Struggling Writers discussion

Are you down on your hopes of keeping up your pace or do you want to encourage someone who might be down? Come here and pour your heart out!

It is day two of the New Year! How is everyone? Have you stuck to your daily goal? If not sit down and write!

Hi Irene. My post from "Word counts"

You know what. I had never had any inclination to write, loved to read, but write no. Probably due to being horrible in English/grammar.

About two years ago a marketing professor friend, I'd actually just met through the company I was working, made a wild statement about me. Not even sure entirely where it came from ... basically something to due with how I picked up things I saw/experienced really fast. After reading a few really popular series, I wondered if I could write a book. Here's the thing, I didn't actually have any ideas ... I just said ..."What's one more crappy writer in the world." No pressure there. So instead of writing down an idea, I wrote down the things I liked and didn't like about the stories I'd read. The list was ... surprising.

One day, a month or so later, I was mowing the lawn (great time to think about stuff), and I was thinking about the list, which actually became more of a framework. In that hour and a half, I came up with a story line. Started writing that night ... I wrote 100K words in six-weeks ... and it SUCKED. Best story I wish someone else wrote (had everything, great characters, tight plot, twists and turns). But I was a lousy writer, really didn't even know what I was doing. But that's when it got interesting, I started reading other really popular writers, mostly current (Rowlings, Mead, Clare, Brown, Jenkins, Collins) and Jack London. I started paying more attention to the writing styles, POV, sentence structure, rhythm and cadence. I also got on goodreads and really listened to other readers (what they liked and didn't) Thank you Stacia and Kira (those two taught me a lot just by listening to what they said). Here's the thing, I stuck with it, I kept revising, and reading and revising until it sounded right. I wrote the book for me, never any intent to do anything with it. I wrote two more books at the same time, just to complete the series. As I said, it was the story I wanted to read ... wish someone else wrote, but hey what the hell. Don't be scared to write. I never wanted to, but turns out ... I really love it (and I'm most definitely not what you'd expect a writer to be). And once you get it written, publish it yourself on Lulu.com (cool as hell to have an actual book with your name on it sitting in your office at work,or in my case three books.)

The best part, my 10-year daughter, prolific reader and overachiever, wants to write a book with me, just so she can donate it to her grade school library.

RabidReader wrote: "Hi Irene. My post from "Word counts"

You know what. I had never had any inclination to write, loved to read, but write no. Probably due to being horrible in English/grammar.

About two years ago a..."

Thank-you! I feel that this could be helpful for someone needed a bit of a boost :)

RabidReader wrote: "Hi Irene. My post from "Word counts"

You know what. I had never had any inclination to write, loved to read, but write no. Probably due to being horrible in English/grammar.

About two years ago a..."

What an inspiration!

Willow wrote: "I'm going through a divorce. I feel numb. I found out, later, that he was having an affair for 15 of our 18 year marriage. He left in January and good riddance. His leaving means I am now below the..."

Willow,

In a way dealing with adversity can help someone be a better writer because it helps the writer relate with some of the trials and heartbreaks the characters experience. Facing one's fears can be the hardest trial to overcome. Personally I don't think I'll ever overcome my fear of falling and smacking down on the ground enough to jump out of a perfectly good airplane.

As for poverty, I've been cook-a-raccoon-hungry poor, I'm far from being rich now, and I likely will never attain great monetary wealth. My writing will never make me comfortably wealthy, mainly because I neither market nor promote -- my infant daughter is my focal point and writing has become a done-when-possible activity.

What writing will do is help with my paradigm, and the things I learn from researching what I write about will help me in other areas (like teaching my child how to survive in a world where the game is rigged against her).

When all is said and done it's that never-give-up attitude and perseverance that will do more to affect the economics of your life because it translates into all aspects of life. Basically stated, we all shape our personal realities with our thoughts, deeds, and decisions.

I've had reader-writers read my work and point out things missed by me (or the editor) or things that would make the stories better. Their input helps me make my work better, when I can get around to writing (which is seldom at present since tiny demon warrior princess is developing quickly). I've had some readers pan my work, which is okay since different people have different tastes in fiction.

The rewarding part of writing (apart from getting that diminutive female alien to quit poking me with her spear) is positing a scenario that people later have to seriously think about. When you can get readers (whether few or many) to stop and examine how they would deal with a situation you've made a difference.

Keep writing and never give up, because one day you'll pause to look back down the path traveled and be amazed at how far you've gotten.

Willow wrote: "I agree. All of the trials we go through gives us experience and perspective for our writing. Nothing is wasted.

Writing is hard with little ones. I remember. Write every chance you get, it will ..."

At present I have roughly two dozen books to finish, and the writing is on hold until Wife and I get into a (hopefully) bigger place where I won't have to watch baby girl every second. Unfortunately I won't have a chance to write, edit, or do much of anything with my work until then.

Willow wrote: "Write during her naps. Get up and write an hour before she wakes in the morning and an hour after her bedtime. These moments will soon add up. Don't put off your writing waiting for a better time t..."

Ah there in lies the crux of the matter, at six months of age tiny demon warrior princess is awake all day with the exception of two fifteen minute to half hour naps, and the half hour naps only occur when she has a meat mattress (me). Baby girl rarely sleeps in past 06:20.

Between trying to keep the dishes and clothes clean and cooking while making certain she doesn't have a negative experience with scorpions (the post housing unit we're in seems to have an affinity as a scorpion vacation destination) there isn't a lot of time left in my day for much.

Sooner or later the writing will get done.

I just need to finish something longer than a short story without scrapping it completely and starting over again. -_-;;

Willow wrote: "Yikes! Hope you get into a new house and get writing time soon. Good luck to you."

Willow,

Where we hope to move has rattlesnakes, mountain lions, bobcats, coyotes, javelinas, feral-hogs, scorpions, and centipedes, but all of them are outside the dwelling.

I enjoy dealing with nature, as long as it's not inside the house and we're not being over-charged for the experience. It only took a month for maintenance to fix the waterline that was leaking, and over three months for them to fix the disconnected-clogged sewer that flooded our unit twice.

Wife and I are ready to live in a tent, hmmm...