Laurel Myler's Blog, page 3
October 20, 2016
Thank you, Google, for somehow providing me the answers to the...
Thank you, Google, for somehow providing me the answers to the absolutely ridiculous questions I ask while I’m writing.
My Inner Dialogue
2: Yeah, I know.
1: Well, what can we cut out?
2: Not the scene where they dye the poodles with Kool-Aid.
1: Oh, no. Certainly not. And not the scene where he describes what everybody's stuff in the shower looks like.
2: Oh, no. No. We must keep that.
*lots of humming and hawing*
3: We need some serious help...
October 19, 2016
"[bursts in and says something dumb]"
-
An actual note that I made to myself
before I closed out for the night
about what my narrator was going to do next so I wouldn’t forget
The Beauty of the Break
There’s something to be said for being tired. I’m tired. I’m tired all the time thanks to an iron deficiency and chronic dry eyes, but I’m not talking about falling asleep at one’s desk. I’m talking about being mentally, emotionally, and absolutely worn out with your writing.
It happens to everyone.
Sometimes, when we want to strangle our characters and the plot is fighting us at every turn, we should push through. And sometimes, when we’re bored of them and their world and all we’re doing is dragging our feet and producing unexciting garbage, it’s time for a breather.
If you’re not excited about your writing, nobody else is going to be either. So take a break. Couples do it all the time, right?
I took a break from The Life Spectacular (current project and extraordinary pain-in-the-rear) which accidentally lasted a month. Honestly, it took me that long to gain enough distance to be able to look at my work with a clear head. I had been tired and bored and frustrated with the direction the narrative had taken, and a month-long break was exactly what I needed to be able to figure out where it was that everything had gone to the dogs. This was a productive break. This was a break that ultimately kept my ticker ticking in the long run.
That said, if you “take a break” and “take a break” is code for “I’m never coming back, peace out losers”, I’m afraid you’ve lost my endorsement. Setting a project down is a dangerous business, and you’re the only one who can force yourself to pick it up again. Never soften the decision to leave a project indeterminately by calling it “taking a break.” You’re only doing yourself a disservice.
Sometimes (and this happened to me just the other day) simply giving yourself mental permission to pause the project as you feel fit is enough. I was ready to set ol’ Sebastian aside for a time and start work on a different novel, even penned some five hundred or so words, and then, much to my surprise, when I got into work on Monday, I actually wanted to write with Sebastian. (Anyone who has heard me complain about how uncooperative he is will find this quite the surprise.) Deciding that it was okay to start something new was enough to rekindle my happiness with the old.
So take a break. Catch your breath. Stretch your legs. Give yourself time to sit and think. You’ll rediscover what made you fall in love with the project in the first place. I guarantee it.
Once upon a time, there was a very silly child named Laurel who...
Once upon a time, there was a very silly child named Laurel who thought that this *pointing up arrow* was in the British Library. Imagine her disappointment then, upon a visit to said library.
And imagine her excitement upon a visit to Dublin several weeks later when her traveling buddy informed her, “That’s the library at Trinity College, you dingbat.”
Trinity College Library, Dublin, Ireland
October 18, 2016
Sometimes I feel like my protagonist's mother...
Sebastian: What's that?! Can we stop there?!
Me: SEBASTIAN SIT DOWN AND PUT YOUR SEATBELT BACK ON
“I do the in-house writing and editing for the company” is code for “I add commas and de-capitalize...
“I do the in-house writing and editing for the company” is code for “I add commas and de-capitalize all the unnecessary words my coworkers apparently think are proper nouns.”
Naoki Urasawa's Monster, Volume 1 (Naoki Urasawa's Monster, #1)
Book Recommendations from Me, an Author
I wrote a book, so that makes my opinion more valid, right? *wink* I’m kidding. Plenty of authors have trash taste. Hopefully I’m not one of them.
Monster is one of my favorite series on God’s green earth. If you think you’re too cool for manga and comics, reevaluate your life. You’re missing out. This story is not a nerd thing. And I promise you’ll get used to reading right to left.
I first read Monster in high school, before I ever spread my full-fledged weeb wings, and have reread it probably four or five times since then. Suspense, intrigue, fantastic characterization and attention to detail. The pacing in these books is absolutely killer. You will love them. If you’re into serial murders, cults, and psychological thrillers, that is.
"When a good writer is having fun, the audience is almost always having fun too."
- Stephen King (via writingdotcoffee)
October 17, 2016
Word to the wise, surround yourself with people who react like...
Word to the wise, surround yourself with people who react like this when you send them 500 words of a new project
