My FaceBook Digest

I realized today as I was visiting my FaceBook groups that I leave a lot of advice around and decided, hmmm, these could all be turned into craft essays.  But then I thought, good grief, like I don't have enough to do already!  So I maybe when I write a bit I like or feel strongly about, I'll just put it here since I don't really do much with my blog anyway.  I invited anyone who wants to comment to do so! 

At  EDF's Roundtable

Raymond Daley 

How do you deal with a story you don't have an end for? Do you keep it in the hope you'll think of one in the near future or do you abandon it?I've got so much stuff I've started with great ideas that just ran out of steam or eventually turned out not to have legs to stand alone.It's depressing. It's enough to put a writer off writing.
Thoughts? Suggestions?

What I said: 

Set aside, don't abandon, because although not every story ends up being something that you care about, most of them can be "saved."  They are saved when they are set aside for a period of time (an hour, a day, an month) and reread as if written by someone else.  They can be saved by asking specific questions such as what does my character want? what does he fear? what stands in her way? what do I want her to learn?  They can be saved by research.  Google the setting, find key words and look up synonyms. go to wikipedia and check out personality types.  

Go here to find out what others have said:  EDF's Roundtable

AtFlash Fiction Chronicles New and Emerging Writers Group

BonnieZoBell  

I seem to be a kind of binge writer. I can go for long periods of time, days, months, a year, and write every spare second I have. Right now I don’t seem to be writing very much.

What I said:

A friend of mine called me a binge writer and in some ways that's true. Really though I'm at my computer every day for the most part. The thing is I always have several things going at the same time and so my output is somewhat erratic. I've also had a terrible habit of sending things out too soon and I'm trying to curb that impulse. Usually I will be working on all these different things and then I'll get pissed off at one of them because I haven't been able to get it right and I'll say, okay, I don't care if it's shit or not I'm going to finish this sucker today and that's when I make the most progress, But it's never done. Nothing for me is ever done. Every one of my stories for my chapbook has been rewritten to some degree or another. 

Go here to find out what others have said: Flash Fiction Chronicles New and Emerging Writers Group