It matters not how much you wrote, or what you wrote. the question is whether you wrote at any time this week. This note is a prod for those of us who find it hard to write in any month. the hope is that you report here, even if you do not write, and then use that as an excuse to write something for the next week. As to what is writing, new writing is, of course, writing, but editing is even more important writing. It matters not whether it is your work, someone else's work, or critiquing the work of another. Editing is writing. I tend to write by editing, getting something on paper, then expanding on it. Poetry, writing assignments, technical writing, blogging, articles, are also writing, along with world and character creation. Even E-mails can be writing, as long as they are wordy and pertain to story or writing. if you have to ask if it is writing, the answer is most likely yes. the amount to write to be writing is up to you. If you write the right word, then you wrote.
As for me. I have written. I added 650 words to my work in progress. I am editing and am zapping segments while I am at it. Many parts are replaced entirely, but this week it has not be big blocks of text. In all, I added one page of writing. I do feel I made some headway, but this piece is fighting me tooth and nail, plus I have struggled to find extra time to work on it. I have some friends that have been able to go almost full time in their writing. I still have to fit my writing around everything else. I wish I could give something unimportant up for my writing. Maybe sleep? Work? These notes?, ???
On the story idea front, I am one story idea behind right now, and expect to fall another behind because of a meeting this week. including the idea I am posting tonight, I have 61 story ideas in my compost pile. That is with some digging into the top layers during the week, I still gained four. I never know how I do it. I sure is fun, though.
I am teaching myself how to crochet. It is something to do while waiting. One cannot read all the time. I am still working on my first piece, it started horrible, got bad, and now showing signs of developing some minimal skills. Almost from the beginning, I have seen that I should undo what I had and correct a number of things, but I also realized that this is my first piece and when I finish it, I will be on to something a little bit more real. I might as well continue to work with the mess I have until I run out of string or know I have advanced beyond where I am. The great thing is that I can see my improvement in the same piece. One interesting thing about the crochet for me, is that it is about as concentration intensive as a video game. If I have to wait for a long time, this gives me another option to reading or drawing. Luckily, I have not had to wait for very long since I did the first couple inches while waiting in line at the driver's license. This weekend, out of a moment of curiosity, I made my own crochet needles. I am really surprised that they do work. I need to polish them some more so they don't drag on the yarn, but they do the job. this effort has taught me something about the tools. I love the idea of making your own tools. I learned in woodworking that if you can make your own tools, you are not afraid to repair a tool, or to modify it to fit your needs better. Making crochet needles really does not fit in that category, but it does let me know I can make them if I was out in the wilderness with some yarn or string. Doing this work, I can also see where the skill of crochet could come in handy.
I have always liked the concept of someone who can do just about anything, stuck in a situation where that person must essentially start over. I have used that concept in a number of story ideas. I have found that in my writing, each new thing I learn to do, adds to the story ideas I write. If I can do it, I can use something of it in my writing. I had always wanted to know absolutely everything, but I am learning that to actually DO something, is even more important. Now I have to learn how to write, then I will have it really made.....
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Yes, I did. Mostly revisions, still. But I did write a little on a new short story. And, of course, my blog posts. Oh, and some notes for a new novel I'll likely be starting soon.
Posts: 4633 | Registered: Dec 2008
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Yes. I started a new short story after spending too much time world building and am about 500 words in now. On the subject of Yarn Arts I do knit, but mainly in fall and winter. Posts: 291 | Registered: Jun 2010
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No writing. I resisted the siren call of Internet Fan Fiction, at least for the last two weeks...but nothing else in any other direction.
This morningm, before getting out of bed, I was thinking of a story that aborted and died on me about this time last year...msybe that'll keep appealing to me, and I can get something down on paper. Or computer screen.
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I've been banging my head against a wall on one story. A few crits, a microflash and a writing challenge. And a couple of story outlines, one of which came out of the writing challenge.
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I've been doing a lot of thinking as well as writing. I wrote a couple of short stories.
But I've been thinking of where I am after a year plus of coming to writing. I'm afraid I'm in a bit of an author crisis. Is my stuff any good? Why doesn't it resonate with editors? (A few rejections came my way this week) Why doesn't it resonate with readers (A few negative crits, as well)
I have come to the conclusion (tentative) that my style and my markets don't match. The kinds of stuff that comes so easily to mind are actually YA Fantasy material. Light, action-oriented Fantasy. Rather than amp up the nastiness, descend into deeper depths, or do something way out, I write easy to read action stories. There just isn't a large adult market for that, especially in short stories.
It leads to more to think about. Did I write? Yes. And I thought as well.
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Yes I wrote about 1000 words last week and worked on one of my characters and reorganized my outline.
Posts: 154 | Registered: Jun 2010
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