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Comment by Jessica Vealitzek on March 2, 2012 at 6:34pm

Lynne - I revise as I go. Just can't help it. I don't get to write every day, so I often re-read bits to get in the mood. If I see something doesn't work or think of something new, I can't help but change it. It has been difficult, though. I was thinking of trying the straight-through method next time.

Comment by Tyra Brumfield on March 2, 2012 at 5:31pm

Courtney, thank you. I think about that @&! blog nearly everyday. It's a simple blog, one page, with a template from the site that I like. I write or wrote about things that troubled or inspired me. Maybe that's the problem--too bored, I mean, too broad. There haven't been any comments, so it's not that, unless you count the comments coming from my head as I write. Ha. The writing practice was good, no doubt, so I don't know.

Comment by Lynne Favreau on March 2, 2012 at 9:17am

I agree if you're not enjoying blogging don't do it. That's an across the board of life mandate. Apathy cured my shoulds.

When time is of the essence you have to chose what venues of communication charge you up and are effective. The social media outlets especially. Though I started an author's page on Facebook I still don't connect there, to me that is a place for my friends and family.

I'm trying to be more present on Goodreads because I like what it offers in terms of reaching readers tracks my own reading but as with most things it takes a while to figure out how it fits into your schedule.

Part of why I don't blog yet is I know I'll love it and it will become too much of a time suck away from getting the novels done. Bad enough I just agreed to do Script Frenzy. I want to—two of the novels I'm working on I envisioned as movies so I think I'll see what script writing does for my storytelling.

I am really enjoying Pinterest. It fits seemlessly into what I'm doing already. Instead of bookmarking I throw things up there.

Writing question—It was my intention to get through a first draft before I go back and revise/edit but I am finding that issues I know aren't clear in the early chapter, events I know how I want to fix are distracting me. So far I've just gone in and place a few annotations but the hiccups are hard to ignore. What do you all do? Write straight through write then edit before moving forward? I can't seem to find my groove with this problem.

Comment by Jessica Vealitzek on March 2, 2012 at 8:13am

I agree - if it's not fun, it's not worth it. But do try to figure out why it's not fun and maybe you can fix that so it is. I'm the opposite. I love blog-type writing and wrote several guest posts for friends but held off doing my own for several years because, as Lynne said, does the world really need one more blog? Then I thought, why am I preventing myself from doing something I enjoy just because there are thousands of others doing the same? Didn't make sense, so I started one just a few weeks ago.

Comment by Tyra Brumfield on March 1, 2012 at 9:03pm

I really enjoyed your comment, Lynne. I have a blog too, but haven't written anything for it in months. I carry a lot of guilt about this, because of the platform building "requirement" these days, but, honestly, I don't get much enjoyment out of it. I'd rather read comments on this website and catch a paragraph here and there from bloggers Erin Brenner, Mark Allen, Grammar Girl, and a couple I've picked up from this site. I don't read them everyday, though.  

Comment by Lynne Favreau on March 1, 2012 at 7:53pm

Hey Kate, my daughter asked me a few hours ago how long it takes to get to Portland. She is hankering for some Duck Fat fries. I'll have to make it up to a reading some time.

One reason I've been so reluctant to start blogging is—does the world really need another friggin blog to read? As fascinating as I am, I pretty much say what I need to here on the group boards, or on our Blooming Late blog. I get a great satisfaction from being helpful to this very focused readership of writers.

I realize building my own readership outside of the writing world through blogging is part of building your author's platform but I already have too many distractions from my work. I think perhaps putting up a website, with a blog limited to short -500 words or less (stop rolling your eyes, I can to keep it short) is where I'm headed for now.

Juliet-love that thought about genre being a pact with your readers. That is so spot on.

Comment by Kate Cone on March 1, 2012 at 2:48pm

Hi from stormy, snowy Maine! I had a snow day from work at my non-profit day job today and bought a cute book at the Colby College bookstore. It's called The Artist in the Office: How to Creatively Survive and Thrive Seven Days a Week, by Summer Pierre. I am really enjoying it and taking wisdom from a much younger woman! My big goal of writing every day seems elusive. I literally have 5 hours a day to myself! But I am continuing to read from my work publicly in my series LIT: Readings and Libations in Portland, Maine. March 3d is the next reading. The office job...well, I'll see how it goes.

Comment by Deni Cary Phillips on March 1, 2012 at 8:14am

Hi Natasha. I know what you mean. I try to look at the site every day, but many times it's just to take a quick look. So many things to do. So little time. (I made that up ;)

Anyway, I like getting to know people one-on-one and over the course of a few years have found some online writing buddies. Perhaps we can be that for each other, encouraging and commiserating. I'll look to see if you got your email up. 

I'd like to say this to the group at large, I enjoy reading your concerns and comments. Everything teaches me something. So a great big THANK YOU!! Have a great day!

Comment by Natasha Quinonez on March 1, 2012 at 2:39am

So, I signed up on this site in September of last year, and that was the last time I was even on the site. Lately, I've been thinking about pausing college and focusing on my daughter and my writing. With that in mind, I decided to start checking out writing sites I'd visited in the past. I really should try to make a better effort to get on this site with all the resources that are available. I'm more of a one-on-one person though so feel free to send me a message through this site or even email me personally. I think my email's listed on my page, and if it's not, I'm going to add it right now. I really am interested in making friends in the writing world.

Comment by Deni Cary Phillips on February 28, 2012 at 8:17am

Harkening back to Sunday's comments @Regina and @Marilyn especially -- on beginnings: I've rewritten the beginning of my WF book over and over, and finally ended up with one that set the tone of the book, introduced the heroine in the midst of "an action" that would be life changing, but it wasn't action like an explosion or car chase, but rather the "current world view" so readers could anticipate the change, the character arc. Among the rules I followed, "implicit promise" plays a big role. And "hook" so the pages keep turning. 

I don't feel like an expert, but like over a year of experimentation finally worked! For this book anyway.

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