This week: Room to Grow Edited by: Jay's debut novel is out now!  
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Room to Grow
Crafting your best work can take time--how does your writing evolve over time?
Have you noticed any interesting or unusual things about your writing that changed over time? What's remained the same? |
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In cataloging some of my older work, it's been kind of fun to look back and see different themes and common topics emerging from the pieces that I was working on (mumble) number of years ago.
Writing.Com is a great place for some of that archiving, in a sense, since your stuff stays inside your portfolio, provided that you maintain the same tier of membership for a given period of time and your output doesn't exceed the volume allotted. It's nice to dig into that time capsule, once in a while, if only to see what has accumulated over time.
I've noticed that I tend to stick with a few specific character archetypes--I'm probably too fond of "anti-heroes" or people with grey areas and complexities, but I am also drawn to earnest people who are trying to do the right thing. (And often enough, not fully succeeding.) Some of my characters have stuck with me for decades at this point. (some of them are old enough to vote, or drive. I'll worry when they're old enough to drink, I guess??)
Many of my settings are a little more sparse on detail than I'd like--I think "more detail" is a note I've gotten on every single story I've ever written! I'm a minimalist at heart, I think. Most of these pieces are a little too old to truly rehabilitate them, but that's okay! Sometimes it's good just to have a history of work that you like, upon which you can look back with some fondness for the writer that you used to be.
As this year draws to a close, I'm finding myself in search of more evidence that I have grown as a creator in recent years. It's getting more challenging, in some respects, as some of my work never makes it onto here. (It's a little bit sad, but it's also part of my process! Pieces that are going out onto the submissions circuit usually don't end up here right away now; I have a few that are in progress and it's harder to keep feedback consistent with too many drafts, and so on. I like this space for keeping pieces that are important to me in some way, something that I like!)
What sort of patterns creep up in your writing? Are they evident in the themes or characters or settings of your stories? Do you have plot elements that you just can't write without? How has your work changed over time? Think of it like a resolution for New Years--look at what you've already written, and see what it says about your desire to write.
I'd really love to hear from you about it!
Until next time,
Take care and Write on!
Jay |
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Feedback from "Developmental or Line Edits?" !
This was one of my favorite recent newsletters and I'm really glad people enjoyed it.
Quick-Quill  writes:
great NL this is very helpful
dragonwoman writes:
Thanks for including my flash "Shorn" in this newsletter.
the Wordy Jay  writes:
Interesting! Thanks for sharing the editing process with us.
Lilith 🎄 Christmas Cheer  writes:
Hi Jay! Thank you for featuring my story, Sweet Revenge! Great newsletter, too! Good info, definitely a keeper!
--You're all most welcome; thank YOU for your great work, and it's my pleasure to feature it--and to write these little editorials every month. 
If you have any thoughts about the evolution of your process, especially over time, I'd really love to hear from you about it! What's old, what's new, what's always been there with you?
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Short Stories: December 05, 2018 Issue [#9264]
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