Étiquette : Writing Tips

Old Fashion Writings Tips for Technologically Overwhelmed Writers

Evolving Writing Times

It started some thirty-plus years ago.

A middle school day. Was it a maths class? Biology? Economy?

One thing is certain, I was writing when I should have listened. Writing always has been my thing. Reading and writing.

I was writing before going to bed, on the way to school, and sometimes at recess. With a blue pen, in plain school notebooks. Out of these many many words, not a lot turned into interesting stories. A lot less turned into good stories.

Often, I would hit a need-to-research-this block. A week could go by before I had time to go to the library to look it up.

Since the explosion of modern blogging (author Amanda Zantal-Wiener wrote a great post about the history of blogs, that’s how I sound knowledgeable right here) when in the 2010s, research-wise anyway, our writer’s life got a grand lot easier.

Writing tips-wise, however, that’s another story. No pun intended!

Continuer la lecture de « Old Fashion Writings Tips for Technologically Overwhelmed Writers »

Diary of a writing project. Day 142: the brackets writing tip

How’s your writing mind?

How’s your writing mind?

Mine is very linear, always has been. From A to Z, there’s only one way in my brain: chronological, one letter after the other.

If I outlined, I then followed the outline.

One chapter after the other.
Writing the whole thing through.
Then moving on.

In other words, I more than less write the same way I read.

The many authors out there, sharing their work and their writing process, inspired me to upgrade the way I write.

Honest to the big G’s up there, I’ve never thought of using brackets or simply write (insert joke here!) or (this what the next two pages should be about in three sentences).
I cannot write in a none chronological order, but I’m allowing myself to write a resume or even a synopsis of a chapter I’d rather write later because of… many reasons like I want to flesh out a character ARC or get on with a cute scene.

In the same spirit, I will be moving from Word to Scrivener in a couple of weeks or so (the budget reality of a freelance writer; gotta wait to have money before spending money).

I’ll do a « test drive » first, but I’m ready for a software designed specifically to handle a big document like a novel, or a play, or a screen play.

I love Word, I’ll keep it. But when the manuscript reaches more than a 100 page, glitches and so much weird little things happen.

I’m almost ready to share the new word count for the YA WIP. I’m still in the process of getting the new outline all set up, adding the rough draft words worth keeping to what I’m ready to call the first draft.

And I will soon share some writing news concerning my writing quest. Stay tune!

Thanks for reading, and I wish you happy writings.

Diary of a writing project. Day 79-80-81: Cold

This week word count goal: 62 500 words

Day 79
Word count so far: 42 923 words

I love rainy days… except in December.

I grew up with snowy December, see. Building snow fort and snowman, going down a snowy little hill side on a crazy carpet, we called them.

The little town we choose to raise our kids is more to the South, so of course, less snow. But still, I live in Canada. And in December, in Canada, snow is supposed to be happening. Not rain.

Nevertheless, when its time to write, I find rain very soothing, very inspiring. It quiets down everything else and words find their way with a little more ease.

Not that I’m hoping for more rainy December days, non! But if I could capture that mood and use it every time it’s time to write, maybe I could catch up on my deadline…

Day 80
Word count so far: 43 678 words

Chinook

Chinook is a wind. It leaves on the East side of the Rocky Mountains.

When the Chinook blows, the snow melts and winter coats are not needed anymore. It feels, I am told, like spring, even in the middle of the coldest of winter’s.

Today, a little cousin of that friend came by, dragging clouds and wet leafs all over the place.

It was a windy, weird evening. A perfect evening to cozy up with a good manuscript about ghosts and mystries to finish!

Day 81
Word count so far: 44 513 words

It’s back to revising what has been written. I looove revising, refining everything, working on the sentences until it sounds better…

Oh yes, I’m perfectly aware that some of those very early revisions might end up in the trash. But certainly not all of it.

At least, I’m getting some work done this week. It’s slow, but way better than the past few weeks combine I think.

Too early to tell if the writing motivation is fully back on track.

One thing is sure, Christmas is coming and with it, a whirlwind of family obligations (yeah, that’s the exact right word, obligations).
The writing routine will suffer a little, but for my own sanity, I will certainly keep it up.
Count on my side of the family to make me want to escape in the wonderful world of words…

Dear writer friends, until next time…

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