  Noticing Newbies
This week: Are You Jaded in Your Writing? Edited by: JACE  
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Hi, I'm JACE
Welcome to this issue of the Noticing Newbies newsletter. Join me as I take you into some nooks and crannies of Writing.Com that you may not have found time to check out yet.
Don't forget to toss me a note about what you liked or didn't like in my column, or about a topic you'd like to see discussed. This newsletter is about and for you. And for you seasoned members, I hope you'll find something you can take from my ramblings. 
Your Noticing Newbies Newsletter full-time Editors:
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Are You Jaded in Your Writing?
I got married two weeks ago today. (Thanks, my friends, for your well wishes.) My point is that on our honeymoon--yes, old folks take honeymoons too  --we stopped at an award-winning Meat and Cheese store near Hermann, Missouri. This area of Missouri is rich in German culture, and the store specialized in a variety of homemade wursts, sausages and cheeses.
Patrons had the opportunity to take part in a free wurst tasting. Much like a wine tasting in which wines are sampled from dry to sweet, we sampled wursts from mild to spicy.
I've determined my palette is rather jaded. The subtle flavors I tasted among a dozen or so meats were wasted on me. I preferred my old standby of Johnsonville Brats and Hot Italian Sausage. While not necessarily a good thing, I just like what I like, and am stubborn about trying new things. Probably another side effect of being old-er. 
How are your writing tastes? Do you stick with the same style of writing? Perhaps you only write comedy or mystery short stories ... or free form poetry ... or interactive stories only. Why not try something different for a change. Pick a different genre and write a flash fiction story. Or, find a contest that features a genre or style in which you would not normally write. I did, and found a passion for form poetry. That opened a whole new world for me.
No matter what you write, Writing.Com can accommodate all your writing needs.
Are you in a rut? Consider this. Under Browse by Type, select a different Static Item style than you usually use, and write a short story in a genre (see Browse by Genre) you've never tried. It may not be easy at first, but you may just find yourself having fun writing again.
Good luck in all your writing endeavors.
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Check out these Newbies (I've selected folks who have filled out their Biography or something in their Bio-Block). Take a moment to review something in their Port ... or just say hi.
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If you haven't completed your BioBlock or Biography tab, please take a moment to do this. This is really the first step toward making Writing.Com your own, and will enhance your ability to find others with similar interests.
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And from the mailbox about my last Noticing Newbies newsletter, "Time Management" . I was amazed at the volume of mail this subject generated. Thanks for reading.
From Teresa Taim  : Thanks for the tip. I'm one if the biggest procrastinator there is. I get all these writing ideas towards the end if the night, but I do nothing about it it. I guess it is about time management and that special little nook.
Hi Theresa. And one of the most important things you can do--carry a small notebook with you everywhere you go to jot down all those ideas that pop into your head as you go through your day. Don't rely on your memory to keep that potentially important idea in your head. You are continually being stimulated and there's no telling how all those factors act on your creativity.
You may get a run of ideas, or just one in a day. Keeping those ideas and procrastination are definitely not friends. I've had to train myself to use my notebook immediately. It only takes a few seconds. Best of luck to you.
From Brooke  : Excellent topic Jace. Good advice for the newbie and the seasoned vet. Keep up the great work
Thanks, Miss Brooke. And I hope you're feeling better these days.
From Lesley Scott : Hi, Jace. Your editorial was so helpful to disorganized me. I write notes with the names of the story missing on the back of old phone call memos and scraps of paper. I keep one notebook for outlining my stories, but mainly fly by the seat of my pants. Your Friend,
Lesley
Glad to help, Miss Lesley. Watch out--those scraps will haunt you if you let them.
From Osirantinous  : Hi Jace. An interesting newsletter this week! As the timetable manager for my university I'm all about managing my time and deadlines. So much so that I'm already looking at deadlines for our 2015 academic year! Because time management is such a strong feature of my daily work I really hate commitment in my non-working life. Wow, having just read that it sounds terrible, but it's true. I hate to be tied down, and writing's part of that. Writing for me is just something I do when I want to do it. I can't force myself to write (nobody wants to read that stuff!) so I have no particular 'good time of the day' and certainly no set rules about how much to write or even where!
I do have notebooks everywhere to catch ideas, though, so I'm not completely anti-organised, and I do like the idea of a white board so I might hunt one of those down! Best wishes, Os.
I understand, Os. When I make cabinets all day, the last thing I want to do is put up shelving at home at night. At least you're aware of your strengths and shortcomings. 
From freeasthewind : Hi, Freeasthewind here. I started the NaNoWriMo, and I thought it would get me moving. Black sheep in the family is sort of autobiographic and I am not sure if what I have written is going in a novel direction. Just wondered if anyone has seen what I wrote or has that same issue.
I suspect many who do NaNoWriMo wonder if they're headed in the right direction. I know I did during my attempts. I ended feeling good about what I'd written, though the editing for completion is still ongoing.
From Jacqueline  : Hi Jace. I am terrible at time management. I do however like silence when I do write. Stories don't come easy to me; when I am typing on the laptop, a story will pop into my head and off I go until the end. I wish I had the skills to plot out a story instead of having to wait; any suggestion would be great. Thanks for the tips they are great.
You're welcome. I believe there's a lot to be said for getting your ideas down on paper, and THEN moving them into some semblence of order. Of course, that's me.
From The Run-on King PDG Member : Hi there. I like your thoughts on time management. I have seen a few ideas from other news letters, and from reading around the site.
One time management at first didn't make much sense to me. It goes: "Use 'TK' as an insert in areas to do research on. When your creative juices flow you don't stop and go Googling that research item. Instead you do the research when you edit it which when you really think about it is a great idea.
When I am writing a novel I use MSoffice 2007 and I open two pages up. The first one is to write my chapter in. The second one is where I store my time line, my char names, and char descriptions. If I'm writing fantasy I keep my word definitions here as well so I can cut and paste items between them as I write my stories in the chapter.
I found when writing a novel, it is actually best to keep each chapter as a single document. It doesn't mean when creativity gets flowing that you stop and create a new chapter right then. I just keep letting it flow until I'm done then I go back and cut and paste it into the new chapter page. I edit it for spelling save it, and move on to the next new chapter.
I also keep Google up as well as an online dictionary and thesaurus. The point being I like using the modern method. I never need to use white out or use up my erasers. If I stumble on to a great plot twist, I just go edit the time line insert it and keep on writing.
The last point I found in time management, was by keeping my novels dictionary in a separate list. When I created new words, I can take a second and write out how I want it pronounced, as well as spelling. Then keep it in the forming dictionary, which at the end of my work, I can cut and paste it into the back of the book. All that work is done and I didn't lose the creativity. I didn't have to reread the book from cover to cover to find all my words I used.
Thanks for your thoughts. Others might benefit from some of these techniques.
From 50's Child : Good suggestions!!! Sometimes when I am cooking or working around the house an idea comes to me, so I've learned to jot down a quick note to use later. If I had a small recorder I would record ideas that come to me when I'm driving. I write about my family/history and when looking at old pictures I write down notes and use them later, also.
Great ideas. Driving always presents a big problem for me. Hopefully I'm not in a big hurry to get someplace so I can pull over and jot down those ideas.
From GaelicQueen  : This is good advice even for us not so new Newbies. I'm still trying to find my "best time" to write, but usually it is when I can go hide somewhere undisturbed for an hour or two with my laptop and flash drive.
I hope you find that "best time" for it really does help IMHO.
From Odessa Molinari : I have a problem; my most creative time is in the middle of the night. These all night writing sessions do allow me to really get on with my writing but are not good for my health. I have to limit them to once a week.
That's a tough one. I, too, have awoken in the middle of the night with thoughts that needed to be recorded. Thankfully, that doesn't occur often for me.
From Sum1's In Seattle  : Jace. Two newsletters in one weeks! Wow! I have so little time to write anymore, or am I just making excuses for going through a lengthy dry spell. No matter, I think just getting two newsletters out in one week is pretty impressive. Says something about you, and the time you put into getting your writing done. Maybe I'm not going through a dry spell as much as I lack organization in my spare time. I know I'll get to it, and I'm pretty happy here on WDC, and that's important. Thanks for the informative letters. Jim
You're welcome, Jim. Signing up for two NLs in the same week sounded like a great idea two months ago. I really needed some of those time management techniques to complete these assignments.
From Elle - on hiatus  : I promise to work on my time management, will someone please cut me a break and add some more hours to the day? 
Well, we know how talented the The StoryMaster  is ... but even he would have to pass on that request.
From Shadowstalker-- Covid free : I also try to make sure to use the restroom before sitting down to do some serious writing. there is nothing more frustrating than being in the middle of writing the epic clash between good and evil, or laying the foundation for a vital clue when nature calls. when i come back sometimes I have lost the thought or point and have to sit wondering what i wanted to put down again.
Life's necessity can sure interrupt the creative urge. |
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Noticing Newbies: December 11, 2013 Issue [#6007]
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