So...it's been a busy couple of weeks for me. The short version: I landed a "real" job. Don't get me wrong, I've been working "real", 9-5(ish) jobs since I graduated from college two years ago, but I just landed a job doing what I'm going to grad school for: being a youth services librarian. I start in two weeks.
What does this mean for writing? Well, for starters, I will have my afternoons free, at least for the time being. Of course, a lot of that time will still be used for school, but it should - in an ideal world, at least - give me more time for writing. Maybe I can even get a chunk of this thing done soon.
I've realized that there's no way in hell I'll have the novel done by the end of the 2012. Looking back, that was probably an overly optimistic goal. Working two jobs, going to grad school, and writing a novel? Yeah, that's a lot. And I'm finally okay with admitting that. Thing is, I graduate in May, and I know deep down I'll have more time to work on it then. I also know myself and that I'm going to go a little stir crazy not having school to worry about; I did the same thing during the year I took off between undergrad and grad school.
So the bottom line is, I'm still going to work on this thing, and hopefully I can now turn it into more of a routine. If (when) I don't finish it by the time I'd set for myself, though, I'm not going to be terribly disappointed. I'd rather take my time with it and have it come out right than rush through it. At least I have a much better idea of where I'm going with it now than I did when I started.
On a side note, I started re-reading The Great Gatsby last night for the first time since junior year of high school. That book really inspires me, so who knows -- maybe that'll help me with this :)
Sunday, September 9, 2012
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
A breakthrough?!
I might have figured out the next step for this. Like the idea for the story as a whole, it came to me completely randomly. It seems like the intuitive next step, but I'm worried it's a little cliche. Something about it just seems right, though.
I don't really want to say what it is until I write enough to know whether or not it works. So..stay tuned, I guess?
This might be the most cryptic thing I've ever written lol.
I don't really want to say what it is until I write enough to know whether or not it works. So..stay tuned, I guess?
This might be the most cryptic thing I've ever written lol.
Monday, May 21, 2012
The process
"There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed." - Ernest Hemingway
I've never been the type of person to outline or even plan things out too much in my creative writing. When I first started writing the novella, I frankly had no idea how it was going to end; one of its major plot lines did not even occur to me until I had been working on it for about a month. When I plan my writing too much, it sounds trite. To me, the best raw, emotional content comes from writing on the fly. This is virtually the only area of my life where I like to be spontaneous, and I wouldn't have it any other way. Deep down, I think once I have the time to really sit down with this and start formulating sentences, I'll be fine. It's the planning that's psyching me out.
Until I wrote the novella in my capstone and was required to spend a solid month editing it, I always likened my writing style to a flash flood, or a tornado, or something of that ilk. My inspiration would come full force out of nowhere, and I would frantically create page after page without so much as a break. Before I knew it, I would be done, and that would be that. Now I have a better handle at going back and seeing what realistically works and what doesn't, although the major chunk of my writing is still created in a few long, frenetic sittings. After any of these sessions, I tend to feel as if a weight has been lifted from my shoulders; in this respect, Hemingway is dead on in his comparison of writing to bleeding, especially since I consider my words to be such a part of me.
I've never been the type of person to outline or even plan things out too much in my creative writing. When I first started writing the novella, I frankly had no idea how it was going to end; one of its major plot lines did not even occur to me until I had been working on it for about a month. When I plan my writing too much, it sounds trite. To me, the best raw, emotional content comes from writing on the fly. This is virtually the only area of my life where I like to be spontaneous, and I wouldn't have it any other way. Deep down, I think once I have the time to really sit down with this and start formulating sentences, I'll be fine. It's the planning that's psyching me out.
Until I wrote the novella in my capstone and was required to spend a solid month editing it, I always likened my writing style to a flash flood, or a tornado, or something of that ilk. My inspiration would come full force out of nowhere, and I would frantically create page after page without so much as a break. Before I knew it, I would be done, and that would be that. Now I have a better handle at going back and seeing what realistically works and what doesn't, although the major chunk of my writing is still created in a few long, frenetic sittings. After any of these sessions, I tend to feel as if a weight has been lifted from my shoulders; in this respect, Hemingway is dead on in his comparison of writing to bleeding, especially since I consider my words to be such a part of me.
Sunday, May 20, 2012
This is a lesson in procrastination...
Hi! And thanks to Brand New for my subject line.
So...today is May 20. Which means we're nearly at the halfway point for 2012. Which means I should be nearly halfway done with this endeavor, eh?
I'm almost embarrassed to admit how little I've worked on this since I last posted. It's not that I don't want to. Trust me, nothing would make me happier than having a solid, dependable chunk of time to write each week. Unfortunately, my life doesn't work like that. During my semester break from school (which lasted all of two and a half weeks, but yeah), I worked a lot of extra hours. I also went away for a few days. Now my summer semester is starting, and that extra time has been replaced by learning about designing databases and the like. I barely have time to see my friends or go to the gym, much less write.
A large part of my problem is that I'm still lacking inspiration. That's the one thing I hate about creativity: when you have it, you have it. And when it runs dry...well, this is what happens. Thing is, I know that if I try hard enough, I can break out of my slump. I have before. It just requires a lot of time, like most things worth doing. This is why I think I'm going to seek out some writing prompts and start posting them in here. Sure, they probably won't be related to my story, but they should at least get me back into the habit of writing.
When it comes down to it, there's really no rush to finish this. I would rather take longer and be happier with the end result than half-ass it quickly. My only (somewhat irrational) fear is that if I don't do it now, I won't get to do it at all. This is why I need to at least start doing something. Starting small is better than nothing.
The way I see it is that if I can schedule things like working out, catching up on my TV shows, and occasionally going out, I can schedule writing too. So, with that in mind, my new goal is to post something in here at least once a week. It doesn't matter what it is, as long as its related to getting this thing going. It's a start, right?
Wish me luck!
So...today is May 20. Which means we're nearly at the halfway point for 2012. Which means I should be nearly halfway done with this endeavor, eh?
I'm almost embarrassed to admit how little I've worked on this since I last posted. It's not that I don't want to. Trust me, nothing would make me happier than having a solid, dependable chunk of time to write each week. Unfortunately, my life doesn't work like that. During my semester break from school (which lasted all of two and a half weeks, but yeah), I worked a lot of extra hours. I also went away for a few days. Now my summer semester is starting, and that extra time has been replaced by learning about designing databases and the like. I barely have time to see my friends or go to the gym, much less write.
A large part of my problem is that I'm still lacking inspiration. That's the one thing I hate about creativity: when you have it, you have it. And when it runs dry...well, this is what happens. Thing is, I know that if I try hard enough, I can break out of my slump. I have before. It just requires a lot of time, like most things worth doing. This is why I think I'm going to seek out some writing prompts and start posting them in here. Sure, they probably won't be related to my story, but they should at least get me back into the habit of writing.
When it comes down to it, there's really no rush to finish this. I would rather take longer and be happier with the end result than half-ass it quickly. My only (somewhat irrational) fear is that if I don't do it now, I won't get to do it at all. This is why I need to at least start doing something. Starting small is better than nothing.
The way I see it is that if I can schedule things like working out, catching up on my TV shows, and occasionally going out, I can schedule writing too. So, with that in mind, my new goal is to post something in here at least once a week. It doesn't matter what it is, as long as its related to getting this thing going. It's a start, right?
Wish me luck!
Friday, March 2, 2012
Stuck?
So, I have to say...February was a tough month for me, writing-wise. Not to make excuses, but I started a new job a few weeks ago. This brought with it a completely different schedule than my old one had, and I'm just now becoming adjusted to it. Needless to say, working on the novel wasn't one of my major priorities during the changeover. School also started picking up for me. The beginning of this semester (the whole month of January, really) was surprisingly laid-back. When February hit, I got slammed with group projects. Three of those projects are still going on and will be for the next month. However, I'm determined to build writing time back into my schedule.
Admittedly, part of my problem is that I'm still not entirely sure where to go with the story. I have a tendency to write either really dark or really happy things; for whatever reason, there's very little in-between with me. The original novella is very dark, and I'm having trouble figuring out how to build upon it. There's a fine line between dark and melodramatic, and I'm so afraid of crossing it. I don't want to overcompensate and make it too light either.
In February, I did have the opportunity to have two friends read the novella and give me their comments on it. Both helped a tremendous amount (a big thanks to Ashley and Andrew, if you happen to be reading this!), and were great to bounce ideas off. If anyone else wants to take a look at it, I'd be happy to send it to you. Just email me at apparitions.tango@gmail.com. I don't know, sometimes having a fresh set of eyes helps lol.
I think I need to set aside a certain amount of time just for writing/brainstorming each week. I know I don't have the time to work on it every single day, but a few hours a week is probably manageable. Hopefully I'll work this out in time for my next post!
Admittedly, part of my problem is that I'm still not entirely sure where to go with the story. I have a tendency to write either really dark or really happy things; for whatever reason, there's very little in-between with me. The original novella is very dark, and I'm having trouble figuring out how to build upon it. There's a fine line between dark and melodramatic, and I'm so afraid of crossing it. I don't want to overcompensate and make it too light either.
In February, I did have the opportunity to have two friends read the novella and give me their comments on it. Both helped a tremendous amount (a big thanks to Ashley and Andrew, if you happen to be reading this!), and were great to bounce ideas off. If anyone else wants to take a look at it, I'd be happy to send it to you. Just email me at apparitions.tango@gmail.com. I don't know, sometimes having a fresh set of eyes helps lol.
I think I need to set aside a certain amount of time just for writing/brainstorming each week. I know I don't have the time to work on it every single day, but a few hours a week is probably manageable. Hopefully I'll work this out in time for my next post!
Monday, January 30, 2012
Inspiration
Without a doubt, music was my biggest inspiration for the novella, and it continues to stay rooted as I work on expanding it. The story takes place in New Jersey, my home state. I may be biased, but NJ definitely has one of the richest alternative music scenes in the US. Need proof? We created Bruce Springsteen!
I got the idea for the novella while reading an interview with the Bouncing Souls. I can't even put my finger on what exactly triggered the inspiration, but I knew right away that I wanted to write about a punk band from NJ. The band in the story is in no way based upon the Souls, but they set the stage for the scene in which the story takes place. Like the real band, my fictional one came up in the New Brunswick basement scene, which has a distinct DIY quality. Many bands from this scene continue making music for years, and so does the band in the novel.
At the start of each chapter, I included a song lyric from a New Jersey band. Some of my classmates in my creative writing capstone questioned why I would only consider bands from NJ for this, but the reason is simple: most of these bands have, at some point, inspired one another. It was only logical for me to root the action in this. In New Jersey, this scene is almost like a family, and I wanted that feeling to come across in my writing.
I've added a new page that mentions many of the bands that inspired this by name. As an aside, the title of the novella was taken from the Ramones.
There are obviously some aspects of the novel that were not influenced by music. Jarred's prescription drug addiction, for example, actually stemmed from a discussion we had in class after I shared the first chapter of the novella. Originally, I wrote him with a street drug dependency, but my classmates convinced me Oxycotin was more compelling and perhaps even more realistic. As I've mentioned in previous posts, this plot line required a lot of research.
My other influences have all been random things I've read or people I've encountered over the years.
I got the idea for the novella while reading an interview with the Bouncing Souls. I can't even put my finger on what exactly triggered the inspiration, but I knew right away that I wanted to write about a punk band from NJ. The band in the story is in no way based upon the Souls, but they set the stage for the scene in which the story takes place. Like the real band, my fictional one came up in the New Brunswick basement scene, which has a distinct DIY quality. Many bands from this scene continue making music for years, and so does the band in the novel.
At the start of each chapter, I included a song lyric from a New Jersey band. Some of my classmates in my creative writing capstone questioned why I would only consider bands from NJ for this, but the reason is simple: most of these bands have, at some point, inspired one another. It was only logical for me to root the action in this. In New Jersey, this scene is almost like a family, and I wanted that feeling to come across in my writing.
I've added a new page that mentions many of the bands that inspired this by name. As an aside, the title of the novella was taken from the Ramones.
There are obviously some aspects of the novel that were not influenced by music. Jarred's prescription drug addiction, for example, actually stemmed from a discussion we had in class after I shared the first chapter of the novella. Originally, I wrote him with a street drug dependency, but my classmates convinced me Oxycotin was more compelling and perhaps even more realistic. As I've mentioned in previous posts, this plot line required a lot of research.
My other influences have all been random things I've read or people I've encountered over the years.
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Quick Update
I haven't had much time to write (or read, for that matter), this week, which is why I haven't made a real update. I did, however, add two new pages to the blog: About This Blog and Contact Me. Both can be accessed via the tabs at the top of the main site as well. Hopefully I'll have a more detailed bio up there at some point this week.
In the meantime, feel free to contact me with any ideas for posts you'd like to see!
In the meantime, feel free to contact me with any ideas for posts you'd like to see!
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Research
One thing that kind of sucks about picking this manuscript up after a year and a half (aside from being reminded of how long ago I graduated college lol) is that I basically need to re-research everything. The narrator, Jarred, has an Oxycontin addiction. I, fortunately, have no firsthand experience with this, but that leaves me with a lot of information to find. What's an Oxy high like? What happens to you physiologically if you overdose? It's a lot to think about. How much does a bottle of pills cost, and how do users abuse them?
Fortunately, I found a rather nifty and incredibly easy-to-read memoir that I've been working off. If anyone's interested in reading it, it's called Pill Head: The Secret Life of a Painkiller Addict, and it's written by Joshua Lyon. As it turns out, one of my friends on Goodreads recently posted a review of it, and I knew it would be perfect for what I need. The book does a really good job of describing the prescription drug abuse culture and has helped me root my story in something much more realistic. It's also much more interesting to read than pharmaceutical and medical websites, which is where I did most of my research before.
The fun part of my research involves watching lots of band documentaries, reading interviews with musicians, etc. I hung out with a few bands in college, so I have a pretty good idea of how their dynamics work, but more research is always helpful! Sadly, I wish I had more time to do it.
Fortunately, I found a rather nifty and incredibly easy-to-read memoir that I've been working off. If anyone's interested in reading it, it's called Pill Head: The Secret Life of a Painkiller Addict, and it's written by Joshua Lyon. As it turns out, one of my friends on Goodreads recently posted a review of it, and I knew it would be perfect for what I need. The book does a really good job of describing the prescription drug abuse culture and has helped me root my story in something much more realistic. It's also much more interesting to read than pharmaceutical and medical websites, which is where I did most of my research before.
The fun part of my research involves watching lots of band documentaries, reading interviews with musicians, etc. I hung out with a few bands in college, so I have a pretty good idea of how their dynamics work, but more research is always helpful! Sadly, I wish I had more time to do it.
Sunday, January 8, 2012
I just reread the novella (which is called We're a Happy Family, by the way) from start to finish in an effort to figure out exactly where I should be adding stuff. I found a couple of spots that could use more development in the middle, but I think I'm mainly going to have to add on to the end. The toughest part is definitely figuring out what I want to do with the characters.
Thankfully, I left the ending fairly open after all the editing was said and done for the first part. It's actually less resolved than I thought it was, which should be a huge help. I think my biggest concern for the time being is how to avoid making it melodramatic. The plot is already extremely dark and deals with prescription drug addiction, sexual assault, and suicide, among other issues, and I know there's a fine line between making it compelling and turning it into a soap opera. It's also been a long time - almost two years - since I've done major research on painkiller addiction, so I'm going to have to pick that up again.
The good thing is, I'm really determined to do this! I forgot how much I love the story and the characters, and I really do want to challenge myself with this. It's going to be a massive undertaking with work and grad school, but I think I have the motivation I'm going to need.
Also, thanks to everyone who's started reading the blog so far! You guys will definitely be a motivating factor for me :)
Thankfully, I left the ending fairly open after all the editing was said and done for the first part. It's actually less resolved than I thought it was, which should be a huge help. I think my biggest concern for the time being is how to avoid making it melodramatic. The plot is already extremely dark and deals with prescription drug addiction, sexual assault, and suicide, among other issues, and I know there's a fine line between making it compelling and turning it into a soap opera. It's also been a long time - almost two years - since I've done major research on painkiller addiction, so I'm going to have to pick that up again.
The good thing is, I'm really determined to do this! I forgot how much I love the story and the characters, and I really do want to challenge myself with this. It's going to be a massive undertaking with work and grad school, but I think I have the motivation I'm going to need.
Also, thanks to everyone who's started reading the blog so far! You guys will definitely be a motivating factor for me :)
Friday, January 6, 2012
Why this blog?
As I said in my bio, I love to write. Writing has been one of my biggest loves since I was a toddler; before I could put pencil to paper, I would literally dictate stories to my mom and have her write them down. I'm not just doing this as an outlet in which to write, though -- I'm actually in the process of writing a novel and thought this could be a nifty way to stick with it.
You see, when I took my creative writing capstone as a college senior, I wrote a 67-page novella. At the time, I would have liked to have written more, but that wasn't the assignment. Not to toot my own horn or anything, but I really enjoyed the way it came out. As a result, I left it as is. It's pretty complete from beginning to end, and it definitely stands well on its own.
Sadly, there's no market for novellas these days (which, as an aside, I find to be remarkable -- in this on-the-go society, wouldn't shorter fiction be a great sell? Novellas are more developed than short stories but can easily be read in a short period of time. Perfect, right? But I digress.) That said, I'd love to get my work published...but in order to do that, I need to make it longer (by at least 40,000 words, give or take!). Considering that I work two jobs and go to grad school, that's a massive undertaking.
Honestly, the thought of expanding the novella occurred to me a few months ago. I wrote ten more pages or so before realizing that I need to come up with a plan of how to do this. So far, I have two ideas:
1. Add new chapters throughout, making the plotline more complex
2. Add on to the end, and have the novella serve as a "Part I" or something
I'm leaning towards Option #2, but I haven't figured out an ending yet. Last year, I tended to get frustrated by this and gave up rather easily. I'm hoping that won't be the case in 2012. I'm not a New Year's resolution person by any means, but my goal for this year is to figure out what the hell I'm doing and turn this into a complete, cohesive, novel-length manuscript that I can start shopping around to publishers. Hopefully this blog will help me along the way.
You see, when I took my creative writing capstone as a college senior, I wrote a 67-page novella. At the time, I would have liked to have written more, but that wasn't the assignment. Not to toot my own horn or anything, but I really enjoyed the way it came out. As a result, I left it as is. It's pretty complete from beginning to end, and it definitely stands well on its own.
Sadly, there's no market for novellas these days (which, as an aside, I find to be remarkable -- in this on-the-go society, wouldn't shorter fiction be a great sell? Novellas are more developed than short stories but can easily be read in a short period of time. Perfect, right? But I digress.) That said, I'd love to get my work published...but in order to do that, I need to make it longer (by at least 40,000 words, give or take!). Considering that I work two jobs and go to grad school, that's a massive undertaking.
Honestly, the thought of expanding the novella occurred to me a few months ago. I wrote ten more pages or so before realizing that I need to come up with a plan of how to do this. So far, I have two ideas:
1. Add new chapters throughout, making the plotline more complex
2. Add on to the end, and have the novella serve as a "Part I" or something
I'm leaning towards Option #2, but I haven't figured out an ending yet. Last year, I tended to get frustrated by this and gave up rather easily. I'm hoping that won't be the case in 2012. I'm not a New Year's resolution person by any means, but my goal for this year is to figure out what the hell I'm doing and turn this into a complete, cohesive, novel-length manuscript that I can start shopping around to publishers. Hopefully this blog will help me along the way.
Who am I?
Let's see. I graduated from college in 2010 with a degree in literature/creative writing and a minor in political science. After taking a year off, I decided to get my Master's in library science so I can become a children's librarian. As you can probably tell, I'm in love with the written word. Reading and writing are my thing and always have been.
Some of my other passions include music, being creative, sports, animals, and working out. I grew up in New Jersey, and New York City is probably my favorite place in the world. My family and friends mean everything to me. Although I'm fairly quiet, I love people and figuring out why they act the way they do.
I'm also horrible at writing about myself. Honestly, this post sounded much better in my head when I was thinking it over in the car. Hopefully, I'll come back and edit this when I'm feeling more inspired.
Some of my other passions include music, being creative, sports, animals, and working out. I grew up in New Jersey, and New York City is probably my favorite place in the world. My family and friends mean everything to me. Although I'm fairly quiet, I love people and figuring out why they act the way they do.
I'm also horrible at writing about myself. Honestly, this post sounded much better in my head when I was thinking it over in the car. Hopefully, I'll come back and edit this when I'm feeling more inspired.
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