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?

My Two Cents: Wonder Woman's New Show

You may have not realized this by now (or if you haven't read this or this), but I'm a pretty big Wonder Woman fan.  I've read as many of the comics as I can get my hands on, and I'm enjoying (with some reservations) the new relaunch of the comic.

However, when I heard about NBC creating a new Wonder Woman show, I have to admit, I was worried.  Instead of a long rant, I'll try to keep my points succinct.

• David E. Kelley. 
• Pros: He has a long history of really high rated (Ally McBeal) and really high quality (Boston Public) shows.  Plus he helmed Doogie Howser.
• Cons: He's never done an action show before.
• NBC
• Pros: They're now under the leadership of Bob Greenblatt who helped Showtime topple HBO with shows like United States of Tara, Weeds, and Dexter.
• Cons: It's a network show, so no big budget.  The network is currently struggling with low viewership. And they're notorious for canceling shows before giving them a chance.
• Smallville (Just go with me on this one)
• Pros: The show has gotten quite a following during the last few years (even if it's a bit of a cult following), so people might be more open to another superhero show.
• Cons: The style of Smallville was more whiney teen-angsty (then young adult-angsty) than action show.  So that's what people will want from their superhero shows.
• Adrianne Palicki
• Pros: She looks like she could kick some ass, plus she apparently reads comic books.
• Cons: I've only seen her in Legion, which was an awful movie.  (Note to self: check out Friday Night Lights)
• The Costume (Here's a great debate over sexy vs slutty in regards to the costume)
• Pros: I like that there are definite nods to the traditional costume and the new costume in the comics.  I actually like that she's wearing pants.
• Cons: Way too shiny.  But I have a sneaky suspicion that it will look better in the context of defeating the bad guy.  Putting her in front of a white background with pretty harsh lighting is about the worst thing that could be done.

I'm still going to give the show a chance.  And if it's like Smallville, I'll grin and bear it through multiple seasons, too (if it gets the chance).