Ask Miz Ging...what have you got to lose except your sanity?
Dishin' It Out: Weblog of Connie Vines, who resides deep within the suburbs of SoCal.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Ask Miz Ging...anything except how much she weighs.
Ask Miz Ging...what have you got to lose except your sanity?
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Romance Reviews
Well, Ging, keeping my sanity as intact as it is, do you have any suggestions on how I can break my writer's block?
ReplyDeleteHow many books have you written to date? Which is your favorite?
ReplyDeleteDear Miz Ging,
ReplyDeleteMy question is rather simple. What is your writing day like? Do you get up in the morning, sit down at the computer and start writing? (You get the drift)
Sincerely,
your friend, Roseanne Dowell
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI have one more question. (You didn't say we were limited) How do you get the symbols that allow you to share the blog with twitter, facebooketc.
ReplyDeletethanks,
ro
Hey L.K., funny you should ask since my muse has taken a long winter's nap, too. I enrolled in an on-line class a few months ago and the instructor had a great idea that got my mind working again. Introduce a new plot point into your story that you wouldn't normally think about. It doesn't have to fit sequentially because you can write up to when "it" happens or write from that spot. Some of the suggestions from Cheryl St. John's class: Someone befriends your character; a friend turns against your character; someone thought to be missing or dead shows up, a lie is discovered, your character receives a letter that reveals something startling. Basically, brainstorming about things that could happen in your story will help you unmuddle your thoughts. It even works for a pantser like me. I got on track and finished First Degree Innocence.
ReplyDeleteDear Kat,
ReplyDeleteTo date I've published Eleven novels and six novellas. Of all those I've written, I'd have to say First Degree Innocence has become my favorite at the moment because it's new and fresh. I love all my books because I know how much time and effort went into creating them. Writing achievements are harder than having a baby, plus the foreplay isn't nearly as much fun.
Dear Ro,
ReplyDeleteI wish my days were that simple. I usually wake up, stagger into the kitchen, grab a cup of coffee and sit down at the computer. I then weed through all the emails I've received since I logged off. By then, I've followed links to blogs, loops, answered posts, Facebooked and Tweeted the morning away.
Realizing I've done nothing "housewife ish" I hurry up, make the bed, put on a load of laundry, run a dust cloth over the most visible dust, then back to the computer again. By then, I've received another "hoard" of email posts and I start the cycle over again.
I gave up Farmville and other games, but I'm still not making headway. Most of my lists are on digest and I try to keep myself from getting distracted, but I'm pretty sure I've developed attention deficit disorder. I have all the symptoms, plus a crappy memory.
Dear Ro,
ReplyDeleteI'm assuming you want to feature your blog on FB and announce a tweet. The simplest way on blogger is using the new feature at the bottom. Along with the tags, you'll find symbols for Facebook, Twitter, Buzz, etc. Just click on them and the link goes automatically to each site after you've logged in. You can add comments in both places if you wish. I always add to FB, Twitter and Buzz. It only takes a click to do it. :) Thanks for asking.
You just described my day. How can that be? We must be twins, separated at birth. I often wonder how I find time to write. Oh, one thig, I often don't make the bed, though. What the heck, we're just going to get back in it. I've really slacked on the housewife-ish things. Maybe because hubby is home (retired) and I often wonder when I get to retire. I gave him the job of emptying the dishwasher and refilling it. Problem is, I wake up every morning to a sink full of dirty dishes. It's 11:00 and the dishwasher hasn't been emptied from yesterday and of course all the dirty dishes are piled in the sink. That's the one thing that drives me crazy. It's the first room everyone sees when they come in, to me it should be the cleanest. I may take that job back and give him the dusting the furniture job.
ReplyDeleteSo...after all that- phew... when do you actually write. I didn't see that in your post
Okay, call me stupid. I looked all over my blog setup to find those symbols to add to my blog and can't find them.
ReplyDeleteUh....yep, I'm stupid. I've been playing around with my blog and just figured out how to add those buttons. Gees, what an idiot. So simple. All I had to do was look. So scratch that question.
ReplyDeleteBut I do have one more question. Do you plot or outline your books before you start to write?
Dear Ro,
ReplyDeleteI'm a pantser. Plotting does not work for me. My stories are all character driven so when they stop talking, I stop typing. Right now, Hattie, my current heroine is being very obstinate, so I'm going to have to use the advice I gave to Lindsay in order to progress on my story. You've heard the song "Midnight Rider"? Well, I'm a midnight WRITER. *lol*
Thanks for that advice, Ging! I'm going to try it out :)
ReplyDeleteThis gets scarie by the minute. Were we born under the same star or something? I'm like you, as long as the character talks, I listen. I already have many of the things Lindsay suggested for my WIP and I'm still stuck. Right now I'm stuck on a way to keep the ex wife of the hero living in his home. I'm thinking of having her break her leg, require surgery and have to be off of it for at least six weeks. How could he possibly kick her out after that with no place to go? Besides, she can't drive, she lived in NY and gave up her job and apartment - oh yeah, she's pregnant also - and her parents live in another state. She's a spoiled little rich girl, so maybe Patrick is going to have to call her parents to come and get her. Of course they're going to be on a cruise (or something) Hey, this really helped me figure a few things out. I love brainstorming like this. Now I think I can get back to it. (If everyone leaves me alone that is)
ReplyDeleteThanks, I even have have an idea for my blog.
Brainstorming is a wonderful thing. If anyone ever gets a chance to take one of Cheryl St. John's on-line classes, I highly recommend you do. She's a wealth of knowledge and a very successful HQ author. One of the nicest ladies I've ever met. :)
ReplyDeleteWhat do you call a man who just lost his brain?
ReplyDeleteA man who just lost his brain eh? I would probably call him castrated. *lol*
ReplyDeleteWell Miz Ging...I have been recently approached on being a ghost writer...what is your opinion on the subject and have you ever done it?
ReplyDeleteThanks!
Brenda,
ReplyDeleteYou must be honored to be asked. Now all you have to do is decide. I think it's got to be a personal choice. I've never been a ghost writer but I know that most celebrity best sellers were written by the person claiming to be the author. In a way, it angers me that the celebs and politicians get such recognition while the Ghost Writer basically just gets money. Sometimes, lots of money. The GW of Mrs. Clinton's book made over $250,000.
I suppose if money is your objective, then it would be a smart move. Personally, I couldn't do it because I want recognition for all those hours I spend writing. When I see the "unwriter" holding a book signing and personalizing something they didn't write, my blood boils a little because I know how long and hard I've worked at this, and being a legitimate author, I can barely buy a Happy Meal with what I make quarterly. On that note, I would suggest that you never do for a share of the royalties unless you're writing some well-known person's book. *lol*
Whatever you decide, I wish you the best. If there is anyone out there who has been a ghost writer, please weigh in and help Brenda out.
The answer you left for me was PERFECT...lol I can't wait till next Thursday!
ReplyDelete