Writing Process...

I've talked before about the exchange I've been doing with Dana. I don't really have anything I'm working towards, I gave up on the idea of getting anything published by an outside publisher awhile ago. But I do want to encourage her to get published because I think she's a really gifted writer and I'd like others to be able to read her stuff. 

Anyway...

Last year most of what I sent her was out of one universe. A continuing story. And not at all my normal type of writing. But I've written like 18 different pieces to this story. And this week I was working on it and realized...I would never want to read this story. This is not at all something that would hold my interest. It's just...not good. So I deleted all of the files.

Just kidding. I just wanted to see if I could hear Dana yell NO!! all the way from Phoenix. 

I am at the point right now where I don't want to even look at it. I don't think it's good and it's not really anything other than a waste of a year. But I didn't delete it. I used to delete things. Just in a fit of I'M A HACK WITH NO TALENT I'd lay waste to months of work. 

Don't do that. If you write, just put it in another folder or a drawer if you're writing long hand and just leave it alone for awhile. That way after you've had some time away from it you can go back and see what's worth salvaging. You might even decide it's actually pretty good and you were just blocked. 

But now I've got to figure out what to write again. 

And I've only written one piece of fiction for the blog so far this year. 

Which I think is tied. When I get stuck on something it doesn't leave room for other ideas to come in. And since I've been trying to tie up the story that I was working on and not liking it but forcing it through anyway I've created a creative log jam. 

I think I'm going to do a flurry of prompt posts and see if that breaks things up again. I'll post most of them on this page and do one for Dana as well and stash those away to post later. I need something to get those gears turning again. 

Most people don't like to live in their heads and get worried when they hear voices...I hate it when the voices aren't talking to me!

So I've got a website I'll be pulling from that I've had luck with before but if you see anything interesting feel free to send it my way and I'll see if it sparks anything. 

Be warned though that sometimes what I spit back out isn't exactly what you thought it would be...

So here's to not deleting a year's worth of work and to finding some fun writing prompts for the next few weeks!