Category Archives: The Writing Life

10 reads worth your time:

At Writer Unboxed, Barbara O’Neal discusses the need to figure out what you’re really writing about.

At Editor Devil, read about how to Delinate Characters Through Dialogue.

Over at Romance University, Theresa Stevens talks line editing.

Marcy Kennedy discusses the use of smell in How to Make Your Novel Scratch and Sniff.

Over at YA Highway, Veronica Roth talks about the Strictly Objective Critique Partner.

Julie Butcher-Fedynich has A Ten-Step Program For More Writing Time.

Nathan Bransford lists The Top 5 Social Media Blunders You Shouldn’t Make.

Andrew Jack has some no-nonsense advice in It Doesn’t Matter How You’re Published – We’re All Self-Promoted.

Over at Genreality, Bob Mayer talks about the necessity to Have A Career Plan As A Writer.

And, just for fun, check out the The Terrible Crossover Fantiction Idea Generator for wacky creative writing prompts.

Missed any Fictorians articles this week?

How To Procrastinate Successfully – Kylie Quillinan

Other Venues – Dylan Blacquiere

An Exercise to Exorcise Personal Demons – Clancy Metzger

An Exercise to Exorcise Personal Demons

May 4, 2012

clancy

Character Clancy Metzger The Writing Life Writing Tools 1 Comment

Pretty much this entire year, thus far, I have been struggling with depression. I’m doing better now, but I had to shed a lot of responsibilities that I had over committed myself to in order to get there. That’s another story, and I won’t bore you with it here 🙂

But, during all this, I wasn’t writing. Wasn’t doing research, wasn’t brainstorming, wasn’t journaling, wasn’t working on my story – nada. The only writing I was actually able to make myself do was the few blog posts I had committed to doing – like this one. That’s it. This was not helping my depression either because I felt guilty I wasn’t working and I felt, acutely, the loss of my creativity.

I was talking to a friend (thank you, Wendy), who had just come out of some rough times herself and is also a writer. What she had done and suggested I do was to listen to a dark song and write a character sketch for an antagonist with no intent to necessarily use the character. Just to get dark feelings out. Any song that took me to a dark place would do. It took me a few songs and I had to get some suggestions, but I found one (Closer by Nine Inch Nails – the uncensored version – if you’re curious) that was sufficiently dark to me. So, I listened to it a few times and started writing this antagonist.

What happened half way through was that I could see all the potential for a story using this character. When I finished with him, I started sketching out the hero and heroine (I write romance – remember). Already, I was feeling better and inspired. Then I started writing some rough plot points, followed by the intro to the story.

And now, I’m writing. It worked. I hadn’t done any writing in months and through one cool exercise, I was back. It is such a relief to be feeling more like myself and being creative. So, I would suggest this exercise to anyone who needs to shake off some darkness from within.

How do you get through rough times when you’re struggling to create?

How To Procrastinate Successfully

April 30, 2012

KylieQ

Kylie Quillinan The Writing Life 1 Comment

It’s time to write. My laptop is already turned on so I’ll just sit myself down in front of it. I probably should tackle that big pile of laundry that needs to be folded – there’s at least a week’s worth – but no, this is my writing time. The folding can wait.

So I flip up the laptop lid and wait for it to wake up. I had better check my emails first because there might be something urgent waiting. I have three email accounts but it will only take a couple of minutes to look in on them all. Now, twenty minutes later, I’ve dealt with the most urgent emails and am pleased with my ability to just leave the rest. I’ll come back to the non-urgent ones in a day or two when I have more time. I should tackle my writing now.

Oh but before I do, I’ll check in on facebook, just to see what’s happening. After all, facebook is how I keep up with most of my writer friends, largely due to us living in different countries and time zones. And reading about what all of my writer buddies are up to is a good way to get myself into the right mindset to write. Fifteen minutes later…

Gosh, look at all the mess on my desk. I can’t work with my surroundings in such chaos so I’m going to have to deal with this right now. And besides, I’ll be so much more productive once everything is in order. There, that didn’t take long. Only fifteen minutes.

On my laptop, I’m now opening my manuscript and, oh, I just remembered, I need to research that thing I thought of yesterday. I should do that before I knuckle down to writing. Hmm, that wasn’t as quick as I expected and I got sidetracked looking at that cool new blog I found. But still, it was only an hour and I did need to do that research before I go any further with my manuscript.

Since I’m already on the internet, I should catch up on a few of the blogs I follow. They’re mostly industry-related, a mixed bag of writers, publishers, editors and agents. I need to ensure I stay informed with what’s happening in the industry. And now since I’m up-to-date on all of my professional blog reading, I should check in on those couple of dog-related blogs I follow too. I don’t like to get too behind on this sort of thing because then I take time out of my writing to get caught up. There you go, forty minutes and my blog reading is all up-to-date.

Before I shut off the internet, I had better check the Fictorians blog and make sure the posting schedule hasn’t changed. I wouldn’t want to be caught unprepared when my next blog post is due. Besides, that only took five minutes.

Yawn, it’s 9pm already and I’m too tired to start writing tonight (a night owl, I am not). I’ve been productive though and I’ve worked for the better part of three hours. But I’ve got that book I’m reading for research and I should try to read at least a chapter before I go to bed. At least I will still be working…

What excuses do you make to yourself about why you aren’t writing right now?