A while back I was invited to join a writing group on DeviantArt. I'm looking at it as a kind of workshopping group only online rather than a physical one. I am sure there are some where I live but hey this works too. i'm hoping it might get me writing more, thinking about my charcters more, and maybe inspiring me to focus on other projects besides Legends of Caranor. If nothing else I hope to get some decent feedback from members. And i will try to be fair and post feedback of my own as well. It isn't fair, after all, if I am getting feedback but not giving any.
The first prompt I responded to allowed me to work on a future event that happens within the story that I've been thinking about for a while. It was fun to write and will be there waiting when I get to that part. Oh it might be changed later or reworked with only the odd part being canabalised into the story proper when I get to it. Regardless I rather like this writing prompt idea. This is more than simple memes which I rarely do. It feels good to be writing properly again.
word count: 1,379
Sunday 31 July 2011
Friday 29 July 2011
Day 13 - inspiration/stimulation from strange quarters
It's funny the things that get one writing. I stumbled across a link to a blog called "Reasoning with Vampires" which is really just a blog to pick apart the worst of the Twilight Saga. Not very nice but fun to read regardless (though maybe not to Twilight Fans. Twifans should probably stay away). I have gotten a few chuckles from it, not so much from the nitpicking and picking apart in general of a piece of mediocre fiction that has, at least, gotten teens all over the world to read -- at least for that I have to give Ms Meyer kudos -- but from the way the blogger presents it and comments on it. She's quite clever and presents each piece in a way I often have to laugh at.
So what has this got to do with my writing...well...for whatever reason, reading this blog makes me want to write. I don't know if it's simply a desire to reassure myself that my own writing isn't so bad that she'd want to pick my writing apart or if it's some other stimulous that makes me want to get some writing done. If this is going to keep me on track though then why not read. It's a silly way to encourage me to write but whatever works right? Right.
So what has this got to do with my writing...well...for whatever reason, reading this blog makes me want to write. I don't know if it's simply a desire to reassure myself that my own writing isn't so bad that she'd want to pick my writing apart or if it's some other stimulous that makes me want to get some writing done. If this is going to keep me on track though then why not read. It's a silly way to encourage me to write but whatever works right? Right.
Thursday 28 July 2011
Day 12
I think I'm behind again. Well at least I actually took the time to do some writing even after getting off work at 9pm. When i work late shifts I usually don't feel much like being on my computer let alone writing but then...9pm is not as bad as 10pm which was more common for me in the past.
I think I'm finally getting on in the first part of my main project which is great. i think though I should look into doing a word+grammar check and then print off chapters individually. I keep thinking that if I read my writing as I would a novel i bought I might be able to treat it in as objective a way to allow me to edit and revise in a decent way.
It's harder to focus after work though. Hardly an excuse of course let alone a reason but I got a bit of writing done which is good and I'm moving along in the first part which makes me happy. I wonder how much I will end up axing in the end when it comes to revisions. It will be interesting to see.
opening count: 2,320
closing count: 2,550
I think I'm finally getting on in the first part of my main project which is great. i think though I should look into doing a word+grammar check and then print off chapters individually. I keep thinking that if I read my writing as I would a novel i bought I might be able to treat it in as objective a way to allow me to edit and revise in a decent way.
It's harder to focus after work though. Hardly an excuse of course let alone a reason but I got a bit of writing done which is good and I'm moving along in the first part which makes me happy. I wonder how much I will end up axing in the end when it comes to revisions. It will be interesting to see.
opening count: 2,320
closing count: 2,550
Monday 25 July 2011
Day 11 - research is key
Yes, even if it is for a fantasy story, I've come to find that to get it right research is important. I have a theory that many people gravitate toward fantasy because of the way it seems to be the genre that requires the least amount of research. Still...even if it is in small ways, research does help give the world a sense of reality. The real world has rules in how it functions and I have come to think more and more that even when writing fantasy a created world needs to have rules as well.
In this case, of course, I was just doing small research. I actually took the time to look into both what colours compliment different skin tones (you know, that whole thing with what season a person is and so on...) and also into complimentary colours. I might go back and change it later. I'm not sure if the colours I chose will look right in my head at the end, but it was interesting to do.
I've also been looking into the general idea of what personalities are associated with what animals and totems. Why? Well...I thought I might tie it in to a degree with one of my peoples. One of my races have "clans" which are associated with different animals and I wanted to see if I could associate personality traits to a small degree with those animals. I'm not sure how far I'll go with it...it's something that I've more recently thought of. I even thought of taking similar animals (such as different kinds of bears or deer...as in some cases they have different traits associated with them oddly enough) and maybe even create different castes or roles related to them. I'm not sure how far I'll go with it but sometimes just doing research gives me new ideas to tie into my writing.
This is why I think research is key. To make the world, races and characters believable it does seem to help to look into things in this world to relate to the fictional world. I like that it helps give me more ideas as well. I know writers work best from actual real experience but sometimes it's not possible to experience it all. Research is maybe the next best thing.
Opening word count: 164,195
Closing word count: 165,200
In this case, of course, I was just doing small research. I actually took the time to look into both what colours compliment different skin tones (you know, that whole thing with what season a person is and so on...) and also into complimentary colours. I might go back and change it later. I'm not sure if the colours I chose will look right in my head at the end, but it was interesting to do.
I've also been looking into the general idea of what personalities are associated with what animals and totems. Why? Well...I thought I might tie it in to a degree with one of my peoples. One of my races have "clans" which are associated with different animals and I wanted to see if I could associate personality traits to a small degree with those animals. I'm not sure how far I'll go with it...it's something that I've more recently thought of. I even thought of taking similar animals (such as different kinds of bears or deer...as in some cases they have different traits associated with them oddly enough) and maybe even create different castes or roles related to them. I'm not sure how far I'll go with it but sometimes just doing research gives me new ideas to tie into my writing.
This is why I think research is key. To make the world, races and characters believable it does seem to help to look into things in this world to relate to the fictional world. I like that it helps give me more ideas as well. I know writers work best from actual real experience but sometimes it's not possible to experience it all. Research is maybe the next best thing.
Opening word count: 164,195
Closing word count: 165,200
Saturday 23 July 2011
Day 10 - written a couple days late
Yeah, I actually got some writing done a couple days ago but it was late and I turned off my computer before I thought to actually update here as well. Still, I am much behind and while I make no excuses, I will say that I worked Friday and then went almost straight from work to the ferries. I was on the mainland over the weekend and decided not to take my computer with me. I rarely, if ever, spend any time on my computer when visiting my cousins and visiting took up any real time to even put pen to paper. It is not an excuse, nor a real reason I am sure many would tell me and so I put this down more to explain where I was rather than as any kind of reasoning behind not getting any writing done.
I have finally gotten back into my main project which makes me happy. At the same time though I wonder if I should be focusing on something else since I don't actually want to debut with my main project since so much of myself has gone into it. Silly that I should be striving to finish it rather than working on something simpler and of less concern for me...though nothing I write is of less concern for me to be truthful.
I am simply happy to be moving past my block/stall....though the first part is still giving me trouble. I know where I want to get to but it's as if I'm looking at my next goal but cannot find the path that will lead me to it and am instead hacking through the brush trying to make a path. I hate it when I get to parts like that since it is so frustrating.
Hopefully I will have another post to add either tonight or tomorrow. I really must spend more time in writing than I currently do. bleh and bleh.
I have finally gotten back into my main project which makes me happy. At the same time though I wonder if I should be focusing on something else since I don't actually want to debut with my main project since so much of myself has gone into it. Silly that I should be striving to finish it rather than working on something simpler and of less concern for me...though nothing I write is of less concern for me to be truthful.
I am simply happy to be moving past my block/stall....though the first part is still giving me trouble. I know where I want to get to but it's as if I'm looking at my next goal but cannot find the path that will lead me to it and am instead hacking through the brush trying to make a path. I hate it when I get to parts like that since it is so frustrating.
Hopefully I will have another post to add either tonight or tomorrow. I really must spend more time in writing than I currently do. bleh and bleh.
Thursday 14 July 2011
Day 9 - on to important things
...well sort of. Finally got some writing done in my main project which is a yay (and why the word count is so high today)...but i jumped to the bottom.
opening count: 160,452
I have been thinking lately of scenes which play out much later in what I have been thinking of my "second part" of the story though I'm not sure if that's how things will end up or not. I wanted to try to get some of that worked out and see if my block in the first part will resolve itself. Often such things do. If not I may hve to force the matter, which I hate...I really do. I don't like that I jumped ahead, mainly since it is hard to publish something when the first part isn't finished. Oh well...we do what we do. Sometimes it works. At least. I'm writing. hopefully things will lead to more.
((maybe at the end of August I should add up the word counts and see what I come up with. :D See if I've written enough to be 50,000. Not sure if I'll be able to do NaNo this year. But that is a topic for another post.
closing count: 161,800
opening count: 160,452
I have been thinking lately of scenes which play out much later in what I have been thinking of my "second part" of the story though I'm not sure if that's how things will end up or not. I wanted to try to get some of that worked out and see if my block in the first part will resolve itself. Often such things do. If not I may hve to force the matter, which I hate...I really do. I don't like that I jumped ahead, mainly since it is hard to publish something when the first part isn't finished. Oh well...we do what we do. Sometimes it works. At least. I'm writing. hopefully things will lead to more.
((maybe at the end of August I should add up the word counts and see what I come up with. :D See if I've written enough to be 50,000. Not sure if I'll be able to do NaNo this year. But that is a topic for another post.
closing count: 161,800
Tuesday 12 July 2011
Day 8 - kind of sleepy....
So I don't think I'm going to say very much. And I want to focus my thoughts about writing on my project anyway.
opening count: 4,873
this new project has drawn me in. It's not so good only because it means I'm neglecting my main project. More and more though I've been thinking of working on simpler or less "important" projects that I care somewhat less about so that if/when i attempt to publish if they get brutally rejected i won't fall appart. XD It's something I try not to think too much about it in general though. it is better not to focus on whether or not my writing may ever get published or accepted. If i did that I'm sure I'd convince myself my writing isn't worth anything and give up. I don't want to do that though. Even if I never publish or only self publish or only post on DA or other writing sights, i do want to keep writing. Now if only I could get past the tricky problem of getting stuck/hung up on the trickier parts of my stories. I wonder if there is a book on writing or something like that, that would help me get over the hump. Ah well...that's all to say for tonight methinks.
closing count: 5,420
opening count: 4,873
this new project has drawn me in. It's not so good only because it means I'm neglecting my main project. More and more though I've been thinking of working on simpler or less "important" projects that I care somewhat less about so that if/when i attempt to publish if they get brutally rejected i won't fall appart. XD It's something I try not to think too much about it in general though. it is better not to focus on whether or not my writing may ever get published or accepted. If i did that I'm sure I'd convince myself my writing isn't worth anything and give up. I don't want to do that though. Even if I never publish or only self publish or only post on DA or other writing sights, i do want to keep writing. Now if only I could get past the tricky problem of getting stuck/hung up on the trickier parts of my stories. I wonder if there is a book on writing or something like that, that would help me get over the hump. Ah well...that's all to say for tonight methinks.
closing count: 5,420
Monday 11 July 2011
Day 7...getting behind
Yes I am...getting behind that is. I really wanted to try and write every day. maybe I should set 11pm to be my writing time. I don't have to do it for an hour or even half an hour but just add a little bit to one story or another...preferably my main project but as to that...lately I have been struggling with that stupid thing. It is not so much that I am not sure where to go next, it is more the how of tying the important parts together cohesively. I suppose I could jump ahead to the important scenes and fill in the rest later but I dont' like to do that...I worry that i might miss a bridge and be left with this gaping plot hole that makes no sense. Oops...but there again is that mantra of mine "I always have revisions". True enough but it doesn't mean I'll have any better idea then than I do now. *le sigh*
opening count: 4,390
So instead of working on my main project I'm toying with a side project related but along a different line. Fairy tales are still prevalent in my mind. this kind of feels a bit of a Legends of Caranor take on a fairy tale though I wont' say which one. The point is not so much to rewrite a fairy tale as to draw from a main theme and see where it takes me. and if anyone frowns on this well...fairy tales are public domain and writers will all say there are no original ideas left anyway. My intent is to give it my own spin and if the origin is not apparent so much the better. :D Not sure if there are any people out there who would frown upon it though. It is relating to an idea I had with in the story world anyway so it's just giving me a different way to approach an idea I already had anyway. :D that is my reasoning...excuse...uh...justification maybe(?) anyway. I don't know if I will ever go anywhere with it in which I actually take it to the next step but it is fun to play with and it;s keeping me writing which is the important thing. I make no apologies. heh. so far it's kind of fun to write and who knows where it might lead. Once I figure out where it falls in the chronology of my main project then I'll really be hopping. but for now its enough just to put words to paper (or words to the screen as the case may be here) and keep my creative juices flowing. Yeah...
closing count: 4,873
((Not that many words :( But I stalled sooner than I thought I would. Oh well...it is what it is.))
opening count: 4,390
So instead of working on my main project I'm toying with a side project related but along a different line. Fairy tales are still prevalent in my mind. this kind of feels a bit of a Legends of Caranor take on a fairy tale though I wont' say which one. The point is not so much to rewrite a fairy tale as to draw from a main theme and see where it takes me. and if anyone frowns on this well...fairy tales are public domain and writers will all say there are no original ideas left anyway. My intent is to give it my own spin and if the origin is not apparent so much the better. :D Not sure if there are any people out there who would frown upon it though. It is relating to an idea I had with in the story world anyway so it's just giving me a different way to approach an idea I already had anyway. :D that is my reasoning...excuse...uh...justification maybe(?) anyway. I don't know if I will ever go anywhere with it in which I actually take it to the next step but it is fun to play with and it;s keeping me writing which is the important thing. I make no apologies. heh. so far it's kind of fun to write and who knows where it might lead. Once I figure out where it falls in the chronology of my main project then I'll really be hopping. but for now its enough just to put words to paper (or words to the screen as the case may be here) and keep my creative juices flowing. Yeah...
closing count: 4,873
((Not that many words :( But I stalled sooner than I thought I would. Oh well...it is what it is.))
Saturday 9 July 2011
Day 6...coming a little late
I have been busy and have not been on so this is something of a back post as I didn't have time again today to do much writing. I am already getting behind. How annoying. Oh well...this is why I am going by post count rather than by day...that way even if I have to skip days I will still get my full 365 days in.
opening count: 3,606
I wish I had the talent of some authors and I wish I wasn't so critical of my writing. I actually read something that I wrote way back in probably grade 6. It was a myth/legend that we had to write. "Why the Dove is White". Wow, but I cringed at my writing, and yet it wasn't terrible. The vocabulary I had at that time even surprised me. I never realized how much I had in my vocabulary even then. At the same time though the story is very much a draw on my own experiences and really reminds me of what school was like for me at that age. Bleh. I would not take that story as is and try to have it published as a children's book but at the same time I can concede that people who tell me I could write even then were -- perhaps -- right after all. At least i know I have progressed compared to how I wrote then. I think my characters have more substance and are more rounded than they used to be. I strive to approach my characters as if they were people who I am getting to know rather than some part of me within that I am putting to paper. Perhaps they still have a little piece of me in them but if that is true I try to think of that little piece as being like the DNA (or mtDNA) that a child shares with it's mother rather than as being a representation of some emotion or personality quirk I possess. Perhaps since authors write what they know my characters can only be a deeper part of me but I hope they are more than that. :D
I wonder if I could have seen how good my writing from back in grade 6 (as my mother tells me it is) if it had not been my own. But even looking back at old pieces I find myself really quite critical. In fact I think the older a piece of writing is the more critical I am of it. *sigh* Oh well. I have been told this is natural for writers (and artists) but I wonder if I am worse than most. XD Oh well...what can one do, eh?
closing count: 4,390
opening count: 3,606
I wish I had the talent of some authors and I wish I wasn't so critical of my writing. I actually read something that I wrote way back in probably grade 6. It was a myth/legend that we had to write. "Why the Dove is White". Wow, but I cringed at my writing, and yet it wasn't terrible. The vocabulary I had at that time even surprised me. I never realized how much I had in my vocabulary even then. At the same time though the story is very much a draw on my own experiences and really reminds me of what school was like for me at that age. Bleh. I would not take that story as is and try to have it published as a children's book but at the same time I can concede that people who tell me I could write even then were -- perhaps -- right after all. At least i know I have progressed compared to how I wrote then. I think my characters have more substance and are more rounded than they used to be. I strive to approach my characters as if they were people who I am getting to know rather than some part of me within that I am putting to paper. Perhaps they still have a little piece of me in them but if that is true I try to think of that little piece as being like the DNA (or mtDNA) that a child shares with it's mother rather than as being a representation of some emotion or personality quirk I possess. Perhaps since authors write what they know my characters can only be a deeper part of me but I hope they are more than that. :D
I wonder if I could have seen how good my writing from back in grade 6 (as my mother tells me it is) if it had not been my own. But even looking back at old pieces I find myself really quite critical. In fact I think the older a piece of writing is the more critical I am of it. *sigh* Oh well. I have been told this is natural for writers (and artists) but I wonder if I am worse than most. XD Oh well...what can one do, eh?
closing count: 4,390
Wednesday 6 July 2011
Day 5
opening word count: 2,762
Fairy tales are really taking over my thinking lately. The more I think about them and the more I write here the more I think i'd like to take more time playing around with them and looking through the books of tales i have and seeing what's there that I could do something with. Of course that means reading the tales and outlining and all that fun stuff that takes way more time than I'd like it too. and of course I've gone back to writing my outlines long hand. i feel safer having my notes and ideas and outlines in hard copy format. Feels safer that way. I type faster than I write long hand though so it is easier by far writing the stories themselves on the computer...that and it's 100x easier to skip between scenes if one jumps out and begs to be written., I'm still note sure if skipping ahead while writing is a good idea though. I wonder at times if it makes the final result feel choppy. But I guess that's what revisions are for. (that seems to have become my mantra: if the scene doesn't quite fit what I had in mind...revisions...if the writing seems choppy...revisions, if there is something else that coudl really really do with some extra work...revisions...I wonder at times if I should be worrying more about editing as I go but most of the time I just want to get what's in my head out. If I spent all my time worrying about getting each chapter, each scene exactly write well...I'd never get anything done.
Jumping back to outlines and note keeping (which I keep in various journals stored about my room -- I need a proper office) I have yet to decide in this whole project that I have amazingly managed to keep up for 5 days so far whether or not outlining and character sketches will count toward my quota (though there isn't really a real quota). After all...I am writing words, I may even be furthering the story itself by getting certain things organized but...am I really getting anything useful done. This is something i will have to think on further. I suppose it might be useful to muse on such things a bit more...not sure.
Well that's it for tonight.
Cheery-bye
closing word count: 3,606
Fairy tales are really taking over my thinking lately. The more I think about them and the more I write here the more I think i'd like to take more time playing around with them and looking through the books of tales i have and seeing what's there that I could do something with. Of course that means reading the tales and outlining and all that fun stuff that takes way more time than I'd like it too. and of course I've gone back to writing my outlines long hand. i feel safer having my notes and ideas and outlines in hard copy format. Feels safer that way. I type faster than I write long hand though so it is easier by far writing the stories themselves on the computer...that and it's 100x easier to skip between scenes if one jumps out and begs to be written., I'm still note sure if skipping ahead while writing is a good idea though. I wonder at times if it makes the final result feel choppy. But I guess that's what revisions are for. (that seems to have become my mantra: if the scene doesn't quite fit what I had in mind...revisions...if the writing seems choppy...revisions, if there is something else that coudl really really do with some extra work...revisions...I wonder at times if I should be worrying more about editing as I go but most of the time I just want to get what's in my head out. If I spent all my time worrying about getting each chapter, each scene exactly write well...I'd never get anything done.
Jumping back to outlines and note keeping (which I keep in various journals stored about my room -- I need a proper office) I have yet to decide in this whole project that I have amazingly managed to keep up for 5 days so far whether or not outlining and character sketches will count toward my quota (though there isn't really a real quota). After all...I am writing words, I may even be furthering the story itself by getting certain things organized but...am I really getting anything useful done. This is something i will have to think on further. I suppose it might be useful to muse on such things a bit more...not sure.
Well that's it for tonight.
Cheery-bye
closing word count: 3,606
Tuesday 5 July 2011
Day 4 - more thoughts of fairy tales
opening wrdcnt: 1,904
Thinking along the same lines as in my last post, I keep wondering if it would be possible to combine fairy tales and the story world I have created. The realm I have created could probably be classified as high fantasy so I keep thinking I could do some interesting rewrites of fairy tales within the world and perhaps even disguise them which is really one of the main goals I have if I am going to tell my own version of fairy tales. i'm sure that seems strange but I think more than anything I want to play with themes and morals that can be seen in fairy tales while at the same time moving away from some of the other main themes in fairy tales that are more old fashioned or medieval. Perhaps I just want to see if it would be possible to disguise fairy tales and tell a story and see if people still recognize what the fairy tale plot is underneath the expansion and extra detail. I'm playing with fairy tails in a few different ways, one with disguising them within the fantasy and magic of my own story world, another with a thought to creating modern fairy tales which seem rather popular right now (not that I look to write what is popular...in fact I strive to do just the opposite and look for what people are not doing) and then expanding on fairy tales within the fairy tale world but with greater detail and a look to discard some of the more negative aspects of fairy tales at the same time. i just think it's something interesting to play with.
closing wrdcnt: 2,762
Thinking along the same lines as in my last post, I keep wondering if it would be possible to combine fairy tales and the story world I have created. The realm I have created could probably be classified as high fantasy so I keep thinking I could do some interesting rewrites of fairy tales within the world and perhaps even disguise them which is really one of the main goals I have if I am going to tell my own version of fairy tales. i'm sure that seems strange but I think more than anything I want to play with themes and morals that can be seen in fairy tales while at the same time moving away from some of the other main themes in fairy tales that are more old fashioned or medieval. Perhaps I just want to see if it would be possible to disguise fairy tales and tell a story and see if people still recognize what the fairy tale plot is underneath the expansion and extra detail. I'm playing with fairy tails in a few different ways, one with disguising them within the fantasy and magic of my own story world, another with a thought to creating modern fairy tales which seem rather popular right now (not that I look to write what is popular...in fact I strive to do just the opposite and look for what people are not doing) and then expanding on fairy tales within the fairy tale world but with greater detail and a look to discard some of the more negative aspects of fairy tales at the same time. i just think it's something interesting to play with.
closing wrdcnt: 2,762
Monday 4 July 2011
Day 3 - thoughts on fairy tale retelling
opening wordcount: 1,286
I have been thinking for a while about fairy tales and how many authors have done their own versions of them. Of course more seem to keep to the best known fair tales. I imagine they want the readers to recognize what fairy tale they themselves are retelling. On the other hand I would like to try doing my own take on less commonly known fairy tales. The Brothers Grimm themselves published over 200 fairy tales, some of them different versions of the same basic story and others silly stories that have no real depth or even moral value. But after those are discarded there remains a pool of stories in which there are a number that are less commonly known than those that are usually thought of. I would like to try my hand at writing my own version of these stories though it would not necessarily be my intention to have them recognized as others write but to try to add depth to stories that by nature tend to be fairly formulaic and shallow. I also just like the idea of telling stories in knew and different ways in the hopes of hitting on something that hasn't yet been tried. I have a copy of the complete, original Grimms' Fairytales and the complete 1001 Arabian Nights. I also want to get my hands on the complete original Hans Christian Anderson if I can. The nice thing about fairy tales is that they are fairly basic and lend themselves to being expanded upon. I imagine it is why there are so many authors who have done their own version of them. :) It is worth a try I think.
closing wordcount: 1,587
I have been thinking for a while about fairy tales and how many authors have done their own versions of them. Of course more seem to keep to the best known fair tales. I imagine they want the readers to recognize what fairy tale they themselves are retelling. On the other hand I would like to try doing my own take on less commonly known fairy tales. The Brothers Grimm themselves published over 200 fairy tales, some of them different versions of the same basic story and others silly stories that have no real depth or even moral value. But after those are discarded there remains a pool of stories in which there are a number that are less commonly known than those that are usually thought of. I would like to try my hand at writing my own version of these stories though it would not necessarily be my intention to have them recognized as others write but to try to add depth to stories that by nature tend to be fairly formulaic and shallow. I also just like the idea of telling stories in knew and different ways in the hopes of hitting on something that hasn't yet been tried. I have a copy of the complete, original Grimms' Fairytales and the complete 1001 Arabian Nights. I also want to get my hands on the complete original Hans Christian Anderson if I can. The nice thing about fairy tales is that they are fairly basic and lend themselves to being expanded upon. I imagine it is why there are so many authors who have done their own version of them. :) It is worth a try I think.
closing wordcount: 1,587
Sunday 3 July 2011
Day 2
New word count: 1,677
It's always interesting how some scenes kind of write themselves. They aren't always good. sometimes they are just filler that might end up being tossed later but it is interesting how that happens. Sometimes I am lucky and I find 500+ words later that a scene or a chapter has unfolded and I barely had to think about what I was writing. though I do wonder if that is a good thing at times. I wish that writing was like that more often. I wish I coudl get back to a place where I could get much more hammered out like in my long ago fanfic writing days (yes I used to write ff. Not terribly proud of it and most of it is apallingly bad but hey we all have to start somewhere yeah?)
I sometimes wonder if thinking about publishing is part of the reason i strugle in a way I didn't used to. I think I'm worrying more about my audience rather than about what story I want to tell. Of coures I always hit those places where I had no idea what should come next, where I should go, how i should get to the next important scene or event that is in my outline. Outlines are great be they physically written or stowed only in the mind, but really (at least for me) they are just a basic idea of what's going to happen along a time line. They don't always have every single detail...and sometimes I get stuck and I hate it.
I should see about buying that book "Now Write" maybe it would help me. It is full of writing exercises of different types. Maybe it would help me keep writing even when I'm stuck. Sometimes I turn to another story instead but that doesn't' help if I want to actually finish something. due to my tendency to write more than one story at a time myself and a friend who does the same have referred to ourselves as "Writing bigomists" XD Silly I know. Still, I can say now, that if one stops writing until the block is gone or a way around it is found then one might find themselves spending a fair bit of time not writing at all. XD
It's always interesting how some scenes kind of write themselves. They aren't always good. sometimes they are just filler that might end up being tossed later but it is interesting how that happens. Sometimes I am lucky and I find 500+ words later that a scene or a chapter has unfolded and I barely had to think about what I was writing. though I do wonder if that is a good thing at times. I wish that writing was like that more often. I wish I coudl get back to a place where I could get much more hammered out like in my long ago fanfic writing days (yes I used to write ff. Not terribly proud of it and most of it is apallingly bad but hey we all have to start somewhere yeah?)
I sometimes wonder if thinking about publishing is part of the reason i strugle in a way I didn't used to. I think I'm worrying more about my audience rather than about what story I want to tell. Of coures I always hit those places where I had no idea what should come next, where I should go, how i should get to the next important scene or event that is in my outline. Outlines are great be they physically written or stowed only in the mind, but really (at least for me) they are just a basic idea of what's going to happen along a time line. They don't always have every single detail...and sometimes I get stuck and I hate it.
I should see about buying that book "Now Write" maybe it would help me. It is full of writing exercises of different types. Maybe it would help me keep writing even when I'm stuck. Sometimes I turn to another story instead but that doesn't' help if I want to actually finish something. due to my tendency to write more than one story at a time myself and a friend who does the same have referred to ourselves as "Writing bigomists" XD Silly I know. Still, I can say now, that if one stops writing until the block is gone or a way around it is found then one might find themselves spending a fair bit of time not writing at all. XD
Saturday 2 July 2011
Day 1
I wasn't sure if I was going to post today. With filling out some forms online and then dinner to celebrate my birthday I didn't get any writing done during the day. But it's still early(ish) so I'll see if I can get a bit done.
Starting word count: 617
Working, at the moment, on what I'd say is my main story. 617 is only the count for the chapter/part I'm currently working on. The full count is much larger. This story is going to end up far longer than ever I intended. I wonder if other fantasy writers, those who write long series, feel that way when they end up with 5+ books.
Some scenes are stupidly hard to write while at the same time feeling entirely irrelivant. The scene doesn't fit what I imagined when I started it but there is always revisions and I don't doubt there are parts that will be cut out entirely. Given the two characters and their relationship I wanted a longer scene but with much less recapping of what happened in an earlier chapter. Ugh...I will keep it up though. Why is it so hard to write things the way I envision them in my head? Do the authors I love have this same problem when they are hammering out their stories? Ah well...
i really must keep the lamentation to a minimum here. That is not the point of this blog. Ah well...tomorrow is another day. We'll see how things go. :)
closing word count: 1,187
Starting word count: 617
Working, at the moment, on what I'd say is my main story. 617 is only the count for the chapter/part I'm currently working on. The full count is much larger. This story is going to end up far longer than ever I intended. I wonder if other fantasy writers, those who write long series, feel that way when they end up with 5+ books.
Some scenes are stupidly hard to write while at the same time feeling entirely irrelivant. The scene doesn't fit what I imagined when I started it but there is always revisions and I don't doubt there are parts that will be cut out entirely. Given the two characters and their relationship I wanted a longer scene but with much less recapping of what happened in an earlier chapter. Ugh...I will keep it up though. Why is it so hard to write things the way I envision them in my head? Do the authors I love have this same problem when they are hammering out their stories? Ah well...
i really must keep the lamentation to a minimum here. That is not the point of this blog. Ah well...tomorrow is another day. We'll see how things go. :)
closing word count: 1,187
Friday 1 July 2011
Day 0 - Why I am here.
Yes I know I should start with "Day 1" but it has been a busy day. I will perhaps edit if I end up finding myself actually writing later this evening.
So, for anyone reading, here's the scoop. I write. I want to publish. However I am terrible at making the time and can sometimes go months without a single word being added to one story or another. So, this is my way of being accountable. Really this blog is more for me then for anyone who may stumble across it and read. As the description says, when I get some writing done, I will blog about it, perhaps talk about my frustrations or thoughts that occurred as I worked. I may even post excerpts of my latest additions (or perhaps I will add links to writing uploaded on my DA page). I may not work on the same story every day but hopefully I'll get some done daily. But even if I don't end up writing i will make effort to write a little something here if only to explain (again for my own accountability) what happened even if it's just excuses of "I didn't feel like it." :D
So here's what I already know:
1) Writing is hard! Yes it is. It is perhaps an easy thing to suggest "Just write even a sentence daily" or "just spend 15min writing every day." Sometimes it just isn't that easy but I am going to try that every day. Hopefully I'll manage more than a single word per day. :D
2) Reading will invariably fill me with either a) a desire to get back to work on my own story to share with the world or b) despair. Sometimes a writer is sooo amazing or original that all I can think is "My stuff is drivel compared to this. Why don't' I just give up?" I will perhaps talk about that some here too.
3) I want to publish. I want to do well. I want to share my tales with people. I may not be Tolkien or Rowling and I'm not looking to be. I do have stories and ideas though and I would love for people to read what I have written and find some enjoyment or inspiration in it even if it does end up mediocre drivel. I hope it won't be though. I don't look to be among the best, but I don't want to be among those others may consider to be hacks either. :)
4) I do have ideas. Lots of ideas. Ideas I would love to turn into stories and share with the world. I don't know how original they are or how amazing but I do want to tell these stories no matter how good or terrible they are.
5) There are people who have told me that they would buy my work should I ever publish. this does fill me with hope. Perhaps in the end I will self-publish despite the still existing stigma but we shall see.
So...that's at least 5 things that I know already. Perhaps by the end of this (if there ends up being an end) I will have added some more.
Now let me be clear right now. I am not looking to complete anything by the end of the 365 days though that would be stellar. At the moment I am just looking for a way to encourage me to get writing and keep it up. :) I am not looking for praise or atta-girls either. I'm just looking to have a place to account for myself and to share my experience with others who may also be looking to write and eventually publish. Perhaps here they will find inspiration of their own. :) Perhaps I will only end up accounting for myself in the end. We shall see how it goes.
So, for anyone reading, here's the scoop. I write. I want to publish. However I am terrible at making the time and can sometimes go months without a single word being added to one story or another. So, this is my way of being accountable. Really this blog is more for me then for anyone who may stumble across it and read. As the description says, when I get some writing done, I will blog about it, perhaps talk about my frustrations or thoughts that occurred as I worked. I may even post excerpts of my latest additions (or perhaps I will add links to writing uploaded on my DA page). I may not work on the same story every day but hopefully I'll get some done daily. But even if I don't end up writing i will make effort to write a little something here if only to explain (again for my own accountability) what happened even if it's just excuses of "I didn't feel like it." :D
So here's what I already know:
1) Writing is hard! Yes it is. It is perhaps an easy thing to suggest "Just write even a sentence daily" or "just spend 15min writing every day." Sometimes it just isn't that easy but I am going to try that every day. Hopefully I'll manage more than a single word per day. :D
2) Reading will invariably fill me with either a) a desire to get back to work on my own story to share with the world or b) despair. Sometimes a writer is sooo amazing or original that all I can think is "My stuff is drivel compared to this. Why don't' I just give up?" I will perhaps talk about that some here too.
3) I want to publish. I want to do well. I want to share my tales with people. I may not be Tolkien or Rowling and I'm not looking to be. I do have stories and ideas though and I would love for people to read what I have written and find some enjoyment or inspiration in it even if it does end up mediocre drivel. I hope it won't be though. I don't look to be among the best, but I don't want to be among those others may consider to be hacks either. :)
4) I do have ideas. Lots of ideas. Ideas I would love to turn into stories and share with the world. I don't know how original they are or how amazing but I do want to tell these stories no matter how good or terrible they are.
5) There are people who have told me that they would buy my work should I ever publish. this does fill me with hope. Perhaps in the end I will self-publish despite the still existing stigma but we shall see.
So...that's at least 5 things that I know already. Perhaps by the end of this (if there ends up being an end) I will have added some more.
Now let me be clear right now. I am not looking to complete anything by the end of the 365 days though that would be stellar. At the moment I am just looking for a way to encourage me to get writing and keep it up. :) I am not looking for praise or atta-girls either. I'm just looking to have a place to account for myself and to share my experience with others who may also be looking to write and eventually publish. Perhaps here they will find inspiration of their own. :) Perhaps I will only end up accounting for myself in the end. We shall see how it goes.
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