WriYe Blogging Circle: Decisions On Publishing

Publishing: Is it something you aim for? Why or why not?

Bonus:

Which route would you choose, self-publishing or traditional publishing? 

Hell yes! Actually, it's something I'm working on at the moment. I'm currently going through my new outline for Hourglass and starting to revise it. It's a slow process but it's coming along...especially since I don't have classes this semester. It took me years to decide whether or not I wanted to publish my novels. I finally decided to give it a try, especially with the way that things have been going these days.

Self-publishing has always been something I wanted to do. After a lot of research on the topic, I knew that traditional publishing wasn't something for me. Now that self-publishing has grown, the appeal of publishing my novels has also grown. When deciding to publish, it's important to do your research to find which path is best for you. 
 

WriYe Blogging Circle: The Beginning and Now

Why did you start writing?

Bonus:

How has your writing improved since you first started?

When I was in the 2nd grade, my teacher encouraged me to write stories. I've always scored pretty high in reading and comprehension since I was younger, I just didn't enjoy reading. My teachers would always start me off in the lowest Language Arts class because I showed no interest in the subject, but then I would get pushed to the highest class...even then it was too easy. So, my 2nd grade teacher wanted me to write my own stories. 

I'm going to assume this was a way for her to gauge my interests because I can't really see any other reason why she pulled me aside and encouraged me to start writing. Well, let's just say, that I ended up loving it. I've always been into writing. Even research papers (I love research papers and essays). It's easy and I like the research behind it. Though, even after discovering my love for writing, I really hated reading...it took until I was in the 6th grade (11 years old...ish) when I actually found something that I actually liked. 

How has my writing improved since I first started writing...? Um...well, my grammar, syntax, and organizational skills definitely improved. I think my plots have improved too...I mean, I was 7 years old when I started writing. Needless to say, there was a lot of improvement from the time I was 7 until now (I'm 27 years old now).  

WriYe Blogging Circle: Editing Isn't All That Bad

What’s your plan of attack for editing? Is it a chore for you? Do you enjoy it? What's the hardest thing for you in the editing process?

Bonus:

What's the best and/or worst editing advice you have ever received? 

Editing can be a very daunting task. I tend to get really frustrated once I actually dig into my manuscript and try to fix what needs to be fixed. I guess that would be more of revising. Revision is the biggest pain in my ass to date. I love it and I hate it. 

I love figuring out what needs to be fixed/removed/added in my story. Filling in plot holes and fixing characters are all things that I like...in theory. I guess. I usually read through the entire manuscript first and figure out what needs work. I then rework the outline, make notes on the side of what needs to happen.

After I'm done with that I get into gutting my novel. This is the painful part. Not because the novel is something I worked hard on (it usually is) but because this part is so time consuming and I feel like I'm rewriting everything (though I'm not). Though, in the end, this is where it all comes together and I have something decent to work with. This is where I'm struggling right now with Hourglass. The beginning of my stories are always my hardest and I have to rework them a few times before I'm pleased with it. 

The best editing advise I have ever received is: "Know what you wanted to write." Seems a bit silly right? You should know what you wanted out of the story you've written...but sometimes writers tend to veer off into a whole different kind of novel. That is when the writer needs to decide if the novel they wrote is even better than what they planned, or if the novel they planned is much better than the one they wrote. I tend to lean toward my planned novels. Though, that doesn't mean some good things haven't come out of my out of control novels. 

While they don't venture too far off the path, they do tend to change the mood a bit and sometimes that's okay. Sometimes I find good background information that will help with a plot hole or I find a good dialogue that can work well in a different scene. There are still some little treasures buried in the mess that was created.

Another good piece of advice that goes along with this: "Never delete your drafts." You'll be surprised at what you can pull from a discarded draft. It's also fun to look back from time to time to see that changes that were made and how much it improved over time. 

WriYe Blogging Circle: Genre Preference

What does genre mean to you? Do you have a "home" genre? Or are you a genre hopper and are comfortable in just about any one?

Bonus:

Do you read the same genre you write? Yes or no? If yes, why? And if no, why not?  

Genre is how to categorize books (or media). My "home" genre would have to be both Fantasy and Science Fiction but I tend to go from genre to genre.

I like coming up with worlds and creating races. I like making governments and societies but mine always end up a little messed up and dark. Oops. My District Pluto series is a good example of that. There are times when I try other genres because I don't want to build a world from scratch or I just want to write something different. I do like a good change of pace, and sometimes it's needed. It usually happens between books in a series. So, say I'm writing a fantasy series and I just finished the first book. I won't start on the next book right away. I tend to write something else in a completely different genre.

Reading for me in pretty much the same. I tend to lean toward Fantasy and Science Fiction but I do read in other genres as well - for a change of pace. I find that General Fiction is faster paced and I won't get so sucked into another world like I do with Fantasy and Science Fiction. That doesn't mean I don't get sucked in. I just don't try to piece the world together to get a bigger picture.

[I'm a little behind on the blogging circle so I'm working on catching up.]

Short Stories

What do you like about writing short stories? What don’t you like about writing short stories? How do you think short stories differ from novels?

Bonus: What is your favorite short story anthology?

Short stories are nice when I need a break from writing a novel or editing. Sometimes novels tend to be a lot to commit to but writing a short story is exactly what I need. It's also good practice for working on concluding things. I like the simplicity of writing a short story.

But, short stories are limited. Coming up with a smaller plot tends to be harder than writing a full on novel, sometimes. Not for everyone. It's important to stay focused on the task. Since they generally have one plot and maybe one subplot - maybe - it tends to be a lot harder to conclude everything within the small word count. That's where I struggle, as I'm not a good short story writer but I try.

There are obvious differences to short stories and novels. Word count being one of them. The structure is a little different since everything has to be wrapped up at the end of the short story. The amount of characters you introduce in a short story is very limited. I could go on, but I guess it's pretty obvious. There are more limitations to writing a short story compared to writing a novel.

I don't have a favorite short story anthology.

Critique and Criticism

Critique and Criticism
What is your method of critiquing a piece of writing? What do you expect out of people critiquing your work?

I haven't critiqued in a really long time. In my head, I do it all of the time, but I haven't critiqued someone's work (with them being willing) in years. But, I guess I could say, that I look for inconsistencies or anything that stands out to me that really shouldn't be there (misplaced plot, forgetting to delete a passage before continuing, etc). I tend to ask a lot of questions when I'm looking over someone's work, mostly to benefit them. Instead of telling them that something is wrong, I ask them specific questions so they will figure it out and hopefully, it will help them improve other places of their story as well.

I also look for grammar issues and sentence structure flaws, if they ask me to, but I mainly focus on the story itself, rather than the syntax. At least at first. Unless the same mistake is consistent throughout the story. Then I'll point it out. For example: I was reading someone's story and they lacked commas.  I had to go back and read several sentences to figure out what in the hell they were trying to say. I definitely pointed that out.


When someone is critiquing my work, I would hope they would be honest with me and ask me questions as needed. Questions are beneficial, and so is being straight forward. Though, I haven't gotten close to this yet, I would hope that they would do their best to help me improve my writing rather than just be an asshole about it, but there is always that group of people who will be flaming jerks and just straight-up tell me that my work is crap. If they aren't going to give me a reason why my work is crap, then they aren't worth my time.

I don't mean to sound like a bitch about it either. I'm asking for constructive feedback to help me improve. Telling me that I suck at writing, isn't telling me where or why they think I suck at writing. It's just telling me that this person isn't into my story. That happens. I'm not delusional to think that everyone is going to enjoy my writing, since I know I don't enjoy every piece of writing that I come across.

Telling me how I should write my novels or stories is also something that I would like them to not do. My plot is written like this for a reason and trying to sway my story line isn't going to happen because the chances are, my story is already finished and the way I wanted it. They can question my plot if there are some major plot holes that need to be fixed or if the plot is weak (or has weak points) but their opinion on how my story should go is a big no-no. I can forgive small adjustments but not if they are suggesting that I go back and change everything. Just - no.

When critiquing, you're supposed to let the writer know where things really didn't connect with you, as a reader. If the characters come off a bit wooden instead of real, or if there is an incomplete subplot that never got resolved - these are things that should be pointed out. If they are a bit harsh about it, I'm okay with that, at least they are telling me where I need to improve. Let me know where my sentences get too wordy or if my sentences are too choppy. It happens. I catch them when I'm going through my edits. I hope that someone will catch them when reading through my story too (the ones that I miss).

Again, I haven't gotten to this point as I'm still going through my edits, since it's long and tedious but I'm getting to it. It's on my list of things to do once I finish editing the first short story of District Pluto.

My Genre of Choice

Genre
What’s your main genre? Why do you write in that genre? Do you have a tip to share for someone wanting to break into that genre? What genre would you like to break into?

Bonus: What is your favorite book written in your genre? (Written by you or another great writer!)

The main genre I write is Fantasy. I like going into different worlds that I've made and having my characters encounter some really strange things. I also like the freedom I can have with writing in this genre but there are also "rules" that one must follow. Things need to make some kind of sense. You can't just have something work without really knowing how it works. It kind of makes it complicated but I really like this part of it. Sometimes figuring out the mechanics to certain things can change the plot of your novel to something even better or it helps you get a better understand of what is supposed to happen.

My only tip is to know your world and don't allow it to bend to make it easier for your characters. Just because you have the power to do so, doesn't mean that you should. Always give your characters obstacles to face, even smaller ones, because it helps with character development.

I've read a lot of books in this genre but my absolute favorite is almost anything written by Tamora Pierce (almost - some of her books are good but just don't catch my attention). I never have issues going back and rereading her work. Also, Harry Potter is a good book that I can always go back and reread. To be honest, that is how I judge a book. If I have the ability to go back and reread it without pointing out flaws from both the writing and the characters, then it's a good book.

Abandoned Novels

Trunked Novels
Have you ever set a novel aside? Was it finished or unfinished? Why did you abandon that novel? What would it take for you to go back to it?

I've abandoned a lot of novels. I've actually been spending a lot of time recently going through them just to see what I have and some of them were really good but then a twist happened and then it fell apart. To go back to that novel, I would need to do some serious rewriting and plotting to see where my novel should have been going.


That is going to be a goal that I have later. Finishing my unfinished novels. Some of them are probably a lost cause or they are novels that are going to have to be used in some other way. Maybe they just need a little more planning...who knows. I guess, going back to them really depends on if they really catch my attention when I go back to them.


Bonus: Post an excerpt of your trunked novel. - Unfortunately, I don't have an excerpt to share right now.

Editing And All That Fun Stuff

What is the one thing you struggle with when it comes to editing? What is the one thing that you find easy to do? What is your favorite editing tip?

Bonus: Take a selfie/novel-ie of you/your novel in the midst of revision.

My biggest issues when it comes to editing a novel is finishing the edits. I struggle with rewriting the parts that need work. I have no problem tearing through my novel, though it takes me a lot of time since I'm a little picky but it's worth it.

Editing in itself is a monster, especially when it's your first time. I've edited  a few things but the only things I've ever completed were a few short stories. The satisfaction just after finishing those was rather nice and I'm hoping that I'll feel very accomplished after finishing editing a novel. 

My favorite editing tip would be to know what you wanted your story to be about before you start editing. It seems like a weird editing thing but by knowing what you want from your novel will help you focus on where the changes need to happen. Sometimes, I lose focus on what I'm working on but I have it written down in a place where I can see it, so it keeps me on track.

The image above is the closest thing I have on the novel I'm currently editing.

Making Connections

How do your characters connect with one another? What kind of connection do they have? How do you connect your characters to the reader? 


This is a bit difficult to answer. In my current novel, which I'm editing, my characters (my two main characters) are connected through their university. They are opposite in certain aspects but, in a way, they are very similar in their values. I'm hoping that people can connect to them because they both go through some real life struggles.

I think that when a character, no matter the setting, have similar or the same problems that real people go through, then they can form a connection with the readers. Though you can't expect to have that kind of connection with every reader.

Generally, I try to base connections off things that good portion of people go through, or even things that I've experienced before. Being able to relate to a character helps make them feel real to the readers.

WriYe Goals

WriYe Blogging Circle is back. Hopefully, I can keep up with it this year.

Goals:
What’s your Wriye Word Count goal and why did you chose it? What are you going to be focusing on this year? What are you doing differently this year compared to last year

Bonus:
Set your intention for this year. Share it with us!

My WriYe word count goal for this year is only 300,000 words. It's not a large goal but a more reasonable one for me this year. I decided to aim low so I could actually reach my goals (both writing and personal). My main focus this year will be writing my novel series. It's a 5 novel series, the first two novels are already planned out.

Another thing I'm focusing on is editing. I still have that short stories series that needs to be edited, but after the 3rd short story, I need to rewrite the other two and add several more 10,000 word short stories to go with it. There are just so many things that need to happen with this project that I realized it won't be finished any time soon. So my main editing focus is a stand alone novel called Dowsers (for now, at least). I wrote this novel two years ago and it currently stands at 122,000 words. There is a lot of work that needs to go into this novel.

Last year, I focused mostly on editing. I didn't get very far with that. In fact, I think I only finished about 2 1/2 stories. I'm pretty sure I wrote more than I edited. My goal is still pretty low for word count but it's manageable. That's what I'm going for.

My intention for this year, in terms of writing and editing, is to prepare for publication at some point. Currently, I know I'm not ready for publishing, since I don't have a single story that I would share with others. Hopefully, soon, I'll be at that point.

Poetry

Poetry

How do you feel about poetry? Do you write any? Do you see the significance of it or do you think it's a waste of time?

Bonus: What is your favorite poem?

I don't mind poetry but it's not something I enjoy writing. I have a hard time writing it for some reason. For those of you who can write it, good for you. I find that poetry is a way for a lot of people to find emotional release.

It might not be something I like to write but I don't think it's insignificant. Everyone has different styles and there are some poems that I really like. I couldn't name them right now but there are a few that I didn't find dull as hell while sitting in English class. I don't go out of my way to read poetry. If it's there, I'll read it but it's not something that immediately grabs my attention.

Archetypes

Archetype
It’s said that there are only so many plots in the universe and all novels/stories are a twist on them. What about for our characters? Can you pinpoint your current main character’s archetypes? How do you feel about the concept of archetypes? Do you think your character is a blend of a few or one steadily - or unique in their own right?

Bonus: Let’s see your interpretation of your character as the epitome of their archetype. Write us a sample or draw us a sketch

I'm behind! This prompt was for April.


Almost every character falls under at least one archetype. The writer might not realize it but there are some traits a character shows that will cause them to fall under such an archetype. It's not particularly a bad thing. Just because it's categorized doesn't mean the character feels like every other character of that archetype.


My current main character is definitely categorized as a reluctant hero. Though she could fit under few other categories, it's the best she identifies with at the moment. As I said before, even though she falls under a reluctant hero, doesn't mean she's like every other character who shares this archetype. There are aspects about her that make her different, as it should be for every character.

Revision

My Bonus picture for the month.

Revision
Easy question: why is it necessary? Hard question: do you enjoy it?

Bonus: Take a selfie/novel-ie of you/your novel in the midst of revision.

Another WriYe blogging circle prompt has come around and it fits with my current theme on editing and revision. I spend the majority of this year (though it's only March) editing something and I've been struggling through it. But my writing needs it. There are plot holes and grammatical errors that need to be resolved. My first drafts are far from perfect. I can't imagine someone's first draft being perfect.

No first draft is perfect. Heck, it's probably not even close to great. That is why editing is necessary. It helps bring that first draft to a somewhat better second draft. It helps bring a story closer to what you wanted to write.

I don't enjoy editing my own work but I love editing stories that belong to someone else. Right now, I'm working on finding some kind of system that helps me but I haven't really found one that works for me just yet. It probably won't happen any time soon either. Once I find a system, I think it will become a little more enjoyable for me but until then, I'm not fond of picking through my own stories. 

Writing Resolution: Editing

 Goals: What is your one main goal for this year? Call it your writing resolution. Not two. Not five. Your main and only one. And why is it your goal? 

Bonus:Make a mantra to tell yourself all year when you feel as if you can’t reach this goal. Share it with us! 

(WriYe Blogging Circle Prompt)

  

This year, for me, my focus is all on editing. I have a lot of projects to get through this year. One might not be fully finished by the end of the year due to the massive changes but I want to get it out of the first draft stage. There will be writing but it's not what I'm working with this year. Most of my writing will focus on short stories rather than full on novels. I will write a few novels this year but I don't have many planned. 

Editing is my primary goal because it's the next step I need to take if I want to try to publish something soon. It might not be a novel just yet but a short story or a series of short stories. Whatever it is, I just want to get something ready for publishing.

As for a mantra, I don't have one that goes with my current goal. At least, I don't have one right now. One might come to me later, as I continue to edit.