I was struggling to get back on track with my latest novel so I decided a change of scenery was needed.
Delicious local beer can get the creative juices flowing, every bubble is an idea.
Where do you go to get the juices flowing?
Works In Progress
Characters interacting in my imagination.
Another Day, Another Challenge
To celebrate finishing up what I believe to be the last major edits of a novel I started over two years ago I am going to start yet another new story. You know because the other novel I did which is begging for its edits just isn’t enough.
I am participating in Camp NaNoWrimo in July and set my goal at 50K even though this is the month where you can pick a lower goal if you wish. It was tempting but there is something about the 50K mark that just calls to me.
I wonder is it possible to have too many stories, edits, poems, blogs etc. going on at once?
Nope 🙂
Is anyone else participating? What are your goals and strategies?
Lost Among The Edits
I have just recently started to dig into the edits for the novel I wrote for NaNoWriMo 2014 and it is a surprise. I put it off because it’s not a particularly easy story to read everyday, it deals with my life growing up with my schizophrenic father.
Now that I have dug in I am equal parts excited and terrified. I love and believe in the story and what it can grow to be but it is emotionally draining to relive certain events over and over again.
I remind myself that I have thrived and most of the time these stories now in retrospect make me laugh, it’s not often you can chuckle about being in a drive-by shooting…
Does anyone have any tricks they use to keep themselves on track when editing or even writing an emotionally draining story?
Making Sense
I thought about writing this part later but nothing that can make sense makes sense without it.
Looking to be Lost
Lost in Nature-
Lost in Thought-
Lost in Imagination.
Crisis of Creativity
Things I have not been able to do for approximately the last three weeks:
-Get creative for my class projects (a story about a lime green chair deserves a chance)
-Blog creatively (you can pretend otherwise but we both know it’s the truth)
-Edit my current Work In Progress (I hate the working title so that will be my excuse)
Essentially I have been caught in a pool of creative stagnation.
So of course I did what any logical writer would do… I started a new novel. I am not even going to deny that the fact it is set in Vegas is me projecting.
What do you do to get going again?
A New Quarter
A new opportunity to grow as a writer. For the next 10 weeks I am focusing on the short story and after the first reading I am already feeling liberated, challenged and terrified. It is empowering to read, learn and discover that while you have come a long way there is an even longer way to go.
Here is a glimpse into our book camp (This excerpt is from the book “From Where You Dream” by Robert Olen Butler)
The quote that starts the second chapter?
“All good novelists have bad memories” -Graham Greene
Half Way
I am halfway through the rough draft, it’s practically ready for Oprah…
Who Am I Writing For?
The most honest answer to this question is also perhaps the most conceited but it is the truth. First and foremost I write for me, I wouldn’t do it if I didn’t enjoy it and believe I had something to share. That is not the point of this exercise, I need help from my amazing followers. I have decided to take that risk and truly try to get published in some form or another, any form really but there are certain steps I need to follow.
The first step is this: I have to decide on my platform and my audience. Who am I writing for? Who are the people that read and I hope enjoy this blog? Please let me know, I think I have a general idea but I can’t be sure. I want to make sure I target the correct audience. The first step to failure would be to target the wrong audience.
How has everyone else decided upon their audience? Any hints? Suggestions? Any words of encouragement are greatly appreciated.
It Finally Happened To Me
My word count is sad but I am making a comeback- I will finish because it’s the only thing I know how to do.
I do have a pretty fantastic party scene involving a white helicopter and men wearing red tuxedos which is my shining achievement at the moment.
How is NaNoWriMo going for everyone else?
Literary.Land.of.Alysia 