Yes, really!
Nanowrimo Week 4 can be a difficult time: Thanksgiving, Black Friday, all the temptations to sleep in, goof off, and enjoy the start of the holiday season with friends and family. And here you are, having to churn out X-amount of words for Nanowrimo. Fun, isn’t it?
Three years ago I had the worst ever last week of Nanowrimo. My beloved calico cat, Mitzi, aka Princess Mizzy, suddenly became ill from an undiscovered tumor the day after Thanksgiving. She was 16 years old, and the time for her to leave us was of course inevitable, but I just wasn’t ready for it now. Especially as on Thanksgiving Day she had been jumping around grabbing tofurkey off everyone’s forks; leaping from the back of the couch cushions; slamming through her kitty door to skid around on the icy patio. She’d always been a live wire, and that particular Thursday was no different than any other. But the next morning, she was still and quiet and apparently in great pain. It was awful. By the time we could see a vet, the consensus was that there was nothing we could do but say goodbye.
I was devastated. Over the previous eighteen months I had gone through that same depressing vet visit with my two other cats. Both of them, like Mitzi, were senior citizens who had simply succumbed to age-related illness. With Mitzi now gone, though, I was without any pets at all, and I can tell you, the last thing I wanted to do was write 1400 Nanowrimo words that would take me to the 50K mark.
When we came home from the vet that evening, Mitzi’s lifeless body wrapped in a little quilt I’d brought for her, it was snowing and dark. My husband went to bed, the strain and stress making it impossible to eat dinner or watch TV. My response was to go into a cleaning frenzy: laundry, scrubbing floors, rounding up cat dishes and toys and food for giveaways to the neighbors. By the time I was ready to go to bed I still had a few hours before the clock struck midnight and Nanowrimo 2007 would be over for good. I only had 1400 words to go. It was hard, but I wrote them for Mitzi.
It was a fitting tribute. Mitzi had been my writing partner in one way or another ever since she came into my life in Carrollton, Georgia. A pregnant stray, no more than a kitten herself, she was desperate for food and love, and she literally jumped into my arms the day I found her. The two years I wrote a pet-astrology column, "Zodiac Zoo" for the now defunct online site, Baku’s Zine, I gave her a byline of her own, deciding she had contributed as much as I had to the writing. Ah, Mitzi. Bunny and Poppy too. I miss them terribly. And I still have Nanowrimo pages to write.
When I sat down to write this post, I hadn’t expected to write so much about loss—this was actually meant to be an inspiring “pep talk." Maybe it still is. Because what I just want to say here is that life rarely offers up the “perfect moment” or time to write. Sometimes it seems all we have is the page, the pen, the typewriter or computer screen, and a backdrop of absolute chaos, despair, and worry behind us. Sometimes it seems impossible to turn our faces in the other direction and just write. But you know, you can do it. You really can.
I hope your week is a good one, and that you are not going through any kind of serious difficulties or problems. But if you are, I send you my most sincere best wishes for strength and healing, for patience, and the ability to overcome. There must be a good reason Thanksgiving falls during this last week of Nanowrimo—maybe it’s just to be thankful for all the goodness that writing and creativity brings into our lives. So let's be thankful, and let's write.
Tip of Day: Life happens. Not just during Nanowrimo, but all year long. What seemingly insurmountable obstacle is keeping you from writing? Maybe the best thing in the world is to write about it, and then write some more. You can do it.
Here we are, nearing the end of National Novel Writing Month 2010, Week 3, and I'm already worrying about my marketing plan. No matter that my current manuscript won't be ready to sell for a good two to three years, maybe even four; I just want to be sure I can describe my story in a quick and easy logline that starts with a key word: my chosen genre.
As I've mentioned earlier, for Nanowrimo 2010 I'm attempting my first adult murder mystery. While the mystery genre is not exactly new to me, my book set in Egypt for 8-12 year olds, The Great Scarab Scam, is more of what you'd call a "caper." The plot revolves around stolen and forged antiquities, presenting a dangerous puzzle for my junior sleuth, Lydia Hartley, to unravel at great risk. Despite plenty of action, scary moments, and some real bad guys--there are no dead bodies, an absolute must in the adult mystery. But there are some deeper levels to writing genre fiction that go beyond "mysteries must start with a murder," or "romances have to end happily ever after." These extra levels are the real reasons people are drawn to one genre over another. For instance:
- Do you believe in justice--that crime doesn't pay and that good can prevail over evil? The mystery genre might be just right for you.
- What about love? Does love make the world go 'round? Does it "conquer all"? Do you believe there are such things as "soul mates"? Romance may be calling.
- Technology, parallel universes, six impossible things before breakfast. Science fiction can be a real pleasure to write if you enjoy stretching the "what if?" boundaries of the known world into new and foreign (outer) limits.
- Using those same stretches of imagination as science fiction, fantasy and paranormal fiction allows writers and readers to explore the world of myth and fairy tale in a modern format.
- Do you find yourself frequently dreaming about the past, wishing you lived in another time and era where life was more difficult but perhaps much more interesting, too--and the clothes were fantastic? Historicals may be your perfect genre.
- Are the stories you prefer centered around women in all the various stages and aspects of their lives: juggling career and family, being a daughter, sister, wife, best friend? Women's fiction certainly doesn't mean "no boys allowed," but it does focus on issues that can be unique, and special, to women's lives and experience.
- Do you love the sound of words and language? Do you enjoy "open" or even tragic endings? Are you fascinated by experimental, off-beat plots, and "breaking the rules"? Literary fiction may be a good fit.
- What about belief in a Higher Power and the role of faith in our lives? Inspirational fiction can be a dramatic expression of your strongest and most uplifting values.
- Choosing to write for children does not mean you live in Talking Bunny Land (but if you do, I'm envious). Neither does it mean you have the mind of a child and are only comfortable with fourth-graders. What it does say is that you can celebrate themes of wonder and innocence, as well as understand and acknowledge the pain of the "bad stuff": first betrayals, bullying, fear of the adult world.
- And what if you just can't stand the "made-up" story, and prefer to write things that "really happened"? Go for it! Nonfiction sales make up 95% of the book trade.
Other points to consider when choosing your genre are things such as patience and endurance levels: Are you prepared for a marathon (reading and writing hundreds of pages, with months and years of revision)? Or are you more of a sprinter, enjoying the quick, satisfying read of a shorter word count, and willing to write one or more books per year? If so, you may be perfect candidate to write a series. And what about the "multi-genre" book: the paranormal Western, or a romance where the principal characters are also working for the FBI? The best approach is to still choose one main category and describe your book in those terms: "A Western where the sheriff just happens to be a vampire."
Whatever you choose, the secret of genre choice is not what you think will sell, but what you really, really want to read more than anything in the world. If you love to read it, chances are you'll love to write it.
Tip of the Day: Brainstorm some of your favorite books and movies. Identify the themes and genres, and then write about why those themes were meaningful to you. You may find certain phrases will pop out that can help you easily steer your current WIP in the right direction for both the actual writing and your marketing, too.
Wow, here we are in the second week of Nanowrimo and I have to admit I am behind on my word count. This morning I realized I needed to make some changes to my approach. In my previous four years of Nanowrimo-ing, I've simply dived in, written my heart out, and ta-dah! A 50,000+ word manuscript, messy as a mud pie, but still, mine own. This year things aren't going quite as smoothly.
What makes the situation even stranger to me is that I came to the table much more prepared than ever before: I had an extensive outline, I had my writing prompts, I had my collaged "scene illustrations" all made in advance. Now I'm thinking all this advance work could be my whole problem: I may be a little too organized. I know what I want to have happen in my story, and it seems to be taking me forever to get there.
So starting today, my new modus operandi is to experiment with writing only my key scenes, whether they're action, dialogue, or descriptive passages that express my characters' emotions. I'm not going to worry so much about the "how" or even the "why" regarding my plot structure, I'm just going to put my characters in place and in jeopardy and have them fight their way out of the story "trouble." I know they can do this--they're tough, resourceful, and very motivated. In fact, they'd be great candidates for tackling 50,000 words in 30 days!
Already I can see some serious benefits to this new writing system. For one, it really does follow my favorite writing maxim regarding scenes: "Enter late, leave early." I think by ignoring transitions, at least for the moment, my writing will be much tighter when it comes to the revision stage. Any transitions I do need later on will be fairly easy to pop in where necessary. But the real benefit is going to be in my renewed willingness to get to the blank page and start writing. By concentrating on the scenes that truly interest me, I have a genuine reason for participating in Nanowrimo--I can't wait to find out "what happens next." And if I can't wait to start writing, with any luck that same enthusiasm will fire up my readers to want to keep reading. In my opinion, there's nothing worse than a boring book, either to read or write--and I've got better things to do than cope with boredom. I'm sure you do, too!
Tip of the Day: Experiment with abandoning or minimizing your transitions, at least for the first draft stage. You may actually find your word count increasing despite the loss of endless pages of characters opening and shutting doors, or taking several hours to learn how to handle a gun that really needs to just be fired. At the same time, don't forget The Essential Guide for New Writers, From Idea to Finished Manuscript is still on super sale. You'll find great information inside on all aspects of writing, including transitions. Just click here for my US $5.95 plus free S/H special.
Well, here we are again...National Novel Writing Month, sometimes better known as Whoever Thought of This in the First Place? The answer is of course, Mr. Chris Baty, and while 50,000 words in 30 days might not be everyone's cup of tea, I personally think Chris is a genius. I love Nanowrimo and I'm thrilled to be taking part in the whole crazy business once again.
This year I'm writing a mystery: Into the Woods. My plot revolves around the Internet, the opera, and a whole bunch of bad stuff for my much-beleagured young heroine, Kate Sheffield. The story opens just as Kate is leaving with her husband for their honeymoon in Jamaica, hence the Polyvore set at the top of this post, which is meant to be a small sampling of her trousseau. Within minutes of landing at their destination, though, things for Kate and her new hubby fall apart, badly, and the trouble begins...and what a lot of trouble I have planned for Ms. Kate. Oh, yes, indeedy.
I made the Polyvore set as one of 30 I created as writing prompts for the duration of the month. A writing prompt set up in advance for Nanowrimo is a great way to stay focused and to keep writing when the inspiration starts lagging. However, taking a second look at the set, I think it also says a lot about how I feel about Nanowrimo. To me, November 1 signals the start of a very special writing adventure, one that I have no idea where it will take me. Like Kate, I've got some nicely packed suitcases, my passport to foreign territory, and the bluebird of happiness to guide me on my way. So why would anyone want to to tell me not to go there?
This year I've been amazed to read a number of articles denouncing and criticizing Nanowrimo for all kinds of things, from filling the world with "bad writing" to causing unnecessary stress. I'm not sure what all the fuss is about; I mean, I don't think the Nanowrimo team sends out special agents who knock on your door at 2 AM and demand you sign up or face a firing squad. The people who sign up for Nanowrimo want this experience; we want to force ourselves to write, to be disciplined, to take ourselves and each other seriously as writers. For me, Nanowrimo is one of the most Zen-like opportunities of my writing life. For an entire 30 days, I'm allowed to focus solely on my plot, my characters, my themes and my specific details without worrying whether we have enough milk in the fridge or if the bookshelves need dusting. For 30 days I get to go on my equivalent of the writer's spiritual retreat.
Which leads me to my top 5 reasons why I love Nanowrimo:
- Nanowrimo is like a giant writer's conference where participants get to run the show, not just sit in on lectures or workshops. It's our equivalent of the Olympics or a World Fair: we gather to share a common goal and interest on a grand scale.
- During the rest of the year, I get a lot of ideas for writing. But most of those ideas have to go into a folder labelled "Ideas for Future Writing." November is the month I get to use those ideas.
- For me, writing is rewriting, and the sooner I can get a first draft down on paper, the sooner I can get to the "real writing." If I have a draft ready to revise, I have a real, live WIP to polish and get ready for publication.
- And that means that by participating in Nanowrimo every year, I am assured of having a body of work waiting to be revised. The amount of time between writing a Nanowrimo first draft and the day I sit down and rewrite it is at least a year, usually longer. The longer I am away from a draft, the stronger my editorial eye and the better my sense of detachment.
- Writing covers a lot of bases for me: it's my "hobby" (yes, I'm not ashamed of that word); it's a source of income (I'm a professional, too); it's a source of passionate interest; and it's a spiritual discipline. The "practice of writing" reminds me to be consistent in all areas of my life. Mindful writing equal mindful living and I try to do my best in both.
So that's why I'm saying "Nay!" to the nay-sayers, and wishing you a great Nanowrimo 2010 with lots and lots of words.
Tip of the Day: In honor of National Novel Writing Month 2010, The Essential Guide for New Writers, From Idea to Finished Manuscript is still on super sale for one more month. At only $5.95 plus FREE US shipping and handling, it's a steal. Come on over to my website and get your copy today.
I can't believe Nanowrimo starts in just a few days. I can't believe how fast this year has gone, or how behind I am in my WIP revisions, or how much there is I still want to write, draw, paint, do before the calendar turns yet another page. Life is crazy-making sometimes and that's why it's a good idea every once in a while to stop, take stock, and realize just how much you have accomplished in spite of it all.
One of my favorite books for helping me to stay centered in the midst of chaos is Visual Journaling: Going Deeper than Words
by Barbara Ganim and Susan Fox. It's one of the best books I know on using art (as the front cover says) to: reduce stress; reduce anger; resolve conflicts; get in touch with feelings; give voice to your soul, even if you can't draw. My kind of book, for sure!
I've owned and used Visual Journaling for a number of years, way before I heard of the concept of "art journaling," which to me is a related, but quite different process than that described in the book. That said, I also know I became interested in art journaling thanks to authors Ganim and Fox and their very encouraging exercises that led me from my first nervous pencil marks to drawings and paintings that gave me the confidence to call myself an artist.
One of my favorite lessons in the book is the basis for the entire text: the check-in. The check-in entry is all about simply sitting down with your journal at least once a week and discovering exactly what it is you feel at that exact moment. The process is simple: open your journal so that you have 2 blank pages facing you. On the right-hand side, write down an "intention," i.e., the question you want an answer to. For me this is usually along the lines of, "What am I feeling right now?" Or, "What is the lesson I am supposed to learn from this past week?" Or even, "What is the real theme of my WIP?"
After writing down the question, close your eyes, calmly breathe in and out, and let your feelings turn into images. Don't judge, just let whatever needs to appear come to you. After a few minutes, or whenever you feel ready, draw your images on the left-hand page. By "draw" I mean make purple circles, orange squiggles, little dark green squares, or an entire family of stick-figure lizards drinking tea if that's what appeared in your mind's eye. Subject matter doesn't matter at this point. If you have polished drawing skills, by all means use them, but you might also find the most honest, energetic expression of your feelings is to stay with a strong degree of abstraction and the willingness to "just draw, don't think." Let yourself be a little kid again and don't worry about what the grown-ups next door will think.
Once you have your drawing as finished as you want it, the next step is to write about it on the left-hand page, underneath your written intention. There are a number of set questions you can ask to get going, such as, "How does this drawing make me feel?" "What do the colors remind me of?" "What do I like best about this picture?" "What disturbs me? And how can I turn that feeling around?" You can also ask your own questions, too, ones that fit your intention more precisely.
Visual Journaling: Going Deeper than Words is an amazing book and it's one that I like to re-visit from beginning to end every few years. Starting in January 2011 I'm thinking of using it as the basis of my writer's group meetings for the year. I think the other members will enjoy the book and it will give a new focus to our meetings--something you might like to try, too. If you don't have a writer's group already, inviting people to join a group based on the book is an excellent way to start one, and if your existing group needs an energy boost, there's nothing like a complete change of writing "scenery" to get the ideas flowing.
Tip of the Day: Treat yourself to a new mixed-media sketchbook, some colored markers, crayons, an inexpensive tray of watercolors, and your favorite brand of pens. Experiment with the "check-in" exercise described above and see what happens. Who knows, you may end up with an entirely new direction and resolve for your creative and/or personal life--one that celebrates your accomplishments and lightens even the heaviest of to-do lists.
I have to admit I'd never come across the term "ekphrasis" until I was browsing through an old edition of Poet's Market. Listed under "E" was Ekphrasis, a literary journal devoted to poetry based on works of art. Immediately I was intrigued because unbeknownst to me, I'd been playing with "ekphrasis" for years, not only in my daily writing practice, but in my writer's workshops as well.
According to Merriam-Webster, the definition for ekphrasis is: "a literary description of or a commentary on a visual work of art." The plural of the word is "ekphrases" and apparently the word's first known usage was in 1715.
Anyone who's been reading my blog will know that I love both art and literature. I spent two entire years attending art history lectures at the National Gallery in London, sometimes going as often as seven days a week. I know my Gainsborough duchesses and Mannerist nativity scenes, I can tell you! So combining my two favorite subjects is a fun and natural way for me to "play." And while the actual word "ekphrasis" is just fine and dandy for people who like precision, personally I just call what I do "writing inspired by a painting." Not only is it a fantastic exercise for my writer's groups, it's always been a favorite in my workshops, especially ones I've presented to young writers: high school students and home schoolers.
Here's a couple of samples taken straight from my journals. They're first drafts, unedited, warts and all, but that's how I like to share my writing here if only to help you break down those inhibitions and just write, don't think.
This first one is based on Goya's painting, "Family of Charles IV":
Our Subjects Hate Us
They want to kill us.
In turn, Papa, Mama, and
all the others standing here
want to kill their subjects,
if not in blood, then tax them
through the roof:
more wine, more grain, more gold.
There is never enough
for this one starving family
to consume, so we have started
to eat each other.
We have bitten off whole pieces
of ourselves, and finding the taste
disgusting, we spit and vomit and spew
up our lineage all over Europe.
We cannot escape each other.
Like barnacles or mud
On the bottom of a barge,
we cling together.
Members of the same asylum
bound by madness and the fact
that no sane person would
touch us with a pole.
Our madness is contagious, like
swollen joints and bloody noses.
We pass on our tics and stutters,
our narrow vision and faulty hearing.
We pass on our royal blood, so polluted
Even the rats run away from us.
I don't know how accurate my history is there, but I sure had fun! This next piece is based on a more modern print, "Romantic Stroll," by Brent Heighton. The picture originally inspired my entire Nanowrimo effort last year, but I also wrote this short piece while doodling on my plot:
Doorway
We walked a little dog at night,
your hand tucked into the pocket of my coat.
I remember the smell of coal fires,
the smoke curling into the sky like incense,
the kind I knew from those Cairo bars
and the ships we docked at Algiers.
It seemed a hundred years ago, and not
a simple, shortened ten.
You said, “Nothing will ever
be the same again,” and I agreed.
I knew that when the walk was over,
we would return to the crowded flat,
remove our coats, pour out the gin and tonic
into glasses we had already left to chill.
Habits, like walks and dogs, we could not
forego without a sense of loss.
And all the while memories rising
to the surface that could never be repeated:
little girls playing in their starched summer
dresses, the boys in rubber flip-flops,
the sound of birds and monkeys all tangled
up in the soughing of the great green
leaves, their broad plates catching green rain
water and sunlight in one glorious crystalline
riot of coolness on the hottest of summer days.
It left me breathless.
It left me, like so many things, alone.
Tip of the Day: Look through a book of your favorite paintings, choose one, and start writing. I experimented with poetry in my examples here, but you might want to go a step further and try plotting an entire novel or screenplay based on a work of art. And don't just stop with writing. The collage at the top of the post is a Polyvore set I made taking Gauguin as my inspiration. Play, have fun, and make something to fill your creative soul.
I'm baaaack--from a great 3-day weekend in Santa Fe, NM, that is. I had a wonderful time attending the New Mexico Women Author's Book Festival where I presented my talk, "Researching the Children's Book."
The subject is especially important to me as five of my books are for young readers, and I've never written any book for any age group, fiction or nonfiction, that I haven't had to research. Convincing other people that this is even necessary, though, is a whole 'nother story. Only a few days ago someone asked me, "Why would anyone research a children's book?"
Comments and questions like this can make authors for children want to overcompensate and tackle far more research than is actually necessary or required for the book they are writing. But too much research can be as bad as not enough. Staying mired in endless research can be a convenient excuse for not writing anything at all.
My three rules for researching the children's book are: keep it light, keep it fun, and keep it as accurate as possible because chances are that whatever you put in a book could stick with a young reader for life. I know I believed everything I read growing up, and I still can't believe there are no tigers in Africa. In line with my three rules, I have five steps to keep my research on track:
Step One. I only research or write on subjects that I love or find interesting. I've never chosen a subject because it was "hot" or because I thought it would be a quick sale. Sometimes editors will suggest a topic to you. Be wary about saying "yes" too quickly. If you don't hold much passion for that subject, not only will the research process be long and tedious, but it will show in your writing.
Step Two. Once I've settled on a topic, I ask myself three questions: What do I already know about this subject? What would a child want to know about it? And what are the things I need to know for this particular project? These questions keep my research focused. They also help me to think in terms of "kid-sized portions."
Step Three. Once I've brainstormed my answers, I start my research, often starting with the encyclopedia followed by the children's section of the library. In today's info-driven world, the choice of resources can be overwhelming, a dilemma made even worse by the Internet, which I have to say is not my favorite place to acquire facts. The information found there is often too subjective and in some cases, downright wrong. That said, the Internet is great for finding leads and links to sites and book titles I feel I can trust.
Whatever your preferred method, though, the worst thing you can do is check out 50 library books and set out for a "course of study." Perhaps the most cumbersome part of this process is accumulating so much good information that you feel compelled to add it to your book whether it fits, is required, or is even interesting to anyone else but you. This is particularly true for fiction. Novels can be ruined by research. Information-heavy stories often seem contrived and can ring false, especially for younger readers.
Step Four. Now that you have your basics in place, you will want to add the flavor, the spice, those specific and unique details that make you and your reader feel "I really was there!" My favorite research technique is to travel, which I admit is not always the easiest to do, but travel doesn't always have to be out of the country. It can be as close as visiting the next town over. If you can take a trip, take your journal, make dated and continuous entries, and go to all the places that have nothing to do with tourism: grocery stores, schools, suburbs, post offices, banks, malls, apartment blocks, recreation centers, toy stores, houses of worship...in other words, all the places that make up a child's world in that particular setting. Record details with your five senses, especially if you visit any kind of local industry. And stay honest: if someplace is stinky--say so! Inquiring kids love the worst of details.
If long-distance travel is impossible, I've often found foreign consulates and embassies to be great sources of information. Not only do they have dozens of free publications they will happily give you, but many of them have excellent libraries and and photo banks for you to use as well.
Magazines, my source for all sorts of things such as collage and found poetry, are also pretty good when they're used the way they were designed: to be read! Writer's Market 
can be a starting point for finding industry-specific magazines with topics ranging from ice cream making to tropical pets to motor racing. And don't forget to clip out, arrange, and study the accompanying photos for details not included in the actual articles.
Step Five. Beyond the reference book. Sources such as cookbooks (children love to learn about weird food); foreign newspaper classified ads (What's for sale? How much does it cost? What kind of jobs are being offered?), and local chambers of commerce can all point you in a new and unexpected direction.
And then there are blogs. Here's where I think the Internet comes into its own. Sometimes it seems the whole world is keeping a blog, and that's not such a bad thing. Blogs, especially those written by young people and children, can be good sources for personal, day-to-day tidbits that you would never have been able to access in the past. Written by real teens and families, blogs tell real stories about aspects of life you could never make up.
Step Six. Round-up. Once your facts are in place, sift through and don't be afraid to discard anything that's boring or puts you to sleep. As a writer for children, always think in terms of, "What would I have loved knowing as a child?" As soon as you start thinking, "Children need to know..." or, "Children should know..." you're entering dangerous territory, one that borders on the moral tale: "And after her disobedience burned down the entire street, little Suzie never played with matches again..."
The best advice I've ever heard came from my first editor when I wrote my first book on New Zealand: "We want a nonfiction book that children will choose to pick up and read because they want to, not because someone told them they had to." Goes for pretty much everything we want to write, don't you think?
Tip of the Day. More than anything, children want to know about other children. They want to know what happens during a school day, what games children play around the world, what are the jokes, what pets do they have, the clothing, what do their houses or rooms look like? When reading for pleasure, children rarely care about how many tons of export products come from where, or the precise dates that mark the beginnings and endings of long ago wars. Keep your information interesting and you'll keep a child reading.
