What a more appropriate time to work on my novel then a day where the sun just can't seem to shine through the clouds. For those of you who don't know I'm working on writing a novel. I even attend a Writer's Group that meets every two weeks. It's a process that is still in its beginning stages but it's something I am thoroughly looking forward to doing in this new year.
so this important question came to my mindless thoughts today as a typed away at work. How does one suddenly just find the time to write a novel when they are not a professional writer & have a full-time job?? Well it's not exactly simple. I almost panicked a lil bit the other day that I had bitten off too much that I can chew by joining this writing group & setting deadlines for myself to get things done. Yeah I will freak out from time to time about things. But then I realized something that might seem to be staring me right in the face. This blog. I'm actually writing right now. Writing to tell you my thoughts, my adventures, & my randomness. I'm doing it. I don't have to change myself to become the writer I want to be, I just have to continue writing.
I'm starting to view blogging as a test to help my writing process. A test I'm glad to take every single day. So from the comments I love to receive I'm seeing if I Was I able to write clearly enough so everyone could understand what I was trying to say? I do re-read my posts a few time & backspace a whole lot to make sure they make sense. I have to now transfer this to my notepad & of course add in a few zombies here and there.
You always need to add a lil zombie here and there. hehe. Ironically some of my inspiration for the novel is watching the non-morning people that walk into my office building everyday. Also the drunken streets at 3am of a neighboring town where there is about 10 bars in one long strip. (Yeah, I know thats a lil ridicolous, I'm glad I'm not a heavy drinker.) Watching the people twitch awake or fight back the drunkness have engendered a different type of zombie to me thats not so, "Roar I need flesh now, Roar" that almost every single zombie story has. I want to try and do something different.
My zombies will be the final result of a drug gone wrong. No, not like movie "I am Legend". This drug wasn't trying to cure cancer but just the common cold. Immunity is my key word that drove the world to experiment & engineer new drugs which turns the living into these kinda wind-up toy dead-like people that when their brain decides to work they will seem to twitch & appear to be trapped in whatever memory their mind decided to throw at them. Therefore I am left with an infinite of possibilities of what to do. Also being in a real hospital for gall bladder surgery showed me how an emergency room worked. That will be definitely a highlight too.
Oh how I wish I could write about bouncing bears & a time-less love story that will capture everyone's hearts. However my mind just doesn't work that way. Oh well. "I myself am strange and unusual." - Beetlejuice. lol. So after posting this I will be finally starting to actually put the words on paper. It has begun....
33 comments:
wow that is awesome, good for you!! you can totally do it and the way you're doing it is really the most practical way.
im excited to hear about your progress!
heather
I am so loking forward to your novel. I love your writing even just on your blogs, I love the way you are creative and always clear and consice lol.. and zomnbies? well they are always a plus!!
i can't wait to hear more about your story! i LOVE writing but have yet to push myself to those limits....maybe one day!
very good blog, congratulations
regard from Reus Catalonia
thank you
this is exciting, melanie:) best of luck with ur novel!:D
TheOwlsCloset.blogspot.com
Good luck with it! It sounds very interesting and original :).
I hope to write a book someday too...
x.
Melanie, what works for me is trading my TV time for other things. It's a good trade most of the time, especially because tv is always available in repeats etc.
Secretia
sounds pretty much awesome to me! i LOVE Zombie stories! :D
Awh good luck with that? Is your novel actually about zombies, or just about zombie-like people?
This whole time I thought I was already following you!
Exactly, just write your thoughts down. A little bit everyday will never let you feel behind or anxious that a deadline is coming up!
Deary weather would certainly be inspiring for zombie writing!
I can't wait Melanie... you have the passion, that's the most important trait of being a writer.
oh my goodness! i hope you finish your novel soon! wait... what kind of book are we talking about here... mystery, romance, sci fi?
i wanna a book when you get published ^_^
I too have wondered how someone can manage to work fulltime and write a novel. By the time I get home after work I'm too exhausted to even try! I've had a freelance writing course sitting here for nearly two years and am yet to start it!
Wow that is awesome, good luck! I like your jouranal, its cute. I know what you mean about the weather, I just want to curl up with my book and read!
xo
I know it's hard trying to find time to write. I have not been motivated at all either for blog, writing, Etsy, everything. I totally crashed and burned but because of other reasons. Anyway, I see are reading The Lovely Bones, is the book good? I totally want to read it after watching the movie on Saturday. It's one of those movies, where I was thinking about it all day long afterwards. The girl looks like my little sister. I also want to read Dear John really bad before the movie comes out. That looks so good. Hope you are doing well sweetie! xoxo
I admire your courage in writing. I used to creative write a lot as a kid, but then I got intimidated by really snobby creative writers, who for the most part I've learned are usually just putting on a facade and actually don't know anything. the real writers are not pretentious. your immunity idea is awesome btw, I'm intrigued and cannot wait to hear more!
like you, I am now starting to see my blog as an excuse for writing. I used to yell at myself for no longer writing, but hey now I write quite a bit. And especially in the last year or so its really grown into a writing focused personal style blog. It can be challenging to figure out how to convey how I'm feeling without pure ranting or making no sense. I find myself deleting entire posts sometimes because the writing isn't good enough for me. it is a process in itself.
As for my roommate. Thank you so much for your comment. Its hard deciding what to get into fights with my roomy about. She has an amazing way of turning our arguments into entire session about how much I suck. I know I need to speak up and usually I'm quite forceful, but sometimes the speaking up isn't worth hearing how awful I am. I know that everything she says is utter crap and I shouldn't let her get to me, but its tough. So I choose the few arguments I really cannot live without making, like yelling at her about that dinner party. its a struggle, but I try and choose wisely and pray for it to be over haha
I totally agree about blogging being a good tool for your writing! I've found it's helped me be more creative and just keep writing in general!
Good luck! xoxo
First of all I have to zombies rule so I'll check out your book! Second, I agree with the blog thing. I used to blog on another site a couple years ago and I thought I got pretty good then said site closed down and I just stopped blogging decide to instead work on a book. After getting maybe a quarter of the way through I just couldn't get in the daily rhythm of writing again so now I'm going to try to force myself to blog daily even if it isn't really about anything just to get in that habit again.
When it's raining out is my favorite time to write!
Good luck with your writing, I started jotting down ideas, characters and even a plot for a story that I started writing while I was meant to be writing my dissertation. But it since hasn't seen the light of day since last July, I sadly don't seem to have the ability or the chance to juggle it between having a full time job, commuting, everything else/ Hopefully one day i'll get the chance to pull it back out again - until then my blog is my writing post :) x
Try setting a simple goal like 500 words a day. Regardless. Even if it's piffle just write 500 random words and scribble them out afterwards. Sooner you'll pass it and then make it 1000 then 2000.
You'll get there.
Baby steps, baby.
I think you are right - you just have to commit! I give you tons of credit - creative writing is a huge challenge for me! Good luck!
Writing a novel is indeed very exciting - I look forward to reading more of your work :)
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xx
Cool! I love Zombies...hopefully that didn't sound too weird. Have you read that Pride and Prejudice and Zombies book? I have seen it in book stores and I'm wondering if it is good.
zombie novel? eeps can't wait! keep us updated.
zombie novels are so hot right now!
omg your idea is so cool!!!
please write this novel so it can one day be made into a movie and then i can say i know who wrote this ;)
Zombies are way sexier than bouncing bears. C'mon. You know this. :P
Ha. The word verification is "viable".
I love how much you love to write! Writing a novel is such a challenging project. Your idea sounds great. I hope you can accomplish this goal.
Buenos deseos,
Aquiles
I believe you really DO have writing skills girl... keep it up, find the time and keep motivated... I am sure your novel is going to be awesome!!!
i really dunno why people have to make zombies look like an accident. like some went wrong to make em. an erroneous existance is soo negative dear.. i would love to find out more about those zombies?? play left 4 dead 1 and 2 when that one comes out.. will let you expand your subject matter :D.. will you heroes have shot guns??
Please tell me you're actually writing a zombie novel in a pink polka-dotted notebook with cherries on it. That would be all kinds of awesome.
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