Revising my writing and myself

Have you ever reread a piece of your own writing and asked yourself any one of the following. .

• What was I thinking when I wrote that?
• What was I trying to say?
• Why did I just repeat myself?
• Why didn’t I give enough information?
• Where was I going with that?
• Why did I use the cliché?
• Was I trying to piss my audience off?

The last one made me laugh.

The thing I have learned like any art that writing is never truly finished. There is always a tweak or change an author can make . . . it was will turn the story completely different.

I also noticed that version A never looks like or sounds like version ZZZ.

However I have found a piece of editing that I do like that is when I get to rewrite. My problem from this when I am trying to subtract word from my lengthy novels . . . when I rewrite I usually add even more. I need to learn how to describe things in a condensed and efficient way.

My other issues when I leave words out from typing too much. I have to read and reread to catch the words that are missing.

I hope someday to be well-do enough to get a professional editor to look over my work. It really needs it.

Links to my pages

Writing is my number 1 passion. I write short stories, poems, novels, and blogs. Genres I’m interested in are but not limited to . . . Horror, paranormal, occult, spiritual, romance, modern, suspense, thriller and drama. (I have worked with some erotica, but with another pen name.)

These are the links to all of Internet me (but the naughty part)

Facebook page

http://www.facebook.com/RebekahQuinne

Twitter

https://mobile.twitter.com/rebekahquinne

WattPad

https://www.wattpad.com/Rebekahquinne

Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/Rebekahquinne/

Smash words

https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/Rebekah1213

Deviant art

https://www.deviantart.com/rebekah1213

Good Reads

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6454956.Rebekah_Quinne

Old LiveJournal

https://rebekah1213.livejournal.com

Fan fiction.net

https://m.fanfiction.net/u/6645354/RebekahWriter13

Nanowrimo profile

https://nanowrimo.org/participants/rebekah1213

Tumblr

https://rebekah1213.tumblr.com

My health blog
https://rebekahs.health.blog/

My Cooking Blog
https://cookingimprov.home.blog/

My WordPress blogs

https://BeckyBumbles.wordpress.com/

https://rebekahwolveire.wordpress.com/

https://rqshortstories.wordpress.com/

https://rebekah1213.wordpress.com/

https://beckyms1213blog.wordpress.com/

https://spiritualbeck.wordpress.com/

The Whispering Path my first attempt at a novel

https://www.amazon.com/Whispering-Path-Ms-Rebekah-Wolveire/dp/1463674309

Lights Out

Lights out. Sighs.

The fates must not want me to write at night. . . But my muses work at night the best. . . Grrr. Sigh.

This is the second light I have broken within the last 6 months. I got two desk lamps . . . The first on the clip busted. The second one bust the connector from the cord and what screws in the bulb.

I can’t read my writing to retype on this blog. . . It strains my eyes and causes several migraines. (I cannot afford to fall behind on lay in bed all day. . . I have to help my mom.)

I’m trying to clean and write during the day, but it’s hard to focus.

I hope get a light soon.

Endings

I am about to work on a project. . .in which I only have one more chapter to finish it.

It’s a thriller novella trilogy. I started it in 2009, so I probably should finish soon.

I need the tie everything together, and make the ending so big, it’s epic.

My muses already have add on, but I need to finish it before the editing: adding, subtracting, and rewrites.

Chuck from the show Supernatural said “Endings are hard.”

I hate endings and I saying “good bye.”

I so much better at the beginning. However deadlines and pressure have always been the reason why I push the ending. I’m never happy doing it, it just has to be done.

It’s so much better than just stopping. . . Leaving everyone hanging. That is irrating.

My schedule for next few weeks.

• Reread the last few chapter.
• Outline main points and tying issues
• Work on last chapter

My goal is to have it finished by Feburary 28th. Driving Lies will be finished.

Writing Confession #4

I have never had a first draft without missing words, spelling mistakes, or grammar errors. 

I mean how can I not make a mistake when my characters are telling their stories, my muses are trying the twists and turns. . . the “OMG” moments. Then they both want to walk away from my outline and explore the path untraveled. They always seem to have ideas when I am exhausted or miserable.

I also rush when I write my first draft as that is when my inspiration hits me.

I’m also worried about my word count, especially when I write in November (NaNoWriMo).

Even on my blogs, I read and reread before I hit send to make sure things sound right, and I even miss things afterward. (It really irks me.)

I will problem have ten even twenty drafts of scenes and stories before I send it out to a publisher. I also cannot afford an editor at the moment.
If it is just for fun or with a friend, I will check once, maybe twice, because most of my co-writers understand my writing issues.

I am not perfect; therefore, my writing will not be perfect.

 

Writing Confession #2

I have learned something even though you sit at a desk and write a book. . . you technically never write alone. 

You have you characters and muses arguing with you. They always want to go into the scary woods even though is not planned and 20 days off your writing path. LOL

Then you get the beta readers who give suggestions, some good and some bad. It’s like advice; you can take it or leave.

Then editors telling you change the same scene three times and then they are fine with the original . Grrrrrr

So in the end you really are never writing alone. 

List of Prompts. . . Intro.

There are times I have writer’s block. . .
I just cannot get an idea out. So I will admit, I rely on prompt to keep me writing. . .

I have learned that the brain is muscle, you need to keep it working.
I also know that habits even fun one are easy to break. (Especially when you have writer’s block.)

I usually write flash fiction.

I collect prompts from facebook and online and use them when I cannot come up with ideas of my own. . .

I will post several prompts to share.

Note: I found this online, thank you to the artists, and those who made them.

Over Writing

I am working on pieces of my vampire series that I am pretty damn sure will not end up in the novel. Some writers would say that I am wasting my time with it, because I am not working on the direct novel.

However there are pieces that will end up in the novel. . . they are essential for my character and the story line. . . the piece I am working on is like a blog and outline for my character.

I know there important part of the first draft is to get the story written. . . to get the idea out of the head and on the screen. . .

So is it better to over write and cut later or just write basics and add later?

I guess it depends on the writer. . . 

Literature Matrix

I lose myself. . . Like in the Matrix. . .  instead of 1’s and 0’s I am sucked into one word and then many quickly turning into pictures in my head. Then memories of the illusory characters telling my muses their stories. Then my muses making those stories into like movies that replay and haunt the brain, even in my sleep. I am suck in the literature Matrix. (Sorry, the Matrix is on TV. I am a Keanu Reeves fan.)
I lose myself when I write my vampire novels. I love the feeling of getting stuck in their world. Last night was the first night since I have moved back in with family (on my father’s side) that I was able to get sucked back into my vampire novels. My muses are doing flips, my characters are talking a mile a minute. I feel like me. . . . the writer, again. I needed this.
HOWEVER, I lost track of time, and it was 2 am by the time I got myself to stop. Of course my cranky dad, snapped “2AM, really?” By the way, 2am in my average time to go to bed, and even then I do not always fall asleep. I usually try to keep my caffeine at a low level after 8 pm, sometimes 6 pm. (I’ve been dealing with depression so it doesn’t matter if I go to bed at 10pm or 6am I will still sleep until 11am or noon. Actually getting sucked into my vampire world, helps me deal with issues, but it’s been hard when there is always so much to do. I’ve also cut out several distractions. These are all other blogs.)
The other problem when I get suck in is that lose sense of what needs to be done, and I forgot to finish cleaning the kitchen last night. Needless to say, my sick stepmom was not happy doing my dishes this morning. I feel bad about that. . . which is why I’m yet torn over feeling good about the 1000 words I added to my vampire story yesterday.

Everything is about time management. I can write a blog for 20 minutes and to chores and go right back to the blog, but it’s harder to do when you have a specific voice in a fictional work. I mean I read 23 pages even before I got back into writing last night. I know that in order to make this work, I will have to make sure all of my chores/errands are done first. I guess I will finish most the scene tonight. (I’m actually excited. Yay.)

Show N Tell SHHHH

First of all, I must give this idea credit to Diane Nebelung https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100009995013517&fref=nf

She has a several writing groups on facebook. I know I am in a few.

When I got up this morning, I had no idea that I would be learning and working on my weakness. . . Show Vs. Tell. However I am glad that I am.

 

Some things I learned. . .

“When writing a novel, keep these guidelines in mind to achieve a balance of showing and telling:

• Be brief. Make sure that all of your “telling” details are actually necessary to advance the plot, either by developing backstory, establishing the mood/tone, or describing the setting.
• Avoid the dreaded “info dump.” Don’t overwhelm your reader with information in your story’s first few pages. Focus on capturing her attention with a compelling character and an interesting situation, then fold in the details as the plot develops.
• Steer clear of cliches. Never start a story with a character waking up and starting his day—unless you want to put your reader to sleep.” Diane Nebelung

You need to read. . . familiar authors and pieces from your genres.

I mention that when I write the first draft, I probably tell 95% of the time. However when I edit, I reread and rewrite scene three to twenty times to add more show in it. (Many agreed with me on this. . . first draft is like coal. . . it takes pressure, editing, and tweaking to make a diamond.)

 

 

Advice: “Be true to yourself, your readers and your characters. Show us what we need to see, and tell us what we need to know, to make your world as real as you can. You create the mind movie for us to watch, and that can involve both forms of story telling.

Read more from your favorite authors, and you will find your own style and blend of story-telling will come to life.” Dusty Grein https://www.facebook.com/dustygee123?fref=nf

 

EXAMPLES

Ex1. She longily caressed his face. (the adverb seems out of sorts here. Is there a way to describe it? )

I said “The smooth, cool skin of his cheek was more than she bear. Tears flowed from her eyes, she tried to hide them. It was no used. She could not believe she was face to face and touching her celebrity crush.”

Ex 2. Here is a nice boring sentence. Daniel walked down the street.

I said “Daniel ambled down the street, with no thought in his head but one. . . should he tell them?”

 

 

 

Some links. . .

 

http://www.scribophile.com/academy/the-show-versus-tell-debate

https://www.facebook.com/events/1696550477275910/1697630137167944/