All About the Writing

Mysteries and Margaritas (and Mojitos)

Today I am guest blogging at Mysteries and Margaritas, a fun blog of mystery writers. I am talking about Why I Love Mysteries, so come on over and chat with us.  It's sure to be a great time!

The Time of Your Writing Life

Time is such a funny concept.

About a million years ago, there was daytime and nighttime. That was it. It didn't really matter what hour of the day it was, so long as you did the daytime things while there was light, and you accomplished the things NOT requiring light when it was nighttime.

I guess at some point somebody needed to know precisely which hour of the day it was--maybe to make sure there actually were twenty-four of them. So, to keep track of time, clocks were invented. It gave us a sense of mastery over time, since we had smooshed it into a box and given it a face with Roman numerals on it--all so we could verify which hour we were using at the precise moment we used it.

Imagine the luxury of compressing time into a pocketwatch, or a wristwatch, so that all the minutes and hours of the day could be transported wherever you went. That invention gave time even more prominence, because now we constantly consult the clock to see how little time we have left to finish an important task, or before we dash off for an appointment.  At work, we watch the clock, wishing it would zoom through the hours so we could go home sooner. We glare at our watch while sitting in a traffic jam, blaming the timekeeper for making everything stand still when we need to rush instead.

Our constant awareness of time has guaranteed there is always too much, and not enough, all at once.

I try to make the best use of my time, because I want to ensure that my writing is given the highest priority, every single day.  Sometimes the best use of my writing time is first thing in the morning, while other days it is in the wee hours when my brain should be fast asleep.

The tricky part is I don't always know where that sweet spot of writing time will be. It's like a floating poker game, in a different place each day, with only a short advance notice as to the new location. I just try to stay on my toes and pick up clues so I'm ready when it's time.

Another thorny problem is this: I'm not exactly sure how to measure time anymore. A writing task that I'm sure will take only a few minutes ends up consuming several hours.  Something I keep delaying because it will gobble up an entire day is over in less time than it takes to complain about it.

The one thing I know for sure is I treasure having the chance to devote time to writing.

Yes, I grumble when the characters go on strike. I shriek and clutch at my hair when the words get stuck in the back of my brain.  I even convince myself it would be less painful to eat two huge bowls of half-cooked brussels sprouts than to do one more round of revisions.

Yet, even on the toughest of days, I can't think of a better way to fill the hours. Writing stories of love and romance and humor--this is how I want to spend my time.

Congrats to the Golden Heart Finalists!

Huge congratulations for fellow Book Cents Literary Agency writers, Gail Zerrade and Tracy Brogan, for finaling in this year's RWA Golden Heart contest.  They finaled in the same category, Mainstream with Romantic Elements, so of course we're expecting a two-way tie for winner!

Also, congrats to Erin Kelly, who finaled in the Regency Historical category. You may remember Erin from when I highlighted her blog last summer in "Writing Should Be Like This". If only you could have tasted the wonderful cupcakes she sent me afterwards!

Congratulations to another finalist in the Regency Historical category, someone I *know* on Twitter: Valerie Bowman. I've got my fingers crossed for you!

Drafting with Emotion

Last week I managed to go the entire seven days without working on my WIP. As refreshing as it was, I have to admit. . .I'm actually homesick for my characters. My hope is they got lonesome without my constant hovering, and are eager to show me all the fun stuff they were up to. 

(Pleasepleaseplease don't tell me they took the whole week off too. That writing vacation was for ME, not them.)

During my little holiday, I read some great advice by Roxanne St. Claire, one of my favorite authors. She had a post at Murder She Writes with Ten Tips for Writing a Discovery Draft.  

Each tip is designed to keep you moving through the draft of your WIP, so you don't get bogged down by the small stuff. The item that really resonated for me was the first one:

1.  Every time you start a scene, know the answers to these questions: 

a) What does the main (POV) character want in the scene?

b) How is he/she not going to get it, or if he/she gets it, why does that make things worse? 

c) What is the overriding emotion of the scene and how can you build toward it with every word? 

I find that if I nail the main conflict and emotion of a scene, all the other stuff around it (descriptions, actions, even the dialogue) can easily be fixed later, but the conflict and emotion are what I really need to get right before moving on.

As a pantser, I tend to do a) and b) somewhat intuitively. Each scene needs to have a goal, and then whatever happens as a result, good or bad, is the springboard into the next scene.   

However, as I jump back into my WIP, I like the thought of focusing on c), the overriding emotion of the scene. 

No matter what the character's goal is, it's important to tie it to emotion. Feelings are at the heart of the stories we tell.  They drive the action, and they are affected by everything that happens as a result. 

The stakes are always higher when emotions are involved. We know just what a goal means to a character by the way they respond when they get what they're after, or when they're thwarted in the attempt.

If we can heighten those emotions with every single word we choose, it not only keeps the story flowing, it keeps the reader vested until the very end. The reader gets to experience everything the character does, whether it's laughter or tears, heartache or triumph, making for a more satisfying read. 

So I'm off to check on my characters, Hugh and Felicia, to see what trouble they've caused during my recent writing sabbatical. As I jump back into their story, I plan to focus on their emotional states in each scene, to create an even richer tale of their journey towards love.

How do you keep yourself going through the first draft?  Is it a process of discovery for you?  How do you keep the focus on the emotion in the scene?

Blogging at Heroes and Heartbreakers

Today is my debut post at Heroes and Heartbreakers, a new romance blog from Macmillan Publishers.

It's a wonderful site, with lots of talented writers, and I'm happy to be in their midst.  I am blogging today about a subject near and dear to my heart, Make 'Em Laugh!: Heroes with Humor, so stop by and see which humorous heroes tickled my fancy. 

I don't know exactly what time my post will be "live", since there are several posted each day, so if you don't see mine the first time, keep checking back!  Feel free to leave a comment while you're there, and enjoy all the other great posts too.

When Do You Feel Like a Writer?

Since I'm technically still on my "writing vacay", I am rerunning a post I did for the Romance Writer's Revenge blog last summer.  It's kind of a nice reminder of what writing means to me, and I hope you'll enjoy it as well.

Acknowledging your writerliness is a process nearly as long and convoluted as finishing a novel. There are many ups and downs, and undoubtedly a bleak moment (or ten), not to mention false starts, and at least two of the five stages of grief. 

This journey to becoming a writer starts out with an unexpected urge, when you set the book you’re reading on your lap and think, “I wish I could do this”. Then it somehow turns into, “I think I can do this”. Later, in the midst of writing your first book, it turns into, “Holy crap, how did I delude myself into believing I could do this?!” 

It’s just like when your characters are smack dab in the middle of a hopeless scenario: you have to keep moving forward, because it’s impossible to go back. You’ve changed. You’ve become a writer. You can try to deny it, or quit writing, or even take a sabbatical for weeks or years. But it’s like you’re a sleeper cell that’s finally been called to action. Writing is what you were meant to do, and you need to acknowledge that fact, no matter how unnatural it feels at first.

There are obvious moments when you experience that “I’m a writer” feeling:  receiving your first rejection letter, attending a conference, or maybe sending in a contest entry. I’ve definitely felt like a writer then.

But there are other times, less momentous to the outside world, when I inched even closer to “I feel like a writer”. These are individual, personal milestones, so each one of us will give significance to different events. We may not even recognize them at the time, but when we look back, we see they were signposts on our trail to writerhood.

I knew I was a writer when.  . .

• I purchased my first laser printer so I could submit my manuscripts
• I got heart palpitations every time I printed my manuscript and the stack of pages got taller
• I put down “Writer” as my occupation on my tax return, even though I was working a crappy job I hated
• I could finally say out loud, “I’m a writer”, without feeling like I had to qualify it, or apologize, or blush
• I quit putting everything else in life first, trying to find a substitute for what I really wanted to do, which is write

On those days when I upgraded my publishing chances from “impossible” to “slim-to-none”, and my heart was breaking because I couldn’t figure out how to get further along in the process, and it made more sense to quit trying to join a club that didn’t want me as a member.  .  .even then I realized I can’t do anything else BUT write. It’s deeply embedded in my DNA. It’s how I see myself. Writing is the viewfinder I use to interpret the rest of the world, and the way I express my participation in it.

I have no doubt there will be many more defining moments – some good, some not-so-good. But I’m fine with that, because they contribute to making me feel like a writer, and that’s cause for celebration.

So now it’s your turn. What moments make you feel like a writer? What kinds of things or events make you feel that way? When did you know you wanted to write?

Writing Vacay

I decided to take this week off from writing. There are lots of other things that need attending to, and I can accomplish that more easily if I detach my brain from focusing on writing 24/7.

The goal is no writing this week while I'm performing necesssary scheduled maintenance in other areas of my life.

Unfortunately my brain thinks I'm using reverse psychology.

It's like an enthusiastic puppy that retrieves the ball you deliberately threw fourteen miles away, so the pup would leave you alone. Instead the critter brings the ball back, wagging its tail, ready to play, because it thinks that's what you wanted.

Sigh.

Maybe I'm at a stage where I can't entirely quit thinking about writing. But it seems worthwhile to try, because I think my brain and I would both benefit.  If nothing else, it may help me quit thinking of my brain as a separate entity.

Interestingly, with minutes of declaring this week a "no write zone", I drafted three new blog posts.  I've always suspected my brain is composed entirely of contrary, but now I have proof of it. I can't think of any other reason for this behavior.

So while my plan was to use this writing vacay to refresh and recharge, it sounds like I better be prepared for an outpouring of words. 

That's what I get for not consulting with my brain about where it wants to go for our vacation.

Does anyone else take a deliberate break from writing to recharge? What's your favorite way to replenish those writing brain cells?

Gettin' the Ugly Out

When I taught rubber stamping classes, students would get frustrated because their creations did not look "as perfect" as mine.  I explained they only saw the end result with the samples I presented at class.  They didn't see all the misfires and missteps and mistakes filling up the trash can.  I always advised them that when you start to create anything, you need to think first about "gettin' the ugly out".

It's kind of a warmup for your creative muscles.  Sometimes you have to drag your creativity by the ear and plop it down at the desk, and, just like anyone who is dragged by the ear and doesn't want to work on the assignment in front of them, they pout.  They throw things around.  They threaten to come up with the worst thing that's ever been made in the entire history of ugly things.

But then all of a sudden, something changes.  The interest has been piqued.  Now the creativity monster has morphed into a veritable angel, proud of what it produces, and striving to come up with the very best thing possible.  It dances from cloud to cloud, sprinkling magic stardust on everything it touches.

This holds true with our writing, which is why the first draft is coated with mud and grime and has to be polished before it even looks like something worth salvaging.

I thought of all this yesterday, because my bathtub drain had a bad attitude. And yesterday somebody had to come and fix it.  Boy was I glad I wasn't in charge of that project, because there was plenty of ugly to get out.  (I'm blaming it on the previous tenant.)

So here are a couple suggestions to "get the ugly out" when you're writing. 

The first is from Sheila Redling, a fellow Book Cents Literary Agency mate.  In her funny post, "The Most Overlooked Writing Accessory Ever", she describes one of those days that goes from one stray thought to another, triggering a chain of "must remembers", all of which end up distracting a poor writer from concentrating on the WIP.  To counteract this, she suggests a "dump pad", which she calls "the greatest low-tech anti-distraction device ever created".  Simply scribble down on a notepad all those things cluttering up your brain, and deal with them later, when writing time is done for the day.

Also, Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way suggests starting out each day with Morning Pages.  She describes it this way:

Morning Pages are three pages of longhand, stream of consciousness writing, done first thing in the morning. There is no wrong way to do Morning Pages--they are not high art. They are about anything and everything that crosses your mind--and they are for your eyes only.

This is another effective way to get the ugly out.  It allows your brain to whine and kvetch and generally carry on until it's run out of complaints and worries.  Then you are free to spend the rest of the day working on what's important, not what's nagging at you.  I used to do Morning Pages religiously, and really benefited from it.  I haven't done it much recently, but I'm planning on adding it to my morning coffee routine starting today.

So there you go.  From clogged bathtub drain to free-and-clear writing, in one blog post.

That's getting the ugly out for sure.

Which Came First, Worrying or Writing?

Writers are blessed with hyperactive imaginations.

It is an incredible gift, one that allows readers to dive into our words and immerse themselves in the world we created.

Yet that exact same imagination can sometimes feel like a curse. 

Other writers understand this, because we're constantly talking each other off the ledge, all because we have the ability to twist a harmless everyday scenario into something of catastrophic proportions.  With record speed.  And multiple horrendous outcomes.

It's great that we can use this skill in our writing.  To be honest, there isn't a lucrative career path for professional worriers.  Raise your hand if you saw a table for that particular job at the latest career fair. 

And worrying isn't exactly the most lauded of accomplishments.  If it was, we would be called "Worry Wonders".  Instead, we're labeled "Worry WARTS".  Yeesh.

We're always analyzing, even if we don't mean to.  Our brain takes all kinds of detours, preferring the dark corners and crooked paths to the easy, straight-and-narrow one. 

For instance, this post was supposed to be something else. I was in the kitchen, checking on the bread pudding in the oven.  I was pondering how I'm not a cook, but I really like cookbooks, and I decided to write a post about that.

But somehow my mind meandered into Worryland.  You think you're headed for Wonderville, but it's the neighboring town, and the borderline is not clearly delineated.  One minute I'm wondering if the oven thermometer is actually set correctly, displaying the right temperature, and the next I'm worrying what will happen if the eggs aren't cooked enough, because I could possibly get sick from undercooked eggs, but if I keep baking it, the bread will get too hard, or burnt, and. . .

The good thing is I got a blog post out of it, a completely unexpected one.

I'm not complaining about the way my writer brain works.  Now that I understand how it operates, I actually appreciate its wandering eye and packrat tendencies.  It's like Evanelle, the character in Sarah Addison Allen's wonderful book, Garden Spells, who brings people something they'll need down the road.  She doesn't know WHY they need it, or WHEN, but she's compelled to bring some oddball thing to them, and of course it's always the perfect solution to their situation later.

My brain does that too.  I'm frowning and cogitating and huffing and puffing, fretting over which direction a scene should go, and poof!  A great idea bursts open in my brain, and there in the midst of all the smoke and hoopla is just what I needed, something my brain collected and stored while I was busy doing something else.

It may be impossible to determine which came first, the worrying or the writing.  They're interconnected, intertwined, evil twins from separate demon mothers.  The best part is that writing is a sanctioned form of worrying, and it gives us a chance to wrestle with things that concern or puzzle us, all while we're producing an unputdownable story.

And then we can start worrying about the next story.

Word Nerd

I'm a word nerd. I love how malleable and adaptable words can be. I adore how they morph into completely new words whenever you put them together in different combinations.

You're probably saying, "Well of course you love words. You're a writer." Or maybe you're saying something else, under your breath. But I'm going to pretend you said the first sentence.

Words are obviously building blocks, but depending on how you group them together, you can get so many wildly wonderful results. I mean, take this bunch of words over here, mix them around, stir them up, and you've got a dark Gothic castle with a brooding hero. 

Swirl them around, like you're mixing a batch of Cosmos in a cocktail shaker, and then you've got a crazy romantic romp, with a self-deprecating hero and a convertible.

Even more exciting is how words are created, pulled out of an invisible nowhere, to suit a need because no other word in existence could do the job. We have so many words available to us that it's hard to realize sometimes that new words are being born all the time. 

Here are a couple word births I discovered while doing some recent posts at the Romance Writer's Revenge blog.  The first is a post called "Blurbalicious", which is a word I made up, based on another word that was made up:

The word "blurb", which we all use on a daily basis, is actually a fairly new word.  According to wordorigins.org, it was invented in 1907 by a humorist named Gelett Burgess.  Apparently it was a tradition at the annual trade association dinner for the publisher to distribute copies of books with a special jacket extolling the book’s praises.  Mr. Burgess created his own book jacket, which shows a woman, her hand cupped to her mouth as if she’s delivering an important message, with the caption, “Miss Belinda Blurb, In the Act of Blurbing”.  It was all done tongue-in-cheek, to make fun of how books were described in such lofty language, as if no other reading material could hope to measure up to THIS particular book’s wonderfulness.

Another interesting word is "doodle", which I researched for a recent post called "Mind Doodling": 

According to the all-powerful, all-knowing Wikipedia, doodle first appeared in the 17th Century, and it meant a fool or simpleton.  That’s the meaning in the Yankee Doodle Dandy song, which was used by the British soldiers in the colonial era.  Wikipedia also speculates that the American word “dude” may be a derivation of doodle.

My favorite part, though, was the first use of doodle to mean “scribblings to help a person think”.  Apparently that was invented by screenwriter Robert Riskin for the movie “Mr. Deeds Goes to Town”.

It can't be a coincidence that WRITERS created these words. And I'm sure there are many other writers giving birth to words each day, enriching our vocabularies as well as our reading and writing experience.

So let's celebrate words today, along with writers, and word nerds.

Create your own words and spread them like confetti. 

Better yet, spin some words into a story, and share them with the rest of the world.

We can call it "a gift of words".