I haven’t written a word on Vezien’s story, which bugs the hell out of me.
Instead I’ve been trying to shut up another one, which keeps yelling in my head.
In the end I figured as long as he’s screaming, he’s going to distract me from doing what I should be doing — so I’ll write him out of my head for now.
So todays update is not on Vezien, but on Taan instead.
Title: Cursed Legacy - Taan
Words Written: 4963
Challenge Total: 7647
Word Count - Taan: 3324 (+ 1639, Character interview)
Well, all in all, that’s not bad. 
October 10th, 2008
Posted by
Anonymouse |
The Written Word, Tweety |
no comments
Every writer should wander around with a notepad and a pen. Seriously.
I carry a moleskine around with me, mainly because it’s small, handy and has a little pocket to put stuff in.
You may argue about that laptop, and the old "I don’t need…", but well, I’m telling you. You do.
Formats change. Your PDA might break. You might run out of battery power on your Blackberry.
That notebook?
You’ll still be able to use it in 50 years time. That format never changes.
Ask Hemingway.
It’s useful to quickly note down those brainstorms you get at the most inconvenient times.
To write down that elusive bit of research you just tripped over.
Character sketches.
Location notes.
Bits of dialog.
Parts of the plot that eluded you.
Plots you haven’t written yet, but which are too precious to forget.
To Do lists.
Character Names.
The taste of that cherry pie you just had.
The smell of the house you just walked into.
The name of a song you just remembered.
Somewhere to put that menu in the Diner you want to use in your next novel.
Prices of things.
Colors of things.
The feel of the velvet curtain you accidentally pulled down at your friend’s house.
Phrases used by professionals.
Legal terminology.
Sketching the layout of a building.
You name it, it’s useful to have a notebook to hand. Because if you know it’s there, you’ll probably use it.
It’s quicker to write in than trying to text yourself, trust me.
And you just never know when the stuff you put in it comes in useful.
I recommend everyone carry one, whether it’s one of the more expensive little moleskines, or a 99 cent scratchpad.
October 7th, 2008
Posted by
Anonymouse |
The Written Word |
no comments
I would like to thank Chris Colin, of www.sfgate.com, for his unbiased and well written article about the Romance genre.
I don’t know him, but he made a friend in me with what he wrote.
The writer in me rejoices to see someone look at the genre for what it is, and not let his judgment be clouded by hearsay and prejudice.
I recommend reading it.
October 6th, 2008
Posted by
Anonymouse |
The Written Word |
no comments
Writing long hours isn’t for everyone.
Many of us work on projects that encompass much more than just writing. There’s research. Revision. Distraction…
When you write a long project, it can help to set yourself targets. Realistic targets, that is.
Saying "I will get my book published this year" isn’t a realistic target. It’s not even a target. It’s a longterm goal, but not realistic.
There are a few things you can do:
1. Work out your priorities
If you work on several projects at once — like I do — it’s important to know which one needs to be finished first. It generally isn’t a good idea to have more than one project on the go at any given time, but it can be done. If you have your priorities set and know where you’re going.
2. Set yourself a realistic goal
It’s no good saying "I will have my novel published this year". It’s a goal, yes, but an unrealistic one.
If you say "I will finish the book this year and submit it to X number of publishers / agents." that’s more like it. You can actually achieve that, there are no unknown factors involved.
3. Set yourself realistic targets
That’s different from goals. Targets are short term, goals are long term.
Good targets are:
Write 1000 words every day.
Brush up by reading relevant books once a week.
Research new markets every Saturday.
4. Keep track
Whether you use a word counter, or use a "Goals" site like Joe’s Goals, or write your achievements down on a piece of paper — keep track of how you are doing somehow. That visual clue is motivating, no matter if you fall short sometimes. It’s that kick up the rear or the pat on the back, but most of all, it shows you’re working on things. I use my blog to record my progress, setting my targets there, and blogging my progress. Get your friends on board and they’ll kick you up the backside when you slack.
5. Assess how you’re doing and adjust if you have to
Life happens. Sometimes you get ahead of yourself, sometimes you fall behind. Don’t get discouraged. If it doesn’t look like you can achieve your targets — rejig them. Maybe they weren’t realistic and now you know better what you can achieve.
Only make 500 words a day instead of 1000? Fix your target to reflect it. You will feel better when you set it to something you can achieve, rather than beat yourself up over not making it.
There is no point in feeling guilty, because that reflects on your writing. It only makes things worse, so instead of feeling guilty — rework the target. Once you achieve your targets, you feel better about yourself, and things are easier. Next time, set the target slightly higher. i.e. go from 500 words to 750. Over time you’ll find it gets much easier to achieve it, because you’ve already proven to yourself that you can do it.
Most of all — keep writing.
October 6th, 2008
Posted by
Anonymouse |
The Written Word |
one comment
