Creative Mess

Gibberish. Confusion. Lack of structure. That is my writing technique lately. Not to brag, but I think I've also learned how to take procrastination to a whole new level. To my own defense, my motivation and confidence have taken regular artillery hits since I started querying my young adult fantasy novel.

While my muse would like to stay tucked away in his cozy corner drinking wine, I keep trying to demand we move on to the next project. I will keep sending queries out. Maybe I'll stop once I've sent out a hundred (I have a long way to go).

For now it is time to put pen to paper and the fingers to the keyboard. I have a family series I've been wanting to do for years. And now that my children have ingested roughly a million books and are of the great ages of wild imagination, they are just the inspiration I need to get started.

Still, every rejection that blows up my inbox sends me and my muse right back into the fetal position. That kind of whiplash along with the head cold I'm fighting make it hard to stay inspired. I am a confounded writer tugged between rejection and hope. Between a world of no and the sneaky little voice in my head that keeps saying yes. So is the life of a writer. To enjoy the privilege of creating, I must toughen my skin and learn to except the mess that is made in order to enjoy the finished product, even if that mess is the struggle rattling between my ears.

One thing I keep going back to is this clip about inspiration featuring Jack White of the White Stripes. He physically puts things out of his reach to stretch his potential. Wow. That is commitment and dedication. Instead of feeling deflated by the rejections, I should be stretching myself by changing my techniques, sending more queries, and writing. Every inch of the way, writing. Even writing things that are outside my normal comfort zones. Maybe I'll even try my hand at a historical fiction. I have an idea for a piece on the women who have misbehaved badly throughout history in order to make our world a better place.

But then again, by changing my direction I'd be pulling myself away from the series I was planning to write. See what I mean, confounded. The head cold certainly doesn't help. Maybe after a nap, I can think more clearly. A long winter's nap....

In the meantime, I will stick with what I know. And right now that is a story of a boy who has been kidnapped by polar bear pirates. No matter what query responses I get, I have to keep writing otherwise the cold won't be the only thing messing with my head. Having too many characters running a muck can be detrimental to ones health.

Good luck and keep writing!

NaNoWriMo2016 By the Seat of My Pants

November has always been my favorite month. I get to celebrate my birthday, wedding anniversary, and Thanksgiving as the weather changes from the colorful fall leaves to the glistening white snow. And beginning last year, I have added frantic writing to November thanks to the amazing challenge of NaNoWriMo, National Novel Writing Month.

This November has been a bit different with all the emotions of the election and the weather hasn't really been cooperating as I look at the brown landscape that surrounds me on November 28th. The overwhelming events of the month could have easily stalled my writing, but instead of quitting I dug deeper and put my emotions into every word. It wasn't without difficulty, but I am so proud to say that I reached my 50,000 word goal and have the very raw beginnings of a young adult science fiction novel. Now the real work begins - research, studying, outlining, editing, cutting, and rewriting.

Yes, I do things a bit backwards. Many writers do all the legwork before putting their fingers on the keyboard, but that method doesn't work for me. I get blocked up and find myself taking a machete to my ideas before I even have the chance to really get to know my characters.

Because of NaNoWriMo I have learned that I belong in the camp of pantsers. Yes, that is a real term. There are plotters (just what is sounds like, those who outline and plot ahead of time) and there are pantsers (those who fly by the seat of their pants.)

I've always been a very planned and meticulous person so when it came to writing I figured it would be the same. But because of NaNoWriMo I've learned that I must put all caution aside and just write with complete abandon. Writing this way allows me to create worlds and characters without my judgmental internal critic reading over my shoulder commenting on everything. Instead of sitting here, frozen by fear, staring at a blank piece of paper, I have the start of a novel.

A couple of weeks into NaNoWriMo2016 I saw a comment on Twitter from someone saying they don't do NaNoWriMo because they don't feel the need to rush a novel. To each his own, but I must say I don't feel I've rushed anything. In fact, I know that I have a very long road ahead before this novel is ready for the world. I hope to have it done by the time NaNoWriMo2017 comes around so I can attack another story with the determination and commitment it takes to start a book.

If you have ever considered writing a novel, I highly recommend NaNoWriMo and you won't have to wait until next November. The fantastic people  at NaNoWriMo put on two virtual camps through Camp NaNoWriMo, one in April and one in July, when you get to pick your word count goal. 

With everything going on in the world and the rate at which things change, I have never been more inspired to write and to keep writing. Time continues to go too fast and life gets busy, but I will continue to create in spite of everything.

I wish you all the best with whatever your goals may be. Dig deep and persevere. 

Good luck and keep writing!

Fear of Finishing

My blog has been neglected the last few months as I push to complete my first novel. I've been sticking to a dedicated writing schedule and am terrified to say I only have six short chapters to go before I am done.

I've worked for this moment for ten years and it's taken me the last two years to craft the young adult fantasy that will be my debut novel. While part of me rejoices at reaching this milestone, the other half is petrified. I have reached the jumping off point where I will cover my eyes and release my writing into the world.

I'm sorry to admit that I could have finished this book earlier, but have been procrastinating for fear of what comes next. Querying agents. What if no one likes it? What if someone is blatantly honest and tells me to let my inkwell dry-up? Even worse, what if someone actually likes it and wants to help get it published and others are going to read and critique it?

Ahhhhhhhhhh! Now you understand why I'm dragging my feet. And one reason I'm writing this post now (procrastination I can disguise as writing). My fear is holding me captive.

As I write this post, I'm at my writing desk surrounded by my vision wall where images of my inspirations encourage me and photos of my family nudge me on. My muse whispers in my ear, "you can do this." But my hands are shaking and tears begin to blur my vision.

For the last year I have acted as if I was already a published author in order to keep myself from quitting. I had to push myself to do what authors do, write without abandon. But now it comes to this - the opportunity to have the outside world see me as an author too.

As part of my work I've created a routine and business plan to help me achieve my goals. I'm thankful now for those plans because without them I would have quit with only the monkey of regret on my back. But with my plans, I see a carrot ahead of me that if I push myself just a bit more I may actually reach it.

Years ago I determined I would attempt my dreams. Now is that time, regardless of what fear may linger. That determination is what will drive me this week to finish my debut novel and prepare to send it out into the world.

If you are a new writer, I strongly encourage you to create your own business plan that will provide you with the motivation and tools to continue. The world needs your story.

1. Decide where you want to be in one year, then create a calendar showing what you have to do each month to reach that goal. It helps to keep the plan to one sheet so you can post it somewhere you will see it often. This will help keep you accountable to your goal.
2. Treat your writing time as if you have a scheduled meeting with your boss. You wouldn't skip out on an hour or two with the CEO in order to watch cat videos, so don't do that to your muse. 
3. Start a Twitter writing community right away. Follow your favorite authors, agents, publishing houses, and participate in the daily writing events. Plus look for the pitch events that allow you to post a pitch and possibly get noticed. 

Most importantly, keep writing. No matter what. There will always be people who don't like what you do, but that shouldn't be enough to prevent you from trying. Pick up your pen and prove them all wrong. That's what I intend to do even if it takes me fifty years and thirty books. This is what I love to do and there's nothing I'd rather be doing.

Speaking of which, my characters are waiting.

Good luck and keep writing.

Exercise Your Write

Writing is hard. Like training for a marathon, it takes focus, time, and courage. At least two of those requirements are needed for me to get through even a brief writing session. That's not to forget the importance of discipline, talent, support, and resources as good tools for achieving any success. But those requirements are typically already met when one enters a gym or sits down to a blank screen.

Focus, time, and courage are needed even as my mind frantically searches for every correct word while my fingers move across the keyboard looking for the right letters. Usually time is the variable I can't seem to figure out. Focus and courage don't exactly come natural to me either. I have to work at it. The internet is a great distraction even if I'm doing research. And I still have to constantly stand-up to my internal critic who tries to tell me what I'm writing is horrible. See what I mean, writing is hard.

I've been watching the talented athletes competing in the 2016 Rio Olympics and I can't help but think of how many hours, setbacks, moments of self-doubt, and discouragements they had to overcome to get to where they are now. Their performances on the international stage have been beyond amazing, but nothing is more impressive than the stories of how they got to this point. I'm not even going to discuss my total admiration for the resilient Refugee athletes who have persevered even after everything they have witnessed and experienced.

And here I am just trying to finish a 80,000-100,000 word book. Perspective. That's another good tool to have when trying to accomplish any goal.

I'm not an Olympian (Well other than one glorious summer when I was twelve and competed in the AAU Junior Olympics in New Orleans), but I try to imitate the focus and discipline of athletes who know that one moment on a podium is worth a lifetime of blood, sweat, and tears.

I've started and stopped, rewrote and rewired my book for over two years. And there's a good chance it will take me much longer to finish. While I'm only half way through this rewrite, I have never felt more confident in the story and my ability to finish it and prepare it for the world. Much of that confidence stems from me knowing that every time I write I am strengthening my skills.

So I'll keep fighting for time, training my mind to focus, and look to my muses for the courage to keep going. Working hard is much better than the alternative.

Good luck and keep writing.

Be Busy Writing

Almost every morning I wake-up thinking about writing. Sometimes my thoughts are of ideas that have crept into my muse's cellar during the night. But most often I consider the schedule of my day and when I can write. The ideas will be lost if I don't write so I sift through my daily responsibilities trying to find that precious pearl of time when I can write uninterrupted.

As a stay-at-home mom uninterrupted time is an elusive white whale that teases me. I can see it on the horizon, but just as I approach it it disappears beneath the foamy sea. Every single time.

Some days I consider quitting, but I've become too attached to my kids. My time with them is precious and they will be on to school and lives of their own much sooner than I am ready to accept.

The struggle to find time is real for every writer whether you have children and/or work in the real world. The day never seems long enough. So what can we do? We have to add time to our day, but how?

Yes, life is busy and sometimes things come up that are unavoidable like having to make a pinata for my daughter's birthday. Okay, I didn't have to make her a pinata, but I enjoy arts and crafts time. It helps nurture my creative side. Plus she's going to love it for the ten minutes before one of the hyped-up-on-sugar children puts a hole in it.

I have windows of time every day when I can possibly insert writing time, but making a pinata from scratch, grocery shopping, reading, doing laundry, paying bills, fixing a super hero costume, and every other "important" task devours that time. I'm only human and slightly obsessive compulsive so when I see something has to get done, I can't help but do dishes just as my family is loading the car to go somewhere.

So when do I have time to write? I make it. No, I'm not a magician and do not know the secret of time travel. Writing is my passion and I cannot live without it. I make choices. Yes, I do get distracted, but there's always a choice that can be made that allows time for me to write.

My favorite show is on Netflix. Do I binge watch it for a week every night after my kids go to bed? No. I write (that is, if I can keep my eyes open after my kids finally go to sleep). The neighborhood is gathering up in the backyard. Do I go out and sit by the campfire? No, I write. Most of the time I'm able to join later so I'm not completely anti-social.

There's a reason why many writers are introverts or even hermits. Writing takes time. If you have the constant, nagging voice of your muse begging you for time than you'll have to make choices. Life is busy, but we have choices of how we fill our time. Prioritize your to do list and make sure to include writing every day in order to satisfy your muse. It's difficult, but worth it.

Good luck and keep writing!

Who Is the Ideal Reader for Your Story

Until recently I only considered my readers as much as necessary. After all I don't just write for them, but for myself. I was narrow minded when I did think of those who would pick my book up off the shelf. I thought of them according to specific demographics of age, interests, and above all a love for reading. I also thought of them as being much smarter than me. I could do a lot worse than to know this information about my reader.

However, for me, my reader is much more then a teenager who enjoys fantasy and suspense during his or her spare time between science fairs. It wasn't until I took James Patterson's MasterClass and read several of his bestselling suspense novels that I realized I have been wrong about my reader all along. Not wrong about the previous qualities, but wrong about what was important when forming my story.

My reader might be those things listed above, but something I neglected to consider was how they read. This might not be an important factor for writers or readers who have always found an escape through books. I am not one of those people. What? A writer who doesn't love reading? Impossible.

Yes, it is impossible. I do love reading...now. As a perfectionist child trying to over analyze everything I read while studying to get straight As in elementary and through high school, I hated reading. In fact, I didn't read for enjoyment until after college. I liked many of the books I read for school, but I couldn't fathom reading for fun.

I loved good stories. I loved the idea of reading. But when homework, chores, and sports took priority it was hard enough to get that work done. I envied the kids who could sit and read. I struggled to just do all the reading for my assignments. Not because I had a reading comprehension issue, but because I am and probably will always be a very slow reader. I absorb every word and want to feel every emotion. I also have a bad habit of checking facts I think the writer got wrong.

I finally found my love for reading, like many, thanks to J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter. She was also my inspiration to start writing, but that was almost ten years ago. It wasn't until the last month I realized who my reader is. Me. Someone who loves the magic of a good story, but dreads being left behind when the story is overshadowed with too much prose and imagery.

The amazing storyteller, Stephen King, confirmed my observation in his non-fiction book On Writing. He tells his own journey of becoming a writer and offers a toolbox to those wishing to write. One of his beliefs is that every writer has an Ideal Reader, the person you think about when writing and want to be the first to read your story. You think about how they will react to certain situations and you are eager to know what they think about the major twists and climax.

The Ideal Reader is the first person you ask to read your story because you want to know their responses and to know what questions they may have. For me, I can't be my own Ideal Reader because my editor is too close to the story. I need someone else that loves a good story, but needs a pace that doesn't leave them bored. I need to know their tastes so they keep devouring the whole book right up until the dessert. I've read too many books that offer a delicious appetizer, but a weak entree that makes me consider leaving the table.

There isn't one Ideal Reader for everyone. Every writer has to identify for him or herself their Ideal Reader. I've now identified my Ideal Reader and can't wait to finish my book so she can have a taste.

Who is your Ideal Reader? Good luck and keep writing.

Is James Patterson's MasterClass Right for You

In February I decided to checkout James Patterson's MasterClass on writing. I had hit a wall in my writing and needed to figure out how to fix it. That's when I stumbled across a plug for Patterson's class. It cost $90 to enroll and I could take the class at my own pace. 

The reviews of the class were positive, but also made it sound like it was better for people who were just starting out writing or had never taken a creative writing course. I've taken several writing courses over the ten years that I've been dabbling in creative writing. Still I decided to give it a try because I figured I would pay $90 to attend conferences or events where Patterson would speak. Why not pay the enrollment fee to have access to his wit and wisdom whenever I wanted? One of the benefits of the course is that once you enroll, you can revisit it any time. There is no expiration on the course.

Overall the class offered a lot of basic information spread across twenty-two short videos averaging about ten minutes. Each video covered a different topic like developing plot, creating characters, and writing dialogue. He also covers subjects that aren't often included in creative writing classes like how to get published, marketing, and Hollywood. 

So, is the class right for everyone? In my opinion, yes. Hearing about the writing process from the person who holds the Guinness World Record for the most #1 New York Times bestsellers offers a unique perspective to even the most basic topic. If that is not enough to get you to sign-up, consider what else the course has to offer.

1. Class Workbook

Each of the twenty-two lessons has a worksheet that accompanies it that includes a lesson recap, writing assignment, and critiques of fellow students who have submitted their assignments. You can also submit questions through the Office Hours platform.

2. Community

At the bottom of each video lesson is a discussion board for students to comment on the lesson. While Patterson is the professional teacher of the course, there can be a lot to learn from your peers who have also taken the class.

3. Outline of Patterson's Honeymoon

Along with the class workbook, you can download and print the outline he wrote for his thriller Honeymoon. Hearing about Patterson's writing process is helpful, but actually seeing one of the first steps he takes towards writing one of his bestsellers is enlightening.

Regardless if you have just started writing or have finished or even published a novel, I recommend adding this course to your writer's toolbox. No matter how long you've been writing there's always more to learn. 

Thanks to this class I've learned possibly the most important lesson I've learned in my writing career. The reason my story wasn't working was because I was trying too hard to fit it into a perfectly styled novel that followed all the rules. After taking James Patterson's class I have a new found freedom for creating a story how it has to be told regardless of the rules. Thank you, James Patterson. Now to write my bestseller. Good luck and keep writing.