(Look for this week’s #ThursdayThoughtfulness questions after the jump.)
trust
Time Flies!: February 2015
Welcome to the latest edition of Time Flies! It’s my version of a monthly update, where I recap the past month’s accomplishments and articles, share news and random things from my offline life, and hint at what may be coming in the month ahead.
First of all, thanks to all the new visitors who came by this month for the Maria V. Snyder and #1000Speak articles! I hope you enjoyed what you read and will continue to visit as time goes on. And if you haven’t yet, make sure you enter the Shadow Study giveaway for a chance to win a signed copy of Maria’s new book. The giveaway ends on Wednesday, March 4th at midnight EST, and is international (i.e., open to everyone).
February was much less stressful than the past couple months had been. (*whew*) It was also a super-busy month writing-wise, which is never a bad thing – especially given one of the milestones I reached recently. 😀 Some of you may already know what I’m talking about. If you don’t, no worries. That’s part of this month’s recap.
I’ve tweaked the format for Time Flies this month. If you’ve seen the past monthly updates, let me know you think this one’s an improvement over the last one.
New at DIY MFA Today: A Case Study on Trust as a Literary Theme
Trust is an essential building block in relationships of all kinds. However, for some people and in certain situations, trust isn’t won or earned easily. Today’s Theme: A Story’s Soul article at DIY MFA examines how trust is explored as a literary theme, using two very different novels (Scott O’Dell’s Island of the Blue Dolphins and Karina Sumner-Smith’s Radiant) as examples and discovering techniques from both stories that develop this theme. Click here to read “A Case Study on Trust as a Literary Theme.”
Got any questions or suggestions for Theme: A Story’s Soul? Feel free to comment below or tweet me at @SaraL_Writer with the hashtag #AStorysSoul.
Chronicling The Craft: 40,000 Words
Writing Rituals for the Spiritual and the Eccentric
Chapters In Progress: 9
Chapters Completed: 9
January 2014 was a kind of “calm after the storm” month. After a hectic holiday season, the past few weeks have been pleasantly uneventful. I’ve enjoyed the downtime not only because it’s allowed me to breathe and unwind, but also because it’s given me time each weekend to write. Yay!
Maintaing such a positive attitude isn’t easy, though. The past few writing sessions have been a struggle. Even though I had already planned a particular scene, I’ve almost given myself headaches trying to write down what I see in my mind. When that happens, my initial reaction is a twinge of disappointment: wishing I could have written more words, wishing I could have gotten farther along in that scene. But then I remind myself, “A writing session is a writing session. No matter how many words you put down, it’s an accomplishment to dedicate time and energy to this kind of project.” This reassurance works every time; I feel better about myself and my craft, and all the more motivated for the next sit-down.
Which explains why the 40,000-word mark snuck up on me. I thought I still had a couple hundred words more to go, and then I checked my writing stats. 🙂 So, here’s what’s happened since the previous Chronicle: Continue reading
Sara Letourneau 