Splash of Color: Trying to find my voice

 

That moment when you're thousands of words in and decide-eh I think I'll start over. In academia they don't want flowery writing, in fact no emotion at all is the best that you can achieve, so one could imagine that concentrating on that particular style of writing could all but kill a creative voice.

I've hit that point. So I am trying to rediscover my voice without having to start over every couple of thousand words. It is a frustrating experience but I read somewhere that each time you start over, what you've written before isn't a waste-it was an exercise in finding what works for you. I'm trying to really keep that in mind when I write or else I would be very frustrated right now.

One thing I have discovered however is that the idea I started with has evolved. I didn't realize at first that I wanted to write anything mildly dystopian, at first it was more of a mystery/quest novel. And yet when I read what The Winding City is about, it has so much to do with themes of oppression and power, more so than the boarding school sub-genre idea that it was before. I guess the lesson here is that you can always learn something new.

I'm also considering blogging some of what I am writing, hoping maybe to get some feedback if anyone happens to stumble across the blog. Something to think about.

Synopsis Time

Splash of Color: Bones and Tea

10 AM and I've already met my commitment of 1000 words (so far, so good!). I debate the merits of upping my commitment to 2000 words a day--I don't want to find myself getting bored--but I also want something that is manageable. In the meantime, as I settle in with a good episode of Bones, I've begun to think about the substance of my manuscript. I can't seem to pin down in a brief television blurb format what the plot is about. So instead I've decided to focus on what the story is and isn't.

So, without further adieu, an obnoxiously concise synopsis of current manuscript:

The Winding City

 The story of an ordinary young woman with extraordinary powers pitted against two opposing governments bent on spreading fear and consolidating power in the hands of the few.

The story of a movement meant to unite the people of a land enshrouded in mist, twisted until it is so perverse that it kills the very people it was meant to unite.

The story of a tortured young man longing to prove his worth to the father who abandoned him and to the society that shunned him.


Thoughts?

Modesty thou art 1000 words a day

Splash of Color: Productivity

After blogging my decision to commit to writing yesterday, I felt a weight lifted off my shoulders. I got off the internet (Castleville, you will be the death of me), decided to commit to an extremely modest 1000 words a day, and even began the process of further mapping out concepts that I had put off.

What's more: I began to write. A thousand words, which in academia I could do in my sleep, in fiction writing had never seemed so easy. And yet, there I was last night and well into this morning chugging away on what I hope is the beginning of a beautiful journey. Just me, my computer, and a coffee.

Anyone else made any progress today?

Committing.

Splash of Color: Avoiding Research.

Though my buzz of the day is avoiding research, I feel as though this first post should be about commitment. Commitment to what? To finally sitting myself down and getting it out. I've always said I wanted to be a professional writer, but the problem has always been about commitment.

I work for a living, I have a husband, I'm a graduate student in sociology. I've committed to all of these things, but I've never committed to the one thing that I've always had a passion for: writing. And maybe that's why I'm here today, blogging, because I've decided to commit.

Maybe it won't be easy (heh, who am I kidding? It is going to be incredibly hard) and maybe I still cringe a little bit when people look over my shoulder and ask me what I'm doing (fantasy fiction anyone?), but I think it's worth a shot. After all, what do I have to lose?