I personally would rather be friends with a Bitch then someone who is cotton candy sweet with no depth.
If you’re a Bitch like me then you should embrace it!

Loving, caring, intelligent, funny, mean, nasty, sarcastic, and yes, sometimes lewd.

All of that works for me.

Much love to you all, and mostly, MUCH love to my Bitches!

Your Queen Bitch,
Wookiesgirl

P.S. Here is a video I made today of my brother explaining one of the reasons he thinks I’m a bitch, which I think is hilarious.

P.S.S I've added this awesome site I found online http://www.bitchware.net/ Check it out!

My Best Advice, as a New Writer to…New Writers

The following is a post written for Peevish Penman's: My Best Advice for New Writers blogfest

I had the privilege of attending RomCon this past weekend in Denver Colorado. It’s a Romance book genre conference meant for readers; what I noticed, though, is that among many of those readers, I found writers of all kinds. Some were bloggers, some reviewers and yes, most importantly, some aspiring romance writers. Since I had been asked to participate in this blog, I grabbed the opportunity before me, while at RomCon, to ask some published authors what was the best advice they had been given when they, themselves, were aspiring writers.

All of them answered my question quite graciously. “Keep going! Don’t stop because you never know which book it is that will get you published,” or, “Join a local chapter of writer’s groups,” and, “Don’t keep polishing. Move onto the next story.”

These authors had retained this valuable advice, and it’s what they now pass on to those seeking their wisdom and wanting to learn the craft.

I’m a new writer, and by new, I mean I didn’t start writing until August 2009. I have been told many of the same things I listed above, most frequently, “Don’t give up! Keep writing!” and “Show your stuff to people that will give you honest feedback and help you grow.” That being said, it can be scary to put yourself out there. It can be hard to not take the feedback or criticism personally. There will be people who may, at times, come across as being harsh, so it’s important that you find people who are willing to teach you and share what they have learned. The criticism must be constructive or it will do you no good. I have some wonderful and patient writer friends who are not afraid to tell me the truth and to push me. They are also willing to teach me. A big thank you to them!

My biggest struggle as a new writer has been trying to get the visions of the story in my head translated into actual words on the page. I’m finally beginning to string some words together. In the meantime, I’ve written a lot of poetry. The poetry has allowed me to experiment with different words and different ways of expressing my thoughts. This has helped me immensely. However, because I was writing only poems until recently, I didn’t even dare refer to myself as a writer.

This is not to say that I think other writers of poetry are not “real” writers. I truly believe they are. This is my own crazy thinking and only pertains to me, because what I want to do is write fiction. Never mind the fact that this writing thing happened for me out of nowhere.

Me? Seriously? A writer? *gasp*

I’ve had the hardest time calling myself a writer. I was recently speaking with a friend about the short story I had just written. He said, “Do you believe you are a writer now?” Again, my answer was no. Of course, he lectured me.

Here’s the thing: now that I have finally written and finished my first fictional short story, my thoughts have changed. I don’t want to be just a writer. I want to be a good writer! And, I suppose, in my magic mind, until I consider myself a good writer, I will have trouble calling myself one.

On that note, I really don’t think I have any business giving advice to anyone, considering the fact that I am a beginner.

I will say, as it’s been said to me, “If you write, then you are a writer!”

And please, don’t give up before your miracle happens!

WookiesGirl