procraftinate /pro-kræf-ti-neit/ v. – to put off writing and sending query letters to literary agents so one can continue researching, writing, and rewriting fiction.
BOOKS, PUBLISHING, WRITING, GENRE, AND VARIOUS ODD THOUGHTS
procraftinate /pro-kræf-ti-neit/ v. – to put off writing and sending query letters to literary agents so one can continue researching, writing, and rewriting fiction.
I have to say that the past week has been a carnival of utter social clumsiness, punctuated by repeated assurances to co-workers and distant friends that I was fine spending Thanksgiving alone — seriously!
I lost my cell phone (missing important texts from my family), stumbled my way through conversations, and spent most of my non-writing free time on a Netflix-enabled Blackadder marathon.
But, in the midst of all this clutzitude, I did accomplish one thing every writer fantasizes about.
So, I walked to work today.
Those of you who know me RT might be saying, “Why did you walk so far?!” Well, it’s only eight and a half miles, and I had several good reasons — all of which can help improve your writing.
An assertion we often read on book trade blogs is that the process of selecting a book for representation and publication is subjective. I have to confess that this idea raises major red flags for me, not necessarily as an author, but as writing professional who has worked as both a writer and an editor.
As you might have guessed from reading some of my comments about the quality of aspiring writers, I have mixed feelings about critique groups. After all, it can be very difficult to take seriously the advice of someone who just handed you the next boring Narnia or Twilight rip-off, or a TMI therapeutic confession thinly disguised as fiction.
So, when Kathryn Miller Haines starts her latest post at the Murder by 4 blog with “I’m a big fan of critique groups” I was skeptical. But, Kathryn is a mystery writer, and mystery writers tend to be a cynical bunch, so what was it about critique groups that overcame the native doubt of her profession?
Curious, I read on.
And, I am glad that I did, because she lays out exactly what makes a good critique group good. Like a good mystery writer, I won’t reveal the details prematurely. You’ll have to go to the post itself to find out.
RE-POST BY REQUEST
While working out the larger story arc behind the novel I’m pitching, I thought it might be fun to blog a little about writing itself, as I experience it. Sort of telling the story behind telling the story.
I have written a lot of stuff over the years: tons of (mostly bad) poetry, a handful of short stories, and hundreds of thousands of words of non-fiction prose.
But, for this little series on writing I want to focus on The Ligan of the Disomus, and the larger world that is still growing from its seed. It is now a novel, with three sequel novels outlined for the long-term story arc.
When it began, however, it was just a short story assignment in a college writers’ group. It grew into a novel later because neither the fictional narrator nor his fictional setting would stop talking after the assignment was complete…
REPOST BY REQUEST
While working out the larger story arc behind the novel I’m pitching, I thought it might be fun to blog a little about writing itself, as I experience it. Sort of telling the story behind telling the story.
I have written a lot of stuff over the years: tons of (mostly bad) poetry, a handful of short stories, and hundreds of thousands of words of non-fiction prose.
But, for this little series on writing I want to focus on The Ligan of the Disomus, and the larger world that is still growing from its seed. It is now a novel, with three sequel novels outlined for the long-term story arc.
When it began, however, it was just a short story assignment in a college writers’ group, an assignment the narrator — a fictional character — ran off with in directions I had not anticipated. But, he was not alone in commandeering what I considered to be “my” story…
While working out the larger story arc behind the novel I’m pitching, I thought it might be fun to blog a little about writing itself, as I experience it. Sort of telling the story behind telling the story.
I have written a lot of stuff over the years: tons of (mostly unreadable) poetry, a handful of short stories, and hundreds of thousands of words of non-fiction prose.
But, for this little series on writing I want to focus on The Ligan of the Disomus, and the larger world that is still growing from its seed. It is now a novel, with several short story prequels in the making and three sequel novels outlined for the long-term story arc.
When it began, however, it was just a short story assignment in a college writers’ group, a deadline dumped into my lap when I was at my most uninspired and lacking in artistic direction …
Over at Booktryst, Stephen Gertz discusses the treasures found in a 19th Century ledger book for the London – Seven Oaks coach line.
For lovers of history and writers of historical fiction, it’s a very interesting read that gives insight into the small details that bring a sense of reality to stories set outside of the here and now.
RE-POST BY REQUEST
While working out the larger story arc behind the novel I’m pitching, I thought it might be fun to blog a little about writing itself, as I experience it. Sort of telling the story behind telling the story.
I have written a lot of stuff over the years, including tons of poetry (mostly bad), a few short stories, hundreds of thousands of words of non-fiction prose, and one really terrifyingly nawesome* fantasy novel which I will discuss later.
But, for this little series on writing, I want to focus on the hopefully not-nawesome novel for which this blog is named, and the larger world that is still growing from its seed.
Stories that are in the submission process will be password protected. Apologies.
If you are eager to read something based on the title, genre, and graphic please email johnnelsonleith at gmail and I may share the password.
