Many writers refer to their current project as a WIP – Work In Progress. I don’t know about you, but a homophone for an instrument of torture motivates me to run, not walk, away from the keyboard. On the other hand, WHIP – Wreaking Havoc In Progress – is appropriate on productive days.
However, neither WIP nor WHIP specifies the stage or type of work. I suggest writers utilize more accurate acronyms:
PIP – Planning In Progress – covers that vital stage before one writes. (Can also refer to Plotting or Protagonist In Progress.)
RIP – Research In Progress – refers to that other prerequisite stage.
NIP – Novel In Progress. (A nip or two of your favorite beverage might help the words flow, too.)
SSIP – Short Story In Progress. (I tend to hiss at word limitations. How about you?)
BLIP – BLog In Progress. After all, blogs are barely blips on cyberspace’s sonar.
AIP – Article In Progress. Accurately mimic the noise evoked by futile searches and/or word-on-the-tip-of-my-tongue-itis.
EIP – Essay In Progress – See above.
TRIP – Title Rendering In Progress (For those authors who, like me, invest days in creating a superior sobriquet.)
DRIP – Document Ripping In Progress (The perfect acronym for editing.)
QUIP – QUery In Progress (Clever is the goal, but a query rarely results on the spur of the moment.)
SHIP – Summarizing Handiwork In Progress (For the synopsis stage.)
I could SLIP (Silly Linguistics In Progress) on and on, but I think I’ve VIPped (Vacuum In Progress) enough.
Can you add to the list? Which acronym describes your current project? Feel free to leave a comment.
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Sunday, July 6, 2008
A thorn by any other name still...
I'll let you fill in the rest while I again retrieve my mind from the gutter.
You may or may not notice I changed the name of my blog. Though I liked From the Heart, it's not exactly original. At least one other TWRP author and an RWA Chapter bear the name. I don't mind sharing, but trite I will rarely be.
Besides, the new title fits me just as well. Writing is my passion. Eventually I might share some writing tips, but currently I'm suffering from BTDT. During the four (or five?) years I volunteered as a community leader on iVillage's Writing Exercise Board, my co-CLs and I posted weekly writing prompts, mini lessons, and monthly lessons. We covered nearly every major element---commas (which my friend Mary aptly calls the gnats of the punctuation world), how to start, characters, plot, setting, POV, active writing. The list goes on.
Would you like to know what I discovered? A lot of people desire publication, but very few possess dedication. It's WORK! Sometimes fun, often tedious. Writers need open minds and thick skin. Publication is a crap shoot. If you don't enjoy writing, give up before you start.
I'll exit that podium before I get ridiculous. Oops! Too late! Over the years, I developed Lynda's Logic, which makes perfect sense---to me. When the mood strikes, I'll blog about my observations on subjects such as handbags, missing socks, TV ads.
Feel free to stop by, read, and comment if the mood strikes. As always, if you'd like to suggest a topic, I'm all mouth. ;-)
You may or may not notice I changed the name of my blog. Though I liked From the Heart, it's not exactly original. At least one other TWRP author and an RWA Chapter bear the name. I don't mind sharing, but trite I will rarely be.
Besides, the new title fits me just as well. Writing is my passion. Eventually I might share some writing tips, but currently I'm suffering from BTDT. During the four (or five?) years I volunteered as a community leader on iVillage's Writing Exercise Board, my co-CLs and I posted weekly writing prompts, mini lessons, and monthly lessons. We covered nearly every major element---commas (which my friend Mary aptly calls the gnats of the punctuation world), how to start, characters, plot, setting, POV, active writing. The list goes on.
Would you like to know what I discovered? A lot of people desire publication, but very few possess dedication. It's WORK! Sometimes fun, often tedious. Writers need open minds and thick skin. Publication is a crap shoot. If you don't enjoy writing, give up before you start.
I'll exit that podium before I get ridiculous. Oops! Too late! Over the years, I developed Lynda's Logic, which makes perfect sense---to me. When the mood strikes, I'll blog about my observations on subjects such as handbags, missing socks, TV ads.
Feel free to stop by, read, and comment if the mood strikes. As always, if you'd like to suggest a topic, I'm all mouth. ;-)
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Honored by Honorable Mention
Words are my favorite toys. I enjoy twisting, flipping, and STACKING. What can I say? I'm a word-aholic who'd burst if I tried to quit cold turkey. Besides, I just want to taper off. Too much of a good thing and all that, you know?
So I decided to enter the First Annual Short Story Contest at the Long and Short of It. Basically, the contest had two rules:
1. Write a romace with a happily ever after ending. No problem. Romance is my favorite genre because of HEA. I'm inspired by characters who can overlook each others flaws and conquer all the obstacles life---AKA a conniving author---throws at them.
2. Word limit: 1000. Are you kidding? My weekly grocery list contains more. Short stories have specific rules: start by shooting the sheriff, one POV, minimal setting, engaging plot, and one protagonist with clearly defined GMC who either does or does not change. All that in 1K?
Rarely one to turn away from any challenge, especially self-imposed, I lit my keyboard with a BIC. (That's Butt In Chair.) After one computer malfunction, feedback from four critique partners, and five re-writes, I submitted Marriage on the Menu.
Tonight I learned I won Honorable Mention. I hope you'll visit The Long and Short of It on September 4th, when my short story will be posted. (If the sieve I call a brain retains the date, I'll post a reminder.)
So I decided to enter the First Annual Short Story Contest at the Long and Short of It. Basically, the contest had two rules:
1. Write a romace with a happily ever after ending. No problem. Romance is my favorite genre because of HEA. I'm inspired by characters who can overlook each others flaws and conquer all the obstacles life---AKA a conniving author---throws at them.
2. Word limit: 1000. Are you kidding? My weekly grocery list contains more. Short stories have specific rules: start by shooting the sheriff, one POV, minimal setting, engaging plot, and one protagonist with clearly defined GMC who either does or does not change. All that in 1K?
Rarely one to turn away from any challenge, especially self-imposed, I lit my keyboard with a BIC. (That's Butt In Chair.) After one computer malfunction, feedback from four critique partners, and five re-writes, I submitted Marriage on the Menu.
Tonight I learned I won Honorable Mention. I hope you'll visit The Long and Short of It on September 4th, when my short story will be posted. (If the sieve I call a brain retains the date, I'll post a reminder.)
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