Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Yawn… Snooze… WAKE UP!


How do I know if what I’m writing is interesting?
I don’t.
But as I strive to offer a riveting-can’t-put-it-down story, I must use the best clues I have. This is at the pre-beta reader stage, when my work-in-progress is still between me and me.

Clue No. #1-
Not good. ^

If I’m yawning, the reader would probably also. No excuses. (Maybe the coffee I made was the decaffeinated kind… I did stay up too late… it’s gray and gloomy outside….) Just make sure, at the very least, that the first reader (you) is like-
---And that you are the fish in this scenario, not the feline.
{And for goodness sake, don’t have the first word of the chapter/post be yawn  and the second snooze. Oops.}

This pretty much describes my struggles today.





8 comments:

Cherie Colyer said...

I think we've all been there. I know when my mind starts to drift while I'm writing I'm in big trouble. No way would a reader stick it out if I can't even keep my head in the scene.

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Ann Herrick said...

Great comparison! :D

Vijaya said...

LOL, Mirka. I thought I was the feline! But what a marvelous stage to be in, where you can see the possibilities to add more depth and sparkle. I'm at the same stage and loving it. Happy writing.

Kelly Hashway said...

If I get so wrapped up in the story that I don't know where my day went, I know I'm onto something good. :)

Karen Jones Gowen said...

As I write, if I'm tired of a scene I change it. Like you, I figure if I'm bored with my writing, it must REALLY be dull. That's how I write my first drafts. Write till I get bored with the scene, change scenes. Keep going for 400 hand-written pages, and somewhere in there must be a story.

Becky Shillington said...

I hope your day got more productive! You wrote a terrific blog post, and I didn't yawn once! = )

Unknown said...

Yes, if I feel like my mind is suddenly wandering while I'm writing, I know it's a sign to pep things up a bit! That's when I start tossing grenades. Sometime metaphorical ones, sometimes real ones. ;)

Marcia said...

In the pre-beta stage, I'm basically writing for 12-year-old me. She might be interested, but I can't ever be sure others will be. I have to write for her at first, and then, depending on feedback, figure out how to make it relatable to a wider audience.