2.14.2012

what makes your writing heart go wild?

happy valentine's day to you all!


my writing heart has been a little weak since finishing FIXING SHELBY.


lately my writing time has consisted of the following:
  • checking emails for agent responses
  • checking twitter
  • checking emails for agent responses
  • emailing erica
  • rewriting my query
  • refreshing inbox...again (do i need to repeat why?)
  • reading blog posts (not commenting often because frequently i'm one-handed-one arm is full of baby--he's beautiful and sweet and lovable and amazing btw!)
  • writing the next chapter in TTM (erica and christy's novel)
  • opening up one WIP after another, rereading what's already been typed, refreshing inbox....(uh huh)
  • ???  staring blankly at the wall
  • reading CP's manuscript (not critiquing as much as i should be--one-handed again)
  • critiquing at QT (much less frequently than two months ago)
  • rewriting my query
so as you can see, other than TTM, not much is getting accomplished. bah.

not
so
very
productive

my writing heart flatlined.

at first i thought it was because i was in revision/critiquer mode and having a hard time getting back into writer mode.

that wasn't it.

then i thought it was rejection anxiety.

nope.

i finally know what is causing the freeze on my fingertips!!!

it's not for lack of ideas.  i have plots all set and ready to be written.  so--why couldn't i open up my documents and get going?  was it because i couldn't decide which project i wanted to do more? 

unh unh.

the REAL problem was lack of character understanding. 

rewind a year.  this is exactly why i had to table SOLSTICE (novel #1).  i still think it's a great story idea.  the reason it didn't work was because i didn't have a strong connection to my protagonist.  i didn't know her well enough. 

the reason i wrote FIXING SHELBY rather quickly was because the story was based on her character.  i felt her, knew her.  the feeling i conjured up when i wrote was her voice, not just excitement for the events in the story. 

the two projects i've been going back and forth between could be great, but i just don't know those characters well enough yet.

so tonight, i remembered a project i thought up a long while ago.  immediately, i felt that character. 
ding ding ding ding.  i found a winning project!



what makes your writing heart go pitter patter and skip a beat?

what motivates you more?  characters or events?

5 comments:

  1. Great points!! A personal connection with my characters, especially my MC, is a must for me. You're making me think. How would I excite myself about an MC if I'm just not feeling it. Ooh, I feel a post coming on. :)

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  2. Always good, isn't it, when the writing takes off and you are no longer struggling.

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  3. Oh! One arm full of sweet little baby. Love it! And you're so right. The easiest books I ever write are the ones where I know my characters so well. Good luck w/revising and hearing back from agents. And enjoy that baby. Happy VD~ :o) <3

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  4. Hello,

    Fellow ABNA particpant here.

    wanted to give a shout and say good luck!

    Cheers!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Yay for ABNA. I have been on a break from writing for a few weeks now and it is sort of killing me. But I am determined not to start shiny new projects until I have tackled TRAINWRECK edits and solidified myself in my new job.

    ReplyDelete

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