Breaking The Ice

Beginning a new book is the hardest part of writing. Like meeting a new person, you don’t know where you stand until you spend time with them, get to know them, or in this case, get to know the characters in your story. It sometimes takes me 5,000 words to get into my newest writing project, but once I’m in it, I’m in for the long haul.

I just started Book Two of my Black Tiger dystopian series. I submitted the first book to some indie publishers, and while I wait for feedback, decided to begin the next book. It was hard. It’s taken me a week, yes, SEVEN DAYS, to get three-thousand words down. I used to be able to get that many words written in a day. I kept getting distracted, finding excuses not to write. But when I don’t write, I get depressed. So this was one roadblock I was either going to have to cross or go around. (by “go around”, I mean set aside and start a new story).

So I decided to take the bull by the horns (please excuse the cliche), and write. I plowed through my writer’s block. Because that’s the only way to get to know your story. That’s the only way you’re going to get excited about it, and by the excitement, find the drive to write every day.

11 Things To Do Between Writing Projects

I just finished some major edits on my YA dystopian novel, “Black Tiger”. I’m tempted to jump into writing book two, but you know what? I kinda like this hiatus. See, when I get into a writing mode, my mind and time are locked in until that project is complete. During every one of my son’s naps, I plop down––butt in chair & coffee in hand–– and write/edit. Seriously. Nothing else gets done.

So before starting my next project, I’m trying to get caught up on, well, real life. Below, I’ve written eleven things you can (and probably should) get done before beginning your next big project.

1. Socialize. Been ignoring those phone calls and skipping out on family outings? Now’s the time to call up those good old friends and reconnect with your family. Even when I do go out with the in-laws and cousins, I’m terrible about not really being “there”. My mind is always working, always collecting ideas for the next scene. But without a project on the burner, I can finally be fully present.

2. Clean. If you’re at all like me, your house looks like a number 5 hurricane just blew through. What’s worse, the grime inside your sink hasn’t been cleaned out since the middle ages. Well, now’s the time to catch up on housecleaning. I just did a deep clean yesterday, and waking up this morning to a clutter-free, grime-free house was among one of the best things I’ve ever experienced in my entire life (apart from riding an ostrich in China, but I’ll save that story for another time.)

3. Blog. Did you know I’m The World’s Worst Blogger? In case you haven’t noticed, this is the first blog I’ve written in over a month, because when I have time to write, I want to write a book, not a blog. But since I have no book in progress, blogging will do.

4. Write flash fiction. Because, why not? You have to exercise those fiction-writing muscles somehow, and you don’t want to commit to a large project just yet. Flash fiction is a story of a thousand words or less. You can whip that up in an hour or two, edit it the next day, and hey, you’ve got a story to submit to a magazine and you’ve satisfied your daily/weekly craving to write fiction.

5. Housework – Mow the grass, recycle, clean gutters, dig a grave for that body you’ve been hiding in the basement… whatever major house chore you’ve been putting off, now’s the time to do it!

6. Catch up on social media. I think I do alright on Facebook, but when it comes to “promoting” myself as an author via twitter or Pinterest, well, I kind of suck. I really, really would rather be writing. But this is the time to connect with people on social media, get to know those online friends, grow your audience and work on that writer’s platform that you’ll need when you’re published.

7. Go to the park. Whether you have dogs, kids, a spouse, pet dragon, or none of the above, going to the park is healthy and a good way to get exercise and get fresh air. Do I sound like a mom yet? I took my son to the park for the past three days and felt so incredibly refreshed afterward. The park is free and it’s fun for the whole family. Seriously. Why not go?

8. Volunteer. Now’s the time to put in a few hours of good community service. Like going to the park, it may not sound appealing at first, but after the fact, you’ll be glad you did it.

9. Watch your favorite T.V. Show. I’m currently getting caught up on The Walking Dead (season 3) and I just started Game of Thrones this week. You’ve put all that hard work into writing and editing, why not kick back and relax for a few days?

10. Read a book. Or two. Or three. Best if you read in the genre you’re writing, but really, any book will do. And reading for a writer friend gives you 50 extra points, because that’s just a nice thing to do.

11. Finally, primp yourself up. Okay, this is more for the girls. If you’re like me, you’ve probably let your fingernail polish get chipped and you can’t remember the last time you got a hair cut. Time to shave those legs, pluck that unibrow, and clip your toenails. Because, let’s face it, if you don’t do it before you begin your next project, you’ll be living proof that backward evolution does, in fact, exist.

 

Write First, Learn Later

If I could offer one piece of advice to beginning writers, it is this: write first, learn later. Because if you try to learn the craft of writing before you actually write, it will only discourage you.

When I was in high school, people asked me what I wanted to do with my life. I told them I wanted to be an author. This wasn’t a practical enough answer for the world and people suggested good money-making degrees. Unfortunately, I ended up wasting five years of my life at two different colleges with no degree to show for it.

But I digress. Back to high school. People told me that if I wanted to write, then I should learn the craft, read books on writing. So I did. But I read so much information that the rules ended up becoming roadblocks. I would toss the “how-to” books across the room in despair with the realization that I could never learn all those rules, ergo, I could never be a writer.

So let’s fast forward to after my five grueling years of college when I finally started writing. I mean, seriously writing. I didn’t read books on writing. I didn’t study the craft. What I did do was read/listen to interviews of my favorite authors, cling to their advice to “keep writing”, and did just that. You can read my journey about writing my first draft here. 

All I wanted at this point was to see if I had it in me to finish a novel. Because if I didn’t, what was the point of learning the rules at all? So I finished that baby and sent the first ten pages to freelance editor to see what I needed to work on… which was a lot. (I definitely advise this to first time authors. It’s usually around $30 for the first 10 pages, depending on the editor, but totally worth it.) The editor told me my strengths and weaknesses and gave me a list of books to read. Now that I’d finished writing a manuscript, learning the craft didn’t seem so daunting. Sure, I pretty much had to rewrite that draft, but at least I had something to work with. I suppose I’m more of a “trial and error” student than a “do-it-right-the-first-time” type.

So, my advice to newbies is this: write first, learn later. And when you do get to that learning stage, learn everything you can. Of course, this advice doesn’t go for everybody. But it worked for me. If you’re a beginner and you feel “stuck” behind the rules of writing, toss the books aside and just write.

The 3 Stages in a Writer’s Journey

Has anyone been watching American Idol this year? I just started watching the show three years ago. I love the first half of the show most. The part where the judges travel to different cities and watch a wide variety of people perform, all who hope to become the next American Idol. Some people are really good. Others, well… they clearly haven’t heard themselves sing.

I think the singer’s journey on American Idol can easily be compared to the writer’s journey.

The beginners.

It never ceases to surprise me how those who lack the talent of singing react to the judges. Some of them receive the critique with cool maturity and move on with their lives. Others flip off the cameras, shout profanities, and declare that the whole world will know their name by the end of the year. Well, the whole world might know them, but not in the way they had hoped….

In the same way, some new writers receive feedback from others and they build on that. In turn, they study the craft and grow and become better writers. But then there are those who proclaim to agents/editors, “God gave me this story and told me it must be published, so if you don’t publish me, you are sinning against God.” Or something along those lines. The say their book is the next bestseller, and instead of taking the agent’s/editor’s/reader’s advice on honing their craft, they go and self-publish it before it’s ready for an audience.

“I think it’s the people who have no doubt that every word they put down is gold that probably don’t write very well.” ~Dean Koontz

The in betweeners. 

Then there are those singers on American Idol who are in between beginners and experienced singers. Those people who are almost there, but their voice just isn’t strong enough. Sometimes the judges even tell those singers to come back next year.

This is the place in a writer’s journey where their persistence is truly tested. They know they’re almost at the point of being published, but they’re not quite there, and they’re not sure how long it’ll take to get there. They receive feedback from multiple professionals that their writing still needs work. Maybe the characters in their stories are well developed, but their plot is found lacking or vice versa.

In the beginning stages, this feedback may anger or humiliate a writer. But the more we writers work at our craft, the more we come to appreciate, and even seek out, that special critique. That’s why critique groups can become a writer’s best friend.

The experienced.

Finally, there are the really really good singers in American Idol. Those who get the golden ticket. Those how have received confirmation from the professionals that, yes, they have potential in the music industry, and yes, they could be the next American Idol. But at the Hollywood rounds, the judges still have to weed out the best of the best from, well, the best. They can’t take all two-hundred contestants to the final round. The singers rejected in this round may be rejected because their genre doesn’t fit what’s popular right now, or their singing, though brilliant, my need just a little bit more work.

In the same way, those writers accepted by agents may still be rejected by editors because their genre doesn’t fit a category in that publishing house, or their writing is only subpar to the other submissions editors receive. At this point, I think it’s okay to seek out other options, or even go the indie publishing way (such as self-publishing), which is a rapidly growing option in the writing industry now. Many best-sellers have made their beginnings as self-published books. Just make sure, if you self publish, that your book has been edited by a professional and is truly ready for the masses.

Reality show for writers

Wouldn’t it be fun if a reality show was created for writers? It would be something like American Idol meets Shark Tank, where the writers show/read their work to the judges. Then the writer is either sent home or offered another chance in round two, and the winner is offered a publishing deal.

What about you? Any writers out there feel like they’re stuck in one of the stages above? How do you move past rejection? How do you work with the critique offered?

Why Do You Write?

” Why do you write?”

This question has been on my mind the past few months, and as I spend time studying the craft and searching for agents/publishers, I can’t help but try and answer the underlying question, why do I even bother?

My motives have changed since I was in high school trying to find my place in this world. I used to want to be a published author so I could find my name in bookstores among those names that I admire. I didn’t really care about writing the next bestseller (although that would be awesome), but I just wanted to be a little bit famous, if even among a small niche. I just wanted my name to be published.

And as I got older, I thought, wouldn’t that be the perfect job? To get paid to do what you love? Of course it would. Unfortunately, very few authors actually get paid enough to make a living off their books. And honestly, writing solely to get paid makes it more of a chore than a passion.

When I actually began writing my stories and studying the market, I learned that those aren’t good reasons to write at all. There is so much more to writing a good story than fame and money. It’s an adventure, an escape to an alternate world where you get to call the shots… most of the time. (Sometimes the characters are just too stubborn to let you win.) But even though you’re the one calling the shots, and perhaps you already know the ending, it’s still an exciting ride discovering how you’re going to get from point A to point B. There are unique characters you’ll meet along the way, and deep lessons you’ll learn.

So I guess I could say I’ve learned that writing is a reward in itself. Who needs a big name? Who needs book signings? Who needs that large check?

But there was still something missing, because just the thought of never having anyone else read these stories discouraged me.

I remember reading/listening to interviews from other authors. Authors that I loved and respected. When asked what the most rewarding part of writing was to them, pretty much all of them had the same answer. “The most rewarding part of writing is hearing from my readers, and knowing they connected with my story.” I used to roll my eyes and mumble, “sunday school answer.” I mean, who would say the most rewarding part was the money or fame? Of course they would say it was the readers.

But now that I’ve completed my own trilogy and had my own group of readers enjoy my stories and give me feedback, I have to say I agree with those authors. Just having readers connect with my characters is a huge reward in itself.

So back to the question: Why do I write ? Because I want to connect with other people through my stories. I want to know that somehow, in some way, I’m making a difference in the world, though it may be a small difference, and that is enough for me.

Brandi Carlile has a song called The Story. There’s a line in the song that struck a chord with me, because it verifies exactly how I feel.

“These stories don’t mean anything when you’ve got no one to tell them to.” 

How true. If I had no one else to share my stories with, why bother writing them? I could more easily visualize the story in my head and not trouble myself with details and the art and craft of writing.

But we as people long to connect with others. We like to tell stories. We like to hear stories. We like to read stories. We like to swap stories. 

That’s why I write.

Just Write.

When you sit down to write that first scene or first chapter of your book, don’t focus on quality yet. Just write.

Don’t think about how it sounds, or how many passive verbs you’re using, or if you’re repeating the same word three times in the same paragraph, just make sure you get that story down before it leaves your head. Quality comes later, when you’re filling in the gaps, restructuring sentences, revising your work. It comes the next day, or the next week, after you’ve had time to step away from your work, forget about it, and then come back to read it with fresh eyes.

But when you’re writing that first draft, don’t worry about rules or perfectionism or, God forbid, what other people are going to think when they read what you’ve written. You have a story unfolding in your mind, so you better capture it, pin it down on paper before it escapes. Then you can remold. (Excuse the mixed metaphor.)

As Anne Lamott says in her book bird by bird, “Perfectionism is the voice of the oppressor, the enemy of the people. It will keep you cramped and insane your whole life, and it is the main obstacle between you and a shitty first draft.”

If you don’t already have a story up your sleeve, but you know you want to be a writer and you know you have to write a certain amount each day to keep your fingers/brain well practiced, then still, just write.

Pick anything to write about. Swings, a childhood memory, what your first thought was when you woke up this morning. And if you’re still hitting a wall, then numbly type what you did today or what you dreamt last night. I’m sure a story will pop out somewhere, after you get your creative juices flowing. Your mind will take a turn down different tangents until you’re writing about something you didn’t even realize was inside your imagination.

And like I said, don’t worry about your quality just yet. Don’t revise each sentence or word as you’re writing them.

Just write.

It’s called a “rough draft” for a reason.