Writings

Welcome!

I am a writer.  I dream of stories in fiction, and daylight often gives non-fiction ideas.

In fiction my current work, Salvage, is in the science fiction genre, while other works planned are in mainstream and children’s fiction.

In nonfiction, I have authored articles on a variety of subjects and blog posts related to the craft and business of writing.

Back to Work: Part 1

by Cindy Rae

Thinking Outside the Box

Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us;
And confirm for us the work of our hands;
Yes, confirm the work of our hands.

Psalm 90:17

Introduction

Re-entering the workforce can seem daunting. But, take heart – God is with you.

More options than ever before exist to work remotely, working from home or elsewhere.

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Plotting vs. Pantsing: The Tension Between Overkill with Moving Forward

by Cindy Rae

Certain writers fall securely into the plotter camp, while others write off-the-cuff. I jump back and forth between camps. And, at times, it’s wearying.

With Salvage, I’m really trying to plan my scenes more than before. I’m using a free airtable account to track my scene data, but it’s possible that it’s moving from useful planning to overkill.

So, just to dive in and write new scenes seems a little like wandering in a field of corn on a dark night (I come from a long line of Iowa corn farmers, and I live in Nebraska; the simile works for me).

Yet, after a certain level of planning and scene data, it’s like wandering through a very crowded cereal aisle, trying to figure out what take off the shelf.

So, I’m spending too much time trying to get the scene data just as I want it, and too little time moving Salvage forward.

What’s the right balance?

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Craft Links: Scenes

by Cindy Rae
  1. Sometimes you just need to get the scene out, in rough form.
  2. But, if you’re more a planner, you can try beat sheets.
  3. Found a solid, basic article on the two basic levels of scene structure
  4. Need a stronger opening for your scene? Jane Friedman’s article on 4 Key Ways to Launch a Scene is a good one.
  5. When you’re ready to add depth, Jodie Renner has excellent advice.

Business Plan Overview

by Cindy Rae

Will this post help you with the business side of writing?

Despite my oh-so-limited time to spend on anything writing related, I am treating my writing as a business. I’ve had a business plan from the beginning. Not a professional, capture-venture-capital kind of business plan, but a comprehensive guide to my own efforts to be successful. It’s an ever-evolving document as I flesh out details.

This is the first in a series of posts about my business plan. Hope it helps!

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Scene Planning

by Cindy Rae

As I learn more and more about the craft of writing, I find myself laying out more and more elements for a scene: structure, story elements, plot elements, emotion beats, even Kowal’s yes-but and no-and strategy she mentions on Writing Excuses (Jill Williamson describes it here).

To wrap my brain around it, I turned to Scrivener and fell in love, yet over time it felt clunky and awkward. I waited for Scrivener 3 for Windows with greedy anticipation. And waited and waited…

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