Tag: Wrede on Writing

Pick One

by eileentroemel, posted in Life, Writing

In talking with an artist last night, I realized I’ve been very scattered in my work.  I’ll pick up this project and do a tiny bit, then move on to the next one and do a tiny bit.  This is probably because I’m trying to get a little bit done on everything. 

However, I’m wondering if this is the wrong approach for my writing tasks.  I do have several things to do for a good seven or eight writing projects with at least four or five projects barking at the door. 

Right now my to do list is organized by project.  I’m wondering if I should be grouping like tasks together – like I want to review the front and back material for all three of the books I have in publication.  This would be a task for three different projects I could do at once. 

Unfortunately, not all the tasks can be grouped like that.  I am working on editing the second fantasy novel.  I have other editing to do but grouping the tasks together wouldn’t work.  First, editing takes a certain mindset and focus and if I do it for too long then the quality of the editing slips.  Second, editing a fiction novel vs a poetry book is very different.

I just finished reading Wrede on Writing where she talked about the different levels of tasks.  It might be worthwhile to identify the type of task as well as the project it is supposed to be for.  This might help me organize my time and make me more efficient with getting items crossed off my list, which is the whole point of making a to do list. 

Here are my books:

Secret Past

Available on Barnes and Nobles:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/secret-past-eileen-troemel/1119169953?ean=9781499159868
Available for sale at:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/426548
Available on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Secret-Past-Eileen-Troemel-ebook/dp/B00JL38Z7C/ref=la_B00JL4PEJ8_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1398097355&sr=1-1

Moon Affirmations  Daily Meditations Using the Moon Phase to Focus Your Energy

Available for sale at:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/432900
Available on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Moon-Affirmations-Daily-Meditations-Energy-ebook/dp/B00K08TF3K/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1398791925&sr=8-5&keywords=moon+affirmations
Available on Barnes and Nobles:http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/moon-affirmations-eileen-troemel/1119387496?ean=2940045859738

Moments in Nature

Available at Barnes & Nobles:http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/moments-in-nature-eileen-troemel/1119566668?ean=2940045940085
Available at:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/437602
Available on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Moments-Nature-Eileen-Troemel-ebook/dp/B00KBFOWSK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1400077630&sr=8-1&keywords=moments+in+nature

Inspiration

by eileentroemel, posted in Writing

I’ve been asked how I come up with my ideas.  It is hard to answer that because in most cases they just come to me.  When I’m working on a story, it just tells itself. 

I reach moments in each story where I have to consciously make a decision about where the story is going.  Sometimes I think through all the possibilities but mostly I just follow where I think the story should go. 

In the fantasy novel I’m working on, I thought I was done with the first novel but there was one area which was bugging me.  I was considering either rewriting an entire chapter or adding in another chapter.  The problem – keeping the cohesion of the story and adding to it by the addition. 

I’m reading the Wrede’s book on writing.  In there she talks about world building and the functions of scenes.  I’m trying to adhere to how she talks about the functions of scenes because to me she makes sense. 

In the fantasy novel, I’ve created a world where the genders have equality.  However, there is a scene where an older woman is talking to younger girls about “womanly things.”  If this is a world of equality then I felt there should be a section where the younger boys in the story get the same type of talk. 

The problem – I didn’t want the reader to be bored with a repetition of the same conversation.  I wanted there to be equality between the genders. 

For a couple of days I struggled with the issue.  As I’m falling asleep the other night, I come up with an origin myth for the novel.  Last night I’m thinking about going to sleep and can’t.  I pick up my netbook to start writing at about 10:00.  I worked on a new chapter for the book.  I just started writing and it flowed so easily. 

My phone rang and scared the crap out of me.  Vicki called.  I hadn’t realized it was 11:30 but I was nearly done with the chapter.  She told me she was just calling to tell me goodnight and make sure I didn’t stay up too late writing.  This is a running joke with us. 

Before midnight, I finished the chapter.  I will edit it a couple of times.  I think it adds depth to the story without it feeling like it I’m doing an info dump.  It brings in the origin of the land, it creates the equality I wanted with the genders, and it teaches the lessons that are needed – I hope. 

Where did the inspiration come from?  No idea.  I just know it came to me, whether from sleeping on it or from talking about it with my daughter and others or from somewhere else.  The inspiration hit to help me overcome a problem in the novel. 

Secret Past

Moon Affirmations  Daily Meditations Using the Moon Phase to Focus Your Energy

Moments in Nature

A Pick Me Up

by eileentroemel, posted in Crochet and crafting, Life, Writing

Tonight, I was feeling a bit glum about being stuck in my recliner.  Don’t get me wrong I love my recliner, it is comfy and usually offers comfort when I’m in pain.  However, I have a lot going on but the doctor says – stay off your feet and rest – I pretty much have to.  Experience has taught me that resistance on this is never good.

Here I am feeling a bit down and out in my recliner.  I crocheted during the day creating a new pattern for a bag that I think I like a lot.  I finished off MI5 – damn them killing off my favorite character who had actually lasted ten seasons until the very last episode.  I was sitting in my recliner having answered emails and done a couple of other things feeling glum.

I look over and my Kindle Fire is sitting on the couch next to me.  I’m currently reading three books – Harry Potter 6 in my van as I drive; Lean In on my normal Kindle; and Wrede on Writing on my Kindle Fire.  I thought about playing backgammon on the Fire (another of my obsessions) but the book drew me in tonight.  I started reading and two hours later I’m feeling better about myself and about my writing.

Patricia Wrede is one of my favorite authors.  She writes fantasy and is fabulous.  I fall into her novels and don’t want to come out even when she has finished them ever so wonderfully.  I almost always want more of her writing.  Last year she published a book on writing.

Writing books tend to be academic and well (apologies to all the teachers I know) boring.  I was going to give this book three chapters and move on to something else.  Well I can’t stop turning pages.  I’ve read 15% of the book (it’s an ebook so I don’t know what page I’m on).  I LOVE her writing.  More than just her writing style though – she actually talks about writing in a way that isn’t academic but is humorous and intelligent.

I said to one of my professors “You can’t teach writing,” to which I think she took a lot of offense.  You can teach parts of writing like grammar, syntax, sentence structure, and so on.  You can’t teach where an idea comes from or how YOU as a writer will develop that.

Wrede talks about all of this.  She goes into the different possibilities and encourages the reader to find the way that works best for them.  I found myself in some of her descriptions which uplifted me because here was someone else who got what writing was for me.

Her humor and common sense shine through.  Her biggest piece of advice essentially is find what works for you and stick with it.  That isn’t the only thing she talks about though.  She ranted (maybe a strong word but this could be because I rant about it when I read a book) about authors who need to improve their basic skills like grammar.  Here are two quotes from her discussion that I LOVE:

“A writer whose work is littered with sentence fragments and runons cannot make effective use of sentence fragments to increase tension, or pacing, or emphasis.”

“If everything else is in standard English, dropping some unusual syntax, punctuation, or grammar into the text has an impact because of the change.  The less often the writer does it, the bigger the impact.”

I’m a grammar nut.  I like to diagram sentences and I like to break the rules – all the time.  I know what proper grammar is – I just don’t always like to use it.  I’d had this discussion with all of my professors with only one or two of them conceding that depending on the writing depended on the appropriateness of breaking the rules.

In academic and other professional writing, you absolutely must be grammatically correct.  However, when it comes to fiction, you don’t have to be and when you aren’t it can be a highly effective tool.

While I may be a grammar geek, I understand the effect ungrammatical work can have on the reader.  Oh and for those out there – if you find grammar (or other errors) in my writing – let me know.  I’ll fix them.  I’m good but I’m nowhere near perfect.

If you’re a writer and you want good advice, check out Wrede’s book Wrede on Writing.  If you’re not a writer, check it out anyways as it might give you some insight into your writing friends.  You could also check out her other books and stories.  She is an excellent writer.

Oh and no longer feeling glum.  She made me laugh, agree, and recognize myself in the way she talked about writers.  While I may be stuck in my recliner, I’ve still got things I can work on…