Outlining carefully and focusing on keeping it self-contained.
Didn't stop one of my horror stories from turning out to be 25k words instead of 5k, but if I'd outlined more carefully, I might have realized that ahead of time.
Is that a problem
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Basic Writing questions is not a crit forum. All crits belong in Share Your Work
What's On Your Mind About Your Writing?
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Didn't stop one of my horror stories from turning out to be 25k words instead of 5k, but if I'd outlined more carefully, I might have realized that ahead of time.
In my mind they're very separate. The way I envision the characters, how much my mind branches out, etc. I tend to write on the shorter end of the spectrum anyway (though not flash). As a reader, I don't care for long short stories, but do love long and meaty novels.
Frankly with my level of commitment issues and 'ooh, new shiny thing' tendencies? Yes it is. I would like to at some point be able to finish writing a thing.Is that a problem
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I'm not entirely sure I like feel of my current WIP. It doesn't seem quite right but I don't know how to tweak it to match what I want. So for now, I'm just running with it and trusting the WIP to pick a feeling to sink into. The plus side is that my characters aren't the issue. They're actually being super cooperative, compared to my last project that I had to set aside because the kids kept being unruly. Although I want/need to learn American Sign Language since my female main is mute. But that's on me; she's good. And I have a system worked out for showing it's her signing versus another character speaking.
Along those lines, does anyone know of books with mute mains/secondaries that may be useful to me? I know the Magnus Chase books has the mute elf, but any others would be great!
Along those lines, does anyone know of books with mute mains/secondaries that may be useful to me? I know the Magnus Chase books has the mute elf, but any others would be great!
Made the decision to go back and read through chapters 14 through 16. Looks like 14 is good to go (just removed 1 word, plus cleaned a paragraph that needed cleaning). Now on the 15th, which I'm having the same old problem of not wanting to do (this would mean that the issues lies not in me but in the chapter itself).
Right now trying to get writing back as a daily habit. Stared university two years ago, and have had difficulties writing regulary since then.
Try changing the font.Wondering why I can't get any interest in "Hellvetica," a story about a possessed font that causes the death of anyone who reads it...
I know that feeling. Sometimes it can help if you set yourself a nice low daily word count goal, something you can knock out in just thirty minutes. That kind of thing has helped me to make writing a daily habit again despite all the other commitments I have.
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I also need to get back into the habit of writing - normally I write 5 days a week, but I've been slacking pretty hard core this month.
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Just finished the 8th draft of the historical! 
I cried all the way through the epilogue, though I'd already read it 8 times.
Sometime after dinner I'm going to continue the first draft of the crime novel.
ETA So, I was telling my sister about crying and she goes "But you wrote the words" as if I was sitting here going "OMG, I wrote that? Sob! Look, ma, no hands." This from a woman who has read Great Expectations for high school lit, Not my Will, and an Ann Rule in her almost 6 decades. Only a writer and reader can understand empathy for the MC. Geez.
I cried all the way through the epilogue, though I'd already read it 8 times. Sometime after dinner I'm going to continue the first draft of the crime novel.
ETA So, I was telling my sister about crying and she goes "But you wrote the words" as if I was sitting here going "OMG, I wrote that? Sob! Look, ma, no hands." This from a woman who has read Great Expectations for high school lit, Not my Will, and an Ann Rule in her almost 6 decades. Only a writer and reader can understand empathy for the MC. Geez.
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Finished the editing of chapters 14-16 and am now working on bulling myself through 17. Once again, I'm finding that the start is where I'm getting hinged on -- it needs work, and I'm doing my best to give it that without messing the chapter's flow up.
I'm right in the middle of moving. Gonna be without internet for a few days. Ugh! I'll have to go to the library for a while. But after everything is done and we get settled in, I'm looking forward to picking up my writing again.
Worked through chapters 16 and 19 today, now looking to rework 20 -- lots of work needs to be done on it!
My anthro fantasy may not appeal to all readers. It may never be published. But I'm having fun and it feels great.
Taylor Harbin:
What is an anthro fantasy?
As far as I can figger, "anthro" is "anthropology" or "anthroopological"?
Hmmm, or maybe "anthropomorphic"?
By the way...that is a great avatar! Looks a bit like me when I had a beard and a typewriter.
What is an anthro fantasy?
As far as I can figger, "anthro" is "anthropology" or "anthroopological"?
Hmmm, or maybe "anthropomorphic"?
By the way...that is a great avatar! Looks a bit like me when I had a beard and a typewriter.
Taylor Harbin:
What is an anthro fantasy?
As far as I can figger, "anthro" is "anthropology" or "anthroopological"?
Hmmm, or maybe "anthropomorphic"?
By the way...that is a great avatar! Looks a bit like me when I had a beard and a typewriter.
It is anthropomorphic, along the lines of Redwall (but that's just the closest comparison I can make; it's very different from Mr. Jacques' work). Glad you like the avatar! My wife drew it. I love using the old typewriter, better on my eyes and hand joints. Can't imagine why you'd want to shave a beard. I'd look like a 12-year-old without mine...
Taylor Harbin:
Speaking of Brian Jacques, the author of the Redwall books...I had the pleasure of meeting him when he was touring the U.S. on a book tour some years ago. He was at the local Border's Bookstore and we took all the kids along. He is an excellent speaker, as well -- he mentioned that he used to be a stand-up comedian.
I shaved my beard off because I lived in a hot area at the time, and also because it made me look like a terrorist, and I was always getting stopped at airports. That was fun at first, but got to be quite bothersome after the twentieth time or so.
Your wife has a talent for drawing!
Best of luck on your anthro. Sounds like a fun project!
Speaking of Brian Jacques, the author of the Redwall books...I had the pleasure of meeting him when he was touring the U.S. on a book tour some years ago. He was at the local Border's Bookstore and we took all the kids along. He is an excellent speaker, as well -- he mentioned that he used to be a stand-up comedian.
I shaved my beard off because I lived in a hot area at the time, and also because it made me look like a terrorist, and I was always getting stopped at airports. That was fun at first, but got to be quite bothersome after the twentieth time or so.
Your wife has a talent for drawing!
Best of luck on your anthro. Sounds like a fun project!
Taylor Harbin:
Speaking of Brian Jacques, the author of the Redwall books...I had the pleasure of meeting him when he was touring the U.S. on a book tour some years ago. He was at the local Border's Bookstore and we took all the kids along. He is an excellent speaker, as well -- he mentioned that he used to be a stand-up comedian.
I shaved my beard off because I lived in a hot area at the time, and also because it made me look like a terrorist, and I was always getting stopped at airports. That was fun at first, but got to be quite bothersome after the twentieth time or so.
Your wife has a talent for drawing!
Best of luck on your anthro. Sounds like a fun project!
Thank you! It is fun. You were very lucky to get to hear him speak while he was still alive. I have seen one or two of his readings on YouTube and he definitely had a passion for what he did.
Bought two notebooks for writing-related scribblings. Small one for random tat ideas and little bits of nonsense, bigger one for my main novel/series idea because lord knows that thing needs a lot of fleshing out and detailing.
Currently finding myself unable to write in either of them. How bad does your writer's block need to be for you to even be blocked on writing random notes? I have severe problems.
Currently finding myself unable to write in either of them. How bad does your writer's block need to be for you to even be blocked on writing random notes? I have severe problems.
Reservoir Angel:
Various writers have various ways of handling writers block.
William Saroyan used to sit at his typewriter and type the same word over and over and over. He believed that a writer should write every day, and when he could not think of what to write, he would just write random words on the page.
Sometimes I sit by the window and describe (by writing) what I see: houses, trees, the wind, traffic, etc.
Sometimes I write letters to people I know I will never see again...
many different techniques.
Speaking of William Saroyan...by the time I learned about him, and learned to appreciate his writing, I discovered that I had actually grown up not too far from where he had lived for the last part of his life. Of course, he was a recluse by then.
Sometimes I wonder if the Sean Connery movie "Finding Forrester" was based on him...
Hmmm, just looked it up, and it turns out it was based on J.D. Salinger.
Various writers have various ways of handling writers block.
William Saroyan used to sit at his typewriter and type the same word over and over and over. He believed that a writer should write every day, and when he could not think of what to write, he would just write random words on the page.
Sometimes I sit by the window and describe (by writing) what I see: houses, trees, the wind, traffic, etc.
Sometimes I write letters to people I know I will never see again...
many different techniques.
Speaking of William Saroyan...by the time I learned about him, and learned to appreciate his writing, I discovered that I had actually grown up not too far from where he had lived for the last part of his life. Of course, he was a recluse by then.
Sometimes I wonder if the Sean Connery movie "Finding Forrester" was based on him...
Hmmm, just looked it up, and it turns out it was based on J.D. Salinger.
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WIP1 - the historical - draft 9 - finished editing Prelude: The Watcher & Part One: Prologue--Children of Fate. It's looking good. And I was able to trim quite a few words and knock it back a page.
Two days of working on chapter 20 and I'm still not happy with it. I would prefer for the first part to not venture past the 2000 word count, but it looks like it'll be 4000 instead -- working with two character POV's, and what's happened to them in the last eleven years before they decide to go home and seek support from their father. Whenever I read what I've written, I feel that there's bits missing that should be there, but that's not for whatever reason.