Tag: writing

creativity

Joy today: A writing milestone

Christa Avampato

I hit a big milestone today with my latest novel and I hope it inspires all of you who are writers.

My first novel, Emerson Page and Where the Light Enters, was published two years ago after an eight year journey. For the past two years, I’ve been working bit bit on my manuscript for my second novel while working full-time and doing extra freelance work. At the end of July after a very difficult set of circumstances, I decided to strike out on my own and open up my own company with one of the main goals being to work on my some creative projects that I haven’t had the time to complete. Finishing the manuscript for my second book was my top priority, and I set what felt like an impossible goal – to finish it in the month of August.

Today I was able to hit “compile” on my manuscript writing software. (I use Scrivener if anyone is looking for a recommendation of software.) That means I feel confident enough about all the scenes and the order of them that I can now edit the entire manuscript as a single, cohesive document. I still have a lot of work to do over the next few days, but finishing it this month actually feels possible.

So here’s to setting wildly ambitious goals and then working to make them a reality! Are you writing a book? If so, I’d love to hear about it!

creativity

Joy today: Two weeks of heads-down writing

Christa Avampato

Here’s to two solid weeks of heads down writing to finish my second novel by 8/31. This weekend I completely revamped the plot line. Tough work and worth it. Don’t be afraid to do this. If what you’ve written isn’t working, toss it onto the slush pile and try again. Don’t let the good keep you from the great.

creativity

Joy today: I’ll finish writing my second novel this month

Christa Avampato

“I’m restless. Things are calling me away. My hair is being pulled by the stars again.” ~ Anaïs Nin

August is by all accounts a slow month. People go on vacation, business slows down, and we all take a collective breath before Fall. I believe in the power of radical focus so I’ll be in a very hefty period of heads down writing for the rest of the month. I know this time is an invaluable gift and I feel so fortunate. I have to put this time to the best possible use. My goal is to finish my second novel by August 31st. A story calls and I must write it.

creativity

Joy today: On the passing of Toni Morrison

Christa Avampato
Toni Morrison taught me that prose can be poetry, that struggle can lead to freedom, that you get what you give in writing and life.

She gave me 2 priceless lessons: we all have time to write and never give up. As a single mom with 2 kids, Morrison wrote her first novel, The Bluest Eye, in 15-minute increments each day because that’s all the free time she had. It took her 5 years to write it.

She kept writing despite her novel’s low sales. 3 years later, her next novel, Sula, was nominated for the National Book Award. Her following novels received mixed reviews, but she remained determined.

In 1987, 17 years after publishing her 1st novel, she won the Pulitzer. If you have a dream project, work on it bit by bit. Don’t let critics sap the joy you get from your work. Toni Morrison lived her life with passion and unending grace. She taught me to keep writing.

You were the GOAT, Ms. Morrison. How lucky we are to forever inhabit your multitude of worlds through your gorgeous books. Rest in Power, because that is what you gave all of us—the power of our own language, our own stories. What a life. What a gift.

creativity

Joy today: I received a TopShelf Magazine 2020 Book Award Nomination

Christa Avampato

46503287_10104647880412206_2671404984494456832_oI don’t know what lovely person made my day on Saturday, but they sure did. I found out that my book, Emerson Page and Where the Light Enters, was nominated for a TopShelf Magazine 2020 Book Award. I received an email with the happy news last night and I’d really like to thank the person who nominated me. If it was you, please let me know! For now, I’m just tossing copious amounts of gratitude and joy into the universe.

creativity

Joy today: Writing feedback is a gift

Christa Avampato

I wrote my first TV pilot script this month—an adaptation of my young adult novel, Emerson Page and Where the Light Enters. I’ve entered it in a few screenwriting competitions. One of those allowed the option to pay a bit more to get personalized feedback on the script. I jumped at the chance to get feedback from experts in the industry. Feedback is such a gift and so important, especially since I’m just learning how to write for this medium.

I just got the feedback and it’s 3 full pages of insights and suggestions on how to make the script stronger, specifically for TV. Immensely helpful! It scored 7.6/10 which I think is pretty good for my first TV script. I did a little dance, tossed up some sincere wishes of gratitude, and am now getting back to editing and refining. 

creativity

Joy today: My TV pilot script for Emerson Page

Christa Avampato

46503287_10104647880412206_2671404984494456832_oYesterday I clicked submit on my TV pilot script for my novel, Emerson Page and Where the Light Enters. Thanks to the encouragement of my friend and mentor, John Bucher, I sent it off to see if Emerson might have a TV life. I loved the structure and editing process of writing for TV, and am excited about all the possibilities for stories told in this medium, especially for streamers like Netflix, Amazon, and Hulu. Here’s to dreams, written and made.  

creativity

Joy today: Adapting my Emerson Page novel for television

Christa Avampato

46718934_10104658469711166_9080861620359397376_oInspired by the masterful adaptation of Good Omens on Amazon Prime (have your watched yet?!), the Masterclass with Shonda Rhimes, and encouraging tweets from my friend and mentor, John Bucher, I’m adapting my Emerson Page novel into a TV script. Given its visual nature and dialogue, I’m already halfway there! Thanks to so many of you who have loved Emerson’s story and supported my writing. It means a lot to me and this adaptation is for you! I’m about 30 pages into the 50 page pilot. I’ll finish all the editing this week and then submit it to a the screenwriting competition in L.A. that John Bucher told me about. SMH that this ideas was here all along. I never thought about it for TV until seeing Neil Gaiman’s Good Omens work. He made me realize books for TV can work!

creativity

Joy today: Talking to 4th graders about writing

Christa Avampato
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Me talking with 4th graders about writing

I had a blast chatting with a class of 4th graders via Skype yesterday about my book, Emerson Page and Where the Light Enters, about all things writing. It’s a gift to be an author and encourage young people to tell their stories. Also, teachers inspire me and are the very best humans. Amy Artl is so passionate about helping her students understand the writing and revising process. I’m glad that I could encourage them by explaining that all of the things they have to manage in their writing—finding inspiration, the struggle of editing, and dealing with conflict—are all things that every writer manages, especially me!

Yesterday was their last day of school, and Amy promised them they could finish the book before today was over. They cheered and my heart melted! Want me to chat with your school about writing via Skype or Google Hangout? I’d love to. Get in touch with me and let’s set it up!

creativity

Joy today: 2 pages a day gets a book written

Christa Avampato

Writers, are you ever overwhelmed by the enormity of your work. Hi, that’s my natural state of being all the time. I love being a writer. I love writing. And sometimes I feel the weight of my responsibility to do justice to a story to the point that I feel paralyzed.

My friend, Laurie, posted about this advice she got years ago from a writing group: write two pages every day. That’s it. Just two small pages. You don’t need whole days to write. You need tiny, focused windows on a consistent basis. One word, one sentence, one paragraph, one page at a time. In a year you’ve got a book, and a pretty big one at that.

Two pages. I can do that any day. So can you. And we will.