It's Friday!
My favorite day of the week! (Probably because the weekend always follows a Friday.) :]
And on this particular day of the week, I'm getting back to my Fridee-feature of writerly posts, where I plan to share all manner of writerly things---exercises, tips, stories, etc. etc. *cue ALL the writing & WIP GIFs ever in existence*
{Used to, and those of you who've hung around this liddle corner long enough will recall, I did an Awkward + Awesome post each Friday where I shared all of the awkward & awesome things that happened to me throughout the week. I loved that! I'd like to bring it back, but posting three things a week is a huge stretch for me right now. . . hence me actually publishing said posts at the end of each respectful day. . .}
But I ramble. Onward!
I love my life. I love my hubby & my baby boy. And even though I struggle so very often to be who they need me to be, to have the strength, energy, and courage even to answer my purpose and simple BE, I wouldn't trade my humble life for ANYTHING. But I sure do wish I had more TIME to do it all. Right?? Who else feels the same? If you didn't raise your hand in agreement, I might say you'd be a liar. . . ;D But perhaps you have it all figured out, yes? If so, PLEASESHAREYOURSECRETS. I'm sure everyone would love you forever. :D :D :D
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Time is certainly a gift. And one to be used wisely! As with every new year, and every set of goals I write up for said new year, writing is one of those things on that list---that, and INTENTIONALLY setting aside the time to do it. But all too often, I'll get inspired by someone's blog post, or a book or film, only to hear my inspiration sound unattractively all too much like a whoopee cushion. (You heard that sound in your head, amiright? hahaha)
The following two things are what alwaysalwaysALWAYS stops me in my tracks.
--- PLOTTING ---
A VITAL piece of the puzzle that makes a marvelous story! And for some reason I feel I have no creativity whatsoever in this area. Thankfully, there are some amazing friends (the Hubs included) & my dear bloggy beans, as well as some awesome articles, who are so encouraging to give tips & ideas. Seriously---don't know what I would do if I hadn't the courage to share my stories with those closest to me. (You know who you are. <3)
For me, I am TOTALLY <---notice ALL CAPS---a panster. Yeah. I write by the fly, as the words come to me, with almost no direction. And lemme tell ya, that's no way to make progress. Over the years, I've learned, yet certainly not perfected, that one must have SOME SORT of layout, be that a general list of where you wish the story to go. If you do, well, in my opinion, you have a plot! Well done!
This is something I plan on tackling this year. For my NaNo novels in both 2017 & 2018 (the only two times I've participated), I had two outlines: one that was super basic with maybe a sentence or two describing what's going on in each chapter, and another that delved deeper into the details.
Are you the same way? Pantser? Plotter? Or both: plantser?? None of these are to be considered right or wrong. You just have to find something what works for you & and YOUR writing voice.
Below are some articles I found helpful. Two that speak directly to plotting, and one that is a total must-read for the encouragement it shares!
--- VILLAINS ---
UGH. I wanna create good (as in AWESOME) bad guys, but all I have just seem so. . . fluffy. I sure hope y'all have, or at least have had, the same problems. . . Because it's either that, or my villains are almost nonexistent. "What's his name again?" "Uhhhh. . . he don't have no name. . ." O___o
Which there are great stories out there (a few classics come to mind) that don't really have what I would call a villain. But there's something about an epic fantasy or swashbucklin' adventure that just screams its need for an AWESOME bad guy. Ya know?
This is something else I need to research this year. HOW TO CREATE THE IMPERFECTLY PERFECT BAD GUY. If I happen to figure it out, I'll letcha know. ;D
Here's a link to a great article on four simple tips to writing a good villain. And you can probably connect easily with the examples this guy uses!
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CAN I CONQUER THEM?
I sure hope so. My gift of Time will tell. :] But instead of making a list of how I might overcome, I thought I'd ask you for your own tips, dear reader. Did you/do you struggle with these things? Are there more elements to writing that you would add to the list above? That's a hearty yes on my part. How do you plan to wage battle & write that story?
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BREAKING NEWS
There's a rumor going 'round, y'all (at least in my head. . .), about two new things POSSIBLY coming to my humble little blog. . .
>> A GIVEAWAY!!!
I noticed the other day that I am TWO peeps away from 100 followers! WHAA---?? You guys are sooooo nice, so sweet! I---I just, I have no words.
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Keep yer eyes peeled for more info soon!
>> My very own Writerly Link-up!
This is still a teensy, baby-idea, but I've got it in my mind to create a simple link-up with writing prompts to give those writers in a stuck place (ME) a little boost in the creative-juices writing department. Soooo. . . be on the lookout for more info on this as well!
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What say you, dearies? How do you manage to get past these massive writing boulders? Do you take chainsaw therapy? Continue to pant your way past, no matter how difficult it is to sludge through? Or did you learn something new that gives you JUST what you need to press on?
If so, do share! I'd love to hear. :]
My writerly battle is editing...which I really should be doing right now...as I comment about how I should be doing it...
ReplyDelete-Emily @ growingintofriends.com
I can understand that battle, but only to a point. I have to MAKE myself not re-read any writings until I have to (like draft completed, or a rewrite is in order). Messy drafts KILL me! But I'm learning they're kinda necessary to the process.
DeleteThanks for visiting, my dear! :]
Ahh, pantsing! That's still primarily most of my writing process, though some stories seem to demand an outline of some kind (though I veer away from it more often than not, even then!). But oh my goodness: those writing memes are SO TRUE.
ReplyDeleteAnd VILLAINS. I'm always worried mine seem really shallow or don't feel as "real" on the page as they do in my head.
Currently, my biggest writing battle is probably just getting out of my own way and Writing The Thing. *nervous laugh* As much as I want to write, I still find myself putting it off sometimes because what if it doesn't turn out right or what if I get stuck or a million other reasons. So I'm trying to just get back on track with shorter blocks of writing time and smaller goals that I can focus on without too much distraction. It's slow progress, but...it's going!
Oooh, a new linkup sounds so fun! I can't wait to hear more about it. Congrats on nearing one-hundred followers! ^_^
Ahh! So sorry I'm JUST NOW getting to your comment! But yes, pantsing is definitely something I tend to do. And outlines are something I'm working on, they DO help!
DeleteYESSSS. I feel the same about my bad guys. I don't want shallow, I want real, relatable villains who make readers THINK.
YES! I couldn't say it any better!! xD I find myself procrastinating, and I DON'T KNOW WHY---because I love to write! So true.
Thank you! I'm worried it's not gonna be any fun, but hopefully my worries will be NOTHING, as they usually are. ;D Thank you, dear girl! <3
Brainstorming, writing, editing and posting three times a week seems like quite a handful to me! You impress me with all the great content you deliver on your blog! If you are wanted to get back to the Awkward + Awesome posts, perhaps you could alternate those with your writerly posts when you don't have time/inspiration for them? Just a thought, but you will know best what works for you. (^á´—^)
ReplyDeleteWhen I get stuck with my plot, I have free-writing to be very helpful for me. Just a stream-of-consciousness (usually on physical paper) about all the thoughts and questions and possible directions for my story. It helps me organize my thinking to see it on paper and it often generates some new answers, or at least possible answers to explore, for my plot problems.
I love the memes you included here, especially the Men in Black one! A flashy-flashy memory-wiper could certainly come in handy. (^ á—¨ ^)
It is! And I so wanna keep it up, but it's simply not possible right now. Thank you! I will definitely consider it! That's a great idea. :]
DeleteOh wow, I should totally try that. It's been a while since I've actually written, but that would be a great way to get the words flowing again.
Haha, me too! xD It would!