42

Hey guys! How's everyone doing during my month long absence? I seem to go through phases like that where I write a lot (a.k.a two posts) on the blog then give it up for a month. But hopefully during my break you got some writing done, right? Feel free to brag in the comments, maybe it will help me along.

 I know that I whine and complain about not being able to write quite a lot on this blog. Perhaps more than the average writer should. But I really am starting to get a bit worried. I thought, "Just take a break after Being Evil, the inspiration will come back eventually." And then, as you may recall, I went through what must have been about twenty different book ideas to try to get something that sparked in my brain and that obviously hasn't worked. To be honest, I'm completely out of ideas. I don't know what to do. I feel like I want to write, that I should be writing but I just can't... Everything I write seems too short and not good enough, so I give it up after about half a page. What am I supposed to do? Is it normal for a rut to last this long, because I really am getting scared I've become sort of a one-hit wonder, at least book-wise. The problem with that is that my completed novel isn't even a hit. I have two ideas in my head at the moment and I'm contemplating just shoving myself through and writing crap. I can edit it later, right? If I ever learn how to edit...

Oh my god, I don't think I'm very good at this, am I? Keeping a blog that supposedly helps other writers when I don't have a clue what I'm doing or really any advice at all. I don't seem to be doing much of anything except complaining and that can't be very interesting to read, can it?

But anyway, I'm really sorry for going on and on about my inability to write all the time. If you have any suggestions to help me, please comment or send it to my e-mail (keowriting@yahoo.com) because at this point, I would really appreciate any help. Next post I promise I won't be whiny and depressing and sad. I'll surprise you, but it will be funny, promise!

See you next time!
-Jessie

P.S. If you don't understand the title of this post, read this book.

This is all.

 

-Jessie <3

Please Don't Be The End

I don't know what to do guys. I just feel stuck. I don't know why but Just Add Magic just seems completely stalled. I don't know what to do, every time I tried to sit down and write, I would hit a wall and get distracted and give up. I thought maybe I just wasn't a huge fan of the idea. But now I have a new idea I was working on (that I figured would be easier because I seem to write better in first person) but it was slow going too. I would just...stop. The only thing I've really successfully completed was a flash fiction thing I did that I'm debating let see the light of day. It's not because it's awful, it's just that for some reason it feels really personal to me and I don't think I would be able to take it getting torn apart in revisions.

But that's it. I'm just freaking out if my writing brain is gone-what if it is? What if I can never write again? Or, at least not well? And Jesus Christ will someone kick Being Evil out the door?!?! I just want it edited so I can think of what to do.

Has anyone edited a fiction novel before? Any basic pointers? When do you think you're ready for beta readers? I hate showing my noob-ness but I just can't find the answer.

-Jessie

Final Stress-Out

Finals suck. They're just really long, hard, cryptic tests that take up way too much time in very hot weather. Who does well in that kind of environment? Cramped in a stifling hot room with a bunch of other miserable people taking a six page test. Gee, that sounds like fun.

I'm a little moody slash stressed slash ready to tear my fudging hair out. And of course what am I doing instead of studying? Writing a blog post. Man, I can never do what I'm supposed to WHEN I'm supposed to can I? Geezus it's already 9:45....I'm so toast. I'll type another post from the other side of the grave. CUZ I'M GONNA DIE! You know...in case you didn't get that....yeah...

Why do we need finals? Can't we all just get A's and go home?
-Jessie

A Month Ago I Dissapeared, Now Is The Time To Persevere

Wow guys hard to believe it's been a month since  my last post...and a month since I've accomplished anything. In the story that is. But in my life too. I've just felt like at a standstill for some reason, with no real accomplishments.

I say I don't have enough time to work on the story, which is true, but I could make time. Believe me, there's only a couple shows I like on TV anyway. Yet I spend hours just sitting there. What happened to me having a real goal? For some reason I stopped trying. I don't know if it's because the characters are less interesting...thing is, I have to stop blaming the characters. I know that they're just as good and as interesting as Eric was in BE. The reason I stopped working is because I was taking it too seriously. Every time I write it's just another instance of "I'm not good enough".

I've been writing 3rd person books for years but one 1st person book and now I'm frozen, afraid to death of Telling too much, How to actually "show" things and just being an amateur altogether. Well maybe I am an amateur. I need to stop holding myself up to the standards I have. Standards are good, but for me they're stopping me from moving forward. I think the real problem is I'm afraid of wasting my time. Which is ironic as writing counts as practice whereas watching TV is a real waste of time. I need to go back and reconnect with the characters, start writing again. But every time I think that I get this little feeling of dread and a mile-long to-do list forms in my head. But the reason that list doesn't shorten is because I never do anything to solve it! I have to stop stopping and get over this...whatever it is. It's time to finally end my writing break. It's been too long anyway.

I need to find a notebook...
-Jessie

My Scholarly Article

This is my very honest attempt at a scholarly article about something pertaining to writing in general. I'm covering all my bases here so I can't mess up. Aren't you proud of me?

I've talked about "jinxes" a lot in my blogs posts, mainly whenever I withhold information about whatever I'm working on. It seems that a lot of writer's have certain superstitions. Some won't let anyone read the first draft until it's finished. Some won't write it down in a notebook for fear of losing it (man do I know what that feels like!). Maybe they even insist that it's bad luck to write with anything except for their special "writing" pen. And that's okay. Superstitions are okay because they are part of a writing routine.

Think about it. Each individual's quirks didn't just show up one day. They developed over time as events cement more ideas into our minds. I wasn't always so afraid of jinxes. But as more and more stories started than stopped two pages in I found a reason. I'm not saying it's the right reason, I'm just saying it works for me. Every Start- Stop Story happened after I had told one of my friends my great idea. I would sketch out characters and who would fall in love with who and possible ideas for the second book. It was all premise - no plot. So then I worked on the plot, sometimes to no avail. You know those books that have some sort of story going on, but the writer mainly just talks about relationships and love triangles? I had a lot of those books. By the time I was done outlining and talking to all my friends I was bored with the story and ready to move on to my next "brilliant" story idea.

I blamed me talking to my friends. I was trying to entice them to read it. But I do not have many book-friendly friends, and there was nothing to read anyway. Because I talked about it before it was written, before the plot was chosen. I killed every idea prematurely for a year like this. Now I don't even want to go back and look at my so-called "good" ideas. That's how my jinxes came to be. I can't talk to anyone except my Pre-Beta or else the story will die. I don't know if it holds true for every single story (I had multiple writing problems back then) but I sure as hell am not going to test it out. For right now I'm content to live in fear of the horrible jinxes and just hope they don't find my new babies.

I would like to point out that while the jinxes look quite evil, they are sweet when you keep them away from other people and enjoy Earl Grey Tea. That's all.

Hope you all like my attempt (ahem) at a more serious post. It might not happen again for a while so cherish it. Night all!

-Jessie

Wassup?

I must say Just Add Magic (I don't know if I said this, but I have changed the name to Just Add Magic. It just makes more sense now that I'm writing the revamped version) is running much more smoothly than Being Evil. I think I'm hitting a stride with the characters, especially the main one and now one of the more interesting ones is about to show up. Mr. Plant boy himself. but I don't want to give away too much, just in case I change stuff later.

Anyway to keep y'all up to speed, the final tally is that five out a loosely planned 25 chapters are completely finished. I have a feeling more chapters will be added on though. being Evil started as 10 chapters and is now 18 including the Epilogue (I always count the epilogue : D).

I don't know what's wrong but lately I've been getting these headaches that kill me. They aren't migraines but i do have a slight sensitivity to sound and smell - but that's it. It's just a really intense pressure behind my eyes and feels like someone is pinching the bridge of my nose really hard. It's not helping with dealing with all the work I have to do on top of writing.

On the plus side I notice I can type a lot faster now and keep up with the thoughts in my head pretty well. I can almost type without looking. That's pretty good right? Of course if I lose concentration for a second that's where the mistakes come in. That's why I put a quotes mark instead of an apostrophe in "that's". Oh well you can't be perfect.

Sometimes I feel like this isn't really a writer's blog. I feel like all my posts are just updates on the story that are pretty vague in general. I can't help it - I don't want to jinx anything. Anyway I have to get back to dishes and math. My two favorite pastimes. Not.

-Jessie