Why do you write?

I wanted to elaborate a bit more on yesterday's post. While writing is a necessity for most of us, I was curious as to why you do it? Yes, we love it, but what is the driving force behind it?

I know I write because I love to create, and there's so much going on in my head that if I didn't put it down somewhere and get it out, I would go crazy. Most of my emotions go into my writing and the story sometimes takes a turn depending on how I'm feeling at the time (not that it's always a good thing). It's not only a great outlet, but also a form of escapism.

I write when I need a break from everyday complicity, when I'm happy, when I'm sad, when I want to think about something else, when I need to vent--the list goes on.

And lastly, yet probably the most obvious, although not everyone agrees...

I want to be published.

Plain and simple. I want to see my name and my words in print. Maybe it's the feat of overcoming that obstacle, chasing the white rabbit, obtaining that elusive goal, but I want it.

Now, of course, it's your turn: Why do you write?

And I can't fight this feeling anymore...

I'm frustrated. It's been almost 3 days, and I haven't had a chance to write - at ALL. I had a wedding to attend this weekend, and it was a LONG affair, which usurped the majority of my time.

Don't get me wrong--it was great--and nice to get out for a bit, but I was itching to get back to my little corner and write. I consoled myself with the fact that I would be home soon. When I got back however, things were exploding at work, and instead of writing, I ended up logging into the office, so once again, I was deprived of what I wanted to do. Needless to say, I was fuming.

And it got me thinking: when did writing become a necessity for me? Had it always been?

When I was younger, and throughout most of high school, I wrote every single day. EVERY single day, and it was so easy, and not much got in the way besides homework. I never had the chance to miss it. And it seemed like I had so much TIME (more on that later this week).

When University came around, other things were distracting me, and writing took a backseat, but I didn't mind so much because I figured I'd get back into it one day. Maybe. Probably. Unless life took another route...

For the past two years I've been writing consistently, as much as I can, and although life did take another route, it hasn't been any consolation, or gotten any easier. Because it's not the path I wanted to travel upon.

It really bugs me that things get in the way, although I know it's inevitable. I need to write,but I can't always just give into the urge on any whim. Even though I try to set aside time for it, things will pop up. Unavoidable things that have to be done.

So yes, writing is now a necessity to me. It's become an integral part of who I am, and I am downright antsy when I don't get to do it :).

What about you? Is writing a necessity for you? Do you find yourself wishing you were writing when you are caught up or busy with other things?

You are great because...

It's Friday! Woooooo :)

Now I want everyone to go into the weekend feeling happy and inspired, so I would like to do a little "kick-in-the-butt-indulgent-reminder" discussion today. (Yeah, it's weird, but you already know I'm all about making up things ;) )

I know we all have our down days (or weeks), but there is something (or many things) great and wonderful about each of us. Sometimes it's hard to remember this when you're feeling behind, or procrastinating, or stuck for ideas, or too busy to do what you love. Whatever the case may be, you're not alone and you are wonderful.

Got that?

You ARE wonderful. Because of who you are, not because of what you do or where you are.

It's not enough today to just repeat it after me, so I want each of you to share with me why you are.

It could be anything--because you're happy, fun-loving, a great writer, quirky, brave, positive, good at your job, caring, confident, like animals/people/creatures/aliens, a good parent/brother/sister/friend/aunt/uncle--okay.. you get the point. It literally can be annnyything. It just has be something that you know makes you wonderful.

I shall start:

I am wonderful because I am able to think outside of the box, am creative and am a loyal friend.

Now it's your turn to share: what makes you wonderful? Because remember, you are, we just need to be reminded every now and again.

Have a great weekend Everyone :)

That's Unreal... Or is it?

I came across a really great quote today and I wanted to share it with you guys.

"Imagination is the reality of the dreamer" - Scott Ringenbach

It's so true! As (fantasy) writers, we would be no where without our imaginations and whether we are born with it or develop it over time, by inherent nature, we are dreamers. I doubt you could truly embrace writing otherwise. We see the world a little differently, we hear voices when no one else can, we live for make believe.

That imaginary world inside of our heads is sometimes more real to us than the world outside.

I know that's the case for me. I'm not sure who I would be without my imagination. It's an integral part of my very being. Maybe that's why I'm so anxious to put it on paper, so other people can see the interesting, um... intricate workings of my mind :D.

Now it's your turn. Do you agree or disagree? Do you find that your imaginary world sometimes seems more real to you than your reality? Would you be lost without your imagination?

It's Raining..It's Pouring...Creativity is Soaring

Most people when they wake up to a dreary, rainy day, they feel like crawling back into bed. It's the opposite for me.

We had a thunderstorm yesterday while I was at work, and all I kept doing was looking out the window and thinking how much I wanted to write. I had all these great ideas and expanding plot lines, but of course I couldn't act on them because... well... I was supposed to be working.

When I got home - it was bright and sunny, but I was no longer feeling that burning urge to write.

I find it's always that way with me - I write best on rainy days. I'll write on other days too, but it's the rainy days that really allow my creative mojo to soar. There's just something about the sound of the rain that relaxes my brain and allows me to just let go. I tend to get a lot done on those days.

Today is a rainy one too, and it's supposed to last all day - so let's see how much I achieve.

Do you have any specific kind of weather that inspires you to write? If not, do you have a specific day or time of day?

Versatile Blogger Award

I am very late with posting this, and I know it's gone around to quite a few of you already, so I am very sorry if there are any repeats.

Thank you so very much to both Melissa and Amanda for this award. You guys are the best :)

And if you guys haven't already checked out their blogs, please do so now, because they are awesome! :)

So, here are the rules:

1. Thank and link back to the person who gave you this award.
2. Share 7 things about yourself.
3. Pass the award along to 15 bloggers who you have recently discovered and who you think are fantastic for whatever reason! (In no particular order...)
4) Contact the bloggers you've picked and let them know about the award

Here goes!

1. I've recently discovered gummy bear vitamins (yes, adults can take them too). Oh. My. God. What brilliant genius came up with this and why didn't they do so sooner?!

2. I am addicted to collecting TV series. I am currently trying to find all of my favorites from when I was young - I have: Saved by the Bell, Full House, Reba, Dukes of Hazzard & Mr. Bean to name a few.

3. We used to have budgies and they laid millions of eggs--that actually hatched! We didn't sleep for months because they sang all night (AND all day).

4. One of the things I look forward to the most on vacation is the FOOD.

5. I've never attended a Writer's Conference and I really, really want to. Can't wait for WriteOnCon!)

6. I used to be OBSESSED with origami - if you name it, I probably could have folded it.

7. Sadly, I can't remember the last time I got enough sleep or didn't feel tired (even with all the energy I get from those gummy bear vitamins!).

And I shall now pass this award on to these fabulous bloggers:

1. Lydia @ The Word is My Oyster

2. DL @ Cruising Altitude

3. Simon @ Constant Revision

4. Elana @ Elana Johnson, Author

5. Lindsay @ Adventures in Writing

6. Aubrie @ Flutey Words...

7. Lisa @ Notes from Nadir

8. Bekah @ Mrs. Bekah K

9. Sierra @ Sierra Godfrey

10. Mohamed @ Thoughts and Ponderings

11. Janet @ Janet Summer Johnson

12. Stephanie @ Hatshepsut: The Writing of a Novel

13. Shannon @ Shannon Whitney Messenger

14. Jan @ Jan Cline...freelance writer, author

15. Regina @ Regina Rhythm

Constantcompulsiverevising-itis

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend!

So I wasn't able to stay exactly on track as I planned. I took far too many breaks--notice anything different on the site ;)--and got caught up reading dozens of blogs (I think I should also be blaming you people for having such interesting and entertaining reading material for me, but alas, that's like blaming the chocolate for finding its way into your mouth - you put it there, didn't you? Le sigh... I have no willpower).

Apart from my little rant though, I've come full circle. Back in the early stages of my blog, I made a referral to something I called constantcompulsiverevising-itis. You can read the post here, if you so desire.

THIS, my friends, is the problem. I like to revise way too quickly and way too often. I write a little, re-read it, and unless it's flowing exactly the way I think it should, I revise and edit right away, and then decide I don't like it, and suddenly I've taken 6 steps backwards.

So my new plan is going to be not to re-read my work until after it's written. Maybe then it will flow properly, because hopefully there will be words on the paper to entice said...er... flowyness. (Yup, today is all about making up words ;) )

Alrighty, now it's your turn. When do you revise your work? After it is complete or while working on it?

Moving in the Write Direction

It's Friday!! I feel like this week would never end - mainly because I am uber excited. About what, you ask?

I am going to WRITE this weekend.

I mean, actually (re) start and work on my MS. And while I know most of you are already doing this everyday, because--well, that's what we're supposed to be doing, I haven't been. *Hangs head in shame*

I've done my little exercise, my characters are ready and I'm just going to STARt. If I wait until I do a plot outline, etc., I'll keep changing things, and end up going backwards.

So this entire weekend will be dedicated to writing.

On a side note, I am also toying with a few ideas for weekly features (to be revealed in the next little while, so stay tuned :) )

How about you? What are your plans for the weekend? Do they involve writing?

Regardless, I hope you have a great one :)

When Good Characters Go Bad (aka Character Backlash - Part Trois)

Alrighty, here is the second part of my story, continued from Tuesday's post. Before we get into it though, I just wanted to point out a few things as I think there might have been some confusion.

So in Monday's post, I mentioned that I was having some trouble with my MC's in my current MS - this story I am posting here is a little exercise that I did over the weekend as my way of getting reacquainted with them - only I found that they had changed and I no longer recognized them. They are upset with me because I abandoned them and haven't been writing for a while. The narrator in the story is me interacting with my characters :) I hope that clears things up a little and provides some more background--I'm sorry if it was too ambiguous.

What Happened - Part 2

“Wait!” I scream it, my words slicing through the thick air with little effect, like a dull knife.

The street lamps above my head are flickering, and frantically, plunging forward as though I am caught in a kaleidoscope of incomplete dreams, I dash after them.

“Wait! Don’t go!”

Please.

I run and run, until I am out of breath, and my side is cramping. I cannot catch up with them. I stumble, unable to keep moving. I have to face the truth.

I can no longer see them. The lights go out, and I am hurled into a dismal abyss. What am I to do now?

I stifle a scream when I feel the hand on my shoulder.

“We’re still here,” she says calmly. I hear a grunt of disapproval from her left.

I grasp her fingers blindly. “You came back!”

“Yes,” she responds. “I want to give you another chance. You deserve another chance. He has agreed.”

“She doesn’t deserve it—she’s being honored with it.”

I nearly sob with relief. “Thank you! I promise this time—”

“No,” she cuts me off. “What you must understand is that things are different. Nothing can be the same. A lot of time has passed.”

“I understand...” But really, I don’t.

“We won’t wait around again,” he adds, his tone hollow. “We can’t do it again.”

“Take your time,” she adds, her own voice gentler, “but don’t leave. Don’t give up on us. You need to believe. Promise me.”

“I promise,” I swear fervently, desperately. I need them. They need me.

“Then open your eyes and begin again,” the lights are flickering once more.

“What’s happening?” I feel like I’m yelling, but the words are barely a whisper.

They are circling me, closing in and pushing through the brick wall that surrounds me, interjecting themselves into my mind, leaving their imprint.

I exhale and slowly open my eyes, finally able to see…

The End

And on that note - my characters and I are back on agreed terms - I can't say good, because I'm not sure they are as yet. It's almost as if I need to reestablish their trust. They will let me write about them, but I need to commit to it and to them, something I have resolved to do. On the other hand, I do feel like I've awoken from a bad dream.

This was an interesting exercise - I've never done something quite like this, but I found it was very useful.

What about you? Have you ever tried such a writing exercise? What sort of things do you do when your characters start acting up?

Breaking Through the Nutshell

I just received my first award! Thank you to the lovely Amanda Sablan for passing this on to me :)

Okay, so what you're supposed to do here is list 10 facts that are not common knowledge and pass them along to other wonderful bloggers. Unfortunately, not many of the things I currently know are unknown, so you are going to have to settle for things you don't know about mE!

It hit me when I started to write this that I actually did something similar a few months back here, so I needed to think of 10 other things you don't already know.

Sooo, without further ado:

1. I love to cook and invent new (sometimes strange) dishes/desserts - I have invented the "Bumuco". What is it you ask? Why, it's a cross between a biscuit, a muffin and a cookie, quite tasty, and quite discovered by accident when a cookie recipe went wrong ;).

2. I detest cold weather - and the older I get, the more I hate it. I would love to live some place where it is warm and sunny year round.

3. I have a secret dream of owning a library like the one in Disney's Beauty and the Beast.

4. I am probably the most indecisive person you will ever meet when it comes to buying things - food, clothes, shoes, furniture - you name it. It takes me forever to decide whether or not I want something. The only things I'm always sure about buying are books and movies.

5. I love making lists. I have a list for everything. Groceries, plots, characters, travel plans, music, etc.

6. I can't walk straight. I don't know why or how this occurs, or if I am totally unbalanced, but people are always telling me that I am pushing them off the sidewalks.

7. Sometimes when I see people, I imagine out entire stories for them in my head.

8. I am way too shy--crowds and being the center of attention make me verrrrry nervous.

9. I think I have a very developed sense of smell. I seem to be able to pick up on smells much faster than other people - comes in handy if food is going bad, and no one else can tell!

10. I am unable to sleep unless the curtains are tightly drawn (or if the closet door is open). I have to get up and close them if I see even the tiniest sliver of light. Regardless though, I am an insomniac.

Done! That was so much harder than I thought it would be!

Alrighty, I shall now pass this on to these awesome bloggers:

Melissa @ Through the Looking Glass

Justine @ Justine Dell

Jemi @ Just Jemi

Nicole @ Damsel in a Dirty Dress

Chris @ ReWriting My DNA