When one blog closes, another blog opens

Jesus, it’s been a while since I last posted eh? And now I’m writing to tell you that this blog will be no more. Oh, I’m still writing. And I’m still going to be blogging about writing. Just not here.

Why you ask? Why am I changing blogs? Look up. Look waaaaaay up. See, in your address blog? See the URL for this blog? Yeah I totally spelled my last name wrong. I missed a c.  Don’t ask. You’d think after four years I’d stop spelling my last name wrong. Yeah.

So I’m moving this party over to http://colleenmckie.wordpress.com/. And I will be back to posting a few times a week. ANd I’ll try to make it fun stuff. And writing stuff. And me stuff.

Yeps, the blog will be about as scatterbrained as I am.

A short break

So, about a week ago I realized something: I was somewhat burnt-out and overly obsessed with WEIRDO. I went from not writing at all to writing, planning my writing or thinking about my writing 24/7. Now, I know that happens when writing a book sometimes, but it was a bit too much for me. Since WEIRDO is a contemp YA about an outcast, it’s dragged up a lot of memories for me of junior high and high school. As a result the writing process has been a lot more intense than when I was writing SUPERNORMAL. So I took a break.

I’m back at it now, but I’m not working on WEIRDO. Nope, I’m making the necessary changes to SUPERNORMAL to make it YA. I am in no way giving up on WEIRDO: I will get back to it once I’ve finished these SUPERNORMAL edits. I’m not changing focus because I can’t handle dealing with the subject matter in WEIRDO. I have a friend in the biz that wants to read SUPERNORMAL and that’s why it’s taking priority.

With that being said, I’m going on my first ever writers’ retreat this weekend and I think that WEIRDO will be the focus. I’ve never tried working on two projects at the same time. Should be interesting, since both are so different from each other.

WEIRDO soundtrack

So I took a break from WEIRDO in order to do what I like to call my “writing so I can eat”, and I’m about to dig back into it. But I want to create a playlist of songs that will help to inspire me and get me in the right frame of mind. And I’m looking for some help.

I have a few songs already, but I’m looking to fill the list out. Here’s what I have so far:

Born This Way – Lady Gaga
God Made Me – Chantal Kreviazuk (The book’s theme song and part of the inspiration behind it)
Loser Like Me – Glee cast
My Life is a Stereo – The Watchman
Loser – Beck
Give You Hell – All American Rejects
Stupid Girl – Garbage
Numb – Holy McNarland (Thanks for reminding me, Kim!)
Teenage Dirtbag – Wheatus (Merci Christine!)
Everyone Lets You Down – Norma MacDonald
Good Enough – Rose Cousins
If You Wanna Start Again – The Trews (JUST discovered this song. It shall play during the closing credits of WEIRDO)
The Middle – Jimmy Eat World
Raise Your Glass – Pink

See where I’m going with this? If you have any suggestions, please make them!

Just not feeling it

Yesterday was a shit writing day. I managed to squeeze out 294 words. The day before I had over 2,000 written.  I had some personal stress yesterday afternoon that kinda ended my writing time, but even before that I had the whole morning which I spent with my head on the table, trying to think of what to write.  I seem to be having the same issue today, despite the fact that I promised myself jelly beans if I wrote 3,000 words. I’m just not feeling my book right now.

This is the first time in YEARS that I’m actually making an attempt to sit down daily and write. I’ve been doing it for exactly two weeks now. I’m almost feeling a bit burnt out. And this writing thing is starting to feel like a JOB, which is just weird to me.

So what do you do when you’re just not feeling it? Do you take a break from your WIP or push on through? Do you find that a change of scenery and work space helps?

I’m still trying to figure out how I’m going to deal with this whole apathetic state I seem to be in. For today I am going to buck down and try to push through.

I really, REALLY want those jelly beans.

And that’s the end of another chapter…. I think

Okay, confession time. Come gather closer as I whisper something that no author should EVER admit: I have no frigging idea when to end a chapter.

There, I said it. Feels good to get that off my shoulders.

I know some say after a certain word count. Other say it’s kinda like “end scene”.  Uh-huh. Well I subscribe to the willy-nilly school of chapters. I write. I write some more. Then I pause. Stick in a chapter break. Make a hot chocolate. Sit down and start the process all over again.

I know that somewhere, buried deep in this weird brain of mine, some part of me is involved in this chapter decision business. But I’m pretty sure it’s the same part of my brain that wakes me up at 3 am convinced I’ll die if I don’t have jelly beans.

I could read books on writing to help me with this issue. I SHOULD read books on writing to help me with this issue. But every time I go to, that jelly bean part of my brain speaks up and yells, “NOW WHERE’S THE FUN IN THAT????”

Pantsing it

Remember a few posts ago I said that I had gone slightly off course from my WEIRDO outline? Well today I realized that it’s basically gone out the window. I am totally not following it. At all.

I’m supposed to be on chapter 7. I’m on chapter 11. Characters that are supposed to be friends are fighting way before I wanted them to. Characters that are supposed to be fighting are friends. Lies are being told ahead of schedule and major plot points are changing.

So I guess for this book I’m kinda pantsing it. Writing on the fly. Making shit up as I go. I may eventually get back on track with the outline. But for now I’m just going to continue winging it and see where I end up.

Pick a genre, any genre……

So, remember my adult urban fantasy SUPERNORMAL? The one that was pretty much done and had been sent off to my wonderful reading peeps? The one I was getting ready to query? Well, funny thing……..

For the last month, something’s been niggling at the back of my brain. Something about SUPERNORMAL seemed, well, a bit off. And not in a good way. I finally figured it out yesterday and when I asked a couple of my writing buddies the answer was a very loud, very enthusiastic YES!!!!!!!

SUPERNORMAL should be a young adult book.

Yes, folks, I am taking my pretty much finished book and changing genres. It just feel like the right decision. My writing style and the main character just lend themselves better to YA.

Fortunately it doesn’t mean I have to take the whole thing apart. There will have to be a few major changes, but it’s nothing that I can’t handle. I’m actually looking forward to it.

I know, I’m a sick puppy.