Imogen Elvis: Gossiping with Dragons: discussion

Discussion: How Do You Recharge Creatively?

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Discussion: How Do You Edit?

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I’m editing again at the moment, so of course I’m thinking a lot about the editing process. Mine is evolving all the time as I try new things and as each new book has different needs. For example, in the past, whenever I’ve edited a draft, I’ve edited it straight through, just like how I do when I write them, fixing whatever major issues it had, and making notes about any problems I discovered partway through that affected whatever I had edited before, leaving those changes until the next draft. Now I do a lot more going back and forth, fixing the draft as much as possible before leaving it, trying to perfect the plot as it stands so there is less work for next time.

I’ve written about my editing process on the blog before, and if you’d like to see my humorous rendition of the way I edit, I highly recommend you check out my post HERE. But basically, my editing process goes a little something like this:

Read through the draft and make copious notes about what needs to be fixed
Read through notes and brainstorm fixes to problems
Actually edit
Do several passes of problem areas if new issues crop up (this is a new step for me)
When I’m happy I’ve done as much as I can, I leave it for a month or so, then rinse and repeat

What I don’t do is fuss over the language in the first drafts. I like to get my plot and characters hammered out first, and then worry about making it all pretty when the storyline actually hangs together (and boy doesn’t that end up taking a while). But while that’s how I edit, it’s probably not your process, so today I thought we could discuss editing processes.

Do you make a single pass through your book, or do you go back and forth fixing problems as you discover more? Do you like to make sure the text reads smoothly as you go, or do you save that for later drafts? What does your overall process look like? How many passes does it usually take for you to get that pesky plot in order? And what piece of advice would you give to someone (i.e. me) going into a new round of edits? Let’s discuss!

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Discussion: Writer's Block

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For a lot of people, April means Camp NaNoWriMo. And even if you’re not participating in Camp this month, chances are you’re writing, editing, or creating with words in some form or another. Which means that, eventually, there’s a high likelihood you might come to a day when the words refuse to come, the ideas hide in their burrows, and the caged muses you have hanging up in your workspace all slip their bars and flee. Unpleasant as this is to consider, for most of us, it’s going to happen at some point or other.

Personally, I hate writer’s block. For me, it comes with complete apathy about writing, or even sometimes outright avoidance and loathing for the very idea of working on books. Neither option is very pleasant. However, over time I’ve found that my writer’s block comes in a couple of different forms, which makes dealing with it a little easier. These are:

Something’s wrong

My subconscious knows when there’s something wrong with my writing well before I do and starts giving me little nudges about it. And I don’t want to admit it, so I get blocked. I simply can’t move on. Which uncomfortable situation I will remain in until I cave and admit that yes, I’ve made a huge mistake early on in the book and actually this is making no sense. Then, I can either go back and fix it, or make a note of what I need to fix later, and then push on as if I’ve already made the changes.

I’m tired and creatively empty

I’ve probably been writing and creating a lot recently, and at this point, the creative well is dry The ideas aren’t coming and I don’t feel like I have any more words in me. I could push on during this type of block, but what I write is usually pretty terrible. I do better if a take a day off, sleep well, read, watch movies, look at pictures, whatever works at that moment in time, and rest and recuperate a bit before I try writing again.

I’m not blocked, I’m just lazy

And then there are those days where I think I have writer’s block and actually I’m just a lazy little thing and I don’t want to make the effort to write. In which case, there’s only one cure, and that’s to get my behind in the chair and start punching out some words. The act of writing usually clears this right up.

So, the question I’d like to ask you guys today is, how do you deal with writers block? Are you prepared for it before it happens? What do you do when it strikes? Are you able to push through and creative even when you’re feeling blocked? How to do inspire yourself again? Books? Movies? Music? Pictures? Long periods of crying under a blanket? Building a pillow fort? What advice would you give someone going through writer’s block right now? Let’s discuss!

Also

I couldn't let the date pass without mentioning it at least briefly, but Gossiping With Dragons turned two on April 1st (in my opinion possibly one of the worst days to have a blogaversary on, what with all the pranking and such going round.) And I just wanted to say thank you, to all of you who read my blog. I've met, become friends with, and gotten to know better so many people over the last year, and I've certainly learned a lot about blogging, writing, and just being a person from you all. Thank you so much for all your support, for the discussions we've had, the fun times, and the thoughts you've given me. May the third year be even better than the last!

And, in honour of this occasion, I have revamped a couple of things on the blog. The most obvious is, of course, the new header. What do you think? Like it? No? Probably the biggest change is that my Novels page is no longer under construction! Yep, that's right. After two years, I've finally got information on my seven major projects up, so if you're interested in learning more about my books, you should definitely check it out!

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