I'm a part of a motivational/support group over at SFFWorld. I've talked about it a bit, haven't I? Well, if I haven't, or if this is the first you are hearing about it, it's pretty cool. Some friends and I share with each other at the beginning of the month a set of goals that we are setting for ourselves, goals which we intend to accomplish by the end of that same month. Then, throughout the next 30 or 31 days we tell each other where we're at in accomplishing those goals, share the goods and bads of our writing experience at the moment. At the end of the month we each present a re-cap, stating just how far we got or didn't get. Then we start the whole thing over again with a new set of goals.
I think doing something similar here would be kind of fun, as well as a good way to let you know where I'm at in my offline, writing life. So here goes:
I think doing something similar here would be kind of fun, as well as a good way to let you know where I'm at in my offline, writing life. So here goes:
March was pretty hard for me. I've had worse months, but not since last summer. Don't get me wrong, some good things happened. But some bad things happened too. Let's start with the good stuff, though. That's always fun to hear about.
Good Things:
I started this blog! I've been thinking about it for almost a year now, coming up with ideas and warring with myself over whether I really wanted to do it or not. I'm not a natural blogger, and I'm a fairly quiet guy offline. But I started it and its up and going!
I picked up some fun, new books to read. I made a post about this, go check it out if you haven't. It's called "Reading". I don't read half as much as I should and the books I've picked up looked fun. The first I have already finished and it was a lot more fun than I had thought when I first skimmed it. I'm now onto the second book, Chris Wooding's Retribution Falls. It's fun but I'm slowing down on it because I'm spending more time writing.
Good Things:
I started this blog! I've been thinking about it for almost a year now, coming up with ideas and warring with myself over whether I really wanted to do it or not. I'm not a natural blogger, and I'm a fairly quiet guy offline. But I started it and its up and going!
I picked up some fun, new books to read. I made a post about this, go check it out if you haven't. It's called "Reading". I don't read half as much as I should and the books I've picked up looked fun. The first I have already finished and it was a lot more fun than I had thought when I first skimmed it. I'm now onto the second book, Chris Wooding's Retribution Falls. It's fun but I'm slowing down on it because I'm spending more time writing.
I'm spending more time writing!! Getting back in the groove. Check out the Bad Things below to find out why this is a Good Thing.
The Workshop group at SFFWorld has taken off! Some of the folks at SFFWorld really wanted to have a dedicated group of people whom they could run their stories by, short stories and longer works like novels. I'm part of that group, helped put it all together and get it up and running. That was in February and this past month, in March, it really took off. New member following the rules, rules that sounded good at first got revamped because they didn't work too well in practice, yada yada. People are even talking about it in other threads over there and encouraging non-members to join. Are you a writer? Do you want someone to read over and critique your stuff? Check it out here!
I started The Lost Realm! One of the newest additions to the site (I know, it's all new!) I've promised to give you a new flash fiction story set in the world of the Lost Realm every Tuesday. Don't worry, I'm working on tomorrow's.
There's probably been some other good stuff, but I can't think of it now. So, onto the:
Bad Things
I got stuck on Red King. I didn't know what to do, didn't know where the story was going, or how my characters were coming across. I got stuck and I crumbled. Thankfully, I had the Workshop group at SFFWorld to call upon. A few friends took a look at it for me, told me what they thought and talked out some ideas with me. I'm starting to work on the story again, though the going is slow just now.
I started this site! Oh God, what was I thinking? I am not a blogger. I don't like to talk just to hear myself talk. Still, I have some ideas about writing that I want to share, want to get out there without a bunch of other people refuting my every point and telling me just how stupid I sometimes feel I am.
I promised to give you a Lost Realm tale every Tuesday. EVERY Tuesday?!?!!? What the hell?! I must have been high when I promised that. I'm a novelist. A NOVELIST!! Anything shorter than 15,000 word is impossible, let alone a whole series of stories that are shorter than that. *sigh* I still have reservations about my choice of story to share but, I did share it and I did make that stupid, stupid promise so now I have to keep to it. It will probably be a good thing in the long run...
Lots of things happened in March. Lots more than the writing related stuff I've just told you about. Most of the month was difficult; not writing really puts a damper on things. However, by this last week things were beginning to pick up. I started writing again, I made some choices and I'm sticking by them, right or wrong, because they've been set in motion and it would be too hard and embarrassing to stop them now.
March, I am so glad you are over. Good bye.
April, hello! Do you want to get some coffee? Yes? Cool. That's cool. When? Uh, now's good. ow's really good for me 'cause, really, I can't wait to get to know you.