January 2010 Noveling :)

[MommyHawk]

December Noveling

Out with the old, in with the new!!! Happy 2010, everyone

Who's writing? Whatcha writing? How's your writing going? Share your writing triumphs and woes...

Here's to time to write and good writing for everyone's January

[allgirls]

Thanks for the thread! I'm in creative mood..must be the blue moon! I'm editing my first novel which will be published this year!

And I've got an outline for the next one under my belt and out of my head...kids go back to school on Monday...time for mama to get back to it!!

[1jooj]

I'm writing...working on the same thing I left off on at the end of last year. Having to make some major changes to how I was treating it, though.

Just recommitting here to the slog of actually writing it down!

[MommyHawk]

Tomorrow I'm giving my writing critique group one last chance. It has been educating to see what good and bad writing looks like and get to edit other's writing and see it improve, but I'm not sure they are helping ME improve my writing. No one reads in my genre. And one week they'll hate something, so I'll take it out only to find that next week they want it back in. Too much back and forth. Great for the hobby writer. But I don't work that way. At least not anymore Now I want to go go go and it feels more and more lately that they are holding me back...kwim?

HOWEVER...and maybe this is more important...tomorrow I have my prologue and one chapter read/critiqued that is really...personal...and I'm not sure how they are going to respond. They don't KNOW it's personal, but one of the key ingredients to my story is MY true story and the prologue is almost exactly what happened to me in real life...sooooooo.....I'm nervous...I'll definitely have a glass or two of wine tomorrow! Or a shot of tequila...

Which brings up something rather important to consider if you are thinking about writing a novel or anything that is based on a true story. There are questions that I think you really need to sit down with yourself and answer...Do you really want this story to get out? Are you ok with EVERYONE knowing? And what are you ok with them knowing? ... And remember what you're comfortable with TODAY might not be something you are comfortable with a year from today...so be honest with yourself about your comfort level...

...

[allgirls]

Mommy Hawk..you will have to let us know how it goes.

A couple of scenes in my book are absolutely true..in fact the meeting between the two main characters is almost an exact event however the only people who would know that are me and this person and he died this year and it's unlikely he would have read the book anyway but if he did he would have.


My mmc is very much a person I knew...but the story had been changed so much..and the setting...I don't think anyone will put it together...

I think you can write the characters and the events so that they are true but unrecognisable if you are afraid of hurting them or letting your secrets out.

What is your genre? I can't really identify mine..

[1jooj]

Yeah, MommyHawk, do let us know...I guess I would rather take the feedback from a bunch of honest, avid readers and then try to figure out what to do with it, technically, than try to take the advice of a lot of well-meaning writers with divergent opinions. Does that make sense? I mean, most people reading the book will not be writers themselves, so...maybe a single writer as mentor, maybe two, is enough? God knows, once agent and editor are involved, you have a slew more changes (or at least opinions) to consider.

I have issues with allowing others to read my writing. I know, weird, as I am a professional writer. I have worked years in editing/publishing, and now I write for advertising and marketing. I crank out copy in just about any format, with shorter deadlines than even I can believe, and get great feedback from some crazy big names...and yet, when I write for art's sake, it's a whole other feeling. I need to get over myself.

Took my kids to the children's museum yesterday and brought my laptop. I worked on some freelance stuff I am helping a friend with, and when I ran out of notes for that, I wrote another 1000w on my novel.

I am tying my writing to my exercise goals for the year. I let my weight slide back after losing 100 pounds a few years ago, so I have concrete, tangible diet and exercise goals because I know they will lead to success again. So, because I know I will achieve that goal, I am trying to affix the other goal to it. If I can set aside the hours in the day to exercise, then I can set aside the hour in the day to write. And it will be done.

As for characters, mine are really made up and my story is not one I know specifically to have actually happened to anyone. But I have overheard conversations and watched family dynamics that led me to imagine this plot, and I am inserting various characters of people I know in my own life...but most of these characters are people who have passed away. So I don't worry about a libel suit.

[allgirls]

Originally Posted by 1jooj

As for characters, mine are really made up and my story is not one I know specifically to have actually happened to anyone. But I have overheard conversations and watched family dynamics that led me to imagine this plot, and I am inserting various characters of people I know in my own life...but most of these characters are people who have passed away. So I don't worry about a libel suit.

So kind of the opposite..I have a made up plot with partly real characters..though two or three events actually happened they are only scenes in a bigger story.

It's harder to let people read your "art" because that's all YOU. It's a reflection of how you think.

The sex throws me off...

[1jooj]

Originally Posted by allgirls

The sex throws me off...

omg me too.

[allgirls]

I am at chapter 17 of the final draft. The first five are nice and shiny and completely rewritten.

The rest were pretty nice to start with.

I feel like I'm going to be on schedule at this point. Tomorrow will be a writing day, all kids in school and nothing planned except the gym and laundry!

I'm excited! I have had some great ideas to incorporate into some places, may have the new title decided on and feel like it's all coming together.

Now I need a biblical name, that goes with the surname Cormack for a minor character that I forgot to name. I would prefer it be old testament and a little odd. Suggestions welcome.

[1jooj]

Enoch.

I realized I have to mess with myself and give myself a sense of latitude and autonomy, as in picking the time of day I write. I am insane.

But so far, it's working.

[allgirls]

Originally Posted by 1jooj

Enoch.

I realized I have to mess with myself and give myself a sense of latitude and autonomy, as in picking the time of day I write. I am insane.

But so far, it's working.

Enoch is a good one...but now I'm thinking it should be something he can shorten because he hates it so much..he's semi-estranged from them and denying their religion

[OJazzy1]

Jebediah is a good "strange" biblical name and can be shortened as well. I am starting to write my novel. I am only a few pages in so I have a long way to go, I am having a hard time staying motivated and excited about it though, I think I just need to write.

[1jooj]

You might consider his using a name that just starts with the same letter...like Eddie. Weird, I know, but a lot of Muslims do this, as their names sound so foreign to so many...they often end up being called by Hebrew names. The irony, right?

[allgirls]

Originally Posted by 1jooj

You might consider his using a name that just starts with the same letter...like Eddie. Weird, I know, but a lot of Muslims do this, as their names sound so foreign to so many...they often end up being called by Hebrew names. The irony, right?

Oh..I like that..Eddie...for another reason...will try it on..Enoch...changed to Eddie...we might have a winner!

[1jooj]

OK, so sort of unexpectedly, I got offered my old job back. Sort of. I'd quit last year due to complete and utter lack of work/life balance and was really on the brink. I write for work. So I am going back, effective today, actually. It's a waaaaay lighter arrangement, as-needed only and no regular hours, no requirements to be there except for meetings, which I can also teleconference in as needed if I can't be at the office because of home stuff...so my worry is how to keep the novel moving.

At the same time, I finally blew a whistle on my weight creep and am back to the gym. So I need to remain committed to an hour of exercise and an hour of writing, minimum, daily. Weekends, too. I can scale back the exercise some once I hit my goal weight, but realistically that will not be happening for months.

Just putting it out there, hoping you ladies can help work energy magic. If I stay committed and focused, it should happen. I may, however, need to find an offline location to write.

[allgirls]

Officially and completely finished with Part one of the novel...the novel is in three parts...I'm very happy with it...

Part two sucks


part three is good and will be great.

Part two sucks...I think I have to re write almost all of it...

The problem I have is it's boring...it's the gap between the love she lost and her journey to realising that it wasn't meant to be when they meet up again and try to rekindle

It's a part where she is doing alot of personal growth and I've got to find interesting ways to present it...of course like real life pg comes through hardship..that's it..she needs more hardship! But what..there is a divorce and a career change but the career change comes after the growth...ok...

Just needing to put it out there..hoping the universe will inspire me.

Congrats on the job. Make it a priority. I like bigger blocks of time..what about one hour per day during the week and you escape to the library for two or three hours on the weekend?

Gym for me tomorrow!

Allgirls!

[Oriole]

IF anyone at all remembers me from last year - I'm back. I wanna write...

*reopening the drafts*

- milder goals (no more of 1K per day expectation )
- more disorganized ideas
- scared to reread stuff from last year, but I'm going to anyway...

So refreshing to find everyone writing, just the way I left it.

[allgirls]

Originally Posted by Oriole

IF anyone at all remembers me from last year - I'm back. I wanna write...

*reopening the drafts*

- milder goals (no more of 1K per day expectation )
- more disorganized ideas
- scared to reread stuff from last year, but I'm going to anyway...

So refreshing to find everyone writing, just the way I left it.

Welcome! You've been missed! Love the creative use of smilies

Pull up a chair.

Anyone interested in joining a free writing workshop with me online? I've joined and we're just in orientation so it's not too late. It seems pretty interesting. If anyone is I'll pm them a link.

Allgirls

[1jooj]

That sounds terrific, allgirls, but I don't think I can scare up any more minutes in a day. Have fun! Tell us what you get from it, OK?

[allgirls]

Originally Posted by 1jooj

That sounds terrific, allgirls, but I don't think I can scare up any more minutes in a day. Have fun! Tell us what you get from it, OK?

I will. I'm hoping it will help me with my WIP as it's about revisions.