Tag: something new

Writer Life Lesson #26: Start Something New

A lot of the time, as writers, we work on pieces for long periods of time. Novels, short stories, even poems can take years and years to come to completion. Sometimes, we tend to get stuck in the middle and think there is no way out, especially since middles are characteristically the hardest to write since they have to connect the beginning and the end.

Usually, when I start writing a piece, I have a vague idea of where I want it to start and a vague idea of how I want it to end, but the middle is the unknown territory where I mostly let my characters surprise me. This works sometimes, but a lot of the time I get distracted and stuck and have trouble continuing with that piece.

That brings me to Writer Life Lesson #26: Start Something New. 

Working on one piece at a time works for some people, but I find that I get tunnel vision and I get bored and feel like I’m a failure at life because I’m not having these big 5K writing days or I’m not making story progress like I want. Recently, I got a bit of inspiration and started a few new pieces because I just couldn’t wait.

The results were astounding.

To start something new and feel that new spark of a new piece was amazing. It helped me to give the current novel I’m working on a bit of space and let me relax in my wishes for that novel. When I returned to it recently, I was able to get a lot of writing done and get through a good bit of the plot and find a bit of a direction again.

I’m still in the middle and trying to work my way to the end, but if I get stuck, I know I can go work on something else for a while, fiddle around with a new set of characters and a plot and make the words come without pressure again.

If you’re stuck on your current piece and it’s driving you crazy, try starting something new, even if it’s just a short poem or an idea. It will help get those ideas flowing again and reduce the need for perfection in your first draft.

Camp NaNoWriMo News

Hello Everyone! April is just around the corner, and that means Camp NaNoWriMo!

This year, I’m working on two projects. Finishing up my project from NaNoWriMo 2019, and starting a new project.

Under Grey Skies: Doing my best to finish up my 2019 NaNo Novel by the end of April.

Book Nine of the LOVED series.

Earth: There are no more children to save. There are no more lost souls to wake. Everything should be perfect, but Jared has disappeared, and Qu has been set to wander the earth. The only person that can stop him is Emily. Chasing Qu, she runs into someone she never expected. 

Widren: With Qu gone, the island and the city have become what they were meant to be, a paradise. Randa must find the boy, but no one can help her. He’s a mystery that might just stay a mystery forever.

He was always in the background, never thought of himself as anything special, but she saw him.  

GOAL: Write “The End”

—–

Ghost House Heart: Death is only the beginning. When Blanche loses her fiance in a tragic accident, she thinks there is nothing left for her. Until she learns there may be a way to bring him back. Now she will do anything to bring him back, even if it means risking her own life. 

GOAL: 30,000 words.

This Camp NaNoWriMo will definitely be interesting, since I’ve never worked on two projects at full speed like this before and even with the chaos of the world, I’m still working full time.

Wish me luck!

(There’s still time to join me for Camp NaNoWriMo Here, just create a project and link it to the event. I’m always looking for more buddies, this is Me.)

Trying Something New

As 2018 approaches, I’m going to be trying something new with this blog.

Lately, my writing has been lacking and I feel like these last few months I’ve just been on autopilot and not enjoying life.

For January, I’m going to try doing a blog post a day. If it works, great! I’ll continue it.

If it doesn’t work, well I tried.

I hope you all have a great new year and are looking forward to new content as much as I am.

Writer Life Lesson #6: Try Something New

As humans, we feel the urge to learn. We feel the urge to expand and learn new things, attempt new things. There are several quotes about knowledge and ignorance, and progress. As writers, we cannot stay in the same place forever, we must advance and grow and learn.

Last week, the lesson was write what you know. This week is a continuation in a way. This week’s lesson is: Try Something New

Yesterday, I did something I have never done before. I got on an airplane and I wrote on that airplane. That was a new, amazing, experience and I’m glad I was able to do it. It was a pretty short plane ride, but it was perfect for a new experience. It was a little taste of something I hadn’t done before.

So what happens when you try something new, either in life or in writing? You gain experiences and stories, both to tell and to write. You can share those experiences with others, and the knowledge that comes from those experiences.

I’m not saying you have to do something big, like get on a plane, or spend your whole life savings on a new house or car. Start with something small that you’ve wanted to try for a while. Try waking up at a new time, or trying a new food. It can be something small. Remember, small steps can lead to big changes.

There are a lot of new experiences to be found in writing too. Try learning something new or researching something you’re interested in. It can be a small step toward a huge change. Try handwriting if you usually type, or typing if you usually handwrite. Try writing a new perspective or even a new character. There are so many options out there, and so many new things to try as a writer.

I’ve tried a lot of new things in the past few years, and if I hadn’t, I wouldn’t be as great of a writer as I am now. If I hadn’t tried such new things as NaNoWriMo and rewriting and editing, I would not have those experiences and that information to share with all of you. I wouldn’t be as knowledgeable or comfortable with writing, or even sharing all of this.

Learning new things, and trying new things can be frightening. Certain things can be scary, like getting on a plane, or writing a new perspective, or even changing something as small as your morning cereal. Fear is in our lives to help us know what could be dangerous and what could be life-threatening, but a lot of the time, we fear too much. Sometimes, in the face of change, we need to confront our fears head on, and continue on despite them.

So face your fears and try something new. It could actually be fun!

Try something new and give people something to say, whether they doubt you or not.

What is something new you’ve tried recently?