The Secret Life of Writing

Exactly like the title says: Facts can make or break you. My focus on writing the past couple nights has been to confirm that biologically, what I am saying is consistent and grounded in facts. Now, I am not saying that everything we write in the sci-fi or fantasy genre is always going to have a factual basis, but it does tend to make a story stronger. A reader doesn't like the answer "because I said so" when questioning how one man could populate an entire coven without their knowledge and no inbreeding occurring. This has occurred in my current story, and I am basing it on facts (facts in the human world that can be manipulated by the supernatural). I believe this makes the story more interesting and takes the reader on a real journey to where they can actually visualize it and understand how it can happen. Now, I am not saying we can't leave questions for our readers. I am all for those twists and what-ifs (hell, I've even killed off a first-person presen...

To hit today's word count, I had a little bit of liquid courage. I think this is one of the hardest parts of writing, fearing that you have to be out of your normal state of mind in order to write something you feel comfortable with. I felt I was really understanding my characters today, and to stay in her mindset, I took drink tit for tat with her as she explored who was sent to kill her. While I probably wouldn't suggest this practice for anyone else, I was happy with the decisions she made because they made sense (whether that's the whiskey talking or the actual writing, I won't find out until the "Now What" portion of NaNoWriMo when I read back through it). What this exercise did remind me though, is that sometimes we have our characters take actions that don't complement the situation. We should always be able to back up why our characters reacted however they did, even if it is as simple as "they were drunk." A friend of mine is writi...

Today I buckled down and focused on getting my word count back on track. I received a very encouraging message from Lori Gravley on NaNoWriMo today: "Just keep showing up for your novel. Keep writing what you can. Keep trying to figure out (and address) the things that are keeping you from writing." I tend to make a lot of excuses when writing. I live with my significant other and our dog, and I can't tell you how many times I have already blamed them in the past seven days for me not writing. Being too loud, asking me too many questions, wanting to play fetch (the dog, not the significant other). I proved myself wrong today though. I decided I was going to catch up with my word count, and I was able to do so while talking to Schad and playing with Lugosi. Writing is a state of mind. If we constantly talk ourselves down or tell ourselves we can't do it, then guess what? We won't. We will just sit staring at the screen dreading the act. So here's to looki...

As I touched on a little in my last post, a writer's life can be affecting the piece in many ways. While it can inspire conflict, it can also cause writing to take the back burner. One way I have always dealt with that is by using a journal. Even if it is to write a mock song (nothing beats Titanic told to the beat of "Man Down"), any sort of writing can help a piece down the line. One of my stories included in my thesis was inspired by one such entry. However, it isn't easy to get yourself in the mindset of writing if you're stressed or angry or just simply have your mind focused elsewhere. A great piece of advice I have received would be to treat writing like a full-time job (or at least a job). Don't let yourself be talked out of it. Why can you write that report for work? Because there is a deadline. Give yourself deadlines! This is another reason why I push NaNoWriMo so hard; it forces you to complete deadlines. If that seems like too large a step t...

My day started off with some conflict in my real life, so it inspired a way out of writer's block. My story took a turn away from character development to introduce her true self via conflict. This gave me an opportunity to get the novel in a solid direction where it can begin to make sense. Is it just me, or is writing the conflict one of the most addictive parts of writing? It makes me feel like I am in control and understand my characters better because I have to make them react to the situations presented to them. Even if the conflict isn't used in the final version of your novel, it helps you realize why the actions they take (or reactions) are vital to their day-to-day quirks/personality traits. One of my old professors gave me some of the best writing advice: Know 100% of your character, only show your readers 20%. The way I have always taken that is to know how they would react in any given situation, but to write well enough to not have to explain every step to y...

So, if anyone ever tells you once you make it through the first day, it gets easier--don't believe them! I did very well my first day (1685 words, hit the word count!), and yet, what did I do today? I was human. It was Thirsty Thursday. I went out with beers with coworkers, and now it is 11:44 PM EST and I haven't written a single word outside of this blog. But you know what? I still did something. I imagined my character today. I vibed with her. After starting her development in the first few words yesterday, I instinctively went for my skinny jeans, bike boots, and leather jacket today with my hair pulled back. All that was missing was the necklace! I didn't mention it last post, but in writing completely off queue, I have gone for a fantasy piece. I have no idea how this will turn out, but I won't lie and say I am not excited. It may be really lame to start, but at least it's going somewhere! So that is what I want to really push today. Even if you aren...

What better day to start a blog than the first day of writing a 50K+ novel? If anyone is a beginning writer and looking for inspiration to finally write the novel you've only thought about (more than likely obsessed over ), NaNoWriMo  definitely helps! I completed my very first novel back in 2015, spent 2016 editing and attempting to write another, but this year is my first year back on the saddle with a goal in mind! So far, I have no writing tears. However, I am also trying something new. I have absolutely no story in mind. This year, I am writing a story completely out of my comfort zone. I wrote completely in my comfort zone before and always. If anyone wants to know what it is truly like inside a writer's mind, or looking for someone to relate to, I hope this blog will help you see that. We don't always have the perfect story lined up when we start. We try to make the arguments that you have to know what you're trying to say before even opening your mouth, bu...