Share the joy: what's your writing success today?

[indianroads]

My whole process kind of looks like this:

1) Story idea pops into my head (either random, or through some sort of inspiration).
2) Figure out the plot of the story, and how it will play out (depending on if it's in one of my universes, or a stand-alone).
3) Work on an idea sheet, making point form notes and adding most of the needed information (characters, setting,
plot points, title, etc.)
4) When the idea sheet is at least 75% complete, start writing the draft while adding points to the idea sheet.
5) Complete the story, and go over the idea sheet once more.
6) Editing.

There is sometimes an extra step, or additions to some of the steps listed above.

-JJB

Sounds like a good plan!

NOW GET TO WORK! (just kidding... not really)

[indianroads]

Just finished the second edit of my WIP (Afterworld: Redemption). I pulled out 436 words this time, and am down by 2,723 words from the first draft.

I'm a retired engineer... those of my sort measure pretty much everything. Don't hate me.

Usually, I run through around 8 passes before my editor sees it, but this time the work is looking pretty clean so she may see it sooner than expected.

Feelin' good!

[JJBuchholz]

I had an interesting piece of writing success happen to me today. Got out of my stressful mindset, and was listening to a song this morning
when it got stuck in my head. Now, I'm used to incorporating song lyrics into a story, but this was different. I took a long, hard look at the
song's lyrics and came up with a story for them. I played the song again and let me mind take me away to what it would look like as a
movie instead of a song, then started writing.

My story is entitled, 'The Unforgettable Fire" (based on the U2 song of the same name) and was written in just under two hours. It's
shorter than a lot of stuff I normally write, but upon completion, felt perfect to me in both plot and length.

-JJB

[Tiamat]

I started a novel today. Only wrote 500 words, but the point is, I only started writing fiction again last June after a very long break. I told myself that if I could do two things, I might consider writing a novel again. One is to stick with it for a year and find a way to love it the way I did before I walked away from it. The other is have a story published in a professional market. So it's only been nine months, not a year, but I do love it again, and I have stuck with it. And the story won't be published until May (and I haven't signed a contract yet and am not yet allowed to say who the publisher is), but the novel idea came to me this afternoon and I decided it'd be stupid to make myself wait another three months

So there we go. I'm writing a novel and that's my writing success for the day.

[indianroads]

I started a novel today. Only wrote 500 words, but the point is, I only started writing fiction again last June after a very long break. I told myself that if I could do two things, I might consider writing a novel again. One is to stick with it for a year and find a way to love it the way I did before I walked away from it. The other is have a story published in a professional market. So it's only been nine months, not a year, but I do love it again, and I have stuck with it. And the story won't be published until May (and I haven't signed a contract yet and am not yet allowed to say who the publisher is), but the novel idea came to me this afternoon and I decided it'd be stupid to make myself wait another three months

So there we go. I'm writing a novel and that's my writing success for the day.

Great news!

[Kyle R]

I started a novel today. Only wrote 500 words, but the point is, I only started writing fiction again last June after a very long break. I told myself that if I could do two things, I might consider writing a novel again. One is to stick with it for a year and find a way to love it the way I did before I walked away from it. The other is have a story published in a professional market. So it's only been nine months, not a year, but I do love it again, and I have stuck with it. And the story won't be published until May (and I haven't signed a contract yet and am not yet allowed to say who the publisher is), but the novel idea came to me this afternoon and I decided it'd be stupid to make myself wait another three months.

So there we go. I'm writing a novel and that's my writing success for the day.

Way to go, Steph!

I'm super eager to read your story when it comes out.

And nice job on starting a novel. I how it feels to be adrift and in limbo. I don't know what caused the feeling for you, but for me, the whole Covid world threw my writing aspirations for a big a loop. I've been trying to claw my way out of the murk ever since.

Also: 500 words a day can become an awesome novel in just a few months.

[Tiamat]

I how it feels to be adrift and in limbo. I don't know what caused the feeling for you, but for me, the whole Covid world threw my writing aspirations for a big a loop. I've been trying to claw my way out of the murk ever since.

I totally get that. However, I hold a very strong opinion that what this world needs is more fiction by Kyle Richardson, so I'll just be over here, cheering you on while you pull yourself back onto steady ground.

And thanks!!

[indianroads]

A while back our friend Taylor suggested that a write a novel based in Silicon Valley (where I used to live and work). It was an interesting idea, and I even suggested a humorous chase scene through rush hour traffic - maybe engineers 'chasing' each via an app on their phone.

Well guess what? I had trouble sleeping last night I came up with the key points while staring up at the ceiling. This morning wrote out the rough plot. It's a techno-thriller, with humor, satire, horror aspects, and a government conspiracy. I'll start on this story after my WIP is published in July/August of this year. Currently I'm calling this new story: Afterworld: Inception, and hope to have it out mid-2022.

If Taylor allows it, I'll give her a dedication.

[EternalGreen]

I discovered that, if I write on paper and then type the results, I get three benefits: 1) I boost my creative throes and use a stronger voice when writing on paper, and: 2) my editing is more comprehensive because I have to rewrite every single word, and: 3) no distractions at all!

Pencil-and-paper isn't the best medium for everyone, but I recommend returning to the base method if you're stuck or are distracted easily!

[indianroads]

Booked my cover designer for the book Taylor suggested. It's set for mid-April (he's very popular).