Drawn and written worlds of D.C. Mcnaughton
After relentlessly cutting 96k out of a 298k draft, I finally finished this current draft of TBA. It took too long untangling the story to get it to a place that was manageable, but that draft is finally done--and I actually hit my goal to finish it by May 1. I've received intensely wonderful responses from my group of test readers--Now, it needs one more pass to fix residual plot funks, and get it down to my wordcount down to 175k or less.
When people tell me they are thinking of working from home, I always doubt them, and I always laugh a little at them on the inside. These are the reasons why.
HEY FELLOW WRITER. GO BACK UP YOUR BOOK. IN LIKE. FIVE DIFFERENT PLACES. I'M NOT KIDDING.
HERE'S A SCENARIO. IMAGINE YOU'VE GONE OUT TO LUNCH AND WHILE YOU'RE OUT YOUR LAPTOP GETS ROBBED. I'M NOT KIDDING. IT HAPPENED TO MY FRIEND ONCE. TWICE. DROPBOX IS YOUR FRIEND. CARBONITE IS YOUR FRIEND. EXTERNAL HARD DRIVES ARE YOUR FRIEND.
Sometimes there are obvious reasons why we hate our work -- hating our work is part of the natural creative cycle. However, there are some reasons we hate our work that can be avoided. But no one ever wants to talk about them because 'they're mean', or 'if I tell you this I'll hurt your feelings'.
Well, here's the thing. If you're going to get any better, you need to know the reasons that your so-called 'friends' aren't telling you.
Read more 5 Reasons You Hate Your Writing that Your Friends are Too Afraid to Tell You
Working on a full-length story is great -- but sometimes following the rules can be exhausting and can often prevent a writer from having the fun they used to have. Learning how to do the Writer's Sketch can help you break away from the mundane, and even open doorways to starting future stories.
Are you on a third, fourth, or maybe final draft of a manuscript? If so, you are greatly at risk for developing itsalmostoveritis. Depending on the speed you write, you’ve spent anywhere between 5 months and 10 years on your project, which means that your book has consequently become a part of your life.
An update on my plans for publishing some free short stories online.
Next week I'll be compiling a blog entry about doing 'sketches' as a writer. No, not drawings, but 1500 word mind-barf blurbs to keep you in practice on those weeks/months you spend editing day in and day out.
Read more Looking for Free Readable Material by Yours Truly?
