Tag: Writing (Page 5 of 5)

Where I learn to be better at constructive criticism…

August 12, 2015 / edohertyauthor

It’s only taken a couple of years, but I finally, FINALLY, convinced one of my friends to beta read my first novel. She read it in a night (which, I mean, I don’t write super in-depth stuff, no surprise), and she kept on texting me about how much she loved it, how great it was (not to brag or anything).

And I trust her. She’s one of my best friends, and I really trust her.

This morning, she sent me her notes. I read them first thing when I woke up. And I felt… angry.

Your main character needs some more obvious flaws.

She has flaws! Are you not reading? Her shyness? Her anxiety? ARE YOU NOT READING?

This part makes no sense.

Well, of course it makes sense! You read it in a night. Maybe you read it too fast.

My initial instinct was to be angry with her. Shouldn’t she think my story is perfect?

No. Of course not. And after a few deep breaths (and maybe a mile of running at the gym), I started thinking sensibly. She told me how much she liked it. Her notes were an attempt to make it better. So that when and if I publish it. It’s a GOOD book.

I might not use all of her ideas. But some? Some make sense. And maybe I am upset that my book isn’t perfect, but. I’m coming around. I can fix it.

Of course, that means revisions. (Ugh)

And what am I going to do when I publish it and more reviews start streaming in from anonymous strangers?

Like the movies…

July 7, 2015 / edohertyauthor

Do you ever envision your life in the movies?

I don’t mean picturing you yourself in the movies, starring alongside Johnny Depp or Halle Berry or whatever. But more, do you picture yourself as one of the characters in the movie that you’re watching? Do you imagine what your life would be like if you were that character? Because I do.

And I sound totally pathetic.

But hear me out. As a teacher (who loves her job) slash summer camp counselor (maybe not so much) with no significant other and not much of a social life, there comes times when I like to lose myself in the movies.

When I was little, I would imagine myself as a spy as my class walked from our classroom to the library for reading time. Even my early writings drew a lot from the films that I love. (Why Liz, I hear you asking, does that mean that you wrote fanfiction? Oh yes. Yes it does. And the Harry Potter lover in me still misses it.)

Writing this blog was inspired by movie watching. Julie & Julia, which is about a bloggist, and Meryl Streep’s Julia Child impression. (What? I was in a Stanley Tucci mood.)

I don’t know. A part of me thinks that, from time to time, envisioning life as a movie can be good. It can break the monotony of, oh, I don’t know. A humid summer spent supervising hundreds of children as they play dodgeball and soccer over and over again. For me, it has helped me write on more than one occasion. Throwing my characters into a movie scene in my head, or turning something that I’m going through into a movie scene has helped me when the dreaded writers’ block hits.

And as long as I’m not living in my personal head movie all of the time, what’s wrong with it?

What’s your favorite movie, readers?

Apologies for the radio silence

June 11, 2015 / edohertyauthor

When I started this site, I told myself that I was going to be active. I want to meet and interact with other authors. And I want to get advice for my own stuff. I was going to be so good about it. It was going to be great.

Then real life happened.

It’s the end of the school year for my students. In fact, they start their final tomorrow. In an ordinary year, this would be hectic anyway, what with final grades and students needing to study and the fact that our school has NO AC (humidity and I are NOT friends).

BUT. I am about to lose this job. My position is victim to the many budget cuts that teachers face. Because of this, I am about to lose my health insurance, which is a VERY scary thought.

On top of that, I have gotten a zillion job interviews. This is a good thing. I KNOW it is. I know that the more interviews I go on, the more chance I have of landing a job. Unfortunately, interviews take a lot out of someone. Selling yourself, being your best, dealing with the nerves, is taxing. Especially when they make you teach in front of a group of real live students.

I have had 8 interviews in 2 weeks. And more before that. I am tired. I have a perpetual stomach ache. I keep losing my train of thought. Worst of all, I burst into tears in front of one of my classes today. For no reason. It’s been so hard.

I just want a job. I want this to be over. I want the anxiety to go away. I want to focus on other things.

But until then, I might be a little silent for a while.

The perils of being employed full time — at something other than authoring

May 28, 2015 / edohertyauthor

There are always stories in my head. In fact, there are often more stories than I can keep track of most of the time. I’ve loved writing since I was a little kid with my nose stuck in my first chapter book. I’ve always written for fun, and I love it.

Unfortunately, I also love my day job. I’m a teacher, and as crazy and hectic as it can be, I love it. I love the kids and the struggles and the chaos. I love being that completely nerdy teacher that my students roll their eyes about.

But here is the problem. Teaching and writing don’t always mix. Even when I come home, my work isn’t done. There’s work to grade, emails to respond to, lessons to plan, and the general worry hanging over my head that I’ve messed up my students for life. It’s stressful.

The worst part about it all is that after a full 8+ hour day of teaching, I can’t do anything else. Words don’t want to come, and I certainly don’t want to sit up at a computer for hours and write a story. Even now, I am forcing myself to sit here and write this. My eyes are heavy and painful. I’m easily annoyed and brought to tears at the drop of a hat.

SO VERY TIRED.

And yet, there’s this story in my head, clamoring to get out. It’s been there for days, weeks, months. The only work I’ve been able to do on it is choose two names that I like to name my female protagonist. Because as exciting as it all is (and starting a new novel is one of my favorite things in the world), all’s I want to do is sleep until I don’t feel so uncomfortable anymore.

But look… so shiny…