Hey there! Ever wonder what the steps are like for writers to take that trashcan fire of a first draft and turn it into something beautiful? Well buckle up, because we’re about to go on a five week adventure from word one to polished draft at the end through a blogging spree for Writer In Motion. Kick off to this project is June 1st.
Here’s how it’s going to work: we start with a prompt provided to us by the Great Gif Warrior Jeni Chappelle. We get a week to write a 500 word short story and then we share it. Lovely flaws and all because there’s no editing allowed. Over the next week we’ll self-edit those smoldering words into something a bit more presentable and post it once more. Then we critique two other participants work, offering feedback to help those stories shine more. Participants will take those comments and get to work before, you guessed it, posting once again. After this it goes to one of the editors, either Jeni Chappelle or Carly Hayward, for a final round of critiquing. We make those changes and share our diamond-sparkling stories with you all.
Be sure to follow along on Twitter with #WriterInMotion and at each person’s blog. At the very end of this project some of us will be giving away some critiquing related goodies! I’m throwing my hat in the ring too.
THE PLAYERS:
2. Jen Karner
4. J.M. Jinks
5. Melissa Bergum
6. Thuy Nguyen
7. Kristen Howe
9. Sean Willson
10. Paulette Wiles
11. Talynn
12. Ellen Mulholland
THE WORD GODS:
Now that you know what to expect, here’s a little be about me. I’m a Wisconsinite born and bred, pass the cheese and Brandy Old Fashioned Sweets, but hold the beer. Among the many things I am, I’m a wife, a mommer to a toddler who wants to grow big enough to touch the sky, and a case manager for children and adolescents with severe and persistent mental health needs.
I enjoy spending time with family and friends, watching anime, playing games (video, board, tabletop), and, of course, writing. I’m diving back into the reading thing, devouring books when I can.
Writing-wise I’ve technically been writing since middle school, but got more serious about it once I started undergraduate school with creative writing courses. I’ve participated in NaNoWriMo too many times, but that doesn’t seem to stop me from coming back almost every year since starting in 2009 (the one year I skipped was the November after my daughter was born). You can find a short story of mine and an excerpt featured on Ghoul Intentions, a podcast created by two awesome voice actors, J. Michael Tatum and Jamie Marchi, on episodes three and five. Check ‘em out. Heck check out the whole podcast, it’s ghoulishly great! I’m working on converting from a pantser to at least a plantser, I don’t think I can ever go full plotter because I like my characters to take the wheel when they’ve got their own adventure to go on. It’s still a work in progress, but someday I’ll get there.
Thank you for joining us here at #WriterInMotion, I hope you enjoy the ride and maybe learn a thing or two along the way. I’m sure I will.
And always remember: follow the adventure. (Please note all of these posts are reposted from K.J. Harrowick's website where I originally posted them in 2019 as I didn't have a blog!)
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