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I’m starting a new book – alien heroine vs. psychic hero, but there are a lot of irons in my fire, so I’ve decided to not try for the whole 50,000 word target of NaNo.  A mini-NaNo, however, gives me the freedom to kill my inner editor and vomit out my first draft.  I don’t have much of a plot, but I know the hero’s GMC, and I’m hoping the heroine’s will emerge.

Are you participating in this year’s NaNo?  What story are you working on?

Comments (0) Nov 02 2009

I’m back from a weekend writing retreat and feeling recharged.  It’s one thing to say “If I just had a chunk of time. . .” and actually sitting down and writing.  I pushed through and finished my latest W.I.P.

How can you kickstart your muse?

Don’t get out of the habit of daily writing.  It’s easy to do.  Life intrudes and “I’ll write tomorrow” can become a mantra.  Instead, set your alarm for 10 minutes.  You’ll be surprised how much you can write in that time and how much over the limit you’ll go.

Turn off your inner editor.  Don’t search for the perfect word.  I’m a fan of XXX.  When in doubt for the best word, the name of that character in the 2nd chapter, or whatever it is that you’re stuck on, insert XXX.  When you come back to it during your edits, it won’t seem as important.

Don’t reread what you’ve written.  In preparation for this retreat, I printed off the last ten pages of what I’d written.  I never looked at them.  I started from the last sentence and pushed on from there.

Even if you think you’re writing dreck, it’s good dreck.  Not every building can be the Taj Mahal.  Sometimes you have to start with a straw hut and make a lot of improvements.

Now that my book is done, I have a week to go through it and make my first cut of edits.  On Nov. 1st, I’m starting a new story.  I won’t be shooting for the full 50,000 words, but I’ll be participating in my own version of NaNoWriMo http://www.nanowrimo.org/ and taking my own advise.

Happy writing!

Comments (0) Oct 25 2009

Recently, I asked for advice on how to spark my creativity. I’m at an odd place in my writing – too close to the end of one book to be interested in it (no surprises left) and not far enough into another to know what the characters are doing. Plus, it’s summer, and my attention has been pulled toward vacations, sunny days, and a four-day work week.
What to do, then, to spark the creative side of my mind and get back into the swing of writing?
Not plotting. Not goal, motivation and conflict.
No, folks, we’re going back to old school. Hand writing. It’s an exercise called Morning Pages, and it’s the brainchild of Julia Cameron, author of The Artist’s Way. The premise is to set aside a specific time every day and free write until three pages of 8-1/2″ x 11″ paper is filled.  No plotting, no stories, just whatever comes into your head and DON’T REREAD.  The thought is deeply buried problems will be revealed as well as the solutions.  After a specific period of time (I was given seven weeks.  I’ve made it through three days so far)  you’re to reread all your writing, circling the items you want changed and underlining action steps.  More often than not, the solutions are tucked away within your gripes.

Now, I haven’t read the book yet, and I’m taking the exercise from someone who participated in a class a decade or more ago, but it sounds like a solid theory.  I’m willing to give it a try.  So far, the writing has swung between griping about not having enough organization in my life and lists of ways I could organize it.  See, it’s working already.

Off now to put in my pages for the day.

Good luck on yours.

Comments (1) Jul 24 2009

Recently, while surfing the internet, I found some tips for maintaining a healthier lifestyle that could easily be applied to a healthier writing life style:

• You can become whatever you envision. Yeah, that’s right. If you think like a best-selling author, you’ll draw more attention and success than if you believe you’ll always fail.
• Claim your power.  You know you have it, or why pursue writing for a career/hobby/something to get away.  Empower yourself with your talent and get to work.
• Set your priorities.  Write another scene or blog?  Send out a query to an agent or an editor?  Research your next work or edit your last scene?  Without a clear path, you won’t make progress.
• Get pushy with yourself.  The book won’t write itself.  If you think you’ll only have time for one page today, write two.  Set your timer for fifteen minutes, turn off your inner editor, and push through, no stops, no looking up stuff, until the timer goes off.  Then write another page.
• Give yourself permission to succeed.  Nothing makes me angrier than hearing a fellow writer talk about submitting, then hearing her follow it up with a self depreciating remark.  Hey, if you’re going to write, then at least believe you’ll succeed at it.  As Yoda said, “There is no try, there is only do.”
• Give yourself permission to be awesome.  Yes. You.  You tell it to your kids everyday.  Why treat yourself to a lesser attitude?
• Become part of a circle.  Whether it’s a writing group, a critique group or a good friend who’s not afraid to tell you when your story has strayed, find a foundation of support that will help you grow.

These tips were meant to help lose weight, but if they work to make you a better writer, so much the better.

Comments (1) Jun 29 2009

Thanks to Deb Dixon and the Mid-Michigan chapter of RWA.  I attended their workshop this past Saturday.  Along with copious notes of Deb’s GMC and an overview of The Hero’s Journey, Deb gave us an exercise she found in Finding Your Voice by Les Edgerton.  It goes like this:

Picture your character in the next scene you’re going to write.  Or the scene you’re in now.  Get into your character’s skin and ask these questions:

1. What do I see before me?
2. What do I feel?
3. What do I hear?
4. What do I smell?
5. What do I taste?
6. What is the light like?
7. What do I want?
8. What do I think?
9. What happens next?

This is an awesome exercise and it will get your creative juices going.

Comments (0) Jun 23 2009