The Writers' Rejection Pile

Hello Everyone,

Okay, today's topic has nothing to do with the pile of stories you're currently working on, or even your rejection slips. It has to do with those stories who you started writing at first and then said "This won't work" or "I think I better put this one on hold indefinitely...unless something grabs me."

I'm sure we all have stories like that. Ones we got excited about and then was like "Wait, no I'm not ready to write this, it's not coming together, what was I THINKING???!!"

This is what I'm calling the "Writers' Rejection Pile".

I remember on a computer I used to have (that has long since crashed, poor computer; it was properly mourned, now we're just hoping one day my younger brother will be able to unlock its secrets and pull out some files we had on there, that didn't make their way to disc!) But I remember I had a couple of stories.

One was an anthology of short stories, which included such titles like, "The Madman", and "White Hall's Lady". I only vaguely remember the premis for these stories, but I do remember that I just didn't have enough "vim and vigor" for them. I didn't have a clear enough idea of what I wanted to do with them to pursue them.

Sometimes we have to start writing stories that end up in the Writers' Rejection Pile in order to get to that story that lights up our faces and makes our fingers fly across the keyboard (or the page) with incredible speed and lightning flash after lightning flash of inspiration.

Now, this doesn't mean a writer never revisits his or her Rejection Pile. Some do, and realize that they finally know what they're going to do with that unfinished tale.

Often times a writer has to put aside a story, not because he or she wanted to, but because it's not working out for them. Who knows? Somebody might say or do something that makes them think "Oh! That's what I should do with that one story!"

So, don't worry, the Rejection Pile isn't always the end of a life for a story, sometimes it's the beginning and sometimes the Funeral March is appropriate.

What about your Rejection Pile? What constitutes a story going there or getting out of it?

Have A Thoughtful Thursday!

AARRRGG!!

Afternoon Folks,

Okay, fellow writers, be honest. When you get fed up with your characters, admit that you fantasize about writing them jumping off a cliff...or perhaps imagine them getting zapped by lightning.

We all deal with writer's block, frustration and characters who don't want to do what they're told. How does an author let off steam?

Here's your chance to find out...

I've been known to go "on hiatus" from a story. If I'm getting to a point where something is annoying me to no end, I take a break--or I focus on another project. Reading has also been a good escape for me.

I also tell people about my frustration--sometimes talking out a problem helps.

So what's you method?

Have A Wild Wednesday!

Correction To Today's Post

I actually won't be looking for caffienated tea because it's not so much the coffee--it's the CAFFEINE I'm supposed to avoid. Sad day.

LOL

Woe Is Me

Morning/Afternoon All,

I have to have sympathy. I know, I'm not usually one to ask for a pity party, but in this case, I think I might actually need one. I'm having reflux issues and so I emailed one of my doctors (the 2 doctors are married to each other and own a family practice, I've been to both the husband and wife on different occasions for different things). I emailed because I really didn't want to call the office and wait for a call back or have to go in and negotiate the dang hospital complex parking lot. My doctor wrote me back told me what to do, but she also warned that I should avoid certain foods. Among the foods mentioned...caffeine and chocolate. (I can handle avoiding peppermint, that ain't so hard, and tomatoes I can avoid). But coffee and chocolate???

Okay, the chocolate I've been mostly avoiding for awhile now because of my diet--but CHRISTMAS is coming! I was going to make FUDGE...my sister and her husband make Million Dollar Pie--it has chocolate in it! I drink coffee in the morning!

Okay, I get it, I could switch to a tea that has caffeine, but honestly, it's not the same. (And I like tea, but it really can't hold a candle to the coffee).

So yes, your sympathetic comments are most welcome, and please drink an extra coffee in my honor. (I'm supposed to let my doc know how things are after 2 weeks of being on the meds)

As to writing, the revisions I've been working on seem to be coming along. I'm thinking this new approach might just be what Conjure A Man needed.

I still have to get the word count down on Surreal but I have gotten started on that--it's slow going because I have to figure out what words are necessary and which ones I can cut (and sometimes I have to rewrite a sentence). But at least I've found ways to bring down the word count.

Have you had to give up something you really like (love, rely on)? And how's your writing going?

Have A Tremendous Tuesday!

Please Excuse Me / Excuse Me, Please

Good Morning All,

My weekend was nice and quiet for the most part (other than Friday evening when I went up to my high school Alma mater to see my son's Godsister perform in the choir--she did not do a solo, but it was still fun). Saturday and Sunday were pretty quiet, though, which is fine :-)

I've been wrestling with the question of approach and the way to write one particular story for some time (if you all remember previous entries about my trying to revise this story, you know precisely which one I'm talking about and how many times I've been trying to figure out what to do with it).

I don't know if this new approach is going to work or not, but it brings up the question I've often brought up, which is when one method isn't working, that a writer should try a new one.

Do you write mainly third person omniscient? If that's not working, try third person limited, or even try a whole different pov altogether.

Trying to start the book with an argument but it sounds petty? Why not start with the beginning of tension--maybe someone said something to really hurt the other character and the one who was hurt is trying to decide just how to handle it, while shooting sparks (through his or her glare) at the one who hurt him/her.

Sometimes you have to scratch one idea and try a new one. If you really like/believe in a particular story idea and you truly want it to work out, you have to exhaust the possibilities.

I once jokingly said I'd have one of my characters jump off a cliff, but due to her abilities, didn't think it was possible. My husband laughed over it, but two RWA Chapter members started running with the story and shooting off ideas, which, I ended up really liking.

I haven't figured out exactly how to make them work, but I still think they're fun suggestions.

So, what about you? What's your "usual" approach and what's your "back up" approach? (pov, way you tell a story, do you just jump right in or outline the whole thing out? If that doesn't work, what do you do?)

Have A Meaningful Monday!

Let's Live Vicariously!

Morning Folks,

Goodness! What is it about other people's blogs that gets my ideas going? I have to give credit to Marsha, because her blog post on writers being "liars" triggered this idea:

My comment [on Marsha's blog] talked about the fact that I can't resist writing fiction. As a little girl I used to love fairy tales (I still do, to be honest) and always wanted to be a fairy tale princess and so now vicariously, through my stories, I'm able to be a princess, a witch (Conjure A Man), and a shape shifter of sorts (Surreal). How cool is that?

Makes you wonder at the possibilities.

I mean look at J.K. Rowling. She got to be a wizard and witches (Harry Potter), Stephenie Meyer got to be a new form of vampire and werewolf--plus an alien life form (The Twilight Saga, The Host). Gail Carson Levine took up fairy tales and became Ella (Ella Enchanted) and several other people (Fairest, Ever)--including the well-meaning, but mistake-prone fairy, Lucinda (The Fairy's Mistake).

What about Robin McKinley? She became her title character, Sunshine, among others. (Sunshine, A Door In The Hedge, The Outlaws Of Sherwood, Spindle's End, Beauty: A Retelling Of Beauty & The Beast; to name a few).

Ciara Gold took a trip in a ship across her universe where there's colored rocks and dragons. (Celestial Dragon)

Kim Lenox became a new form of mortals who look after the Inner Realm, and "reclaim" deteriorated human souls. (including Jack The Ripper in Night Falls Darkly) (She has another story in that series, So Still The Night).

So, what have you gotten to be [vicariously] from writing your stories?

Have A Fabulous Friday!

Back To Our Program Already In Progress

Afternoon All,

Okay, let's just say I'm blinking in amazement right now. I never expected comment I made on someone else's blog would generate so much traffic on my comment section (especially on one about laughing LOL). But in any case, thank you for the nice comments and the compliments. I appreciate it. Please, if you have something to say about another blog where I posted a comment, direct it to my email: bethanyintexas@yahoo.com I'll be happy to correspond with you about it there. I'm not trying to be rude, I just like to keep my blog pretty much about writing since that's it's purpose (NO offense meant to anyone).

Anyway, moving along. I sent my revised chapter 1 of Conjure A Man to the illustrious Tessy (my CP) and she sent me back comments (again, some good ones). A few things I'm gonna have to take more time to think about. On another note, until further notice, CAM is on hiatus. I just need to get away from it for now. I love the idea, and I love the title, it's just I'm not loving how it's going currently.

I've got another project--it's a secret--but I think it's mostly a YA Paranormal Romance based on the ages of the main characters. That could change, but for now that's that.

Surreal is undergoing a form of surgery--word count surgery. I'm trying to bring the word count down. (Over 124,000 words--EEEEKK!) So yeah, some major word cutting going on there, but I think it'll help with my editing as well. It's going very well thus far, so I'm pretty happy about that--but still a lot more to do.

What are you currently working on? How's it going?

Have A Thrilling Thursday!