Level Up Blogfest

Thank you to Mithrel Wisdom and Geek Banter for hosting the Level Up Blogfest. This is a great idea for blogfest. I didn't know what I wanted to write at first, but I knew I wanted to play.

I decided to take a look at what the phrase means to a writer, and I found a fun analogy. Hope you enjoy.

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When you first start writing, you are not sure how to play the game. You've picked up the controller (the pen) and know that something is pulling you towards it. You want to explore it, see how you do. You press forward and as you come to obstacles, you have to learn how to leap. Oh, you get snagged by that first one, but you stand up, dust off, and try again.

As you navigate through the game, you gain experience. You get points for writing daily, points for editing, points for reading. Those things that once seemed so hard before, now are just tiny obstacles. It starts to become more difficult. Now you aren't just going through simple motions, you are attacking missions-- first draft, query letter, second draft, synopsis, third draft, agent, forth draft, publisher, fifth draft, readers. Each level a new mission.

Somewhere along the way, you realize that you can't beat it alone. You begin to search for other people on the same journey. A band of souls trying to survive each of those levels--just like you. You have to go into the vast web and find them, building a team. Next mission, blogging.

http://shirtoid.com/14324/coins-2/

 

Once again, experience becomes a virtue. You start with just trying to first find that one reader, and soon you are excited about your next milestone. The first 10, the first 50, the first 100! You keep playing, gaining more knowledge, more skills, better gear. Tricking out your blog with gadgets and banners. Proud of all your accomplishments. All those points are adding up, and your momentum feels unstoppable after you step into your first blogfest, which feels like a room full of treasure. 

You were unstoppable, but something shifts. You hit sluggish parts of the writing. You feel you have been stuck on one part for far too long. You consider giving up the game. Walking away from all of your work, away from all of your hours of dedication, away from what you once couldn't imagine being away from.

Should you put down the pen?

No. You don't. You keep trying. You may fall down into the same pit, over and over again. But you keep pressing, "play again." You push and push and you break through. You level up.
   
Image from anarchycamp.tumblr.com

WSW: Getting to Know Your Characters

 

I'm starting a new story. The characters and I are still in that honeymoon phase, where we still love each other, enjoy spending time together, and are really just getting to know one another. I sat down on Saturday and interviewed the love interest. He has been very reserved. Most of my male characters are not as open about their feelings. We started simple, such as what type of music do you like? After learning his style, it opened the door to the why, the bigger backstories that make him who he is and will help me write from his point of view.

The female was much easier. It was her personality that even brought me to the story. Sure, there are details that I need to flesh out, but I can clearly see her motives, logic, and patterns of speech.

So for today's Whatcha Say Wednesday, I'd love to know how you get to know your characters. Do you wait for them to speak to you or do you break out interrogation tactics? Is it a quick flash, possibly that even made you want to write the story?

Do you have a set method of quizzing your characters or is each one unique in how you meet?  Do you wait for inspiration, or do you put them in their costumes and settings, guiding them through the path?

Better yet, is this something that comes natural for you, or is this an area where you struggle?

Whatcha Say Wednesdays are for you. It's a chance to voice your opinion, share your knowledge, and interact with one another. Answer what speaks to you, and ignore the rest. But do tell—I’m quite curious. 

A Lesson from Pilot Episodes

Since I gave up on regular cable and just pretty much use Netflix and Hulu, I have developed a strange addiction. I love watching pilot episodes of television series. This past week,  I watched the pilot of West Wing, Ally McBeal,  and The Following. It fascinates me how they set up an entire series, introduce characters, and fill you in on backstory, all while still being interesting enough to keep you intrigued for that episode and hooked to come back for the next.

As writers, we can learn a thing or two from a pilot on how to set up our own stories. We can use the examples they provide to show not tell, provide backstory sparingly, introduce characters dramatically, and entice the readers to keep on reading. I will examine the pilots of the three series that I mentioned to show you what I learned from them.

 
West Wing is an excellent example in how to bring in your actors. It set up the characters by making them have a grand entrance. You get a strong understanding of each character by their actions, dialogue, and the predicaments in which they land.We should strive for this in our characters.

The action was front and center. The characters were always moving or involved in quick, witty dialogue. There is not a bit of drag. Every inch of that script is used to tell show the story, move it forward, build drama, or for character development. Not one scene superfluous.


 
Ally McBeal is on the opposite side of the spectrum. Its opening episode was also filled with lessons that a writer can learn, but more along the line of what not to do.   It was a poorly done pilot, and if I didn't already know the series--there would have been no way that I would have come back for more.

What's worse--I was showing the episode to a friend who had never seen Ally McBeal. I raved about the show, but truth be told -- I had never seen the pilot. I came into the series, originally, around season two. During watching the episode, I found myself continuing to say things like it gets better, it's not always filled with so many flashbacks, and just keep watching, I swear.  If a book started this way, I would shut it and not return--unless I had received those same pleadings from a fan who had already read the whole thing.

New writers don't get this luxury with an agent or publisher. You have the first five pages to grab someone, buckle them in, and pull them into the book. They don't care about the spectacular scene on page 56, not if they never made it to page 3. 

It consisted of too much back story, too much inside-the-head commentary, and a full fledged, glitter-free pity party. Most of the jokes and scenes were just for the cheap laugh. There was not a consistent structure, the characters contradicted themselves, and too many scenes of Ally just walking down a sidewalk thinking.


The Following overall was a wonderful first episode. It let you know early on what type of series you were watching, started with drama and action, slipped in back story as needed, showed you the flawed characters, and ended the episode with a cliffhanger to pull you back the very next week.


If we view the first ten pages or so of our novels as the pilot episode, then we should try to accomplish what The Following has accomplished. I was engrossed from the moment the show started, and was covered in chill bumps when it was over. Had there been a second episode already in existence, I would have been watching it. Translate that into a novel. If you can invoke excitement and fear in your readers and have them craving more, then you have won. You will create your own following.

A lot of weight is put on the pilot episode.  It is make or break. The show will not see a regular viewing audience if it does not test well among sample audiences or TV executives. It has to introduce the characters, show why you should care for them, communicate what type of show it will be, and above all else, entertain and hook the audience. For the writer, we must accomplish this in the span of five to ten pages. Take some time to watch a few pilot episodes of television series. Make notes of what works and what doesn't. Never stop learning how to be a better writer. 

What are some of your favorite television shows? Did you start with the pilot episode, or did you come into the series later? Do you have a favorite pilot that demonstrates how to hook an audience?

Three Beginnings: Writing, Iron Thirst, and Blogging

Below you will find my contribution to the Beginnings Blogfest, courtesy of L.G. Keltner over at Writing Off the Edge.

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http://banoosh.com/2012/08/10/life-is-about-creating-yourself/

I didn’t grow up with visions ofbest seller lists dancing in my head. I had a wild imagination, but never madethe connections to becoming a writer. So it was quite the surprise to me when Ifinished the first three chapters of Iron Thirst (which was once IronObsession).

When I turned thirty, I startedtrying to “find” myself. Asking questions like – what is my purpose? Maybe itwas a third-life crisis (as opposed to mid-life, hope to make it past 60!),maybe it was the question of legacy – I don’t know. All I knew was that Ineeded answers.

I turned to God, and asked him.“Lord, I’ve been thinking. Trying to figure out the gifts that you gave me, andwhat you want me to use them for. Not to be rude, but I’m coming up short. I’mnot questioning you – ok, maybe a little. You seemed to be in a silly mood theday you picked my skills, because you put together some very odd choices andsome that I’m not sure that I could ever use in the real world.”

Here’s what I knew. I am an avidpeople-watcher. I enjoy watching how people relate to one another.  I canbe rather silly. I love to look at the world in new and unique ways, and pointthose out to others. I am empathetic to the point of ridiculousness. Seriously,why do I cry at cotton commercials? And with that comes the ability to putmyself in other people’s shoes. My imagination is a tad bit out of control (nomeds please). What “job” in this world could use these skills?? (If you knowthe answer, shh, don’t tell. She ain’t figured it out yet. That’s coming.)

So, off I went on my journey to“find” myself. Who would have thought that a kick-ass store in Decatur wouldhave the answer hanging on a wall? (Heliotrope, for the locals.) I walked inbrowsing, just killing time. Up on the wall was a print with the words thatwould slap me in the forehead. “Life is not about finding yourself. Life isabout CREATING yourself.”  “Hmmm,” was all I could say. I wanted thosewords. I wanted them tattooed on my backside, but knowing that I would want theworld to know them too – I decided against that. Running around mooning peopleis not my style.

One morning, I sat up in the bed andlooked at my doting husband and said, "Wouldn't it be cool if someonewrote a story about DragonCon? You know, playing on the idea that some of thefantasy exists there was actually real?" And instead of saying -"Woman, you're nuts!” he said, "That is a pretty cool idea."

I continued getting dressed and let the idea dance around a little more insidemy head. By the time I arrived at the office, I had pretty much laid out theoutline for the first chapter minus character names. When I arrived home thatafternoon, I read him chapter one. And so the journey began.

While working full time, going to school full time, and still being a prettydecent mother (who am I kidding, I rock!), I wrote the bulk of the novel inabout 4 months. The idea became much more than a book about DragonCon and morea love story that was plagued with obstacles while maintaining a humorous tone.My logic - laugh or the world will kill you. And in this story, oh does it try.

I had taken the message to heart. Notonly was I creating myself – I was creating other wonderful people and a worldfor them to live in. Their lives existed from my typing. The battles they facedrequired me to save them. They needed me, and I needed them. All that goofystuff, those unusable skills were suddenly so clear as to why I possessed them.And I’ve never felt closer to God than when I am writing.

I was very hush, hush about mywriting in the beginning. My husband knew what was going on. He watched mewrite, but beyond him, I didn’t tell a soul. I hid behind my keyboard at night– my dirty little secret.  I was terrified that if I said it out loud itwould stop. Or worse, people would think I flipped my skull. I mean – it wasjust a phase, right? Like marathon running, painting, or interpretive dance (ok– never did the last one, just making sure that you are paying attention.)

But it didn’t stop. I continued towrite, keeping my new passion hidden from the world. When I realized that thiswas more than just a fun past time – that it was a dream – I knew I would haveto go public. Come out of the writing closet. The book was nearly finished. Iwas halfway through act three. I made the leap and mentioned it to a friend atwork, and waited for the look. You know- THAT look, one eyebrow up, smirk,switch to dead-pan, “Oh, that’s nice.”

But it didn’t come. She was proud,excited, curious. Ok. Let’s try again.  New person. This one haddreams of being a writer and never made the leap. He had tons of questions ofhow to get started.  And as I continuedto share, I found more and more people who wanted to write, but didn’t knowwhere to start. So the blog was born.

So, three beginnings in one –how Ilearned I loved to write, how Iron Thirst came to fruition, and why the blogwas born.

So,tell me. How about you? Did you always want to be a writer? If you blog, whatmade you start? Did a character appear in the night, or did you mold them outof clay-slow and steady?

Thick or Thin: Painting the Picture

There are times when I go through life, plowing through, never noticing some of the fascinating details in my day. Head is up, but the inner wheels are spinning and my brain has allotted just enough energy to my eyes to make sure that I don't slam my face into walls and such. I could drive down a street never noticing the colors of the cars surrounding me.

Sometimes, however, I am tuned in to only the out of place. Did anyone notice that all the cars surrounding me are all white? That's strange. Who stole the color? These nuggets are grabbed, stored, and will most likely reappear in a story just for a giggle or to give a sense of depth to the story. However, the world is just serving as a backdrop where all the action is taking place. At these moments, I am not noticing the tiny pink details in the drapes. I see that there are drapes, and if there is not a clown about to pop out from behind them--I pay them no mind.

Ah, but when I am on, when all the writer senses are fully engaged, I notice every little detail. The sheen of the grass from the morning due. The color of the tuft of fur on the kitten's front paw. The prickly parts of the mango scratching my tongue when it was cut too close to the flat, oval pit. Every possibility observed and recorded for future use. Words describing these details dance around my head, searching for the best way to recreate the exact same image in the reader's mind. These details from our everyday world give a story realism.

The problem is trying to avoid going into overload when relaying these details on paper. Do I really need to describe the orange that the character is eating, or can I just simply state the character is eating the orange? This is all part of the writing process. We must decide when to leave out the details, when to only pay attention to the nuggets that stand out, and when we should give an object a full, enhanced, description that works like a fancy 3D printer for the reader, providing the exact same image that we conjured when we wrote the passage. When should it be a pair of boots, a pair of muddy boots, or weathered, brown leather workman boots with tattered yellow laces?

The answer simply is -- it depends.

Let's look at the boots. My character walks into the room. I notice he is wearing a button up shirt, blue jeans, and a pair of boots. That is sufficient, if there is no reason that I might need to know more. I can picture that, and I can move forward with the story.

Ah, but I have spent all day scrubbing my house to perfection. I make a quick trip to the store. Upon my return, I am horrified to find that my sparkling kitchen floor is now caked in mud. Standing in front of me is an adorable four-year old boy, wearing a happy-to-see-me smile and a pair of muddy boots.  Mystery solved.

However, what if I was hiding under the bed from the criminal that was snooping through our estate, and the only thing I could see of the man who broke into my home, shot my beloved dog, and rummaged through my belongings was that he was wearing a pair of weathered, brown leather workman boots with tattered yellow laces? That is something I would never forget. I would hand that information over to the police in as great detail as possible.

http://www.tidyhouse.info/painting-the-walls-tips-238/

We paint pictures with our words, but we need to know how thick to apply it. Is it blue, is it crimson, or is it the soft pink hue of a baby's wind-chilled cheek? It all depends.

What is your take on details and descriptions? Do you believe less is more, or do you want to be able to picture precisely what the author is picturing? Is writing the descriptions in a story something in which you excel, or do you struggle?

Considering Self-Publishing eBooks

Good evening all. I'll be brief. I am looking for feedback. I've been having this crazy thought for about a week. I should dust off the ole' book, polish it, have friends scrub it for errors only (no more rewrites), and then I publish it as an e-book. I've found a pretty great service that will format into the top 6 ereader formats. 

My logic is that I am not going to get rich off this book. I know that. But that doesn't mean that I don't love it and want to share with whom ever would like to read it. No need not sharing. I might as well publish it in a way that I can market on my own. I can't afford to publish as a hard back. If I generated just enough off the ebook to cover that, then I could order those at that time. 

What are your thoughts? Has anyone gone this route? 

Anything I should be terrified of? 

I'll leave you with a picture of something I'm very thankful for. My daughter. Today is her 9th birthday. 

Watcha say Wednesday: How do you write?

Paris Nest Card by bellaseradesigns

While writing this, I’m sitting in the quaintest, little restaurant/coffee house. The music playing is from, I’m guessing, the thirties or forties—reminiscent of Judy Garland. The room is a calm hue of beiges and tiffany blue with simple feminine décor. The never-ending cup of gourmet coffee still too warm to drink, sitting on the table in front of me, the flavor of which they rotate daily.

I would live here if it was an option. Mmmm, maybe this is my heaven. But I’m only able to come here once every two months or so, when I finally break down and take a sanity personal day.

My normal writing location is anywhere/ anytime that I can find: my couch, a desk, my bed, my car (92.8% of the time when it is not moving. Don’t judge me.) I scribble down my first drafts in a notebook while listening to the gentle whispers of my muse. In fact, the only consistency in my writing is the notebook.

I hand-write my initial ramblings. I find it far less intimidating than the blinking cursor. In addition, when I type out what I’ve written—I’m able to revise slightly, playing with wording. I enjoy the game of guessing how many words I’ve written.

That’s me. But what about you? For today’s Whatcha Say Wednesday – tell me…

Do you hand write drafts, or do you type them? Do you have a set place you write, or anywhere you can? Do you need silence to conjure your muse, or do you need background noise? Do you revise as you go, or do you tackle that at another time, once the story is complete?

Answer what speaks to you, and ignore the rest. But do tell—I’m quite curious.

Choose Your Own Adventure

Sometimes writing can be a lot like reading a “choose your own adventure” book. Do you guys remember those? Do they even still exist?

When your character is faced with a decision, the choice that she makes will drive the direction of the book. But what happens when that choice leads you down a path that you didn’t really want to go or worse, much, much, worse, a brick wall.

Well, I’ll admit when I used to read those “choose your own adventure” books, I’d cheat. If I led the MC down a path that leads them to death—I would back up to the point of failure and go a different route.

I’m having a similar problem with the MC in my YA. Let’s face it, teenagers don’t always make the best decisions, and Poe is no exception. Of course, she needs to make poor choices along her road to growth or well, what’s the point of writing about it. But I am having to play around with the outcome.

Another area is a supporting character, Quinn. He has a bad boy streak, but deciding how much of a bad boy—that’s difficult. Is he playing her, or does he really care? His motives will drive the story and can determine how the whole book plays out.

So, I take a note from the “choose your own adventure” books. I take one path, write it, and then back up and choose another direction and write it that way. Now, I’m not writing full scenes, but I am plotting and planning. Exploring the cause and effect in an outline/free writing type fashion.

This little problem is new for me. With Iron Thirst, I knew how it would end, so it was much easier for me to get there. But with this novel, I have no idea how it will end. This is the most linear that I have ever written. But I’m working my way through it.

So, what are some tips you use when you hit a dead end? Do you know the ending of your book early in the process, or is it normally a surprise to you?  

Watcha Say Wednesdays: Query Letter Rituals

Sending out query letters is a very stressful part of writing. If I am emailing the letter, I stare at the page for a while - rereading and rereading - and then after taking a deep breath, I hit send. If I mail the letter, I stand, hovering the envelope over the drop box and try to channel positive energy into the envelope. Silly, I know, but, hey. But as I am walking away, I tell myself - I did all that I could and now it is up to someone else. But, it got me thinking-- Am I doing enough? Should I have a special chant? A special pair of magic query shoes?

When I receive a letter back, I prepare myself for the no. So if it is a no, I'm not surprised but if I get a beautiful partial request - I am ecstatic. But with each closed door, I open a new one by mailing out a new letter. I once met a published author, who said she would pour a glass of wine and curl up in her favorite chair to read her letters. I don't have that much patience. I rip them open, close my eyes for a brief second, and read it right away. 

So, for this week's Watcha Say Wednesday, I ask you - What are your query letter rituals? Do you have a certain day that you send out query letters? Do you get a "no" and then send out a new letter? Do you say a serenity prayer or burn incense? How 'bout them magic query shoes, or shirt, or under britches?

What about when you receive a response from an agent? Do you read it right away, or let them accumulate? Do you only open them in a certain chair, at a specific time? Do you lie down on the floor so that you don't hurt yourself if you faint?

Answer what speaks to you, and ignore the rest. But do tell, I'm quite curious.

Only You Can Prevent Word Abuse

I hit my 100th follower, which is AWESOME! Thanks to all of you for helping me reach this milestone.

Awesome is one of my favorite words. Although I do believe it applies here, awesome is one of those words that is overused. It reminds me of a story. My husband and I were talking one day, and he said (very loosely quoted), “One day, we will be riding up the escalator to Heaven. The angels will be singing, the sky will be illuminated, and at that moment – I will frog you in the arm and say ‘that is awesome’.”

Writers often have “go-to” words, peppered throughout their writing. I’ve noticed it during critiques, my own writing, and even published books. A light dusting is not a major offense, but when these words appear on nearly every page or every paragraph—revisions must be done. However, it’s an easy fix.

There are several ways this is done in writing. Sometimes it’s the character that is the offender. In my novel, Iron Thirst, one of Felicity’s favorite words is complete, such as complete disaster. It is a useless adjective, but it is a part of her speech. But like the use of cuss words—it needed to be reduced to one written word for every seven times she would say it in real life.

Another example is the overuse of rarely used words. The first time I noticed this in published work was in Twilight. Did anyone else notice the overuse of the word chagrin? It stood out, because it’s not a word heard too often. When teenagers were saying it, it came across as even more odd. Now, Stephanie Meyer has obviously done well for herself, but we are not all going to be as lucky.

Sometimes it is our own addictive nature that goes to these words, and many times they are useless words. Very, really, and just are examples that I have plucked out of my own writing. Slight rewording will fix it. If something is “very tall” (telling), maybe it hurts your neck to look up at it or maybe clouds hide the top (showing).

The first step is admitting you have an issue. Run your manuscript through Wordle. It’s a visual tool that will show you the most used words in your book. Use your judgment, but if like, just, really, or very is larger than the name of the love interest—Houston, we have a problem.

Step Two – Fix it. Using find (Control+F) within your manuscript to locate all the uses of the overused word, and then either omit, replace or reword. Some people will tell you to stay far away from a thesaurus, but I disagree. I find it to be a great tool, but use it sparingly. I don’t grab the nearest three syllable word, but I use it to trigger my memory of a word that I might be forgetting. But make sure it fits your text, mood, and voice.

Learning your “go-to” words is part of revising, and with a little research—you will find the best way to correct this within your writing. Only you can prevent word abuse.

What are some of your “go-to” words? What other tools do you use to find or fix the problem?

No Thanks, but I'll Tell Ya Why

I set off on the mission of querying a couple of months ago. I felt great about the condition of my manuscript, I had two versions of query letters, and was off to find agents that represent my genre. I sent off one or two at a time, spacing them out. I decided to query slowly.

I received a few no’s, but also received a few requests for partials. Let me tell you—that is an exciting yet terrifying experience. Sometimes I don’t know which I was more concerned with – the yes or the no. Am I ready for this?

But one of the most spectacular things happened. I received the mystical helpful rejection. The agent said he would pass, but he was very honest about exactly why. He offered advice to improve the manuscript. In the writing world, this is the next best thing to a yes. Wow!

Now, I will be honest. I read it just like I’ve read all of my initial critiques. The first time with my heart broken, the second time in denial, and then when I was ready – with my mind open.

I began planning the new direction for the book, taking his advice to heart. In my particular case, it involved trimming down the beginning and streamlining the initial plot. I chopped nearly seventeen pages out of the first fifty, adding more strategically placed cliffhangers to help pull the reader forward.

There were some really fun scenes that had to be pulled. It hurt to do so, but I believe it truly helped the story. And with this new beginning, the book reads more like a supernatural romance than the original urban fantasy that I had been trying to sell it as. A slight switch, but the reader can get a feel for what they are getting themselves into much quicker.

So, my fine penned friends, it pays to query slowly. Had I sent out a large chunk of letters, I would have burnt bridges with a version of a book that wasn’t where it needed to be. And like I said – I needed the advice of a professional to get it closer to perfection. Not to mention, I took it as a huge compliment that the agent took his time to give me advice.

If you are querying – query slowly. Give agents the time to review your work. Make changes, keep growing, and above all – don’t give up!

How’s your writing or querying going?

Cycles of a Busy Writer

I honestly believe that once you accept the ebbs and flows of the writing world, the happier you’ll be. When I first started writing it was all I did. It was an all consuming absorption that pulled me away from other things such as fresh air and laundry. (Not minding the laundry so much.) But then it felt like my well was empty. I was terrified that it was writer’s block, or that the 60K words would never be completed into a complete book.

I went on with my life, feeling guilty for every moment that I wasn’t writing. After about a month, I got the bug again and cracked open the manuscript. Within another two months, it was finished. I immediately dove into another WIP, and about a month after that my mom came to visit for an entire week. Once again, I felt guilty for not touching the book, but knew I’d feel even worse to ignore her to spend time with imaginary people. She left, and once again the well was dry.

A month later, edits. I dove back into original WIP and ripped it apart. Once that was done, I started a third WIP. Two months in, school became so overwhelming that I didn’t have time to write anything but the papers that were required of me, leaving me in another period of ignoring my writing to take care of life.

That’s how it happens. We only have so much time in the day, and we can’t do it all. Well, we can do a little of all of it, a lot of some of it, or be submerged in one thing. When I am submerged in writing, my house looks like it has been ransacked by villains, mail piles up into leaning towers, hanging laundry equals piling it on top of the chest in my room, and dust bunnies learn to hop and help themselves to the carrots in the fridge.

Then something happens—life. I’m normally pretty good at balancing family, school, work, and writing. But sometimes unforeseen circumstances (and heck, sometimes planned events) throw my schedule completely off kilter. This time it was a combination of finals, a car wreck, and the removal of a wisdom tooth. No one was hurt in the car wreck, but it did total my car, leading me to car shopping and negotiating with insurance companies. However, the wisdom tooth was a great deal more pain than I had expected, and the meds were not the best for concentrating on writing. Just sayin. Any of these alone, and I probably would have continued plugging away at the newest WIP and the pile of revisions for Iron Thirst, but combined forget it. I lost.

In the past, I would let the guilt eat at me. But I have been doing this long enough that I have learned to trust that I will come back. I will write again. Stopping in order to catch up on life doesn’t mean that I have flaked, it means that other things require my attention more. Then once all is taken care of (including my own sanity), I can continue.

If you are the type of writer that has a full time job and other responsibilities, give yourself permission to stop and take breaks to make sure the rest of your life is not falling down. Writing can become an obsession, and you have to know when to stop long enough to make sure that you are nourishing your relationships, paying your bills, and cleaning--I don’t know--something. (Preferably before you stop showering, the electricity gets cut off, and your dog packs up and leaves.)

You have to be confident in your writing and the ebbs and flows of a writer’s cycle. They are different for each of us. Trust your instincts, and don’t be so hard on yourself if you need a week or two off. But do come back to it. That is key. The book will forgive you when you come back with an invigorated breath and a fresh vision, but it will not forgive if it’s left to collect dust, because you feel that it’s just too hard.

As for me, I wrapped up the line edits for Iron Thirst, and now I’m going to continue my little hiatus in order to put myself back in a good place. After my house and home life is back in order and I find that fresh vision (normally tucked at the bottom of either a great book or warm cup of coffee), then I will embark on the next writing journey. I think next on my list is to pick up either Craving Copper or The Fate Thieves, which have been in time out for a while. They are ready for some TLC. My most recent WIP, The Hunting Moon, is ready to take a little nap so it can work some things out. Two characters are fighting for the role of co-star. Iron Thirst has been fully revised, and is ready to be queried once I am mentally ready to embrace the no’s.

I pray that one day I can give my life to my writing. But until that day comes, I have to share my time with the many hats that I wear. And I’m ok with that. Because I would rather write a little – than not be able to write at all.

So, how do you juggle all that life throws at you and maintain your writing schedule? Do you allow yourself to take mental breaks? How do you motivate yourself to go back to your writing when the break is done?

Is It Time?

I started writing Iron Thirst back on 12/31/08. It took me about four months to get the skeleton of the story on paper. Most scenes were complete, but other parts still bare bones.  The remainder of the time has been spent revising and rewriting.  I’ve gone through two different prologues, stripped scenes that don’t either add to the plot or characterization (no matter how fun they were *wah*), added new characters, added a few chapters in a different character’s POV – for a total of seven full drafts (each draft went through at least three sets of revisions). (Dirty math – I reworked the story about 21 times.)

Writers are instilled with enough self-doubt to prevent them from ever believing their story is good enough. Pick up a great book and after reading it, you feel like a hack. Walk into a Borders, see the shelves lined with hundreds of thousands of books – and check your confidence level. We second guess ourselves like politicians should.

I don’t think I will ever believe my story is 100% perfect. How could it be? Every day I learn something that could make it stronger. Another way to say what has already been said – but better.

I have finally learned to accept this. My manuscript is a living, breathing document. I have the right to tinker with it and continue to make it better. But what is happening is my attempt towards perfection is preventing me from moving forward. There is a back log of new stories waiting their turn for me to give them life. There comes a point where enough is enough.

Let’s say I was to get Iron Thirst where I believe that it is perfection. A point where every word is concrete. A point where I believe it could not be enhanced, should not be changed, and will never be better. (Hold on, bwahahaha, ok, let me continue.) How do you think I would respond to an agent, editor, or publisher handing me a red painted manuscript and telling me to get to work. Hmmmm,, hissy fit, maybe?

No, I know that I cannot marry these words. I know that if it was to be printed as is – my story, my voice would be something I was proud of, something I could live with. But I know that professionals will need to touch it in order to turn my art into their product. And I’m ok with that. Hell, look forward to it.

David Fulmer, an author who I have studied under, has said (paraphrasing) that when he is doing readings from books of his that have been published (some even receiving awards), he is still tempted to take a red pen to it. That stuck with me.

So, I have decided that I am going to finish my line edits, I am going to write the (not curse word strong enough) synopsis, and I am going to query Iron Thirst.

I will say this – to anyone who is sitting on the fence on whether or not it is time – this was not a decision that I made lightly. I had to do some soul searching and ask myself some tough questions.

-          Am I confident that the story (not the words) is strong and ready for the world?

-          Is the manuscript free of errors, typos, and plot holes?

-          If an editor did not make a single change, am I at a point where I take pride in my words?

-          Am I ready for a whole bunch of no’s and a possible yes?

This decision is personal, but I hope sharing how I got here can be of some service to you.

So, are you querying? How did you know it was time? Are you still deciding if it is time? What is holding you back?

Watcha Say Wednesday: Are You a Juggler?

I have been a busy little bee since we last spoke. I've got the new YA up to about 15,000 words. I've nicknamed it The Hunting Moon (working title). I've retrieved Iron Thirst from exile and started revising. I've become addicted to Twitter thanks to all the funny, clever people that hang out there. Think the last one is not helpful? Well, when you receive horrible critiques, surprise emails, or are just having a bad day and great friends pull you off the ceiling, calm you, and put you back on your feet - you'll see. (Love you guys!) Like the blogosphere, it's a great support system - but more instantaneous.

Now, what was I talking about? Point. I had a point. *scratches temple* Oh, yeah.

In the past, I've had a problem balancing multiple projects. I will be flying by, typing away on a new WIP. Then I'll decide to go back and revise Iron Thirst. I become so involved with my first love that ideas stop flowing for the new WIP, and it gets dropped by the wayside.

This go round, I am more focused (or so I'm telling myself), but I fear it will happen.

Which brings me to this week's Watcha Say Wednesday.

How many balls do you keep in the air? Do you only work on one WIP at a time, or are you a polynovelist (I think I just made that up. I wrote this in religion class.)

Do you wait until your MS is near perfection before you start a new WIP, or do you have a process such as revising one while writing another?

Answer what speaks to you; ignore the rest. But do tell - I'm quite curious.

Contest Winners and Other Awards

This has been a wonderful weekend. Kelly @ Kelly's Compositions held a blogfest, and I met so many new writers. My own entry helped me reach a new level of comments. I’ve never had more than twenty. It was awesome! So many great first pages out there. Thank you to everyone who stopped by to read mine.

I started a new WIP on April 1st thanks to Tina Lynn’s 500 words challenge. Her whip sewn with awesome has been keeping many of us in line. And thanks to the challenge, I have hit a total of 6000 words so far in my new YA-paranormal. The trick with these challenges is not trying to get to 500 words – it’s not allowing yourself to stop trying until you hit 500. If it’s not coming and the characters aren’t talking - you have 500 words. But if you hit your stride, there’s no telling how many words you can pump out.

For me, in the beginning, I have to allow myself to write crap. The entire point of the first draft is getting the story down. It’s not about beautiful words and kickass turns of phrases. That comes later. First tell the story – then revise, beautify, and perfect. More on my style for first draft later. That’s another post.
Last night the Keep It Going Contest came to a close, and we have three winners. But before I reveal those, I have a few awards to hand out.

Nicole @ One Significant Moment in Time gifted me with the Prolific Blogger Award. Thank you! I’m not sure how many people I am supposed to give this to, but I have selected three.

• Donna Hole – She has a wonderful blog, and is full of passion. If you are not following her, get over there nowish. I’ll wait. *taps toes*

• Natalie @ A Sound of Rain – Anyone that would name their blog after such a serene thing is a friend of mine.

• VR Barkowski – She does a fabulous job of keeping blog readers informed of upcoming events and contests as well as keeping an upbeat motivational spirit.

Donna Hole has blessed me with the Soulmate Award, and I think she is a soul mate of mine. This award requires that I gift it to 5 people, make up something about them (not mean), and link back to the ORIGINAL POST.

• Sierra Godfrey – She is an avid hunter of a rare breed of solar powered hopping garden gnomes. Fierce critters that must be stopped.

• Tina Lynn – She has five authors held captive in her basement. They said the phrase “can’t do it,” and now they are chained to desks. They should be done with their first drafts by the end of next week.

• Hannah at Musings of a Palindrome – She has been involved in a secret love affair with Nathan Fillan. He proposed, but she turned it down – wanting to maintain the friends with benefits relationship. Why ruin a good thing?

• JM Diaz – He has a very honed in sixth sense which he uses in his writing. He sees an event, writes it, and then it comes true. Scary stuff.

• Ronnie Griffin – She has a mad skill of being able to catch a fly with a pair of chopsticks. Reaches right up and plucks it from the sky. Awesomeness.

Now moving on to the winners of the Keep It Going Contest.
The first was a special award especially for one of the contributors to the story. You can read the entries HERE. The winner of her choice of either a 15-page critique or a $15 gift certificate to Amazon is…. DONNA HOLE!!

The next two winners were randomly selected. I tallied all the entries and used the random number generator in excel. The following individuals have won their choice of either a 10-page critique or a $10 gift certificate to Amazon:

VR Barkowski
Tara @ A Feel of Something New

Congratulations to all the winners, and thanks for playing!! Send me an email (click on the envelope on the right hand of the screen – your right.)

Wednesday we will be back on schedule for another Watcha Say Wednesday, tune in then.

So, how was your Easter? Are you in the writing or revision phase? Any exciting news for anyone?

Randomly Delicious & Blogfest: First Pages

Tomorrow is the last day for the The Keep It Going Contest. Post a comment tallying your entries. Add to the story if you have time. There are multiple ways to win. Don't miss out. Act now. Supplies are limited. Wait,what were we talking about? Oh, yea - sorry, I was momentarily possessed by an infomercial. I'm better now.

BLOGFEST!! Yay!!  Kelly over at Kelly's Compositions has come up with a wonderful idea for a blogfest. As she says, in most blogfests we post excerpts from the middle of our novels. This is a great opportunity to start in the beginning.

This is perfect timing, because I've been thinking about beginnings. This week I started a new WIP, a YA paranormal. And as I tweeted last night (FOLLOW ME), I've had to remind myself not to stress about the beginning in the beginning, because I write a better beginning in the end. That's the only nugget of wisdom that I can share today. Beginning a new WIP, always leaves me feeling quite humbled and terrified. It's like a first date. Is this the one? Do I want to spend all my free time with these characters, this plotline? Is there a better one out there for me? Is this the best for me now? But the answer is quite simply, you'll never know unless you try. Tell the voice of doubt to shut the hell up, and write your heart out.

Back to blogfest. I'm pulling this from my finished WIP, Iron Thirst. The novel has two beginnings: prologue and chapter 1. This excerpt is from chapter 1 where we meet Felicity Johnson. Hope you enjoy.

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Who knew two tiny fangs could be so hard to find? I bought the pair nearly five months ago, and I specifically remember thinking to put them somewhere that I could find them. My room is a complete and utter disaster. I have been through every drawer, emptying the contents onto my bed in search for the last thing needed to complete my costume. I can’t be a vampire without fangs.

            I plop down on the bed, and close my eyes. Where did I put them?

            “Bathroom, second drawer, along with the red contacts,” I say aloud to the ceiling.

             I leap from the bed. Christian will be here any minute, and I want him to see the complete look. I slide open the drawer, and there they sit. I can’t believe I forgot the contacts too. They set me back nearly a hundred bucks.

            I insert the teeth, and begin trying to attach the colored plastic to my eyeballs. I should’ve waited on the eye makeup. I run back to my closet to grab shoes.

Zipping up the knee-high leather boots, I stop by the mirror for one last look. The struggle was well worth it. My eyes glow a bright crimson with black around the edges, as if the fire inside has burnt the curved periphery. I bounce my palm off the spikes of my black pixie wig. The menacing grin is complete with two sharp fangs over my scarlet red lips that look poised to wreak havoc amongst the unsuspecting city of Atlanta.

            Well, the town won’t be that unsuspecting, considering the rest of the people at DragonCon will also be dressed in costumes ranging from Star Trek to Night of the Living Dead.

As I darken the shadows under my eyes to give myself the true undead look, the doorbell rings. I slide down the banister to get to the door--safer than taking the stairs in these boots.

I fling the door open, and there he stands. We both let out a scream and begin cackling at each other. Christian is a yicky-ucky zombie, complete with a tattered, stained, once-white shirt, suspenders, and pants that look as if they had been buried. His normally perfect hair is dirty and a total mess. His skin is painted a weird grayish green, and his mouth is bloodstained. No one would recognize this scary critter as my clean-cut best buddy.

 “Felicity Johnson, you look a-freakin-mazing. I would have never thought that you, of all people, could pull this off.”

I should be offended, but he is quite right. Everyday “me” is not sexy, not scary, and definitely not a vampire.