I love writing. I love rewriting, fixing loose bits,
brightening the fuzzy spots, clearing out the rubble. It is a habit and a
hobby, and I can spend blissful hours lost in the worlds I'm making. But I've
never had one thing published, ever. I don't count blogging as publishing and I
don't care if other people do.
So why go on writing?
Point #1: There are people in the world who go their
whole lives without finding a lasting passion for something. Work, eat, sleep,
love your loved ones; repeat. Life is busy, but is it full? I count it as a
tremendous success to find something you love to do. The passions that drive us
to excel come from something unique within us. We have to work to find them.
So, if you find something you love, you're an
explorer who's found a place worth planting a flag on. Celebrate your success.
Point #2: Once you've found something beautiful, you
really do want to share it. In comes the idea of publishing. The only thing is,
it shouldn't be the very next thought. Publishing is hard. There are lots of
little steps between finding and sharing. Steps that might make it easier to go
on writing when you feel discouraged.
Point #1a: Find a writing group. That may not be so
easy, so if you do it, remember to celebrate that success, too. The PlotSisters met in a writing class and we just never stopped meeting. If you want
to meet other writers, you have to go to events and talk to people. If that
gives you hives, then it's a big success when you get out there.
Good writing groups will give you praise and
criticism. If you find a group that only does one or the other, ditch them.
They won't help you. If you feel discouraged after a critique, think
clearly—are you being too sensitive, or is your group a bunch of jerks? This is
an important point. Critique can hurt, especially if the critique is spot-on.
Point #1b: Sending things to editors or agents is
hard. First, you worked to make your stuff good. Then you had to write a cover
letter. Groan. After that, a synopsis and bio. Oh, and I forgot to mention
everybody has different formatting rules. Groan again.
So when you actually manage to send something in for
consideration, you've accomplished something. It's worth celebrating, really.
Point #1c: While you're waiting for the probable rejection
that's coming, remember that you love writing. Everybody gets way more
rejections than acceptance. Receiving a 'no' is part of writing. Keep trying.
The things you love are worth it.
Here we are, 20 days into November, and I'm guessing that many of you are in the thick of writing for National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). If you're not familiar with that challenge, you can head on over to the link provided for the details, but the crux of the challenge is this: to write a 50,000-word novel in 30 days. Yes, that's right, at the end of 30 days, a person should have a first draft of a novel in hand.
This is the third time I've written a first draft in less than a month (twice I've participated in NaNoWriMo), and while I find that each time, my style of writing has been different, my life's commitments have been different, and my attitude has been different, what has stayed the same is my approach to writing those 50,000 words.
And here's my best advice:
Sit down with your writing utensil. I know that sounds funny, but it's true. Lots of people say they are going to write but never bother getting their butts in the chair. Wherever and however you write, you need to get there first.
Ignore all unnecessary items. That could mean Facebook and Twitter, laundry that really doesn't need to be done, or the book club you were supposed to attend. If you put aside a few things that can wait until after the month is over, you will have more time to write.
Be ready to write at a moment's notice. One day that I logged almost 6,000 words was the day I had my draft open and ready to go all day. I didn't have a huge chunk of time, but those little intervals, by the end of the day, really added up.
Write, don't revise. Any person who has "won" NaNoWriMo will tell you the same thing: put the story on the paper and don't go back until you've hit the 50,000-word mark. Sure, you might have written the most horrible sentence in the history of horrible sentences, but who cares? Get the story out. Then worry about the rest of it.
Even if you missed out on NaNoWriMo, these tidbits will help you at any time. So go ahead and choose a month that works for you, and see how many words you can get done. I'm sure you'll surprise yourself and in no time, you'll have accomplished that dream.
Where it all began! At least our writing group that is. Every other week, like clockwork. We meet. We exchange critiques, ideas, encouragements, and suggestions for improvements on each others' writing. I'm getting ready to head out the door soon, but wanted to take a minute to just take a deep breath.
Today is September 1st. This weekend is the last official weekend of summer and bam! just like that it's Fall. Many of the Plot Sisters are teachers or former teachers of some capacity, not to mention mom's of school kids, and Fall always translates to BUSY. There's a challenge into staying balanced in responsibilities, but yet continuing to devout time to develop one's craft. And I'm trying my best to devote time in front of the computer screen or trying to keep a legal bad in front of me to write the ideas that keep beating around in my head. "You have to get 'em down on paper" How many times have we heard that? A lot. And it's true. I've got several irons in the fire and when I can't extend on an idea on one project I have to move on to another project and pound out some words. It wasn't as productive of a summer writing wise as I would've liked, but I can't reflect too long about the past or I'll never move forward. And there's so much in the future that it's not worth giving up to stand still.
It's hard to believe that the last time I posted, I'd just returned from my Happy Place. June meant lazy days, and the promise of a long, hot summer.
Two months have passed since then. Despite the chaos of summer, The Plot Sisters have met on schedule. Much writing has been done, but very little blog posting. And that's okay, right?
Right.
Because not all of us find as much value in blog posting as I do. I use my personal blog for communicating with my friends and family, but also as a means to practice my craft. I use this blog as a way of connecting to people, but it, too, helps me practice the craft. I have found, over time, that--get this--I am a better writer because of all the writing I do! Who knew that practice could do that? (Wink, wink.)
But writing a blog takes up a lot of time. And by a lot, I mean A LOT. I could probably work on some of my short pieces or clean my house, improve my lectures or spend time with friends. I choose to use my time the way I want to, and you, my friends, do the same.
What I want to emphasize, though, is that in order to become the writer you envision, you must write and write often. If you don't want to work on a blog, then simply journal. Or jot down some poetry. Or write paragraphs that sum up your day, or start a new piece. I don't care in what way you do it, but as Nike says, "Just do it." Now.
I woke up this morning after a week's vacation to realize that while I hadn't done much writing over the past week, I had done much soaking. As in soaking in the inspiration, the peace, the serenity, the goodness that comes with a venue I call, "My Happy Place."
Happy Places are so important for all of us, whether or not we realize it. Happy Places help us become who we are and who we should be. They keep us calm in the midst of personal hurricanes, and at least for me, they can lend guidance when I most need it. Happy Places can help us grow, heal, and just be.
What is your Happy Place? And what does it do for you?
Summer is here! Summer means lots of things. Sunshine, hot-weather,
and yard work are among the many items that come to mind for me.
A few weeks ago I was surveying my half-acre lot, making a mental
inventory of all I needed to do to get my yard in summer shape. I discovered an
area I had neglected. Regretfully, I had let numerous thistles grow underneath
an evergreen tree. The thistle patch was abundant. If only they were flowers. But
they aren’t. The thistles are unsightly weeds. Poking through the base branches
of my pine, alongside my thistle patch, was also a mostly grown mulberry tree. I
had willfully let that mulberry tree grow after a former neighbor identified
it. The neighbors who were extremely environmental
and health conscience had asked if I’d let the tree grow so they could pick
berries. That was a handful of years ago. Those neighbors have long since moved
and the only ones picking berries these days seem to be the birds that devour
the fruit and leave reminders of their diet on my sidewalk.
I figure I have two choices. Choice number one, I can utilize
nature’s fruit and implement the mulberries into my diet. Alternatively, I can discard
the mulberry tree in attempt to beautify my landscape. There’s no sense in
letting a tree so invasive grown unless I’m going to capitalize on what the
tree produces. The scenario got me thinking about the decisions I need to make
in regards to my writing endeavors.
It appears I’ve been so worried about certain aspects of
writing that I haven’t done an intensive general evaluation on “what’s growing
under my tree.” What’s impacting my writing holistically? Time management. My emotional
life. My creative flow. Lack of editing motivation. There are many things to
consider. The longer I go without a full evaluation the more work I’m making
for myself. I would’ve been more aware of the thistles and the mulberry tree in
my yard if only I’d made time to take a good look. The thistles are gone, but
the tree remains. The mulberries are still green, but they will ripen soon. My
days are numbered and I’ll have to make a decision and with inaction I’m making
a passive decision. It’s time to for me to weigh the options of my yard and my
writing. But in the meantime, why don’t take a moment, too. Do you know what’s
growing under your tree?
Despite the cool temps peppering this area of the country, summer is almost upon us. Yes, it's May 15, and my children have four more days of school. And then? They'll be out until mid-August.
As any mom knows, summer is when the real work begins. I need to be more on top of the tasks around here because everyone is home. The house will be messier, we'll have more clothes to wash (thank you, summer heat), and cooking? I don't look forward to the number of meals I'll have to put together between next Friday and August 17.
Of course, I'll have four helpers who can aid in all of those tasks...
But the one thing they can't help me with is writing. How am I to get my writing and editing done with four pairs of little feet home 24/7? It's a question I ask myself every summer, and every summer, I put together a list of priorities. What can I realistically accomplish this summer in between pool visits, beach vacations, and taking care of the kids?
This summer, I don't have much on my list except for two items:
1. Keep up with my Literary Mama duties.
2. Revise After We've Fallen.
And while the list may be short, those two tasks are monumental. If at the end of the summer I have accomplished them, I'll be able to give myself an enormous pat on the back.
Do you have any summer goals? Feel free to share them with us!
The other night, after having a conversation with an old friend, I pulled out a big black binder filled with pieces I had written.
I spent more than a few minutes walking down memory lane that night, reading and rereading, reminiscing about what spurred on a poem, or how I actually used to be able to write an entire upper level college essay in French. I laughed at a few pieces, swooned at a few more, and at one point, I even shed a couple of tears.
Those pieces tell their own individual stories, of course, but put together they also tell a collective story: the tale of my writing journey that, apparently, started long before I ever thought it did.
For you see, I've been writing since I was a kid. Really. I found half-formed poems, letters, quotes,
and the beginning of what I think might be an epic love story. With each piece, I noticed an improvement in writing craft and style. I noted that I moved from simple letters and words to more sophisticated fragments and phrases.
And the lesson I learned? That with each new piece, my writing improves. That's right: every single time I sit down to write and revise a piece, I'm moving forward and making progress on a dream. I might have to take one million baby steps to get there, but someday, I will.
Start working on your dream, whatever that may be. And as always, Happy Writing!
On Saturday, despite the blanket of snow that covered the ground in
Yellow Springs, Ohio, I attended the spring (ha!) seminar from Antioch Writers' Workshop. The topic of the seminar was "The Writing Life," and Margaret Wrinkle led the pack as the featured speaker.
I hadn't heard of Margaret Wrinkle before registering
for the seminar, but I took a peek at her bio, which intrigued me
(excerpted from her website):
Born and raised in Birmingham Alabama, Margaret Wrinkle is a writer, filmmaker, educator and visual artist. Her debut novel, Wash, published
by Grove Atlantic, reexamines American slavery in ways that challenge
contemporary assumptions about race, power, history and healing. It
has won the Center for Fiction’s Flaherty-Dunnan First Novel Prize and
an American Book Award from the Before Columbus Foundation. Wash has also been named the Fiction Runner Up for the Dayton Literary Peace Prize, a finalist for the 2014 Chautauqua Prize, a Wall Street Journal top ten novel of the year, a New York Times Editors’ Choice, an O Magazine top ten selection and a People magazine 4-star pick.
Not intimidating at all, is she?
Much
to my utter delight, Margaret Wrinkle walked into the auditorium
dressed in casual clothes and spoke to us like she'd known us for years.
And after listening to her speak about her writing life, her bookis now on the top of my to-read list.
But
what did she say that other people have not? I mean, I've been to
several writing conferences, I personally know authors, and have read
extensively on "the writing life." In fact, I have my own writing life,
right? A couple of sentences stuck out amongst the others in her
presentation, as they struck me as something I hadn't really thought
about before. They included:
Images help you stay present to the heart of the story.
Your mind is a small boat on the ocean of your subconscious.
Live a boring life; save the drama for the work.
I plan on referring to those thoughts wherever and whenever I can.
~
I also had the pleasure of hearing three energetic and passionate
speakers talk about querying, editing your manuscript, and
self-marketing.
First up, Sharon Short.
I know Sharon on a first-name basis, and attended the query session
because I was interested in what she had to say. (I'm in the process of
querying right now and have an agent looking at my book. I hoped that
I'd done everything right.) Sharon's genuine enthusiasm made for a great
session. She shared her experiences with querying, gave us some
information about agents--those to look for and those to avoid--and
helped us understand the importance of researching which agent you
actually query.
Kate Geiselman
then took me through the art of editing and formatting a manuscript.
Again, I'm past this stage but I felt like I wanted a refresher course.
Kate provided that and more. She began the session with a lovely video
by Stephen Fry (If you haven't seen this yet, you should):
And
from there, she reminded us of grammar rules and formatting tips that
any writer could use. The best advice she gave, though, is to pay attention to submission guidelines, as they can vary widely. Like the true teacher she is, Kate repeated that phrase often.
I'd seen Kate before at a Sinclair Community College
writing workshop, but I've never had the privilege of attending one of
her sessions. She's a vibrant teacher and someone from whom we can all
learn.
Last but not least came the session with Greene County Public Library publicist Ryan Ireland.
He'd created a presentation worthy of any publicist, and disseminated a
wealth of information on how to self-market. (He spoke about figuring
out your readership, what to include on a website, and how to use social
media most efficiently, among other topics.) I'd chosen this session
because I find it really easy to help promote someone else, but I had,
until yesterday, no idea how to self-market myself. Based on what Ryan
said, I think I have a lot of work cut out for me, but I knew that when I
got into this mess of a writing life.
~
This
spring seminar is a one-day type that happens every year. I'd suggest
trying to get there next year, if you're local. But if you're looking
for something even more extensive, consider the Antioch Writers' Workshop Annual Summer Workshop.
It's a week-long event that is chock full of information and experience
that any creative writer would be fortunate to add to his or her
writer's toolbox.
Happy Writing!
~Christina
(Blog post originally published at http://17gon.blogspot.com/ and used with permission here.)
I’m not sure exactly who coined the phrase, but I read a
book several years ago entitled “In These Girls, Hope is a Muscle” written by
Madeleine Blais. The non-fiction book followed the journey of a high school
basketball team in Massachusetts with its defeats and triumphs. I used the
expressionto encourage and challenge
my own varsity basketball team I coached years ago and I reference the phrase
to my current students in my government and psychology classes.
For any skill to improve one must practice to enhance or
make it stronger. It is not unique to only athletics. My own personal writing
journey has had its ups and downs. I’ve had moments where I’ve wondered and
questioned if what I was doing with my time and if my commitment to the craft
was merely a lofty dream.
It’s easy to be renewed by the promise that things will get
better when the sun is shining and the atmosphere is pleasant. But, what about
the dark days? How do you conjure up the courage to continue the pursuit of
your dreams? I believe that’s where faith and hope become essential. Perhaps if
you remember the phrase, hope is a muscle, when you’re feeling doubt and when
you’re banging your head up against the wall because you see no progress you’ll
remember every step forward is progress. Every word you write is moving forward.
Life is cyclical. The more you give, the more you get. Maybe not immediately,
but in the long haul. Keep believing. Keep doing. Hope is growing.
This essay is one of the daily
devotionals for Oakwood United Methodist Church. I think it can speak to us as
writers, or to anyone with a dream, a mission, a vocation. We all have
something to offer, but all too often, the precious things we have to give are
rejected.
When I was in high school, I entered a concerto competition. I played really well. I went home, confident I would get a call informing me I had been chosen as one of the winners. I didn't just stay home that day. I sat by the phone all afternoon. No call ever came.
At suppertime, I came downstairs and told my father how surprised and disappointed I was. I couldn't understand how such a great performance could be overlooked. My dad didn't seem concerned. "They decide who's going to win these things before the competition ever happens," he said.
It didn't comfort me much to be told it didn't matter how well I played, I was never going to win. I played a woodwind instrument. String players always won. End of story.
I wonder sometimes, if my father thought about his point of view before I came to him with questions. Did he know I would fail to win? Why didn't he warn me?
In college, I asked a teacher to help me prepare for an audition. He agreed, but told me I couldn't win the audition. No reason why, just, "You won't make it." I didn't consider this a warning, but a slap in the face. I didn't get the part.
Does it matter if we go into something with high hopes, or if we go on despite the certainty of failure? Would our behavior be any different if we knew what the outcome would be?
Normally, the Plot Sisters' website is intended to provide support for writers. Hopefully, this isn't depressing. We all have to deal with rejection. But we have to decide how we approach the attempts we make. High hopes and dizzying expectations are a good thing. They give us energy and enthusiasm. But when we feel down, we still can go on. Unless we decide to quit, we have to go on.
I encourage everyone to keep trying. I give no assurances, except for this: Do whatever you do, your dream, your mission, your vocation, the best you can. Work, learn, grow. Do. This is how you define success. It doesn't matter at all if the world accepts it.
You’ve heard of the sandwich generation.
An entire generation (and generations to come) squeezed between taking care of
aging parents and their own children. Full loads on both sides of running their
own lives, including (usually) working full time jobs. They’re sandwiched
between multiple slices of life, pressing down on them from every direction. A
triple decker life sandwich, or more.
If I had to give the occupation of writing
a moniker, it would be the sandwich
occupation. Let’s face it, this occupation (for most) does not afford us a
life of luxury. And, even more realistically, often times, does not even pay
the bills. Many aspiring writers have yet to make any money at all. But the
call is still there, the drive, the passion. So we write. We don’t do it
because we expect it to provide that life of riches, allowing us to live in huge
houses and drive different fancy cars every day of the week. We do it because
we love it. We do it because we can’t not
do it. To not do it, would be like
not breathing. Even though we don’t get paid to do that either, it must be done. So, we continue to slog to
our “paying jobs,” squeezing in whatever precious time we can to devote to our
true calling. Sandwiched in between all those other sandwich generation things,
but adding one more layer, squeezing in the thing that calls to us most.
Writing.
So, to all my fellow slices of ham, Tofurky,
tomato, lettuce…may the thing calling to you like lungs call for air someday be
the slice of life that pays your bills.
I am the newest Plot Sister and mighty glad to be part of this talented, dynamic and supportive group of women. I met them at a Wordsworth Writing Center class taught by author Katrina Kittle. I am at a point in my writing where I need a critique group and these five women and the structure they have established are the perfect solution.
I think my use of the word mighty in the first line was well chosen. These are mighty women and mighty writers who are mighty good at critique. I’m feeling blessed, lucky, happy, and grateful to be a Plot Sister.
I am a firm believer in being a good literary citizen and part of that citizenship is to support other writers. This group not only meets twice a month for critique sessions but also forays into the community for events like author signings, Lit Salons (sponsored by the Antioch Writers’ Workshop), artist dates, and craft classes.
The best blessing upon being folded into the group was the privilege of reading their writing. Wow, just wow. I had to remind myself that this is what I asked the universe for, talented writers good at critique, and just plunge in. After having a session where my work was critiqued I can tell you they are also mighty kind and mighty clear in their suggestions as to how to improve the work.
All this mightying made me think of Mighty Mouse but that image just doesn’t work for us as women as there is no Mighty Woman Mouse. Hence the inclusion of Wonder Woman at the top of the post. Believe me, there are definitely weak sentences being deflected by power bracelets, overused words being lassoed, and plots being rescued from wandering. These are “wonder”ful women and writers. Stay tuned folks, some incredible publications will emerge from this group.
A thought popped into my mind as I was pulling laundry out
of the dryer, that every job I've ever had, I've either studied long
and hard to do the job, i.e. spent five years in graduate school so I
could teach those whippersnappers A&P, or I've had enough of a
background to get hired, but then I gathered on-the-job training. In
fact, the only job I didn't have training for was being a parent. You're
just thrown into that job with very little background (babysitting
counts, but not so much, really). Parenting is an extreme case of
on-the-job training, right?
All of this thinking about jobs made me kick myself in the rear end, at
least metaphorically. Despite the fact that I've been writing since I
was young, I never majored in English, Literature, or Creative Writing; I
never edited more than the high school newspaper (that is, until Literary Mama);
I never enrolled in advanced writing courses at the college level. I've
been picking my way through writing with the help of my writing group
and some wonderful local writing courses, but to be honest, most of my
writing education has been by trial and error and much perusing of
online resources. And I didn't start this journey until 2012. Three
years I've been at this. Only three years.
So why did I think, if it took me five years of graduate school to be
able to stand in front of a class and do what I do, or over a decade to
be the mother that I am, that I should be able to write a book and
publish it in very little time? Am I that arrogant? I don't think so.
I'm just that impatient. And I've spoken about that impatience before.
My plan? To stick with the writing life for the long haul, regardless of where I go and how long it takes me.
~Christina
(Blog post originally published at http://17gon.blogspot.com/ and used with permission here.)
My word is diligent. While I have two completed manuscripts, a handful of essays and short stories, I've been on a hiatus from regular writing and submitting for a variety of legitimate and not-so legitimate reasons. I appreciated the challenge to reflect and contemplate the trajectory of the upcoming year. I want to continue. I want to make time to keep sitting down with my thoughts and keep the creative juices flowing. Despite setbacks or rejection I want to move forward. I want to be diligent.
The accountability, critiquing, and support that my writing group/ friends provide is monumental. We're going on four years together. Hard to believe we've stuck it out through scheduling conflicts and life's moments that pull at our time and attention. I'm very thankful. Twice a month I have the opportunity to learn from very gifted writers. So along with being thoughtful of what I want to do and where I want to go in 2016, its hard not to be a little reflective of how far we've all come.
Placing an emphasis on a goal, a journey, or even simply, a word ... is powerful. We've all got a story to tell and hopefully, this year, I'll also have a few to share.
