Write or Die.... a website to promote quick writing

Write or Die is a website made to help you write as much as you can, in as little time as you can.
Now you may be thinking, well surely then what I write will be a bunch of s**t? Yes, it may and well more than likely it will but it helps you write through the difficult writer's block parts of your novel, plus you can always edit after :D

So check it out, it's FREE though there is a desktop version you can buy but only for a mere $10

Summer of writing

It has been quite a while since I have actually both written and updated this blog, but this Summer I WILL be writing crazy.
Do yes I am on my Summer holiday, before going onto my first year of college, and well I have set myself some pretty out there goals.
I want to finish the what could be seen as obsessive planning of my story, as well as finish the first draft so I can slowly revise it during the two years of college. I have planned my story to be about 40,000 words which I am slightly dreading attempting to achieve, but I do hope to do something useful this summer. If I don't manage the 40,000 I hope to get someone close at least.

So why not join in with my obsessive writing, and set a goal for yourself this summer, maybe you can also get your first draft done.

Writing BLOCKED

So my writing blocked, is a little different from the more commonly known writer's block, I am currently in the state of mind of being able to write for hour's, but as many other people my age are currently facing I am faced with my end of school exams, and coursework deadlines. I'm currently working my butt off attempting to reach deadlines and revise whenever I possibly can find a single spare second. But the majority of them spare seconds are going to sleep and me time.
I'm stressed as hell, wanting, needing to sit down and write, but every time I pick up that pen all I can think is, no I should really be revising.
Fortunately for me as of Friday I have a  week off, time to revise but also to write. Yahoo!!!!
I will also find time to write a post for here so be on the look out!!

Planning and Preparation

Today I sorted out all my planning, and decided hey why not create a post on it.

Not everyone plans when writing a story. Every author differ's. Some do intense research and planning, to the point of basically planning it word to word, some author's will plan just the storyline and the characters, but other's will just write the book of the top of their head. It's about finding the way you as an author work.
Someone once said to me: you don't write the book, the book will write itself. My piece of advice to you is: if you have an idea, include it and work your story around it, it may change the story but it will be for the better.

So how do I plan?
Well I use an assortment of combined methods. As a person I am quite organised, therefore my planning has ended up obsessibly organised.
One of my favourite things is stationary, so I love a reason to use it all, but I currently don't have that much.
This weekend I purchased an expandable file folder, with 14 compartments, 13 of which are labelled, this is where I will be keeping all my planning.
What I labelled the compartments:

• Story Plan

This compartment holds all my plan for my story, including a spider diagram of what I want to happen in the story. A timeline of events, which is basically five pieces of paper taped together with post-it notes with notes on (I use post-it notes a lot because it gives me the ability to move or remove things, I highly recommended using them), my draft synopsis which I give to people who want to know what I'm writing about and most importantly my notebook of ideas.

• Part 1 Plan

I'm currently working on this section, right now it holds a piece of paper with post-it notes which is the outlined plan of what I want to happen. I will soon be working on writing what I want to achieve per post-it note, I'm hoping to do half a page per post-it note.

• Part 2 Plan

Same as Part 1 Plan

• Part 3 Plan

Same as Part 1 Plan

• Main Characters

I have four main characters in my story which will feature in this section. In this section holds my Character profile plans, which tells me almost everything I need to know about my character (I will make a post about this later). Also in this section holds my character folder type thing, which is three pieces of paper taped together, this holds a picture of the character (I work better with visual images when it comes to describing a place or person) and also basic facts such as favorite colour, band etc... and also family pictures. I have only done 1 of these so far and is very annoying.

• Random Characters

All my other semi-main characters will feature in this section. They will have mini-profiles  which will outline only the information needed for the characters. This section will also hold a list of characters, so I know who's who.

• Random Chapters

Occassionally I get slightly bored of writing in chronilogical order or I get a sudden bit of inspiration for a random part of my story, this will hold them.

• Research

My story features drug-taking, grieving and also some mental illnesses, none of which I have personally done or had, so I need to research what for example the symptoms of taking a drug is, this will hold notes on that kind of thing.

• Settings

I currently have no idea of where my story takes place, but this sections hold descriptions of the town I want, houses, streets or other places featured in the story.

• Notes

The Notes section currently only holds lyric's which have a significant value towards my story, which I hope to one day share, if my work becomes published. I will add other stuff in this section, for example cover design ideas.

I asked another aspiring writer, Alex from: Alex Bennett Writer and Electrifying Reviews how he plans his books and this is what he said:

Sometimes I use a whiteboard and write down ten-twenty main plot ideas before writing, sometimes I use no plan at all.

So as you can see me and Alex, alone have quite a different planning style, it's all about how you work.

Check out: Wannabe A Writer by Jane Wenham-Jones, this book is an amazing read for aspiring writers and gave me so much knowledge on how to write and what life as a writer is like.

A synopsis of my book: Love, Drugs, Knives and Lives... tell me what you think

Most teenage girls worry about who will ask them to prom, others worrying about which top to wear.
But Caitlin isn't like other girls, she's left worrying about where will her next meal come from, how she's going to afford the rent and who will leave her next.

Everyone she once knew, everyone she once loved left or betrayed her.
A once normal, happy girl, Broken! Ruined!

Follow the story of how one girl lost her...
 Family
   Friends
     Freedom and
       Mentality.... because of him, her brother and him, her once best friend.

Introduction

Like most avid readers I have always had an ambition to become an author.
To me becoming an author would be amazing, a sense of achievement. The thought of walking into my local bookstore and being welcomed by my own book on the shelf causes a shiver of excitement to run through my body. Also the thought of possibly changing a life makes me feel so proud.

From a young age I have written mountains of stories obviously not being good, but for me practise. I have always had a keen interest and have apparently surprised a few people with my creative writing ability, one being my English teacher.

The main reason I have created this blog is to not just share my story ideas, but also to get feedback off the age range im targetting. Also I think it would be great to share this experience via a journal with other aspiring writers.

My main target age is YA, but I do have a few Adult fiction ideas.