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I'm not dead!

Hello!

I haven't fallen off the face of the planet, just busy with 2.5 jobs and trying to get some writing in. 

Actual writing trumps writing ABOUT writing.  But here is where I currently stand.

I haven't touched my main project in months which has actually been a good thing for me. I've been reading, working on short stories, and generally just thinking about who I am as a writer and that has done me a lot of good. As I grow older, I find myself really trying to take the time to think introspectively and to think about who I am now, and who I want to grow to be.  This is especially good for me while I try to craft and create my writers "voice."
 
So, let me introduce myself:

I am a horror writer. My influences come heavily from American Southern Gothic literature and American Spiritualism. 

And knowing that now, my writing is taking shape. I'm finding my voice. All this time I didn't think I had a writing voice, but I do! I have answers to questions that writers often get asked and I have a way to shape the ideas I get. 

Admittedly, I haven't gotten as far on my main project outline as I had hoped (though the month is over yet) but here is what I have done:

  • Started my novel vision board. It's looking beautiful and is inspiring to me on its own. Also. My main project will no longer take place in an Art Deco hotel but an old plantation mansion. 

  • Started the Dan Harmon story circle. This is my new favorite outlining method. It doesn't replace the scene by scene outline (which I plan on doing too) but I still like it a lot. It was created for screen writing, but the first part of it is really helpful to me. I've blogged about the technique before, so I won't ramble. 

  • I've also started listing the goals I have for the novel. Everything from "create an interesting story" to "strong female lead" and "make people feel a little uncomfortable". That way, as I'm writing I can keep looking at that list and go "am I still working towards those goals?"

  • I've also now changed my main project from a dystopia to what I call a "False Utopia". 

The rest of this month is outlining and goal setting. Next month is camp nanowrimo again so I'll be working on that project. I'm having a lot of fun with it. Though I have to remind myself that I'm writing about teens in 2017. Not teens in 2004. Everyone has a cell phone and land lines are almost obsolete. I wrote an entire scene about the phone lines going out before I realized that these girls would probably all have cell phones. Ugh. Anyway. 
 
Until next time!
 
Memento Mori
 
&;
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