Again, I get this niggle that if I'm not writing short stories or articles and getting them out there, there is no chance of me making money. Bit like the lottery, no point dreaming of how you're going to spend your millions if you haven't bought a ticket!
However, to write the articles, I need to sit down and research the magazines (though I am sort write the article then make it fit a magazine type person). For short stories, I don't know if any of you are similar, but I find it very hard to talk to other characters when I've got some at the forefront of my mind. Currently, Sophie and Adam from The Wedding Favour just keep talking to me!
I think once I have this finished, which I hope to do by the end of the week, then I can get a short story thought up and started. I did even think of a setting, and a hero and heroine for possibly a pocket novel idea. Yet, I can't think of the conflict or the plot to which the characters need to lead.
I'm nearly to the end of The Wedding Favour now . I've just realised there is something in the middle I wanted to include, so may go back and put that in - it just links in with the title nicely, if I chose to keep this title. (Not sure yet.) But it is now a case of getting this ending written. At first I thought there would be no sex, it was looking that way, but now I'm thinking I can probably put a love scene in. (It's not something I relish in, I really worry I'll hash it up lol!) Sex scenes can not be gratuitous, however, if I've strung my readers along to a point of frustration, they might want to 'see' my characters have sex, (or at least move towards the bedroom) otherwise they could close the book fully disappointed.
Anyway, I possibly have two or three, maybe four chapters to go until 'THE END' and then, I can concentrate on my coursework and get a short story written.
Haven't heard anything yet from the stories that I have sent out. Boo! But I think it's early days and I'm just impatient.
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| Before and After finishing The Wedding Favour - maybe? |
(At the moment, I feel like 'before'. Hopefully it won't be long until I'm 'after')
Hi Teresa,
ReplyDeleteI find it difficult to work on different projects at once as well. I get round it by setting aside one day/week to do my WB course (yes, it makes it slow, but on average it means you can submit 1 assignment/month). On this day you just have to put all other writing thoughts from your mind. The rest of the week I concentrate on my main work in progress.
You've said in the past that you want to earn enough to give up your part time job, and writing articles/short stories is probably the way you will do it. Think of it as 'work'. Work out how many articles/short stories you need to place to replace your income and then make sure that you SUBMIT that amount (at least!) after that is 'your' writing time where you can concentrate on your novel.
Thinking logically, if your novel gets published, it is a long time before it gets into actual print and you begin to earn money from it.
Hope this helps
Christine
www.christine-muir.co.uk
Thanks, Christine.
ReplyDeleteYes, I was doing coursework initially weekdays, and novel/hobby writing weekends. But the novel has taken over a bit at the moment - it usually does when you get to the end - you just want it finished!
And the novel is really the 'hobby' side of it, because as you say, it could be a long time before I see any money made from it... if it gets published.
Thanks for the great advice. I do need to organise my thought process, then my actual writing. Just actually getting short stories/articles published, finding that difficult too :-(
Teresa x
Hi Teresa,
ReplyDeleteI'm having the same dilemmas. I have come to the conclusion it is best to focus on one thing at a time and as Christine says 'compartmentalise' my week. I'm also now recording the hours I spend writing on a spreadsheet, so that I start to view it as a job rather than a hobby. Mx
I think Christine has some great advice. I know that the sale of a novel is a really slow thing.
ReplyDeleteYes, I know. And I think that's what I will do. However, I know the novel is a long-term development, it's got to the stage where it is taking over, I might just try and get it written and out of the way, so it can rest and I'll edit later, and slowly. I hope to be done by the end of the week.
ReplyDeleteMy initial plan was that I would work on it the last hour of my day (10-11pm) but it's eaten into more than that recently. Got to be stricter with myself.
Thanks for all the advice... it's working it around kids, and finding the time to research the magazines lol! But I'll get there. Just got to accept it will be a slow process.
The novel is definitely more a long term thing. Look at me, started working on mine sort of Mid 2009, only just now about to get some actual money for it.
ReplyDeleteI think you've said it yourself above actually. Get it finished and then put it aside for a good long rest and start tackling all the magazine reading, coursework and articles and writing stuff. Research some opportunities locally too, for the local paper and its website maybe. Once your novel draft is finished and simmering on the back burner you'll be able to focus more. Where if you're trying to do other stuff while that's fighting for you attention you'll get nowhere.
Yes, this is my decision. Hopefully might have it finished by the weekend if I pull my finger out. Then it will be February and knuckle down time. I did decide January was going to be a catch up month.
ReplyDelete