FINDING YOUR WRITING PROCESS

Hey All!!!

So, this past week we added a new addition to our critique group. Her name is Laurie and she's super awesome because she also loves and writes YA!!! Now, I love all of my group members, but it's just going to be exciting to have another kid at heart in the group.

As we were going through the interview process to decide if we'd let her join (we're a tough group like that), the idea of finding ones writing process came up. When it comes to plotting and developing a compelling story, each writer has their specific process for getting their ideas from their brain to the page, but finding that process can be much more difficult than any of us can think. Laurie is in search of her process now and it got me thinking on how I'd found my own.

When I first started writing, I did what I thought all writers did, I sat at my computer and typed out my chapters as they flitted across my mind. I've always been a person who outlines, but I thought I had to just follow my outline and put those ideas onto the computer screen - and I utterly failed. While the story was plotted well, the draft that began to take form wasn't nearly what I knew I could produce. So I went back to the drawing board and thought on how I used to handle writing when I was doing a lot more of it - back in college and high school - and I realized one important fact - I used to write everything in long hand before typing it out at a later time. This one small change made all the difference. The words began to flow and when I did type it out I was able to edit myself and make my first draft even better. In turning back and re-evaluating my process, I found something that really worked well for me.

Each of us, as writers, have to find what works the best for us when it comes to transferring the stories in our minds to the stories that can be seen and read by others. It may take a bit of patience and a whole lot of work, but if you spend the time and focus on the task at hand, the reward will more than be worth it.

Happy writing!!!

GETTING MY GROOVE BACK: PART DEUX

Hey All!
So, things have been slowly coming into place in my life and it got me thinking on writing and how it's hard to get a routine down once you've lost it. See, a year ago I was on a roll. I had this cushy job that provided me with a good amount of time to write in between busy spurts, not to mention those hour long lunch breaks that I'd take at my desk either reading some inspiring tale or, better yet, writing a gut wrenching story of my own. It was great. It was glorious. I was a writing machine!!!

But then I moved to New York, and my focus shifted from creating to worrying about finding a new job. That anxiety crushed my creativity like a beast taking out a delicate butterfly. Though I tried day in and out, it was hard to be productive when I didn't know how I would pay my bills in a few months.

Then things fell apart (Thankfully!) and I was back in Houston, still job searching, still worrying about my finances. Then, as if that wasn't difficult enough, I had to deal with the loss of my relationship. If my anxiety crushed my creativity, then combining it with my emotions completely tore my writing ability to shreds. I was completely unproductive. And the worst thing was I had a killer story in my head, just waiting to get out. But I couldn't write.

Then something turned around for me. It was slow at first, each piece coming into place bit by bit, but I started to see light at the end of my tunnel again.

I got a job. It wasn't perfect, and still isn't, but I slowly began to feel secure again in my finances. I met this guy friend who actually got me excited about the possibility of dating again. My friends here started dragging me out more and more, reminding me that life is out there, waiting for you to experience it. And slowly, ever so slowly, I began to want to write again.

Now it was hard as hell. And I don't know what I would've have done without my critique group and other friends encouraging me along the way, but I'm finally at peace with life now. And that's when I started to think about the routine of writing. It's hard to get to that place...to find that groove where you write almost every day and you don't have other pesky things interfering with your muse, but I'm slowly getting there.

And the only thing I have to say to the universe is that the writing gods better get ready...cause, like Stella and her groove revival, I'm back!!!

Happy writing everyone!

MAKE EVERY MOMENT COUNT

Hello All,
I wanted to take a moment to reflect on making every moment count when it comes to your writing. As writers, we often think that if we can't get in one solid hour of page filling work, then we've been completely useless. We've all done it. Hell, I've gone through the roller coaster of self-hatred when I just couldn't get any words on the page...no matter what I tried. But I think it's time to let go of that archaic thinking and expand our minds to be more forgiving and more open.

Last night, I was at work until 4:00 pm, I had to miss my workout, and then I had my lovely (and yet rowdy) niece with me until my mom came to relieve me around 8:00 pm. With eating, de-stressing, and evening rituals to do, I thought there would be no way for me to get in the hour of writing time I'd planned for. But instead of pouting and beating myself up, I sat down and got in thirty minutes. It wasn't much, and I only got through about three pages of work, but it was farther along than when I woke up that morning...and it was enough work to get me to the next scene of my story, which I'm really excited to write.

Then it hit me...even a few moments of quiet writing time, on top of one another, is better than none. I need to evolve and do something if I truly want to be productive. I can't always wait around for the perfect conditions. Sometimes I have to push forward.

I went to sleep last night feeling good, with a new mindset for the future.

Happy Writing!!!

EMOTIONS AND WRITING

Hello All!

This weekend I got to thinking on the different factors that affect a person's writing. In this industry there are so many hurdles for a writer to consider. Not only do you have to write a killer manuscript, but you have to go to conference and network, you have to work hard to get an agent, hopefully get picked up by an editor, and then you have to network and get the word out on your story to get that books off the shelves. It's a crazy and intense process that only the dedicated can even think on messing with.

If all of these hills and roadblocks aren't enough, writers have to deal with the everyday distractions that often can interrupt the flow of one's writing process. Let's see, there's the television, internet, the constant need to be reassured of one's talent....and normal things, like sleeping, eating, working out, etc. Hell, life is a constant distraction. But the one thing that can uproot the entire writing process is a writer's emotions.

Yep, I said it. Feelings can completely ruin the entire process. For me, it's hard to be creative when I'm feeling like shit. When nothing seems to be going right, it's difficult to focus on characterization and storylines. All I want to do is mope and quietly watch television...which is completely unproductive.

I remember reading about this happening to Stephenie Meyers when she was writing Midnight Sun, which was supposed to be the story of Twilight told from Edward's point of view. Her unedited and unfinished manuscript had been leaked on the web and Mrs. Meyers was so distraught that she couldn't finish writing it. She wrote on her website how writing while she was in that emotional state could change the entire makeup of the story, that the bad guys would beat Edward, and Bella would end up dead at the end. At the time I didn't get it. I mean, the book was already written. Couldn't she just take that outline and make it work. Forget her emotions, we were all salivating for Edwards point of view!!!!

Now that I've recently gone through my own bout of craziness, I'm realizing how futile it is to try to force myself to write when my heart isn't in it. For me, it's better to wait it out and let the bad mood pass. Then, I can get to work and move forward.

Does this happen to you guys? And how do you handle writing when your emotions are going bananas?

Happy writing!!!

MOVING FORWARD

Hey All,
For those of you who don't know me, recently my life had been turned upside down. I'm serious...it really went to shit for a while. I moved back to Texas (both a good and bad thing, depending on how you see it, but it definitely wasn't in the plan). As of today's date, I've found a new job (thankfully, because the market is definiately a beast). And I'm having to re-sketch all of the plans I thought had been finalized in my life. During that time of intense change and re-evaluation, I was forced to deal with an idea that I had hoped and prayed I wouldn't have to deal with - the idea of moving forward, of making a decision to strive for something more and leaping into the void to get it.

It's a topic that I think interconnects with many aspects of life, including writing.

There's that moment when you look at a manuscript and think, "Where do I go from here?" There's the constant fear of it never being good enough, and always, always, always cornering yourself in revisions, trying to smooth out every single hitch in the plot. There's the time when you think it's great, and someone else reads it and tells you it's shit!

When you come across these moments, it's important to be able to see the bigger picture - to be able to look outside your fear and make a calculated decision that goes in line with your overall goals. Now, I know that this is much easier said than done, but we all have to push through these moments. I, myself, have to get off my butt and finish reading through my first manuscript and be brave enough to begin sending it out...again. It's hard to decide if a story is good enough - to know that you'll be rejected time and time again...and to still press on. But you have to do it!!!

So, make the decision. Move forward with your goals. Send out that manuscript that you've revised over and over again. Because though you might've been pushed down and beat up many times, this may be YOUR time.

Happy writing!!!

MIA

Hey All!!!

So I know I've been MIA, but things have kinda gone a bit crazy...but in a good way. I'm working to get my groove back (which is happening in so many amazing ways that I can't even begin to describe how good it feels), and once things are a bit more settled in my working life I'll be back to talking most things writing, with some other things mixed in there.

Until then....Happy Writing!!!

FRESH EYES

Hello All!!!

So before you curse me thoroughly out, let me just say...my bad. I've been so focused on job hunting in New York that most of everything else has fallen to the side. But I'm close to getting that coveted position, which will cause some stability to come into my life, so I'll be back on track in no time.

So, I've joined a new critique group, which was hard, hard, hard. After a few meetings, they revealed quite a few problems with the Fated manuscript that I had been working on. Now to tell you the truth I've been worried about this story for a while, and their notes just confirmed some fears I had. The problem I came upon was the fact that I had no interest in messing with the story. I'd look at the pages and my eyes would bleed. My brain felt like it was melting in my head. I stalled for days to even look at the suggestions, much less actually getting any work done. And that's when it came to me: I needed a break from Fated.

Every writer comes to this place in the process. You know the one. Where you cannot and will not look at a story. Where it's obvious that any work you do will probably cause more damage to the story, instead of making it better.

Instead of forcing the writing I decided to go back to my first book...and it was like a breath of fresh air. I'm excited to listen to Morghan again, to hear what she has to say and to polish that story. It's all about fresh eyes, people, and it's important, as writers, to understand when you need to take a break from something and when it's time to go back to it.

Happy Writing!!!