something exciting happened this week.
this week, when someone asked me when my book was coming out, i was able to say THIS YEAR!
when i sold the book in October of 2010, "this year" seemed so far away. but suddenly, here it is!
suddenly.
i never thought i'd use that word on this journey. so much of publishing is about waiting and being patient and clicking refresh and watching the clock tick away ever so slowly. if you are at any stage of the waiting game, i just wanted to let you know that sometimes it feels like "suddenly," and one day you go from counting the years to counting the months.
before i know it, i'll be counting the days, and i'm actually okay with waiting for that countdown. i have high expectations for 2012, and i want to enjoy every minute. i hope your own 2012 is filled with some "suddenly" in between all the waiting!
Showing posts with label time. Show all posts
Showing posts with label time. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Thursday, September 1, 2011
let's get loud
you know what you should do when you just finished revisions for your editor and probably have another round coming soon? when the next item on your list is to polish up your newest manuscript so your agent can submit that baby? when you're way behind on chores and have been neglecting your boyfriend and your dog and your friends and especially neglecting that alleged "next" book idea that you've been sitting on for over a year? YOU KNOW WHAT YOU SHOULD DO THEN??
you should totally start writing something new.
...and by should, i mean absolutely definitely should NOT!
but inspiration is a pain in the ass like that. it comes up at the most inconvenient times, and for me, it usually comes in screaming.
there's an idea that's been cooking in the back of my brain for awhile, but i've been ignoring it, because it wasn't part of the plan. (the plan being to dutifully edit BUTTER, then revise and submit BILLY D, then hopefully spend my beloved NaNo month drafting GRIM and then pay attention to the voices in my head.)
i like things to be linear, see. i like to be on a schedule.
but the left and right side of my brains are always warring on this point, and sometimes the creative voice wins out over the logical one.
so despite my best efforts to ignore the voices... i somehow ended up with 20 minutes worth of voice recordings, 3 lined sheets of paper packed with notes, a scene-by-scene outline and a brand new book file on my laptop.
that seems to have silenced the cacophony in my brain for now, but i'm really looking forward to a time very soon when i can return to this story and say to my characters - let's Get LOUD!
you should totally start writing something new.
...and by should, i mean absolutely definitely should NOT!
but inspiration is a pain in the ass like that. it comes up at the most inconvenient times, and for me, it usually comes in screaming.
there's an idea that's been cooking in the back of my brain for awhile, but i've been ignoring it, because it wasn't part of the plan. (the plan being to dutifully edit BUTTER, then revise and submit BILLY D, then hopefully spend my beloved NaNo month drafting GRIM and then pay attention to the voices in my head.)
i like things to be linear, see. i like to be on a schedule.
but the left and right side of my brains are always warring on this point, and sometimes the creative voice wins out over the logical one.
so despite my best efforts to ignore the voices... i somehow ended up with 20 minutes worth of voice recordings, 3 lined sheets of paper packed with notes, a scene-by-scene outline and a brand new book file on my laptop.
that seems to have silenced the cacophony in my brain for now, but i'm really looking forward to a time very soon when i can return to this story and say to my characters - let's Get LOUD!
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
making the time to write
Inquisitive friend/family member/acquaintance/stranger: How do you find the time to write?
Me: You make the time.
sounds simple enough, right?
take a few minutes, sprinkle in some seconds and a big helping of hours... and voila! you've made time.
or if you're not so great at following recipes, you can do as your friend/family member/acquaintance/stranger suggested and find the time. maybe time just slipped in between your couch cushions or got pushed under the bed. really, it has to be around here somewhere...
no?
yeah, making and finding time hasn't really worked for me either. here's why:
there are only 24 hours in a day.
there's just no getting around it. i have personally tried to squeeze an extra few minutes out of that last hour of the day, and still the clock flips to Midnight, and a new day begins.
see, when we writers tell people we "make time" to write, what we're really saying is:
we make sacrifices; we make tough choices; we make ourselves sick from lack of sleep.
if you're anything like me, you have a day job that makes it impossible for you to write for 9 hours out of the day. you also require a minimum amount of sleep. (for me this is about 6 hours a night with the occasional good solid 9-hour slumber thrown in to catch up.) it's also hard to avoid about 2 hours each day of eating, driving, attending to personal hygiene. (please do not neglect the hygiene, i beg of you.)
so we're up to what? 17 hours out of 24 gone. well that leaves a full 7 hours! surely that's plenty of time to write.
yes, by all means spend your 7 hours writing.
OR - start subtracting the time you spend:
attending your children's dance recitals and sporting events, talking on the phone to family and dear friends, paying bills, cleaning your home, running errands... those 7 hours are disappearing right before your eyes.
making/finding time to write is HARD, and you have my empathy. it's all about figuring out a schedule that works for you. maybe one day you spend your 7 free hours running errands and doing chores. another day or 2 or 3, it's all about attending to your family. but some days - some days - you will find that those 7 hours are wide open. and then you have to choose. you can spend those hours catching up with your TIVO, connecting with people on social media, playing your favorite video game, lounging by a pool, reading, working out.... the list is endless.
but at some point, you have to choose writing.
and to make this choice, you should enjoy writing as much as you enjoy all of those other things. it doesn't have to be your top priority (like family - or hygiene!), but it should be A priority.
for example, i love TV. i mean, i looooooove TV. whenever Handsome suggests we cancel cable, i get a clutch in my chest. don't take away my TV! but i am equally entertained - and a hell of a lot more fulfilled - by writing. so about 80% of the time, i will choose writing over television. that means, while i TIVO my soap opera daily, i only watch one episode a week and delete the rest. other shows have been wiped from the recording schedule altogether.
as a writer, cutting back on TV was my first step toward making time, and i've never regretted it.
i've also sacrificed having a spotlessly clean house. "picked up" and "not obviously dusty" are now good enough.
i let my roses get 5 feet tall before trimming instead of obsessively sculpting them at a perfect 3 feet every few weeks.
i found the time to write in my rose bushes and under the pile of dishes in the sink.
and still i don't write every day. heck, i don't even write every week. i take long breaks between drafts to catch up on life and recharge the creative batteries. and i don't beat myself up about it. i know i am capable of choosing to write, so i give myself permission to sometimes choose something else instead.
holy long-winded post!
all of this is to say... whatever sacrifices you are making, however you are stealing your moments, you are doing OKAY! you don't have to write as often as anyone else. you don't have to feel guilty for sometimes choosing yourself over your characters. as long as you are making some time to write, you are on a good path. some days you'll find more time, some days less, but set your own pace. and - above all - write as often as you need to to scratch that creative itch, but only as often as you can and still love it. make the time to write because you want to.
Inquisitive friend/family member/acquaintance/stranger: But how do you make the time?
Me: *sigh* Let's just say I borrowed this time turner from my friend Hermione...
Me: You make the time.
sounds simple enough, right?
take a few minutes, sprinkle in some seconds and a big helping of hours... and voila! you've made time.
or if you're not so great at following recipes, you can do as your friend/family member/acquaintance/stranger suggested and find the time. maybe time just slipped in between your couch cushions or got pushed under the bed. really, it has to be around here somewhere...
no?
yeah, making and finding time hasn't really worked for me either. here's why:
there are only 24 hours in a day.
there's just no getting around it. i have personally tried to squeeze an extra few minutes out of that last hour of the day, and still the clock flips to Midnight, and a new day begins.
see, when we writers tell people we "make time" to write, what we're really saying is:
we make sacrifices; we make tough choices; we make ourselves sick from lack of sleep.
if you're anything like me, you have a day job that makes it impossible for you to write for 9 hours out of the day. you also require a minimum amount of sleep. (for me this is about 6 hours a night with the occasional good solid 9-hour slumber thrown in to catch up.) it's also hard to avoid about 2 hours each day of eating, driving, attending to personal hygiene. (please do not neglect the hygiene, i beg of you.)
so we're up to what? 17 hours out of 24 gone. well that leaves a full 7 hours! surely that's plenty of time to write.
yes, by all means spend your 7 hours writing.
OR - start subtracting the time you spend:
attending your children's dance recitals and sporting events, talking on the phone to family and dear friends, paying bills, cleaning your home, running errands... those 7 hours are disappearing right before your eyes.
making/finding time to write is HARD, and you have my empathy. it's all about figuring out a schedule that works for you. maybe one day you spend your 7 free hours running errands and doing chores. another day or 2 or 3, it's all about attending to your family. but some days - some days - you will find that those 7 hours are wide open. and then you have to choose. you can spend those hours catching up with your TIVO, connecting with people on social media, playing your favorite video game, lounging by a pool, reading, working out.... the list is endless.
but at some point, you have to choose writing.
and to make this choice, you should enjoy writing as much as you enjoy all of those other things. it doesn't have to be your top priority (like family - or hygiene!), but it should be A priority.
for example, i love TV. i mean, i looooooove TV. whenever Handsome suggests we cancel cable, i get a clutch in my chest. don't take away my TV! but i am equally entertained - and a hell of a lot more fulfilled - by writing. so about 80% of the time, i will choose writing over television. that means, while i TIVO my soap opera daily, i only watch one episode a week and delete the rest. other shows have been wiped from the recording schedule altogether.
as a writer, cutting back on TV was my first step toward making time, and i've never regretted it.
i've also sacrificed having a spotlessly clean house. "picked up" and "not obviously dusty" are now good enough.
i let my roses get 5 feet tall before trimming instead of obsessively sculpting them at a perfect 3 feet every few weeks.
i found the time to write in my rose bushes and under the pile of dishes in the sink.
and still i don't write every day. heck, i don't even write every week. i take long breaks between drafts to catch up on life and recharge the creative batteries. and i don't beat myself up about it. i know i am capable of choosing to write, so i give myself permission to sometimes choose something else instead.
holy long-winded post!
all of this is to say... whatever sacrifices you are making, however you are stealing your moments, you are doing OKAY! you don't have to write as often as anyone else. you don't have to feel guilty for sometimes choosing yourself over your characters. as long as you are making some time to write, you are on a good path. some days you'll find more time, some days less, but set your own pace. and - above all - write as often as you need to to scratch that creative itch, but only as often as you can and still love it. make the time to write because you want to.
Inquisitive friend/family member/acquaintance/stranger: But how do you make the time?
Me: *sigh* Let's just say I borrowed this time turner from my friend Hermione...
Sunday, April 3, 2011
this porridge is too cold
how long does it take to write a novel?
i'm posting that question right at the top, because it's an uber-common google search term, and i'm hoping some of those searchers will be directed here.
it's a question i've googled myself, in fact. i googled it after my first finished book took me a year to write, and i thought, Ack! That's too long! i googled it again after my second book took me barely a month to write, and i thought, ACK! That's too SHORT!
here's what my searches inevitably turned up:
-- authors A,B,C - who all write books in 15, 10, even 6 days! and they're published, so those books must be good! this, of course, made me think - I'll never be a success if I can't churn out books that fast. I must be doing something wrong.
-- i also found authors X,Y,Z - who took two years to write first drafts and another 3 years to revise. and their books are masterpieces! so, naturally, i thought - I'll never write anything that special unless I take my time and spend a week laboring over every sentence.
those google searches made me feel like Goldilocks tasting everyone else's porridge. This author's method is too short. This author's method is too long. and for the record, i'm still searching for the method that's juuuuust right.
but when i turned off the internet and turned on my laptop, i learned some things google couldn't tell me.
If I wrote a book in 10 days, it would be shit.
If I took 5 years to write a book, it would be shit.
there are success stories on both ends of the spectrum and just as many in between.
right now, i'm averaging one month to one year to write a solid first draft. my sweet spot is somewhere around 3 months. but the key word in that sentence is "MY." MY sweet spot - how long it takes ME to write a novel. but people who google search "how long does it take to write a novel" are looking for how long it takes ME to write one. they probably want to know how long it takes any author on average to write one. unfortunately, any average would be skewed by those folks on the extreme ends of the spectrum. there might be a median length of time, but i don't know how you would figure it out short of contacting every published author on the planet and drilling them about their writing process. and it doesn't matter, because chances are you don't land on the median anyway.
but don't lose heart. there IS an answer to your google search! it is a simple answer that is true for me, for you and for every other writer who ever lived.
how long does it take to write a novel?
it takes as long as it takes.
everyone's process is different. everyone's path to publishing is different. and every writer works at his or her own speed.
i don't know how long it takes the average author to write a novel, but this much i can say for a fact: i wrote mine a lot faster when i stopped searching the internet for how everyone else does and started just doing it myself.
i'm posting that question right at the top, because it's an uber-common google search term, and i'm hoping some of those searchers will be directed here.
it's a question i've googled myself, in fact. i googled it after my first finished book took me a year to write, and i thought, Ack! That's too long! i googled it again after my second book took me barely a month to write, and i thought, ACK! That's too SHORT!
here's what my searches inevitably turned up:
-- authors A,B,C - who all write books in 15, 10, even 6 days! and they're published, so those books must be good! this, of course, made me think - I'll never be a success if I can't churn out books that fast. I must be doing something wrong.
-- i also found authors X,Y,Z - who took two years to write first drafts and another 3 years to revise. and their books are masterpieces! so, naturally, i thought - I'll never write anything that special unless I take my time and spend a week laboring over every sentence.
those google searches made me feel like Goldilocks tasting everyone else's porridge. This author's method is too short. This author's method is too long. and for the record, i'm still searching for the method that's juuuuust right.
but when i turned off the internet and turned on my laptop, i learned some things google couldn't tell me.
If I wrote a book in 10 days, it would be shit.
If I took 5 years to write a book, it would be shit.
there are success stories on both ends of the spectrum and just as many in between.
right now, i'm averaging one month to one year to write a solid first draft. my sweet spot is somewhere around 3 months. but the key word in that sentence is "MY." MY sweet spot - how long it takes ME to write a novel. but people who google search "how long does it take to write a novel" are looking for how long it takes ME to write one. they probably want to know how long it takes any author on average to write one. unfortunately, any average would be skewed by those folks on the extreme ends of the spectrum. there might be a median length of time, but i don't know how you would figure it out short of contacting every published author on the planet and drilling them about their writing process. and it doesn't matter, because chances are you don't land on the median anyway.
but don't lose heart. there IS an answer to your google search! it is a simple answer that is true for me, for you and for every other writer who ever lived.
how long does it take to write a novel?
it takes as long as it takes.
everyone's process is different. everyone's path to publishing is different. and every writer works at his or her own speed.
i don't know how long it takes the average author to write a novel, but this much i can say for a fact: i wrote mine a lot faster when i stopped searching the internet for how everyone else does and started just doing it myself.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
the importance of distance
when i hear writers talk about discipline, the advice is usually some form of "BIC" (Butt in Chair): sit down and write, even when you'd rather watch TV or play outside. force yourself to write.
this is excellent advice IN GENERAL. (i think i've already both applauded and criticized the BIC method in this blog.)
but i've realized over the past month that sometimes discipline is forcing yourself to NOT write.
when i got my incredible first beta notes on BILLY D., i was eager to jump right in and start fixing things. that's how i did it with BUTTER - got right to work, and it turned out well - so that's how i should do it this time, right? well, the same method doesn't always yield the same results.
after tearing apart BD's plot (working every day, morning and night, for weeks), i grew so frustrated, i nearly considered trunking it. i was unable to let go of passages i loved, so i squished them into new scenes where they didn't belong. i shoved my characters into situations and conversations they wouldn't naturally be in, so their voices didn't ring true. basically, i was making the book worse, because i was trying to force the manuscript into shape under some crazy self-imposed deadline instead of slowing down to let the first draft speak to me.
finally, after weeks of stress, Handsome said to me: "I think you need to get off books for a few days."
just like that. like books/writing are a drug you can overdose on.
well, Handsome is very wise, so i followed his advice. i took a whole week to clean the house, catch up on TIVO, chat on twitter - anything but touch my writing files.
when i did return to writing, i still felt a knot in my stomach about BD, so i worked on SOMETHING ELSE. i fleshed out the outline for GRIM, wrote a couple scenes and let myself feel the freedom of first-drafting.
once the wheels were spinning, i returned to BD, and surprise! it didn't seem nearly so daunting. over the next 48 hours, i deleted like crazy and churned out about 5,000 new words. that got me to a point in the manuscript where i know what needs to be added and which upcoming scenes need to go. i'm back in the groove, because i forced myself to walk away and come back later with a fresh perspective.
so, yes, "Butt in Chair" is good advice.
but so is getting your butt OUT of the chair and walking around in the real world for a little while to clear your mind.
this is excellent advice IN GENERAL. (i think i've already both applauded and criticized the BIC method in this blog.)
but i've realized over the past month that sometimes discipline is forcing yourself to NOT write.
when i got my incredible first beta notes on BILLY D., i was eager to jump right in and start fixing things. that's how i did it with BUTTER - got right to work, and it turned out well - so that's how i should do it this time, right? well, the same method doesn't always yield the same results.
after tearing apart BD's plot (working every day, morning and night, for weeks), i grew so frustrated, i nearly considered trunking it. i was unable to let go of passages i loved, so i squished them into new scenes where they didn't belong. i shoved my characters into situations and conversations they wouldn't naturally be in, so their voices didn't ring true. basically, i was making the book worse, because i was trying to force the manuscript into shape under some crazy self-imposed deadline instead of slowing down to let the first draft speak to me.
finally, after weeks of stress, Handsome said to me: "I think you need to get off books for a few days."
just like that. like books/writing are a drug you can overdose on.
well, Handsome is very wise, so i followed his advice. i took a whole week to clean the house, catch up on TIVO, chat on twitter - anything but touch my writing files.
when i did return to writing, i still felt a knot in my stomach about BD, so i worked on SOMETHING ELSE. i fleshed out the outline for GRIM, wrote a couple scenes and let myself feel the freedom of first-drafting.
once the wheels were spinning, i returned to BD, and surprise! it didn't seem nearly so daunting. over the next 48 hours, i deleted like crazy and churned out about 5,000 new words. that got me to a point in the manuscript where i know what needs to be added and which upcoming scenes need to go. i'm back in the groove, because i forced myself to walk away and come back later with a fresh perspective.
so, yes, "Butt in Chair" is good advice.
but so is getting your butt OUT of the chair and walking around in the real world for a little while to clear your mind.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
the Lemi Shine solution
i am trying to build a website.
it is not going well.
after a marathon evening (6 hours!) of sitting in front of the computer trying to download programs and decipher code and interpret techno-talk, i threw up my hands and said something to the effect of: "i'm a writer, not a f*@$!^% website designer!"
then i had a charming little temper tantrum that involved ripping papers to tiny shreds and moving all of my newly downloaded files to a folder i titled: "Stuff I HATE!!"
this behavior may or may not have been fueled by half a bottle of red wine.
on this very same night, i discovered a solution to another problem that's been eating up my time.
story:
for the past year, i've been noticing a slight film left behind on my dishes after they come out of the washer. recently, this problem became so bad, i had to throw out utensils and cooking equipment that had become permanently coated in a white chalky film.
handsome and i tried everything from different dishwasher rinses to scrubbing the dishes with rough sponges AFTER they'd already been washed. we turned to the internet for advice several times and finally found a suggestion to buy a product called Lemi Shine.
it is not going well.
after a marathon evening (6 hours!) of sitting in front of the computer trying to download programs and decipher code and interpret techno-talk, i threw up my hands and said something to the effect of: "i'm a writer, not a f*@$!^% website designer!"
then i had a charming little temper tantrum that involved ripping papers to tiny shreds and moving all of my newly downloaded files to a folder i titled: "Stuff I HATE!!"
this behavior may or may not have been fueled by half a bottle of red wine.
on this very same night, i discovered a solution to another problem that's been eating up my time.
story:
for the past year, i've been noticing a slight film left behind on my dishes after they come out of the washer. recently, this problem became so bad, i had to throw out utensils and cooking equipment that had become permanently coated in a white chalky film.
handsome and i tried everything from different dishwasher rinses to scrubbing the dishes with rough sponges AFTER they'd already been washed. we turned to the internet for advice several times and finally found a suggestion to buy a product called Lemi Shine.
try to imagine this bottle with a cape and super hero music
a single load later... TA DA! - sparkling dishes with not a speck of film anywhere. it turns out that chalky stuff was from our hard water. now, instead of spending a bundle for a water softener, we simply add a little Lemi Shine to every load.
i estimate this discovery is saving me an hour of effort every week. that's more than two whole days every year. and for just a few bucks a bottle, i say it's a bargain. i'm such a fan, i'm considering Lemi Shine product placement in my next book.
it got me thinking about how valuable our time is and how much of it gets unnecessarily wasted.
so i made a decision to find an easier route to website creation.
24 hours after my temper tantrum, i remain stressed, but much less so, because i enlisted the help of a website developer to do my heavy-lifting. this is going to cost money (though not nearly what other people pay, because i'm hiring a friend and doing a simple site), and i believe it will be money well spent.
it's not exactly the "Lemi Shine" solution, but it's going to give me a lot more time to do what really matters - write!
Thursday, January 6, 2011
the inspiration hour
this is really part two of yesterday's post.
a friend was asking me about making time to write, and he specifically asked how do i find time to write and when??
i told him my creativity is at its peak in the morning, so i make an effort to set my alarm and get up before dawn if i have to in order to write my best stuff. if i'm under a self-imposed deadline, i'll write at night too, but i have to force it. it's not my "inspiration hour."
then he revealed to me the reason why he asked. it's because his inspiration hour is at two in the morning! he wakes up from a dead sleep, filled with ideas and words and ready to write. i don't envy him, but i did tell him if that's the time he feels most creative, then that's when he should do it. (i hope i was not wrong to tell someone to sacrifice sleep, and it's totally one of those "do as i say, not as i do" things, because NO WAY would i get out of bed at two in the morning to write.)
however, if you're passionate about writing and serious about finding a schedule/pattern that works for you, why not get up whenever inspiration strikes? if it's truly miserable, your body and brain may adjust and find you a new "inspiration hour." the point isn't to devote your life to choppy unsatisfying sleep. it's to be willing to try anything to stoke the creative fires - until you find what works.
uninterrupted sleep is not something i would personally sacrifice for writing, but sleep in general - yes, definitely. my "inspiration hour" is in the morning. the more 'morning' i have the better, so if that means waking up after just 5 or 6 hours of sleep, then i'm willing to do it.
(disclaimer: if sleep is integral to your own health or sanity, then by all means, do NOT give up sleep.)
i think the bottom line is... few people really have time to write. you have to MAKE the time. and that often means making sacrifices.
what about you? when is your "inspiration hour," and what have you sacrificed for writing, if not sleep?
a friend was asking me about making time to write, and he specifically asked how do i find time to write and when??
i told him my creativity is at its peak in the morning, so i make an effort to set my alarm and get up before dawn if i have to in order to write my best stuff. if i'm under a self-imposed deadline, i'll write at night too, but i have to force it. it's not my "inspiration hour."
then he revealed to me the reason why he asked. it's because his inspiration hour is at two in the morning! he wakes up from a dead sleep, filled with ideas and words and ready to write. i don't envy him, but i did tell him if that's the time he feels most creative, then that's when he should do it. (i hope i was not wrong to tell someone to sacrifice sleep, and it's totally one of those "do as i say, not as i do" things, because NO WAY would i get out of bed at two in the morning to write.)
however, if you're passionate about writing and serious about finding a schedule/pattern that works for you, why not get up whenever inspiration strikes? if it's truly miserable, your body and brain may adjust and find you a new "inspiration hour." the point isn't to devote your life to choppy unsatisfying sleep. it's to be willing to try anything to stoke the creative fires - until you find what works.
uninterrupted sleep is not something i would personally sacrifice for writing, but sleep in general - yes, definitely. my "inspiration hour" is in the morning. the more 'morning' i have the better, so if that means waking up after just 5 or 6 hours of sleep, then i'm willing to do it.
(disclaimer: if sleep is integral to your own health or sanity, then by all means, do NOT give up sleep.)
i think the bottom line is... few people really have time to write. you have to MAKE the time. and that often means making sacrifices.
what about you? when is your "inspiration hour," and what have you sacrificed for writing, if not sleep?
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
what a difference a year makes
i declare this holiday blogging break officially over!
we're running up on the new year here in just a few days, and it got me thinking about just how much has changed in the last 12 months.
it's hard to believe at this time last year, i'd never queried an agent or sent a manuscript to a beta reader.
it's hard to believe i was a blog lurker and a die-hard twitter hold out instead of a blogger and tweeter.
it's hard to believe Butter was still unfinished, and Billy D was barely a twinkle of an idea.
i never would have guessed that by now i'd have an agent, a publisher, a new manuscript and best of all - friends online i can truly confide in.
we always say publishing is slow, but maybe it only looks that way from the front end. i think sometimes when you look back, it's easier to see how things move pretty damn fast, actually.
i'm glad i started seriously down the path to publishing this year, but i'm mostly glad i took the plunge and joined the online writing community. from blogs to tweets, public forums to private emails, i've had a blast making friends and following other writers. you are all made of awesome.
here's to another fun year in the blogosphere.
we're running up on the new year here in just a few days, and it got me thinking about just how much has changed in the last 12 months.
it's hard to believe at this time last year, i'd never queried an agent or sent a manuscript to a beta reader.
it's hard to believe i was a blog lurker and a die-hard twitter hold out instead of a blogger and tweeter.
it's hard to believe Butter was still unfinished, and Billy D was barely a twinkle of an idea.
i never would have guessed that by now i'd have an agent, a publisher, a new manuscript and best of all - friends online i can truly confide in.
we always say publishing is slow, but maybe it only looks that way from the front end. i think sometimes when you look back, it's easier to see how things move pretty damn fast, actually.
i'm glad i started seriously down the path to publishing this year, but i'm mostly glad i took the plunge and joined the online writing community. from blogs to tweets, public forums to private emails, i've had a blast making friends and following other writers. you are all made of awesome.
here's to another fun year in the blogosphere.
Friday, November 19, 2010
research
i hear stories of writers who spend years researching a topic before starting a story - who interview experts, read text books, etc... to absorb all the facts they want to put into their fiction.
other writers i know make it all up as they go along in the first draft and save the fact-checking for revisions, which i imagine can mean lots and lots of rewriting, depending on which facts they got wrong.
i think i fall somewhere in the middle - researching as i go.
for my current WIP, i had to do quite a bit of preliminary work, because i knew before i started that one of my characters would have Down Syndrome. i had to compile medical notes, research family dynamics and do a lot of observing.
it's probably the most research i've done before actually putting fingers to keyboard.
what happens more often is a situation arises in the story that requires me to know what i'm talking about. if i can see this coming, i'll stop, do a day of research, then get back to writing.
(example: i had a quirky scene that required one of my characters to know a little something about small towns and geography. i decided to make that quirk a thread throughout the entire story, but i had already used up the limited facts i knew in one scene. so i had to stop writing and spend some time expanding my knowledge base in order to pull the thread through.)
occasionally, i'll fall into the pantser category, when the writing is just going too fast and smooth for me to stop. who can be bothered with research when the facts i'm making up work so well?!
i don't let myself get too far, though, because i don't want to rewrite thousands and thousands of words all based on a mistaken fact. what i'll do is stop at the end of the chapter and do some fact-checking. then, if i got anything wrong, i'll fix it. but sometimes even waiting a whole chapter is too long.
(example: i had an entire chapter and plot development that hinged on a certain type of government office being open at a certain time of night and operating a certain way. i did some vague research online, but it wasn't until the chapter was over that i actually contacted someone at this office to verify my facts. turns out not only is the office closed and its operations nothing like i described - but it doesn't even exist in the town where i put it! (*&$%$&^#). i couldn't bear to rewrite an entire chapter in the middle of NaNo, but you better believe i spent half an hour typing up a list of corrections and plot changes in my revision notes. the good news is, the changes will make this little piece of plot better anyway.)
since that incident, i've been very careful to check my facts every step of the way - whether it's placing a building on the correct street corner or confirming a state law. but i'm still doing the research as i go, letting the story tell me what it is i need to look up.
i'm curious what other writers do!
*if you do loads of research ahead of time, how much of it do you think goes unused - and do you think that time would have been better spent writing? or do you think having the knowledge still makes the work better/more informed in the long run?
*if you're a pantser and later find a factual error that requires changes in 23 chapters, does it make your revision process more stressful? or do you prefer rewriting later to stopping and starting while in the middle of a first draft?
other writers i know make it all up as they go along in the first draft and save the fact-checking for revisions, which i imagine can mean lots and lots of rewriting, depending on which facts they got wrong.
i think i fall somewhere in the middle - researching as i go.
for my current WIP, i had to do quite a bit of preliminary work, because i knew before i started that one of my characters would have Down Syndrome. i had to compile medical notes, research family dynamics and do a lot of observing.
it's probably the most research i've done before actually putting fingers to keyboard.
what happens more often is a situation arises in the story that requires me to know what i'm talking about. if i can see this coming, i'll stop, do a day of research, then get back to writing.
(example: i had a quirky scene that required one of my characters to know a little something about small towns and geography. i decided to make that quirk a thread throughout the entire story, but i had already used up the limited facts i knew in one scene. so i had to stop writing and spend some time expanding my knowledge base in order to pull the thread through.)
occasionally, i'll fall into the pantser category, when the writing is just going too fast and smooth for me to stop. who can be bothered with research when the facts i'm making up work so well?!
i don't let myself get too far, though, because i don't want to rewrite thousands and thousands of words all based on a mistaken fact. what i'll do is stop at the end of the chapter and do some fact-checking. then, if i got anything wrong, i'll fix it. but sometimes even waiting a whole chapter is too long.
(example: i had an entire chapter and plot development that hinged on a certain type of government office being open at a certain time of night and operating a certain way. i did some vague research online, but it wasn't until the chapter was over that i actually contacted someone at this office to verify my facts. turns out not only is the office closed and its operations nothing like i described - but it doesn't even exist in the town where i put it! (*&$%$&^#). i couldn't bear to rewrite an entire chapter in the middle of NaNo, but you better believe i spent half an hour typing up a list of corrections and plot changes in my revision notes. the good news is, the changes will make this little piece of plot better anyway.)
since that incident, i've been very careful to check my facts every step of the way - whether it's placing a building on the correct street corner or confirming a state law. but i'm still doing the research as i go, letting the story tell me what it is i need to look up.
i'm curious what other writers do!
*if you do loads of research ahead of time, how much of it do you think goes unused - and do you think that time would have been better spent writing? or do you think having the knowledge still makes the work better/more informed in the long run?
*if you're a pantser and later find a factual error that requires changes in 23 chapters, does it make your revision process more stressful? or do you prefer rewriting later to stopping and starting while in the middle of a first draft?
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
word count wednesday 1
happy first week of NaNoWriMo!
at least, i hope your week is happy. mine is fairly miserable, as i've started NaNo with a nasty cold. all of my words are alternately fueled by fever and cold meds. although, being home sick has its upside - like plenty of time to write. that's why my word count is already....
5,568 words!
i know some folks out there have already blown that word count out of the water, but that's pretty great for me - especially considering all of those words are from Monday. (yesterday's elections required me to work 13 hours). but i'm back on the couch with my tissues and my laptop today, so hopefully i can bang out another few thousand words and stay ahead of the game.
observations from week one:
- for me, writing fast = writing sloppy.
(lots of little typos and missing or misspelled words)
- i must break the "don't look back" rule.
i just can't confidently move forward on a book unless i look back at yesterday's chapters and at least do a cursory edit.
- my outline is a jail cell.
it's a lot easier to write fast and furious if i'm not bound by my outline. when i hit a scene i don't feel inspired to write or don't know how to transition into, i slow down. i may be in danger of veering off the outline just to keep pushing forward.
it remains to be seen whether NaNo will work for BILLY D. the way it worked for BUTTER, and i may end up having to rewrite the whole thing from scratch. (yikes! i hope not!) but i just don't know if NaNo is right for every book... just as it's not right for every writer.
Phoebe North wrote this great post on her blog: "NaNo No More." (link! click it!) she makes some good points about NaNo and why it might not help you accomplish what you really want to accomplish. (and she writes from experience, having done NaNo several times, both "winning" and "losing.")
if you're still committed to making NaNo work for you, check out the NaNo word sprints on twitter. (link! click it and follow!)
don't forget to share your word count in the comments, and tell me your own week one observations!
at least, i hope your week is happy. mine is fairly miserable, as i've started NaNo with a nasty cold. all of my words are alternately fueled by fever and cold meds. although, being home sick has its upside - like plenty of time to write. that's why my word count is already....
5,568 words!
i know some folks out there have already blown that word count out of the water, but that's pretty great for me - especially considering all of those words are from Monday. (yesterday's elections required me to work 13 hours). but i'm back on the couch with my tissues and my laptop today, so hopefully i can bang out another few thousand words and stay ahead of the game.
observations from week one:
- for me, writing fast = writing sloppy.
(lots of little typos and missing or misspelled words)
- i must break the "don't look back" rule.
i just can't confidently move forward on a book unless i look back at yesterday's chapters and at least do a cursory edit.
- my outline is a jail cell.
it's a lot easier to write fast and furious if i'm not bound by my outline. when i hit a scene i don't feel inspired to write or don't know how to transition into, i slow down. i may be in danger of veering off the outline just to keep pushing forward.
it remains to be seen whether NaNo will work for BILLY D. the way it worked for BUTTER, and i may end up having to rewrite the whole thing from scratch. (yikes! i hope not!) but i just don't know if NaNo is right for every book... just as it's not right for every writer.
Phoebe North wrote this great post on her blog: "NaNo No More." (link! click it!) she makes some good points about NaNo and why it might not help you accomplish what you really want to accomplish. (and she writes from experience, having done NaNo several times, both "winning" and "losing.")
if you're still committed to making NaNo work for you, check out the NaNo word sprints on twitter. (link! click it and follow!)
don't forget to share your word count in the comments, and tell me your own week one observations!
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
stuff i learned on sub
the one nice thing about publishing being such a slow business is you have plenty of time to absorb all of the lessons learned along the way - to really let them sink in. but rarely - very rarely - something will happen quickly, and instead of learning your lessons slow, you will suddenly get a crash course in publishing. this was the case with my submission process.
so i thought i would share some of the knowledge i acquired at hyper speed over the last month.
1) you want/need an agent!
at least, i certainly do. (perhaps you are a contract attorney with connections all over the publishing industry. this is more a lesson for the unknown, unconnected like myself.) i knew i wanted an agent before i set off on my path to publishing. it was always going to be my first step. but it wasn't until i went on sub that i truly appreciated just how much i need her. and here's why:
- agents know what editors are looking for. heck, agents know editors - period.
i am 100% positive that i would not have found my publisher without my agent. no amount of research would have landed me this editor at this house with this deal. i needed my agent to make the connection. a lot of people say you have to "know somebody" to get a foothold in publishing. well, that's obviously hogwash. but if you're lucky enough to get pulled out of an agent's query slush, like i was - well now you DO know somebody in the biz - your agent. and she knows everybody else.
- agents understand offers.
all i knew about offers going into sub was that they included an advance amount. i squealed when i heard "hardcover" - that was a term i could understand - but beyond that, i can't count the number of times i asked my agent: "okay, and what does that mean?" and every time she was able to cut through jargon and explain things to me in a clear, concise manner.
- agents are your cheerleaders.
if you read my post a few months back about choosing an agent, you'll know i stressed to the point of making myself sick. i never dreamed i'd have another difficult choice like that ahead of me. but this time i had my agent there to remind me this was all good news and good fortune. countless times she asked me, "are you happy?" - which reminded me to BE happy.
2) a LOT of people need to like your book before it gets published.
i had been researching publishing long enough to know about editorial boards and marketing folks and how they all had input in offers, but i sort of naively pushed those thoughts to the side and told myself: an agent has to like it, and an editor has to like it - the end. HA!
after an agent and an editor, it can go something like this: *editor gets second and third opinions from others (including, most likely, their boss). *all of those readers discuss the merits and drawbacks of the book at an editorial meeting with even more people. *editor takes the book to acquisitions, which includes possibly a whole new group of people who may or may not be more into business than books. they don't just have to like your idea. they have to decide whether they can sell it - and how much they can sell it for. now take all those people and multiply by the number of editors who are interested in the manuscript, and it's suddenly sort of crazy to realize how many people have already read your book!
3) that manuscript you were so sick of editing? yeah, now that you're on sub, you suddenly want to revise again!
that was the case for me, anyway. crazies started to set in like, "is this part realistic?" "did i take too much liberty with the real-life setting here?" and if you're lucky, as i was, to talk to amazing editors and be inspired by their ideas, you'll have to fight to keep yourself from jumping back into the manuscript and making changes right away.
i soothed this urge by starting a new document on my laptop with all of my possible revisions and tweaks - mostly based on my editor's awesome insight - to discuss with her when the time comes.
4) fourth, and finally, not everything in publishing is slow.
okay, that's a lie. everything in publishing IS slow - most of the time. but occasionally you luck out and something goes at lightning pace. i am so fortunate to have had a fast submission process. it saved some of my nails from being bitten down to the quick. it also, admittedly, was a heck of a lot of fun to have something new happening almost daily, which sure beats clicking "refresh" on the email inbox for days, hoping for news.
but the speedy sub also taught me to appreciate the slow periods - when i can stop and smell the roses and all that. and believe me, there will be lots of time for rose-sniffing over the next two years, but i plan to put aside my impatience and savor every minute, because you can only make your first trip down the path to publishing once... so i intend to enjoy the ride.
so i thought i would share some of the knowledge i acquired at hyper speed over the last month.
1) you want/need an agent!
at least, i certainly do. (perhaps you are a contract attorney with connections all over the publishing industry. this is more a lesson for the unknown, unconnected like myself.) i knew i wanted an agent before i set off on my path to publishing. it was always going to be my first step. but it wasn't until i went on sub that i truly appreciated just how much i need her. and here's why:
- agents know what editors are looking for. heck, agents know editors - period.
i am 100% positive that i would not have found my publisher without my agent. no amount of research would have landed me this editor at this house with this deal. i needed my agent to make the connection. a lot of people say you have to "know somebody" to get a foothold in publishing. well, that's obviously hogwash. but if you're lucky enough to get pulled out of an agent's query slush, like i was - well now you DO know somebody in the biz - your agent. and she knows everybody else.
- agents understand offers.
all i knew about offers going into sub was that they included an advance amount. i squealed when i heard "hardcover" - that was a term i could understand - but beyond that, i can't count the number of times i asked my agent: "okay, and what does that mean?" and every time she was able to cut through jargon and explain things to me in a clear, concise manner.
- agents are your cheerleaders.
if you read my post a few months back about choosing an agent, you'll know i stressed to the point of making myself sick. i never dreamed i'd have another difficult choice like that ahead of me. but this time i had my agent there to remind me this was all good news and good fortune. countless times she asked me, "are you happy?" - which reminded me to BE happy.
2) a LOT of people need to like your book before it gets published.
i had been researching publishing long enough to know about editorial boards and marketing folks and how they all had input in offers, but i sort of naively pushed those thoughts to the side and told myself: an agent has to like it, and an editor has to like it - the end. HA!
after an agent and an editor, it can go something like this: *editor gets second and third opinions from others (including, most likely, their boss). *all of those readers discuss the merits and drawbacks of the book at an editorial meeting with even more people. *editor takes the book to acquisitions, which includes possibly a whole new group of people who may or may not be more into business than books. they don't just have to like your idea. they have to decide whether they can sell it - and how much they can sell it for. now take all those people and multiply by the number of editors who are interested in the manuscript, and it's suddenly sort of crazy to realize how many people have already read your book!
3) that manuscript you were so sick of editing? yeah, now that you're on sub, you suddenly want to revise again!
that was the case for me, anyway. crazies started to set in like, "is this part realistic?" "did i take too much liberty with the real-life setting here?" and if you're lucky, as i was, to talk to amazing editors and be inspired by their ideas, you'll have to fight to keep yourself from jumping back into the manuscript and making changes right away.
i soothed this urge by starting a new document on my laptop with all of my possible revisions and tweaks - mostly based on my editor's awesome insight - to discuss with her when the time comes.
4) fourth, and finally, not everything in publishing is slow.
okay, that's a lie. everything in publishing IS slow - most of the time. but occasionally you luck out and something goes at lightning pace. i am so fortunate to have had a fast submission process. it saved some of my nails from being bitten down to the quick. it also, admittedly, was a heck of a lot of fun to have something new happening almost daily, which sure beats clicking "refresh" on the email inbox for days, hoping for news.
but the speedy sub also taught me to appreciate the slow periods - when i can stop and smell the roses and all that. and believe me, there will be lots of time for rose-sniffing over the next two years, but i plan to put aside my impatience and savor every minute, because you can only make your first trip down the path to publishing once... so i intend to enjoy the ride.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
letter to october
dear october,
you know you're my favorite. i've loved you best of all the months for as long as i can remember.
you make all the leaves turn colors back home.
you make apples taste better.
you chase away the awful arizona heat.
you bring me pumpkins and cider and campfires and open windows.
you give me a whole month of halloween prep, which you know is my favorite holiday to plan.
HOWEVER!
october 2010...
you are going to kick my ass.
i love remodeling. i love yard sales. i love vacations - especially to the happiest place on earth. and i love love love hosting the annual halloween party.
but, october, do you really expect me to do all of this in a single month?
i think you are getting greedy. i think you should share the fun with some other months. next year, let's let april have the yard sale and january take over the vacation. maybe july would like to try remodeling.
but let's not share anything with november, okay? november is for WRITING.
because as much as i love you, october, i also love it when you leave, and i can get back to the writing.
you know you're my favorite. i've loved you best of all the months for as long as i can remember.
you make all the leaves turn colors back home.
you make apples taste better.
you chase away the awful arizona heat.
you bring me pumpkins and cider and campfires and open windows.
you give me a whole month of halloween prep, which you know is my favorite holiday to plan.
HOWEVER!
october 2010...
you are going to kick my ass.
i love remodeling. i love yard sales. i love vacations - especially to the happiest place on earth. and i love love love hosting the annual halloween party.
but, october, do you really expect me to do all of this in a single month?
i think you are getting greedy. i think you should share the fun with some other months. next year, let's let april have the yard sale and january take over the vacation. maybe july would like to try remodeling.
but let's not share anything with november, okay? november is for WRITING.
because as much as i love you, october, i also love it when you leave, and i can get back to the writing.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
while on sub
while on submission to publishers, it's important to keep your mind off the process by finding other things to occupy your time.
the most common advice online is to write something else.
yeah, that's all well and good and probably what you should be doing, but for me - it's not a great distraction, because working on my WIP makes me think about writing.. which leads to thinking about other books i've written.. which leads to thinking about the book that's on sub.. which leads to obsessive email checking!
i find these distractions much healthier:
1) remodel your bathroom.
- start by planning just to paint. then, of course, notice some water damage that has to be dealt with first and proceed to hire a contractor to tear out a wall and part of your ceiling. hire another contractor to replace your skylights so the water damage does not return. after this, decide there's no point in painting without a new bathroom door to complete the look. have Handsome spend a week rebuilding the door and the entire frame. spend days and days repeatedly dusting up the debris left behind by this work. also, have Handsome photoshop the heck out of your bathroom, so you have a vision before painting. tape off the entire bathroom so it's completely unusable, then proceed to lose all interest in the project.
(because, um, how can you possibly worry about painting when your book is on sub and you have to go check your email?!)
2) take a vacation that requires 4 plane rides and two long car trips.
- be sure to get lost in the car on the way to your destination so that you have to concentrate on arguing with your family and navigating with your cell phone.
(turn right here. now turn left. uhhh... what's that? i don't know the next road. i turned off google maps to check my email. i'm on sub, you know!)
3) reprogram your tivo.
- use entertainment magazines to chart your fall TV schedule. settle on the couch, prepared to program, and notice Handsome has hooked up a PlayStation 3 to the TV. great! video games will be a perfect distraction! demand Handsome show you how to use it. then, naturally, discover the coolest thing the PS3 does is surf the web - turning your TV into the world's largest computer monitor.
(omg. do you know what website would look awesome on a 50-inch monitor? my email inbox.)
4) focus on your day job.
- pay particular attention to your email inbox at work. 600 emails a day is a lot to wade through. it's a great time suck to keep your mind off sub.
(and you'll get to it... right after you check the (1) message in your gmail inbox.)
the most common advice online is to write something else.
yeah, that's all well and good and probably what you should be doing, but for me - it's not a great distraction, because working on my WIP makes me think about writing.. which leads to thinking about other books i've written.. which leads to thinking about the book that's on sub.. which leads to obsessive email checking!
i find these distractions much healthier:
1) remodel your bathroom.
- start by planning just to paint. then, of course, notice some water damage that has to be dealt with first and proceed to hire a contractor to tear out a wall and part of your ceiling. hire another contractor to replace your skylights so the water damage does not return. after this, decide there's no point in painting without a new bathroom door to complete the look. have Handsome spend a week rebuilding the door and the entire frame. spend days and days repeatedly dusting up the debris left behind by this work. also, have Handsome photoshop the heck out of your bathroom, so you have a vision before painting. tape off the entire bathroom so it's completely unusable, then proceed to lose all interest in the project.
(because, um, how can you possibly worry about painting when your book is on sub and you have to go check your email?!)
2) take a vacation that requires 4 plane rides and two long car trips.
- be sure to get lost in the car on the way to your destination so that you have to concentrate on arguing with your family and navigating with your cell phone.
(turn right here. now turn left. uhhh... what's that? i don't know the next road. i turned off google maps to check my email. i'm on sub, you know!)
3) reprogram your tivo.
- use entertainment magazines to chart your fall TV schedule. settle on the couch, prepared to program, and notice Handsome has hooked up a PlayStation 3 to the TV. great! video games will be a perfect distraction! demand Handsome show you how to use it. then, naturally, discover the coolest thing the PS3 does is surf the web - turning your TV into the world's largest computer monitor.
(omg. do you know what website would look awesome on a 50-inch monitor? my email inbox.)
4) focus on your day job.
- pay particular attention to your email inbox at work. 600 emails a day is a lot to wade through. it's a great time suck to keep your mind off sub.
(and you'll get to it... right after you check the (1) message in your gmail inbox.)
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
master procrastinator
i got a question in the comments yesterday about how to get past writer's block that's not really writing or story related but more of a "personal motivation issue."
let's call it: Lazy Writer Syndrome.
the first rule of LWS is... it's not your fault!
what i'm going to say will probably be frowned upon by many disciplined writers, but i'm being serious here.
being a little lazy is a personality trait, just like being charming or kind. (this guy with a fancy medical degree disagrees with me, but whatever.) the point is, laziness is something that comes naturally to a lot of people, so i don't want anyone out there suffering from LWS to feel bad about themselves.
however, just like any less-than-desirable personality trait, it may be negatively affecting parts of your life... like say, your dream of finishing a manuscript.
so you need to find ways to combat it when necessary. and i have some tips/ideas/suggestions to do just that. but first let me tell you why i am qualified to make these suggestions:
i too suffer from LWS!!
i am a natural procrastinator. i'd even go so far as to call myself the Master Procrastinator.
it is part of the reason i obsessively make lists. if i didn't, i would simply never get anything done. i would put it all off until "tomorrow" - with the definition of tomorrow being the day after i die. but my desire to be a writer is much stronger than my desire to put things off, so i have had to come up with ways to get motivated to write.
and here they are.
1) my NUMBER ONE suggestion for combating LWS is to read - not just any book - your book.
back up a chapter or two and read up to where you left off writing. reading is free of obligation. there's no pressure to write. however, i find - 90% of the time - by the time i read up to where i stopped, i'm into the story enough that i'm now in the mood to write. i almost always end up writing at least a few hundred words on the nights i tell myself i'm just going to read.
2) as i mentioned in yesterday's post, sometimes the words are just flowing. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THESE DAYS!
if you are having a moment when a scene just keeps writing itself in your head - but DARN IT you have other things to do! - this is when you should utilize your skill of procrastination by... putting off everything else!
the laundry and dishes can wait until tomorrow. TIVO will hold on to your favorite TV show for a few more hours. dump the entire "to do" list over to tomorrow and write those words NOW, while they are coming. if you bang out a few thousand words in one night, you'll have written as much as many more disciplined writers do in a week.
3) take a writing "staycation."
this worked wonders for me when i was doing revisions for agents who requested changes. i wanted to get them done on some sort of deadline, so putting off writing was not an option. i took a couple of days off work, cleared my schedule of any chores or obligations and forced myself to spend entire days writing. it definitely felt like "work" on these days, but the end result was a lot of satisfaction in my high word count!
(this worked for me because i am not one of those people who can write in the ten minutes i'm waiting for my takeout food order or in the 20 minutes it takes to get my car washed. i don't operate like that. much admiration for the writers who do. it's just not me. i need to be immersed.)
4) goals and rewards.
you need to muster up a little will power for this one, and i confess i'm not too good at it myself, but when i do it, it works.
real housewives of new jersey is on? set the TIVO and tell yourself you only get to watch it tonight if you write for an hour first (or finish the chapter you're on or whatever). just set a goal, and use the thing that would normally distract you from writing as your reward. this one works for me, because once i start writing, i usually get absorbed and forget all about the "reward." i generally end up spending even more time writing on these nights than i planned. for me, "goals and rewards" is really just about giving yourself a reason to get in the chair and write, when writing alone is not motivation enough.
5) finally, i go back to what i said yesterday - it might not be a case of LWS so much as a case of slumping story.
if you're really not AT ALL motivated to write, take a look at your manuscript and ask yourself if people would be motivated to read. you might be surprised to discover the problem was in the manuscript all along.
anyone else have ideas to share about getting motivated and making time to write? this master procrastinator can always use more help!
let's call it: Lazy Writer Syndrome.
the first rule of LWS is... it's not your fault!
what i'm going to say will probably be frowned upon by many disciplined writers, but i'm being serious here.
being a little lazy is a personality trait, just like being charming or kind. (this guy with a fancy medical degree disagrees with me, but whatever.) the point is, laziness is something that comes naturally to a lot of people, so i don't want anyone out there suffering from LWS to feel bad about themselves.
however, just like any less-than-desirable personality trait, it may be negatively affecting parts of your life... like say, your dream of finishing a manuscript.
so you need to find ways to combat it when necessary. and i have some tips/ideas/suggestions to do just that. but first let me tell you why i am qualified to make these suggestions:
i too suffer from LWS!!
i am a natural procrastinator. i'd even go so far as to call myself the Master Procrastinator.
it is part of the reason i obsessively make lists. if i didn't, i would simply never get anything done. i would put it all off until "tomorrow" - with the definition of tomorrow being the day after i die. but my desire to be a writer is much stronger than my desire to put things off, so i have had to come up with ways to get motivated to write.
and here they are.
1) my NUMBER ONE suggestion for combating LWS is to read - not just any book - your book.
back up a chapter or two and read up to where you left off writing. reading is free of obligation. there's no pressure to write. however, i find - 90% of the time - by the time i read up to where i stopped, i'm into the story enough that i'm now in the mood to write. i almost always end up writing at least a few hundred words on the nights i tell myself i'm just going to read.
2) as i mentioned in yesterday's post, sometimes the words are just flowing. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THESE DAYS!
if you are having a moment when a scene just keeps writing itself in your head - but DARN IT you have other things to do! - this is when you should utilize your skill of procrastination by... putting off everything else!
the laundry and dishes can wait until tomorrow. TIVO will hold on to your favorite TV show for a few more hours. dump the entire "to do" list over to tomorrow and write those words NOW, while they are coming. if you bang out a few thousand words in one night, you'll have written as much as many more disciplined writers do in a week.
3) take a writing "staycation."
this worked wonders for me when i was doing revisions for agents who requested changes. i wanted to get them done on some sort of deadline, so putting off writing was not an option. i took a couple of days off work, cleared my schedule of any chores or obligations and forced myself to spend entire days writing. it definitely felt like "work" on these days, but the end result was a lot of satisfaction in my high word count!
(this worked for me because i am not one of those people who can write in the ten minutes i'm waiting for my takeout food order or in the 20 minutes it takes to get my car washed. i don't operate like that. much admiration for the writers who do. it's just not me. i need to be immersed.)
4) goals and rewards.
you need to muster up a little will power for this one, and i confess i'm not too good at it myself, but when i do it, it works.
real housewives of new jersey is on? set the TIVO and tell yourself you only get to watch it tonight if you write for an hour first (or finish the chapter you're on or whatever). just set a goal, and use the thing that would normally distract you from writing as your reward. this one works for me, because once i start writing, i usually get absorbed and forget all about the "reward." i generally end up spending even more time writing on these nights than i planned. for me, "goals and rewards" is really just about giving yourself a reason to get in the chair and write, when writing alone is not motivation enough.
5) finally, i go back to what i said yesterday - it might not be a case of LWS so much as a case of slumping story.
if you're really not AT ALL motivated to write, take a look at your manuscript and ask yourself if people would be motivated to read. you might be surprised to discover the problem was in the manuscript all along.
anyone else have ideas to share about getting motivated and making time to write? this master procrastinator can always use more help!
Monday, August 23, 2010
learn as you go
my dad (AKA the blogging police) pointed out i've been slacking here.
perhaps that's because i'm in a bit of a "path-to-publishing" lull. the agent search is over; the submission nail-biting has yet to begin. i just don't have a lot of insight to share during this brief limbo stage.
instead, i've been studying and learning. and by that - i mean writing.
i learn something new with every book, and i thought i'd share a few of those lessons here.
Sammy Vegas
the first real novel i ever attempted to write taught me:
the first novel i ever finished taught me:
the first novel i ever queried taught me:
the book i'm writing right now taught me:
what about you? what have you learned from your own writing?
perhaps that's because i'm in a bit of a "path-to-publishing" lull. the agent search is over; the submission nail-biting has yet to begin. i just don't have a lot of insight to share during this brief limbo stage.
instead, i've been studying and learning. and by that - i mean writing.
i learn something new with every book, and i thought i'd share a few of those lessons here.
Sammy Vegas
the first real novel i ever attempted to write taught me:
- without an outline, my stories amble off course and never get finished.
- writing a book is time-consuming and requires some sacrifices to find that time.
- most important, it taught me: maybe i don't suck at this, and maybe i kind of love it... a lot.
the first novel i ever finished taught me:
- a good hook/concept is nothing without a well-planned plot.
- third person with multiple MCs is not the right format for me.
- most important, it taught me: i can get to "The End," and even then the book might not be good enough... and that's actually okay, because i have this other idea...
the first novel i ever queried taught me:
- how to edit - really edit. cut scenes, re-order chapters, insert new story elements and completely rewrite multiple chapters from scratch... all after i thought i was "done."
- what kind of stories i want to write and what i really want to say.
- most important, it taught me: finishing a book is really just the beginning. and with any luck, this one's not done yet.
the book i'm writing right now taught me:
- not every book gets written at the same pace; not every book is built via the same process (for me anyway).
- writing is the best distraction from all that "path-to-publishing" neurosis.
- most of all, it taught me: ....well, i don't know the "most of all" yet. i'll let ya know when i'm all done. ;)
what about you? what have you learned from your own writing?
Sunday, August 1, 2010
the trouble with twitter
i am always one step behind when it comes to social media.
i was late to the MySpace party – like, so late that by the time i got there everyone had already switched to Facebook.
i resisted FB because, geez, i had just found my way around myspace and posted all these pictures and found a cool background and made friends and OMG WHY IS EVERYONE LEAVING ME??
i finally made the switch in protest. i hated FB at first, with its non-user-friendly interface and its no-frills design, but that’s where the party was, so i went. eventually, i warmed up to its merits. hey! i haven’t seen that guy since high school! whoa! my BFF from 10 years ago! my aunt! my cousins! Facebook is the best!!
i’m less gung-ho now, but i still use it to share photos with folks who are far away and to keep up with people i otherwise would lose touch with. mostly, i use it much like folks use Twitter – to say something really quick on the move or to post a quick link or pic.
so why am i so resistant to the ACTUAL Twitter site?
well, for starters, the first and only time i ever tried Twitter was a disaster. how am i supposed to find people i know with all these crazy handles? who are these people following me when my account is 5 seconds old? and OMFG HOW DO I MAKE MY CELL PHONE STOP TWEETING ME EVERY 16 SECONDS??!
account delete.
that experience put me off Twitter for quite awhile. in the meantime, i took up blogging.
this was a game i could play. blogging was the first online medium i fully embraced from the beginning. no pressure to post every day, let alone every 5 minutes. when i have something to say, i can actually say something, without trying to keep it to 140 characters. for the most part, i can limit my blog to writing about writing instead of feeling so pressured to say something – anything – that i end up telling everyone i’m wearing my Monday panties on Thursday or that the chorizo burrito i just ate made me spend 20 minutes in the bathroom.
seriously. these are the things i’m afraid i would tweet if tweeted. twatted?
anyway.
my fear of Twitter is partly due to something i know about myself – i’m not going to half-ass it. if i join the Twitter ranks, i will feel compelled to fully participate – to build a following, to post multiple times a day, to keep up with my fellow tweeters.
and that is a time suck.
i abandoned MySpace a long time ago, but i still maintain my blog and my Facebook (which means spending time reading the other blogs and facebook pages I’m connected to). those things, combined with keeping up with all my favorite threads and friends on the Absolute Write forums, probably suck up one or two hours of my day… almost every. single. day. i can only imagine the time i would invest in Twitter.
and that is time not spent writing, which needs to be my focus. So for now i am staying off Twitter.
now that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t tweet. quite the opposite! the more people on Twitter, the more writers and pub peeps for me tostalk follow. i check Twitter daily to see what people are talking about in #askagent and #yalitchat. i’m learning about hashtags and tiny urls. i’m observing how others successfully use Twitter to network and promote and just keep up with their buddies in general.
so when (not if, but when) i join Twitter, i will be ready to jump in with both feet. it’s just a matter of time.
i was late to the MySpace party – like, so late that by the time i got there everyone had already switched to Facebook.
i resisted FB because, geez, i had just found my way around myspace and posted all these pictures and found a cool background and made friends and OMG WHY IS EVERYONE LEAVING ME??
i finally made the switch in protest. i hated FB at first, with its non-user-friendly interface and its no-frills design, but that’s where the party was, so i went. eventually, i warmed up to its merits. hey! i haven’t seen that guy since high school! whoa! my BFF from 10 years ago! my aunt! my cousins! Facebook is the best!!
i’m less gung-ho now, but i still use it to share photos with folks who are far away and to keep up with people i otherwise would lose touch with. mostly, i use it much like folks use Twitter – to say something really quick on the move or to post a quick link or pic.
so why am i so resistant to the ACTUAL Twitter site?
well, for starters, the first and only time i ever tried Twitter was a disaster. how am i supposed to find people i know with all these crazy handles? who are these people following me when my account is 5 seconds old? and OMFG HOW DO I MAKE MY CELL PHONE STOP TWEETING ME EVERY 16 SECONDS??!
account delete.
that experience put me off Twitter for quite awhile. in the meantime, i took up blogging.
this was a game i could play. blogging was the first online medium i fully embraced from the beginning. no pressure to post every day, let alone every 5 minutes. when i have something to say, i can actually say something, without trying to keep it to 140 characters. for the most part, i can limit my blog to writing about writing instead of feeling so pressured to say something – anything – that i end up telling everyone i’m wearing my Monday panties on Thursday or that the chorizo burrito i just ate made me spend 20 minutes in the bathroom.
seriously. these are the things i’m afraid i would tweet if tweeted. twatted?
anyway.
my fear of Twitter is partly due to something i know about myself – i’m not going to half-ass it. if i join the Twitter ranks, i will feel compelled to fully participate – to build a following, to post multiple times a day, to keep up with my fellow tweeters.
and that is a time suck.
i abandoned MySpace a long time ago, but i still maintain my blog and my Facebook (which means spending time reading the other blogs and facebook pages I’m connected to). those things, combined with keeping up with all my favorite threads and friends on the Absolute Write forums, probably suck up one or two hours of my day… almost every. single. day. i can only imagine the time i would invest in Twitter.
and that is time not spent writing, which needs to be my focus. So for now i am staying off Twitter.
now that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t tweet. quite the opposite! the more people on Twitter, the more writers and pub peeps for me to
so when (not if, but when) i join Twitter, i will be ready to jump in with both feet. it’s just a matter of time.
Monday, June 14, 2010
my purpose in life
...is to serve on a jury.
...apparently.
let's file this one under miscellaneous monday, shall we? because i don't have anything in particular to say about writing or publishing today, and there are so many other interesting things to blab about.
#1 being... JURY DUTY.
fact: i am 31 years old.
fact: as of today, i have been summoned to jury duty 7 TIMES! that's right. SEVEN. (more than my father and mother combined)
fact: i have yet to actually serve on one of those juries or so much as get called before a judge and attorneys to answer questions about my eligibility.
conclusion: i am destined to serve on a jury, and the courtly cosmos will continue to spam my mailbox with summons notices until i do.
how, you ask, is it even possible to get called for jury duty an average of every other year? isn't there some stipulation that you won't be called again for three years?
why, what a brilliant question, i say! let me break it down for you:
jury summons #1 - age 18 - municipal court in my hometown in Illinois - went and sat all day until they came out and told us attorneys had settled out of court.
jury summons #2 - age 22 - Tucson court - i called the night before and was dismissed without going in.
jury summons #3 - age 25 - same Tucson court (my 3-year reprieve was up) - by this time i was living in indianapolis, so i had an acceptable reason to decline jury duty.
jury summons #4 - age 26 - Indianapolis court - by this time i was living in phoenix, so i got to decline again.
jury summons #5 - age 28 - Phoenix municipal court - okay, this time they got me. went and sat all day and never got pulled from the holding pen to even see the inside of a courtroom.
jury summons #6 - age 30 - Arizona federal court - (what?? but it's only been 2 years! oh, but it's a different court system, see.) - deferred service to a more convenient week (yeah, a WEEK for federal duty). - called the night before my new service date and was released for the entire week. no need to show up at court.
that was january. fast forward a mere 5 months to today:
jury summons #7 - age 31 - Phoenix superior court
- the last one and the best one. this is where the big cases go, all the ones you see on TV. this is where the judges make you swear not to breathe a word of the case to anyone outside of court. this is where they tell you not to watch the news so you won't be swayed.
now, let me tell you something.
i am a TV news producer. that means it will be impossible for me to follow the jury rules and likely result in my dismissal. which i predict means.... another summons is just around the corner. because clearly, the universe wants me to do this - someday, somewhere, somehow.
however, 7 is my lucky number and the funny bit about all of this is that i would LOVE to serve on a jury - and even after all my summons, i've never had the chance. maybe it's finally my turn.
in other miscellaneous monday news, can i just shake my fist at larry page and sergey brin for a second? i spent hours and hours over the past week tinkering with html code and scouring the internet for blog banners... and TODAY i log in to see there's a new blogger feature for custom designing your page.
seriously.
and, oh fine, for those of you who insist on reading something about writing and/or publishing - i have heard nothing from Agent Almost. it's been 2 weeks since i sent the revisions. every day i wake up and tell myself he is reading it and making notes and will get back to me in due time. then i obsessively check my email 600 times throughout the day and fall asleep reminding myself once again to be patient.
i hope you are all doing something much more productive with your own time.
...apparently.
let's file this one under miscellaneous monday, shall we? because i don't have anything in particular to say about writing or publishing today, and there are so many other interesting things to blab about.
#1 being... JURY DUTY.
fact: i am 31 years old.
fact: as of today, i have been summoned to jury duty 7 TIMES! that's right. SEVEN. (more than my father and mother combined)
fact: i have yet to actually serve on one of those juries or so much as get called before a judge and attorneys to answer questions about my eligibility.
conclusion: i am destined to serve on a jury, and the courtly cosmos will continue to spam my mailbox with summons notices until i do.
how, you ask, is it even possible to get called for jury duty an average of every other year? isn't there some stipulation that you won't be called again for three years?
why, what a brilliant question, i say! let me break it down for you:
jury summons #1 - age 18 - municipal court in my hometown in Illinois - went and sat all day until they came out and told us attorneys had settled out of court.
jury summons #2 - age 22 - Tucson court - i called the night before and was dismissed without going in.
jury summons #3 - age 25 - same Tucson court (my 3-year reprieve was up) - by this time i was living in indianapolis, so i had an acceptable reason to decline jury duty.
jury summons #4 - age 26 - Indianapolis court - by this time i was living in phoenix, so i got to decline again.
jury summons #5 - age 28 - Phoenix municipal court - okay, this time they got me. went and sat all day and never got pulled from the holding pen to even see the inside of a courtroom.
jury summons #6 - age 30 - Arizona federal court - (what?? but it's only been 2 years! oh, but it's a different court system, see.) - deferred service to a more convenient week (yeah, a WEEK for federal duty). - called the night before my new service date and was released for the entire week. no need to show up at court.
that was january. fast forward a mere 5 months to today:
jury summons #7 - age 31 - Phoenix superior court
- the last one and the best one. this is where the big cases go, all the ones you see on TV. this is where the judges make you swear not to breathe a word of the case to anyone outside of court. this is where they tell you not to watch the news so you won't be swayed.
now, let me tell you something.
i am a TV news producer. that means it will be impossible for me to follow the jury rules and likely result in my dismissal. which i predict means.... another summons is just around the corner. because clearly, the universe wants me to do this - someday, somewhere, somehow.
however, 7 is my lucky number and the funny bit about all of this is that i would LOVE to serve on a jury - and even after all my summons, i've never had the chance. maybe it's finally my turn.
in other miscellaneous monday news, can i just shake my fist at larry page and sergey brin for a second? i spent hours and hours over the past week tinkering with html code and scouring the internet for blog banners... and TODAY i log in to see there's a new blogger feature for custom designing your page.
seriously.
and, oh fine, for those of you who insist on reading something about writing and/or publishing - i have heard nothing from Agent Almost. it's been 2 weeks since i sent the revisions. every day i wake up and tell myself he is reading it and making notes and will get back to me in due time. then i obsessively check my email 600 times throughout the day and fall asleep reminding myself once again to be patient.
i hope you are all doing something much more productive with your own time.
Monday, May 31, 2010
the fog has lifted
ever wake up from a two-month writing spree and find the rest of your world suddenly in focus?
and i don't mean you look around with serene clarity and a satisfied sigh of a job well done.
i mean you literally look up and see all the things that have blurred into the background for weeks. that pile of laundry and the stack of dishes in the sink are crystal clear. all those fuzzy shapes on your "to do" list now look like words demanding your immediate attention. you can finally see your cozy writing work space for what it really is - a big mess in the dining room that will have to be cleaned up tomorrow.
this is the kind of focus that hit me today.
i sent the new manuscript to Agent Almost last night, and when I woke up today, a weight had been lifted off my shoulders.
but the fog lifted too, and i realized i have a couple days of "catch up" ahead of me to get back on top of my chores and errands and other real-life responsibilities.
all this is to say.... i won't have a video blog posted for a little while yet. (not that you're all tuning in every day dying to see it, but i like to keep my promises.)
so hang with me, and i swear - a vlog will come. it's just delayed.
in the meantime, my beta and i are cooking up something fun and hopefully educational for you blog readers. stay tuned... ;)
and i don't mean you look around with serene clarity and a satisfied sigh of a job well done.
i mean you literally look up and see all the things that have blurred into the background for weeks. that pile of laundry and the stack of dishes in the sink are crystal clear. all those fuzzy shapes on your "to do" list now look like words demanding your immediate attention. you can finally see your cozy writing work space for what it really is - a big mess in the dining room that will have to be cleaned up tomorrow.
this is the kind of focus that hit me today.
i sent the new manuscript to Agent Almost last night, and when I woke up today, a weight had been lifted off my shoulders.
but the fog lifted too, and i realized i have a couple days of "catch up" ahead of me to get back on top of my chores and errands and other real-life responsibilities.
all this is to say.... i won't have a video blog posted for a little while yet. (not that you're all tuning in every day dying to see it, but i like to keep my promises.)
so hang with me, and i swear - a vlog will come. it's just delayed.
in the meantime, my beta and i are cooking up something fun and hopefully educational for you blog readers. stay tuned... ;)
Thursday, May 20, 2010
superpowers
you know that question people sometimes ask... 'if you could have any superpower, what would it be?'
i hate that question. (ok, i don't really hate it. and, ok, i'm usually the one asking it.) but the point is - i never know how to answer it. it's too hard to pick just one! i often fall back on invisibility or supernatural charm, but those never actually feel right.
well tonight, i finally decided.
but let me keep you in suspense for one second while i tell you how i decided.
i have been writing since i got home tonight - a solid two hours. i put off all my chores. i neglected my dog. and right now, i'm even realizing that i forgot to eat dinner.
what do i have to show for all that? ...STILL only one-third of my new ending written.
i already know this week of goals is going to end this way:
BlogChallengeWIN - WritingChallengeFAIL ...EPIC FAIL.
i was thinking about that as i closed my manuscript tonight and said to myself: 'I wish I had more time.'
and i realized it's something i say all. the. time. i don't think more than two days ever go by without me saying, 'There aren't enough hours in the day.'
so i have finally hit on it.
my superpower would be... TO CONTROL TIME.
i wouldn't even need some mega-time-warping-bending-traveling sort of superpower. i just want to be able to freeze time with the blink of an eye.
blink. 6 hours of sleep just became 8.
blink. 1 hour of writing in the morning is now 4.
and i could speed it up if i wanted to too.
blink. that 9 hour work day just zipped by in 20 minutes.
you get the idea.
so, what would your superpower be?
i hate that question. (ok, i don't really hate it. and, ok, i'm usually the one asking it.) but the point is - i never know how to answer it. it's too hard to pick just one! i often fall back on invisibility or supernatural charm, but those never actually feel right.
well tonight, i finally decided.
but let me keep you in suspense for one second while i tell you how i decided.
i have been writing since i got home tonight - a solid two hours. i put off all my chores. i neglected my dog. and right now, i'm even realizing that i forgot to eat dinner.
what do i have to show for all that? ...STILL only one-third of my new ending written.
i already know this week of goals is going to end this way:
BlogChallengeWIN - WritingChallengeFAIL ...EPIC FAIL.
i was thinking about that as i closed my manuscript tonight and said to myself: 'I wish I had more time.'
and i realized it's something i say all. the. time. i don't think more than two days ever go by without me saying, 'There aren't enough hours in the day.'
so i have finally hit on it.
my superpower would be... TO CONTROL TIME.
i wouldn't even need some mega-time-warping-bending-traveling sort of superpower. i just want to be able to freeze time with the blink of an eye.
blink. 6 hours of sleep just became 8.
blink. 1 hour of writing in the morning is now 4.
and i could speed it up if i wanted to too.
blink. that 9 hour work day just zipped by in 20 minutes.
you get the idea.
so, what would your superpower be?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)