So far, my writing has been crashing and burning. I'm behind on NaNo with little time to write in between school and work. I haven't even started my AAP, which I should get on soon. There's just so much that I need to do! There's not enough time.
I think there should be an extra twelve hours added to each day. Then I could write and get sleep as needed. Not be a zombie and walking around like I am unsure of what I'm supposed to do.
Ah well, life happens. I'm sure my writing will pick up soon. In the mean time! I have made a new blog. Check it out!
http://songsofencouragement.blogspot.com/
Monday, November 08, 2010
Monday, November 01, 2010
NaNo 2010
It's that time again and I am proud to say that I am participating once again in the 30 day frenzy that is NaNoWriMo. I started four years ago, and have only failed to complete NaNo once. There have been several crazy nights involved, but all of them worth it.
So how have I done so far on the first day? I have nothing written. I plan on writing my fingers to an oblivion later in the day.
Good luck to all you fellow Wrimos!
So how have I done so far on the first day? I have nothing written. I plan on writing my fingers to an oblivion later in the day.
Good luck to all you fellow Wrimos!
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Discovering the Story I Was Meant to Write
During the summer, I participated in SuNo. It was a very tough story to write because I discovered very quickly that I was not writing the story that I was meant to write. I was writing the one I wanted to. It's very hard to write a story that I want when I know it's not the one I'm meant to. It sounds crazy to have an disagreement with yourself over the direction of the story (but those of you who write know what I'm talking about).
People know that making a story takes time and effort. They know about the characters, the plot, the setting, the genre, and all the other things that are daunting. However, they rarely think that they will get in the way of the story they want to tell. I've mentioned before that your story will turn out different sometimes and that's all right! However, just make sure you don't stand in your own way.
Recently, I was looking over my trilogy and thinking of The Second Rebellion and what I should do with them. I am going to have to rewrite them again. I'm not disappointed that this will be the third time I've started them again. I'm just glad that I'm getting closer to what I'm supposed to be writing. It just means that my story is going to be that much better when I finally finish it. I can't wait!
People know that making a story takes time and effort. They know about the characters, the plot, the setting, the genre, and all the other things that are daunting. However, they rarely think that they will get in the way of the story they want to tell. I've mentioned before that your story will turn out different sometimes and that's all right! However, just make sure you don't stand in your own way.
Recently, I was looking over my trilogy and thinking of The Second Rebellion and what I should do with them. I am going to have to rewrite them again. I'm not disappointed that this will be the third time I've started them again. I'm just glad that I'm getting closer to what I'm supposed to be writing. It just means that my story is going to be that much better when I finally finish it. I can't wait!
Sunday, September 05, 2010
Stories Take Their Own Course
Over the past eight or so years of my writing, I have found that things do not always turn out the way we envision them. I can spend numerous hours plotting out every detail of this important scene and nit-pick at the dialogue. It's hard to let certain things go, especially when you feel that it has to be included in the story or else your story won't come together properly. I know that I've wrestled with this many times and I get caught up in not wanting to let my story change course that I forget what I'm writing it for.
Now, there is the complete opposite mindset. Where the writer doesn't want to inhibit anything that comes to them and doesn't set up a plot or a structure. I tell you, both of those types of novels tend to end in frustration for the authors. I've tried it both ways. Both are quite the adventure, yes. However, it is not a pleasant one.
When writing Bonds of Freedom, I had to learn to let go a lot of my plot ideas. Oh yes, I fought with myself over the thought of leaving them behind. I also fought with my characters over how a scene will go (anyone who is an author can understand this one. However, to the rest of the world, you just sound like a lunatic). In the end, it didn't matter how much I had planned out or how little I had planned out.
It was a journey, no matter what I did. There were ups and downs, of course. There were times where I felt like giving up on everything. However, that's what made it a wonderful journey. I also learned through it all that stories will take their own course. You can have the map to the end of your story or you could have no map and are awaiting inspiration and the words to come to you. Or you could land in between.
It doesn't matter how it comes about though, your story is still going to take its own course. I've written several stories and have had the plots written out, but failed to take into account the development of my characters, the plot twists thrown in, and the adventure that I would be taken on as well. It's one of the most fascinating things that I've experienced and enjoy it more and more every time I sit down to write.
So, my post today is to encourage you to let go of what you may have. It may be what's holding you back. Let yourself take the adventure and discover what your characters and your story have in store for you. Writing a novel is just not beneficial for your reader, it's beneficial for you too.
Now, there is the complete opposite mindset. Where the writer doesn't want to inhibit anything that comes to them and doesn't set up a plot or a structure. I tell you, both of those types of novels tend to end in frustration for the authors. I've tried it both ways. Both are quite the adventure, yes. However, it is not a pleasant one.
When writing Bonds of Freedom, I had to learn to let go a lot of my plot ideas. Oh yes, I fought with myself over the thought of leaving them behind. I also fought with my characters over how a scene will go (anyone who is an author can understand this one. However, to the rest of the world, you just sound like a lunatic). In the end, it didn't matter how much I had planned out or how little I had planned out.
It was a journey, no matter what I did. There were ups and downs, of course. There were times where I felt like giving up on everything. However, that's what made it a wonderful journey. I also learned through it all that stories will take their own course. You can have the map to the end of your story or you could have no map and are awaiting inspiration and the words to come to you. Or you could land in between.
It doesn't matter how it comes about though, your story is still going to take its own course. I've written several stories and have had the plots written out, but failed to take into account the development of my characters, the plot twists thrown in, and the adventure that I would be taken on as well. It's one of the most fascinating things that I've experienced and enjoy it more and more every time I sit down to write.
So, my post today is to encourage you to let go of what you may have. It may be what's holding you back. Let yourself take the adventure and discover what your characters and your story have in store for you. Writing a novel is just not beneficial for your reader, it's beneficial for you too.
Wednesday, September 01, 2010
SuNo!
Wow! So I totally forgot to talk about the summer project I did on CleanPlace! This year, we did another hearty round of SuNo. Our mission was 50K in the month of July. I must say that the journey was not an easy one for me. I had started out really well and wrote up to 23K in the first three days. Then I stopped and realized that I disliked the story immensely and pretty much spent the rest of the month debating whether or not I should continue on with the story.
I realized that it was not the story that I was supposed to be writing and was once again getting in the way of the message. On the day before the last day. I decided that I would once again take up the story just to win the t-shirt. :P Of the course of the month, I had written up to 25K, so I wrote the rest of it in the last two days.
The story that I composed in that month will never be seen by anyone as it is horrid and blown to ridiculous porportions. However, in spite of that, it was fun to write. Especially since I was so sleep deprived that I was pretty much writing whatever came to mind. It made for some rather interesting dialogue between my characters that will remain unmentioned because I dislike blackmail material. :P
Moral of the story: Do NOT attempt to write 25K in the span of two days. Not unless you have a giant chocolate cake to support you through the nights.
I realized that it was not the story that I was supposed to be writing and was once again getting in the way of the message. On the day before the last day. I decided that I would once again take up the story just to win the t-shirt. :P Of the course of the month, I had written up to 25K, so I wrote the rest of it in the last two days.
The story that I composed in that month will never be seen by anyone as it is horrid and blown to ridiculous porportions. However, in spite of that, it was fun to write. Especially since I was so sleep deprived that I was pretty much writing whatever came to mind. It made for some rather interesting dialogue between my characters that will remain unmentioned because I dislike blackmail material. :P
Moral of the story: Do NOT attempt to write 25K in the span of two days. Not unless you have a giant chocolate cake to support you through the nights.
Monday, August 30, 2010
The Journey Continues
Today marks the (obscure number) month of my journey in editing Bonds of Freedom! So far, half of the novel is edited and only one chapter is revised. I've changed one major aspect about the story. I've finally changed my story from the setting of England to my own world. I did this mainly because I was not comfortable that I had depicted the time frame accurately and so I decided that it would be best for me to set it in my own world to avoid all that mess.
Along this journey, I've found some interesting typos and hilarious moments where I had to stop and think what happened to my poor story. There were no easy answers. All I blame it on is writing late hours and being so sleep deprived that everything made sense. I have also found that I am not completely displeased with my work. My ending needs a major overhaul, but mostly because I rushed it. I also realized that I need to insert more thoughts and characteristics in my story that I left out.
It's quite fascinating to see how everything's weaving together. I've also enjoyed rediscovering my story and comparing it to where I wanted it to go and how it ended up. Oh yes, it has turned quite far from the original path, but that's the magic and mystery of stories. You never know where they're going, you just let them take you along for the ride.
Along this journey, I've found some interesting typos and hilarious moments where I had to stop and think what happened to my poor story. There were no easy answers. All I blame it on is writing late hours and being so sleep deprived that everything made sense. I have also found that I am not completely displeased with my work. My ending needs a major overhaul, but mostly because I rushed it. I also realized that I need to insert more thoughts and characteristics in my story that I left out.
It's quite fascinating to see how everything's weaving together. I've also enjoyed rediscovering my story and comparing it to where I wanted it to go and how it ended up. Oh yes, it has turned quite far from the original path, but that's the magic and mystery of stories. You never know where they're going, you just let them take you along for the ride.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Inspiration gone
So, these past few months have been a real struggle for me. I've had health issues that have yet to be addressed and I lost my job. My inspiration has slipped out of the window and so all my projects have been fairly unmoving. While I have not written, I have done a lot of planning. I managed to come up with three new story lines that I want to work on, but they still need a lot of fleshing out. One of those stories however, is going to be a script. That's right, I'm going to delve into script writing more.
This, of course, is a new element that I don't know a lot about. So I'm going to be doing a lot of research and trying to get comfortable with writing scripts. I think that I could do the dialogue well. However, I think writing all the directions and descriptions is where I would have a hard time. So, it should be interesting. The vision I have for each script is hard to put into brief summaries. Maybe I'll be like the one playwright who spent a number of pages writing description (his name escapes me...).
Anyway, that's the belated update. I'm trying really hard to get back in the writing mood. It's not working so well.
This, of course, is a new element that I don't know a lot about. So I'm going to be doing a lot of research and trying to get comfortable with writing scripts. I think that I could do the dialogue well. However, I think writing all the directions and descriptions is where I would have a hard time. So, it should be interesting. The vision I have for each script is hard to put into brief summaries. Maybe I'll be like the one playwright who spent a number of pages writing description (his name escapes me...).
Anyway, that's the belated update. I'm trying really hard to get back in the writing mood. It's not working so well.
Monday, January 04, 2010
New Year!
It's 2010! I know that I'm a little late in posting this, but better late than never. I haven't started editing Bonds of Freedom yet. I need to fix that soon. :P On the other hand, I am right on track for my goal every week. I made it my silent goal to write four chapters a week. It doesn't matter what story as long as I write.
Hopefully my writing habits and editing habits get better!
Hopefully my writing habits and editing habits get better!
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