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Posted in Description

Painted Words

Posted on by L. M. Montes

When I was in the U.S. Navy Reserves back in 2005, I did my annual training on the USS Bohomme Richard LHD 6. At that time smart phones weren’t really a thing yet. A lot of my friends including myself had the flip phone and there was no camera on it. So, when I went on this AT, the ship sailed from San Diego, CA to Seattle WA. Since I didn’t have a camera on my cell phone, I had to take with me a couple of disposable cameras. Well, I really wish I had taken more of those cameras because I ended up running out of film. Here I was sitting on a park bench looking out over the bay in Seattle watching cruise ships and viewing the vast and majestic Mt. Rainier feeling the light breeze and enjoying a rare blue sky and sunshiny day, and I had no camera to capture it all. What did I do? I took my journal out and painted my own picture of it with words.

Think outside the box here. Do this your way. Free write this description and get down any and all words you can that describes everything you see and go back later and cut and change what you don’t want. On the other hand, you can slow down, breathe, enjoy the fresh salty air floating up off the water being carried by the breeze. Close your eyes, listen to the sounds, smell the scents and then take out your journal and pen/pencil and ‘paint’ your picture(s). You will be surprised at what your brain comes up with. These two methods are what works for me, but I much prefer the latter.

Keep this and all writings you have because they can be used later in a short story or a novel or two. Doing this also allows you to see how you’ve grown in your writing as time goes by. I recently went back to one of my journals in which I ‘took a picture with words’ and reread it. It was from a vacation I took with my husband and kids in 1997. As I was reading it my mind began making some mental changes to what I wrote that would make it better. My thought here? OMG I can use this in my next book. Oh the discovery of it all. Writing is truly fun.

Posted in Fiction

Names Can Be Hair Raising

Posted on by L. M. Montes

Choosing a name for your fictional characters may appear easy first, and for your minor characters it most likely is. For me it was anyway. But for your major characters it can be time consuming (and maybe a little hair raising). That could depend on the author too. I had fun with this task even though it took quite a bit of time.

Things I considered when choosing a name for my characters are listed below. Please keep in mind not everyone will have the same ideas.

  • Character’s personality— It’s been my experience that names reflect a certain quality or personality trait of a person. But it does come down to personal choice. Would you want your hero to be named Melvin, Jack, Evan, or Bubba. I know, I know, we can run the risk of being stereotypical which is what you don’t want. See why this can be more difficult that you think?
  • What is their role in the story?— In other words the meaning of their name is directly connected to the story itself. In which case you will need to look at the meanings of names in addition to the names themselves. I found that by doing this, the name you choose won’t be so stereotypical.
  • Ethnic group— You have to know your character, their background, ethnicity, etc. If your character is Italian, maybe his/her parents wanted to stick with tradition and name them a name that’s traditionally Italian. On the other hand, maybe his/her parents wanted to break away from tradition and go with a French name instead of an Italian one. Bring that out in your story because by doing that it makes your character more real and stand out, which will bring about a connection with your readers.
  • Ask others for ideas— Just like in my last post. I employ my son’s assistance even with this. I had to change a character’s name toward the 3/4 mark of my book. But this time it was my daughter who was instrumental in this decision.

Make this task fun. I know, some things can be a chore if it takes to long. The trick is not to put too much pressure on yourself. There was a point in my book when I had to give my protagonist a title. I had absolutely no clue whatsoever what to give her. After racking my brain, I couldn’t come up with anything, I gave her a temporary title. I called her The One ( I still laugh at this). It worked though because, when I went back to it later (much later), I was able to give her the appropriate title of Triunifier. Relax your brain, write, and keep writing. The ideas are there. They just need coaxing to get them out.

Posted in Fiction, Writing

The Story Is There Somewhere

Posted on by L. M. Montes

I used so many different ways to come up with material to write about when I was stuck. I still use them. The truth of it is, the wheels of our brains get stuck (writer’s block) and needs oil to get them running again. Ideas, ideas, where do ideas come from. That’s right, the brain. But that makes no sense you say. No, it doesn’t given what I just wrote.

Let me clear things up a bit. The information is in our heads. It’s just that the file cabinet drawer is stuck and needs prying to get it open. What to do, what to do? Find stimuli, something or an experience that wakes the right side of your brain up. Keep in mind everyone will use something different because we’re all different. Below I list things I do.

  1. Take a walk through a cemetery. Look at the headstones. Read the information and try to determine that person’s story. How does it relate to the story you are writing? Did they have children? What was their job? Did they travel? You get the idea.
  2. Use meditation. Emptying your mind of all the clutter will give you a better chance to free it up for something new. At some point in your meditation insert your story and let it run its course.
  3. Take a walk. This is my favorite because it works well for me. I enjoy feeling the breeze on my face and through my hair. It’s freeing. During this time I think of the part in my story where I’m stuck and let it play out without putting any undo pressure on myself. Somehow doing that and being a part of nature helps.
  4. Hash out your ideas with another person. I use my son for this because he reads the kind of fiction I like to write, so he’s attuned to what I’m looking for.
  5. Use writing prompts. You can find these anywhere. Pinterest is ripe with these types of pins. I have a board full of them.

The above ideas are just a few of many. You may have some of your own. If so, please feel free to share them here on my blog, and I will write another post listing them as ideas from others.

Posted in Action Words

Action Description

Posted on by L. M. Montes

Action is action, or is it? I consider creative writing to be equal to painting on a canvas. Just like a paint brush glides across a canvas, so too does a writing utensil move across a sheet of paper and fingers type words across a blank screen. In each case a picture is created. The difference lies in how we see it; words vs. a literal picture, but words create images in our mind that we see as we read them. How easily we see these pictures depends on how well we use the words that create them. Also, both ways create feeling, but they do it in different ways.

There are two ways to create pictures with words. One way uses adjectives (or descriptive words), which I’ll talk about in future post. The other way uses action words (otherwise known as verbs). In so doing, there are different ways to describe one particular action, but you want to do it in a way that allows the mind’s eye to see it and focus on it better yet create feeling at the same time. Note the sentences below.

Sentence 1: John walked slowly to his car after a long day at work.
Sentence 2: John trudged across the parking lot after a long day at work.

The first sentence is weaker because, even though we see the action, it doesn’t give off any feeling. Not only that, but using an adverb, such as slowly, weakens the action. We can’t feel how tired John is as he’s walking across the parking lot. However, sentence 2 is stronger and more direct because we are better able to not only see the action clearer, but we feel how tired John is as well. I’m pretty sure most of you can identify with this after a long day at work yourselves.

This isn’t something you are going to up and do right off the bat as you’re writing your scenes, chapters, short stories, etc., because you don’t want to stop the flow of creativity. So this is what I recommend: write first, inspect second, fix/change third. Everyone is different, so work it in a way that makes sense to you.

If you need assistance finding stronger action words, there are a wide variety of resources out there to look at. Below are a few of them.

Here are some helpful links
http://unabridged.merriam-webster.com/
http://www.creativejuicesbooks.com/action-verbs.html
https://www.apu.edu/live_data/files/288/strong_verbs.pdf
https://self-publishingschool.com/strong-verbs-list/

Thank you again for stopping by my blog. Please feel free to drop me a message and/or sign up to follow me via email.

Posted in Introduction

Exciting Journeys

Posted on by L. M. Montes

Writing a novel is an exciting adventure because what you create lies within you. You are the master of your story, you can visit your story anytime you want, and you can mold it to your liking. That having been said, it is a learning experience. I spent 20 years writing my first novel. In that 20 years not only did I write my book, but I learned how to do it and all while experiencing set backs. Now, some of you reading this might be thinking, “Wow, 20 years”, or “Why so long”.

I took my time with it, and I took time off at various points in time. At one time I scrapped it all together because I had written a large chunk only for it to get deleted somehow. I vowed never to go back to it. A friend of mine begged to differ with me on that and told me I would finish it one day. “Ha,” I said. “Not likely.” Well, I was wrong. I did go back to it but only after learning more about story structure. If you take a peek at the Books page on this blog you will see a link to a book that helped me tremendously. I highly recommend it. Once I read this book my novel crept its way back into my brain and kept poking me. My characters stood there with their hands on their hips giving me a look of impatience. They had a story they were dying to be a part of. Soon the ideas began to flow again. Visuals played out in my head and before long it was anything goes.

Then I stopped again and took time off from it but not permanently this time. The story still sat in my mind. It was part of my everyday life in that I would take issues, scenery, pictures, situations (good or bad) snippets of dialogue I over heard and other aspects of real life and used it for ideas. I created a binder and a journal with sections in each and wrote all of my ideas down. Yes, there is a mountain of information in them I didn’t use, but I still have those ideas, and I am able to use them in future books.

Along the way though, life kicks in sometimes and throws mud at you, so you have to take time off. However, it’s how you work with these situations that makes all the difference. The important thing is to learn from them. USE them if you can because you never know how they can help. I think the death of a loved one is one of the biggest moments in life that causes us to take pause. Maybe it’s not necessarily someone in your own family; it could also be the death of a member of a friend’s family. Here again, write, and write some more. Your emotions regarding these situations can enrich your written words in so many ways.

Does every novel you write have to take as long as 20 years to finish? Absolutely not, because once you get your ‘rhythm’, you get in that groove, but you have to write everyday, or you run the risk of losing your readership. Above all else, have fun with it and stay close to those who encourage you. The journey is exhilarating.

Posted in Books, Fiction

The Triunix of Time

Posted on by L. M. Montes

In my last post I mentioned that I recently published my first novel. Well, it would be unfair of me to say that and then not post specific information about it. So, below is a summary of it.

Tora arrives home in East Tawas, Michigan after a long drive from Norfolk, Virginia. Doing so reminds her of the tragedy that befell her parents a year ago, so she doesn’t want to stay too long. She wants to finish with her parents’ affairs and get back to Virginia. However, her friend and fate have different plans for her, so she stays…. for now. She starts by going through her parents’ belongings, and, while cleaning out the attic, comes across a letter her father left her; a letter with a secret that turns her world upside down.

In the meantime, she meets Kyle Stevens and John Cummings and discovers her connection to them goes beyond the here and now. Through them she soon discovers more clues that lead not only to more secrets about her family and herself but also to a whole other world and a quest to go with it. The journey won’t be easy. Her adversary, the Black Mamba, is there at every turn threatening her whole existence. It isn’t just him but the darkness he represents. she finds a calm in the darkness, and it scares her.

Will Kyle help her stay in the light and be the protector he claims to be, or will she succumb to the darkness? After all, he has his own secrets. At first, it goes well, but when Tora, Kyle, and John hit a snag, something goes very wrong. Soon they are in a race against time.

If you are interested in my book, it can be found on Amazon in kindle and paperback formats.

Posted in Introduction, Writing

L.M. MONTES

Posted on by L. M. Montes

Introduction

Hello everyone and welcome to my blog. I’m a new author but I’m not new to the field of writing. As an English teacher I had the pleasure of teaching young adults the writing process and putting together creative works of their own. The self-discovery they experienced was so much fun to witness. During this time I was creating a little something of my own. Writing a novel, short story, and even poetry is a journey, and, like my students, I made some self-discoveries of my own. Seeing as though I was working on my first novel, there was much I needed to learn, so I learned at the same time that I was writing my novel. Yes, this was a long road, but it’s the process one goes through that counts because by the end of it all you’ve grown not only as a writer but also as an individual.

My goal with this blog is to share with you the writing journey I took and teach/share with you what worked and what didn’t. I also want to share ideas, which in the world of writing are numerous. Whether you have writer’s block and need techniques to get over that hump, plotting out a story, or creating characters, the ideas are endless.

Before I get into everything writing, let me tell you a little about myself. As mentioned above, I was/am a teacher. Although I don’t teach anymore, I still consider myself a teacher. I taught secondary education for 8 glorious years. I learned as much from them as they did from me. It was fun, but I wanted to expand my skills as a teacher in other ways, so I became a teaching parent in a group home for boys. Working in this atmosphere was different but very rewarding because now it was all about teaching these teens about life skills. During this time I continued to write my novel as well.

I did quite a bit of traveling too and lived in many different places. As part of being a military wife, I lived in Germany. What an experience that was. There was culture shock at first, but there was so much to see and do that the culture shock didn’t last long. I even picked up some of the language. Later in college I learned it more fluently. Other places I lived were Arizona, Kansas, Georgia, Texas, and Michigan (I’m originally from here). Currently, I live in Oregon. I’ve traveled to Gettysburg; Washington DC., Arlington Cemetery, sailed on the USS Bonhomme Richard LHD-6 as naval reservist., and much more. Throughout these travels I still worked on my novel.

I’m currently married with a wonderful husband and 5 children. They are my life and have been very supportive of my career as a teacher and as a writer. Throughout raising my kids I still worked on my novel. My point here is that my life and what I know now and learned along the way has shaped me as a writer. Write everything down. Keep a journal or binder or both and refer back to them. Use this material because it can only serve to enrich your writing.

Again, welcome to my blog and thank you for stopping by. Please take a moment to subscribe below. Happy writing and learning.