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[nicksgal]

I haven’t watched that episode yet, but most likely will today. I want a Grogu

I think i saw an article online somewhere that you can get a virtual one in your house?

[mare]

Just wanted to say I wrote a paragraph on what looks like it might be the start of a story. No idea if my lead is even male or female or what genre it is, although it seems to be leaning more to suspense maybe? So yay me!

[RokofAges75]

Yay you!!

[nicksgal]

Yay! That's great!

[nicksgal]

Here's some new writing questions for this week:

Let's reflect! Look back on your writing, is there something you wrote that you wish you hadn't? Is there something you never finished, but wished you had? Is there a genre you've always wanted to try?

[Carter-Orange]

Just wanted to say I wrote a paragraph on what looks like it might be the start of a story. No idea if my lead is even male or female or what genre it is, although it seems to be leaning more to suspense maybe? So yay me!

Yay Mare!

[RokofAges75]

Let's reflect! Look back on your writing, is there something you wrote that you wish you hadn't? Is there something you never finished, but wished you had? Is there a genre you've always wanted to try?

Great questions.  I don't really regret writing anything.  I figure even the embarrassingly bad stories I wrote in my early days helped make me into the writer I am today.  Every story was a learning experience, even if they only taught me what NOT to do.  That's why I keep them all online.  I did a series of retrospective blogs for my site's 20th anniversary earlier this year, and it was fun to look back on some of those old stories and see how much better my writing has gotten over the years.

The story I still wish I would finish someday is Guilty Roads.  I started it over ten years ago, then got derailed by the idea for Curtain Call a month later and never quite got back into a groove with it.  I still open it from time to time, usually between projects, but it's been a long time since I've actually written anything for it.  I just keep hoping that one of these times I'll get a rush of inspiration and get going on it again.

I've tried every genre I can think of off the top of my head, but I would love to write more in the suspense/mystery/thriller realm.  I shied away from that type of story for a long time after basically abandoning Guilty Roads, but I finally wrote another suspense novel last year and actually finished it and felt good about it, so that has given me some more confidence to tackle another one in the future with the right idea.

[nicksgal]

I did a series of retrospective blogs for my site's 20th anniversary earlier this year, and it was fun to look back on some of those old stories and see how much better my writing has gotten over the years.

Woah, twenty years! Crazy! It's weird thinking about how long it's been if most of us started in the late 90's/early 00's. A retrospective sounds like a fun way to celebrate!

The story I still wish I would finish someday is Guilty Roads.  I started it over ten years ago, then got derailed by the idea for Curtain Call a month later and never quite got back into a groove with it.  I still open it from time to time, usually between projects, but it's been a long time since I've actually written anything for it.  I just keep hoping that one of these times I'll get a rush of inspiration and get going on it again.

I've tried every genre I can think of off the top of my head, but I would love to write more in the suspense/mystery/thriller realm.  I shied away from that type of story for a long time after basically abandoning Guilty Roads, but I finally wrote another suspense novel last year and actually finished it and felt good about it, so that has given me some more confidence to tackle another one in the future with the right idea.

I always hated when I was working on something and another idea popped up. I think I abandoned so many personal projects in the way back times because of that, and then got especially distracted by collaborations because the socializing aspect seemed more fun than focusing on writing, haha.

I think like we've all been saying, even opening and trying is worthwhile. So I'll send you some good vibes for Guilty Roads or your next suspense/thriller/mystery project.

[nicksgal]

Here's some new writing questions for this week:

Let's reflect! Look back on your writing, is there something you wrote that you wish you hadn't? Is there something you never finished, but wished you had? Is there a genre you've always wanted to try?

I'm in the same boat, I don't know that I regret anything. I often looked to writing to work through things that were jumbled up in my head. But when I preemptively rescued some stuff from AC just in case, I read over a few of them and cringed a lot and thought, "Well, glad I didn't finish that story." I think there was only one where I thought, "Would it be worth it to revisit this?"

Things I haven't finished that I wish I had... Definitely some original fiction, but BSB fic-wise... Probably just Gobosei or that Halloween story I started one year. And the whole PBox series, obviously, because here we are. I think I've written in most genres over the years for something except for maybe sci fi? Coming up with new technology seems like a project I don't want to tackle. Since you mentioned it, I'm not very good at mysteries/thrillers, ha. I used to worry about being pigeonholed if I didn't do a lot of different things, but at this point in my life with most things, I'm like "Yup that's me. Do with that what you will!"

Also, not writing related, but the little birthday bar at the bottom is crazy. Hopefully you all enjoyed it reminding you I'm old like a ghost over the years, haha. It's weird being 33 today, it doesn't even feel like a birthday, it just feels like another random Sunday. (Aw, there's a little cake in my profile today. Cute!)

One more not writing related. Hope y'all had happy and healthy holidays!

[RokofAges75]

Happy birthday!  I know, birthdays become less and less exciting each year LOL.  This year has been especially weird.  My birthday was on Easter, but it felt just like another random Sunday too, since my family didn't get together because of the pandemic.  I hope you had a good day, all things considered!

I always hated when I was working on something and another idea popped up. I think I abandoned so many personal projects in the way back times because of that, and then got especially distracted by collaborations because the socializing aspect seemed more fun than focusing on writing, haha.

LOL So true.  I try to limit myself to working on one project at a time these days for exactly that reason, but it's hard when I get one of those rare, lightning-in-a-bottle bursts of inspiration for a different idea.  Hoarding chapters instead of posting them right away helps.  The last few stories I've written, I waited until I was at least ten chapters in and things were going well to start posting anything, and that has worked out well for me.  Usually by that point in the story, I'm committed to it, and even if I take a break from it, I'll come back to it and finish it eventually.

I used to worry about being pigeonholed if I didn't do a lot of different things, but at this point in my life with most things, I'm like "Yup that's me. Do with that what you will!"

Absolutely.  While I think it's great to try different genres, most famous novelists are known for writing certain types of stories.  There's nothing wrong with sticking with what you write best and enjoy writing most.  Embrace it!

[nicksgal]

Happy birthday!  I know, birthdays become less and less exciting each year LOL.  This year has been especially weird.  My birthday was on Easter, but it felt just like another random Sunday too, since my family didn't get together because of the pandemic.  I hope you had a good day, all things considered!

Thanks! It's a weird year to celebrate anything for sure, especially when you're doing it alone (or in very little immediate household groups). I mostly watched Friends, edited, and ate sushi, so again, more like a random Sunday, ha.

I try to limit myself to working on one project at a time these days for exactly that reason, but it's hard when I get one of those rare, lightning-in-a-bottle bursts of inspiration for a different idea.  Hoarding chapters instead of posting them right away helps.

I'm trying to do two at once right now (if editing counts as writing a story), but I figure it's fine because they're all in the same universe, so it's like looking back on an earlier part of the same story to double check something. Had to push it aside for the holiday story idea though, since it had a strict deadline to be relevant and it kept creeping in on me. I love hoarding chapters! It's really comforting knowing that I could take a break if I wanted to (maybe not six months yet, but at least through May). If there was one thing I wish I could go back and tell myself, that would be it. Write, hoard, then edit, then post, and repeat.

[RokofAges75]

If there was one thing I wish I could go back and tell myself, that would be it. Write, hoard, then edit, then post, and repeat.

Yes!  It does take willpower though.  It's hard to hang on to those chapters, especially at the beginning when everything is new and exciting and you're dying to share it with the world.  It gets easier once you can finally start posting something, even if it's something you wrote a long time ago.

The ability to go back and really edit is awesome.  I used to only proofread chapters once or twice before posting, mainly just to catch and fix typos (which I still would end up missing), but now I read chapters many times and make bigger changes before they go online, and I think my stories are better for it.

[nicksgal]

It's hard to hang on to those chapters, especially at the beginning when everything is new and exciting and you're dying to share it with the world.

Yes, excited word vomit, ignore all consequences! Editing is for suckers! (I'm kidding.)

I used to only proofread chapters once or twice before posting, mainly just to catch and fix typos (which I still would end up missing)

So, I relate to this in a hilariously painful way. When I was popping through my PBox editing, I found one instance where I'd accidentally written "aroused" when I clearly meant "roused" and laughed so hard for such a long time about how I could have made that mistake, how awkwardly hilarious it made the whole sentence, and that I somehow went over it initially (since I did proofread before posting even in the excited word vomit days) and still missed it. Then I cringed, because that's just been hanging out there for however many years making it hilariously awkward. I ended up changing that section into something that had neither of those words, but it still makes me laugh really hard thinking about it now.  Oops!

I do miss that excitement sometimes though, especially when everyone was equally excited and we all fed off each other. But better writing is probably better in the long run.

[RokofAges75]

LOL!  I have made mistakes like that before too.  Many years ago, a kind reader pointed out that I used used the word "erotically" when I probably meant "erratically," and she was right.  Never made that mistake again!

I reread some of my old stories when I was writing those blogs for my site, and OMG, so many typos, even in the better ones.  One of my early quarantine projects was going back through the posted versions of my more recent stories and fixing the ones I found.  I don't usually edit stuff that's already online, but I will to fix typos and other little mistakes like that.

I also miss those days when we were all writing at the same time and fed off each other.  That helped keep me motivated.  I have to motivate myself these days LOL.  I do appreciate the few AC regulars that are still around and still read and write, or at least don't mind talking about reading and writing.

[nicksgal]

Hahaha! I'm laughing so hard, I'm so glad I'm not the only one. I wish someone had told me, because it was in one of the earlier chapters that I hadn't edited way back when, so it's been there a loooong time.

So many typos! And they're not even typos where the letters are close together, they're more like "my brain went faster than my fingers and I filled in the right word every time I read it to proofread." These days, I almost always edit three times and sometimes even run it through text to voice to check phrasing if I want it to hit a certain way. But then you have the issue of it not knowing how to pronounce some things or pause correctly, so I've definitely done odd spellings or weird punctuation to have it read correctly. That must have been a lot to just go through to edit typos! Were there any that you wanted to really overhaul after going through the effort of typo fixing?

Well, once I'm done with this edit overhaul, I will be writing again, so I would be happy to do weekly motivation with you. Might be a good thread.