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It’s my sixth milestone of my Operation 50/50. I’m still working on this 50 scenes in 50 days thing.
Writing scenes are no joke people. Ha.
So for those of you following these shenanigans, you know that I had to rewrite my ending, which means most of the remaining scenes are all new. So although I did have the plot outline of how all this was supposed to go down, I found that it was easier in outline form than in actual scene form.
Go figure.
I had my BIRTHDAY EXTRAVAGANZA this past weekend, so we you can only guess how much uh, scene writing went on. Although I did enjoy the pina coladas (O.M.G it was made with vanilla bean ice cream!!!) and yummy Publix cake (if you haven’t had the pleasure of eating a Publix grocery store cake, then you just haven’t lived a full life).
Anyway, I digress. How did it go this week?
Wrote draft for scenes 35, 39, and 41.
Jotted down some ideas for scenes 36, 37, 38 and 40.
Total for this week’s Milestone #5: 1576
Total for Operation 50/50: 20,201 words
The things I learned this week:
I’m not sure if I actually learned anything much but with these last past weeks just being really crazy, my writing output has not been as great as I wanted it to be. However, I must say that I don’t think I would have 20K worth of words without Operation 50/50 so for that I’m glad. It just proves that a little progress here and there does add up.
I have one more week to go and we’ll see how it goes!
Any of you tackling your own Operation 50/50? What was your progress this week? Other writers, do you give yourself a “word quota?” How do you determine how much you want to accomplish? How do you measure success?
It’s my fifth milestone of my Operation 50/50. It’s really going by fast! Only two more weeks to go. I’m seeing a sliver of light in my tunnel where I’m still tackling 50 scenes in 50 days.
At least in theory anyway, ha.
This past week? Sigh. Just a little shade of crazy. Worked three 14-hour days in a row trying to get a software project finished and I was working on about 4-5 hours of sleep. So this week’s scenes suffered a bit.
But then I remember this was NOT a stressful writing challenge. My main goal was to “expose” myself to my manuscript on a daily basis.
So I did a little of what I call “set direction” — making notes on what I want to happen in each scene. My writer friend Laura Pauling helped me out with some of her Fabulous Plot Posts. I also got some revision and draft dialogue done.
Hey, it was better than nothing, Dude.
How did it all end?
Wrote dialogue for scenes 28-32.
Revised scenes 32-34.
Got a chance to do my type-in from last week’s longhand so I have two milestone updates:
Total from last week’s Milestone #4: 7822
Total for this week’s Milestone #5: 894
Total for Operation 50/50: 18,445 words
The things I learned this week:
Other than appreciating the priceless gift of sleep, I learned something about my “set direction.” I noticed that there was either too much going on or not enough tension. For the scenes where there was too much “excitement,” I’ve decided that maybe I should break those out into smaller moments/scenes. And then where there was nothing going on, trying to figure out a way to create tension. For me, I think scenes are most effective when they are focused on one particular desire and/or tension point.
Any of you tackling your own Operation 50/50? What was your progress this week? Other writers, do you try to identify a focal point for a scene or chapter while writing draft or do you work on that during revision? How important do you think it is to be able to identify the focus?
I’ve come to my fourth milestone of Operation 50/50 where I tackle 50 scenes in 50 days.
Yeah, baby! Uh-uh.
It’s a little past the half-way mark and this is where things get interesting because most of the remaining scenes revolve around a new ending since my characters decided that they wanted a different one. As if the one I had *already* written for them wasn’t good enough. After being in denial most of January, I decided that they were right and brainstormed a new outline for the last 1/3 of my novel.
This week, my time was a little limited and so I made use of my lunch hour and wrote most of the scenes with my green pen and legal pads. It was actually a good thing because it got me away from my desk (I have a really bad habit of working through my lunch at work).
How did it go?
Ha, I have NO idea since I haven’t gotten a chance to do a type-in of this week’s scenes. The good news is that I did do draft for scenes 21-27, so I’ll just do a legal pad page count and do an “official” update next week.
Wrote longhand draft for scenes 21-27
Total for Milestone 4: 52 pages (word count TBD)
Total for Operation 50/50: TBD until next week
The things I learned this week:
Trusting my characters. I don’t know about you but I have a habit of protecting my characters and so I feel like Auntie Karen must look after them. In order for this ending to do what it needs to do, I need for my main character and her supporting characters to go into the fire and make decisions that I may not necessarily make or even agree with, but I’ve learned that this is what has to be done.
Any of you tackling your own Operation 50/50? What was your progress this week? Other writers, how have you dealt with characters taking over the story? Have you ever revised based on what a character “tells” you?*
*Writers are NOT crazy. Characters actually tell writers what needs to be done. Whether or not we writers actually listen is a different matter.
I’ve come to my third milestone of Operation 50/50 where I tackle 50 scenes in 50 days. Really? Is this what what I’m doing? Ha.
So last week, I had a great run writing new scenes everyday. Although they were draft it was great getting words on the page.
This week? Well…
Not as many words.
I did a lot of socializing this past weekend. Sunshine and warm weather is a magnet for fun times. Everything went to hell in a hand basket Friday through Sunday where I didn’t get a chance to do ANY writing. NONE.
Then Daylight Stealing Time occurred and I’ve been sleepy ever since!
The good news is that on Monday I got back on track. During my lunch hour this week, I did a little catching up on scenes 15, 16, and 17. These were revision scenes. And although I didn’t get a huge word count out of them, I did get a chance to write down some ideas for further revision.
So how did it go?
Wrote draft for scenes 14, 18, 19, and 20.
Wrote down revision ideas for scenes 15, 16, and 17.
Total for Milestone 3: 2785
Total for Operation 50/50: 9729
The things I learned this week:
Just like life, writing can come in ebbs and flow and interruptions will occur. Since last week was such a productive week, I wrongly assumed that the rest of Operation 50/50 will also be as productive. Well guess what? Productivity is progress in any form so I’ll take the words that I managed to get down during this milestone.
Any of you tackling your own Operation 50/50? What was your progress this week? Other writers, how do you deal with balancing life with writing? Do you have consistent progress or are some days better than others?
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By: LuAnn Schindler,
on 3/9/2011
Blog:
WOW! Women on Writing Blog (The Muffin)
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When I took my first fiction writing course in college, the professor compared our weekly writing assignments to a contest. On Mondays, we received a word count and a theme. During class time, each of us roadmapped a perfect plot, played with character development, created a distinct mood.
On Friday, we handed our (usually) handwritten stories to the person on our left for their consumption (or condemnation, depending on the student). Occasionally, we'd read aloud to the rest of the class. By the following Monday, professor would select a winning story of the week and share it with us.
I never won. But, this method of instruction - hours filled with nothing but writing and honing the craft - provided one of the greatest lessons about the writing contests: competition develops writing skills.
Why should YOU enter a writing contest? I'll share four lessons I learned:
- Guidelines offer focus. Writing within parameters forces you to focus on your message. Word baggage is eliminated and the piece forms a tightly-written story. A theme provides focus, but it does not limit your imagination. Creativity in plot and word choice are limitless! Even genre-specific contests let you stretch your writing prowess by crafting a new world or twisting history.
- Attitude is everything. Did I stop writing when I didn't win in class? Heck, no. I never gave up. Instead, the competition and my lack of "prized success" pushed me to develop my craft by tuning in to what wasn't working in my stories. I never viewed those works as failures. They just weren't what the instructor was looking for. A positive attitude makes a difference, and I was positive to continue trying!
- Contests give writers permission to write. If you're set on entering a contest, you've given yourself permission to schedule time to write. Sometimes outside forces control the amount of time we dedicate to our craft, but knowing you have a deadline and plan to enter your best work gives you the say-so to make time to write.
- Writing increases confidence. I've entered several poetry contests and I've experienced some success. It's a confidence boost! Even when I didn't win the grand prize, I made fantastic discoveries: what judges are looking for, what writing styles do or don't work, how other writers approach the challenge. These lessons also boost belief in my work.
Entering a writing contest may be a big step for a writer, but it's an action that will enhance your writing.
by LuAnn Schindler. Read more of LuAnn's work at her website. Graphic design by LuAnn Schindler
I’ve finished up my first week of my Operation 50/50, where I tackle 50 scenes in 50 days.
You know that saying: Life happens when you make plans? Ha. This is what happened to me this first week of my writing focus. The day job required of lot of mental energy and I worked some very long hours. But I knew this would happen sooner than later during this 50 day period.
One thing I didn’t want to do was stress myself out over this. I knew I had to focus on the day job first before I could focus on my novel project. This is how life can get and I had to deal with the balance.
So how did it go for Week 1?
The things I learned this week:
Don’t be so hard on myself. Time is a finite resource and sometimes I have to do what is necessary and writing may fall last on the list. But the fact I did focus on my novel every day — even if for a few minutes after working 14 hours — made me feel that I accomplished some progress. I could have easily just not done any writing at all. I’m looking forward to tackling the next 7 scenes for Week 2.
Are you trying to reach a milestone? How did you do this week? Did you make time for your writing?
The high demands of my day job has always given me a constant struggle of balance with my writing. But it’s also my reality and instead of getting bitter and sad about it, I knew I had to find a compromise to work within the parameters of my current situation.
My goal is to have a polished WIP by spring. I know that the day job will take up a lot of my mental energy so instead of getting overwhelmed and not getting anything done, I’ve decided to tackle my novel with a focused strategy.
Operation 50/50: 50 scenes in 50 days.
I’m a plot chick and outliner and after struggling for awhile, I’ve finally figured out the structure for the last 2/3 of my novel project. This has negated a lot of writing that I’ve already done plus will require writing a totally new ending. But that’s okay. That’s what revision is about — taking draft and making it better or axing it.
Now that I have the structure and a list of scenes, I can revise/rewrite out of order or focus on whatever speaks to me. My average scene is usually 4-8 pages or about 1000 to 2000 words.
I believe breaking it down like this into manageable chunks will work for me to reach my spring milestone.
It will also cause me to think about my priorities and schedule time to focus on my scene of the day. Does this mean that I must revise or crank out 1000-2000 words every day? No, because for me that will cause performance anxiety, overwhelm me, and set myself up for failure. Remember that 2011 is the Year of Spaciousness.
My focus will be on one scene per day — the intention, the characters, the setting, the arc, etc. Focusing on what makes the scene tick and then revising or rewriting it with that focus in mind. Word count and pages are great of course but just the act of making writing a priority in my day and honoring that time will be key for me. Exposure to my novel on a daily basis is my main goal.
Operation 50/50 officially starts Friday, February 25, 2011 and ends on Friday, April 15, 2011 (This is not by accident. I’m an accountant’s daughter and this date has always been sacred to me. Ha.)
Do you have a novel milestone you want to reach? Join me in my war against the distractions and time suckage and make writing a priority. Just think how much we can get done during this 7 week period.
I’ll post weekly milestones on my progress. Wish me luck!
I had been following the financial troubles of Borders bookstore so when they decided to file Chapter 11, I wasn’t surprised. When they announced five stores in Georgia were closing, I was bummed.
Both of the stores by my day job and my house are closing, and I feel really bad for the employees there. I had gotten to know a lot of them over the years. Both of the stores had a fabulous coffee house space where you could read and write. It was really sad when I went by on Monday and the tables and chairs were all cluttered up in a corner and my favorite barista Margaret was absent. The transition had already begun and by April, these stores will be closed.
I have many memories. These were the places where I finished my first novel. Worked on my master’s thesis. Met with one of my critique groups. Discovered some of my favorite books. It was a place where I always felt I could go to when I wanted to immerse myself in my writer’s world. A true writer’s space.
I’m not sure if another bookstore will take up residence in these empty storefronts, but I will say that I will miss having these two places to go when I want to write outside my house.
I hope my friends at these two particular stores can find work somewhere else. With this tough economy, it has to be frustrating to have to look for a job during these times.
Although I do have my office, sometimes it was just good to shower and get out of the house. I’m sure that I’ll find another writer’s space though. It will just take some time.
Have this ever happened to you? Has a writer’s space you loved disappeared? How long did it take you to find another haunt?
I’m so NOT a fast writer. This is probably one of the reasons that I’m not a good participant in National Novel Writing Month or sit in amazement at one writer friend who can push out a draft in 30 days — seriously people, she does it.
I know some of you who read the blog consider yourself “slow writers” or may be that’s not the right word for it because it isn’t like we’re writing slow but rather I believe our thinking process is different. Like for me, I really have to have my plot and go through all the loopholes before I get in too deep — or else I develop a case of Writer’s Push and end up writing a bunch of stuff that never sees the light of day.
So I really felt a kindred spirit was speaking to me when I read a fabulous post by author R.L. LaFevers — Thinking, Stewing, Fermenting, and Percolating and the Joys Therein.
Here’s a gem from her post:
“The longer I am involved in this writing gig the more convinced I become that the actual writing—putting pen to paper or fingers to keyboard—is sometimes only 20-30% of the writing process. Not because I’m avoiding anything or letting myself be sidetracked, but because good pages don’t just happen. They are thought about and pondered over. They stew and ferment and percolate. This is especially true as my books become longer and more complex. Depth and nuance doesn’t (usually!) just fall from the sky in a burst of inspiration while I happen to be pounding out my 250 words per hour. It can, but it doesn’t always. Most often, you have to go out and hunt depth and layers and subtext and club it over the head, drag it home, and then finesse it into your WIP.”
Yeah, of course lack of progress on your novel project could be procrastination, fear, or just life getting in the way. But sometimes it just may be that you’re the kind of writer that needs to let it “slow cook.”
It’s just a different type of writer process that’s not for everyone. Me? Definitely slow cooker. Steady progress though.
What about you? Are you a slow cooker?
I mostly write at night and some of you who follow me on Twitter already know that in the last couple of days, I’ve been struggling with the scene from hell.
**Cues scary Satanic music**
This scene is a new one for the middle of the novel based on a new plot point. The premise of the scene was a setup to get all of the major players in the novel into one place so that a major turning point occurs. Sounds simple enough, right?
But it just wasn’t working. Ugh! And the scene from hell was born.
**Demons laughing in the background**
Now this struggle could be a case of writer’s block but I was writing words for the scene — they just weren’t sounding true or right. You know that writer gut feeling that tells you what you’re working on will probably go into a WTF folder? Yeah, that was the kind of feeling I had.
I tried anyway because I’m a stubborn girl. And I tried. And I tried.
Then I just gave up. There was no use pushing this scene that wasn’t working. So I closed my file and drank a Blue Moon and lost myself in a book.
Little did I know during all this time my subconscious was working in the background. Figuring out how to make this scene better. After a few nights of good sleep, I woke up yesterday morning with a “That’s it!” moment.
Love it when that happens!
So the thing I’ve learned this week (or rather re-learned with the selective memory I have) is that I can’t push a scene where it doesn’t want to go. I need to trust my gut to let it go and just come back to it. I didn’t have a bad case of Writer’s Block but rather a serious case of Writer’s Push.
Has this ever happened to you? Have you had a case of Writer’s Push?
Would love to hear how other writers found their true words. :)
I'm a "brewer." Once I get an idea in mind for an article or story, I like to let it simmer, let it steep and build until I have the perfect blend, like a delicious cup of tea.
Honestly, it's procrastination at its best - or worst - depending on how you look at it. Once I get the initial sentence down on paper, I have no problem letting the words spill onto the page.
(Smartphone just dinged. Gotta check my Facebook message. BRB.)
Perhaps it's perfectionism. Maybe I'm trying to string together the perfect sentence filled with beautiful imagery and bold action verbs.
(Hubs just walked in and asked if I planned on serving breakfast today or if I was going to make brunch.)
Or, maybe I need to learn to better manage my time.
All writers need to find the right balance between writing and life's other obligations. Often, we complain that we can't find time to write.
(Excuse the interruption. I'm checking Twitter right now because a building is on fire in downtown Lincoln, Nebraska, just a block from our oldest daughter's apartment. Phone call confirms she's okay.)
Sometimes, we need to learn the difference between finding time and making time. Need help? Here are a few of my favorite ways to boost productivity:
- Identify time wasters and get rid of them. Facebook, Twitter, email can suck you in, and before you realize it, you've lost minutes (or hours) of time. Limit the amount of time you spend on social networking and perusing the inbox. Your WIP will thank you.
- Devise a plan to add writing time. Some writers are up writing way before daylight breaks. Adding an hour or two in the morning may seem like a grand solution, but waking up early means you're also taking away precious pillow time. Make a plan to wake up 15 minutes early, or a half hour early a few mornings and see if it helps your routine. Personally, I like to stay up late at night and write like a mad woman once my husband is entrenched in bed and snoring like a baby. The key is making a writing plan and sticking to it.
- Mark your territory. When I first began freelancing a decade ago, I wrote from my dining room table. I'd spread all my materials across the table and write. When I was finished, I packed up stuff until the next time. Now, I have an office, and even some days, I prefer to get out of the office and move to the kitchen table or the living room sofa. The point is, you need a space to write. And then, you need to use it.
- Multi-task. Sometimes, I'll write a paragraph, leave the office, walk into the kitchen and perform another task. I'm still thinking about my project, but when I'm stuck, this technique allows me to get some daily tasks accomplished while I contemplate my next word, sentence or paragraph.
I made time to complete this blog post. And now, I'm staring at my to-do list and planning the remainder of this writing Sunday.
(Oh look, Grown Ups is on pay per view.)
Make time to write. Make a commitment to your writing. Your craft will thank you.
by LuAnn Schindler. Read more of LuAnn's writing at her
Wrapping Up Writing
by Deborah Shouse
The chipmunk who rules the exterior of my house, prancing over porch and flower beds, inspires me. The moment I step outside, he disappears into a hidden crevice, a crack, or hole. He has a map of secret places ready for instant refuge.
I think of that chipmunk as I gaze at the calendar, looking for time to write. As the holidays approach, life hums with extra busyness and responsibilities. I seek out secret slivers of time when I can slip away into writing, sliding into a half hour crevice early this morning, a crack between meetings one afternoon, a hole in my evening schedule. In ink, I mark writing periods, making them as large and important as any appointment.
The winter holiday period is rich with imagery, memories, relationships, and emotions. Sitting down to write is like opening a wrapped present that makes no noise when you shake it. I could tear off the wrappings to find a pair of white gym socks or I could lift out a delicate silver shawl. The more writing time I find, the closer I get to the true gift, that of being connected to myself.
* * *
Deborah Shouse is a writer, speaker, editor and creativity coach. Her holiday stories have been featured in Chicken Soup
anthologies, The Kansas City Star
, and The Chicago Tribune
. She has written a variety of business books and memoirs. Deborah donates all proceeds from her book Love in the Land of Dementia: Finding Hope in the Caregiver’s Journey to Alzheimer’s programs and research. Using the book as a catalyst, she has raised more than $80,000.00.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Would you like to participate in Friday "Speak Out!"? Email your short posts (under 500 words) about women and writing to: marcia[at]wow-womenonwriting[dot]com for consideration. We look forward to hearing from you!~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In terms of relationship longevity and not age, I have a dear, old friend who is a former colleague and a writer in England. Over the many years of friendship, we have formed a bit of our own writers' safety net.
You know how that is: a mutual admiration society comprised of one close friend who knows you really well and can call you out when you seem to be moving off track.
During our conversational times (that have recently moved into video Skype!), often the words "confidence," "plot," "situations," "point of view," "time to write," "deadline," and other supportive, writer-ly exchanges take place. Often, when we're not speaking, we exchange the morale boosting e-mail.
One recent thread was a discussion of finding time to write. For 10 months, I had been on a committee to be a volunteer/consultant with the commissioning of a naval vessel. In October and November, I breathed preparations for the event. But in between the committee meetings, I'd been trying to keep up with my paid writing, my family and friends, and trying to find a balance. Of course, my fiction writing took a decided turn on the back burner. I wanted to bring it back to the front burner by participating in NaNoWriMo, but in the balance of life, my friend suggested that I become like a deep-sea diver after November's event.
He recommended that the best way to recapture my fiction-writing pace was to dive into it; find a solid chunk of time, hold my breath and dive in. Once I had captured a lengthy patch of time, I would be more able to re-focus my work and take smaller bites to right my balance.
It starts sounding like a familiar refrain, as I read fellow Muffin bloggers holiday-preparedness posts and other writers.
How do you deal with the ebb and flow of life interfering in your writing progress? Do you ever feel like to get back on track you need to dive in for a significant period, without coming up for air?
Elizabeth King Humphrey is a writer/editor who lives in Wilmington, N.C., and is planning to don some fictional diving gear soon...real soon.
Hey people! I've been working on a post idea that's near and dear to my heart, but since Critterpalooza is still going strong and the cause is too good to be derailed, I've decided to accept Stasia Kehoe's gracious offer and post as a guest on her blog, Writer on the Side.
Stasia is like a lot of us: a writer who's also a parent, a spouse, a [fill in the blank]. And yet she's still managed to reach that magical publication goal we all dream of (her first book, Audition, hits the shelves in 2011). She gives me hope that despite my varied responsibilities, I can do the same. So if you're struggling with balance in your crazy writing world, head on over and check out today's post, along with the rest of Stasia's awesome blog.Also, check out Angela's guest post over at Operation Awesome for a little road trip through that scary place called her brain, find out why she likes zombies, what she has to say about querying and lots more. Oh, and then commence with the Critter shenanigans! 17 prizes to be won, so get in on this awesome contest!
My Writing Time is Non-Negotiable
by Heather Humphrey
The sign on my bedroom door is a sticky note on which I've scrawled "I'm Writing, GO AWAY!" It's proven to be a wildly ineffective tool. One of the 3 other residents I share this space with will see the note and either walk away loudly dejected or timidly tap at the door, with flagrant disregard for their lives. Lucky for them, my cohabitants are the people I love most in the world, my two teenagers and my husband. So whether I'm stuck and feeling like the only person on the planet ever to experience writers block or I'm having a stream of fortune with cleverly crafted sentences simply flying across the page, chances are pretty good that I'm not going to kill one of my little interrupters. I will definitely threaten to, but never actually perform the act. My therapist assures me that it is normal to wish ill for those who disregard the need for occasional solitude.
The CBS Sunday morning program interviewed the adult children of Erma Bombeck this past Mother's Day. They claim they knew when mother was writing and not to disturb her. "Mommy has a deadline, we must leave her alone!" How nice for her. I bet if she were alive for the interview her story would be different. I prefer to picture her sitting at her writing desk with a shiny dagger within reach and wielding it wildly with a primal scream when one of her little interruptions dared to tap at her door.
It's ok to sequester yourself and expect to be allowed the time to write. Time and space to allow creativity to flourish and burst forth is essential to writing. Practicing our craft and nurturing our works in progress are what keep us sane and more pleasant to be around. The only way to be fulfilled as a writer, is to write. Seeing our work through drafts, edits, rewrites and to completion is what feeds our soul. Can't get a minute for yourself? Respect your writer self enough to do what you need. Rent a room down the block, drive to that abandoned house in the woods that everyone thinks is haunted, borrow a room from a relative, set up camp at the bagel shop. Where ever you go; write, write, and write.
It's taken a while to take my writing seriously enough to feel worthy of these shining moments of solitude. Getting it into my head that my role as writer is just as important as my other roles was an arduous task only made possible with a lot of coaching from my therapist. But here I am, a fierce protector of my writing time, wielding my silver dagger and perfecting my banshee scream. While distraction is inevitable when you are blessed to have a family, you can still be Mom/Wife/Dog Walker/ & Writer. Use some of the creativity that makes you a wonderful writer to bust the distraction factor. How do you deal with distraction?
* * *
Heather Humphrey lives in Upstate New York with her 2 teenagers, husband and dog Lucy. Unpublished [so far ;0)] writer & regular contributor at http://www.examiner.com/x-39272-Binghamton-WorkLife-Balance-Examiner. She is currently working on a collection of poetry and short stories.
Heather Blogs at http://bigred909.wordpress.com/ and http://papergirl-bigred909.blogspot.com/.
Friend her on facebook at https://register.facebook.com/heather.humphrey3.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ha, this post is a little later than usual because I had one of those 14-hour days yesterday at the day job. And the long hours will probably continue until this problem is fixed.
So my writing took the back seat to what needed to be done.
One thing that I’ve been working on this year especially is being flexible and not becoming bitter when this happens. As I’ve said before on this blog, sometimes the day job must come first. It’s what allows me to live and pay my bills.
Writing is my passion, but unfortunately, it doesn’t pay anything at this time. And I have to remember during times like these that it’s not the reason I do it. I do it by my compulsion to tell a story. I do it to grow in my craft. And I do it because it is something that I love.
So when distractions take over in life as they sometimes do, I always try remember that it always calms down and I will be able to come back to my writing.
The writing will always be waiting for me.
So back to the drama that is my day job.
If any of you have any tips for dealing with distractions and stress, feel free to share. I need some tips on how to come back to my writing after having this major distraction.
In the midst of my revisions, I’ve been reading a great craft book, A Writer’s Guide to Fiction by Elizabeth Lyon.
In the book the author talks about two particular writing methods:
Hot writing. The method of getting the first draft done as quickly as possible. Not stopping a.k.a NaNoWriMo. Overcoming the fear of the blank screen by creating words without revision.
Meticulous writing. Careful writing. Revision-heavy. Several revisions of a page before writing the next page. Polishing every word until it gleams. Slower pace but less revision.
While both have their advantages of getting a novel done, they also have disadvantages.
Hot Wwiting may net a lot of words, but for some writers, the act of polishing and revising a whole novel can be too overwhelming. This is why many NaNoWriMo novels stay under the bed.
Meticulous writing may result in a lack of freshness because of over-writing or over-revising. Plus the quest for perfection can can prolong completing a novel for months or even years.
I’ve tried both and I’ve discovered that I really can’t do hot writing for a whole novel. While I do get a good draft, I usually end up trashing almost two- thirds of it and revising the rest. And with meticulous writing, it sparks my perfectionist bent and I can easily get caught up revising a chapter or a scene. Plus I’ve learned the hard way that until I’ve completed the novel, that polished chapter may still change or get cut out completely.
So for me what’s been working for this novel is a hybrid of the two. Hot write a scene and then revise. For my list of new scenes I’ve identified, I may even hot write several of them and then revise.
It’s still a work in progress.
Which one works best for you to complete a novel? Hot writing or meticulous writing? Or do you do a mixture of the two?
Feeding Your Passion
by Elizabeth Flora Ross
A writer I follow on Twitter recently posed the question, "Do you set a time limit on your writing?" That gave me a very good laugh. Time limit? My issue is finding time! I continually strive for balance between my passion for writing and my role as a mom. The latter comes first, and I fit the former in the best I can.
I am not alone. Very few writers actually write full time. Many have "day" jobs and other responsibilities. They struggle to find time to devote to their craft. In fact, most people find it challenging at best to pursue their interests. Here are some strategies to help you feed your passion:
• Carve out time. For me, my daughter is my priority. I am a stay-at-home mom and care for her full time. I'm also a wife, and I can't neglect my relationship. At the same time, writing provides an essential creative outlet I need. So I strive to dedicate one hour a day to it.
• Set goals. Goals push you and give you something to work toward. But they have to be attainable or you will lose your motivation. You need to have realistic expectations. Sometimes you may be working against external deadlines. Make sure whenever you have the ability to influence deadlines, you do so. It helps no one if you agree to something you have no hope of achieving.
• Utilize tools. I take advantage of the latest software to schedule things like blog postings, Facebook updates and tweets. That way I don't have to be tied to my computer at specific times.
• Capture your ideas. Ideas aren't just going to come to you during your dedicated time. They can pop up at the most inopportune moments. You need to be able to capture ideas so you can incorporate them when the timing is right. I use the Voice Memo feature on my iPhone.
• Celebrate progress and accept setbacks. You finished a chapter? Raise a glass. Received another rejection? Get busy and send out more query letters. You are going to have good days and bad days. Learn to make the most of both.
• Be flexible. Events beyond your control can get in the way of your writing. You have to be prepared for that and not let it get you down. As I said, I strive for one hour a day. If I get more than that, I'm very happy. If I can't find one hour on a particular day, I try to carve out more time on another.
It's important for you to be able to feed your passion. It helps make you a happier, healthier, more well-rounded person. I spent the first year of my daughter's life ignoring my own needs, and suffering as a result. Now that I have dedicated myself to writing, I have a revived sense of energy, excitement and achievement. Find your passion and feed it!
* * *
Elizabeth Flora Ross has been writing professionally and personally for close to 20 years. As a communications and marketing professional from 1993-2009, Elizabeth wrote for some of the biggest names in business. She self-published her first book, MAKING FRIENDS WITH PAIN: LEARNING TO LIVE WELL WITH CHRONIC ILLNESS, in 1999. From 2003-2006, Elizabeth wrote a web column for the Florida Times Union. She is currently working on her second book, exploring the decisions women raised during the second wave of feminism make concerning motherhood.
http://thewriterrevived.blogspot.com/ (blog)
http://twitter.com/efloraross
Hello and happy
Poetry Friday! Today's poem is below.
OUT AND ABOUT ~I'm off to accept the
Sydney Taylor Gold Medal for Younger Readers given by the
Association of Jewish Libraries at their annual international convention.
I'll be giving a presentation the morning of July 6th as part of the session called "Everything I Need to Know I Learned from a Jewish Book". The friendly organizers told me that they open this session with a presentation by the author of the award winner for younger readers--moi!
there That evening there's a terrific awards banquet. I know it's terrific because I attended last year--the AJL convention was in Chicago right before
ALA.
My speech will be five minutes long. Five minutes, an hour--I seem to sweat about the same amount!
So of course I've been thinking about this speech.
Acceptance Speechby April Halprin WaylandIn six daysI will speak to two hundred Jewish librariansand seven of my relativesfor five minutes.I will thank the librarians—all librarians.I will thank my relatives—all of my relatives.I will thank my wonderful illustratorin Montreal with his 82-year-old father I will not tap dance like Shirley Templeor sing “My Grandfather’s Clock”or put on a dinosaur mask.I probably won’t even buy a sparkly new dress that makes me look thin and sexy.Here is what I would like to do:look up at the ceiling.Take a deep breath.unbutton my chestthen gently lift out my heartand place it on the podiumto share with these golden people in this banquet hallas they finish their chocolate raspberry truffles.TeachingAuthors are on vacation until July 16th. We'll miss you and hope you miss us, too! So--what about your own writing? Why not drop a writing pad in your purse or backpack and listen/look/smell/ be mindful for moments of inspiration. Write one paragraph or a poem a day about anything i
When I first started this novelist journey, I wasn’t consistent with my writing. I would go in spurts and stop literally for months at a time. I learned that for me to finish a novel and get it ready for submission, I would have to get organized.
I learned the value of making writing “to-do” lists. My lists helped me finish my first novel and now I’ve come back to my lists to help me get through the process of my second novel.
These are some of the things I’ve learned that work for me when I create my writing to-do list:
Determine your time frame. Do you like to cross out tasks once a day? Or do you like to review your list once a week and monitor your progress? The answer will help you figure out the best approach to manage your list.
Make your tasks specific. A general to-do task of “work on novel” may not get the same results as a task of “write two pages” or “write 250 words”. When you have specific goal, it’s easier to measure your progress with a clear deliverable.
Try to be realistic. Do you really think you can write 100 pages a day when you have other responsibilities? Make sure the tasks on your list are attainable so that you won’t be discouraged. You want to challenge yourself but you also want to be sure that the tasks on your list can be achieved reasonably.
Celebrate your progress. When you complete your tasks, be sure to celebrate your progress. Writing a novel is hard and every word you create inches you closer to the finish line. Instead of thinking about how much you left have to do, appreciate how far you’ve come and the work you’ve already completed.
Right now, I’m doing daily lists. At night before I go to bed, I think about what tasks I want to accomplish the next day. Sometimes I get a little ambitious and I may put down more than I can accomplish but I don’t stress out about it, I just move it to the next day’s list. I find that concentrating on daily specific tasks keep me from getting overwhelmed.
For my daily celebrations, I usually treat myself to a square of mint chocolate. And I already have my eye on beautiful bracelet as a gift to myself when I finish my novel.
It’s been pretty crazy at the day job and I’m finding it challenge to fit my time in for writing. Times like these I muse about how my life would be if I could just dedicate all my time to writing.
But of course, I need to eat. And currently fiction doesn’t feed me.
I read this blog post Writing for a Living last week at The Kill Zone by guest blogger Mark Terry.
Through his experiences, he poses some sobering conclusions about making a living from writing:
“1. Just because a writer gets published doesn’t mean they make a living as a writer.
2. Many writers who write full-time as novelists have:
A well-paid, supportive spouse
Retired from a job and are on pensions and social security
Made a lot of money somewhere along the line and are now living on it
Write more than one novel a year
Supplement their novel-writing with other types of writing
Are lying
Are Top 10 bestselling authors
3. Just because their books says “bestselling author” does not mean they’re making tons of money.
4. There’s money to be made, but it’s not very reliable.”
I do know of some writers who make a living from their words but it’s very few.
The realistic point as a writer, you may never make your primary income from your words alone. But I think this is where you must write because you cannot write. You are doing it for more than just the money.
During these hectic times, I do wish there was more time to dedicate to my novel, but also during these times I feel blessed to have a job that sustains me financially.
What do you think? Is it naive to want to write for a living? Or should you think of writing as supplemental income?
Time. It seems like I never have enough hours in the day. I'm sure many of you feel the same way. Luckily, I have the opportunity to freelance full time. I tried to juggle freelancing with a full-time teaching position, but the results were less than spectacular. I was lucky if I queried five or six publications a year. Now, I query five or six a week!
It's exciting, yes, but sometimes it still feels like I'm running the marathon, trying to fit as many writing opportunities into the day as I possibly can.
In theory, you should have received this e-mail diatribe on March 15. In actuality, it will "probably" end up with a March 16 date, depending where you reside. Is that a problem? Not necessarily. But, for me, the woman-writer-perfectionist, it is a problem.
Basically, I overscheduled myself today. As writers, it's probably happened to all of us at some point. We think we can squeeze in one more interview and get those notes transcribed before we begin dinner preparations. Or we focus on completing the page of fiction or a line of a poem before we fold the laundry.
Sometimes, in the rush for manufacturing as much writing as possible, we forget to breathe. Sometimes, we forget to realize that we may miss a deadline and actually learn from it.
For me, writing is a 24/7/365 career. I'm constantly assessing situations and considering story angles. Does it mean I'm planted in front of my computer 24/7? No. I take a daily breaks, and sometimes, family duty requires an extended break.
I choose to write as much as I possibly can. Occasionally, I overextend myself or I don't take into account how a gloomy day (we haven't had a full day of sunshine in three months and we had 90 days with temperatures below 30) affects my productivity.
Writers need to find a balance between time and projects. Since I've been freelancing, I've discovered that balance exists some days, but other times, the writing table is tilted in favor of putting pen to paper, filling it with exciting words and phrases. I may begin at 7 AM. I may sleep in until 9 and start by 10. I may work two hours, take a break, make lunch, hang out with my husband, and return to the office at 9 PM and write until the early morning hours.
Bottom line: find a balance between obligations - both personal and professional. Make time work in your favor.
My husband's asleep now, and I have moved my laptop back to the confines of the office, where I won't hear the drone of his snoring. You see, before I lay me down to sleep tonight, I have another story that's brewing, and I'm afraid if I don't take time to get those thoughts on the computer hard drive, my brain's hard drive may forget the material by morning. That's something I'm not willing to lose.
Do I worry that I'm not getting enough sleep? Sometimes, yes.
But a power nap tomorrow afternoon will revitalize my energy and guide me toward the keyboard, where I make magic happen.
By LuAnn Schindler
Visit LuAnn's Writing on the Wall at http://luannschindler.com or follow LuAnn on Twitter - @luannschindler
I just finished my time sheet for client payable hours at the day job.
Total hours worked this week: 70 hours.
How much time did I work on my novel revision?
Total hours worked this week: 2 hours.
And those two hours? That happened late last night when I had this epiphany about a major scene in Act 2 (even though I’m ONLY supposed to be revising Act 1) and I had to jump out of bed at 12:30 am and write it all down—I LOVE it when that happens!
Would it be nice to have 70 hours of writing instead of working at my day job?
Duh!
But oh well. Such is life. I’m working for a living.
But you know what? I should stop complaining. I am blessed to be working. I have friends who have been out of work most of this year—who are struggling to pay their bills and feed their families.
The fact that I’m too busy at work is a problem some people would love to have. I’m very grateful to have a job in this economy—a good paying job—which is an extra bonus.
I’m going to see if I can squeeze in some hours next week. My goal is 5 hours during the week for revision. That’s just an hour a day. And with my current schedule, maybe 11pm until midnight will work.
Worse case, I could resort to EARLY MORNING WRITING (that’s me the night owl screaming “Noooooooooooo!” in the background, LOL).
But seriously, this isn’t a sprint. The main goal is to just be involved with the novel revision daily—even if that just means I read and revise a paragraph. I will be happy. No need to beat myself up if I’m too tired from work to do a revision. Sleepy and cranky won’t produce the kind of result I’m looking for here.
Small steps equal progress.
So you have a day job. Part time or full. You have responsibilities. How do you fit the writing into a tight schedule?
Juggling all our many roles can be tough, especially when we are so passionate about our writing. Sometimes that passion turns into impatience and irritability… Shortage of time, however, does not mean shortage of productivity.
Over the years, many writers have offered me tips about fitting writing into a busy week:
Schedule the time you have! By definition, this means you have to be organized. Every Sunday, look at your week, and make a writing date with yourself. If you can, match work to your schedule. Make sure to prioritize writing time.
(When I first started writing, I wrote a job description of a writer for my family.)
Here it is:
Writer: Responsibilities include:
2 pages a day on new project
Read two novels each week
Read professional journals and craft books
Attend three annual conferences--later this became GET MFA!!!!!
Submit queries and finished books to agents, editors, as needed
Goal: Sell first novel in less than ten years.
This description helped my family understand how HUGE this goal was.
Make the most of that scheduled time. I work best when I stick to my routine. Workout followed by writing followed by teaching. When I have to go out of order, my writing suffers.
Find a work place that Pavlov would be proud of. Your desk or the kitchen table or the table at the café. Doesn’t matter. Just make sure you have room. If you like having a view, make sure you have one.
Set goals. Celebrate when you achieve them. Actually, every time you reach a milestone, celebrate.
Build your identity as a professional writer. Get a website. Business cards. Tell people, “I am a writer.” Take a class, if you can.
Last, be good to yourself. If you have a tough week at the office, limit your writing goals. Going on vacation with no internet? Get up early and write (unless you are in Europe.) When you hit a breakthrough, don't forget to celebrate!!! Include your loved ones!!!! They are sacrificing, too!!!!
It's been the big Pause Button time for the writing. Yes, the school holidays have hit. Last week included totally enjoyable family visitors visiting. There were meals and more meals, and a trip on a steam train, and a more than exciting time at the new childrens' play area in our local park. This was full of swingy swing things to knock out teeth, and roundabouts that could fling you off, and fantastic wooden structures to climb and get stuck or lost among. And a gigantic paddling pool. Just the place to relax and sit dreaming about aspects of one's plot. Not.
I was also in a tizz about my storytelling & mask making session at Knaresborough's feva festiva. This meant much inner "told story" revising, plus outer collecting of green paper, pens and glue, neither of which were exactly adding words to the page. Then another story for telling popped up into my head for the story time, and my "Green Man" mask idea was so happily adapted by the children. All the masks were so brilliantly different. Sigh of relief! It was a such fun, and I get to do it again (with my assistant the lovely librarian) this coming Friday! In the meantime, there's the small matter of some Rain Forest based stories for a session tomorrow. I think the rain aspects been taken care of already . . .
I'm sure that there's pieces of writing all across the land suspended for similar sorts of summer holiday reasons. All one can do is enjoy the diffeent pace and maybe a few new ideas. This Wednesday, I plan to press PLAY again, and set that novel running again. Hope you manage to find yourself some writing time and space this summer!
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And it does have to come first. There are days when I don’t get to physically write, but I figure if I’m thinking about it, plotting, getting to know my character etc on the ride home or in the shower or wherever it all counts!
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Ha, your writing output has not been as great as you wanted? BUT look what you did accomplish! And like you say, if you had not set any goals at all, you wouldn’t be this far. Thanks for the inspiring example.
Me? I’m struggling with the revisions of the last three chapters, but getting there a page at a time. Have an SCBWI regional conference coming up, and goal was to be all done by then so, after getting feedback on the first 10 pp critique that’s on deck from that, I would get those queries out! Pushing, pushing…but still having fun.
BTW, Happy belated birthday to you :-)
Any progress we make is good. And sometimes shooting above and beyond gets us farther than if we shoot low. I’m working on revisions, like you. :)
Happy belated birthday! Any progress is good progress, even if it’s not as much as you hoped, i think.
Happy birthday!! I wish I could have one of those yummy pina coladas. Mmmm….
Happy Birthday, Karen! You are doing such a fantastic job with the scene thing. I think I’ll try that with my next round of revisions.
20K words is AWESOME!! As you know, I’m doing the Round of Words in 80 Days challenge and so far I’m making much more progress on my WIP than before signing up.
Speaking of, we’re encouraged to check in twice a week with our progress and I think I’m going to tweet one update and blog the other. I like how you’ve summarized what you learned in a given week so I think I’ll “steal” that for my update posts! :)
I’m glad you had a nice birthday! We don’t have Publix here but it sounds yum.