My thanks to you for sharing your thoughts! I am ready to testify under oath that these practices really work! :) At least for me. Proven by many years of practice.
Although, I am a newbie in fiction, I am just trying to apply my planning skills here. Your post suggests that I am on the right track. Once again, many thanks and best wishes for success!
Tip number 3 is excellent (listening to book playlist)!
In my case, every time I needs some inspiration, I'm listening to movie soundtracks!
I prefer Fantasy and Sci-Fi, and I must say, I'm listening to the Divergent movies soundtracks all the time!
In Allegiant there some phenomenal and inspiring tracks! Junkie XL and Joseph Trapanese did a fantastic job!
I'm a big fan of your work!! I read the Divergent trilogy multiple times as a teenager, and I'm still reading it today! I just love the atmosphere of Dystopian Chicago!!
what you say is very true. I just didn't have the concept of "relay" in mind in publishing. I know what a relay is having done 10 years of athletics. I just finished my book and I want to release it in the United States. Only 400 pages I'm dividing the chapters but I had always thought of exhuming old writings (from 2001) to put them in a queue and to stop some ideas with a cover. So many things are happening worldwide and it is the lifeblood that a writer feeds on. There is a good book by Ryan Holiday that gives some suggestions including the Eisenhower Matrix for selecting the important and unnecessary things from the less important things. I am following this matrix.
This was such a helpful read, thank you! At what point did you begin working on multiple projects at once? I am currently revising my (hopefully) debut and have made myself not start thinking about what I want to write next (though, I do *know* what I want to write next) until I'm ready to query on this one. Part of this is because there is a part of me that is still afraid if I lose momentum, I'll decide it's too hard, to be perfectly honest. ... So I guess that's my second question: does that fear of "this is so hard, will I ever finish??" go away, too? Or is that just a norm alongside imposter syndrome.
1. Working on multiple projects at once started when I took that six month social media hiatus before Poster Girl came out. It's like I was finally able to fully relax, and I got wildly creative during that time and needed more than one outlet. Sadly it couldn't last, since like most authors, I have to do social media for my job-- but I think it showed me how it could work for me and actually keeps me more focused on what's important (ie: don't reply to that troll online, you are TOO BUSY!)
2. I would love to tell you I can relate to "will I ever finish?" but that's not a problem I have had. However, I think focusing on the present, on the day-to-day work of the project, instead of on the potential outcome of the project is the best path forward for any writer. Thinking about the future and the idea of a book instead of the actual work of writing a story can be completely paralyzing. And yes, writing a book is hard when you think of doing it all at once! So every day, try just sitting down and writing a scene, instead. I wish you the best!
hope that you are keeping well and hopefully enjoying the sunshine if indeed you have seen any in Chicago. Sounds like you have a lot of projects in the works. I can totally understand some of this advice as i am in the midst of submitting several short story collections for my university coursework. I do however have a question for you. Is it normal to feel stressed or even guilty when writing the death of a character? It was a hard decision for me to make.
I think it's pretty common to feel Feelings when you kill a character. All writers are different and have different levels (and kinds) of attachment to characters, but I see a lot of authors talking about crying at a character's death in their own work. It's not my experience but I think it's "normal," sure. (But I will note that there's really no "normal" where writing is concerned.)
This is so real and helpful. And I love your caveat. I'm at the point now where I'm working with my agent to strategize that overlap of purpose and passion as much as possible more than I have in my career thus far, and you're totally right. It's *because* we care about this so much.
My thanks to you for sharing your thoughts! I am ready to testify under oath that these practices really work! :) At least for me. Proven by many years of practice.
Although, I am a newbie in fiction, I am just trying to apply my planning skills here. Your post suggests that I am on the right track. Once again, many thanks and best wishes for success!
Heyyy glad they work for you too!
This was useful to me as short film writer, thanks!
Excellent. I'm looking forward to all of them.
🥰
This post is pure gold!!
Tip number 3 is excellent (listening to book playlist)!
In my case, every time I needs some inspiration, I'm listening to movie soundtracks!
I prefer Fantasy and Sci-Fi, and I must say, I'm listening to the Divergent movies soundtracks all the time!
In Allegiant there some phenomenal and inspiring tracks! Junkie XL and Joseph Trapanese did a fantastic job!
I'm a big fan of your work!! I read the Divergent trilogy multiple times as a teenager, and I'm still reading it today! I just love the atmosphere of Dystopian Chicago!!
Thank you!!
what you say is very true. I just didn't have the concept of "relay" in mind in publishing. I know what a relay is having done 10 years of athletics. I just finished my book and I want to release it in the United States. Only 400 pages I'm dividing the chapters but I had always thought of exhuming old writings (from 2001) to put them in a queue and to stop some ideas with a cover. So many things are happening worldwide and it is the lifeblood that a writer feeds on. There is a good book by Ryan Holiday that gives some suggestions including the Eisenhower Matrix for selecting the important and unnecessary things from the less important things. I am following this matrix.
This was such a helpful read, thank you! At what point did you begin working on multiple projects at once? I am currently revising my (hopefully) debut and have made myself not start thinking about what I want to write next (though, I do *know* what I want to write next) until I'm ready to query on this one. Part of this is because there is a part of me that is still afraid if I lose momentum, I'll decide it's too hard, to be perfectly honest. ... So I guess that's my second question: does that fear of "this is so hard, will I ever finish??" go away, too? Or is that just a norm alongside imposter syndrome.
Glad you enjoyed it! To answer your questions:
1. Working on multiple projects at once started when I took that six month social media hiatus before Poster Girl came out. It's like I was finally able to fully relax, and I got wildly creative during that time and needed more than one outlet. Sadly it couldn't last, since like most authors, I have to do social media for my job-- but I think it showed me how it could work for me and actually keeps me more focused on what's important (ie: don't reply to that troll online, you are TOO BUSY!)
2. I would love to tell you I can relate to "will I ever finish?" but that's not a problem I have had. However, I think focusing on the present, on the day-to-day work of the project, instead of on the potential outcome of the project is the best path forward for any writer. Thinking about the future and the idea of a book instead of the actual work of writing a story can be completely paralyzing. And yes, writing a book is hard when you think of doing it all at once! So every day, try just sitting down and writing a scene, instead. I wish you the best!
Thank you so much for taking the time to write out such a thoughtful and indepth response! I really appreciate your insight!
Hi Veronica
hope that you are keeping well and hopefully enjoying the sunshine if indeed you have seen any in Chicago. Sounds like you have a lot of projects in the works. I can totally understand some of this advice as i am in the midst of submitting several short story collections for my university coursework. I do however have a question for you. Is it normal to feel stressed or even guilty when writing the death of a character? It was a hard decision for me to make.
I look forward to hearing from you
with fondist wishes
Aliza
I think it's pretty common to feel Feelings when you kill a character. All writers are different and have different levels (and kinds) of attachment to characters, but I see a lot of authors talking about crying at a character's death in their own work. It's not my experience but I think it's "normal," sure. (But I will note that there's really no "normal" where writing is concerned.)
Best of luck with your work!
This is so real and helpful. And I love your caveat. I'm at the point now where I'm working with my agent to strategize that overlap of purpose and passion as much as possible more than I have in my career thus far, and you're totally right. It's *because* we care about this so much.
Hear hear! And best of luck with your strategizing, I hope it works out well for you!