Tag: manuscript

Creativity Sessions: Let Your Characters Write the Story

On By Steven D'AdamoIn Creativity Sessions, Writers - Steve D'AdamoLeave a comment

I forget sometimes that others can help pull you out of creative ruts. I’ve put a lot of pressure on myself to finish Manuscript: Alpha of “Jaed and Aston” this week, mostly by telling my alpha readers that I was almost done.

Then, I hit a narrative point that felt messy and too drawn out. I fussed over wording, I tried to find a shortcut (which I do not like admitting), I brainstormed a whole bunch. And then I happened upon an interview that gave me the jolt I needed. Continue reading “Creativity Sessions: Let Your Characters Write the Story” →

Not a Real Post or Update, but Close Enough

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Sorry for the radio silence this week. I’ve been stressed, and Jessie is apparently working triple-shifts, which I did not know were a thing in the 21st century. Tomorrow is also not the start of my weekend, as I am covering for someone on Saturday. At least the office will be devoid of people I’m supposed to interact with.

It’s all good though, because next week, we’ll be on yet another road trip adventure to a cottage on a river! Romantic getaway, you say??? Continue reading “Not a Real Post or Update, but Close Enough” →

Creativity Sessions: Cliffhangers as a Narrative Device

On By Steven D'AdamoIn Creativity Sessions, Writers - Steve D'Adamo2 Comments

I enjoy cliffhangers in novels. As someone in the marketing profession, I also understand why they are often used at the ends of novels. I’ll be just finishing up the story when the author throws a curveball, making me go Oh shit, how can you leave me hanging like that?! And then Book 2 comes out and I buy it immediately, because obviously I have to see what happens. It’s good business.

But as a narrative device? I’m becoming more and more skeptical of the end-of-book cliffhanger. Continue reading “Creativity Sessions: Cliffhangers as a Narrative Device” →

Actually Nearing the Finish Line

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Ugh. The tying down of plots and characters continues.

As I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, part of the delay on finishing Manuscript 1 of “Jaed and Aston” has been in trying to parse out the finishing plot points for each of my characters. The biggest difficulty I’ve found in this process has been in fitting the final pieces for each character together concisely, without jamming too much info/action into one section. Continue reading “Actually Nearing the Finish Line” →

Don’t Call It a Recap: Writer’s Burnout

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I am burned out on writing. There I said it. It would be one thing if I didn’t want to write, or if I simply had no solid ideas. But I have a slew of drafts in my WordPress Dashboard and a pretty good handle on where I want “Jaed and Aston” to go over the final few chapters. I just don’t have the motivation to do any of them. Continue reading “Don’t Call It a Recap: Writer’s Burnout” →

The Mystical Land of a Completed First Draft

On By Steven D'AdamoIn On Storytelling, Writers - Steve D'Adamo2 Comments

Wow, spring has been busy for me in all of the best ways. Future Wife and I took a road trip to Niagara Falls and Toronto a couple weeks ago (pictures incoming), and I have two more road trips planned in April, first to Denver and then to New England just a few days later. Maybe I’ll post some updates from the road on the old travel blog. Continue reading “The Mystical Land of a Completed First Draft” →

“Jaed and Aston” Milestone: 100,000 Words

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December has been a super slow writing month for me. The holidays always stress me out for no reason, and I had a bunch of other stuff going on this month. Thus, I fell far behind my month’s writing goal of ~35k for “Jaed and Aston”, and about a week before Christmas, I decided that I wouldn’t be able to catch up anyway. Continue reading ““Jaed and Aston” Milestone: 100,000 Words” →