What's On Your Mind About Your Writing?

I've decided to flesh out two secondary characters, one of whom will now quote (or mis-quote) Florence Nightingale at the drop of a hat.

Research required.

Good thing I'm not on deadline.

Haven't been able to write anything since I found out the possibility brother could be sick. Won't know for a few days yet.

CalRazor said:

Haven't been able to write anything since I found out the possibility brother could be sick. Won't know for a few days yet.

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That's rough, Cal. Thinking about you both.

I thought of two more books for my Upper MG series. Looks like it is now a 16-book series

@ Cal That's all I can offer along with sympathy. I know how you feel I been through the same with my sister. I used to suffer survivor's guilt but my therapist told me that you have to be a helping hand and not wish the same pain onto yourself.

Hoping for the best, Cal.

I need to learn how to write some new kinds of scenes, first, a strike where things turn violent. I did okay with one where the police quelled things quickly and the worst injuries were being tased. Now things need to get more serious.

I wrote something for the first time in months. It was supposed to be amazingly terrifying but was actually a sinister version of "The Giving Tree," if the giving tree was a haunted house. I'm really proud I wrote something though.

Never mind what I just said, because I just got a shiny new idea that is a combo of two old stories.

What's on my mind about writing?

Whether I'll ever publish enough novels to pay off my $200k in student debt.

Whether I'll get eaten by the IRS for not giving them enough of my hard-earned royalties.

Whether I should just try out freelancing instead.

Just to name a few things.

I’m unsure how this happened, but my Dystopian-SciFi-Adventure novel had developed a pretty strong subplot… that is… dare I say it: ROMANCE.

All my previous works have had relationship aspects, but it’s much stronger in this one… and I blame my partner because lately she’s had us binge watching Downton Abbey. Yeah, it’s her fault.

Actually, I’m kidding with all the hand-wringing – and am having a good time writing the romantic stuff. (no sex)

I haven’t written a story in months. Seems futile. My imagination just isn’t as good as other people.

I feel so depressed right now. I thought I could write adult, but I love MG too much, I love the wackiness and you just can't have MG humor in an adult book. This means I'm going to have to quit my new project. I've tried to write adult before, but this is the last time I'll try. I can't write adult because I don't like writing it. I wish that I'll never have another adult idea again!!!! Please don;t try to talk me out of this. Ever time I try to write adult I end up hurting myself emotionally. I just want to be happy and MG is the only way. I am never ever ever writing adult again!!!!

The Second Moon said:

I feel so depressed right now. I thought I could write adult, but I love MG too much, I love the wackiness and you just can't have MG humor in an adult book. This means I'm going to have to quit my new project. I've tried to write adult before, but this is the last time I'll try. I can't write adult because I don't like writing it. I wish that I'll never have another adult idea again!!!! Please don;t try to talk me out of this. Ever time I try to write adult I end up hurting myself emotionally. I just want to be happy and MG is the only way. I am never ever ever writing adult again!!!!

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You're not alone. We all make these choices. Be happy in your writing.

Bufty said:

You're not alone. We all make these choices. Be happy in your writing.

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I was sad for a little bit until I went back and skimmed my MG. It never fails to cheer me up.

I'm glad to hear that Second Moon. I don't want to write anything but YA at the moment.


I was at a medical conference today and one of the participants had the exact hair I've given my MC in the second book. I was so happy to get to ask her what she does for daily maintenance, and did she straighten it or curl it to get it that way. I told her it was for the character in my book so hopefully she didn't think I was too weird. She seemed happy to talk to me.

It was perfect. Just what I needed to know because the woman didn't have to do anything to it and I wanted my character to have natural hair. And I'm so happy with how I'm picturing this character.

This morning's Note to Self:

Replace chicken soup with erysipelas.

That is all

My grand daughter is down stairs coloring. She's been singing the lyric, "a spoon full of sugar makes the medicine go down," in musical notes akin to what one would hear in a horror movie, over and over and over for the last 45 minutes.

It's driving me insane. My office door is closed and I can still hear it. There are some ear plugs in my desk drawer - inserting them now.

Yesterday I was able to put in more than usual time writing. Yay! Even with a foray onto Google streetview to figure out what logo is on garbage cans in Gig Harbor (it actually was important!).
This morning I deleted everything I wrote. Including the bit about trash cans.
Fact: in Seattle, trash cans have Chief Sealth's head on them. In Tacoma, it's the shoulder of the Mountain*. In Gig Harbor it's a stylized W.

* Mt. Rainier, but we don't call it that over here.

Kat M said:

Yesterday I was able to put in more than usual time writing. Yay! Even with a foray onto Google streetview to figure out what logo is on garbage cans in Gig Harbor (it actually was important!).
This morning I deleted everything I wrote. Including the bit about trash cans.

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LOL isn't Google street view great? I even used it to show my kid my overseas hometown. Use it all the time for writing.

Pity about deleting... but it's a sign of a real writer, too.

What's on my mind... wish me luck/pray for me! I'm now within two short scene revisions of having three presentable sample chapters, which means I can submit this new book to my publisher... who've been uncertain about continuing with me due to declining sales but have also said this one sounds interesting. Argh. Stage fright.

SwallowFeather said:

What's on my mind... wish me luck/pray for me! I'm now within two short scene revisions of having three presentable sample chapters, which means I can submit this new book to my publisher... who've been uncertain about continuing with me due to declining sales but have also said this one sounds interesting. Argh. Stage fright.

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Ooh, ooh! Fingers crossed/hands folded!

I had taken time off from editing the WIP because I was getting burned out, so I turned my attention on putting together a 1920s outfit for my historical society's Christmas mixer in December, and for riding in the float in the parade. I've pretty much have all of the pieces ordered and they're on their way or are already here. One is a burgundy velour and fur trimmed coat from the 1920s with a Lane Bryant label. Expensive, but it's in very good condition and I can't wait to wear it. But now I need to get my butt back to editing again. I'm on chapter 32 of 36, so I'm almost there. Chapter 36 is, however, the longest one in the book. I'm also still tempted to write the alternate ending where my vampire baddie dies instead of lives. That would make one of my betas pleased (she hated his guts, which is good, because he wasn't supposed to be a good guy anyway).

Kat M said:

Yesterday I was able to put in more than usual time writing. Yay! Even with a foray onto Google streetview to figure out what logo is on garbage cans in Gig Harbor (it actually was important!).
This morning I deleted everything I wrote. Including the bit about trash cans.
Fact: in Seattle, trash cans have Chief Sealth's head on them. In Tacoma, it's the shoulder of the Mountain*. In Gig Harbor it's a stylized W.

* Mt. Rainier, but we don't call it that over here.

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Weird. The cans here in Bellevue just say what to put into them.

It was appreciated she recommended some experimental places to send my novel to, except the assumption seemed to be that the pieces she read were similar in style to my novel. Not really. Completely different. Appreciate it though.

MaeZe said:

Weird. The cans here in Bellevue just say what to put into them.

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No waste management logo? That's so odd to me! I'll have to look next time I'm up there.

I don't think I'm going to delete as much of what I wrote today! Yay!

Kat M said:

No waste management logo? That's so odd to me! I'll have to look next time I'm up there.

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I had to go out and look.

They have ID numbers on them. There's a tiny Rabanco logo on the stickers that tell you what to put in the cans. But the yard waste can does have a small crest and the name Rabanco on the side. The crest has a simple griffen on it.

Kat M said:

I don't think I'm going to delete as much of what I wrote today! Yay!

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Sweet!

As for me, LOL, I had a good hard look at my first three chapters today and realized that Chapter 1 needs to be split & reorganized into two chapters, which requires the addition of one scene and the revision of parts of two others. I swear I'm not doing it to put off sending in my book proposal! I'm doing it to avoid introducing the reader to 7 new names in Chapter 1 and then like 1 new name in Chapters 2 & 3... and the imbalance of exposition that goes with that of course. And to make Chapter 1 shorter.