Transform

I jumped on the bandwagon a few years ago with my friends Connie and Jayne and began choosing one word that would represent what I was hoping to accomplish in the new year. This year I'm all about action, so a nice strong verb was a must. Also, those of you who know me well, know that I love to learn new things, try various genres of hobbies and activities, and then commit myself to one – I mean really get into the juice of it – whatever “it” is. I “re-make” myself as I delve into the learning process. So, 2012 is my year to transform. I desperately need to see a change in me. I'm yearning to get back to goals I set way back in college but never finished. I hope to transform into a writer whose committed to her craft. This transformation will be a slow process, this I can already tell. But I'm convinced there is a butterfly waiting to spread her wings – she's in there somewhere. "Just like the butterfly, I too will awaken in my own time." Deborah Chaskin

I needed a butterfly photo here! A snapshot I took of my mom's flowers on Thanksgiving day will have to do. :-)

So here we are in 2012 and I have a manuscript to write. A few weeks ago, I nearly ran a stoplight as I was deep in thought about this story that I needed to tell. It occurred to me that I had better get it written down so I wouldn't forget anything, and so I could stop replaying it over and over in my head and run the risk of causing bodily harm to myself. In my trusty journal (yes, I still do pen and paper for some things), I started listing key plot points, inciting incident, climax, etc.. Now I'm in the middle of developing my characters. My protagonist I'm fairly pleased with at this point, my antagonist(s) need some work. They are not quite “evil" enough yet. I still need to get to know all my characters a bit better though before I'm comfortable plowing forward. I've also gone back and forth with which point-of-view I want to write in and I think I've settled on third person – limited. The story told through the eyes of my protagonist, without having to use her voice (first person). All this sounds so complicated, but it is moving me along and I'm really starting to get excited about my “B. I. C.” time. B.I.C.?? Butt in chair – just sit there and WRITE! Happy new year and happy writing....