Do you have stuff you’ve written that you haven’t done anything with yet? Do you write that first draft and put it aside to run off and work on a new project? Well here’s some tips on how to keep the work churning forward.
POEMS just SITTING AROUND?
If you write various works and you have some Poetry sitting around, don’t waste it. Clean that poetry up and you can do the following with it.
Dust it off and hit the road. Recite it at open mics.
Tweet it
Make a video of you reciting it and put it on your blog, fb, twitter or video road show
Incorporate it in one of your books or short stories
Make up home made greeting cards and use it for a giveaway
MANUSCRIPTS just PILING UP
I currently have 2 manuscripts collecting dust and one I’m working on. I recently dusted one off and started the editing process, but it’s going darn slow. Much slower than when I wasn’t also promoting a book. But I am glad that I have 2 backlogged.
So I try to get into a rhythm. I write on the new work in progress in the morning. I edit a finished draft at night. Most times this works out.
Here’s some things I do to keep my work churning.
Send first draft through critique group
Print out chapters and mark it up while I’m at my kids sports practices
Put it on my Nook and check for plot holes
Send out to beta readers
Edit it or use an free editing tool to scream out obvious errors
Tease some of it for absolutewrite Tuesday tease
Read outload to family during long trips
Submit to contest
COMIC Script or GRAPHIC Novel script hanging around?
Yeah, I even have one of these started. I wrote a 10 page comic strip for my Middle Grade series, Explorer X and haven’t had time to do a darn thing with it. But I’ve gathered some ideas from some author buds and I’ve got big plans, lol!
Here are some things you can do with these:
Tease a strip weekly (of course you have to find an artist willing to play)
Tweet a piece a week as your characters
Finish the darn thing and post a page a week
Put it in contest
SO WHAT IDEAS DO YOU HAVE FOR GETTING YOUR PILED UP WRITING GEMS OUT THERE?
You kind of said it all and then some.
ReplyDeleteGreat ideas!
Oh wow, you're brave! :)
ReplyDeleteI have quite a lot of poetry sitting around, but there's NO WAY I'll let anyone read it. It tends to be on the personal side (okay, extremely personal), and I'd feel like I'm running around naked if I let anyone read it. :)
Of course, there's plenty of personal stuff in my novels, but I feel like I can disguise most of that, so people won't know what's me and what's the character. But with poetry? There's nothing to hide behind... :)
These are great tips LM. I'm thinking about dusting off an early draft myself.
ReplyDeleteHello. Im following your blog now as per your request on twitter. i hope to see you following my blog too. thanks
ReplyDeleteGreat suggestions! I always try to come back to old mss and rewrite. I never lose hope for a story. :)
ReplyDelete