Tag: Writing (Page 4 of 5)

Revisions

March 22, 2016 / elizabethdohertyauthor

I hate revisions.

I mean, I can do a simple edit just fine. Change a few words, fix some spelling errors. But once I get something on paper (or computer), that’s it. I can’t imagine going back and completely changing scenes and plotlines.

For me, once it’s there, it’s there. I know it’s not perfect, but it’s hard for me to envision it any other way. Am I supposed to be? Is there a way to make this easier?

I always dread doing revisions. I always feel like I am doing them wrong. Change should come quicker, easier. Should I be enjoying it?

Am I the only one who feels this way?

Do you write with other people?

March 9, 2016 / edohertyauthor

Co-authoring has always intrigued me. There aren’t many novels out there with multiple authors. In fact, I can only remember reading a few (Peter and the Starcatcher by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson, The Royal We by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan). Writing can seem like such a solitary pursuit, but for me, it’s always been the opposite. Writing with friends is what got me into writing in the first place.

I started writing, really writing, with my friend Megan when we were teenagers. I don’t know why. I think I was jealous that she had written something with another friend. We liked to goof around, insert ourselves into our favorite stories, write about inside jokes. But as we got older, the stories became a little more serious, a little more realistic. A few years ago, we even tried rewriting one of those stories we had written as teenagers, hoping to publish it.

We’ve kind of faded off in our writing together (because being adult we have lives now – gross) (actually, she has a life, I read all the time), but that bond is still there. We still remember those stories and laugh about them. And we’re still close now, which is the best.

And I write with some other friends too. Again, those stories are kind of silly and never amount to anything (and more often than not, fade off), but it’s always so fun to plan and create with a friend. It’s my favorite bonding activity. Because I’m weird like that.

How finishing a novel feels (in gif form)

February 12, 2016 / edohertyauthor

How finishing a novel feels:

tumblr_n0il5nIZnO1tq4of6o1_500

How realizing this means revision comes next feels:

tumblr_o1phaboBOS1sfoav0o1_500

Finished my third complete novel tonight. I really should get to revising them, shouldn’t I?

50,000!

November 26, 2015 / edohertyauthor

There isn’t much to talk about today. Things have been crazy during preparations for Thanksgiving (my very favorite holiday!) and trying to get caught up on my NaNoWriMo writing. But finally, FINALLY, I did it. I hit my 50,000. 50,012 to be exact. There’s a bit more that I want to write before I officially put in to “win” NaNoWriMo, but I’m almost there. Even just seeing the 50,000 is one of the best motivations I know.

I’m a little nervous about finishing it, but I am even more nervous about revising it. I’ve always been absolutely terrible at revisions. It’s hard for me to take what I have written and deconstruct it and start anew. Does anyone have any good advice on revisions?

And if you celebrate it, I hope that you and yours have a wonderful Thanksgiving. And if not, have a wonderful day regardless!

NaNoWriMo

November 13, 2015 / edohertyauthor

I guess I’ve been a little MIA the past few weeks. Between getting papers graded for work and participating in National Novel Writing Month, I feel like I haven’t had any time to myself!

If you don’t know what National Novel Writing Month is, I highly recommend you look into it. Writing a novel in a month is insanity. The good kind of insanity. In fact, the only novels I have ever finished were NaNoWriMo projects (this makes me a VERY BAD AUTHOR).

This year’s NaNoWriMo has been the craziest of them all. Real life has decided to be a thing this year. I am actually being a social human being (what!)! Plus there’s the whole work thing, which is taking up more of my time this year than it has in the past.

The craziest thing though is that I completely changed what I was going to write on the very first day. Originally, in my head, it was going to be a spin on popular fairy tales. I spent all of October planning and researching and getting ready (I am a planner).

But on November 1, I woke up completely inspired to start working on a novel I had scrapped long ago. I had some of it written, and about half an outline done, and I set to work on it. Scrapped all of my plans from the first novel and went with it. And I haven’t looked back since.

It’s not perfect, but I am enjoying it. And NaNoWriMo is all about getting the words on the page, right? I can make it better later.

TIME.

October 22, 2015 / edohertyauthor

I wish there were 25, 30 hours in a day. This past week I have been stressing myself out over everything I have to do, everything that needs to be done, and everything that I want to do.

At work, there is reams of paperwork to do, plus essays and projects to grade, plus lesson-planning to accomplish. All this on top of actually, you know, teaching. And interacting with the students and my colleagues.

When I get home, there is an apartment to clean (who knew I would be such a neat freak before I moved into my own place?), books to read, writing to do, generally more stuff from work that I brought home. Plus, I need to work out. And cook.

Of course, all of this is if I’m not tired. If I am tired? Forget about it. I don’t get anything done.

The worst is between the hours of 3 and 6. I feel so drained that I am lucky if I can do anything with myself besides stare at a computer screen. This three hours of dramatic nothingness puts me off schedule, which just stresses me out even more. Then I work to quickly get things done, and it’s always a mess.

How do we find more time? I want to write, I want to relax, I want to feel like I am not running from one place to another all of the time. I hate being stressed. I am done with being stressed.

So give me more time. Please?

The problem with genres

October 14, 2015 / edohertyauthor

Since starting this website, I’ve labelled myself as a Contemporary Romance and Chick Lit writer. To an extent, that is exactly what I am. The only novel I’ve completed is definitely contemporary romance. The novel I was working on when I opened this site (which has since fallen by the wayside) was also a Contemporary Romance.

My next novel? Fantasy. Young adult fantasy.

For now, I figure, this is an okay thing. I’m writing this for fun before if I see if it goes anywhere. I am writing it for National Novel Writing Month.

But when I publish, if I publish this, is there going to be a problem? The genre is quite different than what I usually write. Assuming I build up some notoriety, is it smart to switch genres all of the time? Even when I want to try my hand with someone else?

Or should I focus on one? OR should I come up with pen names for each?

Why isn’t this all easier?

Music needed!

September 25, 2015 / edohertyauthor

So here I am asking for some more advice.

I love music, but I have my own niche. That niche, surprisingly enough, is showtunes. I can’t get enough of them. (No, I have NOT listened to Hamilton yet. I WANT to, so bad, but I want to wait until I actually get to see it. If I ever actually get to see it.) They’re fantastic because they tell a story. And they have some great voices and melodies that go along with them.

The problem is that I don’t venture too far away from my niche. I listen to some indie, some classic rock, some instrumental movie soundtracks. But I have a problem finding new music. Especially finding new writing music.

I don’t like my writing songs to have too many words in them. It can get distracting. Yes, I have writing music that DOES have words, but I’d prefer the instrumental stuff. A lot of movie soundtracks. (The Theory of Everything was the soundtrack of my last novel.)

So how do you find new music that fits the genre that you want to get into the headspace of? So far, I’ve been having a little bit of luck with Youtube. Should I look more into Pandora? Spotify? Something else?

The easy way out or the road less traveled?

September 17, 2015 / edohertyauthor

Do you ever get a great idea for what you’re going to write (yes, I know that I just updated about writer’s block, but something came to me in a dream! No, really.), and you get so excited, and then you sit down to write it.. and there are all sorts of problems?

A part of me hates the beginning of the writing process, all of that planning. Because it can be so hard, a complete obstacle to getting to the fun part. You have all of these ideas, but you need to make them make sense, right? And sometimes that is just not fun.

Do I keep going? Do I keep planning this wild story in my head? Even with this giant obstacle in my way? Or do I stop? Search my brain for something easier to write? Less difficult.

I don’t want to say that I am running away from a challenge. But with a new job and a new apartment, should I write something that comes to me easily? Save the difficult stuff for when life settles down a bit?

Will life settle down a bit?

And more importantly, will I ever stop asking questions on this blog?

Writer’s Block

August 20, 2015 / edohertyauthor

There have probably been thousands or millions of blogs written about writer’s block. I hate being one of those people who adds to it, but I can’t help it. I’m so frustrated. I spend weeks planning a new story, and I start writing… And it all falls apart. This is the second time it has happened in the past few months.

I know I shouldn’t push it. I don’t want to push it. When I write, I want it to be something I’m proud of. But I have so many ideas in my head that I want to get out on paper. And I want to publish books. Plural. But how can I do it when I’m stuck?

Lately, I haven’t been able to find any time to write. And when I do think about it, my brain gets overwhelmed and crazy about all of the other things that I need to do in my life. I can’t even bring myself to finish editing the novel I actually have done.

How am I going to be a writer if I can’t get anything out onto paper? It’s just so completely frustrating. What do I do?