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Showing posts with the label writing

Writer's Wednesday: Revisions/Re-Visions

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Yes, my friends, it's that time again! Revisions! Notes and outlines and corrections and lions and tigers and bears, oh my!  Whenever and wherever I have the chance to work on it. Okay, those are old photos, but you get the idea.  Today's discussion: where am I in the process, and how is it going?  Way back last fall, just before I began drafting Seffi Wardwell #3 ( Edited Out ), I took a squint at #2. My initial reaction was that I'd done an amazing job with the first draft (not something I usually think). My second reaction was that if I thought it was all in such good shape, I needed a second opinion. I don't usually care to have anyone read a story until I've revised it a couple of times, but I needed advice, so Ellen Jacobson kindly agreed to read the MS of Washed Up With the Tide .   Thanks to Ellen's insightful comments, I am now in the process of my usual level of revision and re-vision. Between her comments and my own realizations as I began reading aga

Writer's Wednesday, Happy Solstice, and a break coming up

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Happy Solstice! Somewhere in the next 24 hours the days start getting longer (for us in the north) or shorter (for you folks south of the equator). Winter Solstice is a favorite of mine, because I'm not a huge fan of the dark days of winter and though nothing changes in a hurry, from here we are on our way back to light. Last week I reflected on my NaNo experience, and I believe noted that I was kind of burned out and struggling to keep writing after 40 intense days. That's still kind of true--I've dropped my characters in the middle of the short story was I crafting, because I simply can't seem to make the story gel in my mind. I'm not giving up--but I am letting things percolate in hopes that the glimpses I've gotten of how it works out will turn into a clearer vision so I can write. Meanwhile, I've had a LOT of business to tend to, personal and writer-related. I've managed to send out my newsletter (see sign-up box in the side-bar if you want to get i

NaNo Update (Writer Wednesday comes a day late)

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Well, this has been a mixed bag, as evidenced in part by my post being a day late (look for Photo Friday on Saturday, too).  Of course, having pretty much a week with the house full of company added extra challenges. But every day I was able to write at least a few hundred words, and some days I clobbered the word counts, so at this point I am still well ahead of my target, if not keeping up quite the level of over-achieving I was at the beginning of the month. So my writing time has been up and down. What about the actual writing? You know, the way the story is going and all that? Ups. Way up there. Downs. Way down there.   That's been a bit up and down as well. I have a lot of big holes in the story that need to be filled. And that turns out to be a good thing, because at the moment I seem to have wrapped up the basic story line at about 65,000 words--well short of my usual 80K for a cozy mystery. We'll see how close I come; 70K is still in the ballpark. Of course, I went and

Writer's Wednesday: Research

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Before I start, a tip of my hat to this day 26 years ago, when I became a parent for the first time. What a long, strange trip it's been!   On to writing--or research.  In the run-up to NaNoWriMo I've been posting about the process of preparing to draft my next novel, #3 in the Seffi Wardwell series (I'll be editing #2 once this is drafted, and hope to publish it by June if all goes well). I've talked a lot, now and in the past, about outlines, plotting vs. pantsing (or plantsing, as I mostly do these days). Today, let's talk about research. What kind of research? I'm too lazy to write historical fiction (I'm very hard on writers of same so would really have to educate myself about a period in hopes of avoiding the kind of mistake I hate to see). I set my cozies in fictional contemporary places. And yet... research is still necessary. For the Seffi Wardwell mysteries I'm finding I need two kinds of research. First is the kind you can do in books and on t

IWSG Post: The Good and the Bad

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It's the first Wednesday of the month, and that means it's time for our IWSG post!       Why? The IWSG is here to share and encourage, to offer a place for authors to admit their insecurities and offer help and support to each other. How? The official IWSG posting day is the first Wednesday of every month. Hop around the list and see who has worries, triumphs, and news to share.  Every month we have an optional question to spark discussion.  Our motto:  Let’s rock the neurotic writing world! Our Twitter handle is @TheIWSG and hashtag is #IWSG. The awesome co-hosts for the October 4   posting of the IWSG are  Natalie Aguirre,   Kim Lajevardi,   Debs Carey,   Gwen Gardner,   Patricia Josephine,  and, well, ME! October 4 question: The topic of AI writing has been heavily debated across the world. According to various sources, generative AI will assist writers, not replace them. What are your thoughts? I really don't have much to say in regards to the optional question,

Writer's Update

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 This writer has been doing a lot more hiking than writing, but some work has been done, if mostly in my head. I have decided to draft my 3rd Seffi Wardwell mystery before I begin edits on #2, and hope to have it worked out well enough to jump in with NaNo again.  I’m trying to finish a couple of mystery shorts, one for Seffi and one from the Pismawallops PTA crew, and some progress has happened there, though I can’t quite see the way from where I am to the endings.  Meanwhile, here are a couple of unedited cell phone shots of some of the places I’ve been.  Apologies for any wonkiness. I’m not good at posting from my cell phone!  ©Rebecca M. Douglass, 2022  As always, please ask permission to use any photos or text. Link-backs appreciated. Don't miss a post--click the "Follow-it" link below!

Photo Friday: A few highlights from the Alpine Lakes

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I returned just over a week ago from 8 days on the Pacific Crest Trail through Washington's Alpine Lakes Wilderness. Naturally I haven't even edited 5% of the pictures, so I just picked a few to share and did a quick clean-up on them as a teaser. It may be a few weeks before I get back to editing these and get a full report out, since I'm heading out again, this time for a road trip with camping, hiking, and backpacking! This is one of the times of year when I don't care to sit at home. My brother-in-law snapped this one for me at the start point. Yes, I really do have everything I need for 8 days in that pack, including food. Carrying water for a few hours. Glacier Peak looking bare of ice, and the first hints of trouble to come, lurking in the valleys off that way. The pika may be my favorite animal in the world. A tidy and respectable camp scene. Alternatively, we have my entire kit spread out on the rocks as I prepare to pack up. Yes, Stinklet was along for the ride

#IWSG: Difficult things and new release coming!

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It's the first Wednesday of the month, and that means time for our monthly Insecure Writer's Support Group post! Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds! Posting: The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. Post your thoughts on your own blog. Talk about your doubts and the fears you have conquered. Discuss your struggles and triumphs. Offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling. Visit others in the group and connect with your fellow writer - aim for a dozen new people each time - and return comments. This group is all about connecting--click the image to find the sign-up page and blog list. Let’s rock the neurotic writing world! Our Twitter handle is @TheIWSG and hashtag is #IWSG.   The awesome co-hos

The Craft of Writing: Revision, or Re-vision

Perhaps because my new book-- A Coastal Corpse-- has been such a challenge to write, rewrite, and revise, I feel like I ought to have something helpful to say about the process. After 10 novels and countless short stories, I have learned something, right? Some days I'm not so sure about that (Maybe this should be an Insecure Writers Support Group post!) In all seriousness, though, I do have a few thoughts on the subject, some of which might be helpful to others. Today I'm going to talk about the radical things that may have to happen after I've finished the first draft and let it sit a while. This is all in 1st person because who knows if any of it applies to anyone but me? What now? I've let my MS rest for however long I need (2 weeks to 6 months?). I've re-read it and made notes. What next? Things can go two ways at this point. I might decide that the basic structure is sound, and move on to the next level of editing (a topic for another day). More commonly I fin

#IWSG & Updates

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 It's the first Wednesday, and that means time for our monthly Insecure Writer's Support Group post! Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds! Posting: The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. Post your thoughts on your own blog. Talk about your doubts and the fears you have conquered. Discuss your struggles and triumphs. Offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling. Visit others in the group and connect with your fellow writer - aim for a dozen new people each time - and return comments. This group is all about connecting--click the image to find the sign-up page and blog list. Let’s rock the neurotic writing world! Our Twitter handle is @TheIWSG and hashtag is #IWSG.     The awesome co-hosts for the J

Wednesday Writer's Update

It's time for my twice-a-month writer's update (which is sort of roughly kind of every other Wednesday?) Selling books at a local arts fair: On Sunday I had a table at the Phinneywood Art Sale & Stroll. I set my expectations as low as possible, especially since the weather forecast was for rain, thunder-storms, and generally poor conditions for a street fair. I should have had more faith in Seattlites. Not only did they come out in spite of the periodic showers, but they were in a buying mood. Huge thanks to those who bought, especially my first customer who took me up on the bulk price for all 5 Pismawallops PTA mysteries. Made my day. A Coastal Corpse: The first novel in my new "Seffi Wardwell Mysteries" series is getting really close to ready. A combination of inertia and something a bit like superstition has me running way behind on all the things that should be happening as we approach the release of a new novel, from cover art to writing blurbs and beginning

Home again/Writer Update

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Thanks to an injury to my foot (exact extent of the problem TBD when I see the doctor Thursday), I came home early. Also thanks to that injury, I've been putting in some long hours on the last stages of revision before I send A Coastal Corpse to my beta readers to see how I've done at addressing the issues that sidelined it last year. I'll be sending it out in a few days. If you are willing to read for cohesion, consistency, character, and plot (but not yet polish), let me know and I'll include you. Meanwhile, I wrote 2/3 of a short story while hanging about in the bottom of the Grand Canyon, and will get back to that as soon as I get the novel out. I missed the deadline for the original inspiration for the story, but will find other markets when it's ready. I also did a lot of sitting and thinking down there (and a certain amount of just sitting); some of that may come out here and there in my writing as well.   Cloaked Press's Spring into Sci Fi 2023 , contai

IWSG: On the Road

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I'm traveling again, so I may not be able to visit you right away if you comment. But I will get there. And do drop around and visit the other participants!   Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds! Posting: The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. Post your thoughts on your own blog. Talk about your doubts and the fears you have conquered. Discuss your struggles and triumphs. Offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling. Visit others in the group and connect with your fellow writer - aim for a dozen new people each time - and return comments. This group is all about connecting--and we owe it all to the amazing Ninja Captain Alex ! Let’s rock the neurotic writing world! Our Twitter handle is @TheIWSG and ha