I took last week off - rather unexpectedly. My mother went in for back surgery this past Wednesday and she's doing really well - which is a huge relief.
First, a writing update - ScriptFrenzy is coming to a close and sadly I did not reach my goal of 100 pages. I started with one idea, got about 15 pages in, and realized it wasn't going to work for me. I came up with a new plot, which I quite liked, and started working on it. Unfortunately, real life has been getting in the way. I'm going to continue work on it - I like where it's going. I just have to figure out a way for time travel to work.
While I was sitting in the waiting room of the hospital, I picked up a short story that I'm working on for an anthology. It's unsolicited - but a girl has to start somewhere. My father asked me what I was working on and when I gave him a run down of what was happening, he gave me a suggestion - a small, little thing that will actually turn the story on its head. And I'm grateful. It's a fun idea for a dark story and I needed that kick in the pants.
Thanks Dad!
So maybe we should talk about the finicky thing most of us call a muse.
You know some writers don't believe in such a thing?
I'm not sure what they considered a muse but I think of it as any little thing that gets your creative juices flowing - an overheard conversation, a name, a misread sign. Whatever it takes to spark a story idea. Some people look at it differently, I'm sure, but that's what I consider a writer's muse.
The question then becomes where do you find your muse?
And the answer . . . . everywhere.
Sometimes the best thing to do is be around other people who are just going about their lives. Why do you think there are so many writers in Starbucks? I started a new chapter of a story I was working on at the time when I was out with my friends bowling. You can't coop yourself up at home claiming "no distractions" because sometimes it those distractions that feed our soul and awake our muse.
Go out into the world and be inspired. Let any little thing spark your imagination and then get it down on paper before you forget!
Good luck!
Saturday, April 28, 2012
Saturday, April 14, 2012
Focus
This week, I want to talk about focus.
You know, that thing that sometimes evade you when you have something you want to do or know you should do, but just can't seem to get it together to do it. But there are different kinds of focus: there's the focus that gets your work done and there's focus in your story. Let's talk about the latter one first.
STORY FOCUS
No matter your POV (Point-of-View), the story needs to have a focus. I was recently thinking about my NANOWRIMO project from last November. In the second half of the novel, if I can be so brave to call it that, the focus shifts a bit. The story is told in third person, but mainly focuses on Clara - the main character. In the second half, there are many passages revolving around Clara's mother, Bethany.
The parts of the story that focus on Bethany have a purpose, of course, but I wonder if putting the focus on her will interrupt the flow of the story. I'm not sure I would take these passages out, even if it did. I would try to find a way to fix it internally. The parts of the story that focus on Bethany and her past, explains the family's past and the way that magic works in this universe.
All in all, I like, but I still worry about leaving it in or leaving it as is. It's something I will have to think on, especially when I pick the story back up on the beginning of May to edit it again.
GENERAL FOCUS
Right now, on the computer, I have three windows open: one for work (actual work, the one I get paid for), one window with my LiveJournal open on it, and this one - which has tabs for Blogger and Celtx.
I jump from window to window, tab to tab as needed.
How's a girl supposed to focus when there's so much to do?
Granted, I don't need to be on LiveJournal (or FaceBook, that was earlier). But it's a nice little distraction in between spurts of writing. It's much easier for me to use a computer for my writing (not always convenient, but easier). So the question remains, how to stay focused?
I don't actually have any advice for this except to power through it. Sometimes I write with music on, sometimes I don't. Sometimes I have the television on, other times I need silence. Sometimes I just need to check FaceBook every five minutes and other times . . . well, other times I'd rather run away screaming then deal with it.
Whether the focus on your life is in your story or in your surroundings, remember to keep focuses. There are things that need to get done and if you don't do it, who will?
You know, that thing that sometimes evade you when you have something you want to do or know you should do, but just can't seem to get it together to do it. But there are different kinds of focus: there's the focus that gets your work done and there's focus in your story. Let's talk about the latter one first.
STORY FOCUS
No matter your POV (Point-of-View), the story needs to have a focus. I was recently thinking about my NANOWRIMO project from last November. In the second half of the novel, if I can be so brave to call it that, the focus shifts a bit. The story is told in third person, but mainly focuses on Clara - the main character. In the second half, there are many passages revolving around Clara's mother, Bethany.
The parts of the story that focus on Bethany have a purpose, of course, but I wonder if putting the focus on her will interrupt the flow of the story. I'm not sure I would take these passages out, even if it did. I would try to find a way to fix it internally. The parts of the story that focus on Bethany and her past, explains the family's past and the way that magic works in this universe.
All in all, I like, but I still worry about leaving it in or leaving it as is. It's something I will have to think on, especially when I pick the story back up on the beginning of May to edit it again.
GENERAL FOCUS
Right now, on the computer, I have three windows open: one for work (actual work, the one I get paid for), one window with my LiveJournal open on it, and this one - which has tabs for Blogger and Celtx.
I jump from window to window, tab to tab as needed.
How's a girl supposed to focus when there's so much to do?
Granted, I don't need to be on LiveJournal (or FaceBook, that was earlier). But it's a nice little distraction in between spurts of writing. It's much easier for me to use a computer for my writing (not always convenient, but easier). So the question remains, how to stay focused?
I don't actually have any advice for this except to power through it. Sometimes I write with music on, sometimes I don't. Sometimes I have the television on, other times I need silence. Sometimes I just need to check FaceBook every five minutes and other times . . . well, other times I'd rather run away screaming then deal with it.
Whether the focus on your life is in your story or in your surroundings, remember to keep focuses. There are things that need to get done and if you don't do it, who will?
Saturday, April 7, 2012
ScriptFrenzy Update & Self-Awareness
This week has been an interesting review of my mind as a writer.
I mentioned before that the idea for my screenplay is one that I've had for a while. I've been working on it all week – except yesterday. Yesterday, I spent the day thinking about what I was writing, my original idea, and what I was really trying to accomplish.
The script started out well enough. But after a few scenes, the script veered wildly from the story I was originally trying to tell. The thing is, I really like my story and I want to tell it. I currently have 13 pages. (I'm supposed to have 25-28 pages by the end of the day.) I've decided to redirect the script to accommodate the original story and not the one I went with when on a writing tangent. So at this point, I'm keeping the first three scenes and then jump from there. I'm going to keep the other pages. (This is for ScriptFrenzy after all. They count towards the 100 pages goal.)
While thinking about it yesterday, I came to the conclusion that I subconsciously did it. (I've been known to do that.) I love my idea. I want to see the finished product (a completed script). But I'm also . . . wary of my story. The underlying love story in this script is not something I've done before. There are a lot of things to consider. And the further I get into the story, the closer I get to introducing the storyline.
It's almost like I have to get out of my own head to plow through and write what I really want to write.
I'm a bit of a self-saboteur, so we'll see where it goes.
Are you a self-saboteur? How do you get past it?
I mentioned before that the idea for my screenplay is one that I've had for a while. I've been working on it all week – except yesterday. Yesterday, I spent the day thinking about what I was writing, my original idea, and what I was really trying to accomplish.
The script started out well enough. But after a few scenes, the script veered wildly from the story I was originally trying to tell. The thing is, I really like my story and I want to tell it. I currently have 13 pages. (I'm supposed to have 25-28 pages by the end of the day.) I've decided to redirect the script to accommodate the original story and not the one I went with when on a writing tangent. So at this point, I'm keeping the first three scenes and then jump from there. I'm going to keep the other pages. (This is for ScriptFrenzy after all. They count towards the 100 pages goal.)
While thinking about it yesterday, I came to the conclusion that I subconsciously did it. (I've been known to do that.) I love my idea. I want to see the finished product (a completed script). But I'm also . . . wary of my story. The underlying love story in this script is not something I've done before. There are a lot of things to consider. And the further I get into the story, the closer I get to introducing the storyline.
It's almost like I have to get out of my own head to plow through and write what I really want to write.
I'm a bit of a self-saboteur, so we'll see where it goes.
Are you a self-saboteur? How do you get past it?
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