Wednesday, November 2, 2016

IWSG: FAVORITE PART OF WRITING

Hey Everyone **waves** I'm on the road and forgot to schedule a post, so this will be really short and sorry about no links. Internet is crappy.


November already; time for turkey and family get-togethers. Yipeee!!! And NaNoWriMo. Wow, I'd forgotten about that one. I think this will be my last post for the year, just so much going on in life, and I'm hoping lots of people are also taking time off to spend with family and stuff. And writing, of course.

This month the IWSG asked what our favorite part of writing is. For me, its all about the research. I seem to need to research every little thing that comes up. Names, settings, genre's, the price of tea in Boston at the time of the Tea Party - although I've never had a need for this interesting tidbit. Sometimes I think I start a writing project so I have an excuse to sift through meaningless information. *sighs*

You can congratulate me on getting my story wrote and submitted for this year's Anthology. Yay me!! Got it done on the last possible day, mostly because I'm an expert procrastinator; and guess what tops my list of favorite procrastination activities? Yep, research. Had to find just the right Welsh names, some Tuatha De deities, the right location, scary little creatures, when the winter/spring solstice is. All kinds of stuff that, had I just written the story and cleaned it up with those minor details in the editing/revision phase, kept the story from just flowing.

I do enjoy writing, creating characters and situations for them to work through, and I think I'm better at the editing/revision stuff (fill in details and flesh out characters/plots); but really, I love the excuse to look up stuff on the internet.

Good luck to everyone who submitted an entry to the anthology. And also, happy writing to all those participating in NaNo this year.

Thank you to Alex Cavanaugh and his helpers for hosting this months Insecure Writers Support Group. I'll be visiting around as I can.

22 comments:

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Yes, you did send your entry in close to the deadline. You and a dozen others!
You should hire yourself out as a researcher for those writers who don't enjoy it or don't have time.

L. Diane Wolfe said...

LOL I'd be tempted to hire you for research, although not for a book.

Sometimes it's amazing the details we'll find online. I like having visuals, so finding those of what I'm writing is fun. Probably why I'm a Pinterest junkie.

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Donna - on the road again .. well that's good to be occupied ... and yes to time off - could well be a good thing - enjoy it.

Congratulations on getting your Anthology story in on time ... and I love looking things up ... cheers Hilary

Pat Hatt said...

Congrats on getting it in. Research is interesting but I find it can suck a lot of time away, that is my one hiccup with it.

Chrys Fey said...

Research is a lot of fun. I enjoy it whenever I have to research something for a story.

Good luck with your anthology submission!

Elizabeth Seckman said...

Hey, as long as you hit the deadline- it counts!

I love the research too. I forgot that one. Excellent.

cleemckenzie said...

I have to keep a tight rein on myself when it comes to internet "research." That can lead me off into some very time-consuming directions.

Tyrean Martinson said...

Congratulations on your short story! I wrote and submitted one, too, although I don't think I did as much research. That's really cool that you add in so much researched depth to your writing!

Diane Burton said...

Congrats on finishing your story and submitting it for the anthology. Hope it does well. I love research. I find out so many new things. The bad part is falling into the Black Hole of Research. That's where the enticing links take you. And then you find more links and more... All well and good except it takes you away from the writing. Have fun.

Michelle Wallace said...

You're the first person today, who has named research as the favorite aspect of writing.
Good luck with your anthology submission.
Happy IWSG Day!

Anonymous said...

Congrats on getting your story written. Enjoy your Thanksgiving and safe travels to you.

Olga Godim said...

Research could be addictive, as we all know. Good luck with your anthology story.

Denise Covey said...

Glad you made it at the eleventh hour, Donna! Good luck! Yep, I can get lost in research any day! But I especially love editing!

Fundy Blue said...

Hi Donna! Congratulations on getting that short story written for the IWSG Anthology Contest! I wrote one too! My story was set in a location I know very well, but I found myself researching and checking out a surprising number of things. I enjoy researching, but I'm driven by a compulsion to have everything accurate. I'm always afraid that one incorrect thing will shatter the illusion. I suspect accuracy is very important to you, too. Happy writing in November!

farawayeyes said...

Your research has definitely paid off in everything of yours that I've read. I admire that in any writer, bur especially about you. Your insight as a CP is also extra special and and I hope you know how much I appreciate it.

I don't enjoy research that much. Guess it's why I try to stick to and 'write what I know'. Although, I admit to doing a fair share of research for my 'Far Away Series' with languages and mythology and I did like it. Maybe I should do more. Ha!

I'm glad to glued your butt to that chair and took the day off from work. Your Anthology Entry was top notch, IMO and I wish you the best of luck with it.

Michael Di Gesu said...

DONNA! I am SOOOO PROUD OF YOU!!!! That is awesome that you submitted to the Anthology.....

I tried, but failed for the first time. I usually ALWAYS finish a short story and make the deadline, but I began the piece form a flash piece I had written years ago.I NAILED the first few pages and then..... WHAM. Nothing came to me.... I dropped and never went back. I guess too much stress and uncertainty with my life. Ugh. I am sooooo hoping to get my life back in 2017.

I was productive for a while..... But short lived. SO like me.... Ignite into a blaze and then fizzle out with only a few embers burning red and smoking....

Laurel Garver said...

I can be a bit of a research junkie myself--I just love learning. If you get a chance to stop by my blog, I have a guest who shares her deep research methods. I think you'll enjoy it a lot!

dolorah said...

Alex: I thought of hiring myself out. But then, how would the author know exactly what was needed for the story, lol.

Diane: I haven't got involved in pinterest . . yet. I'd never get any other work accomplished.

Hilary; seems to me you do a LOT of "research". Only ou experience it first hand :)

Pat: the time suck is the point, isn't it?

Thanks Chrys

Elizabeth: can't say I always hit a deadline. Nailed this one though.

cLee: Just love those black holes :)

Good luck Tyrean.

Diane: Going to the library and reading encyclopedias never distracted me this much. Ain't progress grand??

Thanks Michelle

Elsie: have a happy T-Day yourself.

Thanks Olga. I hope you submitted one too.

Denise: Its the journey that makes the writing exciting. Right?

Fundy: I wrote a trilogy set in my hometown, in the early 80's. I did a lot of research on things like clothing, current (then) events, cost of housing and gas . . its amazing the things you can forget when "writing what you know."

FAE: my darling, I could not have finished without your excellent feedback. I hope your entry does well also. It was fun working with you. Lets do it again sometime soon :)

Michael: Ah, but you've been so busy succeeding in EVERYTHING else you do!! I am so proud of you for getting all those illustrations completed. The ones you sent me were amazing. I hope the book itself does well. Keep up the good works.

Laurel: Thanks. I'll stop by.

Jeffrey Scott said...

I also love the excuses for research. Not just looking things up on the internet, but looking for new experiences to experience. Anything that happens to me, I try to look at it as a possible excuse to write about in the future.

Shannon Lawrence said...

Enjoy your time off, and good luck getting into the anthology!

Deniz Bevan said...

I love research too! Especially maps, and names, and... Oh, everything :-)

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