Moving along: unpolished writing?

I hope it’s okay for me to be leaving gaps as I write my first draft. Some pages move along smoothly, while others have three – four disjointed paragraphs. I jot down thoughts I don’t want to lose, sometimes in a form of a list, and move along to a new scene, a new adventure. It is an exciting project to be working on, even though I second guess myself and worry it’s not good enough, but I move along. My February goal is reached, and I can only ask for March to be just as generous.

Looking for help! Unicorns, illustrations, and inspirations.

Looking at art has been pulling me through the difficult morning. This tapestry with a unicorn has long been my favorite, and I draw much of my inspiration for the current chapter from it. I have to add, that if my book was ever published and illustrated, I would aim for this style in the artwork selected to go along with the story.

If anyone reading this knows of any artwork of magical creatures done in a similar style, I would love to get links and / or thumbnails. 

 

Thanks in advance!

If you are stuck with your plot…

I am stuck. You might say that it’s a bit too early to be experiencing writer’s block, after all, I’m only 6,000 words into the story. Yet, I wish I had the same certainty as to what will happen next with my characters as when I began working on this story a week ago. My plan, however, is to write. I will put one foot in front of the other, and see where it leads me. Even if I end up with 10-15 useless pages that will have to be edited out, I hope I will be able to stumble upon a detail that will carry me through.

While I am ahead on my word count, I don’t want to rely on it too much and to skip writing today. I worry that is exactly how stories become forgotten. This will not happen to mine!

Writing process: Writing in snippets.

I wake up with a scene etched in my mind, and I have to write it down as close to my vision as possible. I don’t know when it will appear in the book, all I know is that it will, and it will have to find a way to fit into the bigger picture. What a strange writing process I’m developing.

Altogether, I am taking the great advice of “writing the book I really want to read” to heart. It is difficult to judge whether or not I would enjoy this book if I picked it up off a shelf, since I am the one writing it. Regardless, I strive to create the characters that the reader will care about, and the kinds of relationships that I would want to read about.

Back to work… 

P.S. I’m 1,600 words ahead of my goal. *doing a happy dance*

Chapter “7″ is done. Thanks, daily writing goal!

I reached my goal of 1,000 words for the day, and it’s not even 9 AM yet! I woke up with realization how my current scene is going to get resolved, and I couldn’t wait to start writing. In just half an hour – I reached my daily goal! It’s a great feeling…. (and there is no hint of the Bangles here in the chapter  finale).

Character development… Seriously?!

Okay, don’t make fun of me!

I decided to search for pictures that would help me to outline the appearance, habits, and general abilities of my main characters. One thing led to another, and my quest has resulted in this… Now I’m completely consumed by the idea of finding out as much as possible about Shaolin Monks, it turned out to be quite an inspiration.

Who would have thought?

 

I shouldn’t have listened to the Bangles…

What a brilliant song, I’ve been listening to it over and over in the past few days, and I can’t get it out of my head.

It turned my writing more mushy than I wanted to. I might end up editing through it later (possibly when I move on to another song?)

Funny and inspirational quotes on writing.

You can’t wait for inspiration, you have to go after it with a club.

Jack London

Words are most powerful drug used by mankind. 

Rudyard Kipling

 

If my doctor told me I had only six minutes to live, I wouldn’t brood. I’d type a little faster.

Isaac Asimov

 

Keep in mind that the person to write for is yourself. Tell the story that you most desperately want to read.

Susan Isaacs

 

Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart.

William Wordsworth

 

In a longish life as a professional writer, I have heard a thousand masterpieces talked out over bars restaurant tables and love seats. I have never seen one of them in print. Books must be written, not talked.

Morris L. West

 

I write when I’m inspired, and I see to it that I’m inspired at nine o’clock every morning.

Peter De Vries

 

Eternal Flame (the Bangles)

Close your eyes, give me your hand, darling,
Do you feel my heart beating? 
Do you understand?
Do you feel the same? 
Am I only dreaming? 
Is this burning an eternal flame? 

I believe it’s meant to be, darling. 
I watch you when you are sleeping. 
You belong with me, 
Do you feel the same? 
Am I only dreaming, 
Or is this burning an eternal flame?

Say my name, sun shines through the rain 
A whole life so lonely, 
And then you come and ease the pain. 
I don’t want to lose this feeling …ooooohhhh….

Close your eyes, give me your hand,
Do you feel my heart beating? 
Do you understand? 
Do you feel the same? 
Am I only dreaming,
Is this burning an eternal flame? 

Close your eyes, give me your hand, darling, 
Do you feel my heart beating? 
Do you understand, 
Do you feel the same? 
Am I only dreaming? 
Is this burning an eternal flame? 

Close your eyes, give me your hand, darling, 
Do you feel my heart beating? 
Do you understand? 
Do you feel the same, 
Am I only dreaming?

An eternal flame

Close your eyes, give me your hand, darling 
Do you feel my heart beating? 
Do you understand?
Do you feel the same?
Am I only dreaming? 
Is this burning an eternal flame ?

Inspirations!

 One way or another, all of these images relate to the story I’m working on. An image of the forest, an element from a Russian folk tale, a fairy, a wise little boy.