I'm not going to lie...this has probably been my worst NaNoWriMo or Camp NaNoWriMo session to date. I had such a difficult time focusing and hitting my daily goals. So many stressful parts of life seemed to converge and honestly made it to where I was either working so I could have money or sleeping because I needed to recharge. I was just drained. So...with two days left in this month's Camp session, I have about 11,000 words. I will consider myself lucky if I can hit 20,000 by the end of the day tomorrow.
But...I am not giving up on the project just yet. I have pushed my deadlines time and time again, and I'd really like to stop that cycle now. Frankly, I gave myself a couple extra weeks in my mental deadlines anyway, just in case this happened. Still, I will try and keep updates coming--either on Facebook or Twitter. My goal is to have 25,000 words added to my current WIP by May 13th. The hope is that those words will wrap up everything that has been left loose these past months, and then my trusty critique partners will get e-mails with the WIP around May 15th.
Basically I am working to get Project Death: Revelation and Project Death: Redemption out in print and to the readers. That is my continuing project that I will be focusing on through May and June. I have publication dates in mind for both books, but I'm not exactly going to announce those just yet, in case more unexpected delays pop up. I'm really trying not to continually disappoint my readers.
I really want to put out the best book possible and Thanos has given me all sorts of trouble with his book. He has been uncooperative, and then throw in work and general stress, as well as various issues at home, and writing hasn't been as productive as I would have liked. But I am determined to get everything polished up and out to readers soon. I just need to keep to the deadlines I have set myself. If I can then I should have more exciting writing updates in the next few months.
Speaking of writing, in July, Camp NaNoWriMo returns, and I am hoping to focus on the re-write process for Souls Unknowing. Like the Project Death series, this first book of the Souls trilogy was written while I was in high school. Needless to say, the characters and the story have stuck with me. The original version needed so much editing and work that it seemed ridiculous to even try to salvage it. Most of the plot was all right, and I liked the characters, but my writing has improved drastically in the past decade. So, hopefully I'll be able to get about 2/3 of the book completely rewritten.
I don't want to try to think much farther out in the year than that, but I'm basically thinking that my NaNoWriMo project in November will be to finish up the Project Death series by writing Project Death: Restoration.
Oh, and December 5th I will once again be participating in the local historical society's book signing event. The people behind it scolded me last year for not being there to sell books. I didn't have Revelation ready so I didn't RSVP, but they still set up a spot for me. I'd like to have both Revelation and Redemption there this year.
On the blogging front, I did spend some time figuring out what blogs/reviews I still owe you guys from the past couple months, and I will slowly be working on catching up with all of that, but I also went through and planned out a lot of my writing and geeky posts for the next few months, which should make my life a bit easier. Thinking of a blog topic can sometimes be frustratingly difficult.
Basically in May I'll be talking about some Basics of Writing. In June I'll be going through Souls Unknowing prep for July Camp, and that will also reference some writing thoughts and techniques. Then July will be Camp NaNoWriMo updates similar to the ones I had in April. Then in August it's a slight detour from the writing posts as I get really geeky and talk about getting ready for Comic-Con; Of course I will be at Chicago Comic Con August 20-23 and will have all sorts of updates on FB and Twitter, but there will be blog posts as well.
I guess that's all the future talk I can manage for right now. It's going to be a hectic and exciting few months, but I'm really looking forward to it all.
Showing posts with label Editing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Editing. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
Wednesday, January 14, 2015
My Favorite Books on Writing
There are so many books on writing out there, and most of them profess to be "#1" or "the best" or "the must-have authority." The problem is that not all of us approach writing the same way. I have mentioned this before in a few other posts.
Anyway, today I will share a few of the books that have been helpful to me while writing and navigating the world of publishing.
On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King
Most of the time when I see writers, editors, agents, etc. post about good books on the craft of writing, Stephen King's book seems to be on the list. And it is a great book. In fact, a great deal of my acceptance over not being an immediate success is on account of reading this. The first half is little snippets from King's own writing career, detailing his process, his many rejections, and his dedication over the years. Then in the second half, while still giving us little memoir snippets, King talks about what you need to do to become a writer.
I love it. One of the first things he says is that to be a writer you need to do two things: read a lot and write a lot. So many in the industry say the same thing, so it is one of a handful of comments/advice I actually believe whole-heartedly. And don't just read in your genre; read everything you can get your hands on. Poetry, non-fiction, western, historical fiction, romance, fantasy, sci-fi, young adult...it'll give you a greater understanding on how to write your own stories.
Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within by Natalie Goldberg
I took a couple different creative writing courses in college so my next few books are actually from those classes, but they have been helpful in their own ways. Natalie Goldberg has a sort of zen like approach to the whole process. In some ways, like King's On Writing, this book has personal experience and little memoir-like snippets.
The chapters are all relatively short, a couple of pages typically, and Goldberg mentions early on that you can read this book from cover-to-cover, or you can just jump around to whatever topic is relevant to you in that moment. It isn't necessarily a how-to guide, but each segment does make you think about your writing, whether it is showing instead of telling, being specific with details, your writing space, why you write, etc.
What If? Writing Exercises for Fiction Writers by Anne Bernays and Pamela Painter
Okay, so this one really is a sort-of how-to book. I still haven't made it through the whole book, but we covered a lot of it during my creative writing class, and it is pretty helpful. There are a number of parts to this book and in each part there are several chapters highlighting a different component relevant to the part.
For example, one part is called "A Writer's Tools." Within that part there are chapters on timing and pacing, showing and telling, transitions, titles, etc. In each chapter it will talk a little bit about the chapter's topic, and then it will have a writing exercise. Most of the time Bernays and Painter also include a student example from what they've amassed from teaching this over the years.
In school we actually had a creativity notebook where we had to jot down things. I would often pick chapters from both Writing Down the Bones and What If? and either write my own ponderings about it or actually attempt the exercise. It was helpful to me and in some ways pushed me to try different styles or methods, which can certainly improve your writing overall.
Gotham Writers' Workshop Writing Fiction: The Practical Guide from New York's Acclaimed Creative Writing School
Okay, so this one is another how-to styled book that my class used for the advanced fiction writing class. Like What If? it has various chapters and exercises throughout the book, configured to help you think about all the components of your fiction writing. If I had to pick which one I liked more, I would go with What If? but the Gotham Writers' Workshop book really is set up as if you were doing a workshop of your very own.
It runs through characters, plot, POV, description, dialogue, setting, voice, theme, revision, and the business of writing, so it covers a lot of ground and gives a lot of information. And though I've never tried it, GWW does hold online courses/lectures/workshops that you can pay for. If they're anything like this book, they are probably pretty helpful.
No Plot? No Problem! A Low-Stress High-Velocity Guide to Writing a Novel in 30 Days by Chris Baty
Finally, I always seem to come back around to NaNoWriMo when it comes to posts about writing and inspiration and motivation. I first read No Plot? No Problem! several years ago and it helped me prep for participation in NaNo.
Chris Baty is an amusing writer, and reading about the history of NaNo and getting advice for dealing with the awesome chaos that is writing a book in a month is fabulous. The second half of the book especially breaks down NaNoWriMo week-by-week and discusses the feelings and pitfalls that tend to accompany each week. This all comes with the knowledge Baty has accumulated from his many years with NaNo (and he would know since he founded it back in 1999).
In 2014 they came out with an updated and revised version of the book. I need to get that version and see what bonus goodies are between the covers, but for now, let's just say that I highly highly recommend this book and participating in NaNoWriMo in general.
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Those have been some of the biggest helps to me, though there are many more writing books I own and possibly could have mentioned. Of course there are a myriad of other books out there and I'm sure there are more I should read. If you know of any, let me know in the comments.
Wednesday, January 7, 2015
Procrastination, Perfectionism, and Pressure - Writer Pitfalls
Wow...can you believe that it's already been 2015 for a whole week? And it's been pretty darn cold where I am, which means it's the perfect weather to curl up on the couch or in bed and read a good book.
However, today I'm going to talk about some of those pitfalls that I've learned can be quite common for writers. They are especially relevant to me as I have been putting off the release of my second book for the past five months. I'm really trying to get it finished and out in the world, but I never imagined how much more difficult it would be to complete the second book while promoting the first on social media.
Anyway...first major pitfall, which is really a hazard for anyone regardless of career path/hobby/etc...procrastination. You know that vortex of lost time known as Facebook and Twitter, or YouTube, or any other site that keeps you from accomplishing any goals you may set? Yeah, we all do it. I spend a lot of time on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads. Part of me knows that it is just me keeping up with readers, reviewers, book bloggers, and other authors, but I realize that it is mostly me just distracting myself from doing any real work.
So then the question becomes...how do you avoid falling into that black hole of social media? Well, I've tried just turning off the Wi-Fi on my laptop, but it only takes one press of a key to turn it back on. During NaNoWriMo, I did a trial run of an app I've heard other authors mention multiple times, Freedom (https://macfreedom.com/). It is a very handy program. You set a time for how long you would like to stay off the Internet and Freedom actually makes it to where you cannot get Internet access until that time goal is met. Now, you can cut that short by restarting your computer, but who wants to go through that hassle? My problem is that when I'm running Freedom, I can still pick up my smart phone and log in there. But, overall I think Freedom is probably worth the $10.
Mostly I think avoiding procrastination comes down to just forcing yourself to put your butt in the chair and just do whatever you need to, whether that is homework, finishing a novel, or some other important task.
The next pitfall to a writer is perfectionism. I know I'm guilty of this, and I've met several other writers who mention this as well. When you've been working on the same novel for a decade because you keep writing and re-writing scenes, you may have fallen prey to the notion that your book will never be properly finished. And guess what? It never will be, but you can finish it and it can still be a great book. I have read so many blogs and Facebook posts from published authors who talk about the desire to go back and edit a novel one last time, even despite the fact that it was published a couple years earlier and people seem to like it. We will always think that it could use one more editing pass, but sooner or later we have to just let that idea go.
I'm running into this issue with Project Death: Revelation. Thanos is such a difficult character and narrator to begin with, and I feel this obligation to do his book justice. Not only that, I want it to be a good sequel, and I want my readers to like it as well. It causes me to over-think my scenes and the various plot threads. This is not helped by the fact that Thanos's story is both prequel and sequel. I not only have to think about how Thanos became Death and how he learned to deal with his new position, but I also have to worry about the events in the present with Tamesis, the Reapers, and the issues with the Resurrectors. It is a lot to process and in some ways I fear that the book will seem rushed...so I keep procrastinating on the actual writing and instead just ponder and percolate on the next scenes I should write.
How do we avoid this bottomless pit of perfectionism? Personally I try to convince myself that it is November whenever I sit down to write, because NaNoWriMo has a way of making me just write, without thinking of if the phrasing is perfect or if I'm using proper spelling and grammar. That is what editing is for, after all. When I manage to succeed at that task, then I set a deadline for editing and hope that everything flows from "Once Upon A Time" to "Happily Ever After" (so to speak, anyway. I'm not actually writing a fairy tale).
Finally, there is the pitfall of pressure, and this is the one I am most guilty of. I never expected to get the responses from readers like I have from my first book. I have a handful of ladies at work who ask me about once a week or so when my next book will be out. Suddenly I understand what it is like for some of my favorite authors when we finish a book the day it's released and question why we have to wait for a whole year for the next one. It takes a lot of time to write a book and edit it, and sometimes I think we readers forget that.
With a first book there is very little pressure. Nobody is expecting the release, and you can take your time. But once that first one is out in the wild, all of a sudden you have to keep up with a schedule for the next book and at the same time you have to start planning for the one after that.
Then, add on top of all that having a job to actually pay the bills and then whatever personal pressures you have at home (work, school, loans, whatever...) and suddenly you have so much pressure that all you want to do is escape into the land of social media procrastination.
See, these pitfalls feed into one another. You procrastinate because you want perfection on account of the pressure to finish the next book, which then leads to more procrastination. It is a vicious cycle.
We just have to work hard to drag ourselves out of the depths and get the work done.
So, get a community of other writers to support and motivate you, as long as you do the same for them. Let's get the words written, let go of the idea of perfection, and instead of feeling pressure to get the work done, enjoy the experience. Hopefully.
Okay, I'm off to write some more words on this novel. Thanks so much for stopping by.
However, today I'm going to talk about some of those pitfalls that I've learned can be quite common for writers. They are especially relevant to me as I have been putting off the release of my second book for the past five months. I'm really trying to get it finished and out in the world, but I never imagined how much more difficult it would be to complete the second book while promoting the first on social media.
Anyway...first major pitfall, which is really a hazard for anyone regardless of career path/hobby/etc...procrastination. You know that vortex of lost time known as Facebook and Twitter, or YouTube, or any other site that keeps you from accomplishing any goals you may set? Yeah, we all do it. I spend a lot of time on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads. Part of me knows that it is just me keeping up with readers, reviewers, book bloggers, and other authors, but I realize that it is mostly me just distracting myself from doing any real work.
So then the question becomes...how do you avoid falling into that black hole of social media? Well, I've tried just turning off the Wi-Fi on my laptop, but it only takes one press of a key to turn it back on. During NaNoWriMo, I did a trial run of an app I've heard other authors mention multiple times, Freedom (https://macfreedom.com/). It is a very handy program. You set a time for how long you would like to stay off the Internet and Freedom actually makes it to where you cannot get Internet access until that time goal is met. Now, you can cut that short by restarting your computer, but who wants to go through that hassle? My problem is that when I'm running Freedom, I can still pick up my smart phone and log in there. But, overall I think Freedom is probably worth the $10.
Mostly I think avoiding procrastination comes down to just forcing yourself to put your butt in the chair and just do whatever you need to, whether that is homework, finishing a novel, or some other important task.
The next pitfall to a writer is perfectionism. I know I'm guilty of this, and I've met several other writers who mention this as well. When you've been working on the same novel for a decade because you keep writing and re-writing scenes, you may have fallen prey to the notion that your book will never be properly finished. And guess what? It never will be, but you can finish it and it can still be a great book. I have read so many blogs and Facebook posts from published authors who talk about the desire to go back and edit a novel one last time, even despite the fact that it was published a couple years earlier and people seem to like it. We will always think that it could use one more editing pass, but sooner or later we have to just let that idea go.
I'm running into this issue with Project Death: Revelation. Thanos is such a difficult character and narrator to begin with, and I feel this obligation to do his book justice. Not only that, I want it to be a good sequel, and I want my readers to like it as well. It causes me to over-think my scenes and the various plot threads. This is not helped by the fact that Thanos's story is both prequel and sequel. I not only have to think about how Thanos became Death and how he learned to deal with his new position, but I also have to worry about the events in the present with Tamesis, the Reapers, and the issues with the Resurrectors. It is a lot to process and in some ways I fear that the book will seem rushed...so I keep procrastinating on the actual writing and instead just ponder and percolate on the next scenes I should write.
How do we avoid this bottomless pit of perfectionism? Personally I try to convince myself that it is November whenever I sit down to write, because NaNoWriMo has a way of making me just write, without thinking of if the phrasing is perfect or if I'm using proper spelling and grammar. That is what editing is for, after all. When I manage to succeed at that task, then I set a deadline for editing and hope that everything flows from "Once Upon A Time" to "Happily Ever After" (so to speak, anyway. I'm not actually writing a fairy tale).
Finally, there is the pitfall of pressure, and this is the one I am most guilty of. I never expected to get the responses from readers like I have from my first book. I have a handful of ladies at work who ask me about once a week or so when my next book will be out. Suddenly I understand what it is like for some of my favorite authors when we finish a book the day it's released and question why we have to wait for a whole year for the next one. It takes a lot of time to write a book and edit it, and sometimes I think we readers forget that.
With a first book there is very little pressure. Nobody is expecting the release, and you can take your time. But once that first one is out in the wild, all of a sudden you have to keep up with a schedule for the next book and at the same time you have to start planning for the one after that.
Then, add on top of all that having a job to actually pay the bills and then whatever personal pressures you have at home (work, school, loans, whatever...) and suddenly you have so much pressure that all you want to do is escape into the land of social media procrastination.
See, these pitfalls feed into one another. You procrastinate because you want perfection on account of the pressure to finish the next book, which then leads to more procrastination. It is a vicious cycle.
We just have to work hard to drag ourselves out of the depths and get the work done.
So, get a community of other writers to support and motivate you, as long as you do the same for them. Let's get the words written, let go of the idea of perfection, and instead of feeling pressure to get the work done, enjoy the experience. Hopefully.
Okay, I'm off to write some more words on this novel. Thanks so much for stopping by.
Thursday, January 1, 2015
It's Resolution Time!
Wow...look at that. It's the first day of 2015 and I already have a post for the blog. I feel proud of that all important statement. The beginning of the year is known to be a time where people make resolutions they intend to keep (and typically end up giving up on within the first month). I'm hoping that won't happen with me this year, but I make no promises.
Anyway, while I could try and promise to make healthier food choices or to exercise more, I think I'll still with resolutions that may be a bit more attainable for me. My goals this year are focused on writing and on reading, and I'm really hoping to stick to them.
Okay...so here we go.
Writing goals
Write every day.
Two blog posts a week--a writing update (hopefully on Tuesdays) and a book review (on Fridays)
Get Project Death: Revelation published ASAP in January 2015.
Write Project Death: Redemption in February and March
My Camp NaNoWriMo project for this year is Souls Unknowing.
Finally, if all goes well, my NaNoWriMo 2015 project in November is to start on the final Project Death book, Project Death: Restoration
Reading goals
I read 83 books in 2012, 130 books in 2013, and 92 books in 2014. Considering that, I think a realistic goal would be to shoot for 75 books, mostly because I want to have more of a focus on my writing this year.
Also, I want to try and include more poetry in my reading habits in 2015. Since graduating college I have read a lot less poetry, and some of it is so beautiful and powerful that it sticks with you and can certainly help to inspire the writing muse, much in the same way that music does.
Editing/Publishing goals
I'd like to have Project Death: Redemption edited in between Camp NaNoWriMo sessions so it can be released in the summer.
Then in the fall I can turn my attention to editing Souls Unknowing, which I will hopefully be able to publish at the end of the year.
--
Well...there we go...my goals/resolutions for 2015. Let's see if I can actually stay on track and accomplish these tasks.
Anyway, while I could try and promise to make healthier food choices or to exercise more, I think I'll still with resolutions that may be a bit more attainable for me. My goals this year are focused on writing and on reading, and I'm really hoping to stick to them.
Okay...so here we go.
Writing goals
Write every day.
Two blog posts a week--a writing update (hopefully on Tuesdays) and a book review (on Fridays)
Get Project Death: Revelation published ASAP in January 2015.
Write Project Death: Redemption in February and March
My Camp NaNoWriMo project for this year is Souls Unknowing.
Finally, if all goes well, my NaNoWriMo 2015 project in November is to start on the final Project Death book, Project Death: Restoration
Reading goals
I read 83 books in 2012, 130 books in 2013, and 92 books in 2014. Considering that, I think a realistic goal would be to shoot for 75 books, mostly because I want to have more of a focus on my writing this year.
Also, I want to try and include more poetry in my reading habits in 2015. Since graduating college I have read a lot less poetry, and some of it is so beautiful and powerful that it sticks with you and can certainly help to inspire the writing muse, much in the same way that music does.
Editing/Publishing goals
I'd like to have Project Death: Redemption edited in between Camp NaNoWriMo sessions so it can be released in the summer.
Then in the fall I can turn my attention to editing Souls Unknowing, which I will hopefully be able to publish at the end of the year.
--
Well...there we go...my goals/resolutions for 2015. Let's see if I can actually stay on track and accomplish these tasks.
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
The Tools of the Trade AKA Writer Resources
A common question I have found from hanging out with others who also happen to be writers is what they use for writing. Among my friends we use a wide range of tools, from books and blogs, to paper/pen and computer, and then there's the question of software. Much like last week when I spoke of the various opinions on writing to music, there is an insanely diverse response to what a person will use for writing.
Me, I am quite eclectic in what I use. I typically always have some sort of notebook or something with me, just in case an idea strikes when I am nowhere near my laptop. I also am not really picky about what writing utensil I use. Sometimes I prefer a pencil, while other times I really want to use a purple gel pen. A lot of times it really depends on the story.
For example, in the case of my Bound duology (Soul-Bound and Free-Born), the story starts in a 6" x 9" notebook being written in pencil. Then, after writing each chapter or two, I will transfer it to my laptop. Then, with my Cursed Gifts Saga (starting with The Life and Death of a Seer) each book is written utilizing a different color of gel pen--Seer is green, Healer is blue, Empath is red, and Witch is purple.
Most of the time, when it comes to using notebooks, I prefer the ones that flip up rather than open sideways. This is so I don't end up having my hand run into the rings along the spine. Mostly I don't care about the size of the notebook, but I do seem to lean towards something that is about a 5" x 7" or a 6" by 9" because they fit quite well into my inner jacket pocket or my purse. I like travel size.
With the Souls Trilogy and the Project Death series, most of the work is done on the computer, with the occasional scene or chapter being written in a notebook. For a great many years I wrote in Microsoft Word, and it works quite well. I still use it when I'm formatting my books for publication, using a template I got from CreateSpace. But, now, I typically use Scrivener for all of my offline writing needs. Scrivener makes it easy for me to have my background research open and ready to go while working on chapters. I can look up character bio information, check my story board to make sure I am getting everything I need in a scene, and I can even set goals for a writing session or the book word count and see how well I am progressing with the novel. Plus, and this is probably the most important part of the Scrivener process, when I close Scrivener it automatically saves a backup of my files just in case something happens. Trust me, I did have a problem with my USB and my external hard drive which both contained copies of my novels and if it hadn't been for Scrivener I would have lost years of work.
One of my absolute favorite tools for writing can be found online, or you can purchase a desktop edition, and it really does help me with productivity by forcing me to focus on writing. I started using it several years ago during NaNoWriMo and it pushed me way over the top during word wars and write-ins. Write or Die is an online writing lab that prods you along by basically punishing you for stopping. You can set the grace period and the punishment, which can be as mild as a reminder that you need to be writing, to having to listen to an annoying sound until you start typing again, all the way up to kamikaze mode, which begins to delete your words if you pause for too long. I don't recommend kamikaze mode when trying to write a novel. That's a bit evil. But you can set either a time limit or a word count goal and then you just start writing. It's great. However, if you mute your computer then the negative punishment of sound effects really isn't all that effective. Also, you can exit out at any time, so there still is the possibility of procrastination. Write or Die also allows you to buy a desktop edition, for I believe $10. Oh, and I just checked the site and there have been a number of updates recently which changes the punishments and actually has given a reward system too that you can set yourself (such as getting a picture of a cute puppy after achieving a word count goal, etc.)
Speaking of Write or Die, there is a pseudo-similar online program that only uses positive reinforcement called Written? Kitten. You set a target like 100 words or 500 words, and after every 100/500 words you write, you get to see a new picture of a kitten. You know, if cute and cuddly is your thing. I personally prefer the threat of punishments via Write or Die.
There is also a really cool site that I've used a bit called 750words. It's pretty self-explanatory. The goal is to write 750 words a day. It will keep track of how quickly you write the words and how many times you pause. And you achieve a "score" similar to bowling (aka spares and strikes). Writing for so many days in a row or completing challenges, etc. earns you what is basically an online merit badge. It's a pretty cool system and is nice when I need a change from my typical writing patterns.
Have you had enough yet, lol? No? Okay, well another online resource I use is Yarny. Right now I am only using it for this librarian superhero novel idea that I only tend to work on when I encounter a serious block on another story. But, it is pretty cool. It has a few similarities to Scrivener, with the people/place/thing area, and you can divide what you're working on into snippets, whether for you that is chapters or scenes, whatever. You can also set a word count goal for the overall project and watch your progress bar increase as you write. I like it, but you have to be connected to the Internet to utilize it, so I prefer Scrivener or my Write or Die Desktop App.
One of my absolute favorite resources as a writer is one that I rely on a lot more after the failings of my USB drive and external hard drive three years ago. Dropbox is a cloud storage system, so as long as you can get yourself to a computer or a phone with access to the internet, you can open up your files. I have Dropbox on both of my laptops and on my cell phone, so I know that I have my files. Because of the technology crash, I also have a tendency to e-mail myself copies of my chapters and/or novels so I have extra backups. Call me paranoid, but I would rather not lose all of my hard work.
Sometimes I just want to get feedback on a story and I'd rather it not be from people I know, so I like to use Critique Circle. Many years ago I spent an incredible number of hours on fictionpress.com, both publishing and updating some of my novels, as well as reading and reviewing the works of others. But after FP got forums and people started doing more RPing than reviewing, the site stopped being as worthwhile for me. CC gets around that issue in a very simple way. To post a short story, a chapter of a novel, etc. it will cost you 3 credits. You earn credits by reviewing the writings of other people. The length of that person's chapter along with the length of your review will determine how many credits you earn. I love that, and have no problem spending time looking for things to read and review. I have actually found an author whose books I have gone on to purchase, and I read a couple of them first on CC.
The best digital writing resource I have ever used will always be and will continue to be NaNoWriMo. I discovered NaNo in November 2005 and started participating in 2006. Since then I have been able to focus on writing so many different novels and I always end the month with at least 50,000 words that I might not have been able to write otherwise. NaNo is amazing and I am so glad to be a part of the organization as an ML for my local region. I look forward to millions more words and countless more years of participating and honing my craft further as I continue to write, edit, and publish.
Well, there you go. It's sort of a long post, and it doesn't even begin to cover every writer resource out there (I didn't even get into the writing guide books I own), but hopefully it gives you an idea of some of the options out there, and gives you a little more insight into my crazy writing process.
Me, I am quite eclectic in what I use. I typically always have some sort of notebook or something with me, just in case an idea strikes when I am nowhere near my laptop. I also am not really picky about what writing utensil I use. Sometimes I prefer a pencil, while other times I really want to use a purple gel pen. A lot of times it really depends on the story.
For example, in the case of my Bound duology (Soul-Bound and Free-Born), the story starts in a 6" x 9" notebook being written in pencil. Then, after writing each chapter or two, I will transfer it to my laptop. Then, with my Cursed Gifts Saga (starting with The Life and Death of a Seer) each book is written utilizing a different color of gel pen--Seer is green, Healer is blue, Empath is red, and Witch is purple.
Most of the time, when it comes to using notebooks, I prefer the ones that flip up rather than open sideways. This is so I don't end up having my hand run into the rings along the spine. Mostly I don't care about the size of the notebook, but I do seem to lean towards something that is about a 5" x 7" or a 6" by 9" because they fit quite well into my inner jacket pocket or my purse. I like travel size.
With the Souls Trilogy and the Project Death series, most of the work is done on the computer, with the occasional scene or chapter being written in a notebook. For a great many years I wrote in Microsoft Word, and it works quite well. I still use it when I'm formatting my books for publication, using a template I got from CreateSpace. But, now, I typically use Scrivener for all of my offline writing needs. Scrivener makes it easy for me to have my background research open and ready to go while working on chapters. I can look up character bio information, check my story board to make sure I am getting everything I need in a scene, and I can even set goals for a writing session or the book word count and see how well I am progressing with the novel. Plus, and this is probably the most important part of the Scrivener process, when I close Scrivener it automatically saves a backup of my files just in case something happens. Trust me, I did have a problem with my USB and my external hard drive which both contained copies of my novels and if it hadn't been for Scrivener I would have lost years of work.
One of my absolute favorite tools for writing can be found online, or you can purchase a desktop edition, and it really does help me with productivity by forcing me to focus on writing. I started using it several years ago during NaNoWriMo and it pushed me way over the top during word wars and write-ins. Write or Die is an online writing lab that prods you along by basically punishing you for stopping. You can set the grace period and the punishment, which can be as mild as a reminder that you need to be writing, to having to listen to an annoying sound until you start typing again, all the way up to kamikaze mode, which begins to delete your words if you pause for too long. I don't recommend kamikaze mode when trying to write a novel. That's a bit evil. But you can set either a time limit or a word count goal and then you just start writing. It's great. However, if you mute your computer then the negative punishment of sound effects really isn't all that effective. Also, you can exit out at any time, so there still is the possibility of procrastination. Write or Die also allows you to buy a desktop edition, for I believe $10. Oh, and I just checked the site and there have been a number of updates recently which changes the punishments and actually has given a reward system too that you can set yourself (such as getting a picture of a cute puppy after achieving a word count goal, etc.)
Speaking of Write or Die, there is a pseudo-similar online program that only uses positive reinforcement called Written? Kitten. You set a target like 100 words or 500 words, and after every 100/500 words you write, you get to see a new picture of a kitten. You know, if cute and cuddly is your thing. I personally prefer the threat of punishments via Write or Die.
There is also a really cool site that I've used a bit called 750words. It's pretty self-explanatory. The goal is to write 750 words a day. It will keep track of how quickly you write the words and how many times you pause. And you achieve a "score" similar to bowling (aka spares and strikes). Writing for so many days in a row or completing challenges, etc. earns you what is basically an online merit badge. It's a pretty cool system and is nice when I need a change from my typical writing patterns.
Have you had enough yet, lol? No? Okay, well another online resource I use is Yarny. Right now I am only using it for this librarian superhero novel idea that I only tend to work on when I encounter a serious block on another story. But, it is pretty cool. It has a few similarities to Scrivener, with the people/place/thing area, and you can divide what you're working on into snippets, whether for you that is chapters or scenes, whatever. You can also set a word count goal for the overall project and watch your progress bar increase as you write. I like it, but you have to be connected to the Internet to utilize it, so I prefer Scrivener or my Write or Die Desktop App.
One of my absolute favorite resources as a writer is one that I rely on a lot more after the failings of my USB drive and external hard drive three years ago. Dropbox is a cloud storage system, so as long as you can get yourself to a computer or a phone with access to the internet, you can open up your files. I have Dropbox on both of my laptops and on my cell phone, so I know that I have my files. Because of the technology crash, I also have a tendency to e-mail myself copies of my chapters and/or novels so I have extra backups. Call me paranoid, but I would rather not lose all of my hard work.
Sometimes I just want to get feedback on a story and I'd rather it not be from people I know, so I like to use Critique Circle. Many years ago I spent an incredible number of hours on fictionpress.com, both publishing and updating some of my novels, as well as reading and reviewing the works of others. But after FP got forums and people started doing more RPing than reviewing, the site stopped being as worthwhile for me. CC gets around that issue in a very simple way. To post a short story, a chapter of a novel, etc. it will cost you 3 credits. You earn credits by reviewing the writings of other people. The length of that person's chapter along with the length of your review will determine how many credits you earn. I love that, and have no problem spending time looking for things to read and review. I have actually found an author whose books I have gone on to purchase, and I read a couple of them first on CC.
The best digital writing resource I have ever used will always be and will continue to be NaNoWriMo. I discovered NaNo in November 2005 and started participating in 2006. Since then I have been able to focus on writing so many different novels and I always end the month with at least 50,000 words that I might not have been able to write otherwise. NaNo is amazing and I am so glad to be a part of the organization as an ML for my local region. I look forward to millions more words and countless more years of participating and honing my craft further as I continue to write, edit, and publish.
Well, there you go. It's sort of a long post, and it doesn't even begin to cover every writer resource out there (I didn't even get into the writing guide books I own), but hopefully it gives you an idea of some of the options out there, and gives you a little more insight into my crazy writing process.
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
Finding the Right Beginning
I started writing Souls Unknowing back in 2004, when I was a sophomore in high school, and after a considerable hiatus, I finished the novel in 2006. I enjoyed the story and the characters, but I knew that it would need a lot of work before it would be even remotely close to publishable. As the years passed and I learned more about my writing, I thought about what changes I needed to make if I wanted to really make SU shine.
One of the biggest issues was that I originally wrote the novel in third person present tense. I cringe even thinking about that decision now. But, another issue that had cropped up thanks to the input from several of my early stage readers back then was that the prologue seemed to be emotionally distant and several people suggested that I focus that prologue on just the experience and feelings of one of the soon-to-be ghosts.
I can honestly say that now, after re-writing the prologue, those people who made that suggestion were all geniuses. Not only did I focus it on one character, but it is told from her point of view and without ever mentioning her name, because that will become an important part of the later plots. I love the new prologue quite a bit.
However, I can also say that I don't exactly consider that prologue to be the start of the story. It is the start of the novel, but practically the entire story--aside from the prologue--takes place in the present day. The more I read the original draft, the more I sort of hated it. I had Tru and her brother Luke in a car with their dad as he drove them to their new boarding school. It felt dull and forced and like so many other books I'd read, where the story starts off with a character or characters arriving at school and settling in, blah blah blah.
When I tried to re-write that first chapter I kept running into issues with trying to start the story with a focus on Tru, and it never felt right. Eventually I just wrote the basic idea down and continued with the story, since I put myself on a personal deadline for getting the story re-written, polished, and released.
Today, at work, I was finally struck with the perfect idea to fix that beginning with Tru and from that point I could just feel the words bubbling up and ready to explode from me and onto the page. I can still have the focus on Tru, but utilize another important character from the story to do so. Instead of following as Tru settles into her room and meets people, I can instead have Ian basically observing what happens when this new girl arrives at school and the ripples it causes around everyone else. Plus, with Ian already being so knowledgeable and accepting of his gift to see and speak to ghosts, he can also already point out that Tru is gifted, which brings the paranormal aspect in just a little sooner.
The big question now will be just how much this new beginning will affect the rest of the novel. If it slips seamlessly into place then I should still be able to have Souls Unknowing out by the end of January. But, if it causes a couple other scenes and such to be moved around or edited in any way then it may push the publication day back just a bit. At the very latest (I swear), this novel will be out by February 28, 2014. In some ways that could be nice, because then you'll be able to enjoy Project Death: Revelation in June/July and then Souls Abandoned will be out Dec/Jan 2015.
Tuesday, January 14, 2014
In Search of Alpha Readers and Beta Readers
A lot of the writing process is incredibly solitary, but I've found that it really helps to have people around you to keep you inspired and motivated and even to keep you from making really silly spelling and grammar errors. I have a couple friends who have read through some of my novels-in-progress over the years, but I'm looking for people who want to help with the process so the books are as shiny and polished as they can be before they are published.
There are two different areas to help, and if you think you fit either category, please let me know. These areas are Alpha Readers and Beta Readers, and each are very important for different reasons.
Alpha Readers are on the front lines of the writing process. The way I see Alpha Readers are that they are looking at big areas that could derail a novel: specifically looking at characters, plot, description, dialogue. They are reading through the story to be certain that it makes sense and has a nice flow to it, without holding every sentence up to a magnifying glass, because Alpha Readers will likely be getting to look at a fairly rough draft.
Once the novel is finished I typically set it aside for a few days or a week and then do a read-through to see if I can catch any glaring errors. After that, the process should move on to the Beta Readers, who are basically editors. They are looking for problems with spelling, grammar, and anything else they want to nitpick on. It is best if Beta Readers are very detail oriented and are good with proper spelling and grammar. I can catch quite a bit of my mistakes but sometimes after reading through something a dozen times your brain skims over even the most obvious of mistakes.
I mostly write fantasy, paranormal/supernatural novels. Currently my novels feature angelic beings, Death, the Angel of Death, ghosts, mediators, kitsunes, werewolves, witches, vampires, merpeople, etc.
So, if you'd like to be an Alpha or Beta Reader, let me know in the comments, find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/magicinthestacks), or send me an e-mail at daniellethamasa@yahoo.com with the subject Alpha Reader (or) Beta Reader.
There are two different areas to help, and if you think you fit either category, please let me know. These areas are Alpha Readers and Beta Readers, and each are very important for different reasons.
Alpha Readers are on the front lines of the writing process. The way I see Alpha Readers are that they are looking at big areas that could derail a novel: specifically looking at characters, plot, description, dialogue. They are reading through the story to be certain that it makes sense and has a nice flow to it, without holding every sentence up to a magnifying glass, because Alpha Readers will likely be getting to look at a fairly rough draft.
Once the novel is finished I typically set it aside for a few days or a week and then do a read-through to see if I can catch any glaring errors. After that, the process should move on to the Beta Readers, who are basically editors. They are looking for problems with spelling, grammar, and anything else they want to nitpick on. It is best if Beta Readers are very detail oriented and are good with proper spelling and grammar. I can catch quite a bit of my mistakes but sometimes after reading through something a dozen times your brain skims over even the most obvious of mistakes.
I mostly write fantasy, paranormal/supernatural novels. Currently my novels feature angelic beings, Death, the Angel of Death, ghosts, mediators, kitsunes, werewolves, witches, vampires, merpeople, etc.
So, if you'd like to be an Alpha or Beta Reader, let me know in the comments, find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/magicinthestacks), or send me an e-mail at daniellethamasa@yahoo.com with the subject Alpha Reader (or) Beta Reader.
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