Alyssa Hubbard's Blog, page 17

“You should put this on your blog!” Sigh…

I love my friends. I really and truly do, but for goodness sake, why do they always assume everything that is said or done is blog worthy? All of my friends and all of my family know I have a blog, but it’s moments like this that I wish I had kept it a secret. I don’t mean to sound “above everyone,” as that is not my intention, but I do spend a lot more time on the internet than most of the people I know. Why? Because as an indie writer, I am basically running a business 24/7. A lot of people would like to think writing and publishing is all just that, writing and publishing, but when you take on the role of the self-publisher it becomes something completely different. Not only are you the writer, but you’re the publisher, the marketer, the designer, etc.

I’m probably preaching to the choir, so I’ll get back on point. What I’m trying to say is that most of the people I know don’t blog or anything like that. Some key people, who I won’t name, see that I have a blog and automatically assume it’s a place where I just post every single thing that happens in my life. While I do post a good bit about my life on here, that doesn’t mean everything that happens to me is blog-worthy. Blog-worthy, to me, is when I have something to say. I am a writer by trade and I plan on telling stories for a living, but not everyone wants to hear about how I made a face at you from the window of my house. No one cares about the hole in my sock that makes a squeak noise when I walk on the hardwood floor. No one cares if I burnt toast and had bread for breakfast, instead.

I will, however, talk about how you tell me to blog about those things every. Single. Time. I see you. Why? How are those things any different than this post? Because it makes me angry. I feel strongly about this.

Passive aggressive? Yes.

Will anything come out of it? Probably not.

But do I feel better? Yes.

Then I accomplished what I set out to do, and that is what I want to blog about. Now, I want to ask you all some stuff. Do you have friends/family who insist you blog about them? How do you handle it? Do you blog about them to appease them? Or do you legitimately feel those stories are blog worthy? Let me know, and comment below!

Thanks for reading.

-Lissy

Have a request for a blog post topic? Just wanna ask a question? Go to my Home page, fill out the contact sheet, and shoot me an email! I look forward to hearing from you.

Filed under: Personal Posts

Everyone Can Be a Writer, but…

Maybe I should’ve minded my own business, and I’ve probably “fed the troll,” so to speak. But I just have to share this, because this is something everyone needs to know. There is one thing to be honest, there is another to be cruel, and I believe this to be cruel. Rather than critiquing the work in a constructive way, this person went so far as to attack the individual who asked for a review.

It could be that I’m just tired, as it is nearing midnight where I am, but this has me angrier than I can manage. Everyone has the opportunity to be a writer. Everyone! It can be anyone and everyone’s dream, and the boards I am a part of help to better young writers who wish to follow their dreams. Why would anyone crush them like this? Yes, it’s hard to be a writer. Yes, this person had problems with capitalization and general grammar, but that doesn’t mean you completely crush them and tell them they can never be a writer. No. No. I will not stand for it.

All of you reading this tonight, whether you share it or not, you CAN be a writer. Write every single day. Even if you don’t write as well as Stephen King or Jane Austen, keep going, because practice will make you better, and you will be a writer because you know what a writer does? A writer WRITES! Now, good night everyone.

Happy reading.

Happy writing.

-Lissy

————————————-

I put that post on tumblr a couple of weeks ago, and while I still believe that “as long as you write, you are a writer,” I must amend it a bit and say: Everyone can be a writer, but not everyone can be good writers. Just a small clarification, but my opinions still stand when it comes to working in critique groups or reviewing other people’s work.  Just my two cents for the day. What are your opinions on the matter? Do you agree? Disagree? Let me know, and comment below.

Thanks for reading.

-Lissy

Have a request for a blog post topic? Just wanna ask a question? Go to my Home page, fill out the contact sheet, and shoot me an email! I look forward to hearing from you.

Filed under: Personal Posts

My Favorite YouTubers

This is a random post, but to get to know me, you have to know a little bit more about my past. Around 2007-2008, I joined the up and coming platform: YouTube. At the same time, I was getting into the anime Naruto, which came out around the same time and started my anime/fanfic obsession in middle school. I made a profile, got up to 650 subscribers because of my “Naruto Chat Rooms,” which I would make using Windows Movie Maker (the old one). Then, drama started happening and I deleted my profile. Just to give you guys an idea at how long ago this was, YouTube still had FORUMS, JOURNALS, AND CHAT ROOMS inside of it, and it wasn’t part of Google, but I digress.

After my initial departure from the Tubez, I stopped making videos, up until a year ago when Let’s Plays became the thing to do, and as most of you know, I once titled myself as a hardcore gamer, so this was right up my alley. I got editing software, a webcam, in-game recording software, and even made opening titles and closing credits. I made about 15 videos, got up to about 30 subscribers, then closed my account again because I just got too busy doing other things. Plus, I had stopped playing games, so I wasn’t really up to snuff anymore, which was just plain depressing.

But to sate my weary gamer soul, I now watch Let’s Players on YT. Sad, I know, but it helps me keep my gamer habit at bay so I can write. I’d much rather waste about 30 minutes on a few gamer videos than about 15 hours playing a game, which would chop my writing time into bits. I don’t know how many of you have heard of Let’s Players or have seen any, but here are some of the few I watch, mixed in with some of my other favorite peeps on the interwebz. Please, enjoy!

PEWDIEPIE

He was actually a part of my confessions post not too long ago, but he is beyond one of my favorite YouTubers, not to mention he is the most subscribed YTer there is right now (currently writing this on 9/18/13, so don’t quote me on that). He was the one who got me into Let’s Plays, and I enjoyed doing them for the time I got to. He’s not for everyone, though. He has just as many haters as he does fans, but that just comes with the territory, I suppose. He’s immature, loud, crazy, and Swedish. I love every bit of it.
ANGRY JOE

My boyfriend actually introduced me to Angry Joe, and he’s the one who inspired my boyfriend to want to write/record game reviews. AJ is funny, but he can be a bit over the top, and you can tell that a lot of his stuff is scripted/well-practiced, but he is good at what he does. You can tell he loves games and has a passion for reviewing them, even if it means having to put a bad score on a gaming franchise he loves. You can always expect honesty from that guy, and I have to respect him for that. Even more so if he can make me laugh in the process.
PENGUINZ0 (Crit1kal)

Despite what everyone says about Morgan Freeman having the voice of God, this man is how I imagine God sounding. He’s hilarious, intelligent, and one of the wittiest gamers on YouTube. I respect this guy and I love his videos. He doesn’t upload often, but when he does, you better believe I’m watching that video. Definitely a part of my top 5 accounts on YouTube. He also doesn’t show his face, which is something I respect when it comes to YouTubers. So many are trying to get recognition, but he just does what he does because he loves it. Props to him.


CINNAMONTOASTKEN

This guy is pretty much PewDiePie, but without the accent. I’m not saying he’s copying him, but that’s who he reminds me of 95% of the time. I like him though because he has a much calmer demeanor than PewDiePie. He does freak out and he can be loud/random, but he is also very analytical and will actually immerse himself in the game to the point where he goes silent. PDP doesn’t always follow the story of a game, while Ken does a bit more. I don’t watch him as much as PDP, but I can enjoy a good chunk of his videos.
CHAOTICMONKI (CRY/CRYAOTIC)

He also has a voice of God, and I absolutely love his “Cry Reads,” series, where he actually will go and find CreepyPastas and read them out loud. He’s very talented at voice acting and the way he frames the stories give me chills. I would love for him to read my works out loud someday, but for now, I am happy with him reading others’ work. He is a well-known Let’s Player and is much more serious about gaming than the previous Let’s Players. Depending on the game, he can be like PDP or Ken, but for the most part, he is a story-driven/gaming driven gamer, not so much the commentary. I love Cry, and he’s another one that doesn’t show his face. Kudos!
CAPNDESDES

This guy. This guy right here. He is the bee’s knees. He has a gaming channel, but I prefer his vlogs and Q+A’s. He is witty, quick on his feet, and the quality he puts into his videos is phenomenal. I love this guy. I don’t like his friend nearly as much, but ya know. He’s his best friend, so he does appear occasionally. He’s just hilarious. His brand of comedy is beyond my explanation. Just go check him out for yourself.
ROOSTER TEETH

I don’t like all of their content, as some of it is just too serious for me, but I do love their Rage Quit videos and I love their Animated Adventures (Gavin is my fave from that group, just btw). They pump out hours and hours of gaming content daily because it’s their job. They are literally one huge gaming company, so if you like to hear about all the conventions, technical sides of games, new releases, new gaming features/consoles, then they are your channel.
DOMICS

I found him through the suggestions of the Rooster Teeth Animated Adventures. He does the most adorable and funny animations I have ever seen. They all revolve around everyday life, and I love every bit of it. Just a fun little channel you may want to check out in your free time. There’s good stuff to be had, I’m telling you.

Alright, so this wasn’t in any particular order. I only used numbers so I could see how many I actually put down. Now, I tried to keep it as diverse as possible, but as you can tell, I have a thing for Let’s Players. BUT most of these accounts do more than gaming (i.e. Cry, CapnDesdes, RT, Domics, etc.). So, if you’re not into gaming, maybe you’ll like some of the other accounts or some of the other content they may provide. I’m definitely biased in this matter, but I believe all these accounts are worth a try. Now then, while I don’t expect a huge discussion from this post, I’ll ask anyway:

Do you have any favorite YouTubers? Any specific type of content you like to see? Do you make videos? What kind? If you were a YouTuber, what kind of content would you make and why? Let me know, and comment below!

Thanks for reading!

-Lissy

Have a request for a blog post topic? Just wanna ask a question? Go to my Home page, fill out the contact sheet, and shoot me an email! I look forward to hearing from you.

Want to help me out? Check out my Poll page when you get a chance. All of the answers help me out.

Filed under: Personal Posts

Why you shouldn’t be scared of starting a blog, despite your writing level

Yes, people like quality writing. High quality writing skills are wonderful, but they come with time and practice. We’re not all born with the skills of Stephen King, and a blog is a wonderful jump off point. If you were to go back into my archives and read the oldest of the posts, I would hope you found my newest posts much more insightful and well-written. If not, then I apologize. Regardless, there are people who are scared of starting a blog because they fear ridicule from the blogging community. Fear not! I have yet to find anyone cruel enough to bash someone in the comments, but I understand your fear. I hope this post will inspire you to start your own blog (or book! This can apply to both cases),  and that you can better your writing one post at a time. Now, onward to the list!

EVERYONE HAS TO START SOMEWHERE

Like I’ve said before, we’re not all born with the skills of _instertyourfavoriteauthorhere_, but even they had to start somewhere (or at least, I like to think they started with the skills of a five-year-old). And let’s all go ahead and admit it: THERE WILL ALWAYS BE SOMEONE BETTER THAN YOU. That is just a fact of life, and that person probably feels the same way about someone else. You’re never the best, but you’re probably never the worst either. Just try to get comfortable with the idea that you’re starting where you are supposed to start, and that is okay.
A BLOG IS PRACTICE

Writing takes practice. It’s just like drawing. You can only get better the more you do it, and you may want to go through and check out your favorite blogger’s post. Reading helps to subconsciously better your writing. Ya gotta love your brain, for that. But anyway, there is a reason there are so many well-written blogs out there. They post, and they post often. The more posts you write, the more you will progress with bettering your writing. I’m not gonna promise A+ writing will come to you overnight, but it won’t get any better if you don’t try.
IT’S YOUR BLOG. IT’S UP TO YOU WHAT GOES UP AND WHAT COMES DOWN

I’ve deleted posts that I’ve later decided were below my own standards. I’m not ashamed of that. I’m always learning something new, and if I decide a post isn’t up to par, then I can delete it without any problem. Plus, you can always edit a post any time you feel like it. Need to fix a glaring typo? No problem! Want to repost something that you’ve edited or changed? Go for it! Want to make some things private/public? Go for it! It’s under your control and your jurisdiction (and you’re under the jurisdiction of the platform, FYI).
A BLOG IS FUN

Blogging can be a fun place to relieve stress and to post your thoughts. What is there not to like? If you want to start a blog, then start one! Don’t let fear stand in your way of expressing yourself. That’s what a blog is for, to express yourself.

The internet is a scary place with the mass amount of “trolls” and “grammar Nazis,” out there. I myself have fallen victim to them in many other public forums. There’s no harm in trying to learn and better yourself, but first, you must admit that you want to better yourself. People like to read quality content, and if you get comments from people who try to help you, then take those into consideration. Don’t be offended or hurt because someone pointed out a flaw in a post. It’s ok. Like I said before, you can always go back and edit. In the meantime, get your blog going and start bettering yourself. Now, time for the questions.

What do you think of this post? Do you agree? Do you disagree? Do you think anyone should start a blog, even if they are poor writers? Do you think a blog can be solely for the betterment of the writer? Anything you’d like to add? Let me know, and comment below!

Thanks for reading.

-Lissy

Have a request for a blog post topic? Just wanna ask a question? Go to my Home page, fill out the contact sheet, and shoot me an email! I look forward to hearing from you.

Want to help me out? Check out my Poll page when you get a chance. All of the answers help me out.

Filed under: Writing and Marketing Tips

What adding fanfic has done for my website/blog

Like I’ve said many times before, you want to have an over-arching theme to your blog. Having a single theme will gain you a constant following in the beginning, then you can add more diverse content, which will bring in even more viewers from that separate readership. Categories work wonders at this point, and since adding my fanfic category, I’ve noticed a major difference in the way the two contents pull people in. I’d like to share my results with you today. Now, onward to the list!

FANFIC RECEIVES A MUCH SMALLER READERSHIP

I expected this. There was no surprise in this case, especially since I don’t have that much fanfic up to begin with. I’ve gained 3-4 followers per fanfic post, which, compared to my writing tip follower gain, is around .004% of my total followers. Nearly non-existent. No need to fear though, as my next point kinda balances it all out.
SMALLER READERSHIP, BUT A MORE CONSTANT READERSHIP

Though I didn’t gain many followers when I started posting fanfic, I didn’t lose followers either, and my followers view my fanfiction more often than they do my actual writer tips. A writing tip post will receive about 100+ views upon posting, then lose all clicks after about a week. Fanfic will receive approximately 25+ views and will dwindle to about 10 views daily. Those 10 views will continue on past a week, and sometimes even into a full month. And even after that month, they will still receive daily views. It blows my mind, especially since most of my followers started out with me posting nothing, but writing tips. The transition has been interesting.
THE MOST POPULAR PART OF MY BLOG IS A TIE BETWEEN THE “FANFIC CATEGORY,” AND THE “PERSONAL POSTS CATEGORY”

This absolutely blew my mind. Like I said before, I started out solely as a writing tip blog, and that is how I met a bulk of my friends and followers. I also have less of both of these posts than I do writing tips. I have wondered why this is the case, but I still haven’t figured it out.
THOSE WHO COME SOLELY FOR WRITING TIPS TEND TO BE DRIFTERS

This is another point I wasn’t surprised at finding out. How-To channels on YouTube have been known for their outrageous amount of views, yet poor following. People google what they need, find their answer, then move on. I think my personal posts and my fanfic are what keep people coming back or at least sticking around long enough to up my visitor count.
ORIGINAL AND PERSONAL CONTENT IS THE BEST CONTENT

I haven’t been blogging for very long, but one thing I’ve come to learn is that original and personal content is the best content. I love everyone who takes part in my discussions and reads my posts. Those are the people I talk to the most and who have gone beyond the realm of lurker and reader. I am proud to call them my friends. It was because of writing tips that they came to my blog, but the personal content is what brought them out.

I PREFER FRIENDS OVER READERS.

Readers are wonderful, and all the nice little analytics above are easy to see and base everything around, but it’s not human interaction. It’s not personal, and it doesn’t get me excited to post anything new. Discussion, personable interaction, and friendship is fun. So, as always, you can find my questions for you all below:

Why do you blog? What do you blog about? Have you found that personal posts aren’t what I say they’re all cracked up to be? Do you prefer readers or friends? Will you be responding to any of these questions today? Let me know, and comment below! I look forward to hearing from you.

Thanks for reading.

-Lissy

Have a request for a blog post topic? Just wanna ask a question? Go to my Home page, fill out the contact sheet, and shoot me an email! I look forward to hearing from you.

Want to help me out? Check out my Poll page when you get a chance. All of the answers help me out.

Filed under: Personal Posts, Writing and Marketing Tips

Why you shouldn’t listen to writing tip blogs 100%

This probably sounds strange coming from a person who HAS a writing tip blog, and who posted this on said writing blog, but this in itself is a tip for every writer who has ever checked out a blog for writing tips.

WARNING: I’M NOT DISSING WRITING-TIP-BLOG-THINGS. I MYSELF HAVE ONE, OBVIOUSLY. I’M JUST TRYING TO MAKE A POINT ON SOMETHING.

Now. Onward we go.

EVERYONE’S WRITING STYLE IS DIFFERENT

I like having everything planned out ahead of time, hence my lists and outlines, which is why most of my tips entail using an outline. I write my tips based around the assumption that everyone else does the same, which isn’t true. At. All. But I don’t write randomly (not as much as I outline, anyway), so it’s hard to tailor posts and tips around something I don’t actually do myself. So, my tips may not work for non-outliners, and you may want to keep that in mind when going to any writing tip blog. Are they outliners? Are they not? Are their posts tailored to one group and not the other? Is there anything I can take from this that will benefit my style of writing?
I’M LEARNING TOO

Even if I post these writing tips, I’m still learning, too. Tips I used a few months ago may not apply to how I do things now, but that’s not to say they aren’t good tips still. Just because I post a tip, doesn’t mean I follow it 100%, which leads me to my next point.
JUST BECAUSE I POST A TIP, DOESN’T MEAN IT IS THE END ALL BE ALL

If anyone has ever said, “this is the only way to do ______,” then they are idiots. There is no guaranteed way to do anything. There are ways that work, some better than others, but they aren’t guaranteed. Sure, my editing techniques work for me, but some people edit better in silence. Sure, I chose indie publishing, but that doesn’t mean I’m guaranteed to make gobs and gobs of money, but same goes for traditional publishing, too. Take each tip with a grain of salt.
TIPS ARE JUST THAT: TIPS

Tips are just tips. Like I said before, they are not guaranteed to work for everyone, and you certainly don’t have to follow the tip 100%. You may agree with some points, and you may disagree with others. Take what you think will best help you, then move on. Writing is subjective (in my opinion). Some people like certain aspects of writing, while others won’t. That’s why there are so many different publishers out there because there are so many different kinds of books, styles, and writers. What doesn’t fit with one pub, may be perfect for another. That’s the beautiful thing about writing.
MY TIPS ARE BASICALLY MY JOURNEY

Like I’ve said before, I’m learning just like everyone else, and tech is constantly changing, even in the world of writing. Every tip I write is basically an aspect of my journey to publication. They might not be perfectly timed, but they were points during my journey that I felt someone else would like to hear about. How crappy I did, what I did wrong, what I did right, what I friggin’ rocked out: all of it. That’s how I make up these posts.

I probably repeat myself a lot in this post, but I’ve noticed a growing trend. When bloggers post tips, a lot of writers continually believe it to be an end all be all. I get plenty of emails a day asking about how certain tips have helped me, and whether I think certain tips will work or not. I’m not sure if I look like a professional, but I’m not. I’m probably the farthest from a professional you can get. Once again, I’m not saying tips aren’t great. I’ve found plenty of golden nuggets across the wonderful writerly blog-verse, but I’ve only found nuggets. But before I go into another redundant spill, time for questions.

How many tips have you learned from blogs? Do you swear by certain blogs? Have you used any of my tips 100%? Do you agree with my points? Do you not? Let me know, and comment below.

Thanks for reading!

-Lissy

Have a request for a blog post topic? Just wanna ask a question? Go to my Home page, fill out the contact sheet, and shoot me an email! I look forward to hearing from you.

Want to help me out? Check out my Poll page when you get a chance. All of the answers help me out.

Filed under: Personal Posts, Writing and Marketing Tips

Why Scrivener is perfect for rewrites (With Pics)

Scrivener has taken off as one of the most used writing tools in the world of writerdom, and I am a huge advocate. I use it for my outlines, for my character sheets, for my second/third/fourth/fifth drafts, and for major rewrites. I even use it as a first draft hub for every blog post I put up. Regardless, there are people who utilize this tool, and there are some who want to, but only use it for the bare minimum (there are also those who can’t see how to use it at all, but this is mainly for those who are using or planning on using it). I have been working a guide for some time now, and it’s one that probably won’t be out for some time. In the mean time, I was recently questioned about what I use Scrivener for. The conversation went a bit like this:

“Hey Lissy, I just got Scrivener, and I saw you used it on tumblr. What do you use it for exactly?”

“Everything, absolutely everything. Love that program, and glad to see you joined the ranks.”

“Even rewrites???”

“Of course, especially rewrites.”

“How???”

Well, I’m not sure how many  people have this question or if they’d even be interested in knowing the answer, but I believe it deserves its own blog post for those of you who may be curious. So, I made up a list, as per usual. ONWARD WE GO!

YOU CAN SEPARATE THE CONTENT INTO SCENES

Not everyone is like this, but I usually have a pretty good idea as to how many scenes I’ll have in a chapter, how many chapters I’ll have, etc. even before I begin the draft (I’m an outliner. It’s what I do). If you’re not like that, you can always move things around in Scrivener. Move chunks into separate text files within the chapter, move the chapters around to better the flow, move the text files around for better flow, etc. Regardless, separating things into scenes is key to doing thorough rewrites, at least that’s the case for me. Either way, great way to utilize it. I have an example pic below, and you may have to click on the pics to be able to see them better.

YOU CAN ADD TEXT

Unlike with word, you don’t have to open multiple docs to go between drafts. Once you’ve finished the first draft and separated it out into the parts you’d like to have, you can simply add a new text file beneath the file you wish to rewrite. Then get to work. More on organizing everything as we go along. Pic below.




YOU CAN RENAME TEXT FILES FOR ORGANIZATION

As you can see in my above examples, I have an odd set of names going for my scenes. Well, as always, there is a method to my madness. When I write the first draft, I name every text as “Scene.” This may be confusing for some, but it works for me, especially once I start my rewrites. I use a vague name because I want to make sure I have them all in the correct places before I start renaming them because it will throw off my order otherwise. Once I’ve organized everything properly, I go back and add letter of the alphabet to the end of every scene. If I have more than 25 scenes, I start using double letters (AA, BB, CC, etc). Then, I add a dash with a number at the end of it, indicating that, that is the first draft of that particular scene. Then, when I add the text file for the rewrite, I name it the same exact way as the fist draft file, but instead of a “1,” I put a “2.” I’d do the same for each subsequent rewrite. Pic below for reference.

YOU CAN CHANGE THE STATUS OF EVERY DRAFT FOR EVEN FURTHER ORGANIZATION

I don’t personally use this feature, just because I find my own organization sufficient enough for rewrites, but if you happened to have more drafts for some parts than you do for others (another great thing about this tool, you can choose which parts you want to rewrite, rather than have to just rewrite the whole thing or go through and skim the entire doc for a specific part you wish to rewrite), then you can change the “status” of the text doc. Pic for reference below.




BUT WHEN I COMPILE IT, THE OLDER DRAFTS STILL SHOW UP. EASY FIX.

I tried to make this post as simple as possible because Scrivener does have a terrible learning curve. If there is anything else anyone would like me to cover, then please don’t hesitate to ask in the comments or by email, which can be found at the very end of this blog post, as always. Now, time for some questions of my own. Did you find this useful? Did the pics help? What do you find useful about Scrivener? Anything you’d like to add to this? Have anymore tips? Let me know, and comment below!

Thanks for reading.

-Lissy

Have a request for a blog post topic? Just wanna ask a question? Go to my Home page, fill out the contact sheet, and shoot me an email! I look forward to hearing from you.

Want to help me out? Check out my Poll page when you get a chance. All of the answers help me out.

Filed under: Writing and Marketing Tips

How to Choose Between Manuscripts/Books

This will make more sense in just a bit… Promise.

When that inspiration bug bites, it bites us hard. Usually, anyway. Either way, it usually hits at the most inopportune times. Mine? Mine bites me when I’m smack dab in the middle of a half-way finished manuscript. And we all love the shiny things. Shiny, new things.

My precious…

Ahem. Anywho, it’s no surprise that people love starting new projects. It’s just like getting married and going through the “honeymoon,” stage. Everything is perfect. You married the perfect person. You’re going to have the perfect house, the perfect kids, the perfect jobs, and everything is going to be shiny and new forever. Then, about four months down the road, you’d be happy just to have a decent garbage can, and for your “perfect spouse,” to take out the garbage. But, I digress.

Eventually, the shine will wear down, and you will itch for something new. Then, it comes to you. Your DREAM idea. Your DREAM book. Now, how do you decide? The new or the old? Well, take a gander at my list and see what you can do. ONWARD WE GO!

CAN YOU SEE YOURSELF READING THE BOOK YOU’RE CURRENTLY WRITING?

One key factor, for me, in determining whether I should quit a current manuscript or not is: if I weren’t the author, would I want to read this book? Really take yourself back and think about it. It’s hard to tell with a first draft, as things may change, but if it is a resounding “no,” then you may want to reconsider your current manuscript. Best to head for warmer waters, I believe. Go ahead and put that manuscript away until you’re ready to make it a manuscript YOU would want to read, and tackle that new idea.
HOW MUCH LONGER IS IT UNTIL YOUR CURRENT MANUSCRIPT IS DONE?

If you dedicate yourself, could you finish your current MS in a month? Less? You might as well see it through. Go ahead and finish it before you start on another idea. Take notes and get to finishing that MS. Use your excitement over the new idea to push you into finishing. You’ll be happier if you finish, anyway. You’ll get the joy of having a completed MS and the joy of starting a new one. It’s a win-win.
WOULD YOU BE ABLE TO FINISH THE SECOND MS IF YOU DIDN’T FINISH THE FIRST?

Like I said before, new ideas are shiny, and we like shiny things. But eventually that shiny thing is going to dull, just like the one before it. If you don’t finish that first MS, what’s to say you’re going to finish the second? By all means, if you think you can, go ahead and start that second one. Then, when you finish it, maybe you can come back. But if you don’t think you can, might wanna stick around and finish the first. Prove to yourself you can finish. Eventually, you’ll be able to make writing a habit, and it will get easier as time goes on.
HAVE YOU REACHED THE EDITING STAGE?

If you’ve completed the first draft, and you’re just on the editing stage, go ahead and start on that second idea. BUT. And this is a big but (hehe… big butt), you must exercise discipline. Just because you’ve finished the first draft, doesn’t mean it’s all over for that MS. Don’t allow yourself to abandon the project. Write for an hour on the new idea, then spend some time editing and polishing your old MS. Get that baby publishable so you can do the same to your new baby.

I always push people to finish the first MS before they ever start a new one, but if it’s not meant to be, then it’s not meant to be. These questions are just a guideline, a suggestion-guideline, for you to use. Ask yourself these questions, see what you come up with. If you finish your first MS, wonderful. I hope I was of some help to you. If not, also good for you. I’m glad you can start on your new, shiny MS. Now, for questions. What’s your opinion on all of these questions? Do you have any other guidelines you follow to decide? Did these help you anyway? Any questions or points I might have missed? Got any new shinies you’d like to start? Let me know, and comment below!

Thanks for reading.

-Lissy

Have a request for a blog post topic? Just wanna ask a question? Go to my About and Contact page, fill out the contact sheet, and shoot me an email! I look forward to hearing from you.

Filed under: Writing and Marketing Tips

How To Outline Your Books

It’s never been a secret that I’m in love with lists. Lists are important to me and keep me on track. Plus, it keeps my thoughts organized so I may refer back without having to decipher any mystical notes. Now, not everyone uses outlines, but there are cases where they will be beneficial to you. Namely, when you’re working on a MS and inspiration strikes for another. I’ll discuss how to choose which work later, but for now, let’s talk about how to outline a book so that you can write up that MS later.

TRY TO KEEP IT TO ONE NOTEBOOK/WORD DOC

I have a single notebook dedicated to outlines. Outlines usually are no more than 10 pages, front and back, for me, so I only need a single notebook. You may need multiple notebooks depending on how long your work is and how detailed you decide to make your notes. Regardless, using a single notebook will help to keep everything in order and will allow for easier reference later on.
MAKE NOTES IN PARTS

I tend to have an idea of how many chapters I will have prior before I start to write, but that’s just me. Regardless, take notes and stop once you feel comfortable ending a chapter there. Then, make a break of some kind in your writing, then continue to take notes as if you are writing another chapter. It will help you see where you can end and begin chapters, plus you can always fill in details and combine chapters later once you’ve got a clear view of the timeline.
USE BULLET POINTS

For example:

- Crystal goes to her boss, nervous and bitter

- She steps into his office and scans the room – describe the room as sparse and empty

- The boss isn’t there and she is both frustrated and relieved

Keeps everything clear, easier to read, and will allow for short spurts of note-taking with direct details and emotions.
BE DETAILED

The more detailed and direct you can be in your notes, the easier it will be to apply into your writing. Notice in the previous example how I take down every emotion or image I wish to convey later on. I don’t say exactly how I will describe it that way, which gives me the freedom to do so later on, but I make sure to mark it down because it may be important for future characterization. Be detailed, but not so much so it becomes a first draft, instead of a list.


COME UP WITH A WITTY BIT OF DIALOGUE? OR A LINE YOU MAY WANT TO USE LATER? FIT IT INTO YOUR OUTLINE!

I do this all the time. I’ll be working on an outline and be hit with a snippet of a scene with very specific dialogue or description. While I don’t want to turn my outline into a draft, if I’m hit with a major piece of dialogue or description, I add it to the outline. An outline is just a list of notes in a specific timeline format, and if you’ve utilized the short, detailed, bulleted aspect of the outline, then you should have enough room to go back and take down that bit of inspiration. If not, you can mark it down and put the page number where you wish to add it, plus the number of the bullet point on that page. But keep this info on a separate page, somewhere you can keep a separate list of direct quotes or descriptions to be added later so you don’t muddle your outline.
YOU DON’T HAVE TO FOLLOW THE OUTLINE EXACTLY

An outline is there for you to refer to later. It’s for you to remember where you wanted your story to start and where you wanted it to end, but as time goes on you may want to add things to the middle or take them out. Just do the best you can with what ideas you have, then worry about pushing out the words.

Not everyone likes outlines, but they can be helpful if utilized properly, not to say there is one way to use them, either. Take these tools, use them, change them, and maybe they can help you pump out your next great novel. Now, for questions. Have you used outlines before? Do you prefer orderly outlines or scattered thoughts? Do you keep a notebook for outlines? Do you not use outlines at all? Will you now? Have another tip for making up outlines? Let me know, and comment below!

Thanks for reading.

-Lissy

Have a request for a blog post topic? Just wanna ask a question? Go to my About and Contact page, fill out the contact sheet, and shoot me an email! I look forward to hearing from you.

Want to help me out? Check out my Poll page when you get a chance. All of the answers help me out.

Filed under: Writing and Marketing Tips

The Writing Habit

We’re always told to write every single day. I’ve dedicated entire blog posts to how this can best be achieved, even for those who seemingly can’t spare a second. I’ve figured out my own methods, and I’ve been writing daily ever since. Now, I have reached a snag, but not in my daily writing routine. No, no. It’s much worse.

Not only are we told to write every single day, but we are also told to wait and revise with a new set of eyes. Well, on 8/13/2013, I completed my long novella project: An Austrian March. I was immediately filled with excitement and sadness. Writing, to me, is like raising a child, and that day inspired this tumblr post: http://lissywrites.tumblr.com/post/58166724610/being-a-writer-78.

But all of those lovey-dovey sad notions fell to the wayside, and I realized that now that was done, I would have to take a writing break. This seems like a positive thing. Take a break from writing and enjoy the other wonders that life has to offer. Spend some time away from the computer, see friends you’ve been avoiding just to pump out a few extra words everyday, and enjoy the solace of plotless thought.

But it is killing me.

This post probably won’t be up for the next couple weeks, mainly because of what I’m about to tell you, so just for the record, I am writing this on 8/14/13. Think of my blog as a TARDIS, if you must.  Now, onward to my list for all of you Time Agents and Time Lords out there.

On 8/13/13 I finished An Austrian March
On 8/13/13 I declared a two day break
On 8/13/13 I wrote and scheduled 11 blog posts
On 8/13/13 I declared that I would be doing no writing, whatsoever the next day
On 8/13/13 I wrote a fanfic
On 8/14/13 I got up and wrote this blog post
On 8/14/13 I will finish this blog post
On 8/15/13 I will add to this blog post
On 8/15/13 I wrote some in Ice Over


On 8/15/13 I take peaks at An Austrian March


On 8/15/13 I edit chapter one of An Austrian March


On 8/15/13 I’ve failed to take a writing break

I had originally ended this post on the 14th. Well, this part has begun again on the 16th, after a few additions in the past couple of days. See why this is a problem? A writing habit is a wonderful thing to have, until you must force yourself to stop just to get some other work in your life done.

Most would say the easiest thing I could do to elieviate all the needs to constantly write is to allow myself to start on other projects, but that’s what made AAM  (An Austrian March) so long in the making to begin with. About halfway through AAM, I found myself spinning my wheels trying to pull some plot out. So, I took a break, trying to decide how best to go about outlining it. At that time, I had started my writing habit, but it wasn’t as full-fledged as it is now. I could’ve probably stood a few days away without batting an eye, but I digress.

After the first three days of my break, I had hardly any outlines to show for it, and I was itching to start back, but I knew it would go nowhere. I would end up staring at a blank screen, just as I always was. So, I decided to work on a story I already had outlined and ready to go. Problem was? Once I got started, I couldn’t stop, and that’s how Apocalyptia came to be, and even it went on a year to two year hiatus. AAM has been left in the dust long enough, and I refuse to start another project, just to abandon it again.

So, I’ve failed to take a break, but AAM is going smoothly despite it. The long hiatus actually made for plenty of time to have fresh eyes on the beginning chapters, and that should leave me plenty of time in between to develop fresh eyes for the late chapters. We shall see, but I have no clue what I’ll do later. New stories, new finished first drafts, new breaks, new problems, but all part of the craft, which is writing.

I’m sorry if this sounded more like a rant than anything else. I’m feeling somewhat bitter over my wasted break, but I’m glad to have been productive where writing is concerned. Do you have moments like this? Have you developed a writing habit/addiction? How do you bring yourself to take writing breaks? Let me know, and comment below!

Thanks for reading.

-Lissy

Want to help me out? Check out my Poll page when you get a chance. All of the answers help me out.

Filed under: Personal Posts