Time, To Rediscover Your Story
If you’ve written even a couple of stories in your writing life, I’m sure you’ve, at one time or another, lost sight of your story. It happens to me all the time. I’ll have an incredibly clear vision of what my story will be, but once I’ve been writing for a while, my story takes twists and turns I didn’t plan on and before I know it, it looks nothing like I originally thought it would. Sometimes this is a great thing but other times, it stops me dead in...
Read MoreChasing Plot Bunnies
For writers, ideas are prevalent when we open our minds to them. Every time we come into contact with another human being, watch a TV show or movie, read a book, or let our minds wander, ideas pour in whether we realize it or not. And for every story that is told, there are a thousand other ways it could have been told–a thousand more ideas. Sometimes I’ll even sit down with the intention of coming up with an idea that is unique (or as unique as any idea can be in this day and...
Read MoreThe Day I Decided to Quit Writing
Earlier this week, I decided to quit writing. Things in my personal life had come to a breaking point and trying to find time to write only seemed to be making it worse. A couple of my writing friends blogged about how negative people can be to one another, bringing up those old fears of publishing. And, worst of all, my story was falling apart. Have you ever gotten to that point when everything you thought you knew about your novel seemed completely wrong? I’m sure everyone who has...
Read MoreThe First Read
This weekend I did the first read of my novel. I was totally excited about it up until the day I planned to start, when the doubts finally sunk in. I had this vision in my head of the novel I wrote and I was horrified by the thought that what I was about to read wasn’t anything like it. I thought I’d written a visual and heartrending story and by the time I sat down with iPod in hand, I was sure I’d written a cheesy rendition of what could have been a story. Setting the...
Read MoreSeeing Your Name in Print
A couple of weeks ago I finished writing my fictional blog. My critique partner sent it back to me and to go over her notes, I printed it out. It had been a long time since I’d printed one of my stories. I finished my novel over a month ago but I haven’t done the honors yet, so that makes it…my first novel in September 2009. As I watched the pages curl out of the printer, I was amazed at how much I’d written. 70 pages, exactly. I felt a huge sense of pride as I held...
Read MoreDelete the Delete Key – How I Write A Story
Today on Routines for Writers, Larry Brooks wrote a guest post called The Requisite Mindset Shift That Will Get You Published, discussing the writing process and how to write a publishable novel. I don’t know if I write publishable novels yet but after the second time around, I do feel like I know my writing process better. There are as many ways to write a story as there are writers and I always enjoy hearing others’ penning tales…so here’s mine. The Beginning It all...
Read MoreThe Magic of the 1st Draft
Yesterday on Better Writing Habits, Suzannah Windsor Freeman posted Forget These 7 Things for First Draft Freedom. Among other things, the list included grammar, spelling, transitions and word choice. The task was: When you start writing the first draft of your next work-in-progress, challenge yourself to just write, and leave these details for future drafts. I have a love/hate relationship with the first draft, which I am on the front lines of with my current novel. On one hand, being...
Read MoreWhy Writers Persevere In the Face of Doubt
This summer was one of the most difficult times for me as a writer. The year before, I finished my first novel and edited it as far as I could at the time. At the end of last year and the beginning of this one, I made three attempts at a second novel, all of which failed. And, as I struggled to come up with new ideas, I felt uninspired over and over and over again. I went days without writing and then, when I finally made myself sit down and write something–anything–it was...
Read MoreEmbracing Your Writing Routine
A couple of weeks ago I had a physical therapy session with a friend. I’ve been dealing with some postpartum aches and pains and she offered some help so I might avoid going to the doctor. Her therapy sessions are also very spiritual in nature. She encourages mentally and emotionally connecting to the body so her clients can release whatever ails are bothering them. She worked with pressure points and chakras and every time she moved to some place new, she told me to listen to what my...
Read MoreConnecting With the Scene
As I’m sitting here, it’s raining–something we don’t see too often in Arizona, although we’ve been very lucky this week. I don’t know what it is about the rain that revs up my amygdala but if it’s raining, you can be sure to catch me curled up near a window with my notebook in hand (either that, or very agitated that I’m not). It got me thinking about those other things I use to get myself in the mood for writing a scene. Like actors, writers...
Read MoreJamie Raintree
Jamie writes what she likes to call everyday fairytale love stories, featuring the little moments in life that are truly magical. She lives in Northern Arizona with her husband and daughter and is currently editing her second novel.
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