One Year

So... hi. As you can see from this blog, I'm not dead, even though my last blog post was months ago. I've been pretty busy lately (and still am), which is why there's been a severe lack of updates and whatnot. It's been a year since I first published Follow the Melody, and since then, it has gotten more favorites and upvotes than I had originally anticipated. Over the past year, I've learned a lot about writing and even got to know some cool people over this site. I can't believe a simple idea in my head led to me becoming a writer. I mean, seriously? I used to hate writing in any form--the keyword there being used to. The me back then wouldn't even pick up a book unless compelled to do so.

Anyway, back to what I was saying before. Follow the Melody was the first story I ever wrote. A lot of things have changed since I first wrote that story, including my taste in fiction. Going back to my story and reading it now, I can clearly see that I had no idea where I was going with the story. I pretty much just filled a hat full of ideas, grabbed a handful of those ideas, and slapped them onto a document and made words without really knowing what I was doing. I don't even remember if I had a plot going on... So yeah, I can't help but cringe at what I wrote, not because I had horrible grammar (though when I went back to revise, there were numerous grammatical errors and lots of awkwardly phrased sentences) but because the idea doesn't seem as appealing as it did back then. This basically sums up why the story has been on a long hiatus; I just lost interest in the current plot is has now. Will I ever get back to it? Maybe someday, but this story is going to need more than just duct tape to fix it, so I don't know when. So, sorry about the lack of activity.

Other stories I'm currently working on, or story I should say, is Cutting Strings, which took way too long to publish the last chapter (approximately two to three months). Here's the thing about editing your own story. After going through it once, you'd think, "Finally, it should be good now."

But then, a thought creeps into your mind saying, "Are you sure it's good now?"

And then, you go, "Hmm, maybe I should check it just one more time."

All of a sudden, you start finding mistakes you never caught on the first run through. But then it gets late, so you hold off publishing the story for a few more days. When you finally come back to it, you re-read what you wrote, and all of sudden, you go: "Huh? Wait, this doesn't sound right." You read your sentences out loud, and you become aware that the dialogue sounds very unnatural. "Great, now I have to redo some of the dialogue."

So you fix the dialogue, and while you're at it, you fix some awkward sentences along the way, maybe embellish some scenes and use some literary devices and rhetorical techniques to improve the story telling. After fiddling around with syntax, you think you're finally finished. It looks great in your eyes, but then again, your eyes aren't reliable. But wait, there's a solution for that! Find someone who's interested to look at it. Scour the internet for those brave enough to take on the challenge of reading your story and offering insightful critique. At long last, you find someone willing (by the way, thanks guys). You thank the heavens that someone was able to clean up your pile of horse words and help you make your story decent.

"Are you done now?" asks that little part of your brain that's been begging to see the view counter go up.

You think you're done, and just when you're about to press the "publish" button. You stop. You remember that editors and pre-readers are human too. Shocking, right? Maybe one more look can't hurt. Then, the vicious cycle of reading and editing starts all over again in an attempt to create something perfect--that unattainable perfection. Then again, nothing is ever perfect, like the moon that people once believed was perfectly round. Thanks Galileo. Way to ruin that perfect image... Yet, we still look at the moon and admire its natural beauty despite its imperfections and crater-covered face.

Wow, I really digressed from what I was talking about. Getting back on track to my status, it's a long process for me to writing something. My weekly story update became two weeks, which slowly becomes three weeks, then a month, then three months... You get the idea. I probably shouldn't have written so many stories, but my brain can't stay on one story too long! I go nuts, especially with my process of writing a story! Not only that, but I also draw my own cover art, and some of them could really use a new one. With real life filling up most of my time, I don't have much time on my hands as I used to.

And speaking of real life, I should end my blog here. Thanks for the follows and favorites, likes and comments.

Comments

[MasterFrasca]

Thanks for sticking with your stuff and not just abandoning it, Astro. You do well. Keep at it.