My Good Intention

Sometimes I only get the chance to blog once a week. And since I can't always get up the motivation to think of a topic, it's nice to have other friends to blog with so we can take turns. I enjoy being challenged to write about stuff that might not normally come to mind and also reading everyone else's thoughts on the same topic. Blog Project 3.0 has been going on for about a year now, even though one of the group members changed after a few months. I love blogging with this group and I hope we can continue to inspire each other.

Froggie chose the topic for the first blog project post of the new year: Set an intention for 2015 and write about it.

First, read what everyone else had to share on this topic:
Darwin Shrugged
Froggie
Moma Rock

When I first heard the topic for this week, I thought of this song. It has nothing to do with what I'm going to talk about, but if you want to watch the video, it's rather psychedelic in a Peter Gabriel's "Sledge Hammer" kind of way. (And Courteney Cox is in it too.)

Anyway, I had a goal last year of writing one fiction post a month. (Some of my fiction pieces can be found here, scattered amongst blog posts about writing, such as this one.) Then October came and I got caught up in religious holiday insanity. After that, the motivation to write anything fictional went out the window. However, I have NOT given up!!! I am going to get back into fiction writing and explore some story ideas that have been floating around in my mind, no matter how bizarre they are. As I was thinking of this, I saw a post on Facebook for an article about writing. (It makes me wonder if Facebook can read my mind.) The article had a bunch of tips, so I'm going to explore those more in detail here. (Sometimes having guidance helps me vs. rambling on and on.)

• Get your butt in the chair. Seriously. This is the hardest step. Grab some snacks and turn off the Internet. Invest quality time. I agree. The Internet distracts me even from getting my book blog posts done. Tea is my mojo for writing though. Otherwise, I'll eat way too much chocolate. 

• Tell your best story first. You may not get to the second one. I disagree with this because I wrote a bunch of short stories last year and I don't think my first one was my best. I liked some I came up with later in the year. I also think this for authors too. Some debut novels can be good, but their writing gets better over time.

• Decide on a title. That makes it real. When I have an actual story idea to work with, I will do this.

• Keep a small notebook handy to jot down ideas. Keep one by your bed, in your pocket, or in your purse. This is a good idea. I write other thoughts down when I want to get back to them, so why not story ideas too?

• Pay attention to how good books are written. And get to know your real competition. Be inspired. I don't want to compete with the authors I know and love. I respect that each has their unique voice and the chick lit community is so supportive. In any case, I've read some amazing novels in the past year and even confessed to being jealous of one of the authors because her writing was just that beautiful.

• Trust your voice. Don’t worry about being influenced by other writers. Don’t worry about others stealing your idea. Only you can write your story your way. Exactly. I like looking back on some of my stories. Sometimes I step out of myself and read it as someone new to my writing and I still like what I see. That has to count for something.

• Learn your craft. Take a class, join a workshop, or study on your own. Like any art, there are skills needed. Practice them. Right now, there's lack of time between work and parenting, but I found out about a writing webinar next week and I'm considering participating if the timing works out. I think it could be insightful. It's a step, right?

• Expect to write several drafts. Every story has two elements: structure and style. You cannot get both right in one pass. When I write short stories for my blog, I just post them as they are vs. editing various drafts. I'm sure this will come in handy for writing an actual novel though.

• Make friends with other writers, both online and in person. Share the joy and heartbreak of creating something out of nothing to them, not your family. (They would rather you do the laundry.) Check. Book blogging has definitely brought this about. Although I don't talk about writing with these writers. We talk about other things, like music, TV shows, life in general, etc. I even recommend books by other authors to them, since they are such a supportive community that way. I do think my husband would be supportive of my writing. I know my parents, sister, and in-laws are too.

• Go to public readings, seminars, and conferences. Build a community. When you support other writers, they will support you. Does Book Expo America count? Or going to book signings for authors when they're in town? I think blogging definitely shows support for other writers and that's just out of my pure love for reading and the people who provide me with hours and hours of entertaining stories.

• Avoid writer’s block. When you get stuck, simply work on a different aspect of your story. Something I should have thought about when doing NaNoWriMo a couple of years ago. I gave up way too easily.

• Be professional. That means get professional help. From developing ideas to strengthening the structure, to proofreading and formatting, you do not have to do this alone. You do have to invest in the process. The greatest writers in history had experienced editors at the big publishing houses to help them through the entire process. Those days, and most of those publishers, are long gone. I've worked with a writer I respect on pieces I've submitted for contests. She has been very helpful each time and I hope I can return the favor someday. Or at least pay it forward.

Having said all this, I have some ideas for committing to a writing schedule this year. It's mostly about generating more short stories to get myself back on track and maybe find something I can work further with. I need people to stick me to this goal. NAG me to write something. Toss an idea or a fiction writing activity my way as a challenge. I can only motivate myself so much, especially when a week rushes by and other things come up along the way. (Don't even get me started on Passover preparations...) As Velma Kelly once said, "I Can't Do it Alone." Will 2015 be the year I attempt to write a novel? I guess we'll revisit this post on December 31st and I'll let you know where things stand. Until then, here I go....