Is A Writer’s Work Ever Done?

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am writing, authors, editing, James Joyce, novelists, Ray Bradbury, re-write, satisfaction, writers, writing, writing a book, writing a novel

As I work on the sequel to The Dark Proposal, I find myself writing and re-writing scenes or even entire chapters again and again. It is mainly because I am not satisfied enough with what I had written, so I re-write whatever I’ve done. I do this three or four times before I can say that I am satisfied with my work. Satisfied enough to move on to the next chapter (BTW, I’m up to Chapter 7 now!!!).

Which makes me wonder: is a writer’s work ever done?

Answer: Probably not.

Writers are often their worst critics. We always think there is a better word to describe a character or scene than the one we chose. We always think there are better words for our characters to use. We always think there is a better way to end a scene or chapter. There’s always the right words to use…and yet, we never seem to find them.

Famed science fiction writer Ray Bradbury was said to have put his away his work for a year, before re-reading and re-editing his WIP. James Joyce, the author of the classic novel, Ulysses, was said to have spent all day debating where to put a comma in his WIP.

Writers are never satisfied. There is always room for improvement. There is always something better to describe, explain or talk about. There is always a better word to use, or two or three. And with some stories, there are endless possibilities with the main character(s) that sometimes we wonder if we are covering all the necessary bases, and if we have to cover all of them at all.

Being a writer is frustrating.

And it is not only fiction writers, journalists, essayists, poets and songwriters who deal with this. Even college students writing their countless assigned essays are never completely satisfied with their work. When I discuss re-writing and editing one’s work with my students, I am amazed by how many admit to re-writing their essays even before they hand them in. They always say, there is always room for improvement.

Always room for improvement. So, if nothing is perfect, when does the room for improvement end? When does a writer say, enough is enough! When do we stop driving ourselves crazy?

For me, there is a level of satisfaction that comes with writing that makes me say, enough is enough. I could re-write a whole chapter ad infinitum. But it gets to the point where I cannot let my insecurities rule me like that and I have to say to myself, this chapter is good enough. I am satisfied enough with what I put down. Maybe not 100% satisfied with it, because that is starting to look like an impossibility. But 90% satisfied? 85%? Sure! I can live with that.

I may always want to improve on that chapter, and may just do so in the future before I actually publish my work. But there comes a point where I would need to stop, and say, enough is enough.

 

Writing and Editing at the Same Time

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authors, craft of writing, edit, editing, editor, edits, novelists, the writing process, writers, writing, writing a book, writing a novel, Writing tips

Some say when you write a novel, you should write first and save the editing for later. After all, if you do both, you’ll become distracted from the real goal of finishing the story’s first draft.

Well, I happen to be one of those people who edits as she writes. Meaning, I don’t save the editing for after I am through with the first draft; it is my priority alongside my writing.

Image by Nic McPhee via Flickr

Usually what I do before I write is that I read over the previous scene or two. Often I do this in order to get a feel for what is going on, so I could get into the ‘mode’, if you will. As I read over the scene, or scenes, I notice grammar or spelling errors. I also notice wordy paragraphs, redundant sentences, and things not well explained. So I edit these parts instead of saving them for later. I believe it is best to polish your work while you are creating it.

To best illustrate this, think of a sculptor. As the sculptor chips or carves away, some leftover pieces of the clay or stone remain on the artwork. This could be dust or pieces not yet brushed away. A sculptor has to brush away those pieces in order to continue with its work.

In other words, when I write, I edit in order to move on. The previous step – in this case, a previous scene – needs to be sharpened as much as possible before I move on. Of course, the actual sharpening comes much later, but I am all for sharpening all the way. It is a way of perfecting your work, and possibly making the editing easier in the end. It is also a good warm-up for the writing you are about to do.

How about you? What is your take on editing as a novelist writes? Do you support it or believe it hinders a writer rather than helps? What is your method of writing and editing?

Fire away!

Writing the Theme of Your Story

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art of writing, authors, character arc, character development, craft of writing, creative writing, story arc, story development, story theme, theme, themes, writers, writing, writing a book, writing a novel, writing a story

Themes are a big part of a story, any story – especially the good ones. They’re as important as, say, character arcs, plot development and so on. They’re the heart and soul of the story.

As author K.M. Weiland explained on her website:

Why are you writing this story? Why are you writing about these characters? What is it about their journey that has drawn your heart? What is the core of the tale? Justice, mercy, love, revenge, self-discovery? Whatever it is that’s moving the characters is what’s also moving your story. That’s your theme.

Supposedly, theme cannot be planned or forced, but instead come naturally. Theme appears in the story as you write your arcs and developments. It blossoms on its own, an echo of your subconscious. It is the fuel for your story. It is the reason why a writer writes in the first place.

Anne Rice wrote Interview with the Vampire to explore death, mortality and losing God. The Kite Runner is look at the complicated relationship between fathers and sons. Love in the Time of Cholera‘s theme is love in all its variations.

So, why did I write The Dark Proposal? And why am I writing its sequel?

The reason why I wrote my first book is because I wanted to explore abusive relationships. Having been in difficult ones – though no where near as Claire did with Daniel – I felt like I needed a release. I also wanted to write a vampire story where the vampires were once again evil and deadly – the exact opposite of what was popular four years ago.

But did I succeed with theme? What was the theme of my story?

Chuck Wendig describes theme on his blog as:

Every story’s trying to say something. It’s trying to beam an idea, a message, into the minds of the readers. In this way, every story is an argument. It’s the writer making a case. It’s the writer saying, “All of life is suffering.” Or, “Man will be undone by his prideful reach.” Or “Love blows.” Or, “If you dance with the Devil Wombat, you get cornholed by the Devil Wombat.” This argument is the story’s theme.

A friend of mine says the central idea of The Dark Proposal was “be careful what you wish for”. He explains that Claire so wanted to have a rich lifestyle, that she was blind to Daniel’s abusive ways, and then later, used it as escapism for the vampire life she was about to enter. That’s one way to look at the argument.

Image via Pixabay

I have grown so much as a writer during the four years since I wrote my first book. Today, I am focused on going deep with my stories and being more honest with myself when I write. I don’t think I was very honest as a writer when I wrote The Dark Proposal. Part of me cringes when I admit that. But as one musician friend told me, if you do that, then it means you are growing as an artist.

Writing from the heart is not easy. You are literally exposing yourself as a human to hundreds, thousands and maybe even more to judge and tear apart. It is scary enough to produce a book that you poured your heart and soul into. And by that, I don’t mean every part of your mind. The best artworks come from the very essence of the person, their heart.

So as I seek to be more honest as a writer, what theme do I hope will come out of The Dark Proposal’s sequel? I know I cannot force it, but I really hope redemption and healing would be one or both. Actually, I hope it will be the theme for the whole trilogy (yes, my book was meant to be the first of three). I also like the whole “be careful what you wish for” theme will come into play. I’m sure there’s always more than one theme in a story, or different ways to figure out the theme.

Or rather, what kind of redemption and healing do my characters need in order to fuel that theme?

Claire needs to heal and be redeemed from her mistakes and naivete. Daniel needs to be redeemed from being so evil. There is room for redemption and healing for Hilde, the Five Brothers and even The Black Roses. Even Samantha and Monica need to heal. There’s a lot of pain in The Dark Proposal, and everyone has a lot of coming to terms to do.

Which raises another question: what kind of writer do I intend to be? Sure, I want to be one that goes deep with questions and the human experience. But will be the regular theme in my stories? Will there always be a re-occurring one? Who knows? But since themes come from the heart of the writer, maybe the themes of my stories will be similar, just written differently. Or not. It also depends on the perspective of the reader.

The key here is to keep on writing, and get more to the heart of what I’m trying to say, or express. But I obviously cannot force myself to expose my heart in a story, just like a theme cannot be forced.

I’ll let Chuck Wendig finish off the meaning of theme:

A writer can engineer the theme — building it into the work. Or a writer can unearth it — discovering its tendrils after the work is written.

 

Outlining Your Story Using Spreadsheets

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authors, Being an Author, books, Excel, novels, plots, spreadsheets, story plots, storytelling, subplots, writers, writing, writing a book, writing a novel

I’ll be the first to say that I am a Spreadsheet Queen. I can’t live without spreadsheets. Whether it is to keep track of finances, freelance work, or plans for the summer, spreadsheets is the way to go for me, and likely for many other people.

That probably also includes fellow authors outlining their next book. Some authors choose between outlining or flying by the seat of their pants when it comes to writing. I myself have debated this issue. But lately, due to my crazy schedule, I find it best to outline. And I’ve made that possible for myself through spreadsheets.

How do I outline using spreadsheets? Simple. I make each column represent each chapter. So when you see my sheet, you’ll see Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3… all lined up in columns. Next, I put the scenes of each chapter in the rows. This is a good way to figure out which scene should end or begin a chapter, or which scene belongs in which chapter.

Photo by Craig Chew-Moulding on Flickr via Creative Commons

Doing this has made the planning of my sequel very easy. Granted, I do not stick to it religiously; I have moved a few scenes around and added a few more without consulting my spreadsheet. But overall, spreadsheets has been helping me keep track of the scenes of my second book.

It is not unusual for authors to use this to help plot their books. JK Rowling plotted her Harry Potter books using spreadsheets, and I’ve seen a few other, less-known authors do the same thing.

Because life can be so busy sometimes, I recommend authors to outline their stories. It is too easy to come up with an idea, only to not be able to write it down because either you’re at work, going to or from work, or busy with home life. Also, writing is a discipline, and if you are working on a book, you need to be organized and professional about your craft and your story. I was not like this when I wrote my first book, but then again, I was unemployed at the time. That meant having plenty of time to write whenever I pleased, as much as I wanted.

Nowadays, I do not have that luxury and I have to rely on spreadsheets to make my next book possible. It is funny how being a professional these days has made me rely on a program intended for professionals, in order to be more professional with my story!

Raise your hand if you use spreadsheets to help organize your story!

 

Getting Past the Third Chapter

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art of writing, author, books, creative writing, fiction writing, novel, novelists, novels, On Writing, writers, writing, writing a book, writing a novel, writing fiction

I did it. I finally did it.

Earlier this month, I finally did something I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to do.

I completed the third chapter of my sequel.

Holy crap. I did it!

Photo via Wikimedia Commons

I always felt the third chapter should be the springboard in a story. It certainly was with “The Dark Proposal”, and I wanted the same with its sequel. The first two chapters were like a gathering of information, an intro to what the book will be based on. The third chapter feels like it will build on all of that, and set off the rest of the book. But for a long time, every time I worked on the sequel, I just couldn’t get past the third chapter.

This was due to a lot of reasons. There were times where I wasn’t fully sure with what I wanted from my story and characters. It is tough to write a sequel because you have to improve on a lot of things from the first book. You have to delve deeper into the story, develop the main characters (and possibly other characters) more, and really improve on your storytelling skills. In other words, a sequel is a step up from the previous story in many ways.

Then came times when I wasn’t sure if I was really over the hurdle. Meaning, I would read over the third chapter again and again, revising and revising it, trying to make sure it was good enough. Was it as much of a springboard that it needed to be? Did it really prepare the reader for the rest of the book? Was the chapter strong enough for me to move on to the rest of the story?

Well, a couple of weeks ago, I felt that way. I felt my third chapter was satisfying enough for me to continue writing the story. The springboard had a bounce to it.

While it will obviously go through rewrites and revisions like the rest of the book, I felt it was good enough for me journey on. I had gotten past the hurdle.

And boy, what a relief that is.

 

 

2016 – New Year, New Updates!

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art of writing, authors, book trailers, books, eBooks, how to write, sequels, vampires, writer, writers, writing, writing a novel

Hello everyone!

I know its 17 days into the new year, but I haven’t been able to wish everyone a happy new year. So I’m taking that opportunity right now. I’ve been crazy busy this month so far with work and getting another job squared away, as well as taking steps to laying the foundations of what I hope – and expect – will be a productive year for me!

With that, I will now give some updates on where my life is now. I currently work as a part-time reporter for a local paper, and in a few weeks I will start teaching as an adjunct professor for English 101 classes at one of the public colleges here in New York. I am very thrilled by the developments in my professional life, and look forward to see them grow even more this year.

Along with those developments, I am eager to see my authorship restart and grow by leaps and bounds this year too. I recently completed book trailers for The Dark Proposal, and I am offering to do book trailers for other authors. I am excited by the prospects of helping other authors – particularly self-published authors – expand and meet their audiences in a variety of ways.

That being said, you’re probably wondering what is up with my long awaited sequel to my first book? Well, the good news is that I am still working on it. The bad news, my work stalled due to the holidays and my other commitments. But I’m finding ways to squeeze in time to write this second book, which is great because I really am excited by what the sequel has to offer. I’ve mentioned this in other posts, but I just want to reiterate that I am excited. I have to admit that I am nervous though, because I’m approaching the story of Claire and the vampires differently, even though the original story stays. I have grown so much as a person and as a writer that my approach is far from what it was a few years ago. It’s amazing how much I’ve developed since releasing The Dark Proposal over three years ago.

Anyway, I just want to say that I am still actively writing. My goal is to complete the first draft of this book by the end of summer. The sooner, the better, of course, and I know I might be compared to George R R Martin, author of the series that inspired the HBO show, Game of Thrones. But life comes first, that is the way it is.

But I will finish this story. I’m a passionate storyteller, and will always be. I can’t not tell a story, so the sequel to The Dark Proposal will be out someday. I haven’t forgotten any of you!

 

The Road to Redemption

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authors, books, eBooks, life, life is a journey, mistakes, novels, redeem, redemption, sequel, sequels, that's life, truth, vampire books, vampires, writers, writing, writing a novel

Redemption. What does the word conjure up when you think about it?

For me, as a spiritual person, it means to recover from past mistakes by undoing them through better deeds, better actions, better attitude, and everything better all around from what you did wrong – with what you did wrong fully in mind.

We all fall short, and we all make mistakes. And we all have to pay or fix those mistakes. But when it comes to redemption, to me at least, we redeem ourselves from major, life changing mistakes that take our life’s path in a totally different direction. A direction that we did not intend, yet were too blind by something to not realize that we were going to veer off course.

Image by Maria Morri via Flickr

I’ve been down that road, and there’s nothing quite like looking back and wondering why I took the road that took my life in a direction it should not have gone on.

The good news is, I’ve been getting back on track and fixing my life, and becoming someone who I was meant to be, rather than running away from my potential and talents. What I’ve learned is that there comes a point in life where you simply cannot doubt yourself anymore or else you’ll have more problems than you need. Plus, you never really grow. Since I value personal growth, I had to learn the hard way that insecurities are really limiting, and I had a choice to get over them or give them up if I wanted a better life.

So I made the choice to give them up, and now I’m setting on a more better path for myself. Too bad there are lots of consequences that I have to deal with, such as starting over again professionally, financial sacrifices and consequences. But I am more at peace with myself, and where my life is headed.

I hope for the same for my main character, Claire McCormick. Some of you may recall in the first book of my trilogy, she made a lot of mistakes that led her onto a path she couldn’t really get off of. Now she is stuck in a life she never wanted, but ended up on because of her flaws and naivete. Granted, she’s a young girl, just 22 years old and just out of college. Like many at that age, she thinks she can survive easily yet is wrought with insecurities. And she paid a heavy price for her actions.

The second book of my trilogy will focus on Claire’s redemption. She is not the same person she used to be. Aside from being a vampire, she’s been through a lot and is now more unsure of who she is and where to go in this life that she didn’t ask for. That uncertainty is ripe for either self-destruction or self-redemption. However Claire chooses her path determines not only her future, but the future of the vampires, which is growing increasingly insecure with modern technology.

Redemption can be fun. It can also be scary. It can be painful. It also can be relieving. Either way, I believe when one is committed to redemption, it is a journey filled with new beginning and painful endings, great reminders, and agonizing truths. But its a path no one can ever avoid, no matter how hard we try.

 

Where I’m Going From Here

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authors, journalism, step away, taking a break, writing

As I mentioned in a previous entry not too long ago, I have been doing some evaluation and pondering lately. I mentioned in that entry that I realized I had approached fiction writing all wrong and that I will be taking some time to start over again.
While it is true that I aimed to do that, I came to a different conclusion.

Honestly, it is going to be a while before I start writing a story again. I’m not giving up! Not at all! But I am being honest with myself and realizing that writing a novel now is not my priority.

Since realizing that I approached fiction writing all wrong, I have also realized that I still dearly want to pursue journalism. I have been wrestling between fiction and journalism for some time now, and wondering which one I should really focus on. The truth is, I get really energized when I inform others and I thoroughly enjoy watching history unfold, brutal as history can be. Journalism is like a form of community service for me, and I really want to go at it again.

That doesn’t mean fiction doesn’t fire me up either. It simply energizes me much differently. It’s as though journalism is presenting and analyzing the facts, while fiction is presenting and analyzing the possibilities. Journalism is more concrete while creative writing is more abstract and without borders. It is also more emotional and ponderous about the human spirit, while journalism gets down to business. That is how I differentiate between the two.

I’m glad I came to this because I’ve been kind of getting headaches over which form of storytelling fulfills me most. Both do, but for different reasons. And also, at different points in my life. Right now, honestly, I am not ready nor willing to really come up with a novel. Not only am I changing my approach, but I re-evaluating what kinds of fiction stories I’d like to write. I’m wondering what kind of characters I hope to build, what kinds of issues and questions I’d like to explore, and overall, what I really want to say as a fiction writer. I haven’t found my voice yet, but I know full well that I will someday find that voice.

I may end up writing another urban fantasy/paranormal story. I know I’ll definitely write historical fiction books because I am such a history fanatic. I may look into creating an online program (webisodes) if I feel that it is vital that I have something to say through that medium. There’s a lot of things I want to say about, but the thing here is, which one I can really invest my time and energy on? We authors know that writing a book or play or anything is not a walk in the park. Maybe someday I wouldn’t be so serious like this, but for now, I am.

Does this mean I’ll never write the sequel to The Dark Proposal? In truth, maybe. I may find a good reason to complete Claire McCormick’s story. I would like to, really, because some readers did enjoy the story and want to know what happens next. That makes me feel guilty that I cannot give them what they want. I know I’m not like George RR Martin with his A Song of Ice and Fire series, but still. I believe you should finish what you start, so realizing that I couldn’t write the sequel was really a tough conclusion.

With that, I want to say to my readers: I am very sorry that I may or may not write the sequel to The Dark Proposal. I know some of you wanted to know what happens next, and I wish I could do that, but sadly I can’t now. But I hope someday I can give something equally enjoyable.

Not that my decision isn’t unusual. Anne Rice will most likely not complete her Christ the Lord trilogy, and I’m sure other authors have made similar decisions. I just have to be honest with myself and others.

That doesn’t mean I’ll unpublish my book and shut down my authorship. No. Even though I was a completely different person two years ago (gosh, would I recognize who I was then?), I am still proud of the fact that I wrote, completed and published a book. Many people wish to write a novel, but few actually start, and even fewer actually finish, let alone seek to publish it. I had the guts to do all that, so go me! I may have a different attitude toward writing and being an author now, but whenever I see my book cover or anything, I smile. It was all worth it. 🙂

I will keep this blog going too. I may blog once a week, but I will stay around. I’ll definitely blog about TV shows, movies and books I’m reading. I’ll also discuss philosophical things, like good vs. evil, where the world is going, and why people do what they do. Those topics will fuel whatever novel I end up writing next.

And when will that be? It may two months from now, six months, a year, I don’t know. What I do know is that creativity cannot be forced and writing is a delicate process. Characters are their own people, and the events that happen to them unfold on their own. I can’t be that controlling. So whatever eventually flows from me, I’m sure I’ll have fun with it.

In the meantime, I’ll be getting back into writing poetry. I did that in my early 20s, and even did some open mike sessions. I’d like to get into that again, and I know it will help me with my character development skills. I’ll soon dabble into writing stories again. No rush, just sit back, relax and have fun.

The world is not going anywhere, and neither am I. I’m just changing course. 🙂

 

 

Clearing My Mind and Starting Over

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doubts, novels, Stephen King, Stephen King quotes, writing

Gosh, its been quite a while!

Yes, its been over a week since I’ve posted here. I’ve had a lot on my mind. And it was a lot.

As I’ve mentioned, I have been job hunting since New Years’. As stressful as trying to find new work is, what is also stressful is wondering what job suits you best. Aside from salary and benefits, there has to be something to the actual work that will be fulfilling. Something that fits your energy, skills and abilities. Something that makes the 40+ hours a week worthwhile. Something that, at best, makes you feel like you’re making an impact on society, and doing what you are meant to do.

Which made me think for a few days that I made a huge mistake delving into writing fiction.

It was difficult to face that question. I had the nagging feeling in me for a few months that I was totally wrong in writing “The Dark Proposal” and setting out on a life of writing novels. It sounded impossible that my whole authorship was a wrong turn for me. After all, I showed storytelling skills as a young kid. I told everyone I knew that I was going to write a book while in elementary school. I was that kid everyone knew wrote stories and was going to be an author someday. I had been writing stories all my life, save for college and my early 20s when I got busy with my journalism career. Telling stories just couldn’t be natural for me.

So why was I feeling like me writing books was so wrong?

It took me a few days to clear my mind, shake things off and put everything in perspective. I read a few blogs and paged through Stephen King’s “On Writing” for answers. I soon realized that I had approached writing fiction all wrong. What I should be doing is write from my heart and soul, rather than my anxious mind. Writing is an expression; a form of communicating. You communicate your thoughts, fears, and ideas to people. You don’t write something just to say, “hey look at me!” It’s silly to think that way.

Yet, I was one of those silly people. When I came across the quote where Stephen King talked writing for yourself then your audience: “When you write a story, you’re telling yourself the story. When you rewrite, your main job is taking out all the things that are not the story. Your stuff starts out being just for you, but then it goes out.”

That was when I realized what I was doing wrong. I always thought writing for yourself was kind of selfish, but it is the good kind of selfish. And I’m sure it is a lot more fun that way.

I’m slowly getting back into writing fiction, and maybe even complete my sequel. I may have to start again, which sucks, but at least it will be with a better attitude and approach – and I may be a lot more satisfied with it!

Sometimes you need to step and ask yourself why are you doing something, especially if there’s a dark feeling in the back of your head that something is wrong. When you’re brave enough to ask that hard question, you may go into a tailspin. But chances are, you’ll come out of it much wiser!

 

 

 

What Kind of Writer Are You?

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authors, novelists, writers, writing

I came across this blog post by author Alexei Maxim Russell, where he breaks down the six types of writers. Don’t worry, he explains that he is not looking to offend  any writer, and he thinks all types have their value. He even says we all have these traits, but some have more of the traits than others.

Click here for original image on Jim Delorey’s website

So, here they are:

The Space Cadet
The Angry Man/Woman
The Greasy Palm
The Ray of Sunshine
The Weird Recluse
The Bitter Failure

I am a combination of The Space Cadet and The Angry Woman. I do live in my head a lot, which can be annoying for myself and others. However, my journalism background and my angst-y ways gives me the title of Angry Woman. Some story ideas I hope to develop may be an opportunity for me to vent about social issues or other things that bother me. Hopefully those ideas won’t be a soapbox or that would annoy readers.

So I live in my head, pondering why things are the way they are, get upset and look to vent about it. Yeah, that sounds somewhat like me!