Finding Your Writing Process

A compilation of articles on the process of writing fiction

2011 by: Tabitha Olson

Are You A Writer?

Since my son started kindergarten, Ive gone from having six hours at the computer each day to two. He used to be in an all-day preschool, but now hes in a morning only kindergarten class. I have tried to work while hes home, but its just not working. I can read, though, which is something. But now Im reading a lot more than Im able to write. Im also tired, because keeping an energetic five year old occupied isnt exactly easy, and I find myself doing things that dont require much thought. Such as, arranging my bookshelf and workspace, re-organizing my files, checking the stats on my blog, etc. Blog stats are fascinating, by the way (Resident Alien and Carrie Harris did a post on this not long ago, and now I understand the fascination). Ive had visitors from the UK, Australia, India, even Cyprus. And I dont even know where Cyprus is. I also get to see what people are searching for when they land on my site. So far, the most common thing Ive seen is How do you know if youre a writer? Thats a good question. Being a writer is a profession, like being a doctor, contractor, or pharmacist. You perform a service that benefits others (entertainment and enjoyment). But how do you know you are one? Because youre published, i.e. get paid? Because youve scribbled a few words on a page? Somewhere in between? Personally, I think its none of those things. To me, calling yourself a writer is a state of mind. Why do you write? To share a story with others? You have nothing better to do? To become rich and famous? If you answer "yes" to that last one, you might want to find a more lucrative field. :) To all others, ask yourself this question: What would happen if you stopped writing? My answer is simple: I'd go crazy. Then, I'd slowly drive everyone around me crazy. So, its really in everyones best interest for me to keep writing. Because of this, Ive decided that writing is what I want to do for a living, and Im willing to put in the insane amount of work required to get my stuff out there on the shelves. Whatever I need to learn, however much I need to write or research, Ill do it. I wont quit, ever. And, even though Im not published (yet!), I recently started calling myself a writer. Ive spend the last seven years or so learning as much as I can about writing, and about the publishing industry. I sought it out, asked questions, did writing exercises, analyzed published works, brushed up on grammar and punctuation, etc.

I see this as the equivalent of going to school to be a computer programmer. You cant write programs if you dont know the language, so you put in the work to learn. Once youve graduated, you go off to find your first job at this point, even if you havent found a job yet, you still call yourself a programmer. If you didnt, then what was the point of all those years at school? If youre going to enter a different profession, youd have to start all over. So, I dont believe that you need to be published in order to call yourself a writer. I just think you need to ask yourself two questions: Is this what you really want to do? Are you willing to put in the tremendous (i.e. insane) amount of work it requires? If your answer is yes to both, then grab a sword and dub yourself with the title of Writer! :)

Me, Myself, and...Who?

Writers are the most vain, self-absorbed, and self-important people on Earth. After all, what makes a writer think that anyone wants to hear what he has to say? Vanity, pure and simple. For the past several years, Ive heard people say this in varying forms both from writers and non-writers. Whenever I heard it, I disagreed wholeheartedly, but couldnt articulate why. I mean, Im a writer, but I dont think Im self-centered or vain. So are these people wrong, or am I deluding myself? I had to know, so I started on an objective analysis of myself. Beginning with searching my soul for the answer to this question: why do I write? My first answer was because I have to. Well, why do I have to? Because if I dont, Ill go crazy. Then Ill drive everyone around me crazy. Okay, but why would I go crazy? Because there are all these stories running around in my head, and if I dont get them out, my brain will overload. Stories? Whos stories are they? Mine, or someone elses? Hmm, Im not sure. I guess they could be mine, since they come from my head. But, really, they come from characters in my head. And the stories belong to them. But what do these characters have to do with it since I write the story? Doesnt that make it mine? The story may start out as mine, but, by the time its finished, its not mine anymore. It belongs to the main character. But...I write the characters, and since I write what I know, arent the characters really me? Sort of. Some part of them come from me, but the rest comes from watching other people, imagining myself in their positions, and seeing the differences between us. The end result is a person whos perhaps similar to me, but definitely not the same, who has her own story to tell. A-ha! Id discovered that I really wasnt setting out to make other people listen to me. I wanted them to listen to the main character. Then I frowned in puzzlement...why did I want people to listen to my characters? This question had me stumped for a long, long time. Meanwhile, I had a conversation with a friend about music concerts, and which had been our favorites. She had seen some great bands who played some of her favorite music of all time. Yet, they werent her favorite concerts. Her favorite was Phil Collins. I was surprised,

because shed never been a die-hard fan. So I asked her why. And she said because that man knows how to entertain! My mouth dropped open in amazement and I practically yelled Oh! OH! I get it now!! My writing wasnt about me or my characters. It was about entertainment. I felt like such an idiot for not seeing it before. There are stories running around in my head that I think others might enjoy. Thats what Phil Collins does he doesnt have to put on an entertaining show, but he does because he thinks his fans will enjoy it. Does that make him vain and self-absorbed? Nope. He just sees something in himself that he thinks others will enjoy. Rather than keeping it to himself, he shares it with us. And we enjoy it. I think this is what sets him apart from the wannabes and the blips (short-lived bands), and why he was around for so many years. I think writers who never forget their readers are the ones who will be truly great, giving us amazing story after amazing story for years. But if you only focus within, you'll lose sight of your reader. And then who's going to read your work?

The Right Way To Write, Part One

I think this concept bothers writers a lot. More than most would be willing to admit. I've seen many suggestions on discussion boards: writers telling other writers how they should be writing their stories. Does that mean there's only one tried and true method of writing? I don't think so. Then what is the best way to write? Is it just sitting down and writing what comes? Is it planning out the characters first? Creating an outline? Writing various scenes and dialog? The answer is: none of the above. The best way to write is the way that works best for you. If you're a seasoned writer, you probably know exactly what works and what doesn't. But if you're relatively new to writing, you may not. So how do you figure out what works? Well, that depends on you. When you sit down to write, what's the first thing that pops into your head? Is it a scene or line of dialog? Is it backstory, character development, or plotline? If it's the former, then you're probably a freewriter. If the latter, you're probably a planner. Next: which is less complicated? Answer: neither. My personal opinion on an individual's writing process: none of them are complicated, especially if it works. They just seem complicated to other people. A non-planner might find a planner's process complicated since she probably finds outlines and backstory tedious, and limiting to her creative process. She just sits down to write and sees what happens. A planner might find a non-planner's process complicated because, after the first draft is finished, she might find that she needs to take the story in a completely different direction. Or a character develops in unforeseen ways. Or something else happens that requires chucking a good portion of the story, perhaps even starting over. That's inefficient, messy, and complicated to planners. So, what do we do when we sit down to write? We write what pops into our heads. I'm a planner by nature. I can't function if I don't have at least a general plan in front of me. And I get really annoyed when non-planners try to tell me I'm doing it all wrong, that I'm limiting myself. *sigh* I dont know what to do without a plan. :)

I try hard not to push people into writing the way I write - just because it works for me doesn't mean it'll work for everyone. There is no one way to write. The best way to write is the way that works for you. And the only way to find that is to try lots of things until you figure it out. It's a sad truth, but no one ever said this writing thing was easy. When you sit down to write, pay attention to what pops into your head. Is it scenes and dialog? Or is it outlines and big picture stuff? Or is it a mix of both - that gray area that isn't all planning and isn't all free-writing? I think this is where most writers land. But it's far too complicated to get into right now, so I'll talk about that in my next post.

The Right Way To Write, Part Two

Last week, I posted about planners vs. free-writers, and some general notes on how to tell which one you are. But, what if clear-cut planning isn't working for you? Or your free-writing muse seems to be sulking in a corner? What then? Well, there's a huge gray area between the two, and I believe this is where most writers land. Let's take starting point. What do you start with when you sit down with a new story idea? Is it your main character? A major plot point? A high-level story idea? Next, how do you go about writing it? Are you having trouble getting started, but the idea of planning or plotting sickens you? Or are you having trouble making yourself stop filling out character worksheets and updating outlines, and just get going already? If so, then maybe you need a combination of the two. The trouble is, finding a good balance can only be done through trial and error. Hence, it can take writers years to figure out what works for them and what doesn't. But here's a few generic combinations that might shave off some of that time. The Road Map: Plot based - know where your story is going. Simply put, this is a basic map of your story. It's not a strict outline, it's not detailed, it just highlights the major events that will happen before the end. This is probably for planners who want a bit more wiggle room than a detailed outline provides. The Environment: Character based - know where your character is going. Take your character and put him in a specific environment, then see what he does. If your character has already been defined and you know where he's going, this could be a great launching point for the more free-writing inclined. But it's also good for the planner. The Object: Character based - know where your character is going. Give your character an object and see what he does with it. Same as above. The Situation: Character based - know where your character is going. Put your character in a specific situation and see what he does with it. Same as above.

Bird's Eye View: Either plot or character based. This is similar to a pitch you would give to an editor or agent. It's the bare bones of your story, boiled down into one or two lines. For example, the pitch for The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime would be similar to "An autistic boy investigates the death of a neighbor's dog." This one probably has the most wiggle room of all. And, depending on where you put your focus, you can take off with your characters or you can take off with your story. And you can use as much or as little planning as you like. All of these could also be used as brainstorming exercises for writer's block. How fun! :) So if you're muse isn't cooperating, then maybe use one of these to give her direction. Or, if you can't stop planning, then maybe use one of these to just get started, even if it's not exactly in the right direction. Combinations work, too. Try new things, pay attention to what's working and what's not, and pretty soon you've have found your groove.

A Whole World of Ideas

Where do you get your ideas? This is probably the most frequent question writers get asked. My answer? Everywhere. Ideas for stories can begin with the tiniest thing. Or, they can fall from the sky, huge and already half-built, right into your lap. All you have to do is look around, and youll see them. Theyre in the old woman waiting for a bus, the iron pressing the wrinkles out of a collar, the dog abandoned by its family, the teenager inventing her own words, the kid shuffling to school with hunched shoulders, or the kid standing tall and meeting the world head on. There are stories in all of these things. A new story idea has been niggling in the back of my mind for quite some time. It partly came from a horrible and vivid nightmare. I woke, shaking and sweating, then stared at the ceiling for the rest of the night because I did not want to go back to it (as I sometimes do). The next day, when the sun was out and I felt a bit braver, I thought about this dream. There were many aspects that would never go into a childrens book, at least not one that I would write. But there were others, tiny nuggets in this realm of terror, that I plucked out, wrote down, and brainstormed. Pretty soon, I had this vivid new idea gripping me by the throat, demanding me to write it. I was in the middle of another story at the time, one that I really wanted to finish, so I made myself set this one aside. One of the hardest things Ive had to do. Which brings up another question, one often asked by other writers. How do you deal with new ideas when youre already up to your eyeballs in another one? I think the answer to this is personal preference, or how your brain processes things. Some people can read multiple books at a time, and some cant. Some people like to have several stories going at once, and some dont. Which are you? I'm a one-at-a-time gal, myself. But what about this: since youve gotten this great new idea, does it mean you have to start writing it immediately? Not necessarily. Theres something to be said for letting your ideas stew for a bit. For the idea I mentioned above, Im glad I didnt start on it right away. Aside from the fact that I finished my other project (yay!), that extra time to let it simmer has given it a deeper, richer flavor. The setting has grown. The characters have fleshed themselves out. The main character has taken over, and tells me more and more how this story needs to be told. Rather, how it *will* be told, whether I like it or not. If I had started working on this story right out of the gate, none of this would have happened. And the story would have suffered. So, I think that, from now on, letting my ideas simmer is going to be a regular practice of mine. No matter how hard it is to set them aside.

Musing About Muses

Maureen Johnson, author of SUITE SCARLETT and other YA books, has an interesting post about muses. She calls them "credit-stealing parasites." Personally, I couldnt agree more. I dont have a muse. Never have, never will. Maybe I was absent the day they were passed out to writers. Who knows? But if I did have one, Id probably kick her out the door. I know, that sounds kind of harsh. I've just never been fond of muses because every writer I know (who has a muse) speaks about her like she's an outside influence. If she's in a rotten mood, the writer can't work. If she's happy, the writer is so productive she can move mountains. It almost sounds like muses are slave drivers, issuing orders to serve their whims. Personally, Im no ones slave. If I want to write, Im going to write. Muse be damned. My inspiration is never affected by outside influences. It's deep, very deep, within me, and I can tap into it at any given time - it's not based on how happy or fickle a muse is feeling. I guess you could argue that a muse is really internal since she's basically an imaginary friend. But she's still an external projection of that. And that just doesn't work for me. I know this isnt a popular view in the writing community, and I see the lynch mob heading my way because it sounds like I've just insulted everyone's source of inspiration. No! Wait! Let me explain!! I really do have a point! Every writer is different, and what works for one may not work for another. Muses dont work for me, but that doesnt mean Im saying death to all muses! If you have a muse and like working with her, then YAY! Im glad youve found something that works.

Is It Ever Really Done?

Is the story every really finished? Or do writers just keep working on it until time runs out? This question is commonly asked among writers with a good amount of experience (after we realize that a first draft does not equal done). :) If someone asked me this question a year ago, even six months ago, this would have been my answer: "I would like to think so, but no matter how hard I try I keep finding things to change. And I'm always left with a niggling feeling that something isn't quite right. So, maybe it'll never really be finished." I've had this sentiment for pretty much my entire writing life (since age sixteen). It's only just recently that it has changed. I've been working on a story, called ROYAL ROSE, for the past two and a half years. It's the hardest story I've ever written, hands down. It's not a story I would typically read, and it's so far out of my comfort zone it's not even funny. And yet, it was a story that got into my face and demanded to be told. So, I sat down to write it. But, every time I thought I was done, a feeling that it wasn't done followed me around everywhere. No matter what I did - let the manuscript sit, ask others' to read it, etc - that feeling never went away. Until recently. I just finished my fifth draft for this story, and it's done. There might be better ways of executing certain aspects of the story, or a better way to say certain things, but the story itself is done! I've said everything I want to say in a way that's consistent with the characters and the setting. In other words, I knew the story I wanted to tell, and i finally figured out how it needed to be told. Other stories I've written are still not "done," in that there is still something niggling me about them. Either something is missing, or an aspect of the story is bothering me, or something. I can't look at them and get a satisfied smile on my face that says all is well. And, it's now glaringly apparent that I wasn't absolutely sure of the story I wanted to tell, except in a general sense. With ROSE, I have known her story since day one. I think this concept is simiar to an idea being "fully formed," like JKR said about Harry as she was sitting on that delayed train. Rose's story fell into my head with a very clear direction and outcome, and for the past two and a half years, I've been trying to figure out all the details. Now that I have, it has made so many more things clear.

My writing process will need to be adjusted because of it - before I write a single word, I want to know my story. Inside and out. Backwards and forwards. Upside down. Everything. So, there may be some stories that can never be truly done. But my answer to the opening question has changed: "If you truly know your story and where it needs to go, then, yes, it's possible for it to be done."

Why I Write What I Write

Ive talked before about why I write that is, why I put pen to paper. But Ive never talked about why I write the kinds of stories I write. Why does one gravitate toward fantasy? Science fiction? Chick-lit? Christian? Who knows. Its just what we want to write about, right? Thats what I thought, until recently. The novel I just finished was the hardest thing Ive written to date. Its not a novel I gravitate toward when Im skimming shelves, its not about anything Ive experienced personally, and the style is way out of my comfort zone. But, now that its done, its also the best thing Ive ever written. And Im convinced thats because it was so far out of my comfort zone. It forced me to stretch myself into the unknown, which meant I flopped on my face more than once. And, with each flop, I learned not to make that mistake again. The project Ive just started working on is turning out to be similar. Again, its not a novel I gravitate toward. Its not about anything Ive experienced personally. And the style and subject are way out of my comfort zone. Does that mean I shouldnt write it? Nope. Im still going to. And Im going to flop on my face along the way. And thats okay. Agent Elana Roth wrote a great post about the craft of writing, which she compared to making pottery. It is brilliant and everyone should go read it. :) It illustrates exactly what Ive been experiencing for the past few years. Ive been working on selling my first novel for quite some time now. It came really close last year, right down to the wire, but the house ultimately said no, and now its back in my hands. If youd asked me a year ago how Id feel about this, Id have said devastated! But, Im okay. In fact, I wont be heartbroken if it never gets published. Not because I dont think its publishable I think it is, and that it would do fairly well but because I know I can do better. Everything about that book was well within my comfort zone, yet it didnt produce my best work. I didnt have to do anything in order to write it, except for writing it. Clearly, that doesnt work for me. I need to be able to stretch and grow, and I cant do that if Im always working on projects within my comfort zone. This may not work for everyone, but its working so far for me, and I expect it to keep working. So much that when I eventually have an agent and editor, I want them both to feel free to look me in the eye and say "you can do better," and then send me off to do just that. A year ago, I wrote about writing what you know, and what it meant for me as a writer. It still means the same for me now, but I would add to it: Start out by writing what you know, then move on to writing what you dont know. Otherwise, how are you going to grow?

Professional Writing
The Caren Johnson Literary Agency had a great post last week. Actually, they have many great posts, but this one really struck home with me. Its about an unprofessional query they received the writer kept querying them with the same piece even though hed been rejected each time. His reason for doing so? Until I get a hit, I must submit. Um... It always amazes me how people dont see writing as a professional thing. For the nonwriters among us, I can understand a little. Only writers know how difficult it is to write well, just like only a doctor knows how stressful it is to have a patients life in his hands. But for a writer to treat writing with such indifference is kind of...well...I find it insulting. I have worked really hard to get where I am with my craft, and he thinks that he can just submit the same piece over and over again in order to get published? The only consolation I have is that I know itll never happen for him because hes not willing to grow or learn. And that is the one thing that writers MUST do. With any office-like job, what do you do? Do you sit around with your feet up, cranking out the same mediocre work time and again, and then expect to be praised? Probably not. If you did, youre likely to get a Conversation with your boss. So how can people think writers do this? Because we really dont. We work just as hard as 9 to 5ers, in a depressingly negative environment. It's RARE to get a zing of inspiration, crank out the story in a matter of days or weeks, and then have it become a classic/best-seller/whatever. We have to work to get it right. I guess this is a sore spot for me. My husband is supportive of my work, but I have other family members who are not. One has said more than once that I should just self-publish and be done with it. And he wont see me as a writer until Im published. Which is kind of sad, but not really my problem. I know what I want, and I know what I need to do in order to get it. His approval isnt going to change anything, is it? :) I'm a Writer, and I know what it means to me to be a Writer. He doesn't. On that note, I guess I have one more consolation with the until I get a hit... person. Hes not really a Writer. Hes not willing to put in the work, learn the craft, explore, make mistakes, and then learn from them. He thinks he can crank something (anything) out, then have accolades and money dumped on him. Well, it doesnt work that way. Sadly, folks like him wont seek out writing blogs like this one. Probably not even the Caren Johnson Agencys blog. Instead, he'll just keep submitting. *sigh*

Baking a Layer Cake...er, Manuscript

Ive been hearing writers talk about writing a manuscript in layers. Lady Glamis at the Innocent Flower did some great posts on this, and Jacqui Robbins just put the skeleton of her novel together. My most recent WIP, a middle grade that I started seven years ago, is putting itself together in a similar way. Except mine is more like baking and decorating a cake. When you set out to bake a cake, first you need to make sure you have the right ingredients: eggs, flour, sugar, butter, etc. Without the right ingredients, the cake wont turn out right. Once you have your ingredients, you mix and bake them until you have fluffy, golden layers of yummy. The same thing is true with a story. When you set out to write one, you need the right ingredients: characters, plot, conflict, tension, voice, etc. It has taken me seven years to find the right ingredients and bake them in my head until everything solidified into something that made sense. Now, Im working on the next step: assembly. When baking a layer cake, once its baked you have to let it cool. If you put frosting on a hot cake, the cake will be too fragile and the frosting will pull it apart. If you wait until its warm (not hot), then the cake wont fall apart. However, the frosting might melt and ooze off the cake. Then you have to go back and fix it, and the result isnt always pretty. : ) So, you need to wait until the cake is completely cool, and then both the cake and frosting will mesh well. My current WIP has been exactly like this. I had to let this story bake in my head for seven years, and then cool off completely before I could start putting it together on paper. Im not sure why this story took so long to solidify in my head, but it did. And now, Im working on gluing the layers together with frosting. To put cake layers together, it requires a liberal amount of frosting on the bottom layer, then lining up the top layer so its even with the bottom. Its not too difficult, nor has it been difficult to put my story together on paper. I think thats because its been baking and cooling for so long. : ) But when it comes to the decorating, thats a different story. Decorating a cake requires yet another layer of frosting on top, but this is harder than the layer you put between the cakes. The outside layer must look smooth, and if youre not careful then cake crumbs can get swept up into the frosting. That looks terrible, especially with chocolate cake. It requires care, precision, and concentration. Frosting can lump too high in places, or it can be too thin. To get it right, you have to take a step back and look at it objectively.

My story is the same. Once I finish putting it all together, then I have to go back over it and add the pieces that I know are missing, look for the thin areas I didnt see the first time around, and trim the areas that are too lumpy. This creates a solid base for the next step: decoration, or, in my story, word choice. This is probably the hardest step. For cake decoration, Im going to be hunched over this cake for an hour or two, squeezing drops of frosting in just the right places to create the greatest visual effect. When Im done, my eyes are crossed and my back aches, but Im thrilled with the end result. Which makes it worth all that effort. Its no different with my story. When I reach this point, I agonize over every single word Ive used. If I let myself get caught up in word choice earlier, then I might have wiped out all that work as I finished putting the different layers of foundation in place, so I wait until the end to do this. And then, I tackle my story by hunching over it for days or weeks on end. I look at every sentence placement, word usage, and paragraph location. By the time Im done, Im cross-eyed and my hand is cramping like the dickens. But Im thrilled with the end result, so all that work is worth the effort. But I'm not there yet. In fact, I'm still putting my manuscript together, but I should be putting on the outside layer of frosting soon. Perhaps by the end of the month...we'll see. :) I hope this hasnt sounded silly. I just equate writing to things I understand, and cakes are one of those things. :)

Blocking Writers Block

Anyone who writes knows about writers block. Some believe in it, and some dont. If you asked me what I believe, Id say I dont. But thats not a completely honest answer... Writers block is a very real thing. Its something in a writers mind that is keeping her from putting words on a page. Some would argue that thats why its not real, and Ive even heard some people say its all in your mind, get over it. But I say thats what makes it real. After all, where do our stories come from? Yeah, the mind. Overcoming it isnt always easy, but its definitely possible. Writers block can be as huge as a lack of confidence to produce good work, which might mean that the block is rooted deep within the person, and has nothing to do with writing. Writers block can also be as small as not being able to figure out what comes next in the story. No matter what it is, its possible to defeat it. Im stubborn. It runs in my family, on both sides, and my kids have inherited all of it. I think my family must have been cursed ages ago or something, because this stubbornness almost has a life of its own, and I think it will pass itself on through each generation until the world ends. Fortunately for me, I read A WRINKLE IN TIME as a kid, and Meg taught me that stubbornness can be used productively. So, when I decided that I was going to make a living as a writer, it was as good as a done deal. The fact that it hadnt happened yet meant nothing, because I would do whatever was necessary in order to get my work out there. : ) That may sound confident, but its not. Stubbornness is not confidence. And a lack of confidence can feed writers block. Ive gone through my share of writers block, and at one point it was as big as everything I write is crap and no one is going to read my work. I could have given up and pursued something else, which would have been fine. But thats not what I wanted. I wanted to write in the worst way, and I didnt want to write crap. Here, I feel lucky to be so stubborn, and to have learned how to harness it. Otherwise, I could have let my dream slip away. Instead, I took some writing classes. That got me one step closer to the confidence I needed in order to succeed, but I still had many steps to go. Some of those steps had nothing to do with writing, and everything to do with me. Over the years, Ive beaten down the writers block from I-cant-write to I-dont-knowwhat-happens-next. When I run into that kind of block, I lay out the story and examine what Ive written up to that point. Then I brainstorm and lay out all possible choices (even the ridiculous ones) from there. Often, one will jump out at me, then slide itself into place. If that

doesnt happen, then I move farther back in the story until I reach the place where I got derailed. Then I brainstorm again until Im back on track. If none of that works, then I go for a walk. Or, I call up a friend and scream about my stupid story. : ) I still sometimes question whether what Ive written will ever be good enough, and that sometimes results in zero words on the page. When that happens, I always take a step back and look at whats blocking me. Is it me? Or is it the story? Once I figure that out, then I can find a way around the block. Or over it. Or under. Im not picky. : ) So, when I say I dont believe in writers block, what I really mean is that I dont believe in letting it stop me. And I never will.

Inspiring to Motivate
As some of you know, Ive been working on a MG novel. And, the week before last, I finished it! Yay!! Its not done-done, its just ready-for-critique-done. But all the big pieces are there, plus a lot of the little ones, and Id been wondering if Id ever reach this goal. This story has a long history seven years of it. During that time, Ive had varying degrees of both inspiration and motivation to write it. Sometimes it poured in like a waterfall, and sometimes it was hardly a trickle. A question thats been buzzing around my head lately is this: what kept me going on this story for so long? I certainly wasnt inspired for the full seven years, nor was I motivated. I even set it on the shelf for years at a time. So why did I keep coming back to it? I wasnt really sure, so I sat down to examine the life of this project. Turns out it was shaped like a regular story. Beginning: With all my new ideas, there is no shortage of inspiration or motivation. The words almost come too fast for me to keep up, even when Im in the planning stages. The same thing happened with my MG project. When the initial idea fell into my head, I got so excited that I wrote and wrote for weeks on end. The more I planned, the bigger the story got. But when I started writing it, it got smaller. So I went back to planning, then back to writing, planning, writing, etc. I kept going in this circle until I was so dizzy I didnt know what to do. All I knew was something wasnt right, and I didnt know how to fix it. It irritated the heck out of me, so I set it aside to work on something else. Middle: After writing my first YA novel, I went back to my MG project to see what I could see. Again, I got really excited about the idea and set to planning. Again, the words flowed freely and I could hardly keep up. Then, I went through the same cycle as before. But I was determined to work through the problem this time. I even wrote separate pieces of the story, out of order, in an attempt to spark a solution. Nothing worked, and I was even more frustrated than the last time. I threw the story back on the shelf, then huffed off to work on something else. End: After writing my second YA novel, I didnt go directly back to my MG project. Instead, I sketched out another YA story. When I had a rough, high level plan, I closed one eye and peeked at my MG project. I dont know why I was treating it like it was going to jump out and bite me, because it was still in the same state Id left it. :) This caution turned out to be beneficial, though. Instead of letting the idea carry me away, I took out the high-level plan and

spread it out on the floor. And then, something happened...it all clicked into place. I had almost everything I needed, but it wasnt in the right order, and some of the characters were playing the wrong roles. I switched those things around, and then *more* clicked into place. That required some new pieces to the plan, so I added those. Pretty soon, my floor was covered with a plan that made sense, really made sense, for the first time. I sat down to write the story, and the words flowed. It was like a dam bursting. I guess since theyd been stuck in my head for seven years, they just couldnt wait to finally get out. This is the strongest first draft Ive ever written...but thats probably because its really the 200th draft. : ) But why did it take so long to get to this point? Quite frankly, the story required writing skills that I didnt have, and I didnt know how to go about learning them. It took seven years to first understand how to write it, and then to realize that I didnt have those particular skills way back when. I still have plenty to learn, but at least I know enough to give this story what it deserves. I also discovered that, through all this time of varying degrees of inspiration and motivation, these two remained constant: Inspiration I love the idea behind this story. Plus, Im an explorer at heart, and I wanted to see where this idea would take me. Motivation The underlying themes are a huge part of myself. Sorting through them allowed me to grow internally, which made me a stronger, more confident person.

In other words, from the day the idea hatched in my head, there was never a question that I wouldnt finish it. I will. Its just a matter of time. What keeps you motivated? What do you do when your motivation goes on a vacation?

When to Give Up
I love blog stats. I look them up all the time, and love seeing who visited that day and where they came from. I also like to see how they got to my blog, whether by another website or through a search. Lately, Ive been seeing variations on searches about How To Know if Youre A Good Writer, and even a few on when you should give up writing. This last one really struck a chord with me, because I just went through a bit of a roller coaster ride with my YA novel (and Im sure the ride is nowhere near over). Last Thursday, I said you should never give up. And I truly believe that...at least, for me. Do I believe everyone should never give up? Well...no. And its not because of quality of writing, how much you write each week, or how many accolades youve received. It all comes down to this: How badly do you want it? Quality of writing can always be learned. All you have to do is try. The harder you try, the more you learn. It may take years, but if you keep at it then youll get there. How much you write each week is sometimes a direct reflection of how badly a writer wants to be published, and sometimes not. What if a writer works full time and has children to care for? That may leave only a few spare hours each week. But, you know what? Those are hours she could be spending sleeping, watching TV, even scrubbing the kitchen floor. The fact that she writes means its important to her. And, if she keeps at it, she will get there eventually. As for accolades, or a lack thereof, they mean nothing if the work isnt important to the writer. A lack of praise could mean the writer needs to learn more see Quality of Writing above. An abundance could mean the writer is eliciting feedback from the wrong people (i.e. family and friends). But if a writer keeps working, praise or no praise, she will eventually get there. In other words, if you want it badly enough to keep going, even if you know its not going to be easy, then the answer is simple. NEVER GIVE UP. If youre not sure, then taking some time off might help to clear your mind. If you miss it, then I think you owe it to yourself to keep trying. If not, well, theres your answer. Me? I want a career in writing so badly I can taste it. I cant imagine pursuing any other career, because I have so much within me that I want to share. Therefore, I am willing to work my fingers to the bone, learn everything I need to learn (and then some), and stretch myself way beyond my limits.

Pantophobia: The Fear of Everything

There have been several posts about fear in the blogosphere, which I always find interesting. The two that have resonated with me lately are ones that discuss fear of success, fear of failure, and fear of revision. These posts got the gears in my mind cranking, and I looked into myself. How do I deal with fear? Believe it or not, that was a really hard question to answer, because, generally, Im not a fearful person (as you may have guessed after reading this post). But why doesnt fear take a stronger hold of me? I puzzled and puzzled over this until my puzzler was sore. :) Part of the answer is that Im an analytical thinker. Before doing anything, I ponder the consequences of my actions (or lack of action). If I can live with the consequences, then Ill do it. If I cant, I wont. That right there eliminates a huge contribution to fear: the unknown. Sure, there might be some things I cant anticipate, but Ive still reduced the unknown to a manageable chunk, which starves the fear and changes it from a hulking monster to something the size of a squirrel. But I think the real answer is this: I know what I do well, I know what I can learn, and I know where I need to seek help. With this, the power of control is in my hands, not Fears. More on this in a moment... There is a lot of fear in writing. Not being able to finish your book, afraid of changing what you have because you might make it worse, not being able to sell your book and see it on the shelves, etc. But there are still ways of getting beyond this fear so you can do what you really want to do. The best thing you can do is to know your strengths and weaknesses. If you dont know what youre good at (or not good at), then you need to get up and try it because thats the best way to find out. Its also where the fear kicks in, because we always fear what we dont know. For example, I first started writing at age sixteen, and the only reason I did it is because an English teacher made me. She gave our class an assignment to write a poem, and then graded us on it. The whole idea of writing was too daunting and I didnt think Id be able to do it, but I had to either try or get an F. So I tried. Look where I am now. :) That said, it doesnt mean I was gifted at writing. There was a lot I didnt know, but overcoming that first hurdle gave me the gumption to keep trying, keep learning, and keep attempting more hurdles. Sometimes I succeeded, and sometimes I landed on my face. Thats the way of life, I suppose. :) But this journey helped me to learn more about myself. And I truly believe that if you know your skills, meaning, youve tried certain things and discovered what you do well and what you dont, then youve just taken away much of the power that Fear draws on.

But, what about the things you dont do well? Doesnt that bring out the fear again? Well, yes and no. Yes, because were back to the unknown: I can't do anything about the things Im terrible at. Wrong. I think that knowing what youre not good at is just as powerful as knowing what youre good at, because you can find ways to compensate. If youre not good at characterization, then find a writer who is and ask her to point out where yours is weak. If youre not good at plot, then find a writer who is and ask her to point out the holes in yours. And so on. This compensation is huge, because it will give you confidence in yourself and your abilities (I mean real confidence here, not an Im-awesome-and-I-must-tell-the-world ego), and confidence is a natural fear repellent. Better than deet. :) The more you believe in yourself, the more you can focus on your work. And the more you will love your work. But if you doubt yourself, then Fear will find little nooks and crannies to hang on to, which will interfere with your ability to write well and eventually come between you and your project. So, I guess it all boils down to this: if you're afraid of something, then you're probably doubting something regarding yourself. Figure out exactly what that is, and then look for ways to compensate. That might be learning more about craft, or finding an objective ear. Whatever you do, don't let the fear take over.

The Muse, The Daemon, and The Artist

Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love, gave a TED speech in which she talked about The Muse, The Daemon, and The Artist. She had some interesting things to say about the daemon or genius, which has basically been translated into today's muse. The big difference is that todays society doesnt believe the talent comes from the muse anymore, the way the ancient Greeks and Romans believed that talent came from a divine spirit (called the daemon or genius). Gilbert believes that we should go back to that philosophy, putting the talent back into the muse. That way the artist doesnt bear the entire burden of success or failure. And if one artist is better than another, then that means one artist got a better muse than another therefore, its not his fault if his work isnt up to snuff. I know many who love what she had to say. I think she has some valid points, like the high mortality rate of creative geniuses who had difficulty dealing with the pressure of success and failure. I agree there is a general lack of support for creative artists, and very few helping them manage the inherent emotional risks of creativity. The creative mind can walk a fine line between genius and crazy. :) I also agree that there must be a way to deal with this, so we dont lose so many artists to tragic and unnecessary deaths. But how thats done? Well...I have to say that I completely disagree with her. I need to take a moment to say this, because it's very important to me. The kidlit world of writing is an amazingly supportive one. Just look at places like Verla Kay's Blueboards or SCBWI. These places are treasure troves of information, as well as filled with people who are willing and happy to share their experiences, cheer you on, or commiserate. Sure, there's still jealousy and competition, but it's rare that it turns vicious (if ever). So if you write for kids and you're having trouble dealing with something, you have places to go. For the adult world of writing? I've heard rumors that it's nothing like the kidlit world. The opposite, in fact. So I can see much of Gilbert's talk applying more to that world. Anyway, her philosophy might be helpful for some people, but it doesn't apply to everyone. It's too specific. Ive said this before, but I dont have a muse. I dont like them. If others want to have one, hey, thats fine with me. But they dont work for me. At all. Plus, I dont buy it that artists will accept that one person got a great muse but another didnt. I wouldnt. :) There would be much whining about why did I get stuck with this idiot when he got the greatest muse in the world? :) Petty jealousy is still part of human nature. I think that the real problem comes down to one's own self-confidence. What I mean by this is that you need to truly believe in yourself, which is not the same as thinking youre better than everyone else. If you believe in yourself, that you can do what you set out to do, and you

will be able to let the fear roll off of you. If you don't, then the fear will find places to grab hold and hang on. Gilbert said the general solution to this problem is this: I have to create some sort of protective psychological construct...find some way to have a safe distance between me...and what the reaction to that writing is going to be. I think thats somewhat true, but I dont think it needs to be a huge, elaborate process. The real solution is to search within yourself for ways to let that fear go, and chances are you will be left holding on to the love you have for your work. Which, of course, is the most important thing of all.

What Kind Of Reader Are You?

What kinds of books do you absolutely love? What books do you read over and over again because you cant get enough of them? And, when youre reading, are you always critiquing whats on the page? Or can you just sit back and enjoy the story? Generally, Im an analytical reader. Ive always been that way. Before I started writing novels, the only thing my brain picked apart was plot. Id get annoyed if the plot contradicted itself, went in convoluted directions, or if it just plain didnt make sense. After I started writing novels, though, I automatically started to analyze other aspects of the story, like character, setting, dialog, etc. Now, its almost impossible for me to sit down and read a book completely for enjoyment. My brain is constantly picking apart the craft that went into the story because I want to learn from it. Its rare that I can sit down and completely lose myself in a story these days, where the only thing I think about is whats going to happen next? It recently happened with Lisa Shearins series about an elf named Raine Benares. I checked out the first two books from the library and enjoyed them so much that I had to go out and buy the whole series. The fourth book is coming out tomorrow, and I am beyond excited. :) It also got me thinking...what was it about these books that shut off my inner editor? Was it how much I loved the characters? The setting? The pacing? No, no, and no. All these things are good, but there are still plenty of things that my inner editor could point out. So, its none of those things. Its the fact that these books are fantasy. And, theyre also written for adults, not teens. I dont write adult, and I dont write fantasy. I love to read fantasy, and thats pretty much all I read as a kid. But I dont write it. Why? I have no idea. But I think my inner editor knows Ill never write this kind of story, so it went on vacation. Much to everyones enjoyment. :) That got me thinking some more (no, I never stop thinking). What do other writers read? Do you read the same kind of stories that you write? Do you read outside of your own personal interest in the interest of learning? Do you read for enjoyment, or is it impossible for you to turn off your inner editor? Please share!!

Brainstorming Up A Storm
Last week, I talked a little bit about how much brainstorming I do early on in my writing process. A few of you have asked about that, so I thought Id share my brainstorming process in detail. I do multiple sessions of brainstorming. The first is when I get the initial idea for a story. I use a technique called Clustering. Basically, you start with one thing, then you branch off that thing with the first thing that pops into your mind. See the example on the following page. As you can see, theres a lot here, and I kind of got carried away. :) But thats easy to do with this technique. Its one of the ways that I can sit down and go nuts with the storys possibilities. Then, when Ive exhausted all avenues (even the silly/improbable/ridiculous ones), I start arranging them, keeping the ones that fit into the story arc and discarding the rest. My brainstorming tables used to look like the one above, but not anymore. Now, its a huge mess of scribbles in a journal, so its doubtful that anyone except me would understand any of the connections. :) But the connections are there, and I eventually rewrite everything in the proper order. I do this kind of brainstorming with various story elements, like plot, subplots, and character development. I will also do journaling from the perspective of my main character, which helps me to better understand him/her thus, helping me make appropriate plot choices along the way. This process allows me the creative freedom to explore without limits. When Im done, I can turn it into an outline, which will keep me pointed in the right direction as I write my story. Its never perfect, though, so when I get stuck, Ill come back to this brainstorming process to get back on track. Its gotten me out of many sticky situations. :) Do you brainstorm? If so, how do you do it? If not, why?

The First Draft

It's the final week of First Drafts Month here at Writer Musings! What does a first draft mean to you? How do you write yours? Does it change for each project, or is it the same each time? So far, weve heard from Jennifer Hubbard, Sherrie Petersen, and PJ Hoover. Its been wonderful hearing about how differently everyone attacks a first draft, how differently we all feel about them, and what we do with them! Today, Im going to share my ideas on the first draft. I hate them. They are my least favorite part of writing but I think thats mostly because of how my writing process has evolved. When I first started writing, I thought the first draft would be the only draft. As in, the first time I wrote The End, I thought I was done! HA. I can now look back on those days and laugh at myself. :) After I realized Id have to actually revise, I tried revising as I went. It kind of worked, but I was still missing big pieces and couldnt figure out why. So I took a few steps back and looked at the big picture...and I realized thats exactly what I was missing: the big picture. Now, when I begin a first draft, I have to have all the pieces of my big picture, plus a few extra (just in case). To do this, I sit down and explore every single possibility for my story. I write down every possible outcome, character, pivotal scene, main plot piece, characters, relationships, everything. Even the ridiculously stupid things. Its a lot of work, and can sometimes take weeks until I feel like I have everything I need. But, for me, its necessary. Heres why. In doing this all this work, Im essentially creating the pieces to a puzzle. I dont know what the final image is going to look like yet, so I dont know what Im going to need. So I kind of gather up everything that I think I might need, and then guess at in the order in which they need to fit together. If Im missing a piece, then I get frustrated. Or, if I have to create a new piece to fill a hole in the puzzle, it doesnt usually fit right which means I end up forcing it in, and that makes the story feel forced. But if I have more pieces than I need when I begin, that eliminates some of those problems. When you sit down to do a jigsaw puzzle, how do you start? Personally, I separate out all edge pieces and put those together first. I dont particularly like this part of puzzle-building, because I dont get to see the image forming in front of me. But putting the edge pieces together first gives me a framework with which to build the rest of the puzzle.

I see my first drafts as the same kind of thing. Its a framework that I can build upon, and its absolutely necessary for it to be solid before I start adding new pieces. Otherwise, it will come crashing down. For me, its not fun at all. But I get through it by telling myself that, once its done, I get to add in the fun stuff like characterization, subplots, snappy dialog, etc. Sometimes, I even end up using those ridiculously stupid pieces I mentioned above (slightly modified, in most cases). :) Then, I get to watch the image of my story blossom in front of me, often surprising me. But I wouldnt have that without the solid framework of the first draft. HUGE thank you to Jenn, Sherrie, and PJ for sharing so much with us!

Revision In Multiple Drafts

Last month, we heard from several different authors about how they attack the first draft. So, today, I thought it would be interesting to take a look at subsequent drafts. Personally, I think its impossible to write a really good story in just one draft. Okay, there are some people who can do it, but they arent the norm. And, some people can revise as they go, but Id still argue that, technically, theyre still writing in more than one draftits just difficult to know how many. :) My writing process is done in layers, because thats the easiest way for my brain to keep track of everything. I used to try to do everything at once, and ended up so overwhelmed that I usually wanted to throw the whole project out the window. So, now, I break everything down into manageable chunks, doing the real work in revision. Draft 1: Raw Materials For all my first drafts, I consider this to be the equivalent of slapping a big ol lump of clay on a table and preparing to mold it into the shape of my story. Nothing more. Ive tried doing more than this in first drafts, and Ive always ended up getting myself lost and frustrated. Draft 2: Voice Voice is extremely important, so this is something I try very hard to nail early on. I will work on some of this before I even write the first draft, when Im getting to know my main character. I do this through journaling from the characters point of view, and that usually gets me directly into her head. After I get the first draft down, Ill go through the entire manuscript and make sure that everything sounds like its coming from my characters and not from me. Draft 3: Subplots Subplots are always in the back of my head when Im planning and writing out that first draft, but I consider them too important to tackle along with something else. I will devote an entire draft to them to make sure theyre being introduced in the right place, as well as resolved appropriately before the story ends. I often have several subplots, many are subtle and some are more obvious, so I find that giving them my undivided attention is the best way to keep track of them. (in case any of you are wondering why Plot isnt in this list, I go through an elaborate Plot process before I even write the first draft) Draft 4: Character and Dialog Character is not one of my natural strengths, so I usually wait until Im close to the end before attacking this. If I feel that everything else is in good shape, then, somehow, that gives me the confidence I need in order to tackle character and dialog. Often, I dont have enough of

how my characters think and feel in vital situations, so I painstakingly go through each chapter to look for that...and it usually take more than one draft to get it all. :) Draft 5: Polish Once I feel that all the big pieces are in placethe voice is strong, my characters are solid, and my subplots make sensethen I will go through the manuscript with a fine-tooth comb and look at every single paragraph, sentence, and word to ensure its in exactly the right place. This always takes more than one draft, because its easy to miss a detail when youre focused on the one above it. The order of these drafts always varies depending on what story Im writing. Some stories pull me in one direction. While others pull me the opposite way. Certain aspects of one story may come naturally to me, but, in the next story, I may agonize over it. But I do keep these areas broken down like this, because it helps me get my head around the concepts. It also means I cant write a story in less than five drafts. If I did, my story would be incomplete. Have you found your revision process? What is it?

Procrastinators Unite! ...tomorrow

Procrastination. Its a common side effect of writing. Whether were suffering from writers block, lack of motivation, lack of inspiration, etc, it often grabs hold when our guards are down. And, once were in its grasp, its really hard to get out of it. Ill start writing as soon as I clean the bathrooms. Ill start writing as soon as I wash the dishes. Ill start writing as soon as I organize my closet. Ill start writing as soon as I... You get the idea. :) Im a champion procrastinator. But, at the same time, I dont like leaving things to the last minute. So I often get caught between Ill do it later and Oh crap, theres not enough time to do this! It sucks, and its taken years for me to even recognize this pattern within myself. Now that I have, I try to keep myself from getting sucked into that whirlpool, but Im not always successful. My writing used to suffer as a result, too. Id fall into the Ill-do-it-later trap, really *truly* meaning to do it later. The trouble was, it was *always* later. Id gotten myself into a routine where everything came before writing. And if everything comes before writing, the no writing is ever going to get done. Still, nothing changed, even after I realized this. You see, I like routines. Theyre comfortably predictable. I like knowing whats going to happen and when, and if I break out of my routine, then that comfort is taken away. My oldest son exhibits these traits, too. Poor kid. :) Actually, I think many people are this way. I think its easy to find habits and routines where everything is the same. Its reassuring, even if the habit or routine isnt the greatest or best thing for you. On that same note, I think many people find change very difficult. Change is the unknown, and often the unknown is scary. Even if that change is for the best. Thats probably the easiest way for procrastination to get a hold on you. And then theres the fear. Fear of failure, success, inability to finish what you start, etc. Fear can be an excellent motivator, but it can be just as effective as an inhibitor. After all, if you dont try, youll never fail. And its easy to talk yourself into things with statements like you never had time, other things always got in the way, things didnt work out, etc. Getting out of a procrastination rut can be the same kind of thing. It was for me, anyway. My desire to get published finally broke me out of it, and I created a new routine that

included time for writing. Im still using that routine, but Ill still lapse occasionally...like I said, Im a champion procrastinator. :) Are you a procrastinator? If youre not writing, why not? And is it something you feel needs to change? That kind of gets into the next subject: what is not procrastination. But thats for next week. :)

Am I Procrastinating?
Last week, we talked about how procrastination can get in the way of writing. This week, I want to explore how certain things might be considered procrastination, but really arent. About a year ago, I wrote an article about how an idea needs to bake (so to speak) in a writers head before its ready to be written. I need to do this, anyway, and if I sit down and try to write that story before its ready, it will not go well. Research can fall into the same not ready category. So can character worksheets, planning/outlining, brainstorming, and pretty much any kind of preparation work that can be done before you sit down to write your story. Im a firm believer that this prep work is still considered writing, even though youre not actually writing. Nick said last week that he only writes when he feels inspirationI feel for ya, Nick, cause thats a hard thing to break out of. :) As he astutely pointed out, this is a form of procrastination. However, waiting until you feel your story is ready is not the same thing. It might feel like procrastination at times, but theres nothing wrong with waiting until your story is strong enough in your head so you can put it together without worrying that it will fall apart. There is a fine line between the two, though, and its often difficult to tell the difference. But there is a way to put it to the test: sit down and attempt to write it. It might be difficult at first, but dont give up right away. Id say give yourself at least fifteen minutes, and then look to see what youve got. If you had to struggle through each and every word for those fifteen minutes, then your story probably isnt ready to be written yet. But if you found a groove and the story started flowing, then you were just procrastinating. :) So, are you guilty of procrastination? Or do you lean more toward the prep work and only feel like you're procrastinating? Or do you not have an issue with this at all? Do tell! :)

Reading Like A Writer

The illustrious Nathan Bransford wrote an awesome blog post recently. Well, he often writes awesome blog posts, but this one was about how a writer should never ask himself a certain question while reading someone elses story: Did I like it? Nathan shared some great insight as to why writers shouldnt ask this, and theres some interesting thoughts in the comments. So, if you havent read this yet, you should. I loved Nathans post so much that I wanted to leave a comment saying so, but words failed me. The best I could come up with was yeah, high five! Um...<blushing>...I think Ive been heavily influenced by my two boys running around the house all summer. :) Anyway, its been several days, and Ive had the chance to think over his post and articulate some thoughts. Rather than put them in the comments section on Nathans blog, I decided to write them here. I actually slightly disagree with Nathan. I think its okay to ask yourself did I like this? because liking or not liking a book is a big part of the industry. That said, a writer should never stop there. If you do, then youre not learning anything. Nathan says that a writer should always ask this question: did the author accomplish what he set out to accomplish? Nathan, you are a genius. :) To properly answer this question, two things much happen. 1) The reader must attempt to put himself in the authors shoes and figure out what he intended to accomplish with his story. 2) The reader must look at the story itself and figure out what it actually accomplished. Both of these are extremely difficult to do, but I think a good writer needs to be able to do this. For me, reading is as much a part of learning as taking classes on craft, going to conferences, actual writing, etc. I do book reviews on my blog every week, and I always attempt to answer Nathan's question. The books I choose to review are ones that gave me a strong reaction, positive or negative, and have much to explore in the way of craft. Even if my reaction was strongly negative, I will examine and analyze the good parts, because theyre always there (granted, some books have more than others). If there was nothing good, then it never would have gotten published in the first place. An astute writer will be able to find the good things, even if she didnt love the book. Even if she hated the book. An easy reaction to a book one hates is how did this crap get published? I hear this often, and have been guilty of saying it (in private) myself. You know what? It doesnt matter how it got published. What matters is that it did get published, and theres nothing you or I can do about it...except maybe one thing: we can learn from it. Someone, somewhere, connected with this book, and figuring out what sparked that connection can only add to an writers toolbox.

As writers, I think its imperative to read everything we can get our hands on, and then pick apart each story. What worked well? What could have been done better? What would we have done differently? Asking these questions is a good start toward dissecting a story and creating a good learning experience. You can spend as much or as little time on the pieces as you like, and you might be surprised at how much you see once you pull it apart.

Writing Under The Influence

To read books similar to yours, or not to read. That is the question. Ive heard many writers say that they dont like to read books that are similar to their own, because they dont want to be influenced by that author. As in, they dont want to end up with another book that looks/sounds/feels just like someone elses work. To which I say, yes, you dont want to write a book thats too similar to whats already out there. And, yes, reading a book similar to yours could (consciously or unconsciously) influence your style and story. BUT. Yes, of course theres a but. :) The same thing can still happen even if you havent read books similar to yours. How? Quite simply, its possible for two separate people to come up with two similar ideas, and then write two similar stories. For example, Fallen by Lauren Kate and Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick are very similar, yet they were written and sold independently. They even had release dates within months of each other. Hows that for bizarre coincidence? :) What if you write a book thats similar to something thats already been published? If you dont read books in your genre/subject matter/age group, etc, then you wont know about this book. And then, when youre querying, you might come across as uninformed, which could also translate into unprofessional (maybe, not definitely). So, now we have a dilemma: read and possibly be influenced by other authors, or dont read and possibly come across as nave or uninformed. Whats the solution? There is a solution, but its not an easy one because it requires a lot of time and effort on the writers partread widely, broadly, across the spectrum, anything and everything you can get your hands on. How does that help? Well, look at it this way. If you read one book thats very similar to your own, then, yes, it could easily influence your writing. Especially if you liked that book. But if you read, say, ten books that are similar to your own, then it will be harder for just one style to jump out and dominantly influence you. Instead, youll have several influences all mingling together, and the end result will definitely not be a clone of one of those books. Plus, once you start querying, youll have a large array of books or authors whose fans might also enjoy your book. Presenting this information will show the agent or editor that you are involved in the book community, which means youd step up to the plate with your own book when its time.

Of course, if you want the other books influence to be watered down enough so they dont make such an impact on you, that means you have to read a lot of books. A lot. Some people dont have time to read so much, plus write at the same time. Ive seen writers read extensively before starting their own books, and then set reading aside until its done. Ive also seen writers find a way to balance both. I, personally, have more time to read than to write because my kids are home with me often. So I end up reading a lot while Im working on a project. But if I had more writing time than reading time, Id probably go the other way. What do you do? Do you read while youre working on a project? Or do you set it aside until youre done?

Inspiration vs. Writing Every Day

I subscribe to the Guide to Literary Agents newsletter, and last month they asked about writers who write only when inspired vs. writers who write every day. Is there a need to write every day, or should we just write when inspired? For me, there are two sides to this question. 1) Sitting down to write even when you're not inspired. 2) The actual ability to sit down and write without any other obligations getting in the way. These have two very different answers, so I want to tackle them separately. 1) Sitting down to write even when you're not inspired. I believe in making inspiration come to me rather than waiting around for it to fall in my lap. So, I'd rather sit down and get to work even if inspiration is being elusive. However, I don't believe in forcing the words. If you sit down to write and it takes twenty minutes to get three crappy sentences on the page, then something is wrong. The standard argument used here is that you can't revise an empty page, so bad words are better than no words. But I disagree. When I write something truly awful, I almost always end up deleting it and starting over (because it's just plain too horrible to revise). So, when I get myself into a situation like this, I stop writing. BUT, I don't walk away. Instead, I'll do some brainstorming exercises, journaling from the MC's perspective, or other tasks to help me figure out why the story isn't flowing properly. Once I figure it out, then I can get back to writing. So, I think that instead of sitting down and writing every day, one should sit down and do something related to writing: brainstorming, planning, research, journaling, etc. 2) The actual ability to sit down and write without any other obligations getting in the way. As much as I would love to write every day, I can't. I have a family, and I want to spend time with them. Because of everyone's schedules, it's not possible for me to carve out writing time every single day. So, I write on the days that I can, and don't write on the days I can't. For this reason alone, I don't have the luxury of waiting around for inspiration to strike because I can't sit down to write anytime I want. Instead, I set up a writing schedule, which I stick to religiously. On my writing days, I either write or do something related to writing. Always. Some days, the words flow so quickly I can hardly keep up. Other days, it's like banging my head against the wall. But I stick with it, and the end result is always worth the work I put into it. If inspiration happens to strike on a nonwriting day, then I jot notes in a notebook that I always keep handy. This may sound overly complicated, but if I didn't have this schedule then I would never get any writing done.

Basically, though, I think what the question of Inspiration vs. Every day is really asking is this: do you have what it takes to stick it out? Writing is hard work. Whether you write every day or need to be inspired in order to write, you still need to be able to come back to your story again and again in order to make it the best it can possibly be. If other things keep getting in the way (or if the Im not inspired thing is really an excuse), then youre never going to get there. If you truly need to be inspired in order to write, then find ways to get yourself inspired as often as you possibly can.

Reading Analytically
Honesty. What does it mean to you? I dont mean the dictionarys definition. What does it mean to you? Ill tell you what it means to me: an open mind, balance, objectivity, and exploration. Basically, it means I need to take a step back and look in places I dont ordinarily look. Its very eye-opening, and I apply this concept every time I sit down to read. When you pick up a book, what are you intending to get out of it? Just enjoyment or entertainment? Or do you want to see how published authors manage their craft? For me, I like to read for entertainment, but it always come second to craft. So, I tend to view reading as a learning experience with the added bonus of good entertainment value. :) But how do you turn reading into a learning experience? Its not easy. But, since nothing about writing is easy, that should come as no surprise. :) In order to get the most out of a reading experience, I have to embrace every aspect of honesty. This manifests in a few ways. Put yourself in the authors shoes. Since writers do this kind of thing all the time, that shouldnt be too difficult. :) Putting yourself in the authors shoes helps you to be in the right place so you can better understand the story. In order to get the most out of this exercise, two things must happen. 1) Figure out what the author intended to accomplish with his story. 2) Look at the story itself and figure out what it actually accomplished. Yeah, its hard, but there are always little clues that help us along. When you first start out, it might require a re-read or two. Once youve done this, though, you can move on to the next point Put on your critiquing hat. I firmly believe that critiquing can teach us as much about writing as actually writing, so I try to critique as much as I can. When I read a book, I basically treat it like Im reading my critique partners work. I start out with the assumption that theres going to be both good and not so good stuff, and make mental notes accordingly. Reading a published book is different from critiquing because the author cant take the book back and make changes. BUT, he can improve his writing going forward. So, if you review books, you can write an honest review in the vein of a constructive critique, and learn something in the process. :) Be objective about what works and what doesnt. There are two aspects to this. 1) Strong reactions, either positive or negative. Take a good look at why the story evoked such a strong reaction from you and explore it. If you loved

it, or if you hated it, figure out why. There are likely several aspects to this. 2) Dont let the weaker reaction slip away. Even if you hated the book, what did it do right? If you loved the book, what could have been better? There are always two sides to the coin, and we need to be objective and honest with ourselves by looking at both of them, because thats the key to maximizing our learning experience. To be the best writers we can possibly be, I think we need to read widely and analyze everything. What did we love, and why? What would we have done differently? Be honest with yourself, and with the books you read, and youre on your way toward creating a good learning experience, which will ultimately make you a better writer.

When Is Good Enough Really Good Enough?

When do you consider your work good enough? When your critique partners have no more major comments? When its published? When it gets a starred review? When it wins an award? Perhaps. But, for every answer, theres a way to refute it. Its good enough for my critique partners, so its got to be good enough for an agent or editor. Maybe. It depends on how thorough your critique partners were, and how well you absorbed their feedback. Its good enough to get me an agent, so it must be good enough for an editor. Again, maybe. If your manuscript attracted an agent, then theres at least one shining element to your story that she believes in. But that doesnt mean she thinks its close to being done. Its good enough for my editor, so it must be good enough to greet the world. This depends on so many things. The editor could have been sold on that same shining element that attracted your agent, but that doesnt mean the rest of the book has transformed into one big, shining story. It might have, or the editor might have gotten it to the point where the flaws were merely acceptable. Meaning, many readers may not notice or care about them, but the astute reader will likely catch them every time. So, what about My book got a starred review or My book won an award? A starred review comes from an individual, so it means the flaws were overshadowed by the good parts for that one person. If another person from the same organization had reviewed your book, you might have gotten a different response. It all depends on taste. An award is bestowed by a group of people, and they agree that your work is deserving of this award. Its still a small group, though. Much smaller than the rest of the reading population. So is this a good measure? What does it really mean to say my work is good enough?

Lets say you give your work to an agent or editor hoping she wont notice a weak area in the story, or you assume that weak area is fine if she doesnt say anything about it. Or, lets say you rationalize away a voiced concern because so-and-so-author gets away with it in her books. Well, you can almost count on this coming back to haunt you, especially if youre a debut author. Once your work is out there, theres no taking it back. If you (or someone else) notice a flaw in your work, other people will, too. Hoping, insisting, or rationalizing that something isnt a problem doesnt make it true. Instead, it sets you up for the firing squad thats taken up residence on Amazons review forums. :) For me, this is what it really means to say ones work is good enough: 1. You have listened with an objective ear to the feedback from your critique partners, agent, and/or editor. 2. You have taken a good, hard look at the areas of concern (and put other successful books out of your mind). 3. Youve done everything you can to resolve those issues, likely moving out of your comfort zone in order to do it. There might still be a reader who catches something that no one else did. But, you know what? Thats okay, because, if youve done everything above, that thing will be so minor it really wont matter.