020111 Courtney Meets the Lexicon 66

I have been writing this entry for the past couple of days. Thinking about how I was going to fit all I wanted to say in a single post. Today I decided that I would split it up.

So, in this entry I am introducing a series about the Lexicon. Broken down in the style of the book itself.

I.Premise

II.Theme

III.Voice

IV.Plot

V.Character

VI.Style

This series will be spanning more than six entries and I will be updating on the writing process, and life and how it relates to writing and to my story. However, this entry is mostly about how this whole idea started. So... How did it start?

I guess, yesterday, when I printed out my story so that I could edit it as I had been feeling lost. Something wasn't feeling authentic.

authenticity (also, when your story rings true), the quality of being realistic. An

authentic story is one in which believable characters act and respond realistically

totheir circumstances. It's a story whose theme generally captures a feeling most

of your audience would call "true."

EXAMPLE: Although this is science fiction, it lacks authenticity. Your readers will

wonder why the main character ignores his mentor for so long--something about

his willful ignorance doesn't ring true.

I had decided to add a snow storm to overcome a creditability bump.

credibility bump, something unbelievable that jars the reader.

The very absence of the storm was hindering my writing. But I have been inspired lately. So very inspired! The Lexicon, for one, has really helped me hone in my writing and understand why some things felt bumpy. It has helped me look at the manuscript with a more critical eye.

A lot of what I have read about comes naturally, but I have had many struggles to. And now that I understand them better, I feel I can fix them.

When I feel there is more structure to the story I will begin again to add to the plot. I have a disadvantage as I haven't taken a writing class since I was seventeen years old. Though, I feel more well versed in how to write fiction now than I ever did before. Or maybe I just can't remember. Which is very likely.

The other reason I have been feeling so inspired is because I started aerial dance classes. I am studying silks and trapeze. I started this class because I want to add this to my resume. Wherever we live be it Miami, Barcelona, or somewhere I wouldn't predict like Buenos Aires, I can get regular work with belly dance, and aerial, and gogo dancing if it doesn't get in the way of being supportive of my husband as there is a time conflict his job. Also I want to seriously challenge my body. I regularly challenge my body with dance but I haven't taken on a feat like this since I was a teenager. I want to be physical. I want to be strong and have more power over these muscles and bones! Maybe Angela has inspired this in me, maybe this part of Angela is an extension of me. Most likely its a little of both. Above all this has helped me understand what it would feel like to be in Angela's body. To know what type of pain she could handle, and without realizing it, I was foreshadowing coming events when I decided she would be an acrobatic .