Jenn Kelly: Author » writer’s block

Writing Outlines…

Jenn Kelly — Sat, 12 Feb 2011 16:50:30 +0000

Just because I have a book published and another on its way, doesn’t mean I have all the answers. Actually, it doesn’t mean I have any answers.

People can ask me if their writing is good and I don’t have answer. I can tell them if I like it, but I can’t tell them if anyone else will like it, or even if it’s good enough to be published. Because I have no idea. Really.

So now that I’ve changed genres (children’s fiction to adult) I can’t write the same. I used to be able to put on some funky jazz, grab a chai latte and write. Be as ridiculous as possible without overdoing it and tie it together. That’s easy. Granted, I’d have issues with tying it together (ie: I have no plot), but that’s it. Now? Oof.

But I was glancing through my facebook and happened upon a ‘facebook friend’, whose status said she was working on a chapter outline.

Of course!!! Why didn’t I think of that?

I know exactly what I want the book to be about, I know what steps will progress, what will happen to whom… but an outline! Brilliant!

So I jotted down the basic outline, chapter by chapter (with sub-chapters to be added later … maybe) and now it all makes sense! So now I can just pick my ‘sentence’ and write with it, beginning and ending that chapter so that each chapter achieves my little goal set for it.

Yay!

Why didn’t anyone ever tell me about this???? I’ve always just … written the darn thing, from front to back. Huh.

Listening to: the dishwasher

Drinking: water. I’ve already had two teas. Actually, I’ve had one and a half. I put it down somewhere and I can’t find… oh there it is! But it’s way over there. And I’m tucked in. I’ll just drink my water.

Watching: am hoping to watch the first season of Glee.

Eating: am hoping to mowing on some chow mein from the Golden Palace tonight

You know when …

Jenn Kelly — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 18:07:14 +0000

you’ve got only 15,000 words written and you have the rest already written but it needs to be severely edited, so you section the sections off in four different sections with pretty paper clips and then you just stare at them for about half an hour, so you go get some water and reheat your chai (even though chai after vietnemese food is kinda gross) and you sit back down and play ‘Bookworm’ for fifteen minutes and then you google your own name and read things about yourself and then you look at the sections again and then wonder where the sun is and if you have time to squeeze in a nap, but not because you’re tired, but because you aren’t quite sure where to put those sections that you’ve sectionned and you’re sure if you have a nap you’ll come up with a brilliant idea because it is the ‘cloud’ afterall and it always gives good ideas, and hubby is home so he could go get the child from school so you can figure out your sections, but you’re clearly out of ideas and just want to curl up and read ‘Pollyanna’?

Yah, it’s one of those…

Reading: Pollyanna! Didn’t you read the above? And PS: it was ‘White Fang’ not, Wild something

Eating: chai. hello? look up?

Watching: Harry Potter and Goblet of Fire.

Listening to: the clock ticking

Interesting…

Jenn Kelly — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 23:41:06 +0000

So far I’ve been having a hard time with the book. It has to be perfect. What pressure!

I recently purchased one of those Moleskin notebooks from Chapters. I was intrigued by it’s hard cover, it opened well and stayed open and I love how the lines are close together. My favourite notebooks have small spaces between the lines. No idea why.

So I started writing ideas in it.

And now I can’t stop. I mean, I still need ideas, but all the writing is coming out handwritten.

Which is very interesting because I used to almost freestyle. Then when I started Jackson Jones, everything had to be typed. It wouldn’t work otherwise. And now it won’t work when I type. Interesting.

Should have purchased 20 notebooks instead of a laptop then…

Watching: the Office. Lost was last night. Couldn’t tell you what’s going on.

Listening to: funky jazz.

Reading: Anne of Avonlea. No wait, Anne of the Island.