Like a good stealing artist, I stole this #WritersLife tag from Evi @ Adventuring Through Pages because it looked extraordinarily fun and while I blog 96% of the time about books: I AM ACTUALLY A WRITER TOO. I tend to avoid the topic of writing because a) I have no idea what I’m doing, b) I truly read more than I write, and c) I get nervous, okay!? NERVOUS LIKE A LITTLE SHIVERING PINEAPPLE. So be kind to me today as I talk (nervously) about my writing.
And I thought this was a particularly excellent time to talk about writing because I AM WRITING A NEW BOOK! I’m calling it my “NaNoWriMo Warm Up” — just so I remember how to write a book before November. This is why I’ve been strangely quite across the internet. But my fantasy WIP (work-in-progress) is nearly done (I’ve just hit 50K) so soon I shall be back into reading and blogging in full force!
WRITE FUEL: WHAT DO YOU EAT/DRINK WHILE WRITING?
I basically don’t?! I write like a fiend — with my fingers typing at a million miles an hour. I WRITE FURIOUSLY, OKAY?! There is a reason behind my blog title. So when I pause for a snack or to drown myself in an olympic pool’s worth of hot chocolate, I use it as a gloriously deserved break.
Plus it’s excellent motivation. “Finish this chapter and you can eat AN ENTIRE* MOOSE.”
* Spoiler: I have not actually eaten a moose. I don’t even know what I’m talking about half the time on this blog, sheesh.
WRITE SOUNDS: WHAT DO YOU LISTEN TO WHILE WRITING?
Exactly nothing. I used to be an avid listener of soundtracks (hello Hans Zimmer and Danny Elfman, specifically!) and I can even tell you which soundtrack related to which draft! BUT. Now? I find it too distract. Too much. Everything just needs to shuuuuuuuuush and let me think.
WRITE VICE: WHAT’S YOUR MOST DEBILITATING DISTRACTION?
My puppy, Atticus Bean. Because he is a devious troublesome little scoundrel and bops around eating what he shouldn’t and chewing everything else. He also likes to stare at me. STARE. Do you know what it’s like to be stared at by a puppy?!?!
ME 99% OF THE TIME TO MY DOG.
I love him so much but he makes it hard to focus. I could play fetch or write 5,000-words. I MEAN, REALLY.
He also puts his paw on my laptop when I’ve spent too much time with it and not with him.
WRITE HORROR: WHAT’S THE WORST THING THAT’S EVER HAPPENED TO YOU WHILE WRITING?
- Someone asked to read my book once. IT WAS TRAUMATIC AND TERRIFYING AND I’M STILL IN RECOVERY.
- I once lost a huge chunk of writing due to a not-saved-and-computer-shut-down moment. Not too extreme, but I maybe cried nine oceans worth of tears.
- I’ve been rejected. By a lot of people and publishers and agents and even small children. NOT that small children should be reading my scary books, but my 4 year old nephew gave me the Eyebrow Raise of Disapproval and questioned whether my book was really “interesting” or not. (I mean, my books have no pictures, so I do see where he’s coming from.)
WRITE JOY: WHAT’S THE BEST THING THAT’S EVER HAPPENED WHILE WRITING OR HOW DO YOU CELEBRATE SMALL VICTORIES?
This is really a two fold question so I shall answer two foldly!
BEST THINGS:
- The first time I ever finished a book (!!)
- And every single book I finished thereafter because HEY I’M DOING A THING AND IT WASN’T JUST LUCK THE FIRST TIME!!
- That moment I signed with an agent.
- That moment when a beta reader said, “Awk, your writing is good, I wanna steal your brain and probably marry it”.
- When I sit back and think, “Out of the 50,000 words I’ve just written, I THINK THAT
ONE SENTENCE IS GOLDEN. I’m going to be famous.”
HOW I CELEBRATE SMALL VICTORIES:
- Buy a small dragon.
- Take over a small universe.
- Rule firmly but maliciously.
- Eat copious amounts of chocolate while wearing a crown.
- Take 10 to 12 years off and just read.
WRITE CREW: WHO DO YOU COMMUNICATE WITH OR NOT COMMUNICATE WITH WHILE WRITING?
For first drafts…usually I talk to no one. I tweet! I tweet the psychotic woes of a writer drafting. But I don’t specifically communicate with a writing buddy* or anything. I’m a lone creature.
* Although I will whinge about my book to my sister if she’s around. She’s very encouraging and tells me my book is great without ever reading it. She’s wonderful.
WRITE SECRET: WHAT’S YOUR WRITING SECRET TO SUCCESS OR HIDDEN FLAW?
Again a two foldly question which I will answer thusly:
WRITING SECRETS:
- While drinking tears of a faerie during the autumn equinox while sitting under an umbrella tree wearing purple spotted socks — you will write amazingly. Trust me.
- Don’t compare yourself to published books. They’ve had 230289 professional people working on them. You’ve just got you.
- FINISH WHAT YOU START. It’s absolutely crucial to ever getting anywhere.
HIDDEN FLAWS:
- Shh, don’t tell anyone, but I only have like 4 character skeletons and most of my books just reuse them with different names and different food obsessions.
- AKA. I suck at writing characters.
- Each of my books feature a different food quite intensely…but wait THAT’S NOT A FLAW.
- I’m notorious at contradicting myself. One minute he loves sushi, the next he’s allergic, the next he’s French and why even is he eating sushi I don’t know, he’s not conforming to stereotypes, that’s what. And by the end of the book he’s never even heard of sushi. So DO YOU SEE WHY THIS IS A PROBLEM? I give my betas heart attacks.
WRITE-SPIRATION: WHAT ALWAYS MAKES YOU PRODUCTIVE?
ME. No really! I am the biggest motivator behind my work because I want to finish it and I want to see it be published one day (hopefully!) and that’ll never happen if I don’t write or edit.
WRITE PEEVE: WHAT’S ONE THING WRITERS DO (OR YOU DO) THAT’S ANNOYING?
I do get frustrated when writers ask for critiques or advice and then…they justify everything you’ve critiqued. It doesn’t make sense to me! Clearly they didn’t want the critique so they just wasted my time by asking for it?! GAH. And, permit me to have two pet peeves because I’m a peevy person apprently, but I really get quite riled when writers claim they’ll do something better than a published author. In strain of, “Well, I’m going to write a dystopian book and it’ll be so way better than The Hunger Games.” Write a dystopian fine, BUT DON’T SAY STUFF LIKE THAT. It’s a) rude, and b) makes you look immature.
I, of course, am perfect and I find nothing peevy about me.*
* I’m just kidding. I so annoyed at myself that I generally have no confidence in my own writing. GAH.
WRITE WORDS: SHARE ONE SENTENCE FROM A PROJECT, PAST OR PRESENT.
My current project is about heists and assassins and chocolate and siblings. It’s very focused on siblings, who mostly love each other but would also love to kill each other at times. Because that’s what it is to be a sibling. There’s also a bit of magic and far too much dessert and lots of things die. SO MUCH FUN. And because, pfft, I don’t follow rules, I’m going to give you more than one measly little line.
Even though I stole it, I’m still tagging people because I MAKE MY OWN RULES. So. If you’re a writer, consider yourself tagged, and also specifically…
Ashley @ Insert Title Here // Emily @ Loony Literate // Beth @ The Quiet People // Sophia @ Ravens and Writing Desks // Mishma @ Chasing Faerytales // Alyssa @ The Devil Orders Takeout // Lisa @ Gods Daughter Forever
Or you can ignore me…I won’t cry too much.
Good job on being at 50k, Cait! I’m just rereading ( like I started it an hour ago) my writing project from June, because I finally have holidays and time, and then I’m going to edit it. But I’m leaving comments on the manuscript which mostly look like (??? HUH WHAT WHY) Much work needs to be done. I think one of my main flaws is a tendency to assume that my readers know as much about the world I’m writing (it’s set in the future)as they do. And the thing I love most (apart from finishing) Iis making the characters be sarcastic and mean. I’m not going to do NaNo, because a) I foolishly signed up to do a 10k run and I need to practice, b)It’s the end of term so it will be very busy and testy and c)I’m going on some trips for school and other things and d)I have a music exams and e)I liked sleep (excuses, excuses. ! I know) But I do plan on doing some plotting in october. So we’ll see. From the quotes our story sounds fabulous. I also suck at showing people my writing. Worst thing was writing the end because I’m never happy with it. And it was way too melodramatic. So. I don’t have any horror stories except the time when my siblings laughed at the names of my characters. (actually many times0. IGNORANT SWINE.They clearly know nothing.
Yaay, thank you, Shanti!! 😀 50K is a really fun milestone I reckon. Although usually it’s where I finish a draft. This one turned out to be an 85K beast and a half. o.O
Making characters sarcastic is soooo much fun. OMG. I do like a bitter sarcastic character every now and then, squeak. :’)
omg a 10K run?!? I BOW TO YOUR SKILLS. I do a 1K run each morning, which is absolutely pathetic but it’s all my dog allows and I’m not complaining. XD
And gah, siblings almost always know nothing. *flips hair and struts away from them* My sister ALWAYS laughs at my character names, mostly because I use gender-neutral names and she thinks I’m ridiculous. BUT I CAN’T HELP IT I JUST LIKE THOSE KINDA NAMES. She also just assumes all my characters are going to die. GEE. I LET SOME LIVE OCCASIONALLY. XDXD
Thank you for tagging me! I can see why you stole this one, it looks really fun. Also, is it just me or do you write an INSANE number of drafts? I mean, a pre-NaNo draft, and a NaNo draft? Seriously, your drafting speeds put me to shame. It takes me the same amount of time for you to write a first draft for me to outline a novel. Hans Zimmer is the best, although I’ve taken to listening to music all the time so I don’t forget I’m supposed to be writing. “Hmm, let me go check Facebook — *INCEPTION HORN NOISES*”
Aww darn it, Cait, you had to tell us about your ritual right after the autumn equinox. Now I got to wait an entire year. I also dislike it when people do that! I mean, I’m okay if you justify a little bit, but don’t write back to me with a second novel about everything I didn’t understand about your first novel. I’m also okay if after justifying everything, you actually have a point, like asking: “Should I insert this bit of exposition earlier to make more sense?” But otherwise you clearly didn’t need my help, so never mind. *sighs*
YOUR SNIPPETS THOUGH. I did already volunteer as a beta reader on Twitter, right? I DON’T CARE I’M GONNA VOLUNTEER AGAIN. I’m like a bloodthirsty Career from District 2, only I’ll shed ALL the tears over the deaths.
PS: Ooh, did you make that graphic yourself? It’s SO PRETTYYYYYY.
It does, right?!?! Some tags seem a bit odd with their questions but I LOVED how this one covered so many aspects of writing. :’) And yes. Um, YES, I do write an insane number of first drafts. I can count on my hand which ones I’ve edited though. -_- IT’S A PROBLEM. It’s just so much easier and more fun to draft!!
INCEPTION HORN NOISES. *dies laughing* I did edit a whole book to Inception. I was really depressed by the end. XD Hehe. I love that soundtrack, but omg, isn’t it sad!? I love the Coming for the Train track (or whatever it’s called. I’ve probably mangled the name horrifically there).
YES I DID THAT ON PURPOSE. Now you have to wait a whole year to write a book. *nods*
And same. If they’re justifying and it makes SENSE then that’s good!! It means they know what they need to add into the book. When it’s just like “but, gasp, I can’t possibly be wrong” I just pack up and go. No time for this. NoPE. But then I don’t actually edit/read a lot of other people’s books now. I’m a slacker. >_< I'M 90 MILLION PERFECNT FLATTERED AND HONOURED THAT YOU WANT TO READ MORE OF MY STUFF. LIKE. SERIOUSLY. LET ME SCREAM AND FLAIL A SECOND. :') And yes! I made it mostly on canva.com and with some free graphics I got off a really awesome website that does freebies every week. It's called creativemarket.com and OMG SIGN UP FOR IT, ALYSSA, IT'S GOLD.
My writing horror story is ongoing. I gave my friend a fairy story that I wrote when I was twelve AND SHE STILL HAS IT. Apparently she’s keeping it for when I’m a famous author. So that’s terrifying.
BUT YAY TAGS. I will definitely do this one 🙂 ALSO HOW DID YOU MAKE THAT GRAPHIC??
OMG I HAVE A FRIEND LIKE THAT. 0_0 Although mine was my 6-book fantasy series I wrote at 15 and 16 and she has them all. She even got them bound. SHE EVEN STILL REREADS THEM. I’m so embarrassed I cannot even.
I’m sure with your marvelous brain and wonderful self-motivation, we’ll be seeing your novels on the shelves one day Cait! Even from those two snippets alone it’s clear that you have a really entertaining and enthralling writing style – it just makes me want to read more 🙂
AHHH I HOPE SO?!??! I just need to write the perfect book that gets gobbled up by publishers. :’) IT’LL HAPPEN. I GOTTA BELIEVE IT. *nods* And squee I’m glad you like my style!!! I tried to write seriously once and…yeah, no. It did not work. xD
FUTTERWACKEN! 😀
*commences futterwacken dance*
I FINALLY GET A PEEK AT SOME OF YOUR WRITING!!!!!! *HAPPY SQUEALS* It’s so amazing AND I DESPARATELY NEED TO READ THIS BOOK!!!!!!!!! Also, I somewhat identify with your nephew. Books with pictures are wonderful. 😉
AHHH THANK YOU!! 😀 And omg I will try and fix this utter fail of mine of not having pictures. I MEAN, WHAT EVEN IS MY PROBLEM, REALLY!?
I’m doing NaNo!!!!! YAAAAAAAAY! My story is a superhero retelling of Peter Pan. Hehehe. It will be fun. This summer i spent soooo much time editing Corroded Thorns…and I totally lost interest….it was sooooo boring. Editing is not my strong suit. But then I finished and i was quite proud of my work! (Mostly because I had finished it. Woot woot.)
What is your NaNo story going to be about?
YAYYYYY NANO!!! Zomg, did you say superhero retelling?!?! Okay. That sounds AMAZING. And you’re also the second person who’s told me they’re doing a Peter Pan retelling! WOOT. I have one ready to be rewritten too. 😛 Although I probably won’t get to it until next year. Probably? Bah. Definitely. *nods*
Editing is not my strong suit either. *digs hole and buries self* I so much prefer drafting.
I’ll do a post on my NaNo story in full but so far it’s going to be about DRAGONS. HUZZZZZAH! I always wax on about dragons and I’ve never actually written about them. *gasp* It’s such a dying shame. 😉 It’ll be kind of a dystopian world with lots of snow and the dragons breathe ice and it’s also a murder mystery!
THAT GRAPHIC IS SO CUTE I LOVE IT
Oh my God Atticus sounds too precious for this world. I love how he just puts his paw on your laptop hahaha. One of my friends has a dog too that likes to stare at her. She often wakes up to find Pippa (that’s the dog’s name) just looking at her lol.
Also now I’m imagining a wedding with a brain drawn in Spongebob style.
Did…did you just call food a FLAW? Cait remove that point from your flaws! Also love your writing secrets. The second one makes so much sense but I had never thought of it! I’m going to print it out and hang it on my cork board.
I sooo feel your peeve. I study journalism and we’re making our own magazine. I’m one of the editors and this guy had pretty much commented on ALL OF MY COMMENTS. All of us editors had a good laugh about it though 😉
Also love your snippets and I want to read your book now!! I mean assassins, chocolate and siblings?! GIMME
SQUEE, THANKS, MICHELLE. I’m mostly all about photogrpahy but it was fun to do something different for once. heheh. And Atticus IS TOO PRECIOUS. Except when he’s stealing my socks and chewing holes in my bed. -_- But, well. I wake up to find my dog SITTING ON MY FACE.
Yes I AGREE. I was wrong there. TOTALLY WRONG. Food cannot be a flaw. Not even food obsessions. Nope.
Ah, at least you can laugh about it! 😛 I always get so frustrated and nowadays I don’t even swap-critiques with very many people unless I’m SURE they’re actually series about writing. -_-
OMG my puppy does exactly that when I’m trying to study!!
PUPPIES ARE DESTRUCTION!! But so cute how can we even be mad?!? XD
I’m a writer, I guess. I might do this tag, it looks like fun! 😀 I’ve been tinkering a bit on the storyline and characters for my contemporary WIP, which will most likely be very emotionally draining. Sigh. x)
But… what is NaNo? O_O
YESSS DO IT, BIEKE!!! I mean, do it so I feel better about stealing it. I won’t be alone in my evillry then. NaNoWriMo!! It stands for National Novel Writing Month! It’s basically a challenge to write 50K in a month, and there’s a website and you log words and it’s FUN.
Hmm, that sounds cool. 😀
Okay, okay, i’ll do it. *checks calendar* In two weeks. I think. The 13th.
WRIMOS FOR THE WIN. And, remember that Peter Pan retelling I told you about? How it was horrible and awful and yet I still couldn’t forget about it? Well, that’s what I’m doing. WISH ME LUCK. And in the meantime the back of my door is filling up with sticky notes of ideas, and as well as the Peter Pan one there’s a few more that I’m super excited about and it’s about shapeshifters and auctions and chicken. And also one about snarky dragons and teenage scientists and salted caramels that I MIGHT just write really quickly before NaNo.
And I’ll also be stealing this tag, just so you know.
OMG I WILL WISH YOU MUCH LUCK!! I was going to rewrite my Peter Pan pan for NaNo but then…dragons. They are so distracting. So I will just wish you double luck that yours turns out THE BEST OF EVER!! 😀 I quite like the way you pitched the shapeshifters and auctions and a chicken though. Because that is fabulous.
ALSO SNARKY DRAGONS. <3
Okay, I love this post. I love hearing about you being a writer person!!! So don’t be nervous! *huggles* You are a fabulous writer, which I can tell from all the hilarious and brilliantly written snippets I have read from your books.
LIKE THOSE SNIPPETS JUST NOW. I love them to DEATH okay?? Also they remind me of my favorite author (Diana Wynne Jones) which is an UBER compliment btw! She wrote the most hilarious books I’ve ever read. YOU ARE BASICALLY AWESOME AND I AM DYING TO READ YOUR BOOKS AND WILL BUY THEM AS SOON AS THEY’RE PUBLISHED EVEN IF THEY’RE NOT “MY” GENRE. Because I need to read Cait’s brilliance and hilarity.
WAIT. WAIT WAIT WAIT WAIT. Heists and assassins and chocolate and siblings and magic??? THIS BOOK SOUNDS GLORIOUS OH MY WORD!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Also congrats on 50k!!! You’re the only person I know who warms up for NaNo by WRITING instead of by NOT-WRITING to relax. XD Which just proves you’re awesome. 😉
*is trying to decide if to steal this tag or not*
Writers, huzzah!
*huggles you back* OMG THANK YOU, DEBORAH. It is kinda nerve-wracking still buuuut I need to do it more!! At least once a month. Although since I’ve been writing lately my brain is like BURNING with all these writing idea posts!! So expect a few more of them. hehee
Zomg. You’re comparing me to one of your favourite authors?! *dies of the honour* I’M JUST GONNA SIT BACK HERE AND FLAIL, YES??! :’)
This is like my love letter to the Curseworkers. 😉 Although I promise it’s VERY different buuuuut HEISTS AND CRIME FAMILIES OMG.
Haaaah. Yes. I am totally an oddball. Although I’m a little worried my creative tank wont’ be refilled by November?!? But hopefully it will! LOTS OF READING IN THE MEANTIME. *nods*
I need complete quiet for writing, too. Or, really, anything requiring brain power. I remember one time I went over to my friend’s house to do homework, and she promptly turned on the radio to listen to while she was working. I ended up sitting there, probably distracting her, while I did nothing… and then I had to do all the work at home in the quiet of my own room. *sigh* That was not a productive afternoon.
OMG YAY, YOU AND I ARE SUCH A MINORITY THEN!!! Everyone else seems to love music. XD And oh oh I’m completely the same with doing stuff around other people too, just any stuff. My sister was saying she gets so much more study done while in a group and I’m all like “I would get nothing done.” I need silence and to be alone. #hermitatheart
Puppies distract me, too! My friend once tripped when she was watching some guys play basketball as she was walking. Nope, not me. I tripped once before when I seen a puppy and was staring at it 🙂
As I’ve just started this year to write seriously, I’m still learning about a writing process that works well for me, so for the project that I’m currently working on, I’ve had to keep stopping in order to do more research and/or figure out more things for the plot which is frustrating. I would love to participate in NaNoWriMo this year, but I’m scared and kinda feel like I’m not ready to do so.
In fact, I’m looking for a writing buddy — someone to throw ideas around with, give me their honest opinion when they think an idea or something I’ve written is trash lol, and is supportive overall. If you or anyone else would be interested? You can tweet me (@emberiris) or email (spet9507(at)gmail(dot)com).
PUPPIES ARE SUCH ADORABLE DISTRACTIONS, OMG. Like how is one supposed to type sensibly when there is a cute face to cuddle?!! Seriously!
Oh, I do understand that feeling! *pats shoulder* Sometimes I’m all up for like a challenge of wildness, but other times I think it’s important to make writing comfortable/fun for yourself, or else it kind of becomes nightmare torture. Although I’m a BIG believer of “write first, research second” haha. I just would never get anything written if I tried to make it perfect the first time. I’d love to offer to be a writing buddy, but I’m SO swamped at the moment. :'( STILL. I HOPE YOU FIND SOMEONE !!!
I completely agree! Well, see, my story includes necromancy and I don’t even have the slightest idea on how that might work (I had since then looked up some things) and so I just hesitate on the part that includes the ritual, etc. I really should just let loose, though, and research later lol. It would probably do me a lot less stress.
Oh no, that’s okay; I completely understand! I’m sure I’ll find somebody eventually 🙂 Btw, I seen on twitter that you finished your wip?! THAT”S SO GREAT! Good for you!! ♥
I always find it less stressful to not research for the first draft. XD ALTHOOOOOUGH it makes the 2nd draft and editing a bit hellish. But at least you have a solid skeleton of a book to work off right?!?!
AHHH, yes! IT IS COMPLETELY DONE NOW. :’)
I tried horror once. I set it in a place I’d just been to that had inspired me and it was probably the most cliched, forced thing I’d ever written.
Still love it.
I might do NaNoWriMo, but I’ve just started uni so “might” is the key word in that sentence.
Writerly flaw #1: I freak out when other people read me work.
Writerly flaw #2: I recycle dumped ideas.
Ohh, yay that you loved it though!! I wrote a TOTALLY cliche dystopian with robots and guns and all the things and…I love it so much. :’) But it’s horribly cliche. XD
Eep, uni!! GOOD LUCK WITH THAT, TOO, BTW. And I do hope you’re still able to do NaNo because I’ll miss you.
Recycling dumped ideas of your own, though? BECAUSE THAT COULD BE REALLY THRIFTY.
Yeah, recycling ideas of my own. It might SOUND good, but sometimes you want to go back to your older projects that you wrote off and it’s hard to do that when you’ve cut it into bits and sent them to all different corners of your imagination 😉
Ommmmmg. I do this. I DO. I literally just wrote a book and said, “Why is this so familiar?” >_< I recycle characters a lot. And somehow all my parents end up evil??? Idek why I swear I have nice parents.
This tag seems like so much fun! I might just steal it too!!!
I’m tentatively planning on NaNo-ing this year but sadly might not be able too… For the first time in five NaNo and Camp NaNo sessions! *sob* Hopefully it will work out. Though I have to say I’m almost more excited to read more about what you’re going to write for NaNo than anything (dragons!).
Flaws… Well my biggest one would be that I tend to forget plots… I get too wrapped up in characters and then when I finally get to editing there’s not just plot holes but whole missing plots! It’s a real problem. Other times my plot will kind of just zig zag around until even I’m confused by what exactly is going on, that’s why my Alice In Wonderland retelling is such a mess currently. It starts with the plot going one way then completely changes and then reverts…. So yes. Neglecting and completely forgetting plots is a big flaw of mine. Also, I’ve been known to tell too much.
My horror story is that my lovely loyal computer (Henry) that I’ve had for five years and written every book I’ve ever written on, had a heart attack in the middle of Camp NaNo and died, taking 10k unsaved words with it. =(
Good luck finishing this novel and with NaNo! =)
YES DO STEAL IT!! Everyone should steal it *nods* because it will make me feel better for stealing it.
Aww, that would be sadness if you have to miss it. :'( BUT LIFE DOES GET IN THE WAY SOMETIMES. I TOTALLY GET THAT. Eeep! I’m really excited about dragons! I mean, I go on about them so so much but have never actually written any?!? What is this life.
Omg, let your characters come to my plots then. WE COMPLETE EACH OTHER OBVIOUSLY, SHAY. XD I have got several plot holes in my latest book, BUT I love the plots so so much. I tend to have too much detail and twists and turns and all my betas glare at me and tell me to simplify or their brains will explode. haha.
Omg, did you get the books back you lost!? I WOULD DIE IF THAT HAPPENED TO ME. I have them backed up in like 4 places. XD
I LOVE THIS POST SO MUCH! I love all your posts but this was a high point!!!
It made me laugh out loud, specifically the French sushi comments. I squawked. My family looked mildly concerned.
I love the snippets (especially the first one)! Also your candid admittance that “I have not actually eaten a moose. I don’t even know what I’m talking about half the time on this blog, sheesh.” I can always count on Paper Fury to be there when I need some 76% mad prose featuring random animals and pieces of fruit.
Worst thing? Um. Near the end of my WIP, one and only finished novel, all my untied ends and plot holes snuck up on me from behind and ensnared me and dragged me under and I had a mild meltdown of HECK I DON’T KNOW WHAT I’M DOING DAMN YOU PANTSING — but I fixed it (there was blood magic involved, in the plot I mean, not in real life), and now pantsing and I are the best of pals once more.
Flaws? Me: “I’m going to write beautifully and elegantly!!” Me: ~writes a seven line sentence containing 246098 adjectives that barely even makes sense~
Also inconsistencies. One minute the capital city is half a journey’s carriage ride away, the next it’s taking three days to get there. SORT YOURSELF OUT, FANTASY KINGDOM.
AWWW, THANK YOU, EMILY. LET ME JUST GIVE YOU CAKE BECAUSE, ZOMG. THIS MAKES ME FEEL VERY SQUISHILY HAPPY. Omg you squawked?! :’) I’M SO PROUD.
Ahem.
Anyway.
But I know right?! I mean, when does my blog ever actually say anything useful!? IT’S ALL FRUIT AND SEAFOOD AND IDEK WHY. IT JUST HAPPENS.
That’s actually a big reason why I can’t pantser. xD I mean I DID IT SEVERAL TIMES. But I just way prefer outlines so I don’t even bother trying anymore. I just get myself a nice detailed juicy outline and it helps me to write so so fast.
Inconsistencies are the WROST. I full on just wrote a scene where I changed their outfits like 9 times and it’s such a mess. >_> BLEH. I am not looking forward to edits. XD
I”M DOING NANOWRIMO!!!!! 😀 Nano is part of the reason I’m so in love with fall time. All the writing things. <3 Anyway, this sounds like such a fun tag. I might have to save it for a rainy day. 😉
You critique books?
Ahhh, I LOVE NaNo for all the camaraderie!! I only did it for the first time last year, but seriously I’ve been waiting ALL YEAR for it now. ;D
Oh I mean, critique them just as in swapping edits with someone. Or beta reading for them or what not. XD I don’t do it professionally or anything!!
Isn’t it? Ahhh I love the Nano community. This will be my 7th time doing it! 😀
Oh okay, very fun though. 😀
OMG 7th?!?! *bows to you* This will be my 2nd. XD
*blushes* Yeah 7th time doing it, but I’ve only been able to win twice. 😀
That’s great your writing is going well. I know the basic idea of the next book I want to write, but I need way more details about the plot/where I want it to go before I start writing. Otherwise, I will get annoyed and not finish it. haha I actually really like listening to music when I write – but I’m pretty good at tuning things out once I get started so that helps!
I need to have lots of details before I start too. XD I mean, I CAN write without them. But it’s slower going. I like a detailed outline so I know where I’m headed, hehe. 😉
Ehhhh, black sheep here! I’m not a writer nor do I intend to become one! I used to write stories when I was younger, but I got past that, haha. I do love this tag, though!
BUT BEING A BOOKWORM IS MORE FUN ANYway, I RECKON. If I had to choose, I’d just read. hehe SHHHH. Don’t tell anyone. omg. I’m so lazy. I used to rewrite fairy tales when I was little and tell people I invented them. #stealinglikeaboss
Ooh, I need to steal this tag sometimes. I’m wafting in and out of blogging at the moment, so I will just have to see how I go. To be fair, I don’t think you’ve been particularly quiet across the blogosphere/internet, but then you are far more prolific than I.
*hugs*
I’ve been quiet compared to my normal noise level, right!!? Heheh. But ah, sometimes life gets on top of us over blogging too, right? I hope you get back into it soon too! *shares cake with you*
Cait. CAIT. MOOSE IS REALLY GOOD. (i’m saying this at the risk of not knowing if you are vegetarian or not.) Also, you are awesome that you are your own inspiration. AND i’m gonna steal this tag because THIS IS THE BEST.
AND THE LINES FROM YOUR BOOK – GAH. you’re one of those amazings people that can write dialogue.
I am not a vegetarian. I AM A BACON EATER. But omg, really?!?! MOOSE?!?! Okay, but I’ve eaten kangaroo AND crocodile so, eh. I really can’t whinge that eating moose sounds scary. YAY STEAL THE TAG! STEAL THE TAG!
Omg. *blushes* Thank you. <3
OH, ME. I’M A WRITER!!! *frantically waves hands in air*
i’m doing NaNo this year. YAY! hopefully it will turn out a lot better than last years 50,000 words of pretty much garbage. i actually took the time to plot so we should be good. Hopefully.
my biggest flaw in writing is procrastination. every night (and i do mean every) i always sit down planning to write/revise a whole bunch. however, usually i stop at 500 words and pig out on YouTube the rest of the night. yeah, i have an issue.
YAAAY WRITERLY HI FIVES ALL ROUND!!! Omg, yay for Nano!! Maybe we can buddy each other when it gets closer?!? My first drafts are always complete rubbish. ALWAYS. Seriously I never even look at them for at least 6 months afterwards because ughhhhh. But plotting does help, I find. At least, when I plot, I don’t write useless chapters. I just write long chapters full of blather. XD Procrastination caaaan be a killer. Tut, tut. 😉
I’m a writer….. but I am to scared of doing NaNo…..and am only progressing VERY slowly with my current WIP….. should take me at least five years to finish…… but one day I shall finish it…. unless I die first.
Oh and I also tagged you for the Awesome Food Tag, thought you might like it 😀
Aww, thanks, Clare!! I LOVED YOUR FOOD POST. (And got so hungry, omg.) XD
Ah, that’s okay. NaNo’s not for everyone, right??! I finished in the, um, first week last time. BUT ANYWAY. It was a contemporary-ish book so it was fairly fast/easy to write. DON’T DIE BEFORE YOU FINISH YOUR BOOK. FINISH IT! IT’LL MAKE YOU FEEL AWESOME, I PROMISE!!
You have an agent? That’s phenomenal! 😀 I expect to see your book on shelves in 2017, k?
Also, if I ask to read it, will that re-traumatize you?
Also also, your dog’s name reminds me of Francis Bean. And is also adorable. You should incorporate more puppy into your bookstagrams.
Also also also, you and I have rather similar approaches to writing. Silence, panic, chocolate. Repeat.
CJ
HAA. MAYBE???! LIKE I WANT TO HOPE?!? *dies* It is slow going though. And yes, you will traumatize me. 😉 JUST KIDDING. Although, omg, why am I trying to get published? To pay for all the therapy I’m gonna need, obviously. And YES. Puppy needs re-enter instagram. He’s nearly 1 now. :’) My little baby is all grow’d up.
OH WE ARE WRITING TWINS THEN? This is excellent news. The panic and chocolate parts are very crucial, yes?
I would like to present you with a cake just for being able to write SO MUCH. I want to start writing at some point…but there’s this irritating and time consuming (and soul consuming) thing called HIGH SCHOOL. The terror, I know. Maybe then I will too reward myself with small universes and dragons. I hope you become a FABULOUS published author someday, Cait! I am sure that whatever the book is about (probably food, let’s admit it), it will be awesome.
I would like to eat the cake presented. *gobbles it all* And gah, I totally hear ya. In highschool I was only writing, like, a book a year. It is consuming. And plus you hardly feel like typing/researching for a novel after working your brain so hard at school all day, right? I HEAR YA. It’s hard.
At least if I never work out as a novelist…I CAN GO INTO WRITING COOKBOOKS. (Probably useless ones with recipes that don’t make sense but make you laugh BUT HEY. It could happen.)
I have NO IDEA how you blog, comment so fast and so much, read AND write and love a life all at once like how do you get the time!!?? it’s amazing, you really are gonna rule the world one day, I can see it. “Finish what you start” is the golden key to life, i need to remember that.
I HAVE A TIME TURNER. haha. No but really, things do get a bit unbalanced! I mean, I don’t read at all when I write. (I haven’t read a book in 10 days now! **Gasp**) And look at me, replying to comments sooooo late. >_< I haven't replied to ANY this week and I've only been able to post like twice. So, hehe. I do NOT manage to get all the things done. 😛 But still totally going to rule. *flips hair*
((*GASP*)) HEY, I’M A WRITER!! 😀 *super-cool-secret-writer-fist-bump-thingy* Excellent post, btw! May I, perchance, steal it as well?? It was delightful! 🙂
Oh, heavens… I once deleted ALL of my WIP on accident!!!! Let’s just say it was not a pleasant day for me. 😛
Also, I adore how you can write so quickly… Sadly, I am a pathetic turtle who cannot do anything quickly. (Even important things like writing & baking cookies!) Share your wisdom with me!! HOW DO YOU DO IT?? I mean, really! A ‘WARM-UP NaNo’?? O-o
Ugh… I just need to have you come over to my blog & do an interview sometime! <3
WOOOOT. WRITERLY HI FIVE! Or secret handshake! Do writers have a secret handshake? Because they need to get one asap. And YES. STEAL IT!! I told everyone to steal it. xD And, I mean, I stole it so…
But, omg, ALL of your WIP?!? Did you ever get it back? I would absolutely DIE if that was me. Seriously. Complete devastation. I think the most I’ve lost is several thousand. Maybe 5 in one go? So not even that bad but I was so angry. xD
Haha…okay, but I just write fast! THAT IS ALL. And I have a schedule that I can just arrange to suit me. I mostly just write in the afternoons though and the nights. My blogging fails a bit when I’m going in all intensely though. XD Omg, and if you’re serious about the interview, I’m game. XD
I’m not sure how I feel about being a squidling, but I’m pausing for a second just to tell you your blog is still making me laugh and I thoroughly enjoy your posts, even though time to comment is scarce. XD
Clearly I will not be doing NaNo this year, unless I find the door to the 4th dimension so I can get more done.
That said, we should write a book together sometime. My characters generally come together pretty beautifully, if I do say so myself, but my plots…yeah… ;D
I’m willing to negotiate to an octopiling…I have no idea what the sea-theme is for. BUT IT’S HERE SO I GO WITH THE FLOW. (har har seeeeea what I did there? SEE WHAT I DID WITH SEA THERE??! Omg. I must stop. A pun in a pun is very very bad. XD) Ahem. If you do find the 4th dimension, may I borrow it? I need to get 924802 more things done in my days too. -_- HAAA. Omg, yes. It is all plots for me and the characters feel the same. We complete each other, Katherine. :’)
STEALING IS FANTABULOUS, CAIT. Especially in the blogosphere. Then I think half of it is stealing. 😛
If your book-writing is anything like your blog-writing, I can 100,000% guarantee with my limited knowledge that all of us believe it is fabulous. And from reading your snippets above, I can now 1,000,000% guarantee that it is indeed fabulous. Seriously, girl, your writing rocks. And the speed, if you can write a NaNo Warm-up book. o.O YOU ARE A MAGICAL BEING.
I agree with everything you said, especially the peeves thing, and in life in general- that bugs me SO MUCH. Like, you asked for criticism, and now you don’t want any of it? *wails*
Your writing habits are fabulous.
And like most everybody else in these comments, I, too, am doing NaNo! With hopes to actually finish a book! Woop woop! It’s a very very very vague retelling combination of the original Sleeping Beauty story and the newer one and the setting is possibly the weirdest part. I can’t yet decide if it’s taking place in a modern school setting or some sort of dystopia in France or Germany. Ergh. BUT I am so very excited for it in general!
So true, right!!?? Especially tags. xD I mean, they’re born to be stolen. *nods* But either way, thank you for doing it so I could steal it off you. XD 😛
And it’s funny, but sometimes my books ARE like my blog and sometimes they’re sooo different. I used to write pretty serious books, although now I write more humour, blog-style. IT’S SO FUN. I like fun things. AFDJKASLD I’M SO GLAD YOU LIKE MY SNIPPETS THO. THANK YOU. <3
I’m a writer!! I’ve been working on a new stories for a few months now and I think NaNoWriMo would help me finish it, so I’m planning on doing it. This was so much fun to read! You crack me up! I alternate between needing music and needing silence when I write!
~Sara
*writer hi five* WOOOOOOOT. oh, oh, I hope NaNo is awesome for you then and that you get it done! 😀 Finishing is also like the BEST feeling of ever, I think.
I love it when you share snippets of your writing. They tend to be highly entertaining and appeal to my sense of humour haha. Also the notion of focusing in silence is so strange to me! I need to listen to soundtracks to get into a zone. Without it I get distracted by all the things going on around me!
Good luck with finishing your fantasy story!
SQUEEE. WELL. THAT MAKES ME HAPPY. Sometimes a bit of blogging-Cait escapes into writing-Cait’s-books, hehe, which can be…interesting. But, omg, my sister is the same as you. She thinks I’m INSANE for loving silence. She’s always got music on and it drive me batty.
Cait, you’re hilarious! Haha, I loved all of your answers. I’ve never participated in NaNo myself, but I really, REALLY want to. I just don’t know where to start! I’m the absolute WORST at finishing stories I start. Ugh. But you’ve totally inspired me. I’m going to kick my butt into gear this year to prepare for November. Good luck with your current project! 🙂
OMG. REALLY?!? YAYYYY!!! We can encourage each other in the NaNoing then! VIRTUAL CHOCOLATE ALL ‘ROUND! And knowing where to start can totally be hard, argh, but I hope you find it. I like NaNo for all the camaraderie of so many writers all hanging out and just encouraging each other and stuff. x) ‘Tis fun. So good luck to you too!!
Writing sounds like the scariest thing in the world after this post, if reading gives me all these feels I can only imagine writing would be just the same but a kabillion times more frustrating and elating. I simultaneously envy and pity all writers for your ability to dedicate and lose yourself into another world. I ADORE ALL THE EXCERPTS YOU GIVE US THOUGH, I love your voice and I can’t wait to get to read one of your books one day soon. I will promise to crowdfund you a small dragon when you are a ginormous author 😉
Omg, did I make it sound too terrifying?! I’M SORRY, AENTEE. IT’S REALLY NOT AWFUL. It’s just…ha. Crazy. xD And it is so frustrating and elating simultaneously. AFJLKDS I love it but some days I definitely hate it. ha.
Omg, thank you. :’) MY DAY IS MADE, SERIOUSLY. I will die of happiness if my books are ever on a shelf somewhere. :’)
It’s nice to hear more about your writer life. ^ ^ I’m a writer as well, but you may have already known that. I’m planning to do NaNo. I’m finally going to write a book I’ve had it my head for years. XD It’s about time it comes out into the world. I also share your pet peeve with people who want critique, but defend everything. It’s so irritating. -_-
Yes I know you’re a writer! WRITER HI FIVE! HUZZAH. And ohh, you’re Nanoing too?! EXCELLENT. I totally get what you mean about That Novel when it’s been in your head for so long. Gawsh, I’ve had that. Although I just got brave and wrote the fantasy I’ve been sitting on forever because I thought it was too big for me. It was, but heh, at least I’ve got the first draft down, right?!?
And yes. Ergh. I mean, like writers CAn defend and explain if their CPs misinterpreted it. But I’ve had some just basically negate ALL my critiques on really slack grounds and gah. Just such a waste of everyone’s time. -_-
I love writing but I haven’t had any time to write! *cries* I’m going to spend the next month planning for NaNo and then when November rolls around, I’m definitely going to try to write a book!
One of my flaws would be that I NEVER FINISH MY WIP. Like, I’ll get 50 pages in and then I’m stuck and lose interest and start writing another book. BUT that’s why I’m going to thoroughly plan the contemporary I want to write because if I have an outline I (hopefully) won’t get stuck. HUZZAH!
And best of luck for future writing projects! <3 Your books all sound amazing and the snippets are amazing, so I'm sure you'll be a highly successful author one day, Cait!
Oh oh me too! Me too!! I need to plan for Nano! I mean, I’ve got the book idea, but the characters are like little paper skeletons so far and it’s mildly horrific. XD It needs work!! But, omg, Kyra!! YOU NEED TO FINISH SOMETHING!! It is super hard, I totally totally understand. But finishing is a BIG DEAL. Trust me. And once you finish the first thing…it’s all fame and fortune from there. (It totally is. SHUSH DON’T TELL ME THAT’S NOT THE CASE.)
Aww, but thankyou. :’) *sniffles with happiness*
OH MY WORD THIS TAG WHAT EVEN ANFKNDOISKNDLSNLNNVNDNNNN. Okay. *deep breaths* This. Was. Amazing. Like, I can’t even I DON’T EVEN KNOW WHAT TO SAY. I’m glad you said “if you’re a writer, consider yourself tagged” because I really want to do this now. EEEP.
Literally, I cannot eat anything while writing or listen to anything while writing either. And I can relate to this SO RIDICULOUSLY MUCH: “Someone asked to read my book once. IT WAS TRAUMATIC AND TERRIFYING AND I’M STILL IN RECOVERY.” YES. xD And I, too, am a bit of a hermit while writing (except for constant idioglossia with my awesome sis) and the comment about your sister telling you that your book is good…oh my gosh. I was screaming and laughing and biting my hand. (Yes, your writing does crazy things to this squidling.)
BASICALLY THIS POST WAS AMAZING. I can’t get over the awesomeness. Okay. Must calm down. And oh my gosh, the GIFs are all so perfect and the thing about your puppy and gAH. I’m going to stop now.
love,
abbiee
p.s. I KNOW I ALREADY SAID THIS ON INSTA BUT YOUR BOOK SOUNDS SO AWESOME AND I CANNOT WAIT TO BUY A COPY AND THREATEN YOU WITH ALL THAT I AM TO PLEASE SIGN IT BECAUSE YOU’RE GOING TO BE SO FAMOUS AND AMAZING.
p.p.s. jk, I would ask nicely.
p.p.p.s. I KNOW I ALREADY SAID THIS EVERYWHERE, BUT YOU ARE AWESOME.
okay bye.
YES YES YOU SHOULD DO IT ECAUSE THAT WOULD BE AAAAAAMAZING AND I WANT TO HEAR ALL ABOUT YOUR WRITERISH SELF TOO, ABBIEE!! *flails* And omg, you too?! YES. WE ARE TWINS IN THE CONCENTRATION THING THEN. Because literally everyone else I meet has music on and are like doing 5930 million things while they right and I’m just there staring at my mouse going, “but how do you even spell book.” BRAin FAIL. *ahem*
And sisters are AWESOME for talking out ideas with. :’) Mine is monstrously helpful too, when she’s not in school. When she IS in school it tends to eat her brain, but I do like squeaking to her about my plot holes and having her fix them. x)
AFDKJALFDJDKL BUT I AM REALLY PLEASED YOU LIKE THE SOUND OF MY BOOK. I’M JUST GONNA BE OVER HERE HYPERVENTILATING WITH HAPPINESS OKAY? OKAY. *NODS* *GOES TO CORNER* *HYPERVENTILATES*
YOU ARE AWESOME TOO. <3
OH MY GOSH YES. *cracks up into a million pieces* I am so relating to this. omg.
Anyway, just coming back to say I DID IT: http://www.abbieemusicblog.com/2015/10/writerslife-tag-with-gifs-and-snippets.html
AND I ALSO MENTIONED HOW YOU’RE GOING TO RULE THE WORLD ONE DAY I HOPE THAT’S ALRIGHT. ♥♥♥
AJKDLSJD I AM OFF TO READ IT RIGHT NOW.
Thank you so much for the tag! This sounds like a lot of fun. I will definitely do it.
I adore those lines from your WIP! Especially the first one! It made me laugh.
Also, I love your answer for what makes you productive. Sure, it might sound sassy, but it’s so so true. What makes a person most productive is that person producing, duh! I find that sassy comments tend to be logical in some hidden way.
My dog stares at me too. In part, this is why she is no longer allowed in my room, although she is also too big to fit in my room.
“Don’t compare yourself to published books. They’ve had 230289 professional people working on them. You’ve just got you.”– Wow. I never thought of that. And I don’t know why. Because, I know this, I just never made the connection that hello! I’ve only got me here, no need to beat myself up. I feel better now. Really.
I recently realized that I created character skeletons of Oddball/Rocky with a new idea of Eelistlle/Brayden. With the exception that Oddball and Rocky are misfit, orphaned Postal Travelers and Eelistlle and Brayden are elf in a human realm and exiled prince on path to revolution respectively. And even in that they are all four still misfits! Agh! I must figure this out. . .
I love this post! Definitely made me laugh. 🙂 And again, you’re snippets are the most amazing things! I cannot wait to read your books!
Yes, exactly!! I don’t mean to be sassy about it…but I’ve always been like that. If you want something to happen really really badly, then the only way is to DO IT, right?!?! Although I do understand that some people need outside motivation to get them started, I just totally don’t. 😛
YOUR DOG IS TOO BIG TO FIT IN YOUR ROOM?!? YOUR DOG SOUNDS AWESOME. You can ride him into battle at this rate, probably.
Omg, I never thought about you being unpublished vs published books until I got an agent and started doing edits and at the end I was like “Gee my book is like 94280 times better. LOOK AT THIS GOLDEN BOOK. I SERIOUSLY COULDN’T HAVE DONE THIS ALONE.” And now I feel silly about how much angst I was in over my books not being enough by themselves. XD Never beat yourself up about this, exactly!! I feel it’s a thing we should talk about more! Although, I mean, it’s not an excuse for being slack over edits or whatever, BUT. Your book is always going to get better with professionals.
Oooh, I totally get the whole NaNo warm-up novel. I did that last year, and it was super great. And your snippets look amazing. *steals your book and gobbles it up* But it doesn’t have pictures though, so, never mind. #boring.
*hides book at the bottom of the ocean* IT NEEDS SO MUCH EDITING IT’S EMBARRASSING. Argh. Plot holes galore. XD But it was fun and that’s the important thing, right?! Still. I need work on this picture-less-ness. I’m a disappointment to everyone.
Great post, Cait! I like your answers 🙂
Btw, I nominated you for the Blogger Recognition Award. Check out the post info here: http://myaddictionbooks.blogspot.com/2015/09/blogger-recognition-award-2-sisterhood.html
~Haley @ My Addiction: Books
Awk, thanks, Haley! I’ll go check out your post now!
This post excites and scares me as I journey towards becoming a writer myself.
I am good at essays though. I can have zero knowledge about a subject but word my way to an A anyways. So ha! Lol 😉
Oh yay, I didn’t realise you were a writer too! OMG WRITER HI FIVES ALL ROUND! I was always horrible at essays. >_< Creative pieces though? omg, yes. Excellent marks there. xD But if someone asked me to write about something real, I always failed. XD
I write for fun. I am currently thinking about taking it to the next level though. I think I’m ready. I’ve been taking a break from writing because of my schoolwork but soon I’ll be back in the game. 😉 I’m not very confident haha so I normally keep it to myself.
Erk! I know exactly what you mean when it comes to being scared about blogging about writing. (You followed that amazingly long sentence, right?) The solution I found was to write about being a TERRIBLE writer.
I am an expert at that.
Also, here’s a girl who absolutely adores your writing. Someone needs to give you a publishing deal so I can read the gold dust and sprinkles that must come out of your brain.
Awww. :’) Absolutely adores?!? LEMME JUST GIVE YOU CAKE, REAL QUICK, BECAUSE THAT’S THE NICEST THING OF EVER TO HEAR. *happy sigh* Ahem. But actually blogging about being a terrible writer is a genius idea. I ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR GENIUS.
I love your answers, and your snippets. Really your snippets are wondrous and I want to read the book they were taken from.
Omg, thank you Skye. :’) THIS IS THE KINDEST THING TO HEAR OF EVER.
I feel like a puppy is the best writing distraction you could possibly have! Usually my writing distractions are like, my own lack of will power or my mom telling me to do the dishwasher, and that’s approximately no fun at all. Also, those are the best best things to celebrate about writing (and I feel like “firmly but maliciously” is maybe not the way to convince us mortals of your supremacy XD). I should definitely work on finishing what I start more (I am a very bad at that) and, I could probably do less justifying when I get critiques. They are some of the hard parts of writing.
This is such a fun tag. >:D Thanks for sharing!
IT IS TRUE. Such a cute and fluffy distraction, tbh. And if his staring fails he goes and dismantles my wardrobe or something so I have to get up. -_- Devious.
Pfft, “firmly and maliciously” is just me being HONEST, yes? At least you will have completely honesty from me about my evil intentions. *nods* Omg critiques are HAAAARD. And every time I think I’m getting better at taking it…I don’t. And I cry. XD Being able to take critiques well is an art form.
Aah, this is an awesome tag? And I’m totally gonna be doing it on my own blog. IT IS SO FUN. I’m super happy that you decided to do this, Cait, even though you were nervous! I loved seeing your answers (and your snippets? They were very enjoyable) and your story about the character loving sushi? That made me laugh. I root for that character- he must get through his amnesia that makes him forget his love for sushi! xx
*giggles* Squidlings. xD I love it. I will happily be your little calamari minion. Also, I’m so stealing this tag.
I’m in for NaNo! This will be my . . . seventh year? I think? And I’m actually very excited for the novel I’m planning, so I’m hoping it won’t be an almost-disaster like last year. *shudders* So much writer’s block, so much last-minute frantic typing, such sloppiness. I haven’t touched it since last November and I’m only mildy (ha, that’s a lie) scared of what I’ll find when I go back to it. Anyways, this year’s novel is called Ms. Holmes and it’s a genderbent, steampunk, Sherlock Holmes story. So basically it’s Astrid Holmes and Dawn Watson trying to solve crimes in London and beat Faye Moriarty using wit and time travel. My Pinterest board for it makes me so happy. And also there’s a one-eyed cat named Sir Mittens.
HEISTS? SIBLINGS? ASSASSINS? CHOCOLATE?! *grabby hands*
Is it horrible that my first thought when you said you could eat a moose was, “*gasps* Sam?!”
Oh yes, needy dogs, I know that pain . . . because clearly they’re fine sleeping or chasing a toy on their own or eating or doing whatever until you sit down at your computer, then suddenly they’re JUST SO LONELY PET ME PLAY WITH ME NOW.
I applaud your ability to inspire yourself. If I left all the inspiring to myself, I’d end up in a puddle of tears and my character’s blood because I’ve sent them all to their horribly gruesome deaths so I wouldn’t have to handle them anymore.
Usually for music writing, it kind of depends what mood you’re in. With music, you’re trying to put words to the emotions (of the music) and without, you have words and have to inject emotion.
Though, mostly, I agree most heartily with the gif. 😉
Those lines! XD Love them! Especially the 2nd. I’m an oldest child so… *shrug* do the math. 😛
Love this tag, I’m totally going to do it. I think my ultimate writing horror was, a year ago, both my friend and my cousin asked to see my WIP … and I sent it to them … and they’ve never talked about it again. *pales paler than the palest thing* I also had an agent read both Book 1 and 2 of my series and then never reply … Are my books sucking them into some alternate reality vortex??? (The agent did reply after four months of radio silence, actually, but she suggested I change the whole story and focus on different characters. So that was a hard, horrible email to read. *is still bloodlessly pale*)
Omgg, did you end up signing with the agent? 0_0 Although, from my own experiences, I have to admit that 4 months is worrying but not THAT unusual. *pats shoulder* Still totally horrible to wait so long though.
Oh, no, I didn’t sign with her, she didn’t offer rep. Even if she had offered, the huge gaps between emails really put me off, tbhhhh. I want an agent super enthusiastic about my work anyway!
I am a writer who is doing NaNo, I’ve never had any real horrors because I haven’t written a full manuscript yet. Just lots of short stories to not-so-short stories and poetry. Almost all handwritten, or in a notes app on my Kindle Fire. But I tend to write in all CAPS by accident from time to time and have to erase it all. I tend not to notice until I’ve written like a paragraph or more, and it’s annoying. I need to work on not rereading my own writing while I write. If I keep doing it, it will upset me, and I may not continue. I WILL finish this first MS, and then write another, and then transfer last year’s NaNo from a notebook to my computer, and make it another (or just a short story, it’s complete).
I’m a writer! Me me me! Well, you probably knew that (maybe?) since I’ve been participating in Beautiful People the last few months, BUT, still. I’ve participated in NaNo a few times and it’s really fun and everything, but I need to go at my own flow, man. I don’t have as much free time as when I was in school (ironically), so it’s difficult for me to have the brain capacity to write for hours on end (though I did the other night and it was kind of cool).
As for writing horror stories… hmm.. Maybe just having too many ideas at one time and I have to write ALL THE THINGS because otherwise I’ll IMPLODE. VIOLENTLY. And my laptop has shut off on me before, which caused me to have a nice string of curses coming from my mouth.
Some of my writerly flaws are stated above (i.e. the ideas), but I think a few big ones for me is worrying if a) people will like my stuff, b) I’m worried it won’t compare to what’s already out there, and c) is what I’m writing good enough? I know I shouldn’t think like that, but it’s hard not to! I like what you said about not comparing to already published books, because it’s true.
I am totally going to do this tag! I love it! Also, YOU HAVE AN AGENT!? WHEN ARE YOU BEING PUBLISHED!? WHAT’S YOUR BOOK ABOUT? You probably can’t say anything buuuut, I still am curious and excited for you!
Also, do you have any advice for looking for reading partners/critics?
*WRITERLY HI FIVE*
And I totally concur with all your writing flaws. MEEEEE. I think the worrying-about-whether-you’re-good-enough is a lifelong thing? I mean, it’s KIND of good, too, because it makes us always work hard to be better, right?! But you DO have to believe in yourself. *nods* A bit of self-doubt is good, but not too much or we’ll give up. PLUS PRACTISE MAKES IT EASIER, I SWEAR.
AHHH, yes I can’t say anything at this point about my agent/potential books. 😂 SOMEDAY SOON HOPEFULLY.