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When I first started my book, when I became a writer not just a daydreamer or piddler, I subscribed to a few writing magazines. All professions and hobbies have magazines these days. Keeping you up on the latest news in (insert hobby or profession). Writing is no exception.
And when I first got them I gobbled them up. I searched through them, reading and skimming them, for interesting tidbits. Learning things I didn’t know about writing and getting published. At some point I began marking those pages I thought would be helpful later or had spoken to me.
I realized at one point that I spent a whole day reading a magazine about writing instead of writing. Kind of counterproductive isn’t it? But still it was valuable information… I needed to learn more about the writing and publishing business. Plus to be honest it made me feel inspired to write more… later after I finished reading the magazine.
And all of that is true. Those magazines did indeed keep me inspired some. But that inspiration always came while I was still reading the magazine and I always felt I had to finish that magazine before I could move to my own writing. Why? I don’t know. Probably my anal retentiveness. Looking back now with that hindsight vision I can see it was stupid. Inspired…? Write. When you need more inspiration read more magazine. But it didn’t happen.
Eventually I began not reading the magazines. They were slowing down my writing, I was too busy, I didn’t feel like it, etc… I’d read them later. Later never comes. I know better. I have previous experience with magazines that say if you don’t read them almost as soon as you get them, if you set them aside for later, you’ll never read them. Oh a few times I’ve decided I’m going to pick read some of them but being the anal retentive person I can about doing things in order they are suppose to be done I have to grab the oldest and its on the bottom of the large pile and it’s a bit overwhelming looking at the stack of eight months (at least) worth of magazines. So I say later and they keep piling up.
I let one of the magazine subscriptions expire. The other two I kept before I realized what a dolt I was being that if I wasn’t reading them and they were already piling up at that point then I shouldn’t have renewed them. I don’t do magazines. They end up piling up and the pack rat um collector in me won’t let me throw them away.
Even the ones I’ve read have I ever gone back to look at any of the ones I marked for future reference? No never. Will I? I don’t know. Perhaps I will when I actually finish my book. I have to do a query letter and so forth. I’ll need advice again on that. I marked a lot of stuff about that. And that is one of the things I tell myself when I try to get rid of them.
For now I’m collecting magazines that are collecting dust. This is my fate with magazines every time. That’s why I quit magazines years ago. That’s why I have a distinct dislike for them. But it’s a love hate relationship. And for once I might be telling myself the truth. After all I might use them again in the future…
I’m by no means telling anyone else not to get these magazines. In fact I will and have suggested to other aspiring writers to get them. I’ve gotten a lot out of those magazines. When I first started writing I had no clue about the publishing business. And these days you can’t go into it ignorant. It’s considered unprofessional. And it makes you look undedicated. That’s what they say anyway. Writers can no longer be writers. We have to be publicist, salesmen, and wear many other hats besides that of creative genius/writer. On top of that I’ve gotten some real inspiration and some good suggestions from them. One of my favorite articles inspired me so much that I took the part that called to my inner writer and made myself a small poster of it and an even smaller one to go in my wallet. Writing magazines are great and wonderful tools for writers. Just read them and don’t be anal about it like me either.
I’m implementing a plan today. I got a new magazine in and I’m going breeze through it. Read it. Spend about an hour on it. Then put it aside. Tomorrow I’ll dedicate another hour and so forth until I get the magazine read…. That’s the plan anyhow. But if I get inspired at any time… I will stop reading and write!
Nothing today. I listened to an audio book. That was it. No reading and no writing. Even now I’m just not motivated. I’m tired. Just tired. A little overwhelmed and tired. I think I’ve got to slow down. I’ve been busy doing alot lately. And these next two weeks promise to be just as busy. I think going and going and not taking time to do those things that must be done has gotten me tired and overwhelmed. The muse is missing…
In my current book I am in the middle of the second draft. I’d stopped writing on it for over a year now because I needed to tie up some loose ends. Only then I lost my momentum and stopped working on it all together. I think I got overwhelmed.
World building is a tedious, difficult, and precise art. You have to create rules for everyone to live by. But you have to be careful you don’t box yourself in too much. If you make it a rule you can’t change it without good cause and with good explaination of why that rule has changed. Or you threaten to lose your audience. So when you make a rule you have to look at it from all angles and make sure its one you can live with.
I think my hardest problem has been organizing my rules. Organizing my characters. I don’t know how to do it. Perhaps I should look into buying some of these programs for writers. But I shy away from those. They tend to be expensive and I don’t want to spend money if I can figure it out on my own.
So I am still going to write in my erotica while I finish up the last book in the series that I read in my writing genre. But I’m attempting to find ways to organize while I do to make myself feel as if I’m working on the big book too!
Dreams are a wonderful tool for a writer.
I have been struggling with writing my erotica. Oh I could write a sex scene but I’m not interested in writing porn I want to write erotica. Erotica (at least in my head) has a plot. I just couldn’t find the plot. I can fantasize about two men or BDSM… whatever and I can even put it down in words but to find the plot suddenly was hard for me to do.
Then I dreamed last night. It wasn’t an erotic dream but it was the beginning of my story. It told me who the players were and what the game was. I have a plot now. Thanks to my dream. So now I can pursue my writing!
Now if I can just put up that Laurell K Hamilton book….
I’ve heard different authors give different advice on whether to read while you are writing. Both make valid points to support their theory. I personally think it depends on the writer. When I’m writing my urban fantasy novels I find reading other books in that genre hard to do. I lose my own voice. And many authors tell you not to read the genre that you are writing in while you are writing, to find books out of your own genre. I love urban fantasy but I can’t read it while I write my own book. So I’m taking a break to finish a book I’ve been waiting for by one of my favorite authors in the genre. While I do that I’ll focus on the other genre I’m writing: Erotica. Now with erotica I find that I can read other erotica novels and it doesn’t affect my writing. Erotica novels are easy reads. They usually tend to be fast reads and they are, if properly written, arousing. And while the writer may arouse me it is not hard for me to find and keep my own voice and write down some of my own fantasies. So for me depending on the work I am writing on depends on whether or not I can read in that genre. I’m sad to say that I’m going to have to give up my favorite genre in order to be able to write in my favorite genre. I’ll read between books to give myself a break from my own world. And during that break I’ll write my erotica. That’s my solution so far. Let’s see how disciplined I am….
Okay I was all about writing and then I dropped the ball. I didn’t read the book by a favorite author that had come out. I put it aside. I was going to write not read! But I had a couple trips to go out of town come up. I went but didn’t write. The down time for those trips were non existant. I’m home today only I’m leaving tomorrow for a wedding. Then a moving away party and then Father’s day. No down time during that. In fact I shouldn’t be writing this but I am. Figured I had to stay on something. So if all of this sounds like excuses… well you aren’t totally wrong. I have been traveling and there hasn’t been time in my traveling to writing really. But life is always full of busy-ness. Its no excuse not to write. When has anyone ever complained of having too much time on their hands? Well there is that STYX song…
I woke up with the thought “I am so flipping stupid.” Literally I woke up thinking those words (well except for the fact that the F work in my head was a bit stronger).
For the past what 3 or 4 years I’ve been writing (using that word loosely) on my book. It’s what they are now coining the term “Urban Fantasy” for the genre. And I’ve been writing/slacking on writing my book in this genre that – until the past few months – didn’t even have a true name for the genre! What a freaking moron I am! I could’ve been ahead of the game. I was writing in a genre that they didn’t even know what to call it yet, that was rare, but the publishers were actively searching for and I was too freaking lazy/scared/busy/playing/(insert excuse) to freaking finish it… I mean really how effing stupid can I be?! I am just so angry with myself…
I hope I’m not too late to join the game. As the genre picks up steam it’ll get even harder to get published in it. I’m sick with the thought that if I had followed through on what I was doing then I would’ve put my foot in the door before the room got too crowded. Now I’m afraid I’m in the back of the room and there is a sea of people standing between me and the door. I’m not saying that it would’ve been easy to be published had I finished the book years ago but it at least would’ve been nearly as difficult as I believe its getting if it isn’t already. FRICK I’m so STUPID!
I don’t know what I was dreaming that woke me up thinking that. I feel as if God is kicking me in the ass telling me I’ve had enough time to play around, he’s given me a talent, he’s given me opportunity, that its time to get to it before its too late! I’m taking that and running with it.
So those of you who’ve heard me talk about writing (and are probably sick of it) but never see anything. I’m back on it and I’m attacking it with GUSTO! I will not be derailed. I will finish this. I will not waste any more time. This is my dream and I’m angry at myself for not pursuing it with more determination. I’ve been taking measures to improve myself and I’ve let this area of self-improvement fall by the wayside. NO MORE! My mantra: Writer’s Write.
So I’ll be writing. I’m making myself the promise that I will write everyday for at least an hour. I plan to do more but giving myself at least an hour means I can’t do less. I’ve said that before but this time is different.
This time I can feel it cement in me, this determination isn’t a passing fancy. It’s a part of me and I will do it. I’m writing!
