Saturday, December 30, 2023

Yipeee we have FINISHED THE BOOK!!!!

 So we have reached the 52 weeks of writing a novel. 52 weeks.

Did you complete your rough draft? Did you meet your goals on story? 

Wow. When I look back it seems so fast. I'll ask then what did you learn about writing? About yourself? About your story? 

Let's share a bit on the authorkimturner Facebook page. We need to celebrate!!!

It's the holidays. Your assignment it to go to your family and tell them you wrote The End. And you are ordering pizza or taking then to a holiday supper! Kudos to all of you. 

I have to say it's been a tough journey keeping up this blog too. But it has been worth it. 

Son if your rough draft is done. Go on to edits. One chapter or several a week. You don't want to spend another year editing so push to get your several edits done. 

If you are not done I urge you to keep going with that one hour a day and those 500 words a day. I don't want anyone feeling negative about not completing a novel. All you gotta do it keep going. A reminder it is hard to write a book. If it wasn't everyone would do it. 

So don't give up. You can do it. 

So now what am I going to blog about for 2024?  Hum...I may just keep adding writing hints but I think 2023 was some practice for me in clearing clutter and taking better care of me.  So it may be that 2024 has more hints on self care and motivations for writers. 

And I'd you are so inclines and would like to have a spot on my blog about writing or if you have a new release I would be happy to add you to my blog if you can share hoe the year long Time To Write Blog has helped you. 

So let's share...what are your plans now for 2024?

It's been fun!!!

Wednesday, December 27, 2023

2024...What's the plan?


So if you have stuck with this blog and you have or will soon have a finished book or a completely edited book, I have a new challenge for you.

What are you writing in 2024? You may need some time in 2024 to edit and get this first story off to a press or editor or at least on its way somewhere. So take out your author planning book and begin doodling ideas or things you'd like to plan for in the next book. I seriously challenge you not to stop your hour a day. Let nothing slow you down. This is your time. This is your book. This is your story. Your way. Spend some time on it now or when you can in the near future. Even if editing the book we have worked on all year don't lose momentum on story. Daily one hour, one chapter, honey in the chair. It is time to Write 2024. Don't miss out!!! Let's finish another book.

Sunday, December 24, 2023

Time to Write Week 52

Group 1: Edits chapter 32 and chapter 12

Group 2: Writing Chapter 52

Group 3: Writing Chapter 32
1 week remaining in our writing journey It has now been almost a full year in this writing journey. Some of you have finished your story. Some of you may have finished two. And some of your are winding up a longer story. Other are already editing. You are almost there!!! Looking back at your progress and applaud yourself. If you are not making progress work on what is standing in your way. See what you can do to keep your hour a day going. Don't give up no matter what. Keep going to finish your story. Any progress isngood progress. So push hard to keep going. Onward folks. One more week!!!!! The pressure is on!

Oh and Merry Christmas!!!! I will have a post on the 1st to end up our writing adventure....so you get a little extra time!!!

Sunday, December 17, 2023

Time to Write Week 51

Group 1: Edits chapter 31 and chapter 11

Group 2: Writing Chapter 51

Group 3: Writing Chapter 31
2 weeks remaining in our writing journey

We have two weeks left to FINISH THE BOOK!! 2 weeks to bring it all together so I am not going to offer much in these last few reads. 

You need time now to bring down your ending and time to Write. You need time to think. 

One reminder don't rush your ending. Don't make into short or abrupt. If you aren't finished in 2 weeks no biggie. Just keep going. 

So onward. If you have time let's all report in our progress on the authorkimturner gacebook page so we csn encourage each other. 

Get to it. Grab more than an hour where you can on the coming end of your story. Every sentence and every scene should matter. 

Onward.

Wednesday, December 13, 2023

One Hour a Day. 500 Words. YOU CAN DO IT!


As we have taken our long journey on writing in 2023 and 2024 is on the way, I wanted to hint again about finding that hour A day.

You have to want this writing thing. You have to want it bad in order to make that hour or more a day. And if you are not making the time you need to fix it. One hour a day. 60 mins or at least 500 words a day. It seems doable. If you are not finding it keep a list for a week of what is getting in the way? Track you day and daily chores so you can see why you aren't getting that writing time in. Did you do well with it for 2023 or have you struggled. You can answer the question based on where you are in your story. If you are not nearing a finished rough draft then you have to re-negotiate your hour a day with your family and yourself. If not is 2024 gonna be another year of little progress on your story? MAKE A DECISION AND MAP IT OUT AND WRITE EVERY DAY NOT MATTER WHAT. Yes I am yelling. You have to make writing a priority. Yep that means other things may not get done. So what if there are dishes in the sink. I'll bet if you write you csn do the dishes later. So what if laundry isn't done....uhmm write your 500 words and knock yourself out on folding clothes. Hint: they csn wash and dry while you write. In fact when our laundry was piled up one weekend I moved my laptop to the kitchen table and I wrote all day while doing 6 loads of clothing. Imagine that. You have to want it bad enough. So maybe your family doesn't help and sucks what time you do have right down the drain. You do know while you get no time your husband is off doing his own thing sleeping while he watches TV and your kids ate gaming. They get their hour of time or more. You deserve your time. I am not perfect at this either but sometimes at 8pm when I have knocked out a full time job and what chores I have done...I call it time to Write. Yep some chores are left. They will get done but if I don't write this book isn't gonna happen. I make it sound easy and maybe now you are even mad at me but don't be. You joined this to finish the book. So get to it. Don't let the knew year coming pass you right by without a finished book. Seriously...what's it gonna take to get an hour or 500 words a day. You know what I think? I think we all make excuses. I think we don't make writing a priority. I think we cop out to being fatigued sometimes. So maybe treat writing like a job... if it isn't already. So 2023 is almost done...take a close look at what you have accomplished. If it isn't what you hoped, only you can change it. Go forth and write.

Sunday, December 10, 2023

Time to Write Week 50

Group 1: Edits chapter 30 and chapter 10

Group 2: Writing Chapter 50

Group 3: Writing Chapter 30
3 weeks remaining in our writing journey Let's think this week about how you are going to end your story. Here are some options on endings: Coming full circle....the story ends where it began but the character has overcome the obstacles. A moral ending shoes the character depth of growth through the entire story. The surprise ending is unexpected by the readers and maybe adds a twist. An emotional ending impacts a reader profoundly or should. A reflective ending let's the character evaluate how far they have come through their story journey. Cliffhangers are utilized to continue series and can keep readers on the edge of their seats but be careful. Some readers don't care for these. Humorous endings cand be fun for readers. Image ending is leaving the story with a descriptive scenery. Dialogue ending leave the character last thoughts with the reader. Question endings can give the reader room to wonder and question what happened. But a word to all the different endings above. Make sure that you use a genre specific ending that fits. I write romance and true romance stories on have two ways they can end. With a happily ever after or with a happy for now ending. I have often had to remind my readers that the hero never dies in romance because I put my hero's through so many things. Anyway. Hope this stirs your thinking on how you will end you story. Onward. 3 weeks to go!!!! You will have a finished novel soon enough!!!! Onward. TIME TO WRITE!!!

Wednesday, December 6, 2023

Music and Writing


I bet like me many of you have a music play list for your writing time. I know some of you must have complete quiet and no noise to write and that's fine but let's still talk about a playlist.

I am quilty of writing in the bedroom at night and while there I often have the TV on. I have to have some noise or I am easily tossed into boredom enough to get out of my seat. I am 56 years old and was just recently diagnosed with ADD...meaning if I am sitting in a completely quiet room a dog barking in the neighbors yard will distract me. And I have always had trouble focusing if 10 other things are going on around me and if you are talking to me I have to make certain I tell myself to really listen. The doc said your brain is moving so fast you miss things. She's right. I have 7 other things whirling while I try to make have a conversation. Same thing when I write. So sometimes for me the distraction of music while I write will allow my mind to stay focused on the story. Just low music to know the edge off of distractions elsewhere that might pull me away from the story. It's also best if I let my pandora play music where I don't know the words or yes, I will sing along and not be able to get the writing done. But I have found if I pick theme related music it helps me click back into the story. Sometimes I pick a lovesong for my couples and listening to it will remind me of the love between them so I can get my head back into the story. I have worked for a while now on Paint the Sky my story for Leaning Bear as I have mentioned. He is a Cheyenne Medicine Man of few words but very smart. He was in Dawson's Haven and so many people like him he is getting a story. So I have this Native American Music I play when working on his story. So try music if you are struggling to whirl you mind into a story again. I think the music helps if I have stepped away from a story for too many days. I am also thinking about adding some music to my blog so you all might see that some time. (If I can remember how to do it.) Anyway get back to your writing....we got this!!!

Sunday, December 3, 2023

Time to Write Week 49

Group 1: Edits chapter 29 and chapter 9

Group 2: Writing Chapter 49

Group 3: Writing Chapter 29
4 weeks remaining in our writing journey

Writing emotion. There is much to think about on the emotions of the characters with their internal and external conflicts. 

I always get into a bit of trouble with my editor on adding more emotions especially in the impact full scenes. So usually on my 2 or 3 rewrites I am conscious of working on that over and over. 

I will refer you to the Emotional Thesaurus for help on emotion. The whole series is fantastic for helping and I utilize them a lot while I am developing a story and as I edit. Worth the purchase a hundred times over.

I hear authors and editor speak about writing deeper (point of veiw) POV which is connected to writing better emotion. Readers want to experience the emotion the character is living for themselves. They dont want you to tell them what the reader is experiencing. They want you to show them so they feel the impact of what is hapoening first hand. This is where show verses tell goes into this deep POV and emotion as well. They are all intertwined. 

Don't tell the story. Show it through the readers eyes. To write impactful emotion you must include verbal and nonverbal communication. Dig deep. If your character is sad show them tearful with physical pain about it and with words that are heartfelt about their sadness. Their experience should be shown in their movement and thoughts and to the point that sadness is profound enough for your word to affect the reader in the same way. 

I urge you to read up this week on POV. Emotion. Show vs. Tell. And as you edit through your story think about these things in each scene and each reaction your character has to happenings. 

I have not given a lot of examples here. But pick up your favorite novel. Thumb through it to your favorite scene. Why is this favorite scene? Read it and red it again. Why and how has it impacted you to be your favorite scene? Write down what you answers are about that. Now turn those around to add them to your major scenes where you can. 

Again this is not easily learned. I still struggle to make sure my scene impact readers with the character emotions. I have to rework scenes time and again to make sure this is happening. You may have to work at it too. 

I urge your to study the craft of writing. Pinterest isna great place to search for topics on writing. I spend a lot of time there reading different authors views on how they do things. There is always something to learn. So this week do some reading up on this topic but don't lose your writing time. 

Onward!!