I feel like 2013 will be the year everything changes for me. It has to be, right? This last year has been stressful, full of little disappointments, but also some modest accomplishments. There's been tragedies, confusion, and too many bills. Looking forward is the only thing that will change all that.
I've been writing novels for over 2 years now, with several books completed and one actively being queried. A second book will be ready for the same by the end of February. I've sent out dozens of query letters, received many rejections and two full requests (one of which was just the other day, and I have yet to hear back on it). I keep getting told that if I keep at it, and don't give up, I'll make it, if only by default. I'd like to believe that.
So here's what 2013 has in store for me:
First off, I committed to my writing group that I would complete 2 books this year. As I mentioned, one is already set to be done by the end of February, and the second is almost a third of the way written so far. I may even be able to exceed my goal by a whole novel by the end of the year.
Secondly--and I know I have little control over this--I aim to sign a contract with an agent, hopefully even be on submissions to publishers this year. If I keep at it and don't give up, I think this is extremely possible.
Third, this coming year will mark a new level of commitment and time management for me. Earlier in 2012 I made the decision to work part time and quit school, instead focusing on writing as my Plan A. 2013 will be the first full year where I implement that plan. Wish me luck.
Fourth, watch the heck out of a ton of awesome movies coming out this summer.
What do you look forward to in 2013?
Showing posts with label aspiring writer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label aspiring writer. Show all posts
The end of yet another book.
It seems almost... mundane news to be finishing another book. I've been at this whole writing thing for years now, and it seems like just another day. Almost. Don't get me wrong, I'm not some writing veteran, but when you do something for so long, it starts to become the norm.
On the other hand, five years ago I never thought I'd write one novel, let alone multiple books. All things being equal, I'm pretty excited.
Only Gingers Can Be Witches was completed last week, and is ready to take its long nap while I begin editing The Sometimes Sword. It's been a weird ride, I can tell you that. I've experienced some of the highest highs and the lowest lows while writing this book, and I'm glad to see it's finally paid off. I've dropped it off to multiple beta readers, and I hope they enjoy, and don't rip me to shreds. *Chuckles nervously* Hopefully I'll be able to make it back to the book by this Fall, and then querying by Winter.
So now I embark on the strange and frustrating journey of editing, a journey I don't yet have much experience in. Wish me luck!
On the other hand, five years ago I never thought I'd write one novel, let alone multiple books. All things being equal, I'm pretty excited.
Only Gingers Can Be Witches was completed last week, and is ready to take its long nap while I begin editing The Sometimes Sword. It's been a weird ride, I can tell you that. I've experienced some of the highest highs and the lowest lows while writing this book, and I'm glad to see it's finally paid off. I've dropped it off to multiple beta readers, and I hope they enjoy, and don't rip me to shreds. *Chuckles nervously* Hopefully I'll be able to make it back to the book by this Fall, and then querying by Winter.
So now I embark on the strange and frustrating journey of editing, a journey I don't yet have much experience in. Wish me luck!
Diversity, show-don't-tell, and a query tip.
Oh wow, okay. It's been a very long time since I posted anything, but that doesn't mean I haven't been up to a lot. I've just passed the 50k mark on my current book titled Only Gingers Can Be Witches. I'm coming up on the official start of editing The Sometimes Sword version 2.0 (which some of you will remember I finished about two months ago). I'm now sitting on 4 novel-length works in my (admittedly short) writing career, which is a little mind-boggling to me. Hopefully I will be ready to begin querying The Sometimes Sword by the end of this Fall.
I've been interviewed! Also a bit about why I haven't posted in a while.
Hey all, it's been a lean couple of weeks post-wise, so sorry about that. I wanted to touch base real quick, and let you know that I'm still alive! First off, Leigh Covington interviewed me on her blog, which you can visit here. So click that link! It's worth it.
Also, the reason I haven't been doing much on the blog is because I've been writing. Yeah I know, right? I've actually been picking up the pace, and aside from the last three days (LTUE), I've been getting at least 1k words knocked out per day. On Wednesday I actually hit 3k in one day, so yeah, I figure I can forgive myself.
Hopefully I'll get a chance to get a good post up here soon!
Also, the reason I haven't been doing much on the blog is because I've been writing. Yeah I know, right? I've actually been picking up the pace, and aside from the last three days (LTUE), I've been getting at least 1k words knocked out per day. On Wednesday I actually hit 3k in one day, so yeah, I figure I can forgive myself.
Hopefully I'll get a chance to get a good post up here soon!
Local Writer Interview: Ali Cross
This month's interview is a little different, since Ali is not simply an aspiring writer, but also a self-published one. We met across the Internet machines through Melanie Fowler, another of my interviewees. Ali is very, VERY active in the writing community, and I'm excited to get to know her a little better. As you all know, I like to just jump right in, so here goes!
Do you have any special sales you'd like me to highlight?
There you go people, go check out her blog and all the goodies she has for you, and read her book Become dang it!
If it's not too much to ask, how old are you?
LOL, I’m in my 40’s. But I never really aged past 23. I’m eternally youthful. (Ha!)
Are you married? Kids?
Heck yeah! I have a rockin’ husband who’s a computer genius who slashes computer code and cuts hackers off at the knees. My two boys both eleven, are evil geniuses who take after their dad (thank goodness. One of them is a black belt and the other is close on his heels. At our house it’s all awesome, all the time.
Where in our lovely area do you live?
I live in West Jordan, Utah, but I’m not even an American. I’m a Canadian who’s followed her man (who followed a job) to the States and has been trying to get back home every since. (It’s been twenty years. I haven’t been too successful yet, obviously.)
How long ago did you start writing seriously?
I started writing seriously nine years ago. I know the precise date because my family and I were driving into the mountains for a weekend in the autumn leaves. On our way out popped from my mouth: “I want to write a book.” I swear I did not think those words before I said them, but as soon as I did, I knew it was true. My hubby and I chatted about the idea (I’d always wanted to write a story about my favorite Dungeons & Dragons character—hey, don’t laugh) and it wasn’t long before he admitted that he, too, would like to write a book.
We stopped at a Podunk gas station convenient store, happily discovered they stocked the basic materials with which to begin a book (notebooks, pens, index cards and tape!), brainstormed and outlined our books over our long weekend and … the rest is history! (And to follow-up, we both wrote our books, and finished them together, New Year’s Eve 2003!)
What project are you currently working on?
Right at this very second I’m finishing up the first draft of a middle grade fantasy called LAND MAGIC. Meanwhile, another MG fantasy THE SWIFT, is resting between revisions, and DESOLATION (book two of Desolation, my young adult urban fantasy series) is resting before revisions begin. Exciting stuff!
How long have you been working on Land Magic?
LAND MAGIC was conceived a couple years ago, but I didn’t have to work on it at that time. I did a quick and dirty outline and left it alone. I started drafting it during NaNo ’11, but couldn’t finish because of the release of BECOME (the first in the Desolation series). Time to finish this baby up!
Tell us a little about it.
Here’s my working blurb:
In a world where land magic has fallen into disuse and land comes together and breaks apart like clouds in the sky, one boy must rediscover the ways of the old magic in order to reunite his family and save mankind.
In a world where land magic has fallen into disuse and land comes together and breaks apart like clouds in the sky, one boy must rediscover the ways of the old magic in order to reunite his family and save mankind.
Wow, that sounds kinda lame. I promise it’s a lot more fun and awesome than it sounds. J
What are your goals for it?
I self-published BECOME, and I love, love, loved the experience. I’d like for LAND MAGIC to reach middle grade readers which (I believe) there’s no doubt traditional publishing methods are (so far) better suited for, but . . . I honestly can’t imagine publishing in the traditional sense.
Have you sent out any queries? How many have you gotten responses to?
Oh yeah. I queried BECOME to 103 agents. Twenty-eight agents read the full manuscript. One agent read three full versions of the novel, and still rejected it. Another agent made an offer, but ended up being a flake and left me hanging for four months before I finally got wise and moved on. Crazy, right?
Have you published anything previously?
Nope! BECOME was my maiden voyage!
Do you have any special sales you'd like me to highlight?
YES! Through February 4th (the day of NiNoCon, woot!) BECOME is on sale at Amazon here and Smashwords here for only $.99!
Anything else you'd like to tell us about works you've previously published/put on sale?
BECOME is an awesome, dark young adult novel—if you’re a Buffy fan, or a Lilith St. Crow fan, or a Melissa Marr fan . . . I think you’d like my book, too!
What is your favorite book or author? Why?
My favorite book(s) belong to THE FIONAVAR TAPESTRY by Guy Gavriel Kay. I’m not a fan of all of his books, but this trilogy is the one that inspired me to write (because I wanted to write something as amazing as those books—to reach people the way these books reached me). THE FIONAVAR TAPESTRY, is rich and beautiful, heartbreaking and fulfilling—it’s everything I think a truly great book should be. And I think it would nowadays fall into “new adult” fantasy, but back when I first read it it was just regular old fantasy. J
What has been the hardest part about writing your current work? About writing in general?
I’m not sure. I haven’t struggled with the craft in the same way that I know other people struggle. For me, the hardest part is believing in myself when no one else does.
What has been the best or most rewarding aspect of writing?
Without a doubt the most rewarding part are all the friendships I have formed through writing and blogging. Who knew that such a solitary art could give me such an amazing sense of belonging?
Do you have any "technical" suggestions for new writers?
A couple tools that have really helped me. Buy the book SAVE THE CAT by Blake Snyder. It’s funny, quick and easy to read. It’s a script-writing guide, but it absolutely relates to writing. I swear you will not regret it. Next to that, get thee a crit group! I think that should be in the writer’s ten commandments.
Do you have any sage advice for new writers?
LOL, no. Just, if you have a dream? Don’t let it stay in dreamland forever. Live your dream—because you CAN.
Is there anything else you'd like to tell our readers?
Come to NiNoCon this Saturday (February 4th!). It’s a free online writer’s conference taking place at www.ninjaswrite.com. It’ll be fun! There’ll be lots of great info! And PRIZES!!
Give us some links to any blogs, websites, or other online media you run.
You betcha! Thanks for letting me plug, Trevor!
ali cross (blog) www.alicross.com
the writer’s dojo www.ninjaswrite.com
the indelibles (a group of 25 self-or-indie-published authors) http://indeliblewriters.blogspot.com
There you go people, go check out her blog and all the goodies she has for you, and read her book Become dang it!
Aspiring Writer Interview: Alison Ash
Alison was lucky. I asked her to do this a whole week in advance. I'd like to take the time to apologize to my previous interviewees for the stupidly short amount of time I gave them. (But they all rose to the challenge and helped me out, so thanks guys!) I met Ali last year, when I responded to an ad for a writing group looking for members. I was really nervous about talking to anyone about writing at that point (I was still in the "writing closet"), but she was extremely nice and when all was said and done, they accepted me into their group. As some of you may know, I refer to this as my "pretend writing group", because I've only made it to three meetings. Ever. But they are all great people, so they haven't kicked me out yet. Some day, I'll make it I promise! Anyway, Ali is the group leader, and has a book of her own, one that I have had the privilege to read (half way so far, and loving it). She's startlingly hilarious, and somehow manages to hit my funny bone at least once per page. I really hope to see her published someday, so I can say "I liked Alison Ash's stuff before it was cool" or something hipster-y like that. Alright, let's get to the questions.
 |
| Alison Ash |
How old are you?
I just turned the very unremarkable age of 31.
Are you married? Kids?
Are you married? Kids?
Single. Two spunky daughters age 10 and 6. It feels strange having a daughter who is a decade old.
Where do you live?
Where do you live?
Utah, west side!
How long ago did you start writing?
My first book was written when I was five. It was called The Duck Robbers and I made several copies. It was about a robber who stole baby animals from the forest. Looking back, the villain didn't have a very strong motivation. He just seemed to get his kicks off locking up woodland creatures under his stairs and then disappearing so the parents of those creatures (fully-equipped with opposable thumbs) could unlock the cage and free the babies. After this emancipation, the robber must have died or left for Hollywood because he never came back for a sequel. He also looked suspiciously like the Hamburgler.
Have you published anything?
Does 40+ rejection letters count? No? Oh.
What are you working on right now?
I will speak to the novel I finished in early 2011, tentatively titled The Lost Location of Sunday City. I am in the submission stage.
How long have you been working on The Lost Location of Sunday City?
How long have you been working on The Lost Location of Sunday City?
I began writing the book during a bad bout of the flu in January 2007, but fashioned the idea in my head while driving years earlier in 2002. At the time, someone I cared had been victim of a violent crime and had changed tremendously as a result. As I drove, I remembered how she used to be as a child, very bright and innocent, and probably the most beautiful girl I had seen in real life. After the crime she was changed. Her eyes were hollow, and she spiraled into a ghostly waif of a person. All the spark and life had been sucked out of her. As I passed a ruined building with a missing roof and only window wells left, I imagined her adult self standing on the inside and her child self on the outside. The adult was warning the child about what was to come, so it could be avoided and innocence preserved. I then wondered what I might warn myself about if I could could speak to my child self. I passed that building daily with this image in my head. Eventually I combined the idea with the phrase "Time Trees" (a cast-off from a novel I started but never completed) and dreamed up the idea of a grove of trees that were tied to time. The idea seemed very simple and I thought I could write a quick little book about a boy who warns his past self about misfortunes in the future. I made a primitive outline while high on cold medicine. I wrote diligently for six months and had a nice little first draft of the first act (which was looking less and less like my hasty little outline, but isn't that always the way?) when I decided to rebuild my computer. I won't get into the technical details, but suffice it to say, I thought I had backed up my novel only to find the file had been permanently deleted! To say I was devastated is an understatement. I cried for the first day, went through a deep depression for the following two weeks. I had difficulty eating and sleeping. Neighbors started knocking, asking if someone had died. Eventually I started again, only to have the same thing happen a few months later after a virus hit our server. Luckily I only lost a couple of chapters that time. I was so angry with myself I couldn't bring myself to rewrite those chapters. I decided to start on the second act and go back later when my emotions had settled.
Other strange things started happening surrounding the novel. When I would go to write, something would always prevent me (an illness, emergency, etc). I began to have dark dreams about it. Also, the overall quality of my life was lowering. Several disasters had strained me and my family. One day I realized the bad luck all started after that flu in January when I decided to write the book. I joked with myself that the novel must be cursed. It was at that moment that I realized my main character should be cursed! I rewrote those lost chapters with that element and it ended up dominating the entire novel.
I thought often about those lost efforts and realized something. The rewrite was much better and far stronger than the chapters I had lost. Had I never experienced the pain and depression of losing a combined eight months of work, I would have never come up with the key elements of the plot. The idea of good coming from suffering became the theme of the entire book and the lesson the main character learns.
(Incidentally, my friend who was the victim of the crime did eventually recover and is now a happy, productive adult)
Tell us a little about it.
Other strange things started happening surrounding the novel. When I would go to write, something would always prevent me (an illness, emergency, etc). I began to have dark dreams about it. Also, the overall quality of my life was lowering. Several disasters had strained me and my family. One day I realized the bad luck all started after that flu in January when I decided to write the book. I joked with myself that the novel must be cursed. It was at that moment that I realized my main character should be cursed! I rewrote those lost chapters with that element and it ended up dominating the entire novel.
I thought often about those lost efforts and realized something. The rewrite was much better and far stronger than the chapters I had lost. Had I never experienced the pain and depression of losing a combined eight months of work, I would have never come up with the key elements of the plot. The idea of good coming from suffering became the theme of the entire book and the lesson the main character learns.
(Incidentally, my friend who was the victim of the crime did eventually recover and is now a happy, productive adult)
Tell us a little about it.
The novel concerns Gabriel Gussie, who's got himself a Muxy—a family curse that causes terrible things happen on his birthday. Cow pie rain, flukes in gravity, trailer-park terrorizing tornadoes, each year the disasters get worse. The entire community is afraid of him, kids at school avoid him, and his parents are sure that someday they’re going to wake up dead. But when Gabriel starts seeing visions, warning him that his curse will cause the death of his baby brother on Gabriel’s thirteenth birthday, he knows he must find a cure quickly.
A mysterious family friend named Tuck shows up, promising just that. If Gabriel will come with him to Sunday City, a ghost town closed to outsiders for a century, he will find his cure.
But Gabriel is in for a surprise. Upon arrival, he learns that not only does everyone in Sunday City believe that Tuck died thirty years ago, but Gabriel is the heir to his vast hoard of gimcracks—antiques with magical properties. Tuck has plans for Gabriel and his Muxy. As Gabriel’s birthday looms closer, Tuck’s dark secrets reveal a plot to destroy Sunday City from beyond the grave. His weapon of choice: the Muxy.
With the clock running out, Gabriel must dodge possessed deer, thwart greedy gimcrack-grabbers, uncover the history of his Muxy, save his brother’s life, and rescue the city he has come to call home before his birthday curse blows out more than candles.
In The Lost Location of Sunday City you somehow manage to cram a massive amount of humor into every chapter, most of it of the crazy variety. How do you come up with the ideas for all the intensely strange things people say and think?
A lot of the humor are real-life failed jokes put in the correct context and given the right timing. That's the beauty of writing, you have time to decide if you've gone too far. In real life that luxury does not exist, so unfortunately, my friends and family do a lot of head scratching after they are done talking to me. But I am laughing in my mind, so that's what counts!
What are your goals for The Lost Location of Sunday City?
A mysterious family friend named Tuck shows up, promising just that. If Gabriel will come with him to Sunday City, a ghost town closed to outsiders for a century, he will find his cure.
But Gabriel is in for a surprise. Upon arrival, he learns that not only does everyone in Sunday City believe that Tuck died thirty years ago, but Gabriel is the heir to his vast hoard of gimcracks—antiques with magical properties. Tuck has plans for Gabriel and his Muxy. As Gabriel’s birthday looms closer, Tuck’s dark secrets reveal a plot to destroy Sunday City from beyond the grave. His weapon of choice: the Muxy.
With the clock running out, Gabriel must dodge possessed deer, thwart greedy gimcrack-grabbers, uncover the history of his Muxy, save his brother’s life, and rescue the city he has come to call home before his birthday curse blows out more than candles.
In The Lost Location of Sunday City you somehow manage to cram a massive amount of humor into every chapter, most of it of the crazy variety. How do you come up with the ideas for all the intensely strange things people say and think?
A lot of the humor are real-life failed jokes put in the correct context and given the right timing. That's the beauty of writing, you have time to decide if you've gone too far. In real life that luxury does not exist, so unfortunately, my friends and family do a lot of head scratching after they are done talking to me. But I am laughing in my mind, so that's what counts!
What are your goals for The Lost Location of Sunday City?
I grew up with a desire to be traditionally published. However, I have seen a lot of authors gain success in self-publishing. I don't believe we can predict where technology is going to eventually bring books, but I am excited to see that publication is no longer run by "gatekeepers." I have no plans to self publish but that may change.
What is your favorite book or author? Why?
What is your favorite book or author? Why?
Dr. Seuss was a prophet. I believe Oh, the Places You'll Go should be government issued to new parents. But I can't rule out Shel Silverstein's The Missing Piece which is a perfect allegorical representation of the duality of human nature and how we crave both individualism and coupling. I have a copy on my coffee table and pick it up when I need a good, unanswerable question.
What has been the hardest part about writing your current work? About writing in general?
What has been the hardest part about writing your current work? About writing in general?
Finding time is always a challenge. Especially with children, a full time job and a host of extra hobbies. I often have to take entire weekends and dedicate them to whatever writing task is at hand.
What has been the best or most rewarding aspect of writing?
Reading the entire work from start to finish and realizing it makes sense and is actually a book! The first time I did so I reached the last chapter at two-a.m. with surprise. I couldn't believe it was over and wanted it to continue. I wanted to know what would happen next with Gabriel and Ebony and their friends. It was a strange, disconnected moment. Stephen King describes it as "'like reading the work of someone else, a soul-twin perhaps."
Do you have any "technical" suggestions for new writers?
Do you have any "technical" suggestions for new writers?
One thing I hate is the cliche. I really try to avoid the first solution that pops in my head. When I need to brainstorm new ideas I talk into a tape recorder for as long as it takes for the "Eureka!" moment to come. This has helped me puzzle out scenes and integrate threads into later chapters. It gives me an artificial sense of collaboration, as if I am discussing my book with my future self.
Do you have any sage advice for new writers?
Do you have any sage advice for new writers?
I really believe if we all just keep pounding at it, dedicating at least an hour a day at our books, we will eventually see publication. You never hear of a person who wrote and wrote and kept submitting their whole lives that didn't eventually see publication. We may write a few scrappers first (I wrote two horrible ones in my twenties), but that's just the awkward adolescence of talent that everyone has to go through before they become good at their craft. Just keep swimming!
Well, there you have it! It just goes to show that we can never give up, you and me. So get back to writing!
More updates on TSS 2.0, LTUE, and a quick bit on Voice (and I use too many parenthesis).
School has started. Alas, but it is true. Spring Semester 2012 is in full swing, and I wasn't really prepared for it. I'm not too worried though. I'm taking fewer classes (and easier) than last semester, so I can handle it. In part, this more laid-back schedule is because I want to devote more time to writing. College is my backup plan (not plan A), so I feel like every once in a while I should stop trying to do the "smart thing" and really go for my dreams. This is easier said than done. I'm well aware that many writers finish books and get published despite school, a full time job, and a family. Well I'm not that guy. I'm the guy who gets addicted to World of Warcraft over Christmas break, and falls so far into depression he can't even be pulled out with an ice-cream cone. I'm the guy who spends more time bemoaning his failings (quietly of course) than trying to correct them. Come to think of it, it's a miracle I was ever able to finish my first novel.
I am working hard at it though. Every week I have set days and time where I normally had classes that are now dedicated to writing. I've kept to it so far, even though the first day was excruciating (I'm telling you, writing is not like riding a bike, you can forget/get out of practice). Today's holiday is an opportunity for me to get in another huge chunk of writing time, and I'm hoping I can persevere. (Yes, depression and addiction to WoW can sometimes feel totally out of your control, even though they're not.)
Anyway, a quick update on The Sometimes Sword 2.0. I'm now at 30k words, roughly 90 pages at it's current font and margin settings. I'm not quite a third of the way through, so its going to be running 20-30k words longer than version 1.0 (this kind of scares me). Other than the slow progress, I feel like it's going well. I've been hitting dialogue a little closer to the mark this time around, and I've been working hard at making plot points cooperate better. My characters have started with a bit more mass and volume, and I've worked out some of the kinks in my story telling. Aside from the motivation to actually sit down and write, I'm feeling pretty positive about it on the whole.
For those of you in Utah (and perhaps without), you may know of a writing convention called Life the Universe and Everything (LTUE), held in Orem (I think?). It's an annual event in February, and from what I hear, it's the bee's knees. I'll be attending all three days (if I can swing it with work), backpack and tape recorder in hand. Yeah, I'm one of those over eager amateurs, so what? If you're going, hit me up so we can chat and attend a few panels together. Just a side note, membership is FREE for current students with college ID. So yeah, no excuses.
One last thing. As some of you may know, I'm a bit obsessed with the idea of a writer's "voice". It's something that has always eluded me, and I can't even define to myself, let alone other people. I can see it in the writers I read, but not myself. It's more than a bit frustrating. Today I happened upon a post on Terribleminds.com, a writing website run by Chuck Wendig (I highly recommend you check him out). I wanted to highlight part of that post and link the rest:
"Writers are at the outset a scared species. It’s not our fault: we’re told that it’s a bad idea and unless we want to prepare for a life lived inside a palatial piano crate we should just buckle down and become accountants. And so I think there’s a lot of bad psychic voodoo that clogs the works, and until we start to clear that out, it’s really hard to find out who we are on the page and what our voice looks and sounds like. Finding your voice is then synonymous with losing the fear of not just writing but of being a writer."
You can read the entire post here, and I very much recommend that you do. I love this dude's stuff, and it has helped me a ton. A word of caution though: he does use a hilarious amount of vulgarity and straight up insanity. It enriches the experience. He is very serious about writing though, and writing well.
So that's it folks. That's what's going on with me. What about you? What have you been up to, and what's your "Plan A"?
I am working hard at it though. Every week I have set days and time where I normally had classes that are now dedicated to writing. I've kept to it so far, even though the first day was excruciating (I'm telling you, writing is not like riding a bike, you can forget/get out of practice). Today's holiday is an opportunity for me to get in another huge chunk of writing time, and I'm hoping I can persevere. (Yes, depression and addiction to WoW can sometimes feel totally out of your control, even though they're not.)
Anyway, a quick update on The Sometimes Sword 2.0. I'm now at 30k words, roughly 90 pages at it's current font and margin settings. I'm not quite a third of the way through, so its going to be running 20-30k words longer than version 1.0 (this kind of scares me). Other than the slow progress, I feel like it's going well. I've been hitting dialogue a little closer to the mark this time around, and I've been working hard at making plot points cooperate better. My characters have started with a bit more mass and volume, and I've worked out some of the kinks in my story telling. Aside from the motivation to actually sit down and write, I'm feeling pretty positive about it on the whole.
For those of you in Utah (and perhaps without), you may know of a writing convention called Life the Universe and Everything (LTUE), held in Orem (I think?). It's an annual event in February, and from what I hear, it's the bee's knees. I'll be attending all three days (if I can swing it with work), backpack and tape recorder in hand. Yeah, I'm one of those over eager amateurs, so what? If you're going, hit me up so we can chat and attend a few panels together. Just a side note, membership is FREE for current students with college ID. So yeah, no excuses.
One last thing. As some of you may know, I'm a bit obsessed with the idea of a writer's "voice". It's something that has always eluded me, and I can't even define to myself, let alone other people. I can see it in the writers I read, but not myself. It's more than a bit frustrating. Today I happened upon a post on Terribleminds.com, a writing website run by Chuck Wendig (I highly recommend you check him out). I wanted to highlight part of that post and link the rest:
"Writers are at the outset a scared species. It’s not our fault: we’re told that it’s a bad idea and unless we want to prepare for a life lived inside a palatial piano crate we should just buckle down and become accountants. And so I think there’s a lot of bad psychic voodoo that clogs the works, and until we start to clear that out, it’s really hard to find out who we are on the page and what our voice looks and sounds like. Finding your voice is then synonymous with losing the fear of not just writing but of being a writer."
You can read the entire post here, and I very much recommend that you do. I love this dude's stuff, and it has helped me a ton. A word of caution though: he does use a hilarious amount of vulgarity and straight up insanity. It enriches the experience. He is very serious about writing though, and writing well.
So that's it folks. That's what's going on with me. What about you? What have you been up to, and what's your "Plan A"?
How watching films critically can help you write better.
I had my first Introduction to Film class yesterday, and despite the four-hours-in-one-really-old-theater-seat syndrome, I'm pretty excited for it. As I'm sure you can guess, we view a film once per class, book-ended by an hour lecture and discussion afterward. This gives the instructor a chance to teach us about a particular concept, allow us to watch for it, then discuss and identify the film-maker's usage of that concept.
As most of you know (at least, I hope so), movies begin with a screenplay. Which is writing, btw. Instead of writing a five-hundred page novel, a screenwriter writes something like one-hundred twenty pages (about 90 minutes of movie). Both novels and screenplays share a lot in common, from the basic structure (generally three-act, though there are always exceptions), to the need for natural, but informative dialogue. As always, characters and plot require hard work and probably tears of frustration in all forms of writing.
The interesting thing about watching a movie with critical eyes (as far as the writing portion goes), is that its format is perfect for catching all the ways the film makers handle the story elements. Such a condensed version of a story makes it east to identify character conflicts, quirks, and flaws. It's readily apparent what character's hold which place in the plot, and who does what.
We watched Little Miss Sunshine, a pseudo-indie film made back in 2006 or 2007 (maybe). We were instructed to watch for motifs (repeated themes), character parallels (and foils), and metaphors. During the discussion we talked about what we had found, and it struck me how easy it looked on screen. Of course the VW bus breaking down was a metaphor for the family's steady deterioration. Of course the beauty pageant at the end symbolized all of the character's misplaced dreams. Why can't it be so simple while writing a book? Well, maybe it is.
Next time you watch a movie, try to look at it with a screen writer's eyes, instead of a movie-goer's. Try to identify the techniques the film maker uses to draw you in, to define character, to advance plot, etc. See if any of those things might benefit your own writing. Hopefully I'll find some good stuff of my own.
As most of you know (at least, I hope so), movies begin with a screenplay. Which is writing, btw. Instead of writing a five-hundred page novel, a screenwriter writes something like one-hundred twenty pages (about 90 minutes of movie). Both novels and screenplays share a lot in common, from the basic structure (generally three-act, though there are always exceptions), to the need for natural, but informative dialogue. As always, characters and plot require hard work and probably tears of frustration in all forms of writing.
The interesting thing about watching a movie with critical eyes (as far as the writing portion goes), is that its format is perfect for catching all the ways the film makers handle the story elements. Such a condensed version of a story makes it east to identify character conflicts, quirks, and flaws. It's readily apparent what character's hold which place in the plot, and who does what.
We watched Little Miss Sunshine, a pseudo-indie film made back in 2006 or 2007 (maybe). We were instructed to watch for motifs (repeated themes), character parallels (and foils), and metaphors. During the discussion we talked about what we had found, and it struck me how easy it looked on screen. Of course the VW bus breaking down was a metaphor for the family's steady deterioration. Of course the beauty pageant at the end symbolized all of the character's misplaced dreams. Why can't it be so simple while writing a book? Well, maybe it is.
Next time you watch a movie, try to look at it with a screen writer's eyes, instead of a movie-goer's. Try to identify the techniques the film maker uses to draw you in, to define character, to advance plot, etc. See if any of those things might benefit your own writing. Hopefully I'll find some good stuff of my own.
Finding your groove.
Finding the rhythm and flow of writing isn't easy. I think some new writers think that once you finish your first book, or sell a novel, that suddenly writing becomes easy. I know I did. Unfortunately, it never works that way. It has been several months since I finished my first draft of The Sometimes Sword, and yet the last few weeks have been the most difficult for me to find motivation. Now, I don't want to focus on the difficulties; I want to highlight some of the things that will, first, help you realize you aren't that different from the rest of us, and second, maybe find some good advice to help you out.
I don't have much in the way of advice today, but I do want to say this: ask yourself why you are writing. Is it just a hobby? For fun? Are you just bored? Do you want to someday sell a book? Whatever your answer is, be it ambitious or laid-back, that's fine. But, you need to look at what your intentions are, then carefully assess what you've been doing, and how it supports, or doesn't support your dream. If you want to make a living writing novels, then approaching it like a hobby is probably not going to work, etc. Just try to make good decisions, and constantly re-evaluate your priorities.
Now I want to hear from you. What advice can you give other readers about managing their dream, and finding the healthy groove of writing?
I don't have much in the way of advice today, but I do want to say this: ask yourself why you are writing. Is it just a hobby? For fun? Are you just bored? Do you want to someday sell a book? Whatever your answer is, be it ambitious or laid-back, that's fine. But, you need to look at what your intentions are, then carefully assess what you've been doing, and how it supports, or doesn't support your dream. If you want to make a living writing novels, then approaching it like a hobby is probably not going to work, etc. Just try to make good decisions, and constantly re-evaluate your priorities.
Now I want to hear from you. What advice can you give other readers about managing their dream, and finding the healthy groove of writing?
Short Story: A New Sorceress on the Council
Waldorf
ran his be-ringed fingers over the rough gray stubble on his chin.
Just a moment ago, it had been a rather magnificent beard, falling in
waves to his belt. Scissors had made short work of it, and now
he could comfortably run a razor over what remained. His magic could
have done the job well enough, but after two hundred years, Waldorf
knew better than to try doing anything that close to his face with magic.
Gazing
into his scrying orb, the wizard examined his jaw line as the razor
glided through the cream on his cheeks. How had he forgotten his weak
jaw line? His neck looked like an iguana's. Shaking his head, Waldorf pushed
the orb with a stream of golden magic, adjusting its angle of
observation to better see what he was doing.
Waldorf
could hear his wife moving about the tower beyond the stout wooden
door of the washroom he stood in. Here a stair squeaked, there a
cupboard opened, then shut. He glanced surreptitiously at the thick
iron lock, not knowing exactly why he was nervous. He was only shaving his beard after all... perfectly normal thing to do. The blade nicked a
wattle on his skinny neck, and he grimaced. Slapping a handful of
greenblane on the tiny cut, he moved the razor onward, working away
at the scruff on his upper lip.
Several
minutes later, Waldorf looked at the shaven lizard staring back at
him in the scrying orb and sighed. Something needed to be done about
his hair. This dirty gray just wouldn't do. An idea occurred to him. He glanced around, located his
staff, and taking it in hand pushed open the window. A brisk summer
breeze blew his long wispy hair about as he thrust his head outward,
peering down the long tower wall to the second window down. His wife
had a magical crock of dye down there in her sewing room, and it
would be just the thing. Muttering some boring words, Waldorf waited
a moment before reaching out to grasp the newly arrived stone crock
that floated in front of him.
Smoothing
his purple robes, he lifted the lid and sniffed the clear liquid
inside, recoiling slightly at the scent. Bleh. The staff went back to
leaning against the wall, and the crock was set upon the wash basin
as Waldorf thought about what color his hair would soon be. Purple
was obvious, it matched most of his robes. But would The Council
laugh? Most likely. Brown was probably the safest color, it was what
he had been born with.
Snipping
carefully with the scissors, Waldorf cut his white hair short, hoping that he hadn't missed any strands on the back of his head. Any chunks of uneven hair would be covered by his wizarding hat wouldn't
they? Best to not worry about it.
Now
the unpleasant task of applying the dye to his head. Surely it would
work, even if it was a bit unconventional. After all, his wife colored her new dresses however she liked.
Removing the lid with distaste for the smell, Waldorf glanced around, wondering how
to best get the magic liquid from the crock to his hair. Was there a
ladle? Did he just pour it on? No, that sounded rather sloppy.
In
the end, he decided to simply dip his fingers in the watery substance
and rub it quickly into his hair, imagining a handsome color of brown
all the while. That step was very important, requiring steady, controlled thoughts to get the desired results. Waldorf closed his eyes as he worked, the acrid smell
of the dye burning his nose and throat.
Finally
he opened them and gazed into the scrying orb. There was still a
shaven iguana gazing back him, only this time it had a mop of jet black
fluff on its head. Apparently the dye was "Extra Strength" or something. Waldorf
peered at the crock dismally. A label saying so would have been nice.
Still, this black was better than wild white hair and a massive beard wasn't it?
Looking objectively at himself once more, he supposed he did look
younger, more... dashing.
Someone
cleared their throat and Waldorf jumped and glanced around, startled. His
wife Delores stood in the open washroom doorway, her hands planted on
her ample hips. Waldorf glanced at the treacherous iron lock, then
back to his wife's eyes. Oh my.
“Delores...,”
he said weakly, “I didn't know you were about....”
Waldorf's
wife stared at him with blue eyes like disapproving ice cubes until
he wilted. Shoulders slumped, Waldorf handed her the crock of magic
dye as the black faded from his white hair. Several
more moments of squinted displeasure, and Waldorf's wife slowly swung
the door shut, leaving the wizard once again alone in the washroom.
He knew exactly what she would have said if she hadn't chosen the "cold silence" route:
"Walforf you old goat! Just what do you think you're doing? You look ridiculous! Is this because of that new young thing on The Council? Well I have news for you, you besotted old fool, no twenty-year old sorceress is going to look twice at the likes of you! Now fix your hair and get to work on that weak chin of yours!"
Waldorf cringed at the thought and ran his be-ringed hand over his smooth chin as he looked in the
scrying orb. It looked as if he would be growing an entire beard tonight, and
by the look in Delores's eyes, he was to remain here until it was
finished.
The
two-hundred year-old wizard snatched up his staff as he plopped onto
a stool in the corner, and settled in for a very
long night.
Aspiring Writer Interview: Melanie Chaston Fowler
With this series, tentatively titled "AWI" (Aspiring Writer Interviews, clever I know), I hope to bring out some wonderful writers and get the word out about the great scene we have here in Utah. If even one person is inspired by it to begin their own writing endeavors, it will be well worth it. This is the first of (hopefully) many interviews I will be doing each week.
I thought I'd start off with someone I know: fellow aspiring writer, Melanie Chaston Fowler. We actually attended the same high school and performed in the same (awesome) choir. Several years after graduating I discovered that she too wanted to be a writer, and already had a few years under her belt. Melanie began writing in earnest in 2007, though she wrote a book in high school that was read each week by a friend as it progressed. She is 24 years old and married with two children, "the most beautiful daughter, and the toughest, sweetest little boy." She lives in Northern Utah, and loves it.
I had a chance to ask Melanie some questions yesterday, and I hope you enjoy hearing about what she has been up to.
Tell us what writing project you're currently working on?
Daughters of Etheria
How long have you been working on it?
Since 2007
Can you tell us a little about it?
It is a childhood game that my sisters and I used to play when we were young. It is about four girls who are the four seasons, and my book is about how the four seasons/girls, came to be.
What are your goals for it?
I would like to traditionally publish but I'm open to other ideas if things don't work out.
Have you sent out any queries? How many have you gotten responses to?
None yet, but I know I'm getting closer because I just downloaded Elana Johnson's *FREE* e-book called From the Query to the Call.
What/who is your favorite book or author?
It changes so frequently, in middle school, my first love of books were Dealing With Dragons by Patrica C. Wrede, and Beauty by Robin McKinley. But now I love anything fantasy, and mostly YA (young adult) but I have a growing love for MG (middle grade), especially since another story of mine is going to be MG.
What has been the hardest part of writing Daughters of Etheria?
For my current novel, figuring out the point of view. And writing in general, learning how to balance it all, life, writing, and more life.
What has been the best or most rewarding aspect of writing?
Probably having author friends that have succeeded in getting their books published. It's simply amazing.
Do you have any sage advice for new writers?
New authors; don't be afraid to call yourself a writer. Also start a blog, create a platform. Learn from others, and go to a conference. Get a crit. partner. And lastly, it doesn't all have to happen at once. Take your time, but keep moving forward. Don't ever give up. If you have a story that you want to tell, keep working on it until it is perfect, and then when you think it's perfect. Work on it again. Just keep going.
Thanks Melanie.
Melanie runs her own blog Adventure Writes, and is quite active in the writing scene. I highly recommend you check her out, and get involved with some of the awesome stuff she has going on.
 |
| Melanie Chaston Fowler |
I had a chance to ask Melanie some questions yesterday, and I hope you enjoy hearing about what she has been up to.
Tell us what writing project you're currently working on?
Daughters of Etheria
How long have you been working on it?
Since 2007
Can you tell us a little about it?
It is a childhood game that my sisters and I used to play when we were young. It is about four girls who are the four seasons, and my book is about how the four seasons/girls, came to be.
What are your goals for it?
I would like to traditionally publish but I'm open to other ideas if things don't work out.
Have you sent out any queries? How many have you gotten responses to?
None yet, but I know I'm getting closer because I just downloaded Elana Johnson's *FREE* e-book called From the Query to the Call.
What/who is your favorite book or author?
It changes so frequently, in middle school, my first love of books were Dealing With Dragons by Patrica C. Wrede, and Beauty by Robin McKinley. But now I love anything fantasy, and mostly YA (young adult) but I have a growing love for MG (middle grade), especially since another story of mine is going to be MG.
What has been the hardest part of writing Daughters of Etheria?
For my current novel, figuring out the point of view. And writing in general, learning how to balance it all, life, writing, and more life.
What has been the best or most rewarding aspect of writing?
Probably having author friends that have succeeded in getting their books published. It's simply amazing.
Do you have any sage advice for new writers?
New authors; don't be afraid to call yourself a writer. Also start a blog, create a platform. Learn from others, and go to a conference. Get a crit. partner. And lastly, it doesn't all have to happen at once. Take your time, but keep moving forward. Don't ever give up. If you have a story that you want to tell, keep working on it until it is perfect, and then when you think it's perfect. Work on it again. Just keep going.
Thanks Melanie.
Melanie runs her own blog Adventure Writes, and is quite active in the writing scene. I highly recommend you check her out, and get involved with some of the awesome stuff she has going on.
Short Story: Darkness by the Funhouse
I thought I'd write something that wasn't fun or fantastical. I was reading an article today about job satisfaction, and how amusement park workers are among the lowest tier. It made me think about what it would really be like to be one them, and I found myself writing a short story. So here it is. Warning: there are some relatively adult subjects and language.
Seth rubbed his hands together against the cold wind. His knuckles were chapped, and small cracks were beginning to open up. His skin itched horribly, but he couldn't afford the gloves or even moisturizer to solve the problem. He blew on his numb fingers and wiped his running nose as he squinted his eyes against the wind. Red and brown leaves skittered across the asphalt and the skeletal trees creaked back and forth. It was well into November already, and even without snow, it was freezing. Raging Funland had decided to stay open through the fall this year, trying to squeeze the last few dollars out of the amusement park-going public. Seth was one of the few employees that had somehow ended up with a double shift this weekend, and he hadn't had the nerve to refuse. He was currently on hour four of his shift minding the Funhouse, pressing the cold button to advance the rail cars as people climbed in and out.
Seth knew he couldn't complain. His mother didn't work, so it was up to him to support the two of them. The extra shift would be just enough to keep the heat on for another month. Not to mention when he tried to get out of extra shifts, she yelled at him. He wasn't exactly afraid of her, she was too heavy to get off the couch, but he hated when she was mad. It was too loud. All he wanted was to be left alone when he got home, so he could go to his room without talking to her. He spent all his time in there, drawing or sitting on the bed. At least he could keep that much of the apartment clean.
A group of teenagers a couple of years younger than him walked past, laughing loudly as they waited in line outside the Funhouse. Seth watched them bitterly. They were all happy and warm, most of them attractive and probably popular. One of the girls in a pink parka was wearing tight jeans, and Seth absently watched her behind as she walked past. One of her friends glanced back and saw him, so he jerked his eyes away and scratched at a paint fleck on the black metal button stand. He felt his cheeks heat up as their laughter pummeled him. They were probably cheerleaders, and he hated cheerleaders, even if he couldn't help but watch them.
He pressed the car button again, not caring to give the mandatory safety speech. If anyone was stupid enough to stick their arm out while the cars turned a corner, it served them right. More people crowded past, their inane babble obnoxious to his ears. It was better than the Funhouse music though. Sometimes when there was no one in line, Seth could hear every off-pitch note from the metal clarion, repeated over and over. He wanted to curl up in a ball and scream. He tried his best not to.
How could all these people be happy? Seth watched the group of girls get into a car, hating himself for how much he wanted to look at them. He couldn't help it; it felt good to imagine the bodies under their clothes, and he almost never felt good. He rubbed the scars on his wrist, feeling the raised, bumpy skin. That was another thing he couldn't seem to help. His mother never noticed what he did, not even when he left the blood on the sink overnight.
"Miller!" an angry voice said suddenly from behind him, and Seth jumped. He turned around and cringed at the sight of his supervisor's bulk advancing quickly toward him. Bill Masterson had a gut that hung far over his belt, so large he couldn't zip up the ugly brown windbreaker he was wearing. He had a thick black beard like a wire brush and chew-stained teeth. The man stopped so close to Seth that his rancid breath washed over him. "Are you reviewing the safety guidelines for every group?" he demanded.
"Yes," Seth lied.
"You little shit," Bill gritted, and Seth looked at the ground quickly. "I know you aren't, I was just listening! I can't believe you just lied to me! Do you ever say it?"
"Yeah."
"Bullshit," his supervisor spat. "I warned you about this last time didn't I? My ass is on the line when you lazy piss-offs don't follow the rules! Do you want me to lose my job?"
Seth wanted very badly to say yes. He hated Bill Masterson more than anyone else, and listening to him yell was worse than his mother ever was. The man losing his job would make Seth genuinely happy for once. Instead he shook his head. "No," he whispered.
"Well it doesn't matter," Bill said, "You're fired Miller. Get your ass out of here."
Seth looked up in shock. "What?"
"You're done, dude."
"You can't, I need this job!" Seth sputtered, knowing from the stinging in his eyes that he was about to start crying.
"Not my problem," his supervisor said, raising a hand dismissively as he turned to walk away, "I'll send Rita to take over, and I want you to leave as soon as she gets here."
Seth stared at the man's retreating back, a fire flowing through his veins. He had never wanted to hurt anyone so badly as he did now. He clenched his fists until they started to shake. Bill got into a golf cart and sped off before taking a turn behind a building, where he disappeared from sight. Seth let his shoulders slump. What was he going to do? Fight Bill Masterson? He let out a gasp as impotent tears of anger fell down his cheeks.
He waited until Rita came, not even looking at the girls as they exited the Funhouse noisily, then he walked slowly back to the main office where he would turn in his Raging Funland polo shirt. What was he going to tell his mother?
Seth rubbed his hands together against the cold wind. His knuckles were chapped, and small cracks were beginning to open up. His skin itched horribly, but he couldn't afford the gloves or even moisturizer to solve the problem. He blew on his numb fingers and wiped his running nose as he squinted his eyes against the wind. Red and brown leaves skittered across the asphalt and the skeletal trees creaked back and forth. It was well into November already, and even without snow, it was freezing. Raging Funland had decided to stay open through the fall this year, trying to squeeze the last few dollars out of the amusement park-going public. Seth was one of the few employees that had somehow ended up with a double shift this weekend, and he hadn't had the nerve to refuse. He was currently on hour four of his shift minding the Funhouse, pressing the cold button to advance the rail cars as people climbed in and out.
Seth knew he couldn't complain. His mother didn't work, so it was up to him to support the two of them. The extra shift would be just enough to keep the heat on for another month. Not to mention when he tried to get out of extra shifts, she yelled at him. He wasn't exactly afraid of her, she was too heavy to get off the couch, but he hated when she was mad. It was too loud. All he wanted was to be left alone when he got home, so he could go to his room without talking to her. He spent all his time in there, drawing or sitting on the bed. At least he could keep that much of the apartment clean.
A group of teenagers a couple of years younger than him walked past, laughing loudly as they waited in line outside the Funhouse. Seth watched them bitterly. They were all happy and warm, most of them attractive and probably popular. One of the girls in a pink parka was wearing tight jeans, and Seth absently watched her behind as she walked past. One of her friends glanced back and saw him, so he jerked his eyes away and scratched at a paint fleck on the black metal button stand. He felt his cheeks heat up as their laughter pummeled him. They were probably cheerleaders, and he hated cheerleaders, even if he couldn't help but watch them.
He pressed the car button again, not caring to give the mandatory safety speech. If anyone was stupid enough to stick their arm out while the cars turned a corner, it served them right. More people crowded past, their inane babble obnoxious to his ears. It was better than the Funhouse music though. Sometimes when there was no one in line, Seth could hear every off-pitch note from the metal clarion, repeated over and over. He wanted to curl up in a ball and scream. He tried his best not to.
How could all these people be happy? Seth watched the group of girls get into a car, hating himself for how much he wanted to look at them. He couldn't help it; it felt good to imagine the bodies under their clothes, and he almost never felt good. He rubbed the scars on his wrist, feeling the raised, bumpy skin. That was another thing he couldn't seem to help. His mother never noticed what he did, not even when he left the blood on the sink overnight.
"Miller!" an angry voice said suddenly from behind him, and Seth jumped. He turned around and cringed at the sight of his supervisor's bulk advancing quickly toward him. Bill Masterson had a gut that hung far over his belt, so large he couldn't zip up the ugly brown windbreaker he was wearing. He had a thick black beard like a wire brush and chew-stained teeth. The man stopped so close to Seth that his rancid breath washed over him. "Are you reviewing the safety guidelines for every group?" he demanded.
"Yes," Seth lied.
"You little shit," Bill gritted, and Seth looked at the ground quickly. "I know you aren't, I was just listening! I can't believe you just lied to me! Do you ever say it?"
"Yeah."
"Bullshit," his supervisor spat. "I warned you about this last time didn't I? My ass is on the line when you lazy piss-offs don't follow the rules! Do you want me to lose my job?"
Seth wanted very badly to say yes. He hated Bill Masterson more than anyone else, and listening to him yell was worse than his mother ever was. The man losing his job would make Seth genuinely happy for once. Instead he shook his head. "No," he whispered.
"Well it doesn't matter," Bill said, "You're fired Miller. Get your ass out of here."
Seth looked up in shock. "What?"
"You're done, dude."
"You can't, I need this job!" Seth sputtered, knowing from the stinging in his eyes that he was about to start crying.
"Not my problem," his supervisor said, raising a hand dismissively as he turned to walk away, "I'll send Rita to take over, and I want you to leave as soon as she gets here."
Seth stared at the man's retreating back, a fire flowing through his veins. He had never wanted to hurt anyone so badly as he did now. He clenched his fists until they started to shake. Bill got into a golf cart and sped off before taking a turn behind a building, where he disappeared from sight. Seth let his shoulders slump. What was he going to do? Fight Bill Masterson? He let out a gasp as impotent tears of anger fell down his cheeks.
He waited until Rita came, not even looking at the girls as they exited the Funhouse noisily, then he walked slowly back to the main office where he would turn in his Raging Funland polo shirt. What was he going to tell his mother?
New friends, new writers... Good to meet you!
It seems like the interviews are going to be a pretty fun feature, because I got a lot of interest from all of you on Melanie Chasten Fowler's from yesterday (or maybe it was just the fact that it was Melanie). Thanks to everyone who stopped by and left a comment. A special thanks to those of you who added me as followers! I look forward to some good conversations.
As I've said before, the purpose of this blog was originally to give myself a writing outlet while I was in school, and didn't have time to actually write in my own novel much. Since then I've had several people tell me that they had found some worth in something I posted, and it had helped them with their own writing (I don't claim to be any kind of expert in the slightest). So the blog has morphed into something I think might be beneficial to the writing community. The way I plan to accomplish this is to open it up to everyone to contribute. I know many of you have blogs or websites, and I want to be a support for those. If you have an event or contest you'd like to spread around, let me know. If you have an awesome local writer you'd like me to interview (even if it's yourself), also let me know! Feel free to post any questions about writing you might have in my post's comments, or email me.
If you discover a great website or book that has helped you in your own writing, let me know so I can post it. Throw quotes from authors' blogs at me, notify me if you get published or self-publish. Let's pull some of the great writers here in Utah into the spotlight and get some great books out there!
As I've said before, the purpose of this blog was originally to give myself a writing outlet while I was in school, and didn't have time to actually write in my own novel much. Since then I've had several people tell me that they had found some worth in something I posted, and it had helped them with their own writing (I don't claim to be any kind of expert in the slightest). So the blog has morphed into something I think might be beneficial to the writing community. The way I plan to accomplish this is to open it up to everyone to contribute. I know many of you have blogs or websites, and I want to be a support for those. If you have an event or contest you'd like to spread around, let me know. If you have an awesome local writer you'd like me to interview (even if it's yourself), also let me know! Feel free to post any questions about writing you might have in my post's comments, or email me.
If you discover a great website or book that has helped you in your own writing, let me know so I can post it. Throw quotes from authors' blogs at me, notify me if you get published or self-publish. Let's pull some of the great writers here in Utah into the spotlight and get some great books out there!
Local Aspiring Writer Interviews.
Every week, starting now, I will be conducting an interview with a local aspiring writer from here in Utah. I hope to make it a regular thing, and I have several people in mind already. Soon though, I'll need to get some suggestions from all of you out there in Internetland. So if you know anyone who is currently writing, regardless of whether or not they've been published, refer them to me. I only ask that they have been doing so for long enough to have formed some (somewhat) solid ideas about themselves and their book, and it would be helpful if they have some kind of Internet presence (blog, Facebook, website, etc.).
So have at it, start sending people my way. You, or the writer themselves, can contact me at trevorjacobgreen@gmail.com.
One last note. If this is successful, I'll possibly begin doing interviews with aspiring writers outside of Utah, and perhaps someday get some published authors on here also.
So have at it, start sending people my way. You, or the writer themselves, can contact me at trevorjacobgreen@gmail.com.
One last note. If this is successful, I'll possibly begin doing interviews with aspiring writers outside of Utah, and perhaps someday get some published authors on here also.
Freelance Writing: A Plea.
I've been thinking a lot lately about what I want to do with my life. I obviously dream of being a full time writer, but there's a lot that goes into that. Much of it is outside the aspiring writer's control. (For instance, I don't have complete control over my work and school schedule, I have financial obligations that prevent me from devoting more time to writing, and who knows if anyone will ever buy one of my books?) I don't want to be one of those writers who pins their hopes on a book selling someday (not that there is anything wrong with that) and does nothing else. Even if I never sell a book, I still want to write for a living.
I've come to the conclusion that I'd like to start questing into the world of freelance writing, be it the Community College newspaper, websites, blogs, articles, or what-have-you. I have no illusions that I will have much success, especially to begin with, but I need to get out there. I can't complacently sit by while my life passes in front of me. College is a great plan, but it can't be my only plan, just like my book can't be my only plan.
So the question is this: how the heck does anyone get started in freelancing? What I know about it could be written on the back of a stamp. In 24 pt font. I've heard that most places don't accept unsolicited inquiries, which leaves me... where exactly? How does one find information about writing one-time articles? Are there websites advertising for writers? Are there publications that regularly accept submissions? What about short stories, is anyone taking those? These are all questions I'm hoping some of you might have suggestions or answers to. I'm not too worried about compensation right now (obviously), I mostly want to flex my writing muscles and work with some deadlines and editors, even if it's just on a small scale.
Blow up the comments people, I appreciate anyone's input!
A little status update, and a word from Pat Rothfuss (via his blog, link in the body).
Okay, so I thought it was high time to write once more about writing, even if it's short. I've been steadily making progress on TSS 2.0 over the last few weeks. I estimate I've already passed the 50k word point, though only 20k of it is in the current first draft (the rest is garbage I eventually filed away). 30k is a lot of words to throw out, but I had good reason, and it wasn't for nothing.
As some of you may remember, in the course of rewriting the book from the ground up, I chose to convert it to a sort of urban fantasy, where a girl from our world crosses to a magical one. This is really exciting for me, and I feel like overall, it's going really well. But, there have been challenges. The biggest one has been the scene where she first appears in the new world, and subsequently needs to get some info about her new surroundings. (The reader also has to get info, otherwise they'd be completely lost.) My first attempt was about 15 pages long, and was a train wreck of info-dumping and unnatural dialogue. The second attempt trimmed it down to maybe 10 or 11 pages, but didn't really address or solve the original problems. (Keep in mind, these were complete rewrites of the same scene, not edits.) The third draft of the scene was about 8 pages, and I decided to rethink the process, eventually changing some key elements of the logistics so everything flowed a bit better, but once again, I didn't solve the problem. It was still too long and it still felt like an info dump (I was bombarding the reader with names and terms), both of which add up to a really, really bad scene.
So I asked some people what they thought. I asked my writing group (a bunch of really neat people who I have only met like 3 times, but we chat over the interwebs) for some suggestions, and threw some ideas around at my family. Eventually I was able to hammer out a new version, and with Becky's help, I reformulated the scene, switching out characters, and revising the outcome of the "magical explanation". I started to write it, and made it about halfway through before I once again realized it just wasn't right. The basics of the new idea were solid, and it would work, but I was still trying to do too much, too soon. A couple of writing groupies (is that a good term?) brought up some books that had slow reveals related to the magic system and travel to magical worlds, so I tried hard to edit my own thinking on the subject.
So I began Rewrite Number 5 of this particular scene. This time, I acknowledged that I couldn't do everything in one scene. I wrote it simple and fast, trying to be concise as possible. I eliminated several aspects of the previous scenes, made the reasons for appearing in a magical world more of a mystery, and withheld some stuff that the reader probably didn't need to know (the technical mumbo jumbo I had developed for myself).
I ended that version at 5 pages, and while it still needs the tweeks and revisions all first drafts need, I think I finally pinpointed the right way to do it. Last night I was able to move on and begin writing Chapter Five, where the story really gets interesting.
In all, my wasted words add up to about 30k, but the trimmed and lean version was worth it, and I learned a lot about myself as a writer, and also saw the deep black hole many writers fall into. Endless rewrites of a chapter early on can really take the passion out of you, and stall your book. While I think I escaped that trap this time, it's something to look out for in the future.
On a related note, I wanted to share something Pat Rothfuss (author of the Kingkiller Chronicles) posted in his blog a while back, and I hope he doesn't mind me linking it here.
How to overcome fear of failure, by Pat Rothfuss: "You come to grips with the fact that writing something that sucks is better than writing nothing at all.
If you write something and it sucks, then good for you. Not all explorers discovered lost golden cities and trade routes to the mysterious East. Some of them died in a ditch. A lot of them did, actually. But still, they get full props for being brave.
But if you sit there paralyzed with fear, afraid to get out of your chair, then you’re no kind of explorer at all. You’re just a sad bastard. You have no chance of being cool.
The same is true with writing."
As some of you may remember, in the course of rewriting the book from the ground up, I chose to convert it to a sort of urban fantasy, where a girl from our world crosses to a magical one. This is really exciting for me, and I feel like overall, it's going really well. But, there have been challenges. The biggest one has been the scene where she first appears in the new world, and subsequently needs to get some info about her new surroundings. (The reader also has to get info, otherwise they'd be completely lost.) My first attempt was about 15 pages long, and was a train wreck of info-dumping and unnatural dialogue. The second attempt trimmed it down to maybe 10 or 11 pages, but didn't really address or solve the original problems. (Keep in mind, these were complete rewrites of the same scene, not edits.) The third draft of the scene was about 8 pages, and I decided to rethink the process, eventually changing some key elements of the logistics so everything flowed a bit better, but once again, I didn't solve the problem. It was still too long and it still felt like an info dump (I was bombarding the reader with names and terms), both of which add up to a really, really bad scene.
So I asked some people what they thought. I asked my writing group (a bunch of really neat people who I have only met like 3 times, but we chat over the interwebs) for some suggestions, and threw some ideas around at my family. Eventually I was able to hammer out a new version, and with Becky's help, I reformulated the scene, switching out characters, and revising the outcome of the "magical explanation". I started to write it, and made it about halfway through before I once again realized it just wasn't right. The basics of the new idea were solid, and it would work, but I was still trying to do too much, too soon. A couple of writing groupies (is that a good term?) brought up some books that had slow reveals related to the magic system and travel to magical worlds, so I tried hard to edit my own thinking on the subject.
So I began Rewrite Number 5 of this particular scene. This time, I acknowledged that I couldn't do everything in one scene. I wrote it simple and fast, trying to be concise as possible. I eliminated several aspects of the previous scenes, made the reasons for appearing in a magical world more of a mystery, and withheld some stuff that the reader probably didn't need to know (the technical mumbo jumbo I had developed for myself).
I ended that version at 5 pages, and while it still needs the tweeks and revisions all first drafts need, I think I finally pinpointed the right way to do it. Last night I was able to move on and begin writing Chapter Five, where the story really gets interesting.
In all, my wasted words add up to about 30k, but the trimmed and lean version was worth it, and I learned a lot about myself as a writer, and also saw the deep black hole many writers fall into. Endless rewrites of a chapter early on can really take the passion out of you, and stall your book. While I think I escaped that trap this time, it's something to look out for in the future.
On a related note, I wanted to share something Pat Rothfuss (author of the Kingkiller Chronicles) posted in his blog a while back, and I hope he doesn't mind me linking it here.
How to overcome fear of failure, by Pat Rothfuss: "You come to grips with the fact that writing something that sucks is better than writing nothing at all.
If you write something and it sucks, then good for you. Not all explorers discovered lost golden cities and trade routes to the mysterious East. Some of them died in a ditch. A lot of them did, actually. But still, they get full props for being brave.
But if you sit there paralyzed with fear, afraid to get out of your chair, then you’re no kind of explorer at all. You’re just a sad bastard. You have no chance of being cool.
The same is true with writing."
Now at 22k words (not counting 10k that went into the trash) into TSS 2.0!
It's been a while since I posted, but I see that some people at least have continued to visit everyday. Thanks for that. I've been involved in school and am currently in a post-procrastination rush toward finals. With only a week left, I find myself horribly unprepared, so this will be a small island in a sea of non-existent posts.
First off, any of you who come to visit me and also participated in NaNoWriMo, congratulations (if you succeeded)! Even if you didn't make the 50k word goal, you should pat yourself on the back, then keep going! Finish it!
As the post title says, I'm currently at 22k words into my rewrite of TSS. I had planned to do NaNoWriMo, but only started mid month, so I guess you could say I'm on track so far to hit my 50k mid December. With school though, I'm looking at the middle of January as my goal. This particular rewrite is shaping up to be a lot longer too, possibly into the 110k range as opposed to TSS 1.0, which was 86K words. The story is progressing nicely, and oddly enough, becoming more mature and complicated, despite having made my characters 2 years younger than before.
Just a small note before I take off. If you writers out there haven't looked into a program called Scrivener, you need to do so, now. Click here and watch the videos, download a 30 day trial, and prepare to be blown away as it changes your writing forever.
Well, I'm off for another week at least, nose to the wheel and shoulder to the grindstone and all that. Thanks for stopping by!
First off, any of you who come to visit me and also participated in NaNoWriMo, congratulations (if you succeeded)! Even if you didn't make the 50k word goal, you should pat yourself on the back, then keep going! Finish it!
As the post title says, I'm currently at 22k words into my rewrite of TSS. I had planned to do NaNoWriMo, but only started mid month, so I guess you could say I'm on track so far to hit my 50k mid December. With school though, I'm looking at the middle of January as my goal. This particular rewrite is shaping up to be a lot longer too, possibly into the 110k range as opposed to TSS 1.0, which was 86K words. The story is progressing nicely, and oddly enough, becoming more mature and complicated, despite having made my characters 2 years younger than before.
Just a small note before I take off. If you writers out there haven't looked into a program called Scrivener, you need to do so, now. Click here and watch the videos, download a 30 day trial, and prepare to be blown away as it changes your writing forever.
Well, I'm off for another week at least, nose to the wheel and shoulder to the grindstone and all that. Thanks for stopping by!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)