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:

  1. 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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  2. 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.

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  3. 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. :)

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  4. 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.

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

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  6. 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. ;)

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  7. 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.

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