#writingprogress

[exploresmallworlds]

Interregum: writer tales

My two projects are vastly different. These are different styles. A deeply personal introspection on the world outside and the other one is exploring the world of the characters which aren't necessarily myself (although somewhat myself of course).

I have written a bit and yesterday i had to give myself the strength to look at the things that I have already written and published. Even as a blog, I still get scared about what I am going to put to my goblin persona. i had them sitting in my scrivener and I wasn't even sure that they were good enough. And they have to be good enough to update because there isn't anything else that is compelling it except the strange impetus of missing out on a couple of months while I had a break.

So if anyone reads and thinks that they have been creating stuff and it hasn't felt strong enough to publish or even that it needs more work please know that even though I have hit my my modest goal of getting better at writing I am still looking at my work and I am still having concerns about the validity of publishing it.

And I am comforted by my conversations with one of my friends that have the same issue with writers block because this person is one of the smartest and most skilled writers that I know and he can't even open a book or listen to audiobook or even write due to burnout. And that is a sobering thought. That our output doesn't have anything to do with our blocks in our brain. That person is still the smartest and most skilled writer even in their blocked state. And that is the trust you have to have in yourself.

[scriptwriters-network]

We look forward to seeing you at an upcoming virtual event. Won’t you join us?

[fmaden]

Writing Update

Currently wrapping up revisions on The Court of the Undead. A dark YA Fantasy featuring vampires and history. Can't wait to get this story out to the world.

[spencerrussellsmith]

Just realizing right now that I never updated my spreadsheet from 2021 dates to 2022 dates…the entire year… Unfortunately, I didn’t hit my goal of 1 million words, falling about 15k short at ~985000 words, but I did publish 2 novels, a short story and a novella, and get married, AND I edited over 2 million words this year. (Quite a few passes going over over 300k words of content). Hopefully this year. I’ll pass that 1million word goal, and publish at least four books! I already made some good progress today! #spencerrussellsmithauthor #bookstagram #wordcount #writingprogress #2022recap https://www.instagram.com/p/Cm5eqLeOaDs/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[clarislam]

Hello, fellow readers and writers! 

Thanks for the recent follows! I know I haven’t been active on here much lately, but that’s because I’ve been busy writing and prepping new projects for 2023!

You can read my recent writing progress blog post for more details here: https://clarislam.ca/december-2022-writing-update/

[susantbraithwaite]

Author Journal 30th January - 5th February 2023

Join me on my writing journey as I reflect on last week's progress, share my goals for the coming week, and overcome challenges. Let's inspire each other to achieve our writing milestones! #writingprogress #fictionwriting #nonfictionwriting

Hiya 👋 Last week was one of those weeks where I felt like I wasn’t making any real progress. I was getting work done, but it felt like wading through porridge that’s been left on the side for so long that you could set fence posts in it. Have you ever had those weeks? I seem to get them a lot. Anyway, last week I added my non-fiction writing goals into the mix. That could be what made things…

[authormarieasano]

Camp NaNoWriMo: Week 2

A new post is up where I give a progress update on week two of Camp NaNoWriMo. 

Be sure to check it out 🌸: https://authormarieasano.com/2021/07/16/camp-nanowrimo-week-2 

[katzenente]

Inspired✨ . #writingcommunity #writing #writingprogress #writingtime #writer #author https://www.instagram.com/p/B6yMTPsCTPO/?igshid=1h7k951rxjnph

[deborahdeshoftim5779]

Reworking an old story: observations

I’m currently reworking a story that I began in 2016, but never finished. Only today, while going for a walk, did I solidify the real plot problem and vehicles for character development therein. 

On Thursday, I read through the existing chapters and wrote 2 717 words by hand (almost 8 A4 pages) of analysis. Beforehand, I believed that while the story required work, I might be able to keep some of this existing work. In fact, I preferred to do so, as I was attached to the chapters (particularly chapters 1, 4, and 5). 

But on rereading, I found all kinds of problems. The main one was that despite having set up a protagonist in the first chapter, she did nothing. From my old plans (sadly, I deleted all the story notes and plot timeline!!), I had wanted her to act in Chapter 6. But that action only involved a conversation and observation. 

I have since learned that characters must act, not just think. But I think that this problem comes as a reflection of my own life, where I often struggle to act as opposed to overthinking a situation. Only by pushing myself to achieve goals in small time-frames (such as 15 minutes), as well as other methodologies, have I broken through this barrier. 

In addition to this, I had implausible situations. This came from the fact that I had an entirely different plan back in 2016, but one which clashed with the end of the television series episode I was shadowing. So, after having established the protagonist in Chapter 1, I switched to another POV which unleashed a chain of (coincidental events) that affected the protagonist. And for coincidental events, I needed coincidental characters. 

This meant that Chapters 2-5 were unusable, despite my presumptions. That basically leaves Chapter 1 stranded, though I can certainly recycle material from any one of these chapters. I am unhappy with Chapter 1, because the protagonist’s goals were clearly stated and then muddied (and even those goals didn’t involve much forward action). 

My story planning practices back in 2016 were shambolic. Had I not foolishly deleted all the notes I made, along with the timeline and original drafts, then I could have pieced something together from the ashes. The one benefit I can see from having burned all the bridges behind me (thankfully, I have fragments of handwritten notes) is that I can start afresh!

Because I had no clear end goal, and only a vague summary from the beginning, I was never going to finish this story. I was at least developing to the point where I could plot in advance (using a plot timeline, and then highlighting each completed event green) and write detailed character notes (which I now miss!). Since reading more on writing technique in the following years, I now know better than to plunge into the unknown without a clear plan. 

So I have prevented myself from writing anything on this story until I am sure about the goal (which was worked out this morning on a walk), and have done all the preliminary writing for it. This includes detailed character notes, some modest research on medieval warfare and medicine, as well as a completed Table of Contents. From then, I can complete the entire draft in advance, before rewriting, editing, and publishing chapters for review. 

When I do get around to the chapter stage, I will use the same method I have been using to review existing chapters and the relevant episode: numbered notes. That way, I can return to the pages I wrote and look up some particular issue. I am also relieved that these are written by hand, therefore the worst fate they can suffer is stagnating inside my bag, not being deleted online and lost forever!

I find that making notes on the chapter for developmental editing is an excellent way of thinking through and reacting to what I have written, as well as spotting problems in the draft. I wish that I had been more rigorous with my work back in 2016, as well as with my other unfinished (and nearly abandoned) work. Furthermore, I am more strict with counting the number of words written (a real pain when writing by hand) and the time spent on each piece of writing. That gives me an idea of how much time I typically spend writing in a day, which I then log into my spreadsheet. 

Beforehand, I used to envisage hours and hours of uninterrupted writing time. Reality didn’t cooperate with that vision. Often, I could spend hours and hours writing, but often at the expense of important tasks, which piled up. Eventually, I became so exhausted that I would crash and burn. 

Or, I would get busy and then put writing on the backburner. The longer I spend away from writing, the harder I find it to get back in. This applies particularly to fiction, where I become paranoid that my technique has slipped and so I need to read more craft books and fiction (which I do need to do, but that is a lifelong habit, not just one to be used while drafting). 

(And I have to read craft books on nonfiction, as well!).

So I have a better methodology and technique to finish this story, as well as being more consistent with writing by hand (one of my favourite things to do, minus counting words by hand and the pain afterwards). I love making notes, as I feel it better engages my mind with what I am reading and watching. 

This time around, I also will be illustrating my stories. I have longed to do this for years, but stopped short of putting a proper plan into place so that I could achieve this goal. My Art Progress posts now chart my forays into sketching, something which definitely will accompany my fiction and nonfiction works. I love the concentration required for sketching, and the requirement to slow down and think about what I am doing. 

I have often lived in distraction and rushed to get things done. Now I have to do the exact opposite: concentrate on a task, which makes it easier (and quicker!) to get things done. 

While I berate myself daily for having thrown away a good chunk of notes and the plot timeline, I am grateful that I have handwritten fragments. I like the technique of using a numbered timeline, and I will also be using an excellent note-taking method I learned today to keep track of miscellaneous (and in this case, intentional) thoughts. I also find writing on plain paper incredibly liberating, because I don’t have to write in a linear fashion (although I mostly do). 

I will have more updates as the story grows. 

[magellanicpenguin]

whumptober progress

9/29 - Just two more days to October (its like 4:30 am atm). Planned to have a lot more prepared, but I keep writing longer and longer for the prompts. I started and finished prompt no. 7 tonight, Isolation. Honestly, more of a mystery than a whump, with some pretty minor actual isolation. I’ll def have to fix that. It’s 12 pages (~4k), but those last two were written with me pretty dead so they sus af atm

Editing notes: emotional consistency, rhetorical color/description stuff, the fight scene maybe, more of the isolation stuff which is basically the final twist. consider having the twist and then switching pov... fuck why do I see 12 more pages in my future? 

Tomorrow, I start no.8, stab wound... I think I’ll go straight forward for that. Y’kno, classic, oh tis but a scratch...... idk what fandom tho

[hrfiction]

twenty-seven pages

Had some down time today and started working on the next chapter of my fanfic. The synopsis was already written from chapters ago, so I just started fleshing everything out starting with the most important scene first. Now we write the others, then onto proofreading. There is so much going on with each of the characters now it’s getting harder to decide which one to start with first. Before anyone asks though, Yes there is finally some action between Chloe and Lucifer. It’s only going to get smuttier from here so ... don’t look me in the eye. I feel great shame for what I have written.

[theungrumpablegrinch]

Bahhh.

[scriptwriters-network]

SWN Programs – Have you viewed our script submission programs? The Hollywood Outreach Program (HOP), Television Outreach Program (TOP) and our High Concept Screenplay Program (HCSP). We help improve your craft while providing positive, constructive feedback.  

Find out more here.

[florence-midknight]

Getting to work early means I can work on my fanfiction stuff. . . . #writing #notebook #pen #fanfiction #writingprogress

[spencerrussellsmith]

Productivity definitely dropped a bit in the middle of the year, but I did edit a novel, publish a short story and a novel, whip up and publish a novella at the last minute, get married, and then finished REALLY strong with my best writing month EVER in August. I think I wrote more in that month than I’d written in the first few YEARS of writing. #2022recap #wordcount #writingprogress #bookstagram #spreadsheets #spencerrussellsmithauthor #spencerrussellsmith https://www.instagram.com/p/Cm5dJXYLVme/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[clarislam]

March 2024 Writing Update

I'm a short story contest semifinalist, drafted a whole new book, and Smashwords' Read An Ebook week returns! Find out more in today's March 2024 #writingprogress blog post! #writingupdate #author #poet #update

Happy March, everyone! I hope everyone’s March is just as good as February, or even better! Last month was incredibly productive writing-wise, and I’m happy to go into details later in this post. Since I have a lot to cover, I’ll just dive right into it now! I’m a Semi-Finalist in the Iridescence Awards! I’m so happy to announce that I’m a semifinalist in the Iridescence Awards! The Iridescence…