writing problems – A Mad Pursuit

February 13, 2014

editing, fantasy, fiction, geek, gothic, publication, watcher of the skies, WIP, writing

pilgrim of the sky, process, progress, publication, publishing, watcher of the skies, writing, writing advice, writing issues, writing problems, writing process, writing rants, writing tips

How Pinterest and Process Saved My Novel (And Can Save Yours, Too)

Writing a book, as the old adage goes, isn’t the hard part. I mean, yeah, it’s hard. It’s a butt-ton of work. For me, writing books isn’t the hard part. It’s something I do, more or less, whether or not I want to. But while the writing part isn’t exactly a mystery to me, there... / READ MORE /

August 14, 2009

fantasy, publication, WIP, writing

burritos, fantasy journeys, lemurs, too much coffee, travel in fantasy, travel literature, writing, writing journeys, writing problems

It’s not about the destination, it’s about the… lemurs?

(Warning: a late-night caffeine-infused post-word-binge rant.) I’ve had friends tell me that their favorite part about fantasy literature is the journey. The part when the characters are tromping through the forest, drinking from waterskins, gnawing on jerky, and sitting around campfires telling stories. Yes, there is a certain amount of charm in that but, well,... / READ MORE /

June 25, 2009

fantasy, peter of windbourne, writing

fantasy, fantasy writing, female warriors, feminism, feminism in fantasy, gender in fantasy, women warriors, writing, writing issues, writing problems, writing rants

Notes on the woman warrior, fantasy literature style

The first woman warrior I remember reading was Eowyn in The Lord of the Rings. That image of her standing before the Nazgul Witch-King, her sword brandished, her blond hair spilling down her shoulders and catching in the wind is probably one of the most vivid early memories I have of fantasy literature. And I... / READ MORE /

June 15, 2009

aldersgate cycle, fantasy, peter of windbourne, queen of none, WIP, writing

fantasy writing, novel writing, update, WIP, working through writing problems, writing, writing problems, writing process, writing progress, writing rants

Glut, glut, glut.

I am trying to be candid here. I have too many words. Not counting finished drafts, I have somewhere around 230K of unfinished business. This is either work in process (currently I am writing two separate books) or words that need to be edited. This morning I thought I’d total it up, for reasons of... / READ MORE /

June 7, 2009

fantasy, peter of windbourne, WIP, writing

fantasy, fantasy novel, fantasy writing, peter of windbourne, working through writing problems, writing, writing problems, writing process, writing progress

Writing with the darkness.

This week’s writing has been more difficult than others, and not because of the usual reasons (laziness, business, distractedness). While I’ve slowly made progress from 0k to 4K (about 2K from the chapter end) it’s been laborious, to say the least. Though I’m writing from a draft, I know what’s going to happen, so technically... / READ MORE /

April 21, 2009

WIP, writing

fantasy novel, fantasy writing, first novel, novel writing, peter of windbourne, writer, writers, writing, writing problems, writing process

Dreams and revelations.

I have written lots of stuff over the years, but my problem is always finalization, finishing. The first finished novel I ever wrote is a prequel, of sorts, to The Aldersgate, occurring in the same world but some 400 years before. It’s called Peter of Windbourne, and it has been sitting in stasis for… oh,... / READ MORE /

April 6, 2009

queen of none, writing

first person narrative, narrative mode, narrative voice, queen of none, third person limited, third person narrative, writing, writing problems

Perspective tension

I am still having a problem. When I wrote Queen of None a few months ago, it happened very quickly. To this date it’s the fastest I’ve ever written a book. At the time, writing it was the easiest thing in the world. Everything flowed magically, or so it appeared to me, and when it... / READ MORE /

January 12, 2009

blog, writing

frustrating writing, novel writing, working through writing problems, writing, writing issues, writing problems, writing rants

The creativity curve, and time for the cure.

Creativity is a fickle little brat. You know, I try my best to be disciplined. Okay, that’s a blatant lie. Let me try this again. I’m not good at being disciplined, but I occasionally make the effort to do more than write whenever I feel like it. I write when I can. And what exactly... / READ MORE /