Run/Revise

September 24, 2012September 23, 201233 Comments

I like to run almost as much as I like to write. I run six days a week, anywhere from six to nine miles a day, and log at least forty miles a week. Running is my quiet time, my peaceful time, my thinking time. I don’t listen to music, and I prefer to go early, before sunrise, so I’m alone on the trail and free to let my mind wander. When I’m running, I muse on whatever I happen to be plotting/writing/revising. I’ve worked out dozens of story issues and have had countless breakthroughs while pounding the pavement. In fact, my morning runs are what got me through my latest revision with my sanity (barely) in tact. (Anecdote: Recently I emailed Agent Vickie to tell her about an ah ha! moment I had while running. She responded with Imagine what you’d accomplish if you ran a marathon! Right?!)

Gearing up for five miles... #challengephotomay #fit #photoadaymay #you

(Oh, look… My legs. Because these days I’m terrified to use anyone’s images but my own.)

Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about how the psychological stages of running parallel the psychological stages of revising. Anyone who’s ever taken a jog knows that there are peaks and valleys that come with the workout, and for me, revisions are the same. I took some time to jot down a few notes about the ups and downs I endure while running, and I was excited about how perfectly they align with the mental ups and downs I experience while revising…

Initial Dread – Running: When my alarm blares at 5:00 a.m. Revising: When CP/agent notes arrive in my inbox. Emotions Experienced: Fear, trepidation, curiosity. Duration: Until the running/revising actually begins.

False High – Running: The first mile or so (my first mile is downhill, so I’m usually feeling extra good). Revising: The beginnings of brainstorming–oh, this is so doable! Emotions Experienced: Bogus confidence, excitement, naivety. Duration: Until the first challenge (uphill climb, plot hole) surfaces.

Slogging (A Technical Term) – Running: Mile two, when my feet are dragging and my breath is stilted. Revising: Picking through my manuscript, muddling through the easy stuff, avoiding the big (read: HARD) changes because my objectives still aren’t quite solidified. Emotions Experienced: Uncertainty, avoidance, inability to focus. Duration: Varies, but hopefully not too long. Can often be cured by chocolate/coffee/and, um… running.

Setting A Pace – Running: Miles three and four, when I stop thinking about how hard running is and start thinking about how lucky I am to be able to do it. Revising: When the changes start to make sense and a picture of what the manuscript could be begins to take shape. Emotions Experienced: Belief that maybe it can be done, renewed motivation. Duration: Until that BIG hurdle arises–you know the one. The hurdle that seems impossible to clear and makes you want to collapse on the sidewalk (running), or throw your computer through a window (revising).

I’ll-Never-Finish Rut – Running: Mile five, when my knees start to hurt and the sun starts to rise and I’m hot and sweaty and feeling sorry for myself. Revising: When my manuscript is so torn up it’s unrecognizable. It seems impossible to piece into something even loosely resembling a story. (This, too, is usually the point at which one of my friends gets an agent or a book deal or an amazing review and, while I’m thrilled for them, I’m also indulging in a secret pity party.) Emotions Experienced: Terror, misgiving, mild insanity. Duration: Capable of breaking off the weak, but ushing through is imperative, otherwise I might never…

Find My Stride – Running: Miles six and seven, when I fall into the workout. This, for me, is the best part–when I feel like a real runner. Revising: When I find my groove and get into my zone, this is when I’m at my happiest and most productive. I somehow find a way to make my manuscript and my characters fit back together and it’s magical–I feel like a real writer! Emotions Experienced: Acceptance, contentment, gratification. Duration: Until the final push.

Home Stretch – Running: My home stretch is a long series of stairs that lead up to my neighborhood, so yeah… It’s tough. But the end is in sight, so I always know I’ll make it. Revising: Plugging those final holes, checking for continuity, reassessing character arcs and word choices and sentence structure. Tedious, but totally doable. Emotions Experienced: Exhilaration, anticipation… There’s a light at the end of the tunnel! Duration: Right through to the end.

Victory! – Running: The cool down, the cold glass of water, the hot shower. Revising: The final read-through, and that spine-tingling excitement that comes with emailing a finished draft to CPs/betas/my agent. Emotions Experienced: Pride, delight, and nerves at getting to do it all over again sometime down the road. Duration: Until that next run, or that next revision.

Tell me: Do you experience similar highs and lows when revising? How do you deal?

Friday Five: On taking a break…

September 7, 2012September 6, 201239 Comments

As you may know, I’ve been working feverishly on a revision. And by feverishly, I mean I’m sitting in front of my laptop whenever a I have a quiet minute. When I’m NOT working (I have a family that, while fantastic, demands a fair amount of my time), I’m mentally obsessing about when I’ll be back at my computer, typing away.

Honestly, I was starting to get a little burnt out on my revision. My motivation was lagging and my creative inspiration was drained almost dry.

Until yesterday…

Yesterday was a very busy day. I was up at 4:30am and didn’t go to bed until after 10pm. I didn’t actively revise AT ALL. That’s a rarity, and all day I was feeling distantly guilty and a little bitter about my lack of time to work. I just want to finish this revision, you know?

But… yesterday was a really good day.

1. I had an excellent run, and was home before the sun came up.

2. I got to volunteer in my girlie’s kindergarten classroom. I got to spend time painting with adorable five-year-olds who told me sweet stories about their families and their favorite colors and the things they like most about school.

3. I had brunch at a very tasty restaurant with a very good friend. The girl talk was much needed and much appreciated!

4. I completed my first ever Bikram Yoga class. That’s twenty-six postures in ninety minutes in a one-hundred-five degree room. It was so freaking hard, yet I can’t wait to go back!

5. And, I found my first ever four leaf clover!

Moral of the story? Sometimes a day free of outlining/writing/revising can be a GOOD THING. While part of me wishes I’d made some progress on my WiP yesterday, a bigger part of me is grateful for the break. I feel refreshed and inspired and motivated, ready to tackle revising again today.

Tell Me: How often do you take a day off from writing? What do you do to reclaim your creative inspiration?

Pity Party

August 20, 2012August 20, 201262 Comments

I’m throwing myself one, here and now.

While I try to keep the tone of this blog generally upbeat, I’ve been feeling very blah lately. My blahs, I think, stem from a few different catalysts. May I elaborate?

One, news I’ve been anxiously awaiting pretty much the entire summer finally trickled in and… it was not great. Two, I’m smack in the middle of a revision that, while necessary (and awesome), is giving me more than its fair share of fits. Three, my daughter is in school now, all day, every day, and despite the much-needed additional work time, I’m a little lonely. Four, I can’t for the life of me get into a book. I’ve been picking up and putting down the same two for a week-and-a-half, and neither of them will hold my attention. And five, the winding down of summer… Eh. I’m a fun-in-the-sun girl, and I always feel a little down when the weather starts to turn.

Transition and change and the unpredictable can be tough, and lately I feel like I’m seeing A LOT of all three.

So, yeah. Boo hoo.

The good news is: I’m not alone! Posts throughout the blogosphere have cemented that over the last week, particularly this one from Caroline Richmond, and this one from Christa Desir. My writing friends make me feel normal, and for that I’m grateful.

In that spirit, I invite you to join my pity party. It’s right here, right now, and since you can’t bring brownies or Bud Light, I welcome you to leave a gripe (big or small, important or insignificant) in the comments . We can all take a few moments to wallow together, and then we can let our crap go and move onward, toward a better week. A happier week!

So, what are you bringing to my pity party?

Admittedly, it’s hard to be *too* grouchy when I get to spend afternoons laughing with this girlie.

MAY I tell you something about (my) writing (process)?

May 21, 2012May 20, 201225 Comments

I’ve read some recent posts by a few Blog Me MAYbe-ers about their processes for plotting and first-drafting. I love learning about how other writers do what they do, and I find the differences in our individual methods so fascinating. I thought I’d share a bit about how I go about getting words on the page.

I’m a plotter, both in writing and in life. I like to have a plan for everything: day-to-day activities, traveling, tackling the grocery store, and, most definitely writing. That’s not to say I’m completely rigid. I CAN be flexible. Things change – of course they do – but anytime there’s a change, especially where my WiP is concerned, I prefer to make a note of it on my outline.

Here’s my basic process for plotting and first-drafting:

1) Once I’ve stewed over an idea for a good, long while (like, months) I write a one sentence pitch. This forces me to boil that often vague idea down to its true essence. Later, I use this initial pitch to write a three-line pitch, then a full query-type blurb to eventually pass on to my agent.

2) Next I make a list of any scenes I already have in my head, which is pretty much an enormous brainstorming session. This often takes awhile, and I add to the list as inspiration strikes and new scenes take shape.

3) I tackle a beat sheet, plugging scenes into appropriate places, and coming up with new ones to fill in the gaps. The beat sheet I use is a melding of the one in Blake Snyder’s Save the Cat, the phases in The Hero’s Journey, and the layout detailed by Susan Dennard in this fantastic Pub(lishing) Crawl post titled How to Write a 1-Page Synopsis. My personal beat sheet has evolved to look something like this:

Ordinary World

Inciting Incident – What event/decision/change prompts the main character to take initial action?

Meeting with Mentor

Plot Point 1 – What action does the MC take that changes the book’s direction?

Conflicts & Character Encounters – MC meets new people, experiences a new life, meets the antagonist.

Midpoint – Another no-going-back turning point for the MC.

Rosy Glow – What happens that makes the MC think all’s well?

Plot Point 2 – Winning seems imminent, but the antagonist somehow defeats the MC and ends up more powerful.

Crisis/Black Moment – MC must fight through her emotions to find strength for the final battle.

Lightbulb Moment

Climax – Final blowout between MC and the antagonist.

Resolution

4) Once I have a complete beat sheet, I make an outline, scene by scene and color-coded according to plot lines and character interactions, one I follow pretty closely once I begin to write. Detailed as my scene outline is, it isn’t set in stone. I add and delete as I go, because once I start writing, the story comes to life and certain aspects inevitably become more or less important.

5) I begin the first draft. I usually write scenes in order, but if one gets me stuck, I just type in a quick place holder (AWESOME CONVERSATION ABOUT KISSING HERE) and move along. In the past, it’s taken me anywhere from one month to three months to complete a first draft. I like to write at least 2K a day when I’m drafting. I’ve found that if I don’t, I lose my momentum. I think we all know how difficult that is to reclaim!

So, that’s pretty much how I do it… It goes without saying that once that first draft is complete, it undergoes major revisions. Like, years worth, sometimes, for me anyway. Occasionally I wish my process could be less formulaic. It seems much more romantic to sit down with an idea and just start writing, but in the past that’s only earned me 133K words of crap. Plotting works for me, so for now I’m sticking with it!

What are your thoughts on plotting and first drafts?

MAY I share something funny?

May 18, 2012April 26, 20129 Comments

Raise your hand if you figured out the theme of today’s funnies!

🙂

I love my daughter more than life, but some days… If I don’t laugh, I’ll cry.

Tell me: What’s your favorite part of being a mama (or daddy or auntie or uncle!)? Or, if you’re not there yet, is there anything about parenthood you look forward to?

MAY I tell you something about The A-Z Challenge?

May 8, 2012May 8, 201226 Comments

Some how, some way, I survived 2012’s April A-Z Challenge. Even in the middle of a rewrite of my contemporary YA manuscript and a family upheaval (also known as an out-of-state move) and all kinds of other craziness, I blogged every day last month. Honestly, typing that now kind of boggles my mind.

So, today I’d love to share a bit about my A-Z Challenge experience using the reflection question so thoughtfully supplied by the A-Z C-hosts and organizers (who rock, by the way… I cannot even fathom the time and energy and effort they dedicated to putting together the blogfest!):

How did your journey through the alphabet go? Did you meet new bloggers with similar interests? I did meet some awesome new bloggers, and I learned tons about bloggers (who participated in A-Z) that I’ve been following for months. I loved getting comments from new readers, and I loved discovering blogs that I probably wouldn’t have happened across without the challenge.

What were the highlights for you? I had a lot of fun planning and writing my posts, then seeing how readers reacted to them. I also enjoyed meeting new bloggers. There are so many smart and creative people out there!

Did you enjoy posting daily? What was your biggest hurdle? What was your easiest task? I did enjoy posting daily, but I’m not gonna lie: It was time-consuming and, at times, a little stressful. I did NOT want to fail the challenge, and getting my posts written (well) and up on on-time made me anxious some days.

Was time management an issue? Surprisingly, the commenting is what gave me the most time-management issues. When I signed up, commenting on five new blogs daily didn’t seem all that daunting. But I didn’t really consider the regular blogs I comment on daily, as well as the new bloggers who visited my blog. I wanted to return the commenting love to everyone, and sometimes that took far longer than I’d anticipated.

And what about your content – did you have a theme or did you wing it? Was it easy to come up with ideas for each letter, or were some harder? No theme. I tried to mix my posts up and give them lots of variety. Sometimes they related to writing craft or reading YA, sometimes to my family, sometimes to current events within the YA community. Sometimes they were completely random, which is always fun. 🙂

How about commenting – did you stumble upon lots of sites still using word verification? Did this prevent you from leaving a comment? Yes, I did stumble on a lot of blogs with word verification, and I found it quite annoying, honestly. I still commented, but I rarely revisited those blogs. I just didn’t have enough time to devote to Captcha.

What will you do different next year? Hmm… Not 100% sure I’ll participate again next year. While I loved the challenge and had a blast creating my posts and meeting new bloggers, the time commitment was a bit much. Depending on what’s going on in my life next April, the A-Z Challenge might be one of those “Bucket List” things that I’ll check off now and reminisce about later.

What pearls of wisdom do you want to share with the Co-Hosts of this event? From my perspective, A-Z ran smoothly. I thought the Co-Hosts did fabulously, and again, I’m so grateful to them for all their hard work!

Tell me: Did you participate in the A-Z Challenge? Will you next year?

D is for Delusions

April 4, 2012April 3, 201236 Comments

Delusions.

All writers have them. In our heads, they often masquerade as confidence. Confidence is a GOOD thing. We need to be confident, to believe that our work is (or will one day be) worthy of being read, and that our efforts aren’t for nothing. We need confidence in order to press on.

Delusions are confidence’s evil step-sister. They keep us from moving forward, from honing our craft, and from growing as writers. They can be incredibly disadvantageous. Delusions keep us from reaching the success we dream of.

A few delusions I’ve entertained over the years:

Plot and structure are for conformists.

I don’t need to have my work critiqued; no one knows my story as well as I do.

Revisions are unnecessary; my story will be perfect the first time around.

I don’t need to abide by word count guidelines; every word of my (133,000 word) manuscript is golden.

Just wait until agents see this FIRST DRAFT of my FIRST MANUSCRIPT… They’ll be falling all over themselves to sign me.

I’ll definitely be one of those rare debut authors who sells at auction for six figures.

I know. Ridiculous, right?! It was sort of embarrassing even typing that insanity out, but looking back reminds me of how far I’ve come, and how vastly I’ve been educated.

Confidence = Good ~ Delusions = Bad

Admit it… you’ve entertained a few writing delusions of your own. Care to share?

The Two Minute Tension Test

February 21, 2012February 19, 201226 Comments

Brace yourself: Today I’m doling out writing advice. It’s hard-earned (on my part), though, so hopefully it’ll be helpful to you.

One of my greatest writing challenges is tension. I have a way with penning detailed descriptions, witty dialogue, and sweet (or steamy) kisses, but infusing my stories with high stakes and intense conflict is not my strength. I love the people who populate my books and, inherently, I want them content. The problem is, content does not make for an exciting read. I’m constantly working at finding ways to make my characters suffer. I want–need!–my readers to worry about these people I’ve created because really… why else will they continue turning pages?

So, I’ve devised The Two Minute Tension Test as a way to keep myself and my writing in check. It’s easy and it literally takes two minutes, but it’s made a big difference in my writing, especially the rewrite I’m currently working on.

To administer the Two Minute Tension Test, I highlight approximately three-hundred totally random words (about a page) in my manuscript. Then I read through them carefully, without the context of the scenes and the words that come before and after (as if I’m planning to post the three-hundred word sample as a teaser or for a contest or whatever). When I’m finished reading, I take serious stock of what happened within the highlighted sample.

Then I ask myself the following questions:

Did I introduce a question (however big or small) about a character or a plot thread?
Is whatever’s going on in this snippet the absolute WORST that can happen to these characters?
Did I include a hook, something to pull my reader on to the next three-hundred words?
Did I give my reader a reason to care?

If the answer to any of those questions is NO, then I know I’ve got work to do. I either fix the problem immediately (because I have very little patience for a known deficiency) or I make a note of it in my outline to address later.

The Two Minute Tension Test is small-scale. It’s looking at the trees instead of the forest, if you will, but it’s a great way to zone in and assess your story in manageable bits. Once you’re proficient at applying it to three-hundred-word chunks, you can apply it to scenes, then chapters, then acts, and so forth.

So, there you have it: The Two Minute Tension Test.

Tell me: What’s your writing weakness? How do you compensate?

Goals, 2012

January 3, 2012January 2, 201238 Comments

Now that 2012 is upon us, I’ve been thinking a lot about what I want to accomplish in the new year. I toyed with the idea of writing down some resolutions, but somehow that felt flat, like making a bunch of empty promises. I just haven’t found the motivation to do it.

Still, I’ve been setting some mental goals (most significantly: write at least a thousand new words, Monday-Friday, and keep up with my current exercise routine). Then I read a post by my brilliant friend Erin Bowman referencing writer Jessica Corra, who blogged about how she picks a Word of the Year instead of making traditional resolutions. She strives to keep that one word in mind throughout the year. Jessica said: Resolutions are too compartmental, too specific and practical. I prefer a word, an attitude, a way of being.

I love this idea. In fact, I love it so much I want to do it too!

I’d planned to mull over my word for a few days, until I’d settled on the perfect one, one that would express the attitude and mental posture I want to adopt for the entirety of the upcoming year. But, there was one word that popped into my head almost immediately, one I kept coming back to over and over again. What is that word?

RESOLVE

Resolve kind of encompasses all the goals I’ve set for the year, big and small, and it will hopefully help me to accomplish them. For me, resolve means, simply, setting my mind to something and making it happen. Choosing to make responsible decisions even when they’re not easy or fun or popular…

Ordering a salad over a cheeseburger at Red Robin. Walking my dogs even if it’s windy and cold. Writing to my daily word goal, regardless of whether I’m tired or grumpy or uninspired. Starting my day early, with yoga, even when my bed feels warm and cozy. Reading my prerequisite one craft book per month even when there’s a hot new release I’d rather pick up. Walking past my daughter’s M&M treat even though they look incredibly tasty. Staying strong, mentally and physically.

So, that’s it.

RESOLVE.

Hold me to it, would ya? 🙂

And on that note, I’ll be taking a bit of a blog-cation over the next several weeks. I’ve come to the realization that my writing vs. blogging time has become a bit unbalanced, and that’s something I need to remedy. I mean, what’s the point of keeping an “Aspiring Author” blog if I’m not really, um, authoring anything?

I’ve got some lofty aspirations for this New Year, specifically: Finish the rewrite of tentatively entitled Cross My Heart, and complete a first draft of something shiny and pretty and exciting and new. Plus, my husband’s deployment will come to an end in approximately six (SIX!) weeks, and I’ve got lots to do to prepare for his homecoming.

That’s not to say that this blog will be entirely wordless. I still plan on participating in some of YA Highway‘s Road Trip Wednesdays, and I’ll definitely share some Bookanista recommendations, but things around here will be quieter. Sort of like her…