I've got a long drive coming up today. I should be sleeping in this morning. But nooooo. I'm wide awake. *sigh* I finished mapping out where I want to go with this first chapter. I just need to go in and do the dirty work. Layering in the dialogue and details. I know alot of us struggle with our beginnings. Hopefully mine will be original and the perfect hook. Yeah, ok. I WILL be optimistic. At least until it's time to send to my crit partners. LOL.
How do you write? Huh? Well...when you attack a blank page, do you outline your chapter? Do you start with dialogue first? Or do you write a clean first draft without having to do much layering? My approach varies. This chapter was a little harder for me for some reason. I had to outline what I had in my mind as to what I wanted to happen. I'll start out this morning with layering in dialogue, setting, action and emotion tags. I've had chapters that just flowed right and was a decent first draft. But this time it seems I had to do more on the plotting before it flowed. Are you pretty consistent?
OMG! I just thought of something...I'll be driving until about midnight tonight. Which means I'll miss the Grey's Anatomy season finale show tonight. I need to call and have someone at home set the DVR for me so I can watch it when we get up in the morning.
Ok. Off to do laundry and start packing. Hope you guys have a great day!
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Have a great trip! Will you be able to bring your lap top and do a little writing during the drive? I always do that; I invested in a plug in cord and then don't have to worry about the lap top battery running out!
My approach to writing a chapter varies, too. :)
Get some sleep! And be careful driving!
Thank you, Jody:) I'll definitely take the laptop. Just not sure how much work I'll get done. I usually end up letting the little one watch movies cause the screen is bigger than his DVD player. But that may be out of the question this time. I almost spilled his drink on it last trip. I'll get some work done while home though...I love to write out on my patio in the mornings when I take the dogs out. It's so peaceful and quiet. Especially since I'll have more help with the little one.
Jennifer:) Thanks! I went back to sleep for another hour. Little man is up now so we'll start getting things packed and ready so we can leave around noon.
How did it go? Safe travels?
Hmm. writing. My stories often play like a movie in my head so that I write from scene to scene. This happens, so that must happen, etc. I often need to go back and layer in some emotion or internal, but I think--key words, there--I'm getting better. LOL
I want to plot more, but I don't think I'll always know everything prior to sitting down. I usually get an idea and just run with it.
Hope you had a safe trip.
I always start with an outline, which is set up like a storyboard. It expands and changes as I write, but it gives me a skeleton for the entire story.
I hate first and last chapters. Usually, I sit down and think about my character, then write down their physical traits, education background and quirks, research the setting. After I feel that I know them, I think about the perfect place for their first meeting...then I start typing. If they're in my head and I feel them, the dialogue flows. If not, it won't.
Bethanne ~ I'm home...safe and sound. Just exhausted from catching up with all the projects around house. We're leaving to go back to Louisiana tomorrow.
Chicki ~ Thanks, honey. We're home but will leave out again tomorrow. I'll be glad when he's working closer to home this summer. No traveling for 3 months!!
Bella ~ I did a chapter once where I strated out with dialogue. Just filled in the blanks after I completed the scene.
I don't plot so much. Mainly I just attack the page each time I sit down to write. I'd be lying though if I didn't admit to knowing pretty much the plotline/outline of the whole plot before I even begin.
~ Wendy
Wendy ~ I usually start with my book idea and hammer out a rough synopsis so I can have the plot down before I start. But as for my chapters...they vary depending on how my thoughts flow I guess:)
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