Ceanmohrlass's Blog, page 10

NaNoWriMo is underway! 13,557 words and counting!

Dividing my time…

A group I am involved with brought up the topic of how much time should be set aside each day to write. It brought up a lot of different views and a few arguments. Some stated that only real writers write every day without fail. Others stated they just squeeze in writing when they are able and were offended at the ‘real writers’ statement. We each gave our input on the matter, but it was never properly settled. I, for one, feel that duties to your work and family should come first, writing second. I worked long hours for over 20 years while being a single mother and fighting serious health issues. I wrote in spurts of moments or even seconds at a time. I did so because it was important to me, but other priorities came first. After my adult sons went on to their own lives, my career path changed. For the next 12 years, my hours were much easier, but I didn’t automatically spend more time writing. I now spend a great deal of time writing and enjoy it much more, but it doesn’t make me a ‘real writer’ any more than the person who only has a few moments to write before they collapse at the end of the day. Let’s support each other, and encourage those who are struggling, their ideas are just as important.

Sidetracked :)

Had a long weekend full of activity and took a break from the media. Every year, I set up a model train set in the fall, and this cool, rainy weekend was the perfect time to get the task out of the way. Office is remodeled now as well, so tomorrow it’s back to work as usual! Have a great day everyone! :)

Drizzle…

Front door open, rain plopping on the tin roof of my screened porch, and my pink desk lamp glowing beside me… I love November so far! Clank of the clothes in the dryer, puppies softly snoring on the couch; it doesn’t get much better than this. So why can’t I concentrate? Words should be splattering across my screen in a blur, but the page is practically empty! I suppose it’s time to move back into my office, maybe I’m getting too comfortable in here :) Have a great day everyone!

Inspirations for Novels

I have been asked how I come up with the ideas for my novels. As funny as it may sound, there are multiple triggers of imagination in play here. Some come to me in vivid dreams (yes, usually after too much mexican food and chocolate lolol), some float in on the notes of a song, or background noise, others just appear from a single word or phrase. To be honest, I don’t really know why most of them appear, they just do. If something comes to mind, it will consume my every thought for a short time until I write it down. Usually that idea gets tossed because there is no way to make a full novel come from it. A few have been made into short stories (i.e. Somewhere New England), and others have been shuttled into the many 3 ring binders, never to be seen again. Inspirations come from many places and it is impossible for me to fully explain. Just take the idea you have, work on it awhile, if it comes to life, awesome, if not, toss it and start over.

Environment…

Where do I write? I get asked that frequently. My environment is usually the standard laptop rolling desk, listening to weird music. I don’t have a specific area that is best for me to be creative in. There are times that I am driving and that thought comes to mind. As soon as I hit one of those long stoplights Houston is notorious for, I grab my mini pen and any scrap of paper and I jot the line or reference down. I have lost many scribbled fast food napkins down under my car seat and found them a month later at the car wash LOLOL. When the inspiration hits, environment doesn’t affect it.

Social Media…

In this electronic age, presence on social media is a must. That is what I have been told many times in the last few months. Along with Facebook, there is, Twitter, Instagram, Periscope (one I am researching but have not tried yet), etc. At some point I get so bogged down trying to maintain the ‘online presence’, that I lose valuable creation and writing time. I understand the need for it all but I also have expectations outside of my chosen ‘hobby’ of writing. Trying to balance them has been tough at times. I have decided that two hours a day, spread in spurts throughout the day, will be sufficient for now to maintain the presence. I don’t want to lose sight of the reason I decided to become an author, and that was to write the stories my dreams provide. Remember to take time for life off the web :)

Dreaded rewrites

When an idea goes flat. That really sucks. I try to flesh out an idea in the draft and see where it goes. Sometimes I seem to get off base and try to correct it, only to end up scrapping the whole scene. Wasted effort, wasted time, but if I don’t like where the scene is headed why bother continuing? If I counted up the hours on the initial premise and the initial outline, it would be just a fraction of the time spent fleshing out the scene. The characters are the easy part, the journey is the tough part!

Assistance required…

Help comes in many forms. Don’t be afraid to reach out and ask! I am proud to admit that I can’t go it alone. I ask for help on my ventures. I ask for opinions, reviews, and critiques for my works. I have learned to develop a tough outer skin and listen to what is said. If I get a mean-spirited reply, I have learned to let it go. (Starts humming that song my grandchildren sing over and over lolol) I have learned to pay attention to constructive advice over negative words. No one can ‘know’ everything about any subject, so I spend many hours learning from many sources. I am thankful to be blessed with many wonderfully supportive individuals. My family always supports me and that means the world. Have a wonderful day everyone!

Security and pirates.

There has been much discussion about the www with security and piracy issues. I am not sure there is really any way that you can for certain keep your works safe. You can register your works with the copyright site but that is only for US, internationally there is no way to protect them. All you can do is try to stick with reputable sites, and keep your fingers crossed. There will always be someone who will try to profit from the hard works of others, that is a fact.