Thursday, July 23, 2015

Writing Consistently By Terri Weldon

Terri Weldon
Well, here I am on the wrong Thursday again. A special thanks to Dora for her flexibility and kindness in switching with me. While I’m writing this I know my sister will be in surgery as you read the post on Thursday morning. Please say a prayer for a successful surgery and swift recovery.

Recently, I wrote a complete book in what felt like a very short amount of time – at least to me. I won’t deny the pace was grueling and there were times I wondered if I would ever finish something worth reading in such a short timeframe. I’m pleased to say I did finish and while it might or might not find a home, I had an epiphany as I wrote the novel. Writing consistently makes you a better writer. I know, you’ve heard that a million times before. So had I, but while writing this project I experienced the reality of it firsthand.

To finish my book and edit it in the allotted time, I had to write boo coos of words fast. What I discovered was the more I wrote, the easier it became to hop into my character’s head. Their voices came naturally, and I knew how they’d react in the harrowing situations they’d face in this romantic suspense novel.

Don’t get me wrong, like all characters they refused to stick to the synopsis I’d written 100%. Seems they had a mind of their own and they weren’t afraid to let me know when they didn’t like my original plan. But let’s face it, when have your characters done everything according to plan? Mine never do. They seem to think they know best.

Would I want to write all my manuscripts at the breakneck pace required to finish this one? NEVER! I think sleep deprivation would do me in. However, as I’m plotting the sequel to the book I just finished, I do want to meet a specific word count every day. I do want to write faster than I have in the past. I do want to write consistently, it reduced the amount of editing required. So regardless of what happens with this story, I’ve learned an invaluable lesson that will help me grow as a writer.

How about you? Do you write consistently? If so, has writing consistently improved your writing? If not, would you be willing to give it a try for two weeks and let me know how it goes? I’d love to hear your responses so leave a comment about your experiences.
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Misty Winslow is determined to find her prince, and she meets the man of her dreams through an Internet dating service. Or is he, because the new dentist in town also sets her heart aflutter.

It's love at first sight for Tyler Davenport, but before he can finish his first root canal, Misty is involved in an exclusive online romance with Wes99—Tyler’s online persona. How can he tell her he’s the man she’s been waiting to meet, and how rational is it for him to be jealous of Wes99! Soon Tyler's pulling out all the stops to woo Misty.

As Christmas approaches, Wes99 and Tyler both ask her to meet them under the mistletoe. Which man will she choose?

Terri is a lead analyst by day and an author by night. She enjoys gardening, reading, and playing in the hand bell choir. One of her favorite pastimes is volunteering as the librarian at her church. It allows her to shop for books and spend someone else’s money! Plus, she has the great joy of introducing people to Christian fiction.

She lives with her family in Oklahoma. Terri has three dogs – a lovable mutt and two adorable Westies.

Terri is a member of ACFW and OCFW, a local chapter of ACFW. Her dream of becoming a published novelist came true in November 2013 when Mistletoe Magic, released from White Rose Publishing. To learn more about Terri visit her website at www.TerriWeldon.com.