Brittany Maresh

writer

I’m fighting back my Evil Tendencies (yes, I do have them) and not talking about NaNoWriMo, this time. I’d love to gush about being behind on my word count goal (which is not 50,000 words), or to lament about the quality, but I won’t.

I’m not ashamed to be behind on my goal–the goal was a challenge, and I set it unreasonably high on purpose.  The quality of the writing is not top-notch, but some scenes are downright moving.  First drafts are like that, like geodes, in today’s comparison, because I’ve got a geode in the scene I’m writing.

We’ll see how the story turns up–if it’s something I can polish and shine and work into something that’s ready to be queried.  Maybe it’s just a pretty flash, and all my hard work will make fool’s gold.  Maybe not.  That’s for future worries.

Today, I’m just marveling at the process of writing as a group.  It’s strange, and in a way entirely comforting.  You’re surrounded by three other people on laptops–and one with a notebook, usually, and another who has an envy-inspiring typewriter.  You’re all focused inward, on your own stories.  And maybe you IM each other (we do, at least), and maybe all writing stops as someone slaps their forehead.  Until I saw it earlier today, I didn’t really think it was one of those things people really did, while writing, but lo and behold, it is.  Discussion goes for a few minutes, working out a plot kink, discussing a character trait, contemplating the flash point of human beings, and then work resumes.

It’s less lonely, and less daring, but every once in a while, it’s a nice break from the isolated process we usually undergo.  At least, I think it is. But what do I know?  I don’t write a synopsis ahead of time, and I couldn’t outline to save my life.  At least, not beforehand.

-Brittany Maresh, attempting to procrastinate and finding a measure of success

I promised myself I would try and update, so here I am, updating. Peculiar, that.

For those of you who are fans of Amelia Atwater Rhodes, she’s got this crazy game going on her forums.  It’s a lot of fun, and I think reflects her brilliant sense of humor.  I’m NotAnotherExit there, for the curious, and I’ll give you three guesses who I’m cheering for in this happy little game!

My writing group has had a change of location, right when I needed the stability the most. I was finishing this story or going to die trying, when quite suddenly our meeting spot closed down.  I’m not sure how I feel about our temporary location, other than that I hope it remains temporary.  It’s a bit more… literary.  Artsy?  The feeling is less home-town and warmth, more art gallery, at any rate.  We will see if I get used to it before October 6, when our usual location re-opens.

On a thrilling and exciting note, my friend Tracy Woelfel just got a short story published in Lilith Unbound, an anthology edited by the stunning Elaine Cunningham of WotC fame and published through Popcorn Press.

Happy Harvest Season,

Brittany Maresh

I was a huge X-Files fan as a child.   Lately, it’s where I’m drawing inspiration from.  Not to say I have aliens anywhere in my worlds, or conspiracies.  It’s more that I like the dynamics.  The character struggles. It makes me want to tinker and play with my latest chapters.  It’s the mechanics of faith versus a lack there of.  Scully doesn’t believe.  Mulder believes.  I have a similar pair in my world.

On another front, I’m trying to convince my writing group that we need to do another retreat.  Something where we sequester ourselves away and don’t let ourselves eat until we’ve finished a query letter.  Or, at least, until I’ve finished a query letter.

And besides, we can use the time to discuss NaNoWriMo!

-Bri