A Lesson in Grace

The last Plot Sisters' meeting of 2017 included a visit from local author, Linda A. Marshall, who came to talk with us about her book, A Long Awakening to Grace. The memoir recounts a period of twenty-two years, when "Linda grew in wisdom and strength as she grappled with her children's puzzling behavior and searched for the reason behind it."

Linda spoke about her evolution as a writer, citing journaling from childhood on to be foundational to her work.

     "Journaling truly is a spirtual practice," she said.

Aside from writing in journals, she also credited taking writing classes and being involved in writing groups (both in-person and on-line) to keep her accountable in her process.

Linda's humility in her writing and also her meeting with us is extremely evident. Her greatest desire is that she might help someone else who finds themselves in a similar circumstance. We asked Linda if her book had opened any doors and she candidly shared:

     "The doors haven't opened easily. Many times, I find myself banging on those doors," she said.

While struggling with her own acceptance of the life she and her children had been dealt, Linda explained that through her surrender she found a surprising gift:  being vulnerable and confronting her own fears while writing her memoir not only allowed Linda to convey an important message to others, but it also created a sense of personal freedom she never expected.

Thank you for visiting, Linda. We're looking forward to reading more of your work in the future.

~Cindy

Gratefulness

Thanksgiving is a great time to think about all that we're thankful for. But as one of my daughters' said, "Aren't we supposed to be thankful every day of our lives?"

My daughter, who will turn sixteen in January, uttered that statement in a somewhat snarky, only-as-a-teenager-can way. But she's right. We're supposed to be grateful for what we've been given every day, not just one day every year. And over the last several years, I've started my day with this mantra: "Every day that I wake up is a good day."

With the focus on the positive right from the moment I wake up, I've found that my days have changed. I no longer count the number of hours I have until I make it home from work or rue the number of minutes I have to spend in the car on Tuesdays driving my kids all over the city. My mind leans toward spreading the contentment I feel to others, and hope that with my cheerful countenance and can-do attitude, I might be able to turn someone else onto the thought that they, too, are grateful to be awake. Every. Single. Day.

That gratefulness spreads to my writing life as well. It's not the number of words I manage to get onto paper, or whether or not I've submitted enough in a week. Each story, blog post, or chapter is sufficient enough for me to say, "Thank goodness I could do that." Of course I have days where I'd like to get more accomplished, but I'm grateful for what I get done.

As we go into the thick of holiday season and the New Year, consider how starting your day with being thankful can change your life. You might just surprise yourself.

Happy Writing!

~Christina

The Book in the Mailbox

You might not know this, but I (along with many others) am a John Green fan. Knowing how much The Plot Sisters like books and writing, that statement might not be surprising. But it might shock you to know just how many times I've read and reread his books. (Actually, I'm not sure of the numbers, which means you'll just have to trust me on this topic.)

What is it about his books? Maybe it's the quirky characters or the witty dialogue, the Midwest setting or his themes. His books have so much to like—SO MUCH—that I've been waiting in a state of heightened anticipation for the release of his newest book, Turtles All the Way Down. I even pre-ordered a signed copy, which arrived in my mailbox today.

I skipped, literally, from the mailbox to my car, grabbed my belongings, and ran inside to open the package. Kiss the book, I did not. However, I will admit to inhaling a very large portion of the air that surrounded my newest acquisition. And then, despite the fact that I had a laundry list of items to take care of, I began reading.

I'll have to hold off on any judgment about the book until I've finished it, but I can say this: I've never read a John Green book as a writer, only as a reader. This time, I can't not read it as a writer, and I'm finding that like with many well-known, best-selling writers, Green gets away with things that I cannot.

For example:

1. Overuse of the word was/were: "Across the table from me, Mychal Turner was scribbling in a yellow-paper notebook. Our lunch table was like a long-running play on Broadway: The cast changed over the years, but the roles never did. Mychal was The Artsy One. He was talking with Daisy Ramirez . . ."

In fact, on the page I took that excerpt from (p. 2), I counted eleven instances of the words was or were. If Green had given just a wee bit more thought to the sentences, some of those could have been taken out.

2. Overuse of the pronoun I: "I pulled out my phone and . . . . I clicked over to the article . . . . I scrolled down farther to a list . . . . I reminded myself . . . ."

The paragraph from which those (incomplete) sentences arose consists only of five sentences, four of which begin with "I" and then a verb. As my editor likes to say, "Don't have pileups of declarative phrasing get in your way." Green's a good enough writer to again, take some of those out.

3. Introduction of a slew of characters right off the bat: This is no Game of Thrones, but in the first chapter alone, we meet or have mention of the main character, Aza, as well as Mychal, Daisy, Davis, Dr. Karen Singh, and Molly. In addition, we find out her friends call her Holmesy. Not too many characters, but in one fell swoop, the list might be a bit long.

Since I haven't read all that far, I'm stopping my critique here and now. The plan will be to read the book as a reader first, and then to go back and read it again as a writer. Green is a master; he can teach me quite a bit. But I need to be open to that learning and growing before I can expect to actually reap the rewards from such a teacher.

Happy Reading and Happy Writing!

~Christina

The In-Between Times

Yesterday, on the rainy September 2nd of 2017, I came to the realization that I feel stagnant. At this point in my life I am feeling the need to see progress. Tangible, visual progress. I feel like I’m going through life without much success. I’m sure we all feel that from time to time, but at this moment in my existence it is more evident.

I surveyed my home inside and out, did a personal internal inventory as well. I have several bare spots in my yard, a handful of craft projects in various stages of completion, two to three writing works in progress that have been immobile, and a small home mortgage I have come to define as burdensome.

Recognizing my earning for visual signs of growth I decided to take action. I recognized three projects in various stages, beginning, middle, and end and made mental and photographic evidence of each.

1) Beginning- I planted an all-in-one grass seed, fertilizer mix into two bare spots in my yard.

2) Middle- I made a trip to the bank to physically pay, by old-fashioned check, both extra principle and an early monthly payment for next moth (October). I need to see the number of  my home mortgage subside.

3) Ending-  I completed one knitted scarf that I'm replicating from my own existing scarf. 

During my fluster of action, I also made myself pause and took stock of the changes

and evolution that has transpired in my life in recent months and years. It’s very easy for me to lose perspective of the longevity of the journey and hone in only on the here and now.  

I’m hoping the growth of the grass from seed to blade will enable me to gauge the tiny increments of growth from beginning to end in a relatively short amount of time. And, whether it be in my writing, larger word counts of works in progress, or simply checking the bucket list of published, a decrease amount on my home mortgage as I implement a recent strategy to be debt free, I believe surrounding myself with visual results will encourage my soul. Starting is the first step to any successful endeavor, and the actual finishing is so satisfying, yet the laborious in-between times are where many people lose their way. I’m hoping my action steps aid me to reclaim the motivation and inspiration to make it to the finish line.

*I’m curious, how do you keep yourself engaged in the process of growth? If you read this blog, share some tips and insight in the comment section. I’m sure we all can use a little nudge. Thanks in advance.

 Forward,

~ Cindy
This post was originally published on Cindy's blog,
 finding me one day at time, Sept. 3, 2017. 

You're Worth It

Three activities I engage the most in are parenting, writing, and running, probably even in that order. Do you know what those activities have in common? Or rather, what does one need to possess so as to be successful in all three of those activities?

I'll let you think about that for a minute . . .

(It's not a trick question.)

Okay, time's up. I'm sure you can a find many suitable responses to my question, but in my opinion, it's necessary to be consistent in order to be a successful parent, writer, and runner.

I cannot even imagine what chaos would have ensued at our house if we hadn't established rules and boundaries or set up a routine when the kids were small. We've adapted, shifted, and changed those lines (actual bedtimes is a great example), but we're consistent in having them (that we have a bedtime at all).

With writing, I find that blogging is a consistent way for me to practice the craft. In those busy months when I don't have as much time to put my fingers to the keyboard, I get rusty. My sentences are more clunky, my mind less free. It takes longer for me to get back into the groove of writing than it would have if I'd just taken the time to sit and write a few minutes each day.

And the same can be said of running. Everyone who has tried to maintain an exercise regimen knows that the best thing to do is to stick to a schedule. Being consistent about running has allowed me to keep it in my life for the last twenty-six years.

Of course, it's easy to say to yourself, I need to be consistent. What if consistency isn't a part of your life? How do you fold it in?

Well, I'm no expert, but I'd say to start small and remember that you're human. Let's say you want to try to ride your bike more often. Look at your schedule, see what openings you have, and begin with once or twice a week. When you've tackled going that often for several weeks, throw in another day. The same can be said for any activity: schedule it in. See how it goes.

But keep in mind that you'll need to be prepared to make adjustments. With most folks, life can get in the way at times. It's okay if you don't get out for that Wednesday bike ride. Do you have time for a ten-minute walk instead? And if not, don't berate yourself. Make sure to go out at the next scheduled time.

It might take a bit of work and determination to incorporate consistency into your lifestyle, but if the activity is important enough to you, it's worth the effort. And guess what? You're worth it, too. (And in the case of parenting, your family is definitely worth it.)

Happy Writing!

~Christina

Follow Your Destiny

"Is being an editor fun?" My youngest, Melina, looked up at me with a quirk to her lips as she asked me that question this morning. She'd been reading a book and had come up to me to comment on the length of the sentences. According to her, the author had used too many short sentences next to one another. Actually, she said the author had several "simple sentences" and that "she could have used more compound sentences" to make the work better.

That idea launched into a conversation about variation in sentence length and how, when I edit something, I look for that variation. "Maybe you should someday consider being a book editor," I told Melina.

I wish someone had uttered that same statement to me when I was nine years old. Even at that time, I wrote almost daily and read as much as I did then as I do now, which is ALL THE TIME. Why didn't anyone notice that passion and help me channel it in the right direction?

I'm not here to lay blame or think of what could have been. Instead, I'd like to remind you that following your passion—your destiny, if you will—is important. Even if you feel as though you're plodding along toward your goal, with no real end in sight, you're making progress one little step at a time. If you want something bad enough and you work hard enough, you can make it happen.

Speaking of making it happen (and following that destiny), our sister, Traci Ison Schafer, is making things happen. Her debut novel, The Anuan Legacy, is set to launch this fall. Find out more about Traci and her book, and consider signing up for her newsletter over at her website, which can be found here.

~Happy Writing!
Christina

Editing- That's What I Meant

Have you ever found yourself telling somebody that’s what I meant or that’s NOT what I meant? Well, that happens all the time in writing. The entire story is in the writer’s head, but what comes out isn’t always clear, just like in conversations. That’s why it’s so important to get fresh eyes on your drafts. No matter how great or successful a writer you are, your work has to be looked over by other people who can catch all the things you meant to say but didn’t (outside of your own mind, anyway).

I started my first novel, The Anuan Legacy (coming fall of 2017), from a place of zero knowledge or experience on how to write a book. Therefore, it may have spun around longer than a seasoned writer’s work would have, but nobody should ever scratch together a draft and immediately send it out the door without putting it in the hands of qualified reviewers and editors first.

My critique group (The Plot Sisters), does a great job of being my first round of fresh eyes, and sometimes my second and third rounds, as well. But after a while, they don’t have fresh eyes anymore, either. They know all the things that have been cut and may no longer recognize when something is missing that should have been included. 

For The Anuan Legacy, after I wore out my Plot Sisters, I hired a trusted and reputable professional to give a critique as both a reader and someone who knows the current dos and don’ts of novel writing. (These change over time.) This resulted in more revisions. I then passed the manuscript on to beta readers. Beta readers are volunteers who have never seen the story before and are willing to read it and give feedback. Of course, this drove another round of revisions. Once those were complete, I ran the updated draft through a second professional critique. More revisions. Then my Plot Sisters graciously agreed to review the manuscript yet another time. The material had morphed enough since they’d last seen it that their eyes were fresh again. Of course, I received more revision suggestions. Next, more beta readers and, you guessed it—more revisions. My manuscript went through so many revisions it barely resembled the original draft anymore and the time had come to bring in the heavy hitters. I sent it off to an editor who gave it a good content edit. And, yep, I had more revisions to make. 

I might mention that after every set of comments, whether it be from my Plot Sisters, a professional editor, or anybody in between, I wanted to kick myself for not catching those things on my own. It always seemed so obvious after someone else pointed it out, but “tired eyes” just miss things. 

This process can go round and round and round. So, where do things stand now with my debut novel? I just received the manuscript back from line editing. If you guessed that will result in more revisions, you’re right. But hopefully soon, it will be ready for proofreading and publishing—with a million other steps in between like blurbs, cover art, formatting, reviews, launch activities, and so on. 

Suffice it to say that when this book finally reaches all of you, it will not just be made of paper and ink, but of my blood, sweat, tears, heart, and soul. I hope you enjoy it. 😊 

Happy Reading!

Traci

This post originally published on Traci's website: http://www.traciisonschafer.com/ 

April 12, 2017

Visitors Part II: Fred Marion February 2, 2017

 

Fred Marion with the Plot Sisters

                                 (Cindy, Jen, Fred, Jude, Chris not pictured Ruthann & Traci)



   Last month we had another distinguished guest that shared their writing story with the Plot Sisters. We were pleased to have Fred Marion.

  

     Fred finished revisions on his middle grade fantasy novel, The Very Strange and Very Secret Trash Can Club, earlier this year. The manuscript is currently in the hands of his notorious agent, Ms. Jenny Bent from the Bent Agency. She will hold the key to the next step towards publication. Ms. Bent agreed to represent Fred after receiving an awesome query letter and reading his full manuscript. Fred shared that Ms. Bent shared many suggestions and asked him to revise aspects of his novel which he toiled over for months. 

     Not only did we relish and celebrate with Fred in the retelling the how of landing his agent, but Fred also shared endearing personal tales of steadfastness, perseverance, and providence. He told us how he believes writers process their own emotions in the words in which they write. How "writers have to keep writing because they simply must write." 

     Fred's background includes an English degree from Wright State University with an emphasis in creative writing, copy editing at the Dayton Daily News, journalist stints in both North Carolina and West Palm Beach, Florida until finally finding himself back in Dayton, Ohio. Today Fred creates a weekly newsletter of writing and literary events in Dayton, carves out time to work on his own projects, as well as freelances and does webdesign part time. He credited his wife for encouraging him not give up on his dreams. 

     Among the tips Fred shared with us were the following:

1) Create Accountability

2) Read A Lot In the Genre You are Writing

3) Information Diet- don't get too distracted by "other" information that may hinder your writing

4) Vary Sentence Length To Keep Your Writing Interesting

     Fred is going to be speaking on a panel, March 25, 2017, at the Antioch Writers' Workshop Spring One-Day Seminar about "Finding Your Writing Tribe." Other panelists will include Becky Morean, Grace Curtis, and Ryan Ireland. We hope you find him as charming and refreshing as we did. You can find out more information about Fred and his work on his webpage. http://fredrickmarion.com/

~Cindy

    

Love Stories

I've been writing novels for about five years now. When I first started, I had the seed of one idea in my head: the story of a little girl named Laney and her friend, Harvey the Hippo. These characters had sprung from some things I'd written in high school, and my first attempt at a book resulted in a novel called Drops of Jupiter.

I like the story, but I've done nothing with it since I finished it so long ago. Instead, I moved onto writing (in order) Hunting for Lilacs, Beyond the Trees, After We've Fallen, The Chocolate Garden, and Just Be.

The last of those was the novel that poured forth this past November, when I participated in NaNoWriMo 2016. It is a love story at heart and something I struggled with for a long time. Should I write a sappy love story? Does this love story have to have a happy ending? It this story really categorized as a romance? And how do I feel about that?

I didn't have the answers to those questions, and part of me wondered why I was so against writing a love story. What's wrong with them? If written well, the story can put smiles on people's faces. Isn't that what I want to do?

Well last week, I gave the first 20 pages of Just Be to The Plot Sisters to read and it was as if I'd purged myself of any bad feelings about love stories. They enjoyed reading the pages, and after our discussion, I realized that every other book I've written, with the exception of Drops of Jupiter, has a love story either at the center of the book or on the periphery of it.

I think I'd better come to terms with the fact that I just might be a love story writer. Plenty of worse things exists out there, don't you think?

Happy Writing!
~Christina

Visitors: Part I: Jan Irvin, January 19th, 2017

     In this late week of February, around the Miami Valley winter is giving way to spring. We thought it was significant to share the Plot Sisters' visitors these past few months on our blog. It has been a privilege of sharing conversations with two local authors; Jan Irvin and Fred Marion. We've divided this blog post into two parts. Here's Part I: Jan Irvin, January 19th, 2017.

Jan Irvin (publishes under J.E. Irvin)

    Although a few of our Plot Sisters had known Jan before her speaking engagement with our writing group in January, she opened with getting to know each of us a little better.  She asked us to give a short introduction about our own individual works in progress. This led into her speaking about her books, The Dark End of the Rainbow and The Rules of the Game, that were both published by Whiz Bank LLC, a small publisher out of Florida. Contests can provide opportunities many writers over look. Initially, her first chapter was entered into a contest to which she won, and that event opened the door to her first published book.

     As a retired public school teacher and adjunct professor from Wright State University Jan found that her own writing has been a life-long activity. She had submitting numerous short fiction pieces and endured many rejections before she began to get accepted on a regular basis at literary magazines. She shared with us craft specific advice along with encouraging tales of tenacity. Among the many craft techniques she sprinkled in the importance of finding the arc of the main character, character motivation, and the impact of pacing. Jan outlined four themes that are "must-haves" for her writing:  1) Mystery, 2) Surprise, 3)Suspense, and 4) Romance. One of the many admirable qualities Jan possesses is gratitude. Her humble spirit and excitement that she can share her published work with others is apparent and contagious. Thanks, Jan!

*If you'd like to learn more about Jan or her books go to: https://janetirvin.wordpress.com/ or follow her on facebook : facebook.com/darkendoftherainbow.


~Cindy