Doubt

11 Dec 2014 Leave a comment

by Tiffany M. Davis in Brain Droppings, Fiction, My Stuff, Other People's Writing, Romance, Suspense/Thriller/Mystery, The Craft, The Process Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

I’m re-reading Zero Day by David Baldacci, which is the introduction of his John Puller character. As I get into the story, one overwhelming thought continues to loom:

Why can’t I write like this?

My next Bastille novel is not progressing as I’d like, though I am loathe to admit it. I can tell because I’m finding too many other distractions. When a book is flowing for me, I focus on it and little can detract me from getting the words on the pages. Nowadays? I’m obsessing over tracing my family tree and going through boxes of old books, and thinking about whipping up a homemade batch of eggnog (’tis the season!). This effortless distraction is a clear sign that all is not well in the Tiffverse.

Why can’t I write like Baldacci?

I’m in awe of the way his words flow across the page, how he brings John Puller (and even Puller’s cat, named AWOL) to life, how even the scenery of the book leaps off the page. And I wonder how I can get to that level, or even a fraction of it, within the next month or so. Granted, Baldacci has been writing for almost half of my lifetime, and has many more books published to his credit. I’m a rookie author, he’s a veteran, and thus I should not really expect myself to be on his level right now. But I’m an overachiever, so of course I expect that of myself. 😀 Seriously, I don’t know how to be a rookie because I’m used to being around veterans. That being said…

Why can’t I write like that?

I am beginning to wonder, especially in light of feedback on my first novel, The Bastille Family Chronicles: Camille, if I am forcing myself to write in the romance genre; by that, I mean forcing myself to write within the carefully proscribed parameters/formula of the romance genre. Which would explain why I am having such a problem making progress on this installment of the Bastille Family Chronicles. My writing tends to naturally cross genres, so it’s difficult for me to stick to one or the other–which really irritates me when it comes time to classify my book for sales purposes (although at least most sellers offer the options of choosing different categories at once, so as not to pigeonhole in one genre). Still, I may be trying too hard to be one thing, instead of letting my writing be what it is. And that’s where I’m getting hung up.

That may be why I’m writing different books in different genres so early in my writing career; I don’t want to be pigeonholed, since the stories I write aren’t always about love and romance. My writing style is as eclectic as my reading selections, and I want to represent that to the fullest. I enjoy writing thrillers and suspenseful novels, and commercial fiction; more, dare I say, than writing romances. Then why am I writing romances? Simple: I like those too, and I read those, and that was the first book that I completed that was ready for publication. Plus, I’d already planned a six-book series around the Bastilles and their love lives. However, I am not solely or primarily defined as a romance author, as authors such as Nora Roberts or Brenda Jackson are.

Perhaps if I focus less on the “romance” label  (e.g., The Bastille Family Chronicles) and just write the story (e.g., A Bastille Family novel), it will take care of itself.

I will ponder that as I embark on yet another session of procrastination.

Thanks for stopping by.

November Twofer

30 Oct 2014 Leave a comment

by Tiffany M. Davis in NaBloPoMo, Social Media, Tech Stuff, The Craft, The Process Tags: , , , , , ,

November is upon us…which means National Novel Writing Month! Woooooooo!

To recap: every November, from the 1st to the 30th, people from around the world attempt to write a 50,000-word book (approximately 250 pages) within that month. There is no fee and no prize, other than the satisfaction of saying, “Hey, I wrote a book…and in a month!”

I’ve been participating every year, since 2006 (or ’07). Last year, as I’ve mentioned before, I finally “won”: that book was published in August of this year (2014). Maybe you’ve heard of it: The Bastille Family Chronicles: Camille. 😀

Camille ebook cover

I became aware of a sister contest: National Blog Posting Month (NaBloPoMo), which is a similar concept for bloggers. For the entire month, you post one entry on your blog per day, every day, from November 1-30? The prize? Getting into the habit of blogging ,and maybe even some more followers. Or, you can have the satisfaction of finally starting a blog.

I talk about it here:

Join in the fun on November 1, and strap in for a month of writing adventure! I’ll be blogging about my participation in NaNoWriMo, and I’ve already registered this blog, so I’m doing a twofer for November. You’re welcome. LOL

BTW: if you do NaNoWriMo, feel free to add me as a buddy (I’m afrosaxon).

I hope to see you on the interwebs! Thanks for stopping by.

 

The Value of NaNoWriMo

23 Oct 2014 Leave a comment

by Tiffany M. Davis in Brain Droppings, My Thoughts, The Craft, The Process Tags: , , , , ,

Next week (wow, time evaporates!), on November 1, National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) starts again. For the uninitiated, this is an annual event where writers of all levels, from across the globe, hunker down and try to write a complete novel of 50,000 words (approximately 250 pages, double-spaced, 12-pt font, 1-inch margins) in one month (NaNoWriMo ends on November 30). The “winners” — those who reach or surpass the 50K goal — get bragging rights and discounts on various book-related goods and services (ebooks, self-publishing platforms, etc).

NaNoWriMo is more about the journey than the destination. Its primary goal is to encourage writing, and to connect writers to a community of support that will help facilitate writing. There is a large and vibrant virtual community, which primarily consists of message boards where one can find like-minded individuals by age, preferred writing genres, hobbies, location, etc.; as well as emailed “pep talks” by published authors such as Veronica Roth [the Divergent series]), self-published authors, and past NaNoWriMo winners). You can also connect with writing buddies from anywhere in the world. There are also real-life events hosted by region (kickoff parties, “write-ins”–where fellow NaNoWriMos gather to just sit and write for strerches of time, and to support each other on this writing journey.

NaNoWriMo is free to join and participate, although donations are encouraged to help keep things going, and also to fund programs like the NaNoWriMo Young Writers. The main benefit of NaNoWriMo is just to get people over the inertia of writing–which could be due to fear (“I’ve never written a book”; “I don’t know what to write about”; “OMG, I have to write 50,000 words?!”), or time constraints (“I have a job/family/school; how can I finish 50K words in a month?”; or something else.

It has helped me, even in the many years prior in which I didn’t finish/”win”. I was able to play around with some ideas and see if they were viable from a writing standpoint. I was able to get into a writing groove (it didn’t always stick, but at least I knew where the groove was should I choose to revisit it). I found other interesting writers, both online and in real life. I felt more like a writer.

One of the things I like about NaNoWriMo is that it meets you where you are. You don’t have to be a published author, or a journalist, or work in publishing. You may have a blog, or your writing may be limited to  grocery or to-do lists. You may love to read and have secretly harbored a desire to write a book. You can be a citizen of your country, undocumented, on a visa, or just passing through. You can be any race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, political stance. You can write fiction, nonfiction, or poetry. You can write romance, horror, science fiction, suspense, “chick lit”, serious fiction, scientific manuals, religious commentary, self-help books–whatever you like or whoever you are, there is a place for you.

I finally “won” NaNoWriMo in 2013, and the result was my first solo published novel, The Bastille Family Chronicles: Camille. Just completing this goal after six years of not finishing NaNoWriMo made me proud of myself. I’m looking forward to this year, as I have a story that is itching to come out (whee!).

So if you are so inclined, join me from Nov. 1-30 and let’s work on our novels. Feel free to add me as a buddy (my user name is afrosaxon). You have a story inside; it’s time to let it out.

Thanks for stopping by.