I have some fairly big news: I've started the editing process of my novel -- with outsider advice!! It has been so amazing thus far (it really hasn't been that long...) and I am super excited to continue with the rest of the story with these people! If anyone watches this blog, and also wants to write, I highly suggest using this website. It's called Critique Circle. There are so many amazing aspiring authors with so many amazing ideas! They've helped me take the first part (prologue/chapter) from aout a 50% to at least an 85%! I've never met more helpful people in the world!
Here's how it works:
1. You sign up for the site (it's 100% FREE for all functions! At no point does it seem like you really miss out on a lot by not being a gold member. Gold members are those who want to spend about $7 (or more as donation to the wonderful administrators and moderators) and they get some nice perks: including, but not limited to, a "buddy" system, private critiques, and novel organization settings.)
2. You must "crit" (critique) other people's work before you can even post your own. You start out with either two or three credits (depending on how long of a crit you give and how long the story was (above or below 3000 words) determines the amount of credits you have. Ex: I critted a story that was 2000 words. The possible amount of credits possible was 1 credit, but I only wrote a 241 word crit, so I only got .5 credits. I then critted a 4500 word story which had a possible 2 credits, and I gave an 800 word crit, so I got all 2 credits. I now how 2.5 new credits on top of the two I had for signing up, which brings me to 4.5 credits.)
3. After 3 credits, you can post your first story to the Story Queue (you must have an account to access this page). You select a crit time-range that lasts from a Wednesday to the following Tuesday for your story to receive crits. It costs three credits to do this. If you would like to post another (part of the) story while your current story is still in the Queue, the "price" goes up -- now it costs 6 credits to post your story. If you decide to wait a week between when each story is in the Queue (so, in other words, one week you have a story in, the next week not, the following you do) as long as you put your second story in during a time when you don't already have another story in the Queue, it will go back to costing 3 credits.
4. Edit away! The whole website is based around critiqueing. Once you receive a crit, edit your story (or wait until you have all of the crits at the end of the week, it's up to you!) Then, once you've read through the crit, GRADE IT! It helps other critters (others who critique) know what areas to improve on when they give critiques. Don't worry -- no one knows what grade you give them. Each person's critter grade is only updated after every five grades given and they're all anonymous, so you don't know who scored you as what in each section.
5. Become a better writer: the more you crit, and the more you are critted, the better you'll become. I've only been on this site for around two weeks, and already I know the areas that I need improvement on (I need to cut out passive voice and I need to cut out a LOT of adverbs: those are the two things I abuse in my writing apparently).
6. Have a good time! You can make some great partnerships with the other critters on this site. For the most part, everyone acts very professional and is very passionate about helping you as they hope you will for them. It's a giving relationship on this site, and I love it dearly.
There are a TON of other aspects to this website that I couldn't possibly have time to write about (nor really should I because, once you sign up for CC, you'll figure everything out like I did, by searching and reading through the FAQs and emails that the admins send you). In all, though, this site is absolutely amazing. If you're ready to take the plunge and let some others see your work, I highly recommend visiting the site, signing up, and giving it a whirl!
Tuesday, June 30, 2015
Saturday, April 11, 2015
Some Things I've Noticed About Writing When It's Not Your Primary Occupation (Yet)
- You still need to put frequent effort into what you're writing. Either you'll eventually lose interest with what you've written, or your last read-through and edit of it was completely worthless. Because honestly, how much do you remember?
- Research is MANDATORY. Even if your book is fiction - like mine - you still need to do research (even if not in the traditional sense). There are so many layers to life; one event can completely yet indirectly affect the outcome of another event years later. How would your story be relatable if it doesn't seem anything like real life? (Here's a great article about how to add meaningful layers to the background of your story). Also, just because your story is fiction (if it is) doesn't necessarily mean you can say something that doesn't make sense (i.e., using a bug blood as paste?, etc). If you're looking for natural "remedies" or other things like this, it is often smart to look up what has been used in the past (such as what Native or indigenous peoples used). For instance, I've done a lot of research on archetypes and what colors and symbols meant to Natives for using war paint, also what they made the war paint out of. I, at least, am one who believes it is best (and most interesting) to use as factual information in a story so that it becomes that much more real for the reader.
- You're going to be doing something important for your main job, and randomly feel like all you want to do instead is write and work on your story. I'm reading a book for a college class right now and instead of reading for content for the course, I'm more reading it for the research of my story.
- What important details you give to one main character must be equally distributed amongst all main/secondary characters. If you give your primary main character(s) an elaborate background, you must do the same for all important characters. It may take a long time to complete, but the more you know about the important characters of your own novel, the more you know why they do something and their motivations for everything. Suddenly, there are little surprises anymore as to why your character acted a certain way (yes, this is referring back to the article I linked above -- really, if you're serious about writing, go read that article!).
- You can write a fantastic story, but you're always going to feel like it needs more. Always.
- Your every-day job isn't going to be as fun as working on your story. But you have to stay with your every-day job until you can 100% make it as a freelance author (meaning don't quit your day-job until you have been signed with an agent, have edited, and published your book. There's no point in leaving the benefits of your current job [not to mention the steady income] until your books start bringing in a steady flow. If that's not there yet, do yourself a favor and stick with whatever job you currently have).
- Research is MANDATORY. Even if your book is fiction - like mine - you still need to do research (even if not in the traditional sense). There are so many layers to life; one event can completely yet indirectly affect the outcome of another event years later. How would your story be relatable if it doesn't seem anything like real life? (Here's a great article about how to add meaningful layers to the background of your story). Also, just because your story is fiction (if it is) doesn't necessarily mean you can say something that doesn't make sense (i.e., using a bug blood as paste?, etc). If you're looking for natural "remedies" or other things like this, it is often smart to look up what has been used in the past (such as what Native or indigenous peoples used). For instance, I've done a lot of research on archetypes and what colors and symbols meant to Natives for using war paint, also what they made the war paint out of. I, at least, am one who believes it is best (and most interesting) to use as factual information in a story so that it becomes that much more real for the reader.
- You're going to be doing something important for your main job, and randomly feel like all you want to do instead is write and work on your story. I'm reading a book for a college class right now and instead of reading for content for the course, I'm more reading it for the research of my story.
- What important details you give to one main character must be equally distributed amongst all main/secondary characters. If you give your primary main character(s) an elaborate background, you must do the same for all important characters. It may take a long time to complete, but the more you know about the important characters of your own novel, the more you know why they do something and their motivations for everything. Suddenly, there are little surprises anymore as to why your character acted a certain way (yes, this is referring back to the article I linked above -- really, if you're serious about writing, go read that article!).
- You can write a fantastic story, but you're always going to feel like it needs more. Always.
- Your every-day job isn't going to be as fun as working on your story. But you have to stay with your every-day job until you can 100% make it as a freelance author (meaning don't quit your day-job until you have been signed with an agent, have edited, and published your book. There's no point in leaving the benefits of your current job [not to mention the steady income] until your books start bringing in a steady flow. If that's not there yet, do yourself a favor and stick with whatever job you currently have).
Sunday, January 4, 2015
Wannabe
I am an absolute wannabe when it comes to writing. Truthfully, until this novel, I never felt like anything I wrote was worthy of the public eye, so I never honestly cared who saw what I wrote. Now that I have a story that has potential, I am panicked and don't know what to do. I've read all about the process to attempt to get published, and it just makes both the want to be published but also the terror to even try so much worse.
I get so excited about my novel that I want to stay up until odd ends of the night just writing and making character charts and so on. I literally want to make those third grade character charts about all of my characters (even the more static characters) and the story maps, but then I think about where this novel will even go and how the likelihood of it ever reaching bookshelves is slim. I want it so bad but I don't have the money or energy to act on it now, or even any time soon.
So, if there are any publishers/agents out there looking for an action with some side romance that's currently in the "needs lots of edits" phase.... let me know, 'cause I am your girl! (And if there actually is anyone like that looking at this page, please feel free to email me!
That all being said, I am now going to go to bed.
I get so excited about my novel that I want to stay up until odd ends of the night just writing and making character charts and so on. I literally want to make those third grade character charts about all of my characters (even the more static characters) and the story maps, but then I think about where this novel will even go and how the likelihood of it ever reaching bookshelves is slim. I want it so bad but I don't have the money or energy to act on it now, or even any time soon.
So, if there are any publishers/agents out there looking for an action with some side romance that's currently in the "needs lots of edits" phase.... let me know, 'cause I am your girl! (And if there actually is anyone like that looking at this page, please feel free to email me!
That all being said, I am now going to go to bed.
Wednesday, December 31, 2014
Life Goals
Ever since I was younger, all I've ever wanted to do was be an author. But all my life, I've only ever thought -- I've only ever been told -- that authors don't make money and can't be successful unless you get lucky.
Lately, I've been editing a novel I wrote over the course of a year from the summer of 2011 to the summer of 2012. Personally, I really enjoyed reading over what I wrote and have started craving getting the novel published. However, I've started reading into how to get published from authors Sarah J. Maas and Susan Dennard, and I went from ecstatic to discouraged in about an hour.
Added onto it all, I am currently a broke college and I can hardly pay to eat, let alone publish a book. Even more so, I am a Spanish Education major. How does a Spanish Ed major get into a field that is so grossly unrelated? Does one even need a writing degree to be a real author?
My dream would truly be to work from home, writing books and being a mom and housewife. But I am too afraid to shoot for that and instead am compelled to major in another area in which I feel is more productive and easily employable. So what do I do instead? Dream.
Feel free to comment with comments (duh), experience, or other words on your mind.
Lately, I've been editing a novel I wrote over the course of a year from the summer of 2011 to the summer of 2012. Personally, I really enjoyed reading over what I wrote and have started craving getting the novel published. However, I've started reading into how to get published from authors Sarah J. Maas and Susan Dennard, and I went from ecstatic to discouraged in about an hour.
Added onto it all, I am currently a broke college and I can hardly pay to eat, let alone publish a book. Even more so, I am a Spanish Education major. How does a Spanish Ed major get into a field that is so grossly unrelated? Does one even need a writing degree to be a real author?
My dream would truly be to work from home, writing books and being a mom and housewife. But I am too afraid to shoot for that and instead am compelled to major in another area in which I feel is more productive and easily employable. So what do I do instead? Dream.
Feel free to comment with comments (duh), experience, or other words on your mind.
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