writing

It’s IWSG Wednesday! Time for a Writer’s Rant! #IWSG

November 4, 2015 by admin

Welcome to the November installment of the Insecure Writers Support Group! This is an opportunity for us to share our doubts and insecurities, and perhaps inspire other fellow writers.

As always, thanks go to Alex J. Cavenaugh for creating this group, and this month’s co-hosts: Tyrean Martinson, Karen Walker, Denise Covey, and Stephen Tremp. Please visit their blogs if you get a chance and show ’em some love!

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I’ve spent many years developing my craft through classes, conferences, books, and more. Someone is always opining on the best way to structure a novel, and we learn a lot of dos and don’ts in the process. If you’re like me, you agonize about the process. After three years, my latest WIP, What She Knew, is nearly ready to publish, but no doubt I will polish and fret up until the moment I send my new baby out into the world.

It’s time for some liberation. I’m going to say something I’ve never said before: stop worrying so much.

I’m not saying we shouldn’t care or that we shouldn’t try to write the best book possible. I’m not saying we shouldn’t continue to work on our skills.

However…

A few days ago I finished slogging through a Really Bad Novel. There was a clunky overuse of backstory, references so repetitive I felt as though I were being hit over the head with a hammer, characters who changed too quickly, etc.

Because I had just pulled it up on my Kindle app, I hadn’t paid attention to the author or publisher. Impatient and frustrated, I took a closer look, assuming — wrongly — that this was a self-published book.

Turns out Random House is the publisher, and the author a frequent bestseller with a large following. I then turned to the Amazon reviews, which were glowing!

Sorry, I don’t get it. This novel would never make it through a Novel Writing 101 class.

Here’s the thing, though: sometimes we let perfectionism keep us from getting our work out there. I’m really, really guilty about that (and yes, I know I’m using adverbs — so what?). Maybe you are, too.

For whatever reason, the Really Bad Novel struck a chord for many readers…so who am I to judge?

Let’s trust ourselves a little more and worry a little less. Yes, learn your craft. Yes, get an editor if you’re indie. I’m not saying put your first drafts out there. But take a breath and try not to take it all so seriously. Find a way to get your work into people’s hands. There are people who want to read your stories.

Now, back to NaNoWriMo. I will try to heed my own advice!

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SALE: The Foreign Language of Friends is on sale for $.99 until November 7!

ANNOUNCEMENT: Next week, author Toi Thomas will sit in my blogger’s chair and discuss “Why I Decided to Write Romance.” She is on a blog tour and I understand a giveaway is involved. Here are the other stops of her tour if you’re interested:

Nov. 2^nd – Tricia Drammeh – Review

Nov. 3^rd – There For You Editing – Interview (Glorie Townson)

Nov. 3^rd – Samantha’s Books – Interview (Toi Thomas)

Nov. 4^th – Liza O’Connor – Review

Nov. 4^th – The Sunflower’s Scribbles– Interview (Glorie Townson)

Nov. 5^th – Mama Reads Hazel Sleeps – Review

Nov. 6^th – Annie Higa – Review

Nov. 7^th – The ToiBox of Words

Nov. 4^th – Is History the Agreed Upon Lie… Guest Post (A History of Romance Novels)

Nov. 7^th – The Girl with Book Lungs – Guest Post (Ageism vs. Romance)

It’s IWSG First Wednesday! NaNoWriMo is Coming Soon! #IWSG

October 7, 2015 by admin

It’s time for another “first Wednesday” posting of the Insecure Writers Support Group. On this first Wednesday of each month, we share our insecurities and hopes with each other “without appearing foolish or weak.” Please join us!

I thank Alex J. Cavenaugh for creating this group, and invite you to visit his website as well as those of our illustrious co-hosts: TB Markinson,Tamara Narayan, Shannon Lawrence, Stephanie Faris, and Eva E. Solar!

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Recently someone asked on Facebook: NaNoWriMo, yay or nay? It invited a lively discussion. Since NaNo is just a few weeks away, I thought I would weigh in…especially since we’re talking about insecurities today, and NaNo seems to bring those up in a big way.

NaNoWriMo, for those who don’t know, is National Novel Writing Month. Held every November, it’s a writer’s version of the Boston Marathon, where we hunker down and produce a 50,000 word novel in 30 days.

I love using NaNoWriMo for first drafts, because it forces me to kick my inner censor out of the way. I also like the idea of joining with other writers who are doing the same thing. We root for each other, and give each other encouraging words when one is struggling (much like IWSG).

Critics of NaNo say new writers can be intimidated or overwhelmed, and yes, I’ve seen that happen. To that I say: NaNo will bring up your “stuff.” It will ferret out all your doubts and insecurities. If you understand what’s happening, it’s possible to move through those doubts and become more productive with your writing.

Others criticize NaNo for perceived rules. There’s only one: try to write a novel in 30 days. If you’re working on nonfiction and want to ride on the energetic coattails of NaNo energy, go for it! If you want to do a rewrite of an existing work but want the support, do that, too! There are “rebel” groups within NaNo you might want to find.

A few days ago someone was stressing because she didn’t have a book cover to post on the NaNo website. I’ve never done this! If you have a cover, great. Otherwise, don’t worry about it.

And if you don’t write 50,000 words? So what! This is your NaNo. Do what you can. Life happens. Sometimes the draft just doesn’t work. It’s fine. Some people don’t “win,” but they ended up writing more in a month than they ever did before. That’s great — and it’s enough!

If you’re a planner, yes, you can write character sketches and plot outlines. In fact, many people do a lot of preplanning.

If you’re a pantser, like I am, that’s fine, too.

Your draft will probably suck, but first drafts always do. You can fix the draft in future revisions. I’ve spent a few years fiddling with my last one. I don’t think my first draft was worse because I wrote it quickly — I think it got written because I wrote it quickly, before I could talk myself out of it.

And if you don’t want to do NaNo, that’s cool, too. You don’t have to diss it because you’re not interested, or your second cousin’s neighbor’s uncle did it and had a bad experience. Just say no, thanks, and move on. No need to knock those of us who choose to do it.

I don’t know if I’ll “win” this one by writing 50,000 words. I will show up every day at the page and do my best. I’ll engage with others on the site and soak up the support. I may even hook up with some in-person write-ins.

Showing up. Doing our best. Writing daily. Detaching from the outcome. Those principles, to me, are the real “win.”

The Incredible Writing Weekend #amwriting #novels

March 11, 2015 by admin

Trying not to get distracted by the daffodils in bloom!

A funny thing happens whenever I make a plan to do something for myself. At the last minute, the phone rings, a friend is in crisis, or some other snippet of life jumps in my face and says, “Don’t you dare!”

You don’t have to be a writer to know what I’m talking about. If you’re a busy mom who just wants to soak in a long bath, you know how hard it is to carve out the time for yourself. And yet we must, in some shape or form, or we lose ourselves.

We matter. We must tell ourselves that. We must act as if we matter. Otherwise, no one else will take our dreams seriously.

The key for me is to not let these distractions derail my plans. This past weekend, I am happy to report, I succeeded.

My husband signed up for a conference in Seattle, so I rode along with him. I planned to write all weekend. If I stayed home, I reasoned, the garden would demand some of my time. Or, I’d be too tempted to head downtown or chat with friends.

At the last minute, as always, other forces vied for my time, but I held firm. I managed to settle everything Friday evening, and posted a notice on Facebook that I wasn’t available for the rest of the weekend.

I turned off the Internet. I shut off my phone.

It was 65 degrees and sunny, but I happily stayed in the room, even drawing the curtains closed to give me a greater element of privacy. I needed this. I needed it bad(ly).

I started a little after 8:00 a.m. I set a timer for 1 1/2 hours on my iPad, selecting a fun sound (wmah! buonissimo!) to let me know when my time was up. I worked away until the timer went off, then spent some time walking on a treadmill to take a mental break.

After my walk and a shower, I did round two, this time for 1 1/4 hours, which seems to be a sweet spot for me. I completed another round and walked to the restaurant for lunch. I had thought about ordering room service, but getting out for a bit felt appropriate. It’s good to give the brain some time to process anyway.

By the end of the day, I had completed five rounds of writing, two rounds of exercise, and some yoga late in the day to unwind. The next morning I snuck in one more round of writing. I worked through some plot problems and strengthened a subplot that has become important to the story. I ended up with a net gain of more than 7,000 words, and since part of my task was to cut parts that weren’t working, I’m pretty excited about that number.

With this amount of concentrated time, I felt more in the flow of the story. Most important, after working on fatigue issues, I was grateful to have the stamina to do this.

This draft won’t be the last one. There’s still a lot of work to be done. But I have a better, more complete story now, and more than anything, I’m proud to have taken the time and protected my dreams.

Trying not to get distracted by the flowers in bloom!

Feels So Good to Finish

February 11, 2015 by admin

I don’t do “projects.” I do long-term relationships. I started my novel-in-progress more than two years ago, and it’s just now shaping up enough for me to think about sending it to an editor. Lord knows when it will be done, though I’m hoping by year-end. I’m forever walking the line between optimism and soul-crushing disappointment as I live with this story over and over and over and over again.

That’s why it’s nice to finish something, anything. And to finish a large project, well, that’s particularly exciting.

So today I reveal to you a new bedspread, a year and a half in the making. The pattern of the double wedding ring is common in quilts, but this is a knitted version. Turns out that for the cost of the yarn, I could have bought a hand-made Amish quilt, already done.

But where’s the fun in that?

The pattern for this, if you are a ~~masochist~~ dedicated knitter like I am, can be found on Ravelry. It’s easy to knit, but putting all those pieces together? Oy. 1,080 pieces make up the rings, and the assembly alone took more than six months.

As with all long-term relationships, there’s the thrill at the beginning. You can’t wait to get started and get to know each other. Each day brings new discovery and excitement, and you want to spend all your time with your new love.

Then one day, you’re sick of your beloved. The relationship isn’t as easy as you thought it would be, and you want space. Maybe you cheat, taking on a smaller project on the side, such as making sweaters for your granddog, or patchwork throws from spare yarn. You have to re-evaluate your commitment.

Yet when the relationship is real and true, though, you hang in there until you get to the other side, and you fall in love all over again. You notice how the relationship stays with you even on your worst days, waiting patiently without judgment. It’s worth all the trouble and hassle and time.

Under the bedspread at night, I am cozy and safe and secure, the same way I feel in a relationship that works. And as I enjoy the satisfaction of completion, I am buoyed again and know I can finish anything I start, even those pesky manuscripts that aren’t yet ready to release.

With our beloved, whether a person or a project, if we hang in there, we can be more than we thought we could. Safe and secure and warm, we can soar.

Do you have projects that take forever to complete? Please tell me I’m not the only one!

Hope for the Insecure Writer

January 28, 2015 by admin

Do you ever have those times when you are bored with yourself? I had one of those mornings as I struggled (and failed) to come up with meaningful, eloquent prose to share. I have plenty to say, but my words came out plain vanilla instead of Rocky Road.

This happens from time to time. I’m in the midst of some deep structural revisions to my novel, and am adjusting my approach as I study my craft. It’s like rewiring the brain, and right now I feel like I did in junior high when the girls’ clothes no longer fit, but the women’s clothes didn’t work, either.

I was so depressed I set aside my blog. Instead, I decided to shop for bedspreads online. Why bedspreads? Oh, I don’t know. Maybe I had a deep-seated urge to crawl under the covers and hide. In a few days, as my purchases arrive, we will know how much folly I have wrought with my purchases.

There is hope, however.

First, a small group of us on Goodreads plans to do an informal NaNoWriMo in February. Since this isn’t a formal, sanctioned NaNoWriMo event, writers can choose to work on either new or existing material. This has provided me enough psychic juice to get back to work on my novel without waiting until February.

Then, I learned about The Insecure Writer’s Support Group. Insecure? Me? Yes! And I’m not alone! *happy dance* We’re doing a blog hop in April. Since I’ve wanted to perk up my blog, this is a good way to kick into gear.

Yes, I know. Blog hops mean reading lots of blogs as well as writing them, and that’s a time challenge. However, I can prepare blogs in advance of the hop, and now that I’m breaking the Facebook habit…

Finding the ISWG felt like receiving a Message from God. Or am I a Mission from God? Let’s take a moment to pay homage to the Blues Brothers, shall we?

The ISWG is organizing a blog hop for April, so if you’re an Insecure Writer like me who’s looking to re-energize, take a look and see if it looks like fun for you.

Already I am feeling better. Just knowing there’s a group for Insecure Writers like me gives me the extra steam to keep going.

Hope to see you there!

Do long-term projects get you down? How do you cope?

New Year Reflections

January 7, 2015 by admin

When we first thought about moving to Port Townsend, we visited in November and December to see if we could handle the darkness. Not only are the days shorter than in Houston, but in this small town we have fewer electric lights. Even after nearly three years here, we are not jaded to the sight of a night sky with thick layers of stars.

I love the winter. As a writer, I am always fighting the distractions of life. This time of year, friends are out of town, the garden needs little work beyond pruning the fruit trees, and I can curl up on the sofa with a cup of hot tea and FOCUS. I am a hibernating bear here, enjoying the solitude and quiet. In the darkness, the nothingness, my world begins anew.

We are, of course, starting a new year. This is a natural time for reflection, to revisit dreams we set aside yet again, to hope, to start fresh. Of course we can do that on any given day, but there’s something special about making new commitments in the dark of winter.

My resolutions work better when they are fairly general. I plan to get healthier in 2015. This includes following a more seasonal diet, and to that end I’m taking Dr. John Douillard’s Three Season Diet Challenge. Dr. John bases his work on Ayurvedic principles, and the more I practice them, the better I feel.

I’m also taking Gaiam TV’s 21-Day Yoga Challenge. Gaiam TV requires a subscription, though they do have cheap starter deals for anyone who’s interested. Having practiced yoga for more than half of my life, my practice can sometimes get a bit stale. Taking the challenge exposes me to styles of yoga that are different from my usual routine, allowing me to mix things up a bit.

One of my big issues is giving my own hopes and dreams the time and energy they deserve. I intend to finish my second novel this year. What She Knew is coming along well, but I’m giving it more punch. To help me with that, I’m using the book Writing with Emotion, Tension, & Conflict by Cheryl St. John, and it’s providing me with some marvelous help. My goal is to get the book done, including multiple rounds of editing, by the end of the year. I also hope to blog more this year and to extend my reading audience.

From the darkness, hope rebounds. I reset, recalibrate, recommit.

What about you? Do you make resolutions? What is your vision for 2015?