I have joined GUTGAA and I'm very excited about it! Deana Barnhart has put this together and it sounds amazing, so big BIG thanks to Deana! I pulled the questions off of her blog for the meet and greet. I'm looking forward to 'meeting' other new writers as well.
-Where do you write?
I don't really have a 'writing space.' I have a laptop and I write all over my house, wherever I can find a few moments of quite.
-Quick. Go to your writing space, sit down and look to your left. What is the first thing you see?
To the left of where I'm writing right now is my daughter, Maggie.
-Favorite time to write?
After the kids go to bed.
-Drink of choice while writing?
Tea.
-When writing , do you listen to music or do you need complete silence?
I can't listen to music. The lyrics would throw me off. Trying to write words and listen to words at the same time just doesn't work for me.
-What was your inspiration for your latest manuscript and where did you find it?
Honestly, a random idea just sort of popped into my head and I've been trying to fill it out since. I wish I had a better story, but that's it! :)
-What's your most valuable writing tip?
To just freakin' do it! First drafts are hard enough, they are harder if you expect everything to be perfect. Just get the words out and fix it up later. That's what revisions are for.
I am looking forward to reading other people's meet and greet posts, but today is our last day of summer vacation, so we are going to be off doing something fun! (I don't quite know what yet, but something.) So I will be visiting blogs this evening. I'll see you then! :)
Just do it! So true ;)
ReplyDeleteGreat writing tip, Rachel! :D
ReplyDeleteNot just do it, but freakin' do it! I like that.
ReplyDeleteI like your tip. Books don't write themselves, though sometimes one does need to take a break if the spark isn't there at the moment.
ReplyDeleteI"m with you---lyrics really throw me off. I can't hear them unless it's before or after I write.
ReplyDeleteI'm one of those who prefer peace and quiet when I'm writing so no music for me either! Hope you enjoyed last day of your holidays. I started back today which is one of the reason I haven't signed up for the blogest but will enjoy popping in and seeing what's going on when I get the chance.
ReplyDeleteI like your story for inspiration. Sometimes, those random thoughts happen for a reason, =)
ReplyDeleteGreat to meet you this morning! I have to admit I skimmed over the meet and greet and headed to the post right under it. It made me smile. I have four books and each is very different. Paranormal, contemporary, zombie, and adult. I wirte what inspires me. If the story doesn't come in loud and clear...I don't write it. I admit I'm ADD so maybe that is why the stories vary so. Just keep writing!
ReplyDeleteNice to meet you. Great advice about getting the words on paper and revising to make it shine.
ReplyDeleteDear Rachel,
ReplyDelete*fistbumps* |m| |m| (I've got four children, too. All boys) I enjoyed reading your answers to the GUTGAA questions. Happy Writing!
Warm regards,
Don #138
Ooo, what did you end up doing??? Usually my labor day weekend is chalked full of stuff, but not this time. Its super relaxing though, so its kinda nice.
ReplyDeleteAnd your advice? Spot on. Just freakin' do it.
We went to the zoo and Dairy Queen. They had fun. Of course, now my two-year-old wants a pet fox. :)
Deletejust do it! Great advice! I'm dropping in from GUTGAA and saying 'hi' to everyone, so 'hi' *waves*
ReplyDeleteI bet your story is fabulous! Following you now and very nice to meet you!
ReplyDeleteAA
http://anallegedauthor.blogspot.com/
I hope you had a good last day of vacation. We actually started school a few weeks ago, but a vacation day is always nice.
ReplyDeleteHi, Rachel. I taught teens for 18 years. They were a delight. I teach college now so my students are a bit older but just as much fun. Looking forward to learning more about you and your writing.
ReplyDeleteYou know, I don't normally blog (as you'll see if you happen to hit my meet and greet), I use Facebook and my website. However, that said...I did write ONE blog post other than my meet and greet. And your one line from your blog below totally stood out to me since I used the same line. I talked about how Nike nailed it with their ad when they said "Just do it". GMTA and all that. =) Anyway, it's nice to "meet" you! =)
ReplyDeleteIt's nice to meet you, too! I guess great minds think alike. ;)
DeleteRachel,
ReplyDeleteHope you enjoyed your last day of summer! We had ours two weeks ago. I'm a tea fan myself and will usually pick that over water.
Lovely to meet you!
Good luck with GUTGAA!
Elena
Have fun with your family. I love your blog's color palette. Nice to meet you, and see you around!
ReplyDeleteI love the answer to what's to your left! I can relate, as it seems sooner or later, if the kids are up and I'm trying to write,one of them ends up right by me. It's nice to meet you!
ReplyDeleteSo what was the fun thing you did for the last day of summer vacation??
ReplyDeleteI hope you enjoyed the last day of summer vacation! I also enjoyed your writing tip - words I should live by...I can be such a procrastinator! :)
ReplyDeleteNice to *meet* you for GUTGAA! Great writing tip.
ReplyDeleteNice to meetcha!! Good luck in GUTGAA!
ReplyDeleteHi. I am a new follower making my meet and greet rounds. It is nice to meet you. Enjoy the last day of your vacation. I look forward to reading more of your blog during the GUTGAA blogfest.
ReplyDeleteI love those random ideas that pop into my head. I hope this one works out for you. And great advice. Trying to make a first draft perfect from the start can be very frustrating and get you nowhere. Nice to meet you!
ReplyDeletejust do it!
ReplyDeleteand i need silence too, but i listen to music during everything else & sometimes songs inspire me =)
Funny thing I noticed while blog hopping: writers can be divided into morning and evening writers and silence or music writers but there is hardly any middle ground (like someone who can't write first drafts with music but needs it for revision for example).
ReplyDeleteI'm from GUTGAA too, and I'm mostly writing MG and YA. In Germany, I'm already agented.
Hope you had a lot of fun on your last day of break! It's nice to meet you=)
ReplyDeleteI really need to keep that in mind that first drafts are DRAFTS and editing comes later. I'm an obsessive editor. It has crippled my word count in the past!
ReplyDeleteStopping by to say hello on my GUTGAA tour. I've enjoyed reading your survey answers.
ReplyDeleteHope you have a great day.
Best wishes, Wayne
I need silence to write at my best too. My writing spot is in my bedroom. On a rare occasion I've used the kitchen table. Gutgaa is such a great idea.
ReplyDeletestopping by to say hello. Tea is my favorite, too, and I agree with your writing tip. Now if I could only follow it.
ReplyDeleteJust freaking do it!!! That is my new quote of the day :)
ReplyDeleteHi from another GUTGAA participant.
ReplyDeleteI usually drink water when I write. I'm thinking I might need some tea right now, though. :)
Hi there, I'm blog hopping for GUTGAA :) Am I having a man's look for a subscribe by email link? Enjoy your holiday, hope you can stop by when you're back: http://beyondthehourglassbridge.blogspot.com.au/
ReplyDeleteKat :)
Oh, I need to read your previous post on the different genres you write in. Several authors I know use different names for genres which are distinct. Just something to think about!
ReplyDeleteLove the look of your blog, nice and green. Happy GUTGAA. :)
ReplyDeleteIt's great to meet you. Your writing tip is perfect. Just freakin' do it. Get it down, and revise later is definitely my philosophy. Otherwise I'd just keep spinning my wheels and worrying. I'm much more of a reviser than a writer.
ReplyDeleteGo GUTGAA participants!
http://tracivanwagoner.blogspot.com
Hi Rachel!
ReplyDeleteThere are so many tea drinking writers in GUTGAA:) I think your inspiration is perfect. It is completely from you! Glad to have you on board!
Hah! I would have the same answer to so many of these questions: no one space, lap top all over the house, after the kids go to bed, drinking tea and yeah, if I look over, there's my daughter! I'm not participating in GUTGAA but I enjoyed learning more about you. Good luck to everyone! What a great event to have for writers! Hope lots of people find agents!
ReplyDeleteHi Rachel! I'm big on the 'just do it' thing too. I spent many years going, "if only I could do it..." until one day I just did. Perfect advice! Good luck with GUTGAA!
ReplyDeleteI loved your answer to what was on your left, or in this case who :) I know how that goes with two little girls of my own. Nice to meet you and happy writing.
ReplyDeleteAnother tea lover, woohoo! Best of luck with GUTGAA~
ReplyDeletethemysteryofwriting.wordpress.com
midwesternfarmgirl.wordpress.com
Writing after the kids go to bed >>> Yes! LOL
ReplyDeleteHi. Just do it is good advice. It's weird though, sometimes you need something to click in your head. I tried (about five years ago) to sit down and start writing a book.I'd gotten a decent amount of compliments on my writing and, since it was the only thing I seemed to have some marginal talent at, it seemed like a good idea. I slogged through twenty minutes a day that I hated and eventually gave up.
ReplyDeleteAbout three months went by and my son asked me what happened to the story I'd been writing. He told me he'd been really enjoying it (which is funny now, cause it was SO bad) and that I should continue. I didn't really want to, but I started considering it again.
Around that same time I read the Twilight Series. When I was done, I said to myself: so, I need two people who are desperately in love but have some conflict that keeps them from being together. I can do that.
That day I sat down and wrote ten hours straight. I've been writing ever since and LOVE it. So weird. It's like, I just needed to look at it from a different perspective. By breaking it down, I realized I had it in me to do it. Hmmm...maybe I'll add this to my writing advice. :)
Anyway, speaking of writing, I've also been inspired by all these awesome blogs on GUTGAA to finally start one. I'd love it if you'd come by. It's www.onemagicbeanbuyer.com I'm kind of in desperate need of followers. haha. Thanks. Nice to meet you and good luck with GUTGAA!
I guess late is better than never? It's going to take me forever to get around and say to everyone.
ReplyDeleteBest wishes this month!
Hello and best of luck with GUTGAA! Also, Maggie is an adorable name :)
ReplyDelete