I'm working on slashing through as many words as I can to get my count down -- then I'll go through and bridge everything, add in some details again. After that I'll be "done" and work on my query letter, start submitting again.
I had writer's block :( :( So I'm still kind of battling that. I wrote a whole page rant on it in my notebook and put a few lines on Facebook. So I got some encouragement there.
I just have to put writing as a higher priority than blogging on my list :)
I am trying to compost & brainstorm my "one liner" from the last prompt. I have this problem though- I either get too many ideas & directions that my mind is all over the place & it's not a story it's just random pieces from an idea OR My mind stops. I don't know what to do & I feel like it all stinks
Ellyn, it's SO easy to let our writing time get away from us! I sympathize with your situation.
Lol, Tonya. Feast or famine, eh? My advice is to just pick a direction and stick with it for a couple chapters. You can always make edits later.
Micah, fanfiction is excellent practice! I used to write Gilmore Girls fanfiction and it was so, so fun. So freeing. I know it doesn't feel like you're accomplishing anything, but any practice is good for you, and our inner artist needs to just have fun sometimes.
Jack’s nonchalance drops away, like ice on a window, cracking and falling away.
Horrible sentence. Horrible. Even aside from the "drops away" and "falling away" repetitiveness ... I'm not even really sure what that imagery is supposed to MEAN. Horrible. Blah.
I've wondered if you ever did GG fanfic? I didn't know about fanfac when GG was in tv, but I prob would've done that too :)
Do you read girlswriteout.blogspot.com ? There's a post today about first sentences.
Yay, i need to pick direction. I her a horrible perfectionism streak sooo I'm trying to overcome the get it right first draft thing. Eventhough I know it's not possible on the first draft. The first step is acknowledging it right?
I just finished a major push to get as much done as possible in my WIP by August 1. Once I sent it off to my agent, 60% to "the end," I suddenly went, "Okay, I'm tired. Blaaaaahhhhh." LOL. Must get back to work, must get back to work . .
I need to work on my historical fiction NaNoWriMo novel, but my problem is trying to add stuff in, like description. It is hard for me to come up with things and change the way it's already written.
I'm in a similar position, Stephanie. I haven't touched my medieval suspense WIP in over a month, and this week I've begun again. I'm so excited!! The break helps, too, as I see flaws I didn't notice before.
Right now I'm in the writing stage. Still moving along trying to get it all written up to the "the end" before I pass it around to my critique partners. (Always kinda scary, but my Crit Girls are awesomely sweet!!!:-)
Roseanna, I understand! Those breaks are important, though. And what a treat to be able to cross something off the list at that point in the process. (The 60% mark.) Though, you're not a list person...
Olivia, oh, so exciting! I loooove starting the first draft.
Alyson, no, no fun. But necessary!
Carrie, I have a tough time with that too! And with historicals, there's that tricky balance of giving the reader historical context without laying it on too thick.
Katy, same here! Like that sentence I posted early in the comments section. Yikes! Lots of stinkers like that. But this is one of my favorite stages, finding those gems between the stinkers and making them shine more!
And so long as your Crit Girls also push you to be your best, sweetness is a great quality in a critique group!
Stephanie I know how you feel when you find sentences like that. I'm editing a book at a turtle slow pace, and when I come across something like that I'm completely shocked and go. "I WROTE THAT? Seriously Jazmine? You have better grammar than that." It's so frustrating, and I find so many repetitive sentences like that. And I'm working on many projects. :) My main project is a co-write, and then another book. Both in first drafts. Then the other one that I just mentioned above is in the second draft. And that book is so bad, I almost want to rewrite it all.
Too funny, Jazmine. Resist the urge! Although I've had a complete rewrite work for me, it's generally easier to edit.
Sierra, are you planning to go back to the "dusty" book once you've worked out the plot on this one? I have to do that too sometimes. You don't want to lose any of those good ideas for the new project, but... It can be a hard balance.
First draft of both my stories. I'm such a perfectionist that when I see a problem I fix it immediately, especially if it's in the plot! One is about a thrown over prince who should be a king. And the other is a humorous story of an average second son, and brother to heroes. I write the latter for stress relief. Thanks for asking.
My WIP has two, maybe three chapters to go until I've finished the roughdraft. After that I'll wait a few weeks and then start editing. I'm so excited! It's been my goal to write a book since I was in second grade.
Yes, Stephanie, it's the same one - and thanks for your interest and encouragement! :-)
The conference is how I found your blog, and I'm glad I did - no one I know in person is into writing, so it's wonderful to be able to connect with some here. :-)
Well, I've worked out the whole plot... It's about a page and a half long, and I'm in the process of actually writing the first draft. It's kinda scary to think that the plot summary was so long. I will probably have to cut mega chunks out of it at some point.
I'm stuck. Horribly stuck. I've fallen over and I cannot get up, as they say. And it's driving me crazy.
I'm still in the first draft process, but I'm having the hardest time writing this next chapter. It's as if the whole thing is dragging its heels into the mud, deeper and deeper, and blatantly refusing to be written. Bah humbug.
Your comment -- with the little sentence from your first draft -- was just pure awesome. Thank you for that. 'Tis good to know others come across "What?! I wrote that?!" moments, too. :P Best of luck with your editing!
I have been working on 2 books one is a mystery and I don't really know what the other is maybe contemporary? The problem is I got to 4,200 words on my first draft but now I'm stuck and I don't know what to write to continue it. It is very frustrating!
Stephanie, I laughed when you wrote "I loooove starting the first draft." Is this the same author who wrote the post about first draft blues? :) LOL
I am working on the sequel to my first novel, both of which are medieval fantasy. I'm about 15K away from my word count goal. It's so close I can taste it! :) :) I am going to finish it before fall semester starts. Then I'm going to print out both novels (the first of which has undergone extensive edits and the second which won't have been edited at all) and story-edit. I am super-excited about that part, because with the stringent school schedule I'll be on, I'll still be able to be in my stories! Yay!
So enjoying seeing what everyone else is working on!
I'm just starting a new story after having taken quite an extensive break. I was sucked dry of ideas, and every time I tried to plan a new story I just couldn't
However I overcame it by just sitting down and writing without planning. I'm a definite 'pantser' I think. But your blog is definitely helping with the writing process. Thanks!
I am working on my near final, pre-beta draft. I've edited the manuscript about 6 times total. My critique partner is halfway done with reading and so soon I'll be able to finish working on whatever editing her comments inspire. Then it's off to betas and then to agents. Woohoo!
Thanks for letting me share that. Writing can be such a solitary thing sometimes, it's nice to be able to say "out loud" what you're up to and know that other people get it.
I am preparing to teach a group of homeschoolers creative writing. Lesson plans... And of course I have to try out all the homework ideas/prompts! This is the website where the students can post their stories:
I'm still in chapter 8 out of about 20 of the first draft. I'm loving the story I'm working on and have seriously felt God helping me as write as often as possible (which isn't a lot). I loved your thoughts on not editing small details the second time around...and also the break between the first and second drafts. So...relieving... :)
I'm about half way through my first novel. I think it's the first book in a duet, but it might turn into a trilogy. Anyway, my goal is to have the whole first draft done before Christmas, but that will take about a chapter a week, which seems like a lot to write for me. I'm a really slow writer.
My story is in the hands of my final critique partner. My plan is to get that back by the end of Aug so I can make changes, etc. then send it to CreateSpace at the beginning of October, so I can spend most of Oct planning for Nano.
I am also writing a script for one of the classes at school's end of the year production as well as one for my acting class.
I am also polishing a dinner theatre I wrote for the 100 anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic.
And I have FINALLY moved from the research to the writing stage of my Jane Austen monodrama.
Plus plotting a TV series I want to write, probably during Script Frenzy.
Looking back on the list and realizing I also work as a teacher's aide full time, am involved in teaching girl's club at church, a Bible study and just started ice hskating lessons, I begin to understand why I don't seem to have any down time. :). Good thing I love to write!
Hi, I'm working on my blog that I've just started. 2 posts and 2 followers for now. Please check it out and I'll be very much glad if you'd like to join in. Here's the link http://alienwriter-faseeha.blogspot.com/
I've been collecting new story ideas for a while--nothing's really congealed yet, so I have more discovering to do. Some serious character exploration is in my future.
In the meantime, I've been blogging and am enjoying the change of pace.
I'm having a wonderful time reading all these responses, I just haven't found time to respond to all of them. Sounds like some wonderful work is going on, guys!
I'm sorry, I was just running through old posts, looking for a specific one (which I found), when I came across this one. Actually, I've had that experience before. A lot of times. I have a hard time going right through writing one novel, so I write side novels that I know will probably never be finished, but it sort of 'cleanses the palate,' if you will. Right now, however, I am going back and doing fun stuff with my novel (putting in parts to make it less serious, making the sentences sound better, etc.). I can't wait 'til I'm done with it, 'cause then i can start on the art and then publish it! :)
I'm working on slashing through as many words as I can to get my count down -- then I'll go through and bridge everything, add in some details again. After that I'll be "done" and work on my query letter, start submitting again.
ReplyDeleteI hope checking over your draft goes well!
Great, Jenna! The unnecessary words I always find in my manuscripts are that, just, and was.
ReplyDeleteI had writer's block :( :( So I'm still kind of battling that. I wrote a whole page rant on it in my notebook and put a few lines on Facebook. So I got some encouragement there.
ReplyDeleteI just have to put writing as a higher priority than blogging on my list :)
I am trying to compost & brainstorm my "one liner" from the last prompt.
ReplyDeleteI have this problem though- I either get too many ideas & directions that my mind is all over the place & it's not a story it's just random pieces from an idea
OR
My mind stops. I don't know what to do & I feel like it all stinks
I have so many ideas... I have one story that I'm halfway through - I hit the wall in the middle of the story and fell out of love with my characters... and then i have another one that I wanna do, trouble is, it's a fanfiction and I feel like I'm not accomplishing anything by doing it, because it's just merging a cartoon I adore and the Harry Potter series... but I have all the plans for that drawn out.
ReplyDeleteI write so much fanfiction... I just feel like I want to write something REAL but I only have one idea and it seems cliché.
*sigh*
Oh well I'm sure I'll find something!!!! :D
-Micah
Ellyn, it's SO easy to let our writing time get away from us! I sympathize with your situation.
ReplyDeleteLol, Tonya. Feast or famine, eh? My advice is to just pick a direction and stick with it for a couple chapters. You can always make edits later.
Micah, fanfiction is excellent practice! I used to write Gilmore Girls fanfiction and it was so, so fun. So freeing. I know it doesn't feel like you're accomplishing anything, but any practice is good for you, and our inner artist needs to just have fun sometimes.
GROAN. I just read this in my first draft:
ReplyDeleteJack’s nonchalance drops away, like ice on a window, cracking and falling away.
Horrible sentence. Horrible. Even aside from the "drops away" and "falling away" repetitiveness ... I'm not even really sure what that imagery is supposed to MEAN. Horrible. Blah.
Just keeping it real, guys...
I've wondered if you ever did GG fanfic? I didn't know about fanfac when GG was in tv, but I prob would've done that too :)
ReplyDeleteDo you read girlswriteout.blogspot.com ? There's a post today about first sentences.
Yay, i need to pick direction. I her a horrible perfectionism streak sooo I'm trying to overcome the get it right first draft thing. Eventhough I know it's not possible on the first draft. The first step is acknowledging it right?
I just finished a major push to get as much done as possible in my WIP by August 1. Once I sent it off to my agent, 60% to "the end," I suddenly went, "Okay, I'm tired. Blaaaaahhhhh." LOL. Must get back to work, must get back to work . .
ReplyDeleteJust finished the outline/character information -- now on to the first draft! :)
ReplyDeleteAs I said in my e-mail I am trying to cut down on 2,500 words to make in the word count for my short story. Not fun.
ReplyDeleteAlyson
I need to work on my historical fiction NaNoWriMo novel, but my problem is trying to add stuff in, like description. It is hard for me to come up with things and change the way it's already written.
ReplyDeleteI'm in a similar position, Stephanie. I haven't touched my medieval suspense WIP in over a month, and this week I've begun again. I'm so excited!! The break helps, too, as I see flaws I didn't notice before.
ReplyDeleteRight now I'm in the writing stage. Still moving along trying to get it all written up to the "the end" before I pass it around to my critique partners. (Always kinda scary, but my Crit Girls are awesomely sweet!!!:-)
Roseanna, I understand! Those breaks are important, though. And what a treat to be able to cross something off the list at that point in the process. (The 60% mark.) Though, you're not a list person...
ReplyDeleteOlivia, oh, so exciting! I loooove starting the first draft.
Alyson, no, no fun. But necessary!
Carrie, I have a tough time with that too! And with historicals, there's that tricky balance of giving the reader historical context without laying it on too thick.
Katy, same here! Like that sentence I posted early in the comments section. Yikes! Lots of stinkers like that. But this is one of my favorite stages, finding those gems between the stinkers and making them shine more!
And so long as your Crit Girls also push you to be your best, sweetness is a great quality in a critique group!
Stephanie I know how you feel when you find sentences like that. I'm editing a book at a turtle slow pace, and when I come across something like that I'm completely shocked and go. "I WROTE THAT? Seriously Jazmine? You have better grammar than that." It's so frustrating, and I find so many repetitive sentences like that.
ReplyDeleteAnd I'm working on many projects. :) My main project is a co-write, and then another book. Both in first drafts. Then the other one that I just mentioned above is in the second draft.
And that book is so bad, I almost want to rewrite it all.
Too funny, Jazmine. Resist the urge! Although I've had a complete rewrite work for me, it's generally easier to edit.
ReplyDeleteSierra, are you planning to go back to the "dusty" book once you've worked out the plot on this one? I have to do that too sometimes. You don't want to lose any of those good ideas for the new project, but... It can be a hard balance.
I've just started revising the rough draft of my first novel, and I'm also writing some short Bible studies for my new blog.
ReplyDeleteSapphire, is that the book you pitched at NextGen? Because it sounded fabulous! (And I apparently wasn't the only one who thought so...)
ReplyDeleteFirst draft of both my stories. I'm such a perfectionist that when I see a problem I fix it immediately, especially if it's in the plot!
ReplyDeleteOne is about a thrown over prince who should be a king. And the other is a humorous story of an average second son, and brother to heroes. I write the latter for stress relief. Thanks for asking.
My WIP has two, maybe three chapters to go until I've finished the roughdraft. After that I'll wait a few weeks and then start editing. I'm so excited! It's been my goal to write a book since I was in second grade.
ReplyDelete- Rachel
Yes, Stephanie, it's the same one - and thanks for your interest and encouragement! :-)
ReplyDeleteThe conference is how I found your blog, and I'm glad I did - no one I know in person is into writing, so it's wonderful to be able to connect with some here. :-)
Same here Sapphire. I'll ask my friends if they like to write and they all say no, not unless I have to for school.
ReplyDeleteWell, I've worked out the whole plot... It's about a page and a half long, and I'm in the process of actually writing the first draft. It's kinda scary to think that the plot summary was so long. I will probably have to cut mega chunks out of it at some point.
ReplyDeleteI'm stuck. Horribly stuck. I've fallen over and I cannot get up, as they say. And it's driving me crazy.
ReplyDeleteI'm still in the first draft process, but I'm having the hardest time writing this next chapter. It's as if the whole thing is dragging its heels into the mud, deeper and deeper, and blatantly refusing to be written. Bah humbug.
Your comment -- with the little sentence from your first draft -- was just pure awesome. Thank you for that. 'Tis good to know others come across "What?! I wrote that?!" moments, too. :P Best of luck with your editing!
I have been working on 2 books one is a mystery and I don't really know what the other is maybe contemporary?
ReplyDeleteThe problem is I got to 4,200 words on my first draft but now I'm stuck and I don't know what to write to continue it. It is very frustrating!
Stephanie, I laughed when you wrote "I loooove starting the first draft." Is this the same author who wrote the post about first draft blues? :) LOL
ReplyDeleteI am working on the sequel to my first novel, both of which are medieval fantasy. I'm about 15K away from my word count goal. It's so close I can taste it! :) :) I am going to finish it before fall semester starts. Then I'm going to print out both novels (the first of which has undergone extensive edits and the second which won't have been edited at all) and story-edit. I am super-excited about that part, because with the stringent school schedule I'll be on, I'll still be able to be in my stories! Yay!
So enjoying seeing what everyone else is working on!
I'm just starting a new story after having taken quite an extensive break. I was sucked dry of ideas, and every time I tried to plan a new story I just couldn't
ReplyDeleteHowever I overcame it by just sitting down and writing without planning. I'm a definite 'pantser' I think. But your blog is definitely helping with the writing process. Thanks!
*sings* I am on my final polish!!!! Whoot! It is sooo exciting!
ReplyDelete~Morgan~
P.S. Does anyone know how to comment? I got a Google Account but it woun't let me post these comments!
I am working on my near final, pre-beta draft. I've edited the manuscript about 6 times total. My critique partner is halfway done with reading and so soon I'll be able to finish working on whatever editing her comments inspire. Then it's off to betas and then to agents. Woohoo!
ReplyDeleteThanks for letting me share that. Writing can be such a solitary thing sometimes, it's nice to be able to say "out loud" what you're up to and know that other people get it.
<3 Gina Blechman
I am preparing to teach a group of homeschoolers creative writing. Lesson plans... And of course I have to try out all the homework ideas/prompts! This is the website where the students can post their stories:
ReplyDeletehttp://itsaboutstory.wordpress.com
Jordan
I'm still in chapter 8 out of about 20 of the first draft. I'm loving the story I'm working on and have seriously felt God helping me as write as often as possible (which isn't a lot). I loved your thoughts on not editing small details the second time around...and also the break between the first and second drafts. So...relieving... :)
ReplyDeleteI'm about half way through my first novel. I think it's the first book in a duet, but it might turn into a trilogy. Anyway, my goal is to have the whole first draft done before Christmas, but that will take about a chapter a week, which seems like a lot to write for me. I'm a really slow writer.
ReplyDelete~Sarah F.
My story is in the hands of my final critique partner. My plan is to get that back by the end of Aug so I can make changes, etc. then send it to CreateSpace at the beginning of October, so I can spend most of Oct planning for Nano.
ReplyDeleteI am also writing a script for one of the classes at school's end of the year production as well as one for my acting class.
I am also polishing a dinner theatre I wrote for the 100 anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic.
And I have FINALLY moved from the research to the writing stage of my Jane Austen monodrama.
Plus plotting a TV series I want to write, probably during Script Frenzy.
Looking back on the list and realizing I also work as a teacher's aide full time, am involved in teaching girl's club at church, a Bible study and just started ice hskating lessons, I begin to understand why I don't seem to have any down time. :). Good thing I love to write!
Hi,
ReplyDeleteI'm working on my blog that I've just started. 2 posts and 2 followers for now. Please check it out and I'll be very much glad if you'd like to join in. Here's the link http://alienwriter-faseeha.blogspot.com/
I've been collecting new story ideas for a while--nothing's really congealed yet, so I have more discovering to do. Some serious character exploration is in my future.
ReplyDeleteIn the meantime, I've been blogging and am enjoying the change of pace.
I'm having a wonderful time reading all these responses, I just haven't found time to respond to all of them. Sounds like some wonderful work is going on, guys!
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry, I was just running through old posts, looking for a specific one (which I found), when I came across this one. Actually, I've had that experience before. A lot of times. I have a hard time going right through writing one novel, so I write side novels that I know will probably never be finished, but it sort of 'cleanses the palate,' if you will. Right now, however, I am going back and doing fun stuff with my novel (putting in parts to make it less serious, making the sentences sound better, etc.). I can't wait 'til I'm done with it, 'cause then i can start on the art and then publish it! :)
ReplyDelete