Since I was awake, I threw open my blinds and decided to catch the sunrise. Yep, --------->awake before dawn, and still not finished with my list. This photo taken with my phone is not as cool as the one at the top of the page. My son took that one somewhere here in Wisconsin. Isn't it pretty?
And speaking of lists, I have a short one today. Who wants to take bets that I actually get it all done and don't fritter away the day online? Maybe I need to invent a new word for that. Twitbook...Twitface...Facemail... I'm sure there are many more combinations. I saw one online some time ago that included MySpace too: TwitMyFace :)
Here's my future list:
1. Take a shower
2. Get dressed
3. Make coffee *
4. Write
*I have to ask...have any of you seen that stupid commercial that makes it look like such a horrid chore to make coffee or stand in line for one?
Wow. Give me coffee any day over that tiny bottle of energy.
I drink coffee for the taste, not to wake up, and really, I will never have to write that down on any list.
So, tell me about your lists. Do you find that writing one keeps you on track? Do you write a new list every day, or are you more sporadic, like I am?
On Writing reminders: When I am in the midst of writing, I find that by keeping a notebook of the major scenes in each chapter, main characters and their descriptions, and a general time-line of events, I am better organized. I know some writers do an outline prior to beginning a story. I cannot do that. I discover the story as I am writing, and then must keep track after the fact!
Each novel I write is a bit different in the way it plays out too. I knew the ending of Ravenswynd before I knew the middle. My time-travel book is an on-going discovery and I still have no idea how it will end.
What about your writing process - do you outline first and write later? Do you know how your story ends before you begin, or does it come to you as you write? Curious minds need to know.
Thanks for taking the time to read!
yoo hoo
ReplyDeleteDang it, I can only post as anon, I'll have to ask my fellow computer users what my google acct password is-
ReplyDeleteBut in the meantime, I wanted to tell you that I enjoyed today's blog, and I can totally relate to the list-making and depend on it to get ANYthing done around here, as I am so easily distracted ( hence, me being on fb right now instead of doing what needs to be done!) Keep up the great blog, hope I can comment someday with my real name! Kendy
ReplyDeleteThanks, Kendy! Google seems to be the easiest to use on here, since this blog is ON Blogger Dashboard (google related). Hope you figure it all out...and thanks for following me and not giving up! hehe :) <3
ReplyDeleteAt least I got rid of that word verification thingy...Lots of people hate that, and some forget to click post comment again after typing it in so their comments are lost!
ReplyDeleteI like your Blog. I LOVE your book. Is that a hint to put on your latest list? Oh, and I have to make lists too.
ReplyDeleteDear Anonymous...
ReplyDeleteYou have to be one of only three people who have actually read my entire book...hmmm I wonder who it can be??? :)
no matter what I cick to "follow you" I am not receiving notification when you post a blog...maybe I need to add it to my list? lol
ReplyDeleteBack to my long to do's of chores now...
Signed, Daughter ;)
I have always hated lists! But now that I am a bit older and "trying to get all my ducks in a row" I think I have realized I need to start making lists. In fact I got a new dry erase board the other day just for this purpose! Haven't gotten it up on the wall yet but soon I will :) I think once I have daily lists it will be easier to get things accomplished, be able to check them off and move onto the next thing. Wish me luck ;)
ReplyDeleteCarrie, The first thing you must do is write on your current list:
ReplyDelete1. Hang dry erase board on wall.
2. Get ducks in a row.
lol
Good luck!
ps. finally watered the dang plants today!
Auntie Sharon
I wrote a long list when I started writing Eating Smoke, Sharon. 10 pages of memories - or memoir-ies - then I had to get them in chronolgical order, then sorted into rough chapters, then as I wrote I kept remembering more events and so I had to slot them in! Started with 12 chapters: ended with 30! They all stitched together seemlessly which was incredible to see - or read. Great blog!
ReplyDeleteI'm a list-aholic. I have a list for every day of the week. It's something I'm trying to work on. :P
ReplyDeleteAs far as writing, I usually have a very rough, lots of holes, outline to get started and then, like you, I keep an outline as I go along to keep track of the story I've written.
Nice blog about lists. To do or not to do...I do like lists and outlines. They aim you in a direction but you can always detour except for coffee. Dreams are better if you remember enough to get a whole novel out of them. Forgetting your list is a good way to test your memory at the grocery store. Ha!
ReplyDeleteTwitter and Facebook Fritter Time Away (TaFFTA). Hope you like it. TaFFTA later. NR
I liked your post! The only lists I usually make are of the grocery variety, which is sad...perhaps things would get done in a more timely manner (or at least not forgotten) if I made more lists. Oh, and the TwitMyFace thing...love that!
ReplyDeleteChris: WOW, from 12 to 30 chapters! Good luck with your book! :)
ReplyDeleteMallory: List-aholic: ha, I like that! I actually tried making a list each day, but gave up after a while. Now I do lists whenever I have a whole bunch of stuff that I keep forgetting to do...BUT, I do have snippets of papers all over the place to remind me not to forget this or that...
Perhaps some day I will try to do an outline first, I suppose it would make things go along more smoothly...It's just that once I get an idea in my head, I want to start the writing...not the note taking!
ANON: You are referring to another of my blogs about dreaming. My actual dream ended up to be two separate scenes in my book, but the rest was written around those. The dream gave me an idea and I had to use my imagination to write the rest of the book! By the way, I'm guessing this particular NR stands for Nina! :)
LHM: I'm guilty of leaving grocery lists at home...and then having to picture what I wrote down! ha
ok, going back to twitbookmail now, then on to more editing!
I like the advice on how you keep notes and timeline of each chapter. Thanks. I'll remember that. Also, the sunrise pic is beautiful!
ReplyDeleteThanks Zollies! I just read your entire blog! You are an amazing woman and I would like to thank you for following me!
ReplyDeleteSharon :)
Sharon, I like your post and can certainly identify with it. But there's a problem (I confess, it's the same one I have): WRITE is the last thing on the list. It really needs to be first. Tell yourself you can spend 30 minutes or whatever on social time after you've written ?___ pages. I need to do that too, but it's sooooo hard.
ReplyDeleteGood post.
Ellis, Great advice...and that's what I did yesterday. I got busy right away editing and did not get on FB until aftrnoon. Did not even look at Twitter till after 10pm! Yay!
ReplyDeleteI'm a list person, too. And I have to fight every day to keep Twitmyface from eating up my writing time. Totally relate!
ReplyDeleteAnne, Thanks for following my blog! And yes, it is still a daily fight for many of us. I liked what you said on your blog about being issued a Twitter in the womb! ha!
ReplyDeleteCongrats, again on you numbers! I can't even imagine ever having that many followers!
Sharon :)
This is so relatable, Sharon. I think about my to-do list every day. In fact, writing a to-do list DOWN is on my mental to-do list. Making the list alone takes time. That sounds kind of silly, but oh so true. :)
ReplyDeleteLisette: I totally get you~ :)
ReplyDelete