Quick Update

Lest you think we are not hard at work on our book, I thought it would be a good idea to give you a quick update!

Since beginning this crazy writing journey in November 2011, we have written 59,000 words! That's equivalent to 144 pages.

What?!

My mind is reeling at those numbers.

While it is hard to comprehend that we've written so much, it is more difficult to realize that we are not done yet.

When we started this journey, our hope was to finish writing & begin the process of getting published by September.  It's October already and we are still writing.  Still wrestling with character development, plot lines, and story flow.  And making sure our story doesn't suck.  ;)

In the midst of it all, we're growing.  As friends.  As writers.  We're encouraging creativity and helping each other develop our craft.

It may be slow-going, but it is worth the while.

We hope that you, our family & friends, will continue to stick with us through this journey.  That you will encourage us and pray for us.  When it's all said and done, we're hoping that you'll be the first ones to read (and hopefully love) the book!

We've updated you on our journey, update us on yours!

A Writing Exercise

Photo by photosteve101

Sometimes during the writing process, the writer might experience writers block.  Or perhaps the writer has taken so much time off from writing that it's difficult to get back into the process.  Whatever the case might be, writing exercises can help the writer get back into the groove.


Here is an example of a writing exercise that one of Totally Fiction's writers recently used.  Using the entire alphabet, from A-Z, tell a story.


All
bets
Charlise
does
everything
for
God
Himself
is
Jehovah
killing
lucifer
many
not
of
purity
quick
response
says
today
useful
very 
wishing 
xerotic
yeast
zealous



Try the writing exercise out for yourself in the comment section!

I'm A Writer & I Believe It?

I (Denise) am participating in a 15 day challenge over at Jeff Goins blog called the 15 Great Habits of Writers.  I'm a few days behind, four days behind, to be exact.  But that's okay.  Life can be crazy and hectic at times, so some things are allowed to fall to the wayside.

On Day 1, the challenge was to declare ourselves as writers.  I've already done that here when Honesty, Josh, and I declared to the world that we were writing a book.  The challenge for Day 2 is a little bit tricky.  You see, I may say I'm a writer, but most days I don't believe it.  The truth is, I've written for the majority of my life.  There are journals, notebooks, and several blogs filled with pages and pages of my writing.  But do I believe that I'm a writer?  No.  Do I think I have something to say to the world?  No.  Yet I love to write.  That's why I've filled journals, notebooks, and blogs with word upon word upon word.  And that's why I'm writing a story.  The message of hope, redemption, and of all the other themes that we're touching on in our book means something to me.  Yet I continue to struggle to believe that I am a writer!

Part of the challenge is to dwell on the fact that I'm a writer, with something to say, and that perhaps, deep down, I was made for this.  Made to tell the story (or stories) that are on my heart.  To bring to life characters and circumstances in a creative way.  So I'm dwelling.  I'm letting that thought sink deep into my soul.

The next step of the challenge is going to be more difficult.  The challenge is to go from just dwelling and believing that I'm writer.  The next step is to take action.  But not just any kind of action.  The challenge is to wake up 2 hours earlier than normal to write.  Ummmm....no.  Are you kidding me?!?!  I HATE mornings.  I'd have to get up at 6am.  Sorry, but that's not happening.

Or maybe it will.  If it's just for one day, I guess I can rise early to write.  Because I do believe that I'm a writer.  It's been one of my goals for as long as I can remember to become a published author.  So if getting up extra early one day this week is going to help me reach my goal, I guess I can do it.  Just this once.

What is one of your goals in life & how are you challenging yourself to achieve it?

Writing With Friends

You've probably all heard of the game Words With Friends.  It's a fun, interactive game you can play on Facebook or on your smart phone.  What I like about the game is that it allows you to get to know your friends in a new way, especially if you use the chat/message feature of the game.

The same can be said when it comes to writing with friends.  No, it's not a game.  It's simply what my best friend, husband, and I have been doing for the last 6 months.  We finally stopped talking about our dream and actually starting pursuing it.  

Westbow Press published a blog post today entitled "3 Advantages of Writing with Friends," and I totally agreed with the post.  There are many advantages of writing with friends as I've been learning!  I've gotten to know my best friend and husband in new ways.  I've seen their artistic and creative sides that I haven't seen in years.  In return, they've challenged me in my writing abilities, and maybe more so in my editing abilities!

Have you ever written with a group of friends?  If so, what have you learned in the process?