Write the Story Until It's Done! #writingadvice #wordcount #IWSG

The first Wednesday of every month is officially 

Insecure Writer's Support Group day.

The Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It's a safe have for insecure writers of all kinds!

IWSG Asks: Quote: "Although I have written a short story collection, the form found me and not the other way around. Don't write short stories, novels or poems. Just write your truth and your stories will mold into the shapes they need to be." 

Have you ever written a piece that became a form, or even a genre, you hadn't planned on writing in? Or do you choose a form/genre in advance?

 

This is an excellent question and one I struggle to find the answer to years ago.

When I first began writing, I wrote stories to fit the guidelines of the New York Big Book Publishers. Most of the guidelines for romances were around 70k - 80k words (if I remember correctly). There were some exceptions, but definitely none below 50k words.  

At that time, 50k - 80k felt like huge tomes for me to write. I'd been writing short stories just for fun and stretching a story to fit those kinds of word counts felt intimidating. Not to mention, with my busy life and work schedule, it would take me years to finish a full-length novel. 

I did it. And it did take years!

But then something strange happened. E-books became a thing. And with them came more variety with lengths and heat levels.

Suddenly, I wasn't grappling with how to stretch a story to fit such lengthy categories, now I was writing the story that felt right to me.

Some stories don't need to be told in epic lengths. Sometimes, 10k is enough. There's flash fiction that can be told in a hundred words! 

To me, the word counts don't matter and your story shouldn't be shoved to fit inside a box that it wasn't meant for. Write your stories until they're done.

That's it.

When your characters are finished telling their stories, then you know your job as a writer is done. Word counts, page lengths... None of that matters. 

The story matters.

Don't worry about not finding an audience for your work. Some readers like longer novels. Some readers just want a short story. I'm a former Waldenbooks bookseller, trust me, I know there is a reader for everything out there!

Strangely enough, 20 years later, the short story and novella-sized stories that I wrote so easily when I was starting out are now lengthening. My stories are growing with complexity and depth which make them longer to write. 

I joined an alien abduction romance boxed set, Stolen and Seduced, with a 5k - 20k word count limit. My personal goal was 10k, but the story took off and settled into a little over 20k. Thankfully, the co-ordinator is flexible with word counts.

I hadn't planned on writing a longer short story (I even outlined... a bit.). But at 10k, the characters weren't finished telling their story, so I simply followed along. 

As it stands, these characters touched me so much with their story, that I have a series planned now because of them. Those stories will probably be longer than 20k, but that's okay. It needs to be done.

As I said, my advice to writers is to write until the story is done. Don't worry about the word count. There's a reader out there for everything.

Be safe! Stay healthy! And keep writing!

~ Tricia 

Be sure to visit the other writers in the 

Insecure Writer's Support Group!

I write sensual paranormal and historical romances. Interested in learning more about my stories? Become a VIP Reader by signing-up for my newsletter where you'll learn about my new book releases, updates on my works-in-progress, writing tips, book reviews, contests, and other fun book-related info!

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Plotter, Pantser or Something in Between? #MFRWAuthor #writingprocess

Blogging is an opportunity for authors to connect with readers. Despite being writers, blogging is an entirely different style of writing and often stumps us. To help our authors blog consistently, thoughtfully and with purpose, Marketing for Romance Writers is announcing the 2019 Blog Challenge. Each week, authors use our writing prompt to create a meaningful blog post. We'll be posting every Friday... join us as often as possible.

Week 19: "Plotter or Pantzer, and why?"

Let's get some terminology out of the way:

Plotter - a writer who writes a detailed outline or synopsis before writing the story; one who plans out what will happen in the story before actually writing the story 

Pantser/Pantster/Pantzer - a writer who makes no preparations before beginning to write the story; one who writes by the seat of his/her pants 

Okay, I'll admit it. I would love to be a plotter. Those writers seem to have the knack for working out the kinks before they even begin to write the story! To plot out the entire story (and even series!) is something I admire and wish I could do. It feels like it would make the whole writing process faster and I would love to write faster to produce more books. I have so many stories to tell!

However, my brain doesn't work like that.

I began my writing life as a pantser. Well, at least, that's what I thought anyway, back when I was just learning about the differences between plotters and pantsers.

I never worked from an outline. I never had chapters organized or thought out in detail.

I wrote straight from the seat of my pants.

As I matured as a writer, I realized, that wasn't necessarily true either.

I did have a sort of framework that I worked from, even if it was strictly inside my imagination. You see, many of my stories originate from dreams. There's typically a seed or kernel of an idea planted in my dreams and they blossom during the next day as I think and think and think about it.

Since I was a kid, I've been writing my dreams into notebooks that I dub, Dream Journals. From those images that come to me at night, I've discovered several that have stories in them, whether there are characters, plots, scenes or just vague images that lead to something more.

In the morning, I write everything that happened in my dream and while doing this, more ideas blossom in my brain and I write those down, too. Soon, I have the workings of a story.

And that's pretty much how I begin each of my stories, whether it's from a dream or an idea that popped into my brain. I write down everything that I know. Everything about the characters, the setting, the plot, everything that my brain has already figured out for me.

Then I'll start writing. I'll take what I have and connect the pieces as I go. Like a complicated puzzle of writing material. Sometimes, the beginning is already pieced together for me, but the end is a mysterious fog. Sometimes, I have no idea what happens at the beginning, but I definitely know what happens at the end. Either way, I'll write and write until I figure it out.

So, in some ways, I have a rough outline that's more or less pieces of a puzzle. While I'm writing, I'm pantsing them together.

Does that make sense?

I think there are more writers than we know who are probably a combination of both pantser and plotter. I think I've heard them called Plantsers. You have some pieces of the story figured out, whether its just in your head or you wrote that information down. It's there, hovering in your brain, ready to be spilled out onto the page.

Then you just have to write the story, putting the pieces together in a way that makes sense for the reader.

Whatever method works for you, go for it. As long as you're enjoying the ride. For me, writing is sometimes a complicated mess, but I absolutely love it! I love discovering what happens next to these characters who I've come to love.

Until next time...

Happy Writing!

~Tricia

Be sure to visit the posts for the MFRW's Blog Challenge!

I write sensual paranormal and historical romances. Interested in learning more about my stories? Sign-up for my newsletter where you'll learn about my new book releases, updates on my works-in-progress, writing tips, book reviews, contests, and other fun book-related info!

You can Follow me on ...

BookBub | Amazon | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Pinterest 

Losing Myself in the Story #IWSG #writing #writingprocess

The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day.

The Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!

IWSG Asks: What is your favorite aspect of being a writer?


It's difficult to narrow this down to one simple answer. There are many aspects of writing that I find appealing, sometimes it just depends on the day of the week. I enjoy the creativity and the freedom writing brings to my life. But, perhaps the best thing that I enjoy is that feeling of immersion that a writer can obtain when he or she discovers that hypnotic writing zone. It's a kind of writer high.

I've achieved this a few times, as I hope many other writers have, too.

For those of you who may not be familiar with it, I'll explain it as best as I can.

There are times when I'm writing, usually when I have no distractions at all (a rarity in my life these days!), when I simply lose myself totally within my story. My mind is so attuned to writing that I lose all sense of place or time and I've become part of my story world.

I am one with the story!

Okay, that sounds very zen-like. Maybe a little silly. But, it's true.

I become so involved with the story that my fingers are flying over the keyboard as if I'm possessed and someone else has taken control of my brain. I see a movie in my mind and I'm simply recording the events as they unfold. Sometimes, I haven't a clue as to what will happen next and I'm just an excited reader eager to discover what will happen to these interesting characters and their problem to solve.

Yes, this is my favorite part of writing...losing myself completely to the story.

Any other writers out there? 

What's your favorite aspect of writing? 

I'd love to know!  

Be sure to visit the other writers in the 

Insecure Writer's Support Group!

I write sensual paranormal and historical romances. Interested in learning more about my stories? Sign-up for my newsletter where you'll learn about my new book releases, updates on my works-in-progress, writing tips, book reviews, contests, and other fun book-related info!

Happy Writing!

Tricia

Ready or Not? #IWSG #writers #writingprocess

IWSG Asks: When do you know your story is ready?

That is an incredibly difficult question to answer. I know each writer will have a different answer and there is no right or wrong one. It all depends on the individual writer, their personal experience and knowledge, how much writing practice was involved before writing this particular story and so on.

For me, each individual story varies. I write in stages.

First stage…The rough draft

Sometimes, the words flow with ease and other times I have to practically bleed upon the page. Some first drafts can be written extremely fast. My personal record is an 80,000 word novel in a week. I've only ever managed that incredible feat once in my life and that was before I had kids or even a job! I had nothing but time back then, in my younger days. Yeah, I was a teenager when I wrote that one. No actual skills or expertise, just gut instinct and nothing to do all day but write. We didn't have cell phones back then either! 

More recently, I did manage to write 30,000 words in a week. That was incredible fun! I was on such a writing high which I hadn't experienced in a really long time. However, my family didn't appreciate me ignoring them for hours. They kept interrupting me to complain about dirty dishes and filthy laundry. And, please, could someone just tell me, why do people need to eat every day, all day long? My family insists on being fed, like 3 times a day! And they expect me to cook for them! I could probably live on take-out or cereal for every meal for at least a week, but my husband frowns upon that sort of thing. 

If I can manage about 50,000 words in a month, I'm thrilled! I'm lovin' stories like that! NaNoWriMo is great for these stories. Again, my family doesn't particularly like it. I broke the news to my husband the other day that I was planning to participate in this year's writing event. He wasn't pleased. I bowed out of the last few NaNoWriMo's because of the stress it sometimes brings, but this year I have a story prepared…ready and plotted…except for the…ehem…ending. Still working on that.

Those are the exceptions, however, for my typical writing. Usually, it takes much longer for me to write a story. Somewhere between 6 months to a year, sometimes even two years. Because I'm a panster, I don't have any idea where the story will end up. Or I'll have an ending, but not a beginning. It's normally one or the other. There are many times that I keep writing until the story fades in my imagination, where I'll come to a sudden stop and not have any idea what happens next. Either I work it out in some way, or I take a break from it and move on to either editing or writing another story. In this way, I always have two WIP's going at all times.

Second Stage…The Waiting Period 

(also known as the Cooling Down Stage)

Once that first draft is written (Hallelujah!), I take the family out for ice cream. It's a time for celebration. And since I need all the encouragement I can get, having my kids tell me what a great job I did writing a story they know nothing about so they can have an ice cream cone smothered with sprinkles is praise indeed.

Also, I need to set the manuscript aside and not even think about it for at least a month or two or three. I need to distance myself from my writing so when I come back to it, I'll read it with fresh eyes. Usually, I begin writing another story. Or I take some time to read someone else's books. I have an unbelievably long TBR pile that sits on my bookshelf taunting me with great adventures every time I walk by it.

Third Stage…The Edits & Revisions

Eventually, I go back to my manuscript and start edits and revisions. Depending on the story, these can take longer than the actual first draft writing. It can be frustrating work, especially if I've found a problem with the story that needs extensive fixing. Like I said before, each story is different, so the time from start to finish varies. It could take a month. Or it could take a year.

I think I'm finished when I've corrected all the issues that I can find in the manuscript. When I've gone over it several times, made all the adjustments that I think it needs. I've checked for plot holes, loose ends, grammar and spelling, made sure all the characters continue throughout the story with the same hair and eye color, stuff like that. I have a checklist of items that I go through with each manuscript. This is time-consuming and exhausting! Especially since I keep adding to the checklist, but I've found that it strengthens the writing and makes it look much more professional when I send it to my editor.

Fourth Stage…The Incredible Self-Doubt

After all of that, I think it's ready. Maybe. I might wait another month, then read it again. Could be I'll find something else that needs fixing. I'll imagine that I'm my audience, trying to see my story through their eyes. Mostly, I'll be so tired of reading it over and over again that I can't bear the thought of reading it again and I'll wonder why anyone else would want to read it. I'll question my sanity, or more...my decision to ever begin a writing career in the first place.

After a day or two of paralyzing self-doubt, I'll put my big girl pants on and tell myself to get over it. I've been writing more than half of my life, it would be time wasted to quit something like that now because of my insecurities. What's the worst that can happen?

Then I send it to my editor.

The next day, I take my kids out for ice cream again. I told you, I need all the encouragement and praise I can get.

Fifth Stage…The Publishing Process

There are 2 scenarios after I send the manuscript to my editor. Either she likes it and contracts it, or she'll send suggestions for revisions. As soon as I sign the contract, we go through rounds of edits where she'll find all the things I've missed. And no matter how many drafts I worked on previously, she still finds things that need to be addressed. We'll go through 1 to 3 rounds of edits before she declares it done and at that point my brain will feel like mush that I'll agree to anything she says.

Yes, I guess by then…it's ready!

Of course, that's just me. Every writer is different.

On the day of my book's release, my family and I celebrate with…you guessed it…a lovely and usually expensive meal at a local restaurant...

...and then ice cream.  

Be sure to check out the other writers in the 

Insecure Writer's Support Group!

I write sensual paranormal and historical romances. Interested in learning more about my stories? Sign-up for my newsletter where you'll learn about my new book releases, updates on my works-in-progress, writing tips, book reviews, contests, and other fun book-related info!

Happy Writing!

Tricia