Day 24 & 25

The most recent prompt in the group I belong to is "secret". I have been working at a YA urban fantasy and thought I'd use that for the prompt. I've been writing it long hand...it feels right for some reason. I rarely write long hand anymore though. That's why there won't be a word count for this post either. I'm sure that I could go a bit beyond Day 25 but I'm not going to. Better to err on the side of caution and go less rather than more. XD I think I want to make a point of using the group now to get a jump on projects I haven't don't much on yet. We'll see how to goes and how far I get this way. :D

Day 23

I'm hoping to start focusing more on a couple of less fleshed out story ideas that have been floating about in my head for a while. So far my mind turns particularly to a YA story that I'd like to tell. Urban fantasy is growing in popularity but while I'd like to get my finger into that pie I want to make a point of doing my own version. Less romance to start with. In my opinion it's good at flavouring but not as the whole cake. (Just as a cake that has buttercream for the filling is too sweet, so do I think that a story based entirely on romance is too much.) I would like to explore the world and the nature of the supernatural in that world rather than romance either among supernaturals or among a human and a supernatural. I'm glad to be thinking about writing other stories. I do want to write more of my main project but if I'm going to chose something else to debut with I don't want it to be Legends of Caranor.

((i may update later with a word count))

Day 21 & 22 - writing darker subject matter

I'm doing two days together because I didn't get a chance to write my thoughts but I did have a couple days where I wrote. Cheating? Maybe...but I'm doing it this way anyway.

So...dark subject matter... I have to say that I admire those people who are unconstrained when it comes to writing darker stories, scenes or themes. I tend to balk at the idea and take the edge off of it when I write. I know for me it's a fear of being judged. I don't think I could ever write the way Stephen King does or LKH (for teh latter, while I don't uphold her as a great literary genius...she is very able to write graphic horror without a sense that she's flinching away from it). Often in a story bad things are going to happen, whether to the main characters or to supporting or even just incidental characters. it is much easier to give a main character drive, for example, if they witness an atrocity or violent acts in general. To see the suffering of others is going to affect them in some way, though there are many ways in which a character can act. I believe that one of the differences between fluff and grittier, more compelling writing is the way the writer deals with the dark stuff. Fluff is lighter and so has less in the way of suffering and violence. It makes a nice change, something to relax with but personally I find the darkness, even if it is just a thread that weaves its way through a story, to be more compelling. I would say this is the different between say, Jane Austin and the Bronte sisters. Austin's writing is much lighter and tends to have a happy ending (though I haven't read all her books yet) while the Bronte sisters stories all have dark threads running through them. Suffering, hardship, madness are themes that I've noticed in more than one of the books and that's what takes them from being romantic fluff, to a much deeper kind of romance...and that's what I like about them.

what I  have been trying to figure out for a while now is how writers approach it and how they feel about approaching this subject matter. do they fear being judged but push past it? Do they just accept that it's a part of human nature? Or are they just writing what they know? I wonder because I would like to have the ability that other writers have, to write these aspects into my stories without flinching from it.


No wordcount for today. Editing was my focus once again.

Day 20 - editing

No word count today.

The writing, such as it is, that I worked on to day was editing. There have been other days that I focused on that too. The group I joined at DA (lovefantasywrite) has a weekly prompt that really is a great way to get people writing (or editing in my case). So I focused on that a bit instead.

Editing is as important as the writing process so hey....why not. We'll get back to our regularly scheduled program (hopefully) in the next entry. ;)

Day 19 - Pitbull critiques

...or that is what I have heard them called. It is late and I have few incites but perhaps I could muse a bit on pitbull critiques. What are these? Well, the definition I've been given by others is that it is the sort of critique that while, constructive in nature, is delivered in a way that is biting and can seem rude or overly harsh. I have fallen victim to one or two myself in the past. Others I have discussed writing with think they are unnecessary.

I personally like to be diplomatic in how I offer my feedback. I usually start with what is working, and then move on to what needs work in regards to content, character development and plot and then, if the writer doesn't mind it, I will get into the nitpicky stuff like spelling, grammar and style choices. i find this works for me and i find that most people respond to it positively.

Pitbull critiques on the other hand are, in a way, a double edged sword. They have the ability to wake the lazy, laid-back or overconfident writer to the problems in their writing that they could fix to make it better. On the other hand though they also have the ability to intimidate writers and/or make them feel inadequate and some might even feel so bad about their writing that they might decide to give up. While i have seen that some pitbulls will argue that they are only giving these people a taste of what they will have to deal with in the publishing world and that they are helping these people develop a thick skin which I am sure is necessary, i would argue that there is something to be said for empathising with a person's emotions and looking for a a way to help them see their mistakes and fix them before unleashing the pitpull within. Or letting them know what they might have to deal with in the publishing world, prepare them by talking to them and then offering to give them a taste of what it will be like so that they can steel themselves for it. \

These are only my thoughts and musings of course and I don't expect an answer to these thoughts. Still, it's something that occurs to me. There are many ways to offer a critique...and breaking down a person's self esteem isn't always going to help them and may just crush a budding talent before it has a chance to flower.


Opening count: 7,622
Closing count: 8,062

Day 18

I wanted to have this posted on Aug.9. Just missed it by a couple of minutes.

I can't believe how much I have written in one sitting. Of course it helps to have a full scene to lay out. Still, it feels good to get that much written. Not many incites or anything to add today it seems. A shame. It always feels good to get to a scene that has been waiting to be written down on the page. Hopefully I can keep this up for a while. I want to get the "first part" written and on to the part that I am both more interested in writing and which I consider more important. I hope I will be able to keep the first part but I'm still unsure if it's worth keeping or if it can even stand on it's own. Well once I have it written and worked into the main body of the story we shall see how things work. (Wow, that seems to be my mantra in this blog, doesn't. Oh well)

Opening wordcount: 5,206
Closing wordcount: 7.622

Day 17

Hmm...I'm stuck as to what to say today. I have finally gotten to a part in my main project that I have been trying to reach for a while. now if I can only get to the end of "part 1". I'm not even sure if I'm going to keep "part 1"...or at least all of it though. I am unsure if it really adds to the story. There is much that I want to explain so that the rest of the story makes sense but I'm not sure if, considering it's length, it is worth keeping or is interesting enough for peopel want to read. Bleh...I should print off what I have and see if I get board reading it. XD Maybe i should finish it first and then see what I think. Well at least I'm writing. This is good. Now if I can only keep it up. 


Opening count: 4,200
Closing count: 5,206

Day 16

Hmm...I'm at a loss for what to actually say today beyond posting my word counts. I suppose I could talk about how even constructive criticism can hurt and drive one to want to give up writing. I've seen it happen and have nearly been driven to give up myself. I am easily convinced that my writing is no good especially since i am not sure myself if my writing is publishing material.

I am glad to be writing again even if I'm not sure my writing is actually good. i wonder at times though if I should focus on other simpler storeis which I'd feel more comfortable about debuting with. Hmm...today it seems is one of those days where I can't think of a lot to muse on. Oh well...here's my word count:


Opening count: 3,450
Closing count: 4,200

Day 15 - constuctive criticsm.

It's amazing what good constructive criticism can do and how much it can help. Sometimes it hurts, but sometimes it clarifies problems that a writer might not see or might not want to admit or just might not be sure of. I joined this group: http://lovefantasywrite.deviantart.com. I mentioned it in my last entry but I thought i'd say that so far I'm enjoying it. I've already critiqued a few pieces by other people too which was fun too. i think I'm more confident about it maybe or maybe it's just easier to do it when you aren't in the same room as a person. i don't know. I remember that I hated workshopping when I took my writing class in first year uni. And yet I find that I can say helpful things in giving feedback in DA. i wonder if it's because I have more experiance at it as well. Maybe.

the feedback I got in return was particularly helpful since the chapters are older and go back as far as when I was living in Japan and perhaps before though I dont' remember for sure...but compared to how I write now my older stuff could use some extra work to bring it up to par. :D I was thrilled to get helpful feedback, and it wasn't super harsh either which was nice. Sometimes feedback is too harsh or not helpful. I was glad to get some that was just the right amount of critique and feedback on what I was doing right. This is always helpful. It's what keeps me writing.




opening word count: 2,550
closing word count: 3,450