Tag: writer

Posted on

The Sounds of Excavation

excavators-51665_1280

Digging, grinding, shovelling, moving earth, grumbling machinery, vibrations. Loud, loud, loudness outside my window.

If I listen to music to drown it out, I will only be doing that. I cannot work with music. So I must continue on with my current list of things to do with the noise outside.

…

Now, back to my writing:

It’s exciting, gruelling, hair-pulling, exhilarating, mind-numbing, and, yes, I could go on with this list of opposing emotional reactions I’m experiencing as I go through the last stage of my novel merry-go-round.

carousel-1513955_1280

I am doing the “last” comb through of sentence structure, spelling, word usage, repetitions, sticky sentences, and grammar points. I use ProWritingAid for this process. It helps to point out all the hidden things that have escaped my eye while going through the last round of edits (with my bare naked eye), and the changes suggested by my developmental editor, EJ Runyon.

By this, I mean, I am still in the process… and it’s a process. And I’m sure to still miss some things. Yes, I’m certain of that.

But I honestly can’t wait till it’s done! As much as I love writing and get a high off it. This part really sucks and is every expletive adjective and adverb I can think of. I’m officially done with this.

Now that I’ve got that off my chest, I can go back to it. I’ve taken enough of a break from it the last couple of days.

Where are you in your writing journey?

Living my extraordinary life,
Cece <3

(Excavation by PeterDargatz from pixabay.com)

#writer #writer’s-life #writing #editing #pro-writing-aid #grammar

Posted on

Mosquito Nightmares

IMG_1368

Writing Journal Entry #2

I’m on holiday this week, from Paradise. It actually exists folks! Some of you know the attached photo from my other page, but it actually is what I’m looking at when working away in the mornings on my writing project.

But back to the nightmares for a minute. My better half does not get bitten by mosquitoes (it’s the gin), but I do. So he walks in and out, leaves windows open, lives a normal life. I wish I could. I walk around, paranoid. But, you see, they love me—with a vengeance. And that vengeance takes place at night when I’m unaware. The bitches. So, even though it’s gorgeous and a personal paradise called Home, it’s my own personal nightmare at night.

Now, back to this week’s goal (exercise). It’s called Moving and Trimming. My developmental editor, EJ Runyon (https://www.facebook.com/groups/172786866842998/), has gone through my novel, and is helping me to make my bottom heavy, info dump become more spread out throughout the story.

It’s a bit of a nightmare (for me), perhaps it was for her too. But, the exercise is to attack them bit by bit, one by one. Killing each info dump like it’s a mosquito. I’m good at that, and I have no remorse whatsoever. Not one bit.

But I have to remember to keep the balance. I can’t kill all of them and suddenly find out that some of the info was still needed. Just like mosquitoes (really?) But… dragonflies feed on them, and it’s my logo, so… I let some of those bitches get away. BUT my story survives, and that’s the point.

The trick is to move the words first, then trim. Don’t trim first then move because that’s when you might lose that bit that’s really important to move your story forward.

Have a wonderful writing day, folks!
<3 CC

(Image: Photograph by ©CC Sullivan)

#nightmares #vengeance #novel #goal #goals #moving #trimming #developmental editor #info dump #dragonflies #dragonfly #writing #writer #story #novel

Posted on

A Paradigm Shift to… Putting Yourself First

Tamarindo Beach

There is a really good book called The Artist’s Way, by Julia Cameron, in which she mentions that one of the important things to do is to set an artist’s date with yourself, at least once a week. It is a book about reigniting the inner artist in yourself. Simply, it means that it is important to take time for yourself, to awaken the side of you that you might put away in front of others, family, loved ones.

I read this somewhere recently: “There are two kinds of people in the world – those who walk into a room and say, ‘There you are!’ – and those who say, ‘Here I am!’ ” – Abigail Van Buren

I had a good chuckle when I read this. This isn’t about that.

Now, Putting Yourself First is important in the “You put the breathing mask on yourself first so that you can help the person next to you” kind of way. Many people live for the sake of others: Doing things that other people think is right for them; and helping others whom they think need help, and so on. Things to do, places to be, people to see… you know the motto.

Essentially the body and mind need time to re-assimilate to its surroundings and that means with little things such as, getting back to nature – we live in such a technological world now that it is hard to tear away from the mobile phone, the laptop, the iPad, or the TV. The body needs to rest to revitalize itself.

The mind also needs time to recuperate from all the external messages that it receives – and frankly, there has never been an age where we are bombarded with constant information on a daily basis. (There are days when I just keep going and going and then suddenly I hit a wall and think “OMG I have just reached my point of OVERLOAD – and I literally have to stop.) So step away from the techno babble and just relax with a book, or take a drive in your car to the country, venture a stroll in the park, or just sit and do nothing but daydream.

It is all about keeping the balance within yourself because if you don’t – your body and your mind will tell you anyway. I always think that when I hear people saying (or myself thinking or feeling) – I’m tired, I’ve had enough, I don’t feel like doing anything – that’s when you know that you have reached that point and need to Put Yourself First.

The body is like a barometer and if you listen to it carefully, it will tell you exactly what it needs.

Have a great restful weekend, respectfully, CC

Posted on

Coffee in hand and writing…

It’s Saturday morning and I have my coffee in hand and writing.

I recently joined a site called Goodreads.com and am featured as an Author on that site (yeay!) I am really beginning to like that site and I find it exciting to see so many authors, books and readers that are featured.

If you are interested in reading, paper or e-format, that is the site to begin listing the books that you’ve read, or written, and connect with other readers or authors. The site will recommend your next books based on what you like to read.

I have been so busy, and going away, that I need to catch up with my writing. I did some this morning and also had to put time aside to do a bit of marketing. I definitely find the writing part much more enjoyable than the marketing part of it. However, the marketing part of it also gets me in touch with other writers, and sites. Anything to get me away from writing.

So, I’m going to keep this one short and get back to writing my second installment this morning. I may be back later to update my Ten Paradigms of Writing. Today’s will be A Paradigm Shift of… Putting Yourself First.

Don’t you find sometimes that there aren’t enough hours in a day?

G’day,

CC

Posted on

The Paradigm Shift of Expectation

In Writing… 

Sunrise by CC Dailly

Expectation and anticipation are the keys to manifesting your desires.

Those just happen to be the two elements that keep readers glued to the pages of your book. Master the art of keeping your readers on the edge of their seats and you will have mastered the skill of expectation and anticipation.

What will happen next to the protagonist? Will he take the chance to change his life or will he just settle and watch the world go by?

The same should be expected in the story of your own life.

Expectation creates a certain excitable feeling. You will feel those wonderful butterflies in your stomach when you live your life with expectation and anticipation. (I’ll leave out the worry and angst that goes along with that for now.)

Writing should be approached with the same feeling of expectation:
Expect to write a great chapter.
Expect that your character and your story will develop in exactly the way it should.
Expect that you will accomplish what you have set out to create.
Expect to write everyday for a few minutes or an hour.
Expect the unexpected.

I expect that you will go out there and seize the world now that you have read this!

(So easy to say; so hard to do.)

Posted on

The Paradigm Shift of Creation

In Writing… 


The Word Lord    © Colette Baron-Reid

The second paradigm to shift is Creation.

A thought is just a thought until you write it down.

We receive messages from our inner selves — from an energy field that we can access and that is all around us. We write one sentence, a second one, and  then another, and before we know it, we have a paragraph.

We want to communicate to others. Something tells us that we MUST write, that others need to know, and that it might make a difference to someone else.

Once the thought is out there, it has a life of its own. A thought becomes an idea; it turns into a story, and then becomes a book.

What if…?

What if… a character takes a different route and ends up in a ditch in the middle of nowhere in a country he does not know? What if… there is a pack of hungry wolves nearby? What if… the only weapons he has is a flashlight and a pack of matches?

What if… I shut down my computer and go to the beach?

Sounds like a great idea! (I did that last week.)

CC
Please visit my e-book link:
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/180048
Also available at Barnes & Noble, Apple for iPad/iPod, and iPhone, Sony, and Diesel — I’m still waiting for it to be available at Kobo!

Posted on

Imagination and Dreaming

The more you write, the more it flows. It may be hard at first but it will begin to feel easier the more you practice, and at some point, if you don’t write, even for ten minutes a day; it will feel as if something is missing.

Just like with exercise. Set an appointment with yourself, a routine, take ten minutes a day (or more) to write. If you are in the midst of writing a novel, short story, or article, and you need a break; write about something completely different for ten minutes. Even if you’re not in the mood to write; take ten minutes and write about anything.

If you’re truly short on ideas, go to a library or bookstore and pick out a magazine or book about something you would not normally read. Read it or simply browse through the book and it will surely open a window or thought to something new. If you don’t normally read scientific magazines, have a glance. If you don’t normally look through Home magazines, flip the pages, pretend you’re changing your living room or your kitchen, dream a little. Go to the travel section and pick a book about a country you’ve never visited or have always dreamed of visiting; find out about it; look at the photographs; imagine you’re there.

Try something new; anything off your beaten track and it will rejuvenate your mind.

If after all that you still don’t feel like writing; write that you don’t feel like writing and why. Your pen will still be in your hand and the words will be on the screen or paper or whichever method you find easiest to write.

And, if this still does not appeal to you – lean back, throw your feet up and relax. Enjoy the moment.

Imagine and dream.

Proudly powered by WordPress