A few weeks ago, I wrote a post asking what makes a good story good. Today I’d like to ask a similar question. There are tens of thousands of blogs out there in the blogaverse and we all have our favorites. Some of mine are in my blogroll. But there are some blogs that we follow more religiously than others.
So, I ask you, why do you follow a particular blog?
Thank you for your participation!
Cheers,
Bob
Striving toward publication is like being in a maze. And, occasionally, somewhere in the void above there is a cackling voice telling you the end is just around THAT corner or just beyond THIS chapter. Then, you turn the corner only to find another dead-end and a chorus of maniacal laughs.
Okay, more seriously, if you have been writing for a while you will know writing, good writing, takes time. There are mountains of work and it takes more than merely plopping down in front of a computer and penning the greatest novel of all time. There is research. There is plotting. There is putting together a list of believable characters and their back story. There are thousands of words that are written that have nothing to do with the work in its finished form but helps the author gather their bearings whether they are composing a novel or a collection of poetry.
Some writers point to a particular systematic approach of writing short stories and getting them published. Then after the writer has struggled out those smaller pieces a larger work takes form and they write that then pursue an agent. Other writers might tell you to self publish first. Or they might say to do what you are good at, writing a novel for instance, and skip all of that short story business. Even more insist on getting that must have MFA from such and such a school.
Honestly, I don’t think everything works for everyone. I believe the most important thing is to discover what you are good at and saturate yourself with it. If its poetry read about it, write it often, and share what you have written with other poets. The same goes for writing articles or putting together a novel. Writing is not formulaic, but ignoring that maniacal laugh and diving into the world of writing can go a long way to fulfilling your publication dreams.
Write well.
Cheers,
Bob
I don’t know about you but when I don’t get the opportunity to write each day, I begin to feel the nag of writer’s guilt. This writer’s guilt is no subtle little poke, but a blaring scream. Everything reminds me that I need to write, but life rushes on. When I don’t write I end up half-engaged in all of my daily activities until I get the time to get the words out. It’s like I have programed myself to judge a day’s success on whether I put words on the page or not.
Now, I love to write but I also love my family. I don’t want to be that distant husband or father figure whose wife and kids know only by reading his work. I want to be present. That means I must sequester my writing time to the tail end of the day or early in the morning, which means I cut out an hour or three of sleep.
My peak writing time is usually in the morning. I LOVE early mornings where nothing is about but my mind. When I can get up, write in my journal, read my Bible, enjoy a cup of coffee with a five minute slice of peace and write five hundred words, life is bliss. There is almost nothing that can happen in the day to break this shield of accomplishment. I like to roll out of bed around 6:30am to accomplish all of this. However, when I had kids, this changed.
Finding time to write is hard. In the world of parenthood sleep is not guaranteed and like most real life humans when I am robbed of it I get cranky. However, I must write. Such a conundrum, but one that offers a harsh answer. Keep going, get up, and write. For the writer there is no rest. I had better get used to that.
Cheers,
Bob
Another fellow Weakling put a post together about the 3 Day Novel contest. Please enjoy Andrew’s post below. And, if you are a competing, good luck!
This weekend is usually filled with the thrills and craziness of the 3-day novel contest. But the Weaklings, my writers group, are unable to participate. We did write posts about our experience yesterday which I will reblog through the weekend. Please enjoy Josh’s tale in the following blog. Write hard 3 days writers. Don’t give up.
Cheers,
Bob
Normally, Labor Day Weekend brings about thoughts of family reunions, cookouts, and the beginning of school (not to mention the economic and social contributions of workers). But for the last few years, it has had very different associations for me. I think of long nights, early mornings, and typing until my fingers ache and my eyes dry out. You see, Labor Day Weekend is the official time-frame for the 3-Day Novel Contest.
It was shortly after the formation of the Weaklings, my writer’s group, that one of our members told us about the 3-Day Novel Contest.
“You write a novel in three days,” he said, as though that were something that could be done. Some of us had already been working on novels for three years at that point.
“What?” said the rest of us.
We looked up the information online. Sure enough. One novel, three days.
Of course…
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PART-TIME NOVEL 