Motivation

I love it when people are honest with me. My friend  a couple weeks ago told me straight out that my book "is brilliant, what you've actually written of it, so stop messing around and write the darn thing."
So I sat down and wrote.
I'm an idiot for putting it off. I'm determined to write more.

What is your motivation? For some authors it's their editors breathing down their necks. Because I haven't gotten to that wonderful stage of enforced brilliance, I have to encourage myself in other ways. (Chocolate preferably.)

One author motivated herself by wearing the same sweater every time she wrote. The catch? She couldn't wash it until after she finished her book.

Another, less smelly, way to motivate yourself could be to set goals. This usually helps to get you moving.
Set yourself a deadline, but don't freak out if you fail to accomplish what you aimed for. Set a new goal and try again.
In her blog, Victoria Hanley said;

I'm thinking "deadline" could be called the "aliveline" instead. Yes, I know that if the deadline isn't met, the "dead" part of the line becomes more prominent. But there's just so much aliveness about having a definite goal in time. It's motivating.

What motivates you? What makes you want to write? If you have other hobbies, why do you spend so much time and effort on those things?

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Character Ideas: Women Part 1

20 Pictures of random people, to either inspire a character, or to put a face on one you already have.

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Writers: Born or Made?

I guess this question could be asked of any artistic profession.

Some people, after complimented, say that they were "born with it". Was I born with the ability to write? I don't know. I hadn't even considered writing for fun until 5 years ago. (So I guess that makes my profile description sort of a lie.)

It's my opinion that you can do anything if you practice and study the subject long enough.

Yet some people while being taught a new subject have "a knack" for it right off the bat.

I think it's that everyone has some things they excell at, and some things they're not-so-good at. But that's not to say they cannot do the things they suck at (sorry, that sounds harsh), but that they have to work harder than others to do it well.

What do you think?

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My 2nd 1st draft

I finished my rough draft!
Technically.

I filled in the gaps, and all I have to do is type them up. There are some parts I love and that I can't believe that I wrote.
There are some parts I hate and yet they are so crucial to the plot. *sigh*

The good news is that this rough draft is definitely not dead, since I'm already planning draft number two.

It feels good to have something accomplished. It makes the 10 months it took to write and plan it completely worth it.

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Reading While Writing

Usually if your a writer, you're also a reader. You don't have to be a Fanatical-Barnes-&-Nobles-Coffee-shop-person to be a reader.

But I've found that sometimes reading can change the tone of your book.

For example, I once was reading Pride & Predjudice. I would alternately put down the book to write some of my story. What came out was diologue along the lines of, "And how are you on this blissfully beautiful morn?", and a character that suspiciously resembled Mr. Darcy.

What you read affects what you write. It can turn the story in a whole new direction (not necessarily bad) or can affect your voice as a writer.

What so often happens is that you want your story to be as masterfully brilliant as that writer's book.

I'm not saying abandon all books, but be careful that your writer's voice isn't being compromised or that you're only adding something because it worked out in someone else's story.

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