Wednesday, April 27, 2016

Random #78 - The Delayed Post

I was going to post something about why I haven't posted anything for the past little while. I was going to talk about the work I've done on my novel and the stopped work on my novel because of personal life issues. Honestly, I don't want to. It's too much, maybe too personal at this point. I know other bloggers do, but I just can't. Instead, I will leave you with a pretty book cover, of a book I'm hoping to pick up soon.

Thursday, April 14, 2016

Tuesday, April 12, 2016

Random #77 - Ode To The Long Lost Roommate

I was having a hard time getting started when I was writing the other day, so I used a prompt as a warm up. I still had my work-in-progress on my mind, so the below is what I came up with.

I wanted you to be my story, but I couldn't quite fit you in.

At first you were a best friend, someone I could share my darkest secrets with. The person whom I could try to convince that B- was my hero. He saved R- and K-. He saved me. He made me feel warm and excited. I could come crying to you if I doubted his feelings for me. I could cry to you when I doubted my feelings for him. You were to be my sounding board, but I had a sister for that.

Then you could be my roommate. The woman who I let move into my house, paying rent, once my sister left. You would be conveniently absent the night of the shooting. You could observe my transformation. You could report on me to my sister, to my therapist. But the idea of you crowded my solitude. I needed to go a little nutty in my head. I would sleepovers from my sister. I also wouldn't always sleep at home.

The truth is, when I discovered I didn't need you, you became lost. It didn't matter that financially it made sense to have someone like you in my story. I could work around that, gloss over that, come up with something else. I needed to lose a person, and that person was you.

Goodbye friend. Goodbye roommate that never was. Maybe one day I will see you again. Maybe I'll meet you in another story, in the continuation of my life. But if I don't, it's OK. Because really, you were never here. 

Thursday, April 7, 2016

Quote #53 - C.S. Lewis


You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.
- C.S. Lewis

Tuesday, April 5, 2016

Random #76 - On Giving Up

I’ve encountered two women in real life who have said to me “I used to write”. They tried make it as a writer, but it didn't work out, so they gave up. I don't know both their ages, but one, if not both, are under 40. What exactly did they do to try and "make it"? I don't know. I didn't pry because their statements (2 separate occasions) made me sad and I also don't know them that well. What it's left me with though is wondering, if you want to write, really want to write, do you ever give up? Because I don't think I could.

I'm not young, but I'm not that old either. I have two young children, a mortgage, a full-time job and all kinds of responsibilities. Though I may not have the opportunity to spend all day, every day, writing, I do what I can, when I can. Will that amount to something in the future? I hope so, but I know there are no guarantees. Thinking about all this, the idea that someone could give up writing really makes me think, I couldn't ever. I have so many stories in my head, so many ideas, that the only way I can get them out is to write them.

Maybe I can see giving up on the idea of getting published, one too many rejection letters or something like that. But the actual writing, it could get relegated to a hobby, but it wouldn't be gone entirely. To write for yourself, or even for friends and family, that couldn't go away. Plus, what about self-publishing? Just for fun, not expecting any return, just to have your stories out there. Amazon, Smashwords, there are so many options. As much as I (and many writers) long to be with a traditional publisher, there are other options.

So, why did they "used to write"?

If it's not about publishing, what could it be about?

Did they run out of ideas? Were they discouraged? Did someone tell them they were bad at it? If I had more than one person tell me I was bad at it, well, first I would work to improve. Join a group, take a course, something to figure out where I going wrong. Maybe they didn't have that option. Maybe they did. Maybe a lot of people discouraged them and they gave up. The idea of that, makes me sad.

Maybe it is about being published and I'm thinking too deeply about this. Maybe not.

I just know that I can't think of a reason, at least not right now, as to why I would ever give up.

Friday, April 1, 2016

Links n+1

I have posts about writing links all through the blog. I tried to make a regular thing, but sometimes, I just don't find anything that I want to link to and sometimes, I was too busy that week to look at the sites I follow. So, like some of the other stuff I post, I'll just start numbering them. I will try to stick to Fridays for these posts though. I do like some structure.

I also want to make some kind of list to make them easier to find. There are some I'd like to refer back to...

Anyway, here are some links I found recently that I'd like to share. Enjoy!



Hi! Could you give me some advice on how to lengthen chapters/scenes without making them boring? I always seem to struggle with length...: http://its-a-writer-thing.tumblr.com/post/140670155439/hi-could-you-give-me-some-advice-on-how-to

I've heard a good advice that says 'Take the book you love and read it like writer.' I have this book now and I wanted to ask just how exactly do I take it apart? I want to have some kind of plan to tackle it and understand why exactly I loved it and why I still remember it as something great. I want to learn but I'm not sure how.: http://its-a-writer-thing.tumblr.com/post/140657843838/ive-heard-a-good-advice-that-says-take-the-book

10 Ways to Make Everyone Root for Your Amoral Protagonist: http://io9.gizmodo.com/10-ways-to-make-everyone-root-for-your-amoral-protagoni-1445692961