A Day in the Life of a Writer

Okay, not that I actually know what a NORMAL day in a writer's life looks like. BUT, for the first time since I can remember in forever, I have a full day off with nothing that I HAVE to do - other than go to my chiropractor appointment. Which I did. I have comp time from my work trip last week because I worked so many hours, and get both Friday (today) and Monday off - no PTO required.

So, I have decided to use both days to experiment in the life of a writer, pretend I am a full-time writer and see if I actually enjoy sitting for hours and working on writing-related things. Two days seem like an entire world to me, and yet, at the same time, not quite enough time. I mean, I not only have 3 books I want to work on, I want to do short stories, writing exercises, writing books, writer's digest, blog posts, find places to submit short stories or flash fiction, work on nonfiction articles for company newsletter, and of course, am wondering if I can stay the course when I have more than half an hour to do whatever I like.

So far, I've made a sort of schedule: write 500 words in book I am currently most enthralled with (my 2017 NaNo novel), read an article in writer's digest, 500 words, writing exercise, 500 words, article, 500 words, etc. We shall see how this works. I've been at it for one hour and 15 minutes and am already going off schedule to do a blog post, but still feeling energized and excited for the hours ahead. The atmosphere of a coffee shop helps too. Other people chatting or writing or studying - and the addition of coffee at my side - it just FEELS like I need to be writing. I love it.

Anyway, now that I have shared my joy with you all, I shall go back and finish up the 300 words still due on the 500 word spurt.

Faithfulness in the small things

Believe it or not, I am still working on my NaNo Novel. Very slowly - I am only at 20 thousand something words - but I am determined to finish it. Both because I have people asking me to finish it and because I want to show myself I can do it. What I should really do is pretend it is November and make myself write 1667 words every day. But instead I am writing here and there.

Lately, I have been trying to write more. Because - the other day I was praying. And I was asking God to bless my writing and to please help me get published this year. And a verse came to mind - or was it when I was reading my Bible next? - either way - that verse, Luke 16:10a: He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much. . . .

And I was officially convicted as I felt God prod me, with words something along the lines of the following: You are asking for publication, yet you are unwilling to spend even a few minutes every day writing. I have blessed you with both the ability and desire to write, but you play games on your phone instead. Why do you ask for more when you have not even used what I give you?

Well, that was sufficient to silence me. And so I have been striving to be faithful with little that God may trust me with much. Sometimes that has still meant only one sentence a day - as in the past couple days - but even pulling the story out briefly helps me maintain view of where I am and reminds me of what I need to do.

So remember - build from the bottom up. Every little bit helps.

15 Minute Challenge - Day 7: Final Thoughts

I actually wrote this yesterday, but my computer decided it needed to restart and when it became 12:30 AM, I gave up and went to bed. :P

Yes, I did my 15 minutes. I used it (well, really, half an hour) to finish up a couple scenes I stopped in the middle of last week.

I have no profound things to say about my self-imposed 7 day challenge. Certainly nothing that hasn't been said before by "real" writers and multiples of them. But I have to say, forcing myself to write for 15 minutes a day every day for 7 days has made a difference for me. In two specific ways:

1. I have rediscovered my story. Not only do I, for the first time in months, remember what I was trying to do with my book, but I feel like I am beginning to understand my characters more as well. And, for the first time since I wrote the first draft, I am thinking about my characters throughout the day and what they should be doing in their story. I am actually excited about getting back to editing it and - hopefully - finish soon!

2. This may be simple for you, but it is actually profound for me. It IS possible to write for 15 minutes a day. Because it was a challenge and because I committed to writing about it every day on the blog, I did not allow myself excuses. Even the one evening we didn't go to bed until past midnight and writing my 15 minutes meant staying up until 1:00 on a weeknight, I still did it and, more importantly, I did not regret doing it. The only thing I regretted most evenings was not having more time to spend on it (and, indeed, there were nights I spent far more than 15 minutes).

This has been a great experience for me and I really hope I don't let it fall by the wayside now that I no longer have an obligation (self-imposed, granted) to write about what I did every day.

15 Minute Challenge - Day 6: Giving Breanna a Backbone

One significant flaw I think I have mentioned before is how quickly Elizabeth's mother went from being weak, conciliatory, and non-confrontational to speaking her mind and ordering people around. Granted, I know from experience that it can happen to even meek people when the occasion is right, but to turn around so completely seemed inconsistent with her character.

So the question becomes, what changed outside of their circumstances and her anger? Something had to push her - to convince her it was all right to speak up for herself, to tell her children what to do, and to lead her family. And that something,, it seemed most likely, would have probably been her new, very strong friend who knew how to teach children discipline and respect and had no probably telling other people's children either. Since I have no more than that to say about the scene I finished writing, I'll get out of my comfort zone and let you read part of the very rough scene I jotted out in my 15 minutes.

“You had a daughter named Anne?” asked Breanna in a softer tone.

“That we did.” Joan looked with some affection toward Breanna’s Anne, who was seated some distance away, playing quietly with her doll, a thin wisp of black hair falling out of her carefully braided hair. “She was a pretty little thing. Blonde as the wheat in a field, unlike your little Anne. She would have been 5 years old this year. But that is neither here nor there.” She hurried on briskly, pulling herself from an almost-reverie. “Fact is, it is a hard life. There are no guarantees outside of God bein’ there for you through thick and thin. We lost two children on a perfectly safe farm in Illinois, a farm that was beginning to fail. We might as well take out chances out here to try and get a better life for our family. That’s what yer husband wants fer you all, ain’t it? A better life?”

Breanna couldn’t quite bring herself to respond. To say yes would be to almost say it was all right for Mark to have dragged them away from their home. To say no would be a lie. Whether it was his fault in the first place or not, it was indeed what he wanted for them out here. So she said nothing, but leaned over the venison stew. 

Joan’s shrewd glance at her spoke volumes. There was an awkward silence before Joan spoke quietly. “Admitting he’s doin' his best for you now doesn’t mean what he did in the past was all right. But you can’t change it by bein’ bitter and dismissive.”

Breanna bit back a sudden sharp remark that it was none of her business. She was the one who had brought up reasons for being on the trail, and she had no call to be rude to her only friend.

“Thank you.” She said instead, rather stiffly. “Now, then. Let’s see if we can’t get your oldest girl to actually help some.” Joan moved on cheerfully and quickly. “Elizabeth! Come tend the cornbread!”

It took some minutes for Elizabeth to actually appear from the back of the wagon, an irritable look on her face.

“You ready for this?” Joan looked at Breanna.

“Ready for what?

“For instructing your daughter on helpin' out.”
                “Oh – I  - I don’t know. She looks rather – tired.”

“She doesn’t look tired, she looks angry. She is as angry as you are at being out here, the difference bein' you are taking responsibility and doin' what has to be done and she is letting everyone else do the work – which I suspect she is used to from back home.”

Breanna didn’t have to answer the assumption for Joan to know it was true.

“Anyway – I have my own family to tend to, Breanna, and you have yours. I will not be here all the time and you need to get a little backbone and learn to teach your daughters what respect is. They have just as much duty to be out here working as you have.”

“But – I don’t – I don’t know –“

“How? You stand up straight, you remember you are her mother, you are responsible for her upbringing, and you do not want her acting the way she does now when she has her own family to tend to. You and and yer mister are responsible for how Elizabeth behaves and kowtowing to her every time she throws her little temper tantrums ain’t doing no one any good, least of all her.”

By this time Elizabeth’s slow saunter had brought her near enough the fire that Breanna did not feel comfortable arguing any longer. Her daughter stopped and looked at her silently, her lifted chin defying her to actually give any orders. Breanna glanced towards Joan, who answered with an encouraging nod.

“Ahem. Elizabeth – Mrs. Winters must get back to her own dinner now. Please see to the cornbread.”

“I think not.” Disdain dripped from her daughter’s voice. “It is hardly my place, nor do I have any knowledge of the method of cornbread cooking.” Elizabeth half glanced towards Joan, almost simultaneously with her mother, both expecting the woman to speak up about respect and doing her job the way she had every time previously. But Joan remained silent, leaning studiously over the fire to add more wood. After an embarrassed silence, Breanna cleared her throat again and continued in a strained tone.

“Then. You will need to learn, Elizabeth. It is high time for you to start pulling your weight around here. I cannot be expected to do all the work, and nor can Mrs. Winters.”
                “I cannot be expected to do the work either, Mother. If Father wanted dinner, perhaps he should have brought servants with us, or, perhaps even allowed us to remain in our home.” Elizabeth icily turned to go, sure she had, as usual, silenced her mother with her concise insults.

Breanna shot a desperate glance towards Joan, who returned her look with meaningful eyes and pursed lips.

“Elizabeth!” In her desperation to get the word out, it came much more sharply than intended. But it did the trick. Elizabeth stopped and half turned in surprise.

“Elizabeth.” Breanna continued in a slightly softer, but just as determined voice. “You will return here immediately and ask Mrs. Winters politely to show you how to cook cornbread, or you will . . .will . . . assist her father and brother in caring for the oxen.” It was the only thing that came to mind as an alternative. 

Elizabeth’s lip curled and her brow furled as she looked at her mother in disbelief. Breanna swallowed and set a stern expression on her face, trying to look as if she meant every word she said. Elizabeth slowly turned back around and stepped to Mrs. Winters, casting Breanna one more half derisive, half uncertain glance before she said rigidly, “Mrs. Winters, would you be so kind as to  . . . show me how to . . . do that.”

Joan allowed a small smirk to play about her lips. “I would be delighted, Miss Johnson.” She cast Breanna an approving look above Elizabeth’s dark head.

15 Minute Challenge - Day 5: Developing Characters

I've been having an issue with my main character in Picture of the Past almost since the beginning. I didn't like her. I didn't intend for anyone to like her at first, but to gradually sympathize with her as she changed - but I didn't like her even when she changed. She seemed so - flat. So single-minded. So one-dimensional. In short, she seemed like a character, not a person. I've been reading lots of books and articles about how to improve this because, in my mind, she is multi-dimensional. She has struggles, internal and external, and she is someone who can grow into such an incredible daughter and sister - but I just can't seem to translate that to the page.

One good thing about implementing these additional scenes, is that they are forcing me to write more about her. More scenes about her, more viewpoints about her - and I think I am slowly beginning to figure her out more. I am still not pleased - but I think I'll get there. One thing I need to remember is that this is my character - not the character that all the articles tell me I have to write. All the books and articles say your heroine must be sympathetic. But that isn't true. There are plenty of heroines that are not sympathetic until the last. So if she is selfish and unlikable in the beginning part of the story, that is who she is - trying to add sympathetic elements only makes her seem more fake until she actually begins to change. Besides, she really doesn't seem to like it when I add in things about her that aren't true. Believe me, I've tried.

Day 5 of the 15 minute challenge involved writing a scene wherein she is angry about doing servants work, the boys don't pay as much attention to her as she thinks they should, and her mother was just about to give her a lecture on what it actually means to be a lady when the timer went off. I don't know if it will actually go into the story, but she is doing a good job of reminding me that she is just a spoiled little rich girl at first and I shouldn't be trying to make her into something else.

15 Minute Challenge - Day 3: My Version of an Outline

I've never been a big outline person. It feels so restrictive to me. And I freeze almost more than I do over a blank page if I am trying to outline an entire book. What if I don't know where I want to go? What if I want to see what the characters want? What if I don't know what to put where? How does an outline even work? Isn't this a waste of time? And on and on the questions go. No. I rarely do outlines. Not saying I won't ever - so many people claim they change your life and novel, but for now, I am going to work with methods that actually get me writing.

For the first time, though, I am beginning to understand the index card methodology - you know, the whole write scenes on index cards and rearrange them? I may end up doing that yet. So, I finished what I started yesterday and went through the book, noting areas that I felt needed additional scenes to actually create the story and give it depth. I figured out 54 MORE SCENES THAT NEED TO BE WRITTEN! (*I will not panic* *I will not panic* *repeat over and over*) But on the bright side, I truly do believe that they will make the book better and flow more easily. As it stands now, Elizabeth changes from a haughty little rich girl to a humble person trying to help her family waaaay too fast. It's kind of like, wait - who are we talking about? So things like this ought to fix that.

I realized as I was noting where things need to go that this is where outlines and index cards probably come in for writers who use those. They can see at a glance where those gaps are. I finally understood it. I still think this worked better for me personally - at least where this is novel is concerned - but I think knowing makes me a better writer and better prepared for whenever I finish Ethrill.

Yes, I am counting this as my 15 minutes of writing. I may not have written an actual scene, but at least I now know where I am going with this.

15 Minute Challenge - Day 2 - Getting Back Into the Mindset

I have a lot more free time than usual tonight due to my husband being gone for a guy's night and having nothing in particular scheduled. I was going to go to the Library of Congress to do some research and writing, but it is a dreary, rainy night, and I decided I really did not want to leave the house. So, instead I made myself a pot of tea, turned on some Jim Brickman and am doing my writing here, with no people around.

I am taking advantage of my extended period of time do go through the book and note everyplace I think needs more scenes or which parts need to be "shown" instead of told. There are a lot! This is really helping remind me of where I left off a few months ago, when I started doing piecemeal research that I just never had enough time to concentrate fully on. I feel like I am beginning to remember what I wanted out of the story. Once I finish marking potential scenes or areas that "tell" too much, my goal is to write at least one of those scenes. But even if I don't get the scene written, going through the book itself counts as the "15 minutes", right? I hope so, since I've already been at this for half an hour!

I feel like I might get more use out of this editing style than going through the book and changing page by page and feeling like I never make progress. Everyone has different book editing styles, or so I have read, and I suppose you simply don't know which yours is until you try! Good luck to all you other first-time-book-editors out there in discovering your style as well!

Rejected

So, I officially got my first rejection letters this summer. As well as my first rejection "damned with faint praise", which was made slightly less painful by my association of that with Emily of New Moon. Slightly. You can read all the magazines and books in the world "prepping" you for rejections by the hundreds, but there is still nothing like casting your eyes over those words, trying to gently tell you that your work sucks via a - well, what would have been a typewritten slip at one point and is now a generalized email.

This means I have officially reached a new status, though, right? That I have submitted to "official" enough places to actually get a rejection? Anyway. I have had more than one person tell me this story is good, so I am going to try again. . . only, I realized I am probably not trying for the right audience. I was pitching it as a literary piece, but it has definite Christian undertones (being, after all, a Christian) and, further to its condemnation in the eyes of the world right now, it ends happily. You know that everyone likes the dark pieces right now that give you shivers and make you feel kind of ugly inside and like you can never look at humans the same way again. I don't get that trend at all. I like to feel uplifted after reading, even bittersweet if it is a sad ending. But I digress. So I realized I should be submitting it to Christian short story magazines.

Want to know something I didn't know until this week? THERE ARE NO CHRISTIAN FICTION SHORT STORY MAGAZINES! At least, none that I can find. There are tons of Christian or spiritual blogs and magazines in general - but they all want inspirational articles of true stories, devotionals, or whatnot. Fiction? Psh. Apparently they think it is  a waste of time. So I am a little at a loss and mildly considering starting my own Christian fiction magazine.

Anyway - for all you other new writers out there. You may think you are prepared for rejection letters, but don't be afraid if it still crushes your spirit when you start getting them. Pick yourself up and move forward. Don't think about throwing out the manuscript entirely (*coughwhowoulddothat?cough*). Don't assume you are a terrible writer and your friends are just biased (*coughwhaaat?cough*). Just keep moving forward - and maybe reassess the market to which you are submitting - although, according to all the articles, you can still expect lots of rejections. What a lovely life I have to look forward to!

I just have to keep inspirational quotes around me. You should try it too.

Story Submissions

This whole developing a social profile thing is a drag. Is that a still a term people use? I guess it is now. :P So, I'll tell the truth. I haven't written since November because I read this article saying the only way to have a successful blog is to always make sure your posts revolve around something that is of use to someone else.

So, every time I think about posting, I think that I do not have anything to say that will interest people that much or be useful. Or,  I think of a good idea, think about how much time will go into researching it, and keep pushing it off and never actually get around to it.

So, all that to say, I've nothing much of use to say even now. I guess, it is hard to give inspiring words to others when you are struggling yourself. I cannot seem to get up the energy to finish editing my historical novel. In some ways, I think writers used to have it easier - they didn't have as many resources to confuse them as I do.

So, I've been putting it off by working on short stories and staring at my other book Ethrill, without actually working on it. I did, however, submit my short story Masks to a few magazines. You know, I never realized that even short story submissions have strict protocols. I was just about to hit submit on the first one when I realized that might be something I should look up. So I did, and sure enough, it took me about half an hour just to format my story correctly. Hopefully I did it right so I don't lessen my chances of getting published, however low they already are.

Personal opinion - I think it is rather ridiculous to have all these specific ways of formatting. Shouldn't a story be judged on the writing, not the formatting?

And that is all I have to say.

Fall Writing Plans

I have a plan and a schedule! Granted, for anyone who knows me, that is nothing unusual. I always have plans and schedules, and tend to do much better than if I do not. This one is a very basic plan and schedule. Straight and to the point:

October: Finish writing Ethrill
November: Participate in and win NaNoWriMo
December: Edit Picture of the Past and have ready for review/reading by someone else by the end of the month

I also intend (intend being the key word here) to have something published by the end of the year. No, not a book. But a poem, short story - really, anything. Printed. I'm going to try, anyway. So my goal is to submit something somewhere once a week. Don't tell me it is too ambitious. I know it is ambitious - but better to have ambition than apathy, right? Last week (or was it the week before?) I submitted a poem to the poetry contest at Writer's Digest. I don't think it was good enough to win anything, but at least I submitted it, right?

For those of you who are wondering whether I know what I am going to write for NaNo - yes, I do! Well, more or less. I decided last year that this year I am going to write 50,000 words worth of short stories. So, I don't know what those short stories will encompass, but my goal is to finish a least a dozen. Why, you ask? Well, for the following reasons:

1. Because I think it is good to have something finished on hand in case anyone ever asks to see a sample of my writing.
2. It will be very good practice to create multiple stories.
3. I will feel accomplished.
4. I will have a collection from which to submit stories for publication.

If you think of any other reasons, please feel free to comment and let me know. I can always use encouragement.

Printer Euphoria

This is going to sound a little silly - but there is one thing I am super excited about right now. I HAVE A NEW PRINTER!

Okay, yes - nothing to get excited about. EXCEPT IT IS!

So, our printer right now prints slowly, doesn't print double sided unless you feed it manually, takes extremely expensive ink, and in general is not very useful for anything beyond the occasional menu/picture printing. The upside being, it also scans. But, as you may or may not know, I finished writing my first full-sized book this year. Close to 100,000 words. And, being a writer, I have to print it out in order to properly edit it. So, Daniel suggested I put it on a thumb drive and go to a FedEx or something to print it.

But I realized that, if I am going to be a writer, this may be a fairly common occurrence. The need to print tons of pages. So, I did a little research, found a printer that was recommended for writers, and decided to buy it! So, yes - I am excited. I have a printer officially for writing. It makes me feel one step closer to being a real writer.

Seriously - it is a laser printer, prints double-sided, has wireless printing (I can write something on the couch and print it at my desk!), prints super fast, and has high yield ink (2600 pages before needing replacement!). For those of you who are interested, I have a lovely picture of it below.

Okay - I'll stop ranting about a printer now and let you take a breath of relief.

So, this means that I no longer have any excuse to not edit Picture of the Past. I am still working on Ethrill too, but I have this desperate desire to have both books finished by the end of the year, and maybe even have PoP ready for someone to read. Am I being too ambitious? Perhaps. But better to be too ambitious than not enough, right?