I'm pretty excited. I just finished a first draft of a beginning reader story. I'm going to put it away for a few weeks before I start editing, but I'm just happy that I've finally started writing for kids. It's also neat in that I wrote about 600 words and it is considered a book. Well, assuming I can get it published, right?
I've also started on a few ideas for magazine articles for kids. I don't know the market all that well yet, so I'm going to wait until I can get my hands on a Children Writers Market guide. The ideas are good, I believe, but I want to wait to see about article word count and all that. Small detail, but one that makes the difference between getting published and not.
I have a few ideas for longer books, both middle readers and young adult novels. I'm working on getting the first draft of my adult novel done before I start focusing too much on those, however. In the meantime I may try my hand at a few more beginning reader books. I had a good time writing the one I finished.
That's it for this week. Just wanted to post an update on my writing life for any that were interested. Until next week, keep reading and/or writing.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Friday, February 20, 2009
Sorry no post this week
Life threw a curveball this week, so I won't be posting. Look back next week for a new post. Until then, keep reading and/or writing.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
New Story Published
I'm making an extra post this week because I found out my story, "Hypnotic Therapy," was published today in the third issue of the online magazine Cerulean Rain. Here is the link: Hypnotic Therapy
The link leads to the entire issue in .pdf format. My story is on page 30, so you can go right to it by typing in "30" in the page number section of the toolbar of your trusty acrobat reader. Leave me any comments about the story here if you are so inclined. If you haven't seen them, the links to most of my other published stories are in the DEC 2008 section of this blog (or you can click here for Part 1, here for Part 2, and here for Part 3. I'd love to hear comments there, too! Enjoy!
The link leads to the entire issue in .pdf format. My story is on page 30, so you can go right to it by typing in "30" in the page number section of the toolbar of your trusty acrobat reader. Leave me any comments about the story here if you are so inclined. If you haven't seen them, the links to most of my other published stories are in the DEC 2008 section of this blog (or you can click here for Part 1, here for Part 2, and here for Part 3. I'd love to hear comments there, too! Enjoy!
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Scrapping a Project
I now know how hard it is to scrap a project after putting hours into it. My screenplay was going nowhere, and I was freewriting for hours on end to come up with ideas to get just the five basic plot points of the story. I'd get to the midpoint of the story and then nothing seemed to work. I forced a few ideas, but nothing felt right. I wasn't comfortable moving forward with those ideas because I knew the end product wouldn't be very good. Everything I tried felt forced.
So I tore my pages out of my notebook and started again.
It's the same idea, but I've gone in a different direction, and the process is moving much smoother. I'm hoping in a week or so, maybe less, I can actually start writing my first screenplay. I should have all of the pieces in order. I'm actually getting kind of excited because this is a new writing medium for me. All because I had the guts to tear out those pages in my notebook and throw them away. Writers need to know when it's time to move on to another project, even if the one that isn't working has been a real time sink. It stinks to not get a payoff from all those hours, but sometimes it's necessary. Even a new direction with the same idea can be counted as a new project because that new direction needs all the nurturing of a brand new idea.
That's it for this week. Until next time, keep reading and/or writing.
So I tore my pages out of my notebook and started again.
It's the same idea, but I've gone in a different direction, and the process is moving much smoother. I'm hoping in a week or so, maybe less, I can actually start writing my first screenplay. I should have all of the pieces in order. I'm actually getting kind of excited because this is a new writing medium for me. All because I had the guts to tear out those pages in my notebook and throw them away. Writers need to know when it's time to move on to another project, even if the one that isn't working has been a real time sink. It stinks to not get a payoff from all those hours, but sometimes it's necessary. Even a new direction with the same idea can be counted as a new project because that new direction needs all the nurturing of a brand new idea.
That's it for this week. Until next time, keep reading and/or writing.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Music While Writing
Today I just figured I'd give an insight to the background noise I have on while I write. Why not, right? Like reading about the lives of characters, people like to know what other people are doing. It's why "reality" TV shows, entertainment "news" shows, and the like do so well. So I thought I'd give you a little insight into me. (Hey, who knows, maybe I'll be famous some day, right? Y'all will care then!)
I don't like to listen to music with lyrics that I can get caught up in. It's not that I don't want them to influence my writing; no, it's more because I don't want to stop writing and start enjoying the music. For me, at least, the music should simply be in the background. Luckily my choice of music, heavy metal, has many artists I enjoy where it's hard to make out what the singer is actually saying. It's perfect. I can listen to what I enjoy and not worry about getting too caught up in it while I'm creating. I also enjoy, for the same reason, listening to instrumentals such as movie soundtracks and Celtic and Irish music. They tend to make a good background noise option for me.
If anyone enjoys listening to music while they create something (doesn't have to be writing), post it in the comments section. If you don't like listening to music but prefer something else (even silence) post that, too. Until next week, keep reading and/or writing.
I don't like to listen to music with lyrics that I can get caught up in. It's not that I don't want them to influence my writing; no, it's more because I don't want to stop writing and start enjoying the music. For me, at least, the music should simply be in the background. Luckily my choice of music, heavy metal, has many artists I enjoy where it's hard to make out what the singer is actually saying. It's perfect. I can listen to what I enjoy and not worry about getting too caught up in it while I'm creating. I also enjoy, for the same reason, listening to instrumentals such as movie soundtracks and Celtic and Irish music. They tend to make a good background noise option for me.
If anyone enjoys listening to music while they create something (doesn't have to be writing), post it in the comments section. If you don't like listening to music but prefer something else (even silence) post that, too. Until next week, keep reading and/or writing.
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