Plot Bunny Farm - Handling the Ideas

Few hours ago I had an idea for a blog post. I know it was brilliant and it would sweep you of your feet. But I was busy at the time so I didn't immediately started writing.

Now I can't remember what that post was supposed to be about. There's very little chance I will ever get that particular (and no doubt awesome) idea back.

And it's not a problem with blog posts either. Ideas come tome (and to every writer, I imagine) every day, every moment. Sometimes it's like the scene in the "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" when the vampire bunny jumps and rips the poor knight's throat out. That's how I feel with my ideas. As if I'm surrounded by plot bunnies who want to be written nowNowNOW, and don'twant to wait patiently in line.

And in the creative chaos that is my brain, there are hundreds and hundreds of stories running around, articles that peak shyly from behind the shelves wondering if I could maybe, perhaps, write them. And there are blog posts, that come in front of the line, wave enthusiastically and if I ignore them for even a second, they run away, sulking and thinking I don't love them.

I lost a lot of ideas over the years, but something snapped in me today, after that one blog post idea. I don't know why, but today, I decided to change something and save at least some of those plot bunnies.

I set up three new Googledocs files, though I assume regular text files on my HDD would work as well, even a notebook (notebook seems like a popular choice, from what I can tell.) One for stories ideas, one for articles and one for blog posts. I'm determined to use those files to write down ideas, dialogues, snippets - anything that will come to me in moments when I don't have time to write the entire thing right away.

True, I'm not entirely sure how this will work for me. Maybe when I write down the ideas they will dissappear anyway. But I want to find out. Because if there's even a slight chance at this new system helping my productivity (especially in the non-fiction department), then I really want to try it.

Hopefully,it'll work out. If not, I'll move to something else. But I don't want to miss on any ideas.

Fiction Writing Marathon - Pros and Cons

I spent the weekend at my friend's house (who's also my co-author on the Epic Collab Story I mentioned over and over again). During that time we wrote non-stop for hour, and the story is now over 22K (and it's not even half of it).

You could say that those three days were some kind of a Writing Retreat. Since apart from writing our story we also spend most evenings (and nights) brainstorming ideas for our next collaboration.

Yes, those brainstorming sessions weren't always productive, as too many of them included a variation of the "I'm Batman!" joke. But in the end we did come up with a very good idea that will most likely consist of two longer stories.

I'm sure it's not a secret that after an incredibly productive couple of days, every writer feels satisfied and accomplished. I did too.

But there's a problem with spending so many hours writing. For a few hours after returning home, I felt burnt out. It was as if no words that left my brain and appeared on my screen were good enough. I felt exhausted and I just wanted to sleep (and eat). Not to mention the fact that no posts and articles I wrote in between the writing sessions felt like they were up to my usual standards.

So, on one hand (huge Pro), I wrote an obscene amount of words during those two days. I moved the story along and followed the outline, including some really fun foreshadowing.

On the other hand (a huge con), it really feels like too much in too short period of time. My brain is used to creativity being spread over several days, due to my schedule and fitting the writing after my day-job.

I know I can do writing marathons, I did that in the past when I had a deadline to meet and I wrote over 5K in one day. But this weekend showed me I can't do such an intensive writing all the time. Maybe I could do it once every few months. Maybe even once a month.

Have you participated in Fiction Writing Marathons before? Do you have a routine for insane days when you just write and write and write? Any tips for when I do the writing marathon again?

Guest Posting?

Lately, I've been considering guest posting. It seems like an interesting thing to do, sharing my thoughts with a different audience, one that might not be familiar with my sense of humor or my writing/blogging style.

But I'm hesitant to pitch any sort of post to the blogs I read on a regular basis.

Mostly, it's because I have never pitched an article to a complete stranger. I either write articvles in response to an assignment or pick any topic I feel like.

And there's the matter of what to blog about. It can't be something I already covered here, it would feel too much like cheating. And coming up with something fresh and totally new? It's a huge challenge.

I'm also hesitant because of a byline. I would have to come up with something, linking somewhere (most likely to this blog?). What would my byline say, anyway? "Executive assistant by day, freelance writer by night" (like on my Twitter profile), or something completely new?

And besides, I'm by no mean an expert. I'm still discovering my way in this freelance world, not to mention my publishing credits aren't very impressive (though I'm very proud of them, it's nothing to write home about.)

I will most likely end up writing all the pros and cons on a piece of papers, trying to decide. Thankfully I have entire month of June for that, as one of the blogs I love just announced they will be accepting Guest Posts.

If and when I decide, I will let you know.

Googledocs - perfect tool for writers

If you're following me on Twitter or read one of my previous posts, you probably know about my love affair with Googledocs. I promised to write a love letter to Googledocs, and here it is.

Why I love Googledocs?

Easy access
All files are stores online, so you can access your files from every computer connected to the Internet. You can work on your writing from your laptop, using a computer at a library, computer at work, or from anywhere else.

At the same time, you don't have to worry about saving the files on a USB drive. You don't have to carry that drive everywhere you go, and there's very little chance on ever losing any of your writing.

True, what is Googledocs' big advantage is also its flaw. You can't use it while offline, so when you want to write on an airport,while you're waiting for your flight, you need to buy Internet access.

Sharing option
That feature is a single most amazing thing about Googledocs. You can share your files with other people, giving them the ability to edit the file as well, or simply view it. I'm currently sharing my stories with my editors and I have to tell you revising the story based on the comments is far easier than sending the file back and forth allthe time.

Not to mention the fact that I'm also co-writing a really awesome story (also using Googledocs) and let me tell you. I know exactly when my co-author updates the file, and I don't even have to refresh the file as changes appear automatically as the new text is saved.

Interface
Googledocs look familiar. It has most of the options offered by the regular word processors like Word or OpenOffice. You can format the file before pasting it into your blog. If you use the Rich Text option on your blog, Googledocs will keep all the links and bold fonts and even different colors.

And did I mention the sharing option? Yeah, it's really awesome feature.

Just because I am completely in love with Googledocs doesn't mean I'm blind and can't appreciate any other great software perfect for writers. So if you use something different, please share!

Feedback, the reason why I write online

At the very beginning of my freelancing adventure, I wrote an article explaining why I think online publishing is better for writers than print publishing. But there was one point I didn't cover in that article. A reason while online publishing is so amazing. It's feedback.


When you publish anything in print, the delay between the story going live and getting a response from your readers is huge. Especially by today's standards.

Meanwhile, when you publish something online, you often get your very first feedback the same day. If you post your stories on your blog, or in some sort of writing community, you hear from your readers almost immediately. And it's amazing.

For me, the almost instant feedback is what really motivates me to write more, write better. The response and the comments, telling me I'm doing something right (or, sometimes, I'm doing something wrong) mak me want to cater to that audience, provide them with new material.

The feedback, I get the same day I post something new is the reason why I'm writing another instalment in that cracky little universe I started while in Hague (I mentioned it in my previous post). It's why I post on a regular schedule here (as opposed to the way I posted in the past).

It's the ability to have a conversation with my readers, to improve based on the criticism provided by much more people than just my editor.

I trully believe online publishing is the future of writing.

Travelling and Writing - How Did It Work Out for Me

When I posted my Writer on the Move blog post, I didn't really know how this whole travelling and writing gig would work out. With so much things on my plate, I didn't want to have my expectations high. Let's face it, it's better for your ego is you get a nice surprise than when you're disappointing yourself.

What I did manage to accomplish:

I wrote a quick little article for Helium about successful blogging. I used both the advice I've read online (at various sources) and the stuff I know worked for me. The topic just pushed the right buttons, because the moment I saw the title available, I knew what and how to write it. And so, even though I wasn't planning on writing any non-fiction during this trip... There you go.

I also wrote a flashfic (barely above 1000 words) that came to me while I was exchanging story ideas via Twitter. It was an unapologetic fun story that could also be described as crack. But people who saw it seemed to like it (demanding another story in that universe - the highest compliment, I suppose). All in all, I had major fun with it.

I worked on my thesis as well. Not much, but I managed to accomplished what I planned during my stay in Hague. So that's a success - not getting too distracted by the new surroundings to forget what I had to do.

What I didn't do:

Not everything got done though. I promised myself to study for the exams... Yeah, not so much. The city was too interesting, the plot bunnies simply needed to be written down. Hopefully, I'll find time to do some studying at some point and pass those two exams.

The really awesome part:

What I'm really proud of is that I managed to keep the regular posting schedule here. Even though this post is being written from the airport as I'm waiting to check-in, it'll still go online on the day I planned. That's a huge victory for me, as establishing routines is usually a very painful process for me.

Have a good weekend everybody. I have a plane to catch :)

Writing Ahead of Time - Having Things Done Before the Deadline

You probably noticed I started to post more regularly to the blog. Yes, I amaze myself. But I came to a conclusion that if I blog more often, I will naturally develop a writing schedule, just to fit in the time to write blog posts into my day. And everybody knows that a writing schedule is one of the sure tools to prevent writer's block.

But let's not kid ourselves, simply setting up days in my calendar and saying "oh, I'll blog on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, it'll be fun", doesn't mean I will have time or the strength to sit down, write a post, find links that go with it, and edit it to make sure there aren't any embarrassing typos. Knowing life, and my luck, I would never have any actual time to write on those particular days.

And so, for the last week or so, I've been writing my blog posts ahead of time, saving them up in my Google docs (oh how I love thee, I will definitely write a love letter to Googledocs later on) and moving on to another task. And then, on my posting date I just log into my Blogger account, do some copy/paste magic and bam, the post is up.

It actually improves on the entire writing experience, to be honest. Because it gets rid of a lot of stress.

Sure, like any other freelancer, I do incredibly well under the stress, and with my deadlines mere hours away. I mean, when I was finishing my big bang, I wrote over 5 000 words on that last day. And I doubt there's much editing needed in that section of the story.

But at the same time, I remember when I was blogging for Scribophile last year. And at some point, due to some life issues, I had to write several posts on the deadline. The stress of it all took the fun away. And if you don't enjoy writing... it shows.

So for the month of June, I'm setting myself a goal, to do all my writing well before deadlines. Which also means meeting my personal word count goal well before Friday. We'll see how that goes.

Writer on the Move - Travelling and Writing

On Sunday, I had a plane to catch. My flight was leaving at 6am, which meant I had to wake up at 3am (to be somewhat coherent by 4am when the taxi I ordered would pick me up). It was a crazy few hours but by the time I was on the plane to Amsterdam, I was actually awake and ready for the adventure.

Right now, I'm writing this blog post from Hague (also known as Den Haag), Netherlands. I'm here on a business trip, but that doesn't mean I'm about to completely give up writing while I'm here.

True, I promised myself I would study for my upcoming exams and work on my thesis, but giving up my passion simply doesn't feel right.

So here I am, a Writer on the Move. Here's how the trip went so far.

What I learned during my trip to Madrid, was to take something to read on the plane. I haven't thought about it last time and I spent over 3 hours bored out of my mind. This time, I took three recent issues of Writer's Digest. I didn't want to turn on my laptop while in the air and the noise from the engine meant I wouldn't be able to concentrate on writing long hand. So that left reading.

I found it amusing that the first article I've read was from Chris Guillebeau, who writes for The Art of Non-comformity. He was writing about being a mobile writer. Well what look at that, I'm just giving it a try, Chris.
But, to get back on topic, having good reading material turned out to be a blessing. I didn't even notice when I arrived in Amsterdam.

I'll probabyl write in the evenings, after the business side of my trip is taken care of, and after I study a bit. But that's no different than to how and when I write at home. Though, to be honest, there's one (BIG) difference between home and here. The price of the Internet. While I won't be writing in a park, just to catch a WiFi Hotspot, the hotel's rate for Internet access are terrifying. But one has to sacrifice, right?

I'm looking forward to seeing whether or not these new surroundings will affect my muse. I'll definitely keep you updated.

Writing Goals and Why Every Writer Should Have Them

Back when I was writing for Scribophile, I wrote a post titled "Challenges, Contests And Writing Olympics: Why Do We Participate?". It was a humorist answer to why exactly writing challenges are so popular among writers. The post is over a year old, so you might be wondering why I'm even talking about it again.

The answer is simple. This year I signed up for FindYourWords again and Friday is the day when I report back with my weekly word count.

I didn't meet my goal last year. For various reasons. Maybe I simply wasn't ready, I don't know. But this year, I set my goal at a modest 65K, thinking that with writing another 20K big bang, I would be able to meet the goal by the end of the year.

And let me tell you, it's extremely satisfying to see I'm almost half way through.

I think at some level, I can attribute this productivity to the fact that I report to someone every week. "Hey, I wrote this many words this week". I see other writers reporting their progress. Some of them posting snippets of their work, others saying they are in the middle of editing and so their word count isn't that big.

And reading all those comments from writers all over the world makes me feel guilty every time I have to admit I haven't written a word.

Now, I participate in the challenge over at Livejournal, because I'm active there in the fandom community. But there are many places out there for writers, where you can share your daily accomplishments.

There's The One-Minute Writer where they post one prompt a day and you can share what you've written with other in the comments. What I did (even though with my current bigger projects I don't have time to write smaller pieces, is subscribing to the blog, and I get my daily prompt with my other Feeds.

And of course you can't forget about Inky Girl and her three challenges: write 1000 words a day, write 500 words a day and write 250 words a day. Basically, based on the time you have at your disposal, how much do you want to push yourself, you choose the challenge best suitable for you.

Now, if you excuse me, I have to go and report those 2642 words I've written this week (not counting the outline I'm working on).

Wednesday Update: The Writing Adventure continues

I decided to round up all that happened to me writing-wise. You can call it a stress relief tactic as the constant rains had put my city (and half of my country) on an emergency level, with bridges being closed and people being evacuated from the small villages near the river.

The World of Non-Fiction

I remain fascinated with the inner workings of Suite101. True, writing SEO rich articles isn't my very favorite past-time, and I prefer to be provided keywords to work into the article, but it's been a great training. I wrote another article about Studying Abroad; this time concentrating on how studying abroad can cost less than studying in the US. I was quite surprised to do the calculations, but Europe does seem like a cheaper option.

It's my second article, after tips on choosing good study abroad programs, in this area to be published on Suite101. Mostly because it's a topic I know a lot about and I'm seriously considering writing more in this niche. After all, I already wrote extensively on the subject while on Helium (going as far as creating a Zone exclusively about Studying Abroad).

I also decided to branch out into Entertainment and took on the phenomena that is the Vampire Diaries and explored reasons why it's such a popular show. I did extensive research on the subject, which may or may not consisted of spending 20 minutes looking at pictures of Ian Somerhalder... You have nothing to prove it! (but he's very good for inspiration, if you were wondering)

Writing Fiction

I found an editor for my bigbang story. I haven't looked at the corrected file yet. Mostly because I'm a bit afraid of what I might find there. So far I got two very positive feedback comments from two people, but they weren't reading the story to correct it... And we all know how writers are about admitting their story might not be perfect... Well, I know my story isn't perfect. I'd just prefer not to hear it from somebody else.

Yes, yes, I know editors are usually right and we should listen to them and appreciate them for they only have our best interest at heart.

The Epic Collaboration Project is currently on hold (though we're still excited). It's because we both have other, more urgent projects (as in projects with actual deadlines set by somebody else). But we started on the outline so it's going to happen.

Another story I've mentioned before is the other 20k story I have to write by September. I decided to dub it The War Angst as it's describing the story itself rather nicely. I need to do some serious research into the Marine Corps, but because it's more about an emotional turmoil than actual fighting, I think I can hand wave some more problematic facts. The ideas of what's going to happen in this one are floating around in my brain, I just need to write them down and see if I can come up with a coherent outline.

Other Stuff Happens Too

I kept playing nice with other kids, which I suppose counts for something. But seriously, I started to comment a bit more to other people's posts. It's mostly due to the fact that I'm meeting more and more people via Twitter and the #amwriting chat, and various RSS recommendations. And it's... Well, it doesn't feel right not to get involved in the conversations there.

I also wrote down some ideas and projects I'd like to start/get involved in. I could see myself getting passionate about several of them (like expanding and making use of my knowledge regarding Study Abroad programs), but I don't want to take on any more projects with what I have on my plate at the moment. Graduation, getting my degree and finally having more time to pursue those projects, I'm basically daydreaming about that moment.

The plans for next week/more immediate future?

Getting rid of the distractions and completing part of my thesis. At the same time I'd like to write two more articles. One for Helium about my trip to Ostrava (similar to what I wrote about Madrid back in September) and perhaps one more article for Suite101 - the subject of that one is still pending.

Wow. Once I wrote down everything that happened and what I have in store... I'm quite a busy little writer! That's a great feeling!