The Sweetest Dance

I did it.

I wrote a book.

I can't believe I freaking did it! Indigo is DONE!

Oh yea...

Well, almost.

Now comes the truly excruciating part - editing. I've just completed my first front to back read-through and I am internally cringing at some of the things I'm finding. One thing that glaringly stands out - I am the Queen of 'slightly.' I'm actually amazed anyone gets anything done in this book with everything they do being so slight.

"...he says, moving slightly."

"I force my eyes open slightly, taking a peek..."

Argh!!!!!!

Another thing that stands out are all of the cliche's I tend to use. I didn't count how many times it shows up in the book, but things are always 'bubbling to the surface.' Really, Amy? Sigh.

With all of the times I've changed the PoV and tense, I'm still finding errors there as well. Good times. Good times.

I'm nowhere near publishing-ready; I still need to have my Constant Readers give it a look and help me round out the characters and fill in potential plot holes. I always know in my head what I mean, but that doesn't always translate onto the page, so hopefully they can help with that.

Regardless of the work still to be done on it, I accomplished something I honestly never thought I would. I wrote a book.

When I typed "-END-" at the bottom of the manuscript, my hands were shaking. I sat and stared at the screen for a few minutes and just cried. Whether they were tears of joy, or relief, or pride, I don't know. After three years of toiling on this book, they could have come for lots of reasons. Once the tears stopped, I grabbed the Shua for a very happy celebration dance in the living room. It's our thing. It's what we do when good things happen.

Even compared to the 11 years of dancing recitals I participated in as a child, or the numerous school dances, or any other dance for that matter - the celebratory dance that happened in my living room on the night of August 21, 2013, was definitely the sweetest dance I've had by far.

Chew ‘em Up. Spit ‘em Out. Pass.

Not quite two weeks ago I sent the first 60 pages of Indigo to a critiquing service for a paid manuscript review. I will not be promoting this service by giving out their name here, but if you would like to know who it is, feel free to message me personally. The service was to notify me that:

1. they received my manuscript;
2. who it was assigned to for the critique; and
3. the turnaround time.

I did not receive that information as promised. When I followed up within a week of submission, I was told they don’t give out the name of the person performing the critique “due to other work agreements that they have,” and that the turnaround time was 4-6 weeks. That was last Thursday.

In the interest of full disclosure, and as you may be able to tell from my tone – the review was not good.

I received my critique in less than a week, and the critique itself had spelling errors in it. I’m still shaking my head that a paid editor doesn’t know the difference between desert and dessert. Really? And I paid real money for this?  Also, the anonymity of this so-called editor is still bothering me as well – what were their credentials? How am I sure they even have an interest in the genre I’m writing? How do I know they have any credentials at all?

The service was to include the following:

• 12-16 pages of detailed notes on premise, plot structure, pacing, characters, dialogue and marketability
• A graph-based "Emotional Response" chart
• A rating on the "Pass, Consider, or Recommend" scale
• A one-page synopsis to use as a "leave behind" when you get that all-important meeting

It was NOT to include this:

• Rewrite or revise for you, except in the case of providing an example of how to revise on your own.
• Correct grammar, mechanics, and spelling. (Our *** service does correct grammatical errors, including punctuation, capitalization, verb tense, spelling and sentence structure.) However, the story analyst will point out any patterns of surface-level error that may pose a significant problem for you.
• Correct for Industry-Standard Formatting. However the story analyst will point out general and repetitive formatting errors throughout the manuscript.
• Provide any fact-checking.
• Provide answers or advice on legal issues

What I did receive:

• Barely 12 pages of notes, 4 of which were lists of minor grammatical errors
• Instead of a one-page synopsis to "leave behind" when I get that all-important meeting, I got a two page book report giving a blow-by-blow account of each chapter
• One paragraph on concept
• One paragraph on pacing
• Absolutely nothing about marketability

Disappointed? You betcha.

Mind you – they did have some good points in their critique. In my constant changing of PoV and tense, some grammatical mistakes were left in. Okay – mention it and move on – don’t give me four pages listing out each one.

There were a couple questions/suggestions regarding the storyline and characters that were worth my consideration – but not worth what I paid for this crap.

I think the main problem here (and I could be wrong because I’ll never know who the editor is), is that the person who read this was expecting a full-blown science fiction story, when I clearly stated in my submission that it was ROMANCE/sci-fi/fantasy. It’s barely even sci-fi really, as it’s a character driven suspense story, not a science driven story. They even say in the overall notes: “…the romantic tension between our hero and heroine is palpable (and very satisfying for readers).” DUH! That’s the point of a romance novel you twit!

When I first read the critique I was pretty devastated. My writing is crap yet again. The second time through I noticed their grammatical errors, and the apparent haste at which the critique was prepared. As I continue to analyze it, I see that what I’ve written is completely outside of their element and experience. Don’t get me wrong – I’m not completely dismissing their review because it was negative. As I mentioned, there were some good points given, and they’ve been duly noted. I just don’t feel that I received what I paid for. And that is truly disappointing.

With all that being said, my writing may still be crap – but I don’t think the person that got paid to critique my work was necessarily the best to judge that.

Oh, and by the way – here is my ‘graph-based "Emotional Response" chart’:

Not bad for the beginning of a suspense novel I’d say…

The 3:00 A.M. Blog

It’s going on 3:00 A.M., and I want to write something. Anything that isn’t Indigo. Don’t get me wrong, it’s going fine and dandy – I just felt like writing something else. I need to get out of my characters’ heads for a while.

There's no one in the place - except you and me...

So is this finally a blog about how well the writing is going? Apparently so. I’ve been on quite a tear the last few weeks. Not making a ton of forward progress, but doing a lot of editing and shaping; fine tuning, if you will. It feels good for a change, and I think it may be because I’m forcing myself to do it. I have a finite set of hours in the evening that I am at least re-reading and editing, if not writing new stuff. Every once in a while I’ll print out a hard copy and take my red pen to the whole thing. It’s amazing what typos or inconsistencies you can find in a hard copy that you don’t see in a digital one. Plus when it’s on paper, it just feels like a book… and it’s getting heavier every week, which is nice.

I did another complete rework of the point of view back to first person, which is just more comfortable for me to write in. It may not be the right way to do it, but it works for me. Also, since the story of Indigo is suspense – being in first person allows for that immediacy that I don’t think you get with a third person point of view. First person is more intimate; and I think, allows the reader to become even more involved in the story – rather than just being a spectator. Again, this is all subjective, and some people hate first person narratives, but then – they don’t have to read my book, do they?

I will say that I am so happy that the warm weather is at last upon us. I can finally sit in my favorite writing spot (my enclosed patio) and just type away, occasionally glancing up at the various critters around my yard. We get a lot of visits from the neighborhood squirrels, blue jays, and even deer if they’re brave enough. One of these days I’ll live somewhere warm enough to be able to do this year round. Until then, I’ll take advantage of the few months I have. I don’t think I’ll be as motivated just sitting in my office.

Well, that’s enough meandering for one night. Off to sleep; perchance to dream of Indigo and Maya’s next steps…

My Characters; My Friends.

I’ve finished the first 50 pages of Indigo for the WeBook contest and submitted it for judging. It will most likely be a week or so before I start seeing feedback from readers, and my anxiety is palpable. It’s always nerve-racking to send your creative babies out into the world, but this one is especially difficult for some reason. There is always fear of rejection – I think that’s natural for any author, but Indigo gets my blood pumping so differently than Ghosting did. He’s been in my head for so long, nagging at me to get out, and now that I’m doing that – it’s like telling a deeply personal secret to the world. It’s not as though I’m baring my soul, or standing naked in the middle of a mall, but close - I think that’s a pretty close analogy.

I'm ascerred.

When you spend countless hours thinking, writing, reading, re-reading, and editing the crap out of something, it’s hard not to personalize it. It’s even harder not to internalize the characters. They live in your head – and you’re the biographer telling their story. You want to get it right, and you want to do right by them. After all, they are trusting you to tell it correctly. That’s a big responsibility for an author to undertake.

My own imagination brought them to life, sure. But now that they’re here in my head, they’ve evolved into something somewhat real. They have their own personalities, senses of humor, vices, mannerisms, histories, endearing qualities, and character flaws (pun intended). No, I’ve not gone mad with invisible friends. I don’t talk to them - out loud anyway, but they are always present in some way. It’s hard to explain fully. It truly is one of the wonders of being a writer – the ability to create these completely intangible, yet concrete people and scenarios. And as a writer, you live with them almost all the time, whether you want to or not.

So all I can do now is wait for the feedback and criticisms from the contest reviewers with a mixture of excitement and dread. It’s a horrible combination, yet delicious in its own way. In the meantime I’ll just continue writing as though Indigo is the best thing since Shakespeare penned his first sonnet. Until the bubble gets burst by a critic, it’s a good feeling to have.

Ray Bradbury, 1920-2012

The writing world suffered a huge loss today. While he hated the term "science fiction" (he preferred "fantasy"), much of Mr. Bradbury's work is classified as such. When you think of science fiction - you think of Ray Bradbury. He invented dystopia decades before The Hunger Games made it popular.

Most people know him from Fahrenheit 451 (required reading for a lot of high schoolers), The Martian Chronicles, or Something Wicked This Way Comes, but he was so much more.

He published at least 27 books, over 600 short stories (he was the KING of short stories), plays, screenplays and teleplays (Alfred Hitchcock Presents, The Twilight Zone, The Ray Bradbury Theater to name a few), fiction and non-fiction, and even children's literature. He was quintessentially the writers' writer, and would write at least 1,000 words a day - no matter what.

His impact on the imaginations of readers and writers will be felt for generations to come. His passion for creativity will be sorely missed. In reading about his prolific writing career today, I came upon this quote that should inspire any writer (me included):

"If you want to write, if you want to create, you must be the most sublime fool that God ever turned out and sent rambling. You must write every single day of your life. You must read dreadful dumb books and glorious books, and let them wrestle in beautiful fights inside your head, vulgar one moment, brilliant the next. You must lurk in libraries and climb the stacks like ladders to sniff books like perfumes and wear books like hats upon your crazy heads. I wish you a wrestling match with your Creative Muse that will last a lifetime. I wish craziness and foolishness and madness upon you. May you live with hysteria, and out of it make fine stories — science fiction or otherwise. Which finally means, may you be in love every day for the next 20,000 days. And out of that love, remake a world."

A True Pioneer
(AP Photo/Lennox McLendon)

Indigo

Readers and writers both try to picture characters in their heads.

This is my Indigo.

Alex Pettyfer.

You're welcome ladies. ;)

Writing is a Wicked Bitch.

I’ve been tossing the idea of my novel Indigo around for quite a while now. Two years? At least? Well yeah – a long time. I had submitted the first 5 pages to the same contest I had Ghosting in (which didn’t get past the first 50 pages round btw). The feedback was truly good, and I’ve even had strangers from around the world reach out to me to see where the first 50 pages of Indigo were because they were captivated by the story so far. That has amazed me because I couldn’t see how the first 5 pages of anything could snag anyone’s attention, but it made me feel good nonetheless. People really liked Indigo.

So last night I revisited Indigo after our long hiatus, and my creative juices are now flowing again. I made MAJOR changes – changing the voice from first person to third (uncomfortable!), the tense from past to present (tricky!), and finally decided what the story was going to be about (Yay!). My original premise now feels overdone in the market, and the new one I came up with is good. Really good. But complicated. It will be a challenge to write.

Am I up to this challenge? I have no idea. Knowing my history of leaving things undone when the going gets difficult makes doubt dance around maniacally in the back of my mind.

One of my major problems is pacing. I have NO idea how to pace a novel. Short stories - I’m a pro. If I needed to write the whole thing in 50 pages I could do it, no problem. But 350? Not so much. I don’t know when to reveal what. What is too soon? How much anticipation should there be? How much back story is needed, if any? Argh!

Part of me wants to say screw it, just write it all then mess with it later. But the perfectionist (read, chicken) in me says pick it apart as I go. But that instant dissection of what I’ve written is what’s hindering my progress. It’s a vicious cycle.

Yes dear novel, you are.

My goal for the time being is the first 50 pages for that contest. Once I have that in I’ll be able to see feedback from readers and editors, hopefully addressing the pacing among other things. While it’s not my favorite thing, I need the criticism to make me a better writer.

Lots of people say they like my writing ‘voice,’ which is a huge compliment to me. I know it’s rare to have a good writing voice, so I take deep pride in that. I just hope that my ‘voice’ can say the right things at the right time.

Has this whole blog been a delay tactic to avoid doing the work? You betcha. I need discipline, have you noticed? I need to just do the work. Or as my sis-in-law says: JUST DO IT.

That, in a nutshell, is what makes writing a Wicked Bitch. But for some ungodly reason, I still love her...

What if?

One of my favorite authors, Stephen King, recommends using the ”what if?” question to motivate your writing. I know other successful writers utilize this too, and I’ve used it occasionally, but not nearly enough.  When Stephen suggested it in his book On Writing, I took it as an overall question for the main plot of the book, not as a scene by scene mission.

Read it.

Today I discovered it can be used paragraph by paragraph to move the story along, and I’m delighted.  I’ve been able to crank out another chapter just by asking “what if?” as I go.

What if he said this?  leads to – How would the other character react?

What if this happened? leads to – How does that effect the story… and move the plot?

When I get stuck on what to do next, or how something’s going to work, I use this exercise now.  I’ve just had a major plot episode happen in my story, and now the nitty-gritty needs to happen and move it along, so I wrote this:

What if there was a man who could find dead people, and an autistic boy who could talk to them before they died? What would that conversation be like?  What would he ask him to get him to talk? What would the boy be able to say that would be helpful?

I then outlined some thoughts that answered those questions to help me figure out how the next scene will go.  I haven’t finished that scene, but I now have direction.  I’m not a fan of outlining as a rule, as I like my characters to take me where they want, but this is definitely helpful.  It’s not as restrictive as an outline per se, but instead opens my imagination to possibilities.

What if I were a writer?

Scratching the Itch.

I’m starting to get the itch to write again. I know, it’s about time, right? I’ve been so busy trying to get my business off the ground, that I haven’t thought much about my book at all. I was, however, finally able to get my first 50 pages to the WeBook Page to Fame Contest submitted a few weeks ago. I’ve had three reviews so far – 2 gave 3/5 stars, and one gave 4/5. Not bad overall, and their criticisms are well met. That planted the seed.

My sister-in-law (the screenwriter) has announced that she is almost done with her latest screenplay. I’m jealous. Water on the seed.

I’m currently reading the fourth book in the Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan. It’s epic fantasy, and completely different from what I write, but his descriptions are so well done I find myself wondering how I can do the same in my book. As most writers do (I think), when you see good writing, you even think to yourself; “ooh, that was a nice way to word that.” I want to do that. Seedling sprouts.

So, here I am, with a little seedling poking my brain to write. My only wish is that it were warmer outside so I could sit in my favorite writing spot on the patio. Perhaps I should make do with the office, and Abby snoring gently at my feet.

Time to scratch the itch, or water the seedling, or… something. Hopefully I won’t mix too many metaphors in my book!

Hilarity!

Thanks to Sheba for forwarding this to me - I can't stop laughing! I have a gun in my car... I'm going to go get it.

I'm Cheating On You

So, I’ve started a new blog for my business… well, it’s kind of business related. The point of it is to get my name out there in the legal field. See here.  If I had a hard time writing on this blog before, it’s going to be even worse now since I need to come up with content for the other one too. Once again, I’ve got ideas in my head for topics, but flushing them out into full-fledged blogs is another story. Especially since it is representing me in the work context. My first blog took me three days to complete because I kept tweaking it until it was where I was somewhat happy with it. If my novel was on the back burner before, it’s now completely off the stove.

The Other Blog

Starting my business has been overwhelming, but now that the website is up, phone lines are in, and all the other little details that had built up are taken care of, I can finally breathe a little bit. I still need to move to the next phase of advertising and marketing, but, I’m at least at the point where the business isn’t ALL I think about. The last few weeks have been all-consuming business-wise. I’ve run myself into the ground a little bit with all the late nights, but there’s just so much to do.

So Ghosting and Indigo are not forgotten completely, they’re just on vacation for a little bit. That’s what I’m telling myself anyways. Maybe this break will give me a new perspective when I get back to them. Even if I am cheating on them and this blog too by writing for the other one, at least I’m writing, right? That’s what matters? I like to think so. Well, that’s my story – and I’m sticking to it!

Of Course!

I actually have the itch to write, and my laptop is at the Gateway Repair Center being revived from the land of the dead. Since buying it in June, I've had nothing but trouble with it, but in my mind - that's my writing station. I can't get the same "feel" while writing on my desktop computer.

It's all mental - I get that. It's like a weird baseball-player superstition of wearing the same underwear during a playoff, but it is what it is. I hate that I feel this way. Like, if I was a Real writer, I would be able to write anywhere, anytime. Is that true? Or do all writers have their "favorite" places and ways to write?

Maybe if the desktop weren't in the middle of the living room, where I have to contend with 'Ghostbusters' on the TV all day, I could do it. Even headphones couldn't drown out Bill Murray and the Stay Puft Marshmallow man, I'm afraid. (Thanks Josh!)

I really want to get to my edits too. My good friend Jan (I need a nickname for you, since I'm your 'Goddess' lol) has some really great edits for me.

(Thanks again for taking the time to edit Jan!)

I've put off this massive edit long enough. I need to get those first 50 into Page To Fame. I have the desire to do it now, but a huge mental block with no laptop. Or is it an excuse? (here I go a-rambling...) I seem to have excuse after excuse as to why I'm not writing. There's always something that keeps me from it. What am I afraid of? Failure? or success? or both?

In my heart I know I should just buckle down and do it. Part of me is just discouraged by everything and anything, so why even try. Another part of me has hope that someday, just maybe, it will be good enough to someone of importance to do something life changing - like sell. But most of me is just scared. Scared that it sucks. Scared that it will be just another one of my failed attempts at something creative. Scared that I will reinforce the knowledge that I'm no good at anything. If I don't try, I can't fail.

But...

If I don't try, I can't succeed either...

I think I need to follow my Jedi training here -

"Do or do not... there is no try."

The Writer Question, Revisited

I'm struggling with a massive cold/flu bug right now, so this might be muddled, but I need to get this out of my system. I even recently wrote to Hope Clark of Funds For Writers for her insight and opinion on the subject. She may be featuring this situation in her next newsletter, so if you're visiting from there - welcome!

Here's the skinny:

By day, I'm an educated paralegal (meaning, I have a degree and everything!). Well, I should qualify that - I've been unemployed since early April. I'm an Intellectual Property Paralegal (patents, trademarks, etc.), and let me tell you, the jobs in this field are few and far between. I've had some great interviews, but nothing has come to fruition. Here's the rub - I recently had a potential employer, I assume - Google my name, and find my personal website promoting my writing. Upon seeing my website, they decided that my "focus" was not on my legal career, but on my writing career.

While I completely understand their position, if they had truly read at any of the pages they would have seen that I've only published a few short stories (and self-published at that), and haven't even finished writing my first novel!  As I told Hope, unless you see my face plastered on a bestseller in a major bookstore, I still need a J.O.B. to survive! AND - I'm a darned good paralegal too! I loved my job, and I love learning all aspects of the legal world. If anything, my interest in writing makes me a better paralegal!

I like to think that I dodged a major bullet with that particular employer. I don't think I want to work with a firm that doesn't allow for outside creativity, or even hobbies for that matter. It's not like I'm selling porn, or even writing in the erotica genre (no offense to those that do btw). I don't even use swear words in my books. Well, not many...

This situation makes my job search even more discouraging, because now I have to worry that my "web presence" will overshadow my need for a regular income, and a regular job. I'm a single mother, and I have a son with special needs. Once the unemployment runs out, which it tends to do, we'll be in even more financial trouble than we already are. That's pretty darned scary.

Can you tell I've discovered adding pictures to the blog? :)

I refuse to give up on my dream of writing. It's in my bones. But my need for a job is eclipsing those dreams at the moment. Do I keep up my web presence as a writer? Just say "screw you- this is who I am"? Or take it down and stifle my creativity in lieu of a regular income?

Decisions, decisions... and oh yeah, more stress!!

Take care,
-Amy

Happy Happy Joy Joy

It's not going to take much for me to be happy about my writing nowadays.  Just the simple fact that I wrote today is cause enough for a celebration (and a blog post!).  Sure, it's only another three pages so far, but it's THREE PAGES I didn't have a week or a month ago for that matter.

By finally finishing that scene, and that chapter, I'm now inspired to continue with the next chapter and scene, and I'm excited to see where it's going to go - because I have no idea.  This is the fun part of writing without an outline or a plan - it can be a wild ride when the characters surprise you.

So bring it characters! Let's go for a ride!

The Relationship

It’s after 1:00 a.m., and that after-dinner nap that seemed like such a neat idea at the time, is coming back to haunt me. One of these days my sleep will be normal. But then again, my sleep has never been “normal”, and so it goes…

The quiet of my mind about my writing is finally growing restless again, and I can’t tell if it’s out of a true need to write, or out of disgust of not writing recently. I’ve decided I don’t care how or why it’s coming, only that it does what it’s supposed to do – get me to write.

Writing is definitely like a relationship. Initially I fell in love with the idea, couldn’t go a day without doing something with it, thought about it ALL the time, etc., and then real life happened. I started thinking about it less and less, got busy with other things – most of them not that important, really. It then became a love/hate thing, where I dreaded the idea of writing because I just wasn’t “into” it at the time. Then my mind changed on major issues of the book, and I edited the crap out of it. Fickle, aren’t I?

I get that the honeymoon of the novel is over, and it’s time to do the day to day WORK of it. That saddens me some. I want to feel that rush again. The electricity of my fingers flying on the keyboard trying to get it all out of my head and onto the page. Living inside my character’s heads. Visualizing scenes. I want that all back.

I think I can get part of that back at least - if I do the WORK. Like any relationship, you need to do the day to day minutiae, even when you don’t feel like it. It’s life. Suck it up and just do it, right? Right.

I thought about setting little goals for myself – maybe just rewriting that one section that I’ve been telling myself for weeks to do. Or - write so many new pages a day, whether it’s crap or not. But I’m not even going to restrict myself that way. At this point, I think any limitations will only make it harder for me to get started in the first place. I need to start courting my book again, taking it out on dates so to speak, and see where we go from there…

My Writing Is Crap (and other self-sabotage)

I'm approximately 1/4 of the way through in writing my book Ghosting. To some, that may seem like a pretty good accomplishment. To others, I'm not even close to accomplishing anything. To me - the jury's still out. I have read, re-read, edited, cut, rewritten, and in every way, shape, or form, tried to mold what I've written into a story that will captivate readers, and leave them wanting more. But as I go through this process over and over, I get discouraged. My writing is crap. This is unreadable nonsense. No one will ever want to buy this book, or read my story. No one will be interested in this topic. Blah blah blah. You get the idea.

I'm sure I'm not alone in my self-sabotage. Other writers probably feel the same way about their own writing at some point. It's the nature of the beast that is writing, or any creative venture for that matter. Any time you put passion into your work, it's personal. If your creative venue is writing - words come out of your mind onto the page, so if it's only mediocre, that is a direct reflection of your mind, right? Well, that's how I look at it sometimes.

Most of the time, trying to put original word after original word, in an original way, and in the correct order can truly be painful. Did that come out right? Does that make sense? Would that character really say that? In that way? What the hell am I doing trying to be a writer???

Now, I don't always feel this way about my writing. There are times when a sentence or scene comes out just right, and I sit back and smile, and say, "yeah, that's good..." Sure, those times are few and far between, but when it happens, it's heaven. In my book of about 100 pages so far, I have maybe four sentences that are like that for me. I doubt that's good enough.

So, I read, re-read, edit, cut, rewrite...rinse, and repeat.

Music and Writing

Like a lot of other writers, I listen to music while I write. Creative people like writers often enjoy other artistic endeavors as well, i.e., music, art, or film. Unlike a lot of other writers, I am also a musician. I have sung lead vocal in a few bands, and even played drums in a few. I also play piano. This parallel love of music and writing however, can sometimes cause problems as they cross paths. Often, the music I love to listen to prevents me from writing what, or how, I want to write.

Case in point – Pride and Prejudice. I absolutely love the score to the 2006 version of the film and listen to it often, BUT, I’m not writing anything like Jane Austen or that book. So I can’t listen to it while I’m writing. The composer of that score though, has done many films, and I found one that I can listen to while I write – Atonement. It even has the sound of a person typing on an old typewriter in some of the selections, which can be very inspiring to get me moving on my own keyboard. The composer, by the way, is Dario Marianelli, and I highly recommend him.

Another problem is regular music. You know, with people actually singing and stuff. Can’t do it while I write. I find myself singing along in my head, and of course, that’s not conducive to writing anything. Even if I don’t know the lyrics, my mind will stretch to try to figure out what they’re saying, no matter how unintelligible. It’s a useless exercise.

Besides Atonement by Dario Marionelli, I’ve found a few other scores that work – The Duchess by Rachel Portman is one. Still a bit of a period piece, but there are mysterious selections, which fit into what I’m writing. I need to greatly expand my current selection, and find other mystery/thriller-type movies that might have decent scores.

Writing and music go hand in hand for me, and ‘setting the table’ so to speak, will work wonders with my prose…now I’m off to find another score, and write another chapter.

The Challenge That Is Writing

Writing isn’t easy. Well, I should clarify that – Good writing isn’t easy. Anybody can throw words on a page, but that won’t make it readable, and it won’t necessarily move you. Good writing grabs you, and if it’s good fiction, it takes you to another place, and puts you in the shoes of another character. I think non-fiction can be even harder to keep a person’s interest. Trying to express ideas or thoughts to complete strangers with only words is a very daunting task.

I am currently in the process of writing both a fiction, and a non-fiction book. I say process because it truly is, or at least can be, quite an ordeal.

When I first started my novel, I was overloaded with great ideas. Plots and storylines just whirled about me for days. I would wake up with “a-ha!” moments, and have to jot down the thought before I lost it. But then – reality hit. I started writing, and it went very smoothly at first. Chapters flowed into chapters. And then one day it just stopped. I don’t know if “life happened” and interrupted the flow, or what the situation may have been, but the need to write seemed to have vanished.

Part of my problem is that yes, I had all those great ideas, but flushing them out in a novel is a monumental task. It doesn’t help that I’m completely OCD, and edit the crap out of everything I write, as I write it. I can’t outline. Well, I’m sure I could, but I hate even the idea of it. To me, it ruins the joy of writing. I like to see where the characters and the story will take me. Unfortunately, I’m at a point where all the characters are apparently giving me the silent treatment.

I think that will be my new motto:

“I don’t have writer’s block – my characters aren’t talking to me anymore.”

I’ve heard of several authors that write for a certain period of time, or a predetermined number of pages every day, no matter what. And I say hoorah for them. I can’t do it. I have to be motivated. I have to be “in the mood” to write. Unfortunately, I don’t know how to get into that mood at the drop of a hat.

I’d be interested to hear from other writers as to their techniques to get motivated to write, if there is such a thing. Is there such a thing?

Welcome!

This will be my second (or third) attempt at keeping a blog. I'm hoping to keep this one related to my writing, and the challenges that it's creating for me. Hopefully other authors will join me for this journey.

Thanks for stopping by. I hope to see you soon!

-Amy