Last week I spent time at our library's book sale and arrived home with a box of books. I pushed aside a box of books from last year's sale and made some more room for this year's treasures.
This year I managed not to duplicate books I already own, but I was overcautious to make sure that didn't happen. But I still managed to bring home nearly 20 new-to-me books.
The same week as the library sale, as I moaned a bit about minimal bookshelf space, a friend mentioned how easy it was for her to check out ebooks from the library. It's a new service in our area, but one I had yet to check out.
I admit, ebooks are growing on me, but slowly. One day I may be pushed out of my home for all the boxes of books I cart home from the book sales, but I still find comfort in curling up with a good book. My book sale treasures, neatly pile up, each year, I try to make headway and plow through these book sale treasures that I've elbowed neighbors to get to (accidentally!). As far as I'm concerned, these book sales prove that print is not dead. Yet.
While I resisted the ebook movement for a while, as a writer, I decided I need to do some homework and work to embrace what is obviously not a passing fad. About a year ago, I was given a Kindle when a relative decided to upgrade.
One thing I've truly embraced is the ability to email PDFs to my Kindle. For a distance-education class I'm taking, I'm able to email the assigned reading to my Kindle, carry the chapters with me, and highlight text. I'm not sure if it has made me a better student, but it certainly has made it easier for me to pull out my reading in all sorts of places without messing with pages that I have a habit of getting out of order, losing or getting wet.
I find it easy to take notes or write a paper with the Kindle open in front of me, the chapters open up flat in front of me. I'm wondering if it will start to change my writing habits--it certainly has changed my studying habits.
Because of the ease-of-access for the PDFs, I assumed that my pleasure book reading habits would keep pace. I'm slightly intrigued with downloading library books without having to make the drive--or accessing books that the library doesn't have a physical copy of.
But when it comes to books, I still enjoy curling up with a physical book. I still enjoy combing through book sale bins or visiting bookstores. I still very much enjoy the tactile experience of reading and the heaving bookshelves.
I know I'll start using my Kindle more and more--I have to, since I have a list of books growing on it that is getting as big as the box from the book sale. And I know that I'll be at next year's book sale and ready to fill another empty box.
In the past couple weeks I've been working on a submission for a writer's retreat. I was very excited about the prospect of the retreat but, admittedly, I think applications can be as daunting as, shall we say, root canals.
If you ran into me on the street, I might not have a clear idea (yet) about the direction of my proposal, but through multiple hand gestures and a back-and-forth conversation, I believe I could convince you that I am a writer worthy of being awarded the retreat. So, I find it a bit perplexing that, as a writer, I'm not exactly succinct in writing and defining my artist's statement, a requirement of the application.
And then I realized that was 99% of the reason that I needed to go on the retreat.
Our lives have gotten so over-scheduled and crazy that writing often falls among the cracks of all the other things that need to get done. Don't get me wrong, I'm one of those women who gets a lot done, regardless of how packed the calendar gets.
But to make progress on a nonfiction work I hope to tackle in 2011-12, I need some quiet time to figure out its tangled narrative web and conduct research without chaos breaking out. (Our dog now seems offended and whines when I am on the phone!)
One of the retreats to which I've applied is simple yet distant from home. (And one day, I would love to try a Tom Bird retreat, as Robyn did.)
But, for right now, I am more in need of space to think only about my writing (and me) than I am in need of someone guiding my process. I hope to meet others sharing in the passion for writing, as well as make progress on projects that need some tender loving care from me. It will help me tend to my garden of writing, instead of throwing fertilizer and water and hoping the sun will nourish it and help it grow.
Even if I am not awarded a place at one of the retreats I've applied for, there is a Plan B. I plan to create and nurture as many small, local retreats as I can in the next 365 days--it's just adding something to my calendar, isn't it? Although I've managed that way before, I'm determined to honor and focus on my new work and let some of the older projects languish in the desk drawer. (They are usually the ones I grab when I find I have a chunk of time to work on my own writing.)
If you were going on a retreat, what would be the project(s) you would focus on? Why? What would you hope to accomplish? ...And what is YOUR artist's statement?
Elizabeth King Humphrey is a writer and editor living in Wilmington, NC. Her piece "Running on Heart" is in the September 2011 issue of The Writer.
Choose your editor--and your editing "weapon"--carefully.
So, you want someone to edit your fiction? Do you really?
For most writers submitting their work to a publisher or agent, having several people to read over their manuscript seems enough. Besides, they are over the red marks bleeding over the manuscript pages. Their book is in good shape now. After all, they've spent years crafting your manuscript with care. They've workshopped it and re-written the awkward bits and pieces.
Workshops and having friends read your work is great. Often other writers and your readers and friends will find that you've changed the spelling of Margo to Margot halfway through the book. They can look at the big picture and let you know that you killed off the antagonist in the fourth chapter...and, uh, again, in the seventh chapter.
Sometimes, however, they won't or can't.
Frequently a friend can read something and mark a problematic area with a question mark, but is unable to explain why the section seems wrong.
Those may be enough of a reason to hire a manuscript editor or an editing service, but there are others as well.
You may have read of the importance for your manuscript to be styled properly. A manuscript editor working with a fiction or nonfiction work should be familiar with and know how to edit using The Chicago Manual of Style, which is a publishing industry standard.
Whenever I mention style, writers often get nervous. As a writer, I understand that. I like my own writing style. However, the style guides are created to impose a uniformity and consistency to manuscripts, not kill the writer's voice. Which numbers are written out? Which ones aren't? The style manuals are not to squash a writer's unique style, but to make sure a reader is not distracted by inconsistent styles that bring a reader out of the web of intrigue the writer has created.
Once I was hired to clean up a manuscript just for styling and grammar errors--including the persnickety two spaces after a period. The writer's friends had read her manuscript, she assured me, and they all thought it was fine. But as I read along, there were conflicts throughout the story regarding the point of view. Even though it wasn't what I was hired to work with, I noted each instance of these jarring shifts that had brought me out of the narrative.
Now, true, you'll also encounter an editor who doesn't catch every grammatical error and may leave a number or two inconsistent. That happens. And you'll run across editors who differ in opinions moving a word here or --> there. But an editor works to make your prose better. She's not your high school English teacher who left you nervous each time you turned in a paper. Working with an editor is a collaborative relationship; she wants your work to look good so you can go forth and publish, sharing your unique voice and story with the world.
Have you ever hired an editor for your work? Would you do so again? Why or why not?
Elizabeth King Humphrey is a writer and editor living in Wilmington, NC. Her piece "Running on Heart" is in the September 2011 issue of The Writer.
I was fortunate to hear my friend Michelle Boyajian speak on characterization at a recent event. An energetic speaker, Michelle never fails to deliver enthusiasm packed with wisdom whenever she speaks about writing. (We were in graduate school together.)
The author of Lies of the Heart, Michelle discussed how we maneuver in real life and how that should be reflected in how our characters develop in our fiction. It was one of the best definitions I had heard for show-don't-tell. For some writers, "showing" means pages upon pages "this happened and then this happened and that's why he does what he does."
Trying to explain show-don't-tell often turns into a strange discussion because when a writer describes what happened, isn't that showing? That's why Michelle's working definition rang so true. (Hopefully I am able to do it justice...here it goes!)
We all have them. Friend A and acquaintance B. One day, friend A complains that acquaintance B is too full of herself. {Raise your hand if you've been at least on the listening end of that kind of conversation. Wow, that many?! Okay, now put your hand down.)
But, you, the discerning, watchful writer want to meet B again to make your own impression. Maybe A was jilted by B's brother or B bought the last scoop of A's favorite ice cream. So, you want to see B's actions and interactions unfold before your eyes so that you can decide on your own if B really is conceited and snooty or if she is just shy. And you also want to be able to see how A acts in relation to B so that you become more informed about her motivations. You don't want someone to summarize the action in exposition.
Your readers also want the action. They want you to show the bits and pieces of a character that come together to make that person who she is. You, as a reader, like to establish your own idea of who someone is and not rely on what someone else may say.
When you write characterizations, how do you tap into your character's motivations? How do you make your characters tick?
Elizabeth King Humphrey is a writer and editor living in Wilmington, NC. Her piece "Running on Heart" is in the September 2011 issue of The Writer.
At a writer networking event that I organize, I had a brief discussion with an attendee I'll call James. Although I kind of understand what James is requesting, I wanted to get your thoughts, dear reader, about levels of writers.
I arrange for speakers to attend a monthly meeting of regional writers. As you may remember from previous posts, the attendees had initially wanted to become a critique group. But I'm voluntarily arranging these meetings for a writers' organization that wants us to keep them open; a critiquing group would effectively close the meetings off from others in the public to join in and come to the meetings whenever they can.
James wants me to figure out a way to provide a networking "exchange" for writers and paid editors. He wants writers in this group to be able register and to self-rank themselves (beginner, intermediate, advanced OR amateur and professional). The registration enables the writer to get a different level of access to an editor and would serve to "network" various writers with one another. His belief, as an admitted amateur, James told me, is that beginning writers should be in a group with other beginners and amateurs with amateurs.
My gentle argument with James was that while I'm a published writer, I still consider myself an amateur (because I'm still trying to get my fiction published). Where did I fit into his levels idea? And, if we did manage to slot all the regional writers into a level, I would much rather be in a writers' critique group with writers who will challenge me, regardless of their self-reported level. Maybe others feel the same? I don't know.
What do you think about putting yourself into a "level" for your writing? And why? What kind of writers do you like to have in your critique group--ones just like you or a mixture? Why?
Elizabeth King Humphrey is a writer and editor living in Wilmington, N.C., and working towards her University of Chicago editing certification...in all her free time.
How do you explain your passion for reading and/or writing? Is yours a public or private passion?
I ask because getting my kids reading is a no-brainer for me. I want them to grow into life-long readers, as much as I want them to healthy and productive members of the community.
I just spent a week with my family at a reunion and I noticed that my parents and siblings were never far from a book. I want to make sure that my kids know that reaching for a book can often be as easy as a library card. I think they will get that lesson through me, but it was nice reinforcement to see where I had learned it from, as well.
To me, my parents' love of reading has translated into a love of writing and reading on my part. I'm not sure when I knew I wanted to write, exactly, but I remember when I worked in a law firm during college and noticed how seriously some of the lawyers chose their words. I've tried to carry that throughout my life and being careful in my choice of words. (Not always successful, but I've tried!)
But if you have a writing or reading passion, it's important to note that you don't always need an audience, either. You don't need to blog or publish books or join a book discussion group. While you may want to share a good book with a friend, you don't have to. You can keep it to yourself, just as you might have a passion for journaling and a wish not to share with those around you. Your reading and writing can still be a passion.
But I love to talk to my kids about their books. Sharing a book or a story or something I've written helps make reading seem more alive and less solitary, to me. While I do enjoy quiet time reading, I'm also someone who likes to discuss reading and writing.
So, what about it? Is your writing or reading a public passion for you? If so, how do you make it so? And who do you enjoy sharing your writing or reading with most of all?
Elizabeth King Humphrey is a writer and editor who loves visiting the library and sharing her writing and reading.
A few months ago, my mother sent me a "best of" book, which lists the top 100 mysteries. Well, the top 100 mysteries as determined by a British critic. Uh, the top 100 mysteries by a British critic and crime writer that is only current until the year the book was published (1987). It is Crime & Mystery: The 100 Best Books by H.R.F. Keating. A prolific crime writer, Keating died of heart failure in March.
While Keating's selections seem static, like a phone book or a social media handbook, which are generally out of date by the time of binding, it is a completely useful and I'm glad I have it.
This selection of the best has helped steer me towards some writers I had overlooked--for example, Ngaio Marsh, the author of Surfeit of Lampreys or, even better, suggested books by authors I've read and broadening my reading of these writers--such as suggesting The Franchise Affair, as well as Josephine Tey's The Daughter of Time.
Dipping into this collection, I can slow down and focus on what one expert appreciates about books that influenced him as a crime writer, what criticisms he has of particular works of crime and mystery books.
While it may seem dated, I often find that there is so much information available that it pays to take a look at a list of award winners, dip into the recommendations of an expert, or focus on the reviews from people who make it their business to know what is a great book--worthy of inclusion alongside the masterful Wilkie Collins, Edgar Allan Poe, or Agatha Christie--and why.
So this summer, while I'm also enjoying Jo Nesbo's The Snowman, I'll take a look and find out if there are any surprises in this "best of" that might warrant a reading to help me with my craft or simply help me enjoy a good book that I might have missed, had it not been pointed out by a "dated" book of bests.
Are there book lists or award lists that you use to help you decide what to read? Of so, what are they? If not, do you take recommendations from friends? Family? Book sellers?
Elizabeth King Humphrey is a writer and editor living in North Carolina and itching for a vacation (and not itching from mosquito bites).
I believe I am regularly visited by the dreaded writer's block. But, for me, it rarely looks like what a block might. Do I have writer's block because it can be a part of the natural creative process--a nonlinear path to creativity? Yes, I believe so. But I think I try to handle writer's block creatively.
For me, I often question if I have a block or if it is writer's block masquerading as procrastination (or sheer laziness has crossed my mind)? Sure, I could get up and write each morning before my children are up...but maybe I'll just read more of this book into the wee hours and sleep through that productive morning quiet. Or I'll eat up my creative writing time bu making a list...or two. Over the years, I have convinced myself that my writer's block is essentially productive. After all, on a regular basis, utilizing the "writing" techniques that I've mastered, I've straightened my desk, organized and re-organized my files, and run all sorts of virtual clean ups on my computer. My favorite technique at putting off a writing project is looking for the one book I can't live without at that moment. If I didn't seem so desperate, I think my husband would find a comfortable corner and just watch me run about, looking for where I may have squirreled this "essential" book of the moment.
But it serves my purpose, most of the time. Instead of staring at a blank piece of paper, my mind is whirring, trying to help me figure out a way to approach the subject I want to write about.
While my writer's block is real, it fortunately looks more like I'm being productive and not blocked.
How about you? Do you have writer's block and what do you do about it?
Elizabeth King Humphrey is a writer and editor in North Carolina. She is the Wilmington-area representative for the NC Writers' Network.
It's only a few hours since I met with those interested in joining the writers' group I mentioned in a previous post. As you may recall, I'm a regional (three-county) representative for a statewide writers group.
My list of preparations for the gathering started with great intentions. I had planned to email everyone I had on my list and get confirmations. I had planned to sort out a few writing exercises to introduce and had a bunch of ideas for clever, memorable introductions. I had even planned to pass out little goodies at the end.
Time worked against me and suddenly the day arrived and I had yet to accomplish any of my goals. Fortunately, the statewide group had sent an e-newsletter and a local reporter had picked up on it.
We met in a little-traveled, back area of a used bookstore. The staff was incredibly accommodating and the owner was thrilled to let us use the space. She's agreed to our meeting every two weeks.
Other preparations I made included reading up on setting up a writers' group. However, part of the restriction I have is, as a representative of an organization, I have to think of a more open format than an invitation-only situation. But in the interest of the 7 folks who showed up (including the author of a book on starting a writers' group). The introductions included the question: What do you want to get out of this group? This was a talkative bunch and we were rarely at a loss for words.
The majority were looking for a critique group with lukewarm interest in seminars on marketing, self-publishing, or hearing from successful writers. (There was interest...just not a lot.)
I'll detail some of the formats and inner-workings of critique groups in my next post.
My question this week is if you were interested in joining a writers' group, would you look for a critique group exclusively or would you want to join a group that might have writing exercises one week, a visiting writer the next and a few critiquing workshops intermingled?
Elizabeth King Humphrey is a writer and editor living in coastal North Carolina.
Last fall, I volunteered to represent member writers in my three-county region for a statewide organization. Having spent several years staring at and typing into my computer, I've been wanting to re-energize myself by re-connecting. (I love how interconnected we can all be virtually, but I also know that I appreciate seeing and meeting folks. Don't you?)
Whenever I can, I like to attend Tweetups or support local writers at their readings. While I can't always afford the time or money to attend writing conferences, I knew that I had something to offer if I could reach out to my local writing community.
I was getting excited about the prospect of meeting more folks and getting reconnected with area writers.
Then I hit a bump in the smooth road to creating the writers group. One of the difficulties I didn't think I would face in my area was finding a meeting space for our group. I don't know why I thought it would be easy.
Due to budget constraints, libraries in our area now charge to borrow a room. Some local businesses didn't have the space; church spaces were fully booked or required a fee.
Finally, I sent a direct tweet to a small, independent bookstore that had been shuttered for a little while because of structural problems in its old location. But in a world of Internet bookstores, the store not only managed to re-open in a new space, but the outpouring of community support provided dozens of book-carrying community members who helped to cart books to the new location.
I'm not sure why I tweeted the bookstore, but I still grin thinking about the owner's enthusiastic response. There were many exclamation points. Then she responded that she thought the area could use more writers' groups.
Indeed. I think we've found a home for our group.
So, we're off on the adventure of a new community of writers...meeting in person. We're not quite sure of the structure yet.
Now that we've tackled the meeting place question, any ideas that have worked for you in creating a writers' group? Anything to look out for? I'd love to hear your thoughts.
Elizabeth King Humphrey is a writer and editor living in coastal North Carolina.
Often you might run across a writer who doesn't want to share his or her book idea. Afraid to share the information, the writer considers that someone might steal the idea or is superstitious that by talking about the idea, it will never come to fruition.
Currently, I'm working on a book proposal. It is an idea I've been focused on for a while and involves a high school friend I reconnected with a couple years ago. My friend doesn't know much about publishing or book proposals, so I'm putting it together. As we've bantered about the book, the concept has fleshed out. I'm confident we have a book.
During the important stage of putting the book idea to paper, I started exchanging e-mails with a friend with dozens of successful book proposals under her belt. She is graciously helping me put together the proposal. (I've done proposals before, but they have yet to risen to the level of her successes.)
I'm so glad I consulted with her.
Since we spent so much time considering the book, we had accumulated too much idea. The book had become unwieldy. In fact, according to my friend, we had two books on our hands.
Try to succinctly explain your book idea to someone really helps solidify your idea. The laser focus you can bring while giving someone the bare bones of your proposal can help form the idea, while also giving new energy to the project.
My friend was able to help me tease out the important bits of the project and left me with an enthusiasm to bring the proposal to fruition.
Do you have anyone you can turn to and explain a book idea? If so, I highly recommend starting the conversation.
If you are concerned about your idea being stolen, write it down on a piece of paper, date it and mail it to yourself. Keep the envelope sealed. Just in case you need to prove when you came up with the idea, the postmark serves as your proof system.
As for the superstitions, I'm not sure how to hold them at bay. Any ideas?
Yes, it's obvious. But sometimes we all need a reminder:
Sometimes you just never know who you're going to meet...or read. Putting aside any pre-judgements can help you discover other writers or books you might not have discovered.
On a day when you might run across leprechauns, keep your ears and eyes open.
While working on an editing project in my client's office, I started speaking with a web and graphic designer. In the chitchat that we all start with new-to-us-friends, she revealed that she was working toward her master's. As the conversation flowed, she explained that she is writing short stories to fulfill her degree requirements. That was not something I had anticipated from a designer.
As we discussed writing and the writing process, what we liked to write and how we decided to start, we fell into a conversation that felt comfortable. It was if I were in a foreign country and I'd run across someone who spoke my native language.
Because our jobs tend to keep us out of the same meetings, I could have thought we had nothing in common.
Imagine if we behaved the same way about books and their graphics? Have you ever decided to read (or not read a book) because of its cover? To illustrate that concept, there is an interesting exhibit of book art you should check out. Unfortunately, I missed seeing anything about it in 2010, but fortunately, The Independent has kept the gallery online. Take a look--first at the art--and then try to figure out what the book is about. There were some that, yet again, I was incorrect.
You just never know what you are going to find in front of you--or between the covers of the book covers.
Then look around you--is there any person or book your are missing out on because you've decided you don't have anything in common?
Elizabeth King Humphrey is a writer, editor and coach living in North Carolina.
Six hours.
That was how many hours I spent flipping, tossing, filing, perusing, sorting, stapling, clipping, and organizing.
How many of you fall into a trap of new year's organizing? I thought I had been spared this year as I awaited my home office transferring to a different space in the house.
We made dinner plans with friends.
And then I looked at my desk, which had overtaken a large chunk of our dining room.
Saturday was spent with cardboard boxes, the recycle bin and trash can at close proximity.
It was a painful day--I was never sure what works-in-progress-but-not-in-active-progress I needed to delegate to the storage boxes. Research that I hadn't touched since 2008 or notebooks that cluttered my desk found new homes.
It was an exhausting day as I tried to clean up my exploded mass of papers and files before our guests arrived. We even had to call and delay them by an hour.
While launching into 2011, I decided to make more of an effort to say "Yes" with a lot less frequency. Saving the "yeses" for projects that wouldn't crowd my in-box. In the last months of 2010, projects had started piling up, getting buried in other projects. Books for some research towered, competing with my children's building blocks.
Here are some of my tips:
1. Before diving into the pile, make a list of writing priorities. What projects are you really working on? Which deserve the coveted space on your desk? You can still work on other projects, but just don't let them take up the valuable desk real estate.
2. Have your tools at the ready. I know my organizational style, so I knew that I needed a few manila folders here, a couple markers there, and my top filing cabinet drawer in the open position.
3. If you aren't sure what to keep or toss, err on the side of caution. While I have many works-in-progress, I am never sure when to actually get rid of my material. If you have the space, box the project and stow it away for a while. If you don't return to it in, oh, 10 years, you might want to re-visit or re-cycle the material.
4. Find a time with no looming deadlines and no dinner guests planned. Admittedly, I'm afraid to peer into two of the boxes I packed and stored. Towards the end, I was shoveling some items just to get them out of the space.
5. Once you've re-discovered that empty journal you were looking for, use it. Now that you've cleared away some of the clutter, open your mind, sit down at that clean desk and write, write, write!
Based along the North Carolina coast, Elizabeth King Humphrey is a creativity coach, writer and editor.
Photo credit: mlpdesign / Flickr.com
My daughter, who is in fourth grade, was assigned a paper in December around the same time I received a lengthy assignment. At one point, the two of us were traipsing to the library together to check out books.
Her deadline has approached faster than mine; her assignment is definitely shorter than mine. But reviewing outlining and research techniques with her has helped me to identify areas to improve for her work process, as well as mine.
Here are some brief suggestions that might help you with your writing process:
1. Do some preliminary research and reading before taking pen to paper. Too frequently I saw my daughter start a search and follow one path without considering there might be some forks in the road. In determining what elements to include in her outline and report, I found myself suggesting that she delve a little deeper to confirm her pathway. With my assignment, I stopped myself once or twice to make sure I was being as inclusive as I could be.
2. Take time to consider deadlines--including those who need to sign off on your work. She and I have our deadlines. Working during the holidays paid off for her and she turned in a draft of her paper earlier this week. This has given her time to revise over this weekend with a deadline of Monday. Meanwhile, I had to do the bulk of my work before the holidays in order to send my outline for approval from my client. Planning your work can also help in ensuring that you don't get into a crunch and cut corners in order to get done faster.
3. Keep track of research. Too young for footnoting, while I was reviewing her paper I found myself asking: where did she find that information? Fortunately, she had either noted the website, had used a book for background research or had printed a copy of the web page she used. My daughter's teacher encourages project folders, which also help to contain the work in one place. (Now if her mom could imitate that!) Early on, I would have recommended index cards for research, but having never done a spectacular job of using or keeping track of index cards, it was hard to make that argument.
4. Find a chunk of time to work--undisturbed. This proved difficult during my kids' vacation, but when there were pockets of quiet time, I pulled out my notes and research. For my daughter, a sister-in-law suggested setting a timer for 15 minutes helped to focus the work and focus those of us around her. Working in the smaller increments for some can be a freeing concept and worked well for my daughter. That is something I plan to try to get from outline to final product.
5. Don't be afraid to research more, even if you have already started drafting or writing. When using an outline based on early research, you have a guide. However, when you start writing, keep in mind that your information may not cover all that you need to answer. Delve deeper, if necessary. Having more information can bring depth to a subject and can only reward your final product. Not getting beneath the subject and leaving question marks may frustrate your reader.
BONUS TIP: Save, save, save. Fortunately, no mishaps during the writing of
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.
A friend passed along a contact who needed some editing. As I've been putting the word out that I am taking on more editing projects, I was excited to get started with a new client.
The initial conversations, as you would expect with a new client, were a tad long. I was happy to explain some of the ins and outs of publishing. The author of the piece wasn't quite sure what she needed, but she was sure it was a book that every publisher would want. All she knew was that someone had told her that she needed to get it published. She'd never thought much about wanting to be a writer. She had just sat down to write one day. To tell a story, she said to me.
Ah, I wish it were so easy. Write it and they will come. But it is not so fast or convenient for most writers.
The story was about a controversial subject, pushing an agenda. Once I saw the piece, it was clear that the writer needed to expand her story into a novel (or novella) or shorten it to make it marketable as a short story.
She wasn't willing to make those changes. She wasn't convinced.
All she wanted was her work published. Although I didn't feel I was being discouraging; I like to think I'm more of a realist. I happily would have worked to expand the story or help to shorten it into a short story and determine the market she could approach to place the short story. Or to help develop more substance outside of the controversial subject matter. But she wasn't willing to take those paths. After discussing some of the costs associated with the different packages I offer, we amicably parted ways.
My almost-client had wanted to see her words in print, that is all she knew. She wanted a book, even if (according to the publishing world definitions) she only had the beginnings of a book.
The same week, I heard Patti Smith's acceptance of her National Book Award. I wished my almost-client had been with me. I could have used the awards as a starting point to discuss the amount of work involved in getting a book published. The hard work spent toiling in the draft stages. The tireless hours many writers spend at the keyboard putting in, taking out, nipping and tucking. The constant eye on finding an agent or publishing markets.
During one of our conversations, she seemed amazed at what she would need to do to get her piece published by a traditional publisher.
She had written the story that was the end of that. She had wanted me to check her spelling and punctuation. Then she was positive someone would publish her work.
After all, to her, it was a great story.
In the end, she planned to print it from her computer, bring it to a copy center for copies and then distribute it, hopefully making some money to offset the cost of the copies.
Then she would have her book. And I wish her the best.
Elizabeth King Humphrey is a writer and editor, who lives in Wilmington, North Carolina.
Literary prizes normally seem tame affairs. Well, at their outset, perhaps. This year, the Booker prize seems to have attracted controversy as various authors debated the use of present tense. (Three of six books listed on the Man Booker Prize are written in present tense.)
Admittedly, I have yet to read any of the Booker prize books in question. But the debate did get me to open several of my books stacked at my bedside. I was seeking out their tenses. I wanted to figure out if I have preponderance to present tense books or to past tense books...or if I had even noticed. In the debate, present tense is considered more "fashionable," although it has been used for centuries.
I know I've tried to carry off present tense in some of my fiction and find it much more difficult. The immediacy present brings to a scene often dissipates the nuances I like in using past tense. But frequently I've been won over by my characters wanting to speak in present tense. In those instances, I try to let the story tell itself, without criticizing it for being in present tense. Just as a story of mine might lend itself to a certain point of view more than another POV and only trial and error (read: revision, revision, revision) will tell. Unfortunately, I don't believe I'm as skilled at writing in present tense as I am in past tense.
It was mentioned that maybe the use of present tense comes from creative writing classes. Maybe so. But I've found that I may have practiced and learned various crafts and techniques in my MFA classes, but, as a writer, I need to stick with what works. Right now, past tense works for the stories I’m trying to tell and it’s what I will gravitate toward.
However, the debate certainly makes me want to seek out these books and take the present tense writers for a test drive.
What about you? How do you feel about the present versus past tense debate? Are you feeling any tension one way or another?
Elizabeth King Humphrey is a writer who lives in North Carolina.
Back in the dark ages when I was planning my wedding and moving to a new town, I mentioned to my then-fiance that I had always wanted to get my master's of fine arts in creative writing. Admittedly, I wanted to be a writer and an MFA seemed the requisite ticket I needed to get there. I applied and was thrilled to get in to the relatively new program at the University of North Carolina Wilmington.
During my time in the program, I met some legendary writers and compiled a lot of advice. I finished a draft of my novel. My sense of creativity was heightened.
In 2003, I received my diploma and was thrilled.
But wait, where were all the agents beating down my door? What happened to the flashing neon lights to be installed over my house that would blink (or subtly twinkle): WRITER.
Of course, none of that happened. Studying for my MFA gave me time to write. Mind you, as a newlywed and then new mother, I filled my time with life, as well. I made time to attend readings and workshops. I read books and poems and studied and spoke with people I never would have met, had it not been for the MFA program.
A lot of writing sites seem to be parsing whether the MFA is necessary or not. When I entered in 2000, I am not sure I was completely convinced that it was necessary to get an MFA. But I felt I needed one.
Spending 3 years studying and getting an opportunity to teach writing allowed me to feel more confident as a writer. For me, my process is not over. (Will it ever be?) My "dream-blood-sweat-and-tears" book is still not published. But I believe I'm still closer than if I hadn't taken the plunge. I believe that I learned more about my own process than if I had sat alone at my computer for those years: without an MFA, I might have read all the greatest novels in the world and never actually stuck my big toe into the water to finish my novel and start a second one.(Looming deadlines and grades helped!)
Since the MFA, I've let life get in the way of readings and studying, but reading all the buzz about MFA programs lately, I understood that I had been missing my IRL (in real life) community of writers.
I'm excitedly launching a few ventures offline that get me talking with writers and enjoying the amazing energy I get from those conversations.
So, whether you are deciding to take the plunge for an MFA or not, at the very least, search for a group within your community you can be with that will buoy you, your writing and your writing spirit. In the end, degree or no degree, a supportive community is something that every writer needs.
Elizabeth King Humphrey writes, coaches, and reads from her home in Wilmington, NC.
When I write something, I like to do the best I can. When it is for a newspaper article, I try to keep a balance to the information I put together. When it is for a corporate client, I keep in mind the audience the client is trying to serve. When it is my fiction, I keep my reader in mind.
But while putting in my best efforts, I also need to keep in mind some of the elements that can impact the final product and often a reader's subjectivity is one of the major items that needs to be considered. How will the work be received by the reader?
I'm in a small reading group right now and we're getting ready to share our thoughts about an old British mystery to look at the writer's use of the language of the period. I checked out from the library a copy of this book--published in the 1930s--and it is an edition published in that era. Already, I'm slightly judging the book by its cover. (After all, if it were really popular and well written, shouldn't it have been kept in print and replaced by the library regularly?)
One of my reader friends is British and does not like the class distinctions portrayed within this novel from 80 years ago.
Another reader wants to chuck the book out the window because it is so overwritten--in comparison to many of the books today, which compete in our multimedia society. Something the mystery writer might never have imagined.
Although we are reading it to study the language patterns, we've already taken a novel and determined what we don't like about it based upon our own experiences.
While skilled at looking at a work objectively, if I'm not careful, I might read more subjectively. It's often the default reading standard we have.
So when you are starting your next piece of writing, do keep your audience in mind. But also understand that some will be thrilled with the end result, due to where the reader starts from.
And there are times when, you know, it's just hard to please everyone all the time, especially 80 years from now!
Elizabeth King Humphrey is a writer, editor, reviewer and (often subjective) reader who lives in North Carolina.
As you are probably aware, there are many how-to novel writing books on the market. John Steinbeck's "Journal of a Novel" is one you may not have heard of. But it is one that deserves a space on your bookshelf of writing books.
Never intended for publication, the "Journal" is a compilation of Steinbeck's letters to his editor Paul Covici.Using the letters as a warm-up to each day's work on Steinbeck's "East of Eden," the journal is inspiring while simultaneously of a how-to. Watching the inner workings of someone as he formulates his creation of one of America's literary masterpieces.
As a writer in the midst of writing a novel, reading "Journal of a Novel" is amazing. Steinbeck let's you see under the hood.
Steinbeck's use of this journal raised many questions in my mind, one of them is: do you use some kind of writing to warm-up into your day's writing?
When I can, I journal and try to use my journal to express my gratitude for what is going on in my life and my writing. I'm not writing about a particular scene or element of my project, as Steinbeck does. I don't have a specific muse or person in mind when I write in my journal. Others I know will use a creative writing exercise to get in the writing mode. Others dive into the writing project, with little or any writing warm up.
What do you do?
The other question I had was: how much do you share with someone when you are in the actual writing process?
While these letters Steinbeck wrote went unsent, he wrote them to specific person. I wondered if others were as open to friends or editors about their progress or process. In making an attempt to explain himself throughout the writing of "East of Eden," Steinbeck lays bear the frailties and vulnerabilities of the writing process itself. As well as the strengths and the deft hand of a master writer.
Elizabeth King Humphrey is a writer, editor and coach.
Plunging ahead into a fifth or sixth draft of a novel or the 10th revision of a short story, there have been some hurdles along the way, but for the most part, it's been smooth sailing. Right?
What if it has been rocky. Perhaps the novel revision has dropped lower and lower on the list of things to do. Finally the revision process drops out of the bottom of the list--behind cleaning the storm gutters and washing the windows. The energy once used to get through the first through nth draft isn't there.
It's become a struggle. Writer's block is not to blame.
Writing is a passion and is flowing through other writing projects. And, in the past, revision has been a relief (especially as an escape from household chores!).
When a revision is dragging, how soon before deciding that, yes, the writing is fine. The structure is passsable.
When is it time to consider that perhaps it's the initial idea that needs to be discarded or re-tooled?
Sometimes taking a look at the initial idea of a story--even after following it through several drafts--can prove to be the root of the problem. An idea, perhaps not well-developed in its beginnings, could provide a shaky base for the rest of the story to have built upon.
The inability to push through the drafts might be sending a message that the writer became distracted in the beginning of the writing process, perhaps not setting the firmest base of research or planning or even organization.
Even the best writers may falter in executing their passions if the foundations are weak or faulty. Good writing can suffer from poor preparations.
Try to take an objective look at the idea. Talk to others and ask for feedback. Determine if the idea is leading down a path of incoherent writing and a weak draft. Externalizing what may be happening can help solve the issues, even if it means re-starting at the beginning.
The path strewn with crumpled pieces of paper may what's left of years of work, but it can lead to a better and stronger finished product.
Elizabeth King Humphrey, a writer, editor and coach, took a picture of this crumpled page among many scattered throughout her North Carolina home. A sure sign of a novel in progress.
Speaking to a friend the other day, we laughed at our unlikely friendship. We are compatible, but we tend to speak about work a lot. We're both writers, but in separate areas of the field. We both have clients, so we exchange tips about chasing down a check or how to write a proposal. But one area where we diverge is that I'm always hoping to shift my client base that of loyal readers. Book readers of my fiction. It's something she politely listens to, but she has no interest in becoming a fiction writer and so those discussions tend to be more one-sided.
The more I return fiction writing into my daily ritual, the more find myself seeking like-minded people with whom I can have the fiction-based two-sided conversations. I had reveled in it as an MFA student and I am now fortunate to know some talented and published writers. I can seek them out and speak to them about fiction and agents and the business of publishing. But many of them have become successful in their writing careers and don't need to cobble together other jobs. Often when I try to explain the article writing-blogging-editing-coaching-copywriting existence I have, the conversations tend to peter out.
I used to take the one-sided conversations a little personally (as in: it's me and I need to work on my conversational skills). Then, when I had lunch the other day with a former newspaper colleague I came to a third understanding.
I'm still collecting my village (or support network, if you prefer) of friends that I can speak to about fiction...as well as writing as a business. A couple days after the lunch, that friend spoke to me about a couple items we had talked about. We crossed over both areas--fiction and business writing. It has made a world of difference to make the connection.
Please don't get me wrong. I'm not saying any of my friends are not as good a friend because they have one focus over another. I can enjoy each friend for strengths, but I know that sometimes I need the friend who understands fighting the pull of my novel's narrative when I have a 50-page corporate project due. And for the first and second groups of friends, I don't have to feel I have to work on my conversational skills. I can concentrate on the areas we can share, without feeling I've led them down a one-way street.
In your writing career, have you found a village of friends you can discuss your work with? How did it make you feel? Or do you find writing is entirely a solitary endeavor? Or that the writing village exists online now--without a need for in-person interaction? If you haven't found your writer's village, do you think it is important to do so?
Elizabeth King Humphrey is a North Carolina-based writer-blogger-editor-coach-copywriter.
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I nodded my way through your list since those are all items that I consider necessary to a successful day of writing. One item that I would add is a good dictionary/thesaurus. I'm always referring to my dictionary.
Like the fundamentals of this list!
For me, I find that "going for a walk" in the neighbourhood works well.
Also, I am fortunate to have a deck overlooking a backyard of trees and birds and the odd 4-legged creature or two. The interactions of this natural environment have provided inspiration for a lot of poems & stories. It is one of my favourite writing spots--great for cloud-watching!
I loved your creative way of relating writing to cooking. Sometimes we forget that writing is, in many ways no different from other life activities. We just need to gather our tools and do it. Very nicely done.
If I had such a list, it would be amazingly close to yours! Makes me feel as if I'm doing SOMETHING right! :)