I have a problem of putting off my writing when I have a contest to judge. I don't know why I do this. My writing is important to me, but I think it's the obligation I feel to the contest that forces me to put it first.
I have to stop doing this!
I'd never judged this particular contest before. The categories were a little different since the contest accepted different genre types: romance, mystery, sci-fi, contemporary and children's. I think that was all of them. I volunteered to judge the romance since that is where my experience lies. I had the typical five submissions, but this contest was slightly different in that I could have any sub-genre from the romance.
Three of the entries were excellent. One of them, I gave a perfect score to along with a request to send me an email when it was published.
I did this many years ago on a submission I had judged in 2008, and just this week, I had an email from the author who told me it had been published. Five years, my friends. It took five years. Writing a book and publishing isn't for the faint of heart or for instant gratification. That just doesn't happen to 99.9% of us, but it's always the 0.1% you hear about.
Anyway, the perfect one simply got a "Wow, just wow. This was the first time in my years of judging a contest that I read an entry that was so good." And then I told her to email me when it was published and I'd buy it.
The other two almost perfect ones had a little something off about them. One of them had a totally different name in the synopsis than in the manuscript--oops, this should have been caught--plus enough minor stuff to drop it a point in a couple of the judging categories. The other one was excellent--I actually was very excited to read this, thinking I was reading an Allison Brennan-type story--until she added elements that tossed it into the erotic category side of the scale around the page 15 mark. Excellent writing, but very disappointing.
The last two needed major revisions. Actually, I think they would be better served to ditch the first 20 pages and start over. The synopses for both of these were very good, but the writing just wasn't there. The ghost story one seemed like it would be a fun read, but it needed work.
The other one had serious characterization issues--when a judge thinks the hero is acting creepy and stalkerish, then there's a problem. The two main characters were also lawyers, but neither one acted like lawyers. Though I'm not a lawyer, I happen to have many who are my friends. The lawyers I know have a very distinct ascerbic wit, are extremely intelligent, and they think about everything prior to shooting off their mouths, and these characters didn't feel lawyerish. And the odds strongly lean in the direction that this author is also a lawyer. I'm sure my comments will be bashed in this writer's critique group and I don't know what I'm talking about.
Stuff like this happens all the time.
Susan Grant tells of the time she was bashed for wrongly portraying an airline pilot in her paranormal romance, Contact. Susan IS a 747 pilot who flies internationally, mainly San Francisco to Hong Kong or Singapore.
Anyway, I finished judging yesterday. On Monday, I'll review my comments, tweak and return the entries.
Today I'll write . . . I need to get my weekly 5K written in one day. I can do it. I've done it before. Besides I need to get something to my CP, she needs new reading material. :-)
Showing posts with label writing 101. Show all posts
Showing posts with label writing 101. Show all posts
2/15/13
A Ratty Sweater
Yesterday I planned to write all day, or at least 3000 words worth. I managed to write 400 words and then stopped.
I couldn't move forward.
I know what this chapter is about. I actually have notes and a synopsis to lead me through it, but I stopped writing.
There's always a reason I stop writing -- ALWAYS.
When I was ready to take my kidlet to swim, I remembered what it was--a ratty sweater.
No, it wasn't a big turning point. It wasn't something Mythical. Technically, it wasn't that important to the story, but. . .
IT WAS IMPORTANT TO THE CHARACTER.
And I needed to plant it in this particular scene. And yes, I finally looked through my mess of notes and it was jotted sideways on a piece of sticky note.
This might be the type of thing many other experienced authors would add when they do their edits, but for me it was a stopping point. I had to put it in.
I'm ready to move forward now . . . and this chapter is chocked full of eye-opening turning points! I didn't name the chapter, And it gets weirder by the minute, (chapter title subject to change!) just for fun! Well, maybe, but you'll have to read it first.
Gotta write.
Later, Peeps!
I couldn't move forward.
I know what this chapter is about. I actually have notes and a synopsis to lead me through it, but I stopped writing.
There's always a reason I stop writing -- ALWAYS.
When I was ready to take my kidlet to swim, I remembered what it was--a ratty sweater.
No, it wasn't a big turning point. It wasn't something Mythical. Technically, it wasn't that important to the story, but. . .
IT WAS IMPORTANT TO THE CHARACTER.
And I needed to plant it in this particular scene. And yes, I finally looked through my mess of notes and it was jotted sideways on a piece of sticky note.
This might be the type of thing many other experienced authors would add when they do their edits, but for me it was a stopping point. I had to put it in.
I'm ready to move forward now . . . and this chapter is chocked full of eye-opening turning points! I didn't name the chapter, And it gets weirder by the minute, (chapter title subject to change!) just for fun! Well, maybe, but you'll have to read it first.
Gotta write.
Later, Peeps!
2/9/13
Cut the Boring Crap
During the last week of January, I was writing on DRAGON to enter it in a contest. Contest entered and I started reading the judging packet I had for a different contest. I finished them yesterday.
I started writing on DRAGON again. But it was wrong. I knew I wasn't hitting the right notes with the story. Shoot, it was like I was back to writing 101 again--just because a character would go through certain hoops, it doesn't make it worthy of writing about.
For example, Kyte was in the back of an ambulance being transported to a hospital. I wrote a short ambulance paragraph, an ER paragraph, of being woken up every hour during the night due to her concussion to having to get a 'patient advocate' through social services due to the fact she was a minor.
Boring crap that had NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS STORY!
So I deleted the 1500 words--about 5 pages.
It could have been worse. It could have been 15,000 words, which is what I cut from GNOME.
I could have listened to the typical writerly type of advice, 'write through the problem' you can fix it later.
True, but can you imagine the mess I would have had to clean up?? Deleting 5 pages is nothing compared to having to FIX the potential problems that going down this rabbit hole might have caused.
I've had to fix stuff before and I prefer writing a fresh scene to fixing a broken one.
So this morning I woke up, deleted the pages and reworked the passage of time in a different manner. It's not perfect, but this is tweakable.
Remember, it's easier to write: Two days later, blah, blah, blah. than writing 20 pages of boring crap about those two days that has nothing to do with the story, except to artificially inflate your word count.
I don't know about you, but I tend to skim the boring parts of any story that I'm reading, or I'll even stop reading all together.
Don't ever give your readers the opportunity to put the book down. Putting a book down is the kiss of death, because the reader might not pick it up again.
So if I have any words of advice to give a newbie writer, it's these--
DON'T WRITE THROUGH A PROBLEM SECTION. There's always a reason for hitting the wall, go back and figure out where you went wrong and fix it. It might take you days or weeks to figure it out, but figure it out first, then fix the problem.
I know this isn't typically the advice most writers would give you, but I'll stand by it.
Later, Peeps, I have a story to write!
I started writing on DRAGON again. But it was wrong. I knew I wasn't hitting the right notes with the story. Shoot, it was like I was back to writing 101 again--just because a character would go through certain hoops, it doesn't make it worthy of writing about.
For example, Kyte was in the back of an ambulance being transported to a hospital. I wrote a short ambulance paragraph, an ER paragraph, of being woken up every hour during the night due to her concussion to having to get a 'patient advocate' through social services due to the fact she was a minor.
Boring crap that had NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS STORY!
So I deleted the 1500 words--about 5 pages.
It could have been worse. It could have been 15,000 words, which is what I cut from GNOME.
I could have listened to the typical writerly type of advice, 'write through the problem' you can fix it later.
True, but can you imagine the mess I would have had to clean up?? Deleting 5 pages is nothing compared to having to FIX the potential problems that going down this rabbit hole might have caused.
I've had to fix stuff before and I prefer writing a fresh scene to fixing a broken one.
So this morning I woke up, deleted the pages and reworked the passage of time in a different manner. It's not perfect, but this is tweakable.
Remember, it's easier to write: Two days later, blah, blah, blah. than writing 20 pages of boring crap about those two days that has nothing to do with the story, except to artificially inflate your word count.
I don't know about you, but I tend to skim the boring parts of any story that I'm reading, or I'll even stop reading all together.
Don't ever give your readers the opportunity to put the book down. Putting a book down is the kiss of death, because the reader might not pick it up again.
So if I have any words of advice to give a newbie writer, it's these--
DON'T WRITE THROUGH A PROBLEM SECTION. There's always a reason for hitting the wall, go back and figure out where you went wrong and fix it. It might take you days or weeks to figure it out, but figure it out first, then fix the problem.
I know this isn't typically the advice most writers would give you, but I'll stand by it.
Later, Peeps, I have a story to write!
2/4/13
Synopsis or Synopses, That is the Question
As a writer, I hate writing synopses.
synopsis--singular
synopses--plural, more than one
It's right up there with the query letter, but for a different reason.
A synopsis is the entirety of your story, told in third person, present tense. The idea behind this is to give an indicator to the reader (editor / agent / contest judge) of the story arc, emotional development, plot and ending.
Yes, you have to tell the ending. It's a given if you write romances that there is always a Happy For Now situation, except for Nicholas Sparks. I have yet to figure out why they call his books 'romances'. Romantic, yes, but not romances. It's right up there with Love Story, where the heroine dies at the end of the movie. Come to think of it, that's probably where he got his idea of killing someone off in the end.
With DRAGON, I knew what I wanted to do with the first 3-4 chapters, and I knew where I wanted it to end. It was all the stuff in the middle that I hadn't figured out. Oh, I knew it would work out, because I almost always figure it out, but I needed a synopsis for this one contest I wanted to enter, which meant I had to write one.
After a few days of jotting down notes and ideas, I wrote the darn thing. It was a mess, but it was written. I sent it to my good friend and CP, Meg.
This is where it pays off in spades to have a good CP who doesn't pull her punches--well, I DO think she pulls her punches some, but she hits me hard enough to jostle my brain pan into figuring out the answers.
I tweaked my synopsis and sent it back. SCORE! . . . for now. I'm sure the story will change, but it's merely a guideline. The problem that I had with this story--and most my synopses--is that I want to add all my subplot information. And, let me tell you, there's a lot of subplotting going on in this next book! It grew organically from the first three books, and I think it adds texture to this next story.
So with notes galore--remember all that thinking about the synopsis?--I managed to handwrite profuse amounts of chapter notes. They are all over the place and in no logical order. But the notes are there.
This will be the first time that I've written any story--even the ones that will never see the light of day--with a completed synopsis and profuse notes.
I can't wait to dig into this story!
Later, Peeps!
synopsis--singular
synopses--plural, more than one
It's right up there with the query letter, but for a different reason.
A synopsis is the entirety of your story, told in third person, present tense. The idea behind this is to give an indicator to the reader (editor / agent / contest judge) of the story arc, emotional development, plot and ending.
Yes, you have to tell the ending. It's a given if you write romances that there is always a Happy For Now situation, except for Nicholas Sparks. I have yet to figure out why they call his books 'romances'. Romantic, yes, but not romances. It's right up there with Love Story, where the heroine dies at the end of the movie. Come to think of it, that's probably where he got his idea of killing someone off in the end.
With DRAGON, I knew what I wanted to do with the first 3-4 chapters, and I knew where I wanted it to end. It was all the stuff in the middle that I hadn't figured out. Oh, I knew it would work out, because I almost always figure it out, but I needed a synopsis for this one contest I wanted to enter, which meant I had to write one.
After a few days of jotting down notes and ideas, I wrote the darn thing. It was a mess, but it was written. I sent it to my good friend and CP, Meg.
This is where it pays off in spades to have a good CP who doesn't pull her punches--well, I DO think she pulls her punches some, but she hits me hard enough to jostle my brain pan into figuring out the answers.
I tweaked my synopsis and sent it back. SCORE! . . . for now. I'm sure the story will change, but it's merely a guideline. The problem that I had with this story--and most my synopses--is that I want to add all my subplot information. And, let me tell you, there's a lot of subplotting going on in this next book! It grew organically from the first three books, and I think it adds texture to this next story.
So with notes galore--remember all that thinking about the synopsis?--I managed to handwrite profuse amounts of chapter notes. They are all over the place and in no logical order. But the notes are there.
This will be the first time that I've written any story--even the ones that will never see the light of day--with a completed synopsis and profuse notes.
I can't wait to dig into this story!
Later, Peeps!
1/22/13
The Road Map
This is another writerly-type post, but I'll make it short and stinky.
I have to write two synopses this week.
One synopsis will be 'easy' as the book is already written. All I have to do pull out the pertinent parts the story, chapter-by-chapter --inciting emotional incident, what the main character wants, turning points, road blocks, conflict encounters, the high point of thinking the character is 'winning' only to discover they've been taken for a fool, the 'all is lost' moment, and how the story ends.
*whew* Easy-peasy, right?
Not right.
Even when the story is written, it's hard to write a condensed, exciting map of your story in 500 words--that's like two pages, people, double spaced. Period. This first story is 66,000 words. Yikes!
The second synopsis will be easier and harder. I have an inciting incident. I have drama. I have about the first three to four chapters worked out, and I have an ending. And let me tell you, this ending has more of an emotional bang than the end of TROLL! Yeah, it's that good. But I have about 50,000 words of emptiness between inciting incident and emotional ending.
To write this synopsis, I'm basically pulling manure out of my head and throwing it on a page to see what sticks--image courtesy of a monkey or pooka throwing poo.
*Yes, I'm trying real hard to keep this a G-rated blog.*
I have no clue as to what is going on with this story. I think I know where it's going, but I really don't. The key to good synopsis writing is to fool everyone into thinking you have it all figured out.
After all, writers know how to tell a good lie, right? It's what we do. We make you believe there really is a Hogwarts, a Middle Earth or dragons. We lie for a living.
I just have to remember that because I wrote the road map for this book in a synopsis, it doesn't mean I have to follow it in the story. I can meander off road to visit the Aurora Borealis to see where faeries live, or discover largest living giant, or become friends with the school bully.
Anything is possible.
I just have to write it.
Later, Peeps!
I have to write two synopses this week.
One synopsis will be 'easy' as the book is already written. All I have to do pull out the pertinent parts the story, chapter-by-chapter --inciting emotional incident, what the main character wants, turning points, road blocks, conflict encounters, the high point of thinking the character is 'winning' only to discover they've been taken for a fool, the 'all is lost' moment, and how the story ends.
*whew* Easy-peasy, right?
Not right.
Even when the story is written, it's hard to write a condensed, exciting map of your story in 500 words--that's like two pages, people, double spaced. Period. This first story is 66,000 words. Yikes!
The second synopsis will be easier and harder. I have an inciting incident. I have drama. I have about the first three to four chapters worked out, and I have an ending. And let me tell you, this ending has more of an emotional bang than the end of TROLL! Yeah, it's that good. But I have about 50,000 words of emptiness between inciting incident and emotional ending.
To write this synopsis, I'm basically pulling manure out of my head and throwing it on a page to see what sticks--image courtesy of a monkey or pooka throwing poo.
*Yes, I'm trying real hard to keep this a G-rated blog.*
I have no clue as to what is going on with this story. I think I know where it's going, but I really don't. The key to good synopsis writing is to fool everyone into thinking you have it all figured out.
After all, writers know how to tell a good lie, right? It's what we do. We make you believe there really is a Hogwarts, a Middle Earth or dragons. We lie for a living.
I just have to remember that because I wrote the road map for this book in a synopsis, it doesn't mean I have to follow it in the story. I can meander off road to visit the Aurora Borealis to see where faeries live, or discover largest living giant, or become friends with the school bully.
Anything is possible.
I just have to write it.
Later, Peeps!
1/18/13
The Dealio About Research
Here's the thing about research, when you think you've asked all the questions and then hung up the phone another questions pops in your mind.
After talking to a nurse, a fireman, an EMT and a cop . . . sounds like the start of a joke, doesn't it? Anyway, after talking to them, I mulled my story scene over in my mind.
And then I realized my character lives in the country. Would they be using natural gas or propane gas?
I knew most natural gas lines can be cut off at the meter, which would make sense to put it closer to the main street. But who would actually be the ones to turn the gas off? First responder, as in police officer? Or fireman? I'd guess fireman. It doesn't really matter in the point of view of the character I'm writing, but it's a nice piece of info to tuck into one of the dark recesses of my mind.
Besides I don't want a second explosion because I hadn't thought this through.
But what about propane?
I know nothing about propane gas, other than it's liquid in a compressed form, so I texted my bro-in-law--I was at my daughter's swim practice, so I knew I couldn't hear him if I called. He lives in the country. He knows tons of stuff about everything.
--Question: So do you have propane gas or natural gas at your house? With whichever one you use is there an automatic or manual shut off valve? I need this for a story I'm writing. Thanks
He calls me the next day. "Are you trying to blow up a house?" he asks.
"Why, yes, yes I am."
"Does my brother know about this tendency of yours?"
"He doesn't have a clue. It's safer that way."
And then my BIL proceeds to lecture me on the merits of well gas, natural gas and propane. Everything from the weight of the gas (which I happened to know--probably due to all that chemistry I took in college), to the nozzle size needed to connect to the plumbing in the house, to a house blowing up in the old neighborhood he lived in.
Now my BIL is passionate about his topics. It doesn't matter what the topic is, he's passionate, which means I couldn't get a word in edgewise until about the fifteen minute mark when he took a deep breath.
I explained to him that I don't need the details of nozzle size since I don't plan to go into the schematics of this issue . . . and I was writing this story from the viewpoint of a 12-year old. A kid doesn't care about this stuff, but THE WRITER HAS TO KNOW THIS INFO even if it will never be used.
My friends, writers only use 2% of the information they garner from research, if that much. We don't spew it out in excessive detail, but we use it to color our story with words and depth. We need to know the logistics of a scene for us to write it in a way that is logical to the reader and the characters in the story.
A 12-year old will view a particular scene one way, but the same scene from the eyes of a police officer will be very, very different.
So when I write the scene from the 12-year old's viewpoint, I need the cop to act like a cop would act in the same scenario.
Every character does a dance that pertains to that character's backstory and job in each scene. If a character acts 'out of character' there had better be a very good reason for the behavior. Many times, it's lack of knowledge on the writer's part, or laziness, but it could also be a 'red herring' the author is setting up.
So if you happen to know a writer who stares out into space for inordinate periods of time and then blurts out, "I wonder how hard it would be to get my hands on some curare?" or "I wonder if you can milk a black widow spider for its venom?" or "If I shoot a .44 from the distance of 20 feet would I literally blow someone's head off?"
Don't worry about it that's just the writer working out the logistics of a scene . . . or not.
Later, Peeps!
After talking to a nurse, a fireman, an EMT and a cop . . . sounds like the start of a joke, doesn't it? Anyway, after talking to them, I mulled my story scene over in my mind.
And then I realized my character lives in the country. Would they be using natural gas or propane gas?
I knew most natural gas lines can be cut off at the meter, which would make sense to put it closer to the main street. But who would actually be the ones to turn the gas off? First responder, as in police officer? Or fireman? I'd guess fireman. It doesn't really matter in the point of view of the character I'm writing, but it's a nice piece of info to tuck into one of the dark recesses of my mind.
Besides I don't want a second explosion because I hadn't thought this through.
But what about propane?
I know nothing about propane gas, other than it's liquid in a compressed form, so I texted my bro-in-law--I was at my daughter's swim practice, so I knew I couldn't hear him if I called. He lives in the country. He knows tons of stuff about everything.
--Question: So do you have propane gas or natural gas at your house? With whichever one you use is there an automatic or manual shut off valve? I need this for a story I'm writing. Thanks
He calls me the next day. "Are you trying to blow up a house?" he asks.
"Why, yes, yes I am."
"Does my brother know about this tendency of yours?"
"He doesn't have a clue. It's safer that way."
And then my BIL proceeds to lecture me on the merits of well gas, natural gas and propane. Everything from the weight of the gas (which I happened to know--probably due to all that chemistry I took in college), to the nozzle size needed to connect to the plumbing in the house, to a house blowing up in the old neighborhood he lived in.
Now my BIL is passionate about his topics. It doesn't matter what the topic is, he's passionate, which means I couldn't get a word in edgewise until about the fifteen minute mark when he took a deep breath.
I explained to him that I don't need the details of nozzle size since I don't plan to go into the schematics of this issue . . . and I was writing this story from the viewpoint of a 12-year old. A kid doesn't care about this stuff, but THE WRITER HAS TO KNOW THIS INFO even if it will never be used.
My friends, writers only use 2% of the information they garner from research, if that much. We don't spew it out in excessive detail, but we use it to color our story with words and depth. We need to know the logistics of a scene for us to write it in a way that is logical to the reader and the characters in the story.
A 12-year old will view a particular scene one way, but the same scene from the eyes of a police officer will be very, very different.
So when I write the scene from the 12-year old's viewpoint, I need the cop to act like a cop would act in the same scenario.
Every character does a dance that pertains to that character's backstory and job in each scene. If a character acts 'out of character' there had better be a very good reason for the behavior. Many times, it's lack of knowledge on the writer's part, or laziness, but it could also be a 'red herring' the author is setting up.
So if you happen to know a writer who stares out into space for inordinate periods of time and then blurts out, "I wonder how hard it would be to get my hands on some curare?" or "I wonder if you can milk a black widow spider for its venom?" or "If I shoot a .44 from the distance of 20 feet would I literally blow someone's head off?"
Don't worry about it that's just the writer working out the logistics of a scene . . . or not.
Later, Peeps!
1/15/13
Feeling like a REAL Writer
--er, my spellchecker isn't working, I hope I didn't make too many mistakes!
After writing for thirteen years, yesterday was the first day I felt like a real writer . . . and I didn't even have a chance to 'write'. Over the last thirteen years of writing, I've completed eight novels, one novella, numerous short stories, nine picture books and three easy reader type of books.
But I've always felt like a fraud.
Yesterday was different.
It started off at the swim meet when my friend Patty, a co-worker from my old hospital job and swim instructor, came to the kidlet's swim meet. We started talking and I asked if one of the 11-7 ER nurses was still working there. It turns out no, she doesn't, but we were chatting about why I needed to speak to a ER nurse.
Here's a little of the backstory of a scene I need to write for DRAGON. I've been thinking about this scene for over a YEAR! I knew what I needed to write, but I wasn't quite ready to write it. This is a very emotional scene on so many levels, with so many aspects happening at once, that I wanted to get it right. And getting it right involved research, and not stuff from the Internet, but actual conversations with people about this scene--police officers, firement, EMT, Life Flight medics and Trauma nurses. Without giving away my scene, this gives you an idea of what I was up against.
I'd been working this scene out in my mind and I had to find out if the logistics I thought out would work. Patty mentioned that another co-worker's daughter was now a trauma nurse.
Wow.
What is really wow about this statement is that I remember this co-worker's kids when they were around 5 to 7 years old! Imagining that this young woman was an adult was mind boggling. Yes, I know I've gotten older, but we never think about other people's kids getting older, too!
So I contacted the mom--on Facebook with a short version of what I needed and two phone numbers where I could be reached.
The nurse called me on Sunday night. We chatted for about 15 minutes. I got some answers, but also left her with some questions she didn't know the answers to. She promised to get back to me when later this week after she goes to work on Thursday. She works nights--and so did I for years--so I understand how it all flip-flops.
Armed with the info she gave me, I thought about this scene on my walk yesterday. When I returned home, I tweeted that I needed to speak to a cop, fireman and a EMT. Then I remembered I went to high school with a guy who was a fireman--I IM'ed him through Facebook. He said to send him a list of questions.
Well, I discovered when talking to the trauma nurse that I do better actually conversing with someone about the situation because I'm constantly thinking about the scene, readjusting my thoughts and generating new questions about what might happen--and yes, jumping around to various scenarios. I've learned to warn people that my thoughts hop around like a bunny on crack.
And then I played stump the fireman for about 20 minutes. It was great fun! As I mentioned to each and every person I interviewed--this story is told through the eyes of a 12-year old girl. I need to get the logistics correct, but it doesn't have to be perfect. I want the scene to make sense on the surface--and I don't want to Hollywood it up with too many pyrotechnics, or too many injuries. And though my character will be injured and in shock, I want to get it right.
After hanging up with the fireman, I went back to Facebook and I saw another friend mention she was hanging with her hubs for the day--and I remembered that her hubs is an EMT! Bingo!
I IM'd her and she said to call and talk to her hubs.
WOW! See? This just keeps getting better and better!
I learned so much from this EMT. It turns out he now works as a flight medic, instead of just EMT. So I managed to get info about both situations. I learned some things I never really thought about--like they will be cutting my protagonists clothes off to assess her injuries. Talk about adding pubescent embarressment to the shock of the situation!
Then I had another friend mention that her business partner's son was a police officer. She called right as I was walking out the door to pick the kidlet up from school, but she gave me his phone number and said he was aware that I would be calling him.
And call him I did. He rounded out the picture of this scene, since police officers are usually the first responders to a situation. I now have the information I need to write this scene and I have four contacts I can use if I need them for additional information.
In less than 48 hours from chatting with my friend Patty, I was armed and ready to write!
. . . and then I realized I need to get my hair cut and colored today, and go to Weight Watchers and the grocery store, and the kidlet has dry land prior to swim.
As much as I want to write this scene, I can wait. Shoot, I've already waited to write it for over a year. I can wait another day . . . I think. . . but I do have small writing window after I pick the kidlet up from school to when I need to take her to dry land practice.
In the immortal words of Captain Jean-Luc Picard, "Make it so."
I think I will.
Later, Peeps!
After writing for thirteen years, yesterday was the first day I felt like a real writer . . . and I didn't even have a chance to 'write'. Over the last thirteen years of writing, I've completed eight novels, one novella, numerous short stories, nine picture books and three easy reader type of books.
But I've always felt like a fraud.
Yesterday was different.
It started off at the swim meet when my friend Patty, a co-worker from my old hospital job and swim instructor, came to the kidlet's swim meet. We started talking and I asked if one of the 11-7 ER nurses was still working there. It turns out no, she doesn't, but we were chatting about why I needed to speak to a ER nurse.
Here's a little of the backstory of a scene I need to write for DRAGON. I've been thinking about this scene for over a YEAR! I knew what I needed to write, but I wasn't quite ready to write it. This is a very emotional scene on so many levels, with so many aspects happening at once, that I wanted to get it right. And getting it right involved research, and not stuff from the Internet, but actual conversations with people about this scene--police officers, firement, EMT, Life Flight medics and Trauma nurses. Without giving away my scene, this gives you an idea of what I was up against.
I'd been working this scene out in my mind and I had to find out if the logistics I thought out would work. Patty mentioned that another co-worker's daughter was now a trauma nurse.
Wow.
What is really wow about this statement is that I remember this co-worker's kids when they were around 5 to 7 years old! Imagining that this young woman was an adult was mind boggling. Yes, I know I've gotten older, but we never think about other people's kids getting older, too!
So I contacted the mom--on Facebook with a short version of what I needed and two phone numbers where I could be reached.
The nurse called me on Sunday night. We chatted for about 15 minutes. I got some answers, but also left her with some questions she didn't know the answers to. She promised to get back to me when later this week after she goes to work on Thursday. She works nights--and so did I for years--so I understand how it all flip-flops.
Armed with the info she gave me, I thought about this scene on my walk yesterday. When I returned home, I tweeted that I needed to speak to a cop, fireman and a EMT. Then I remembered I went to high school with a guy who was a fireman--I IM'ed him through Facebook. He said to send him a list of questions.
Well, I discovered when talking to the trauma nurse that I do better actually conversing with someone about the situation because I'm constantly thinking about the scene, readjusting my thoughts and generating new questions about what might happen--and yes, jumping around to various scenarios. I've learned to warn people that my thoughts hop around like a bunny on crack.
And then I played stump the fireman for about 20 minutes. It was great fun! As I mentioned to each and every person I interviewed--this story is told through the eyes of a 12-year old girl. I need to get the logistics correct, but it doesn't have to be perfect. I want the scene to make sense on the surface--and I don't want to Hollywood it up with too many pyrotechnics, or too many injuries. And though my character will be injured and in shock, I want to get it right.
After hanging up with the fireman, I went back to Facebook and I saw another friend mention she was hanging with her hubs for the day--and I remembered that her hubs is an EMT! Bingo!
I IM'd her and she said to call and talk to her hubs.
WOW! See? This just keeps getting better and better!
I learned so much from this EMT. It turns out he now works as a flight medic, instead of just EMT. So I managed to get info about both situations. I learned some things I never really thought about--like they will be cutting my protagonists clothes off to assess her injuries. Talk about adding pubescent embarressment to the shock of the situation!
Then I had another friend mention that her business partner's son was a police officer. She called right as I was walking out the door to pick the kidlet up from school, but she gave me his phone number and said he was aware that I would be calling him.
And call him I did. He rounded out the picture of this scene, since police officers are usually the first responders to a situation. I now have the information I need to write this scene and I have four contacts I can use if I need them for additional information.
In less than 48 hours from chatting with my friend Patty, I was armed and ready to write!
. . . and then I realized I need to get my hair cut and colored today, and go to Weight Watchers and the grocery store, and the kidlet has dry land prior to swim.
As much as I want to write this scene, I can wait. Shoot, I've already waited to write it for over a year. I can wait another day . . . I think. . . but I do have small writing window after I pick the kidlet up from school to when I need to take her to dry land practice.
In the immortal words of Captain Jean-Luc Picard, "Make it so."
I think I will.
Later, Peeps!
1/8/13
One Word at a Time
How does a NYT Bestselling author write? How does a multiple award literary writer write? How does a screenplay get written? How does a youngster journal?
And finally, how does this writer try to do the impossible and write five books in one year when she hasn't written anything new in almost two years? Spits and spurts of writing don't count. Writing a story from beginning to end does. So how do we all do it?
One word at a time, my friends. There is no other way to get around it.
Everyone in the world can write a book. You just have to have a story idea, and the patience to sit down and actually carry out the hard work--one word at a time.
Some writers take years finishing their one book. Other writers are extremely prolific and write numerous books in a year. We all do it the same way--one word at a time.
Sometimes those words are hard to wrestle out. While other times they flow smoothly like stream, or gush out like a broken water faucet.
So where's the magic? How do some writers manage to dig into our souls and find the one thing we needed to read? How do writers transport us to another time, another place? How do some writers make us feel like we've made a new best friend with their characters? How did J.K.Rowling manage to get an entire generation to read books?
One word at a time.
The magic happens when the writer starts stringing the words together into a sentence, a paragraph, or a chapter. Sometimes it takes us years to figure out how to make the magic, but it you stick with it you will find your magic.
Every writer has magic. Sometimes the magic appeals to some readers, but not others. It's still magic and it's in every word we write.
And now it's time for this writer to sit down and write some magic because five stories aren't going to write themselves!
Later, Peeps!
And finally, how does this writer try to do the impossible and write five books in one year when she hasn't written anything new in almost two years? Spits and spurts of writing don't count. Writing a story from beginning to end does. So how do we all do it?
One word at a time, my friends. There is no other way to get around it.
Everyone in the world can write a book. You just have to have a story idea, and the patience to sit down and actually carry out the hard work--one word at a time.
Some writers take years finishing their one book. Other writers are extremely prolific and write numerous books in a year. We all do it the same way--one word at a time.
Sometimes those words are hard to wrestle out. While other times they flow smoothly like stream, or gush out like a broken water faucet.
So where's the magic? How do some writers manage to dig into our souls and find the one thing we needed to read? How do writers transport us to another time, another place? How do some writers make us feel like we've made a new best friend with their characters? How did J.K.Rowling manage to get an entire generation to read books?
One word at a time.
The magic happens when the writer starts stringing the words together into a sentence, a paragraph, or a chapter. Sometimes it takes us years to figure out how to make the magic, but it you stick with it you will find your magic.
Every writer has magic. Sometimes the magic appeals to some readers, but not others. It's still magic and it's in every word we write.
And now it's time for this writer to sit down and write some magic because five stories aren't going to write themselves!
Later, Peeps!
9/13/12
I'm Terrified
Last night when I hoofed my way six times around the almost mile loop, I had an epiphany about my current story, DRAGON.
Oh, I knew the first chapter was wrong. So I threw it away. The concept is still in the back of my mind, but I think the cliffhanger will work nicely for the end of the DRAGON or another internal chapter.
No, it's not that. It something that has been scaring me my entire life--real and written.
In real life, I back away from conflict, and I hate crying (I'm not a pretty crier!). I'm not one of those people who seem to be all about the drama. I'm middle-of-the-road boring.
And I'm happy to be there.
Well, the same is true with my writing. I think I've written two, maybe three, truly emotional scenes during my 12 years of writing. I bawled while I wrote them. They gave me a crying headache, and I didn't write for a few days.
I don't like that feeling.
Which is why deep emotion is lacking in most of my writing. I've always had this issue, just ask Marilyn Pappano!
Which leads me to my problem, the first two chapters of DRAGON are intensely emotional.
I've worked out the logistics of the chapters during my walkies, but now I need to write them. Once I get the basics down I can layer more of the emotion into the story, but I'll definitely need some feedback from my good friends, Marilyn and Meg.
On another story, I have a character who murders four people within the first few pages. The power inside of her takes over and she's the conduit for the murders, but when the power recedes she's left with the emotional aftermath of what she did. I could pull an Arnold Schwarzenegger from TRUE LIES and simply say that "they were all bad people", but that's lame and not necessarily true.
Sometimes I need the quiet me time of walking to work out my story problems, but then other times I need the help from my friends to bounce ideas off of. Writing might be solitary, but without someone to share it with--it's just not fun.
I think I'm ready to write.
Later, Peeps!
Oh, I knew the first chapter was wrong. So I threw it away. The concept is still in the back of my mind, but I think the cliffhanger will work nicely for the end of the DRAGON or another internal chapter.
No, it's not that. It something that has been scaring me my entire life--real and written.
EMOTION
In real life, I back away from conflict, and I hate crying (I'm not a pretty crier!). I'm not one of those people who seem to be all about the drama. I'm middle-of-the-road boring.
And I'm happy to be there.
Well, the same is true with my writing. I think I've written two, maybe three, truly emotional scenes during my 12 years of writing. I bawled while I wrote them. They gave me a crying headache, and I didn't write for a few days.
I don't like that feeling.
Which is why deep emotion is lacking in most of my writing. I've always had this issue, just ask Marilyn Pappano!
Which leads me to my problem, the first two chapters of DRAGON are intensely emotional.
I've worked out the logistics of the chapters during my walkies, but now I need to write them. Once I get the basics down I can layer more of the emotion into the story, but I'll definitely need some feedback from my good friends, Marilyn and Meg.
On another story, I have a character who murders four people within the first few pages. The power inside of her takes over and she's the conduit for the murders, but when the power recedes she's left with the emotional aftermath of what she did. I could pull an Arnold Schwarzenegger from TRUE LIES and simply say that "they were all bad people", but that's lame and not necessarily true.
Sometimes I need the quiet me time of walking to work out my story problems, but then other times I need the help from my friends to bounce ideas off of. Writing might be solitary, but without someone to share it with--it's just not fun.
I think I'm ready to write.
Later, Peeps!
7/16/12
Writing 101 -- Writers Observe
There's a saying out in writer land that Writer's Write. It's what we do.
I'll agree with this . . . up to a point.
But before writers write, we observe. Some people would call it daydreaming, but we call it world building or plotting.
We people watch. We watch interactions between our friends, with our family members, or simply sit on a bench at the mall and watch the world walk by.
Do you think all those writers who are at Starbucks are actually writing? Well, they are, but they are also sipping their beverage of choice and look around at the people coming and going.
And then they proceed to make up stories and back stories about those characters.
Writers study human nature. The ability of an action inspiring a reaction depending on the personalities of the involved parties. We can psychoanalyzing various personality types, but we don't have to write a paper or explain to other family members how to deal with it.
We just lie about it on paper.
It's called fiction.
So many people will ask writers where they get their ideas. It's not hard to figure out, all you have to do is look around and observe--just be sure to change the names . . .
If you want to be a writer start your journey simply by observing. Yes, you will eventually have to learn to put your world onto paper, but you will be learning a lot about human nature, motivation and characterization.
Later, Peeps!
I'll agree with this . . . up to a point.
But before writers write, we observe. Some people would call it daydreaming, but we call it world building or plotting.
We people watch. We watch interactions between our friends, with our family members, or simply sit on a bench at the mall and watch the world walk by.
Do you think all those writers who are at Starbucks are actually writing? Well, they are, but they are also sipping their beverage of choice and look around at the people coming and going.
And then they proceed to make up stories and back stories about those characters.
Writers study human nature. The ability of an action inspiring a reaction depending on the personalities of the involved parties. We can psychoanalyzing various personality types, but we don't have to write a paper or explain to other family members how to deal with it.
We just lie about it on paper.
It's called fiction.
So many people will ask writers where they get their ideas. It's not hard to figure out, all you have to do is look around and observe--just be sure to change the names . . .
If you want to be a writer start your journey simply by observing. Yes, you will eventually have to learn to put your world onto paper, but you will be learning a lot about human nature, motivation and characterization.
Later, Peeps!
5/4/12
Writing 101 - Reading a Dream
I dreamed last night.
It wasn't just that I had a dream, but it was one of those dreams full of symbols. Normally, I abhor symbolism, especially in books. When teachers tell you that this and that is what the author meant when he wrote it. How do they know? Usually the author is dead and can't give input. Why couldn't the author simply be writing a wonderful story? Sometimes the symbolism is there and means something to you and sometimes I think these teachers are trying to hard.
But this dream of mine, allowed me to see everything in a clear light.
Wow.
Especially when I'm not one of those people who put a lot of stock in dream reading or whatever it's called.
So here it is:
I was in a town--a very Grimm-type of town--not freaky-deaky scary, but odd. The first evening the town walks to this steep hill, more like a cliff, to watch some other people attempt to climb it. It was straight up with two sets of stairs, one 'normal' set and one rickety set of stairs. Most of the people who tried to climb up didn't make it. I go back to my room and tell my mom about this cliff.
She looks at the clock and says that I have an hour before sunset, so why not give it a try?
I go back to the cliff. Most of the crowd had disappeared, but when they see that I intend to climb the cliff, it grows again. Do I choose the easy set of stairs, no. I choose the challenging set of narrow stairs, because I'm stupid in that way, always choosing the hard way. After nearly falling off a couple of times, and having someone try to pull me off, I reached the pinnacle. The crowd goes wild.
I had made it.
But then I had to follow the path that was set out. I don't remember much of this path, except that it wandered here and there over low low hills. In fact, you could see the path from the top of the cliff. I knew it wouldn't be an easy route, but the tough work was finished, right?
Then the path moved into a forest. The trees started crowding me on either side of the path. A cold fog had moved in, blocking the sun. Darkness gathered and the path was getting difficult to see.
I had a decision to make, go forward or go home.
I had the tools to make it through the dark woods, but did I have the courage?
I turned back.
Only a few feet later, I met a family of four hurrying into the deep, dark, foggy woods. I asked them where they were going. The mother replies, "But we have to get to school. This is the only path." Soon they disappeared into the eerieness.
Undecided, I make my way back to the safety and comfort of the familiar, but while in the forest I run into three men. Two seemed to be of suspicious character, while the third one seemed a little naive--in a Jack Black sort of way. I decide to tag along for some company.
We stopped at one point and lit a campfire. Jack Black offers to pay the men to guide us on the path. He opens his coin purse and removes one coin, but letting all of us see how much was in there. I'm thinking to myself, "Don't do it, you idiot! Now they know how much money you have and will take it all away!"
My dream gets a little blurry right about then. I don't know what happens to the thieves or Jack Black, but I remember what my mom said when I got home.
Mom:"That was quick. You've only been gone for a few minutes."
Me: "But there was a heavy fog and the forest was dark and there were thieves."
Mom: "So what? I never said it would be easy. It takes courage to forge your way. I guess you didn't have what it takes."
Ouch! Moms can be brutally honest like that.
And I woke up.
This dream was so obviously about my writing journey. I've always said that it's a path we follow, but no one's path is the same. Some paths are straight and easy, while other paths go every which way . . . some even go into the dark recesses of our minds to test our courage.
I failed.
I chickened out because the path became difficult. I had the tools to move forward--a flashlight on my Android phone, but I didn't have the courage to take chances, to see if the sun would still be up on the other side of the woods.
One thing I do know is that I'm going to take the challenge again. Why? Because I'd been there before. I'd already climbed that cliff of learning the craft of writing, of writing those million words of crap, of digging deep, but this time I'm going to walk into those dark, dank trees of uncertainty, insecurity and fear.
I don't know what I'm going to find, maybe nothing, but at least I made the effort. I attempted to make the writing journey.
This time, I won't turn around.
What about you? Will you quit when the going gets tough? Or will you dig deep and find the courage to move on?
Later, Peeps!
It wasn't just that I had a dream, but it was one of those dreams full of symbols. Normally, I abhor symbolism, especially in books. When teachers tell you that this and that is what the author meant when he wrote it. How do they know? Usually the author is dead and can't give input. Why couldn't the author simply be writing a wonderful story? Sometimes the symbolism is there and means something to you and sometimes I think these teachers are trying to hard.
But this dream of mine, allowed me to see everything in a clear light.
Wow.
Especially when I'm not one of those people who put a lot of stock in dream reading or whatever it's called.
So here it is:
I was in a town--a very Grimm-type of town--not freaky-deaky scary, but odd. The first evening the town walks to this steep hill, more like a cliff, to watch some other people attempt to climb it. It was straight up with two sets of stairs, one 'normal' set and one rickety set of stairs. Most of the people who tried to climb up didn't make it. I go back to my room and tell my mom about this cliff.
She looks at the clock and says that I have an hour before sunset, so why not give it a try?
I go back to the cliff. Most of the crowd had disappeared, but when they see that I intend to climb the cliff, it grows again. Do I choose the easy set of stairs, no. I choose the challenging set of narrow stairs, because I'm stupid in that way, always choosing the hard way. After nearly falling off a couple of times, and having someone try to pull me off, I reached the pinnacle. The crowd goes wild.
I had made it.
But then I had to follow the path that was set out. I don't remember much of this path, except that it wandered here and there over low low hills. In fact, you could see the path from the top of the cliff. I knew it wouldn't be an easy route, but the tough work was finished, right?
Then the path moved into a forest. The trees started crowding me on either side of the path. A cold fog had moved in, blocking the sun. Darkness gathered and the path was getting difficult to see.
I had a decision to make, go forward or go home.
I had the tools to make it through the dark woods, but did I have the courage?
I turned back.
Only a few feet later, I met a family of four hurrying into the deep, dark, foggy woods. I asked them where they were going. The mother replies, "But we have to get to school. This is the only path." Soon they disappeared into the eerieness.
Undecided, I make my way back to the safety and comfort of the familiar, but while in the forest I run into three men. Two seemed to be of suspicious character, while the third one seemed a little naive--in a Jack Black sort of way. I decide to tag along for some company.
We stopped at one point and lit a campfire. Jack Black offers to pay the men to guide us on the path. He opens his coin purse and removes one coin, but letting all of us see how much was in there. I'm thinking to myself, "Don't do it, you idiot! Now they know how much money you have and will take it all away!"
My dream gets a little blurry right about then. I don't know what happens to the thieves or Jack Black, but I remember what my mom said when I got home.
Mom:"That was quick. You've only been gone for a few minutes."
Me: "But there was a heavy fog and the forest was dark and there were thieves."
Mom: "So what? I never said it would be easy. It takes courage to forge your way. I guess you didn't have what it takes."
Ouch! Moms can be brutally honest like that.
And I woke up.
This dream was so obviously about my writing journey. I've always said that it's a path we follow, but no one's path is the same. Some paths are straight and easy, while other paths go every which way . . . some even go into the dark recesses of our minds to test our courage.
I failed.
I chickened out because the path became difficult. I had the tools to move forward--a flashlight on my Android phone, but I didn't have the courage to take chances, to see if the sun would still be up on the other side of the woods.
One thing I do know is that I'm going to take the challenge again. Why? Because I'd been there before. I'd already climbed that cliff of learning the craft of writing, of writing those million words of crap, of digging deep, but this time I'm going to walk into those dark, dank trees of uncertainty, insecurity and fear.
I don't know what I'm going to find, maybe nothing, but at least I made the effort. I attempted to make the writing journey.
This time, I won't turn around.
What about you? Will you quit when the going gets tough? Or will you dig deep and find the courage to move on?
Later, Peeps!
4/9/12
Hyperlinking / Writing 101
It took me less than 15 minutes to hyperlink the Weighty Wednesday and Foodie Friday posts to their respective pages. It helps me find them when I title the blog post with the WW or FF first. :-) That was when I realized I hadn't written a Writing 101 post in a very long time. Part of the reason is that those particular posts take a little bit of thought . . . that's not to say my other posts don't take some thought, but let's be real here, most of the time I'm posting 'off the cuff', or "pulling it out of my a$$".
Here are a few of the topics that haven't been covered yet. I will confess that a couple of these particular posts will be very, very short as they aren't my writing strengths, which means I don't have a definite opinion on them.
HA! Bet that surprised some of you!
Personally, I'm leaning toward -- Hooks. And I think Jody suggested Beginnings and Endings about a gazillion years ago. Anyone else have a topic you want to listen to me blather on and on about??
Anyone? *taps microphone* Anyone?
"Ruh-roh, the zombie Apocalypse has already struck! And I'm talking into nothingness!" Aaarrrrgggghhhh! "Run away, run away!"
Here are a few possibilities:
Writing 101 -- Plot
Writing 101 -- Story Structure
Writing 101 -- Dialogue
Writing 101 -- Writing Style
Writing 101-- Punctuation
Writing 101 -- Voice
Writing 101 -- Hooks
Writing 101--GMC Goal, Motivation, and Conflict
Writing 101--Craft
Writing 101 -- Description
Writing 101 -- Using Spellcheck and Grammar check
Writing 101 -- Beginnings &Endings
And yes, some of them DO overlap--genius of you to catch that! Or if you want to know how I approach judging a contest, I'm sure I've jabbered on about that topic numerous times!
Hey, I did do a crit for my friend Cyndi (Texas Two Step) for her next book and she mentioned that I should be an EDITOR. *snork* Yeah, I thought the same thing! It's because I don't worry about the minutiae (line editing) of the story--that's the writer's job until the story is uber-polished--but I tend to see more of the big picture: pacing, character development, etc.
Anyhoo, if you have a suggestion feel free to chime in!
Later, Peeps!
Here are a few of the topics that haven't been covered yet. I will confess that a couple of these particular posts will be very, very short as they aren't my writing strengths, which means I don't have a definite opinion on them.
HA! Bet that surprised some of you!
Personally, I'm leaning toward -- Hooks. And I think Jody suggested Beginnings and Endings about a gazillion years ago. Anyone else have a topic you want to listen to me blather on and on about??
Anyone? *taps microphone* Anyone?
"Ruh-roh, the zombie Apocalypse has already struck! And I'm talking into nothingness!" Aaarrrrgggghhhh! "Run away, run away!"
Here are a few possibilities:
Writing 101 -- Plot
Writing 101 -- Story Structure
Writing 101 -- Dialogue
Writing 101 -- Writing Style
Writing 101-- Punctuation
Writing 101 -- Voice
Writing 101 -- Hooks
Writing 101--GMC Goal, Motivation, and Conflict
Writing 101--Craft
Writing 101 -- Description
Writing 101 -- Using Spellcheck and Grammar check
Writing 101 -- Beginnings &Endings
And yes, some of them DO overlap--genius of you to catch that! Or if you want to know how I approach judging a contest, I'm sure I've jabbered on about that topic numerous times!
Hey, I did do a crit for my friend Cyndi (Texas Two Step) for her next book and she mentioned that I should be an EDITOR. *snork* Yeah, I thought the same thing! It's because I don't worry about the minutiae (line editing) of the story--that's the writer's job until the story is uber-polished--but I tend to see more of the big picture: pacing, character development, etc.
Anyhoo, if you have a suggestion feel free to chime in!
Later, Peeps!
12/17/11
Writing 101 -- Setting Goals -- Monthly, Weekly and Daily
Monthly--
RECAP:
If you’ve read and recorded your Yearly Goals, now you’re ready to break them down into monthly increments. Trying to do all the goals at once is simply mind-numbing. And when your mind goes numb, what happens? You shut down and do nothing, well, except you start to play games on Facebook, or pull out your game console, or find any excuse NOT to work on your goals.
Trust me, I’ve been there. In fact, I was there the latter part of 2011. It happens to all of us, good intentions or not.
For monthly goals, I use a calendar system. I simply looked for Free MS calendar on the Internet and download it. You want a calendar that has enough space for each day to jot down what you did every day.
Okay, I couldn’t find a basic calendar this year, so I had to take last year’s calendar, delete everything and renumber it. It’s basically an Excel worksheet, landscape-style, with one month per page.
Here’s a shrinky-dink version.
| January 2012 | ||||||
| Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 |
| 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 |
| 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 |
| 29 | 30 | 31 | | | | |
If you shrink the font for each cell (Calibri 8), you can add more information in each cell. You aren’t going to be writing your life story in the cell, just jot down what you did that day. And I try to write down non-writing stuff, too. Why? Because a blank cell doesn’t tell you diddly-squat, but a cell that says: Dr. appt. ran errands, jury duty, felt lousy, read, etc. will tell you more of the story. It helps pinpoint problem areas, expectations or whether you try to set unrealistic goals.
The place to set your goals will be in the blank spaces. I usually select two cells and merge them to allow for enough room to bullet point my goals. Now, I reviewed what I want to accomplish on my yearly goals and pick one or two items that I’d like to accomplish in January. I’ve been doing hard copy edits on TROLL, so now is the time to change it on the computer.
| January 2012 | ||||||
| Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 |
| 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 |
| 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 |
| 29 | 30 | 31 | Goals: · Edit TROLL · Write FIRE bullet points · Judge Golden Heart--rec’d ?? | | ||
Just because I have only a few goals for the month of January doesn’t mean I won’t accomplish other items, AND I admit that I have a huge amount of work to do on this edit so one goal is reasonable.
I put down books that I’ve read at the end of the month or in the cells. When I accomplish my goal, I’ll mark it DONE and put the date next to it. When I add new goals during the month, I’ll mark them in red.
One of the challenges is to remember to write your daily tasks down. I solved this by drawing a daily Tarot card. Originally, I was given a book on Tarot and cards as research for a mystery novel. I stopped writing that novel, but I continued to draw a card . . . and write it down, plus what I did every day. If you notice, I try not to do writing stuff on the weekends--those are for my family, but sometimes I would jot something down.
I will continue the Tarot trick throughout 2012 because my Young Adult series centers around the minor suits of the Tarot.
Here’s an example of January 2011:
| January 2011 | ||||||
| Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday |
| GOALS: · Query FAERIE—rewrote, Q’d 12 agents wk 1 · Judge GH entries rec’d 1/8/11, read 1/10, results subbed 1/10/11 · Entered Writer’s Digest contest—1/4, posted on blog 1/18, entered FEB contest on 1/24/11 · Self publish LOST LEPRECHAUN LOOT—1/20 | WANDS—Fire/passion CUPS—Water/moods/emotion SWORDS—Air/mentality PENTACLES--Earth/growth/nature/money MAJOR ARCANA—Spirituality/higher purpose | 1 VI THE LOVERS—values, personal beliefs, moral/ethical crossroads | ||||
| 2 Page of Wands-opportun for passion, experience creativity, courage, inspiration Cleaned out closets and drawers | 3 Five of Cups—feeling bereft, feeling regret, suffering a loss R in school T off, ran errands and spent gift cards | 4 Nine of Pentacles—discipline, self-reliance, Wrote two blogs Wrote 100 word entry to WD contest #31 | 5 V THE HIEROPHANT—pursuing knowledge, fitting in, feeling loyalty Helped Mom with Kindle Ate lunch with Todd Read | 6 XII THE HANGED MAN—paradox, move forward by standing still, letting go, Rewrote FAERIE Query, sent 6 queries Worked out | 7 Knight of Pentacles—unwavering, realistic, hardworking, 5 queries for FAERIE Wrote Mon. blog | 8 Ten of Wands—burdens, struggle, uphill battle Documented and packed 9 trash bags for donations |
| 9 Nine of Wands—down but not out, stamina, perseverance reading | 10 XIX THE SUN—vitality, enlightenment, assurance Read five historical GH entries | 11 Nine of Cups-wish fulfillment, satisfaction 1 query GIAM recap—2000+ words Worked out | 12 Three of Pentacles—getting the job done, teamwork, planning, Read The Hobbit | 13 Knight of Wands-full of energy & life, cocky, risky Finished writing Down in the Dregs—WD entry Read The Hobbit laundry | 14 Nine of Cups-wish fulfillment, satisfaction Read Worked out | 15 V THE HIEROPHANT—pursuing knowledge, fitting in, feeling loyalty Finished reading The Hobbit and Treasure Island |
| 16 Nine of Pentacles—discipline, self-reliance, Laundry reading | 17 Ace of Cups—intimacy, emotional force, spirituality Rachel off school Went to aquarium, ate lunch with Todd | 18 Queen of Wands—self-assured, cheerful, energetic, confident Errands—edit Dregs for blog Laura designed cover for LLL | 19 Page of Pentacles—be practical, have an effect, be prosperous Formatted LLL for Smashwords | 20 Two of Swords—stalemate, avoidance, blocked emotions Snow day-R home | 21 Seven of Wands—take a stand, defiance, conviction Subbed LLL to Amazon | 22 King of Pentacles-adept, enterprising, reliable, pursues a goal Subbed LLL to B & N—nope Smashwords already has it |
| 23 XVII THE STAR—hope, inspiration, serenity, | 24 Five of Swords—self-interest, sacrificing integrity Read Dentist—fix tooth fracture | 25 King of Pentacles-adept, enterprising, reliable, pursues a goal Laundry read | 26 X Wheel of Fortune—destiny, turning point, ROSE HILL WITH 4TH GRADERS Read on bus | 27 Six of Pentacles—have/have not: power, resources, knowledge, 45 min walk Brainstormed w/Laura | 28 I THE MAGICIAN—action, concentration, power Research-myth, creatures 40 min walk | 29 Queen of Cups—loving, intuitive, psychic, spiritual Zoo Yard work—cleaned by pond |
| 30 XIII DEATH—ending, transition, completing a chapter laundry | 31 Four of Wands-celebrating, breaking bonds, excitement T sick Grocery shopping | · Read 8 books | | | | |
And there you have your monthly goals in a nutshell.
Weekly--
I belong to an online goals group, so I have to come up with weekly goals . . . er, weekly. I’m a fan of bullet points, and I approach this challenge the same way I do monthly goals. I look at my schedule and figure out what I can reasonably accomplish according to my week. Sometimes I accomplish my goals, sometimes I don’t. The key to writing down goals is to be accountable. It also gives you an idea what you can and can’t accomplish in a given week.
I haven’t recapped recently because it’s the end of the year and I have been up to my elbows in making candy.
Here is an example from October:
· Finish judging contest entries—DONE and returned
· Edit SUGAR one more time—I want to get it up by Nov. 1—WORKING ON IT
· Pester Laura about SUGAR cover --DONE
· Pull up my big girl panties and read the judge’s comments on one of my contest entries –DONE.
GOALS:
· Finish SUGAR edit
· Try out various mini-dessert recipes prior to Thanksgiving.
And here is the week AFTER this posting:
RECAP:
· Finish SUGAR edit—DONE
· Wrote blurb for SUGAR
· Try out various mini-dessert recipes prior to Thanksgiving. –DONE. Plus did some serious cookie baking last week. Made six kinds for two Halloween parties (Lemony Goblin Brains, Minty Fairy Farts, Werewolf Poop, Choco-spider Guts, Cinnamon Toadstools and Spicy Witch’s Cackle), AND I made Cinnamon Rolls for the family along with regular household crap.
GOALS:
· Format and publish SUGAR—I meant to format this last weekend, but obligations got in the way.
· Have an idea for NaNo—I need to write book 4 in the Goblin’s Apprentice series. Thought about it on my walks. November is always a busy, busy month for me, but maybe I need a tight goal to try to get back in the ballgame.
· Oh, crap!—I forgot that I have to give a presentation to our local RWA chapter about writing through the hard times. Guess I’ll be busy doing that this week!
Daily--
I usually don’t write daily goals, but when I need to keep my thoughts organized, I do write down a bullet point list of things I need to accomplish on a sticky note. I don’t have any examples to show you because I throw the notes away when I’m finished, BUT I do record it on the appropriate day on my monthly calendar.
Here is a week taken randomly from February 2011:
| 6 Ten of Wands—burdens, struggle, uphill battle Editing GNOME pg 31 laundry | 7 Queen of Cups—loving, intuitive, psychic, spiritual Edit GNOME to pg 58 Read 1 contest entry SCHOOL OUT-SNOW | 8 Ace of Swords—a challenge, fortitude, justice Finish GNOME edit pg 75 send to Meg Read 1 contest entry SCHOOL OUT-SNOW | 9 0 THE FOOL-unlimited potential, life is good, keep your faith, follow your heart Did GIAM recap 1 contest entry SCHOOL OUT-SNOW | 10 Eight of Cups-deeper meaning, weariness, moving on Returned Winter Rose entries Wrote WD prompt story SCHOOL OUT-SNOW | 11 Nine of Pentacles—discipline, self-reliance, take matters into own hands. R and Grace hung out SCHOOL OUT-SNOW | 12 Two of Wands-personal power, boldness, originality Errands Followed R while sold Girl Scout cookies |
I enlarged it so it would be easier to see. School was cancelled, which meant I had the kiddo home. Hubby was home for a couple of days. I still managed to get a few things accomplished. I should have put on this--that I shoveled the driveway.
When I’m writing new words, I keep track of my word count, but when I edit I edit to a particular page. It works for me.
You need to find what works for you.
Good luck and set those goals!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)