Okay, simply put, I suck at this. Since my very first novel I wrote from start to finish, I have not perfected the art of revision and follow through. On that first one, I polished it as well as I thought I could. I think because it was my first. It was my baby. My first love. I wanted to make it the best I possibly could. I read it, made changes, read it again and made more changes. I let people read it and took their suggestions to heart. I queried and when I got no hits from that first round, I reworked the query and made it better.
I did everything right with that first novel. Everything that is except write a good, quality piece of fiction. It was my first after all and I like to think four years in I've gotten better.
But now, I have a little problem. I've said this before. The ideas flow through my head faster than I can get them down on paper or type them in my MacBook. Because of that, I'm impatient. I don't want to go through the revision process. I want to start on my next novel. As a result, I probably have four or more incomplete novels saved. The premise of each is probably decent but I get too excited about the next to finish the last.
I keep making myself a promise. When I finish the current, I'll go back and polish those four. Make them all good and get ready to go through a round of submissions for one at a time. I guess I could look at it a couple of ways. Either I have a diamond in the rough, a gem in my own personal slush pile, or none of those has been the right one and deep down I know it. Still, I think each is worth taking another look at with fresh eyes and more wisdom.
We'll see. Maybe one of them is that diamond. I hope so;-) Until then, I'll keep writing.
Hubby is watching The Voice as I write this. God, I love that show!
Monday, May 20, 2013
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Why I Write
I write because I have to.
I write because I need to.
I write because I love it.
I write because it's the first thing I want to do after a bad day (or a good day for that matter).
I write because I have stories to tell.
I write because it makes me happy:-)
I write because it's embedded in every part of my being to do so.
I don't write trends.
I don't write because I think it's cool.
I don't write because I want to be published (although that would be nice).
I don't write to prove anything to anyone else.
I don't write to get rich (although that would be really nice!).
Thanks for being patient through my mantra. I did it for me as much as for you. Sometimes, I need to remind myself why I do it. God knows it's certainly not easy but it's immensely rewarding and maybe not in the way anyone would think. There's nothing more cathartic or freeing than to pour your feelings out on computer or paper. Sometimes, I pick up a notebook and pencil because I just need to write that way. It's how I started and I enjoy the process of pencil marks flowing across the paper almost more than typing. I know what you're thinking. It's a bit old school.
After a bad day at work, a few bad days actually, I'm very thankful to come home to my family and to be able to sit down and write this entry then a chapter on my current work in progress. Ah! Can you hear my happy sigh? I write because I'm a writer.
I write because I need to.
I write because I love it.
I write because it's the first thing I want to do after a bad day (or a good day for that matter).
I write because I have stories to tell.
I write because it makes me happy:-)
I write because it's embedded in every part of my being to do so.
I don't write trends.
I don't write because I think it's cool.
I don't write because I want to be published (although that would be nice).
I don't write to prove anything to anyone else.
I don't write to get rich (although that would be really nice!).
Thanks for being patient through my mantra. I did it for me as much as for you. Sometimes, I need to remind myself why I do it. God knows it's certainly not easy but it's immensely rewarding and maybe not in the way anyone would think. There's nothing more cathartic or freeing than to pour your feelings out on computer or paper. Sometimes, I pick up a notebook and pencil because I just need to write that way. It's how I started and I enjoy the process of pencil marks flowing across the paper almost more than typing. I know what you're thinking. It's a bit old school.
After a bad day at work, a few bad days actually, I'm very thankful to come home to my family and to be able to sit down and write this entry then a chapter on my current work in progress. Ah! Can you hear my happy sigh? I write because I'm a writer.
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
The Sequel or Not the Sequel
I freely admit I got this idea from one of the blogs I follow, but it was something I've struggled with in my writing. When do you write that sequel you have in mind? As the author I borrowed from stated, there are two trains of thought on this. There's the write it now while the ideas are still fresh and you can tweak the story as you see fit. Then, there's the wait until you get the first published and see if there's a push for a follow up.
I can tell you this, the overwhelming winner among agents out there is to wait and see if you get the first one published. The reasons behind this are good with primarily the idea you'd be wasting time when you could start something else. I get it and I agree. Still, my heart and mind struggle with the characters I long to consider in the sequel.
So often, I start a novel with my main characters in mind but inevitably a secondary character grabs my attention and I can't stand not investigating the nuances of this interesting person. I can barely even wait through the first book and sometimes don't. Hence the reason I often write ensemble, multi POV stories. I get so excited and just can't help myself.
The solution given by one agent seemed the best to me. Go ahead and write your first novel. Make it as stand alone as you possibly can. Then, go ahead and outline any subsequent sequels, maybe even write a synopsis for each. That way, you keep your ideas fresh and know if you need to change something.
However, if you simply can't wait, write it for God's sake. It's your time. Do with it as you want.
I can tell you this, the overwhelming winner among agents out there is to wait and see if you get the first one published. The reasons behind this are good with primarily the idea you'd be wasting time when you could start something else. I get it and I agree. Still, my heart and mind struggle with the characters I long to consider in the sequel.
So often, I start a novel with my main characters in mind but inevitably a secondary character grabs my attention and I can't stand not investigating the nuances of this interesting person. I can barely even wait through the first book and sometimes don't. Hence the reason I often write ensemble, multi POV stories. I get so excited and just can't help myself.
The solution given by one agent seemed the best to me. Go ahead and write your first novel. Make it as stand alone as you possibly can. Then, go ahead and outline any subsequent sequels, maybe even write a synopsis for each. That way, you keep your ideas fresh and know if you need to change something.
However, if you simply can't wait, write it for God's sake. It's your time. Do with it as you want.
Saturday, May 4, 2013
Rules of the Writing World
Who likes rules? Not really anyone, I would imagine. Yet we all know they keep things from dissolving into complete chaos and creating overwhelming disorder. Such are the rules of writing. I'm not talking about grammar here or typical writing conventions. I'm talking about what does and does not work for the reader. Examples would be switching between multiple points of view. The no-no of prologues. Another might be not to blend or cross genres.
Now, I know what you're thinking. Hey, wait a minute, I've seen all these used in various books and they worked. So, what does that mean exactly? It means, pardon my French, screw the rules.
Don't go getting mad at me. As I said before, we have rules for a reason. All I'm saying here is it's your writing and to start with, do what you want. If it works, you'll know it. If it doesn't, go back to what the various rule-makers have said. The point is if you are a good writer, people will probably like it anyway. It's more about the delivery than the idea of something.
Let's focus on the multiple POV point. This used to be a major no-no but recently we've seen it change. The Help would be a good example. In it, Kathryn Stockett takes each chapter and devotes it to one of three characters and her point of view. It works because she follows a formula. The POV shifts with a chapter titled with the character's name so you can easily see when she changes it. Also, she does a great job with developing each character's voice and you learn to identify with that as well. About three quarters of the way through the book, she does the unthinkable and drops in a chapter devoted to the Benefit. This is written in third person omniscience POV so as to tell all the momentous happenings occurring during the night. Although according to the rules this shouldn't work, it does. Not only does it work, it pulls together a lot of the plot lines up to that point and has all the characters together in one big scene.
I use this popular example because it's a well received story that doesn't always follow the standard conventions a novel is supposed to but it does so well.
I know you've read novels with prologues you've loved. I certainly have. One of my favorite suspense authors did this a lot and I never found it distracting to the story. Instead, I found myself growing more excited as each chapter passed knowing I was nearing the momentous scene. Mixing or crossing genres is becoming ever popular these days and you rarely find a novel now that fits only into one.
I'm a rule follower by nature and I struggle with this. My mind comes up with ideas I think could be creative and interesting but don't necessarily fit with what's been done before. But, that's okay. Right? The things I mentioned above would suggest so. Still, when I read a blog or article describing all the things you should and should not do, I start to doubt myself. I guess the moral of the story is write it first and see if it works. You'll know or you'll soon find out and you'll be the wiser for it. Don't be afraid to take risks. Kathryn Stockett did and we all know how that worked out;-)
It's Derby time in the 'Ville. An exciting time for the locals and visitors to our fair city alike. This is the time of the year when I'm most proud to be a Louisvillian.
Song I love: My Old Kentucky Home, Stephen Foster. If you've been to or seen the Derby, you'll know why;-) Happy Derby!
Now, I know what you're thinking. Hey, wait a minute, I've seen all these used in various books and they worked. So, what does that mean exactly? It means, pardon my French, screw the rules.
Don't go getting mad at me. As I said before, we have rules for a reason. All I'm saying here is it's your writing and to start with, do what you want. If it works, you'll know it. If it doesn't, go back to what the various rule-makers have said. The point is if you are a good writer, people will probably like it anyway. It's more about the delivery than the idea of something.
Let's focus on the multiple POV point. This used to be a major no-no but recently we've seen it change. The Help would be a good example. In it, Kathryn Stockett takes each chapter and devotes it to one of three characters and her point of view. It works because she follows a formula. The POV shifts with a chapter titled with the character's name so you can easily see when she changes it. Also, she does a great job with developing each character's voice and you learn to identify with that as well. About three quarters of the way through the book, she does the unthinkable and drops in a chapter devoted to the Benefit. This is written in third person omniscience POV so as to tell all the momentous happenings occurring during the night. Although according to the rules this shouldn't work, it does. Not only does it work, it pulls together a lot of the plot lines up to that point and has all the characters together in one big scene.
I use this popular example because it's a well received story that doesn't always follow the standard conventions a novel is supposed to but it does so well.
I know you've read novels with prologues you've loved. I certainly have. One of my favorite suspense authors did this a lot and I never found it distracting to the story. Instead, I found myself growing more excited as each chapter passed knowing I was nearing the momentous scene. Mixing or crossing genres is becoming ever popular these days and you rarely find a novel now that fits only into one.
I'm a rule follower by nature and I struggle with this. My mind comes up with ideas I think could be creative and interesting but don't necessarily fit with what's been done before. But, that's okay. Right? The things I mentioned above would suggest so. Still, when I read a blog or article describing all the things you should and should not do, I start to doubt myself. I guess the moral of the story is write it first and see if it works. You'll know or you'll soon find out and you'll be the wiser for it. Don't be afraid to take risks. Kathryn Stockett did and we all know how that worked out;-)
It's Derby time in the 'Ville. An exciting time for the locals and visitors to our fair city alike. This is the time of the year when I'm most proud to be a Louisvillian.
Song I love: My Old Kentucky Home, Stephen Foster. If you've been to or seen the Derby, you'll know why;-) Happy Derby!
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