David Farland blogs on writing techniques and also on writing philosophy. Today’s Blog addressed the long held belief that any writing was better than no writing. Which does have merit, of course, if our eventual goal is perfection of the written word. But if our goal is seeing our finished book in print, multiple times over, we need to up our game.
At the most recent LERA – Land of Enchantment Romance Writers meeting, four successful (and may I say brilliant?) writers shared their secrets. Jeffe Kennedy Robin Perini Katie Lane and Darynda Jones shared their secrets to success as well as their secret triumphs and failures to a roomful of people who thought they knew about the writing life. In brief, they take their writing seriously, they schedule when they will write and they write. That muse so many of us pretend to need before we can create can show up or not. They write. Given the multitude of awards and best seller statuses shared (check them out!) the system obviously works.
If it works for them, it can work for us. Going back to David Farland, he finishes this bit of writing advice with: “If you’ve been using the “tortoise method” of writing, grow up.”
Gulp.Dontcha just hate it when something so profound slaps you between the eyes. If your muse wants to take a holiday, let her/him/it. Wave buh-bye while you’re sitting down to pound out your next 1500 words. Guaranteed, she/he/it will be back looking over your shoulder, wanting to be a part of the process.
Me? I’m editing A Question of Honor (first in a series about a ranch in northern New Mexico that helps out PTSD warriors) and writing on Seasons (working title) My heroine in Seasons doesn’t really have a name yet, so far she’s been Leslie, Mel, Jess. Even so she’s having adventures and delving into her painful past. I do love my angst.
Every sunrise is a new adventure
Mona Karel Author 
I’m glad that panel was such an inspiration. And look how you made it work – awesome!
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Sometimes that hammer has to hit my head multiple times before the lesson is pounded in
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You’re right about the ‘muse’ coming back. You just have to make yourself write. I wrote 3k yesterday, which (for me) is huge. I found myself coming up with ideas as I went – and discovered connections with scenes I’d written earlier. It’s all good stuff, although I’m sure some of it will go or be put somewhere else when I start editing. But the thoughts are on the page.
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YES! And I was playing with POV in a good way, making a painful scene much stronger through ‘his’ eyes than hers…he sees her upset but doesn’t know why. And I know she’s going back into town and shopping before she lets herself react. Ah, the angst!
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Very nice blog, Mona. Can you come over and do mine? Ha! Glad you enjoyed the panel and found it useful:o)
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Your blog is wonderful…all those best selling award winning hot hunks of Texas…phew need some ice water
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