Friday, March 8, 2013

Getting my writing groove back

At the start of this year I had decided to get my writing life back on track. Last year, the depressing submission process threw me off-kilter. After a few days of wallowing in self-pity, my resilient self (which just hates to be suppressed) rose like a phoenix. I decided I needed to get back my writing mojo.

All it needed was a little discipline and time management. I restarted writing for the newspapers (I had begun my writing career that way). I add the links to all my features that are published in the newspapers on my author page on FB.

I also rewrote a book I had written a few years back. I started submitting it directly to Indian Publishers. I am also working on my MG Paranormal Trilogy. I would appreciate it if you all can share tips or send me links on how to plot and plan a trilogy. You can either email me or add the links in the comments.

This year I have made a conscious decision to write short stories for adults. The first story is floating in my mind space. I even have its titled all worked out.

I have been planning on doing a script writing course from quite some time (as I would love to write a movie script some day). Have any of you done a script writing course? Does it help our writing? I have spoken to one of India’s leading directors (he has several award winning plays to his credit). He conducts script writing courses and he has promised to let me know when the next course will be. The writers who have attended his previous course say he is a genius.

What are your writing plans for this year? Any writing dreams you plan to achieve? Anything new you want to write? Planning to do any writing related course? What are your writing goals/dreams for this year?

P.S. Happy Women’s Day to all my gorgeous women blog buddies.

25 comments:

  1. Well Rachna, I am a disorganized writer but have plans to write a book some day, godwilling:)

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  2. Wow! You've got a lot of plans. I'm hoping to query for the first time in the next few months and then get back to my manuscript. I've been working on my query letter.

    As for writing a trilogy, I do think it's best to have an idea of the major plot points of book 2 and 3 before you submit book 1 so you can think of foreshadowing the new things and not paint yourself in a box that won't work with the rest of the trilogy.

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  3. Happy International Women's Day, Rachna!

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  4. Happy International Women's Day!

    I'm glad to hear you're getting your writing groove back.

    As for trilogies, I often have beginning and endings planned as well as various scenes throughout. Then, I connect the dots.

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  5. Glad you have your groove back!
    My only exposure to screenwriting was reading the book Save the Cat.
    As for planning a trilogy - I didn't. It just sort of happened.

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  6. I think script writing helps make your fiction writing much more focused and streamlined (or at least it did for me).

    mood

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  7. Glad to hear you're back in the writing groove, Rachna, though it sounds like you've got a lot of projects planned! I think sometimes we writers get overwhelmed just thinking about all the projects we'd like to do, but the important thing is to get words down and get the process started. I don't plan to write a trilogy though I do have at least three separate books begging to be written. I have started looking into poetry, though, to help kickstart creativity and imagery. We'll see how that works...

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  8. I'm short of disciplined, but I do dream of writing a book!

    I'm late by a day but everyday's a woman's day...so happy women's day to you.

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  9. Rahul, I too am very disorganized. Its always last minute rush for me.

    Natalie, thanks for the tip. Yes, I need to get the major plot outlines for all the three books in mind else I will be in a soup.

    Carole, Thanks.

    Cherie, getting the beginings and ends on paper for all the 3 books is a great idea. Thanks.

    Alex, I need to read Save the Cat.

    Mooderino, you have made me eager to do the script writing course.

    Kenda, the trilogy is kind of overwhelming me, but I am also looking forward to it.

    Joy, hope you start writing that book.

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  10. Happy Women's Day, Rachna. I am writing poetry and flash fiction at the moment. I would like to start a novel as well. I am doing some research on this. You have some exciting goals there!

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  11. I'm working on a trilogy. The best advice I've read is to follow three-act structure for the overall trilogy. Book 1 = Act 1 and so on. I plan to write the three books straight on, one after the other, then revise and edit separately. That way I know what I have.

    Will this work? Don't know, but it's my plan :)

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  12. Those are a lot of goals, all of which seem like you're trying to get all planned out. I like your enthusiasm and willingness to put yourself out there. It's impressive that once you made the decision, nothing stopped you!

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  13. You sound very organized Rachna!
    Glad you're getting back into the groove!

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  14. Ah, you have so many exciting things ahead! I can't wait to read your short stories. I've always wanted to write a screenplay and have heard that it's similar to novels in many ways. I'm sure you'll be great!! Been catching up on blogs and I loved your romance post :) can't wait to hear more about your projects!!

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  15. Don't have any firm plans beyond plod on! Great post - as always.

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  16. Hi, Rachna, so glad to hear you are back in the swing of things in your writing life. Sometimes it helps to write in different genres, as you are doing, and I must say I am impressed that you can write in so many areas. Good luck with the script writing course, it sounds like it will be very rewarding. And good luck with your trilogy.

    My own plans are working on Book Two of my MG mystery series, and also working on some picture books, as I'm part of a great PB writing group now.

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  17. Hi Rachna, I've written the Tahiri recipe for you under your comment on my blog. Do check it out :)

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  18. I love how organized you are about all this :) You definitely have the right spirit! Good luck with everything. I'm gearing up for the query trenches and am kind of dreading it I must admit.

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  19. Wow, sounds like you bounced back in a big way! It's good you have lots of ambition for different things. I'd love to write a script or play one day. That's sort of where I started.

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  20. Here's to the return of writing mojo! :)

    I don't think I'll be taking any writing courses this year--too much other stuff going on. But a script writing class sounds like it could be quite useful.

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  21. Thanks friends for all your advice and tips on how to tackle a trilogy. Each tip/advice will go a long way where my plotting and keeping a track of the plots and people in the books are concerned.

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  22. That's a wonderful feeling to get your groove back. Good luck on your projects. You have a great mindset to do all this.

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  23. Wow, so many questions. :D

    Congrats on getting your writing groove back. Losing it is up there on the list of worst things that can happen to a writer.

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  24. Sounds like a great year ahead! I just started a new middle grade book. I'm querying another and want to finish major rewrites on a third. So, I'll be busy :)

    Good luck with your goals!

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  25. So glad you are back in the swing of things. It's a frustrating place to be otherwise! :)

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