Weekly Writing Update: Aliens and Autism
May 28, 2019 at 9:25 am (Characterization, Editing, Short Stories, Writing Inspiration)
Weekly Writing Update
Well, I drafted my creepy doll head flash fiction story in short order so now my brain is percolating a story I started a year ago and mean to finish SOON. It is a science fiction with a main character who is a formerly non-verbal autistic teenage girl.
I had the good fortune to be contacted last year, just after I started the story, by a woman who is formerly non-verbal and autistic. I am going to think about her speech patterns and some things she had to say and let that inform the story.
I think I was coming at it from the wrong angle and I’ve gone back to the drawing board. I feel like I got off base by trying to write the story the way I write other stories. It’s definitely going to be third person and use the two very strange dreams I had about alien contact. We’ll see what else I find over the next few days for inspiration.
I’m very excited to feel like I’m back on track with this one. It’s definitely not horror. I’m going to be working on investing it with a feeling of wonder and awe. Wish me luck!
Writing Update: Pulling Weeds
May 21, 2019 at 5:00 am (Editing, Writing Inspiration)
I had an anthology all picked out to submit my horror story, Long Distance Call, to but I found the button on Submittable was for submitting to one of their OTHER publications. Sent them an email and now I wait. I figure I’ll give them two weeks before I move on.
It’s the perfect time of year for writing – you can go out and weed while you work out some plot points. Any repetitive work is GREAT for the imagination but I love weeding. There’s the sun and the breeze and the satisfaction of seeing the detritus cleared away so the plants you want to thrive can use the nutrients.
I also started writing another short story in the horror vein.
I never would have thought it . . . me? Horror? Apparently, yes.
Why write horror? Maybe because it’s a retreat from the horrors we read in the news. Or maybe it’s just the joy of the twists and turns. The prompt for this one was creepy dolls and then I came across another note I had made for myself that I wanted to write something having to do with sinkholes. It all falls together. 🙂
Weekly Writing Status Update: Feeling Flaky
May 14, 2019 at 5:00 am (Writing Mechanics)
Weekly Writing Update
I submitted the first 500 words of a sci-fi story in response to a call for submissions last week and got a nice surprise two days later. They wrote back and said, “Your writing caught our attention and we would like to read your entire story.” Such a nice way to put it, very affirming. I’d keep my fingers crossed but who knows how long that will take? It’s also a bit difficult to drink coffee, or write, with your fingers crossed.
I’m working on editing my horror story based on the old phone box. Edited on paper, just putting the changes into the document then I’ll find a place to submit it. There seem to be a LOT of markets for horror stories but one that wants the TYPE of story this is, that’s a different matter. It’s a little bit ghost story, a little bit psychological horror. Hrm . . . .
I’m also pondering what form of outline process I want to use for my next novel, FIREBOUND. I had the workbook for “Writing the Breakout Novel” by Donald Maass so I grabbed that and started reading through it but it seems to assume you already have a draft. I want something to work with from the start.
I’ve used scenes and sequels in the past and liked that. I’ve also used the Snowflake for short story and might give that a try to begin then move into scenes and sequels to flesh out. This method also gives you some good tools for marketing, like a synopsis of the story and a log line. Here’s where to find an explanation, if you’re interested. https://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/articles/snowflake-method/
I do worry about stifling the creativity but I am moving toward more outlining and it does seem to make the writing go a LOT faster. A trade off? Perhaps.
DONE! For now. (A Novel Submission)
May 7, 2019 at 5:00 am (Editing, Time Management, Writing Mechanics)
Well, I did it. I FINALLY submitted my paranormal romance, Earthbound, to a publisher. My husband poured me a really big glass of wine last night, twice what I would usually pour myself, so I hope I didn’t rush this. 🙂
I wrote the novel, let it sit, and edited it. I rewrote bits and shared some with my writer’s group members. I gave it to three beta readers then applied their suggestions. I gave it to three MORE beta readers and applied THEIR suggestions. Writing is truly a recursive process, you keep going back to a piece over and over, but at some point you have to let it go. So I submitted it last night.
I’ve been working on this novel for several years now. To be honest, I don’t even know when I started. I’ve worked on it, alternating with short stories, poetry and other novels, for quite some time. But this year is about finishing things and putting them out there.
For rejection? Maybe. I hope not. I’m hoping for an acceptance, but if they pass on it, some useful feedback would helpful too. Now, I try to forget about it until I hear back from them.
On to the next thing – plotting the next book, editing my short horror story, and finishing the other science fiction series I started.
To be honest, I’m very excited to move on to the next book, Firebound, about my main character’s best friend, Jennifer, who was burned in a car accident. I saw a youtube video on plotting a novel that I plan to watch – “How to Plot Your Novel FAST” from Ellen Brock. The comments on it are very positive.
I’m actually feeling very accomplished. I even managed to clean some windows, sort munchkin and my clothes for donations, cook three meals, and do her laundry on Sunday along with submitting the novel. What more do you want from life?
Melora Johnson's Muse 