Tag: writer goals

Genres I Love Writing

Priyanka Nawathe

Horror and Science Fiction are two of my favorite genres. There is a vast array of subgenres under them to immerse my imagination into. I have always enjoyed books set in haunted places and dystopian futuristic cities. But there are some subgenres that I especially enjoy writing.

Horror

Quiet Horror

I love writing fiction that goes bump in the night. There doesn’t have to be someone with a machete running after the characters. It is subtle, not graphic, and yet it creates fear in the mind of the reader.

Supernatural Thriller

As opposed to the subtleties of quiet horror, I also enjoy writing fiction about monsters that create fear for the characters. As readers, we can love them or hate them. But one cannot deny that writing about supernatural monsters is the most thrilling aspect of being a writer.

Science Fiction

Cyberpunk science fiction

As we enter the 2020s, with Sophia becoming the 1st robot to receive a citizenship and a UN title, the high-tech future isn’t near, it’s here. It is one of the reasons I love writing the cyberpunk subgenre. It walks on a tightrope between believable and unbelievable worlds.

social science fiction

Since I tend to write character-driven fiction, it should come as no surprise that this is one of my favorite writing subgenres. Creating high-tech civilizations on different planets and galaxies can be a fun aspect of writing science fiction. But the best part is when I write how the characters react to the challenges thrown by their environment.

Horror and Science Fiction are not just about ghosts and spaceships. When I am writing such genres, I get to travel through the terrifying and utopian worlds at the same time. 

My 2020 Writing Vision

Priyanka Nawathe

I do not believe in New Year’s resolutions. But I do believe in New Year’s goals. Last year, I did meet some of the goals that I had set for myself. I launched my blog site. I wrote 17000 words during NaNoWriMo (which I consider a personal win). I also finished Act-1 in my Science Fiction project. So this year, I have set myself some SMART goals which I would love to share with you all.

1. Blog twice a month 

Last summer, I started ‘Blurred Thoughts on Page’ or as I like to call it BTop. Since then, I have posted 7 blog articles that included pieces about my writing journey, the authors that influenced me with their journey, and the books I read in 2019.

This year, I will be posting 2 blogs every month. One about my writing journey and one about my reading journey.

2. Write short stories 

I always have a ton of ideas bouncing in my head. But I don’t put them on the page nearly enough. This year I want to write more stories so I can feel productive and accomplished. But also, they will help me progress further as a writer.

3. Complete Science Fiction project 

My Science Fiction project has gone through a lot of methods. But the one thing I realized last year was that I tend to write in spurts.
I switch between plotting and pantsing. Some days I know where I am heading. Some days I like to be surprised. Plans always have the chance of going awry. So, this year I am giving myself 3 months on the Science Fiction project.
Whatever material I can put on the page till March end will decide my progress in that project.

4. Pitch fiction & blog posts to editors 

I will keep submitting short fiction as each word counts when you look at it. This year I will also do the scary part of pitching blog posts to editors. It is going to be interesting to find out what I can accomplish through pitching blogs this year.

5. Be consistent on social media 

I will be active on Instagram sharing my writing and reading journey with everyone. It is a great platform to connect with writers. 

Chronicles of NaNoWriMo

Priyanka Nawathe

I had aimed for 20000 words in 30 days.

I wrote 17025 words in 30 days.   

I had written 4463 words in 10 days. It was a slow start to the November challenge. Eventually, I found my rhythm in the next 10 days. By Day 20, I had added 5670 words crossing the 10000 words in 20 days.

I felt like I should have crossed that threshold in 15 days. I should have written more words.

Written faster, plotted better, stayed more focused on the project. I berated myself about it.

But then I remembered my summer challenge of 5000 words in 20 days and how exhausting it had been. I had been all over the place at the time. Back then I was overwhelmed with 5000 words in multiple projects and social media post design.    

Now, I was more organized, focused, and creative this month. Even though I did not go for the huge 50000 word count, I have achieved great progress.
This NaNoWriMo, I plotted parts of my fiction project. I planned my blogs. I wrote the scenes and drafted my blogs. I also designed each of my Instagram posts and shared it with the community. I received a lot of encouragement for my progress. I learned to manage my writing and self-care. It was a great experience.

This month gave me a ton of insight into my writing and I would like to share some of the lessons that I learned along this crazy ride.

1. Plotting every single beat is complex. 

Some days I had a ton of ideas about where my story was going to head. And some days, I stared at a blank page. And when I was staring at a blank page, unable to plot any further, I knew that ‘Today is the day to write what I have plotted so far’. 

2. Ideas are seeds that we plant in our garden  

I had started my current project a while back thinking it will be a short story. But now the characters and the world that they live in feel way bigger. It had started as a tiny sapling. Now it is slowly shaping into a vast forest as the ideas keep growing.    

3. Experiment with writing methods  

I began this project thinking I was going to pants the fiction all the way through. Maybe I could add a few notes here and there.  
It did not work. I got stuck. I used a lot of methods for the plotting part as well. I tried using the 27-chapter style. But it just didn’t seem to move forward.   

This time I used Save the Cat Beat sheet. I was worried about the genre and style when I was writing without the beat sheet. But now the Beat sheet style has helped me a lot. I came up with new characters that the Main Characters would interact with. I also added backstories to most of the characters.
Now when I sit down to write the scenes, I know where I want it to go which is a lot more productive and less anxiety-inducing than pantsing completely.

4. Replenish your creative well  

The day I cannot write a scene or even plot more ideas is the day I pause. I don’t consider it a writer’s block. The day I cannot move my fiction any further is the day that I work on my blog. I spill my thoughts on the page and it works. Sometimes it is like a complete rant but that’s where editing is the savior.

There were also times when I completely zoned out of the writer mode. I would only work on the designs for my blog and Instagram posts. It was a great way to replenish that creative well while staying productive. Through these blogs and Instagram posts, I got introduced to a huge creative community that boosted my NaNoWriMo spirits.     

Even listening to authors talk about their writing struggles helped me get back on the writing track. Knowing the painstaking struggle that people have gone through to give us the books that we cherish today is a good thing. It shows us the scrapes and bruises and not just the finished product.

undefined Until next writing challenge, 

And so for a time it looked as if all the adventures were coming to an end; but that was not to be. 

― C.S. Lewis,
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe