Heroes and Heroines

Just in time for NaNoWriMo: How well do you know your characters? By now you might be familiar with their physical features, their taste in evening clothes, and what they like to eat for breakfast, but what about their personality quirks and motivations?

One of my favorite writing how-to books to help uncover more about my characters' inner worlds and psyches is one by Tami D. Cowden, Caro LaFever, and Sue Viders:

Originally written for screenwriters, The Complete Writer's Guide to Heroes and Heroines, Sixteen Master Archetypes is a great tool for all writers, poets too, I can imagine! Based on the idea that there are 16 character "types" common to all fiction and mythology, the book is a great one to read just for fun as well as for research.

The other day I thought it would be interesting to re-examine where and how the three heroines from my published novels fit into the various categories. I also used the templates to evaluate the Pinterest boards I had created for these books: What kind of pins could I add to each? I started with:

The Great Scarab Scam

See The Great Scarab Scam Pinterest Board!

The Great Scarab Scam is my Egyptian mystery for young readers 8-12 years, so obviously there isn't the conventional male-female interaction you might find in a book for older readers. However, my main character, eleven-year-old Lydia Hartley, definitely falls into the category of "The Spunky Kid," and not just because of her age. Her other traits and story difficulties include:

• She's stuck between two brothers--one a little bit older and one quite a bit younger.  Although neither of her brothers are particularly "heroic." 
• She's a reader--and even enjoys doing homework!
• She's fiercely loyal to her father, a university professor and archaeologist.
• Loves history, especially ancient Egyptian history.
• She's curious about the world around her, but can be shy in social situations.
• She's brave, but a little reckless too.
• And she's very motivated when it comes to helping others. 

Better Than Perfect

See the Better Than Perfect Pinterest Board!

My Young Adult novel set in New Zealand, Better Than Perfect, follows fourteen-year-old Elizabeth Haddon when she is sent from London to live with her wealthy relatives in Auckland. Elizabeth falls into "The Waif" category.  She's:

• Lonely.
• Unwanted.
• The "poor relation."
• Insecure.
• Smart, but without direction.
• Prone to envy, especially when she continually has to make do with second best.
• And she has a serious crush on an unconventional "bad boy."

And although Elizabeth does manage to find her true north and come to grips with real life in the course of the story, she does so with all the handicaps of a victim and lost child.

Overtaken

See the Overtaken Pinterest Board!

Written for an adult audience, Overtaken includes some of my most complex characters, especially my heroine of Sara Bergsen.  I had a bit of trouble discerning exactly which archetype she truly was, but in the end I decided she was "The Librarian."

• She's essentially a loner.
• Her chosen career as a portrait artist reflects her powers of observation and love of order. Abstract painting doesn't interest her in the least.
• Her wardrobe, at least in the beginning of the book, consists of practical pieces in black and gray--great for work!
• And this girl does love work. She's disciplined and dedicated to deadlines.
• At the same time she takes risks because she is confident in her own ability to succeed.
• She's a reader--which has also led her to believe in the possibility of a happy ending.

One of Sara's main challenges is to confront and understand the three men in her life: a Warrior, a Lost Soul, and a Charmer.

Tip of the Day: The Complete Guide to Heroes and Heroines is an excellent reference for any stage of your manuscript, even your published stories. For your WIP's see where your characters match up to the suggested archetypes, and pay particular attention to the sections on how they all work (or don't work) together. For your published manuscripts, you can still use the book to help describe your characters in your marketing material. You may be surprised at what you find!

Happily Ever After--Write Your Ending First

Ready for NaNoWriMo? Here's a tip to make the next month easy on your time, planning, and imagination: Write your ending first.

Writing the end of my novels and short stories before I write my first page is a trick I've been using for years, and I love it. It's especially helpful for someone like me because I've never really been either a total pantster (someone who freewrites her way through a manuscript as opposed to persnickety planning), or an obsessive outliner. I've always preferred a combination of the two. 

For instance, I like to know who my characters are and what makes them tick in advance of writing a full manuscript, but to get there I still have to freewrite what those traits and motivations are going to be. If I have a pre-written ending that tells me where my characters will be on the last page, complete with dialogue and action, I'll know exactly what they need to do, be, and feel to reach that point. 

Writing my last three to  five pages first has saved me a lot of worry. Here's why:

1.  Writing your ending first gives you a life raft to swim toward. You will always know where you're supposed to go, giving your scenes a sense of forward movement.

2.  When somebody (like an editor) asks what your WIP is about, you will instinctively know the answer based on the tone and mood of your ending.

3.  Many writers (like me) love to write back story, but so often we're told "no back story allowed!" I think this is because so often back story is inserted into the wrong places where it slows the plot down. However, if you have to write your story backwards to explain how you reached your ending, you get to write all the "back story" you can think of--and it's always in the right place because it IS your story!

4.  Writing "The End" first means that technically at least, your manuscript is finished; a nifty psychological ploy to keep you from feeling overwhelmed on the blah-days when it seems your book is going nowhere fast.

5.  Which creates confidence--you know in advance that your story has a strong and satisfying conclusion. No more unfinished manuscripts piling up in your filing cabinet, no more excuses for not sending out those query letters!

Tip of the Day: Even if you have no intention of participating in National Novel Writing Month this year, take some time on Friday November 1 to sit down and write the last five pages of either a new work, or something you've already started. The first time I tried this exercise was with a novella I was playing around with just for fun. What I discovered from writing that final scene before I'd even written Chapter Two completely turned the book around from being a superficial light comedy to a serious story about aging and accepting mistakes with grace. Wow--who'd of thunk it? Happy Nanowrimo-ing!

Happy Birthday To My Blog!

You are invited: to my blog's birthday party!

5 years old! It's my blog's birthday on Monday, October 28; I can hardly believe it. 

To celebrate I'm having a special giveaway just for my followers (thank you, everyone!). 

All you have to do to be eligible is a) follow my blog. Easy-peasy. 

And of course, if you'd like to leave a comment that would be lovely too.

I'll be holding a random drawing on Friday, November 1 (the start of NanoWriMo) at 12.00 PM Mountain Time, so that gives you a whole week to sign up and join the fun.

The giveaway prize will consist of books, journal, and pens--just one winner.

Don't miss out :) In the meantime, everybody eat cake . . .

Autumn Planning

For the last few weeks I've found myself offline much more than usual. I can't help it--where some people suffer from "spring fever" and the inability to stay indoors and concentrate when the first green buds appear on the trees, I have the exact opposite problem: "autumn fever." 

It's been that way all of my life, something to do with the turning leaves, cooler days, an Indian Summer wardrobe that pairs sweaters with cotton skirts, Halloween, Nanowrimo . . . my birthday . . . there's nothing about the season I don't love! 

And even though it's been a long, long time since my student days, I think autumn brings back a remnant of "back to school" determination and renewal to my psyche--all those great plans to accomplish by next semester! I recently read somewhere that deciding to become a writer is like signing up to do homework for the rest of your life. Too true--which is probably why I'm so interested in creating schedules, routines, and self-imposed deadlines; I don't want to mess up my assignments.

With that theme in mind, I've been busy getting ready for the writer's equivalent of term paper and doctoral thesis rolled into one:  revising my next novel. In this respect I've been a little bit like a squirrel hoarding autumn acorns for the winter. Do I have the right supplies? Have I done all my prep? I think so, starting with:

• A complete first draft with a beginning, middle, and end.
• First draft fully edited. (Four red pens hit the dust!) Areas that require new scenes and chapters all marked out for new writing.
• Character names, dates, goals finalized.
• To keep my characters and story events in order, I've created a "manuscript chart" listing my chapters.  This was important for me to remember both my timeline and to know exactly which characters appear in these chapters, and why. I've also included a section to remind myself why I even HAVE a particular chapter other than because it's so well written, LOL! I figured this last section could also be helpful for marketing and and editorial response, especially in the case of an editor requiring any kind of further rewriting.

So . . . I'm ready to go! Second draft, here I come. But first, I just have to take one more autumn walk with my journal-sketchbook in hand. These leaves are just too pretty to miss.  

Tip of the Day: What projects have you got planned for the winter? What "school supplies" do you need to purchase or make to ensure the work goes smoothly? In my case it was a bigger binder to hold all my revision notes, as well as some new magazine cut-out for those extra sections I need to write. It's good to have everything you need before you begin.

New Book Trailer! The Essential Guide for New Writers, From Idea to Finished Manuscript

Announcing!  The Essential Guide for New Writers, From Idea to Finished Manuscript now has its own book trailer:

I'm excited to have this new development for the book, especially as it's been one of my best sellers over the years, and it's been quite a few years! Some of my favorite memories from the early days of writing the book:

• The idea came to me while I was teaching my first workshop at West Georgia College, now the University of West Georgia.
• I was still in the middle of building my house in the middle of 5 acres of woods and farmland.
• My initial idea was to simply make photocopies of my workshop notes and staple them together. (Whew. Would've been a lot of stapling. Glad I didn't choose that option!)
• And then I realized I could have a complete trade paperback. A revelation in publishing.
• Chapter 3 on "Creative Conflict" was reprinted in a textbook for the Atlanta College of Art. Prior to this I never knew you could sell and get royalties for just a part of your book. The textbook was for the college's class on making videos.
• International sales have been as far away as New Zealand and Singapore.
• I'm proud to say the book has been used in both male and female prison writing programs throughout the country.
• It's also been a featured textbook in several university masters' programs, including the Masters in Professional Writing at Kennesaw State.
• I wrote the entire book in longhand first--still my preferred method!

To celebrate the release of my new trailer, The Essential Guide for New Writers is on super-sale at my website.

Instead of the usual price of $10.95, the price is now only $5.95, and all USA orders include Free Shipping! What are you waiting for? Get on over and get your copy today!

Tip of the Day: I wrote The Essential Guide as a way to express my love of writing. When I sat down to type out my handwritten notes, writing was, and continues to be, my passion. I just love to write--and I wanted to share that joy with other writers. Whatever you feel passionate about is always a good indicator of what you should be working on.

Splash Ink Watercolors

I can't believe how long it's been since my last blog post: over a month. Guess I've been busy! Most of August found me editing my new novel, The Abyssal Plain, and practicing the techniques I learned in a recent 2-day art class, Splash Ink Watercolor.

I was attracted to this class for two reasons: first, the word "ink" made me think of fountain and gel pens, freewriting, and calligraphy. And I just love ink! Second was the course description that mentioned using our imaginations to paint--always a good sign of something interesting up ahead.

In a nutshell, Splash Ink is based on Chinese art and theory. One of the things that surprised me the most was that the word "splash" actually means "pour" in Chinese, so the class wasn't quite as messy as I thought it would be. (I wore my absolute worst clothes and shoes on both days, terrified that we would be throwing paint all over the room and each other. Thankfully, this never happened and was straight out of my over-active "imagination." Splash Ink can be safely attempted in any work space or studio with a plastic tablecloth and paper towels.)

To start off the first day of class, our wonderful instructor, Ming Franz, gave us each 12 sheets of good quality rice paper measuring roughly about 14" x 14" that we divided into sets of 4. The sets of 4 were kept together and taped to plastic boards. After taping, we then sprayed water onto the top sheet until all 4 sheets were saturated. We then poured ink and liquid watercolor and/or acrylic paints onto the top paper in the following order: sumi ink first, then blue, red, yellow, and white paint. Using the white paint was the most surprising to me as I've always heard, "Don't use white in a watercolor!! Ever!" But for this method it was essential. Somehow the white paint seemed to soften, blur, and highlight the other colors all at the same time, a very nice effect.

After pouring the color and letting it seep down into all 4 sheets, the next optional step was to sprinkle salt onto the first sheet. We could also drip diluted dish washing liquid into the damp color for added depth and texture. Another option was to place pieces of scrunched-up plastic wrap in selected spots. Last of all we then carried our boards outside into the New Mexico sun to let the papers dry--which in our super-dry climate took about 30 minutes.

Once everything was dry we were able to separate the pages, and wow: 3 sets of 4 abstract backgrounds in varying degrees of dark to light depending on the order of the papers . Here is one of my lighter pieces that was #3 in a set of 4:

This next much darker sheet was the first of a set of 4. I also used some of the crunched-up plastic wrap to fill out the design:

Day 2 was where the magic really began--we got to paint over the backgrounds with either acrylic or gouache (opaque watercolor) paints. Our homework assignment between classes was to study and meditate on our pieces so that we could "find the picture" inside each one, kind of like looking at clouds or cracks in the ceiling. There's an elephant! No, it's a giraffe! Ming also suggested we look through books and magazines for reference photos we could bring to class and that could help turn our background pieces into finished paintings.

For me, a magazine picture of falling autumn leaves over rushing water seemed to fit the red paint splashes I already had on this particular piece:

I was sorry the class was for only two days, because I certainly had a lot more backgrounds to fill. I ended up with even more when I took 4 of my least favorite sheets and cut them down into quarters, giving me a stack of little "mini-sheets" to practice on. Here's the result of my first small attempt at home; I called it "On the Way to Taos" as that's exactly what it reminded me of:

Now that the class is over, I hope to continue using Splash Ink and adapting it to my own style and choice of mediums. I think it would be an incredible way to illustrate a book, especially one for children, or perhaps a dark and mysterious Gothic novel for grown-ups. Maybe I'll have to do this one day for a new edition of Overtaken!

Tip of the Day: To learn more about Ming Franz and Splash Ink, take a look at Ming's book, Splash Ink With Watercolor (Looking East, Painting West). Not only will her beautiful artwork inspire you to try some painting of your own, but you might want to experiment with using Ming's paintings as writing prompts--a great idea for yourself or your writer's group. Happy creating!

Watercolors for Everyone--Writers, Too!

Tomorrow morning I start a new watercolor class, which I thought was the perfect excuse to write about: Watercolors!

The idea to post about painting has been with me for awhile, thanks to watercolor artist, Rita Squier, one of the winners from my blog giveaway last November. I had asked followers for some suggestions on what I should blog about, and Rita asked what it was I enjoyed about watercolors. Great question! And it was one I wanted to give some thought to, not just write any old thing from off the top of my head. 

It may seem that I waited rather long, however, to answer Rita, but I have a good excuse: at the time of Rita's question, I had taken a small break from watercolor painting. November in Albuquerque was SO cold that watercolors seemed too thin, too bright and summery for the way I was feeling. Instead, I found myself turning to oil pastels for creative inspiration, especially the more muted tones of gray, olive green, and brown. Just the thought of watercolor back then made me want to shiver and put on an extra sweater.

But now it's summer again, and I'm back to sandals, T-shirts, and open windows. Once again I'm craving the brilliant light and sparkle only watercolor can produce on a pristine sheet of white paper. (Oh, that scary white paper . . . no, not really!)

My interest in watercolors started about twelve years ago, but it took a while for me to get up the nerve to try them myself. For years I had heard so many people say that watercolor was a difficult, even impossible, medium to work with (something I still hear) that I was afraid to make a serious start. Especially when most of the instruction books and magazines I read concentrated on super-realism; beautiful to look at, but the time, the talent needed to achieve such results! Whew. How could I ever reach that pinnacle of perfectionism? My own meager attempts seemed like messy blobs of . . . well, mess. Then one day I had an epiphany: the watercolor paintings I loved best were messy. And they were beautiful. There was room for everyone.

Once I started using watercolors on a regular basis, I learned that yes, they could be frustrating, no two ways about it--those nay-sayers had a point. But more often than not the paints were pure magic: the transparency they can give to light and shadow alike; the meditative dreaminess of the wet colors and soft edges flowing across a damp surface; the mystery of "what will it be?" allowing for a constant sense of new direction; the bright intense color which can match my mood whether it be somber and reflective, or happy and playful. I can't think of any other medium that can provide all that at the same time.

One of my favorite things about watercolor, though, has to be its similarity to ink.  In the same way I prefer to use a gel or fountain pen when I freewrite, each time I start a new watercolor I can simply let the images "flow." A single drop of color can spread into an entire design, leading to yet another choice of color, and another new doorway into my imagination. Happy accidents abound, and sometimes I can almost say the painting painted itself. When that happens I can barely remember even holding the paintbrush.

Another wonderful aspect of watercolors is that they come in a variety of forms now--not just little pans or tubes of paint. Watercolor pencils, pens, and crayons are perfect for writers! Whether I use them for  journaling or perhaps to add some loose sketches to my manuscript notes, they're as easy to use as any other pen or pencil, like the time I went into my backyard looking for haiku subjects:

In this next example I wanted to illustrate a poem about my cats and I used a brush and traditional tube colors instead of the pencils. I experimented with using just three colors:

Here I simply took a break from editing to capture another of my cats as he dozed on the couch in my office. I had to work fast before he woke up!

Painting people is almost as fun as painting cats (almost). This next picture was done with a single watercolor crayon. (I also think this model would be a great character to write about):

Now it's your turn . . .

Tip of the Day: Visit Rita's blog as well as her Etsy store.  And while you're at it, why not buy yourself a watercolor pad or journal, as well as a little set of Prang Watercolors? (Amazing value and excellent quality for beginners and professionals alike.) Just be sure to throw away the accompanying brush that comes with the set however, or keep it for spreading glue in your art journal. In its place I recommend buying 2 synthetic brushes: a flat and a round, size 8 or 10 is just about right for anything. If you've never tried watercolors at all, a good place to start is by watching beginner's how-to videos online and following along with the step-by-step lessons. Paint your world beautiful!

Motorcycles and Madonnas: Back from Barcelona!

I'm back: from my Internet holiday and 2 weeks in Barcelona! I'm jet lagged, recovering from a head cold, and surrounded by so many bits and pieces of Barcelona ephemera (ticket stubs, receipts, postcards, museum brochures, postage stamps) that it seems I will be art journaling on the city for the rest of my life. And that's fine with me--I love having a theme that can extend into my pottery, my watercolors, and who knows--maybe even a short story or two.

Our choice of Barcelona started with my husband's wish to see a Moto GP race live, and the Catalunya circuit seemed like a good venue. Put that with my desire of many years to see the Black Madonna of Montserrat, and we thought, hey, let's go!

Our first day was spent settling into our apartment converted from an old palace straight out of a fairy tale. (I still don't know how I got my suitcase up these stairs.)

The view from our living room: 

From the bedroom:

From both rooms:

The original (and very high) ceiling in the bedroom:

Next stop was afternoon coffee:



I loved all the architecture of the city, from Gothic to Art Nouveau, and for some reason became obsessed with this particular building we seemed to pass just about every day. This picture doesn't do it justice, but it was so full of carving and plants and romantic stonework . . . I wanted to move in and live there forever.

Old world undies (no, I did not shop here): 



Seeing Montserrat at last was every bit as thrilling and meaningful as I thought it would be--maybe even more so. Ever since reading China Galland's book, Longing for Darkness, Tara and the Black Madonna I've been intrigued by the history and spirituality connected to the various Black Madonnas throughout the world. Add that to my love for the work of New Mexico artist and writer, Elaine Soto and her own versions of these beautiful icons, there was no way I could go to Barcelona without making the (somewhat scary) ascent up the mountainside to this sacred site.

Montserrat wasn't the only place with a view, however. This picture was taken right from the heart of the city on Montjuic and the steps of the Catalonia art museum: 



After several more days of nonstop museums (Picasso, Roman ruins, the Cathedral...) it was great to get out onto the water with a boat trip:

And visit Gaudi's Sagrada Familia: 



As well as the Maritime Museum (uh-oh, more museums!):



Here's me at the Aquarium. Husband's instructions: "Smile--there's a shark right over your head!"

Before we left Albuquerque, someone asked me if it wasn't a little unusual to mix motorcycles and Madonnas into one trip. But for me, it seemed the most natural combination in the world--two extremes blended into one perfect whole. It's what I aspire to in my writing, my painting, and well, even my life, I guess!

So on that thought, I'll leave you with another shot of the race (as you can see we were smack in the middle of the Rossi fan club. Good thing they were so focused on their guy they couldn't hear us cheering for Pedrosa.). Yay, Barcelona!

Tip of the Day: Where's your dream vacation? Try starting a "vision board" and special art journal to help get you there. Collect pictures, create your own artwork of the place, and write about the sights you want to see. Not only will you have an excellent source of daily writing and drawing prompts, you might even surprise yourself with a plane ticket.



It's Summer: Take a Break!

Happy Summer, everyone! If your schedule is anything like mine right now, I bet you're having a difficult time fitting everything there is to do into a short 7-day week. Where does the time go? I want to write, paint, blog, visit friends... But the days just seem to whoosh away. Which makes me think we all need a break--an Internet break!

Don't get me wrong--I'm a big fan of the Internet, probably too much so. And that's precisely why I'm going to pull the plug for a couple of weeks. Starting on Friday I'm going to try: no web surfing, no tweeting, no looking up vegetarian crockpot recipes. Instead, I'm going back to old-school basics: my journal and Inktense pencils; print magazines and books; and lots of daydreaming while staring at cloud formations. Want to join me?

Here's my top 12 list of fun things to do while offline:

1. READ. Glorious reading. I plan to peruse as many used bookstores as possible and bring home some great additions to the TBR pile.
2. WRITE. Yes, I do write every day. But for the next few weeks I won't be using any kind of technology other than pen and paper.
3. DRAW. Oh, do I have some fun art projects lined up.
4. SHOP. Artist's dates--every day. All those little odd and fun things (i.e., art supplies) I would normally be too busy to find.
5. PARTY. With real live people.
6. MEDITATE. I want to visit some special and sacred sites. Looking forward to the silence of some genuine retreat hours.
7. AFTERNOON TEA. A long-lost ritual that also involves visiting with real, live people, not just staring at lovely scenes on Pinterest.
8. COOK. I want to experiment with fun and foreign ingredients I would not normally use. Bon apetit!
9. MOVIES. In theaters. With popcorn. Maybe even take in some matinees.
10. PLAN. Halfway through the year I like to take a fresh look at my goal list, the one I made in January. It's nice to see where I am with it, and where I still need to go. Working on the list in an unhurried atmosphere helps to put it all into perspective for me.
11. DREAM. What would I like to add to my goal list before the year is over? Maybe there are items I would prefer to discard and replace with something more fulfilling. This is the perfect opportunity to dream big.
12. SLEEP. Ah, yes. Afternoon siestas. Early to bed, late to rise. I need this. Added benefit: more dreams and inspiration for all the wonderful things listed above. Just give me a pillow and a blankie and I'll be on my way.

Treating myself to some vacation time away from the web wasn't a decision I made lightly. I enjoy social networking and having a constant source of research material at my fingertips. The most important thing I'll be doing to make sure I don't fall into temptation and "just look up what's on TV" or "check my email--just this once..." is to pack away my computer and to stay far away from any libraries or Internet cafes with their banks of blinking screens. Wish me luck!

Tip of the Day: My goal of 2-3 weeks of radio silence may be too extreme or impractical for you at this exact moment, so you might want to start slow. How about setting aside one day a week or weekend to go Internet-free? Use the extra time to relax, regroup, and rewind. See you in a few weeks! (And yes, I will miss you.)

12 Things I've Learned From Reading Blogs

I love reading blogs--all kinds of blogs. Chances are I've read YOUR blog post in the last few days, and I want to say thank you for sharing your life, your wisdom, your ideas. I've learned a lot over the last few years of blog reading, and today I wanted to share the top 12 life lessons gained from your insights.  These are:

1. From Blogs on Writing: Write Deep. Go for the problem areas and dig deep, especially into the topics or themes that would prefer to be left alone.  Rather than simply writing the surface story, I want to go into my plot and characters as far as I can go, even if means taking the wrong turn, having to tear it up and starting all over. Writing deep might mean it takes an extra year or two before a new book reaches print, but the extra wait is worth it.
2. From Book Blogs: Be Literary, Or not. In other words, don't apologize for being the author or writer you are called to be. We can only write what we love to write--and read. For instance, I love language, I love doing things people tell me not to do, and I love an unconventional narrative. So for me, despite the nay-sayers of the publishing world, I'm going to stick with literary fiction. It's my genre, no apologies or excuses.
3. From Art Blogs: Dive Into Paint. Similar to the first two points, I've learned from art blogs to jump into my art supplies without worrying about "law and order" or the ensuing results. In the past I used to think my paints and oil pastels had to all stay pretty in their little paper jackets lined up in a row. And my pictures had to be GOOD. (Read, PERFECT.) No more. Now I break, smear, poke, prod, cut, tear, and smash my supplies until they obey (or disobey) my every whim! And I'm a much happier artist for doing so.
4. From Fashion Blogs: Dress in Your Favorite Clothes. As Sara Ban Breathnach so famously wrote in Simple Abundance, "Life is not a dress rehearsal." So if the costume fits, put it on "just because" and enjoy every flounce, ruffle, or scruffy T-shirt you own no matter the occasion. No more saving outfits for "good."
5. From Photography Blogs: Take Photos. I was afraid of technology for a long time. The thought of me and a digital camera seemed like a very bad combination. What if I dropped it? What if I took a GOOD photo? What if I liked taking photos so much I'd then want to become a photographer on top of every other passion pulling on my sleeve? Well, what indeed? Taking photos of things that interest me has been fun and helps me with both my writing and my artwork.
6. From Business Blogs: Diversify. Some days I like to paint. Some days I like to work on my screenplay. Some days I like to look at beads in bead stores and visualize the neat necklaces I want to make. My interests are wide, my writing interests are even wider and sometimes I worry I'm going in too many directions. But diversification is a healthy approach to creativity. The necklace can play a role in my screenplay. The screenplay can suggest ideas for painting. And with each endeavor I get to know my subject on a new level. Better still--I have multiple avenues for selling my work!
7. From Poetry Blogs: Write Poetry. A lot of people will tell you poetry doesn't sell. Don't listen to them. Poetry is making a huge comeback and in a big way: as novels! Right now I've got The Marlowe Papers on my TBR list--check it out! (Sincere thanks to Kathryn Eastman of Nutpress.co.uk for telling me about this amazing book.).
8. From De-Clutter Blogs: Don't Waste Time. I don't mean to sound morbid here, but now is the only time we have. So be selective and make sure you are in exactly the place you want to be, doing what you want to do right now. If you're not happy with the way you're using time, make changes--throw out time wasters, be ruthless, learn to say no--and mean it.
9. From Creativity Blogs: Celebrate the Unusual and Different. Never go for the easy answer. March to a different drummer. Do your own thing! Yes, that means you!
10. From Runners' Blogs: If You Can't Run, At Least Walk. Blogs on running inspire me, but there is no way I will ever run down the block let alone attempt a marathon. And that's okay, because walking, I think, can be one of the very best exercises for writers. You can observe, think, keep up a good and healthy pace, burn calories, and stop to write along the way. One trick I've developed is to always seek out the worst parking spot. The one that's really far away from where I want to go. And then once I'm inside my destination, e.g., the grocery store, I make sure to go up and down every single aisle regardless of my list. It's a work-out.
11. From Spirituality Blogs: Read What You Love. Just like reading blogs, I now read only the books that uplift and fill my creative heart. If a book isn't doing that for me, I stop reading and donate it to the library. This is related to #8--no more time wasted on so-so, or dare I say it, bad books.
12. From Everyone: Be Honest in Your Own Blog. There are so many blogs out there: some are full of humor, some bring me to tears, others make me want to get out my red pen and start editing, but most of them make me want to stand up and applaud. It's not easy blogging. It's not easy to dream up ideas for blog posts week after week, and that's why I think the best blog posts aren't "dreamed up" at all. The ones I have learned the most from are the ones where the authors have truly wanted to share what's inspiring (or depressing) them on any given day. Words from the heart are always the best, don't you think?

Tip of the Day: A good way to show your appreciation for your favorite blogs is to follow and/or leave comments. But commenting isn't always convenient as soon as you finish reading. Something I like to do now is to read a blog, and then write up a comment later. It's easy to "copy and paste" my thoughts when I'm feeling less scattered and rushed.

Adventures in Travel Journaling

It's nearly summer--and time to start thinking of those vacation plans and travel journals, which is I why I recently took a 4-week class on travel sketching.

The class, offered through my local continuing ed. department was, um, let's say, interesting. I learned a lot about the subject, more than I'd ever hoped to know, and I especially learned about everything I don't want to do with my travel journal.

I think the initial problem stemmed from my personal definition of the word "travel," a word that I'm sure has different connotations for different people. I have to admit I never gave this any thought before the class. For me, travel means wearing nice clothes, going to museums and fancy restaurants, and shopping (e.g., my recent New York post). I usually travel with a Moleskine notebook, and I like to fill it with written descriptions of my experiences, illustrated with collage and pencil sketches of things like hotel lobbies, my coffee and croissants, cute shoes, architectural details, beautiful gardens, and if I'm really lucky--a stray cat or two.

But that's me--and I readily admit it's just one viewpoint. "Travel" for you could be a non-stop beach, or spelunking in the Pyrenees. We all have different reasons and desires for choosing travel destinations, and a one-size travel journal does not fit all. Trust me, I learned this the hard way during the last 4 weeks. From struggling to stay awake because the class started far too early in the morning, to spraining my foot whilst hiking through New Mexico's Petroglyph National Monument because I had on the wrong shoes (nobody told me there's weren't paved walkways), I think I've paid my travel journal dues in heaps.

Now that the class is over, I'm almost tempted to say, "Travel journal at your own risk," but I think I'd rather look on the bright side and instead share with you the top 12 things I plan to do the next time I leave home:

1. Travel light. Even when you think you've pared down to the very minimum of supplies, think again. After the first two weeks I discovered the perfect kit for myself consisted of 1 Holbein Mixed-Drawing sketchbook; 12 watercolor pencils; 1 flat bristle waterbrush; 1 Derwent Outliner pencil; 1 X-acto knife; 1 kneadable eraser, and a black gel pen. I also brought along 2 paper towels, 2 tissues, 1 bottle of drinking water, and my camera that I carry everywhere anyway. I put the art supplies into a plastic Ziploc bag that fit along with everything else inside a very small handbag.
2. Two journals can be better than one. Despite exhorting minimalism in all things, I do think it's a good idea to have 2 journals on your trip: 1 for drawing and painting, and 1 for writing. The reason for this is that if you paint on too-thin of paper (e.g., Moleskine), you could end up with a paint-soaked, buckled and moldy disaster. On the other hand, if you then restrict yourself to a dedicated watercolor sketchbook, the pages can be too bumpy and rough for comfortably writing long entries of prose or poetry. I like having both.
3. Although color is a wonderful thing, you can always add it to your sketches later, perhaps during the evening in your hotel or even when you get back home. Waiting for watercolor to dry before you turn the page can be frustrating--and another reason for bringing along a second journal.
4. Just like finding the perfect time to write at home, sketch at the most comfortable time of day for you and your body rhythms. I am not a morning person. Before 10.00 AM I am growly and frowny and tend to deep silences. I can work okay on my own, but I can't socialize or be part of a group. I would have been much happier sketching in the afternoon. But you might love sketching at 5.00 AM, or midnight--so be sure to arrange your daily travel schedule to fit.
5. Before you take off, write down your goals for your sketch journal. What do you want from the experience? For instance, the next time I travel with my journal, I want to find new designs for clay work. These could come from local plants, ancient cathedrals, modern door handles, and with any luck from some actual ceramic pieces I see along the way. Other themes could include settings to illustrate your current work-in-progress, plant groupings for your home garden, or people-watching--looking for interesting characters for your novel or portrait painting.
6. Take photos. Repeat: take photos. When there isn't time to sketch on site, you can always rely on your camera to preserve the memories. (And you can then peruse your pics in the comfort of your own home...).
7. Collect postcards and tourist brochures as references. The next best thing to taking your own photos. Slipping them into a manila envelope pasted into the back of your sketchbook works a treat.
8. Bring a sweater. Better yet, check out the weather before setting out. Sitting outside and not doing much more than moving your hand around in vague circles, even in the sun, can be cold. And there's nothing worse than sketching in the cold. Brrr. On one of the class days the weather was so dark and miserable I found myself repeatedly running to my car for refuge. Not only had I lost all the circulation in my hands, thereby dropping my pencil every few seconds, the cold made my hands crack and bleed. When I got home I discovered more blood than paint on my sketch pages. An avant-garde approach, perhaps, but not the effect I was going for.
9. Don't be self-conscious. Paint, draw, get comfy and let people watch if they want to. You're the artist/writer here--and that means you're the expert and authority! No one is judging your sense (or in my case, the lack of) perspective, or if your pigeons look a bit more like bats than birds. Instead they will actually envy you a little and wish they'd thought to bring their own sketchbooks.
10. Go for 12. If you're limited for time, rather than writing lengthy entries into your journal, jot down 12 things that impress you about a place or view, and that you want to remember. That will be more than enough to jog your memory for writing later on.
11. Smell the roses. Don't think you have to sketch the entire mountain range followed by every blade of grass in the foothills. Take some time to just sit and observe the scene around you, and then maybe draw a small section of the vista--the part that truly interests you. Recording the position and color of a few small rocks or wildflowers can often be more evocative, and pleasurable, than spending hours filling your sketchbook with dutiful impressions for posterity.
12. Relax. We're doing this for fun, right? It's not about making great art or doing your travel homework. The point of keeping a travel journal is to enhance your journey, giving yourself the gift of time and creativity in a new location.

I must say that now that it's all over and my hands and feet have finally healed, I'm ready to grab my sketchbook and hit the road again--maybe going as far as the mall! It's warm, they have great coffee, and lots of interesting people to study. See you in the shoe department.

Tip of the Day: You don't have to travel far to keep a travel journal/sketchbook. In fact, a "stay-cation" can be one of the best times to start, and right in your own backyard. Gather a few simple art supplies from the list above, and set out to see the familiar with new eyes and a fresh approach. Be a tourist in your own town and go to some of the places you've never got around to visiting for one reason or another. Just don't forget your sweater.

What Can You Do in a Month?

 

Yesterday was the last day of National Poetry Month and I'm missing it already.

To close out the month I wrote a new poem, made a tiny origami kimono, and sprayed fixative on one more mixed-media illustration (above) for "30 Days of Kimono." I'm far from finished with this particular project, but right now it's Happy May Day and a brand new month of writing, this time back to my screenplay for 31 days. No rest for the writer!

I like working on month-by-month projects. I think it all started with my first attempt at National Novel Writing Month. Ever since then (gosh, what's it been? 8 years?) I've found that dedicating an entire month to a solid project is a serious way to get things done, mainly because:

1. I can focus. For one month, nothing else is quite as important as the work I've chosen to concentrate on. This doesn't mean I abandon my other writing and art projects; they just don't take center stage for a few weeks.
2. I don't have to think too hard about the month's structure or schedule--usually someone else has decided for me what the month will entail. A good example is my current decision to go with screenwriting this month. I saw a notice for a Facebook group planning to write screenplays in May. It sounded too good to pass up.
3. Even allowing for spontaneity, like finding this FB screenplay group only a couple of days ago, I can still plan out my year in advance. Working with a calendar helps to accomplish my yearly goals.
4. And I do get A LOT accomplished!
5. Signing up for a month of writing is the perfect reason to say "no" to potentially time-wasting activities and energy drains.
6. Month-size chunks of creativity make big projects do-able.
7. They are also great motivators (e.g. "Just five more days until I don't have to work on this horrible manuscript ever again . . .")
8. It's a good excuse to give yourself a special present or reward when the month is finished (no cheating allowed!).
9. You can use the month to complete a single project . . .
10. Or you can  take several months for the different aspects and stages of a longer project, e.g., a month for a first draft, a month for extra research, a month for editing, etc.
11. If you stick to a month-by-month plan, you will actually get where you want to go!
12. And you'll never wake up in the morning wondering what on earth you will tackle or write about that day.

Don't think you have to restrict yourself to "just writing" either. How about giving yourself  a month to explore a new art technique? Or to take photographs of a favorite subject? Or perhaps you want to set aside some time to plan out your creative life with a month-long vision quest and accompanying goal map.

One of my favorite parts of working on projects-by-the-month is that they're often group-oriented. Whether it's just a small bunch of Facebook friends, or an undertaking as huge as NaNoWriMo, everybody gets the chance to be part of a movement much bigger and friendlier than hours of writing alone. The support and inspiration from working alongside other writers is invaluable and highly recommended.

So what are your plans for the month? Leave a comment and let me know--maybe it's something we can work on together.

Tip of the Day: Make a chart listing the current and next 6 months of the year. Assign either an established project to each month, such as NaNoWriMo in November, or create your own, e.g. "July is Edit My Novel Month. August is Market to Magazines Month." See what fits you and your writing and then stick to your given plan.