"Anyone can do any amount of work provided it isn't the work he is supposed to be doing at the moment." Robert Benchley
No quote seemed to fit more perfectly than this one, seeing as how I am supposed to be working on my writing right now and not scouring the internet for quotes. So, hopefully I will use this as motivation to get to work (as soon as I post this). But Benchley is right: every task seems much easier as long as you're trying to get (in my case) twenty other things done at the time. For example, today at work, I had all these great ideas for scenes in my book and couldn't wait to get home to start working. Now that I'm in front of my computer though, I find myself procrastinating by surfing the internet...and watching tv...and checking twitter...and talking to my sister...you get the point.
Eventually though, there comes a time when we must finally get down to the work we are supposed to be doing, and that time for me is now. And hopefully, it won't be another seven months before I update.
Megg
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Thought for the Day
"Writing became such a process of discovery that I couldn't wait to get to work in the morning: I wanted to know what I was going to say." Sharon O'Brien
I spend hours brainstorming and mapping out what happens in each scene and chapter. Sometimes though, I like to just sit down at my computer and type, not knowing what was going to happen, but just seeing where my characters end up going. And most of the time, I find it easier to write those scenes, where I don't have a clear view of what direction I'm headed. And sometimes when you do have everything mapped out, it doesn't always work out that way, but if you're not following any type of plan, you can't go wrong. You can just lose yourself in the writing and see where it takes you.
I spend hours brainstorming and mapping out what happens in each scene and chapter. Sometimes though, I like to just sit down at my computer and type, not knowing what was going to happen, but just seeing where my characters end up going. And most of the time, I find it easier to write those scenes, where I don't have a clear view of what direction I'm headed. And sometimes when you do have everything mapped out, it doesn't always work out that way, but if you're not following any type of plan, you can't go wrong. You can just lose yourself in the writing and see where it takes you.
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Deadline is Soon!!
June will be here before I know it and I am diligently writing to meet my deadline. I realize I have not been keeping up with posting my progress, but I have been in the zone and writing all I can. I did stumble on a problem while writing, one that I'm still trying to work through.
There is a love triangle in my story, and when I first started writing and sketching out the ideas for the book, I was certain which character the leading lady would end up with in the end. But now, as I delve deeper into the storyline, I'm no longer sure that that is the ending I want for her.
I discussed this with a friend of mine (the same one who is making sure I don't find a way to weasel out of my June deadline) and he had a simple solution--a coin toss. I started to tell him that there was no way I was going to leave the ending of my book and the of my characters in the hands of a coin toss, but he told me that I wouldn't get my answer by seeing whether the coin landed on heads or tails. I'd know my answer once I assigned heads and tails to the two leading men and flipped the coin, and while in the air, I would be hoping that it landed on heads (or tails...whichever one my heart truly wanted). And I realized that as crazy as it was, it was also very smart.
So thanks to this wise piece of advice, I was able to figure out which direction I wanted to take my characters, and my writer's block quickly vanished. So if you're trying to decide between two options, toss a coin into the air. If you're not hoping that one side will land over the other, then see if you're disappointed with the result. Hopefully you can find your answer as easily as I did.
There is a love triangle in my story, and when I first started writing and sketching out the ideas for the book, I was certain which character the leading lady would end up with in the end. But now, as I delve deeper into the storyline, I'm no longer sure that that is the ending I want for her.
I discussed this with a friend of mine (the same one who is making sure I don't find a way to weasel out of my June deadline) and he had a simple solution--a coin toss. I started to tell him that there was no way I was going to leave the ending of my book and the of my characters in the hands of a coin toss, but he told me that I wouldn't get my answer by seeing whether the coin landed on heads or tails. I'd know my answer once I assigned heads and tails to the two leading men and flipped the coin, and while in the air, I would be hoping that it landed on heads (or tails...whichever one my heart truly wanted). And I realized that as crazy as it was, it was also very smart.
So thanks to this wise piece of advice, I was able to figure out which direction I wanted to take my characters, and my writer's block quickly vanished. So if you're trying to decide between two options, toss a coin into the air. If you're not hoping that one side will land over the other, then see if you're disappointed with the result. Hopefully you can find your answer as easily as I did.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Thought for the Day
"You can't say, I won't write today because that excuse will extend into several days, then several months, then...you are not a writer anymore, just someone who dreams about being a writer." Dorothy C. Fontana
If we try hard enough, we will always be able to come up with excuses of why shouldn't do this or do that. But the more excuses we make, the farther away our success becomes. There comes a point when one must say that enough is enough. Stop pushing your dreams farther out of reach and do something to fulfill them! Pick up the pen (or open up a Word document) and just start writing. No more excuses, no more procrastinating, it is time to write.
Megg
If we try hard enough, we will always be able to come up with excuses of why shouldn't do this or do that. But the more excuses we make, the farther away our success becomes. There comes a point when one must say that enough is enough. Stop pushing your dreams farther out of reach and do something to fulfill them! Pick up the pen (or open up a Word document) and just start writing. No more excuses, no more procrastinating, it is time to write.
Megg
Goal: June
Okay, enough with the goals about word counts and having to write so many words every day, because that's just not working for me. So, I'm setting a deadline goal and my manuscript has to be done by then and that's that. And that goal is June.
I told this to one of my friends and his response was, "Great! Oh wait...do you mean June 1st or June 30th?" So I made a compromise. My deadline is June 15th and I fully intend to stick to it.
It doesn't matter if I write 150 words a night or 3000, either way I just have to have 60,000ish words by the middle of June. And I promise to try to post my progress along the way.
Megg
I told this to one of my friends and his response was, "Great! Oh wait...do you mean June 1st or June 30th?" So I made a compromise. My deadline is June 15th and I fully intend to stick to it.
It doesn't matter if I write 150 words a night or 3000, either way I just have to have 60,000ish words by the middle of June. And I promise to try to post my progress along the way.
Megg
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Thought for the Day
"Wear the old coat and buy the new book." Austin Phelps
This one speaks for itself...but in case you're needing some help on which new book to pick up, try The Blackmailed Bride by Mandy Goff.
Getting a new book is almost magical. Whatever genre you choose to delve into, there's always something interesting and surprising that you can find by reading the pages. Every book you read, while some may be similar in plot or setting or writing style, each one will find a way to bring you to something new...whether it's a new character, a new place, a new legend (or a twist on an old one). There's always something to take away from a book, and there's always another one to read!
Megg
This one speaks for itself...but in case you're needing some help on which new book to pick up, try The Blackmailed Bride by Mandy Goff.
Getting a new book is almost magical. Whatever genre you choose to delve into, there's always something interesting and surprising that you can find by reading the pages. Every book you read, while some may be similar in plot or setting or writing style, each one will find a way to bring you to something new...whether it's a new character, a new place, a new legend (or a twist on an old one). There's always something to take away from a book, and there's always another one to read!
Megg
Monday, January 10, 2011
It's a New Year!!!
So we're ten days into 2011!
And I haven't updated in almost a month and a half...
But that's ok, because things are finally getting back to normal around here (except for the ten inches of snow outside...because that's not really normal for around here...but I'm not complaining because it's snow), and I finally feel as if I have time to breathe.
Working retail during Christmas is tough, not to mention everything else you have to do during the Christmas season, and this year, it just seemed as if I didn't have time for it all. I barely had time to sleep with all the hours I was putting in at work. It's finally over though, and I'm settling back into my normal routine of finding ways (some new, some tried and true) to procrastinate from working on my manuscript.
I actually did quite well before work became so hectic--not with keeping up with the blog, but with writing--and then a few days ago, I sat down and read over what I had written...and I scrapped most of it (to save everyone some tears, I won't tell you exactly how much I scrapped...), so in doing that, it set me back...waaaaay back. But it was better to do it now, then to keep building on that particular plot twist and then have to throw out even more later on. So, this is progress.
So for tonight, I've decided (after posting this, of course) that I'm not going to procrastinate (this is partly due to my cable being out thanks to the snow), and I'm going to get some much needed writing done.
Happy New Year to everyone!
Megg
And I haven't updated in almost a month and a half...
But that's ok, because things are finally getting back to normal around here (except for the ten inches of snow outside...because that's not really normal for around here...but I'm not complaining because it's snow), and I finally feel as if I have time to breathe.
Working retail during Christmas is tough, not to mention everything else you have to do during the Christmas season, and this year, it just seemed as if I didn't have time for it all. I barely had time to sleep with all the hours I was putting in at work. It's finally over though, and I'm settling back into my normal routine of finding ways (some new, some tried and true) to procrastinate from working on my manuscript.
I actually did quite well before work became so hectic--not with keeping up with the blog, but with writing--and then a few days ago, I sat down and read over what I had written...and I scrapped most of it (to save everyone some tears, I won't tell you exactly how much I scrapped...), so in doing that, it set me back...waaaaay back. But it was better to do it now, then to keep building on that particular plot twist and then have to throw out even more later on. So, this is progress.
So for tonight, I've decided (after posting this, of course) that I'm not going to procrastinate (this is partly due to my cable being out thanks to the snow), and I'm going to get some much needed writing done.
Happy New Year to everyone!
Megg
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