More On The Site - Writing Update

More Content Coming to the Site

I have been working on getting more content on this site in the form of poems, flash fiction, and short stories. I like to write up the poems and flash fiction, as they are always a pretty quick assignment for me. I have an idea that I feel fits as flash fiction or a poem, and then I run with it. I relate those two forms of writing more like a sprint than anything else. I am writing a lot in a little. As for short stories, they take a little extra time, but I am always excited to write them, since they take on a life of their own once they get going. A poem or a flash fiction is not long enough to really deviate from the original purpose I had for it, but a short story has multiple parts, so by the time I am writing it, the version I had may be a bit different than the outline I envisioned. I find that aspect of short stories exciting since even I am a bit taken aback by what I wrote in it when I am finished.

For example, for the recent short story I wrote, I Hate Duke, I wanted the basketball game to really be the focus, but found the narrator’s handling of his job took over the story as much as how he reacted to the game. The part of the story that had a lot to say was not what I expected, but as always, I adjusted to that and went with the flow of the story so that the part that became the more prominent part was still readable. (At least I tried for this to be the case)

Moving Everything from Patreon

I am trying to get more structured with my writing on the site, and I have finally transferred all of the stuff from my Patreon page to my site. Yeah, I had a Patreon page, but then I realized that I was just better off having everything on my site, since that is something I can own, as compared to Patreon. Theoretically, if I had stuff on Patreon and then the site went down, then so would my content.

More Editing Content on the Way

I am working on adding more editing stuff to the blog, perhaps a post about tips for editing, or even more about how I feel about editing. As you know, I am a book editor, as well as an author, so I like to promote that side of my career. I have not gotten the details down to what the editing post will look like, but I will keep you posted.

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Best Way to Follow Along

Right now, the best place to follow me is to subscribe to my newsletter, which I send out every Sunday. I suggest that because it has all my blog content, all wrapped into one newsletter, for whoever is interested.

My social media accounts have been basically me sharing my blog content as much as anything else at the moment. For some reason, I always feel I need to write up something new for social media, but I am trying to get better at understanding that is not the case.

Two Major Things I’m Focusing On

I have been working on two major things with my writing. The first is to have a more focused schedule for the blog. I have one where the content has a distinct schedule I follow, so that makes it a little easier for me to create stuff there. The second thing I have been trying to do is to grasp the moments when inspiration hits me as a writer. There are times where I will be walking around the office, or not really doing all that much, but then I get hit with an idea, or a thought that can become something more, and when that happens, rather than just let that idea sit, I am actively trying to write about it then and there (if life allows me to, of course) This is a process since I find myself then taking time to write up something that I was not really expected on writing.

Another major thing I am trying to get better at as a writer is to finish whatever it is I am working on, whether that is a blog post or whatever. If I start something, I am trying to finish it, rather than let it sit and die in my folder on my laptop. I did that with the recent short story I wrote. I just sat down at my laptop and said, “I am finishing this short story. I know I have a deadline and I am meeting it.” I am happy to say that I did meet my deadline with the story.

Have a Lot to Say

I have been trying to write a lot recently, and the line that I always come back to is, “Have a lot to say.” The reason I feel this is that if I don’t have much to even say on things in my stories, then the stories themselves will be pretty bland. I don’t even have to agree with what is being said in the stories, as long as I have enough for the characters in them to give the reader more than just words. The characters I write up will have a tough time talking if I don’t have anything for them to even talk about.

Every day for me is just about getting a little bit better as a writer, and I am happy to say that I am still achieving that goal.

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