1. Finish my novel edit (complete)
2. Find an agent
2. a. If that doesn't happen, find a publisher
3. Get to Japan/Scotland (depends on my exchange application) (complete)
3. a. If that doesn't happen, apply to the creative writing class at the university again (nul)
4. Get more short stories published (working on this)
5. Get poems published
6. Read more (complete)
7. Write more
8. Take good care of my health.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Knitting Projects
Reading for pleasure: Speaker of the Dead by Orson Scott Card
On the needles: Legwarmer (33% finished first one)
Editing: Short story and novella
I figured I would update about my knitting projects.
The first is the feather and fan blanket I completed for a friend's baby, made from Bernat Softee Baby, in mint:
The other project that I completed recently is a Candle Flame Shawl:
I'm really happy how both of them turned out!
I will update about my writing soon; this is more just a post to say that I'm still alive!
ManiacScribbler =^..^=
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Finishing
Reading for Pleasure: His Dark Materials Trilogy by Phillip Pullman (*****)
Knitting: Legwarmers
Writing: Editing novella
I finished my Candle Flame Shawl, and on from there, I finished a novella rewrite of "The Little Mermaid". I'm happy, so far, with how it turned out. I need to transcribe it from my chicken scratch to the computer, and at that point I will begin my edit.
Which makes me wonder what other writers do. Do you write a hand draft first, or do you write fully on a computer? Or do you use a typewriter? Lynn Viehl, over at Paperback Writer, wrote an interesting post about it last week: http://pbackwriter.blogspot.com/2009/05/typewriter-writer.html. It brings up an interesting point of how the medium affects the message. I do know that sometimes the draft feels like it should be written by hand, but at other times, I feel the urge to write my drafts by computer.
So, thoughts?
ManiacScribbler =^..^=
Knitting: Legwarmers
Writing: Editing novella
I finished my Candle Flame Shawl, and on from there, I finished a novella rewrite of "The Little Mermaid". I'm happy, so far, with how it turned out. I need to transcribe it from my chicken scratch to the computer, and at that point I will begin my edit.
Which makes me wonder what other writers do. Do you write a hand draft first, or do you write fully on a computer? Or do you use a typewriter? Lynn Viehl, over at Paperback Writer, wrote an interesting post about it last week: http://pbackwriter.blogspot.com/2009/05/typewriter-writer.html. It brings up an interesting point of how the medium affects the message. I do know that sometimes the draft feels like it should be written by hand, but at other times, I feel the urge to write my drafts by computer.
So, thoughts?
ManiacScribbler =^..^=
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Scattered Ramblings
Reading for Pleasure: The DaVinci Code (Not far enough in to form opinion.)
Reading for school: Nothing!
On the Needles: Candle Flame Shawl: http://web.archive.org/web/20020624070248/balart.com/CANDLE.HTM and correction of pattern (very bottom of page): http://www.knittersreview.com/forum/topic.asp?ARCHIVE=true&TOPIC_ID=19719
Writing: Working on a fantasy novel
Warning: This is a very scattered, rambling post.
So, I am back from school! Sorry for the lack of posting; the last couple months of school was horrendously busy. I had two large papers to write, and I'm really happy with how the one turned out. I took Disney's Beauty and the Beast and applied a feminist reading (through Helene Cixous); this was for my critical theory class. For my poetry class, I compared and contrasted Dorothy Wordsworth's Grasmere Journal with "Grasmere - A Fragment". The paper was a little bit more scattered, but I think that it fit the feel of her writing. I guess I will see how it came out here soon!
Looking at Dorothy Wordsworth's journals made me think that she made a better prose author than poetry. Her prose was poetic at points, and that was when I most enjoyed her writing. Her poetry was too much like prose, and that made it difficult for me to read. Image rich writing always makes my reading the most enjoyable and that is what she had in her journals; for whatever reason, it just did not translate well in poetry. I would have thought it would, but it did not.
Now that school is over, though, it's awesome. I am back home and working at my summer job - an information centre. I am getting things figured out for my exchange, and life is good. Beyond missing my boyfriend, but it is something we will both have to get used to, especially since I am going to be gone for nine months.
The weather improved a bit here, but it does feel like the thunderstorms that they are predicting; as long as it doesn't snow again, it's all good. I don't mind when it rains because I feel less guilty about being inside. And then I can knit and write to my heart's content...Or watch movies, which is always a big distraction for me. Though I did some research for my next novel by watching "The Little Mermaid" the other day. I have to love it when research includes a Disney movie, just like my research paper. I am working on the Candle Flame Shawl, which I posted the link for above; make sure to look at the corrections, however, because they will cause a lot less heartache when you get to those rows. I am using Bernat Camoflague yarn in the Baby Camo colour; I was going for more of a leaf looking shawl, and that is what is being produced. I was originally making it for my grandma, but she passed away in November. I figured I may as well finish it for myself in memory of her. I will post pictures of it once I have it finished!
Now that I am done school, I will also be able to devote more of my time to writing. Although I always seem to get the urge to write when I am most stressed. It is likely because I find it relaxing and it makes me concentrate on one specific thing for a given length of time, although there are times where I am restless and still get nothing done. My most productive time tends to be around exams, which is detrimental to my studying but good for my writing; however, now that they are over, I will be able to more closely follow William Wordsworth's model of "recollection in tranquility".
What works for you? Do you tend to write more when you are stressed or when you are relaxed?
ManiacScribbler =^..^=
Reading for school: Nothing!
On the Needles: Candle Flame Shawl: http://web.archive.org/web/20020624070248/balart.com/CANDLE.HTM and correction of pattern (very bottom of page): http://www.knittersreview.com/forum/topic.asp?ARCHIVE=true&TOPIC_ID=19719
Writing: Working on a fantasy novel
Warning: This is a very scattered, rambling post.
So, I am back from school! Sorry for the lack of posting; the last couple months of school was horrendously busy. I had two large papers to write, and I'm really happy with how the one turned out. I took Disney's Beauty and the Beast and applied a feminist reading (through Helene Cixous); this was for my critical theory class. For my poetry class, I compared and contrasted Dorothy Wordsworth's Grasmere Journal with "Grasmere - A Fragment". The paper was a little bit more scattered, but I think that it fit the feel of her writing. I guess I will see how it came out here soon!
Looking at Dorothy Wordsworth's journals made me think that she made a better prose author than poetry. Her prose was poetic at points, and that was when I most enjoyed her writing. Her poetry was too much like prose, and that made it difficult for me to read. Image rich writing always makes my reading the most enjoyable and that is what she had in her journals; for whatever reason, it just did not translate well in poetry. I would have thought it would, but it did not.
Now that school is over, though, it's awesome. I am back home and working at my summer job - an information centre. I am getting things figured out for my exchange, and life is good. Beyond missing my boyfriend, but it is something we will both have to get used to, especially since I am going to be gone for nine months.
The weather improved a bit here, but it does feel like the thunderstorms that they are predicting; as long as it doesn't snow again, it's all good. I don't mind when it rains because I feel less guilty about being inside. And then I can knit and write to my heart's content...Or watch movies, which is always a big distraction for me. Though I did some research for my next novel by watching "The Little Mermaid" the other day. I have to love it when research includes a Disney movie, just like my research paper. I am working on the Candle Flame Shawl, which I posted the link for above; make sure to look at the corrections, however, because they will cause a lot less heartache when you get to those rows. I am using Bernat Camoflague yarn in the Baby Camo colour; I was going for more of a leaf looking shawl, and that is what is being produced. I was originally making it for my grandma, but she passed away in November. I figured I may as well finish it for myself in memory of her. I will post pictures of it once I have it finished!
Now that I am done school, I will also be able to devote more of my time to writing. Although I always seem to get the urge to write when I am most stressed. It is likely because I find it relaxing and it makes me concentrate on one specific thing for a given length of time, although there are times where I am restless and still get nothing done. My most productive time tends to be around exams, which is detrimental to my studying but good for my writing; however, now that they are over, I will be able to more closely follow William Wordsworth's model of "recollection in tranquility".
What works for you? Do you tend to write more when you are stressed or when you are relaxed?
ManiacScribbler =^..^=
Friday, March 20, 2009
Finished!
Reading for pleasure: Watchmen (****1/2)
Reading for school: Def Poetry Jam by Jill Dolan (****)
On the needles: Knit-in-the-round hat
Editing/writing work: WIP novel
Yes, you read that correctly. I have finished my novel edit...Not that writing is ever finished, but it is finished enough. I am happy with it, and beyond sending out my queries or copies to publishing houses that still accept unsolicited manuscripts, I will not touch this novel again for a long time. In the meanwhile, I will be writing out my next idea.
Sometimes my muse stays with me, sometimes not. It depends on whether my muse feels like being active or not. Unfortunately, I am not able to capitalize on all of the times that my muse actually hits me with an idea. Between dealing with school writing and reading, it can be difficult. However, this time, I was able to capture the gist of the idea before my muse abandoned me. I think that she might even stick around to see where the story is going, and help me write my research papers that are due over the next little while!
I did actually go back to the bookstore to see the state of their shelves the week following my last post. They had moved many copies of the Twilight saga onto the shelves, filling them by having all of the covers facing outwards, instead of the spines. This still makes me worried about the state of the publishing industry, because, if all the publishing industry is going to provide is the popular titles, how are new authors going to be able to get a foot into the field, much less break into it? It seems to be an interesting idea to think about, and something that no one has an answer for at this point.
Speaking of questions and answers, one that I have been contemplating for awhile now is the proposed amalgamation of four faculties in my school. Where I am attending is actually looking to consolidate the Humanities, Social Sciences, Communication and Culture, and Fine Arts programs into one large umbrella faculty. I can see our Humanities and Social Sciences and even Communication and Culture coming together, but I honestly cannot see the Fine Arts gelling with anything else mentioned. It is an odd combination, and I have a feeling that it is my university's way of saying, even more bluntly than now, that the Humanities and the other faculties mentioned above are really only tacked onto what is primarily a business, science, and engineering school. It scares me, becuase without a liberal arts education...Well, the world would be a much different place. And I have to wonder where I would be at this university, since I am an English major. It is interesting and it will be well worth seeing where this goes, but I cannot see it going well for any of these four faculties. (That's my pessimism for the day...)
I am actually going to be going on exachange to Japan in August, for which I am very excited, not only for the prospect of going to Japan, but for the experience. I cannot way to be able to see what it will be like and how it will be able to deepen my writing (which I'm hoping it will be able to).
Other than that, not much has been happening in my world.
Until later, enjoy!
ManiacScribbler =^..^=
Reading for school: Def Poetry Jam by Jill Dolan (****)
On the needles: Knit-in-the-round hat
Editing/writing work: WIP novel
Yes, you read that correctly. I have finished my novel edit...Not that writing is ever finished, but it is finished enough. I am happy with it, and beyond sending out my queries or copies to publishing houses that still accept unsolicited manuscripts, I will not touch this novel again for a long time. In the meanwhile, I will be writing out my next idea.
Sometimes my muse stays with me, sometimes not. It depends on whether my muse feels like being active or not. Unfortunately, I am not able to capitalize on all of the times that my muse actually hits me with an idea. Between dealing with school writing and reading, it can be difficult. However, this time, I was able to capture the gist of the idea before my muse abandoned me. I think that she might even stick around to see where the story is going, and help me write my research papers that are due over the next little while!
I did actually go back to the bookstore to see the state of their shelves the week following my last post. They had moved many copies of the Twilight saga onto the shelves, filling them by having all of the covers facing outwards, instead of the spines. This still makes me worried about the state of the publishing industry, because, if all the publishing industry is going to provide is the popular titles, how are new authors going to be able to get a foot into the field, much less break into it? It seems to be an interesting idea to think about, and something that no one has an answer for at this point.
Speaking of questions and answers, one that I have been contemplating for awhile now is the proposed amalgamation of four faculties in my school. Where I am attending is actually looking to consolidate the Humanities, Social Sciences, Communication and Culture, and Fine Arts programs into one large umbrella faculty. I can see our Humanities and Social Sciences and even Communication and Culture coming together, but I honestly cannot see the Fine Arts gelling with anything else mentioned. It is an odd combination, and I have a feeling that it is my university's way of saying, even more bluntly than now, that the Humanities and the other faculties mentioned above are really only tacked onto what is primarily a business, science, and engineering school. It scares me, becuase without a liberal arts education...Well, the world would be a much different place. And I have to wonder where I would be at this university, since I am an English major. It is interesting and it will be well worth seeing where this goes, but I cannot see it going well for any of these four faculties. (That's my pessimism for the day...)
I am actually going to be going on exachange to Japan in August, for which I am very excited, not only for the prospect of going to Japan, but for the experience. I cannot way to be able to see what it will be like and how it will be able to deepen my writing (which I'm hoping it will be able to).
Other than that, not much has been happening in my world.
Until later, enjoy!
ManiacScribbler =^..^=
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Empty
Reading for pleasure: Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Reading for school: Information for my Geology course
On the needles: I-pod Nano case
Editing/writing work: WIP novel
Now, I haven't been in a bookstore for awhile. (Shame, hm?) With a student budget, I can't really afford to buy a lot of extracurricular books (which is why I love libraries so much!). The scary thing about this bookstore, though, is that they had a whole shelf unit in the young readers section that was empty! There was nothing on it.
Of course, this empty shelf drew my attention, because the others around it were full. I know that there is a recession in our country right now (Canada), but I did not think that it would equal to having empty bookshelves. In fact, they did not even have the new Princess Diaries book, nor any of the other bookstores (it was a chain), in the city.
It is an interesting thing to observe when we are in recession, there are so many foreboding warnings from the US, and then there have been all the cut backs in publishing south of the border. That, along with the advent of more and more technology for computer reading (I'm thinking along the lines of the Kindle and e-books), I have to wonder what is going to become of bookstores?
I don't think that I'll ever be able to read everything that I do on a computer screen, simply for the eye strain that reading a few pages on the screen can cause for me. I don't think that the publishing industry will ever stop printing ink and paper books, but I do think that they have to diversify for all those who do want e-books; just like the music industry has to.
Still, interesting that there was an empty book unit. I should go back next week and see if it is filled or taken out!
ManiacScribbler =^..^=
Reading for school: Information for my Geology course
On the needles: I-pod Nano case
Editing/writing work: WIP novel
Now, I haven't been in a bookstore for awhile. (Shame, hm?) With a student budget, I can't really afford to buy a lot of extracurricular books (which is why I love libraries so much!). The scary thing about this bookstore, though, is that they had a whole shelf unit in the young readers section that was empty! There was nothing on it.
Of course, this empty shelf drew my attention, because the others around it were full. I know that there is a recession in our country right now (Canada), but I did not think that it would equal to having empty bookshelves. In fact, they did not even have the new Princess Diaries book, nor any of the other bookstores (it was a chain), in the city.
It is an interesting thing to observe when we are in recession, there are so many foreboding warnings from the US, and then there have been all the cut backs in publishing south of the border. That, along with the advent of more and more technology for computer reading (I'm thinking along the lines of the Kindle and e-books), I have to wonder what is going to become of bookstores?
I don't think that I'll ever be able to read everything that I do on a computer screen, simply for the eye strain that reading a few pages on the screen can cause for me. I don't think that the publishing industry will ever stop printing ink and paper books, but I do think that they have to diversify for all those who do want e-books; just like the music industry has to.
Still, interesting that there was an empty book unit. I should go back next week and see if it is filled or taken out!
ManiacScribbler =^..^=
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Knitting
Reading for pleasure: Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Reading for school: Some French men...I can't remember their names...
Writing/Editing work: WIP novel
On the needles: A hat once I'm offline!
So, my knitting has distracted me from my writing. Which is a huge shock, of course. I am progressing, though! I have learnt to use both circular and double pointed needles within the past few days, which makes me really happy. Now I can work on circular knit hats, which will hopefully make knitting them a lot quicker!
I am going to set up all of my knitted goods at a market at my univeristy (hopefully), along with some hair accessories and hemp bracelets. Oh, the money making schemes of a university student! The bracelets, nicely enough, are from a previous craft sale, so that helps a lot. And I'll make up some more so that I have some new and old stock.
And I will begin working on my writing again...Eventually. I am a third of the way through this edit!
ManiacScribbler =^..^=
Reading for school: Some French men...I can't remember their names...
Writing/Editing work: WIP novel
On the needles: A hat once I'm offline!
So, my knitting has distracted me from my writing. Which is a huge shock, of course. I am progressing, though! I have learnt to use both circular and double pointed needles within the past few days, which makes me really happy. Now I can work on circular knit hats, which will hopefully make knitting them a lot quicker!
I am going to set up all of my knitted goods at a market at my univeristy (hopefully), along with some hair accessories and hemp bracelets. Oh, the money making schemes of a university student! The bracelets, nicely enough, are from a previous craft sale, so that helps a lot. And I'll make up some more so that I have some new and old stock.
And I will begin working on my writing again...Eventually. I am a third of the way through this edit!
ManiacScribbler =^..^=
Monday, January 5, 2009
2009 Goals
Reading for pleasure: Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Reading for school: Lacan (still working on it!)
Writing/editing work: WIP novel
I don't make resolutions for New Year's; however, I do contemplate what I would like to happen in the year ahead or what I am going to try to achieve in this year. Here's the list (which is always changing as things change/happen):
1. Finish my novel edit
2. Find an agent
2. a. If that doesn't happen, find a publisher
3. Get to Japan/Scotland (depends on my exchange application)
3. a. If that doesn't happen, apply to the creative writing class at the university again
4. Get more short stories published (working on this)
5. Get poems published
6. Read more
7. Write more
8. Take good care of my health.
We'll see how that goes. More will be added and others will be taken off as they occur. The nice thing about these goals is that most of them are within my control; I can write well enough to get published; I can read more and write more and take good care of my health. The other ones are more subjective...But I'm an English major. I'm used to subjective.
ManiacScribbler =^..^=
Reading for school: Lacan (still working on it!)
Writing/editing work: WIP novel
I don't make resolutions for New Year's; however, I do contemplate what I would like to happen in the year ahead or what I am going to try to achieve in this year. Here's the list (which is always changing as things change/happen):
1. Finish my novel edit
2. Find an agent
2. a. If that doesn't happen, find a publisher
3. Get to Japan/Scotland (depends on my exchange application)
3. a. If that doesn't happen, apply to the creative writing class at the university again
4. Get more short stories published (working on this)
5. Get poems published
6. Read more
7. Write more
8. Take good care of my health.
We'll see how that goes. More will be added and others will be taken off as they occur. The nice thing about these goals is that most of them are within my control; I can write well enough to get published; I can read more and write more and take good care of my health. The other ones are more subjective...But I'm an English major. I'm used to subjective.
ManiacScribbler =^..^=
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Lack of Motivation
Reading for pleasure: Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Reading for school: Lacan
Writing/editng work: Novel edit
When I get this close to finishing, I find that I procrastinate. I could be a good part of the way through my edit right now, but when I get home from work and have supper, my energy is gone. So I sometimes only get two pages edited. If I work well, I maybe get 10 pages edited. Editing is the most difficult part of the book for me, because it is picking apart what I've put down on the paper with love (most of the time).
At this point, since I stayed up late trying to get the paper edit finished, I'm ready for sleep. I figure that I deserve it, so I don't do much about it. But I wish I did have a bit more motivation. School is coming up; I know once I'm back, I won't have much time to work on my writing.
That is one thing that I have to work on: time for writing. I need to take the time that I have and start writing in it. It's not like I don't have time, I just don't take it. Somedays that is okay, but others I definitely need to pick up the pace.
We'll see how I do this term. And now I'll head back to work and when I get home, I'll get more the edit done. Just not as much as I ever hope.
ManiacScribbler =^..^=
Reading for school: Lacan
Writing/editng work: Novel edit
When I get this close to finishing, I find that I procrastinate. I could be a good part of the way through my edit right now, but when I get home from work and have supper, my energy is gone. So I sometimes only get two pages edited. If I work well, I maybe get 10 pages edited. Editing is the most difficult part of the book for me, because it is picking apart what I've put down on the paper with love (most of the time).
At this point, since I stayed up late trying to get the paper edit finished, I'm ready for sleep. I figure that I deserve it, so I don't do much about it. But I wish I did have a bit more motivation. School is coming up; I know once I'm back, I won't have much time to work on my writing.
That is one thing that I have to work on: time for writing. I need to take the time that I have and start writing in it. It's not like I don't have time, I just don't take it. Somedays that is okay, but others I definitely need to pick up the pace.
We'll see how I do this term. And now I'll head back to work and when I get home, I'll get more the edit done. Just not as much as I ever hope.
ManiacScribbler =^..^=
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Querying
Reading for pleasure: Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Reading for school: Just finished some Freud
Writing/editing work: WIP novel, rolling other ideas around
Now that I have started the edit on my novel, I start looking into agents that I can query. I did not know a lot about agents until I read about them in Writer's Market a few years back. It's where I start now as soon as I am in the last legs of editing. Yes, it is multi-tasking, but I find it easier to keep my mind on the project at hand. If there is one thing I've learnt in university, it's that you multitask or lose your ability to keep up.
I started my search in Writer's Market, but the books go out of date quite quickly, so I've adapted and now first go to Agent Query: http://www.agentquery.com/. Within the 45 minutes that I was there today, I found over twenty agents that would be suitable to query; there were 39 listed, but I am quite picky about who I choose. This saves me and them time, because I will not send out useless queries. One of my criteria is that they accept e-mail queries; they are cheaper and more efficient in both sending out my query and receiving answers (no postage costs!). On this site, I also pick and choose depending on how much information is actually on the site; if they have publishing credits there, they have to have a title there as well for me to trust them.
I read some agent blogs so that I can become familiar with their likes and dislikes and to expand my knowledge of the industry in general. I need to get to some conferences, but being a student means that I have no money for conferences. They are too expensive to attend. I know that it would be a good investment, but when faced with the choice of affording tuition/residence and going to a writer's conference, staying fed throughout the school year wins out every time.
When I have completed those steps, I write the query letter. With my book fresh in my mind I try to catch its essence so that I can catch the attention of the agent. I find this more difficult than writing the whole novel, or even the editing, because now I am trying to make someone else fall in love with my work. I'll write and edit this letter more times than the novel itself.
The first round of queries goes out once I have looked over my list of agents again and finished the edit on the my novel. I'll see where I have to go from there!
Until later,
ManiacScribbler =^..^=
Reading for school: Just finished some Freud
Writing/editing work: WIP novel, rolling other ideas around
Now that I have started the edit on my novel, I start looking into agents that I can query. I did not know a lot about agents until I read about them in Writer's Market a few years back. It's where I start now as soon as I am in the last legs of editing. Yes, it is multi-tasking, but I find it easier to keep my mind on the project at hand. If there is one thing I've learnt in university, it's that you multitask or lose your ability to keep up.
I started my search in Writer's Market, but the books go out of date quite quickly, so I've adapted and now first go to Agent Query: http://www.agentquery.com/. Within the 45 minutes that I was there today, I found over twenty agents that would be suitable to query; there were 39 listed, but I am quite picky about who I choose. This saves me and them time, because I will not send out useless queries. One of my criteria is that they accept e-mail queries; they are cheaper and more efficient in both sending out my query and receiving answers (no postage costs!). On this site, I also pick and choose depending on how much information is actually on the site; if they have publishing credits there, they have to have a title there as well for me to trust them.
I read some agent blogs so that I can become familiar with their likes and dislikes and to expand my knowledge of the industry in general. I need to get to some conferences, but being a student means that I have no money for conferences. They are too expensive to attend. I know that it would be a good investment, but when faced with the choice of affording tuition/residence and going to a writer's conference, staying fed throughout the school year wins out every time.
When I have completed those steps, I write the query letter. With my book fresh in my mind I try to catch its essence so that I can catch the attention of the agent. I find this more difficult than writing the whole novel, or even the editing, because now I am trying to make someone else fall in love with my work. I'll write and edit this letter more times than the novel itself.
The first round of queries goes out once I have looked over my list of agents again and finished the edit on the my novel. I'll see where I have to go from there!
Until later,
ManiacScribbler =^..^=
Friday, January 2, 2009
My Writing Process
I don't think that's there any such thing as "the" process for writing; there is mine, and then there's everyone else's own personal process.
My ideas tend to come from the strangest things; I wrote a whole novel after thinking about my lava lamp one day. The strange part is that one ended up not even being about my lava lamp.
The novel I am editing right now is actually an almost complete rewrite. I originally wrote it in third-person, but it didn't work as it should have. I liked the characters and story too much to give up on it, so I wrote it out in first-person instead. It has turned out a lot better this time, though I am still making improvments and expansions to it in this last edit. I don't think that writing is ever completely finished.
With this novel, I wrote it mostly on my laptop, which was different from usual; I tend to write it out by hand and then transcribe it to the computer. This has helped my typing skills a lot, and I think that there are sometimes that handwritten work flows better for me than typing. I tend to remember hand writing a lot easier than typed.
Once I have gotten the first draft, if it is (a) on the computer, I take a day break or so and then begin reading it over on the computer; (b) on paper, I take a break and then start typing it up. Either way, this produces my second draft. This gets printed off, and I read over it for grammar, plot holes, stories that need to be added, and anything else. I then enter those changes and create my third draft. This can go on for quite awhile. For this novel, I am on my fourth draft (which is the one I'm working on right now).
As I said, this can vary for me depending on what I'm writing. I have to do paper edits or else I miss too much in the way of typos and mistakes. Computer edits make me feel less wasteful, so that's why I do some read overs on the computer.
After I have finished this edit, I will write my query letter and start that process. I'll post more about that later.
Until then, keep writing!
ManiacScribbler =^..^=
My ideas tend to come from the strangest things; I wrote a whole novel after thinking about my lava lamp one day. The strange part is that one ended up not even being about my lava lamp.
The novel I am editing right now is actually an almost complete rewrite. I originally wrote it in third-person, but it didn't work as it should have. I liked the characters and story too much to give up on it, so I wrote it out in first-person instead. It has turned out a lot better this time, though I am still making improvments and expansions to it in this last edit. I don't think that writing is ever completely finished.
With this novel, I wrote it mostly on my laptop, which was different from usual; I tend to write it out by hand and then transcribe it to the computer. This has helped my typing skills a lot, and I think that there are sometimes that handwritten work flows better for me than typing. I tend to remember hand writing a lot easier than typed.
Once I have gotten the first draft, if it is (a) on the computer, I take a day break or so and then begin reading it over on the computer; (b) on paper, I take a break and then start typing it up. Either way, this produces my second draft. This gets printed off, and I read over it for grammar, plot holes, stories that need to be added, and anything else. I then enter those changes and create my third draft. This can go on for quite awhile. For this novel, I am on my fourth draft (which is the one I'm working on right now).
As I said, this can vary for me depending on what I'm writing. I have to do paper edits or else I miss too much in the way of typos and mistakes. Computer edits make me feel less wasteful, so that's why I do some read overs on the computer.
After I have finished this edit, I will write my query letter and start that process. I'll post more about that later.
Until then, keep writing!
ManiacScribbler =^..^=
Thursday, January 1, 2009
2009 Starts with a Bang
Because here I am! Why not start the new year out with a new experience? And I know that writing more is a resolution that I can keep.
There will hopefully be other benefits to this experience; I am working on the last edit of my book before I send out queries. I am starting before I begin my next term in university, and I have been wanting a blog since I got the Writer's Market 2007.
An introduction is needed then, I guess.
Since I was five I have wanted to be an author. I remember having a Crayola half and half pad (half lined paper and half drawing space), and one of the first stories I remember writing is about getting five dollars and how I would spend it at the zoo. I have come a long way since then, thankfully enough. Anything that I've written when I seven and younger is being packed away and will only ever be seen by me now!
I am an English major and this has expanded my horizons; I want to travel to expand them more. Which will happen eventually. However, I have to continue to work hard for that eventually. I am learning Japanese so that I can help expand my horizons; I am debating what other second (and now third) language I want to take. I am wobbling between Italian and Spanish and leaning more towards Italian...Though it is more likely that I would use Spanish, I really would like to learn Italian.
Right now, I have just learnt how to knit on circular needles, and I am working on that blissful last edit before querying. Though there will always be something that I'm changing. Writing is a learning experience that is changing all the time.
For now, that is all I will say. I cannot guarantee my post rates right now, but I do want to try for something every day or two. Until then, take care and Happy New Year!
ManiacScribbler =^..^=
There will hopefully be other benefits to this experience; I am working on the last edit of my book before I send out queries. I am starting before I begin my next term in university, and I have been wanting a blog since I got the Writer's Market 2007.
An introduction is needed then, I guess.
Since I was five I have wanted to be an author. I remember having a Crayola half and half pad (half lined paper and half drawing space), and one of the first stories I remember writing is about getting five dollars and how I would spend it at the zoo. I have come a long way since then, thankfully enough. Anything that I've written when I seven and younger is being packed away and will only ever be seen by me now!
I am an English major and this has expanded my horizons; I want to travel to expand them more. Which will happen eventually. However, I have to continue to work hard for that eventually. I am learning Japanese so that I can help expand my horizons; I am debating what other second (and now third) language I want to take. I am wobbling between Italian and Spanish and leaning more towards Italian...Though it is more likely that I would use Spanish, I really would like to learn Italian.
Right now, I have just learnt how to knit on circular needles, and I am working on that blissful last edit before querying. Though there will always be something that I'm changing. Writing is a learning experience that is changing all the time.
For now, that is all I will say. I cannot guarantee my post rates right now, but I do want to try for something every day or two. Until then, take care and Happy New Year!
ManiacScribbler =^..^=
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