Writing Wednesday

Today I'm starting my weekly blog post.

Yay me!

It's going to be about my writing (obviously). But today isn't going to be in depth at all. Actually it's just going to be a quick summary or what I do. More like an introduction to who I am as a writer than my actual process.

And I'm going to use pictures!! Exciting, right?

When I first have an idea, I always write it down. It doesn't matter whether it's on a piece of paper, in my cellphone, a napkin, or a whiteboard, I just need to make sure I get it down before I forget it.

Then when I work on one idea, I hand-wrie everything; usually on a yellow, legal-sized notepad or in a composition notebook. (The composition notebook is usually easier to carry around when I'm not at home and it fits nicely in my purse and none of the pages are going to get destroyed.) I just can't write any other way. If I try to use the computer, I get really distracted and nothing ever gets written. So I avoid the computer until it's time for the long process of typing everything up.

Then it’s time for getting everything typed up. I use Scrivener now that I’ve bought the program. Before I used Word and I would separate each chapter into it’s own file. But with Scrivener, I can actually keep everything in one place, which is really convenient. Here's an example of how I used Word. As well as how I use Scrivener.

I know that what author’s listen to while they write, is a huge topic. So it’s my turn to jump in with mine. I’m fifty-fifty with the whole music thing. When I’m writing the first draft, I tend to like quietness so I can concentrate on the words I’m writing. Sometimes I can listen to soundtrack music, sometimes even the TV is on in the background (but that’s rare). Then when I type everything up, it’s a mix between soundtrack and regular music. The thing with music with lyrics is I get caught up in singing along and sometimes those words get typed up. So generally its just music, no words.

(It’s always the soundtracks for the Twilight movies too!)

Then I move on to Edits. Lucky me because I’m in the middle of it now! I print the whole novel out, whole punch it, and put it in a binder. It’s so much easier this way for me. It’s printed single-sided. I know it’s a waste of paper, but I use the backside for notes I need to make or to rewrite things I’m not happy with. So really it’s not as bad as it seems.

I use a whiteboard to keep track of what I need to get done. Between this novel, the *cough* short stories I write and publish as eBooks, and getting ready for NaNoWriMo (which I’m so excited for!).

I always have a cup of tea and whatever books I’m in the middle of reading (or rereading). Right now I’m rereading the entire Sweep Series by Cate Tiernan. It’s just my favorite. Acutally, it’s the whole reason I really started to be a writer. Then there’s Mockingjay. I actually haven’t started to read it yet, but I finished The Hunger Games on Monday and Catching Fire last night and I’m completely obsessed with the series.

I also have a special treat I like working with and that is…

I LOVE Sour Skittles!!

And then there are my fuzzy creatures!

Pepper and Fender usually sleep up here when I'm in my office, or they're running around playing, which is so much fun to watch.

Then Daisy usually sleeps on me, or the back of my chair is the dog isn’t in the room.

(Or she sits on everything that I need to use!)

Usually Moose sleeps on the floor in the middle of the room, or under my feet. Some times he insists to join me on the chair. Just keep in mind that he’s a 100 pound dog!

That’s pretty much how my writing happens!

Including the distractions.

(Don’t you love my book case?)