Tag Archives: Plot Bunnies

Time Limits Didn’t Work Out That Well

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My attempt at writing for 10 minutes a day didn’t work out too well.  I got writing done, but I found myself wandering over to the internets and doing random stuff. 

I think I’m going to go back to word goals, at least for now.  So I’ll write 125 words for 5 projects. 

My character profiles are mostly done- I answered what I could, and I’ll let the rest come to me.  Now that I know a little more about the characters, I think I might revisit both plot bunnies, and see if I can come up with anything.

I’ve started 6 Wives: The Queens of Henry VIII by David Starkey.  It’s 765 pages, not counting footnotes or the index, so it’s going to take a while to get through it.  I can handle only so much reading before everything starts running together.  He came across as a little arrogrant in the introduction, which I hope stays in the introduction. 

I’m still nowhere close to having an idea for my historical fiction, so I’ll stick to just researching for now.  Hopefully something will come to me.

Surprisingly, I lost one pound!  I was so excited yesterday when I saw that, because I was expecting to gain weight or stay the same.  Hopefully, I can keep it up, and try not to eat to make myself feel better.

The Children Of Henry VIII

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Book: The Children Of Henry VIII

Pages/Format: 366/Paperback

My Thoughts: I thought this book deserved a re-read, especially since historical fiction is one of my new projects.

I really liked it, and found the relationships between his 3 children (plus Lady Jane Grey) really interesting.  There’s definitely a lot of material I can use.

Since I took notes, there were a lot of things that I noticed- one being how important religion was.  There was a lot of back and forth between the Catholics and the Protestants, which wasn’t a surprise, but still…a lot seemed to go back to religion.

One of the criticisms I have is that anytime medical issues were mentioned, different possibilities about what they were followed.  While I appreciate Weir’s attempt to be thorough, and mention the possibilities of what the different monarchs had, we can’t make assumptions because what we know may not be accurate.  What was recorded most likely isn’t the whole story, and how the doctors described something might not be how doctors today would describe something.  After all, we still have no idea what the sweating sickness was. 

A great example would be the times that Mary thought she was pregnant, and even showed signs she was pregnant, but actually wasn’t pregnant.  Weir goes through the different possibilities about what may have caused Mary’s false pregnancy, talking about how a phantom pregnancy was the most likely cause.

It’s not that I didn’t appreciate it, because I did.  It was interesting to read about the different theories about various illnesses they all had, but at the same time, it was frustrating because we can’t know for sure what they had.  I will give Weir the benefit of the doubt, and assume the different theories were in the sources Weir used when doing research for the book.

Another major issue I had was when she talked about Lady Jane Grey.  I was reading the part about Jane’s execution, and couldn’t figure out why it was so familiar.  And then I realized that the same passage was used in Innocent Traitor, nearly word for word!  She clearly used her own books as research for Innocent Traitor, which I don’t have a problem with, especially since Weir is known for writing about British monarchs.  But to use the exact same passage in a completely different book?  And not only that, but the wording in Innocent Traitor was almost exactly the same, if not entirely the same. 

Despite the couple criticisms I have, it was still a great book, and very informative.  I have several pages of notes, front and back, plus lots of highlighting and underlining, and even notes in the margins.  And I have quite a few questions and things I want to know more about.    

Rating: 4 out of 5.  I’d recommend it to anyone, especially those who like history or want to learn more about the relationships between Prince Edward, Mary, and Elizabeth.

Innocent Traitor

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Book: Innocent Traitor by Alison Weir

Pages/Format: 399/hardcover

My Thoughts: Having read several of her books, I thought I’d give this book a try.  It’s about the life of Lady Jane Grey, who is also known as the 9 Days’ Queen.

The format I found to be somewhat annoying, as she shifted between the different characters.  Just as I got used to one character, she would sometimes switch to someone else.  While it was interesting to see the different perspectives, it would have been nice to focus on one character throughout the novel.  Plus, I felt like the shifting characters fell flat- the characters had very similar voices, and if it weren’t for the “headers” and different events/relationships, it would be very hard to distinguish between everyone.  Personally, I thought the most distinct character was the executioner of Lady Jane Grey.   

Something I thought was interesting was that I found myself wanting to take notes.  I think that’s the direct result of having read several of her non-fiction books, and taking notes what I’m reading. 

I could envision everything happening- she really brought the people to life, and dug deeper than just the facts, which also brought the events and the people to life.  I honestly felt like I was one of the characters in the book.  Or if not one of the characters, then I felt like I was eavesdropping or peering into their life in some way. 

My Rating: It gets a 3 out of 5, as it is Weir’s 1st attempt at fiction.  It was very enjoyable overall, despite the fact that the characters sounded very similar.

I Really Love Fanfiction

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Fanfiction is one of my favorite things.  I go through it in waves- I read a lot of it in high school and my 1st year or two of college.  I read it sporadically for several years, but I’ve been reading a lot of it lately. 

I love reading it because it’s interesting to see what everyone does with the characters.  Sometimes you have to wade through a lot of bad fanfiction to find the good, but the good stories make the search worth it.   

I like writing fanfiction too- the possibilities are endless.  Fanfiction plays into the whole “what-if” thing.  It gives me a chance to focus on just writing, and also writing in a specific world with specific characters.  Writing fanfiction is a way for me to get out the what-if’s going through my head, as well as a way for me to develop characters without…coming up with my own.  After all, what better way to get better at writing than to use already established characters and an already established world?

Don’t get me wrong, I love creating my own characters and everything, but some of my earliest fiction writing is fanfiction.  It’s really interesting to see the change from my 1st fanfic to now, so about 8 years or so, when I made the jump from personal journals to fanfiction, and eventually to original fiction.  Writing it gave me the confidence I needed to keep writing and to eventually start coming up with my own ideas. 

I honestly know nothing about fanfiction and copyright laws, other than some authors are in favor of fanfiction, while other authors aren’t, so that’s something to take into consideration when writing fanfiction.  I know J.K. Rowling doesn’t mind fanfiction, so I know I’m safe with Harry Potter fanfiction.  I should probably look into that, since it’ll probably be a good thing to know about, so it’ll have to go on my list of things to do. 

Fanfiction really is interesting though, because there are so many different ideas out there. and it’s always interesting to see what other people come up with.  For me, if writing fanfiction works for you (and you’re not doing anything illegal or breaking any copyright laws or anything), I say go for it.

I Am So Proud of Myself

Posted in General, HP & The Giant Prehistoric Chicken, Other Projects by

I actually planned a couple of my plot bunnies.  Not really planning, but more coming up with notes.  And I even worked on Harry Potter and the Giant Prehistoric Chicken!

Not much, mind you, but a little.  Like 20 or 30 words.  But it’s the most I’ve worked on it since November, which is a big improvement over the fact that I’ve done absolutely nothing with it.

I don’t have many many notes on my plot bunnies, but I have a few.  And I have characters!  With names!  That’s all I have, but it’s a start, and I can stop referring to them as those nameless people that I need to name and think about. 

We have Kaylee Jane Daniels, who stumbles across a mysterious group of people.  She 1st heard about this group of people through someone she met, and soon sees them everywhere.  I’m still trying to decide how she meets this person, but I have a couple of ideas.  She definitely doesn’t think anything of it, and even laughs it off, until she starts seeing them herself. 

I have a very vague idea of her job, but she tells her boss, thinking she’s crazy.  Her boss, however, becomes worried that Kaylee’s seeing mysterious people everywhere.  I’m not sure why it’s important, and in the end, it might not be important.  But right now, it is.  It seems very ominous. 

One of my goals is to have a character profile done for Kaylee and her boss done by Saturday.  I’d also like to get one done for the person that tells Kaylee about the mysterious group of people.

I will also write at least 1oo words each for the Giant Prehistoric Chicken, Turning Point and one of my other Harry Potter fanfics. And I’ll post if I actually get any of this done.

What Would I Do With $1000?

Posted in Writing Prompts by

Prompt: Here’s $1000.  Spend it in the next hour or lose it.  No online shopping allowed. 

  • I have a list of books I want to get, so a good chunk of it would go to books.  It’s a mix of cookbooks, fiction, and non-fiction.  Me wanting books isn’t anything unusual, so of course it’s going to be at the top of the list.
  • Sephora is a must, and very convenient since it’s next to Barnes and Noble.  You can never have too much lip gloss or nail polish.   
  • Food- what I like to eat is so different from what my mom and grandma eat, so I’d totally buy some stuff that would probably confuse them.
  • Let’s see…I suppose a new iPod is in order, since there’s not enough room on my iPod for all the music I have. 

I just got an idea for a story of some sort- a scavenger hunt for strange items you have to buy.  Maybe a short story, because I don’t know if I could sustain for 50k.  It could definitely be a comedy though, with a quest for the final item that cannot be find.  I suppose it could be more serious, but it screams comedy.  Maybe writing something shorter will get me going as far as writing goes.

How Hard Is It To Come Up With An Idea?

Posted in Other Projects by

I’ve given some thought to one of my other plot bunnies, and I’ve been struggling with it.

The premise is that someone stumbles across a secret government agency- it’s an agency so secret even the president doesn’t know about it.

I’ve been struggling with it because what would be so secretive the president doesn’t know about it?  Right now, one of the ideas that popped into my mind was something similar to The Event, which is a great t.v. show.  Or maybe something based off The Adjustment Bureau.  I haven’t seen it, but the trailers I’ve seen intrigue me. 

I’m hoping to have a more developed idea in the next month or two.  I definitely need to work on my characters too, because there’s only a couple that I’ve come up with. 

The idea needs a lot of work, so hopefully by November I’ll have a lot more to work with.  I like the idea though, so I’m hoping something will come to me. 

I may end up taking it in a different direction, since I’m still not sure what I want to do with it.  Coming up with a vague idea is the easy part- it’s developing the idea and the characters that’s slightly more difficult and somewhat problematic.  I think I may end up coming up with notes for each idea and see what happens.

I Hope I Don’t Get Caught Up In The Research

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I haven’t gotten much of anywhere with that historical fiction idea I have, but I’ve started to do a little bit of research for it. 

Here are some of the things I’m considering:

  • something from the perspective of Catherine Carey, who was Mary Boleyn’s daughter (Mary was Anne’s sister, making Catherine Anne’s niece).  I don’t know what it is, but there is something about Catherine that strikes me as interesting.  Perhaps what I find so interesting is the fact that she was a witness to Anne’s execution.  That could be an interesting take on it.
  • Amy Robsart- she was Robert Dudley’s 1st wife.  Robert Dudley was Master of Horse for Elizabeth I.  I find her story to be mildly interesting, and the circumstances around her death even more interesting than her life.  It might be interesting to write something about that. 
  • Something written from the perspective of a lady-in-waiting to the queen.  Or anyone who’s staff for the monarchy.  I read The Queen’s Fool several years ago, about a girl who was the Holy Fool for Edward VI and then Mary I.  It would be interesting to write.
  • I’m not sure if I still want to focus on Anne of Cleves, Katherine Howard or Jane Seymour.  I might but it also depends on what I find out about the time period.

I’m definitely going to have to do some research on this- I want to have a general idea of clothing, food, language, and the household, among other things.  Plus, names are going to be important, especially if I go with the idea of someone’s lady-in-waiting, as I’ll be making someone up, instead of going with an actual person.  I want to have the right name, and use something common to the time period.  Something I learned was that middle names were commonly used in Europe, especially Spain and Germany, and the English generally didn’t have a middle name. 

I don’t really have a clear idea for a plot, although I have a couple vague ideas- and the ideas I do have are so vague I doubt they could be considered plots.  I’m hoping that as I research more, I’ll eventually come across something interesting.  Otherwise, I may have to put this idea on hold.  I don’t know whether that’s good or bad; however, if I don’t come up with something by November, it should make going with 2 ideas somewhat easier since I’ll have one less idea to choose from.

Guacamole

Posted in Flash Fiction by

I actually did something besides work on Turning Point!  I’m really excited about this.  I actually found the prompt for this over at Flash Fiction, and I thought I’d share it.  It’s © Nicole R., so don’t steal it or anything.

Title: Back In The Argument

“So today, we’re going to look at some bungalows,” Katie said. 

 “Why?” asked Ryan. 

 “We have to live somewhere, and I thought it would be nice to live near the beach.”

 “I don’t really want to go gallivanting around town just because you want to see a halcyon,” Ryan retorted. 

 “But I love the beach!  And I thought you did too,” she said quietly. 

 “Not enough to live near it,” he answered.

 “But think about how convenient it would be!” she insisted. 

 “I don’t know what’s going on in that pretty little head of yours,” he said, “but you are not the empress of this house.”

 “My parents always told me I was their little princess,” she said.  “And I want to live near the beach.”

 “For the record, most girls grow out of it,” ryan said.  “It’s not normal.”

 “Are you saying that I am acting aberrantly?” she said.  “Wait, did I use the word aberrant right?”

 “You did,” he said.  “And yes, that is what I’m saying.”

 “But we can eat guacamole all the time at the beach!”

 “We can do that now,” Ryan said.  “Besides, if we move, we won’t have an avocado tree.  We’d have to buy them.”

 “I will not be deterred by that!” she insisted.  “We love guacamole.”

“I give up,” ryan said.  “You can go searching for your bungalow by yourself.  And for the record, Katie, I hate guacamole.”

A Letter To Plot Bunnies

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Dear Plot Bunnies:

We need to stop this love-hate relationship we have.  Right now, I hate you.  The last thing I need is a bunch of ideas that I’m never going to work on, just like all of the other projects I said I would work and then never did. 

Yes, I love NCIS, and while I would love to write a fanfic involving McGee, DiNozzo and/or Fornell, I have 4 Harry Potter fanfics that I keep telling myself I’m going to work on.  I don’t need to add 3 more to that!

I also don’t need to start planning something supernatural either.  Or something mythological.  One of the aforementioned fanfics fits that description moderately well.

I like these ideas you keep springing on me, I really do, but I have enough projects that I want to work on. 

The only thing I can agree on is the idea of flash fiction.  Writing something shorter may be what I need to start working on everything else.  For that, I do commend you. 

But I’d really, really appreciate it if you could somehow figure out when I need you.  You show up at the worst possible times.  Perhaps you ought to try listening? 

It was nice talking to you, plot bunnies.  I hope we can work everything out.