Wednesday, October 19, 2005

Desperate Author Syndrome

Sometimes it's pretty intimidating trying to be fresh and brilliant day after day. Writers have to "perform" on command, even on bad days, even when they'd rather be doing anything else. Sometimes there just isn't enough chocolate in the world to keep me seated in this chair. And then I remind myself what my wonderful critique partner told me. I don't have to be brilliant or better than anyone else. I just have to do what I do. I just have to be me. And I ain't always brilliant.

4 comments:

  1. Cheryl St.JohnWednesday, October 19, 2005 2:43:00 PM

    Girl, I LIKE the way you think! LOL

    Why, YES! I am a brilliant author and fresh ideas are just overflowing! LOL

    I do have an another "idea" post in the works, so stay tuned.

    :::smooch!:::

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  2. MaureenThursday, October 20, 2005 5:34:00 AM

    I think of writing as an art and I have to think that it is not like an assembly line where you consistently produce the same product.

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  3. Cheryl St.JohnThursday, October 20, 2005 9:06:00 AM

    Exactly. You might find a method that works for you once or twice, but the same technique doesn't always work. I find myself trying new things and placing my focus in new areas. This year I've plotted books using the Story Magic technique, though I've tweaked the grids to work for me. I made templates of character grids and fill them out entirely before I attempt to write a synopsis. I just did this over the past week, as a matter of fact. I took the Writers Brainstorming Kit to my critique group on Friday night and came up with a story idea. Monday I sat and filled out the grids and another sheet I use that I call my character prep sheet -- and I also made a list of 25 things that could happen. I do that for each book without fail. From those, I can write a synopsis, and I wrote a ten page one in the following two days. It's done and awaiting a fresh eye. I like to let it sit a day or two before looking at it again. And then it will be off to my agent.

    But that's just my current process. Next year I may be doing something else. LOL

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  4. MeljprincessFriday, October 21, 2005 8:15:00 AM

    My mother always told me "Do the best you can do and that's all you can do" so I stick to that.

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