Come and introduce yourself in the Welcome Forum – we’re all dying to meet you! :)
Litopia
We’re delighted you’re here! You’re just a few clicks away from joining the ‘net’s oldest community for writers… and certainly the friendliest. Click the “Register” button to create a free account. See you in the Colony!
-
Clichés & Tropes! Can’t live with ‘em, can’t live without ‘em! Share your opinion in the latest Craft Chat, live now until Saturday
March writing goals.
- Thread starter Matnov
- Start date
- Status
Finish that women's fiction novel and submit it to agents. 
Publish the next Dragon Slayer book.
- Awards
- 1
Getting my sorry backside back on track following my oral problems.
Ow! Hope you're OK, Matnov.
Have been re-writing today. Looking for plot holes and boring bits to exterminate.
I'm one-quarter of the way into writing my WIP, and having introduced the key characters, I need to decide how they're going to interact. By April Fool's Day, I should be halfway through arranging the fates of my fictional motley crew.
I really need to goad myself into doing something (anything!) about raising my profile as an author, via blogging and social media posts. But I don't want to, and I have very little faith that it would help me towards success.
I really need to goad myself into doing something (anything!) about raising my profile as an author, via blogging and social media posts. But I don't want to, and I have very little faith that it would help me towards success.
My previous writing goal of 500 words per day was not working out as I'd liked. It was manageable, but not so productive: I would spout out some rubbish just to hit the word count.
Now I'm writing in scenes. At the start of the week, I set out 3 scenes I want to get written, then at the end of the week I check where I am up to on the scenes, and set out 3 new scenes, and so on. Simple but effective.
Scenes for this week:
1. Introduce new character in story
2. Love-interest is jealous - conflict scene
3. New character is falling for sidekick-character
How is your 500 word writing goal working out for you @MaryA?
Now I'm writing in scenes. At the start of the week, I set out 3 scenes I want to get written, then at the end of the week I check where I am up to on the scenes, and set out 3 new scenes, and so on. Simple but effective.
Scenes for this week:
1. Introduce new character in story
2. Love-interest is jealous - conflict scene
3. New character is falling for sidekick-character
How is your 500 word writing goal working out for you @MaryA?
Only goal is to stay compos mentis until summer brings relief from current pressures. Done no significant writing this year, alas, due to Events. But at least I have a backlog of submissions steadily working their way up various slushpiles. Back to serious writing in June-ish, hopefully.
WIP done and dusted. 155Kish words.
And it is pure first draft old tosh. Needs heaps of work, huge holes filling, glaring contradictions dealt with and characters fleshed out and given plenty of salt and pepper. But its done!
Now need to focus on getting the 3 first drafts I have sitting in my metaphorical desk drawer attracting dust into some sort of viable product and although I have a specific project to keep the creative juices flowing, its not going to be a WIP. I need to make that distinction for my own sanity because I am currently redrafting two novels that I had considered finished along with all the other shit I need to attend to.
My problem is that the first draft process is for me the real joy in all of this but its the easy part, at least for me.
What now has to follow is the real graft
Oh well, onwards and upwards and down the rabbit hole once again!
And it is pure first draft old tosh. Needs heaps of work, huge holes filling, glaring contradictions dealt with and characters fleshed out and given plenty of salt and pepper. But its done!
Now need to focus on getting the 3 first drafts I have sitting in my metaphorical desk drawer attracting dust into some sort of viable product and although I have a specific project to keep the creative juices flowing, its not going to be a WIP. I need to make that distinction for my own sanity because I am currently redrafting two novels that I had considered finished along with all the other shit I need to attend to.
My problem is that the first draft process is for me the real joy in all of this but its the easy part, at least for me.
What now has to follow is the real graft
Oh well, onwards and upwards and down the rabbit hole once again!
Bravo!
I know how you feel about the "real graft." Making up and writing the first draft is so much fun. Getting it into some form of potentially publishable manuscript is damned hard work. Satisfying, but hard work nonetheless.
25,000 words into my WIP, I'm in that peculiar stage that affects writers, where I've introduced my key players and now they're standing around looking at me and waiting for directions about what to do next. I've given them life, in a Frankenstein monster way, fleshing them out and giving them voices, which they're using to whisper in my ear in unguarded moments!
So finished the WIP, made good progress on some rewrites, and have had Norman churning over some ideas for a little project that will keep me busy for the upcoming months. More about keeping my hand in with regards to the creative process rather than a dedicated WIP and should be fun. The sort of pure discovery first draft writing that gives me the biggest buzz.
Finished it, but it's not submitted yet. And actually, it's not entirely finished either.
And actually, it's not entirely finished either.- Status