Ah the writing life. For me, it fits right in with our theme for this month – Love and Hate.
LOVE the initial blank page of a new work in
progress. All the endless possibilities for characters, and settings and plot
lines.
HATE all that darned white space staring back, mocking even, when those
pesky characters and settings and plot lines fail to materialize.
LOVE when the
ideas finally start to flow. When all of those marvelous goals, motivations and
conflicts begin to gel.
HATE when the goal waivers, the motivation stalls and
the conflict isn’t.
LOVE when characters figure out what they really want and
decide they will do anything and everything to succeed.
HATE when story arcs that held such promise turn
out to be trite and implausible. When characters refuse to cooperate and reveal
who they are.
LOVE when an air tight and believable storyline emerges, when characters
and their individual traits and mannerisms come together in a realistic way
complete with snappy dialogue that moves the story forward.
HATE when it turns
out the characters, with all of their traits, mannerisms and snappy dialogue
move the story all right. In the wrong direction.
LOVE when characters come
into their own, when the storyline, with all of its plot twists and turns,
heads in a rush of author inspiration toward the satisfying conclusion.
HATE
saying good-bye to characters who have been around so long they are now old
friends, putting THE END to the settings and story that gave them life.
LOVE
the initial blank page of a new work in progress. All the endless possibilities
for characters, and settings and plot lines.
Speaking of loving the beginnings of new works then hating the saying good-bye to old ones, tomorrow, I say hello again to my latest release from The Wild Rose Press entitled Only If You Dare
My days to blog here at the Roses of Prose are the 11th and 23rd
Please visit my website at: www.margohoornstra.com
Speaking of loving the beginnings of new works then hating the saying good-bye to old ones, tomorrow, I say hello again to my latest release from The Wild Rose Press entitled Only If You Dare
All of the pleasures and none of the pain, that's what Cynthia Buckingham wants in a relationship these days. Multi-decorated veteran turned judge Jonah Colt has other plans for her.My days to blog here at the Roses of Prose are the 11th and 23rd
Please visit my website at: www.margohoornstra.com
17 comments:
You nailed it. Every day brings a swing in either direction. No wonder my husband thinks I'm a flake.
Congrats on the new release. It sounds great.
Barbara. Your husband too? Glad I'm in such goog company. Thanks for the atta girl.
Good company. I meant good company.
I know exactly what you mean, Margo. We love what we do, hate it, and still keep at it.
Exactly, Diane. See Barbara's comment above. We are what we are, right?
Perfectly stated, Margo. There's nothing like the euphoria of being in the zone and the despair when you're not. Best of luck with your new release.
Brenda. Exactly right. Thanks for the words of support.
I love the beginning (all those fresh ideas) and the end (rushing toward the conclusion). But that dreaded sagging middle... Sigh. I'm not a big fan of the middle. It's like plodding through quicksand. Maybe that's why I enjoy writing novellas so much. By the time you get through the beginning, you're on your way to the end with no middle to bog you down! Go you with your worldwide release--happy sales!
Good point, Jannine. Lately I've been going the novella route too. Somewhere I read it's a preferred length for readers as well. Sagging middles seem to come with the writing territory I'm afraid. Thanks for the happy sales. Here's hoping!
you go, woman!
great post
Kat and Veronica from Wild Women Authors
Kat and Veronica - Good to hear from you! Onward, right?
I think we all have found out that mood swings are caused by writing and that we are crazy to love doing it! Hubby just doesn't understand!
Right on, Melissa! Mine no longer tries to understand. He just nods and smiles!
Right there with you, Margo! Hubby is always asking how productive I've been, especially on the weekends (after I've just finished an exhausting 40-plus-hour week at the day job). I usually tell him everything's great! But a good chunk of that time is struggling to get back in the zone. I once an interview of Eloisa James where she said a good portion of her writing time is spent thinking. So true!
Beautiful! Very well said. Only a writer could relate, but BOY, can we relate!
Leah. Everything you say is so true. Been there, done that! Here's hoping you have some time on the day job for thinking. The guys do try to be supportive. You have to give them that.
Alicia. Writing really is a love AND hate proposition, isn't it?
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