Stoked

This was the day I’ve been waiting for since November – the day when I could get serious about the new book. I’ve been kicking around ideas for the characters and plot all these months, but I needed to a) get some distance from the writing of PROM, b) finish my non-fiction picture book, and c) get through all the travel and school visits scheduled for the spring.

So… Mer left for school, I got out all my notes, sat down, opened the word processing file and..

nothing.

Squat. Diddly. No inspiration. No voices. No ideas. All my notes? Worthless.

Writing can be a scary beast to slay.

But I’ve done this a couple times before and I’ve learned a few tricks. After two hours staring at the blank screen (my eyes felt like they were bleeding), I turned off the computer, put on my sneakers and iPod, grabbed a notebook and headed out the door.

It took about a quarter-mile, but then the voices kicked in. I could hear him, my Main Character. I saw the bits of the original opening scene I wanted to use, and what bits were misleading and useless. I walked for a couple hours, stopping whenever necessary to take notes. I spent the rest of the morning and afternoon turning the rough notes into rough chapters and now I feel like I found the door into the story. I surpassed the day’s writing goal and I have plenty of hours left for the other work stuff that piled up.

When writing doesn’t make you feel like screaming, it can be fun.

24 Replies to “Stoked”

  1. Thanks for sharing. I love hearing about other’s writing process’. Always helps me with my own. Good job!

  2. Thanks for sharing. I love hearing about other’s writing process’. Always helps me with my own. Good job!

  3. Thanks for sharing. I love hearing about other’s writing process’. Always helps me with my own. Good job!

  4. you’ve barely even started ur new book and i am already extremely excited … (this is from Phoenix New York) anywho I never got to come down in Oswego and get my book signed! Oh well 🙁 I am sure I will see you around..

    I always find it best to write near a body of water. lol I live right across from the river, so I will go down to a dock that some guy puts up every year and sit down there and write poetry and its mainly silent except for nature and some cars that go across the Himsmanville Bridge..

    🙂 I hope more great stuff comes to you soon! The sooner more information comes out- the sooner I get to buy and read it! haha!

    Hope all is well 🙂

    xoxo -Shannon

  5. you’ve barely even started ur new book and i am already extremely excited … (this is from Phoenix New York) anywho I never got to come down in Oswego and get my book signed! Oh well 🙁 I am sure I will see you around..

    I always find it best to write near a body of water. lol I live right across from the river, so I will go down to a dock that some guy puts up every year and sit down there and write poetry and its mainly silent except for nature and some cars that go across the Himsmanville Bridge..

    🙂 I hope more great stuff comes to you soon! The sooner more information comes out- the sooner I get to buy and read it! haha!

    Hope all is well 🙂

    xoxo -Shannon

  6. you’ve barely even started ur new book and i am already extremely excited … (this is from Phoenix New York) anywho I never got to come down in Oswego and get my book signed! Oh well 🙁 I am sure I will see you around..

    I always find it best to write near a body of water. lol I live right across from the river, so I will go down to a dock that some guy puts up every year and sit down there and write poetry and its mainly silent except for nature and some cars that go across the Himsmanville Bridge..

    🙂 I hope more great stuff comes to you soon! The sooner more information comes out- the sooner I get to buy and read it! haha!

    Hope all is well 🙂

    xoxo -Shannon

  7. your books

    Laurie i am one of your new readers. i have rea every single novel you have wrote that is out right now, and i think that your writing is fantastic. i really like the way they all can realate to person even if they are fake. thank you for opening my mind to more books nd i am looking forward to be reading prom. again thank you.

  8. your books

    Laurie i am one of your new readers. i have rea every single novel you have wrote that is out right now, and i think that your writing is fantastic. i really like the way they all can realate to person even if they are fake. thank you for opening my mind to more books nd i am looking forward to be reading prom. again thank you.

  9. your books

    Laurie i am one of your new readers. i have rea every single novel you have wrote that is out right now, and i think that your writing is fantastic. i really like the way they all can realate to person even if they are fake. thank you for opening my mind to more books nd i am looking forward to be reading prom. again thank you.

  10. When i walk back into my livingroom after a couple hours of either writing or going crazy trying to write and alert my family of the good ol’ eyes bleeding feeling they stare at me blankly.

    I’ve had a month long blank spell. This entry gave me hope that something will flood in soon! Afterall i’m reaching the end of my book anyways so all i need is one good week!

  11. When i walk back into my livingroom after a couple hours of either writing or going crazy trying to write and alert my family of the good ol’ eyes bleeding feeling they stare at me blankly.

    I’ve had a month long blank spell. This entry gave me hope that something will flood in soon! Afterall i’m reaching the end of my book anyways so all i need is one good week!

  12. When i walk back into my livingroom after a couple hours of either writing or going crazy trying to write and alert my family of the good ol’ eyes bleeding feeling they stare at me blankly.

    I’ve had a month long blank spell. This entry gave me hope that something will flood in soon! Afterall i’m reaching the end of my book anyways so all i need is one good week!

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