tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6312598758657459224.post8548815996415711070..comments2023-08-24T08:52:33.020-07:00Comments on Book Readress: Advice to an aspiring novelistKelly Brysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08324622421797199560noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6312598758657459224.post-33365232128396130392009-09-07T20:04:46.620-07:002009-09-07T20:04:46.620-07:00Thanks Katherine! I had finished my first draft be...Thanks Katherine! I had finished my first draft before I joined a crit group, but I think that was because I wasn't a 'real' writer in my mind:) I do wish they'd taught a bit more then 'just write' in my single college creative writing course, but that was a good thing to learn, too. Perhaps more was taught and I didn't get it then.Kelly Brysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08324622421797199560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6312598758657459224.post-1910285017922853732009-09-06T12:04:20.433-07:002009-09-06T12:04:20.433-07:00I hear this a lot - writers are afraid to put thei...I hear this a lot - writers are afraid to put their work "out there" for fear it will be stolen, but I never worried about this. For that matter, after you publish something someone could still "copy cat" your idea or plot or whatever - but they can never copy your unique style or voice, in most instances anyway.<br><br>A critique group can also help writers to recognize things "not to do" because they'll begin to recognize it in the other member's writing! this is an invaluable way to learn! You read/see the writer making some "mistake" and you think "Oh wait...wait a minute..." and it is that AHA! moment I keep talking about in my posts.<br><br>Only thing I tell writers: if you are writing a novel, make sure you feel confident about where you are going with it before you begin the critique process or you may become a bit confused with all the advice.<br><br>Finding three or four people you really really trust to read and be honest is invaluable - and I suggest using writers AND those who are not writers!Kathryn Magendiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12863595228298349863noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6312598758657459224.post-3712635664519913182009-09-04T05:22:53.646-07:002009-09-04T05:22:53.646-07:00Thanks to our guest moderator, Teresa! Jubileyn- f...Thanks to our guest moderator, Teresa! <br>Jubileyn- finding the time and keeping it there is really hard. I'm trying to make my writing time sacred- that means control how much time I spend on the internet, how much time I spend reading writing tips, agent blogs, etc. but it also means that if I piddle away my writing time, it's gone. I can't borrow time from my kids, so I'm working on making every minute count. That sounds like a good idea for my blog...hmmm. It's perfectly normal for it to take A LONG TIME. I thought about my WIP for a few years and wrote only very occassionally on it. Then I started taking the kids to a preschool coop, and on my days off, I wrote. So I started with just a few hours a week. I did that for a year. Then I started writing in earnest, and I typically write three hours a day now. Sometimes if I lose my hours, or I 've decided I need the chapter done so I can get on with my life, I'll stay up and work until two am, but there's a huge price to pay for that, so I don't do that unless I've had a terribly slow week. The concept and plot have changed (read: improved) drastically since my early drafts, and that's normal, too. Good luck! -KellyKelly Brysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08324622421797199560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6312598758657459224.post-10963157114770950502009-09-03T19:58:12.301-07:002009-09-03T19:58:12.301-07:00Thanks so much, Teresa. I figured I wasn't an ...Thanks so much, Teresa. I figured I wasn't an alien species of authoress or something, but it's good to check. ;) <br><br>As for OWW, I've checked it out and it really looks like it could be the place for me. Now that I have a job, I can afford it.Jubileynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10683842315737260564noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6312598758657459224.post-19273647089018622872009-09-03T17:06:01.924-07:002009-09-03T17:06:01.924-07:00Jubileyn,I work 40+ hours a week at my job, keep h...Jubileyn,<br><br>I work 40+ hours a week at my job, keep house and husband happy, and I have a volunteer organization that I spend a lot of time on, too. I have my blog, and I'm working through the middle draft of my novel. Oh, and did I mention that I'm going back to college part-time? ;-)<br><br>I set aside two to three hours every evening after dinner to write. Sometimes I write pages, sometimes I only manage to get a couple of paragraphs or a little editing done. I've just spent the last year discipling myself to carve out those hours in the evening.<br><br>I also know a lot of writers like you who often take years to complete a manuscript. I quit writing when my daughter was young, because she needed her mom around. Now that she's grown, I have the time to pursue my writing the way I wanted to when I was young. I also believe my maturity has helped me as a writer.<br><br>So take twenty years to complete your manuscript - I think it's like Lisa Mannetti said, you have to enjoy it. If you love to write, it won't matter how long it takes.<br><br>By the way, I'm a faithful fan of OWW, too. OWW requires a membership fee, so while anyone can join, usually only serious writers are willing to pay. I'm like Kelly, I'm working too hard on my own novel to worry about "ripping" somebody else's ideas.<br><br>What great advice, Kelly! I'm glad you addressed the topic of being afraid to join a critique group. I think if I'd had my OWW critique group working with me on my novel, I'd probably be finished now. Writing it all by myself really wasted a lot of time.<br><br>TeresaTeresahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04807817898955012947noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6312598758657459224.post-37127071564817991812009-09-02T19:01:03.409-07:002009-09-02T19:01:03.409-07:00I have to say, the fact that you are on your third...I have to say, the fact that you are on your third draft and haven't given up yet is very inspiring. I have few writer friends who are interested in being published (only one, actually), so it's hard to find people who are either a) experienced, or b) relate to the struggles and joys of writing a novel. <br><br>I am still on my first draft and things are not going well, because at this moment I am a full-time college student with a job and strong ties to my church. This keeps me away from my writing for weeks at a time. And sometimes when I get free time, I am completely uninspired.<br><br>I've been writing for a year and a half and so far I have 37,000 words, give or take. Is all of this normal?Jubileynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10683842315737260564noreply@blogger.com