I've been doing lots of editing today in order to prep my chapters for my editing group. I find that straight up writing has been eluding me for the past few days. Its a shame, since I have lots of time on my hands.
Its always when you're busy that you have the most inspiration.
Still, editing continues to be a rewarding experience. It feels as if my work is rising in quality with ever little error I correct. Not to mention those who have given me edits have great suggestions that have helped me improve upon my novels.
I'm beginning to think NaNoWriSe won't be as fruitful as I might have hoped in the writing category but I think it will be in the editing end of things. Even if I don't write six books, I should get a few rough drafts done at least. That's enough for me.
Writing is such a long, seemingly endless process. You have to wonder sometime why so many of us enjoy it so much. Are we masochists or do we genuinely love each moment we spend hovered over our keyboards, typing away.
I'd like to believe the latter is true. If I didn't enjoy this with every fiber of my being, I wouldn't be doing it. There is no love hate relationship with writing. There is only love.
The love-hate relationship is reserved for querying, but you can't adore EVERYTHING you do.
Keep following my journey, all you who are out there (That is of course, assuming anyone reads this blog). I imagine I'll have some success by the end of it.
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
Saturday, June 22, 2013
NaNoWriSe Day 9 (Predicaments galore)
Funny enough, only a day after posting my break through post, it turned out that a lot of people liked my prologue and first chapter. I don't know how much I like it but they liked it.
However, I want to continue to see what my editing group thinks of my book as is before changing everything.
The main issue that comes with my book, Children of Ink, is POV. I hate confining POV to one character but I like the intamacy that a first person POV provides. The result is me choosing one character for first person and everyone else's POV being in third person. This is a bit unorthodox but that is how Children of Ink is written. it really can't be confined to one POV to tell the story it needs to. If all else fails I'll have to make it straight third person or straight first person. Both will be difficult for me.
For now, let's see how my editing group takes the odd POV mash up. Maybe they'll like it. Who knows?
Now off to editing! (This really is turning into a month of more editing than writing. Ah well... as long as something is getting done.)
However, I want to continue to see what my editing group thinks of my book as is before changing everything.
The main issue that comes with my book, Children of Ink, is POV. I hate confining POV to one character but I like the intamacy that a first person POV provides. The result is me choosing one character for first person and everyone else's POV being in third person. This is a bit unorthodox but that is how Children of Ink is written. it really can't be confined to one POV to tell the story it needs to. If all else fails I'll have to make it straight third person or straight first person. Both will be difficult for me.
For now, let's see how my editing group takes the odd POV mash up. Maybe they'll like it. Who knows?
Now off to editing! (This really is turning into a month of more editing than writing. Ah well... as long as something is getting done.)
Friday, June 21, 2013
NaNoWriSe Day 8 (Break through!)
So I'm back after a two day absence. Sorry about that.
I was feeling relatively dry of words but I participated in an editing group with two of my complete projects. I figured if I couldn't write, I could edit. With one of my projects, a Young Adult Urban Fantasy, I've had problems with the beginning and the POV for awhile. I love the project and the characters but the beginning is just tough.
But finally, I found light at the end of the tunnel. Somehow, one of the edits someone gave me caused an explosion in my mind. A break through! I knew exactly how to fix my problems with the beginning AND the POV to make it easier to swallow. This should end up tightening the novel as a whole. It will require rewriting half of the book but I don't care! If it makes it better, I'm all for it.
Thanks editing group. You have opened new doors. And now: Off to writing!
I was feeling relatively dry of words but I participated in an editing group with two of my complete projects. I figured if I couldn't write, I could edit. With one of my projects, a Young Adult Urban Fantasy, I've had problems with the beginning and the POV for awhile. I love the project and the characters but the beginning is just tough.
But finally, I found light at the end of the tunnel. Somehow, one of the edits someone gave me caused an explosion in my mind. A break through! I knew exactly how to fix my problems with the beginning AND the POV to make it easier to swallow. This should end up tightening the novel as a whole. It will require rewriting half of the book but I don't care! If it makes it better, I'm all for it.
Thanks editing group. You have opened new doors. And now: Off to writing!
Sunday, June 16, 2013
NaNoWriSe Day 5 (World building)
Oh, editing. You are such an untamable monster that hides behind corners and waits to gobble me up. You snicker in the shadows saying "Authoress, you forgot to think about this. Authoress, your world building needs work!"
The latter item was the issue today as I discovered I don't have a clear timeline for past events that happened before my book is set. The years are kind of important because they have to coincide with the ages of characters and their jobs and education and all of that good stuff.
Fortunately I nailed down my timeline today. The problem will be implementing it and making sure all of my dates are consistent.
That will be for tomorrow though. On the plus side I've joined a writing group for Speculative Fiction so I hope to get some editing done on some of my first chapters of my books. I'm excited about that. That will help me through the editing process a bit and allow me to focus on the writing part of NaNoWriSe.
Another only semi productive day down. And now, it's time for sleep. Happy NaNoWriSe everyone!
The latter item was the issue today as I discovered I don't have a clear timeline for past events that happened before my book is set. The years are kind of important because they have to coincide with the ages of characters and their jobs and education and all of that good stuff.
Fortunately I nailed down my timeline today. The problem will be implementing it and making sure all of my dates are consistent.
That will be for tomorrow though. On the plus side I've joined a writing group for Speculative Fiction so I hope to get some editing done on some of my first chapters of my books. I'm excited about that. That will help me through the editing process a bit and allow me to focus on the writing part of NaNoWriSe.
Another only semi productive day down. And now, it's time for sleep. Happy NaNoWriSe everyone!
NaNoWriSe Day 4 (The wonders of Editing)
I was so busy yesterday I forgot to post last night. Oops.
No matter. Busy is a good thing. I got a descent amount of writing done on my YA Fantasy and I've gotten my query for my speculative fiction novel mostly edited. Now I just have to finish editing the actual novel. Still, having the query done kind of makes me feel good.
Let's talk about query letters shall we? One of my first posts was on query letters and how hard they are. I've actually come to terms with query letters now. They are no longer as hard for me to work out and they come a bit more naturally. That way when I post them on forums for critques, people are more nitpicking than rewriting my whole query.
It's nice because I can offer everything I've learned from writing queries to help other writers who are in the same place I was a year or so ago. I actually enjoy giving people feedback and helping them rearrange their work.
Editing is actually kind of fun, at least when it comes to other people's work. This is a strange revelation for me because I HATE editing my work. But helping other people can be very entertaining. I wonder why that is.
Speaking of editing, that's what I'm doing today... Sigh... wish me luck!
No matter. Busy is a good thing. I got a descent amount of writing done on my YA Fantasy and I've gotten my query for my speculative fiction novel mostly edited. Now I just have to finish editing the actual novel. Still, having the query done kind of makes me feel good.
Let's talk about query letters shall we? One of my first posts was on query letters and how hard they are. I've actually come to terms with query letters now. They are no longer as hard for me to work out and they come a bit more naturally. That way when I post them on forums for critques, people are more nitpicking than rewriting my whole query.
It's nice because I can offer everything I've learned from writing queries to help other writers who are in the same place I was a year or so ago. I actually enjoy giving people feedback and helping them rearrange their work.
Editing is actually kind of fun, at least when it comes to other people's work. This is a strange revelation for me because I HATE editing my work. But helping other people can be very entertaining. I wonder why that is.
Speaking of editing, that's what I'm doing today... Sigh... wish me luck!
Friday, June 14, 2013
NaNoWriSe Day 3 (Some progress)
Got back from Disney World at 12:00 yesterday and immediately crashed without writing, but who can blame me?
Fortunately there were some helpful plot bunnies today. I wrote a fight scene that I'm rather happy with. Fight scenes can often be difficult, given that some moves are difficult to translate into words. This one turned out well though.
The subject of progress today was my Young Adult Fantasy. The working title is Double Edged Blades but that could very well change. I'm certainly enjoying my characters but I think the most difficult part will be keeping the plot moving along.
Still, every chapter I complete is another step towards a finished manuscript so I shall trek on. I plan to wake up earlier tomorrow to get a jump on the day.
In the mean time, happy NaNoWriSe everyone!
In the mean time, happy NaNoWriSe everyone!
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
NaNoWriSe Day 2 (The First Month Novels)
Alright, it's day 2 of NaNoWriSe and unfortunately I will not be able to post tommorow or the next day because I'm going to Disney World and Universal. We'll be on the move all day, so I won't have time to be on my laptop.
However I will have my journal which I will use for ever important brainstorming.
Today I thought I would mention the genre of my first month novels. This month's victims are an Adult Crime Thriller and a Young Adult Fantasy. Really, the two books couldn't be more different. But that's a good thing. When I'm not in a fantasy mood and I want to write something more realistic and gritty, I turn to the Crime thriller and vice versa.
The novel I'm editing is actually my NaNoWriMo novel, an adult speculative fiction. It needs some serious beefing up and reordering but I think it has a decent base.
Whatever the case I have a lot to work with. I just won't be able to do anything for the next two days. I'll be enjoying the nostalgia of Disney.
And who knows? Maybe I'll get inspired there!
However I will have my journal which I will use for ever important brainstorming.
Today I thought I would mention the genre of my first month novels. This month's victims are an Adult Crime Thriller and a Young Adult Fantasy. Really, the two books couldn't be more different. But that's a good thing. When I'm not in a fantasy mood and I want to write something more realistic and gritty, I turn to the Crime thriller and vice versa.
The novel I'm editing is actually my NaNoWriMo novel, an adult speculative fiction. It needs some serious beefing up and reordering but I think it has a decent base.
Whatever the case I have a lot to work with. I just won't be able to do anything for the next two days. I'll be enjoying the nostalgia of Disney.
And who knows? Maybe I'll get inspired there!
Monday, June 10, 2013
NaNoWriSe (A New Adventure in Writing)
Hello everyone,
It has been quite awhile since I've posted and you can chalk all that up to life. However, with the Summer finally here I find myself reinvigorated and ready to embark on a rather lengthy and difficult writing quest that may or may not rid me of my remaining sanity.
I experienced an untold of amount of productivity during National Novel Writing Month and instead of 1,667 words a day I wrote 5,000 words a day and had hit my deadline 10 days into the month. I wondered how this could have happened, especially since I was very busy at the time with other pursuits, including tech week for a musical. Anyone who has ever experienced tech week, knows how difficult and long rehearsals can be. I decided that this is because I work well under pressure. Specifically, I work well under deadlines.
So since I'm not doing much this summer outside of a lot of reading and anime watching, I decided to invent my own, "National Novel Writing" event which I am probably the only one insane enough to participate in. I call it "National Novel Writing Season" or "NaNoWriSe". The perimeters are as follows:
- I will write two novel rough drafts each month in the months of June, July and August
- I will edit one previously completed rough draft each month
- I will not completely lose my mind.
Best case scenario, I leave the summer armed with six new rough drafts and three polished novels so that I can pick and choose based on the market which I should try to query. Worst case I will only have three new rough drafts and one polished novel. I will not allow myself to leave the summer with less than that.
Am I crazy? Absolutely. But, I am determined to be held accountable so I turn to you, my loyal readers (If I have any that is) for help. I shall be reporting on my progress throughout the summer and I will blog every day, if possible.
Wish me luck... and let NaNoWriSe begin!
It has been quite awhile since I've posted and you can chalk all that up to life. However, with the Summer finally here I find myself reinvigorated and ready to embark on a rather lengthy and difficult writing quest that may or may not rid me of my remaining sanity.
I experienced an untold of amount of productivity during National Novel Writing Month and instead of 1,667 words a day I wrote 5,000 words a day and had hit my deadline 10 days into the month. I wondered how this could have happened, especially since I was very busy at the time with other pursuits, including tech week for a musical. Anyone who has ever experienced tech week, knows how difficult and long rehearsals can be. I decided that this is because I work well under pressure. Specifically, I work well under deadlines.
So since I'm not doing much this summer outside of a lot of reading and anime watching, I decided to invent my own, "National Novel Writing" event which I am probably the only one insane enough to participate in. I call it "National Novel Writing Season" or "NaNoWriSe". The perimeters are as follows:
- I will write two novel rough drafts each month in the months of June, July and August
- I will edit one previously completed rough draft each month
- I will not completely lose my mind.
Best case scenario, I leave the summer armed with six new rough drafts and three polished novels so that I can pick and choose based on the market which I should try to query. Worst case I will only have three new rough drafts and one polished novel. I will not allow myself to leave the summer with less than that.
Am I crazy? Absolutely. But, I am determined to be held accountable so I turn to you, my loyal readers (If I have any that is) for help. I shall be reporting on my progress throughout the summer and I will blog every day, if possible.
Wish me luck... and let NaNoWriSe begin!
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