Category: Writing Life

Updates March 14 – 18

Hello

Thank you for the likes and follows.

Last week, was an okay week for me. I was able to post all the days that I’ve wanted to and scheduled. There were some hiccups but we shouldn’t expect everything to go smoothly.

I have a problem and I am open to suggestions. I have this problem that when I am working on one writing project, another one will start worming its way into my mind. Then I get distracted. Does this mean I am leaving the Connection Lost alone? No. However, I have finally realized that one of my main characters in Star Crossed has been lying to herself. Which is writing advice other writers have told us before. There is always a lie the character tells themselves. I’m relieved and a little bit annoyed. Star Cross is a difficult story for me. I can’t say exactly when the idea came to me. I tossed it around in my mind for a year or two, before I decided to rough draft it during NaNoWriMo. I didn’t win and I am ok with that. I planned to spend most of the first quarter of this year completing it. But I got stuck somewhere in that story and I could not find a way out of it. I felt I didn’t know enough about my characters and their work life specifically. One of them is a celebrity and I didn’t want the representation of that life to be typical. Now that I’ve had the epiphany about my character. I can continue with the story. However, there is Connection Lost. I started writing about it for accountability and it is still slated as a short story. I have come to the realization that for me, developing a short story takes the same amount of mental energy as a novel. Sometimes, I will have to be realistic with myself and what I can do with the time I have. I made a note about what I needed to do for Star Crossed and kept with Connection Lost. I will be looking to add Star Crossed into the second quarter, by the end of March I want a complete draft of Connection Lost.

I posted a short reading list, last week Wednesday. I will write about that in-depth in this Wednesday’s post. This is just a reminder for you guys and me as well. Yes, there is also a procrastination-read/listen and that was Heart of Obsidian by Nalini Singh. I don’t remember if I have ever written a review about the psy-changeling series, so they can go on the To-Be-Reviewed list.

This week there are some personal appointments that I have to keep. The writing goal is 500 new words in Connection Lost. Other stories are in various stages of development and I would be working on them as well. There is also the short reading list to complete as well.

That is all I have to write for this update. I hope the week is full of opportunity for us all.

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Updates March 07-11

Hello,

Thanks for the likes and follows. Please leave a comment if inspired.

This is a late edition. I planned it hit a goal and I missed. This is a no-fault miss. I am working on accepting days like this. Overall last week went well. I feel odd typing that because I know that was not the case for everyone. I am sending positive thoughts and encouragement to everyone that needs it. By all means, readers pay it forward to anyone else.

Last month in the first quarter. I should be able to see a path to a better writing process and improved business strategy. I have notes and we will see how things go. It is also Women’s Month and all I have done is make an all-woman music playlist. The next four quotes in the QFW will be by talented, intelligent women. Even though I believe these events are important I think that we should be celebrated and supported all the time.

Last week ProWritingAid had a free Fantasy Writers Week. It was four days of webinars and virtual networks. It was fun. I plan to get subscribe to the service. I have Microsoft Word and Google Drive, Scrivener, Reedsy, and other tools, each one has helped develop a different story. When given the chance I will subscribe to ProWritingAid. I learned a lot from the people they invited to speak. I didn’t always agree with everything said but I understood where they were coming from. Some might say I don’t have a right to disagree with these authors and creators, but they are not icons and what works for them will not work for us. It doesn’t mean we, the unpublished or unrecognized writers, are wrong on more than one occasion, there were writers typing in the chat that they were tanking their whole book, based on what the speaker was saying. I don’t think they were serious but could’ve been. I also don’t think the speaker meant that their way was the only way. There were questions from writers, that were in a tone of asking permission. Overall the speakers were positive on all the questions and encouraged the fledgling fantasy writer to go forth and build vast luxurious worlds and intriguing characters. What I learned most from the week of webinars is that “all was permitted, it is the execution that is important.” Yes, I borrowed that from Assasin Creed, where I heard it first.

In writing news, Connection Lost, I started talking about it so I must continue. I like the idea of writing small stories to connect to a larger saga. As part of the conflict I will be introducing some characters who will have more influence later on in another story. What is the conflict? This is question has stumped me many times, there are so many possibilities. What can happen to a seeming magic-less person in a supernatural world? There is a window of exploitation. If that is possible, why can’t she rely on family for protection? Connection Lost’s conflict will have something to do with her passive ability. The resolution will have something lost and something gained. I don’t know which one will be better for the character. Sorry if this sounds confusing. This is why execution matters. I don’t want to share a story that has plot holes wide enough for an 8-lane highway.

This is a late edition, typed this morning. I know what I wrote previously, I will do better. Writing goals for this week, are to come up with a believable conflict for Connection lost; decide what will be gained and what will be lost. There will be no word count goal this week. But I will be writing and that is a good thing.

Again I hope everyone who reads this post is doing well. Let’s try to be kind to everyone when it is possible. Be open for positive change and great opportunities. That is all for now.

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