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This post is a reference post for my convenience. It's taken from my large post on
rewriting from a few years back. With some additions that I've noticed crop up in my writing more recently. (The horror.)
When I get my novel to the point where I think it's finished I have a ritual of searching on the following words. These are all words I have a habit of overusing. I'm always sure that I will have learned my lesson, that with each finished novel I will find I've overused fewer words. But, um, I appear to be a very slow learner indeed. Spoiler: I always overuse the majority of them. *Sigh*
These are the offending words:
And
eyebrow (raise, lift)
eyes
glance
good
got
gotten
had
head
just
look
mouth (open, close)
nod
really
seem
shrug
sigh
slowly
smile
so
still
stood
suddenly
then
very
walk
---
None ...
Posted by Justine at 8:57, April 23rd, 2013 under Sydney novel, Words & Language, Writing life, Writing process |
It is now TEN WHOLE YEARS since I became a freelance writer.
I know, right? How did that happen? Ten years!
And one more time because truly my disbelief is high:
I HAVE BEEN A FULL-TIME, FREELANCE WRITER FOR TEN WHOLE YEARS.
I know it's also April Fool's day but I truly did begin this novel-writing career of mine on the 1st of April. What better day to do something so very foolish? Back in 2003, having sold only
one short story, I took the plunge.
The first year did not go AT ALL well, but since then it's mostly worked out.
Here is my traditional
anniversary post writing and publishing stats:
Books sold: 9: One non-fiction tome, two anthologies (one co-edited ...
Posted by Justine at 9:12, April 1st, 2013 under Freelance Anniversary, New York City/USA, Praising, Publishing business, Sydney novel, Sydney/Australia, Vainglory, Writing goals & milestones, Writing life |
This is
my annual post where I sum up what happened in my professional life for the year and look ahead to what's going to happen in 2013. I do this so I can have a handy record that I can get to in seconds. (Hence the
"last day of the year" category.)
Last year was not a happy year for me so you'll be pleased to hear that 2012 was lovely. There was some huge personal changes and they were all very very good indeed. What I'm really saying is this post contains no whingeing. Phew, eh?
Books Out This Year
This is the first since 2009 that ...
Posted by Justine at 19:12, December 31st, 2012 under 1930s NYC novel, Fairy Godmother Novel, Fans & readers, Garden, Last Day of the Year, Reading, Sydney novel, Team Human, Writing life |
My last post may have given the impression that I am not a fan of rewriting. So not true! I loves it.
For me the first draft is the least fun because I’m never quite sure I have a novel until there’s a complete draft. The Sekrit Project is the first solo novel I've finished since 2008 so finishing this year was a HUGE RELIEF. I honestly wasn't sure if I would. If I knew how to write novels anymore. That made the first draft---even the most fun times of writing it---stressful.
So no matter how unfun some parts of the rewriting process are I have none of that anxiety: because I have a manuscript. I mean, yes, it's a less ...
Posted by Justine at 8:34, September 14th, 2012 under Praising, Sydney novel, Vainglory, Writing life, Writing process |
Went for a long walk yesterday through Surry Hills, Darlinghurst, Paddington, Rushcutters Bay. It's spring here and almost everywhere smelt like jasmine. ((
Sorry, Margo, but it truly did.)) The sounds weren't quite as lovely. Spring seems to be the season of renovations in Paddington so the hills were alive with the sound of jackhammers. That and really pissed off birds. One of which shat right in front of me: had I been a fraction faster . . . splat of eww on my head. ((No, I don't care that it's meant to be good luck.))
Mostly I was thinking about Sekrit Project, which I've been rewriting since THE DAWN OF TIME and seems to be getting no closer to as ...
Posted by Justine at 12:25, September 13th, 2012 under Ideas, Listening, Praising, Sydney novel, Whingeing, Writing life, Writing process |
At the moment I am loving this song, "Heart Killer", by Gossling. A friend describes her voice as like P J Harvey on helium, which is about right. She has one of those very, very weird voices that people love or loathe. Kind of like Blossom Dearie, who I also adore. And, yet, Minnie Mouse singing does not make me happy.
Anyways, "Heart Killer" is a femme fatale song. A song from the point of view of the woman who is the breaker of hearts. The point of view bit is key because there are an ocean of songs about evil, mean, cold women ((Often called things like "Devil Woman" or "Devil in Disguise" or "Cold as Ice" etc etc.)) who ...
Posted by Justine at 7:46, September 12th, 2012 under Listening, State of the World, Sydney novel |
As I may have mentioned, once or twice, I recently finished the first draft of my Sekrit Project novel. And, yay verily, I was full of joy. There was dancing. Bouncing. Happiness and even more joy.
After the joy I spent a few days tinkering with it, fixing the egregiously rubbishy bits, adding things that needed adding, moving chapters around. As you do.
Then I sent it off to my wondrous, fabulous, worth-more-than-their-weight-in-mangosteens-and-other-precious-things first readers.
Then I kicked back and watched loads of Olympics and blogged and did many things that have nothing to do with Sekrit Project. And there was more joy.
After a week there was still some joy on account of OLYMPICS OH HOW I LOVE THE OLYMPICS but there ...
Posted by Justine at 12:20, August 8th, 2012 under Praising, Sport, Sydney novel, Writing goals & milestones, Writing process |
I have a writing problem which is shared by many writers: I struggle to get started.
I wrote about this problem a bit
way back in 2009 when I confessed to almost destroying my professional writing career before it even started. The first six months of being a full-time freelance writer was one great big procrastinatory guilt-ridden hell.
Since then I have reigned it in so that it's only a struggle at the beginning of a first draft.
For the first week or so on a new book it is a major effort for me to look away from whatever online or offline spectacle is calling to me in order to start typing. I'll have the open scrivener project with ...
Posted by Justine at 6:58, August 7th, 2012 under 1930s NYC novel, How To Ditch Your Fairy, Liar, Magic or Madness trilogy, New York City/USA, RSI, Research, Sydney novel, What to write next, Writing goals & milestones, Writing life, Writing process, Zombies |
So here it is the final day of my blogging every day of July effort and I have succeeded! ((Weekends do not count. No one is online on Saturdays and Sundays. Scientific fact.)) And it was fun. So much fun that I'm going to keep on blogging. Not every day but at least once a week. Turns out I missed it way more than I realised. Missed you commenter types both here and on twitter. I think we had some really cool and interesting conversations over this month and I hope we'll have many more. *hugs blog* *hugs commenters* *cries*
I didn't do all the posts I promised I would. I know. I am badness. But I will do them. In ...
Posted by Justine at 11:57, July 31st, 2012 under Bloggery/Internetty Stuff, RSI, Sport, Sydney novel, Writing life |
Last week I very much meant to respond to Sam X's comment on my post about
becoming a brand versus writing what you want to write but last week was crazy busy. Plus I soon realised my thoughts were many and it was going to have to be its own post.
Here's part of what
Sam X said:
Still, I think there is a bit of a complication in what you wrote. “…whether you’re writing for yourself or writing as your job: write the books you want to write.” Writing as your job does require at least a token thought to the story’s marketability, and perhaps some changes to the overall story you’re telling so as to buttress that marketability–in ...
Posted by Justine at 7:41, July 30th, 2012 under Publishing business, Sydney novel, Writing goals & milestones, Writing life |
Because
Nalo Hopkinson wants me to. What Nalo wants Nalo gets.
In principle I don't believe any particular item of clothing is per se hideous. On the whole I don't like one-sleeved dresses but there's always a gorgeous example that makes me rethink that stance. I even saw a pair of formal shorts that did not make me want to gouge my eyes out. I have seen the occasional pregnant dress on a non-pregnant person that was not a complete sartorial disaster.
[caption id="attachment_10343" align="alignright" width="157"]
Bubble skirt from büdi resurrected. Some of their other dresses are lovely.[/caption]I admit that before Nalo asked I had not given the bubble skirt much thought. ...
Posted by Justine at 0:11, July 18th, 2012 under Fashion, Ranting, Sydney novel |
Yesterday, as I predicted, I finished the first draft of my sekrit project novel. And there was rejoicing throughout the Hills of Surry. ((As in Surry Hills in Sydney. Not the hills of any other Surry around the world. I hear there other ones.)) Well, at least throughout my little corner of it.
It's the first solo novel I've written since Liar which I finished lo those many years ago in 2008. I shall admit that given the RSI and other injuries and annoyances I had begun to wonder if I was ever going to finish another solo novel again. Had I lost my mojo? Would I have to do collaborations for the rest of my career? ((Not that there's ...
Posted by Justine at 7:49, July 17th, 2012 under Sydney novel, Writing goals & milestones, Writing life |
Since so many of you have kindly inquired about how I'm doing ((I appreciate it. Thank you. It really makes a difference to know that I'm not alone with this.)) I figured best to answer you all in a post. Also Sarah Zarr recently posted
about her own trials and tribulations, which reminded me yet again of how common these injuries are.
Yes, I am still dealing with pain. My RSI ((Repetitive strain injury. Basically RSI describes a whole host of different conditions that are caused by a repetitive action such as typing. But many others get RSI too: house painters, factory workers etc. etc.)) has not improved, but it has not gotten worse, and I have learned to manage ...
Posted by Justine at 10:18, July 16th, 2012 under Admin, RSI, Sydney novel, Whingeing, Writing life |
@DaniArostegui asked "Can you write a post on the research process for your novels? How much research do you do for a given book?"
The book I'm writing at the moment, Sekrit Project, was inspired by a non-fiction book. So one of the first things I did was work my way through the articles and books listed in the bibliography. Each of which led to other books and articles and so on. Footnotes and bibliographies will lead you in many wonderful and unexpected directions.
When I'm writing a book set during a different historical period as I am with my 1930s New York City novel I immerse myself in the music, literature, movies, radio, fashion, food (via cookbooks and restaurant reviews) ...
Posted by Justine at 5:41, July 6th, 2012 under 1930s NYC novel, Research, Sydney novel, Writing process |
