Venturing Out

by | Jun 21, 2007 | Blog, writing craft

When I first started this blog I was very coy about admitting I was trying to write a novel. It seemed somewhat presumptive when you have only written a few chapters as your claim to fame. Slowly I’ve been coming out of my shell regarding this. Last week I actually posted my progress (or lack of it). This acts as accountability to me – I see that number and say to myself that I want to see that change tangibly, and soon.

I’m also trying to embrace this more and take it on as my identity – not so I can claim something I’m not doing – but to own it more so that it becomes my second job. I write when I can wrestle the muse down at the same time I can plop in my chair. I know I need to write regardless of the presence of some mystical force that whispers in my ear.

To that end I’ve taken a couple more steps of faith. I’ve joined the American Christian Fiction Writers. I’m being more proactive in interacting with other writers here on the web. I know none of this means I am a writer too, but again it comes back down to accountability.

So off I go. Thanks for keeping me accountable, even if you didn’t know you were doing that! Just by posting this, it makes me get my rear in gear more. Whooooooooo.

Venturing Out

by | Jun 21, 2007 | Blog, writing craft

When I first started this blog I was very coy about admitting I was trying to write a novel. It seemed somewhat presumptive when you have only written a few chapters as your claim to fame. Slowly I’ve been coming out of my shell regarding this. Last week I actually posted my progress (or lack of it). This acts as accountability to me – I see that number and say to myself that I want to see that change tangibly, and soon.

I’m also trying to embrace this more and take it on as my identity – not so I can claim something I’m not doing – but to own it more so that it becomes my second job. I write when I can wrestle the muse down at the same time I can plop in my chair. I know I need to write regardless of the presence of some mystical force that whispers in my ear.

To that end I’ve taken a couple more steps of faith. I’ve joined the American Christian Fiction Writers. I’m being more proactive in interacting with other writers here on the web. I know none of this means I am a writer too, but again it comes back down to accountability.

So off I go. Thanks for keeping me accountable, even if you didn’t know you were doing that! Just by posting this, it makes me get my rear in gear more. Whooooooooo.

Writing Realities

by | Jun 11, 2007 | Blog, fiction, writing craft

So I got the writing bug about 2 1/2 years ago. I hadn’t done any creative writing for years, but I had started penning a few short stories a few months prior. Then I got the brilliant idea that I could write a novel! I started with a simple mental picture/sequence, and the story unfolded itself pretty quickly from there.

I enjoyed creative writing in school, but I am not the type to just jump into something. I started looking into books and searched the internet for writing sites. Soon I had found Faith in Fiction and that became my portal into a lot of other contacts about writing (for instance, with all the writers there starting blogs, I finally decided to check this world out).

Still, when I started I thought that I could have a serviceable book done in a year at the most. Heh, heh, heh. Silly n00b.

Over the weekend I managed to finish chapter six. All told, I have about 12-15,000 words and 26-28 pages down on my WIP (work in progress for the uninitiated). My goal is around 80-90,000 words. I guess I’m about around 1/6th there.

In 2 1/2 years I have spent reading and studying the craft of writing. I’ve done a lot of reading in that time. I may not be an expert, but I think I have a better understanding of what it takes to write a good book. Also, I have gained an appreciation of the timeframe it can take to become published.

Thankfully I’m not alone in starting this endeavor thinking it isn’t all that big a deal. I hear many others say that they didn’t realize how long it can take to get published. I started checking out Randy Ingermanson’s blog at Advanced Fiction Writing, and he has shared the time frame it took him to get published.

10 years.

He then shares about a friend who took 26 years to get published. I don’t know about you, but I admire that persistence. Brandilyn Collins has shared about her 7 year (approx) journey to publishing fiction as well, and there are many other stories like that. I had come to the conclusion quite a while ago that this wouldn’t be a quick, wham-bam process. Especially since I deal with working full-time, busy kids, keeping up with my loving wife, and ministry at my local church. Oh, and blogging!

Anymore any progress is a good thing. Maybe if I share it here, I’ll have accountability and encouragement. I know Matt’s updates at Burning Hearts Revolution has inspired me to get BOC (butt in chair). I can’t seem to let this bug go, so I pray for grace to keep at this project. Keeps me off the streets I suppose (except the time I test-drove a mo-ped just to understand a tiny plot point of a character…)

Randy has more advice for the aspiring writer – he gives you permission to be bad. Guess you’ll have to read that one for yourself to get it!

Writing Realities

by | Jun 11, 2007 | Blog, fiction, writing craft

So I got the writing bug about 2 1/2 years ago. I hadn’t done any creative writing for years, but I had started penning a few short stories a few months prior. Then I got the brilliant idea that I could write a novel! I started with a simple mental picture/sequence, and the story unfolded itself pretty quickly from there.

I enjoyed creative writing in school, but I am not the type to just jump into something. I started looking into books and searched the internet for writing sites. Soon I had found Faith in Fiction and that became my portal into a lot of other contacts about writing (for instance, with all the writers there starting blogs, I finally decided to check this world out).

Still, when I started I thought that I could have a serviceable book done in a year at the most. Heh, heh, heh. Silly n00b.

Over the weekend I managed to finish chapter six. All told, I have about 12-15,000 words and 26-28 pages down on my WIP (work in progress for the uninitiated). My goal is around 80-90,000 words. I guess I’m about around 1/6th there.

In 2 1/2 years I have spent reading and studying the craft of writing. I’ve done a lot of reading in that time. I may not be an expert, but I think I have a better understanding of what it takes to write a good book. Also, I have gained an appreciation of the timeframe it can take to become published.

Thankfully I’m not alone in starting this endeavor thinking it isn’t all that big a deal. I hear many others say that they didn’t realize how long it can take to get published. I started checking out Randy Ingermanson’s blog at Advanced Fiction Writing, and he has shared the time frame it took him to get published.

10 years.

He then shares about a friend who took 26 years to get published. I don’t know about you, but I admire that persistence. Brandilyn Collins has shared about her 7 year (approx) journey to publishing fiction as well, and there are many other stories like that. I had come to the conclusion quite a while ago that this wouldn’t be a quick, wham-bam process. Especially since I deal with working full-time, busy kids, keeping up with my loving wife, and ministry at my local church. Oh, and blogging!

Anymore any progress is a good thing. Maybe if I share it here, I’ll have accountability and encouragement. I know Matt’s updates at Burning Hearts Revolution has inspired me to get BOC (butt in chair). I can’t seem to let this bug go, so I pray for grace to keep at this project. Keeps me off the streets I suppose (except the time I test-drove a mo-ped just to understand a tiny plot point of a character…)

Randy has more advice for the aspiring writer – he gives you permission to be bad. Guess you’ll have to read that one for yourself to get it!