Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes. . .

I can’t believe what happened to me yesterday.  I was mad and more than that, embarrassed. 

Almost a year ago, I registered my own domain – www.jimwisneski.com.  I had a friend who had just started his own IT company and gave me a great deal being one of his first customers.  He worked hard on the site and when it was done, I had something to show.  But as time went on, it became kind of a pain in the butt to keep updating a site.  And now if you go to the site it’s three month’s behind on updates, the personal interview is all wrong, and the stories there aren’t what I would considered to be my best.

Worse than that, when I went to Writers n’ Writers (my writing blog), I wanted to find a story I posted there. . . but I couldn’t.  In the cluster f*&k of links and posts, I couldn’t find my own story.  Then I realized that if I couldn’t find a story, how could you, my readers, find a story?

And for that, I apologize to all you wonderful guys and gals out there who follow me and support me.  But I think I’ve fixed the problem but I’d like your feedback too!

I have been thinking of ways to get more people involved in my #fridayflash stories.  I average about 20 comments a week – with a range of 13-30. . . but I’ll admit it, I want MORE!  I’m jealous of all you #ff writers who have 40-50 comments. . . damn you!  J

But after seeing how hard it was to find a story, how can I blame anyone for seeing that site and running like hell. . . I know I would!

So let’s move forward by going back. . .

What’s the purpose of Writers n’ Writers?  When I started writing seriously, I was so overwhelmed by the information on writing, agents, queries, do this, don’t do that, etc. that I would spend more time reading articles than writing.  When I finally got a grip on things I wanted to create a simple blog with nothing but links to posts I find on the internet that I feel are helpful.  My goal was that if someone wanted to learn a little about writing, instead of Googling and getting confused, they could stop at Writers n’ Writers and check out some great articles. 

But through time and work and writing and blah blah blah I started to merge things together.  My bad!  I started posting #ff stories there and in the mix of the 20 posts I have each week on Wn’W, the stories got lost and so did the interest of my readers. . . and again, I do not blame you one bit!

So here’s my solution. . .  (drum roll please)

I’ve started another blog. . . yes, I know, another one.  I’m crazy, insane, loopy, weird. . . yea, I know, but just listen. . . J

I’m unveiling right now a new site at www.jimwisneski.wordpress.com.  This will be nothing but stories and poetry.  There will be #fridayflash, micro fiction, fiction, and poetry.  That’s it.  Nothing else.  The tags are organized, the categories are organized, and the sidebar is simple.  You can sign up and receive an email each time I post something there (which if you sign up for the email notices, I will forever cherish you!).  There is a spot to see the most recent stories, recent comments, and a dropdown box for the categories.  BOOM!  Done!

This way, all you great people who read my stories can go there and do just that – READ my stories.  No crazy links, no hundred posts to sift through to find the stories, none of that stuff.  That stuff belongs on Writers n’ Writers because it serves a purpose to be there – to help writers. 

Now, I know what you’re thinking. . . “Jim, you have like a million blogs, sites, etc. . . we love you, but not that much to follow all this stuff. . . I mean, come on, it’s not like you’re Stephen King or anything. . .”

And to all of you who thought that I respond by saying, “I know.”

But wait, I have another solution!  (Drum roll again. . . please)

I have found a use for www.jimwisneski.com in all this mess. . . and here’s the plan:

The main page of jw will be an intro about me and then will have all my links.  Looking to read my stories?  Click here.  Looking to read some writing articles?  Click here.  Looking to learn about my little ezine called Soft Whispers?  Click here.  Looking to listen to some of my awesome music?  Click here. 

The ABOUT JIM will obviously be updated and then the WRITINGS page will have a few of my personal favorite stories. . . the stories that if you didn’t know me and wanted to get a feel for my style, these would be the ones I’d give you to read.

And then of course, the CONTACT page (which again if you sign up, I will forever cherish you!)

BING!  BANG!  BOOM!

I think that solves most of the problems and confusion that I’ve had and you’ve had.  To those who have sent me emails telling me you’re confused, THANK YOU!  And please never ever be afraid to email me if you have a comment or suggestion about anything.  You, the reader, are the reason I write and without you, I have words and paper.  With you, I have stories to tell.  Dig it?  Savvy?  Good.

Oh, and one more thing – WordPress has a BlackBerry app so I have my new blog for my stories on my bb, so when you comment I can get a notice and reply – no matter how far away I am. . . which is another HUGE feature for me because I like to hear from my readers but I also like to respond and talk to them. . .

So, with that said, hop over to www.jimwisneski.wordpress.com and start leaving comments on my new 99 word micro fiction story titled THE LEAD and then hop back over tomorrow morning for my #fridayflash titled JANIE’S NEW EYES.  (I expect my BlackBerry to ringing ALL DAY AND ALL NIGHT with comments!)

And thanks again for reading, following, supporting – and yelling at – me.  You’re the best!

Jim

2k10. . . welcome. . .

2k10. . .

Well, before I look to this year, I’m going to take a quick second to reflect on 2k9.  The year I found myself.  The year all hell broke loose.  The year that rock bottom was hit.  The year the pen never ran out of ink, the lead in the pencil never faded, and the keys always did what I told them to. 

Though it was the scariest year I’ve ever lived, it gave me strength and confidence that I never knew existed.  From opening that first rejection letter and feeling my stomach drop to getting my first check for my writing, it was nothing short of a wild rolley-coasta.

My official publishing count was thirteen.  A story a month published?  Works for me.  AND for 2k10, I already have about five stories locked up for publication.  My estimated word count sits at 300,000.  For me, after taken a five year hiatus from writing, that’s a shitload of words (pardon my Francais).  That word count comes from a full novel, a half novel, a NaNo novel, a #fridayflash story every Friday starting in mid August, a novella, and dozens of short stories.  That word count doesn’t include these fantastic blog posts I make every now and then.

The 12 Days of Christmas project was a huge success. . . the turnout, the comments, and material.  And as I am typing this, the proof copy is being sent to me which means the paperback version will be out soon.

I’ve met some of the greatest people I’ve ever met and feel like I’ve been welcomed into a great community of writers. 

I thank everyone who stopped by my blog, followed me on Twitter, read a story, commented on a story, refused to comment on a story because it was a terrible story, those who listened to my music, those who sent in lyrics, those who send in lines for the A Line at a Time, and those who have stuck behind me while I figure out what the hell to do with Soft Whispers magazine!

What am I hoping for in 2k10?

Lots of writing.  I’ve got a couple novels in the works.  I’ve got lots of shorts in the works.  I’ve got a novella idea.  But most of all, I’ve got hope and confidence.  Last year I was like the new kid in class.  I was a little confused, embarrassed myself a few times, stood up too early only to be crushed, but I got back up again.  I was self conscious about the words on the paper and the words being sent out.  I fell trap to a reading fee with a publishing only to learn that everyone was right about not paying a reading fee to a publishing (F.Y.I. – DON’T!  They take it.  And you get nothing.).  I entered contests and never heard back.  I sent out queries to agents and got form rejections.  I sent out queries to more agents and got two personalized rejections.  I stopped sending queries when I realized my novel sucked.  So for that, I apologize to each and every literary agent and/or literary agent’s secretary that had to suffer through my attempt at a query and a novel!  I promise this year when you see my letter, you’ll be happier.
In 2k10, expect a revved up Jim.  Imagine Jim 2.0.  J

But in all seriousness, I want to thank everyone who supports me and my crazy dreams.  Again, to all those who read and comment – that is why I write.  If I can steal your attention for a few minutes and make you forget about the mortgage payment or overdue cable bill or the face that your left front tire looks a little low but it’s too cold to check, I’ve done my job.  And it’s the only job I want and the only job I’m good at.  I hope you continue to read my stories and comment on them.  I hope you listen to a few of my songs and enjoy them.  But most of all, I hope you all pick up a pen or pencil yourself and see what happens. 

To those who write. . . please keep your chins up.  Don’t read all the news that’s out there.  It’s like all the other news – it’s crap.  Of course we know it’s hard to get published.  Of course we know the economy is tough and publishers are cracking down.  Or course we know that some of the stuff we write is garbage.  There’s enough bad news out in the publishing world to make anyone quit.  Then again, there’s enough bad news in the world to make anyone wanna bail out of life.  But come on, we all life is fun. . . you just have to see it. . . so the same holds true for writing. . . have fun.  Be happy.  Take a breath. . . because you can. 

And to those who think agents are evil, consider this quick:  if you want to be a doctor, you need to go to school.  You can’t just take a scalpel and start cutting. . . that would be called murder.  If you want to be the quarterback of a NFL team, you need to go through the ranks and prove it.  You can’t just walk onto a practice field and start tossing pig skins around. . . although it would be funny to see.  What’s my point?  There’s no stopping anyone from writing.  We are taught to write from a young age.  And literary agents have to post their contact info to attract the real writers but the catch 22 is that they have to go through the garbage stuff too.  Anyone can open their laptop and type.  There’s not schooling for it.  Anyone can hit print.  There’s no degree for it.  Anyone can postage an envelope and send it to an agent.  So if an agent seems mad, mean, or evil. . . just remember what they have to go through on a daily basis.  Ever watch American Idol?  You know how they open the doors and thousands of people swarm because they want their 15 minutes of fame and lots o’ money but can’t sing?  It’s like that for agents (in my opinion).  Plus, someday one of those agents is going to represent you. . . so play nice! J

So I think I’m done here.  2k9 was the year of revival and thanks.  2k10 is going to be the year of writing. . . writing more than I ever could have imagined and maybe next year at this time, I could be talking about how great my agent is. . . or maybe not.  But regardless, I’m going to have some fun either way!

Jim

The Reminder

Headstones balanced against a fresh sunset.

The dark curves -

upside down smiles -

stare back.

They’re calling.

Stems ride from the dead ground.

A faded picture -

curls and sways -

with no breeze.

Can you hear ghosts whispering?

Or the soul of the living. . .

They huddle to the black gates.

The bicycle on the ground.

One wheel still spinning -

click, click, click.

Can you smell the cold air?

Its fingers reach inside.

Lighted steps hobble.

Create an underground thunder.

The roar of life -

the celebration.

With the round reminders. . .

They’re waiting

NaNo is done! But wait, I don’t want it to be done. . . I’m not ready to let go. . .

Ah yes, the calendar says it’s December 1 which means it’s all over. I am proud to say that for my first NaNo, I kicked a little butt. My 50,000 word mark was hit on Thanksgiving AND there is still more to tell which means (at least to me) that I’m on the right path with a good story. If there is one thing I can take away from NaNo it’s that I finally found that road to write on. Just write. Find the time. Shh. No questions. No complaints. Everyone is watching you. Just write.

And this month included my normal Friday Flash participations, winning a writing contest, setting up a book called the 12 Days of Christmas (www.12days2009.wordpress.com) and writing some new music for a new project called 1 Album 1 Month (www.1album1month.wordpress.com) all while keeping current on my writing blog (www.writersnwriters.blogspot.com). To me November was a success and it also opened more doors than I had ever expected.

Because of NaNo I took a break from reading novels and bought a few short story anthologies including Just After Sunset by Stephen King. A couple of those stories in there REALLY changed my outlook on my writing and what I hope to accomplish. What does this mean? Well, that whole plan I had at the beginning (one of my first posts here). . . well. . . that is changing.

I asked myself a question that I don’t ask myself enough: WHAT DO I WANT TO ACCOMPLISH WITH MY WRITING?

Do I want to explore the hearts of people who are in a forbidden love? Those who cheat? Murder? Steal? Do I want to write something that becomes so big that my characters are featured on the wrappers of Whoppers at Burger King?

It sounds simple, but it’s not – at least for me. Until my NaNo novel started moving along and telling me things about myself. . . telling me what I should do.

My goal with writing is to take you somewhere. I want you to experience something new, something different. I don’t necessarily want to teach you values, morals, or life lessons, but rather take you away from your bad day at work or the pile of bills sitting on the counter drooling with sharp fangs looking for your bank account. I want to suck you into a world that you could only experience in my writing. . . now, I’m not talking about fantasy or science fiction but just a time or life or place that you cannot be.

And that is the exact reason why I read my favorite authors. When I pick up a Dean Koontz book, I know he is going to make everyone and everything disappear. When I’m reading Odd Thomas, I’m there is Pico Mundo while he’s flipping pancakes thinking about Stormy and wishing Elvis would just cross over. . . or when I read Frankenstein, I’m in New Orleans watching Dr. Helios create monsters.

For the past few months I’ve had this itch in me. Something brewing. A story. But I couldn’t find it. I couldn’t pull it out. . . until now. So instead of going back to my half finished novel (which my wife loved) I’m going to switch trains and try something else. I’ve seen the real world, I’m in it. If I want to read about red lights, traffic, and guys and girls fighting over who loves who, I could just go downstairs and look out the window or watch some cheesy shows. . .

And to just give a tiny hint about this new project. . . I bought three books on mind reading and mind control to understand how brain waves work and started reading some psychology and philosophy books. . . so yes, this is going to be a big project for me – one that I’m taking seriously and one that I hope will open the doors for me in many ways.

 I may not necessarily write the next “BIG ONE” and have my characters on number two pencils being used by ten year old girls who ohh’ed and ahh’ed when my character takes his shirt off in the cheesy movie version, but it would be nice to maybe see the book on bookshelves! That’s what I’m shooting for.

 And to all those who participated in NaNo – CONGRATS! Whether you hit the 50k word count mark or not, you’re still a winner to me. Anyone and mean ANYONE who writes and explores their own mind deserves a pat on the back. . . remember, before television there was radio and before radio there was books and before books there was words. . . our history as humans is built off of story telling. . . so keep thinking and keep writing! Let’s have NaNoWriMoDec and NaNoWriMoJan and NaNoWriMoFeb. . . well, you get the idea. . .  Jim

Week 3

What has week 3 of NaNo taught me? 

Well, I didn’t hit the wall (as mentioned in the last post) but I did hit a hurdle.  I have been cruising through this novel, better than I had ever expected.  This week, through the magic of the internet I didn’t take a break from any other writing but decided to try something new.

As you all know I am VERY active in Friday Flash.  The program is simple – write a flash story and post it to your blog and tweet it. 

Through Friday Flash, I have had a few stories published, read TONS of great material, and met lots of great writers.

This past week I wanted something new.  Mostly because of my frustration with NaNo.

My characters are alive.  They are bouncing off the walls.  But they are asking me what to do and for the first time since NaNo started, I didn’t have a clear answer.  I had to (gulp) work out the answer by writing.  My two thousand and three thousand days quickly shortened to a thousand here and there and (double gulp) one day with NO WRITING for NaNo! 

Please don’t judge me! 

I needed a spark and I got one.  I posted on Twitter that I wanted to co write a Friday Flash story and within ten seconds I had a hit.  A wonderful writer from India named Pratsie took me up on my offer and it took off.  Now, I’m in the good ol’ US of A (in Pennsylvania) and here I am writing with a person in India. 

The world has become smaller via the internet.  We worked through our time differences and made a story that in my opinion kicked BUTT!  Ironically it’s about two writers trying to co-write who just can’t get along.  Read it here:  http://writersnwriters.blogspot.com/2009/11/when-worlds-collide-fridayflash.html

What did this show me?  Well, it showed me I still like challenges.  It showed me I still liked to write.  And it showed me that taking a break from NaNo was needed.  I tip-toed back into NaNo and this weekend has been MORE than productive.  As I write this, I am over 41,000 words with plenty of time to hit the 50,000 word mark.  AND I have the rest of the novel planned out, so all I have to do is write.

And on top of that, crazy me, I started a new project.  I am going to write a full length, ten song album, in one month.  The musical version of NaNoWriMo.  Call it NaAlWriMo (National Album Writing Month).  The site is here:  www.1album1month.wordpress.com.

So I hit a hurdle and not a wall. . . .

My shins are still sore, but I’ll make it – I promise!

Week 2

Week 2 of NaNo is behind me and everyone else and believe it or not, I’m in amazing spirits!

I do not have the list of news like I did last week about stories getting published and winning a contest, but I am happy to say that I am ahead of schedule with my NaNo novel by over two thousand words. 

My biggest fear going into NaNo was “the wall”. 

All writers know about “the wall” even though they may use a different term for it.  Here’s the scenario:

You come up with a story.  It sounds great.  The scenes start coming to life before you could grab a pen and paper to take notes.  In the very back of your mind you picture a bookstore full of people begging to meet you, you see yourself looking through the newspaper and finding your new novel at #1. . . or maybe that’s just me.  J

Anyways, you have this idea.  You start writing it and a few thousand words – or maybe twenty thousand words – into it, you hit a wall where the story just stops.  You’re stuck.  Sure you can have a monster show up and eat people to get action going or maybe have your main character win the lottery and then live vicariously through them because you realize this will never be a bestseller because it can’t even be finished by the author.

For most writers, hitting “the wall” doesn’t last very long but the time it does take is painful.  The reason is because as you try to climb that wall and move the story forward you find more and more walls. 

Luckily, up to this point, I have not hit “the wall” with my NaNo story.  It has been smooth sailing with one idea after another.  The ideas work, the first draft is coming along great, and I’m really into my characters and whole concept.  I find myself comparing daily events to what characters in the novel would do.  To me, that’s a good sign.

And for those who care about my plan I talked about a few weeks ago – that is going perfectly.  As I write this my wife is reading the first half of my other novel and I am still secretly penning the novel after that.  I do see one problem coming. . . letting go.

I can see myself on November 30 at 11:59pm hugging my screen not wanting to put Jack, Hazel, Abby, Teddy, and Vegas away. . . I want to still to be with them.  Then I’m going to have to do a 180 and welcome back Charlie, Baila, Bill, Marcia, and Julie to finish their well deserved story.

But to me if that’s my biggest problem – fighting over which characters mean more – I think I’m on the right path. 

Now, if you’ll excuse me, my dinning room just transformed into a bookstore and crowds holding signs and posters are waiting for me to start signing autographs.

NaNoWriMo – Week 1 recap

 

            My first NaNoWriMo week – a recap.

            Saturday October 31, 2009.  I’m in Scranton for the weekend to visit my parents and to see my son and my nephews second but first Halloween together.  (It was technically their second, but last year they were practically newborns, so we didn’t get to have too much fun.)

            My son was a tiger that lasted five minutes.  My nephew was a puppy dog that lasted about ten minutes.  Don’t worry, the costumes were not a waste of time – I have a few pictures of me wearing my son’s tiger head and my Dad wearing my nephews puppy dog ears. . . classic.

            The rain had made the day and night somewhat of a bummer as we didn’t get to take the babies out – all night I kept that if I was a kid, I’d be royally pissed knowing that Halloween was almost rained out.  

            The Phils were on the tube and were beginning their decent into a long few days of defeat to the Yankees. 

            In the back of my mind, I could hear a keyboard clicking.  I could see a desk, dimly lit.  I could see a guy hunched over the desk, eyes bulging, hacking away at the keyboard.  I could see empty coffee cups scattered across the desk.  Then I realized – it was a vision into the future. 

            NaNoWriMo started great.  I went right into my story – a story that had been brewing in my mind for weeks.  I did NOT write anything for the novel before NaNo started.  Since it’s my first year, I wanted to go in with a real 0 word count. 

            The past week hasn’t taught me anything new, but rather reminded me of why I write – because I love to.  The five minute breaks from life when my son is watching Elmo’s world and my wife in the phone I sneak away into the dining room to pick up my story.  The two minute breaks at work when the phone stops ringing and the office is empty, I hurry and jot down some notes.  And I must admit that NaNo couldn’t have come at a more PERFECT time for me. 

            I had just broke the halfway point to a novel that I erased on purpose a little while back.  I got 35,000 words into and decided I hated it.  So I started from scratch, battling myself every day about the story.  And my break has come in the form of NaNo.  And it’s been great so far and I can’t wait to keep pounding away at the keyboard and keeping my “plan” moving forward.  What’s my plan?  Read it here:  http://wizworld.wordpress.com/2009/10/26/the-plan/

            Now I can’t wait to finish NaNo and get back into the other novel.  Ideas are coming to me like crazy and I feel alive again.  I feel ready to conquer the literary world as I did three months ago. 

            AND if things couldn’t go any smoother, I received HUGE writing news all week long.  I sent out a story for an anthology.  Got the news it was picked up to be published.  I wrote a ten sentence story for Pen 10 Sribes. . . got picked up!  http://pen10scribes.blogspot.com/2009/11/unnoticed-by-jim-wisneski.html

            The first publication that picked up my story. . . well, I sent one in and they rejected it.  What did I do?  (First, I wrote a new story, sent it, and they accepted it – see, persistence pays off!)  I send the rejected story to Flashes in the Dark and they picked it up!  That will be published November 14, 2009. 

            So that’s three stories for the week – a personal record for me.  Then comes Saturday.  My wife gets the mail and there it is – a white envelope with my label to myself on it. 

            “Another rejection letter,” I said to her.

            “Oh yea?” she says.  “Congratulations, you have won first place in The Starving Writers quarterly contest. . .”

            I won?  I won?  No, seriously, I won?

            It was such a great feeling to win a writing contest . . . something I haven’t done since I was in grade school when I wrote a poem about a pig with hair.

            The week has been good to me.  And for me, I’m just getting warmed up.  I just broke the 15,000 word mark on my NaNo novel and the ideas are still flowing.  My biggest fear with NaNo was that I’d get the general idea of the novel down and then run out of ideas. . . say at about 5,000 words.  That hasn’t happened yet and I won’t allow it to happen.

            For those who aren’t buddies with me on NaNo, my name is JimWisneski (I know, how original!).  For those not following me on Twitter, my name is @Wisneski.  For those who have read this, THANKS!  Now share your first week of NaNo – or anything in general that has happened.

Jim

The PLAN

I’m writing this not as a “hey, look what I’m doing” kind of bragging thing, but more as a reminder to myself of what I hope to accomplish in the next four months. And it will keep the pressure up because you, the great people who read my blog(s), will see it and in certain ways keep me reminded of what I said I was going to do.
We are within a week away from NaNoWriMo starting. For those who don’t what that is, it is gathering of writers who write a 50,000 word novel in just ONE month. Here is the site for more information: www.NaNoWriMo.org.
For me, NaNoWriMo this year will be a first. I am excited but also nervous as I am trying to decide how to write this novel. I have a few pages of notes and that’s it. I’m coming in blind and hoping to don’t lose my butt by the end of November. I also start thinking about time. November first – I’ll be in Scranton, PA visiting my parents. Then there is Thanksgiving, hockey (GO FLYERS!), and of course, spending time with my family. So how is that all going to work out? Well. . . (imagine me taking a deep breath like Ace Ventura does before he spouts for ten minutes. . .)
I am currently working on my first draft of a new novel. It is a little more than halfway done. When I need a break from that, I have been handwriting a “secret” novel which I have about thirty handwritten pages now. Friday I am going to order a copy of my half completed novel and give it to my wife to read while I complete my NaNoWriMo novel. This will serve as a break from the novel AND my wife can give me honest insight to if the story is good or not.
When NaNoWriMo is done, I will pick on the novel again with the hopes of finishing it before the end of 2009. While this is happening, my wife will be reading my NaNoWriMo novel. She let me know if I have something there worth working on OR if I just had a fun time writing nonsense for a month!
When 2010 starts, I will give my wife the first draft of my finished novel. She will read it and edit it while I work on typing up my “secret” novel and completing that. When she is done editing my novel, I will proceed to lock it away for AT LEAST one month while I work on the new novel. When I need a break from the new novel, I will work on the NaNoWriMo novel to see where it needs work. Then, around Valentine’s Day, I can take out the novel I finished that has been locked away and begin my edits while still working on the “secret” novel when nobody is looking.
(Exhale loudly. . .)
Get it?
Good.
That’s my plan for the next four months . . . let’s see how many diversions there are! Oh, and if life isn’t busy enough, my wife and I are expecting our second child in May this next chapter in my little storybook of life is going to be jam packed!

Now before I end this, what are your writing plans for the next month? Two months? Three months? Well, you get it.

And finally, my NaNoWriMo name is JimWisneski

Sorry Charlie – Bummer Baila. . . you two just have to wait –

The halfway point of my novel brought me to a very exciting spot – where my two main characters meet.  It’s an extremely pivotal point because if it doesn’t hit with readers (or myself) then the first 40,000 words mean nothing and the next 40,000 words mean nothing. 

Pressure?

You bet.

I find my two newest friends, Charlie and Baila, sitting in a bar.  They just met.  They’ve pictured each other for a little while, hoping to meet – hoping for something to happen.  At the bar, my fingers stop typing.  Both Charlie and Baila look at me and ask – “What do I do now?”

No, I’m not a crazy person – maybe a crazy writer, but not a crazy person.  With characters, they have to become real.  They have to live, exist, and do things.  They can’t be robots with on and off switches or else they will sound and act like robots and for the purpose of my novel, it wouldn’t work so well.

Sometimes I find myself negotiating with myself like parents do with kids.  Here’s a great example:  I have a few scenes written out that are past the “bar scene” where my characters are frozen.  I tell myself, ‘Jim, you need to force yourself through this, then you can work on the other scenes.’  I’m like a parent telling their child to eat the vegetables or there will be no ice cream for dessert. 

Well, you know what?

I’m an adult, dammit, and I can eat my ice cream now!  J

In reality, I can’t force a scene to happen.  It would be irresponsible as a writer to do so.  Think about The Notebook for a second.  Think about the romantic scene with “the kiss”.  Now imagine if the writer was stuck and force through it:

Noah and Allie are in Noah’s little boat.  He’s paddling along through the water. . . oh, it’s so romantic.  You’re heart is beating, you’re praying something happens. . . “Come on!” you yell at your television, “You’re meant to be together!”  Then it starts raining.  Now Allie takes out an umbrella that she always carries in her purse and opens it.  She looks deep into Noah’s eyes and says, “I don’t like rain.  He paddles back to the dock.  She gets out of the boat and walks away.  She marries the other guy, has four children; one doctor, one lawyer, one is a vet, and the last is a writer.  Noah lives a life of regret and dies of old age in that big ‘ol house he fixed up for Allie.

The End.

 OH MY GOD!  That was terrible.  Now the rest of the movie is garbage.  And the entire thing leading up to that scene is garbage.  

Okay, that’s a little stretched, I get it – but my point is that I can’t force myself through writing.  If I get stuck, I stop.  I have to.  I’ll take notes, try ideas, but I won’t force through ESPECIALLY if there is something else to work on. 

So yes, I apologize to both Charlie and Baila who are sitting at the bar frozen in time.  They are both staring at me waiting for an answer that I am working on.  I’ve tried them just kissing like in the notebook, but Charlie falls out of his chair and hits the floor hard and has back problems forever.  I tried the rain scene, but how could it rain inside a bar?  So for now, they will sit in silent while I work on another part of the book . . . but I promise, I’ll come back to my friends Charlie and Baila and complete their story – that is once they’ve figure out what they want their story to be!

Halfway there!

I made it past the 50% mark on my new novel!

Yes, yes, I know – I still have another half to write, but come on, let me take a minute and celebrate.

This is a great moment for me for many reasons. First, anytime you can complete half a novel, you deserve a pat on the back. That’s over 40,000 words to this story. That’s 40,000 words of meeting these characters, becoming them, letting them run the story. That’s 40,000 words of building a story and watching it flourish and become its own. And yes, that means there is still 40,000 plus words to cap it all off and end it.

Second, the idea for this book came to me on a whim. I wrote a novel earlier this year kind of as a “let’s see if I can really do this” type novel. I did it, the novel was written in a few months. It felt great. It was four years in the making, but that is a whole other post. The scary part after writing that book was to write another one. Another 300 page manuscript? More nights holding my eyes open writing and writing and writing. More moments in my truck driving where I have to quickly hit the power button on the stereo and grab the tape recorded because a great scene had just come to me. Anyways, back to the “whim” part. It had been almost four months since my novel was finished. I had edited it twice, my wife edited it once, and I was still working on bits and pieces. The town in my first novel is the one I currently live in. A small, old fashioned town (actually named one of the nicest places to live), it has old buildings, a farmer’s market every Sunday, and little activities always happening. I bought a bike and began riding through this little town, just absorbing the atmosphere to make sure I captured it in my novel and to see if any inspiration could come. Well, the idea for my new novel has nothing to do with the town, but I remember riding down this narrow sidewalk, hitting a big bump, and thinking: ‘A man who has been divorced for a year but still wears his wedding band because he can’t let go’.

And just like that, my next novel was born.

Pages of notes, long nights of thinking, and a trip to the Outer Banks which is where the novel would take place set me up for a great story. But that is where the nightmare began. I couldn’t find my voice in this one. I forced words, characters. . . it was terrible writing. Each chapter felt like I was being forced into doing something I hated. It was the first time writing felt like work – work I hate. It took me until I got to 35,000 words to realize it was all garbage; it wasn’t the original idea I had that day on my bike ride. I did something I had never done before – something that had my heart racing. I got ride of it. All of it.

Okay, not literally, but it was moved. I started the novel over from page and word one. I did use certain parts from the crap version – I’d estimate about 10,000 words in total were used from the garbage version. . . don’t worry, those were the good parts of the garbage and were edited before touching what I’m calling the “right” version.

I wrote about my feelings when I deleted the first version – here is the link if you care to read it: My New Novel – The BIG Change! – posted September 2009

So that’s my little rant right now. I’m proud I made it past 50% and my tentative goal is to have this novel finished by the end of the year.

I also wanted to extend a big thank you to all those who follow my blogs, twitter, etc. and who have exchanged kind words with me and have always had my back – no matter how honest they had to be to get me to listen through the stubborn, Polish wall that I put up.