So, I know in the past I've always done a wrap-up post for the year -- talking about what books I've read/loved... what I accomplished/didn't accomplish with my own writing..., possibly followed by a post talking about what I hope to accomplish during the new year.
Well, I'm not doing that this year.
I'm just not.
There are a few more things I won't be talking about, and I hope you'll indulge me in this request.
I started working earnestly on FI again yesterday. (Okay, so I'm sort of a sucker for the romantic idea of starting afresh with the new year. I also have two full days to do whatever I want, which is rare... and they just so happen to fall on New Year's. Interpret this however you like. (g))
It was weird... working on this book again. But at the same time, it felt like home. I know these characters, I know this story and where I want to take it. It really just boils down to sitting my butt down in a damn chair and doing the work necessary to get it there. Only thing is, I've been in this very same spot for a veeeeeeery long time now. So what's different now?
You could say I have the eye of the tiger this go 'round, but no, I don't think that's it.
You could say I'm giving myself a big ole' kick in the ass to finish -- for whatever reason you could possibly imagine. Hopes of publication, need of moolah that comes with said publication, dreams of moving on to the next story...blah blah blah yada yada yada.
I'll tell you what. I don't think it's any of those things.
It's just time. Time to finish this story. If for nothing else, but for ME to be able to read it from start to finish...to know how the hell it ends. It deserves that opportunity. And I deserve to know that I can get it onto the page in the best way I know how.
The past couple of years, I haven't allowed myself to do that. I've hit roadblock after roadblock that I've allowed--yes allowed--to stop me. And I've figured out why that is..
A very well meaning friend and I were chatting on IM last night. I was talking about FI, how it felt so good to get back on the horse...how I really hoped to just put my head down and finish this time. We chit chatted about this and that and then whammo, she hit me with a question I wasn't prepared to answer:
What do you plan to do with it once you finish?
I'll tell you what, folks. Two days ago this question wouldn't have given me the slightest pause. I would've rattled off the same ole' spiel I've been telling people forever. i.e. Well, of course I have to send it to DA... maybe that other agent who showed interest... but yeah, I'll have to give DA first crack... blah blah blah yada yada yada.
And I sort of did just that. The only thing is that as I was typing my response, I could literally--and I do mean literally--feel panic start to set in. I physically started tensing up, and the joy of having written over 2500 words that day slowly started seeping out of me as I contemplated the answer.
Hello, epiphany!
What I realized is that my answer should've been a very polite, "I'm not going to talk about that."
And I won't from here on out. Not to anyone--not to myself.
So, new ground rules:
1. I will not be talking about what I plan to do with this book when it's finished. Period.
2. I will not be talking about when I think it will be finished.
3. And finally, I will not be talking about when I think I'll have it ready for betas or what project I plan to work on next...
Please. Don't. Ask.
I promise that this is nothing personal against you. This time it's ALL about me and what I need at this particular point in time. And that's a stress-free writing experience during which I'm NOT thinking about the end game. All I want to think about is this story -- how to make it the best story that I possibly can -- without all of that other baggage attached at the end, weighing me down into immobility. I've done that for far too long. And last night's experience is the perfect testimony to it.
And really...if you boil it down, I don't NEED to think about any of that stuff now because none of it matters until I have a completed manuscript in hand. So why do it?? Yes, easier said than done, but this time... I'm making every effort.
Please indulge me in this request. Thank you. :)
Showing posts with label Writing Issues. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Writing Issues. Show all posts
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Howdy!
I don't really have much to blog about right now. Working a lot...sleeping when I can...doing VERY LITTLE writing. It's a huge bummer, but I seriously don't have any energy right now. That said, I'm trying to get into the right frame of mind per Cindy's post tonight. HERE.
Everything she says in this post is right on the money. We're all busy people. We all have a dozen balls we're trying to juggle all at once and whenever we even think we might--or heaven forbid actually DO--drop one of them, we start playing the blame game with ourselves. The "should have" game:
I should've tried harder. I should've slept less. I should've been done with this blasted book By Now. I SUCK!!
Well, folks. We don't suck. We're just letting negativity have a little too much say in our lives. The truth of the matter is...yeah, we could've done a few things differently, but what the heck good is it going to do to keep dwelling on the past? The only thing you can worry about is what you're doing Right Now. That said, I'm with Cindy. BABY steps. Forward motion. That's all I'm going to worry about. The end is there -- someday. I just have to reach out to meet it and stop expecting to jump to the front of the line without working for it.
Okay...who's with us? :)
Everything she says in this post is right on the money. We're all busy people. We all have a dozen balls we're trying to juggle all at once and whenever we even think we might--or heaven forbid actually DO--drop one of them, we start playing the blame game with ourselves. The "should have" game:
I should've tried harder. I should've slept less. I should've been done with this blasted book By Now. I SUCK!!
Well, folks. We don't suck. We're just letting negativity have a little too much say in our lives. The truth of the matter is...yeah, we could've done a few things differently, but what the heck good is it going to do to keep dwelling on the past? The only thing you can worry about is what you're doing Right Now. That said, I'm with Cindy. BABY steps. Forward motion. That's all I'm going to worry about. The end is there -- someday. I just have to reach out to meet it and stop expecting to jump to the front of the line without working for it.
Okay...who's with us? :)
Monday, February 23, 2009
There's Never A Good Time
...to finish my book. It's about time I face this fact. :) My life is busy. I'm constantly struggling to squeeze in time for writing, and I tend to make a lot of excuses why any particular week is "bad." And well, as bad as one week might be, I always find that the next isn't any better. So on and so forth.
So, yeah...I've faced the fact that I just have to keep plugging away, and realize that even the smallest amount of progress is Still Progress.
This week...egads. It's not looking good. I don't know that I'll find much time to work on FI. Not a lot I can do about that, but what I can do is continue to work. This book will be finished, someday. Maybe not when I want it to be, but that's life, right? :)
With that in mind. I'm turning off my internet so I can spend a couple of hours working. Have a good night!
So, yeah...I've faced the fact that I just have to keep plugging away, and realize that even the smallest amount of progress is Still Progress.
This week...egads. It's not looking good. I don't know that I'll find much time to work on FI. Not a lot I can do about that, but what I can do is continue to work. This book will be finished, someday. Maybe not when I want it to be, but that's life, right? :)
With that in mind. I'm turning off my internet so I can spend a couple of hours working. Have a good night!
Friday, February 13, 2009
I'm Better Than YOU!
HA. :)
I love JA Konrath's blog, and this message is just one of the reasons why.
I'll admit that my confidence is shaky, even at the best of times*. But I admire his outlook and will strive to find that self-confidence in my own writing. :)
*Okay, sometimes I have back-slapping, YOU ARE A GENIUS! moments. They're few and far between, but when they happen, there ain't nothing that can stop me. I need to bottle that stuff.
I love JA Konrath's blog, and this message is just one of the reasons why.
I'll admit that my confidence is shaky, even at the best of times*. But I admire his outlook and will strive to find that self-confidence in my own writing. :)
*Okay, sometimes I have back-slapping, YOU ARE A GENIUS! moments. They're few and far between, but when they happen, there ain't nothing that can stop me. I need to bottle that stuff.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Go Big Or Go Home, Jen!
I needed a much needed kick in the ass tonight, and thank God, Jenna was there to give it to me. So, okay...when I started this blog, I promised myself to always be honest. We all love to hear when another writer is having a terrific streak of great writing sessions...when their stories are just flowing onto the page. But lets be honest, is that all there is to being a writer?
Ummm, I have to say, NEGATIVE. There are many bad days in the life of a writer. Today was one of those for me. And I'm here to share.
So, FI... yeah, I think it's pretty obvious that I'm struggling. I'm frustrated with myself to no end. I mean, why haven't I finished it yet?? I have this great agent waiting for it--a great agent who BELIEVES in me--and I'm dragging my feet big time. Why can't I just suck it up and push through to the end?
Answer: I have no idea.
So yeah, I had to have a little talk with myself today. Why is it that I'm struggling so much with FI while my other stories are chomping at the bit to be written?? Why are they coming so easily when getting an hour of facetime with FI is so HARD?
To be honest, I think it's a combination of things.
1. I don't want to fail. Lord knows it would kill me to turn in my revisions and have D.A. say it's not right for him after all. So, yeah...pretty easy to make excuses, drag my feet, and generally avoid finishing the blasted thing.
2. This one is hard to say without sounding full of myself -- but I've changed as a writer. Grown in a lot of ways--gotten better. I want to challenge myself -- break out in all kinds of directions -- explore new ideas. I don't want to tie myself down too early. Perhaps I have. I mean, how many people get a shot with their first book? Gah, I feel like such a heel to complain about such a thing, but maybe I needed more time to really figure out what it is I want to write.
3. In that same vein, I love YA. Love it. If I had to make a choice between YA and adult, I know YA would win hands down. Is moving forward with an adult series going to ruin my chances with it? Could I even juggle both if given the opportunity?
4. Life really has sucked the past few months. But again, I've let those excuses ride for too long.
So yeah, I asked myself a really tough question tonight. Would it be better for me--both personally and professionally--to give up on FI and focus on my other projects? I have to be honest...yeah, in some ways it would be.
Jenna took issue with this -- Thank God.
One of her comments really hit home -- could I really leave my characters: Drew, Gabe, and especially Maddy, hanging like that? Beneath it all, the underlying question: Can I live without them?
Answer: NO. HELL no.
So, yeah...it's a matter of going big or going home at this point. I have to finish. If nothing comes of it--if it never hits the shelves--at least I'll know I gave it my best shot. Even if it took me a LONG time to finish.
I vowed to start small and just keep working... if it takes me six weeks or six months or six years...it has to end at some point, right? (g)
I pulled up one of the scenes that needed work and made a wonderful discovery. I've had all of these ideas on how I would revise it and lo and behold, the changes were already there!! Does that tell you a lot about how checked out I've been over the past few months, or what? Gah, case in point. It even had a wonderful laugh out loud moment in there. (g) I so don't remember making these changes, but that's okay.
Other good news: I finally located that handwritten scene that I lost a while back. That too has a great line that made me giggle non-stop. AND I discovered a new scene I had forgotten all about. Good grief. Put all of this stuff together and I pretty much have the 2nd quarter finished. I just need to stitch it all together. Guess what that means? A few more scenes in the 3rd quarter and I'm done. (Granted, it still needs some major revisions throughout the entire thing, but I'm not nearly as far away as I thought at the beginning of the night.) Okay, this sounds all sunshine and happiness, but honestly, I just needed a little boost to the ole' self-confidence.
I can do this. I CAN do this.
Ummm, I have to say, NEGATIVE. There are many bad days in the life of a writer. Today was one of those for me. And I'm here to share.
So, FI... yeah, I think it's pretty obvious that I'm struggling. I'm frustrated with myself to no end. I mean, why haven't I finished it yet?? I have this great agent waiting for it--a great agent who BELIEVES in me--and I'm dragging my feet big time. Why can't I just suck it up and push through to the end?
Answer: I have no idea.
So yeah, I had to have a little talk with myself today. Why is it that I'm struggling so much with FI while my other stories are chomping at the bit to be written?? Why are they coming so easily when getting an hour of facetime with FI is so HARD?
To be honest, I think it's a combination of things.
1. I don't want to fail. Lord knows it would kill me to turn in my revisions and have D.A. say it's not right for him after all. So, yeah...pretty easy to make excuses, drag my feet, and generally avoid finishing the blasted thing.
2. This one is hard to say without sounding full of myself -- but I've changed as a writer. Grown in a lot of ways--gotten better. I want to challenge myself -- break out in all kinds of directions -- explore new ideas. I don't want to tie myself down too early. Perhaps I have. I mean, how many people get a shot with their first book? Gah, I feel like such a heel to complain about such a thing, but maybe I needed more time to really figure out what it is I want to write.
3. In that same vein, I love YA. Love it. If I had to make a choice between YA and adult, I know YA would win hands down. Is moving forward with an adult series going to ruin my chances with it? Could I even juggle both if given the opportunity?
4. Life really has sucked the past few months. But again, I've let those excuses ride for too long.
So yeah, I asked myself a really tough question tonight. Would it be better for me--both personally and professionally--to give up on FI and focus on my other projects? I have to be honest...yeah, in some ways it would be.
Jenna took issue with this -- Thank God.
One of her comments really hit home -- could I really leave my characters: Drew, Gabe, and especially Maddy, hanging like that? Beneath it all, the underlying question: Can I live without them?
Answer: NO. HELL no.
So, yeah...it's a matter of going big or going home at this point. I have to finish. If nothing comes of it--if it never hits the shelves--at least I'll know I gave it my best shot. Even if it took me a LONG time to finish.
I vowed to start small and just keep working... if it takes me six weeks or six months or six years...it has to end at some point, right? (g)
I pulled up one of the scenes that needed work and made a wonderful discovery. I've had all of these ideas on how I would revise it and lo and behold, the changes were already there!! Does that tell you a lot about how checked out I've been over the past few months, or what? Gah, case in point. It even had a wonderful laugh out loud moment in there. (g) I so don't remember making these changes, but that's okay.
Other good news: I finally located that handwritten scene that I lost a while back. That too has a great line that made me giggle non-stop. AND I discovered a new scene I had forgotten all about. Good grief. Put all of this stuff together and I pretty much have the 2nd quarter finished. I just need to stitch it all together. Guess what that means? A few more scenes in the 3rd quarter and I'm done. (Granted, it still needs some major revisions throughout the entire thing, but I'm not nearly as far away as I thought at the beginning of the night.) Okay, this sounds all sunshine and happiness, but honestly, I just needed a little boost to the ole' self-confidence.
I can do this. I CAN do this.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Living In The Monkey House?
So, I'm a Project Runway addict. I happened to catch the finale to last season (as tonight is THIS season's premiere -- YAY), during which Tim Gunn goes to visit Chris and is a bit...put-off by his collection. He then makes this really great analogy, which goes something like this: When a person walks into a monkey house, they're overwhelmed by the stench of the place. It's nauseating, but after a few minutes, you become somewhat used to it. And then an hour later, you don't even notice the smell anymore. It's only when someone new walks in and remarks on the smell that you're reminded of all the crap strewn about.
Okay, so obviously he was trying to give Chris a not-so-subtle hint that he had obviously been around his collection for too long, and what he thought was good, was really crap. LOL. Harsh, but man, what a great way of looking at things. And a great reminder that every now and then we need to take a step away from our work and get the opinion of others. Are we really as good as we think we are or have we simply grown accustomed to what others would think is complete shiite?
So my question to myself is this -- have I been living in the FI monkey house too long? I swear, there are days when I'm actually quite proud of my writing. I think to myself: Wow, Jen. YOU wrote this. It's awesome. Who woulda thunk it??
Other days (if I'm honest, MOST days) -- such as the past couple, I've been reading back through and thinking I've seriously produced some big lumps of crap. Not only do I need to watch where I step, but I worry that a bunch of turds do not a book make. (Any of you who know me well, know this is pretty much standard operating procedure for me. Seriously, tho...will I ever be confident?? Do these self-doubts ever go away?? Yeah, yeah...I'd say no at this point.) Heh. Yeah, so what's my point?
Not sure that I have one. But I find it all very interesting that I saw myself in this. LOL. To be honest, it frustrates the heck out of me. So, what to do about it? Any suggestions? Shall I post some snips for feedback? Either way, I'm putting my head down and gutting through...if this is truly the monkey house, then I need to be done with it and get this dang book out into the daylight to air out.
Okay, so obviously he was trying to give Chris a not-so-subtle hint that he had obviously been around his collection for too long, and what he thought was good, was really crap. LOL. Harsh, but man, what a great way of looking at things. And a great reminder that every now and then we need to take a step away from our work and get the opinion of others. Are we really as good as we think we are or have we simply grown accustomed to what others would think is complete shiite?
So my question to myself is this -- have I been living in the FI monkey house too long? I swear, there are days when I'm actually quite proud of my writing. I think to myself: Wow, Jen. YOU wrote this. It's awesome. Who woulda thunk it??
Other days (if I'm honest, MOST days) -- such as the past couple, I've been reading back through and thinking I've seriously produced some big lumps of crap. Not only do I need to watch where I step, but I worry that a bunch of turds do not a book make. (Any of you who know me well, know this is pretty much standard operating procedure for me. Seriously, tho...will I ever be confident?? Do these self-doubts ever go away?? Yeah, yeah...I'd say no at this point.) Heh. Yeah, so what's my point?
Not sure that I have one. But I find it all very interesting that I saw myself in this. LOL. To be honest, it frustrates the heck out of me. So, what to do about it? Any suggestions? Shall I post some snips for feedback? Either way, I'm putting my head down and gutting through...if this is truly the monkey house, then I need to be done with it and get this dang book out into the daylight to air out.
Sunday, September 2, 2007
The Wolf Man Saves The Day!
I've been pretty quiet the past couple of days...if you hadn't noticed. The reason for this has been a continued "down in the dumps" mentality when it comes to my writing. I wouldn't normally talk about this on a public blog, but I figure I'm not the only one who goes through it. Maybe it will help someone else. You never know.
As my friends can attest to, I tend to run in cycles. I can go on for some time, quite happily in fact, just doing my thing... writing writing writing... loving what I'm producing, enjoying the process, thinking life couldn't get any better. Then something happens and I CRASH... It could be a negative response to a snip, it could be a lack of response to a snip, which makes me think people hate my stuff -- it can sometimes even be a postitive crit that brings it on. I have no clue why it happens, but I start thinking my writing is complete crap and that there's no way in the world I'll ever be published.
It's very debilitating, and puts the brakes on whatever creative flow I had going at the time. Sometimes it lasts for a few hours....sometimes a couple of days... Gah, it sucks.
I've mostly learned how to cope when it happens. My friends will kindly tell me to stop whining and get back to work.... or as one friend said last night, "You don't have time for this!! Stay positive, damn you!!" LOL. Truer words were never spoken. I DON'T have time for these bouts of self-doubt...but alas, they happen despite whatever efforts I make to shake them off.
So, what have I been up to? I've been trying to make myself write, and failing miserably. I think part of it has to do with that big snafu in FI--which I still haven't found a satisfactory solution for.... and well, I just haven't had any motivation to put my butt in the chair. I've been watching a lot of movies... lol. I've also been reading Gabaldon's LORD JOHN & THE BROTHERHOOD OF THE BLADE... (Notice I haven't mentioned homework. (g))
Tonight, I decided to snoop through the 'watch now' choices on Netflix. I came across The Wolf Man with Lou Chaney. It's on my at home queue, but I thought I might take a quick peek. Great movie, btw. And SHORT... 69 minutes, which is just weird. (g) Anyway, I've always been a big fan of the old creature features, but I'm not sure I've ever seen this particular one. I've seen all the cross-monster ones -- Wolfman meets Frankenstein, etc... LOVE em.
Anywho--I'm watching the movie and all of a sudden a scene starts to develop in my head -- for BTPM. Nothing really based off the movie, but one in which the movie plays a part. I think it has a lot of potential, and I'm super excited to get started on it. I also figured out what to do with this one chapter opening that's been giving me a lot of trouble. Basically what I had wasn't really necessary anymore (after all the changes I made to the front end), but I couldn't figure out anything to put there. Now I have at least an idea -- just have to flesh it out a bit.
So, YAY... I'm finally breaking through this horrible funk. A shame because it wasted a perfectly good weekend... but what can you do? At least I have one day left.
As my friends can attest to, I tend to run in cycles. I can go on for some time, quite happily in fact, just doing my thing... writing writing writing... loving what I'm producing, enjoying the process, thinking life couldn't get any better. Then something happens and I CRASH... It could be a negative response to a snip, it could be a lack of response to a snip, which makes me think people hate my stuff -- it can sometimes even be a postitive crit that brings it on. I have no clue why it happens, but I start thinking my writing is complete crap and that there's no way in the world I'll ever be published.
It's very debilitating, and puts the brakes on whatever creative flow I had going at the time. Sometimes it lasts for a few hours....sometimes a couple of days... Gah, it sucks.
I've mostly learned how to cope when it happens. My friends will kindly tell me to stop whining and get back to work.... or as one friend said last night, "You don't have time for this!! Stay positive, damn you!!" LOL. Truer words were never spoken. I DON'T have time for these bouts of self-doubt...but alas, they happen despite whatever efforts I make to shake them off.
So, what have I been up to? I've been trying to make myself write, and failing miserably. I think part of it has to do with that big snafu in FI--which I still haven't found a satisfactory solution for.... and well, I just haven't had any motivation to put my butt in the chair. I've been watching a lot of movies... lol. I've also been reading Gabaldon's LORD JOHN & THE BROTHERHOOD OF THE BLADE... (Notice I haven't mentioned homework. (g))
Tonight, I decided to snoop through the 'watch now' choices on Netflix. I came across The Wolf Man with Lou Chaney. It's on my at home queue, but I thought I might take a quick peek. Great movie, btw. And SHORT... 69 minutes, which is just weird. (g) Anyway, I've always been a big fan of the old creature features, but I'm not sure I've ever seen this particular one. I've seen all the cross-monster ones -- Wolfman meets Frankenstein, etc... LOVE em.
Anywho--I'm watching the movie and all of a sudden a scene starts to develop in my head -- for BTPM. Nothing really based off the movie, but one in which the movie plays a part. I think it has a lot of potential, and I'm super excited to get started on it. I also figured out what to do with this one chapter opening that's been giving me a lot of trouble. Basically what I had wasn't really necessary anymore (after all the changes I made to the front end), but I couldn't figure out anything to put there. Now I have at least an idea -- just have to flesh it out a bit.
So, YAY... I'm finally breaking through this horrible funk. A shame because it wasted a perfectly good weekend... but what can you do? At least I have one day left.
Saturday, September 1, 2007
Aaargh.
Outlines suck! (g)
So, I have these two scenes I absolutely love... I've been so stoked all week, thinking how great they are and how they'll add a lot to the book.
But wait a minute.... Aww crap! They're not going to line up in the timeline I've got in the outline. In fact, they don't work together _at all_. This part has to happen before that happens, and crap, it's all backwards.
$%^&*()(*&^%$#$%^&*()_)(*&^%$%^&*&%&$&*(&%!!!!!!!
The last thing I want to do is lose either of them. That would suck big time. So, first on the agenda tomorrow is to figure out a way to reconcile them. *sigh* I'd try now, but I'm barely able to write in a straight line. It might be better to chuck it all for the night and go to bed.
Blurgh.
So, I have these two scenes I absolutely love... I've been so stoked all week, thinking how great they are and how they'll add a lot to the book.
But wait a minute.... Aww crap! They're not going to line up in the timeline I've got in the outline. In fact, they don't work together _at all_. This part has to happen before that happens, and crap, it's all backwards.
$%^&*()(*&^%$#$%^&*()_)(*&^%$%^&*&%&$&*(&%!!!!!!!
The last thing I want to do is lose either of them. That would suck big time. So, first on the agenda tomorrow is to figure out a way to reconcile them. *sigh* I'd try now, but I'm barely able to write in a straight line. It might be better to chuck it all for the night and go to bed.
Blurgh.
Friday, August 10, 2007
Acute Sequelitis
Nathan Bransford had a very interesting post today -- here. It started out as a post on self-publishing and turned into a very interesting commentary about sequels. Granted, he was talking about them in the context of self-publishing the first and HOPING a major publishing house will pick up the second, and reprint the first..blah blah blah. He noted the one case of this that _I'm_ aware of.. ERAGON by Christopher Paolini, which -- let's face it -- was a huge exception to the general rule. Lucky duck! :) Maybe there are more, but that taps out my knowledge on the subject.
Anyway, this post got me to thinking about all of us aspiring writers who hope to have series someday. And, really, who can blame us? A series means that we can remain with our characters in the world we've created -- it means people are reading and enjoying the stories we're weaving -- it means (let's hope) a steady writing gig and income. Nothing wrong with that.
I think his advice applies to people going the traditional route as well as those who self-publish. In fact, I found myself in this situation last year. I finished FAKING IT and _immediately_ began book 2. Then, when those pesky rejections started pouring in, I suffered a HUGE jolt to my self-confidence. What was I doing writing book 2, if I couldn't get book 1 picked up? On top of that, what was I doing thinking about books 3...and 4...and 5...etc?
At that point, I said... okay, I need to work on _something_ else. That brought about BY THE PALE MOONLIGHT, which is guess what? TADA -- another series. Not in a, book 1 stands on its own and answers every question kind of way, but in a...there NEEDS to be a second book to finish this story...maybe even a third.
(Sidenote: Boy am I glad to see this is actually done in today's market! In fact, A GREAT AND TERRIBLE BEAUTY by Libba Bray employed a similar concept -- rock on. (g))
Am I crazy?? Wait! Don't answer that! lol.
I don't know if there's a question that needs to be answered here -- I'm mostly just thinking aloud. (g) It's just that I've seen a lot of people (myself included) who have such BIG dreams when it comes to series -- we've worked out individual plots for each book -- we've weaved a plot arc that spans over the books, tying them all together, making the series contingent upon such and such in book 2... or this character needs to be introduced in book 1 because they'll be back in book 4... so on and so forth. LOL.
Are we setting ourselves up for a huge letdown? I mean, how many series really get picked up? What are the odds?
This topic really sprang to mind tonight because I had a little epiphany about a pivotal scene in _book 4_ of the Narc series. I've got it all planned out, folks. (g) I think if I wrote down all the possible ideas I have, I would have enough for at least 8 books AND a prequel. That's a whole lotta ideas hinging on my selling book 1.
One thing I refuse to do, though... While I have a lot of ideas and can probably even describe the antags in each book -- I'm NOT going there yet. I won't be plotting out the stories in full and I won't be giving them titles. If I'm graced with the opportunity to write a series, there will be plenty of time to think about those books. For now, I'm gonna write whatever strikes me -- because (hopefully) one of them will pan out.
Anyway, this post got me to thinking about all of us aspiring writers who hope to have series someday. And, really, who can blame us? A series means that we can remain with our characters in the world we've created -- it means people are reading and enjoying the stories we're weaving -- it means (let's hope) a steady writing gig and income. Nothing wrong with that.
I think his advice applies to people going the traditional route as well as those who self-publish. In fact, I found myself in this situation last year. I finished FAKING IT and _immediately_ began book 2. Then, when those pesky rejections started pouring in, I suffered a HUGE jolt to my self-confidence. What was I doing writing book 2, if I couldn't get book 1 picked up? On top of that, what was I doing thinking about books 3...and 4...and 5...etc?
At that point, I said... okay, I need to work on _something_ else. That brought about BY THE PALE MOONLIGHT, which is guess what? TADA -- another series. Not in a, book 1 stands on its own and answers every question kind of way, but in a...there NEEDS to be a second book to finish this story...maybe even a third.
(Sidenote: Boy am I glad to see this is actually done in today's market! In fact, A GREAT AND TERRIBLE BEAUTY by Libba Bray employed a similar concept -- rock on. (g))
Am I crazy?? Wait! Don't answer that! lol.
I don't know if there's a question that needs to be answered here -- I'm mostly just thinking aloud. (g) It's just that I've seen a lot of people (myself included) who have such BIG dreams when it comes to series -- we've worked out individual plots for each book -- we've weaved a plot arc that spans over the books, tying them all together, making the series contingent upon such and such in book 2... or this character needs to be introduced in book 1 because they'll be back in book 4... so on and so forth. LOL.
Are we setting ourselves up for a huge letdown? I mean, how many series really get picked up? What are the odds?
This topic really sprang to mind tonight because I had a little epiphany about a pivotal scene in _book 4_ of the Narc series. I've got it all planned out, folks. (g) I think if I wrote down all the possible ideas I have, I would have enough for at least 8 books AND a prequel. That's a whole lotta ideas hinging on my selling book 1.
One thing I refuse to do, though... While I have a lot of ideas and can probably even describe the antags in each book -- I'm NOT going there yet. I won't be plotting out the stories in full and I won't be giving them titles. If I'm graced with the opportunity to write a series, there will be plenty of time to think about those books. For now, I'm gonna write whatever strikes me -- because (hopefully) one of them will pan out.
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Clarification
I've heard rumor of some comments being made by another writer regarding my "Check Yourself" post in which I said it's important to surround yourselves with people who will be honest and yes, sometimes brutal, about your writing. Seems I've given the impression that I think that's the only way you'll learn and grow and that those are the ONLY people you should listen to. And well, apparently I've come off as a harsh biyatch who likes to tear people down. OKAAAAAAAYYYYY...BACK UP. (g)
{{One aside -- I've been contacted by MANY of you who agreed with what I had to say. So thank you for not thinking I was some crazy writer hellbent on making people's lives a living nightmare. lol. This post is only to quash these kinds of comments, though I'm sure they'll continue. (g)}}
First of all, that's not at all what I meant. And if you automatically assumed I was talking about you in that post, perhaps that's a clear indication that you DO have a problem. But as I didn't go anywhere near specifics, and only mentioned "a couple of writers" in passing, I'm not sure how anyone would deduce WHO I was talking about.
Second, if you read the post, you know that I listed three specific things to look for. 1. Do your critters ever find fault in your writing? 2. Do they ever point out things that deep down YOU feel need work? 3. Is anyone outside your group listening and agreeing with what's being said? If no is your answer to all three, yeah, YOU have a problem, IMHO.
And finally, if you don't agree with what I have to say on a subject, feel free to speak up. I'm MORE than willing to hash it out with people... not in a throw down, knock-out fight, but a nice civilized debate. Of course, as this is my blog, I reserve the right to stick out my tongue and say "Nuh-uh!!" (G) But, in all seriousness... this is MY blog. MY opinions. I'm not saying that I'm right. I'm just ranting, sometimes coherently, sometimes not so much. lol. Mostly these posts are just my reactions to the world around me. If I offend you, I'm sorry... but that doesn't mean I'm going to stop posting. As they say... door's that way...it works both ways.
And I'm not saying you can't have a support group. By all means, surround yourself with writers/friends who will be nothing but over-the-top cheerleaders who think you walk on water. In fact, you probably _should_ do that when you're starting out. But let's be honest, if you want to be published, someday you will need to break out of that safety circle and VERIFY that what you think is great, yanno, actually is.
Trust me, when you finish your novel and start querying agents, you will be thankful you did. Agents/editors/professional writers can be HARSH. Not in a "I want to tear you down" sort of way, but just in a blunt, "This is NOT good enough" manner. Do you really want to be left scratching your head after your umpteenth rejection, saying to yourself, "But my crit circle loves it! I don't know what I did wrong?!"
Trust me, I've been there. Hell, I'm _still_ going through it. And there's simply no better way to AVOID that kind of thing happening then to have honest critiques done of your work by disinterested parties who KNOW what they're doing. Your mom isn't going to be 100% honest...the writer you chat with on IM every day isn't going to be 100% honest (even if they THINK they are)...It's just a reality that you need to be aware of. And heck, we all cushion the blows when we're critting our friends...it's natural, it's understandable. But the important thing is to look outside your usual group to get other perspectives.
And here's one other thing to think about. Okay, I'm guilty of this from time to time... Jen=Human.
When you receive a crit and you don't agree with it, it's pretty natural to say this person doesn't "get" what I'm trying to do.. this person doesn't understand me the way my crit partners do... This person is just trying to be mean.. This person has it out for me.... *WAH WAH WAH BLAH BLAH BLAH YADA YADA YADA* *WHINE* Do you need a tissue? (g)
Gah, I've reacted that way...we probably all have. But is it the right response to a negative crit? Prolly not. Because whether or not you like what this person has to say, they represent a fragment of the reading population at large. Where there is one, there will be others... Those others will be agents sending you form rejections.
And one last thing to remember is that ultimately YOU have to be happy with what you write. All of this other garbage is moot if you don't like it... but once again, just because you think it's gold, doesn't mean others will... It's a vicious business, but that's the truth.
{{One aside -- I've been contacted by MANY of you who agreed with what I had to say. So thank you for not thinking I was some crazy writer hellbent on making people's lives a living nightmare. lol. This post is only to quash these kinds of comments, though I'm sure they'll continue. (g)}}
First of all, that's not at all what I meant. And if you automatically assumed I was talking about you in that post, perhaps that's a clear indication that you DO have a problem. But as I didn't go anywhere near specifics, and only mentioned "a couple of writers" in passing, I'm not sure how anyone would deduce WHO I was talking about.
Second, if you read the post, you know that I listed three specific things to look for. 1. Do your critters ever find fault in your writing? 2. Do they ever point out things that deep down YOU feel need work? 3. Is anyone outside your group listening and agreeing with what's being said? If no is your answer to all three, yeah, YOU have a problem, IMHO.
And finally, if you don't agree with what I have to say on a subject, feel free to speak up. I'm MORE than willing to hash it out with people... not in a throw down, knock-out fight, but a nice civilized debate. Of course, as this is my blog, I reserve the right to stick out my tongue and say "Nuh-uh!!" (G) But, in all seriousness... this is MY blog. MY opinions. I'm not saying that I'm right. I'm just ranting, sometimes coherently, sometimes not so much. lol. Mostly these posts are just my reactions to the world around me. If I offend you, I'm sorry... but that doesn't mean I'm going to stop posting. As they say... door's that way...it works both ways.
And I'm not saying you can't have a support group. By all means, surround yourself with writers/friends who will be nothing but over-the-top cheerleaders who think you walk on water. In fact, you probably _should_ do that when you're starting out. But let's be honest, if you want to be published, someday you will need to break out of that safety circle and VERIFY that what you think is great, yanno, actually is.
Trust me, when you finish your novel and start querying agents, you will be thankful you did. Agents/editors/professional writers can be HARSH. Not in a "I want to tear you down" sort of way, but just in a blunt, "This is NOT good enough" manner. Do you really want to be left scratching your head after your umpteenth rejection, saying to yourself, "But my crit circle loves it! I don't know what I did wrong?!"
Trust me, I've been there. Hell, I'm _still_ going through it. And there's simply no better way to AVOID that kind of thing happening then to have honest critiques done of your work by disinterested parties who KNOW what they're doing. Your mom isn't going to be 100% honest...the writer you chat with on IM every day isn't going to be 100% honest (even if they THINK they are)...It's just a reality that you need to be aware of. And heck, we all cushion the blows when we're critting our friends...it's natural, it's understandable. But the important thing is to look outside your usual group to get other perspectives.
And here's one other thing to think about. Okay, I'm guilty of this from time to time... Jen=Human.
When you receive a crit and you don't agree with it, it's pretty natural to say this person doesn't "get" what I'm trying to do.. this person doesn't understand me the way my crit partners do... This person is just trying to be mean.. This person has it out for me.... *WAH WAH WAH BLAH BLAH BLAH YADA YADA YADA* *WHINE* Do you need a tissue? (g)
Gah, I've reacted that way...we probably all have. But is it the right response to a negative crit? Prolly not. Because whether or not you like what this person has to say, they represent a fragment of the reading population at large. Where there is one, there will be others... Those others will be agents sending you form rejections.
And one last thing to remember is that ultimately YOU have to be happy with what you write. All of this other garbage is moot if you don't like it... but once again, just because you think it's gold, doesn't mean others will... It's a vicious business, but that's the truth.
Sunday, June 3, 2007
Dreams
I've said it once, I'll probably say it a million times. Dreams are wonderful sources of inspiration. Last night's dream session goes to prove the point again. (g)
I have this wip that's been simmering for a long time -- it's a...hrm, prolly a suspense/mystery centering around a cult.(g) I won't go into great length about what inspired it, but think Hollywood...big actor...vitamins. LOL. Anyway, last night I had a dream that will work _so well_ as an opening for the book.
No, I'm not starting another project. I'm going to scribble out all I can remember and call it good for now. I have much too much going on right now to even consider another book.
But I think it's important to remember that you need to save these ideas that occur to you over time. After all, you wouldn't want to be known as a one hit wonder, now would you? I swear, I probably have enough ideas _now_ for a lifetime of writing -- and there will be more to come. The hard part is knowing what to focus on at any given time. (g)
Man, is there anything better than telling stories?
I have this wip that's been simmering for a long time -- it's a...hrm, prolly a suspense/mystery centering around a cult.(g) I won't go into great length about what inspired it, but think Hollywood...big actor...vitamins. LOL. Anyway, last night I had a dream that will work _so well_ as an opening for the book.
No, I'm not starting another project. I'm going to scribble out all I can remember and call it good for now. I have much too much going on right now to even consider another book.
But I think it's important to remember that you need to save these ideas that occur to you over time. After all, you wouldn't want to be known as a one hit wonder, now would you? I swear, I probably have enough ideas _now_ for a lifetime of writing -- and there will be more to come. The hard part is knowing what to focus on at any given time. (g)
Man, is there anything better than telling stories?
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Read, Jen! Read!
With everything that's been going on in my life -- school, writing, personal stuff... it gets seriously hard to manage my day to day. The first thing that always gets pushed to the back back back burner? Reading. After all--I tell myself--I need to write if I'm ever going to get published. When it comes down to the two, I always choose writing first. I tend to forget how reading has such a positive effect on my writing... the level of creativity I reach... my inspiration, my motivation.. gah, it's all tied to sitting down once in a while and reading a good book. Even the bad ones help to a certain extent.
At any rate, I wanted to step away from my wips -- remember the whole critting idea? I had planned to tear through this woman's wip--I think she has 36 chapters in her book. I got through chapter 5 and realized she'd taken down chapters 6-20-something. There went that plan. lol So, I picked up NEW MOON instead -- see the review below. I can't tell you the number of ideas that were sparked for BTPM's revisions while I read this book. No, not copying, and not trying to pass myself off as a "Stephenie Meyer--wannabe." Just good ol' inspiration from reading a book that works.
I've come up with quite a few changes I want to make -- nothing that will really alter the current order or anything -- just changes that will beef up what I have with some new scenes here and there. Extra oomph and conflict... all easy fixes because the foundation of the story is already strong. I'm so excited to begin, which I probably will tonight.
Anyway, what's my point? The old adage is true -- in order to write, you NEED to read. Maybe not all the time, and hopefully not books too similar to your own... but enough to keep the creative juices flowing. Consider reading the gas that keeps your writing engine going... without it, you're gonna sputter out. That is exactly what happened to me. But dang it, my tank is full again. :) Yay.
At any rate, I wanted to step away from my wips -- remember the whole critting idea? I had planned to tear through this woman's wip--I think she has 36 chapters in her book. I got through chapter 5 and realized she'd taken down chapters 6-20-something. There went that plan. lol So, I picked up NEW MOON instead -- see the review below. I can't tell you the number of ideas that were sparked for BTPM's revisions while I read this book. No, not copying, and not trying to pass myself off as a "Stephenie Meyer--wannabe." Just good ol' inspiration from reading a book that works.
I've come up with quite a few changes I want to make -- nothing that will really alter the current order or anything -- just changes that will beef up what I have with some new scenes here and there. Extra oomph and conflict... all easy fixes because the foundation of the story is already strong. I'm so excited to begin, which I probably will tonight.
Anyway, what's my point? The old adage is true -- in order to write, you NEED to read. Maybe not all the time, and hopefully not books too similar to your own... but enough to keep the creative juices flowing. Consider reading the gas that keeps your writing engine going... without it, you're gonna sputter out. That is exactly what happened to me. But dang it, my tank is full again. :) Yay.
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Newbie Mistakes
On Sunday, I had a couple of friends over for cocktails and hottubbing in order to celebrate my having finished BTPM. Yeah, I needed some relaxation after the outline...then pounding out the new ending to BTPM, etc. Anyway, I got into this long conversation with one of my girls about writing. I worked with her a couple of years back, and we both independently (and secretively) started writing books. Mine was COTM of course...and hers was a children's book.
Anyway, she just had a baby... and well, for one reason or another, she's never moved much further than the "idea" stage.
We started talking about writing and then she said, "I just can't grasp how you do it." (?) She was referring to everything that it takes to write a book...knowing how to write dialogue...coming up with descriptions of things...how to plot it out and make the characters interact. She just doesn't get it.
So, here we have two wannabe writers -- starting out at the same time. One never gets past the concept stage and some scribbled notes... The other is a writing maniac. I would guess I've written about 300-325K in the past two years. So...what happened there? What made my experience so different from hers? That's one for the heavens, cuz I just don't know.
Anyway, I started talking about how I've been on a complete learning curve since I began. I told them both about all of the HORRIBLE mistakes I made and misconceptions I was under when I first began. So... thought I would list some of 'em. (g)
1. Punctuating dialogue. LOL. I couldn't do it to save my life. I have examples where my dialogue looks something like this: "I don't want to go! she said angrily" or "I don't want to go". She said angrily. I don't know what happened, but I swear I was sober and drug-free. (g)
2. Show/Tell. I remember the first time someone said that to me. *blink blink blink wha?* I had no clue. This is probably the hardest thing to kick, so I'm not gonna fault myself too much... but man, what a concept to try to grasp when you're first starting out.
3. Passive writing. Okay, I'm not FULLY at fault for this one. I blame this on some of the writing that's allowed to hit the shelves. (g) After all, if I read that stuff, naturally I'm going to write that way. Right? Now when I read stuff like this, I want to throw the books at the wall.
4. Gerunds... yeah, don't get me started. I still don't fully grasp why they're so bad. (g)
5. Headhopping/POV slips. Yanno, I don't think I was ever a headhopper (thank God). I did have occasional POV slips, but nothing too major. I simply had to learn that a character can't see their own face turn red. (g)
6. White space. OH LORDY. I look at my original pages of COTM and wonder if I knew where the return key was back then. LOL. I have paragraphs in that MS that run over a page long... yeah, return, Jen...return!
7. Writing is easy. LMAO. Cha, right! Okay, so at times it is... but usually, the first few sentences in any writing session are unbelievably hard to get out. There are times when words come at the rate of about 10 every half hour... a sentence here...a word there... it's like pulling teeth. The biggest lesson I've learned to date is that writing is hard work, and that you have to push yourself to sit down during the non-creative moments. If I only wrote when the mood strikes me, I'd never get anything accomplished. The great thing is that usually when I force myself to write, my mood catches up. :)
8. Publication will be a piece of cake! *snrk* I remember thinking to myself that I had decent writing chops (post learning how to punctuate dialogue, that is) and that I shouldn't have a problem hitting the shelves. Oh Lordy. Yeah... 'nuff said.
9. Finding an agent would be quick and easy. ROFL. When I heard about people querying their book for close to two years, I thought...NO WAY is that gonna be me. I can't wait that long! lol. Yeah, I ate those words. (g) Granted, I'm only at about 7 or 8 months... but still! I thought I'd have it all wrapped up by New Year (g). (Hey, 3 months is enough, right?)
10. I will write historicals. HA! Yeah, I'm not sure historicals are my thing. I think that's pretty clear, actually. My only question is _what_ genre will I end up in? I love them all so. (g) My goal is to be housed in the fiction section...simply because they won't be able to nail down _what_ I am. (g) Count 'em off... historical (IF I finish it), suspense/mystery, YA, fantasy, and one that might turn into a romance. LOL. Heavens. And I'm only a couple of years into my writing career. Someday, a western could bubble up for all I know. Egads. (g)
Okay...so those are some of my huge mistakes/misconceptions. Please tell me I'm not alone. (g)
Anyway, she just had a baby... and well, for one reason or another, she's never moved much further than the "idea" stage.
We started talking about writing and then she said, "I just can't grasp how you do it." (?) She was referring to everything that it takes to write a book...knowing how to write dialogue...coming up with descriptions of things...how to plot it out and make the characters interact. She just doesn't get it.
So, here we have two wannabe writers -- starting out at the same time. One never gets past the concept stage and some scribbled notes... The other is a writing maniac. I would guess I've written about 300-325K in the past two years. So...what happened there? What made my experience so different from hers? That's one for the heavens, cuz I just don't know.
Anyway, I started talking about how I've been on a complete learning curve since I began. I told them both about all of the HORRIBLE mistakes I made and misconceptions I was under when I first began. So... thought I would list some of 'em. (g)
1. Punctuating dialogue. LOL. I couldn't do it to save my life. I have examples where my dialogue looks something like this: "I don't want to go! she said angrily" or "I don't want to go". She said angrily. I don't know what happened, but I swear I was sober and drug-free. (g)
2. Show/Tell. I remember the first time someone said that to me. *blink blink blink wha?* I had no clue. This is probably the hardest thing to kick, so I'm not gonna fault myself too much... but man, what a concept to try to grasp when you're first starting out.
3. Passive writing. Okay, I'm not FULLY at fault for this one. I blame this on some of the writing that's allowed to hit the shelves. (g) After all, if I read that stuff, naturally I'm going to write that way. Right? Now when I read stuff like this, I want to throw the books at the wall.
4. Gerunds... yeah, don't get me started. I still don't fully grasp why they're so bad. (g)
5. Headhopping/POV slips. Yanno, I don't think I was ever a headhopper (thank God). I did have occasional POV slips, but nothing too major. I simply had to learn that a character can't see their own face turn red. (g)
6. White space. OH LORDY. I look at my original pages of COTM and wonder if I knew where the return key was back then. LOL. I have paragraphs in that MS that run over a page long... yeah, return, Jen...return!
7. Writing is easy. LMAO. Cha, right! Okay, so at times it is... but usually, the first few sentences in any writing session are unbelievably hard to get out. There are times when words come at the rate of about 10 every half hour... a sentence here...a word there... it's like pulling teeth. The biggest lesson I've learned to date is that writing is hard work, and that you have to push yourself to sit down during the non-creative moments. If I only wrote when the mood strikes me, I'd never get anything accomplished. The great thing is that usually when I force myself to write, my mood catches up. :)
8. Publication will be a piece of cake! *snrk* I remember thinking to myself that I had decent writing chops (post learning how to punctuate dialogue, that is) and that I shouldn't have a problem hitting the shelves. Oh Lordy. Yeah... 'nuff said.
9. Finding an agent would be quick and easy. ROFL. When I heard about people querying their book for close to two years, I thought...NO WAY is that gonna be me. I can't wait that long! lol. Yeah, I ate those words. (g) Granted, I'm only at about 7 or 8 months... but still! I thought I'd have it all wrapped up by New Year (g). (Hey, 3 months is enough, right?)
10. I will write historicals. HA! Yeah, I'm not sure historicals are my thing. I think that's pretty clear, actually. My only question is _what_ genre will I end up in? I love them all so. (g) My goal is to be housed in the fiction section...simply because they won't be able to nail down _what_ I am. (g) Count 'em off... historical (IF I finish it), suspense/mystery, YA, fantasy, and one that might turn into a romance. LOL. Heavens. And I'm only a couple of years into my writing career. Someday, a western could bubble up for all I know. Egads. (g)
Okay...so those are some of my huge mistakes/misconceptions. Please tell me I'm not alone. (g)
Friday, March 16, 2007
Crit Groups
I've been part of a crit forum for a little over a year now. I remember very well what it felt like to join it. After all, it was really the first time I dipped my big toe into the murky waters of public criticism. (g) Although I'm a little battle worn, I have come out the other side relatively unscathed. Plus, I'm still writing. LOL. Guess they didn't deter me, no matter how hard it seemed some tried at times.
I learned a lot in the past year, and hopefully, it shows in my writing. I look back at some of my earliest chapters posted for critique and I CRINGE. LOL. Not to say it's completely horrible, but back then I didn't know the simplest of rules about how to format a book (Gah, I couldn't punctuate dialog correctly to save my life!). If that original book ever sees the light of day, it will require a major overhaul. Of course, even though it's very cringe worthy, I see its potential. So, perhaps all is not lost with it.
Anyway, I've given it some thought, and I think it might be time for me to pull up stakes and move on. I'm really not enjoying the general tone I see on this particular board right now. I'm all about having confidence in your work...and I agree with the adage that you shouldn't write by committee... but the lack of humility as of late is a bit tough to stomach. It seems the general attitude lately is "If you don't like my work, you just don't _get_ it" and "If you do like my work, you're obviously an intelligent reader who's on my level." *blinks*
I actually read someone compare their own work to a full course meal with a glass of sherry and a cigar after -- while simultaneously saying that a lot of the other members liked happy meals. Being as I'm just about the only person to recommend this particular writer make big cuts to her wip, I can only assume this is directed at me. My knee-jerk response is that verbal diarrhea with no direction is not the same as a full course meal... but, I digress.
Anyway -- yeah, I think it's time to move on. Perhaps someday I'll go back. We'll see. Right now I'm very excited at the prospect of joining the kidcrit group linked to this same forum. I know of some really awesome writers in this particular section, and I can't wait to have them take a whack at BTPM.
I guess if my gut is telling me to leave, it's probably the right decision. Nevertheless, it does make me sad to go.
I learned a lot in the past year, and hopefully, it shows in my writing. I look back at some of my earliest chapters posted for critique and I CRINGE. LOL. Not to say it's completely horrible, but back then I didn't know the simplest of rules about how to format a book (Gah, I couldn't punctuate dialog correctly to save my life!). If that original book ever sees the light of day, it will require a major overhaul. Of course, even though it's very cringe worthy, I see its potential. So, perhaps all is not lost with it.
Anyway, I've given it some thought, and I think it might be time for me to pull up stakes and move on. I'm really not enjoying the general tone I see on this particular board right now. I'm all about having confidence in your work...and I agree with the adage that you shouldn't write by committee... but the lack of humility as of late is a bit tough to stomach. It seems the general attitude lately is "If you don't like my work, you just don't _get_ it" and "If you do like my work, you're obviously an intelligent reader who's on my level." *blinks*
I actually read someone compare their own work to a full course meal with a glass of sherry and a cigar after -- while simultaneously saying that a lot of the other members liked happy meals. Being as I'm just about the only person to recommend this particular writer make big cuts to her wip, I can only assume this is directed at me. My knee-jerk response is that verbal diarrhea with no direction is not the same as a full course meal... but, I digress.
Anyway -- yeah, I think it's time to move on. Perhaps someday I'll go back. We'll see. Right now I'm very excited at the prospect of joining the kidcrit group linked to this same forum. I know of some really awesome writers in this particular section, and I can't wait to have them take a whack at BTPM.
I guess if my gut is telling me to leave, it's probably the right decision. Nevertheless, it does make me sad to go.
Thursday, February 8, 2007
Reinventing The Wheel
I'll never forget the amount of accomplishment, the overwhelming emotions, and pure excitement of finishing my first book. To date, I can't think of a single thing that compares to that moment. As I said before -- I pulled a complete "Joan Wilder." After finishing, all I could think about was starting the next project and how this was validation I could actually complete it.
So, why all the trouble with the second book? LOL.
When I finished Narc 1, I almost immediately started dabbling around with book 2. I got a ways in, then had a moment of pure panic after I began getting a few rejections. What IF I couldn't sell book 1? Would it make sense to have book 2...3...4.. completed without having sold someone on the first one? Would it be more logical to start a completely different book/series instead? So, that's what I did. I decided to return to an old YA idea I had when I was younger (of course, it seemed SO cheesy when I rehashed it -- so I let it "mutate" somewhat) and work on that instead. That one came linearly for me, which was completely weird. So, I get about a third of the way through that and then my "linear" method dried up on me and I returned to chunks.
Meanwhile, I'm getting some requests for partials, etc....so I turn my attention back to Narc 1. Then another YA pops up out of nowhere. I have all of these balls up in the air, and nothing is getting finished.
Quite frankly, I'm beginning to wonder if lightning can strike twice for this girl. (Oh, I forgot to mention my historical! LOL.)
So -- to any of you who have written multiple books -- is this normal? Is it something you had to deal with? And how did you manage it?
I feel like I know my characters from the Narc series very well -- yet, at the same time I feel they're holding out on me on some levels. Perhaps I'm nervous to discover what their secrets are...perhaps I'm scared people will grow tired of them and find the next book uninventive and indistinguishable from the first. Perhaps I'm nervous the subject matter I'm attempting to tackle is too much for the overall tone I hoped to achieve with the books. Or perhaps I fear the first book was just a fluke.
I'm trying to work my way through these insecurities, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't think they were at the root of my lack of progress -- or why so many WIP's are materializing all of a sudden. After all, it's always a good excuse to never _really_ move forward with one wip.
Anyway, just some thoughts -- feel free to jump in.
So, why all the trouble with the second book? LOL.
When I finished Narc 1, I almost immediately started dabbling around with book 2. I got a ways in, then had a moment of pure panic after I began getting a few rejections. What IF I couldn't sell book 1? Would it make sense to have book 2...3...4.. completed without having sold someone on the first one? Would it be more logical to start a completely different book/series instead? So, that's what I did. I decided to return to an old YA idea I had when I was younger (of course, it seemed SO cheesy when I rehashed it -- so I let it "mutate" somewhat) and work on that instead. That one came linearly for me, which was completely weird. So, I get about a third of the way through that and then my "linear" method dried up on me and I returned to chunks.
Meanwhile, I'm getting some requests for partials, etc....so I turn my attention back to Narc 1. Then another YA pops up out of nowhere. I have all of these balls up in the air, and nothing is getting finished.
Quite frankly, I'm beginning to wonder if lightning can strike twice for this girl. (Oh, I forgot to mention my historical! LOL.)
So -- to any of you who have written multiple books -- is this normal? Is it something you had to deal with? And how did you manage it?
I feel like I know my characters from the Narc series very well -- yet, at the same time I feel they're holding out on me on some levels. Perhaps I'm nervous to discover what their secrets are...perhaps I'm scared people will grow tired of them and find the next book uninventive and indistinguishable from the first. Perhaps I'm nervous the subject matter I'm attempting to tackle is too much for the overall tone I hoped to achieve with the books. Or perhaps I fear the first book was just a fluke.
I'm trying to work my way through these insecurities, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't think they were at the root of my lack of progress -- or why so many WIP's are materializing all of a sudden. After all, it's always a good excuse to never _really_ move forward with one wip.
Anyway, just some thoughts -- feel free to jump in.
Wednesday, February 7, 2007
Trying to Get Back in the Saddle
With the relief of finally getting the full into the mail, I think my brain went bye-bye. At least my motivation did. It's been a long week with very little writing accomplished. I suppose it's all a matter of my needing a break after such stress-packed weeks of revisions, school, etc. But good grief!
I'm determined to get moving again. Goodness, I now have four wip's. I used to always get a giggle out of people who had so many projects going at once -- now I'm finding myself in the same situation. Go figure on that one. Now it's a matter of trying to decide which to work on...while I suppress other ideas attempting to bubble up. I simply can't handle all of these projects at once. From now on -- any new inspirations go in my journal until I've finished _at least_ two of my current projects. Of course, if I finish Narc 2, I'll only want to move on to the third. I've been struggling to not work on that one as is -- with a firm admonishment from my mother, who said I can't work on 3 until I finish 2. Heh.
Anyway -- just wanted to give a little update on how I'm doing (or rather what I'm NOT doing -- i.e. writing. LOL. I'm getting caught up on some reading/movies/TV, though. HEH.) I'm in the middle of THE HISTORIAN -- really enjoying it. I'll give a mini-review when I finish it.
P.S. Oh...check out my novel window for my latest addition. (g) It's a working title for now. And scroll down on the right to read the opening lines... first draft...so yanno, it's tender. (g)
I'm determined to get moving again. Goodness, I now have four wip's. I used to always get a giggle out of people who had so many projects going at once -- now I'm finding myself in the same situation. Go figure on that one. Now it's a matter of trying to decide which to work on...while I suppress other ideas attempting to bubble up. I simply can't handle all of these projects at once. From now on -- any new inspirations go in my journal until I've finished _at least_ two of my current projects. Of course, if I finish Narc 2, I'll only want to move on to the third. I've been struggling to not work on that one as is -- with a firm admonishment from my mother, who said I can't work on 3 until I finish 2. Heh.
Anyway -- just wanted to give a little update on how I'm doing (or rather what I'm NOT doing -- i.e. writing. LOL. I'm getting caught up on some reading/movies/TV, though. HEH.) I'm in the middle of THE HISTORIAN -- really enjoying it. I'll give a mini-review when I finish it.
P.S. Oh...check out my novel window for my latest addition. (g) It's a working title for now. And scroll down on the right to read the opening lines... first draft...so yanno, it's tender. (g)
Friday, January 19, 2007
Learn From My Stupidity
I did the stupidest thing tonight and it cost me a couple hours of time, not to mention a few handfuls of hair. In an attempt to get my partial ready, I read through the first 100 pages of my MS last night, saving the changes, etc. Anyway, earlier that day, I cut out the pages I would be sending and saved them in a different file. So -- I had two versions floating around on my hard drive.
Here's where it gets stupid.
A friend looked at the pages for me and guess which file I integrated her suggestions into? Yep, the saved partial file (without the changes I made last night). Ugh. I had to do a split screen and go through line by line to catch any changes I made. My eyes are practically crossed at this point.
I'm sure most of you save versions by date, or whatever -- The point being, you have enough smarts to not do something this silly. At least I hope. (g) Now I'm wondering if I've done this in the past. There have been times I could've sworn I changed some lines, only to find them the "old way." I'm saving by date from now on...or revision number. Something. LOL.
Anyone ever done something like this? Please tell me I'm not alone.
Here's where it gets stupid.
A friend looked at the pages for me and guess which file I integrated her suggestions into? Yep, the saved partial file (without the changes I made last night). Ugh. I had to do a split screen and go through line by line to catch any changes I made. My eyes are practically crossed at this point.
I'm sure most of you save versions by date, or whatever -- The point being, you have enough smarts to not do something this silly. At least I hope. (g) Now I'm wondering if I've done this in the past. There have been times I could've sworn I changed some lines, only to find them the "old way." I'm saving by date from now on...or revision number. Something. LOL.
Anyone ever done something like this? Please tell me I'm not alone.
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