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.

Eating Elephants Bite by Bite

Bite by bite. Step by step. Or as the witty Anne Lamott's book instructs Bird by Bird (read it!). We've all heard the saying, but how can we apply it in writing? In my last post about writer's doubt I mentioned ignoring the debilitating voices and writing regardless of the fear. We must take each bite, every step forward to silence those fears.

As writers we write because we must. If you have the aching desire to bleed ink into stories than focus on the bites not the elephant. Let each idea, sentence, or character lead you past doubt.

I have been struggling with the demons that would take away my pen for nearly ten years. I have allowed them to dictate whether I follow my passion. Not anymore. I have named five steps I can take any time I feel the doubt swelling up around my hands as I hold them over the keyboard.

1. WRITE. WRITE. WRITE.

I heard these words many times over the past decade, but I never understood what it was to sit down and just write. I always felt I needed a plan and when the plan didn't come to me I simply wouldn't write. Then I discovered NaNoWriMo, a challenge to write 50,000 words in one month. I like a good challenge and took it on. At the end of November I had a first draft of my first completed manuscript. What was even better than having it done was the enlightenment I gained from writing about 2,000 words every day without an outline or any type of plan. I had made a habit of writing. NaNoWriMo had helped me realize what "just write" meant and how great things can be accomplished. I highly recommend NaNoWriMo in November and the Camp NaNoWriMo online in April. 

2. READ. READ. READ.

We cannot hope to weave transcending stories or leave our readers wanting if we do not first study the works of those who have already done it. Turn your love of books and reading into a study of the craft. Read your old favorites, find new favorites, read from the genre you wish to write, and read the how to books like Bird by Bird. Just read. Inhale the creativity that resides in every printed work as if it were water or air. It will increase your passion and ignite your imagination.

3. GATHER IDEAS

Ideas are all around us waiting to be claimed. Take moments when you're in public to slow down, to listen to what is going on around you, to experience the senses, and to examine the beauty of life. The actions of others usually make for great material. Pay attention to current events and read-up on your history. You shouldn't have to look long to find an intriguing conflict or interesting character. Your creativity can also be sparked by dreams. After all Sigmund Freud did suggest that dreams are pathways to the subconscious. Perhaps even a direct link to our uncharted imaginations?

4. DREAM

We cannot always be writing or reading or making notes of our next great idea. Life happens. However, we can always be dreaming. Dreaming of our next writing session or what our characters will do next. Dreaming of all the possibilities that could come from putting our pens to paper. French author, Antole France, said it best that "to accomplish great things, we must dream as well as act." Dreaming encourages passion which drives determination to doing whatever it takes to reach our goals.

5. KEEP LEARNING

In all things, never feel you have learned all there is to know. Our world is constantly changing. Technology challenges us to keep evolving. Case in point, I joined Twitter. We must also study history to learn from our past so that our future does not repeat it. Take classes. Join organizations. Read. By constantly learning we discover new voices, new techniques, and new possibilities. 

These are only suggestive first steps to overcome the creeping doubts that linger behind our dreams. Make your own list of the steps that will get you to the finish line. Put it somewhere you'll walk by often to remind yourself not of the elephant, but each small bite. Good luck and keep writing.

Writer's Doubt Is Real and Debilitating

Every single writer has experienced writer's block in some form or another. I also have to believe that every writer has struggled with the doubt that follows great ideas into our imaginations. The doubt that makes us question everything we know or believe. I for one struggle with it constantly. Fortunately my current protagonist, Andy, won't let me listen to it. She's fierce that way.

My drive to keep pounding away on my computer seems like enough most days to drown out all pestering voices of doubt. I'm confident in my story and my characters. And most days I'm confident in my writing. What scares me to an almost debilitating state is the question - Is it enough? Am I enough? My characters chose me. I am responsible for telling their stories, but what if I don't have what it takes? What if I can't spill enough ink to give them life? I don't have an English degree. No, I had the great plan to be a lawyer until after I graduated with my bachelor degree and decided that wasn't going to work. What then? I discovered the Loft Literary Center and my passion for writing. But is it enough?

I follow great authors like K.M. Weiland who has become an unsolicited mentor to me. I'm inspired and greatly intimidated by her vast wealth of knowledge about the ins and outs of writing especially story structure. James Patterson is offering a MasterClass on writing that is appealing to me, but will it really help increase my confidence? No matter if my education is formal or self-taught, I do aspire to learn daily to improve my craft. But is the ability to be able to articulate every sentence structure and pinch point necessary for me to be a good writer? Do I need to get a masters in fine arts in order to silence these doubts?

I don't think so. In fact, several of my Loft teachers have said that an MFA is not necessary. I'd love to get my MFA. But my practical rational self says I have to be able to justify the tuition by first proving myself as a writer. This cycle seems to follow the same as the idea that one must be published in order to get published. Or the daunting reality for those in the corporate workforce that you need experience to get the job you want, but how does one get the experience if you can't get the job you need to get the experience? Ufda. The chicken and egg taunt me.

Currently Andy shouts at me to throw the damn egg against a wall. To forget all the self-doubt and let her finish telling me her story. That is exactly what I will do. I know the parts of a story. I know what is needed to make it sing and to get the readers to lean in. Sure, I might not know every technical term for parts of a story, but for now what I do know is enough. All I can do is get it all out, once, twice, as many rewrites as it takes me to do justice to Andy's story. That's what my passion and Andy demand.

What do you do to silence the doubts that follow you?

Dream: Unpublished Writer to Published Author

Writing ignites my imagination and fuels my life. I'm an unpublished writer, but a writer nonetheless. Why? Because I cannot be anything else. I've been dreaming about, obsessing about, and dabbling in creative writing for almost ten years. It was the summer that my plans for my great career fell through and was struggling with figuring out who I was, like many college graduates. Enter the Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. I took my first class about writing for children and never looked back. Every class I've taken, every project I've started and killed, I have been determined to keep going. Determined to finish a project worthy of sending out into the world.

Now I have the project that has chance of living on the pages free from the confines of my imagination. I finished the first draft during National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) and am currently rewriting it. I have no illusions that just because I finish a novel means I can land an agent or a publisher. But just because I'm not already published doesn't mean I can't be. The minds at Writer's Relief have written an article about exactly that topic and offer the steps we dreamers can take to reach our goals.

Can Unpublished Authors Get Literary Agents? You Bet! Here’s How

I've always been a huge believer in the "act as if" theory. The philosophy is that you act as if you have already achieved your goal. You mimic the choices of others who have already reached the goal you are pursuing. I first learned of this technique when I was a young professional entering the workforce. I was told to dress like the person whose job I wanted and to find out what they did to get where they were. Although I did not stay in corporate America, I did have a very successful career and can thank the motto "act as if" for many of my accomplishments. Practicing this theory gets you to push yourself out of your comfort zones and gets you to do the work while building your own self-confidence. Writer's Relief has outlined some of the traits of successful writers that can help us in our own journey towards success.

Markers Of Success: How Many Of These Key Personality Traits Do You Have?

So I'm taking the steps to "act as if" I am a published author although my stories remain on my hard drive and not on the shelves of local bookstores or Amazon. I love the entire tedious, difficult, stressful, and anxiety creating process of writing. But I also have to be realistic that I can't just write without building something from it. Not because there's anything wrong with writing as a hobby. It is just that I want writing to be my career. Writing, to be able to do what I love for a living, would be the greatest career I could hope for in my lifetime.

I'm writing every day. I've entered the world of Twitter. And put myself out there through the text of this blog. I can't say where any of this will lead me, but I know I will have no regrets for trying. After all the world is my oyster.

I'd love to hear from you if you have any incite on this topic. I'm also looking for a writing community in the Twin Cities to join. Also, what writing organizations do you belong to and would recommend?

Keep writing and good luck.

Every Writer Should Read Writing Down the Bones

My NaNoWriMo 2015 prep started with reading the fantastic work of Natalie Goldberg, Writing Down the Bones, which is celebrating its 30th Anniversary. Congratulations, Natalie, and thank you for sharing your wisdom with us. I must confess, Writing Down the Bones has been sitting on my shelf for about ten years next to my grandmother's old LC Smith typewriter. Unread and unloved. I'm still kicking myself for not pulling it off the shelf much, much sooner. 

It wasn't until last fall that I decided I needed guidance to keep me writing. Enter Natalie, her reflections, and her honest and pure incites on what it is to be a writer. With the help of her Zen practice and years of writing and teaching, Natalie Goldberg was the first person to ever really inspire me to keep writing. That I am a writer not just by title, but because it is my obsession, my passion, and my purpose.

"There is freedom in being a writer and writing. It is fulfilling your function. I used to think freedom meant doing whatever you want. It means knowing who you are, what you are supposed to be doing on this earth, and then simply doing it." - Natalie Goldberg, Writing Down the Bones

Once I absorbed Natalie's every word I had to decide my next steps. It wasn't enough for me to dream, I also had to act. But those first steps are debilitating. Stephen King said it best - "the scariest moment is always just before you start." The horror king was right and if I had let Writing Down the Bones continue to collect dust I would have been frozen by my fear and probably never finished anything.

However, with Natalie's words of courage - "You will succeed if you are fearless of failure" - echoing in my head I took that first step. I grabbed a character that had been teasing me for a year, locked her into her front row seat, and took on and won NaNoWriMo 2015. 

I'm still scared when I put my fingers to the keyboard or grab my pen. I worry if my writing is horrible and not deserving of the ink. Those fears are real and I doubt they will ever go away, but I am no longer going to let them stop me because "obsessions have power," Writing Down the Bones.

How has Writing Down the Bones or Natalie Goldberg inspired you?

Pitch Possible: Resources for Writing the Perfect Pitch

The exercise of writing a pitch for your work in progress or finished manuscript can be daunting. Where to start? What little darlings to include? I know every detail of my story and every bit is important, right? Wrong. Every word in the pitch counts, but it shouldn't be bogged down with description like a book report. Thanks to the great minds of a few fantastic experts, I have managed to finally write a pitch for my story that weaves the tale I'm trying to tell without including every plot and pinch point. The pitch I wrote recently was for the NaNoWriMo Pitchapalooza being put on by the marvelous people at The Book Doctors, Arielle Eckstut and David Henry Sterry. Check out their January 12th blog post about the Sixth Annual NaNoWriMo Pitchapalooza for more details and a complete list of their 10 Tips for Pitching.

I have tried and failed to write a good elevator speech several times, but every time I had the same problem - I had no idea what I was doing. My least favorite question regarding my writing is "What is your book about?" How do I even start to begin? There's so much to tell and what if I don't express myself correctly. After all I'm a much better writer than I am speaker. I find comfort in the fact that several successful authors have admitted to dreading the same question. Writing is very personal and telling people about the wild things that live in a writer's imagination can be very intimidating. But, we are writers after all and we want to share our worlds regardless of the great risk of being rejected or worse getting "the look." You know the one that says "yeah, that sounds good" with a strong dose of sarcasm. Then that person never asks you about your writing again. Besides we need to master our pitches for when the time comes for us to wow our future agent and/or editor. So where to begin?

With the deadline for Pitchapalooza on the horizon I ventured out to write the perfect pitch with the help of the Book Doctor's 10 Tips for Pitching and the advice from Writer's Digest's editor blogger, Chuck Sambuchino on The Writer's Promise: How to Craft a Book's Pitch. I was finally able to see the path towards writing a pitch worthy of sending out rather than throwing into another black hole of failures. The three most important truths I took away from these great resources were:

1. Let your pitch sing. The tone should be poetic. Avoid at all cost being so descriptive that it reads like a middle school book report on the ancient Egyptians. (That was my favorite book report as a kid. I still remember writing all my bullet points on notecards and lining them neatly on my small fiberglass desk.)

2. Use your words to invoke emotions. No one wants to read a book that reads like the agriculture report. If your pitch only provides information without the meat that pulls a reader in than no one is going to ask to read the rest of the manuscript.

3. Reach out and grab the reader. A pitch is your first chance to make your reader lean-in. To make them pull your book off the shelf before the one next to it with the gripping battle scene on the front. The agents and editors we query are our first audience. Introduce them to the soul of the character, the truths of the story, give them something they can relate to, and then leave them with a cliff hanger that will have them begging for more.

As an exercise of humility, I've included below the first and last two sentences of the pitch I sent the Book Doctors. For the sake of self-preservation and privacy, I've omitted the middle of the pitch. I'd enjoy hearing what you think. And once you've carefully critiqued / judged my pitch, go try your hand at your own. Good luck and keep writing.

"Andy Holbrook lived most of her life in the dark underbelly of a secret world where monsters and magic existed. Now her parents are dead and she must be the one to solve their murders in order to avoid the exposure of the very secrets they died protecting." 

"...is a young adult fantasy thriller that encourages hope even in the darkness and raises the questions what if we were limitless? What if buried in our history was a time and place where anything was possible?"

Pinterest for Writers

I have been an avid user of Pinterest for several years. As a mother I have found it to be very helpful in finding fun activities for the kids, birthday party ideas, age appropriate science experiments that even I can do successfully, and healthy meal recipes even the kids will eat. I can't say all my Pinterest attempts have been successful. Some of my recipe and craft attempts would easily have qualified as Pinterest fails. But I will continue to try because this great tool saves me the time and frustration of scrounging around the endless resources of the internet. Instead I can enter a simple search and find recommended results.

What I didn't realize about Pinterest until about a year ago is how helpful it can be as a resource for my writing. I have discovered a world of fantastic articles about anything from plot and setting to common dialogue. It is also a great spot to find writing prompts to keep your writing moving. My writing board also includes useful infographics that clarify parts of a story in a simple document. Some of my favorite pins have been inspirational quotes from some of my favorite authors or anonymous quips that encourage me to keep writing. I also pin majestic landscape, animal, and human interest images that can inspire setting and characters.

One word of caution when using something like Pinterest to propel your writing is to consider the reliability of your pins' resources. After all you can't believe everything you read on the internet. And as with most rules pertaining to writing you have to take some articles with a grain of salt. For instance I recently pinned a blog post by Hannah Heath called 7 Cliche Characters in YA Fiction That Need to Stop. The article was enlightening in that it highlighted some great points about character development and what to stay away from when writing your own characters. However, having an orphaned teenage character that struggles with self-confidence as my current protagonist I had to appreciate Hannah's article for what it is - a personal opinion. I can't say I disagree with Hannah, but I'm also not changing my character just because I came across her article on Pinterest. My character, Andy, has her own unique story to tell that will help keep her from spiraling into the black hole of cliche characters.

Pinterest is also a great source for writers to be found. Take Hannah for instance. I probably wouldn't have come across her well written article if I hadn't found it on Pinterest. I've come across other helpful bloggers like K.M. Weiland's helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com and Joe Bunting and team's thewritepractice.com. Weiland is one of my favorite author coaches who I follow regularly. Recently I've been studying her infographics on the first, second, and third acts timelines as a way to structure my own story outline. I had felt something was missing in Andy's story and by examining each piece of the novel by using Weiland's timelines, I have found the holes of my story and am filling them with the best word glue I can muster.

No matter where you are in your writing or your goals, I highly recommend starting a Pinterest board to help you meet those goals. While writing is a mostly solitary objective, we cannot do it completely on our own. Helpful artist teachers, images that invoke a story, and motivational quotes are all at your fingertips with Pinterest. Good luck and keep writing.

Nowhereland

January is a hard month for many reasons. First is the weather. In Minnesota January is usually the coldest and darkest month of the year. Leaving us chilled and depressed from the lack of sunlight. But it is also the month we set and break our New Year's resolutions. I can weakly say that I have not failed my 2016 goals yet. However, the January doldrums are pulling at me and my motivation to attack my goals is threatened.

Thankfully I have great support that keeps me going and now a new friend in Scrivener. Many writers are aware of this masterpiece of software that allows us wordsmiths to spill our scattered ideas across a word processing document then reassemble them and eventually write the story. The program has folders for places, characters, notes, and research. And my favorite is the storyboard view when I can see a corkboard of my story's main points without having to plaster my studio walls with post-it notes.

After finishing NaNoWriMo in November and having my first very rough draft, I wasn't sure what to do with it. Enter Literature and Latte and their sponsorship of NaNoWriMo. They kindly gave a discount for Scrivener to those of us that met our 50,000 word count goals. When I didn't know where to start with rewriting my novel I looked to the NaNoWriMo winner prizes. I had heard of Scrivener before, but didn't think it was for me. I like the old fashioned clutter of storyboards and post-its. However, much like my decision to enter the November challenge, I decided I needed something more to finish my first novel.

I've only been using the program for about a week and have a lot to learn about all the tools it provides. So far I am very pleased with the structure that it gives my very disorganized novel. I'm able to enter all my notes, ideas, and little darlings without having to commit to any specific order until I am ready to write. For now my novel is disjointed and only bullet points that mark my main plot and subplots. But being the visual person I am, I can see the story coming together more clearly than it has so far.

So while the weather continues to try to slow my progress, I remain faithful to my project and my goals. Writing is never easy and as writers we are often plagued by fear of rejection and criticism. Still our minds and hearts won't allows us to put the pen down. We must write no matter the excuse, bad day or lectures from our internal critics. And while I fight off the winter blues, I am glad for programs like Scrivener that help me stay focused even if a little scattered.

Feeling Inspired

As far back as I can remember I have loved to create stories whether I made them up entirely on my own or piggy backed on one of my favorite television shows. I would play out my stories in my head or in the pasture with only the horses for an audience. Now that I'm older I still love to create tales only I no longer act them out. I've often thought of where my fascination for creating has come from and I don't have to look far to figure it out.

I have a very talented and creative family including fellow writers, painters, swimmers, dancers, athletes, and musicians. This week I'm especially thinking of my Grandma B who displayed her art through her brilliant baking. I've never tasted a better sugar cookie than the ones Grandma B used to make and her pie, don't get me started on her perfection that wordsmiths like me can't even find the right word to describe just how delicious they were. She really was brilliant and talented. We say our final good-byes to Grandma B this week. Sadness immediately filled me as I received the news of her passing. But the sadness did not last long. I still cry, but they are tears of remembrance for the life she led and the great legacy she leaves behind. In fact, stories of her life will always bring a tear or smile to my face and even inspire me to write.

Stories of living through the Great Depression, young love, destroyed family secrets, salt water taffy, Snickers bars, Dominoes, and an old porch swing instantly inspire me to put my pen to paper. Or a small three bedroom house for ten people with not much more than an abundance of love and discipline to support them. How about a coffee tin full of Valentine's sugar cookies or a boa constrictor as an unexpected guest or a trap door built into the hay loft as a cruel sibling trick. These are just some of the many, many stories with Grandma B at the center. To some her life would appear simple, but in my mind it was nothing short of extraordinary. Thank you, Grandma, for all the love and inspiration.

Who inspires you?

NaNoWriMo 2015, New Year, and New Post

Life has led me on many adventures since my last post in June 2009. But now I'm back! With the help of supportive family and friends, the encouragement of great authors who came before me, a lot of coffee, NaNoWriMo, and a determined character named Andy (short for Andora), I am writing more than ever and loving it.

Over the last six years I have constantly been followed by shadows of characters that were waiting to have their stories told. I tried many times to satisfy them, but life and my internal critic always killed them before I could get the rest of their stories. That all changed when Andora Holbrook whispered from the tall grass of the meadow from my then workplace. She laughed at me with the challenge to tell her tale of missing persons, stolen artifacts, phantom islands possessing resources beyond our wildest imaginations, and the existence of magic. I took the challenge and started writing her story during the summer of 2014. But no matter how hard I tried I couldn't get past the first fifty pages. That was until I was challenged by NaNoWriMo 2015 (National Novel Writing Month).

At first I didn't think the 50,000 words in one month was a challenge that was right for me. I had already started my story and didn't want my creative genius to be constricted by a time constraint. No, I was going to write my novel perfectly at my own pace. It wasn't until November 3rd, 3 days into the challenge, that I realized how wrong I was and that NaNoWriMo was exactly what I needed. I needed the fire to be fueled not only with the desire to write, but also to win. Writing 50,000 words in one month is not an easy task especially considering I had only written about 14,000 words in a year. Without thinking twice I jumped in the race and set a pace of about 2,000 words a day. Each day I wrote and every milestone I hit encouraged me more to keep going. NaNoWriMo gave me the surge of adrenaline that I needed to help me reach my goal of completing my first finished manuscript.

Yay, I finished my novel! Well, not quite. I finished my first shitty draft or FSD. And, yes, that is the technical term for the original regurgitation of words that spread across the paper in a clumsy hurry to get all the ideas of a story out before it chokes you. Luckily no one will ever read that monstrosity of a first draft. But even after realizing what I had written was garbage, I had a new commitment to continue with the story. It has to be completely rewritten, but now I know what Andy's story is about and what it is not. When people asked me what my book was about before NaNoWriMo I couldn't answer them even though I knew every detail. After writing it all out I know now what works and what doesn't. I know how I have severely neglected my protagonist while allowing minor players to shine. I know now that little darlings that I thought had to be included must now die. I'm sure I'll shed a tear for them at one point, but in the end I will have a finished novel that successfully tells Andy's amazing story of loss, danger, intrigue, far off lands, and family secrets.

With the start of a new year, I have set goals for myself that will help me keep my promise to Andy to tell her story. They are not New Year's resolutions that are easily started and failed. No, these goals are a matter of such importance that I fear to fail would mean killing all current and potential characters that might linger or ever be born in my mind and soul including Andy Holbrook. I have established daily, weekly, and monthly goals that cut the elephant of writing a novel into much smaller pieces that are easier to consume. So far I'm ahead of my written goals and am greatly encouraged for what this year holds.