I love back-to-school time. I'm going to buy a plaid skirt and a new white blouse and knee-highs. Um...no I'm not. I'm not going back to school, or back to the future, or back in time. I'm going forward.
But first of all - it's another meeting of the Insecure Writers Support Group.
Dear Insecure Writers of all Sorts,
Did you get lost in the warmth of summer and forget to do all the things you promised yourself you would do, or is that just me?
Well come on in, we're starting the recalcitrant school for very naughty writers. Here's what you'll need.
School Supplies:
A clean notebook and pen/ or a laptop/ or a desktop computer
One of those kitchen timers - you know - the ones that look like a tomato
Either a very calm, quiet sort of space or a cluttery, kitchen table where folks keep coming by and asking you to find stuff
An idea
And most importantly - an intention
So you can see this is way easier than say being a recalcitrant artist - you'd need way more supplies.
One of the things I did during this summer that did help me get going and actually finish my revision of Butter and Snow was to create a funny little imaginary creative retreat. I did that with a pal who lives on the same street I do. We'd decide on a starting date, which was always a Monday and set our intentions. i.e.: I will revise for two hours daily, do my strength exercises and paint in the afternoons. (or like that) Each evening we'd send each other an update. On either Thursday or Friday we'd meet up, drink a glass of white and talk about our process while looking at the bay. Worked a treat. I'm still supposed to be on one but I finished my revision. Did I tell you that I finished my revision? Why, yes I did. A week ago as you read this. Now I've handed it over to my copyeditor, a fabulous picky man who happens to also be my partner in life and love. By the time you're reading this he will have finished and I will have incorporated the changes. While he's picking away at the manuscript I will be forming a small publishing company, getting an IBSN number and planning with my graphic designer what the book will look like and so on. Then I'll be meeting with the friend who is helping me choose a printing company and figuring out all of that. Fun wha?!
The optional question this week - What are your thoughts on using AI, such as GPChat, Raptor, and others with your writing? Would you use it for research, storybible, or creating outlines\beats?
My thoughts on using AI are quite simple. I will not use it. I couldn't be less interested and I'm quite tired of the internet trying to change my opinion. That's all I have to say and I have no opinion on others using it. Not my business.
The other thing that I think I'll get up to in the next few days is starting another novel. One that isn't a mystery, isn't set in Labrador, and probably is going to be a richly nuanced satire about aging in place. Or maybe a witty look at the end of the world. You know. Like that.
How about you? If you are starting a new piece of writing will it be like your other works or is it time to break out?
8 comments:
I love a routine (or anything with structure, really) and your writing retreat sounds right up my alley. :)
It sounds like you've got a great system with your friend to stay productive with your writing. It's awesome you've made so much progress on your book this summer.
I love this time of year, Jan, for exactly the reasons you bring up here. There's such a feeling of 'starting over' and yes, of intentionality. A lot of people do their goal-setting at the beginning of the year, in January, but I think this time of year is at least as conducive to those actions as January is - maybe more.
I've recently gone through a bit of an ordeal. While I was without a computer for a few years, someone took it upon themselves to hack into my cloud and delete all my writing work. Nothing else was touched either. They didn't even delete the folders, just everything inside. If I'd had access to my old computer, it wouldn't have been an issue, but unfortunately, it died. :(
I never got to finish the serial I had been working on. All of my notes, background information, and even the artwork I had pre-made for me so I'd be ready for publication were gone. It would be too much work for me at this point to finish it as a serial.
Since I have to start from scratch anyway and rebuild all my background notes from the stuff I've already published, I decided I'm going to rewrite the entire thing as a novel series. The serial was written in first person from the main character's pov, so the novels will be in third person and from multiple points of view. It will allow me to expand on the story and the world.
So that's what I've got going on right now. I'm pretty excited! Collating all the info and outlining the original story has been pretty monotonous, but it's going really well. :-D
I love your virtual writing retreat! What a fun idea! I'm going to have to borrow that and do that with a writing friend. I also love this time of year and being a student or teacher for most of my life, I still feel like September is the real start of the year and when I tend to set goals/make resolutions.
That's awesome you finished your revisions! Your accountability plan worked.
Congrats on finishing!
So glad for you that you have another idea for a novel. I have no energy in that regard right now, but I'm still writing. Unexpected things are coming out. It's fun and kind of cathartic.
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