It's my turn for the blog chain, but apparently I posted on the wrong topic last time. Oops.
Today I'm responding to Katrina's topic:
Write about your next writing project. What is the genre? Is is one you've written before or is it a new venture? Do you have it all figured out or is it just a germ of an idea? What did you learn from your latest writing project that will make this one even better?
I have a shiny new idea that I need to force myself to find time to work on. It's a YA...murder mystery? I think. I haven't read that many murder mysteries, so maybe I'm wrong, or maybe it's a bad idea to try to write one. But there's a secret murderer, and a body count, and with the help of her sleuthing friend, the main character will have to solve some mysteries.
I think this book will be about sisters who are more than sisters, the magic of a mother's love, the power of a good story, and a heroine who has more heart than brains.
I have a rough outline, a paragraph playing with voice, and the first scene in my head. I need to write a detailed outline and then get to work. I've learned from previous projects the importance of structure and I hope this whole outlining thing will work out. I just have to sit down and make myself do it. :)
You can check out Michelle's post from yesterday here and Cole's tomorrow.
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Out with the old, in with the new...
For this week's blog chain, Amparo asks:
It's a new year, and some writers have taken it upon themselves to switch things up. *points at self* It might be the genres you write in or your revision process. It might be your main character's voice. What's one thing you've chosen to change in your writing this new year? Why do you wish to change it? If there's nothing you're going to change, why do you think it should remain as is?
Well, since the birth of my son, I've had to re-examine my writing process. I'm an unorganized pantser. I usually just start drafting and maybe by my third draft, I'll have some idea what the story is about. Now with a little one, I feel like I need to make my process more efficient.
I'm starting a new project and I'm afraid I don't have time for my usual methods. Normally, when I have a new idea, I like to spend hours staring at the wall, spacing out, and living in my head. That's hard to do with a 3-month-old who needs constant attention. So, I've decided to force myself to write a detailed outline before I start drafting this shiny new idea. It's been more difficult than I thought.
At first, my idea seemed boring and formulaic when I started to outline it. I was not motivated to work on my ho-hum story. Then, I hashed out some ideas and am now super excited about this new WIP. I'm so excited about the new book...that I want to jump right in and forget the whole outline thing. Sigh. I'm forcing myself to stick to it, though. Maybe I'll hold off on drafting for so long that when I do sit down to write scenes, the words will fly out of my fingers. Here's hoping.
You can read about Michelle's new process from yesterday and check out Cole's tomorrow.
It's a new year, and some writers have taken it upon themselves to switch things up. *points at self* It might be the genres you write in or your revision process. It might be your main character's voice. What's one thing you've chosen to change in your writing this new year? Why do you wish to change it? If there's nothing you're going to change, why do you think it should remain as is?
Well, since the birth of my son, I've had to re-examine my writing process. I'm an unorganized pantser. I usually just start drafting and maybe by my third draft, I'll have some idea what the story is about. Now with a little one, I feel like I need to make my process more efficient.
I'm starting a new project and I'm afraid I don't have time for my usual methods. Normally, when I have a new idea, I like to spend hours staring at the wall, spacing out, and living in my head. That's hard to do with a 3-month-old who needs constant attention. So, I've decided to force myself to write a detailed outline before I start drafting this shiny new idea. It's been more difficult than I thought.
At first, my idea seemed boring and formulaic when I started to outline it. I was not motivated to work on my ho-hum story. Then, I hashed out some ideas and am now super excited about this new WIP. I'm so excited about the new book...that I want to jump right in and forget the whole outline thing. Sigh. I'm forcing myself to stick to it, though. Maybe I'll hold off on drafting for so long that when I do sit down to write scenes, the words will fly out of my fingers. Here's hoping.
You can read about Michelle's new process from yesterday and check out Cole's tomorrow.
Tuesday, December 25, 2012
Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas! I hope everyone is doing well this holiday season, no mater what you celebrate. It's time for a holiday edition of the blog chain.
Cole posed the question:
Now, I am an excellent re-gifter. My birthday is a month before Christmas, so I can easily unload the robe my mother-in-law gives me every year on the old lady I get stuck with for the office secret santa.
There's lots of writing advice I've received over the years that I can regift now. A lot of it is cliched but true. Here's the 3 things I tend to come back to:
Butt in Chair
I like this one, simple and straight to the point. All that dreaming, hoping, and researching about your writing career means diddly-squat if you don't put in the time to just sit down, shit up, and write.
Work on the next book
I've been told this is as true if you're querying your first novel or have several published books under your belt. There's a lot of waiting in this game and the best way to fill this time is to start the next project. I know. Sometimes it seems the best way is to stalk editors on twitter, but really just start s new book.
Quit
What? I know what you're thinking, that's horrible advice! But really, one of the best things I've been told as an aspiring author is: Quit. If you can stop writing, then you should stop. If you can give up your pursuit of publication, then you should give up. Because this industry will chew up your heart and spit it back out. But if you can't quit, if you need to do this, then do it.
These days, I'm not getting a whole lot of writing done. I have a two-month-old baby and if I can take a shower and make it to the grocery store, then that's a big accomplishment for the day. So I'll re-gift the advice I've been giving myself lately. Set small, measurable, manageable goals. Writing a novel and/or pursuing publication is a HUGE task. It's easy to be discouraged and feel overwhelmed. But if you take it one bite at a time, or bird by bird, you can do it.
Hope y'all have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Check out Michelle's post from yesterday and Cole's post tomorrow.
Cole posed the question:
Christmas is a time of gift giving. If you could gift aspiring authors with one piece of advice,
what would it be?Now, I am an excellent re-gifter. My birthday is a month before Christmas, so I can easily unload the robe my mother-in-law gives me every year on the old lady I get stuck with for the office secret santa.
There's lots of writing advice I've received over the years that I can regift now. A lot of it is cliched but true. Here's the 3 things I tend to come back to:
Butt in Chair
I like this one, simple and straight to the point. All that dreaming, hoping, and researching about your writing career means diddly-squat if you don't put in the time to just sit down, shit up, and write.
Work on the next book
I've been told this is as true if you're querying your first novel or have several published books under your belt. There's a lot of waiting in this game and the best way to fill this time is to start the next project. I know. Sometimes it seems the best way is to stalk editors on twitter, but really just start s new book.
Quit
What? I know what you're thinking, that's horrible advice! But really, one of the best things I've been told as an aspiring author is: Quit. If you can stop writing, then you should stop. If you can give up your pursuit of publication, then you should give up. Because this industry will chew up your heart and spit it back out. But if you can't quit, if you need to do this, then do it.
These days, I'm not getting a whole lot of writing done. I have a two-month-old baby and if I can take a shower and make it to the grocery store, then that's a big accomplishment for the day. So I'll re-gift the advice I've been giving myself lately. Set small, measurable, manageable goals. Writing a novel and/or pursuing publication is a HUGE task. It's easy to be discouraged and feel overwhelmed. But if you take it one bite at a time, or bird by bird, you can do it.
Hope y'all have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Check out Michelle's post from yesterday and Cole's post tomorrow.
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Somewhere over the rainbow
It's my turn to post the topic for the blog chain. I asked:
How important is setting when crafting a story? How do you choose where your stories take place? How do you research setting? Do you have to have been somewhere in order to write about it? What are some memorable settings from books you've read?
I posed this question because, as a reader, setting isn't something I'm particularly concerned about. Hearing a book beautifully captures the essence of a small southern town, or 1890's London, or any other particular time and place does not make me want to read it. If the best part of a book is its unique setting, then count me out. I'm not a fan of historical fiction.
In Kate's post, she mentioned the amazing setting in Maggie Stiefvater's The Scorpio Races. I agree that she does a magnificent job of creating this odd little island full of magic and violence. But there are so many other reasons to love that book, I wouldn't think to list its setting when singing its praises.
As many of the posters before me in the chain have pointed out, setting can be extremely important in a story and almost serve as another character. I find this challenging as a writer. I'm not a fan of research so I tend to set my stories in familiar places. For my last book I changed the setting from Orange County, CA (where I grew up) to Houston, TX (where I lived at the time) on a whim.
For my current book, I wanted an urban setting. I wanted my protagonist to use public transportation and be able to become lost in a big city. She's afraid of the dark and sees monsters in shadows. So I decided San Francisco with its blanket of fog was the perfect setting.
Now I've never lived in San Francisco and only visited a handful of times, so I did have to do a fair amount of dreaded research. I spent hours zoomed in on google maps, following Jung, my main character's, bus route, deciding what street she lived in, and examining the building of her therapist's office. I used my small amount of personal experience along with countless maps, satellite images, and pictures found online to create a contemporary San Francisco setting. I hope I succeeded.
Check out Michelle's take on the topic from earlier today and read Cole's tomorrow.
How important is setting when crafting a story? How do you choose where your stories take place? How do you research setting? Do you have to have been somewhere in order to write about it? What are some memorable settings from books you've read?
I posed this question because, as a reader, setting isn't something I'm particularly concerned about. Hearing a book beautifully captures the essence of a small southern town, or 1890's London, or any other particular time and place does not make me want to read it. If the best part of a book is its unique setting, then count me out. I'm not a fan of historical fiction.
In Kate's post, she mentioned the amazing setting in Maggie Stiefvater's The Scorpio Races. I agree that she does a magnificent job of creating this odd little island full of magic and violence. But there are so many other reasons to love that book, I wouldn't think to list its setting when singing its praises.
 |
| photo source |
As many of the posters before me in the chain have pointed out, setting can be extremely important in a story and almost serve as another character. I find this challenging as a writer. I'm not a fan of research so I tend to set my stories in familiar places. For my last book I changed the setting from Orange County, CA (where I grew up) to Houston, TX (where I lived at the time) on a whim.
For my current book, I wanted an urban setting. I wanted my protagonist to use public transportation and be able to become lost in a big city. She's afraid of the dark and sees monsters in shadows. So I decided San Francisco with its blanket of fog was the perfect setting.
Now I've never lived in San Francisco and only visited a handful of times, so I did have to do a fair amount of dreaded research. I spent hours zoomed in on google maps, following Jung, my main character's, bus route, deciding what street she lived in, and examining the building of her therapist's office. I used my small amount of personal experience along with countless maps, satellite images, and pictures found online to create a contemporary San Francisco setting. I hope I succeeded.
Check out Michelle's take on the topic from earlier today and read Cole's tomorrow.
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
My goal for today is to take a shower...
Hello! Time for the blog chain again. Sandra chose the topic:
During National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), writers attempt to write 50,000 words in 30 days. Do you set daily writing goals for yourself, either a certain word count or time spent on writing? Does this include other writing-related activities, like research, plotting, or revising? Do you focus on reaching the end of the journey (such as finishing your current project), or do you enjoy the writing process along the way?
I attempted NaNoWriMo once but found the pressure made me less productive. Or at least that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it. I have a full-time day job and find time to write in the evenings and on weekends. While drafting I usually set the goal for myself of 1,000 words per day. I can write a lot more than that, but I'm a slow typer and it's usually better if I set small goals and then become an over-achiever instead of constantly disappointing myself.
When revising (which seems to be the majority of the writing process for me) it's harder to set goals. If I'm only making small changes, then I can revise 6 or 7 chapters in one sitting. If I'm stuck on a plot problem, then I might spend a few days on one chapter. Usually I set my revising goals one day at a time.
Now, though, I'm on maternity leave and my days are completely different. I have a 3-week-old baby and finding enough time to feed and clothe myself is challenging, let alone finding time to write. I just received revision notes from my agent and they're minor changes, something that I could normally knock out in a weekend. But now I have to squeak out time to write between the endless feedings, diaper changes, and loads of laundry. Although I'd love to get this revision done before Thanksgiving, setting any kind of goal for myself just seems unreasonable.
What about you? Any NaNoers out there?
Here is Michelle's take on the topic and you can see what Cole has to say tomorrow.
During National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), writers attempt to write 50,000 words in 30 days. Do you set daily writing goals for yourself, either a certain word count or time spent on writing? Does this include other writing-related activities, like research, plotting, or revising? Do you focus on reaching the end of the journey (such as finishing your current project), or do you enjoy the writing process along the way?
I attempted NaNoWriMo once but found the pressure made me less productive. Or at least that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it. I have a full-time day job and find time to write in the evenings and on weekends. While drafting I usually set the goal for myself of 1,000 words per day. I can write a lot more than that, but I'm a slow typer and it's usually better if I set small goals and then become an over-achiever instead of constantly disappointing myself.
 |
| How am I supposed to get anything done when I have this face to look at? |
Now, though, I'm on maternity leave and my days are completely different. I have a 3-week-old baby and finding enough time to feed and clothe myself is challenging, let alone finding time to write. I just received revision notes from my agent and they're minor changes, something that I could normally knock out in a weekend. But now I have to squeak out time to write between the endless feedings, diaper changes, and loads of laundry. Although I'd love to get this revision done before Thanksgiving, setting any kind of goal for myself just seems unreasonable.
What about you? Any NaNoers out there?
Here is Michelle's take on the topic and you can see what Cole has to say tomorrow.
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