Hello Fellow Writers!
I have some exciting news - my advice column for The Mahopac News is now available online! I've written about 17 columns so far, and they have my column listed here. I'm happy that now I can point people toward my column online when they ask about seeing a copy of it. They even have PDFs of the paper, so I can go through them and print them out. I should really do that so I have a hard copy portfolio of my work, since I don't have a subscription to the paper.
I find it interesting that I've written (and been paid for!) a column each week for the past 17 weeks, but they've only run like eight of them. Hmm. Well, as long as I'm getting paid I certainly won't complain! My full name isn't even in the byline (for privacy reasons) so it's not like I'm doing it for the fame :)
As for my fiction, I sent "Hollywood Spank" to one of my beta readers to try and figure out what else needs to be fixed before I resubmit it to my editor at Ellora's Cave. In the meantime, "Chastity Belt" is on hold and I am writing a Christmas story. When I first thought the story up I was very excited and gung-ho about it, but now I'm slightly stuck. The answer to how to get unstuck came to me today as I sat here thinking about it: I need to write out of order.
Normally I'm a very chronological type person. I start with chapter one, page one. I finish with "The End". But in this case, I need to stop worrying about how to build up to what I consider The Big Scene, and just write The Big Scene. Once that scene is written, I can fill in the blanks as to just how the Hero and Heroine got themselves into that position. Literally, how they got themselves into that position - it is an erotica story, after all.
I have a feeling that once that scene is done, I'll feel more connected to my story and my characters, and I will find it easy to wrap up the story. Since this is going to be only about 8000 words or so, I have a limited amount of space to write something compelling. I don't want to waste it on build up. Who knows, perhaps what I consider to be the middle of the story will turn out to be the beginning. We'll see.
So that's the goal for today - to write out of order and not care. To write The Big Scene. Wish me luck!
Yours Truly,
Shoshanna Evers
Awesome! Now I can check out your advice!!
ReplyDeleteGood luck with the christmas quickie! I'm sure it will turn out great even if you write it in a different way than you usually do. Who knows, maybe you'll like writing the middle before the beginning better than your normal way.
thanks Heather :)
ReplyDeleteShana, I often write the last scene at least in my head when I'm stuck. Just remember, each story is different and often wants to see the words on the paper in a different order
ReplyDeleteHi Shana!
ReplyDeleteMy ideas for stories usually start with a few great scenes. On occasion, certain scenes take up so much of my thoughts that I have to get them into the computer so I can stop thinking about them and write the manuscript!
Wendy, I know exactly what you mean! I will think and rethink one scene over and over until I am able to write it down!
ReplyDelete