Monday, January 2, 2012

In Which I Tell You To Bleed On The Page

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!! 

*throws confetti in your face*

*dances*

Okay, okay. Enough with the partying. Let's get serious.

*blinks*

Uh... yeah... I don't do serious very well...

So. Let's get sort of serious, shall we?

2012 is going to rock. Because I say so. Because you say so. Our wills are powerful beasts, my friends. This is true whether you've made new year's resolutions or not--either way, there are things you're going to go after this year. There were things you went after last year, right? And there are things you'll go after the year after this one. It never ends. So. With that in mind, I have a proposition for y'all. In 2012, and all the years to follow, I want you to do something: bleed on the page.

This might sound disgusting/gory/justplainwrong to some of you. I apologize for the mental picture. BUT it's not what it sounds like. When I say I want you to bleed on the page, what I mean is, whatever you write (short story/poem/novel), please write it from a place that makes you feel. It can hurt, make you laugh till you cry, or both. Doesn't matter. I want you to sit down and write something that costs you. Something that stirs the deepest parts of your core and never. Lets. Go. Most importantly, I want you to write something that forces you to pour everything that makes you you on that page. 

I'm not asking you to seek publication, or to write something suitable for publication. I'm not asking you to follow trends, or write something you think will be a trend in the coming months. 

I'm asking you to write for yourself. 

Because if you do, I might send this special surprise as a reward:





And you know what they say: NOBODY says "no" to The Skarsgard!!

Okay, okay. I made that up.

See what I mean about not doing serious very well? 

*sigh* 


Now tell me: do you have any projects ready to be bled on? Or will you start new projects this year?

11 comments:

Andrea Mack said...

This is such good advice, Amparo. This year I'm going to strive to create more writing that evokes a strong emotional response.

Anonymous said...

Whoa...this was good. Really good. You scared me...and that's a good thing. to get those chills and I don't wanna's. Means there is something there to write and bleed on the page! Thanks! Of to an awesome start you all are!

Charity Bradford said...

AMEN! This is actually my big goal for the year. Let my inner writer out of the box and write what I really want to write. I want to stop worrying about what everyone else will think and just write for myself again.

Bleeding on the page. I can't wait!

Lindsay said...

Great advice, Amparo. I'm so having "bleed on the page" next to my computer as I type! <3

NOBODY says "no" to The Skarsgard!! *fist pump*

Eliza Tilton said...

I have one WIP that I'm ready to bleed on. Let's get it started!

Leigh Ann said...

BLEED ON THE PAGE. Yes. Makes it so painful (especially if the MS gets shelved) but so so SO much more awesome. I'm putting it on the wall just like Lindsay.

I don't understand this Skarsgard obsession, but all my CPs do. Seriously, they see a picture of him and can't say anything coherent for like five minutes. So...great motivation?

(Awesome post. Thank you!)

Traci VW said...

Great advice! Let the blood flow! Or is that ink. If I write with a red pen, does that count?

Michelle McLean said...

Yep, I'm bleeding all over a bunch of pages this year :D And hey, you throw Skarsgaard at me and I'll pretty much do anything you ask ;-)

(and Leigh Anne, I'm with your CPs...took me 5 mins to get coherent enough to write this comment LOL Was too busy drooling...I mean staring at Le Skarsgaard :D )

Tasha Seegmiller said...

I need to get some more emotion into some of my characters, but haven't wanted to let myself tap into me to find them. But I'm almost done with the draft, so this is the inevitable next step to get my MC the way I want her to be.

lexcade said...

Give me Askars and I will bleed on anything you want, emote more than I've ever emoted, and feel like I've never felt before.

LinWash said...

Great post and super advice! I'm tired of keeping my manuscripts at arm's length. I want to bleed all over the page!