I've had such a fun time with this week's posts, but as I was writing them, I wondered about other writer's perceptions of the non-published phase. What keeps you glued to the seat, writing?
What's your favorite aspect of writing right now?
I have two favorites.
1. I love the actual writing. I delight in my characters, laugh out loud at my mistakes, and get a kick out of the situations I come up with. It's fun! Sure, I re-read my work and make gagging expressions at it sometimes. I've been known to write snarky comments in the margins, such as "You used that word 18 times, hello-o??" or "Boy, she's uptight!" about my heroine. I'm well aware of the flaws in my writing and actively work to overcome them, but overall, I live to write. To me it's like soaring in the air, sans airplane, parachute, or parasail but without that sick-to-my-stomach lurch.
2. I enjoy meeting other writers. They get me in a way that non-writers do not. What an incredible gift! I can cackle over my heroine's horrific first date without getting a someone-is-a-little-psycho look. And writers are generous. They'll give you tips, hold your hand when you have a set-back, congratulate you when you taste success. They understand when you look at a kit to make stepping stones and say "Gee, someone could make her own headstone with one of these." They might even offer suggestions on how to do it.
So...pony up! I want to know YOUR favorite aspect of writing!
Enjoy your weekend!
Jill, I just love your voice. It comes through so well in your blog posts! And I'm sure it comes through in your stories too. I can't wait to read them someday!
ReplyDeleteI particularly love when I'm able to craft a scene in which my characters' personalities show through!
And I love the writing friendships I've made too. I've learned so much and been so encouraged by all of my writing friends! So thank you!
All of it! Finding that new idea and watching it bloom into something bigger. Discovering the quirks, dreams, fears and ticks of my characters. Writing those scenes that make you sit back and say, "Okay - that was good." The satisfaction that comes with completing the first draft. The challenge of taking the rough draft and making it shine! And of course - meeting new writings to come alongside me in this exciting journey! It's all just awesome stuff. Love every single part of it... except for maybe rejections. :)
ReplyDeleteI meant "writers" - not writings!!
ReplyDeleteGood morning! Do you think we'll have a sunny Memorial weekend? I can only hope!
ReplyDeleteJody: Okay, don't make me get teary-eyed on a Friday! Sniff, sniff. You're so kind to me. And I agree on successfully showing our characters' personalities. What an accomplishment!
Katie: Yes! I love the rush of writing a terrific scene. I'm finishing my current first draft today! What a feeling! It never gets old. (I knew what you meant about writers! I posted a comment on FB last night and had to follow up with the correct word, too. Doesn't it drive you nuts?)
Thanks for stopping by!
Favorites for me:
ReplyDeleteFinding my voice
Learning my characters
Fellowship with writers
Chance to learn more and more
Ability to express myself in the way I feel most comfortable/confident
Happy Friday,
~ Wendy
Wendy: I feel most confident expressing myself in writing, also. I much prefer e-mails to phone calls!
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by!
Favs? Hmmm...I'd say that 'groove'. You know, when everything just falls away and you are completely in tune with the story. Yeah, that's a good place to be. :)
ReplyDeleteJill, your posts always make me laugh!
ReplyDeleteWriting characters and their relationships is always my favorite. I love learning about them and watching them grow.
I also enjoy coming up with story ideas, trying to think of something unique that will just wow the reader.
Have a great weekend!
Hi, Jill! Thanks for coming by my blog! I appreciate your thoughts about not comparing ourselves to others, and their paths.
ReplyDeleteI like it all. I like the brainstorming and the putting the ideas to paper (or computer) and seeing it unfold, then finished. But perhaps I best like the moment just after I've written something great; when the thought has come out well, when I've conveyed something better than I could ever give myself personal credit for.
Oh yes, and what you and Wendy said - the expressing oneself best through writing. That's me! Don't like stinky phone calls or face-to-face quite as much. :)
ReplyDeleteI love meeting other writers, too!
ReplyDeleteAnd I just love to create the characters. It's so funny how they take on a life of their own.
Tess: I love the groove! I don't love the pulling-every-word-out-with-a-pair-of-pliers days.
ReplyDeleteCindy: It's all about the characters for me. I think it's great you come up with unique ideas. I wouldn't say my ideas are unique, but I try to write them in a fresh way. Can't wait until your book comes out!
Janna: Welcome! Brainstorming is so much fun. I'm in awe of how many twists will come to me out of nowhere! And I love the feeling of finding the exact words to express my feelings. Terrific!
Jennifer: My current hero has been an absolute hoot to write. He's a special guy!
Thanks for stopping by and have a great weekend!
Oh gosh! I'm not sure...
ReplyDeleteI love the first flash of inspiration, how the characters and the plot take shape. I love the excitement that thrums through me when I put everything together. I just love the whole process!
Jill:
ReplyDeleteI love to write. Just the flow of words onto the screen satisfies me, like cocoa on a crisp morning.
I also love it when someone is helped or touched or tickled by one of my writings. That is an honor, and a kiss from God.
This was a great post! Thanks!
Jen
Hey, sorry for talking about crisp mornings!
ReplyDeleteHow about "writing satisfies me like a Hershey bar when I'm stressed out?"
Jen
Melissa: I hear you! It's ALL good.
ReplyDeleteJeannette: Welcome! Ooo--cocoa on a crisp morning--sounds delicious! I'm no stranger to cold mornings, either. I'm very thankful summer is almost here!
Have a fantastic weekend and thanks for stopping by!
I love saying Ta-Dah! after finishing a project!!
ReplyDeleteI have two favorite parts: the writing part and the finished product part. I don't enjoy editing much, but I do so love the feeling I get when I hold the polished story in my hands. :D
ReplyDeleteTerri: I love that! Ta-dah! I'm going to have to snag that one from you.
ReplyDeleteDanyelle: I never feel as if it truly is polished, even after rounds and rounds of revisions!Maybe someday, I'll get to that point.
Thanks so much for stopping by!
Oh, Jill, your reasons are awesome. I love writing for those two same reasons as well. But to not be lazy, I shall add to your list.
ReplyDeleteI write to grow. Being a stay-at-home mom to kids who are in school full-time now means I need something to keep me sane or sink me deep into insanity for a good reason, at the very least.
Also, because stories keep popping in to my head and they need venue to get out of it for new ones to take up residence. I, too, have discovered that writing is like breathing now, no matter how ill I may produce sentences, paragraphs or chapters, I simply must create them.
When I was younger I started writing whenever I read a book or saw a movie that I didn't like - I would take the characters from the last point at which I enjoyed the story and then finish it my way.
ReplyDeleteI sort of do the same thing today. I get my inspiration from other stories (maybe a bit of this and a bit of that) and then figure out the details.
Eileen: I need to fill my days too. I just have to much mental energy. I'd snap! And the ideas that keep coming--isn't it amazing? People ask if I worry about running out of ideas. No way! They keep coming and coming.
ReplyDeleteKarin: It's funny how an unsatisfactory ending will bring out the writer in you, isn't it? Ha! Ha!
Thanks for stopping by!
For me it is when the characters come alive. Oh, in the beginning I may know what they look like, their background and such, but I love it when they become real, or as real as a fictional character can become. When you start talking about a character as if they really exist.
ReplyDelete