Wendy Parciak

Writer and career multi-tasker, with obsessions for MG--speculative / grounded fantasy & lit fic, music (Juilliard, cello), ecology (PhD), & dogs (agility trainer), http://kidseyebooks.com, http://wendyparciak.com., https://happytales.substack.com/
#WritingCommunity, #writers, #WritersofMastodon

Public Key

npub18zlghdscupjr2g77xwxuhtkldzcylnzg7u4kmkke5yv64mt8z69qwpc5tu

NIP-05 Address

wendyparciak_at_mindly.social@mostr.pub

Profile Code

nprofile1qqsr305tkcvwqep4y00r8rwt4m0k3vz0e3y0w2mdmtv6zxd2a4n3dzspz4mhxue69uhhyetvv9ujumt0wd68ytnsw43qlzf3pp

Publishing to

relay.mostr.pub

Author Public Key

npub18zlghdscupjr2g77xwxuhtkldzcylnzg7u4kmkke5yv64mt8z69qwpc5tu

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Last Notes

2024-07-17 13:28:20

Do your political views surface in your writing? Mine do not overtly, but they're always present as an undercurrent. I don't think I could write stories that are true to myself otherwise.
#WritingCommunity #writing

2024-06-19 12:39:36

Do you make your characters sweat in the heat or freeze in the cold - or physically suffer in another way?
Since I'm almost always cold, mine are usually shivering and trying to find another layer to wear.
#WritingCommunity #writing

2024-05-07 14:10:22

I think I must have been a plant in a former life, because the color green predominates through my stories. Do you have a color that adds depth to yours?
#WritingCommunity #writing

2024-02-06 17:12:28

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@npub1j0f…wj55 I would equate "spine" with theme (but I like "spine" better).

2024-02-06 17:11:32

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@npub1ggh…ykhp This sounds like a good general framework for any story!

2024-02-06 12:40:07

What's your most important goal when drafting a story? For me, it's finding a character's chief desire -- the one that supersedes all others and drive them through the story.
#WritingCommunity #writing

2024-02-02 15:25:59

When a million things are running through your mind, how do you regain your focus?
I'm about to attempt that by strapping on my ice cleats and heading up into the wintry hills. Works wonderfully every time!
#WritingCommunity #writing

2023-12-16 14:06:33

Like the repertoire of a painter or composer, do your stories have a common voice?
I like to think that mine are written in the vivid swirls of Van Gogh, the deep blue fairy tales of Chagall, and with the passion of a Beethoven symphony.
#WritingCommunity #writing

2023-12-15 13:21:25

If I'm prevented from writing, I start to turn feral, with fur, sharp canines, and an urgent gnawing hunger...
#WritingCommunity #writing

2023-12-13 14:10:37

Is your writing desk cluttered or spare?
Mine's somewhere in between. I like to be tidy, but can't seem to help letting the contents of my brain spill out into miscellaneous scraps of paper.
#WritingCommunity #writing

2023-12-10 17:39:09

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@npub1fge…swrx Love it!

2023-12-10 15:01:18

When life challenges get so huge that you just can't wrap your head around them, it's best to take a step back, relax, and consider things one at a time.
--advice from my MC to me
Has your character ever provided you with helpful counsel?
#WritingCommunity #writing

2023-12-10 01:40:37

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@npub1j0f…wj55 that sounds impossible!

2023-12-09 13:42:33

I think a lot about my favorite parts of writing (Finishing Draft 1! Revising!), and it occurred to me I need to put household chores in the same positive light. My Favorite Chore? Dishwashing! (warms up my hands)
What chore's at the top of your list?
#WritingCommunity #writing

2023-12-07 13:41:46

I love it when a story turns a character's biggest flaw into a positive trait.
My MC's inability to focus, for example, helps her to think outside the box.
#WritingCommunity #writing

2023-12-06 17:14:33

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@npub1s9z…9g85 Yes to all of this!

2023-12-06 12:46:57

It's so liberating to realize that stuff is just stuff. The only things that really matter are the people & animals around us, the natural world ... and the stories in our heads.
#WritingCommunity #writing

2023-12-03 15:19:06

The best thing about revision: playing psychotherapist with your characters. Who else is gonna ensure their feelings are clear and their motivations understandable?
#WritingCommunity #writing

2023-11-29 14:20:54

Dangit, life is getting in the way, meaning no time for writing. I don't feel like a whole person if I can't write or at least do a little editing!
If you have a way to maintain your sanity in this situation, I'd love to hear it.
#WritingCommunity #writing

2023-11-28 15:34:06

I had one of those nights where my head was spinning for hours. But if I can get it down on paper, it'll be worth it.
#WritingCommunity #writing

2023-10-08 22:06:24

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@npub1ggh…ykhp That's a great word "game." Very intellectual!

2023-10-08 12:12:01

Just curious how many writers are addicted to word games. I'm thinking there's got to be a correlation. (Scrabble for me)
#WritingCommunity #writing

2023-09-26 13:50:21

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@npub1fgl…4jl4 Ah, thanks. I've got a couple critique groups, but what I really want is to get some stuff published!

2023-09-26 12:55:42

Last night I had a writerly meltdown in which I despaired of ever getting my stuff in front of readers. Sometimes the "write for myself" attitude starts to feel mighty lonely...
#WritingCommunity #writing

2023-09-15 13:25:51

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@npub1j3t…lpue All great reasons!

2023-09-15 13:25:28

Every time I start a new WIP, I feel like I can't remember how to write. But I remind myself that I need to push through a few chapters & it'll get easier. That happened for me yesterday.
The moral? It can be a struggle - but the flow will return!
#WritingCommunity #writing

2023-09-14 11:39:34

What makes a writer? We all learn how to write when we're kids - so what is it that turns us into obsessive brain-to-paper (or screen) machines? Is it a driving need to share our thoughts? A desire to produce a creative work? What's your take on it?
#WritingCommunity #writing

2023-09-11 13:25:23

As much as I'd love to say that every character's voice flows out with no effort on my part, this would not be true. Most of them take careful thought and lots of effort before they're fully formed on the page.
How about yours?
#WritingCommunity #writing

2023-09-10 18:02:11

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@npub1nqv…c7t5 I believe I've done all of those things as well!

2023-09-10 12:39:34

What do you do when you hit a wall in writing your story?
I go for a walk. Whether it's in a giant corky red pine, an expanse of bright sky, or a stranger I pass on the trail, a door invariably opens somewhere and lets me through.
#WritingCommunity #writing

2023-09-09 12:40:37

Do your sidekick characters ever threaten to take over the story? Mine do ALL THE TIME. It's a constant struggle to keep my MC the most interesting one.
#WritingCommunity #writing

2023-09-02 12:34:01

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@npub1q32…xgsx it's never as fun when it's someone else's idea.

2023-09-02 10:59:36

The crack of dawn is aptly named. I leap out of bed as if shot by a cannon, ready to face the day. Even on a weekend.
Are you a morning writer, too?
#WritingCommunity #writing

2023-09-01 10:12:44

The only thing certain in life is change. I feel like some of my MCs are much better at dealing with this than I am!
#WritingCommunity #writing

2023-08-31 15:33:51

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@npub1gw6…n8fd Yep, I find that I deviate from the structure a lot along the way, depending on the needs of the characters.

2023-08-31 10:20:02

How much do you think about plot structure while you're writing? E.g., are you a Hero's Journey / Save-the-Cat kind of person?
Once I'm done outlining and start writing, everything falls away but the present scene. Structure'll get revisited later...
#WritingCommunity #writing

2023-08-30 13:54:55

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@npub1rnp…sg2k haha, that's the way to do it!

2023-08-30 10:55:54

The wind batters the bluff, shifting the waves ever closer to the house. I used to rail against it but lately I've come to accept it. Kind of like fighting with my characters until I realize that their way is the only way forward.
#WritingCommunity #writing

2023-08-27 10:58:14

The zing in the air today reminds me that change is as essential as breathing, even when I don't always welcome it. Does your MC experience a strong arc, both internally and externally?
#WritingCommunity #writing

2023-08-27 01:34:07

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@npub16cj…lzaw I love that image!

2023-08-26 12:59:12

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@npub1y8q…2m7d It was a lovely spot he chose, indeed.

2023-08-26 10:02:30

A big raccoon inexplicably lay down and died on the lawn yesterday. I like to think he chose that peaceful spot with the care I take in choosing words.
We dug a hole right there for him and sent him on his way.
#WritingCommunity #writing

2023-08-26 10:02:25

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@npub1sw6…mklv Great idea and one I may very well take up.

2023-08-21 11:11:45

3rd person POV: Do you use limited or omniscient?
For my 3rd-person MG stories, I always use a limited POV. One of these years, however, I'd love to try creating a convincing narrator in omnisicent POV.
#WritingCommunity #writing

2023-08-20 10:29:55

There's something very satisfying about being able to provide another writer with a positive yet helpful critique of their work. It gives me almost as much joy as working on my own stuff.
Do you exchange critiques with others?
#WritingCommunity #writing

2023-08-16 10:57:30

I just realized that I define "success" as getting one's book published. But maybe success is simply writing the book in the first place. I might need to re-think this.
As a writer, what does success mean to you?
#WritingCommunity #writing

2023-08-15 09:42:17

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@npub1arr…uugh That's what I thought, too!

2023-08-15 09:41:45

I love hearing about people's publishing stories - but sometimes wonder if I'll ever emerge from my writing cave enough to succeed at that part.
Speak truthfully now, Published Authors -- do you enjoy the publication stage as much as the writing?
#WritingCommunity #writing

2023-08-13 10:59:21

A long-time, reputable agent told me she didn't think "speculative Middle-Grade" fiction was really a thing, as I'd described my book in my query.
Huh? Should I take this remark seriously?
#WritingCommunity #writing

2023-08-06 09:37:52

THEME: Where does this become clear in your stories? Do you have trouble articulating it?
Following Jessica Brody's advice, I have a secondary character state it in an early chapter. Doing so forces me to figure out what it really is!
#WritingCommunity #writing