If you think I've contracted some sort of terrible intestinal ailment, let me explain. GUTGAA stands for Gearing Up to Get an Agent. It's a bloghop/pitchfest/contest/fun time happening during the month of September. For the main sign up page, click HERE. For a schedule of events, see HERE.
Now, on to the meet and greet questions!
To learn a bit more about me: the person, as opposed to me: the writer, check out this fun little list I did for Scintilla in March.
Several of the meet and greet questions had to do with the when/where/how of your writing space and time. There aren't any clear cut answers there, for me, because of one factor: I still do all of my writing longhand. That's right. Pen and paper, baby. Editing and stuff I do on screen, but first drafts are always (with the occasional exception - usually short fiction) on paper.
So I write whenever my notebook is nearby and an idea strikes. Quite often it's sitting on the couch, but it has been in parks, on airplanes, in the car (not while driving, I assure you :-P) and in other people's houses. There isn't any particular time or place when I always write, or a usual process I have to go through. I just need paper and a pen. THAT is something that I am particular about. It has to be a pen, preferably black ink, very preferably NOT blue ink, but any other color is good.
-When writing , do you listen to music or do you need complete silence?
I usually do like some background noise while I write, whether it's the
TV, music, or outdoor noises. I don't like it to be too quiet.
-What was your inspiration for your latest manuscript and where did you find it?
I can't remember where the inspiration for my current WIP came from
because it's been incubating in my brain for a few years ago. I'm not a
plotter, so I don't do outlines. I wrote down very little as far as
ideas, but I kept all the good little nuggets in my head as I thought of
them over the years, until I got to a point where I felt I was ready to
write.
I knew I wanted to write an erotic novel. (All of my erotica so far has been short stories.) And I had some character traits and plot aspects that I knew I wanted. Bi-racial, young, fashionista; elements of non-monogamy; safer sex and sex positive ideas; emotional depth, but a still a lot of FUN. And from there, my WIP was born.
I knew I wanted to write an erotic novel. (All of my erotica so far has been short stories.) And I had some character traits and plot aspects that I knew I wanted. Bi-racial, young, fashionista; elements of non-monogamy; safer sex and sex positive ideas; emotional depth, but a still a lot of FUN. And from there, my WIP was born.
-What's your most valuable writing tip?
Don't take writing tips to serious extremes.So that's me, in a nutshell. Looking forward to meeting other GUTGAA participants and reading blogs!
I am always AMAZED at those who can write longhand (since my pain-filled fingers don't bend easily.) Love the sound of pen scratching across paper, though.
ReplyDeleteI am also not a plotter or outliner, but I'm determined to become one. The trouble is, I always get impatient and want to get the scenes in my head down on the page.
ReplyDeleteI've written out scenes in longhand, and I can actually see the benefit of writing that way. It gives you longer to think out your words, at least for me since I can type faster than I write.
Good luck with GUTGAA - hope you make the cut!
Here's my GUTGAA Meet & Greet: A Girl and Her Diary"
Huzzah for the pen & paper! I draft that way too! Then when I type it up, I can edit a little as I go.
ReplyDeleteBlack ink all the way. I even have a certain pen I use--how about you? I save the colors for revisions & editing.
Good luck with the contest!
We are kindred writing spirits! I get attached to pens sometimes. Before I started my new WIP, I bought a couple new pens that I love. Zebra metal shaft fine point... in a pretty burgundy color lol.
DeleteBTW, I clicked to your website and my anti-virus software blocked it. :-( I clicked the box that tells them to review it and take me there anyway, but I thought you might want to know. Maybe some sort of code or one of the links on your site is causing trouble.
Wow, I'm so impressed by the longhand drafts. I do a lot of my initial note taking on paper, but when I get to the outlining/drafting stage, my pen can't keep up with my thought process.
ReplyDeleteAnd I'm with you on the background noise. If I'm trying to write and it's completely silent, I usually start humming to myself or tapping my foot, just to break up the monotony.
I have a notebook in my bed. I write out a chapter before bed then type it the next day. I find my creativity is deeper ( that sounds weird, but I can't think of another way to decried the feeling) when I write long hand. When I'm on a roll, I need the keyboard to keep up with the images in my head.
ReplyDeleteGreat to meet you! So impressed by the longhand. I keep a notepad by my bed for ideas, but I can barely read my handwriting half the time. (ha!) Look forward to learning more about your story this month!
ReplyDeleteWow. I'm not sure I remember how to make a cursive "s". Most impressive.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by everyone! So funny how different our processes can be.
ReplyDeleteI type pretty fast, but I can capture my thoughts more quickly on paper than screen. My notebooks are all solid blocks of text. No paragraph breaks or chapter breaks or anything like that. But once I sit in front of the computer, I can't turn off my expectations of formatting. I can't leave spelling errors, I can't not do paragraphs and indents and italics and all that stuff.
Not to mention I get distracted by the internet. :-P
I like carrying a notebook with me for when an idea/quote/moment strikes my attention. Somehow I make better use of it when it's handwritten. I take notes on my phone, too, but they tend to just sit there. :-p Best of luck in GUTGAA!
ReplyDeleteMe, too! It's like the words have more impact when handwritten. :-)
DeleteHaha, I love your writing advice! So true, isn't it?
ReplyDeleteMy name is Lisa Ann, and I'm one of the first-round GUTGAA judges. Best of luck to you; I can't wait to read everyone's submissions!
Thanks for stopping by! I'm very excited to participate.
DeleteAbsolutely amazing that you write your stuff in longhand. Cool!
ReplyDeleteI'm your newest follower. *waves* Very nice to meet you!
AA
http://anallegedauthor.blogspot.com/
Aww, how sweet of you to follow :-) Hope I don't disappoint haha.
DeleteHey! I love that it was an important part of your wip that there's a lot of FUN. That alone makes me want to read it :)
ReplyDeleteWell if you'd really want to read it, come back in a few months! Haha it's still in the early stages. But it's not always easy to get beta readers for erotica! Thanks for stopping by. :-)
DeleteWow that you write longhand. That's incredible. Nice to meet you.
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh. Longhand? I don't think my brain could wait long enough for my hands to write out the words. haha.
ReplyDeleteBut good for you! You've gotta do whatever works.
So nice to meet you!
Wow, I'm impressed by the the longhand drafts. Your hand must ache! But hey, whichever way the muse strikes. Good on you!
ReplyDeleteMy magnum opus is still 99% handwritten, and has been since I began it almost 20 years ago. It's a good thing I can write with both hands! A lot of my first drafts of earlier books were also handwritten.
ReplyDeleteHooray for hand-written! I don't see myself changing that any time soon. It would be awesome to be ambidextrous too, but I am certainly not. :-)
DeleteSeems like I have a few kindred longhand-writers, but a lot of people are pretty surprised by it! haha I think I'd get carpal tunnel and mega headaches if I wrote almost exclusively on the computer.
ReplyDeleteNice to meet all of you!
I admire people who still write longhand... seems so much more romantic. Nice to meet you and good luck with GUTGAA!
ReplyDeletePen and paper? You are brave! If I tried that, I wouldn't be able to read my writing, my kids would color and/or rip it, I would lose it. That's just the beginning! LOL Thanks for stopping by my blog. Happy GUTGAA!
ReplyDeleteI love that you write everything out. I type but have to edit using pen and paper. And all these pictures of jello remind me of the jello shots of my college days! So much fun! Great to meet you!
ReplyDeleteLol I also draft almost exclusively by longhand and I also have an issue with blue pens. :-D
ReplyDelete