I have always been a pantster with my writing. I liken it to taking a trip and knowing where I am starting and where I am going, but leaving the journey in the middle unplanned so I can take whatever route I want.
Then I started working full time again, and while I was still getting places in my writing, it was taking much longer and there were more rewrites before things could go out to beta readers as I didn't have the same flow.
Needing a new approach, I tried a few things, until I found one that seems to be working quite well for me. I wrote chapter outlines. They are not very detailed, just a few sentences of things that need to happen in the chapter and some suggestions for dialogue or character development things.
So far, I have found I don't have to spend so much time thinking about where I am going as I have my road map. I just have to start the scene and keep in the guidelines I have jotted down. Does this mean my road map is set in stone? Absolutely not. I already made changes to one chapter that were not in my outline, but did go back and add in a character development I had forgotten I wanted and needed.
Have you found any tips for writing smarter and not harder? Share below. And be sure to come back on Thursday for the results of the poll and a book review story I think you'll enjoy.
Monday, January 9, 2012
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
A Poll for the New Year
Happy New Year!! I hope you all had a great time sending out 2011 and welcoming 2012.
In our house, we had friends over and played games from one year into the next. Munchkin Bites, Apples to Apples, Loot, and Munchkin Quest as well as a variety of finger-food snacks filled our night, ending with a toast of Spumante. A good time was had by all!
Lately I've been pondering something, and was curious how my thoughts stack up to the rest of the world's. Or in this case, all my lovely followers! So, without further ado, here is my Poll for you.
WHAT MAKES YOU CHOOSE A BOOK TO READ?
(Yeah, I know it is supposed to read "Blurb" for the second option, but I didn't catch the typo until my husband pointed it out after I posted it and I don't know how to fix it in the HTML code. Guess I need to proofread better next time!)
In our house, we had friends over and played games from one year into the next. Munchkin Bites, Apples to Apples, Loot, and Munchkin Quest as well as a variety of finger-food snacks filled our night, ending with a toast of Spumante. A good time was had by all!
Lately I've been pondering something, and was curious how my thoughts stack up to the rest of the world's. Or in this case, all my lovely followers! So, without further ado, here is my Poll for you.
WHAT MAKES YOU CHOOSE A BOOK TO READ?
(Yeah, I know it is supposed to read "Blurb" for the second option, but I didn't catch the typo until my husband pointed it out after I posted it and I don't know how to fix it in the HTML code. Guess I need to proofread better next time!)
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Resolutions
It's that time of year again when we look back over the year to see the goals we set for ourselves and how we did meeting them.
Here are the goals I set last year and how I fared at meeting them.
1) Return to a weekly walking schedule of 3-5 times a week on the treadmill. Umm. Let's just say this one didn't go so well, but I will be adding it to my list again.
2) Find an agent to represent my polished Sleeping Handsome (when it is ready, of course!) Another unresolved resolution. Although, I am currently working on this very story, under the new(old) title of Quest of the Hart.
3) Finish The Ruby Dagger (my NaNo project) This was accomplished. Yay!!!
4) Edit The Lost Princess to reflect the changes from Sleeping Handsome (and to reach my word count) Another accomplishment, although out of order. I finished Sleeping Handsome and went back to work on Quest. I don't know why, but it just needed to be done that way.
5) Begin drafting A Different Kind of Knight Another still in progress goal.
6) Begin outlining Daphne's story (no working title yet!) I guess I should have been more clear with this one as a year later, I don't recall what I meant. Hmm. I wonder if I jotted something done somewhere.
7) Spend lots of quality time with family and friends While I did spend much quality time with family and friends, I always look to spend more with them.
8) Keep active with my blog post Even though I cut back to two posts a week, I feel I met this goal.
So, now for 2012 (Can you believe it is only a few days away???)
1) Set and keep an exercise routine
2) Continue to write, edit, and complete the two series I have started (Quest of the Hart, Sleeping Handsome, and A Different Kind of Knight; The Ruby Dagger and The Silver Shroud)
3) Keep more balance in my life with work, life, writing, and reading
How did you do with your goals in 2011? What goals do you have for 2012?
Here are the goals I set last year and how I fared at meeting them.
1) Return to a weekly walking schedule of 3-5 times a week on the treadmill. Umm. Let's just say this one didn't go so well, but I will be adding it to my list again.
2) Find an agent to represent my polished Sleeping Handsome (when it is ready, of course!) Another unresolved resolution. Although, I am currently working on this very story, under the new(old) title of Quest of the Hart.
3) Finish The Ruby Dagger (my NaNo project) This was accomplished. Yay!!!
4) Edit The Lost Princess to reflect the changes from Sleeping Handsome (and to reach my word count) Another accomplishment, although out of order. I finished Sleeping Handsome and went back to work on Quest. I don't know why, but it just needed to be done that way.
5) Begin drafting A Different Kind of Knight Another still in progress goal.
6) Begin outlining Daphne's story (no working title yet!) I guess I should have been more clear with this one as a year later, I don't recall what I meant. Hmm. I wonder if I jotted something done somewhere.
7) Spend lots of quality time with family and friends While I did spend much quality time with family and friends, I always look to spend more with them.
8) Keep active with my blog post Even though I cut back to two posts a week, I feel I met this goal.
So, now for 2012 (Can you believe it is only a few days away???)
1) Set and keep an exercise routine
2) Continue to write, edit, and complete the two series I have started (Quest of the Hart, Sleeping Handsome, and A Different Kind of Knight; The Ruby Dagger and The Silver Shroud)
3) Keep more balance in my life with work, life, writing, and reading
How did you do with your goals in 2011? What goals do you have for 2012?
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Last Post Before Christmas!
Hope you are all ready to celebrate Christmas with your families and friends over the next few days. For us, the season stretches into the New Year, giving us time to spend with everyone.
This year we are taking my folks with us to see Trans-Siberian Orchestra. If you have never seen them, I highly recommend the concert. Great music,and a light and pyrotechnic show that draws ages 8-80 together.
Merry Christmas! Joyeux Noel! Feliz Navidad! Happy Hanukkah! And to all, a great day!!!
This year we are taking my folks with us to see Trans-Siberian Orchestra. If you have never seen them, I highly recommend the concert. Great music,and a light and pyrotechnic show that draws ages 8-80 together.
Merry Christmas! Joyeux Noel! Feliz Navidad! Happy Hanukkah! And to all, a great day!!!
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Christmas Cookies
Sorry I didn't post on Monday- the day got away from me quite quickly, and I never caught up.
Sunday the three of us and two of our neighbors got together to make cookies.
We chose to make Spritz,
Snowballs (and what my husband was calling "Dirty" Snowballs due to the cocoa powder instead of powdered sugar),
Dipped Pretzels
and Carmel Corn (I substituted molasses as I didn't have corn syrup, making it taste kind of like Cracker Jacks)
What happens when adults have left over Spritz dough and 11 year old Red Hots? (Yeah- they really were that old. I thought they were only a few years, but nope. They still taste OK, just a little softer and less spicy.) You get these:
It was so much fun! Hope your Cookie making is just as fun.
(Note: Until sometime in the New Year, I will only be blogging on Thursdays. So much to do and so little time to do it, and all that!)
Sunday the three of us and two of our neighbors got together to make cookies.
We chose to make Spritz,
Snowballs (and what my husband was calling "Dirty" Snowballs due to the cocoa powder instead of powdered sugar),
and Carmel Corn (I substituted molasses as I didn't have corn syrup, making it taste kind of like Cracker Jacks)
What happens when adults have left over Spritz dough and 11 year old Red Hots? (Yeah- they really were that old. I thought they were only a few years, but nope. They still taste OK, just a little softer and less spicy.) You get these:
It was so much fun! Hope your Cookie making is just as fun.
(Note: Until sometime in the New Year, I will only be blogging on Thursdays. So much to do and so little time to do it, and all that!)
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