What's On Your Mind About Your Writing?
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I don't know if it's karma or what. I was feeling kind of down in the ol' dumparoonie after getting a 'no thanks' from one agent and not hearing from some other entities. Feeling forgotten (foresaken, which is ridiculous but there you go.)
Then this a.m., there's an email from somebody I hadn't heard from in a while, telling me he's reading CHERRY again, apologizing to me for the delay. I am so lucky to have this guy read my stuff. Honored. Humbled. That's what I'm thinking. Changed my attitude completely, which is a good thing 'cause I was starting to get sick of my sorry-ass hangdog self.
Like I said, it's the universe giving your sorry-ass the poke it needed.
I'm...trying to cough up ideas for a third book, well, fourth, since I'm trunking the third one for now. But have been so goddamn distracted recently. *Focusing hippobrains on coming up with brilliant ideas* Ngnnnhhh...
Gotta revise a chapter today in Stolentime and call contract manager about line edits (or marketing, or whatever it is she wants to talk to me about).
I was stuck midway through my WIP. Taking someone's good advice, I jumped to The End and wrote backwards from there. That worked really well. I wrote three chapters in one day and part of another. Now, here I am, looking across the wide river of nothing between the final chapters and the starting chapters. I can't go forward and I can't go back. WTF is wrong with my brain that I can't figure out how certain events come about????
Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.
Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.
For me it is finding the atomic powered axe to cut back 180K words to something commercially viable, and not crippling the story.
Post it notes in a white board, and the question, "Is this sequence really needed?"
Someday I feel more like a gardener than a writer.
Regards,
Kevin
Post it notes in a white board, and the question, "Is this sequence really needed?"
Someday I feel more like a gardener than a writer.
Regards,
Kevin
Ok, I managed to write my way out of one corner by rewriting a scene & adding a new conflict to the story. However, I still have the other to contend with.
I know how to get two MC's together, but there is no reason or drive to make it happen. Now, I need to find a way to make it not forced...
Writing. Is. Just. So fun. Sometimes. Isn't it?
I know how to get two MC's together, but there is no reason or drive to make it happen. Now, I need to find a way to make it not forced...
Writing. Is. Just. So fun. Sometimes. Isn't it?
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I've been writing flash fiction lately.
I finished my outline as far as I can.
I need to polish my first chapter for CritCircle.
I wonder if I should write more flash for a bit.
I finished my outline as far as I can.
I need to polish my first chapter for CritCircle.
I wonder if I should write more flash for a bit.
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Sometimes I feel really jealous of folks who can write a bazillion words and then all they have to do is take a machete to it. (I know, "all they have to do"--it's probably way harder than I'm thinking, but I've never been able to write that many words, so I can't even fathom a large slash job
)I can machetize...but I can't write a friggin book that works right...
Cough up ideas? Maybe you're using the wrong end. Mine are like diarrhea. Sloppy and malformed and gross and coming out at frequent, inopportune times. Here, you can have one of mine:
You're welcome.
...I may have overstepped my limited skill level with latest WIP. Deliberately writing a bunch of tired-ass tropes to see what happens is fun for a while, but then...it presents problems.
Also, having an MC who doesn't ever know what the hell is going on has its drawbacks. We'll see how this goes I guess...
You know how you have that stunningly perfect scene in your head? You can see it and what a beauty it is! Then when you are facing the page,you can't seem to quite get it out? You write and rewrite this scene,but it still doesn't work. Then the wailing,gnashing of teeth and if you're like me, a virulent display of profanity erupts.
Then you try again.
I am there.
I am also right there with Kevans. My word count is something dreadful. I have a book clocking in at over 200K and I don't think I can stop.
*hangs head in shame*
I secretly hate on writers who can write a very precise word count with no trouble at all. It's like they have a mystical ability to come up with a wordcount and they actually stick with it. Yes,I am full of jealousy!
Then you try again.
I am there.
I am also right there with Kevans. My word count is something dreadful. I have a book clocking in at over 200K and I don't think I can stop.
*hangs head in shame*
I secretly hate on writers who can write a very precise word count with no trouble at all. It's like they have a mystical ability to come up with a wordcount and they actually stick with it. Yes,I am full of jealousy!
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I tend to overwrite and have a hard time cutting. I don't want to cut out my darlings, especially those that took me hours or days or weeks of research to even write the dang scene. So my work sits at 180k.
Been drifting in the doldrum sea of the second edited version of my WIP. Is it ready to go out into the world to meet betas, or does the first quarter need revision? Depends on the day, nay, the hour.
Then...out of nowhere...an idea, a spark ready to be ignited into a new WIP. Yesterday, the broad concept. Today I wrote the opening and closing. Now all I have to do is figure out if I can pull off all the stuff in themiddle entire meat of the thing.
Savoring the moment.
Then...out of nowhere...an idea, a spark ready to be ignited into a new WIP. Yesterday, the broad concept. Today I wrote the opening and closing. Now all I have to do is figure out if I can pull off all the stuff in the
Savoring the moment.
I was planning to draft 4 more books (including my current WIP) before school starts back up in August. Well, the 4th would be finished on Syllabus Day. Now I have a 5th begging to be written in the near future, but I was planning to start revising everything as soon as I'm in class again.
I'm so torn on how to handle this, since I won't be able to get in my usual 6k/day when I've also got school to deal with.
I'm so torn on how to handle this, since I won't be able to get in my usual 6k/day when I've also got school to deal with.
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Gotta thank the local constabulary today for their little scheduling mix-up when my DH went down to identify some mug shots. Gave me a whole, wonderful ninety minutes of uninterrupted writing time while I waited in the car. DH was a little grumpy about the wait, but it was heaven for me, lol!
The word count I have in mind is always 100k. I always write closer to 200k. The very first novel I attempted was at 198k and nearing the mid-point when I suddenly thought, hmmm, this seems to be getting a little longish. Imagine how I felt when I checked to see how long a fantasy novel should be. Yeah!And I bet Kevans isn't really gardening, he's only staring at those post-its. Aren't ya?
I'm debating whether I should try to figure out ways to phrase a stupid question about how many things I'm doing wrong or go and kick another tree* by posting an excerpt in SYW.
Trouble is, I already know the excerpt I'd post has masses of problems and I really don't know the question that frames my current feelings of confusion.
*reference to an article Uncle Jim posted the other day. It included something about that martial arts thing where you get stronger legs by kicking trees, comparing it to receiving critique and improving your writing.
Trouble is, I already know the excerpt I'd post has masses of problems and I really don't know the question that frames my current feelings of confusion.
*reference to an article Uncle Jim posted the other day. It included something about that martial arts thing where you get stronger legs by kicking trees, comparing it to receiving critique and improving your writing.
Yes! Finally had a breakthrough last night (while making trash can lids, of all things)
No longer written into a corner & the breakthrough actually works to further pre-exiisting plot points, so... Yes! Very proud of myself!
No longer written into a corner & the breakthrough actually works to further pre-exiisting plot points, so... Yes! Very proud of myself!
Wrote my first flash fiction piece today. Enjoyed doing it so much I made a list of topics to do others on. Need to work on my novella tonight. Happy Father's Day to all the fathers out there!
Everything was going so well yesterday. Now Chapter Eighteen is refusing to behave itself. It keeps trying to run away from the outline. Bad chapter!
Hit Chapter 11, about 126 pages into the WIP. It's WIPPING me, I'm afraid. I'm losing faith really fast and I've NEVER trunked a novel before. I can pull it off if I make it a novella, but the damn thing is supposed to be a full-length sequel to a larger book. Oh, gawd...
You know that gut feeling you get when you think your book might not have enough legs to make to a satisfactory end with enough meat on its bones? That's where I'm at. The mid-slump blues. Something terrible.
tri
You know that gut feeling you get when you think your book might not have enough legs to make to a satisfactory end with enough meat on its bones? That's where I'm at. The mid-slump blues. Something terrible.
tri
Out of the dark. Figured out the WIP's problem - well, mostly. I am so relieved that I haven't written a word since the fog cleared.
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I've started rewriting/revising my first chapter, and I can't decide what POV to use. I keep going back between first and third. And I just can't decide what to do. I typically write in third when I write, but lately some of the stuff I've been writing has been in first. I can't decide what to do.
I find myself wondering just how 'in' high-fantasy is at the moment, and then I hate myself for thinking that I should have written something more saleable. I love my characters and my story. What else matters?
Several things:
1. How much I love beginnings of stories and need to learn to love middles too lmao
2.How scrivener is wooing me softly
3. how I want a career as awesome as Neil Gaiman's lol
1. How much I love beginnings of stories and need to learn to love middles too lmao
2.How scrivener is wooing me softly
3. how I want a career as awesome as Neil Gaiman's lol
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I keep getting short-listed, but rarely make the cut. Something's missing in my writing; I just don't know what. :/
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