this imploding heart

There are books out there, stinking towering piles of them, on How To Make Your Novel Sound Like Everyone Else, but honestly Sonya, you know story. It's stitched into your insteps.

If you want more cohesion or accessibility, a structure might help, but it will always deviate in the end. Write first in your usual, unaffected and undeniably Sonya manner, and later, perhaps, look over it with an editor's eye.

You know I'm always up for reading anything you create. Oh, and I lost your last partial novel. Could you e-mail it to me again?

I'm fairly certain all of your posts I've liked, and there's a few I REALLY liked. The REALLY liked ones I have commented on telling you that you're wonderous or some such. So, the ones I loved, have my comments, and that should be somewhat easy to find in the MoveableType stuffs.

Sonya,

Never knew you were hit by a car.. or that you once tried to write a book in a month. Then again, that is no surprise... I also don't know much of writing in general but I don't think profound knowledge of the finer points is necessary to answer your request. I consider myself a reader, as I do (read) daily for at least 1-2 hours. I find short stories and novellas rewarding because I can read work from two or three writers in a day and compare and like or dislike. I also like the thought of reading as many different authors as possible (for the same reasons) and shorter pieces allow for that. However, my ramblings may come as a bit trivial to most of your readers (most having apparent first hand experiences/relationships with you or possess writing habits of their own), or you for that matter (though I hope neither is the case). I still feel at very least, I can, provide feedback. So I’ll get to the point.. “The Hole” I enjoyed for the character building, the explanation of lunch, bathing routines the fine details… the narrators obsessive compulsive habits allow for the discovery of the stories subject. I have to say that the character building is great.. after part one you have an idea of how Chloe works.. her reaction to her new orifice said a lot. I have had numerous dreams where I lose my teeth. Sometimes they turn to dust, the chalky taste and cloud of powder spewing from my mouth is the only thing that prompts my running to a mirror panic-stricken over the loss. Other times I will, for some reason, grab one, feel that it is loose and pull it out without any pain or force. The story reminded me of my dreams like those.. discovering something so unreal is actually a real part of your body.. moreover, how you react. In my dreams, I usually probe further casually removing the rest of my teeth with inexplicable horror. Then I wake up… In the story, however, there was no horror… just a simple cavity she tried to avoid with frequently used detergents.
I can’t say that I have given you any direction, ideas, or that I’ve even done what you asked.. Take from it what you will, at very least, fan mail… Most importantly keep writing. Use storyboards if you have problems with order/interaction of events… I guess you could consider a storyboard a chart if that helps. Write an outline (I have found I can’t get too detailed there) but if it helps you see the biggins than great.
By the way, if ever need an illustrator just let me know… I would love to do some ink or watercolor for a bittit or a biggin.

no literary advice here. just this - go for it. your writing is beautiful. i giggle and cry and catch my breath and i've fallen in love with sonya so many times that my journal is full of printed pages with your stories on them. logan and i said to each other, not three days ago, as we sat on the couch - sonya should write a book.

thanks for the support, love bunnies. I wish it would tell me how it ended so that I could start writing it already, you know?

heart.