Consequences

Lately, I haven't had as much time for my writing as I'd like. The last couple weeks, I've had nearly none. Mostly, I've had no brain power to write.

Luckily, the things that had been taking up my time are mostly finished. Over the last half year, writing had been feeling more like a chore than something I love. I finished up my MFA program in November, and while I had been exited to dive into my next novel, the motivation vanished after an intense last semester. But these last two weeks, while I didn't have time to write, I started to actually miss it. Finally, I'm anxious to spend time getting to know my characters and have fun with words on the page.

Okay, now to what this post is really about. Last night I had a dream that I was giving someone some writing advice. I told the person to look deeply at consequences her characters faces. As the plot moves forward, the actions of the characters and the consequences should keep escalating. Hannah flirts with another boy. She feels guilty. She kisses another boy and tells her boyfriend. They fight, but don't break up. She continues to see other boy. Her boyfriend leaves her.

It's not any special type of advice, but I realized that it's exactly what I need to apply to plotting out my current WIP. I guess the person I was talking to in my dream was really myself :)

IWSG and commitment... Part two

It's been a month since my last blog post, which was last month's IWSG post. I've done some brainstorming on my WIP, but I haven't been writing much lately. I'm in the middle of a career change and the summer weather has brought out my love for tennis. If writing is so important to me, why don't I make the time to do it?

After picking my brain for what's blocking me, I've decided it's expecting too much. I set too large of word count goals and expect a high quality of writing from myself and it takes out the fun of writing.

My goal for this month is to find the fun in writing again and try to develop consistency, even if it's in small amounts at a time.

And hopefully I won't go another month without posting!

IWSG and commitment

My current struggle is commitment to my writing. I graduated from Spalding's MFA in writing program in November and had planned to take a few months off to dedicate to my writing before I switched jobs. After graduation, I realized I actually needed a bit of a break. My last semester was intense, and after finishing up my thesis while working full time, I was tired.

Now I'm starting a new career and trying to fit in my writing. I have small spurts where I write consistently, and then I fall off the tracks. However, I've made a new commitment to myself to keep a better schedule, but to make it reasonable. I overwhelm myself by expecting large chunks of writing everyday and then I put the writing off. I'm spending the next month brainstorming/plotting my WIP, and then (fingers crossed) going to stick to writing it. Even if it's slow and steady.

What are your writing habits? Can you keep to a writing schedule you set?

SVU, cliffhangers, and discipline

I'm typing this during a commercial. I'm watching Law & Order: SVU. And, as always, I'm hooked. I turned on this episode four minutes after it started. Sometimes I start half way through an episode. It doesn't matter when I turn it on, I almost always finish the episode.

Today is a beautiful day where I live. I had planned to be outside writing, but I made the mistake of flipping on TV and finding SVU for just a few minutes. Yeah, right.

The show does a fabulous job of hooking you before each advertisement. It's something I strive for in my writing, usually at the end of a chapter or scene. Things seem to calm down. They've followed a lead who they think will solve the case. And then, BAM, a new clue that spins everything! (Pause, show is back on) Okay, I'm back! End of the episode, and I turned the television off. It's the only way I won't spend another hour sitting on the couch when I should be outside on the patio writing. So now, I shall use my discipline and do what I should have been doing all along!

I'm not one for long posts, so moral of the story. Small cliffhangers and new clues placed at the right time, will keep readers reading. And at the end of the day, that's what we want as writers :)

Downsizing: In Life and Writing

As a kid, the more things I had, the better off I thought I was. Barbies, CDs, Beanie Babies (Yes, I was a 90's child). Movies, video games, clothes. The more stuff I had seemed a reflection of how happy I was. Only it wasn't.

As I've grown, items seem less important. Don't get me wrong, I like to have nice things, but I no longer want A LOT of nice things. The accumulation of items I've hung onto has become a burden. There's always a reason to keep something. Maybe I'll want this shirt again later when it comes back into style. This decorative item was a gift from so and so. What if my phone breaks and I need a back up. While there is reason to keep each of these, I've become better at being more selective. I don't need fifteen sweatshirts. I don't need every gift my grandma has ever given me.

Lately, I've been trying to downsize my life. My bills. My obligations. My things. More isn't better to me. More weighs me down.

I believe that this applies to writing, too. When I first started writing, I thought more was better. More description. More characters. More words. This went against my natural tendency to be concise.

Now, I've realized that in writing fiction, extra words only clutter the prose. One solid description is more effective than a whole paragraph of bland description. A character who can serve multiple purposes in the novel is better than a bunch of characters who mostly sit in the background. Words are precious in writing and should be chosen carefully. Sometimes we have to murder our darlings, but it's worth it to have cleaner prose.

Do you tend to overwrite? Underwrite? Have a perfect balance?

Insecure Writer's Group

I'll start IWSG with a story from when I started writing about five years ago.

Growing up, I always felt confident academically. I did well in school and felt capable of learning anything I put my mind to. One day, I decided I wanted to be a writer. I had written small things before throughout my school years, but I'd never thought about trying to write books. But how hard could it be? Right? I'd written a ton of essays.

I learned pretty quickly that it is hard. Very hard. And so different than academic writing. All of a sudden, my confidence vanished. I'd never felt so unsure of myself. I started to realize just how much there was to learn about fiction writing. I learned how much I didn't know. Plot, pacing, tension, character arc, and this list goes on. How was I supposed to even know if I was doing it right?

I found a writing connection post on a blog, and I connected with some writers trying to start a critique group. We all shared a small piece of writing with each other to determine if we would make a good fit. One of the ladies claimed I wasn't at the level that she wanted to exchange with. Ouch. I was hurt, mad, sad. I'd always felt so confident with words when it came to academic writing. Suddenly, the doubt I already had tripled. But then I realized it was just one opinion. And I kept writing.

Well, that'll be my first Insecure Writer's Post :) I'll continue the story of my writing journey next month!

Also, the winner has been selected for my giveway...

Drumroll please

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Barbara Barnett!!

Thanks everyone for entering. I'll have another contest before too long!

how to NOT write a book

open word/scrivener/whateveryouuse
type a sentence
erase it
click on web browser
type in facebook
read the newsfeed
type a status
realize it could be better
erase it
remember the novel you're supposed to be writing
go back to the document
think about your big idea
think about the main character
realize you need a kickass name
go to babynames.com
search girls names starting with m
search girls names starting with c
wonder if your mc should be a boy instead
search boys names starting with b
go back to girls names starting with m
feel the dryness in your throat
get water
and some chocolate
return to your computer
go back to the blank document
decide to write a blog post...

welcome to my life :)

don't forget about the giveaway! info on the previous post