New project!
Exciting, isn’t it?
Energy level? Off the roof.
Imagination sparkles? Sparkling dazzlingly.
This is gonna work. This time, oh this time, it’s gonna work.
You hear that world? Three months top, that writing project will be query ready.
It will get published.
*sigh*
How many times have those words come around in the past thirty years!!!
That’s where I stop, look back at the beautiful writing life mistakes of the past and breath.
Hold It
I’ve been there before. Burning myself up by rushing into a new writing project.
It’s so much fun, the idea is brand new, the characters too.
Too often, however, I would rush through Act 1, because I wanted to see what surprises lurked behind the fun&games part… And, yes, I’ll admit it, I’m always looking forward to writing to the « we’ll they kiss now » part.
Just kidding… almost.
Now that I’m not that old but still wiser (just a bit!) than before the last writing project, I take a different approach with these three writing projects.
For years, I would write my stories in a linear order. It just makes sense to do so.
But there’s a writing hack I never even consider before doing research on productivity among authors’ blogs and AuthorTube channels.
Writing chaos!
Explanation.
Writing Hack Time
Little reminder: I’m writing tween and young adult genre novels (fantasy, romance, sci-fi, and all that comes in between).
It is my very humble opinion the following writing hack truly works best with genre literature.
That being said.
You’re the writer, you’re the person, you decided. I just want to share about the writing craft.
Before I start the first draft of a writing project, I write a bunch of outlines. After several tries out of different outlining methods, I adopted Katytastic work frame: set a number of chapters within the famous 3 acts storyline, and decide on the word count for each chapter.
Then, I write the major scenes, starting sometimes in the middle, the near end, etc.
Then, time to first draft the story, now in a linear order.
The major scenes may change or be deleted altogether, but, doesn’t matter, because at least, I got it out of my system.
As for my writing productivity stats, I saw them getting better.
Still, there’s room for improvement and I’m looking forward to putting this writing hack to the test again.
This Beloved Old Story of Mine
I did it. I did it. I DID IT.
I started outlining a new idea.
But.
Outside of the scheduled writing time for the big plan. So no harm done to my tat intense writing goals.
The first goal is: to finish the story that what supposed to be done… two years ago.
It’s a relief to read… I wrote a decent good sort of a ghost story!
Tweaks in and there, about ten chapters to re-write, and done. By November.
That is the writing goal for now anyway.
I’m as ever grateful to know you’re here, taking the time to read this.
Thank you.
Until next time!
Marie Alice Writes & Reads 