Comments on Pens Fatales: Martha's Some Kind Of Writer

We're closed to entries! Thanks to everyone f...

2009-06-09T21:59:15.606-07:00

We're closed to entries! Thanks to everyone for sharing and tune in tomorrow for the winner!

Fun contest! I'm the kind of writer who falls...

2009-06-09T10:16:19.312-07:00

Fun contest! I'm the kind of writer who falls in love with my next big idea. I have so many books started, and only a few finished. Right now I'm grappling with which book to finish, or rework. Will I get clobbered over the head with the book I'm supposed to write? Will I know it when I start it? I'm waiting for my muse to speak up a little louder than she has been. --Lisa Scott

Fun contest! I'm the kind of writer who falls...

2009-06-09T10:15:03.285-07:00

It's odd: I can read this and agree 100% with...

2009-06-09T08:03:35.646-07:00

It's odd: I can read this and agree 100% with what you are saying, but I'm pretty sure I'd be one of those people who still kept writing. Know why? An idiotic inability to accept The Truth. I'd be utterly convinced that there was somebody somewhere who was reading what I wrote, against all odds. I live in denial.

I always think in extremes when I'm writing. W...

2009-06-09T07:41:16.911-07:00

I always think in extremes when I'm writing. When I start something, the first chapter is always really amazing because I'm SO in to it. And I tend to take a 10 month break between novels, so I'd been missing writing for a while. Usually that's because I spend about two solid months hidden away, working on something at the speed of light, and then when I'm finished it takes me the rest of the year to get my life back in order, haha.

But while I'm writing something, it's intense. I spend all day thinking the way the main character thinks, I'm spaced out when I'm not writing, and the only other thing I really pay attention to is whatever published novel I've come up with that is the best from its genre, whatever genre I happen to be writing.

And a while back I started looking around at agencies. It was going to be kind of a casual thing but I started doing a lot of bookmarking, writing queries, formatting... after about a month of working that way I took a break, and never got back to working on it. Mostly because I thought... This is a lot of work for the novel without actually working ON the novel. And I decided I really didn't care enough about getting published to put that much of my energy into finding an agent. I feel like having an agent and yearly deadlines would stress me out and, quite frankly, kind of scare me.

Whew. I've never thought analytically about what kind of writer I am so... I wrote this to enter the contest but even if I don't win it has definitely made me think real hard ;)

So often I ask myself why the hell I write. After ...

2009-06-09T06:10:23.228-07:00

So often I ask myself why the hell I write. After I don't come up with any answers, I pick up my laptop and get writing.

It would be a relief if a reliable crystal ball said I will never get published. I could start doing the things my friends talk about doing, like spending time with family, making dinner, and sleeping.

Who am I kidding? I would tell the crystal ball it didn't know anything and keep writing.

Anyway, I am the kind of writer who is satisfied with what she wrote, until I pick up Hunger Games or Just Listen or crank. Then I drown myself in a puddle of inferiority tears and wonder why I didn't think of writing my novel in verse.

Now, will you please let me have your Ellen Hopkins critique?

And if you're feeling generous, can I borrow your copy of Catching Fire too?

Yvonne - I'm glad you found your passion - and...

2009-06-09T00:14:51.207-07:00

Yvonne - I'm glad you found your passion - and isn't it nice to know you're not crazy or schizophrenic for hearing voices in your head 24x7 - just a writer? :)

Raynbow - lol - love that you're searching for loopholes.

Susan - good luck with that query!

Anne, it took 1000 times to hear it, but you finally settled in so wooohoo! :)

A mere 24 hours folks and we'll have a winner....stay tuned!

I don't think I truly realized what kind of wr...

2009-06-08T17:34:33.170-07:00

I don't think I truly realized what kind of writer I was until I started querying agents this past few months. I've always loved storytelling and really like to try and write a good story. In the last year, I recognized that my true calling it to write mysteries. I love weaving clues and red herrings into the story. Dropping breadcrumbs for the reader to follow. I recently finished my first YA mystery and began querying and thought "Now I can really call myself a writer". I thought by sending my book out in the world that it would make me a writer, but now that I'm working on book 2, I've realized that I'm a writer no matter what. I'm the kinda of writer that had just realized she doesn't need to be published to call herself a writer. I'm also the kinda of writer that likes to see how many clues, misdirections, and chaos she can throw into the mix.
Thanks for having this contest. I met Ellen at SCBWI NYC and she's amazing.

Are the rules so strict that no one could ever rea...

2009-06-08T12:05:47.174-07:00

Are the rules so strict that no one could ever read your work? Or, you could just never be published?

I find a lot of satisfaction in just having friends, family, and critique partners read what I'm writing. If it were only for me... I'm not sure then. I'd probably still write, but would never bother to go back and edit--ever!

Martha, thanks for running this awesome contest!

Raynbow

Wow, I love your honesty! I too would probably giv...

2009-06-08T11:32:49.829-07:00

Wow, I love your honesty! I too would probably give up on writing if the crystal ball revealed that no one would ever get to read my crazy stories. I am a born story teller so instead of on the page I would continue to tell my tales to anyone who was kind enough to listen. Which of course got me into to writing in the first place.

After hearing, Wow that's a great story you should write book for the 1,000 time I actually sat down an wrote one. Call me a sucker for punishment. : )

Now two ms later I'm still trying for the brass ring. Maybe winning the critique from Ellen will be just what I need. Count me in!

Thanks for running the contest and for such a great post!!!!!

Anne

I'm the kind of writer who hears voices. I d...

2009-06-08T08:14:25.014-07:00

I'm the kind of writer who hears voices.

I didn't know it for the longest time. I would write and write, following an elusive plot with characters who seemed real to me. And then finally as I was sitting on my porch in Nashville in a rocking chair daydreaming, I realized that in that weird far-away state of consciousness, my characters were talking to each other, the way I would argue with my parents, my friends, my boyfriends in my head when I was mad at them.

And that has made a lot of difference. I now know that when I sit on the porch and gaze out at nothing and hear voices, I am writing, not going crazy (I hope).

The trick is getting up, going to the computer, and putting those conversations, or snatches thereof, down in black words on blank white space.

Now I am working on structuring all that, making sturdy frames for the puffy clouds to cling to, ultimately building a great, logical, inevitable, compelling--dare I hope heartrending--story.

I am making progress on that front.

Thank you so much Martha, for the offer of a critique from Ellen Hopkins. Put me in the hat!

And I love the voice of your blog.

I'm the kind of writer who didn't know I w...

2009-06-07T21:42:11.761-07:00

I'm the kind of writer who didn't know I was a writer. I had always been one of those people who were just okay at doing a lot of different things and never had a much passion for anything in particular. I always wondered how it must've felt to have passion for something.

3 years ago, I entered NANOWRIMO, never having written any novels or even any fiction in my life. I entered it because well, why not? I had ran a 1/2 marathon before for the experience, so I could write a novel for the experience too. The first day I just pretty much wrote and wrote and I did enjoy it. But, what was so awesome was when I emailed my husband what I had written and he wrote me back how great it was. He enjoyed reading what I wrote and couldn't wait for the next installment. My husband isn’t one to sugar coat things at all; so I knew he was being honest. Feeding off of the high of making someone else smile, I continued to write my novel.

I completed NANOWRIMO that year and last year as well. I love to write, but I love it even more when someone laughs (in a good way of course) at what I've written. Now I don’t have to wonder what it feels like to have passion about something because I’m living it.

Please enter me in this contest. Thanks!

That's a really good point, Martha, and I thin...

2009-06-07T13:57:58.911-07:00

That's a really good point, Martha, and I think I'd have to agree I'd be the same as you in that situation--almost. There are lots of other ways to get the stories out other than books and if I KNEW it wouldn't happen, I would put most of my energy into another format where I could maybe reach people--writing screenplays maybe. BUT, I'd still probably write from time to time, but it would be different--it would be for myself.

Although I completely understand the frustration c...

2009-06-07T13:18:35.844-07:00

Although I completely understand the frustration connected with writing, I love to write and I do believe in crystal balls. I do, I do, I do!

Please enter me in the contest.

Sounds like we're the same kind of writer. If ...

2009-06-06T20:05:12.552-07:00

Sounds like we're the same kind of writer. If I knew my stuff would never be read, I'd pursue another avenue of expression.

I'm also the kind of writer who likes to eat while I compose.

Please count me in for your contest!

I'm what they call in hockey and baseball a gr...

2009-06-06T13:34:12.244-07:00

I'm what they call in hockey and baseball a grinder. Grinders have adjectives like tough, gritty and gutsy attached to their name. I mean I've got some talent, I'm pretty sure of that, but I have to work hard to be good and there's the rub. I'm getting closer and closer every day, but that closeness comes from grinding it out, butt in chair, squeezing the words out when they're fighting me, every day and every moment I have.

Sometimes it's easy and I get into a flow, other times it's a wrestling match between me and the letters of the alphabet. I'd like to say it's easy more often than hard, but I'd be lying. But when inspiration hits, it's often a flood with me forechecking or diving for foul balls into the crowd like David Wright or Derek Jeter so I can keep going and grinding away to the end.

As for the physical aspect of writing, give me a laptop (or, if in a bind, paper and pen) and somewhere comfortable to sit and I'm good. I don't need a cup of tea (though chai helps) or encoutremonts of a home office (though a recliner helps) to bang out whatever idea is pushing through the subconsciousness. And I'll write anywhere: my honeymoon, the airport, my cousin's graduation party, in the room the night before my daughter was born...it doesn't matter to me.

My present "project" is my moment of madness: the Summer of a Quarter Million Words. That's right. Started June 1...92 days...250,000 words...utter madness! Wish me luck!

you and me both, coilxcept...i've got a half e...

2009-06-06T12:27:30.074-07:00

you and me both, coilxcept...i've got a half eaten cupcake on the table next to me...sadly it only leads to a really gunky keyboard

christina - you will *not* have to wait 20 years!!

I'm the kind of writer who has to eat while wr...

2009-06-06T09:53:38.192-07:00

I'm the kind of writer who has to eat while writing.

Sadly, this has led to some excess poundage.

But some damn good prose.

I'd like to be considered for the contest.

I'm a very unorganized writer. My desk is an a...

2009-06-06T08:26:22.114-07:00

I'm a very unorganized writer. My desk is an archeological dig of random papers, notes, lists, and things I can't even decipher. I can go through the strata and think, "Oh yeah, that was from last March."

I would still write even if I had a (heinous) crystal ball that told me my work would never be published. I belong to an excellent critique group, and I love it when something I've written makes someone laugh, or cry, or just get so choked up they can't continue reading.

I would love to have a partial critique by Ellen Hopkins on my WIP. It's so different than anything I've written, but I may have found my true voice.

GreenBeans

What kind of writer am I? I write because I have t...

2009-06-06T08:05:58.413-07:00

What kind of writer am I? I write because I have to write. If I don't write I start to get edgy and crabby--which are against my nature. But as much as I love to write, I hate the selling part, because I'm a huge procrastinator and by the time something is rejected a couple of times, I've already moved on to something else and I don't try and figure out what was wrong with the first one (or second or third one). I'm trying to actively change that though.

My favorite part of writing is the brainstorming and creating. I love that first spark when everything is new and possible.

I'd like to be entered in your contest.

I love your honesty! Wow, what kind of writer am I...

2009-06-06T05:35:52.578-07:00

I love your honesty! Wow, what kind of writer am I? Totally obnoxiously determined. I will write until I'm sick, passed out and over caffinated. Maybe its the stubborn streak in me.

And maybe because I have found I really like the outlet it gives me. It's a way to speak. So yeah, I'll keep writing until I get pubished whether that's next year or 20 years from now.

I know, that's really stupid. I just can't help it.

So.... enter me in your contest! I'd love that.

Oooh - I'm excited for all the entries - I may...

2009-06-05T22:47:27.811-07:00

Oooh - I'm excited for all the entries - I may even do this out of a hat instead of an online randomizer!

I love hearing that I'm not the only egocentric writer out there who wants people to read her work. :)

dragonlady - will you be at SCBWI LA?? I'm excited to attend - poor house be damned!

rebecca - you're really lucky to have a social outlet within your writing community - I feel that way about the rest of these pensfatales ladies, too!

groosemoose - hmm....will you reveal the fanfic you wrote?? :):):) i've never tried fanfic...well...i guess i have in my head (edwards leaves bella...finds me...the end)

lynnekelly - good luck with your WIP!!!! fingers crossed! keep us updated with your next submission

and thanks everyone for sharing your particular writing habits - it's so therapeutic after hanging out with non-writers to know we're not crazy and alone!

(and whitney - you are my total writing-sister - srsly - same story - lol)

I do love to write, and I dream about a day when w...

2009-06-05T21:02:49.479-07:00

I do love to write, and I dream about a day when writing can be my "day job!" Of course, for that to happen, I'd have to get paid for it, and that means lots and lots of readers. I did get to the point in my last novel, though, where I knew I had to write the ending, even if it never got published. If I had just started the book and somehow knew that no one would ever buy it, I can see abandoning it then, but after I've put so much into the story I'd want to write the ending anyway; I'd feel like I was leaving the characters hanging otherwise.

Oh, I did get an interesting agent rejection today-- she turned down the book I queried, but told me to send my WIP when it was finished. And I just started that! So it was nice to be asked that, but I'm hoping to find an agent who wants my first book too!

My new WIP is a YA novel, so I'd love to enter for a chance to get the partial critique from Ellen Hopkins!

Thanks!

I'm the kind of writer who writes to share her...

2009-06-05T19:53:14.090-07:00

I'm the kind of writer who writes to share her stories with readers. I'm the kind of writer who chases the dream hardcore. I'm the kind of writer who believes in happily ever after. (Because I'll work to make it happen!)

Lindsey

(Please enter me in the contest for the critique. Thanks for sharing!)

I'm another one of those people who have to wr...

2009-06-05T19:27:55.604-07:00

I'm another one of those people who have to write. For me, getting published is a bonus (pleasepleasepleasepleaseplease make it happen!) I get very twitchy if I go too long without writing. Writing is my drug. My highest highs and my lowest lows. So yeah, if the crystal ball told me I wouldn't be a writer I would still write. Only I wouldn't give up my day job :P