Writing and editing crap

Since my last post I have edited 117 pages and taken out more than 24,000 words. I'm taking my time with this second draft, wanting to make it better. I told a family member the other day that writing is all about crap. Here's the exact words I used:

Writing is all a bunch of crap because you write a first draft, which turns out to be crap. Then you edit that crap into new crap, when you reread that crap you edit more new crap until it's less crappy... on and on it goes until you no longer feel the urge to hit that delete button.

If you're a Pantser like me, then you probably fight the urge to delete everything during the first read-through. My finger gets trigger happy, but I find it helps to keep all my deleted words in another document that way if I delete something important or end up cutting out the heart I still have it and can access it with ease.

What are some of your editing tricks or advice?

Until next time, I hope you find joy in your writing!

Lucky Agent Contest

Hey everyone just wanted to let you know about an awesome contest going on right now over at Writer's Digest. It's their Dear Lucky Agents Contest and the best part is it's FREE! Check it out if you're a Young Adult writer.

Lucky Agent Contest

Until next time, I hope you find joy in your writing!

During my free time I've...

Hello world,

I am coming out of my cave to tell you what I've been doing while taking a break from my novel I just finished.

My life is still eat, breathe, sleep writing. I've been honing my craft by reading some writing books and then practicing the techniques I'm reading about. The Power of Point of View by Alicia Rasley has been an enjoyable read so far. It's brought ideas to my own writing that I've been playing around with. I never realized how much fun it can be to play with the point of view.

I'm also reading Conflict & Suspense by James Scott Bell, which has also been an eye-opener so far. While writing my novel I read a little bit, but now that I have even more free time I love learning new techniques that can only make my writing stronger. I can't wait to go back to my novel and include these ideas into my story's world.

While writing my novel, my Writer's Digest magazines piled up, so I'm also catching up on all their great advice. I've written a couple short stories that I plan on perfecting and maybe enter into writing contests.

When I'm not writing or reading about writing, I'm entering other people's worlds and characters. It's a great escape from my own mind.

What do you do during your writing free time? Any other books that I should read about writing?

Until next time, I hope you find joy in your writing!

First Draft Complete

Dear world,

Today I finished the first draft of my novel. I am now going to take a six-week break from it before I begin the long editing process.

I'm free! I think I'll read some books, maybe write something else, find a new show to watch, and find my sanity again. For the past month I've been breathing, eating, and sleeping this book. It feels so great to finally finish it.

That is all!

Until next time I hope you find joy in your writing :)

New Year and New Me

I hope every one had a great Christmas and New Years. Now that the holidays are over it's time to get into new year mode. I've written about my New Years Resolutions in the past. This year I didn't post anything and here's why:

I've decided I'm not going to have a New Years Resolution. This year I'm going to have goals, but the biggest change is going to be my attitude. I spent a lot of time in 2013 being depressed and I can't do it anymore. I need to take more control of my life and change the things I can. That mostly means thinking more positively about what I have and knowing what I want.

Failure is a possibility, but I need to stop being afraid of it. Because if I fail, it means I at least tried.

What do you hope to see happen in your life this year?

Balance in life and writing

I hope everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving and a great NaNo. I did not participate this year, but I have been writing. I'm in the middle of an internship where I write, so it's been difficult finding time to write for myself. I finally feel like I've found a balance.

Balance in life is very important. Those with family know how hard it is to find time to write between taking care of kids and working. Most of us have to arrange writing around our schedule. At times I felt like I had split-personality disorder between writing journalism and then creatively writing for myself. Sometimes I still get that feeling, but it's getting better.

My dream is to become a published author. In order for that to happen I have to finish my own work, which is why even if I don't feel like writing anymore I force myself to write at least one sentence for my own work. Usually that turns into more than one sentence, but every little bit counts, right?

How do you find the balance in your busy life?

Banned Book Week!

Hey everyone in case you didn't already know it's Banned Book Week. Here's a post on real reasons people wanted these books banned. You won't believe some of them because they're so ridiculous. So in honor of Banned Book Week I'm asking you to go out and read a banned book.

Some of my favorites include Harry Potter and the Hunger Games. What's your favorite banned book?

Here's another site for your viewing pleasure on what authors have to say about censorship.

Until next time I hope you find joy reading your banned book!

9/11: Twelve years later and a moment of silence

It’s hard to believe it has been twelve years since the day I sat in class fearing for the fate of my country and its people. That day is still fresh in my mind. I was sitting in study hall when someone came running in the room, talking about our nation being under attack.

Turning on the news, it was like watching a movie. Only the fear and grief were all too real. Thousands of men and women lost their lives that day. Many families forever changed. Twelve years later many Americans go about their day as if nothing happened. I would like to take a minute of silence for all the police officers and firefighters who lost their lives that day to protect ours and for all of the troops who continue to fight for our freedom. We must let them know that they are not forgotten.

And since this is a writing blog, remember to treat every day as a gift. It can all be taken away in an instant. Look deep down into yourself and remember why you want to be a writer or why you love to write.

Until next time I hope you find joy in your writing!

Who will your characters turn out to be?

When I begin writing, I have an idea of who my character is going to be. But you can't predict how a child is going to grow up and sometimes my characters surprise me who they become. I started writing one of my characters thinking she'd be nice and help my main character. It appears she's taken on a life of her own and has other plans. As I continue to write this character in the story, the more she hinders my main character.

So far it's not a bad change, just not what I was expecting. I could go back and try to make her be the person I want her to be, but I think it's better if I let my characters grow into their own. Have you ever had this happen to you?

What's your writing environment?

I haven't posted anything in a while because I was in the process of moving across the country. I'm now back home with my family where I belong. Now that the move is over it's time to get back to working on my novel again...I hope I can find everything.

Moving is like Christmas morning. If you don't label your boxes, like me, then every box you open is a surprise. It's kind of the same if you are a "panster." Every sentence you write can be a surprise. But this post is more about the writing environment. At this moment I'm having problems writing this post due to a tv, screaming baby, and people talking around me. Not the best environment for concentrating on your writing.

How many of you have an ideal writing place? A lot of people I know go to coffee shops and write there, but I am one of those people who need a door to close to tune everything out. When that door closes, my mind automatically knows it's time to get down to business.

Well I have an almost-one-year-old fighting for my attention, so until next time I hope you find joy in your writing!