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!
Sunday, September 12, 2010
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.
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