Check out my new Links page for links to some awesome, fun, and truly fantastic stuff and people. Don't worry, I'll keep adding to it as I find new things that interest me.
So my host, Weebly, doesn't seem to have a way to make a sidebar for links to all the cool places and people I've found on the internet. Ok, I'll just make a page for it!
Check out my new Links page for links to some awesome, fun, and truly fantastic stuff and people. Don't worry, I'll keep adding to it as I find new things that interest me.
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Wow! I had no idea that nine days had passed since my last post. I had intended to keep this blog at least bi-weekly. I still have every intention of doing that and, all I can say, is that I really hate trying to choose from between different numerous, different options.
What do I mean by this? In one of my last posts I talked about wanting to fill my plate and do more things with the hope of motivating myself toward a greater efficiency and impetus to work on those items already before me. Today I begin to fulfill that plan by giving you the continuing story of the Lost Realm. Writers need to be readers. This is a very important tenant to follow for any writer or wannabe author (such as myself). And I am sad to say that I am a huge hypocrite on this point as I don't read half as much as I should.
I have heard it said that the more you have to do the more you get done. I have found this to be true, as well as its opposite.
My primary task at the day job is to answer phones. I do a lot more than just that, but I have to be available to answer the phone as often as possible when I am not on break. Yes, I am a secretary. Though, "administrative assistant" is more preferable. The very best, however, is "the guy who knows everything". I've heard that a couple of times from my superiors and that's just awesome! I was getting tired of not being able to read the comments on my blog unless I hi-lited them. A new format was definitely needed to make that easier. Hopefully not too much different. Though, I had grown used to the blue titles and this template doesn't seem to have different colors than the yellow...gold...orange...whatever. I will miss the blue
I was just reading a post over at SFFWorld in my motivation group's thread for this month. One of the group members commented that they were impressed by everyone's ability to write consistently. Another responded with the message that there is no perfect time to write, and he went on to describe where and when he is able to find the time. He is exactly right.
Motivation causes action. It makes us do things, gets us moving. The annoying buzz of the alarm clock in the morning motivates us to wake up and turn it off. A ringing phone motivates us to pick it up. A crying friend motivates us to embrace them and ask them what is wrong. Those are external motivators, however, and, what can motivate can also demotivate or stop entirely.
This is the first goal I have for becoming a writer. To develop the habit of writing on one of my stories every single day. Sadly, I am not quite there yet.
One of my favorite authors is Terry Pratchett, creator of the Discworld. I read somewhere that before he became a full time writer and was still working in a public relations job, that he would come home each night and write 500 words. That was how he completed his stories. 500 words, rain or shine, family or friends. Wherever it was that I read this (I can't remember it now) it also stated that if he reached the end of a novel and had not yet completed his 500 words, that he would turn the page and begin a new story. Wow! I wish I had the drive to do that. My natural length for a writing session is around 700-and some words. That's when I'm forcing myself to write. When I'm in the story, got my head in the game, I can easily crank out around 2,000 words in just under 3 hours. My very best day, however, was a marathon writing session during NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) when I wrote for maybe six or even eight hours and produced 7,000 words. That was a great day. I want more of those. I did that during writing spree in which some friends and I held our own, modified version of NaNo so we could work on our current projects rather than starting new ones. I set myself a goal of 40,000 words in one month. I was around 65% through what would be the completed story. Not only did I finish the book, but I also shattered my goal by writing 56,000 words. And did it in 19 days. The reason? I was living my story. I knew my characters, my plot, the world I had created. Everything. I knew what had to happen and how it had to happen. I was begging my boss at the day job to let me go home early so I could write. I could not stop thinking about the story. One night, I remember, I was barred from writing by attending my cousin's birthday party instead. That was a very hard night because the thoughts and energy I needed was all there and ready to go and I couldn't write. The next day my word count suffered because my energy level for the writing was decreased. I still knew everything, but I no longer had the drive to get it out on paper like I had had before. Like a pocket watch, I hadn't kept my story wound up in my head. The moral of this is that if you want to be a writer then you need to write every day. It doesn't matter how much, just write something. Set yourself a goal and reach it. If you do this the story will come easier and more naturally. Soon, you will be surpassing your goal by leaps and bounds and the quality of your work will be improved as well. Sporadic writing causes you to produce the story slowly and in a dull fashion. You have to remind yourself every time you return to the story of what is happening, what this minor character's personality is because you have to write them having a conversation with the main characters, and so much more. I'm talking to myself here as much as to you. Writing every day is the only way the story will come out. So write every day. The site is a work in progress. I'm still not entirely certain of all that I want to do with it or put on it. It's less than 24 hours old at this point but already I am developing more ideas of what I would like to do. You'll see I've added two new pages, an About page and another, Current Projects page where I will post info and share thoughts specific to them. Check them out! More details on the developing site as well as some fun, writerly stuff to come soon.
I am not one to talk just to hear myself talk. This means I had the idea for this site about a year ago but have been debating it ever since. Some personal sites and blogs (though far from all of them) can feel like their author is just talking to talk. I find that to be the same as going for a walk without any purpose: pointless and annoying.
However, I really do like talking about writing. I haven't entered the "business of writing" yet, so I can't say anything about adventures in publishing, but I am very entrenched in the art of writing. Really, who doesn't like talking shop with others in their same fields and positions but in other companies? I was thinking about all of this as I climbed in bed last night. That I've written out a few ideas that I want to talk about at some point, some different ideas of things I can do and put on this site...and I realized I had a lot more to discuss and put out there than I had even been thinking about at the best times in my yearlong debate. So I'm even more excited to be doing this than I was last night! Wohoo! It's going to be hard not to say it all in one sitting, don't want to overwhelm you |
AuthorI'm a twenty-something, wannabe author who's been writing Fantasy stories for the last decade, working hard to perfect my craft. Archives
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