Wednesday Writer Club: Getting Back in the Saddle

So how many of you have started writing and then everything just dried up?


Be honest...we've all been there.

If you're anything like me, it's happened multiple times.  I've gone through at least three major sections of my life where I didn't write.  Some of it was lack of motivation or taking my writing seriously, sometimes it was really just being too busy (or worried about making enough money to pay the bills, or having some major life change throw you for  a loop.

I think that's the true difference between true writers (published, public, or secretive) and those that just play at it.  Real writers come back.

But it's hard.  It's really hard.

So what do you do when you want to start writing again, but don't know where to begin?  Here are some tips that have helped me:

1. Read books about writing.  For me, just reading fiction I enjoy isn't enough.  I have to get the push and writing ideas from books about perfecting the craft.  Two of my favorites are On Writing and Bird by Bird.
2. Set goals--but make them small.  Start out saying you'll write one paragraph a day.  Hell, in some books a paragraph can be one sentence or a whole page.  Make your paragraph whatever length works for you.
3. Write fanfiction.  I know, I know, a lot of people think it's a terrible thing.  And clearly it'll never get published, but if you're really having to get over the hurdle of coming up with characters and settings, a little fanfiction can be enough to get the wind back in your sails.
4. Procrastinate by other types of writing.  Where do you think 80% of the worlds blogs come from?* Authors that are putting off writing their masterpiece.  But really, writing anything for me, even silly posts gets my brain working in the right way to move on to other things.

So what about you?  If you've put off writing, what helped you get back to it?


*Completely fabricated statistic, but it sounds pretty authentic, huh?

Still plugging away

Hey everybody!

Just a quick note to let you know that yes, I am still alive. 

Still alive, and busier than ever!  I started a new job last month, which is why I (sadly) had to ignore all the great comments on the A to Z challenge.  But one day I'll make the rounds and see the other great stuff you guys did and are continuing to do.

I'm hoping that in the next couple of months to have some giveaways and promotions for some of my short stories, which I'm planning on self-publishing as ebooks.

But that's if I find the time and find some people willing to be beta readers, and give me constructive criticism on cover art, etc.

*If anyone's interested, feel free to let me know.*

Hope all of you guys are enjoying the transition from spring to summer as much as I am!

I'm a Crusader now!

Thanks to J.C. Martin, I ran across Rachael Harrie's Second Writers' Platform-Building Crusade. (Wow, that was a lot of links!)

Basically, it's a way for authors, bloggers, and industry people to connect, grow, and begin to build a healthy platform online.  Expect articles, challenges, and lots of interacting with people who are interested in the same thing: becoming better at what they do.

I'm really excited to get down to business with my blogging.  I've been falling off it lately, but with the boost to followers and traffic that yesterday's blogfest provided (yeah 100 followers!) I'm ready to get back in the saddle again.

I'm not dead!

Sorry I haven't been around much lately, but if you've seen my last post you probably have an idea why.  I really wasn't sure if I'd be able to finish NaNo, and I'm unbelievably excited that I finished a whole day early.  I did a marathon of writing yesterday, finishing with a little over 6,000 words written.  The most I've ever written in one day, and hopefully the most I ever will. 

I was pretty disgusting by the end of the day.

I'm still not finished with the novel.  I'm thinking it'll probably be another ten thousand or so.  I plan on trying to finish by Christmas and hopefully guilt some of you into being readers for me as I start the editing process.

I'm going to try and keep a more regular schedule for posts in December...but we'll see how that goes.

Wannabe Writers #40

Wannabe Writers is a great online meme for those of us that are working to become "real" writers.  Every week Sarah posts a question on her website that you answer on hers, you sign up on the Mr. Linky, and then ask a question on your website.  A great way to get tips from other writers.

Where I am in the writing process:
Still a (mostly) unpaid author.  No payment for any fiction I've written.  I have an album review coming up for Frequency Magazine, and am waiting to see when my article for Existentialism.com will be published (check out the sidebar to find the links to anywhere I've been published). I have 10k into my untitled Lilith novel and about 5k of planning written for my NaNoWriMo novel, A Wind to the Gift.  (Click here to buddy me on NaNo)

My current problem:
Right now, probably because I'm just waiting for NaNo to get started I really don't have one.  I think I have just the right amount of planning done, and I've really had to make myself wait for Monday.  I guess just kinda anxious about finally getting around to it.

My question this week:
I know at some point I'll fall miserably behind on NaNo, so give me some hope and tell me: what's the most you've ever written in one day?

Also:
I'm experimenting with serial story writing with 3WW.  Check out Taking Liberty.

If you have a blog with 300 or fewer followers, I'd like you to join my Small Packages blogfest.  C'mon, you know you want to.

NaNo, BlogFest, and Work Stations, Oh My!

Just a quick update (in way of procrastination) today.  I went to my regional NaNo meet & greet last night.  I met a ton of cool people, that are just as crazy as I am. 

I got to meet my bloggy-friend, Amanda from The Zen Leaf.  We've been following each other for a few months now and never realized we live in the same town. I guess the internet isn't as big as I thought it was.

I feel a little recharged on getting my abbreviated Snowflake done on A Window to the Gift after meeting everybody.  I'm looking forward to having a face-to-face group to help keep me going.

Oh, and I found out that the cute little guy to your left has been dubbed "The Guilt Monkey." I have a feeling he will be my constant companion on this trip.

If you haven't heard about it (in reality, you're probably getting sick of hearing about it), I'm hosting the second Small Packages Blogfest on November 16th.  I'm looking for blogs with 300 or fewer followers.  Check out the link for the suggestions, topic, and Mr. Linky. 

Please spread the word!  We had nine actively participate last month, so I'm looking to have at least 10 this month.  The topic's pretty awesome, thanks to the husband.

After the Meet & Greet last night, I finally got around to doing something I've been meaning to do for months. I finally set up a work station that's all mine and away from distractions (well mostly, except for you, O Interwebs!).

Here it is, complete with Tums for when the stress gets too much, an extra monitor to display my research as I type, and my Maleficent picture (the greatest of all Disney villains).

I've also updated the desktop:

This is a great collage of the 11 doctors from Doctor Who.  It's done by a great artist, renton1313 on Deviant Art.  All of her artwork has the same paper collage effect, and she has some beautiful prints for sale. (hint, hint, oh husband, dear: I especially like The Aviatrix). 

Anyway, I'm hoping that having a workspace of my own that isn't also used as something else (I used to work in the living room), will help me get more in a writing frame of mind.  I've been struggling with feeling like a "real" writer, I think in part because it was so easy to just look at my writing as a hobby.

Maybe having a work area will help with that.

Good luck all of my fellow NaNo-ers. 

Wannabe Writers #39

Wannabe Writers is a great online meme for those of us that are working to become "real" writers.  Every week Sarah posts a question on her website that you answer on hers, you sign up on the Mr. Linky, and then ask a question on your website.  A great way to get tips from other writers.


Where I am in the writing process:
I've put aside my Lilith story for the moment to start gearing up for NaNoWriMo. I'm slowly starting to work out a story idea that I'm getting excited about.  I've been using the Snowflake method that I linked in a post earlier in the week, although I'm planning on skipping several of the steps that seem repetitive to me.

My current problem: 
Procrastination.  I'll do a day where I pound out 2400+ words of planning (character sketches, summaries, etc) and then won't type a single thing the next day.  It makes it a bit hard to focus sometimes.  I did however come up with what I think is a pretty cool title and signature for the forums on the NaNo site:

The artist that created the picture is Allan Donque, a really gifted photographer that has most of his stuff on Flickr Creative Commons licensed.

My question this week:
The Snowflake method has you creating a spreadsheet of every scene in your book, and then writing at least a paragraph about each scene.  The creator says you're likely to end up with a 50 page document.  That seems like overkill to me, and is one of the reasons I'm adapting the method for me. When do you feel that outlining/planning becomes too much?

Also:

Have you signed up for my Small Packages Blogfest yet?  I'm looking for blogs with 300 followers or less to take part in it.  Review the guidelines and topic for November and spread the word to others!

Looking Ahead to NaNoWriMo

(First off, how adorable are the badges for NaNo this year?  If you're interested in getting your own, go here.  Remember, you can use a badge to just promote the cause, even if you're not participating.)

If you're like me and you've signed up for NaNo, you're just about reaching the panicking point.

What on earth am I going to write about?

How am I going to produce that many words?

Is it going to be pure drivel? (Sorry, I've been watching a lot of British TV lately)

If you're reaching Orange alert, here's a couple of sites that might help you calm down a little:

Random Title Generator
I have a terrible time coming up with titles. It usually takes me until I've finished, and even then they usually suck. This handy generator creates six titles at a time.  Sometimes they're very odd like "Bride in the Man" (that sounds like a 70s self-help book doesn't it?), but they can also be very cool sounding like "The Edge's Lord."  I hate having "Working Title" as my title, so this is a great jumping off point to get your mind working.


Plot Scenario Generator
Completely stuck?  This generator gives you a jumping off part for a story and an idea about a side character.  I went through random creations for about 30 minutes one night, keeping a list of the ones that interested me (about twenty-five).  Then I narrowed it down, cobbled it together, made some tweaks and created the kernel of the story I'm going to be writing.

How to Write a Novel Using the Snowflake Method
I came across this in the NaNo forums.  It's a great way to start planning your novel other than a typical outline.  You start with a one sentence summary of your story, then move the three paragraphs (like the ones on the back of a novel), then character summaries, etc. until you have your whole novel just sitting there waiting for you.  I'm planning on using this method today, once I quit procrastinating by blogging.

Serendipity
Are you planning your novel, but just can't come up with the next big event?  Serendipity gives you random suggestions about what your story needs: At this juncture a paranoid psychic arrives, toting a suitcase; Suddenly, in walks a sultry shopper; What you need now is a rocket launcher.  I mean who doesn't need a rocket launcher?  Fun, silly suggestions that can still get your mind over a roadblock.

Write or Die by Dr Wicked
The name itself is pretty intimidating; the idea, even more so.  I'm a bit afraid to use it.  You set a timer (or word count goal) and it prods you to reach the goal when you stop typing.  There are different levels, such as a pop-up reminder, an annoying noise, or Kamikaze mode.  In this setting, if you hesitate for too long, it starts erasing what you've already done.  Just the idea of that gives me the shakes.  Not for the weak-willed, but maybe for the Professional Procrastinators out there.

Well I hope this gave you some ideas, as well as a way to kill time before jumping on the NaNo planning horse.

Remember, only 10 more days to put off planning!

Also:
Don't forget to swing by and sign up for my Small Packages Blogfest!  Looking for bloggers with 300 followers or less.  Spread the word! 

Wannabe Writers #38

Wannabe Writer is an online group for the un-published, aspiring writer.  For more information, check out Sarah's blog Confessions of the Un-Published.

Where I am in the writing process:
Still just the same old, same old.  I haven't published anything for Associated Content for a while, but I'm hoping to have some time and write a couple more quicky articles. 

I've just about given up on finding publishing sources online.  Every one I find that I think would be a good fit seems to fold or not pay.  I'm to the point where I don't mind some little things being published without pay (like my current Taking Liberty serial), but I really would like to get some more paying gigs.  I haven't heard back from the places that I submitted my stories to before, so this week I'm going to try and make time to go to the library and find the current Writer's Market.

I've actually started picking back my current WIP, I've written about 1000 words this week.  And I'm starting on my outline for my novel for NaNoWriMo, which starts up soon.

My current problem:
Getting back into the groove of writing again.  I know that I need to really start getting ramped up for WriMo.  So I'm trying to get my word count up over the next couple of weeks before I have to switch over to the new book.

My question this week:
Have any of you taken part in NaNoWriMo?  What tips or hints do you think would be useful?

Wannabe Writers #37

For more information about Wannabe Writers, click the thumbnail on the left.

Where I am in the writing process:
Still just publishing short pieces.  I did get word that another essay will be published on Existential.com in November or December, so I'm looking forward to that.  Still no real word about the two short stories I've submitted elsewhere.  I think I'm going to have to go old school and check out the library and the magazine section of Barnes and Nobel for some more leads.

On a sort-of writery note, I'm hosting my first blogfest on October 12th, designed for blogs with 150 followers or less.  I'm really excited, because I've already had 13 people sign up.  If you're interested check out my Small Packages page for more information.

My current problems:
Emotionally speaking it's been a tough month.  Some issues with family brought back some of the stronger emotions of my mom's passing.  Seeing some joys of other's lives made the lacking in mine the more painful.  It's made writing difficult.  Especially on the Lilith story that encapsulates so many of the issues of loss that I'm dealing with now.  My writing is theraputic, but it's hard to get up the energy to write some days.

My question of the week:
It's become a cliche that writers are "tortured souls" i.e. crazy or at least slightly neurotic.  How do you deal with the emotional issues that can form a block in your writing?

Wannabe Writer #34

Wannabe Writer is an online group for the un-published, aspiring writer.  For more information, check out Sarah's blog Confessions of the Un-Published.

Where I am in the Writing Process:
Still unpublished and waiting to hear about a couple of short stories I've submitted (but somehow I don't think either is going to pan out). I have a couple of new non-fiction pieces published since last time.  I'll put links at the bottom of the post.


My Current Problem:
The same as ever, getting the motivation to write and finding the time.  I'm on another short assignment (I work with a temp agency) that's a bit of a pain, so when I come home after hitting rush hour traffic, I just want to relax.  I think I might give writing on my lunch break a try, or maybe several short sessions during the day.

My Question this Week:
I feel like I really haven't done enough writing lately to have a question.  It's been about a month (at least) since I've worked on my novel.  So I guess my question is, what random tips do you have about writing?  Anything you're working on that you want to promote (blog-wise or other)?

If you're interested, here's the links to some of my recent articles:

Cee Lo Green--"F**k You" (Single review for Frequency Magazine)
The Three Best TV Shows You Never Watched

Trying to get my act into shape

So if you haven't noticed, I've been a bit absent from the bloggersphere lately.  I'm trying to remedy that, and I thought I might ask for some ideas.

I'm thinking about doing a theme for every day, that way if I don't have something to write about, I can have something to fall back on.  Here's my thoughts so far:

Monday: Random Monday Goodness--Links and videos of weird stuff I've run across lately.  Monday's are usually my toughest days to write.

Tuesday: I have absolutely no idea.

Wednesday: Three Word Wednesday. It's a pretty cool meme that I've been meaning of taking full advantage of, but just keep putting it off.  I was also thinking of highlighting my favorites from the last week.

Thursday: Another blank.

Friday: Fiction Friday?  I was wanting to have a day where I post part of something I've written or a flash fiction piece.  But I've noticed that I don't get a whole lot of response on those types of pieces.  What do you think?

Saturday: Wannabe Writer's Day.  If you've followed me for long at all, you know I probably stick to this more than anything.  It's a great support group for those of us wanting to get published.

Are there memes/themes that you use in your blogging?  Do you find them helpful or harmful?

Also, my husband has started his own meme, inspired by Wannabe Writers.  It's the Monday Weigh In.  We're looking to find a group of people who are also struggling with weight/health issues.  Check out his or my posting for this week.  It's a bit nerve-wracking, but very cathartic and helpful, too.

In Memoriam: 50k in 50 Days

Yesterday was meant to be the final day of 50k in 50 Days. 

I failed.

But then again, maybe I didn't.

My final word count was 9,314.  That's more than I've ever written on any one piece. I think it's a good start on a novel, and has given me hope that my ideas really can be expanded enough to fill a whole book.

And the writing-without-editing process really helped me out.  I tend to be a bit obsessive as I write, and nitpick sentences, etc.  This means I usually only do one draft, but it can take ages.  My usual method would still have me stuck in the first thousand words.

It's also made this whole "being a writer" thing a bit more real.  Getting up and writing everyday (when I was still on the wagon) really did something to boost my ego.  I still didn't go around telling people I was a writer (partially in fear that they would ask me what I was writing), but it made it more real to myself. 

Thank you, Sarah, for giving me the opportunity and the push I needed to get started.

Maybe next time, I'll just start with 20k in 20 days instead.

Wannabe Writer #31 (Better late than never!)

Click for the origin

Where I am in the writing process:
I've gotten three articles published on Associated Content this week, so that feels good. I still haven't heard anything about the two short stories that I submitted. I haven't written any for a while on my novel, although I'm still interested in it.

My current problem:
Simply getting back in the habit of writing.  I know that summer is a busy season for everybody, but it's really thrown me off my game.  Now I need to focus on getting back in the swing of things.

My question this week:
In an effort to make some extra money and build my writing habit, I'm trying to write an article for Associated Content everyday.  My problem is that I'm starting to reach the bottom of my idea barrel.  Any hints for coming up with short non-fiction articles?

Just a quick note

If you've been wondering where I've been (or not) I thought I'd give you a quick update on some randomness.

I've been on a temp assignment this week, and I've learned a couple of things:

• The best temp assignments are the ones where you're left alone to do your thing
• I really don't want to make friends with people on assignment
• Audiobooks make brainless activities go by 1000x faster
• My work ethic may work me out of a job (I do tasks much faster than the people think, it always makes me nervous that they'll just tell me to go home early)

I've also been able to cross of  several things on my 101 in 1001 list this month:

• On vacation, have at least three pictures taken with me in them: I was able to get lots of pictures in Costa Rica. Even though I wasn't looking my best in every picture, I have proof I was there, and I faced my fear (or whatever you want to call it) about getting my picture taken at my current weight.
• Beat the husband at a game of pool: During the same vacation, I was able to beat the husband.  I guess I put it on here because I had never beaten him, he had just always beaten himself (as it goes with every game I've played).  Even though I'm awful at it, I have a lot of fun playing pool.
• Unload the dishwasher as soon as it's done every time for a week: I'm kindof cheating on this one.  I've just finally given up on my dishwasher.  The reason this was on my list is because if you leave dishes in there for long at all, they get a really gross musty smell, and you have to wash them all over again.  By bypassing the dishwasher and just washing them by hand, I avoid the issue. 
• Find a good local bowling alley: We went with some friends this last Saturday.  It was actually really nice, a decent price, and is open 24/7.  But we went at peak hours, so we both had to get shoes that were a little too big and bowling balls that weren't quite the right fit.  The Husband got the short end of the stick, though, and got stuck with size 16 shoes.

Doesn't he look thrilled about his clown shoes?

 I also have three new articles up on Associated Content:

Saving Money by Making Your Own Wedding Invitations

Learning to Crochet with Easy Patterns

Three Unique Spins on Pride and Prejudice

I also posted an amazing recipe on my other blog, made even more awesome by a substitution I made the other day.

I'd be posting more often this week, but I've been getting up at 5:30 to get in to work, so it's kindof been killing my soul a little each morning.  Wish me luck!

Wannabe Writer #25

Click on the picture for the origin.

Where I am in the writing process: 
Well, I'm five days deep into the 50k in 50 day challenge (so far I'm at 5174 words).  I've also been blogging a lot more regularly, and I submitted a story for publication.  My Associated Content articles are generating pretty steady (if low) numbers every day. I'm starting to feel like an actual writer!


My current problem:
I finished my first chapter pretty quickly.  It was a lot of fun to write (although it made me realize I won't be able to let all my family read it if when it gets published).  The second chapter is going a lot more slowly.  A problem with my writing is I don't always give the setting justice.  My novel is set in New Orleans, a city I love and have visited often, and I want to make it seem real to others.  But I feel like I'm getting bogged down in describing the setting.  Also, I have the novel outlined, but only vaguely, with the big scenes.  The little scenes getting from one section to the other are pretty difficult.

This week's question:
How do you balance exposition and description with action?