iPod Essentials #31: "You're My Best Friend"--Queen

Ahhhh. The summer of '76...

Queen was a great band (Godspeed, Freddie!). This is one of my favorites. It's a simple song at a simple time. The joys of love and the preteen freedom of summer...

When the Plot Hits a Spot

I'm in the middle of the third draft of my new mystery series, and the plot has hit a spot. I'm not sure if my killer should be my killer anymore; his motivation in carrying out the dastardly deeds of two murders and one abduction seems weak. My heroine needs to be the one to figure things out, but I'm not sure if she can at this point.

When your plot hits a spot, step back and retool, as I'm about to do. Dramatica Pro is an excellent tool for this. Although pricey, the software program offers writers ways to examine their characters and stories. All of its features can be overwhelming, but it allows me to talk out the novel's problems and find a solution to them.

Revise, revise, revise.

Revision

Revision is my favorite part of the writing process. By the third draft of most of my novels, characters appear more developed, plot is more intricate, and language seems richer than in the previous drafts.

With the third draft, I am able to relax, to breathe, to let the writing come naturally.

I don't understand some writers who falsely believe their work is done after the second draft. Revision makes writing that much more worthwhile to agents, editors, readers, and ultimately, yourself.

iPod Essentials #30: "In the Year 2525"--Zaeger & Evans

Some of you may have never heard of this song, which was released in 1969. It was one of the first 45 singles I owned, and even though I was too young to understand its implications at the time, I believed it was worth listening to over and over again.

The song's lyrics about the perils of humanity and the fate of our existance belies its upbeat tempo: "In the year 2525, if man is still alive, if woman can survive, they may thrive."

In light of the global warming epidemic and the uncertainty of the world around us, this song now scares me. Sometimes while I'm listening to my Pod and it starts playing, I will skip to the next song. I've heard the lyrics too often, but little is being done nowadays to change the message.