RiseUp! discussion

A thread for chatting about anything and everything writing.

tempting, but I don't want to rush it too much. Yea, I know I've said before that I'm planning to publish my story by 2014/2015 and that's coming by fast, but... I'm always bad at rushing through things.

My favourite pastime...

I write poetry mostly...But I like to write descriptive paragraphs/short stories as well. ^_^

@Gwen: Mine too, lol. Especially with music.

@Sierra awesome!

Help!

What book or online resource would you recommend for crafting character emotions? Through more show and less tell? I'm always having difficulty writing emotions this way. My emotions always end up being either cliched, or just plain tell like "his eyes were angry." or something.

Edit: right now I need help evoking the emotion of fear.

wide eyes, quick pulse, shortness of breath, chest on fire, stomach aches, trembling limbs, twitching...

So that is what that means.

The best way to learn how to write... is to read. Voraciously... and keep on writing.

Jennifer wrote: "The best way to learn how to write... is to read. Voraciously... and keep on writing."

I second this. Also, reading about writing is good-- but always remember that whatever you're reading is opinion.

It also doesn't hurt to take writing workshops/classes... if you can.

Jennifer wrote: "It also doesn't hurt to take writing workshops/classes... if you can."

Yeah, if you can... The other thing I'd recommend is: WRITE!... Just keep writing!

And... Okay, so I've been writing a long time, and I often look back on my older writings. It's got a two-fold purpose. One reason is to see how far I've come with my writing. The other is... to laugh at myself. Yes, I laugh at how I used to write... because it's hilarious and mortifying at the same time. But even the terrible stuff, I have learned from. So don't lose hope if you write something that's complete and utter drivel. It's a stepping stone on the way to better things.

Oh, wait.. three-fold purpose. I also steal ideas/characters/settings/scraps of writing from older works...

Yeah, looking older old writings can be... Uncomfortable and cringe-worthy, but it can also be very, very, very useful.

Another suggestion, and possibly the best one I can give: find an awesome writing buddy. Seriously, not one thing I've done in writing has improved my game more.

YES! (How many times have we said this? lol...)

More than a few, lol. That being said, it needed saying again.

Thanks so much guys for the advice!

Anytime, that's what we're here for.

Alright, writers, how goes the writing lately?

Today is a day off from writing... because I said so.

Jennifer wrote: "Today is a day off from writing... because I said so."

Nice... Sometimes, you just need a day off.

I've got a giant block that I can't seem to break.

Anybody want to do the National Novel Writers Month challenge with me? I'm going to do the first draft of novel #7 this month. www.nanowrimo.org is set up great to motivate you to finish your manuscript. So, if you need some motivation I would check it out. It starts Nov. 1. Jennifer said she used it. Right, Jennifer?

Awesome! Glad you're doing it too, Lora.

This year, I'm doing it, Jennifer's doing it, and DH is doing it.

Jennifer bullied me into doing it last year, lol!... And we both reached the word goal.

Mojo- Bullied? Pffft. Right...

I most certainly am doing it this year, but I won't be making it top priority this time around.

Jennifer wrote: "Mojo- Bullied? Pffft. Right...

I most certainly am doing it this year, but I won't be making it top priority this time around."

*smirks innocently*

Yeah, same here. I really, really wanna achieve the goal, but will not stress out about it. If I make it; sweet! If I fail; no big deal.

Right. Last year, it was more of a big deal to win, because I was doing it to see if I could write that much in a month. This year, I know I am capable, but with my schedule arranged the way it is... I can't make promises.

Right. Yeah, seeing if I was capable had a lot to do with trying it last year. Now that I know, I just wanna have fun with it.

hehehe...

I admit. I'm going to stress a little. I really need to get my first draft on the ground. I want this novel ready for the world before I get back to the States in March.

I guess stressing's half the fun, lol!
Have you ever done it before?

Ambitious plans, Lora...
My idea last year was to finish and edit Bane of Foes by January 2013. I can't remember why *January* specifically... but I found myself distracted by the story I'd temporarily put down so that I could join in on NaNo. Once I got that out of the way, I went through... Uh... How many months of editing? It was grueling... And no, I did not finish by January...

*coughs* My 2012 Nanow is still unfinished.

Ha. Mine has long been finished.... ;P

Jennifer wrote: "Ha. Mine has long been finished.... ;P"

-_-

lol!

No, I've never did Nanow before. I'd heard about it and after Jennifer told me about how it had helped her I decided I would go ahead. Deadlines always help me finish a first draft, which is the fun part. I agree with Jennifer, editing is grueling. I spend months editing and re-editing until I'm sick of it. I'll probably take December slow and let myself enjoy the holidays and have a breather. But then I'll hit it hard during the new year.

Lora wrote: "No, I've never did Nanow before. I'd heard about it and after Jennifer told me about how it had helped her I decided I would go ahead. Deadlines always help me finish a first draft, which is the ..."

Cool... Deadlines have helped me too. I think I might have to rely on them too heavily (can't seem to write anything without them). Stakes help too, lol.
I've never finished a story, so I still don't know much about editing...
Sounds like a plan.

Once I get going on a story, and I have plans for it, it's hard for me to stop. At the same time, if I have an extra little nudge, I'm more likely to finish sooner...

Jennifer wrote: "Once I get going on a story, and I have plans for it, it's hard for me to stop. At the same time, if I have an extra little nudge, I'm more likely to finish sooner..."

Yeah, I'm looking for every extra nudge I can get...

The ending, though... That's the killer.

It is the killer! Oh, it is so the killer!

LOL Because I write romance my endings are always EASY. They guy gets the girl, the bad guys are suitably chastised, and they all live happily ever after. And I've been told that I need to make this novel "light, fluffy, and an easy read"

I'm trying to still have fun with it though. :)

Lora wrote: "LOL Because I write romance my endings are always EASY. They guy gets the girl, the bad guys are suitably chastised, and they all live happily ever after. And I've been told that I need to make t..."

Yes... But *how* does the guy get the girl?... And *how* do the villains get suitably chastised? And define "suitably"? lol!

Well... Even when my stories end happily (which is 99.99999999% of the time), I can't always decide how to end them.

@Mojo yes, the "how" is definitely the tricky part, but you know, I have the most trouble finding a suitable climax for the story. The end always comes natural, but the climax, that top part of the emotional mountain is always the hard part for me.

Ah, so between us, we could write a whole novel, because I can always come up with conflicts, twists, etc. to make things a little more exciting...

Oh, and suitably always has to fit the crime. In the novel I am writing, the hero of the story is trying to track down his brother's killer. He finds him, and decides not to let God have his own revenge and the bad guy ends up losing everything and being exiled from the country. Or, maybe the hero will have to kill him in self defense.

I love how writing a novel makes you feel like an all powerful being killing off and resuscitating people with a touch of your keys.

@Lora: sounds about right.

@Jennifer: yes! I'm pretty good at openings, and ideas.

"I love how writing a novel makes you feel like an all powerful being killing off and resuscitating people with a touch of your keys. "
Yes... Indeed... Sometimes I wonder if I abuse that power... lol.

Jennifer wrote: ""I love how writing a novel makes you feel like an all powerful being killing off and resuscitating people with a touch of your keys. "
Yes... Indeed... Sometimes I wonder if I abuse that power... ..."

You have to wonder?