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Monday, May 9, 2016

Updates on Writing and Bloggery




Every once in a while I like to do an update on my writing and blogging life. And when I say every once in a while . . . I mean about once a year apparently.

The truth is, like last year, I don't have a whole lot to update on. About a year and a half ago, I started what turned into a massive rewrite of my novel. I'm rewriting everything. And the quality is so much better, I could sing. Seriously though, guys. I'm not going to say it's like the next great American Classic or anything (cause it's not), but I'm so dang happy with how I've grown as a writer and how much better my novel is! During this rewrite I have written some of the best scenes I've written in my entire life! I'm so, so, so pleased with them. (Let's hope those scenes survive to actual publication.) I feel like I gained full control over them and got them to behave just the way I wanted them to for a powerful experience for the reader.

There are other scenes I'm really happy with because they're just fun and entertaining. I know, I know, it's like I'm boasting about myself, but to me, it's not so much that I'm boasting about myself, as it is sharing how completely happy I am with how this novel has grown and changed and how much I have grown as a writer. And truly running this blog has helped me get to this point. Studying, dissecting, and writing down how things like micro-concepts and subtext and point of view penetration and humor work has helped me use them consciously and purposefully in my writing. And whenever I get confused, I can refer back to the articles here for a refresher. Understanding how great character relationships work has done wonders in deepening the relationships in my story.


I'm sure in five years, I'll look back and laugh at the weaknesses that are in my novel right now that I can't see at the moment. That is the way writing is. Sometimes, though, there is something exhilarating about knowing there is always more to learn and more room to grow.

The truth is, I really believe in this story. I know not everyone will like it. Or "get" it. And some people will be disappointed with it. But let's be honest. I'm writing it for myself. Anything beyond the act of writing it is extra.

The rewrite means it's taking me longer to get the book done. But I've learned a lot about my personal writing process during the journey, and those are lessons I will have for the rest of my writing life. I'm really getting down my own process.

When I started this blog, one of the reasons I started it was because I wanted to have all my thoughts on writing in one place. I used to write about writing in my personal journal. And I thought, hey, why not do it publicly? And if I have it on a blog, it will be easier for me to find things. It's strange to think I've been doing this for about three and a half years. Some days when I feel like I need to really focus on my novel, I wonder if my blog is really taking away from that. But then I remember all of the things I've learned while writing about writing, and honestly, this blog has helped far more than it's hurt. Also, mentally it's nice to write something short, like a writing tip, as a break from the novel.

I'm planning on being a guest at Salt Lake Comic Con again this year, so I'll keep you guys all updated on that.

I'm still (trying) to keep up with my vlogging, but it's proving to be challenging--I mean, I already had a full schedule before. I want to try to put up a new video once or twice a month but it might be a bit of a hit and miss depending on how busy I am. My novel and this blog are higher on the priority list, you know?

2 comments:

  1. Writing about the process of writing on my blog has helped me immensely over the years. Being forced to collate the ideas running around inside my head in order to put together a coherent post gives me a clarity I wouldn't have obtained any other way.

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