Welcome, Guest Author Holly Schindler: 12 Tips for Writing Middle Grade Fiction

Guest Author, Holly Schindler!

And her beautiful new book:
The Junction of Sunshine and Lucky

Wow--exciting news today! We've got guest author, Holly Schindler, stopping by on her 2014 Blog Tour for The Junction of Sunshine and Lucky.  You may recall Holly has visited before with a great post about writing for Young Adults where she discussed "Crying at the Movies."  I'm delighted to have her back. 

The Junction of Sunshine and Lucky is Holly's first book for middle grade readers, and just like her other books, the writing is sheer poetry, totally unforgettable. I started reading a few nights ago and couldn't stop--in fact, I had to bring the book to my day job so I could keep reading during lunch! 

Published in hardcover by Dial Books, Penguin Group, and due out on February 6, 2014, the book is described as:

“Beasts of the Southern Wild” meets Because of Winn Dixie

 in this inspiring story of hope.

Auggie Jones lives with her grandpa Gus, a trash hauler, in a poor part of town.  So when her wealthy classmate’s father starts the House Beautification Committee, it’s homes like Auggie’s that are deemed “in violation.”  But Auggie is determined to prove that there’s more to her—and to her house—than meets the eye. 

What starts out as a home renovation project quickly becomes much more as Auggie and her grandpa discover a talent they never knew they had—and redefine a whole town’s perception of beauty, one recycled sculpture at a time.

Holly Schindler’s feel-good story about the power one voice can have will inspire readers to speak from their hearts.

And from the reviewers:

"...a heartwarming and uplifting story...[that] shines...with vibrant themes of community, self-empowerment and artistic vision delivered with a satisfying verve." 

                                                                                   – Kirkus Reviews

"Axioms like 'One man's trash is another man's treasure' and 'Beauty is in the eye of the beholder' come gracefully to life in Schindler's tale about the value of hard work and the power of community…Auggie's enthusiasm and unbridled creativity are infectious, and like minded readers will envy her creative partnership with [her grandfather] Gus." 

                                                                                  – Publishers Weekly

For her visit today, I asked Holly to share some tips about writing for the middle grades. Here's what she has to say:

Top 12 Tips for Writing MG

1.  Reconnect with your own childhood voice.  Dig through anything you or your parents might have saved from your younger years: school papers, a diary, even home movies.  

Remember who you were then—your fears, your dreams.  It’ll help you craft an appropriate voice for your MG character.

2.  Interact with today’s middle school kids.  I got to do that by teaching music lessons while working on my earliest manuscripts.  But you could also do this by tutoring, working at a library, or even getting better acquainted with the younger members of your family or your own neighborhood.

3.  Read CONTEMPORARY middle grade novels.  I guarantee that if you rely on your memories of your favorite childhood books, editors will use the term “old-fashioned” to describe your submissions.

4.  Also, watch some contemporary movies or TV shows for kids.  This is especially helpful in getting a feel for contemporary topics AND it will give you some idea of what your own child characters should look / dress like.

5.  Don’t write “down.”  Kids can smell that a mile away.  Respect your readers’ intelligence.  It’ll come through in your writing.

6.  Don’t underestimate the power of humor, especially among the middle school crowd.

7.  Do create characters that readers can admire.

8.  Watch your pacing—a middle grade novel has roughly one fourth the space of an adult novel. 

9. Consider getting a young reader to give you early feedback.

10. Put your middle school voice aside when writing your pitch.  Approach potential editors or agents in a professional manner.  (They’ll get a glimpse of your MG voice in sample chapters; a pitch is the place to sell your book.)

11. Befriend your local children’s librarians—they will be invaluable as you begin to market your book in your area.

12. Never assume you know everything about MG—even after you’ve published!  Continue to read, to interact with young people.  It’ll help you continue to grow as an author.

Great advice, Holly--thank you so much for sharing this good information. I think many of these points can be seen here, too, in the trailer for Sunshine:

Tip of the Day: Keep following Holly's tour! Next stop is tomorrow, January 29, 2014: http://www.muchlovedbooks.blogspot.co.uk/

Some final notes and links from Holly:

Site for young readers: Holly Schindler’s Middles hollyschindlermiddles.weebly.com. I’m especially excited about this site.  I adored getting to interact with the YA readership online—usually through Twitter or FB.  But I had to create a site where I could interact with the MG readership.  I’m devoting a page on the site to reviews from young readers themselves!  Be sure to send your young reader’s review through the Contact Me page.

Group Author Blogs: YA Outside the Lines (yaoutsidethelines.blogspot.com) for YA authors and Smack Dab in the Middle (smack-dab-in-the-middle.blogspot.com) for MG authors.

To further contact/follow Holly: Twitter: @holly_schindler

Facebook: facebook.com/HollySchindlerAuthor

Website: Hollyschindler.com

Thanks again, Holly; we wish you much success with your tour and
 the publication of The Junction of Sunshine and Lucky!

The Writer's Journey: One Step at a Time

Ever since I taught my first writing workshop way back (waaay back) in Newport Beach, CA, it seems the two most important questions I hear over and over are: How do I start? and, How do I get published? 

To answer those questions, I ended up writing The Essential Guide for New Writers, From Idea to Finished Manuscript.  My initial idea was to help new writers find their way through what can be a very confusing and conflicting process. Later on while I was actually writing the book, though, I realized that I also wanted to encourage writers at all levels to appreciate the writing journey itself. Not every book gets published--even those by big name authors, and I've never thought it matters one way or the other. To me, the ultimate prize is not a published book (although, yes, of course that's very nice) but what we learn by putting pen to paper: about ourselves, the world we live in, and what it means to be part of a community of creative people. Because at the end of the day, I sincerely believe it's not publishing that will change our lives--it's the writing.

With that in mind, here are my favorite steps toward achieving not just a published book, but a satisfying, purposeful, and fun direction that can last an entire lifetime:

• Write every day. Freewrite. Journal. Describe the room you're writing in. Review a book. Practice passages of dialogue. Try poetry. The whole point is to make a daily habit of writing in your most authentic and honest voice. Don't worry about "where the piece is going"; just write it. 
• Join a writer's group. Seriously, the friends you make in your writer's group will last you a lifetime, and in many cases can turn into the best friends you'll ever have. The secret to making it work however, is to join a group that writes in a genre similar to your own. Be choosy and trust your gut. If you feel your group isn't helping, move on, or start your own. Often it's a good idea to look for a group through a professional writing organization such as Sisters in Crime (mystery writing), The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, or Romance Writers of America.
• Write what you love to read. And read a lot. Reading fills the writer's soul and is the best "homework" you can do.
• Write a first draft straight through. No stopping. Just go. Don't worry about grammar, spelling, editing, whether you sound like you know what you're doing--no one does at first draft stage. If you get stuck, write "Stuff Happens Here" or "Need to Research" and keep going.
• Read all the writing reference and how-to books you can. Call it "school." There are hundreds of excellent writing books to buy or borrow from the library. Read them, take notes, do the end-of-chapter exercises, and then read them again.
• Take a writer's continuing education class. Any series of weekly class where you are accountable for turning in assignments is a great way to learn the art of manuscript submission, as well as how to take editorial direction. Explore different classes to learn different genres and styles.
• Learn to add, cut, and toss. De-clutter on a regular basis. Read through your first draft(s) and don't be too harsh on yourself. Now's the time to have fun: look for connections in your story structure that you can keep writing about. Ask yourself if you have enough conflict, or maybe you have too much, and need to concentrate on just a few story problems. Are there some boring parts? Get rid of them. If you're writing nonfiction--do you answer all the questions a reader might ask or needs to learn?
• Celebrate your strengths: strong verbs, an active voice, and a clear vision. Anything else--get rid of it. Use your computer's "search and delete" functions to eliminate unnecessary adverbs, overly-used "buzz words" and anything that tangles your sentences into knots. Go first for plain, strong, speech, and add the "pretties" later and sparingly.
• Create style sheets. Want to know where punctuation marks go, or how to separate paragraphs of dialogue or description? Photocopy some pages from your favorite books and COPY what they've done! You'll have an instant and reliable reference right there at your fingertips. No more dithering.
• Write your 3rd draft. Clean and clear. Make it sing.
• Pay attention to your marketing: learn to write a query letter, a one-page, a multi-page synopsis. Use your "write every day" time to practice and write several and varied versions. Study the markets--they're all online.
• Submit your manuscript. Go for it! Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Prepare several manuscript packages in advance so that when one comes back (which it will; no biggie) you can send another one out to someone else right away. You can do it!

Tip of the Day: Never rest on your laurels. Once you've reached the submission stage, keep going. Start writing short story, poem, or book #2, followed by #3, and even #4 until you hit pay dirt. The upside to all this work? Not only will your writing just get better and better, but somebody's going to want something . . . maybe even book #1 while you're marketing book #5! Whatever you do, always remember to enjoy the process and love your craft. That's the true meaning of being a successful writer.

New Sketchbooks and Journals: Break the Ice

One of the most difficult creative tasks for me is to start a new sketchbook or journal. It isn't about a lack of ideas or an unwillingness to dive in and play. Rather, it's all about:  ruining the first page!

Ridiculous, I know. But I always have this nagging feeling that the first page has to be "just right."  What if somebody were to open the book and see--a big mistake? (Hey. What are they doing looking in my journal anyway?)

This last week the problem was doubly-compounded because I have both a brand new writing journal as well as a fresh sketchbook to start off the year. The journal is leather-bound with creamy lined pages, and is actually the least intimidating of the two, especially as I won't be working in it until I finish my current novel WIP. Being lined also means that my handwriting will be tidy. (Yes, I'm still in the third-grade. Gold stars matter.)

The sketchbook is a hardbound Strathmore book full of gray-toned drawing paper that totally terrifies me. After about an hour of hemming and hawing, though, I decided enough was enough--time to just start. So in keeping with my 2014 theme of "animals" together with my plan to use only Conté pencils this month, I began with a teensy mouse. Talk about baby steps. He looks about as scared as me.

Okay, it's a beginning and now the rest of the pages don't seem quite so daunting. (I've also discovered that the gray paper is a dream to draw on--a big help toward keeping me motivated.)

Past journals and sketchbooks, regardless of quality, have been equally challenging to me, and I've had to rely on a number of creative mind-games and tricks to get past that "first page barrier." A few of the ways I've done this include:

1. Choose a theme. Trees, collage, landscapes. If you have a themed sketchbook or journal, you don't have to spend too much time thinking about what should go on the first page. The answer is obvious: a tree, a collage, or a landscape!
2. Work on that first drawing carefully--then paste it in! It's a bit of a cheat, but if you work on a separate piece of paper rather than the actual sketchbook, some of the pressure to be perfect will disappear. You can do this with your writing too.
3. Collage the covers, both inside and out. I love doing this because it not only can form my theme and color palette, but it also lets me relax into the creative process in a fun and purposeful way.
4. Call the first page "practice" and label it as such. I once heard author Sid Fleischman say that if your plot has a hole, point to it. I've always found this to be excellent writing advice, and one that works just as well for drawing, too. For instance, if that first-page drawing really is a mess, call it a caricature, or your own personal take on Cubism, etc. Spell it out with Sharpie and let the whole world know.
5. Ask someone else for an idea--and let them try it out first. This has always been fun. Ask your friends what you should draw, and then give them the sketchbook to start things off.
6. Use the first page to list creative goals. There, that was easy! Kind of like a built-in Table of Contents.
7. Choose a specific medium for the book. So much about making art is about making choices. Unlike writing, where you basically choose to write with a fountain pen, ballpoint, or a computer, art choices are so boundless it's easy to freeze up and choose nothing at all. That's another reason why I've made my list of mediums to use each month--less dithering means more drawing/painting.
8. Start in the middle! Break new ground--start in the middle. Who says life starts on page one anyway?
9. Paint in some backgrounds, random shapes and colors. Often the results will be so surprising you can't stop yourself from drawing on top of them. 
10. Don't use a sketchbook. Seriously. While a bound sketchbook can be a handy tool, if you find it too big to fill, use single sheets of paper. One benefit of this approach is you can always bind the pages later, and in an order that shows off your work or tells your story in a way that is particularly pleasing to you.
11. Carry your sketchbook or journal everywhere--let it get a little worn and beat-up. Once you've dropped it or spilled some coffee on a few pages, the novelty and newness will soon wear off. Mayonnaise on the first page works great, too.
12. Buy two! One for good (that you promise yourself you will never use) and one for practice and playing. There, the "good one" can sit on the shelf and look pretty. The other one is to totally make beautiful with your own style, personality, and wonderful words and pictures. Gosh, you might even use that other journal one day too!

Tip of the Day: My first inclination was to suggest that if you find yourself constantly shying away from good or expensive supplies, then buy cheap ones. However, in reality I think that's a terrible idea. Cheap paper, pencils, and paints often give you bad results that you'll blame yourself for, thinking it's you and not them. Nothing could be more wrong. Buy the best materials you can afford--look for sales and coupons as well as online discount stores. Give yourself permission to make the worst/best first page you can.

Paint the Town! Happy New Year!

Happy New Year, Everyone! Let's make it the best ever.

Usually at this time of year I list my writing goals, but for 2014 I only have two: to edit and submit my two current WIP's--one fiction, one nonfiction--for publication. That's it! Not that I won't be having some fun and entertainment in between marketing sessions, however, because 2014 is the year I plan to go much more deeply into my artwork.

This is particularly significant for me as my 2013 Christmas gift to myself was to renew my (very lapsed) membership in the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, not just as a writer, but as an illustrator, too. A big step, I can tell you.

My theme for the year will center on animals and what I can best describe as "seasonal illustrations," pictures that portray and define the various months of the year and what they mean to me: winter snow, autumn leaves, spring flowers. To help me stay motivated and on track with this project, I've set myself a game-plan that will focus on a single medium every month:

• January:  Conté brand products, both crayon and pencils.
• February: Mixed media and collage.
• March: Pastels; including soft stick pastels, pan pastels, and pastel pencils.
• April: Charcoal.
• May: Colored pencil.
• June: Graphite--all shapes and sizes..
• July: Watercolor.
• August: Rubber stamping (with collage and mixed media backgrounds).
• September: Oil pastel.
• October: Water-soluble pencils (both watercolor and graphite pencils).
• November: Pen and ink.
• December: Acrylic. (The scary one--I've left it for last, LOL!)

Sound fun? I think so! One of the reasons I decided to try this approach is that over the years I've acquired so many different art supplies that I thought it was time to a) stop buying anything new, and b) find out which ones I really like and which ones I can live without. At least that's the plan--hope I can stick to it, and I hope you'll be inspired to venture into a creative project of your own this year. Let me know what you find!

Tip of the Day: What would you like to explore in 2014 that's outside of your usual comfort zone? Jewelry, pottery, archaeology? I'd love to know--drop me a line, either as a comment here, or at my Facebook page. Looking forward to what you have to share. Best wishes for a great year ahead.

Valerie's Rules for Winter

Happy Holidays! And welcome to longer days now that we've passed the solstice. More time to write--well, a few minutes per day at least!

For the coming New Year I've decided to make myself some "rules," ways to stay energized during those extra minutes when I'd much rather pull the covers over my head and hibernate until spring. Here are my top 12:

1. Morning pages. 3 handwritten pages first thing in the morning are easy to write in the spring and summer, torture in the winter. Which is why I need to shift my schedule just a little bit. Instead of giving up, or stumbling around in the dark hating every minute of the exercise, I'm going to write my pages during my morning tea-break. It will be something to look forward to every day, and a good use of my spare time.
2. Write up my goals for 2014 step-by-step. Every year I set at least 5-6 new goals for the year. What I usually bypass is how I'm going to achieve those goals. In the past I've relied too much on hope and magic: hope that I'll get it done, and wishing for a fairy godmother to wave her magic wand and make things happen. This year if I can't list a number of practical, sensible ways to achieve a goal it goes in the trash.
3. Read good books. My reading time is limited. If a book bores me halfway through or I think it's just too silly for words, I have no obligation to finish it. The End.
4. Drink cocoa. A spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down. 'Nuff said.
5. Take artist's dates. I am so bad about NOT taking my planned artist's dates. 2013 saw me make at least a dozen or more plans to visit museums, galleries, specialty shops . . . they all fell through. I told myself I was too busy, I would go "tomorrow," I would make up for it by taking two dates in a row, who needs artist's dates anyway . . .  No more procrastination.
6. Be crafty: knit, sew, crochet. A few years ago I accidentally bought 5 times the amount of yarn I needed to knit my husband a sweater. (OK, math never was my strong point). 2014 is the year that stuff turns into some more outfits, or maybe a blanket or two! I also want to buy a new sewing machine to make a dress from the fabric I bought at Mood in April.
7. Walk. Although I try to walk as much as possible whenever I have to accomplish errands (the mall, grocery stores, etc.), nothing compares to going for real walks in the real outdoors. Albuquerque has many beautiful parks just waiting for me to stretch my legs, clear my head, and take some photos while I'm there for future art references.
8. Wear gloves, bundle up. It's taken me several years to realize that if I want to enjoy a winter walk, I will have to wear the right clothes. A light cardigan won't do! I suppose in the past I went without gloves or a hat thinking I would get too hot and then I'd have to carry everything home. This has never happened.
9. Be a Secret Santa regardless of the date. Giving doesn't stop at Christmas. One of my favorite ways to help out is to always maintain a donation jar or tin for coins all year long. At the end of every day I place my spare change in the jar. It's amazing--and fun--to see how that money adds up!
10. Make soup. There's something so healing and comforting about soup for lunch or dinner in the winter time. Not only is soup ridiculously easy to prepare, it seems to go a long way, leaving plenty of leftovers for those nights when cooking is the last thing anyone wants to do.
11. Plan a new manuscript. But don't actually write it--at least not until my current WIP is completely finished and ready to submit. To that end I am going to have a dedicated notebook just for ideas for the next novel. Only ideas and notes. No actual scenes, no freewriting "just for fun." The notebook will be at my side as I work on the WIP so I can jot down any ideas that come to me, but that's all I'll do: jot, jot, jot, and then back to the WIP.
12. Dream about summer vacation! Catalogs, travel magazines, and brochures make great resources for collaging a visual summer treasure map. And most of them are free. Where will we go?

Tip of the Day: Christmas is just one day of the year, but that's no reason to turn into the Grinch on the 26th. Do something special for yourself and someone else every day--and then write about it. Merry Christmas, one and all--see you again in 2014!

'Tis the Season--to Read!

One of the best things about the holiday season is the excuse to browse bookstores and buy books: for friends and family, for local charities eager to spread the joy of reading, and hey, just for you! 

Books as gifts have always been special for me; my first memory of visiting Santa in the department store was to ask for a book--I wanted Johanna Spyri's Heidi, and sure enough, I got it! Of course that didn't work so great the year I wanted Lona by Dare Wright. (Still want Lona, sigh.)

The number of books I read in 2013 was not as extensive as in past years, but quality certainly made up for quantity. Here are the books categorized by their respective genres that stood out for me:

Historical: Cathedral of the Sea by Ildefonso Falcones. I bought my copy in a bookstore while strolling down the seemingly endless Las Ramblas shopping district during my trip to Barcelona this summer. I had gone in to buy some children's books in Spanish and Catalan and saw a display of books in English--surprise! I had to have this one immediately, but I saved it to read for when I got home. I'm so glad I did; set in medieval Barcelona, the book made me relive my trip through an entirely new perspective. A real page turner.

Mainstream/Romance/Series: The Stone Trilogy by Mariam Kobras. I know this series is  often referred to as "romance" but to me it's more mainstream, possibly "women's fiction" if I had to really narrow it. Regardless of description, however, these three books following the story of rock star Jon Stone and his soul mate Naomi Carlsson will stay with you forever. The writing is so strong and descriptive, the characters so real and well-rounded, it's hard to keep in mind that this is fiction! Seriously, I have to constantly remind myself that these people are characters in a book--not people I have actually met. I seem to think about them all the time as if they had ongoing stories happening right now--that's how vibrant they are. Earlier this year I was lucky enough to have Mariam visit my blog as a guest author. To read her post, please just click author Mariam Kobras.

Literary: 2666 by Roberto Bolano. Difficult, haunting, disturbing . . . and I couldn't stop reading even when I didn't want to. Partly based on the horrific multiple murders of women in Juarez, Mexico, the book is divided into five distinct but interwoven stories that read as a metaphor for everything corrupt and evil in the world we live in. My feeling after finishing: I survived a walk through Hell. And I learned a lot about both life and writing, that's for sure.

Mystery: The Dinosaur Feather by S.J. Gazan. Another dark book, but very, very readable. I often stayed up past midnight just to keep reading--bad decision, but I couldn't help it. I live to read. Anyway, Dinosaur Feather was the winner of the Danish Crime Novel of the Decade (!) and I think it will especially appeal to fans of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. (Although I think it's much better . . . sorry, Dragon fans.)

Scary: A Cold Season by Alison Littlewood. England. Snowstorm of the century. A single mother and her young son come to live in a creepy village where nothing is quite what it seems. I read this in one sitting and was terrified the whole way through. Need I say more?

Nonfiction: The Book of Kimono by Norio Yamanaka. I read this book after attending an exhibition of Japanese Art Deco. I've always been fascinated by Japanese art, culture, and literature, and I decided to make that my writing theme in April with my project "30 Days of Kimono." I got so enthused over the whole subject I even made a Pinterest board to go with my writing! The main thing I learned from the book however: I am very grateful to not wear a kimono, LOL! The time involved to simply get dressed must take ALL day. Whew. And then you have to be on your very best behavior for whatever hours you have left. Nope, not for me. But it was a good book.

Art Instruction: The Tao of Sketching by Qu Lei Lei. After working on my kimono project and then taking a Splash Ink Watercolor class, when I saw this book on super-sale I just had to have it. It's turned out to be one of my favorite how-to books, full of quiet wisdom and excellent painting tips.

Writing Instruction: Now Write! Screenwriting edited by Sherry Ellis and Laurie Lamson. I have to qualify here that I have a chapter in the Now Write! Mysteries volume of this series, so I may be a teensy bit biased, but I think all the Now Write! books are some of the best around. This one on writing screenplays is incredibly helpful with advice you won't easily find elsewhere. (Note: I made another Pinterest board for the screenplay draft I wrote with the aid of the book. I do love Pinterest.)

What I'm reading now: The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton. I bought The Luminaries the minute I heard it had won the 2013 Man Booker Prize several weeks ago. Set in nineteenth-century New Zealand during the Gold Rush, the book is written in an unusual and archaic style reminiscent of Dickens or Thackeray that somehow actually works. I love New Zealand authors, starting with Katherine Mansfield, and it's exciting to find a new writer to add to my list.

What's next on my TBR pile: Bite Down Little Whisper by Canadian poet Don Domanski just arrived in my post box yesterday. I'm saving it up for Christmas Day when I plan to drink tea and eat cake and wrap myself in a blanket of astonishing words and images. Can't wait!

Tip of the Day: While you're doing your book shopping, don't forget about The Great Scarab Scam, Better Than Perfect, Overtaken, and The Essential Guide for New Writers, all available at my website and always with free domestic shipping. Drop me a note, say you saw this message on my blog, and I'll include an extra free copy of the Essential Guide with every order right up until January 1, 2014! Catch you later--I'm off to find some more great new reads for the new year . . .

Thankful, and a Splash Ink Update

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! Got all your shopping done? I did mine yesterday, and it was wonderful to avoid the crowds and tick everything off my list. As always, we are having a vegetarian celebration, and this year I'm going to especially enjoy the day by writing more NaNoWriMo pages while my kiln fires a couple of new pots--time to celebrate, indeed!

For some reason this also seemed like a good time to share some of my latest splash ink efforts, maybe because they are so misty and reminiscent of autumn and the beauty of the season. I'm still using gouache on top of the initial watercolor background, a medium I'm finally learning to understand (thank goodness). As I've been painting, it's made me think how thankful I am for, well, everything!

But if I narrowed it down to just my creative life, these would have to be my top 12 thank-you's:

1. I am grateful for my writing tools: computers, Alphasmart, fountain pen.
2. Grateful for my Sunday morning writer's group! Best in the whole world.
3. My art supplies: I have enough to stock a small store, and I'm grateful that I have been able to buy them.
4. Books!! What would my life be without books? I love books more than just about anything. I love the way they feel in my hands. I don't care if e-books are amazing; they will never duplicate the thrill of opening those real-world pages.
5. Social networking--now here's where the Internet is fun for me. I'm so grateful for my Twitter, Facebook, and JacketFlap friends. They make me smile every single day.
6. I'm very, very grateful that I have a day job that is flexible and allows me to write or draw whenever possible.
7. And gives me a nice studio-office where I can spread out my manuscripts, my art journals, my mess!
8. I'm super grateful that I have my own little kiln--it's tiny but it works and allows me to  experiment and play with complete freedom (and zero worries about destroying anyone else's work--a huge bonus after some early traumas when my pieces would blow up in a shared kiln . . . don't ask . . . ).
9. The library--forget Disneyland. The library is truly the happiest place on earth. And they give you free magazines for cut-outs. How good is that?
10. Ideas! I have no idea where they come from--but where would I be without them?
11. Art teachers. I would not be painting or potting or even writing without them. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
12. Living in Albuquerque for the last ten years. New Mexico is not called "The Land of Enchantment" for nothing. The landscape is inspiring; every single kind of art supply or bookstore is within easy reach; and the amount of classes, groups, professional organizations for writers and artists is overwhelming. Sometimes it's nearly impossible to choose which one to attend--but each one I go to is always the right choice.

Last but not least, I want to thank everyone who follows and/or reads my blog posts. Every day I am stunned by how many readers I have and where they all come from: Egypt, Connecticut, New Zealand, Romania, Illinois--it's wonderful! You are all my pool of inspiration:

Tip of the Day: If you haven't already, do start a dedicated Gratitude Journal. To me this is one of the most valuable journals you will ever write. Writing a simple list of just 12 items that made your day special can often be enough. Some days will be more difficult than others to find those 12 incidents, but I can promise if you dig deep they will be there. Enjoy your holiday weekend wherever you will be, and remember, I am grateful for YOU! Thanks again, dear friends.

Last Week of #NaNoWriMo 2013; Let's Get This Manuscript Finished

Here we are, the last week of NaNoWriMo! And yes, I know you'd rather go to Paris for the weekend, me too. But we need to get these manuscripts finished, so Paris will have to wait for a little while.

I don't know about you, but my word count isn't looking so great right now, something I want to change by Monday at the latest. To achieve that goal, I'm going to try something brand new: 10,000 words in one day! Yes, 10K, really. I'm all signed up to participate tomorrow 11-23-13 in a fun website writing party hosted by my Twitter friend Milli Thornton at @fearofwriting: 10kdayforwriters.com.

I only learned about Milli's site a couple of days ago, and just in the nick of time. In fact, the discovery was so fortuitous that I'm still reeling from one of those "how did that happen?" moments.

But despite my best intentions to write those 10K words, I also know that if I'm going to stay motivated I'll need some trusty writing prompts. Last night I brainstormed a list of 25; please feel free to borrow, steal, or add to the list by leaving a comment or two. All suggestions will be most welcome!

My 10K Prompt List:

1. Write about my characters' goals: why are they so important?
2. Write back story--lots of back story!
3. Write a character's first memory and make it essential to a present scene.
4. Describe my main character's place of work and how that influences the plot.
5. Various characters' neighbors: what do they really think?
6. Have one of the characters stuck in an elevator--with the villain.
7. A mysterious package arrives: why and what's in it? How does this change everything?
8. A death in the family.
9. An invitation my main character can't refuse.
10. Write about a recurring dream.
11. Phobias--assign one to a secondary character and use it to keep them from helping my main character.
12. Car trouble. At the very worst time possible.
13. Illness. Ditto as above.
14. Somebody witnesses a crime.
15. And then is framed for it!
16. A big lie and the unexpected consequences.
17. Hobbies--pick one and make it important to the plot.
18. An overheard conversation--and what happens because of it.
19. A stolen identity.
20. One of the characters finds (fill in the blank) and is devastated.
21. Something observed in a window.
22. A favorite item is broken. What, why, what happens because of it?
23. A sudden storm.
24. A creepy prophecy--that comes true.
25. The three very worst outcomes that can happen if my characters don't reach their goals, and then have them happen.

So come on, join us on Saturday--I think you can even wear your pajamas all day, just as long as you promise to write.

Tip of the Day: In case you can't sign up for this Saturday's 10K session, be sure to check out 10kdayforwriters.com anyway for one of their future writing sessions; they're held twice a month regardless of NaNoWriMo or similar events. Whichever day you choose, 10K in one day will surely help you reach THE END, a very good place to be.

NaNoWriMo 2013; Lost in the Woods

Yesterday I was ready to give up on NaNoWriMo, as in seriously QUIT. Why, why was I torturing myself to write these stupid 50,000 words? Am I so devoid of writing projects that I have to take on a task that wasn't even fun?

Fortunately, that was yesterday. Today I'm feeling a whole lot more positive and ready to keep going. The secret was in realizing several things:

• First, nobody is making me do this. Nobody. There is no contract or deadline awaiting me with dire consequences if I don't write. I've won enough previous NaNoWriMo certificates to know I can write 50,000 words in a month. I have nothing to prove here.
• If I don't reach the 50K mark, so what? I'll have 10 or 20K extra manuscript words to work with that I didn't have before November 1. And that's a good thing.
• Lastly, I was taking my manuscript way too seriously. Demanding that it make perfect sense--right now. That all my characters be fully developed and action-oriented, intent on weaving their way through a brilliant plot line that was simply amazing, full of shocking twists and turns with a stunning conclusion. Except NaNoWriMo doesn't work like that, at least not most of the time. (Note to self: neither does any first draft. Sigh.) Asking that it do so was setting myself up for instant failure.

So here's what I did to beat the NaNoWriMo blues: I decided to be willing to get lost in the woods. Crazy plot line? Just follow where it does go, and if I don't like it, write "stuff happens here" and carry on writing a new and more interesting scene. Characters I can't stand? Get rid of them--send them to China or off on safari where they get eaten by lions. Bored with the whole process? Write about things that interest me, not what I think is "supposed" to go in the manuscript because I want it to fit a particular genre or style.

I'm not going to quit. How about you?

Tip of the Day:  One of my favorite ways to infuse any flagging manuscript with new life is to grab a handful of writing prompts from old magazines. Article titles and headlines are perfect. Get your scissors and start cutting; throw what you find in a jar and then pick one for every new page you start. Here's a sampling from my current collection: "Warm Kebabs for a Cool City." "The Human Face Behind the Makeup." "Last Stand in the Serengeti." (Uh-oh, I guess those lions really did get my unlikeable characters . . . ") Good luck; happy writing!