Do you write when you're not in the mood?

 

Maybe a more direct question would be: Do you write when you don't feel like it? 

If only there was a direct answer to that question...

I would have to say: Yes and No.

The key to completing a writing project is to plan for time to write each day or week. However, what if you are sick or going through a difficult time in your life? Do you write anyway, regardless of your circumstances?

Well...sometimes I do and sometimes I don't.
I find that if I am feeling icky, as in not feeling 100% in my physical body, I can still write and write well.
I have also found that if I'm REALLY sick, I can not by any means put the words together to write at all!

In addition, if I have something really heavy weighing on my mind, I have a hard time writing. If I have minor things on my mind, I have no problem setting them aside to write and sometimes, just sometimes, writing will help me get through the circumstances and I will feel better as a result.

Only you truly know if you are capable of writing according to how you are feeling. What is right for me may not be right for you. You may find that writing will help you feel better no matter what you are going through in your life.

The only way to know for sure is to give it a try.

Tips:

• Always stick to your writing schedule.
• If you are unable to write because of sickness, rest and try again tomorrow.
• If you are dealing with an emotional issue, try to write. It may help you through.  

 

Let's discuss outlining books 

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Let's discuss outlining books

 

Should writers write books by following an outline? This seems to be a great debate among writers. Some writers swear by using outlines and others would rather fly by the seat of their pants.

I prefer to make and use an outline when I am writing my books. I like to form a basic outline that lays out the gist of what the book will be about and the character’s names and personalities. I also prefer to lay out the basics of each chapter. 

I do feel that if the outline contains too much information, meaning too many details, it will constrict the writer. We still need to have the freedom to add characters and events as we see fit. Often times if an outline contains too many details, it prevents us from being able to be creative with our book.

Let’s compare the two options. Reasons to outline:

1. Gives us direction
2. Helps us glide through writing the chapters
3. Gives us a goal
4. Helps us remember character names and details (we can refer back to our written outline)
5. Keeps us on track

Reasons not to outline:

1. I can’t think of any
2. I don’t know
3. Oh, here is one: It can be fun not to have clear direction?

The bottom line is I recommend a simple outline. They are helpful to me and I think it would be helpful to you as well. Let me give you an example of what an outline can consist of:

• Basic details of the book (What it is about, the character details)
• Certain points you want to be sure to touch upon
• Chapter titles (this will guide you what to write in each chapter) 
  
• Other details you want to include

Details you may not want to include in the outline:
Every detail as to what the character says, does, and feels.

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Wordy Writer: Workbook review

Wordy Writer sent me a copy of their workbook: Wordy Writer - The Bones of your Story.

This workbook was designed to help authors create an extensive outline for their book. It contains sheets such as Story and Structure Development, Character Chart, Character Development, Chapter Outlines, and Notes.

Basically, what it does is lead you through the entire writing process of your book, allowing you to keep track of all the important details. It even has a chapter entitled: Kill Your Characters!

The workbook is approximately 122 pages, is geared towards fiction writing, and is well thought out and put together. The cost, including tax, is $26.56 and worth every penny.

I am working on my fourth novel, and when I start preparing for number five, I will be using this workbook. I suggest using a new workbook for each book you write.

Please visit their website for more information: www.wordywriterorganizer.com

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Flannery O'Conner: How she impacted my life...

 

I have this quote on my work desk!

The writer is only free when he can tell the reader to go jump in the lake. You want, of course, to get what you want to show across to him, but whether he likes it or not is no concern of the writer.

~ Flannery O’Connor

It has been years since I first laid my eyes on this life-changing quote. Flannery O’Connor was a writer and a darn good one in her time.

I was browsing online one-day several years ago, and read this gem. It jumped out at me, resonated within me and changed my life for the better immediately after I read it.

As writers, this is exactly our job. She nailed it. We are to write the story we have in our hearts…do what we are called to do. We are to write it the best we can. After that, it is not our concern. Of course, we want to write a best seller and in order for that to happen, people have to like what we wrote. But, this quote goes even deeper. We will always have people who do NOT like our stories, writing style, genre, etc. It is those people that this quote is referring to, (At least in my opinion it is.)

•     Write your story
•     Write the best you can
•     Have it published
•     Do not worry about the naysayers
•     Create your own success and keep writing 

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How to start your fiction writing career

Prepare your writing environment: click here

Have you always dreamed about becoming an author in the fiction genre? Do you sit and daydream about doing book signings and seeing your handiwork being sold in book stores all across the world? If you answered yes to any of these questions, this article will help get you on the path to obtaining your goals!

Writing Down Your Ideas
Go out today and buy yourself a notebook that will only be used for your story ideas. While you are at it, buy the matching pens, sticky notes, and page tab holders to go with it.

Set Aside Some Time
After you have your notebook and accessories all set and ready to go, pencil in about thirty minutes to an hour on your busy calendar to sit down and write out your story ideas.

Consider Taking a Free Writing Course Online
Chances are you already have some type of writing skills or you would not be interested in writing a fiction book. However, one is never too old or established to learn! Take an online writing course to sharpen up your writing skills. One course in particular that will get you ready to write is The Crafty Writers Creative Writing Course. This course will teach you how to take your story ideas and turn them into the fiction novel you are dreaming about.

Creating Your Characters
This is a very important part of creating an enjoyable novel. You have to breathe life into each character as if they are real people living real lives. A good idea to achieve this task is to take bits and pieces about people you know and combine those traits with your fictional characters.
Not all characters can be good guys. You should have your “good guy” characters, but you also need to have the antagonistic characters (the “bag guys”). The antagonist will help to bring the struggle into your story.

Proper Story Layout
A book, as well as a movie, should have three main sections: The introduction, the struggle and the overcome. Think about your favorite movie. It has a short beginning, a lot of drama in the middle and the happily ever after in the end. Now, think about a movie that you did not like, chances are this movie started off way too slow and that made it feel boring. Ever watch a movie and after it ended you thought, “It ended just as it was getting good?” The reason for that is because the introduction was way too long and the struggle and overcome were way too short. Writing books work the same way. The introduction and the overcome are to be shorter than the actual struggle (the meat of the story).

Now that you have some really good and basic ideas about how to write a fiction book, take them and run with them. Get started today. Do not delay. The quicker you get started, the quicker you will get your first book completed.

Setting Reasonable Goals
Always remember to set reasonable goals for yourself. Writing a two hundred and fifty to a three hundred page novel is going to take you more than a week to write. It is good to have goals, but make them reasonable. If after looking at your calendar you feel that you will be able to dedicate three hours a week to writing, set your goals accordingly.

Some of the bold headlines in this article have links attached. Click on the links to learn more about that particular subject.

Weekend in Snowshoe, West Virginia: The things I did and saw...

My long weekend in Snowshoe...

It has been an enjoyable weekend of writing for me. I have been warm and cozied up in the condo, which happens to reside on top of a mountain. It has snowed and has been below freezing, but I have gotten thousands of words written for novel number four!

On the way, I observed:

A rooster coup? There were at least fifty roosters, and each had their own little house. Something I have never seen before.

A man, riding a bike, talking on his cell phone, riding the wrong way down the highway. This was also a first for this New Jersey girl.

And last, but certainly not least... as we were driving literally THROUGH a mountain, this psycho in a compact Chevy car, rode our bumper so closely we could not see his headlights in our rear-view mirror! I kid you not. We drive a Jeep and were taking the curves pretty nicely, but it wasn't fast enough for this guy. Talk about stress. Finally he passed us and we then enjoyed the windy roads once again.

Talk about a jam packed weekend!





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