What's On Your Mind About Your Writing?

Did research and wrote a few paragraphs of Chapter 3. Wanted to write more but I was about to

Getting better at showing. I think. So editing a few chapters that are too "telling" and also contain info dumps. Wish I'd realised this earlier, would have made it easier to spread the information across the story better. I wrote the ending of my book this morning, even though I've still got about six chapters to write. I cried when I wrote about my MC's reaction during it. Hopefully that's a good sign.

Sometimes I write better on my smartphone than on my PC.

I did a beta read for a friend of mine today. He is GOOD. Really good. It was nice reading someone else's work and offering critique on it instead of the other way around.

The newly finished draft has been put into Draft 2 mode, saved with its working title in the file name. It looks pretty.

I'm now trying to decide *which* story idea to tackle next. So many good ideas... I'm thinking a companion one would work, but which idea of the two? Hmm....

I wish I could write full time, throw myself into my work like Thomas Wolfe did. I've glanced at the bibliographies of Asimov, Clarke, and others. Holy cow. So much work produced! ​I work as much as I can when I can, yet I feel it's never enough.

Taylor Harbin said:

I wish I could write full time, throw myself into my work like Thomas Wolfe did. I've glanced at the bibliographies of Asimov, Clarke, and others. Holy cow. So much work produced! ​I work as much as I can when I can, yet I feel it's never enough.

Click to expand...

Sigh, I feel the same.

Taylor Harbin said:

I wish I could write full time, throw myself into my work like Thomas Wolfe did. I've glanced at the bibliographies of Asimov, Clarke, and others. Holy cow. So much work produced! ​I work as much as I can when I can, yet I feel it's never enough.

Click to expand...

I really need to get more disciplined myself. When I'm writing, I can have some great daily word counts, but I frequently go long periods without writing anything.

Right now I'm trying to write a prompt on "Libra" when the character I'm supposed to be writing about isn't meant to have a chance to meet Astraea until the book I haven't outlined yet, if at all.

I like writing when I'm on my stomach or on my back. Words sometimes seem to flow better that way. I wonder why

I bought a notebook specifically to write a novel in it... WEEKS ago. I decided that idea deserved more visual storytelling, and now I have a blank notebook and still the urge to write.

Oh dear.

I'm editing and shuffling and expanding subplots that I only briefly touched on in the super rough draft. My MC starts having dreams about the forest, even though she's never been there and her dreams aren't at all what the forest was described to be. She's very confused. This is where the story begins. The fact that she has these dreams now is relevant in a few ways. I had originally started with the dream, then read everything about how that's an awful idea, so I made the next chapter the beginning and am weaving it in a bit later. I changed all of the dreams to mentions of it except for one, and am keeping it short. (I have read all of the "omg I hate dreamz" threads, but they really are part of the plot)

First WIP: My goal is at least 5,000 edited words by bedtime in the morning.

Second WIP: So after all the action scenes I got stuck on the downtime yesterday. To the extent I changed the plotline and moved all the scenes to my Deleted file. It wasn't just sticking on Billy's personal life scenes, I was like "What in heck do I know about working undercover or about Miami?" Then I remembered my experiences writing the first draft of my second WIP and Billy Star screams "So go back and hang in there, babydoll!" So I did. And so I made some good revisions and I'm back in the groove. Lots of research and reading undercover novels ahead but, hey, I can do this!

I have a new character I'm working on developing and making him a bit more complex. I don't like him much at all, due to his actions in the story, so it's not exactly a fun process.

I ended my writing session with 9,651 words edited, plus chopped a section off one chapter. Almost finished with the last part (with the Epilogue coming up). The rest of the part will go a bit slower when I hit a hump or two of scratch chapters to stretch Mimi's return to reality a bit more.

I had a really weird, yet awesome, dream last night that I can't stop thinking about. It was story related, though the details are super scarce.

Waiting on my MS to get sent back from an editor. It's annoying to wait this long

Had feedback from an editor, who highlighted a niggling question mark I've carried at the back of my head regarding where my novel begins. I'm super appreciative of the feedback, but my head is in a spin. I feel like something up there is going to implode with all the shuffling around I'm trying to mentally do.

So, I've bitten the bullet sooner than anticipated and decided to seek help of beta readers. I like getting constructive criticism. Its not to say it doesn't create some self-doubt but then, many a writer has gone through it, I don't see why it should stop me. Heck, I think it may have energised me all the more.

People aren't kidding though. Writing is hard work.

One year on, and I'm still fighting through the second draft.

Holy muffins. This first book is going to kill me.

I had ANOTHER dream last night that had an interesting storyline. Ugh.

Trying to build some empathy with the FMC, without overdoing the pity porn. She's strong but weathered, vulnerable and indomitable, peerless and unloved. The whole world is watching out for her yet she goes unnoticed, she exists in the ineffable nuances I'm not experienced enough to convey.

I'm going to need my lucky pen.

I can't stop writing. After working on revising a book for months, I decided to let some honest friends read it (because I believe reader feedback is just as valuable as writer feedback - they both do different things), let the feedback marinate for a while, but otherwise set the story aside to work on the next ones. It feels good to actually write again. Maybe when I come back to the first one again, I'll have the distance needed to see whatever other little things need fixing, and fix them. As it is now, I'm quite happy with it and I think it's gotten better, but either way, I reallllly need to just straight-up write for a few weeks.

I've put down 1200 words today and that's been in between taking phone calls at work (I work at a call center). I did about the same yesterday. I just couldn't help it. Usually I have to push myself to write but not lately. Every free moment has been for writing. It feels really damn good.

I wrote a synopsis that's horrible...and I'm afraid to post it in QLH. Having a bad day as it is

strong but weathered, vulnerable and indomitable, peerless and unloved.

Click to expand...

Wow. WriterDude, I think you found your lucky pen already.

I know I finished the one draft less than a week ago, but I'm working on another one. I'm also gearing up to work March Break after all, may as well try to get back into the writing groove during the hours the cat and I have the house to ourselves....

Seems that my betas like the idea, so hopefully I can get it written.

I'm starting to feel afraid of the MC in my new WIP... Normally I feel afraid for them...but never of them. This is interesting...