Stay Creative Every Day, Tip #3

I've always loved that ancient joke about how to get to Carnegie Hall:  practice, practice, practice.  But sometimes practicing can be difficult or boring, especially when you're not feeling particularly motivated to just sit down and repeat the same old thing over and over.  Which is why I strongly believe that every time you read a how-to book, it's a good idea to:

Tip #3:  Do the exercises!  (Even the ones you don't like.)

Here's my top reasons why:

• The exercises have been designed to help you step-by-step.  If you do them, you really will improve your skills.
• They're much cheaper than the tuition and travel expenses of taking a workshop--and easier too.  You can wear your pajamas if you feel like it!
• Exercises can help you to create--and stick with--a dedicated creativity schedule.  You choose the best time of day or night to take your private class.
• You never have to worry about what to write or paint next.  Doing your exercises eliminates the blank page or empty canvas forever.
• Doing an exercise you don't like, or at least some of it, helps you to understand what it's like working freelance or under editorial direction.
• Exercises force you to explore and get out of your comfort zone.
• And you might like them more than you thought you would once you're finished.
• Which might also give you a whole new direction for your creative work, one you never considered before.
• Often an exercise can expand into a published or salable piece of work.
• Just like changing a recipe, it's fun to tweak an exercise, adding your own touches and giving it a unique, personal twist.
• You can take exercises to your writing groups.  The exercises can be the foundation of "assignments" for your group to do in-between meetings, or they can be used for freewriting sessions together at the actual meetings.  They can even be the reason a group meets.
• Completing a series of exercises is an excellent way to build your confidence and rack up your creative achievements.  You can say to the world:  "See?  I stuck with it and (wrote, painted, learned to play a musical instrument, made a new dinner set, opened an etsy jewelry store).  I did it--and I can do much more in the future too!"

Tip of the Day:  Once you've finished a series of how-to exercises, do them again.  Not only will you have an entirely new perspective the second time around, but you'll have a stronger set of skills to use as well

Stay Creative Every Day, Tip #2

It's snowing in Albuquerque today, the perfect excuse to stay home and write about: 

 
Tip #2:  Read How-to Books, lots of them!

I love any book that has something to teach or is written as a workbook.  In fact, as soon as I see anything with the word "workbook" in the title, I'm hooked.  Only a couple of days ago I was at a bookstore renting DVDs when I saw a used copy of Animal Painting Workbook by David Webb.  It didn't take me long to know I had to buy it, and I'm glad I did; I've decided it's going to be the foundation of my painting and drawing practice in the New Year.

Most of my favorite how-to books center on art and writing.  Top of my all-time "best" list has to be Natalie Goldberg's Writing Down the Bones, followed by Wild Mind.  Others include Making a Good Writer Great, by Linda Seger, and Nick Bantock's book on collage techniques, Urgent 2nd Class. 

Reading cookbooks and step-by-step travel guides can be another way to keep creativity on tap.  My well-worn and much-loved copy of The Complete Asian Cookbook by Charmaine Solomon has given me the confidence to make authentic Indian dishes from dhal to kulfi, and even invent my own vegetarian curries based on her ideas.  It also gave me the idea for a character from India in one of my on-going WIPs. 

One great trick I've learned for using art instruction books, and the over-sized ones in particular, is to tear them up.  There, I said it.  But using them in the conventional manner, i.e., trying to keep the pages open and flat (impossible with a paperback), and then still have space left on my work table to draw or paint can be challenging to say the least.  What I now do is separate the pages from the binding and hold them together with a bulldog clip.  When I want to try an exercise or copy a drawing, I take it from the stack and tape it to the wall.  This has made such a difference to how often and willing I am to use my art books that I wish more were published this way.  (Could also work for cookbooks, too.)

I buy a lot of my how-to books second-hand.  The subjects have ranged from knitting to pottery-making, but I must admit I don't keep many of them.  Unless it's going to be something I'll use again, I usually pass the books on to my friends, writing groups, and the library used bookstore--a great place to find more how-to books!

Tip of the Day:  Reading how-to books are a necessary--and enjoyable--part of the creative process, but writing one of your own can be even better.  When I wrote The Essential Guide for New Writers, From Idea to Finished Manuscript I think I learned more about writing than at any other time in my life. 

To get started writing your own how-to book, list 12 things you know how to do that could be the basis of a book.  Choose one topic and then organize it into 12 potential chapters.  Make each chapter the solution to a problem and add some how-to exercises at the end.  Start writing!  The how-to books that have meant the most to me have also included the author's personal life-story and creative journeys.  Freewrite and add similar examples to your own chapters.

Radio Show! "Stay Creative Every Day."

Last week I did something entirely new for me:  I was interviewed for a web radio show, Live at the Edge, with Dr. Doris Jeanette.  And guess what?  It was so much fun!  The show is now up and running and you can listen here, as well as print out a special PDF I made for the interview:  "12 Ways to Stay Creative Every Day."

When I told Doris that I would be sure to write a blog post to let everyone know about the show and my guest spot, she had a great suggestion--write 12 posts.  I liked this idea because I've been wanting to blog more anyway, but it also gives me a chance to write a little bit extra about each of my 12 tips in the PDF. 

So in the spirit of "The 12 Days of Christmas," I thought I'd make December "Creativity Month" and take each one of the tips as a separate post, starting with: 

#1:  Use Your Favorite Tools.  My choices include fountain pens, plum ink, top quality journals, good pencils, paints, and watercolor or other papers.

I can't imagine writing with a broken pen, or on paper that didn't have a smooth finish and a good weight to it.  But that's just me.  I have friends who love newsprint and old biros, others who couldn't live without chalk.  Whatever we choose, though, will still come down to the same thing:  when we like our tools, we like our work, and it will show in the finished product.  More reasons to use your favorites include:

• Materials you like to use will inspire you.
• Choosing ink that flows, or a brush that fits your hand just makes life a whole lot easier!
• You feel more serious and professional about your artist/writer self when you buy good tools.
• Buying the tools you want is a great step forward in making future artistic decisions; ones that define who you are as a creative being.
• Your chosen materials and mediums express who you are right away to your audience.
• Making a conscious choice about your materials expresses your uniqueness and independence.
• And it's a great way to learn how to give up the “shoulds” in life, e.g., "You should use oils, you shouldn't use an eraser, you should never use black…"
• Our day jobs can be too full of "office stuff":  white paper, red ink, #2 pencils.  Fun materials set firm boundaries between the workplace and a chance to enjoy some playtime every day.
• Nice materials make your creative space attractive and inviting, a true haven away from the pressures and responsibilities of daily life. 
• Which means you will look forward to going to your writing area or drawing table.
• Fun materials are a way to give yourself permission to experiment.  If you’ve always wanted to try purple glitter glue—why stop there?  How about purple origami paper?  Purple beads?  Purple feathers?
• Shopping for art and writing supplies makes for a great Julia Cameron "artist’s date."  No excuses to stay home when you need to buy gold gel pens or a new Moleskine!

Tip of the Day:  It's December, season of holidays and gift-giving.  This year, consider gifts that encourage your friends’ creativity.  Schools and teachers in particular need art supplies of all kinds.  Happy creating, and be sure to tune in to Live at the Edge with Dr. Doris Jeanette.

At the End of the Day--My Top 12 Writing Tips

I can't believe I haven't blogged in over a month--disgraceful!  My only excuse is I am so consumed with Overtaken pre-pub I barely have time to eat or sleep, let alone blog.  But I've certainly missed you all. It's also been difficult for me to think of a blog-worthy topic right now, but since this is primarily a blog about writing, and we're in the middle of Nanowrimo (which I am NOT participating in this year, thank goodness) I thought I'd share some of my fave writing tips.  At the end of the day, when all is said and done, these are the ones that have always served me the best:

1.  Go for pages rather than word counts.  Yes, I know Nanowrimo is all about hitting that 50,000 word goal, but if you set yourself a number of pages per day first, you'll find you can surpass that final number, and ahead of time too,  During the rest of the year, watching your pages add up is, fo me, far more satisfying than stressing over a bloated word count.

2.  Break your writing sessions up into several sittings per day.  It's a bad idea to work on anything for longer than an hour without a break.  Writing is no exception.  Schedule your writing session for various times during the day (or night).  You'll be more productive.

3.  And break those sessions up too!  For instance, give yourself 15 minutes to freewrite, then stand up and get a drink of water.  Then take 15 minutes to write some more.  Stop, read a few magazine pages.  Then go for, say, 30 minutes...have lunch.  You get the picture.

4.  Write your first draft from start to finish--without editing.  While you're writing the first or discovery draft, try not to look back at your previous pages unless it's for something like a quick reminder of a character's name or the last thing he or she said when you put your pen down.

5.  Write your last scene first.  I've always thought it's important to know where I want my story to go.  I consider this last scene or page the equivalent of a life raft, something to swim toward when the going gets rough.

6.  Always diagram a "W" goal structure even if you have no other plot or outline, starting with:  What does my main character want, and why can't she/or he have it?   (For more information on the full "W" and what exactly it is, check out The Essential Guide for New Writers, From Idea to Finished Manuscript, currently on super sale at valeriestorey.com.)

7.  Write longhand whenever you can.  In my workshops I've always taught:  ideas come through our heads, pass through our hearts, and are expressed through our hands--with a brush, pen or pencil, or even a twig.  There's something very honest and fresh when we write by hand.  I also think it's much easier and more comfortable than any other method.

8.  Print out every draft.  Edit and rewrite from a paper version of your manuscript, rather than relying on your computer screen to catch errors or ways to improve and polish your writing.  The difference between the two formats and what you can find "wrong" is astonishing.

9.  Collage your feelings, scenes, chapters, characters, and book covers, and keep them all together in your manuscript binder.  For more information on writing with magazine cut-outs, just click here.

10.  Write with a friend.  Create a writing group that's based on productivity rather than critique.  Have assignments and goals to accomplish between meetings.

11.  Always be aware of your genre and where you want your book to be in the bookstore--both online and bricks-and-mortar.  This is especially helpful for writing query letters and synopses, but it's also a good way to keep your writing on track.  Know your genre and how you fit into it, or how and why your manuscript is taking that genre in a new direction.

12.  Be playful.  Use as many prompts, tricks, what-ifs as you can throughout the writing process.  Be willing to change your story when it tells you to.  Be outrageous, be daring, "go for the jugular," as Natalie Goldberg always says, and do your best to enjoy the journey through all its many stages.

So there we are!  Happy Nanowrimo, everybody.  Now back to our writing.

Tip of the Day:  Let's make it a baker's dozen and throw in a 13th tip:  Don't be afraid of your creativity.  If you're fearful of "what will people think," use a pseudonym.  If you're afraid of failure, tell yourself it's all pretend, anyway, and much more fun than washing the floor.  Good luck!

Overtaken Update (and Another Blog Award--Yay!)

Wow--the last few weeks have been hectic, sending me far away from my blog, my usual social media sites, my life...  Proofing Overtaken has been intense to say the least.  Scary, nerve-racking, and insomnia-producing would be good descriptions of the process, too.

But during all this sturm und drung, there have also been some bright spots along the way, starting with The New Mexico Women Author's Book Festival in Santa Fe where I presented a workshop on making book trailers (yes, it will be a future blog post!) and where I signed copies of Better Than Perfect as well as The Essential Guide for New Writers. 

And,

I received another blog award--this time from the wonderful "writer of creative nonfiction, poetry, and musings" Chris Galvin Thank you, Chris!  I really appreciate you thinking of me.

This is the second time I've been given the Versatile Blogger Award, and it's an award I love.  Versatility is the soul of creativity and I'm grateful that my friends acknowledge how much I enjoy blogging and sharing new ideas with you.

The requirements that come with the award are that I share it with 15 other bloggers, notify them that they have received the award, and that I then list 7 things about myself. 

Because 15 is a rather hefty number, I'm going to break it down over the weeks so that I can include not only some of my favorite blogs, but new ones that I discover along the way.  This week I'm going to start with two:  

suzcatsilverdesigns

doseofcreativity

Congratulations to these lovely and multi-talented bloggers, people who truly epitomize what it means to be a  "versatile blogger." 

As for the "7 things about me," I thought for a change of pace I would list 7 things about Overtaken.  These are:

1. The story is set in London and a privately-owned Greek island.
2. My main character is named Sara Elliott and she is an artist.
3. I started writing the book as an exercise in a workshop at the International Women's Writing Guild summer conference in Saratoga Springs.  Pages 15-16 of the finished manuscript were first written in a morning workshop presented by poet and author of Gifted Grownups, Mary Lou Streznewski, and the last page was written in a class I took later that same afternoon, led by Emily Hanlon, author of Petersburg and The Art of Fiction Writing.  When I got home from the conference I was too busy with other projects to even look through my notebook.
4. But when I did start thinking about turning those exercises into a full draft, I entered the first 50 pages into the Gothic Romance Authors Haunted Hearts contest, the first contest I'd ever entered, and I won 3rd place!
5. Overtaken is the most unusual book I've ever written, a modern literary gothic, part fairy tale, part metaphysical search.
6. It was also the first book I'd ever used my "magazine cut-out" collaging techniques to help develop my plot, setting, and characters.
7. I wrote my entire first draft and all extra material long hand.  I then transcribed it onto paper using my trusty Panasonic KXE-700M typewriter, and then finally transcribed it again onto my computer.  Writing long hand and using my typewriter were definitely my two favorite stages.

So there we are!  Just a few more weeks and with any luck Overtaken will be published at the end of the month.  Whew.  Now back to my proofing.

Tip of the Day:  It was fun for me to make a list of "7 things about Overtaken," making me think it would be a good idea to do something similar for my other books, including those already published and those still in the WIP stage.  Not only is it a good jumpstart to future marketing, but it helped to clarify my thinking for those times when I'm asked, "Where do you get your ideas?" or "What is your book about?" 

In the meantime, do visit the blogs I've mentioned here and say "Hi!" to their writers.  You'll be glad you did.

Overtaken: We Have a Proof!

OVERTAKEN:  The proof is here at last, complete with cover art which I absolutely could not resist sharing with you all.  I'm thrilled with the way it turned out, and I'm just as pleased with the look of the interior pages too.

So armed with my trusty red pen, mini post-its, and a brand new legal pad, I am now taking the next few days off to go through the entire book line by line, word by word.  Again (!).  Oh, well.  As they say, "the proof is in the pudding" and my choice is pistachio.  Should keep me sustained until publication day.  Wish me luck!

Tip of the Day:  Keep writing--keep drawing--keep going.  There were days--weeks and months--when I thought I would never be holding a copy of this book in my hands.  How silly was that?  If I could give you just one word that means everything to me, it would be:  Persevere.  It's the only way to accomplish anything.  See you soon. 

Poetry Reading

My first poetry reading!  In public!

Last night I had the privilege of being part of the Quinto Sol/Sexto Sol, Dissolution and Creation opening held at the South Broadway Cultural Center here in Albuquerque. 

The event was organized by Vistas Latinas, and was designed to be: "An art exhibition that will explore the meaning of the year 2012.  By understanding our past, we can create the present, and envision the future."   It was an amazing night:  incredible visual art; a mysterious piece of performance art, music from young musicians (very young!), good food, and of course, poetry reading.  Adding to the fun was the welcome addition of a dramatic rainstorm, much-needed after a summer of severe drought. 

The idea of including poetry came from one of the exhibit's curators and exhibiting artists, Elaine Soto.  And when she invited me to participate along with six other poets (as in, ahem, real poets), I was nervous.  I'm a prose writer; when I write poetry it's for fun, journaling, experimentation.  I'd never tried writing a poem for an event, and I'd certainly never read a poem in front of an audience larger than my writer's group.  It was a challenge for sure, especially given the large theme of the Mayan Calendar and (maybe) the end of the world. 

In the end I decided to take the theme into a more personal perspective, hoping that by doing so it could also translate into a universal metaphor of life and death, "dissolution and creation."  I wrote:

Waiting for an Orchid to Bloom

Can take days, months; so many other

things can happen while that bud sits

as tight and full as a little bound foot.

Anticipating my own rebirth,

I watch the turning on the stalk,

A secret thing preparing its rotation, sudden and fetal.

Only orchids can make this sharp turning.

Only orchids swerve in answer to the pull of time.

The opening—if ever it comes—will be sudden and unexpected.

My own calendar means nothing to this

green creature poised and placed to follow

the unbreakable rules of feng shui.

My wealth corner is its doom.

It has no choice to leave for better light or conditions.

Instead, it stays where I insist it bring me

luck, or happiness, things it will never understand,

things it answers with stubbornness, shyness, and grief.

Only last week two buds died of blast,

withered and shrinking beneath my impatient

testing and tapping for soundness.

I held the fallen heads between my hands, an ugly tobacco yellow

staining and replacing the creamy greenness

of their first appearance.

Stillborn and hollow, whatever life they had to offer fled.

I wept.

Now all my future is bound and cast into one

last bundle, one final bud,

that forbidden package sealed and silent,

speaking only to itself.

I wait to weep again.

Tip of the Day:  Writing to a pre-set theme can be intimidating.  I'm thinking about all those times I've looked through both prose and poetry calls for contests and magazine submissions, and thought, "What would I write??"  However, after this particular exercise, I learned that the best way to tackle the project is to start small, bring it home, and not try to cover absolutely everything that comes to mind.  Thanks for reading--have a great Labor Day Weekend!