Wednesday, October 10, 2012

RTW: Looking forward to the future

Another Wednesday, another Road Trip! Road Trip Wednesday is a blog hop hosted by YA Highway!

This week we're talking about what we hope to be writing in one year, two years...five years..

I've started this post a number of times and really struggled with what to write.

A year from now I would love to be in the near-final stages of editing my current WIP and writing the follow up to this story- that would be ideal. I originally wanted to make my current WIP a stand alone, however from where I'm standing now, my main character's story seems to be so far from over. I don't know if it will end up as a trilogy, but I'm very against writing a book when there is no story there just to make it into a trilogy. In my mind at the moment, it seems like the story will be told after two books, and I wouldn't want to force the story just to make it into three.... but you never know what will happen!

Three years from now I would love to have my current series done and be writing more challenging stories, perhaps a historical piece (I have a few ideas for this) or an epic saga or some form... I would love to set a story in the late 1800's, either in New York or London I think. That's as far as I've got on that one though, not sure about characters or plots as of yet!

In five years, I just hope to be able to be writing something I'm passionate about. A story that gets me really excited that I can't wait to share with the world. There is one in particular I think about.... I want to make my Grandad's life into a book. He died when I was 12, however a few years before he died he wrote an autobiography on one of those really old original computers and got a number of copies bound for his friends and family. There were a few sections of the book I particularly found interesting when I was young, particularly his adventures during World War Two (even as a seven year old I was fascinated with the war). It wasn't until last year that I read the whole book in its entirety and wow, he was a really spectacular man who lived a very full and interesting life. It really is the type of story you'd see in a film or a book... and I would love to tell the world his story. I need to do him justice though, so I need to wait until I'm 100% ready before I tackle it and figure out a good way to make it into a novel. I just wish I was alive so I could probe him for more (luckily my Dad remembers a good portion of the parts after he was born so I can question him for more information!)

Ultimately I want to make sure my full time work doesn't get in the way of my writing and to be sure I don't lose my love for the craft. I would love to get to the point where I don't need a full time job, where I can just spend my days writing stories and immersing myself inside these worlds I create inside my head. That would be the ultimate.

Who knows what will happen, but it's good to dream! When it comes down to it, if I'm writing, and have stories kicking around in my head, I'll be happy. What do you think you'll be doing?

14 comments:

  1. "When it comes down to it, if I'm writing, and have stories kicking around in my head, I'll be happy." Yes! I couldn't agree more. :) And that historical about your grandfather sounds fantastic. I love historicals and even more so when I know they are inspired by or based on real people and events.

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    1. Thanks Jaime! I loved what you said in your post too, like you took the words right out of my mouth! I agree, there's something about stories that are inspired by true people and events that just have that touch of extra specialness!

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  2. First, I'm really impressed that your grandfather bothered to tell his story in the first place. Few people have that sense of how important their perspective on life is for future generations--especially those who lived through big events (such as a world war). Perhaps they feel the next generation doesn't care as much about history. I fear that may be true. But from a historical perspective, there's nothing like biography (and especially autobiography) to add color and humanity to events that tend to get treated dispassionately. I applaud your grandfather for leaving you his story.

    As to turning that story into a novel--I hope you get the chance to do it soon! But I understand your desire to do it *right*, to respect his memory. I wish you every success with that when the time comes.

    May you never lose the passion for writing, Samantha. And may the ideas keep coming. One of them will get you published. Hopefully the one you're working on. :)

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    1. Thanks Colin, your comment really means a lot - I'm impressed he bothered to tell it as well. Before I read the whole book I had no clue as to how much of an amazing person he was, how much he accomplished. He was the type of man who would have a grand scheme that everyone else would laugh at the prospect and he wouldn't rest until he saw it through. It's a shame more people don't leave their stories for others to read and learn from. Imagine if Anne Frank hadn't kept a diary, and Hitler's mistress hadn't written her experiences.... You never know how your journey and adventures will shape the future.

      I hope I get the chance soon too. It's a story I really want to tell. First things first is to finish this WIP that never seems to make any progress! Thanks for stopping by!

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  3. Keep following your passion. You have some great goals and aspirations, and I wish you the best!

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  4. I'd love to read your grandfather's story--you should write it! I love reading biographies and autobiographies, the conflict always feels so much more important when I know that someone really lived through it long enough to tell the tale.

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    1. Aw thanks Crystal! I think it is really important that I do tell it. There's so much depth to his story that will actually make for interesting reading so I think it could really work! Thanks so much for the encouragement!

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  5. Thank you for sharing about your Grandad! It would be an amazing tribute if you wrote a book about him. I think it's so important to preserve events like WWII in writing. As a mother, these are the types of stories I want to share with my son, so he'll learn to appreciate people who've made sacrifices and shaped the world we live in.

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    1. Thanks for the comment Erin! I totally agree. I barely remember my Grandad, and I certainly didn't have many one on one conversations with him before he died but I'm so grateful he wrote down his experiences to leave for the future generations! Otherwise I wouldn't have any idea! Even my Dad (his son) didn't know some of the stuff he wrote in his book. I totally agree about passing on this stories with our kids, I think history is so important in shaping who we are!

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  6. I think not losing passion for writing is the most important thing. What we write, we write with passion, though it's hard to tell what we'll be writing in the long run ;)

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    1. I agree. If you don't love it then I think that's going to shine through in the writing!

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  7. I think, based on all these comments, you have to write your grandfather's story! I love that he wrote his autobiography if just for family. My dad wrote a short story once with some of the tales from his childhood on the high, dusty plains of North Dakota and I wish he had written more.

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    1. I'll say! I'm blown away by the support, it's amazing! I think it's definitely going to become a priority! Oh wow, your dad's short story sounds awesome! The high, dusty plains of North Dakota really sounds like a great setting for a story!

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