"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.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
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.
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