Well, today ends the second Weekend Write of 2010. Right now, I am not focusing on storytelling. Over the last month, I realized that first and foremost in my agenda is school, so most of my major writing will be delegated to that. I was driving myself crazy, thinking I “lost my touch” because I wasn’t writing thousands of words a day. I am still being creative; I’m just using my talents to write my academic works–and that’s OK.

Having said that, I decided to use this weekend to get various writing projects done:

1. Article for my The Write Life for You series
2. Article for The Blood-Red Pencil
3. Finish and submit an article on letter writing that’s for possible publication
4. Write/finish site visit project for my Usability class

In total, approximately 5,000 words.

And I’m happy to report that I completed all the writing activities for this Weekend Write, and I’m already thinking about what I’ll do next month. Next month presents an interesting time for me. Spring break will have come and gone, and I’ll be moving into the last full month of the spring semester. April is ScriptFrenzy, and so I will want to make sure my outline is developed for the script because I do hope to at least TRY to work on a screenplay during April. Luckily, I have an outline on the back burner, so I won’t have to work on that, but I will have to reread it, get back into the characters’ minds so that I’m ready to write in April.

More than likely, I’ll do the same thing in March I did this month–work on articles to submit.

How is your writing going?

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Yes, it’s a little after three in the morning. I’m still up. But not for long.

Had a very slow start to my Saturday and was really not in the mood to do much of anything. In fact, I didn’t start making any significant moves until well after 6 p.m., and I didn’t start to do anything WW related until nearly 11 p.m.

But I did start, and I completed most of my Weekend Write tasks for Saturday, so that’s something.

Today, my goals were to write some articles and submit to online outlets I have columns with. Also, I wanted to break out the next novel project, look at it, and make a plan to see where to go with it next.

Well, I wrote the articles. In fact, I wrote two additional articles, so I was very pleased with that.

I didn’t, however, work on the next novel project.

SO, that will be my goal for Sunday. Tomorrow, I’ll talk a bit about the next novel project, and wrap up my first Weekend Write.

See you then.

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Leading up to my first Weekend Write, I have to admit I was nervous. All this month, I’ve been supposedly working on an outline for a novel I was to write and to gear myself up to work on it during the months of February and March.

There is no shame to my game, so I’ll tell the truth: I did nothing. Been dealing with school, getting back into the swing of things (still not there yet), and a big bout of depression. I barely could get my  mind around school-related issues, so doing anything creative was out of the question.

But I planned to use WW as a wake-up call. I told people about it, so they were expecting me to do something, and never being one to disappoint, I wrangled up the nerve and energy to do SOMETHING creative.

And I’m proud to report the first day has been successful.

And this is mostly the case because I had a deadline! I was asked if I’d like to contribute to an anthology and to be considered, I had to submit an outline for a story. The deadline? The 31st. I was supposed to have been done this, but yeah, well, not making excuses. I just didn’t do it.

So I used the vast majority of my waking hours today to develop a story description, my characters, a scene breakdown, and then an outline for the short story. As I type this, I have a sisterfriend-writer reading the outline before I ship it off. Crossing fingers the outline is accepted and I get put into the anthology. I’ll let you guys know what happens with it.

Also, while working on the outline today, I began to think about my writing life and what I want from it. Been so out of the loop with my own writing lately that I had begun to lose what defined me as a writer and thus what I was going to do to illustrate this definition storywise.

Well, I have a strategic plan now on where I plan to go, what I plan to do…with more on that coming soon.

Let’s just say that for the first time in a long time I feel like writing again. And THAT is awesome,

My goal for tomorrow’s WW? It’s two-fold. I have some articles that need to be written and submitted to online outlets I have columns with. Also, I want to break out the next novel project, look at it, and make a plan to see where to go with it next.

Will holler tomorrow.

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Well, as many know, I didn’t get a lot of writing done the second-half of 2009. With starting a doctoral program, most of my time was used reading, reading, reading and writing, writing, writing…PAPERS!

Toward the end of the semester and into Christmas break, I decided that I could add my creative writing back into my life if I managed my time better. I have done it in the past, and there is no reason why I can’t do it now.

Thus, Weekend Write was born. What is Weekend Write?

Well, I decided that one weekend out of the month, I will devote myself to creative endeavors – whether that’s working on a screenplay, writing a novel, or working on articles for my upcoming book on writing, The Write Life for You. Friday and Saturday of the weekend, I will write, and on Sunday, I will do either an audio or video podcast of what I’ve accomplished.

In addition to Weekend Write, I decided that I would incorporate writing during my school week, too. I will carve out 2 hours of writing time on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday to work on projects, too.

Creative writing is my lifeline; without it, I’m pretty useless in all other facets of my life.

Tentatively, here are the weekends I plan to write and podcast if you’d like to get your write on and talk about it.

• January 29-31
• February 26-28
• March 19-21
• April 23-25
• May 28-30
• June 25-27
• July 23-25
• August 27-29
• September 24-26
• October 29-31
• November 26-28
• December 17-19

Once my first week of school is through and I have a better sense of project due dates, I will solidify these dates.

And I have my first project, too. Back in 2006, I started a novel titled The Loss of Weight, and for whatever reason, I stopped working on it. Over Christmas break, I read the 20,000 words I wrote and realized I really liked the story, so from January to end of March, I will be working on finishing this novel before Script Frenzy in April; I plan to work on a screenplay then.

I’m excited. I’m pumped.

We’ll see what happens.

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Recently, a fan of CLG Entertainment and The Write Life for You articles I write contacted me. The fan, a writer, asked, “How do you know if you have the talent to pursue writing? Words have always had a powerful pull on me, but I don’t know if I can actually write … Do you have medicine for my affliction?”

I wanted to share my response because I think it might be beneficial to those of you out there feeling, thinking the same thing.

You know, the need to pursue writing often comes before one even KNOWS if he or she has talent. It comes from a desire, a need to express something. The fact that you’re pulled to write is BIG. For me, writing was always a NEED. Started writing when I was 10, and it was all about looking at the world and writing what interest me, then what I didn’t understand, then what I hated, then what I wanted to be made right, and on and on.

That pull to write is important because it will warm your heart when you’re rejected, it will urge you on when you receive criticism, and it will move you to want to learn so that you can better your craft.

First and foremost, I think you need to KEEP the pull. Recognize it. Communicate with it. Nurture it.

Allow the pull to keep you writing.

As you write, think about what you seem “called” to write about. This calling isn’t set in stone, but it’s a great place to begin to think about who you are as a writer and what you hope to convey in your writing.

As you write, READ. Read works you deem “good,” and be able to illustrate to yourself why they are good and what you can glean from these findings for your own writing.

As you write, READ. Read works you deem “bad,” and be able to illustrate to yourself why they might be bad and what you can glean from these findings for your own writing.

As you write, READ. Read works about writing, especially those books that delve into the issues you find you make consistently in your work. You want as many tools in your writer’s toolbox as possible.

Connect with other writers, especially those willing to read and critique your work. It’s important to know what you want to get out of a critique group and what you can bring to that group; you do not just want to jump into a group and wallow within it. And be open to constructive criticism.

And almost as important as your writing these days is your platform – who you are, what you stand for, how your writing reflects this, who you connect with, network with, how you BRAND yourself.

But ultimately, I think it is about the PULL. If you don’t feel moved to write, who will be compelled to read WHAT you write?

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I have updated my [Loglines] page. I have revised loglines to short scripts on the page, and I have added loglines to longer works, too. In addition, I now have sample pages of the scripts available to read.

Take the time to check them out!

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Well, I jumped into whatever it is that I’m writing. Still don’t have a firm grasp of plot or anything; I’m just going where the words take me.

On day one, I wrote about 5,200 words.

This morning, I woke up and went to Starbucks, got me a white chocolate mocha and a slice of pumpkin bread and wrote before doing anything else. Got about 2,800 words in.

Sitting at 8,015 words for the first two days.

My goal for myself is to get to at least 30,000 words during NaNo because with school and all, I’m not sure I can hit the 50k. If I can cross the 15k mark by Sunday evening, I will be happy.

And proud of myself,

How are you guys doing on NaNo thus far?

Hope to put up an excerpt soon!

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It’s been a VERY long time since I’ve been over here.

And school is the time-sucking culprit!

I’ve been busy with school and reading and research…and now am about to get into the part of the semester where papers have to be written, so it will get even more crazy.

HOWEVER, I do plan to work on a NaNoWriMo project for November. I’ve participated for the last four years and have “won” each year, and it felt wrong to at least not try to write something this month.

This is a challenge for me on several fronts:

1. Usually, I outline my NaNoWriMo projects. I’m going into this completely cold with a title, a character name, and fuzzy thoughts on what the story is about.
2. I’m in school, and school is like a full-time job plus double-overtime. It’s going to be rough.
3. I haven’t written anything creatively in nearly three months. A record for me, so I’m very rusty.

Because of this, my goal is to do a NaNo-Lite. No, this doesn’t actually exist. As we all know, NaNo has people attempting to write 50,000 words in 30 days. I’m going for 30,000 words in 30 days. Still a lot of words for a woman with barely enough time to do everything else in her life, but I think I really do need this so that I can feel – at least mentally – that I’m still creative.

I’ll be posting throughout the month, giving you guys updates on my writing challenges, of which I’m sure there will be at least ONE.

For now, I’ll leave you with my title: Educating Sophia.

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Stanislavski asked his actors:  Are you in love with the art in yourself or yourself in the art?  You too must examine your motives for wanting to write the way you write.  What is your vision?  Each tale you create says to the audience:  “I believe life is like this.”  Every moment must be filled with your passionate conviction or we smell a phony – Robert McKee, STORY

In my time around, within the industry, I have seen so many writers opting to “write what sells.”  They have stories they are passionate about to write, but they see everybody selling in a particular genre and aim themselves to write that book and sell it.  Some sell it…some don’t.

Thing is trends, fads come and go.  A book that’s part of a trend now, in 2009, was probably bought a year, maybe two years ago.  It was hot in 2007, and the trend could be cooling down two years later…  Once everybody and his/her mama starts writing that same type of book, the industry becomes flooded with that genre and may start to back off from buying more…  If a writer is lucky enough (because sometimes publishing isn’t about talent but luck) to get published, his/her work might be likened to SO AND SO (add the top author of a genre) and the many other writers who have not created a unique voice but have simply added yet another book that reads like all the other books in that genre…  Most readers are quite intelligent; they can sense the passion it takes to write a good book, and if your book is just another like others, they will sense it, and it might hinder you from gaining a solid readership for future works.

Being true to your “true” writer self is important.  Yes, for many of us, publication is the platinum ring (I want better than the brass ring.)  However, we should not sell ourselves for it.  When we are true to developing our craft, to researching the industry (not mimicking it but being well-informed), to writing what is truly in our writer spirit to write; the right people will take notice, and literary dreams will come true.

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Update on Saying No to the Big O — I wrote 12 pages today, so I’m up to 87 pages!  4 days – 13 pages to go to make my 100 pages for Script Frenzy.  It’s all gravy now, LOL

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Hey there, my friends.  Been awhile since I’ve updated you on what’s going on with me, so here it goes!

WRITING – yeah, I need to do more of that.  You don’t get the representation, the sales, and the accolades without FIRST having a product.

This past weekend, I finished a short script, PG.  Logline is on the side bar.  I just sent it to an interested party.

I’m waiting on a contract for an option of a short script of mine, and when that’s confirmed, you will know all about it.

Right now, my big thing is organizing my writing.  Need to figure out which short projects I will work on next and which big project I’m going to work on in April for Script Frenzy.

I plan to submit to about six contests this year, so I need to get working on new feature-length script and get The Problem with Being Happy polished for competitions.

I’m researching agents, managers, and prod. companies online and with my trusty 2009 Screenwriter’s & Playwright’s Market.

I’m editing – always editing.  I’m taking April off – for the most part – LOL, so I’m excited about that!

I’m also in the process of preparing materials for The Nubian Chronicles and SisterDivas magazines, both slated to go live May 4, 2009.

I’m ALSO in the brainstorming stage of developing a podcast for writing tips, book reviews, and story-time.  I just bought space on PodBean, so I’m dedicated to doing it.  Will probably launch in June.

LOL

OK, I think that’s it for now – really should be working on something – like writing…or editing.

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