What MY Writing Has Taught Me

Today I thought I'd share a fun little post about what I have learned from my writing this year.  Take a peek at the list below.  Then share your own learning experiences if you'd like.  Here goes:

1. The writing method I use today will be different a year from now.  It may even be different tomorrow.

2. It's okay if my story becomes something other than what I planned.

3. I need a cheat sheet at my desk for using lay vs lie.

4. Cutting words can lower the word count but can also make room for the right words to be added.

5. Revision is not a shameful word.

6. Character emotions are better shown with a balance of physical actions and internal sensations.

7. Every character has a part to play or shouldn't have a part at all.

8. Spending eight hours editing thirty pages is okay if that's what it takes to get it right.

9. Writing few words in many hours is also okay if that's what it takes to get it right.

10. My knowledge will grow beyond this list, as it should.

Hope you enjoyed.  Please share your own learning experiences below. :)

Sometimes We Writers Have To Change It Up

I'm happy to report I am finally getting back into a writing groove.  And it feels great! Now that I've had some time away, I have been re-evaluating.  I began querying SHARDS OF GLASS at the beginning of this year, and all I've received so far is standard rejections.  I'm of the opinion that taking a new look at the query letter or the manuscript itself never hurts, especially when no agents have shown enough interest to even offer a bit of advice.

So being of that opinion, I took a fresh look.  More than ten months have passed, so I'd say that is a sufficient break away.  The query itself isn't a problem, I don't think.  But there is one major setback.  The word count.  *sighing while wiping bitter tears*  The best fit for SHARDS is YA.  And 90K words is long.  There are exceptions of course.  But I really believe in this story and want to see it published.

I shared my struggle with this story about a year ago here.  Getting the word count down was a nightmare.  And part of my writing style is to let the story write itself.  This is where I have to change it up, hence the title of today's post. 

Last year, I tried to remove Part I in an effort to reduce the word count.  It didn't work.  The story, mainly the dynamics between the FMC and MMC, suffered.  So I put Part I back in.  However, in a more determined effort to get this story right, I have cut Part I off again.  And off it shall stay.  Making that decision wasn't easy.  I love that part of the story.  But taking it off cut my word count to the 67K range, which is much more acceptable for YA.  And now that I've come to terms with that move, the story doesn't seem to be suffering.  I'm anxious to get it in the hands of some betas though to make sure. 

I've done some more editing and revising; I had to with Part I gone.  And this evening I plan to finish editing and revising the final 40 pages.  Then I will be seeking betas.  I'll see how that goes before beginning another round of queries.  And while taking care of SHARDS, REKINDLE has been put on hold.  I'm anxious and ready to get back to it, though. 

So there's my current writing dilemma.  I'm curious about all of you.  What part of your preferred writing style/technique/etc have you had to change? Even if the change wasn't permanent, please share below. 

Writing Weakness

As writers, I think we all have strengths and weaknesses.  My strength is dialogue.  The easiest part of writing for me is writing dialogue.  However, I have a heck of a time getting the scene right.  I can picture it in my head well enough, but translating that to the page is quite a task.  Part of my problem is my tendency to type too fast.  I get excited and in a hurry, and I don't spend as much time on each scene as I should.  I know I can always fix it during editing, but it would be much easier if I allowed myself to slow down a bit.  A lot of writers set goals for themselves to write a certain amount of words each time they write; I think I might need to start limiting myself. 

Another problem I have is finding a balance.  Personally, I don't like an abundance of description in books.  I prefer just enough details to adequately picture the scene.  So that being said, I think I tend to put too little in.

So I'm curious.  What's your writing weakness? Please share below.

We Write

My opinion is that writers have mainly one thing in common ~ we write.  That's it.  We all write, but what we write and how we write is different from writer to writer.  I see a lot of discussions about writing styles.  And I've seen many questions asked about what style is best.  And is it best to plan it all out before writing, or should we just write it and see what happens? I wonder how many "newbie" writers (forgive me! if you are a newbie, that doesn't make you any less of a writer!) get frustrated when they're told to do what works for them.  It's probably annoying to hear such an unclear answer when someone is looking for a solid answer so his/her writing can be the best.  But the truth is, there is no one specific answer.  Each writer has to discover for himself what works best.

For instance, I'm pretty comfortable with how I write.  That being said, I am not afraid to try something different, especially since I have yet to get anything published.  So I recently tried to plan out my next novel.  I already have an idea of what the story is about.  I know all the background, where the story will start.  I know the characters.  And I recently blogged about how the story typically comes to me, and then I just have to fit it all together.  So there I was, sitting down and ready to fit it all together chapter by chapter.  And my mind went completely blank.  I couldn't do it.  Therefore, I learned that my writing style does not involve planning everything out ahead of time.  And that's okay.  I have notes and ideas but no complete, organized plan.

There is no right or wrong way to write.  I know what works for me, and that's all that matters.  The sooner other writers learn what works best for them, the better their writing will be.