Tag: Writing about writing

6 Months of Writing

General

Six months ago yesterday, I started writing daily. Although in the beginning I sometimes fell short, I mostly kept my committment to writing at least 500 words a day. For the longest time, I posted what I wrote. Recently, because I wanted to focus on writing and not necessarily posting, I stopped sharing my daily writings but I have kept up the streak.

Last night, curious about how much I’ve done, I sat down and added it all up. I wanted to mark the milestone. Because I do my writing in Writer, a distraction-free online text editor, I didn’t have an easy way to add up the word count. I had to do it manually, which was a bit of a pain. Luckily I only have to do that part once because now it’s all in a tidy spreadsheet.

I have written, in 6 months of intentional, habitual practice, just over one hundred thousand words. In fact, yesterday I passed that mark; the total as of last night is 100,323 words.

I was proud, and it made me cry a bit. That’s a lot of words. 100,323 divided by 182 days means an average of about 551 words a day. That daily number is easy enough to reach; clearly I can do it because I have done it. But 100K? That feels like a stretch. But I have demonstrated that I can do that, too.

Not every daily piece of writing is good writing. And they are not all on the same topic. Each one is whatever I wanted to write at the moment I sat down. Some of it is garbage (by my personal standards) and some of it is good (also by my own internal measure) but all of it is mine.

Is it time to ask a new question? Build on my success? Perhaps, perhaps. The obvious next step would be, can I do my daily writing towards a goal other than word count? Could I tell one continuous narrative?

I don’t know. Can I?

One Hundred and Fifty Days In A Row

meta

Tonight I’ve reached 150 days in my daily posting streak. And, dagnabit, I don’t know what to write about. There’s still all of XOXO to process, for sure, but for some reason tonight I am not able to focus on that. I’m probably playing a D&D one-shot tomorrow, but if I write about that freely, there’s a chance I’ll spoil something for my players, who may or may not read my blog. Had an interesting interaction with my boss today but, yeah, also, there I’m not sure I want to expose that publically.

There’s the volatile political situation in my city, country, and the world. But wow do I feel ill-equipped to write about that coherently. I have my leftist views that color how I see the world, but I doubt I’d be able to pursuade anyone else one way or the other.

So what is left to write about? What is worthy of being the topic of my 150th post in a row? Damned if I know. And that’s part of the problem of my streak.

I’m sure I’ve mentioned this previously, probably even recently: I can sit down and bang out 500 words, no problem. It’s just typing practice. I can produce clean, grammatical, correctly-spelled sentences and paragraphs, and most of the time those sentences and paragraphs revolve around a single specific theme. But are they good? Is it worth posting those? That’s the part I am not one hundred percent certain of.

I’d rather only post the good stuff. To do that, I still need to write every day. So that’s going to be a thing going forward. I will still sit down to a blank screen and bang out about 500 words. And when those 500 words mean something, or describe something beautiful, or interesting, or meaningful, or personal, or informative, I will post it here. If it doesn’t, I will still have kept up my streak, I will still feel like I’m progressing as a writer by exploring the ins and outs of constructing themes, scenes, stories, characters, and dialogue. I will still have shown up, which is the most important thing.

I have set myself a very high bar by never focusing this blog on any one specific topic, theme, or niche (I cringe to use that word but I am not sure of another that doesn’t have the stench of marketing and still conveys the same idea.) And because of that, when I want to write a post, I need to pull a topic out of thin air, or have one already in mind. That’s a problem if I feel the pressure to post or lose my streak. As you can tell by the fact that this post is similar to several others I’ve posted over the past 150 days, I fall into a rut. I don’t want that to happen.

I can still use this space to inform, share, and reveal things about myself without it being at least 500 words on a specific topic. I can post that I’ve done my writing for the day. I can share links to cool things on the internet. I can call out heroes and villains in the world. I can share pictures or even videos. I will still post daily; it just won’t always be longish posts. And hopefully the act of finding and sharing those kinds of things will feed my creativity and give me new ideas for the wordy posts.

Thank you for reading and thank you for sticking around. Lunar Obverse lives on, and on, and on.

A story of three hands, sort of

meta

I’m three days away from hitting a streak of 150 days in a row posting at least 500 words here. It’s been a great run. Well, great for reminding me that I can, if I put my mind to it, build up a habit of writing and posting daily. I’m proud of showing up and keeping it going, even at times when I’ve been busy with other things. No reposts of material that has already appeared here, everything original and never-before published on the open web. So on the one hand, it’s been good for my writerly instincts, building that habit, that rhythm, of tapping out something on a regular cadence.

On the other hand, I am not proud of every single post. Without going back and doing a personal audit I couldn’t give specific examples but I know that there are some, maybe even many, that do not make me feel joy for sharing it beyond incrementing the number of consecutive posts. That is not a great feeling. Many published authors have given the piece of advice that writers should not share their first drafts. First drafts are meant to just be a foundation for expansion of the good bits, deletion of the bad bits, sharpening the text and prose, sculpting a better text.

On the third hand, some of those posts that start out with me saying “I have no idea what I want to write about,” turned into something cool. By just starting, I was able to pull out an idea or a feeling that was lurking inside, hiding away from my conscious brain, unlocked by the magic of showing up. The ideas flow and something coalesces. It’s raw, unfocused, but there’s something good there. It just needs another draft, or some editing, to be great.

When I’m posting every day, though, I don’t often have the time to do that editing. I’m writing, as I am now, with just a few hours until midnight, my mental cutoff for “today”. I click “Publish” as soon as I finish writing it, in the heat of creation. I have been taking the time to do some quick software-enabled grammar and edit checks, but it’s not the same as taking an hour or two to reflect on what I’ve written, consider the overall message and how I develop my narrative and argument (if the post supports it), and look at the post with an editor’s eye instead of a writer with a deadline.

My blog now includes posts that are not as strong, as focused, as beautiful as they could be, because I didn’t give them time and attention and polish. There are other posts that probably are just typing exercises and shouldn’t be posted at all; these don’t even have a kernel that could be expanded and enhanced, it’s just a ramble without direction. Good for my typing speed and building a habit but little else.

I want to be better. I want every post here to be something I’m proud to publish, proud to share. What I’m saying is that I am shifting my goals. Instead of posting every day, my plan is to keep on writing every day. I need to keep that habit going because the intentionality of writing daily means it becomes more difficult to stop.

But I am not going to post everything I write. I think I will still make it a goal to post something here, but on the days when my writing isn’t a sparkling diamond from the first draft, what I’ll post is a link, or some inspiration, or maybe some pictures. I’ll mention how many words I wrote that day, perhaps, maybe comment on what I’m working on. My friend Tracy has challenged me to try to quantify how often I post, or come up with some measurable metric for it. Tracy, I will try to come up with a way to measure it but for now, I’m just going to say, I will only post the things I’m proud to share, whatever that may be. It’s an internal measurement of worth and I don’t know how to quantify that. Not yet.

I still have to hit 150 days in a row, though, before I’ll allow my goal to change. And I have several ideas for posts to reach that goal, don’t you worry. I’m still going, and this blog isn’t going anywhere. Blogging is back and I’m here to stay. Thank you for joining me.

Today is the next best option to start

Freelancing

I wrote a lot today but none of it for the blog. I’m signing up for a bunch of different platforms for writers to post and get paid for their writing. Nearly every application had a bunch of essay questions to answer, and wanted me to write original, unpublished articles as a writing sample. They did all say that I retained the copyright on what I wrote (I would not sign up for any site that didn’t do this), but I will wait to post any of those samples elsewhere until I hear back about the applications.

The sites I’ve signed up for so far are:

Simily

I shared my application answers for Simily last night. The pay isn’t great, at $0.02 per unique view. So I will still need to promote my stories, engage with the rest of the community, and write a lot before it’s worth it. But this is the state of things: can’t get paid if I don’t write. And once I’ve built up a few popular stories, I have increased my portfolio for future freelancing. I’m building my public presence.

Vocal

Vocal appears to also be a platform for creative writing. It’s more structured, in that they have communities for specific topics or genres, like Art, Business, or Technology. They pay $3.80 per 1000 views, less than 20% of what Simily pays, but they do also offer the ability for readers to subscribe ($2.99/month) for recurring income, and accept tips, so perhaps overall it’s better pay.

I have a feeling, though, I’m not going to be able to use Vocal. Their payment is through Stripe, and Stripe seems to have a lot of niggling details that need to be taken care of before they’ll let a business accept payment. I had to upload a copy of my government ID to Stripe, I had to name my business, my business name had to match the URL of my website (it doesn’t), and the last thing I heard from Stripe, they were reviewing whether my business was using crowdfunding, which is a Stripe no-no. I’ve appealed but it seems like a lot of hoops and I may have missed too many of those jumps. Time will tell.

Textbroker

I have in the past applied to some of these sites before, back in 2016. I shared a string of posts where I shared my weekly progress in freelancing, which wasn’t that much at the time. (I’d been inspired at the time by Nicole Dieker, who regularly shared her income from writing as an act of transparency.) One of those previous sites was Textbroker, which I only knew because my password manager had an old login saved. But when I tried to sign in with that email and password, it said it sent a verification email to that address that I had to use before I could log in. I waited for a while and no email; it’s been hours later, and still nothing has shown up for that address. So I created a new account.

Textbroker has editorial, grammar, and punctuation guidelines, which to be honest is a good thing. I took their grammar/spelling test and I think I did pretty well! Then I had to write an original 250-300 word article, which took me a couple of hours. I wanted to avoid filler but also wanted to show off my style, so I overthunk it (as I do.) Still I’m happy with what I submitted and hope to hear back from them!

ClearVoice

The last one I applied to today was ClearVoice. They are a middleman who connects clients with freelancers, and if the list of categories and topics is any guide they deal with just about everything: white papers, reviews, lifestyle, sports, gaming, marketing and press releases… and more. I had to select a couple of niches when setting up my profile, so I chose blog and copywriting, and guides.

Since they don’t pay the writers directly (they take a cut) they allow writers to set their own prices. I’m technically a beginner, technically, so I set a low-ish rate: $0.10 – $0.30/word. We’ll see if I get accepted. I did link a wide variety of articles from my blog to give them the idea of my writing.

This wave of applications from me feels like a big step, and also frustrates me because I should have done this a long time ago. Or at least months ago. Or yesterday. But after all those possible times for me to do it, today is the next best option.

Now I wait… or keep finding places like this and apply. Or start working up articles I can post. OK, OK, I’ve got options.

My style and goals (as a writer)

Freelancing

Today I’m taking steps to trying to find paying outlets for my writing. Don’t worry, I’m not going to start charging money here. This place will always be free and open, and I will never put up ads or use affiliate links here (I have tried that in the past, so you might find old posts talking about that.)

No, I found a video that listed platforms that pay writers, especially beginners. I’m not exactly a beginner writer but getting paid for that writing has largely eluded me. So I’m on a quest! My goal this week is, on top of my normal job-hunting, to apply to all the platforms I can find, try them out, and see which, if any, work for me and my style.

The first one listed by Zulie Rane (that YouTube creator) is Medium. Um, let me set that one aside for now. I need to research who their current partners are. On to the next one! The next one is a site called Simily, which I have never heard of before.

I signed up for a reader account there, read through the FAQ, and was immediately impressed that their focus is not on how-tos, listicles, and SEO-packed explainers, but is on creative writing, particularly fiction and genre (fantasy, sci-fi, romance.) That’s refreshing! They’re asking me for writing samples, which I can pull from my blog, that’s not a problem. I started filling out the application.

And stopped in my tracks. They were asking deep introspective questions. I couldn’t half-ass this. I needed to think through my answers and be a bit more personal. Reader, as you might be able to tell, this is my butter zone. I live for personal, introspective, and empathetic writing.

What follows are the main application questions, and my answers. Tell me if you think this describes what you read here or not. I’m genuinely curious what y’all think.

What is your goal as a writer?

Through introspective and personal writing, I want to draw on my observations, desires, and anxieties to connect with readers and bring them into a specific scene or setting. I want to create understandable and flawed characters who have to balance their fears with their goals, who know the right thing to do but doubt their strength to carry it off, in worlds where it feels like there are no easy answers. I want to continue to examine themes like friendship, loneliness, the sacred and the secular, hone my voice, and share it with anyone who also wants connection.

How would you describe your writing style?

I have honed my writing style over the years to be concise and focused; I try to use exactly the words necessary to create understanding in the reader’s mind. I aim to illuminate personal, empathetic feelings and describe familiar, ordinary events as well as the unusual chaos of a simple life. I draw on observations and include just enough to bring the reader into the scene. I’m great at creating a setting, and relating natural and authentic dialogue from the people in the story.

If you could wave a magic wand, what would you hope to achieve with your writing?

I want to reach people and touch their hearts and minds, especially the people who wouldn’t ordinarily find my work. I would love to reach an expanded audience. I love when I hear back from anyone that they have read my words, even if they don’t agree with the point I think I’m making because I don’t always know what audiences want, but I can learn from every story I tell and the responses to that story.

Why do you want to join Simily as an author?

I’ve been a writer since I had a typewriter as a toy when I was a child. But finding an audience for my writing has always taken a backseat to getting and keeping a job. I’m now on a journey to try to make more of my writing and get it out in front of new readers, to help me hone my skill at writing things people want to read. I’ve got stories to tell; just need folks that want to read them.

Tell us more about how you hope to use the platform.

I’m very excited by the focus on creative writing. There are plenty of platforms out there for how-tos, technical articles, paraphrasing news items, that kind of thing. It’s rare to see a platform like Simily that is just for fiction, essays, personal stories and flights of fantasy. If you visit my blog, the archives go back 20 years and in total, my writing has always had a creative, authentic style. I would happily participate in Simily’s community of writers and readers if it meant sharing what I have and learning more from others.

Provide three writing samples

The three writing samples I gave them were:

The Princess and The Brewer – a short piece of fiction that drew from my 2013 D&D campaign setting.

That was a 4.7 bar – a recounting of an actual happy hour with my best friend recently. Oh and a bar fight broke out.

The internal struggle to maintain – Musings about loneliness, hope, and atheism vs. spirituality. Wishing won’t make it so, but it’s hard not to wish, y’know?

Stay tuned and I’ll update if I hear back! They say they select new writers at the end of the month, which means I need to keep applying elsewhere while I wait.

Return to a Zone of Comfort

General

I’m (1) waiting for the bus in the snow (2). Tracker says it’s five minutes away. I wait a bit, check the app again. The bus has disappeared from the app (3); next bus in 35 minutes. Ugh. I start walking home (4). Two blocks later I hear the bus rolling up behind me (5) and start running towards the closest stop along the icy sidewalk (6). Driver honks, waves, and stops for me (7) and I don’t have to walk home (8).

That is a complete story, according to the Harmon Story Circle:

  1. A character in a familiar situation
  2. Needs something
  3. Enter unfamiliar situation
  4. They adapt
  5. They get what they wanted
  6. But pay a price
  7. Return to a zone of comfort
  8. Having changed

City of Unused Characters

General

Over on /r/writing, turtleofsorrows asked “Do you have any abandoned characters you love too much?”

Yes, turtleofsorrows. Yes, I do.

The first that came to mind were Tristan and Esteban, who first showed up in a story I co-wrote with my brother-from-another-mother, the dearly departed Kevin W.

In the story, Tristan and Esteban were henchmen of a secretive redheaded woman whose name escapes me now. They were a pair of Latino men, snappy dressers, one tall, one short. They may, or may not, be brothers. They were one part Jake and Elwood Blues, and one part Penn and Teller, and one part Mr. Wint and Mr. Kidd from Diamonds Are Forever. Except, y’know, Latino.

Their names are an homage to a friend and former co-worker, a person who was empathetic but sarcastic, and who had appetites larger than life. I miss him, but I doubt he’d want to hear from me after all this time and the mistakes I made in that particular social circle. Ah, well.

Tristan and Esteban, though, were wry, laconic, unflappable. They were loyal to their current boss but I always got the sense that this was just a gig for them. They did their job, which in that story (unpublished, alas) they were tracking down mystical artifacts which manifested as ordinary mundane objects, starting with an empty mayonnaise jar which had welded itself to the hero’s hand, annoyingly. But at the end of the day, they would probably do whatever paid the best. They had few scruples or morals, though, so finding work was never difficult for them.

I don’t think any of that made it into the original story, however. It’s all just backstory. I liked the characters, and thought that they would be fun to write. I wanted to find out more about them.

But I’ve never been able to crack their mysteries. I’ve tried using them in another story but they didn’t fit in well. And I even started writing a story with them as main characters, and I just couldn’t figure out what they wanted.

If I had to cast them for a movie, I would go with someone like Benicio del Toro as Tristan.

And Gael García Bernal as Esteban.

They’re always in the back of my mind, though, waiting for the right opportunity to spice up a story with some menace and wry sarcasm.

Any other writers out there carrying around abandoned characters? I would love to hear about them.