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.

NaNoWriMo Update - Week Three

So it has been an adventure. The first week actually went really well, and I was even slightly ahead of my word count! And then . . . . my computer died. Yup. It decided this month was the prime time to have the hard drive go. So I have been handwriting - sort of. I like handwriting - when I'm not forced into it. I haven't gotten super far. And I am skeptical about being able to read it now that I've written it. Buuut, my husband fixed my computer and it is working again as of today! What do you think? Can I catch up? I am certainly going to try!

A Literary Experience

I went to a literary festival the other day, for the first time ever. It included master sessions, which were rather boring and political (why on earth would you make a literary festival political?), and morning and afternoon workshop sessions, which were much more useful and happy.

I should note that going to this was way out of my comfort zone. First of all, I went alone, so I couldn't hide behind anyone. Second of all, it involved actually discussing writing with people. And third of all, the workshops actually involved talking about what you were writing. So, it took courage to go in the first place - only made worse by the fact that the rental car company had only huge trucks left so I had to drive a truck that took both my hands to hoist myself into in order to even get there since Daniel had the car!

But anyway, the first session on revision was the most useful, but also the most difficult. I had to bring the first five pages of my book - I actually brought 10 because I was trying to decide whether to keep the prologue or not - and THEN they had us actually partner up with a stranger in the class and read each other's writing so we could critique it!! Not going to lie, I probably wouldn't have gone had I known that was why they wanted us to bring some of our book. But I am glad I did it. The gentleman, Sam was his name, was a high school English teacher and knew how to be both straightforward and still gentle. He could see immediately I was almost over a cliff with concern that someone was going to actually read this and took some time to calm me down before reading all 10 pages. But after that, I actually took his suggestions quite openly and calmly and it may be the most useful thing I've ever done in all my writing life. He told me what I had suspected all along, which is that I don't trust my readers so I over-explain things, but then he went a step further and told me that even more than that, I don't trust myself, which adds even more to my over-explaining in my books. He then showed me a couple examples and explained how he thought I could cut it down and what all the writing books had been saying finally really clicked.

He also told me he could tell that I had very good visualization and I was able to set the scene well, and that it was obvious I knew my characters well. I really appreciated hearing that since I kind of thought those were the two things I struggled the most with. He then encouraged me to share my writing more and, just as my husband tells me, that it really isn't a reflection on me if someone criticizes my writing. So much easier to be told than to believe!

But I do feel like I have a much better understanding now of what needs to be edited in my book, at least in the second editing round (I am still only halfway through the first round), and I have learned that it is possible for me to hear the corrections that have to be made and live through it!

Preparation for NaNoWriMo

So, I'm not going to get to 95,000 - 100,000 word for Ethrill before tomorrow. I gave it a good effort, and am currently at 88,000. I think I can make 90,000 by tomorrow though. I can count that as a finish, right? It is clear that I have a lot more to write, so I am probably going to have to start looking at splitting it into two books unless I cut out a bunch when I edit it. For the rough draft, at least, however, it will likely be two books unless I disobey the newbie book rule and have a super long one. But, I gave it good effort, and I don't think I'll mind taking a break as I look forward to NaNoWriMo. Plus, I'm becoming impatient to edit PoP. I'm so ready to have a finished full-length book.

So, as most writers know, National Novel Writing Month starts tomorrow! Not going to lie, I'm nervous. My husband is lovingly referring to it as Video Game Tuesday. He says he is going to play video games until I get my word count in. Which, I won't lie, has in the past proven quite effective. I don't like feeling ignored while he plays video games, so it does force me to work hard on my word count because I know as soon as I finish, he'll turn off the video games and we can do whatever we want. I feel like such a child, sometimes. :P

I tried to make a list of short story ideas for NaNoWriMo in preparation, so I wasn't totally stuck once I started. It didn't go well. I began drawing a complete blank for stories. Or at least ideas for short stories. But I came up with what I think/hope is a good idea to solve that! We have this game called Dixit, which has a ton of very interesting picture cards. I've decided to look at each picture and create a short story based on those cards. After all, I need something for inspiration, and some of those could make very interesting stories. I'm not sure what yet, but I believe.

So good luck to all you other NaNoWriMoers out there! Looking forward to mutual misery starting tomorrow.

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.

Writer Fears

If you've read the description for this blog, you know that my intention was (and sort of still is) to use it to talk about research I'm doing for books I'm currently writing, as well as keep you sort of up to date on what I'm writing - just in case you are interested. Well, if you check this blog on any sort of regular basis (highly doubtful), you know I've been doing a smashing job! Or not.

It's time to admit it. Unless my posts affect me personally somehow and I am emotionally invested in it, it is hard to write them. I wanted to keep this blog away from more personal stuff because - well. A couple reasons.

1: I don't like talking about my writing, particularly when I know the people reading my talking. It is incredibly personal for me. When I talk about my writing, I feel like I am opening my heart and laying it out for people to stomp on. So I thought if I only talked about research, I could fulfill the requisite "must have online writing presence to get published" without showing people I know who I am.

2: I am linking to this blog on my social media, which means that friends and family might actually click on that someday and read this. I am fearful that if they find out about my true love - writing - and that even though I've loved it since I was 8 I still haven't had anything real published, they will think of me as a failure.

3.: Everyone thinks they are a writer. Anytime someone mentions that they have written/are writing/want to write a book, everyone else in hearing distance pipes up, eager to talk about how they, too, want to write a book and be a writer. And somehow, it gets frustrating for me to hear everyone around me talk about it as though they understand what it is to actually be a writer. Most people who "want to write a book" have no idea of the constant emotional turmoil people who are wired as writers suffer. Of the struggle through lack of inspiration, the simultaneous hatred and love of every sentence put down. The fear of doing it and inability not to. Of actually being a writer. Not just writing. And I want to explain it to them, but again, I don't. Because I'm afraid.

Overall - it is just fear. My closer friends know that fear - and especially fear of failure - is my old enemy. I like getting things right on the first try. And if I don't think I will, I am less likely to even try. Except when it comes to writing itself.

So, anyway. All this to say, I'm going to try (once again) to overcome my constant fear of failure and update this blog based not just on research, but my personal life in writing.  Because, published or not - open heart or not - it is who I am.  And I would write even if I knew I would never be published. So it's time for me to get over it.

Ethrill Excerpt

I started a post on lace tucks and then realized the internet held very little information about that subject or regency necklines in general - and least information that I felt was sufficient for a post. So I am holding off on that one. Then I thought about posting about regency era clothing, dances, rag curls, and a multitude of other things because I knew I should post something, but honestly? I don't feel like coming up with an intelligent post today. However, rather than making the nonexistent people who read this wait to read another post, I've decided to post an excerpt from the book I am currently writing. Enjoy!

“Quickly now.” The bartender turned from a happy-go-lucky, eager to get a coin, man to a nervous, fast-moving man, looking about the empty small room as though to ensure no one was lurking in a corner. He virtually pushed us toward the bar where he reached under the counter and pulled a lever. The shelving holding the various drink offerings immediately parted, showing a small room. We scurried through, well aware that if anyone chose that moment to enter, all would be lost. As though the realization alone were enough to make it happen, a voice screeched from behind us. 

“Stop! You are all traitors and will be punished  in the name of Damanius!”

 Whirling almost as one, we were simultaneously relieved and horrified to see  only Dave standing there, eyes blazing, her hand raised as though that alone could make us stop. 

“Grab her.” Hadwin did not even hesitate to give the order to the bartender, who just as quickly had his large hand wrapped around Dave’s mouth before she could utter another sound. Dave was unceremoniously dragged into the room with us. The bartender deposited her into Hadwin’s small but wiry arms and left us, closing the door to the hidden room as he went back to his duties. 

“What now?” I asked, as Hadwin kept a surprisingly strong grip on the woman, who at first had been too stunned at our audacity to do anything and was now struggling like cat in water. 

“She’ll have to come with us until we are out of Damanius’ reach.” His face showed the briefest traces of a grimace as Dave bit down , managing to capture some of the skin of his hand. He leaned down and whispered something into her ear, and the vicious bundle suddenly dropped into unconsciousness. With some relief, Hadwin dropped her to the floor, gently massaging his injured hand and not bothering to break her fall. 

“What did you do?” I asked, somewhat fearfully. 

“Don’t worry.” He looked a little disgusted at the concern in my voice. “She’s just asleep. See if you can find some ropes and material for a gag. We are going to have to make sure she doesn’t escape or yell for help. This may make things more difficult.” 

He looked at Ari, who had watched the proceedings with uncharacteristic silence. “Is everything ready?” 

“Yes, sir.” She answered respectfully. I raised my eyebrows in surprise at her tone of  solicitude. “We may proceed as soon as you see fit.”  

“Will it be an issue if we leave earlier than planned? Her presence complicates matters. We cannot wait long before she is missed, and that is assuming she did not have backup with her."

I looked around while this conversation was taking place and noted that the little room was stocked with a surprising amount of a variety of provisions. A lot of preserved food items, water, ale, blankets, and a multitude of other items one might need to survive. One crate held several pieces of rope. I silently handed Hadwin a goodish piece and a torn piece of material from a cloth that had been used to wrap some food items. He quickly shoved them into a sack near at hand. “Let’s go.” 

“Aren’t you going to tie her up?” 

“Not yet.” Hadwin did not bother to expound and I got the sense that it was not the best time to ask additional questions.  He nodded at Ari, who flew over to the wall and disappeared through a tiny crack  near the floor boards that I hadn’t even noticed. As soon as she disappeared, Hadwin leaned down and hoisted Dave up. “Help me with her. It needs to look like she is just drunk.” 

I quickly moved around and supported her other side. As if on cue, the bartender opened the door again, this time just enough for us to slip through, closing it immediately behind us, and pressed a packet into my hand. “Good luck.” He whispered and then turned back to the bar, busily preparing for the customers he did not yet have. 

Finishing the Book

As you may or may not know, I recently finished my first full length novel - A Picture of the Past (PoP for short). I've finished short books before, but this one was actually full length. 99,000 words, in fact. I finished it - mmmm - probably a month or so ago, and haven't touched it since. It needs SO many edits, that I am kind of scared to pick it up again. So I'm working on a different book instead, while I glance at PoP out of the corner of my eye.

I just finished a couple articles in Writer's Digest about "Plotting vs. Pantsing" - you know, the writer who plots everything before they write vs the writer who just sits down and writes. I seem to fall somewhere in the middle. I seem to like sitting and just writing - and then doing a little mapping out if I get stuck, and going back AFTERWARDS to REALLY map things out. What really scared me about the articles, I think, was the comment in both articles that "Pansters" tend to start novels that really never go anywhere, and as much as I am not sure I liked the completed product of PoP, I love the idea enough that I desperately don't want it to be a dead end. But, even if I didn't completely like the completed product, if I still love the idea enough, that means there still has to be promise in it, right? So, here are a couple tips I pulled out of the article that have actually inspired me to go back and finally take another look at the book and see what I can make out of it:

The article suggested the following extremely useful points:

• If you are feeling stuck make a list of events in your story, leaving blanks as needed.
• Once you know how to get from your stopping point to the next fixed point, quit plotting and go back into pantsing.
• Don't try to list every single event and line of dialogue when making a list. 
• Imagine you're the protagonist and ask yourself what you would do next (I already do this a lot and it DOES help a lot).
• If you know where the plot needs to go, ask why your characters get to that point and keep repeating the question until you work backwards to where it all fell apart. 
• Retroactively plot the story. 
• Be open to reworking parts of your novel - if it isn't working, try "pantsing" the part to see if it goes in another direction.

One thing I appreciated and agreed with, was this sentence at the end of the second article:

"The trick is to get the story down, from beginning to end. Ultimately, the writers who get published are those who finish the first draft and then revise it. Get the words on the page and you're halfway there."