writing

You are currently browsing articles tagged writing.

thank you

November 8, 2011 in Book Writing by Tristina | 5 comments

I received a handmade hand-written card in the mail today from a very dear friend whom I’ve never met in real life.

Yesterday, I received two texts checking on me from two other friends I’ve never met in real life.

Yes, I’m taking a bit of a social media break at the moment, but I wanted to say thank you to everyone who has tweeted, facebooked, emailed, texted, mailed, and called me either in response to something I’ve said or just on your own regarding my writing.

I’ve been told you’re proud of me, you’re inspired by me, you can’t wait to see me published, you can’t wait to read “it” (even though none of you don’t even know what “it” is!). Your thoughts, prayers, messages, everything nearly bring me to tears (some of you have, KATE and CARRIE ANN) because you constantly remind me that I. Can. Do. This.

I can conquer that voice in my head telling me I can’t. Because I battle that voice every goddamn time I sit down to my computer. You guys drown it out.

And, for that, I’m eternally grateful.

Tags: , , ,

Part One

October 17, 2011 in Book Writing by Tristina | 12 comments

I finished the first draft of Part One [of Four, for now...] last Thursday night. It clocked out at 41,000 words and 151 pages in Word or LibreOffice, depending on which machine I was using at the time. Without preamble, I handed my netbook to my husband and let him read it. This was without any editing on my part – just writeomgwritewritewritemustgetitdone and then Here, Read it.

I have no clue if I can even explain to you how nerve-wracking it was/is to let anyone, even my own husband, read my writing. Especially this. But I did. I grabbed a book off my shelf and buried myself in the corner of the couch and read while he read.

Occasionally I leaned over to see where he was.

Of course I did.

A few hours later, he set the netbook down and looked at me with something akin to admiration (!!) in his eyes and said, “Wow…”

To which I stupidly responded, “Wow, what?”

He shook his head, grinning, and held his hand up for a high five. “Just wow. It’s really good, hon.”

Tentative high five. “You think so?”

He laughed. “Yes.”

Then we sat and talked about the story, what I could change, what he liked, what didn’t work, what didn’t make sense, plot holes, etc. We talked about the following three parts and how they fit with this particular seat-of-the-pants writing I did since I introduced A LOT more stuff into the story than originally intended. He told me he didn’t like the name of one of my characters. I sniffed at that.

But, hey. First part done. Someone has read it. Someone has reaffirmed this whole crazy endeavor.

So.

Here is where I am waffling. Do I go back and edit Part One? Flesh it out, fix the holes, make it shinier and keep reworking it until it’s quite polished and happy and then send it to Beta readers? Do I find another Alpha reader? Any volunteers?

OR

Do I keep going and write Part Two, then Three, then Four, thereby completing this whole massive saga just to get it out of my head and into some coherent form on paper?

I will probably end up doing both.

But, the key word in that sentence is “doing.”

Holy shit, you guys, I’m doing this.

Tags: , , ,

process

September 27, 2011 in Book Writing by Tristina | 5 comments

When I was in school, I was taught to research, outline, THEN write. No matter what you were working on, that was the formula. Is that still the formula? It’s been a while since I graced a classroom.

I grew up applying this formula to my writing. Research (if needed), outline outline outline. THEN write the thing. Follow the outline!

Not this time.

It started as one scene. A very heated argument between two prominent characters. It played over and over and over in my head. So I wrote it down. Then, they quieted.

The next day, another scene. This time a very painful memory and a horrible mistake. I wrote that down.

Two days later, a revelation with another character (my favorite character, incidentally – you will love him), a life-altering discovery and a huge decision.

A week after that, a very passionate love scene. I blush every time I read it.

Three days later, a rescue and a surgery that will forever alter another character.

When the random scenes stopped interrupting my train of thought, I had written eight of them. Where they go in the overall story, I have no idea.

So.

The only outline I have is a rough synopsis that is three pages long, a half a page description of the five major characters – not that I need it, I see them all the time, and a two page document sketching out the history of a major ruling body.

That’s it.

I know it’s not conventional. It’s not the “right way” to write.

But it’s my way. And it’s the way that is working at this moment. Right now.

Tags: , , ,

« Older entries